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" Those of you complaining about the study - if you're west side residents, then you are the ones who need to step up at the public meetings and become part of the group of us who want to do something to revitalize the west side.

If you could do it without the study/facilitator, how come you haven't done anything yet?

If you were at the summit last night, then you'd know why the City is paying a facilitator.

So. Are you with us or against us? "

" Well, Rational Humanist, as you condescendinly belittle our comments, I ask you, what ARE the causes of poverty? You are quick to point out your perceived faults in everyone else's comments. What might you suggest to remedy the issue? As for your comment: "With nowhere to go, nothing to do and no way to pay for high living, the poor, the elderly and the disabled are left to stagnate in place." Unlike the elderly and disabled, the poor (i.e. usually unemployed) can get a job like the rest of us. "

" BN Humanist- you misinterpreted my post. Yes, I did mention the homeless. They only bother me when the loiter in my apartment building parking lot, usually drinking, and always harassing my tenants for money. The homeless people that are not drinkers or users do not bother me. They can go to the mission or to the compassion center. But if they choose to drink and trespass and harass that becomes a real issue for me, and my tenants, and the neighborhood. "

" Well, Well. Now our posters have established (rediscovered?) that poverty is not pretty. How very Special. The nasty homeless people clutter up the 'hood? The "lovely old houses" are being ruined by being made into apartments? These are some of the symptoms, and NOT the causes of poverty. With nowhere to go, nothing to do and no way to pay for high living, the poor, the elderly and the disabled are left to stagnate in place. No, it is not pretty, but it is part and parcel of the American Dream. "

" Hmm, must've struck a bone of truth. Why weren't my earlier comments posted? "

" One of the first things that needs to happen is to stop dividing those big old houses up into 4 or 5 one-room apartments with a common kitchen and bathroom that turn into flop houses for crack heads and drug dealers. It breaks my heart to see some of those houses destroyed like that. Also, everyone bashes our police for "never being there". Guess what, they're never going to "always be there". The community needs to stand up, unite, and when someone witnesses a crime happen, actually TELL the police what you saw and who you saw do it, instead of "I didn't see nuthin'". You can pour all the money in the world into studies and meeting, but it takes brain, braun and a strong will to overcome problems like these. "

" I'm not sure what the consultants from Evanston are going to do because I feel like WE can do this just as effectively--- if WE are prepared to DO THE WORK. This cannot just be a fancy "plan" devised by Slickers in Suits that then goes nowhere. It is going to take ACTION and it's going to take ALL the residents, business owners, and landlords in the area to GET ON THE STICK, once and for all, and propel this wonderful old neighborhood forward. No consultants, no City officials, are going to get this done--it's up to US. The "powers" can help, absolutely, but the REAL PLANNING, the HANDS ON WORK, is going to have to come from US. The Leadership has to come from US as well--and that means all kinds of Leaders of all colors, shapes, sizes, and voices. It's got to be this way--or it won't be at all. The West Side is truly the heart and soul of Bloomington, historically, geographically, and culturally. Bloomington would become a mediocre, sammo-sammo, pot hole on the prairie, without the people of the West Side to spice it up! VIVA WEST! VIVA! "

" I beg to differ with the statement "landlords are not invested". Huh? Do I not pay taxes, a mortgage, insurance, etc... on my properties ? How do I make my living If I get bad tenants that don't pay rent and ruin my building? Yes, there are slumlords that need to be dealt with, but don't paint us all with the same brush please. "

" I agree with you “Milk was a bad choice” and “warriorwoman”. The west side is a very diverse area and worth attention! To write it off as a place for crime and poor people is just insane!

