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With a New Mayor, we can focus on what comes next in the growth and development of Shreveport?
It is unknown what is on the agenda, or what is within the plans? If anyone has any insight please share.
First step?
Massive police presence in high-crime areas.
Lower the absurd crime rate.
Second Step?
Improve schools. Stop the affirmative action crap and actually demand learning occur.
Third Step?
Spend some money on city beautification and attractions (The Norton is very nice, Shreveport needs more of "that"). Fix the broken roads.
Fourth Step:
Enjoy the fact that educated and successful people will begin to look at the medium-sized town near DFW and NO that has low to moderate crime, good schools, a military base, and nice infrastructure as a place they might want to relocate to, and that thugs and trash will begin to find out that drugs really don't filter through the streets as risk-free as they used to, strong-arm robbery is as likely to result in being shot as it is $5-15 in pocket-bills, and begin to move out.
Shreveport is tore up from the floor up. Trying to do shiny new things is like hanging a pretty potted plant from a rotten balcony. Fix the balcony. THAT is the problem.
I went to several private schools as a kid. Some of them just drowned. Some of them kept attracting more and more students and blossomed. Why? Well, the good one's were good at their core. Noone cared if the dry-erase board took sand-paper to clean (so to speak), if the teachers held PhD's in their field and were ALSO capable of captivating attention and learning desire. Yet, noone cared a hill of beans for laser-pointer presentations from some idiot who just watered-down his college lectures and tried to spoon feed it to middleschooler's. Eventually, enough students came that the dry erase boards turned into laser-pointer presentations, and enough students left so that the laser-presentations went the way of the blue suede shoe.
It is true, the "core" must be addressed. There are ways to push out the criminal element- and one is swift and decisive justice, the same type you find in 'wealthy communities", where people know not to take their vagrant and criminal mentality and presence. There is a reason the street level criminals do not go to well maintained and well-kept communities. What is tolerated, allowed and acceptable has a very different tonality within the environment.
Many areas where people have the "hang out mentality" this often poses a big challenge, as ift is very often the landlords allow it, and some of those who own the homes over long periods either got old or their kids live there with no incentive to fix, improve or do better. But the fact we have an acceptance to a great degree for slum lords to exist in our more challenged communities.
As a great start is to put pressure on the "Slum Lords" - is to have a robust "property standards enforcement program, T-bone was not equipped with what it truly needed to be the program to reach the aims and goals it may have considered to claim. Somethings were lacking in its capability and ultimate functioning. I have not heard much about the program in recent months, therefore I'm not sure it is still an active and engaging program???? If someone knows its status and performance, it would be great if they post it and show its achievements.
As to the Schools - Educators have to realize it takes a mix of education, social programs and the same things that built up the schools in decades before. We've stripped many of the schools in challenged areas of any and all culture and social skill building programs. Today, to speak of something as simple as a school Band is relegated as a non-essential. Who's heard of some of the various on campus programs that use to exist?
We have an ineffective "health studies program, which is not strong and not liked to a good physical education structure.
These things matter.
As to Technology in the Classroom - Byrd, and Caddo Magnet as being schools who get things and sometimes its because of a strong Alumni which puts enough pressure, as well as they invest to promote state of the art attributes.
The computer should have been on every desktop 10 yrs ago. It should have its own network run by the parish with all programming available where each kid logs in and have access to 'quality linked materials" so they get the support information to aid in their learning and understanding capabilities.
I'm not for every job being labeled as requiring a University/College Degree - I still believe in "learned ability" as well as vocational and technical skill and expertise. But what we cannot rule out in the 'individual innovative minds" of self-learners.
This is a hard pill to digest and it’s even more difficult in a place like Shreveport, where people are too "status minded" once they have a title and position, they get hung up on a type of protocol that creates a closed door system. Then we have these clique’s which are in a loop - Grambling, Southern, LSU - depending on the system or business, this closed loop mentality- often times results to get status hung up on what is the label of the degree and what facility printed it; then it goes to the cliques of Sorority, and Fraternity followed by, What's the name of your Church and what is the name of your Pastor.
Today, even the large Tech companies a few years ago put out the call for people who were self-taught and self-learned in various areas of tech, and those who had the open mind to want to engage and learn, as being their targeted pool for employment options. They simply did not want to fill the company with "script trained individuals", they knew creativity works best when you mix it up.
If we can learn that in general society-we win as a society and we prosper on a being a economic growth model that is inclusive rather than devising criteria which becomes to focus on "excluding".
It is true, the "core" must be addressed. There are ways to push out the criminal element- and one is swift and decisive justice, the same type you find in 'wealthy communities", where people know not to take their vagrant and criminal mentality and presence. There is a reason the street level criminals do not go to well maintained and well-kept communities. What is tolerated, allowed and acceptable has a very different tonality within the environment. I agree. Strong words is all that has ever been done, not a strong, effective police presence BACKED by a strong justice system presence.
