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In the age of information and technical developments, and other areas of growth modeling; where does Shreveport Stand?
Are we aware that things like Cyber Command and other tech specific things, will not come and be centered here unless we understand the value of developing and promoting a tech community? We have the skill levels and what we lack to grasp is across the full mix of ethnic, and racial spectrum, we have young people who are both talented and with the ability and capability to advance us in these regards, but we have not pathway for them to connect and coordinate their efforts. We have no programming which supports, offers or solicits investments and co-operative developments to tap these resources within our existing population. therefore we hinder the growth in this area for the next generation. The result: we are preparing to reaming at the lower ranking across this nation in all the current categories we rank at the bottom, 1 up from the bottom and at best in some areas we might move up to only a fraction from the bottom. But we will remain stagnated and behind in various things, if we don't recognize these elements at this very time.
The avoidance of Ideas, or the ready denial of new ways to use available tech is often the process we find in far too many things.
I don't think Ultra tech is the answer at this time, because we are not yet a tech savvy community. Thus, we could easily become a hackers dream if we try to move too fast. But, that does not mean we should not become a community which engages tech in various ways.
I think again, as I often say, that we need to think in terms of 'Vocational and Technical" training as a foundational platform for educating our young. We lag too far on the Education Spectrum to claim we will be a community that is going to produce some alarming rise in University labeling of people.
I think there's more than enough info to indicate that University in many ways is not preparing people for the environment we reside. It is evident when statistic continue to speak about the graduates who can't find jobs, or the countless numbers who resulted to pursue re-training via a technical or vocational path. They found they needed truly marketable skills.
There is no such things a University producing a new wave of Administrators, because many people who are in various positions, are not going anywhere as long as they can stay in those jobs. When indicators continue to tell people, they need to work longer for more years, then that is what people are doing.
They are finding that dollars of pension claimed 5-10 yrs ago, is leaving them far short of being able to sustain a lifestyle they had when they were working.
We have in society, a 12 yrs volume of backlogged graduates still looking for a job. Not only has much of their school day aims been mothballed. They find they are behind the times in what is taking place in the society today. As many find they pursued fields that no longer have available jobs. there are people with many specific course aims, filling job spots which had no direct or even close indirect relationship to the jobs they currently hold. We see many avoiding their field of study, because the few jobs available in those fields has such a low pay scale. The questions still remains, how did the University push this agenda, without being aware of the changes, as well as the field that did not and do not pay well. Yet, people are saddled with unreasonable debt at interest rates that are equally unreasonable on education debt.
We have an area that is determined not to increase the employee pay, and often times a City sets that tone of how income will rise. This city has been not only stagnant on income raise, it has a current system that is obstinate when it comes to even thinking of a raise. Therefore, that sentiment infects the wages structure within the environment as a whole.
Vocation and Technical training, is what will produce a new generation of inventors, creators of new things and modification to existing things. these type of programs will produce people who will continue their learning, but they will do so by many many various means, both inside and outside of the university structure. Information is widely available today, via the internet for anything one may find interest to pursue.
We live in a State, where the Governor has an Austerity Mentality, driven with aim to privatize anything and everything into the hands of a few. Sadly, this temperament of mindset reverberates down through a system which promotes the agenda of austerity mentality and clique based stagnation. This is a bad combination for a State that already ranks at the bottom in almost every category, from education, health, industry, income, social and cultural growth and development, and system being run as if they pursue defeatism as their chosen place of solace, while the world grows and move further into progressive developments. The effect impacts cities.
We have a failure to understand Economic Development, it is a lacking component in the city, therefore it is a challenge point for every community in the city and surrounding areas. If anything, it drives people to rush to the outer edges of the city limits. This poses a great challenge to the city as a whole, because being disjointed and distributed in these ways weaken the whole of the city and region.
Over many years, the School system simply just deteriorated, this process was under way more than 25 yrs ago and it has declined so badly until we have more and more closed campuses. Education in some areas is not promoted with a glowing light of attraction. Even sport programs are lackluster and does not rally the community, as this type of programming is put on the back burner, turned down to low heat levels.
The more the city pushes to re-create segregation, lack the concept of developing multi-ethnic collaborations in business ventures, as a resulting outcome; it becomes weaker and weaker for its efforts of doing so.
What direction will we go?
Will we continue to see the same faces trying to recycle themselves as "Career Politicians" ? Moving from one sector to another when they are term limited out, and claiming to bring something, when they delivered very little in their previous position. We have a very sad situation of affairs.
At some point we will become forced to change, forced to gather new faces and new voices, forced to move the stagnator's out of positions in which they occupy, but they are too afraid to progressively develop and grow. We will be forced to break the name association games, and push an agenda of growth and progress.
It's quite amazing how we have within our region such lackluster interest in our growth and development. Yet many live here.
The apathy within society is astounding, along with the many varieties of envy and resentments, its such a stagnating force.
People resent so deeply, they don't engage to explore and expound upon subject matter, and the roar of silence drown out the concerns to be with and of interest about the city and what its future may become or be.
