[Vision2020] Gary isn't a hayseed; he just plays one on 2020.

[Joan Opyr]

Dear Gary:

I'm beginning to fear that you are a hayseed.  At the very least, you 
have chosen to behave like a belligerent backwoods ignoramus, a cross 
between Eb from Green Acres and the banjo player in Deliverance.  "I 
know what I know," you say, leaning against your pickup truck and 
spitting into a Pepsi can.  "And so I ain't a-going to read none of 
them thar verifiable facts.  You don't know nary nothing, Mizz Lund, 
and neither does that thar newspaper feller, Dave Johnson.  Yer all 
agin Doug, and so hit don't matter what downtown bidness folks 
ackchurly said at that slam-dunk BoA hearing.  I tweren't listening 
anyhow.  I wuz humming that song, 'Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off.' 
  Ya'll got any tequila?  Er any clothes?  How's about a woman?"

You're not stupid, Gary, but for some reason, you frequently play the 
goat on this list.  Why?  Probably because you like to stir the pot, 
but if you want to sup with the devil, you need a much longer spoon.  
Here, again, is Saundra's well-reasoned, polite, and factually accurate 
post.  Try reading it this time without the chip on your shoulder or 
the finger up your nose.  I think you'll find it edifying.

Be bright.  Be open.  Be smart.  I think you can, I think you can, I 
think you can.

Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
www.joanopyr.com

On Mar 30, 2006, at 6:55 PM, Saundra Lund wrote:

> Hi Mr. Crabtree,
>
> Well, I'm sorry I didn't get the opportunity to meet *you* Tuesday 
> night --
> I was there & would have welcomed the opportunity to meet you in 
> person  :-)
>
> You wrote:
> "The few detractors that did speak could only muster the parking issue 
> as
> the reason for a denial."

> No, sorry -- that's flatly incorrect.  Erosion of the property tax 
> base and
> the resulting increase on the other tax paying businesses was 
> mentioned.
> Compliance with the Comp Plan was cited.  Preservation of the downtown 
> for
> retail & service was mentioned.  From David Johnson's Wednesday 
> Lewiston
> Trib article:
> "Those opposed were mainly downtown business owners who claimed the 
> college
> caused major parking problems that drove retail customers away, robbed 
> city
> government because of its tax-exempt status and set a dangerous 
> precedent
> for other institutions, like the University of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State
> College, and North Idaho College, to seek similar downtown locations 
> that
> should be preserved for retail business. . . Rosemary Huskey, one of 
> the
> more outspoken critics of the college's downtown location, said the 
> city
> needs to be more proactive in its enforcement of zoning regulations and
> conditional-use permits, rather than reacting to complaints after the 
> fact.
> She said she endorses the college and its students, as long as it is 
> located
> somewhere other than downtown. "
>
> You also wrote:
> "An issue that has been shown to be a false since the school uses no 
> more
> parking than any other potential user of that property. This is not 
> just my
> biased contention, but the result of statistics provided by the city 
> staff."
>
> No, sorry, wrong again.  City staff made the point that NSA *alone* 
> accounts
> for about 7% of all auto trips on Main Street:  the average daily trip 
> count
> is 4806 with NSA accounting for 332.2 of those trips.  One educational
> institution *alone* accounts for 7%, which is clearly out of 
> proportion and
> a higher use than other Main St. establishments.  Also, based on NSA's
> current enrollment and staffing, it requires 43 parking stalls with an
> additional 11 required for the retail space.  At NSA's maximum 
> allowable
> enrollment and staffing, they will require 65 parking stalls (plus 11 
> for
> the retail space).  City staff stated that NSA requires 12-34 more 
> parking
> stalls that other commercial uses of similar size.
>
> So, in light of those statistics provided by City staff, how do you 
> arrive
> at, "An issue that has been shown to be a false since the school uses 
> no
> more parking than any other potential user of that property. This is 
> not
> just my biased contention, but the result of statistics provided by 
> the city
> staff "?
>
> If you want to support the granting of NSA's CUP, that's your right, 
> but
> *please* don't twist the facts to support your opinion -- that's a huge
> disservice to your credibility and to our community.
>
> Saundra Lund
> Moscow, ID
>
> The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to 
> do
> nothing.
> - Edmund Burke
>
> ***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2005, Saundra 
> Lund.
> Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision 2020 
> forum
> without the express written permission of the author.*****