Easy ways to help the All America City Effort!

Stephen: Since some of us who reside in Fort Wayne do not believe that our recent Public/Private projects have contained ANY private contributions, how can we let the judges know how we feel about our town being selected for an honor like this – which, per the rules, requires an exhibited public/private success story within the past three years? Can we also take a negative group to testify in Tampa in June and would we be able to be heard?
I am suggesting a local boycott of events to pay for the expenses of the hand-picked shills to go to Tampa.

If you hate Ft Wayne so much John, why don’t you move away? All you want to do is b—- and moan about all the wrong things that our government is doing, all the wasted mony and crap and yet you don’t think anything about all the money the cities spent defending itself against your accusations – none of which has ever been validated. Not a word from you about this wasted money. Get over it or move away and stop embarrasing yourself.

BLOGMASTER’s note: please watch the language James.

John – I have no idea what the answers are to your questions are. More importantly, why in the world do you feel the need to even bring something like this up? At what point do you let it go and move on? You certainly have a right to do whatever you feel the need to do, but I don’t understand the need to do something so ridiculous. I respect you John and your opinions, you know I do. But, sometimes, you are just too much. And now, you’re talking about doing something that wouldn’t be just a local embarrassment, but on the national level as well? And to do what, prove your point? Well, you’d probably prove your point, but in the process lose what respect and tolerance people have for you.

James – In what way have I ever said that I hate Fort Wayne? Would you please be specific? My gripe has always been with those who are so greedy that they will do anything, including unlawful activities, to get their way. And I am assuming that you are of the opinion that the end justifies the means. The All America City designation for Fort Wayne is a big joke – the only problem is that it’s a joke on the law-abiding citizens of our city!
Please enlighten us on what great projects involving public and private spending that have occured in Fort Wayne in the last 3 years. We really would like to know.

Try these on for size:

1) The city spends lots of money to pay for an option on some land that was used as a dumping ground for PBC laden electrical equipment. The results of an environmental examination of this property, paid for by the city, is ruled “private” by our city executive government. Yet they still are proceeding to “sell” the citizens on this being a good deal – for us to pay for any cleanup that may be required before the land can be used!

2) The city signs a contract with an Atlanta, GA organization with a paragraph that states that the Atlanta company must have financing for their part of a public/private project arranged prior to the agreement being signed off by the parties involved, but then makes no effort to investigate such action and actually saying that the Common Council has no business in asking for such assurance before the vote on the contract!

3) The Redevelopment Department of Fort Wayne buys property using funds that were designated for use in an unrelated (at the time of the payments)incremental tax area. Then the employees of that department, when asked by the State Board of Accounts how they can do this, indicate that somehow empty buildings and vacant land is somehow “serving” this special tax district.

4) The public/private tax increment district that was established in January of 1992 to improve the infrastructure at the Jefferson/Illinois Road area that became known as Apple Glen and Jefferson Pointe has used only to a) oversize the sewer lines to Jefferson Pointe ($190,000) and to improve Jefferson Blvd. between Ardmore Ave. and the West limit of the Allple Glen property ($1,000,000). That’s all that has ever been spent out of this TIF fund in the area involved. The signalization of the drive running from Illinois Road to Jefferson Blvd, between the Apple Glen properties and the Jefferson Pointe properties has never been spent! ($125,000). So this is the major source of funds to pay the bonds that were sold for the new baseball stadium and the new parking garage. And even though the resolutions that established this redevelopment area state that “when the funds are not needed for purposes described herein, monies in the fund in excess of that amount shall be paid to the general property taxing unit as per the levy” So the city provides all public services to Apple Glen and Jefferson Pointe (fire, police, et al) and none of the property taxes will be used to pay into any general funds until the year 2043! The $1,190,000 plus the planned but not yet done $125,000 for signalization is but 10% of the revenue taken in to date from this TIF revenue. All the other expenses at Apple Glen and Jefferson Pointe were paid by the developers!