Impatience and the interest in one line slap stick and the avoidance of multi-variable elements within the spectrum of subject material is itself an interesting things. It tells a great deal about many things. The utter lack of understanding how so many things are linked together, becomes confounding to some and bewildering unto others. But, as with life, it's always full of multi-variable interconnects to what makes up the whole of life, living and community.
The Tomorrow's of our Future will come, whether we are prepared or not.
Apathy: the feeling of not having much emotion or interest / lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
Over the decades, Apathy, has resulted to present us with challenges which go to the extreme of flat out "I don't care". We are our own greatest challenge and contributor to our conditions.
What will make us win? It's always Individuals, who work together to develop unity for progress.
We may not like many things as individuals, but we can learn to respect and move on to appreciate the differences, and find the bridges which connect us. First, there has to be the "will", to want to see our area and our society progress.
We can look about and we can make many assessments about many things, but after the assessments, "will" we find some common grounds to undertand, we need to work together.
I'd say for any, Look at this link. it is of> The Fast Decay of "Detroit" We can allow this or we can change the dynamics and avert our path from meeting this result.
It truly has a connection to Us, making sure we 'elect the right people", "what is the right people".. It is those who seek public office, not to be a 'career politician", " not to enrich themselves at the expense of people and community", "not to seek to hold offices for the sake of guaranteed pension", and certainly "not to feed self centered ego".
When we elect people, and suddenly they consider themselves too important to communicate with the people, Then, we have a problem. When we elect people and they make decisions without truly polling the voice of the people. Then, we have a problem.
We can't afford "Lazy" political people. Today, the Internet has the capability to put up "Polling sites,to gather public opinion, before these politicians runs and push their agenda. They need to use these tools, to develop a 'real world" consensus. If they are too lazy to do that, then why are we electing them?
Technology is there to be utilized, why have these thoughts to use it to gain 'real time" public consensus on matter which affect the city, the lives of individuals and our growth and progress potentials?
These are reasonable questions we should ask.
Even Facebook has "Likes" on nearly even web page one visit, it is for sure, we can have a "poll web page set up in our city web page for public consensus on public matters". Then we have more management of those who hold office and vote on our behalf, instead of them voting based on their personal aganda.
SBC will continue to lose people who are capable of improving it because they are the minority in the area, know it, and will move on to better. We have more murder than the Texas and Mexico border cities, poor schools and infrastructure, low pay and high cost of living, and nothing but the boardwalk or casinos to attract people. It's just a miniDetroit. The only people I know who aren't getting out aren't doing so because of family reasons or complete lack of financial ability to move.
My attitude? You built your slum. Keep it. I'm moving! The problem isn't the elected officials. It's the citizens. Go somewhere nice and you will see how polite and friendly and colorblind people can be!
SBC will continue to lose people who are capable of improving it because they are the minority in the area, know it, and will move on to better. We have more murder than the Texas and Mexico border cities, poor schools and infrastructure, low pay and high cost of living, and nothing but the boardwalk or casinos to attract people. It's just a miniDetroit. The only people I know who aren't getting out aren't doing so because of family reasons or complete lack of financial ability to move.
My attitude? You built your slum. Keep it. I'm moving! The problem isn't the elected officials. It's the citizens. Go somewhere nice and you will see how polite and friendly and colorblind people can be!
You realize that the elected officials are citizens, right? They are surely a problem.
NW La. and Louisiana in general gets the type of leadership it deserves because the voting populace is either too apathetic, lazy, poorly-educated or indifferent or believes in slogans and joining group-behaviors. I don't engage in open discussion in politics much because many people have closed minds and are stubbornly holding on to whatever radio program or church discussion offers in way of political dogma.
I'm not liberal or conservative, I'm moderate and feel each side has good and bad ideas. Too bad we don't have a strong enough independent base as I feel that's what it will take to change the status quo. Both local and state leadership is more concerned with towing the party-line instead of breaking out and being reasonable. This is because they know that it is political suicide to be a reasonable, independent thinker.
I'm a native son who left for military service and came back precisely because of family obligations. Once I've completed that obligation, I too am moving on and it can't be soon enough. I've made comments like now and I've had forum responses which are little more than ad-hominem attacks saying I'm either a "crazy-liberal" or "Obama lover, Republican Hater". This is quite contrary to the truth as I'm neither and I've voted for both Republican candidates and Democrats in the past. Yet it seems that those who can't muster up a non-emotional / intellectual response resort to name-calling or blame-shifting. This is what makes me not engage in any discourse on how to solve things, too hard to engage in meaningful dialogue without people getting emotional and threatened. Too much emotion and not enough emotional intelligence IMHO.
I do in many aspects agree with you guys, I however do continue to write about it, I refuse to allow the apathy of these masses bring me not to speak out about this craziness.
