Gballs tipped me off to the fact that those green clothes donation boxes all around town are run by some weird cult. Or maybe just scammers who sell the clothes? Either way, don't drop your clothes off there. Donate them to the salvation army or goodwill, or if they're cool, give them to me.
Today in the bee, Breton has an axe to grind against all us nit-pickers, historical preservationists, and "nincompoops" drowning out "viable visions deserving of support". Yes, that's right, he thinks that all of us common citizens should just shut the fuck up, lay back, and enjoy whatever Thomas Enterprises chooses to do to us. And why? Because they've already spent $75 million (according to him) on the railyards project. So it follows that laying out that much cash means no one should try to block or even question any of their plans. Got that? Here's how he wraps it up:
Otherwise, the city of our civic dreams will never come to pass.
"our" civic dreams? Are you sure about that, Marcos?
Once a sportswriter, always a sportswriter. And why does The Bee continue to use its sports section as a principal training ground for key non-sports editorial positions? One might think that having writers who are unfamiliar with fellating the Maloof family might be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteGrwffydd
So the organization does seem to be a bit shady.... but what kinda idiot thinkgs it's "ga L a" and feels deceived to learn otherwise?
ReplyDeleteNot just for the fact that the gaian philosophy and the term itself is widely recognized, but for the simple fact that "gala" wouldn't make any fucking sense at all.
"So it follows that laying out that much cash means no one should try to block or even question any of their plans. Got that?"
ReplyDelete-heckasac
"Sure, there are legitimate issues to be raised at the railyards. The details of its design will determine whether the city has an urban showpiece or an eyesore. But there's a fine line between being vigilant and being obstructionist."
- marcos breton
I love how Breton compares Mo Mohanna to the Railroad Museum. The latest bit of spin being applied is the claim that the Railroad Museum is asking for more land for the Railroad Technology Museum, when in fact two buildings (the boiler shop and the erecting shop) have always part of the deal, and Thomas Enterprises is now balking about selling the Erecting Shop--which would pretty much kill the museum. Choco-ration is being increased from 30 grams a week to 20 grams! Doubleplusgood, eh citizen?
ReplyDeleteyes, there is a fine line between vigilant and obstructionist, and i'm proud to say that i cross that line. i'm obstructionist on the majority of the city's plans for downtown. i think their plans are the same old crap sold in a different, distractingly shiny package. i know that i'm supposed to be ashamed of standing in the way of progress, but i'm not. you can accuse me of that, i'll cop to it. for the millionth time, my viewpoint is: sac is great! i like it the way it is!
ReplyDeletep.s.-if you still have the wool in your eyes about the new plans for "our civic future" that are being sold to you, consult soriano's article in the october midtown monthly for a case study of the k street mall, and apply his healthy dose of cynicism to the larger plans for k street, r street, the railyards, etc.
I'm of two minds on this. When it comes to the railyards, "leave things the way they are" really isn't an option: leaving the buildings alone just means they will fall down or burn down. They need to be restored.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that concerns me is opposition to a proposed National Register historic district designation for the Railyards and environs. Despite the fears of development fans like Breton, a National Register designation does not mean that the site has to be left as-is, nor does it mean that only faux-antique buildings can be built there, nor does it mean that building signage has to have an Old West font.
In fact, there are NO federal restrictions on what property owners can do with a National Register property. From their website (http://www.nps.gov/nr/owners.htm):
"Under Federal law, private property owners can do anything they wish with their National Register-listed property, provided that no Federal license, permit, or funding is involved.
Owners have no obligation to open their properties to the public, to restore them, or even to maintain them, if they choose not to do so."
So, why create a National Register district?
Because such a district is eligible for MILLIONS in federal funds, grants, matching funds, and other monies available for restoration of historic buildings that are ONLY available to that sort of district. Once such funds are accepted, of course, you can't just knock over the buildings anymore, but if the whole point (and according to Thomas Enterprises, it is) is to open the Shops buildings to the public, restore and preserve them, then National Register listing is a way to bring in some of that desperately needed money everyone keeps going on about.
Before this gets much longer I think I'll post it on my own damn blog, probably in far wordier form.
you have a secret blog?
ReplyDeleteMy secret blog:
ReplyDeletehttp://sacramentohistory.blogspot.com
Don't tell anyone!
Is gala more of a cult than goodwill or the salvation army? It's called the Salvation Army for Christ sake!What happens to all of the Salvation army's money?Goodwill's money? Is gala building million dollar headquarters and paying ceo's salaries? Ultimately, all these people make money selling clothes to poor people.Which cult they belong to or where the poor people live hardly seems to grant one organization a better than the other.
ReplyDeletefor fuck's sake it's GUY AHHH!!!
ReplyDeleteI am not so into giving my donation to either Salvation Army (hates gays) or Goodwill (overpriced), but at least they are reasonably transparent in their organization and don't go slamming donation boxes down on other people's land and claiming to do something for the earth. Here's a link to an article about them written by The Chicago tribune. http://tinyurl.com/y47deh
ReplyDeleteAnd since you asked, I suggest making your clothing donations to SPCA or WEAVE.
Gbomb
PS: Armeniac, I would love to get loaded with you and have a discussion about the difference between a cult and a religion and whether a Mormon can ever be president of this country.
let me make this clear: all i care about is where the good used clothes are going and can i buy them. other than that, i don't care if the organization is using the money to seed land mines or to finance government projects to use the brown sound to defeat the enemy. i am just in it for myself. this is why i was so infuriated by all the awesome american vintage clothes in japan, but then psyched when i realized they were 99 percent small clothes i could never fit into.
ReplyDeleteMs.Sac, love the brown sound Idea,if Eruption/Pretty Woman can't defeat the enemy what ever could? G-bomb I agree,spca and weave are wonderfull places to donate yr clothes. And I also think getting hi and discussing cultish presidential matters is a grand Idea! call me?
ReplyDeletewait, don't you mean 'schemed'?
ReplyDelete