Looks like Stewart forgot the emoticons again 8^).

- Greg

Josh Chasin wrote:

> Of course, the possibility that I understand you perfectly and that it is
> you who aren't hearing me, is too absurd to even be on the table.  So I'll
> just shut stupidly up now.  Thank you for the free lesson though.  You do
> seem to dispense them freely, and I felt like I wouldn't be one of the cool
> kids till I got one.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Stewart Mason" <flamingo@theworld.com>
> To: <audities@smoe.org>; <audities@smoe.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 5:41 PM
> Subject: Re: All I'm sayin'
> 
> 
> 
>>At 05:15 PM 12/3/2003 -0500, josh chasin wrote:
>>
>>>Wal-Mart kills downtowns.
>>>
>>>The fact that other things kill downtowns-- economic downturn, major
>>>employer leaving the area, demographic shift-- does not negate the fact
> 
> that
> 
>>>Wal-Mart kills downtowns.  Pointing to a downtown killed but not by
> 
> Wal-Mart
> 
>>>is a little like saying lung cancer isn't deadly because this guy I know,
> 
> he
> 
>>>died from Diabetes.
>>
>>Uh-huh.  And saying that Wal-Mart kills downtowns is like saying that
>>someone who was hit by a car died of lung cancer.  Let's try this again
> 
> and
> 
>>I'll try to make it as clear as I possibly can.  Urban sprawl kills
>>downtowns.  Here, I'll set it off for you:
>>
>>Urban sprawl kills downtowns.
>>
>>Wal-Mart and other big-box retailers are a phenomenon related to, but
>>***distinct from***, urban sprawl.  If you waved a magic wand and
>>eliminated all the Wal-Marts everywhere, URBAN SPRAWL WOULD STILL EXIST.
>>And downtowns would still be dead.
>>
>>It's easy and fun to point at Wal-Mart and say it's all their fault, which
>>is why it's so popular to gang up on them.  But start talking about
> 
> infill,
> 
>>neighborhood renewal, mixed-use zoning laws, historical preservation and
>>tax credits for downtown businesses -- you know, the stuff that actually
>>*combats* urban sprawl -- and people's eyes glaze over.  Much like those
> 
> of
> 
>>87% of those reading this thread.  It's much easier to self-rightoeusly
> 
> say
> 
>>"Well, I won't shop at Wal-Mart."  Good for you, Sparky.  I'm sure you
> 
> feel
> 
>>much better about yourself.  But you have not done one goddamn thing to
>>actually help fix the problem.
>>
>>S
>>
>>
>>
>>
> 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Greg Cagle
gregc at gregcagle dot com