Many areas where people have the "hang out mentality" this often poses a big challenge, as ift is very often the landlords allow it, and some of those who own the homes over long periods either got old or their kids live there with no incentive to fix, improve or do better. But the fact we have an acceptance to a great degree for slum lords to exist in our more challenged communities.
As a great start is to put pressure on the "Slum Lords" - is to have a robust "property standards enforcement program, T-bone was not equipped with what it truly needed to be the program to reach the aims and goals it may have considered to claim. Somethings were lacking in its capability and ultimate functioning. I have not heard much about the program in recent months, therefore I'm not sure it is still an active and engaging program???? If someone knows its status and performance, it would be great if they post it and show its achievements.
Another issue, here, is that it costs so much to live in the slums in Shreveport. They allow cash-only, no credit, etc. from what I understand, at the expense of costing more than a background check + credit-check apartment that would be CHEAPER and much nicer. This breeds illegitimate sources of income, tax evasion, and keeps righteous but financially challenged people financially challenged. It also drives down the value of the area, so not only are the inhabitants losing, but in the long-term, so are the slum lords.
As to the Schools - Educators have to realize it takes a mix of education, social programs and the same things that built up the schools in decades before. We've stripped many of the schools in challenged areas of any and all culture and social skill building programs. Today, to speak of something as simple as a school Band is relegated as a non-essential. Who's heard of some of the various on campus programs that use to exist?
We have an ineffective "health studies program, which is not strong and not liked to a good physical education structure.
These things matter.
As to Technology in the Classroom - Byrd, and Caddo Magnet as being schools who get things and sometimes its because of a strong Alumni which puts enough pressure, as well as they invest to promote state of the art attributes.
The computer should have been on every desktop 10 yrs ago. It should have its own network run by the parish with all programming available where each kid logs in and have access to 'quality linked materials" so they get the support information to aid in their learning and understanding capabilities.
I'm not for every job being labeled as requiring a University/College Degree - I still believe in "learned ability" as well as vocational and technical skill and expertise. But what we cannot rule out in the 'individual innovative minds" of self-learners.
I don't know if I agree about the NEED for a computer. I also don't know if I agree about a NEED for a lot of things physical/tangible. What I think we NEED, is for schools to teach children and young adults HOW TO THINK! You do not need a computer to create a flexible, adaptable, well-adjusted mind. You DO NEED the social programs you talked about, you do need a strong core knowledge-base of math, English, and science. It would be NICE to have a strong basis of reality-skills, as well. When I was in school (highschool), we covered economics (balanced a budget, invested money in a program which took real-time quotes from the stock market. I started with $100K and ended up with $120K in a month or so, was proud of myself!), web design (made web-pages for local organizations), and things of the like. Auto-shop and woodworking were two things I did NOT get to do, but learned on my own as necessity required.
This is a hard pill to digest and it’s even more difficult in a place like Shreveport, where people are too "status minded" once they have a title and position, they get hung up on a type of protocol that creates a closed door system. Then we have these clique’s which are in a loop - Grambling, Southern, LSU - depending on the system or business, this closed loop mentality- often times results to get status hung up on what is the label of the degree and what facility printed it; then it goes to the cliques of Sorority, and Fraternity followed by, What's the name of your Church and what is the name of your Pastor.
^You're not kidding!!! Holy crap! I almost forgot what it was like to be asked "Byrd or Magnet?" and the blank look I got when I said "Out of state." or "Summer Grove, or...?" and I said "None." I really didn't pander to well to it, and people didn't know what to make of it when they got a non-standard answer. It was like I had announced I was from the Moon.
Today, even the large Tech companies a few years ago put out the call for people who were self-taught and self-learned in various areas of tech, and those who had the open mind to want to engage and learn, as being their targeted pool for employment options. They simply did not want to fill the company with "script trained individuals", they knew creativity works best when you mix it up.
If we can learn that in general society-we win as a society and we prosper on a being a economic growth model that is inclusive rather than devising criteria which becomes to focus on "excluding".
These things matter and they matter greatly.
Shreveport needs to teach kids HOW TO THINK. And that change/learning begins...in the home. Good luck, Shreveport, sincerely!
Shreveport needs to teach kids HOW TO THINK. And that change/learning begins...in the home. Good luck, Shreveport, sincerely!
It is an art tolearnto think. yet, it's such a simple thing when put into perspective.
Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principall thing, therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding
Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge
In Shreveport, people simply need to relax, let go of status delusion, 'We're all in the Same City, and the city needs to progress, develop and grow. It's really no room for grandstanding, as it only aleinates people who may otherswise become contributory allies in many progressive ways.