I agree with JWG223
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SBC will continue to lose people who are capable of improving it because they are the minority in the area, know it, and will move on to better. We have more murder than the Texas and Mexico border cities, poor schools and infrastructure, low pay and high cost of living, and nothing but the boardwalk or casinos to attract people. It's just a miniDetroit. The only people I know who aren't getting out aren't doing so because of family reasons or complete lack of financial ability to move.
My attitude? You built your slum. Keep it. I'm moving! The problem isn't the elected officials. It's the citizens. Go somewhere nice and you will see how polite and friendly and colorblind people can be!
I agree with BeenThereDunThat
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NW La. and Louisiana in general gets the type of leadership it deserves because the voting populace is either too apathetic, lazy, poorly-educated or indifferent or believes in slogans and joining group-behaviors.
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Too bad we don't have a strong enough independent base as I feel that's what it will take to change the status quo. Both local and state leadership is more concerned with towing the party-line instead of breaking out and being reasonable. This is because they know that it is political suicide to be a reasonable, independent thinker.
To make matters worst, we have so many people who have a failure to pursue a growth oriented vision. Unfortunatly, we are saturated by some means with many who are so power hungery, status seeking, and trying to be one-up on someone else; and thinking they are more elite than someone else. And others trying to use religion to a point of near fanaticism, as if it's a maskto hide the truths they don't want to face. If their belief was so strong, they'd have faith to actually stand up and do something and push to get things done; That's suppose to be the power of faith.
What truly exist is a 'strange reality", people claim they are so Godly, but all the while waiting to pounce on someone, hold someone back, and play ego games of I got more money than you, or I'm on a higher status than another. It's an insanity which seems to worsen, therefore I don't think it will get better any time soon.
Then we have a city both private and public, full of " King or Queen of the hill and every other kind of egomaniac thing which can and does promote stagnation and filled with 'micromanagers", which ultimately creates Bureaucratic Gridlock about simple things. You want to change a door knob, and they have a method to clog that up. Go to a convenience or Dollar store and the two person crew, one is so elite minded, they can't open a register, because someone put a managers tag on their chest. It's pure insanity.
We have people who are so busy trying to get their name stamped on something, until they destory more than they can open their eyes to see. The whole thing is getting worst by the days instead of becoming better. I honestly am becomming to see and think it may never change, except to worsen.
I do hope some of you were able to view the slides of "Detriot", That is an example of Shreveport if something does not change. If you note, some of the stuff in Detrior declined FAST, in only 5yrs. So we may not get 30 yrs to fall apart, it may happen much sooner.
The sad part, is nothing can make them stand back and see themselves, nor recogonize how much of the problem they actually are. Then we have the protocol junkies. all of these among various other things, result to Gridlock.
It's why over the years, nothing progresses, and nothing gets done.
Then you got the"Buck Passers" who spend the mass of their time trying to figure out how not to take responsibility to get anything done. (How these people get in these position, is itself a study in "how to build a regressive heirachy"). They have become masters of the craft of tossing off things, diverting and trying to shift responsibility to someone, utilizing any means of tactile deflection they can muster to imagine, is their agenda. All the while knowing they have not delegated the authority for any person to do anything, thus knowing nothing will get done. It's like a Madhouse of Smoke, Mirrows and Shadows and people in a zombied out state of being, spinning around playing status games, while everything crumbles right before them.
Bossier City on the other hand, not only seems to get things done, they actually have the ability to look forward, plan and prepare themselves to invest in tomorrow. They seem to even push for thier schools improvements, as well as to seek ways to improve their over-all system; they have an understanding of what is "investment". They seem to understand this to a far greater degree than Shreveport. In amazing time, the new Casino was planned, discussed in the media and built. We can't even get the Shreveport Board Walk functioning after many many years. We've let the Fair Ground just linger, waiting on the Fair and the Football game, while the rest of the year it sits there, under-utilized and we are unaware to know how to investigate improving the infrastructure around that area. In many ways it is still like it was in the 1960's, maybe it may have been better at meeting the Life and Times of Society in the 1950's. We just don't know how to upgrade and make that massive land space meet the 21st Century.
Sadly, the outlook is bleak when you look at the expanse of fast pace deterioations across the spectrum.
In 30 yrs, everything North of Bert Kouns, West of Line Ave,and East of Monkhouse will be a mass ghetto.
I feel sorry and sad for the kids, because in a Low Wage City like Shreveport, it should be NUMBER ONE in investing and promoting "vocational and technical school", every time a public school is closed within a year, it should be turned into a Specific Field of Expertise, Tech or Vocational Program Training Facility.
In a low income environment, it is illogical to expect people who know not much more than a minimum wage environment to even consider taking on a 10-20-30thousand dollar University debt. BUT, they will take on a 12-18-24 month Vocational and Technical Program. and they will assume a debt under 15k to do so. But wec can't think that far, because too many 'degee hogs", can't think of nothing but the status delusion of a degree, therefore these people don't have the regard or awareness ot respect a vocational or technical certification.
Last edited by Chance and Change; 06-12-2014 at 02:52 PM..
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