Quaintness out, ugly in
The ugly acorn lights are being installed in front of Mayfair today. The old quaint gas lights are quivering, knowing their days are numbered.
It's a shame that the taxpayers don't get to vote on how their money is spent. Something is wrong with the system. The new lights are not only blah they are up in the trees and do nothing to enhance the situation in any way, shape or form.
posted by Tom Falco at 10:48 AM
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23 Comments:
come election time everyone forgets. we need big changes this coming election.
Our gov't is a representative democracy (small "r" republican). We vote in representatives to make the day to day decisions (light replacement).
We don't live in a full democracy, where the entire citizenship votes on every decision (ancient Greece). That is entirely unworkable in a society as large as ours.
And yet there have been two or three hearings on a sidewalk that is being considered that will only cover 2 blocks.
Most people are against the gas lights being taken out. That should have been heard and not been railroaded through.
you say the new lights "do nothing to enhance the situation in any way, shape or form" completely false statement, the new lights are lining someones pocket, it is going to be good to find out who's. My guess is among the 30% of the population in Miami who control 100% of the local government decisions.
To Anonymous 12:34 PM
You seem to say democracy "is entirely unworkable in a society as large as ours" This is the backward thinking that is damaging our democracy, especially when we are entering the post computer technology revolution, do you really think it is not possible to practice total democracy in a large modern society? When human beings send robots to crawl the surface of Mars do you really think we should revert to dictatorial tactics when in terms and just give people a taste of democracy once every four years? No wonder we live in a Banana republic, it is the voters with your belief in what a democracy should be.
GRape - you have said more than once that FP&L is paying for these new lights and will provide the electricity to power them on their bill. What taxpayer money is being spent then?
That is what your post reads - "taxpayers don't get to vote on how their money is spent."
Ya know what the new lights do better than the old ones - actually light the street. Kinda functional eh?
I thought the purpose of these was to save maintenance costs. Would it have been a "no" vote no matter what the cost savings? Can you quantify how many of our taxpayers' dollars need to be saved for this project to make us stop moaning over aesthetics? Pardon my dismissal of theories of conspiracy and fraud, but I trust a business case was made and the cost savings were obvious, even if you quantify the financial effects of losing quaintness (tourist dollars lost?)... show me otherwise and I'll join you in the picket line.
It lines FPL not the city. I agree with Tom but I do wonder about some of the people who write on the blog; do they read this blog everyday? Seems they just read three sentences of every post.
Most people at local meetings have been voicing their concerns and are not happy about this. As taxpayers, we are willing to pay for the old lights. We would have perfered to pay for the lights and NOT the Marlins Stadium for instance. But we don't get to vote on anything around here. The lights or the stadium.
And when the subject comes up about the lights, as it often does at meetings, we are literally told to shut up and that's that. Money is pissed away left and right in the City and so many taxpayers are willing to foot the bill for the lights and not foot the bill for other things.
And if the light bulbs were replaced in the old ones, they would light up the streets too, as they have done for 40 years.
These new ones are lighting up the tree tops and in many of them, the bulbs are yellow, not even white, which don't light up anything.
One local politician literally told me to my face that he reads the headlines here and the comments and avoids the actualy story posted. Then he proceeds to complain about every "anonymous" post to me.
If you didn't say "he" I would have immediately assumed someone else.
However two other people come to mind.
"Never sacrifice beauty for efficiency"
The old gas lights aren't even made of gas people. A drunk can actually kick one off its base if necessary and they are made of paper thin material and cheap bulbs. Those old cracked lights make a good lawn ornament
What is the love affair with those things?
If you look closely most of the bulbs in them dont even work.
Get over it people !!
The one time they actually make a good change the old folks that made this place a ghost town step in.
No loud music - you got that
No young crowd - you got that
No money now - you got that
Face it people, the times have changed. Its time for this place to get into the modern time era.. Walk down Mary Brickell Village, Brickell (same light fixtures) as us, and you old timer's complain..
Can you hear Century Village calling?
We need youth & change in this place.
If people from the Grove didn't write under 'anonymous' the local politician, (HE) would come after them. (HE) has done it in the past and will continue to do it in the future. In fact (HE) also uses a pseudynom; not much different that posting under an anonymous; so Grape let (HE) continue to complain, but protect your anonymous writers from (HE). Thanks.
I would pay $15 for a quality T-shirt and actually wear it if it said the following:
Anonymous
Coconut Grove
To Anonymous 4:18 PM yes you are absolutely right, a lot of things are wrong with the Grove but not the street lights. We can have the BID oversee real democracy by putting these little but important issues to vote.
I agree.
We need to look classy to bring classy.. Lets fix our little place to bring some competition to the other locales.
Dasright, 4:18, I like the cut of your jib, as many of these old timers would say.
once fun money-spending 20-35 year olds were run off, this place has spiraled downward hard and fast.
No loud music - you got that
Thank You Commissioner Sarnoff!
No young crowd - you got that
Thank You Commissioner Sarnoff!
No money now - you got that
Thank You Commissioner Sarnoff!
Once fun money-spending 20-35 year olds were run off, this place has spiraled downward hard and fast.
Thank You Commissioner Sarnoff!
Grape....looks like you are going to get some more complaints from a certain politican reference another ANONYMOUS post.
Sorry to say but the Real Estate in Grove is way to high for a first time young buyer to step in. Just like Greenwich Village in Manhattan has run out all the young buyers because they cannot afford to live there or here in the Grove. So get real, and stop this Century Village over and over again stuff. Mary Brickell village is a ghost town, with sorry to tell you music must stop at 1:00 am. So I think some of your young blog people should either relax or move to a low class area on the other side of Dixie Highway where they really belong. The lights are going up, no stopping them now. Many Florida workers are making money to take home to their homes. If these lights saves one life they are totally worth every penny.
Dont forget (SHE) MICHELLE NIEMEYER
She calls all anonymous posters gutless and spineless.
What a nice gal!
"And when the subject comes up about the lights, as it often does at meetings, we are literally told to shut up and that's that"
Grape, that was too subtle. Who is telling you to shut up, literally?
For all of you backseat politicians that complain on this sight all the time get off your touche's and do something. Set up to the plate and either run for office, start petitions, make the changes happen. Most of you only complain and I never see you offer solutions. Complain but put a proposed solution. Whoever is in office will get complaints.
With that said I think we need new people all around. Mayor and Commissioners. Use your walletts and your votes to help with change.
In reality everyone over the age of 18 has an extremely powerful vote. They can file a legal lawsuit/complaint and an additional form if they don't have the $275.00, filing fee and bring a halt to any activity at any level regarding government or private industry and ask for a stay. I've won 7 in about as many years. If you make factual arguements, prove some negative, a judge will listen and rule. But, one has to be really engaged because in the beginning it was extremely stressful.
The issue with the street lights is over, folks. It's a done deal. In point of fact, compared to municipal streetlights elsewhere, yours are pretty good looking. Check Google for pictures of standard streetlights. Try not to gag.
Now take this energy and focus on something where you can still make a difference. Don't doze off and let that big building on the water get approved in a meeting where you didn't show up to object.
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