Everyone knows my stance on property taxes at this point and I can surely say, them abandoning that building and putting it in a parking ramp will absolutely have me voting down every millage they try to pass. At this point, ANY millage, I'm likely to vote down. I've been way too supportive and we don't have shit to show. We ABSOLUTELY need to start holding these people responsible regardless of political stances. I'm so sick of these games they play!
This building, like the City Hall they're replacing, were of a much higher construction type than what they are/will replace them with. There is plenty of life left in that building. I'm sure it needs major system upgrades, roofing, windows, etc., and it won't be cheap, but that building would still outlast a new, lower construction type, and be much more iconic. How do I know? This is what I do for a living. I do this type of work on buildings this age all the time. The Kenneth Black architecture of that building is so unique, not just to the area, but in general. Why did the era where Lansing invested in solid buildings with cutting architecture have to die so young?
Another good point someone made, that I kept thinking about, is what about that significant renovation they recently completed? Are my tax dollars just wasted with that now?
I'm beyond fed up with this nonsense. Yet the majority of residents elected the same people and their puppets to keep making these idiotic choices, and I'm just talking local at this point lol.
I agree with your points, it has been a long time since I went to school, I think that there have been several generations of Americans who have had a poor education the areas of civics and government, even something like school pride that said you were a part of this neighborhood of this town. People are not connected to much besides their screens
This deal with -rump is so wicked, one day [soon I hope] this too will pass, I for one am not planning on letting him take me with him. It is difficult to not be pessimistic; this season was a real tough one. We used to say out by the ocean "the tide is high but we're holding on" [a Blondy reference:}
So I'm reading through CATA's "Road Ahead" report here and, unless I'm misunderstanding something, frankly the numbers read as rather brutal to me. As we know, bus fare is $1.25... but how much does it cost CATA to deliver that ride? Answer seems to be:
Demand services are more expensive - that's not surprising. But how much more expensive? I mean this is brutal.
Overall, it looks like CATA's revenues are down sharply this year, they seem to say because the last of Federal COVID emergency funds have finally gone away. But costs are still up.
It is too bad the light rail is something that probably never happen here, I believe that once the trains and infrastructure are in place, the cost per passenger would be far less than a bus. Mabe CATA should send Uber rides for on demand rides, paying the Uber drivers might cost less than owning the bus it's fuel and maintenance and paying the driver of a 16-passenger bus transporting one person. I know that making a profit is not the goal of a municipal transportations system, but there must be a more efficient spending plan. The BWL is always saying they have excess electric capabilities, light rail and electric buses would be a better place for that power over a data center.
"Brutal" seems an appropriate word there. I don't really know what to say. A city like Lansing is expected to have public transit so all I can really do is shrug my shoulders.
There is an artical about a new shelter opening soon at 322 Townsend Street near Rutter Park. Looks like a good place for people in need. It is kind of cool that the building does not look like a shelter, a nice place to find help. I hope they will offer mental health services, and instruction and help on how to find a job, a home and how to keep house. I think a lot of folks never had anyone in their life to show them how to keep house, budget money, and pay bills. I like that this new shelter is not tiny "kennel" pods, I don't think those things are a good idea.
I read an LSJ article on my free MSN feed that the Chamber of Commerce is seeking information on returning state workers to downtown buildings. I have to wonder why only 37% of the workers have returned to state office buildings, and the state has done no oversite over remote worker since the pandemic. They are asking that the state follow the new budget which would return occupancy to 80%. If they have no plans to do that then the state should sell the buildings and empty parking lots for private development. It would be so great for downtown if all those people were working there.
the state has done no oversite over remote worker since the pandemic.
This is a fiction. Employees are required to be at their workstation for their agreed-upon work schedule. If they're not at work or inappropriately unavailable, the manager knows and the employee will be disciplined.
It would be so great for downtown if all those people were working there.
It would be great for the businesses and building owners that have refused to adapt to the current environment, and it would be an abject disaster for employees that would be forced to incur additional expenses in an increasingly inflationary environment without wage increasing to match.
The state has began forcing employees back a few times a week, and they've lost a lot of good people in the process for their efforts. If full in-person work was required, you'd see a brain drain the likes you've never seen before and the people of Michigan would suffer for it. But our politicians would be happy, because they'd finally get their opportunity to line donor pockets and privatize all these government services.
I wonder how it all seemed work pretty well before the pandemic, the opinions about the oversite of home workers were mostly from the artical I read. I think that our capital city deserves something besides empty buildings and parking lots from the state government. Innovating for the current environment could involve providing transportation downtown from outlying communities. Pay raises to cover the higher cost, free lunches could work to keep employees. I think that humans working together is really important to our society. One could go down that line saying perhaps we don't need a physical campus for MSU, professors, students, libraries, labs and classrooms could all be ventral. How would downtown East Lansing adapt to that. How are the downtown Lansing business owners supposed to adapt. Perhaps bringing workers back is not as apposed as you seem to indicate and would actually make our government stronger and smarter. Of course, it looks like everyone will have to adapt to the realities of today, I hope those adaptions involve people who are actually living in the real world that is in front of their faces and outside their windows not on their screens. It seems that this situation may apply to your job and of course you would have a much more informed view on this subject that I have. How ever it happens it would be nice to see more people living and working downtown.
Comments
This building, like the City Hall they're replacing, were of a much higher construction type than what they are/will replace them with. There is plenty of life left in that building. I'm sure it needs major system upgrades, roofing, windows, etc., and it won't be cheap, but that building would still outlast a new, lower construction type, and be much more iconic. How do I know? This is what I do for a living. I do this type of work on buildings this age all the time. The Kenneth Black architecture of that building is so unique, not just to the area, but in general. Why did the era where Lansing invested in solid buildings with cutting architecture have to die so young?
Another good point someone made, that I kept thinking about, is what about that significant renovation they recently completed? Are my tax dollars just wasted with that now?
I'm beyond fed up with this nonsense. Yet the majority of residents elected the same people and their puppets to keep making these idiotic choices, and I'm just talking local at this point lol.
This deal with -rump is so wicked, one day [soon I hope] this too will pass, I for one am not planning on letting him take me with him. It is difficult to not be pessimistic; this season was a real tough one. We used to say out by the ocean "the tide is high but we're holding on" [a Blondy reference:}
Demand services are more expensive - that's not surprising. But how much more expensive? I mean this is brutal.
Overall, it looks like CATA's revenues are down sharply this year, they seem to say because the last of Federal COVID emergency funds have finally gone away. But costs are still up.
The state has began forcing employees back a few times a week, and they've lost a lot of good people in the process for their efforts. If full in-person work was required, you'd see a brain drain the likes you've never seen before and the people of Michigan would suffer for it. But our politicians would be happy, because they'd finally get their opportunity to line donor pockets and privatize all these government services.
Be careful about what you wish for.