Jim Sparks
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On the article Show Us Your Pics from Motor City Comic Con!
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On the article Bond Critics Frustrated Over Format of Farmington Schools Informational Meeting
Jim Sparks
10:11 pm on Sunday, May 5, 2013
Mark, don't waste your time trying to argue with this one. It only encourages her. Methinks she may have been frightened by a school board member as a young child, and it has affected her ever since... ; )
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On the article How Can We Make Every Day Earth Day? (Sponsored)
Jim Sparks
10:06 pm on Sunday, May 5, 2013
"99% of liberals"? Really? You know them all personally? Typical rant from the right-wing fringe minority. Perhaps all that bitterness is wreaking havoc on your mental state...
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On the article Consultants Unveil Draft Vision for Farmington's Future
Jim Sparks
11:08 am on Saturday, May 4, 2013
ReplyMr. McDiarmid: I think you're reading more into what I wrote than is there. I am not "blaming the city's challenges on the failure" of these projects - I'm saying they have failed to mitigate them in any meaningful way. I understand, and agree that the state's economic situation has had significant impact on Farmington, as it has many other communities. My beef, as stated above, is with a bloated and ineffective response to these challenges. A city that has acknowledged current and future difficulties in it's fiscal state - specifically a serious slack in incoming revenue, yet finds it perfectly acceptable to hire and pay not only their own people, but outside entities quite generously for positions and services that are either superfluous or quite common in nature begs credibility. A DDA that sops up $300,000 or more from the already beleaguered downtown businesses, then spends nearly half of that on the salaries of just 2 people, while buying $10,000 worth of Christmas lights for poles, and God knows what for knick-knacks like those directory kiosks (which are probably already out-of-date), or Santa's Mailbox, on and on. A city that pays it's theatre manager nearly twice the industry average, it's city manager a six-figure salary (for a town only 2.5 square miles in size, and only 15,000 or so residents).
This is nothing new, and will probably continue ad infinitum. Hopefully, not so for downtown Farmington's revitalization.
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On the article Consultants Unveil Draft Vision for Farmington's Future
Jim Sparks
1:28 pm on Friday, May 3, 2013
ReplyMr. McDiarmid: It seems like you've not read my comments in full. The idea of a safe, clean and walkable downtown district is good, in my view. It's the lack of progress in what was supposed to be the purpose of the projects already completed - namely, economic recovery and growth - that has been considerably less than advertised.
Pointing out that every city has suffered during bad economic times is not germane - many cities with similar circumstances and demographics have begun to blossom, with the help of well thought-out, viable solutions. I am not "complaining" about efforts to revitalize, but the expensive, inefficient manner in which it's been attempted. I do not offer any new "creative" ideas, as most have been discussed and/or proposed, to varying degrees of successful implementation or the lack thereof.
When it comes to the spending of tax dollars, the quantification of the results of such spending is, in spite of your declaration, important. Ask most taxpayers. Tell me then, what "worthwhile" benefit does a $15,000 study that makes ridiculously simple and wildly general determinations bestow upon the community? Does it just feel good?
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On the article Consultants Unveil Draft Vision for Farmington's Future
Jim Sparks
11:17 am on Friday, May 3, 2013
ReplyMichael: Let me clarify a bit. I have no problem with some of the improvements to the downtown area undertaken so far. I think the streetscape, pavilion and farmers market are fine additions to the district. I don't even have a problem with a community-based "visioning" effort. My problem is when good money is spent to do silly things, like hire an outside consultant for this "visioning" process. Reading the results is quite funny, while at the same time sort of sad. These are things that any concerned, active member of the community could have told us - they're "no-brainers". The fact that the city and it's highly paid administrators could not have come up with the exact same thing, merely from living here for any length of time, is pathetic. Instead, they ponied up what - $15,000? - to a well-connected outside contractor to do this. The people at OHM must be walking away, chuckling to themselves. Nice work if you can get it.
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On the article Consultants Unveil Draft Vision for Farmington's Future
Jim Sparks
10:34 am on Friday, May 3, 2013
ReplyMichael: How do you know I haven't "participated"? I am quite familiar with the years-long, interminably ongoing process, and have direct knowledge of what has actually transpired versus what has been ballyhooed. I have read all the information that has been put out there. My assessment is based in fact, not fantasy, as yours seems to be.
It's people like you that mindlessly cheerlead for these vapid, feel-good exercises that contribute to the continuous spending of tax dollars towards things that have to date failed to improve the downtown business climate (stores keep closing - very few new ones opening). Current businesses complain (privately) that their stores are not seeing much benefit from the "improvements" you mention, yet millions of dollars have been spent, and will keep being spent, all in an effort to justify a bloated and ineffective bureaucracy. Forgive me if I find that offensive.
Name-calling and personal attacks are the hallmark of those who aren't quite sure of their cause. But...you keep drinking that Kool-Aid, Michael, if it makes you feel good. Ignoring reality and parroting the rhetoric of those who seek to justify incompetence seems to buoy your spirits.
I'll keep hoping for real, effective progress, and a responsible spending of public money.
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On the article Consultants Unveil Draft Vision for Farmington's Future
Jim Sparks
11:11 am on Thursday, May 2, 2013
ReplyOh, brother.
How much did it cost us to find out that we desire an "active" and "community-oriented" community? How much effort did it take to determine that we'd like to see it "economically competitive" and "connected" (whatever that means)? And, I'm sure the average taxpayer is quite comforted by the fact that this assessment, and it's accompanying (large) fee, has been able to confirm that it's basically the same as the last "vision" they expressed 15 years ago. How's the implementation of that one going? Any metrics the city can share demonstrating it's effectiveness? Probably would require hiring outside help to create something like that, eh?
Make the community "great", and "the rest of your problems will be solved"?? Groan. That's like saying, "make the world great, and paradise will be attained". Was this kind of comprehensive thinking out of the league of the highly-paid "professionals" already working for the city, requiring the purchase of a "consultant"? Hmmm.
Ah, Farmington. Where no chance to throw money at something goes a-wanting.
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On the article Higher Ticket Price Coming Soon as Farmington Civic Theater Goes Digital
Jim Sparks
10:34 am on Friday, April 19, 2013
ReplyIt's been reported in the Observer (not known for their speed in reporting) that Mr. Freeman has been given a whopping 35% raise in base pay, along with quite lucrative, softball "incentives" that will bring his compensation to an estimated $75,000 annually. This is more than twice the local industry average, and tests the limits of credibility. As I stated above, not only was this action inevitable, but also makes clear that Farmington sure knows how to take care of it's own! Current and projected declines in city revenue seem to be completely irrelevant. What next, a $100,000 dogcatcher? Maybe a $30,000 "assistant" position for the manager's wife? Sure does pay to be an insider in this town!
Curiously, the Patch has so far been silent about this, leading the reader to wonder if, yet again, it finds the subject too "controversial" to report. Friends, maybe?
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On the article Craig Covey Talks Breaking Down Barriers in the Fight for Gay Rights
Jim Sparks
3:35 pm on Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Good catch there, Gary! Sharp as a tack.
Too bad my comment was deleted.
Evidently, sarcasm is VERBOTEN on Patch, but bigotry is just fine with them. Go figure.
Jim Sparks
10:13 am on Friday, May 17, 2013
Being judgmental about such things is lame. Maybe it's time for some introspective assessment. Self-perceived superiority is worthless and limiting.