The new Political/off topic sticky chat thread (place, room)

[CHS89]

I never said he didn't have a point. He made a generic statement with nothing to back it up is what I'm saying. I asked WHY he thought it was folly. Everyone has an opinion. I don't like bananas. Doesn't mean that bananas are necessarily bad or that everyone shouldn't like them either, or even that my opinion is the only point of view. I don't like the taste of them, the texture, or the smell. See? My very own reasons for not liking bananas, for better or worse. Agree or disagree, care or don't care. If he's gonna throw out an opinion, at least back it up with something. Like Commish alluded to earlier, simply regurgitating the party line is just tiresome.

[SteelCityRising]

What I'd personally like to know is why so many in Scranton seem to despise their downtown? I've posted another thread in the General U.S. forum asking people if a vibrant downtown was important in their decision to choose a new home, and thus far EVERYONE has agreed with me that it most certainly is. If Downtown Scranton fails and falls flat upon its face, some of you will get a gushy feeling inside to see the mayor working his hardest to do "spin control" with a plummeting popularity rating, but in the long-run all this will do is hurt everyone. The less businesses there are in Downtown Scranton, the less tax revenues the city can reap to pay for services, meaning they'll have to either raise residential taxes or cut services. The emptier Downtown Scranton looks, the less likely it will be to retain its existing residents, let alone attract new ones (or at least the DESIRABLE law-abiding ones). The longer Scranton shows a population decline, the more difficult it will be to "sell" Scranton as an "up-and-comer" in the corporate spectrum in hopes of luring better jobs here than distribution centers, call centers, and trucking firms while 99.9% of our college graduates take our entrepreneurial talents to greener economic pastures.

In short you can bash Downtown Scranton all you want, but like it or not it IS the primary focus of prospective newcomers, prospective tourists, prospective new employers, etc., and if it looks like a cess pool then how likely will the rest of the city be to rebound? Think about that the next time you bash the downtown, hop in your SUV to Dickson City to shop at Raymour & Flanigan, and then see Penn Furniture close up shop, leaving the city with lost tax revenues that will need to be "plugged." I can already tell you that I know I will be MISERABLE living in NoVA because urban planners down there made no effort to control sprawl and create true town centers. I'll be living in a suburb, working in a suburb, and driving a car to everything because there aren't many sidewalks (much like my current lifestyle here in Pittston Twp.) If I decide I like the region as a whole, I'll move into Arlington or Alexandria as soon as my finances permit me to do so!

[Mr Yuk]

I don't think downtown is that big of a deal to most Scranton residents. Personally I don't want downtown to fail, but I don't think its a high priority either. I really don't go downtown very often. Living in West Side, I'm more concerned with Main Avenue than I am with downtown Scranton. Scranton feels more like a network of small towns than it does one city....but that's probably because it was a network of small towns at one point....parts of the city like Hyde Park, Minooka, and Providence were once independent boroughs (personally I wouldn't mind if the borough of Hyde Park broke away from Scranton again). I'm in West Side's "downtown" quite a bit, but I'm hardly ever in downtown Scranton.

[Retired Law 08]

Just a reminder...this is an off topic/political thread...as stated in the first
thread...LOCAL POLITICS ONLY...





http://bestsmileys.com/usa2/9.gif (broken link)

[weluvpa]

I agree Go Phillies, we might go downtown to eat once in a while but I never shop there unless its specific and yes Paul we prefer Penn Furniture over Raymour and Flanigan but since we don't buy furniture everyweek I doubt it matters and the Abingtons will keep Penn Furniture alive forever my friend.

Most people in this city DON'T CARE and would rather see their neighborhoods cleaned up then the downtown.

[blip]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

I can already tell you that I know I will be MISERABLE living in NoVA because urban planners down there made no effort to control sprawl and create true town centers. I'll be living in a suburb, working in a suburb, and driving a car to everything because there aren't many sidewalks (much like my current lifestyle here in Pittston Twp.) If I decide I like the region as a whole, I'll move into Arlington or Alexandria as soon as my finances permit me to do so!

Wait, you're moving to a suburb after all your chastising of suburbanites?!?

[NYRangers 2008]

Originally Posted by go phillies

I don't think downtown is that big of a deal to most Scranton residents. Personally I don't want downtown to fail, but I don't think its a high priority either. I really don't go downtown very often. Living in West Side, I'm more concerned with Main Avenue than I am with downtown Scranton. Scranton feels more like a network of small towns than it does one city....but that's probably because it was a network of small towns at one point....parts of the city like Hyde Park, Minooka, and Providence were once independent boroughs (personally I wouldn't mind if the borough of Hyde Park broke away from Scranton again). I'm in West Side's "downtown" quite a bit, but I'm hardly ever in downtown Scranton.

I agree too. The downtown is not that big of a deal to people actually living in the neighborhoods.

And to CHS89, why are you the only one who insists that I back up every statement with something? Why do you care? This is an internet forum, not a debate for political office. I don't have to answer to you about anything I post. You just like to bust my chops and always try to start something. Instead of just reading my posts and move on, you have to add your two cents in. It's not like your posts are anything to write home about. Just please, knock it off already with your comments, you're boring everyone.

[CHS89]

I asked for clarification. Don't get your panties in a bunch. You made a generic statement, and look like a fool when you can't, or simply won't, give a reason for it or explain your thought a little more lucidly.

Be the fool if that's what you want. You're right, I don't really care one way or the other.

[NYRangers 2008]

Originally Posted by CHS89

I asked for clarification. Don't get your panties in a bunch. You made a generic statement, and look like a fool when you can't, or simply won't, give a reason for it or explain your thought a little more lucidly.

Be the fool if that's what you want. You're right, I don't really care one way or the other.

Get over yourself already, no one cares. Who cares if I made a generic statement, only you, it does not violate the TOS so drop it already. You're the only one looking like a fool here, I'm done with you.

[CHS89]