I just cannot for the life of me understand the attitude of some of you “restorationists“.

I love history myself, and I try to learn from it. I have actually given my time, knowledge, effort, sweat, and money to restoration and preservation projects in the past, but not just so I could boast about it. That is why you’ve never known it until now.

What I cannot understand is why you expect every other person in the world to put YOUR desire ahead of all other things, including their very own survival!!! That is narcissism at its worst!!!

How can you possibly believe that every businessperson on the planet goes into business only to serve YOUR desires at no cost to you??? Why should other people risk their sweat and treasure only to fulfill YOUR fantasies whenever you are too incompetent to fulfill them for yourself, disregard any opportunity for profit or vision of his own???

Why is it that you try to twist logic, and the very principles of democracy, into such a tangle weave as to believe that it is right to confiscate tax money from the working poor solely so that YOU can live YOUR royal dreams???

Now, if someone of credibility actually came forward, with a plan, and explained WHY they thought that a particular property was actually of historical significance, how its restoration and preservation would benefit the entire community, with a plausible, detailed estimate of how much the entire project would actually cost, and reveal not only the schedule, cash flow projections, critical personnel, but also the identities of ALL parties involved, that would be a different story.

But that never seems to happen, especially here in Middletown, does it???

Take this Sorg case. What do we have??? Some unknown, part-time waiter that allegedly couldn’t get an auto loan without falsifying documents (which he didn’t seem to mind to do), who expects us to believe that he got financing all by himself for several hundred thousand dollars for a property with monthly utilities that would disqualify someone making $75K/year, and implying that he has a “staff of experts” ready to do a million dollar restoration that will draw people from all over the known universe to save Middletown--and all of this because :

he’s “been hearing some really good Things about the Sorg Mansion”!!!

I presume that you are replying to me, so I will gladly respond. However, first I politely suggest that you consider a remedial “reading comprehension” course or two, since nowhere in my post did I reference any of the circumstances that you mention.

That aside, let me try to make the following perfectly clear:

1. I did not “condemn” you (or anyone else, for that matter). That is between you and your God, Whoever/whatever you perceive Him/Her/it to be.
2. If you live on food stamps but drive a luxury car, get your nails done regularly, wear only the best clothes, and live off “the system”, I consider that wrong, grossly unfair to the rest of society and especially to the working poor who do NOT abuse “the system”, and a circumstance that should not only be rectified at the earliest possible opportunity, but also be punished to the full extent of the law.
3. You should be allowed to “apply for” anything that you care to “apply for”, but you should hardly be “approved” for anything close to what I’ve described in my preceding post. If you are approved, either the flaws in the process should be remedied or you should be prosecuted for fraud (whichever is applicable).

Now, if any of this remains unclear to you, please refer to same by number so I don’t have to bore everyone by going through every point while I try to find room for some reason within your narrow, selfish mind.

Try to be guided by this simple philosophy: Neither I, nor the wealthiest person in town, nor the working poor, nor anyone else in the world, should be expected to furnish to you the funds to fulfill every fantasy that you wish to live. We should especially not be FORCED to do so. The world does not owe you a living.

None of that is, as you so simply state, “OK”!

None of the above, is a “condemnation”. You asked if I thought it was OK, I told you.

Viper,

I can sincerely state that: “If YOU want to get YOUR house on the historic register one day after YOU finish restoring it, I don't see anything wrong with that either!!!” In fact, I would applaud your effort and would be happy to offer my humble assistance to the best of my ability. (Some people familiar with the facts, in this nation and in other nations, do seem to believe that I have some knowledge of construction methods, techniques, and problem solving.) I probably even have some tools that I would be willing to loan to you, if I can remember who I have last loaned them to, and am able to retrieve them.

There was a time, not too long ago, that I might even have donated materials, or offered an interest-free (or very low-interest) loan. Unfortunately, the last few years have been as financially hurtful to me as to so many others in our nation, so I am no longer willing to offer financial assistance in cases of “want” rather than “need”.

As to some other things you mentioned, I guess we must all follow our own conscience. There are many things that “a lot of people” choose to do. Some, I also choose to do, while others, I choose not do. Being “legal” does not always make something “right”, nor does being “illegal” make it “wrong”, at least in my view. Consider things like slavery, which was once legal in this country; the 70 mph interstate speed limit, which was legal one day, illegal the very next, and then legal again after another arbitrary date, all on the very same stretches of highways in some states.

I have similar views on “a lot of people do it” and “it has been done for quite a while”, also. Once again, consider slavery, speed limits, nuclear power plants, lead-containing paint, the death penalty, stem cell research, etc. These are all things that not only “a lot of people do” or “a lot of people have done for quite a while” but also may or may not be legal depending upon location on the earth, point in history (or in the future), or present regime of government.

Lastly, I have no idea what illegal immigrants have to do with any of this, but we probably agree in principle. Yes, I also think that “…more money comes out of our taxes paying for illegal immigrants than saving old houses.” I also believe that our tax money should not be used for either. Immigrants should come to America legally. Houses, both old and new, should be built, purchased, and maintained by their owners! If the “owner” happens to be a “foundation” and that foundation does its own fundraising, so be it!

However, I am also nearly positive that more money comes out of our taxes paying for space exploration than saving old houses. In both cases, we are NOT comparing apples-to-apples, so whether or not I am “for” or “against” the first, has nothing to do with whether I am “for” or “against” the second.

Here’s a hypothetical question:

“Is Bill Gates’ house any less historic than Paul Sorg’s? If not, why not?” “If so, then why aren’t we using tax money to maintain the Gates Mansion?”

So, at least in my view:

Mt. Vernon? Absolutely!

Monticello? Of course!

Mike Presta’s house? H*ll no!!! NEVER!!! NO WAY!!!

Bill Gates Shack? NOPE!

Sorg Mansion? Sorry!