Spider:

You make some very good points, and some not so good points. I will try to address them all as objectively as I can.

You say:

I say: I think it’s wonderful that you enjoyed the evening. Too bad that the food wasn’t better. However, I’m sure that you will agree that different people have different tastes. If a “rave” and a “turkey shoot” and a “rattlesnake round-up” were the only things scheduled next Saturday, would you make the same observation that: “no one can complain about "nothing to do around here on a nice Saturday night".”??? Are you saying that everyone from the youngest to the oldest, the teenagers to the middle-agers, the senior citizens to the toddlers, the high brows to the low lifes should ALL enjoy, flock to, and patronize the arts??? If so, must all of these groups likewise support each and every activity that the other groups enjoy???

You say:

I say: I agree wholeheartedly!!! BUT (there’s always a “but”, isn’t there?), more so for the employees than Mr. Cohen himself. I say this not to demean Mr. Cohen or his family. I would never do that as they have given so much to this area. However, as long as Mr. Cohen desires to hold such positions such as the High Hoo-Ha of “Middletown Moving Forward” he bears an obligation to act in a manner to keep Middletown moving forward!

You Say:

I say: I agree wholeheartedly!!!

You say:

I say: I agree wholeheartedly!!! Whether or not some of the things mentioned were paid for with “forgivable loans” form the taxpayers, such actions are completely inexcusable!!!

You say:

I say: I singled out the preceding statement for a reason. I’ll return to it shortly.

You say:

I say: These are two completely unrelated issues! Are you trying to say that anyone who does not “embrace” the new windows, the flowers at the commons, or the murals MUST BE the SAME ones who are committing the VANDALISM??? Spider, my friend, that is ABSURD!!! What mature adults prefer to either “embrace” or not to “embrace” has absolutely nothing to do with what immature criminals choose to vandalize!!!

I also say: Returning to the “recent effort to beautify the bicentennial commons with a large amount of newly planted flowers and plants”, I must ask if they are included under your comment “(by private citizens and businesses)”?

Further, in the last three years, by my memory (which is of course suspect), there has been ONE event at Bicentennial Commons, and that was simply a fireworks display. I recall a gathering of city notables where I objected to the city having spent $50K on the Commons, One of them mentioned Bicentennial Commons as one of our “jewels” and I asked “when was the last event held there or when is the next one scheduled?” No one could answer that question. (And they probably still can’t today!!!)

You say:

I say: No, I don’t know why. Do you??? I wasn’t even aware of it. How do you know the demographics of the perpetrators if you don’t know who did it?

You say:

I say: I do NOT know why it hasn’t been FRONT PAGE news!!! Perhaps it is because of the “GOOD NEWS ONLY” policy that seems to be the rule around here? I have been asking the same question about some of the things going on at City Hall. Why aren’t those things front page news???? All we read about is how WONDERFUL everything is (or is going to be) in our city, at least how wonderful it could be if only we short-xighted cheapskates would open up our pocketbooks and give city hall the rest of our money!!

You say:

I say: These are noble efforts! They just are NOT as huge as some seem to think. I had new windows installed a couple of years ago, and not one person came to adore them!! We’ve been remodeling, bit by bit, for several years, and not even one “good news” story in The Journal. (And I betcha we’ll be finished before downtown is, too!) No murals on the exterior walls at our house, though. It probably would violate some city code or other. (Besides, we wouldn’t want the HUGE CROWDS that the things seem to draw (NOT!)

You say:

I say: What did you talk about? What EXACTLY were they “upbeat” about? Did you ask about any of the problems that they refuse to acknowledge? Did you ask why they refuse to recognize conflicts of interest? Downtown businesses??? Would those be NEW ones or the next to leave??? Perhaps you should have asked THEM why the downtown vandalism wasn’t “front page news”, or did they refuse to recognize it?

You say:

I say: No, you did not. There were also over 50,000 other Middletonians that you did not see there. That is why I maintain that such events must be privately funded. There is a small group of people in Middletown that feels that THEIR wants, no matter what they are, should be provided by the rest of the citizens. You are a businessman! Which showroom would you enlarge? The one that is always “standing room only”, or the one that has never even had a line at the ticket booth?

You continued:

I say: No, you did not. But think about who else you did NOT see there! You did NOT see the people whose job it was to do that work!!! You did NOT see the ones who were RESPONSIBLE for the upkeep of the cemetery!!! That’s understandable though. From your other comments, THOSE PEOPLE were busy getting ready for the Arts Festival!

You say:

Must have been at home on their pcs typing about having another meeting to "throw the bums out/show them the door/lock them all up" so their new faces(what new faces?) can take over and "fix things!".

I say: I don’t know where they were, and I don’t know where you were. What I DO know is that we did our job. We paid our taxes so that City Hall could maintain that cemetery. You’ve told us where the city’s big-wigs and the super volunteers were. Anything else that you’d like to ask?

You say:

I say: No, I cannot. Perhaps if I spent a lot of money advertising in The Journal, I could put some pressure on them to print something besides the “GOOD NEWS ONLY” pushed by city hall and their cheerleaders. Do YOU know anyone who advertises in The Journal? And as far as finding the names of the vandals, if I could help in any way, I certainly would. Perhaps we should band together, chip in some money, and hire some people full time to investigate crime in the city? Of course we’d all have to tighten our belts and cut down on the parties and festivals to do that, wouldn’t we?

You closed by saying:

I’ll close by saying: Yes, it IS time to put up or shut up. If we don’t act by November it will be too late. Ranting on message boards is neither rewarding nor convenient, but one must use the tools one has available, and there are other things in the works. (Some of us just don’t try to get a front-page picture for every little thing, though. Talk about ego-rewarding? Sheesh!)