Words Matter

Three recent news items spark a few thoughts. Each is related. Each are perfect diagnostic indicators of government entities that refuse to consider new ways of thinking.

John Gonder, New Albany council member at-large, is the kind of person who, when presented with a problem, seeks solutions. And Gonder doesn't limit himself to rigid prescriptions. Nor will he accept "we've always done it that way" as an excuse.

So when Gonder learned that the water fountains on the third floor of the City-County Building (owned and managed by the Building Authority, who rents space to the city) had been declared unsafe for human consumption, he spoke up. I, for one, feel betrayed by those public officials who allowed me and others to drink from the fountains without once giving us warning.

Now this won't be the signature act of Gonder's tenure on the council, but it does indicate a new way of thinking. And the problem is not yet solved. But you can be certain that the freshman council member won't let the matter drop.

The Building Authority has been negligent in not remedying this atrocious situation. Failure to act after a formal resolution for redress has been submitted by the city would convert that negligence into malice and reckless disregard for the welfare of tenants and visitors.

Wednesday's issue of The Tribune, on its front page, illustrated the hidebound methods of local government and inadvertently revealed how the local media have been lulled into adopting government newspeak instead of challenging public officials.

The story was about the county's occupancy of the M.L. Reisz Building (East Spring Elementary School), and its reportage of the need for a "trained smeller" won't be toyed with right now. What struck me was the ease with which a working journalist fell easily into saying the following about the North Annex (County Work Farm) building:

"...after [it] had fallen into disrepair."

The officially doomed annex, where juveniles in need of care and supervision are housed out on Grant Line Road at Community Park, did NOT fall into disrepair. This historic structure, the last remaining piece of period architecture in that area, was allowed to deteriorate by a county government that has no concept of the word "conservation." There is nothing conservative about letting a public building die, and that is what they did. Put the blame on any generation of leaders you wish to, but understand that by failing to maintain this building, commissioners and council members were expressing a latent desire that the building would die.

At some point in the past ten years or so, certain individuals decided that utter and complete neglect would allow for new contracts to be let, perhaps a few pieces of public land might be converted to private speculative ownership, and that no one would be the wiser.

It's quite easy to compare the annex to an elderly aunt who becomes neglected. As she ages, her nieces and nephews visit less often. While her body loses muscle tone and her eyesight withers, her basic worth, her intrinsic assets, and her accumulated wisdom do not wane. The greedy relatives, not recognizing her worth, decide to ignore her. As the elder neglect grows more obvious, the relations conspire to arrange for a professional to declare her not only DNR (do not resuscitate), but they order the cessation of food and water. Sooner or later, she will die.

By refusing to rehabilite the annex, government officials create a situation where the condition they desire ultimately comes to pass. No money for repairs soon allows them to say it's not feasible to save it. All the energy needed to build this structure (which is in fact sound and capable of restoration) will be wasted. The aesthetics and the heritage aren't even considered worthy of discussion.

It hasn't died. You've tried to kill it!

Which brings us to the third item where neglect of a public building leads to an outcome desired by fools. The Tribune hasn't covered this one, but observant residents remain on guard against it.

Please read this post at NA Confidential along with its linked exhibits. It isn't the first time and it won't be the last that you'll hear about this abomination. I won't go into everything here, except to say this: How is it possible to avoid the conclusion that this school board wants to kill Silver Street Elementary School? Once that premise is accepted, every action they take can be seen as subterfuge and deceit designed to make their desired outcome a reality. Will New Albanians permit this tragedy to occur?