Monday, August 12, 2013

Open Blog - Monday


Smart move. Also pretend it's not Racine.

16 comments:

legal stranger said...

First out of the box.
Yes I am not in cancun,
so catch me if cun can.
have a great week irregulars.

BL Basketcase said...

Second

MinnesotaChick said...

makes me third!
have a great day everyone!

lizardmom said...

wow, late to the party at 1:25 am, you party animals!

SER said...

It's raining pretty hard here, maybe it will wash away any nasty crap of Mondays......

OKIE said...

Wow. Am I the only day owl here at 8:10 in the morning?
A rainy week for us but in the 80's so no complaints.
Have a good one everyone.

kkdither said...

I'm off to the dentist for my final. Hope I pass the test. The rein has been interment. I'll try to run between the drops.

kkdither said...

P.s. I still love Racine. The stuff you guys are complaining about does not define us.

Toad said...

KK, I'm an honest person (to a fault perhaps) In my statements about controversial subjects, but have to say, I too love Racine, but the Racine I love died when they built the boat slips, etc. on the lake. The festival site, along with the great pier, restaurant, and all would have been enough. What the boat slips did, was build an escape for those NOT living In Racine to Park and Party. I will grant you, that these transients spend a few bucks In Racine, certainly not what the city had hoped would happen because of their development, but NOT city wide, just In the 2 to 3 street area. That Is where It all started. The illusion that this area being destroyed, In the interest of THE LAKE really didn't happen. When you say "The stuff you guy's are complaining about" Is not what Racine Is about. Racine Is about S. C. Johnson Co., Kringle, Crime, and how unhappy folks are seemingly In Racine, and Racine County. The taxes are huge, the services (street lights) are dwindling. City Government seems to be confused at best. On and on and on. Where Is the OLD Racine? The famous city of Industry, Pride, Happy people everywhere? WHY can't people swim on ANY given day of the week at the beaches? What happened to taking care of the city we love, instead of watching It rot. I drove through 3 weeks ago, and thought I was In Chicago. EVERYWHERE you look, some kind of business exists. I wonder how many business places exist vs. homes. BTW. Not apartments. Everywhere you go, It seems like all you can see Is business, and much of It RUN DOWN. Racine's Uptown, and West Racine have looked like they do forever. The area between Hwy. 20 and Hwy. 11 inclusive Is crazy wild. Racine Is ONLY a city of about 80K people (once was more) what Is going on? I guess, It's no longer a city I would want to live In. Far too busy for such a small city, and way too commercial. I guess we will have to wait a few years for the 4th of July Parade to go away to finally realize how important QUALIFIED, and HONEST people are needed to HELP a hurting city.

kkdither said...

I am far from saying this is Eden or the city in which I grew up. I know we have serious issues happening. There is highly questionable behavior going on with our representation and city managers. We have a good old boy protection factor which includes our newspaper. However, those things can be overcome if people care enough to learn about the issues and get out and vote!

The bigger economy and reduction of manufacturing has really hurt Racine. Trying to become an artsy town didn't pay the bills. The Chicago get-away tourism isn't doing it either. Minimum wage jobs with huge tax breaks to the corporations who want to suck our tax incentives and not pay a decent wage, the jobs that our Governor has been wooing for Wisconsin won't fix this either. I think it will be a very rough road ahead.

My point was that there are plenty of good people here and corruption does not need to define us.

SER said...

Toad, I like your post, lots of good stuff in there.

I remember with they first build Festival Hall(?) down by the lake, EVERY weekend it was booked and many many days during the week. Weddings had to be booked a year in advance to get in there. Local businesses use to have their parties down there. There use to be many festivals down there and once the city counsel got their fingers in there they raised the rates so high everyone bailed out.

A big one was Harbor Fest, it's gone. They totally fucked up Salmon-A-Rama. Now it's being run by Salmon Unlimited and starting to make a come back, slow but gaining on it.

I know there was a lot of hoopla about Dino's going out of business. All I can say to that is poor management got them, even if they where in business for 60 years.

Well we both could go on and on but I'll stop here.

OH...Kringle isn't going to save this city!

legal stranger said...

Kringle is a good start

Toad said...

KK, It disturbs the hell out of me, that I have friends, and friends of friends that think Dickert, Walker, and side kicks are the greatest things to happen to Racine and the State. It just kill's me. I can only suspect that the Wealthy, and those that WANT, and are trying to become wealthy, are attempting to push all of the people OUT that they think are a drain on the city. I was online last night, and saw the house that was The Studio at 1213 College Ave. Is for sale. REDUCED to 99K It's a steal, anywhere else, but 1213 College Ave. It's directly behind our first home when we got married. It's a former Frank Starbuck home. Just gorgeous. It just happens to be In ONE of the neighborhoods going SOUTH so to speak In the city. Why can't someone see the light, and re-habilitate the city little by little, and make It a wonderful place to live again. The manufacturing Is NOT going to come back to the city proper again, but they could consolidate some of these businesses in certain areas of the city, and open up some REAL housing. Not apartments, and Condo's. Hell, I think their should be a Tavern on every other corner again. What brought people together better than the neighborhood tavern. That Is, except for the crazy Danes that made West Racine dry. I didn't live In West Racine BTW.

Beejay said...

I still talk so fondly of Racine and WI. I was born outside of Green Bay, but basically grew up in Milwaukee. Moved to Racine in '1984. moved here about fourteen years ago. I love Florida, but miss you guys so much.

My life has taken a lot of twists and turns. Some fun, some difficult and some learning curves for me. I will never look back. The pain was worth the happiness. And along the way, I met you guys.

What a bunch of fun we have had. Let the good times continue for all of us!

OrbsCorbs said...

I criticize local government a lot. It's my naivete: I thought people ran for office to better their community. Imagine my surprise and disillusionment when I discovered that they run for office so that they can leech off of and loot the taxpayers. Like an idiot, I believed what I was taught in school. It was all lies to cover the criminals running our city.

Racine's largest problem is it's poverty. We have thousands of residents who are incapable of functioning in a normal society. Our lying "leaders" ignore this reality, hoping it will disappear.

I'm tired of living amongst subhumans. I am tired of assholes inflicting themselves upon us. I stand up for what is right and, yes, I do get into a lot of arguments.

Last week I saw a drunk buying more beer at a convenience store. He was taking forever to check out. I told him that I was going to report a drunk driver to the police and I told the clerk that it's illegal to sell alcohol to someone who can barely stand up. One of the other people in line applauded me.

Fuckit. I am sick and tired of taking it on the nose because others are assholes. I'm tired of worrying if the next driver is a drunk who is going to kill me. I'm fed up with thieves scouring my neighborhood and my building, stealing everything that isn't nailed down. This is Dickert's legacy: poverty and crime, people living like animals while lying John and his family vacation in France on our dime. He's a pig.

Toad said...

I don't live In Racine any more, but I want to move to It's sister city In Denmark. I will gladly be the Ambassador to whatever city It Is for the rest of my life. All I need Is for the city to pay my way, and expenses for my Golden years. I believe the city Is AAlborg, but I'm not certain?