Speak Out 6/1/15

Monday, June 1, 2015

Evaluate options

[mail] Poplar Bluff has fallen into the same pattern as other communities. The assumption that "old" is automatically bad and new is automatically "good." This applies to our school system and public building. We have just recently voted to build a brand new high school instead of maintaining and revitalizing the one we have and now we are going down the same path with our City Hall. The school system has thrown away older well-constructed buildings, because they did not want to renovate and projected that they did not have the money for needed repairs but now they can build a 20 million dollar high school that will probably only last 30 years, and is out in the middle of nowhere.

Looks like our city will do the same. Do our community leaders not recognize the fact that these buildings are not just buildings? They are part of our community. They should be renovated and restored. They give a community "roots" they help maintain a community and neighborhoods. I think some architects are inexperienced in rehabilitation and overestimate the cost of renovating existing buildings. If the overestimate renovation costs, the "powers that be" advocate the need for new construction. Also, architects like to have their name associated with a new building. Along with that, funding can be found for new construction because the public is naive enough to vote for new bond issues so we have more government spending and again no maintenance program.

I am hoping Poplar Bluff City Council will sit back and evaluate all their options regarding the City Hall and Police Station. Get more than one opinion regarding the viability of the buildings, think about using some of the older buildings in the city that the school system has "thrown" away.

Someone sees you stealing

Yes. I just saw you at Hardee's put in a dollar twenty-five to get one paper, but you took three! That is stealing! Shame on you!

Recording

vs. officer

Yeah, I was callin' about the police department. What's going on with the police department? When you want one you can't get a hold of 'em. You have to go through a dozen different things now to get to a officer. You talk to a machine and half the time they won't answer it. You punch this number and if you want to talk to a police officer punch those numbers. What's going on with 'em? You can't get a hold . . . talk to a police office, you have to talk to a machine and half the time they won't answer and if they do it'll be two hours before they ever get to answer your call and everything. Is that some more of Kaplan's doin' to the police department? I hope you put this in Speak Out. Thank you.