5) This last week our mayor announced that, after Spiece and The Plex have successfully promoted amateur tournaments for many years bringing many outside dollars to be spent in our area, now we are going to use dollar incentives to promote this type of activity. Aren’t we a little “after-the fact” on this – and is this going to now compete with the successful activities of these entrepreneurs? Real great leadership here!

I’m not a big supporter of some of the things Fort Wayne has done in the last couple years, but I’m proud of my city. I think when people ask what makes a city great, they think more along the lines of “Turner Cup Champs two years running” more than how funds were used for a traffic signal. I’m sure you would be hard pressed to find a city with a population over 200,000 that didn’t have issues as you’ve mentioned. You have a right to question some of these points, but this isn’t the forum for it. The focus is, what makes Fort Wayne an All American city. I think an established, successful minor league sports franchise (Komets), and a state of the art ball park (whether you are a supporter or not), definitely puts us in the running. Not to mention a decent art museum that is currently being improved, a budding downtown environment (again whether it is your cup of tea or not isn’t the point), and a variety of different industries. I think the only way we could be more American is if they gave away free apple pies at a Tin Caps game.

Jeremy: Suggest you go to http://www.ncl.org/aac/AACindex.htm and click on the “award criteria” to see how the competitors in the All America City event are being measured. I also am very proud of our city in lots of areas, but public/private/non-profit cooperation in the last three years is not one of these.
Doesn’t it also seem peculiar that a city or town has to “enter” the competition, send representatives to a national meeting to “brag-up” the application and have “fund-raisers” to pay the way of those going? Is this why our mayor had the need for THREE public relations types in his administration – to enable us to pat him on his back on the national scene?
And you are correct in saying that other large cities and towns have simular problems. But, this is a poor excuse for saying that this type of activity is therefore okay! Check out for another city’s questioning of it’s relevance (Toledo, OH).

You can be an all-American city and still not qualify as an All-America City per the rules of the National Civic League.

John: I’m talking about general civic pride. I didn’t say that the behavior was okay. I said this is the wrong forum for your attack. If you have a problem with city governments and how the AAC designation is chosen, maybe you should boycott the competition all together. I see it as a level playing field against the other cities. In terms of civic pride, I really don’t care about a competition. I like our city. I could dwell on things that our city chooses (which I do on occasion), but sabotaging an endeavor on the public scale (which would do nothing but benefit our community) for a personal vendetta is not okay in my book. If you can find support for your cause, maybe you should get a bunch of local businesses to donate a percentage of their profits to send you to Tampa to boycott. In terms of being voted as an All America City, it sounds like pretty much any other election. Most people that are elected for something, usually pursue it themselves. Our elected leaders run for office because they want the position. They campaign, hobnob and raise funds. Heck, even the teacher of the year has to campaign in order to win the title.

“Dagnabbit” John… Can’t you just listen to the wisdom of Bobby Knight: “I think that if rape is inevitable, relax and enjoy it”

But seriously, I think John is entitled to his opinion and he’s got good points. Whether Stephen wants to let it fly here is his decision. James, if you’ve got a problem with that maybe you should leave and find a totalitarian regime somewhere that fits in with you.

From what I can tell re: the amateur sports announcement it’ll be a wash for the Gym Rats at Spiece. But when I talked to a representative from Spiece she said they are excited about the city recognizing amateur sports. That’s the positive answer and it seems to be the only thing that certain people in Fort Wayne sometimes recognize… so I guess that’s the game you’ve got to play.

Would I be called negative for calling Fort Wayne (only some at the top) a city of big fakers or “Fort Bully”? um, ok I didn’t say it. FW is great… and it is… just not in the superficial way that some people are on about. Fort Wayne is great because of many of the hardworking people and their integrity and the general friendliness of the people as an example of three things off the top of my head. Fort Wayne should be great because of inward qualities expressed outward… not outward qualities forced inward… although I think a pyramid in downtown Fort Wayne would be cool… yeah!