Personally, I enjoy the older homes that are in this part of town. You could not pay me to live in one of the cookie-cutter houses on the east side of town! To “dirkdavebigalow” – my husband and I do not work “lower paying jobs” nor are we suffering from poverty.
"

" We need to do something about the old east side and west side. The city has so much potential in those areas. We need to stop building East on some of the nations best farm land and turn all attention to the west. "

" I believe the pictures say it all; both the one on-line and in the hard-copy of the paper. Are any of the task force members residents of the area? "

" To: dirkdavebigalow.....yes there is poverty in the area and more so than other parts of town but to assume every person that lives in that area is poor is such an ignorant statement. It is just the same as saying everyone that lives in nicer parts or town all work high paying jobs. People like you give this town a bad name. I live in the west side of town and have many friends that do and will guarantee you that we and many, many other residends make more than people living in the "nicer parts of town". So just to say that west is poor and east is not is just plain stupid. "

" Warriorwomen,great letter.We need more people on the west side to think like you. "

" I agree you can tell Stockton came from SF, endless money for "studies" to study the studies. It doesn't take a study to know what needs done, that is what your alderman are for. Property ownership goes a long way to caring about a neighborhood. Landlords are not invested. The other thing that needs to happen is the city caring. There are some great homes that could fabulous in that area. "

" sorry, one more comment- we need to deal more effectively with the homeless element. I have a lot of loiterers and panderers around my property---- I call the police, the police come out, make them dump their beverage of choice and then send them on their way. Not effective because they come right back. The people who are truly down and out go to the mission or the compassion center. Of course, these places won't take the drunks that are on the street. We need to find a way to deal with these people. "

" You need to get rid of the crime element.... Landlords (speaking as one myself) need to screen tenants and not allow felons, druggies, or child molesters access.... start making people accountable for the conditions of their homes. Don't put family room furniture or appliances in the front yard/porch.
Gang graffitti should not be allowed- my building has been sprayed quite a few times with graffitti. We make a police report every time, and then paint over it. It is annoying to be sure , but my building is not going to be "marked" . I think that the people on probation and sentenced to community service should be used to help out with the revitalization of the west side. "

" You clearly didn't read the article or atend the community summit. This is part of a strategy to bring back pride in the west side. To do that, we as a community need to identify and comunicate what it is that we want the west side the be. Yes, many residents of the west side deal with low income, housing issues, crime, and access to quality education. As a community we can't just push those isues aside and say, "Oh well, that's just the way it is" and then complain when crime rises, homelessness runs rampant, and our next generation is without hope. This community is rich in community resources - we just need to communicate and find out what are the needs and connect those needs with what we have. If we don't have it, it find a way to create it. People built this community - people need to bring it back. "

" Another good example of money waste! Everyone knows why these neighborhoods turn to crap.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out but it's typical of politicians to hire (sometimes more than once) some stupid company to do a study. I guess they learned that in college. "

" You can tell Stockton came from SF. Everything has to be done after a study. Spend thousands of dollars for studies, when you can look at something for 1 minute and know the problem. After most studies, nothing ever happens. They are just something to keep someone busy and make it look like they are needed for their job. "

" the article first states they have to deal with the issue of property rights. does that mean how to take those rights away from people so the city can do what they want with the proprty? second the believe its a perception problem. they feel the area is perceived as rundown and plagued by crime. does that mean it really isnt? reality check. it is rundown and crime ridden. deal with that and the rest will come. "

" I grew up on the westside and I'm glad to see that there's some actual action being taken to find a solution. But the key word is "action". Don't just pay for a study and sit back and go "huh". I hope the council takes action on suggested improvements. $90k is a drop in the bucket compared to all the dollars that have been spent on an east side study for a highway east of town. There have been 3 or 4 studies there and nothing has been done. "

" No wonder we have a budget shortfall when politicians spend money like this. Fools. "

" How about cops that patrol there at night.... oh thats right the only cops patrolling the west side are at Steak N Shake and Road Ranger. We could get more but there is that budget thing going on... I wonder what caused that? "

" It is crazy to spend $90,000 to study this. This area suffers from poverty. The residents work lower paying jobs. In the nicer parts of town the residents do not suffer from poverty and work higher paying jobs. No study can change this. "