I don't see a functional need to become or be impressed with people who walk around wearing their degree on their sleeve, or the fraternity and sorority cliques and all such things. There are far too many people who can't get over their 'care free days of college/party, fun life.. era. What matters is,"Did You Learn to Think" - Are you able to think progressive and with innovative aims, or do you just regurgitate what some professor said word for word, or quote some ancient writer, as your claim to being and becoming educated?
Everyday is a challenge to bring something forward, if you are not working on doing that, then one may need to inquire within themselves as to what is the aim within their aspirations.
Some people drive by, walk by and even live in or work in an area that is deterioated, " Do you recogonize the negative nature of what is deterioated", if you do, what can you do to help change it. If the answer is "I don't care", then the result is, you get what you've got. A deterioated situation.
It's Amazing people live for material external things to such a degree, they will park an expensive marquee vehicles at a house where they have rags covering the windows, the grass uncut, the house is in need of paint and it looks unkept. And they never recogonize they are what creates a ghetto.
I would hope that people, step back, pause to think, and view thing with eye open to respect. If they do so, they may learn to learn, as well as to work toward improving something; including themselves.
Last edited by Chance and Change; 08-18-2015 at 09:36 AM..
Get a large company bring thousands of jobs here..
It will take POLITICIANS at all levels, including State and Federal to stop pandering to lobbyist and the wealthy. Politicians have to learn how to see the exodus of industry as being subversive and economic treasonous. But as long as these Politicians are with the mentality of Global Economy, we won't win, because they ignore Domestic Development and Growth Building mentality.
They have to learn for any nation to thrive, it must first and foremost have a Nationalist Mentality, which means it has to make its own nation strong, before it can be an effective global player.
Currently all that is happening is: the wealthy is profiting from inflated point of sales profits from selling us poor quality foreign made goods.
We can't win when all the wealthy have BOUGHT UP THE POLITICIANS and turned our Democracy into a PLUTOCRACY.... and the sadder part is the people are too filled with Apathy to even acknowledge or address it.
________________________________
As for Shreveport, it does not have a concept as to what is the value of an Economic Development Program, if they did,they would have made creating one as a top priority. But sadly, if they do consider it, they will fill the position with a stuffed shirt, brainwashed with a list of degree titles and they won't accomplish anything, beyond collecting a salary well over 100k based simply on degree labels. yet, the first order of business was cutting budgets, before even looking at the massive unfunded items that are needed and necessary.
It does not take a genius to lead an Economic Development Department, but it does take creativity and thinking out of the box, rather than following the clone script many degree riders have been trained to do.
We don't pay attention to how program work and develop in other parts of the country and we ignore the innovations that foreign locations engage.
We don't grasp the benefit of Inventive Programs, we even faltered as a state on how to keep the filming industry robustly interested in our areas. We look at short term stats, rather than look at what it takes to build a solid and stable system when we want to attract and maintain things for example, like the filming industry. We did not build the collateral things which make it attractive, we did not even coordinate our efforts with the Airline and Freight Industry to create a good infrastructure to get the movie people in and out of our areas in a cost effective manner.
We just did not think of a great many things as both a state and a city. then those things we did think of we did not invest to build and make it happen in a resounding manner.
We have massive volumes of facilities we don't know how to market, nor how to incentivise these things to attract productive tenants.
Do we even know what types of business to pursue. IF we did, we'd have considered who and what kind of business to talk to in making sure we got the best usage of the GM facility. All we have now is a crumbling infrastructure around the plant. Because we invest nothing to maintain it or improve its imagery for marketing strategy.
We have not figured out how to clean up the Monkhouse Corridor and make it a functioning Airport Community with the general things that surround Airports.
There are many industrial areas but we do nothing to make them appealing for anyone to consider.
We have a general society in the city as a whole of a great deal of "Apathy"... people don't even discuss these things as general subject matter. Any subject on such things fall on deaf ears and before people who have no concept to consider or think upon these things.
If you try to engage these subject items, people respond by saying " yea, I know", and then they go into 100 reasons why something won't work, never thinking of options to find ways that it can work.
no one can stand for anyone to bring up and discuss something they had not thought of, and they will quickly dismiss it, or seek ways to diminish it. The mentality of a society within a over-all city has a great deal to do with whether or not that city will prosper.
Shreveport has a lot of Apathy and Defeat mentality. If we look at Bossier it has a different mentality, it has built a New Casino and thinking of ways to revitalize its Downtown. We in Shreveport can't even pay attention to think of fixing our roadway in the existing Casino area, and have no idea how to pursue the attraction of New Gaming Business Construction and Development.
Louisiana needs to get over this delusion that Gaming Facilities on the water and build and use land based building to establish Casino Facilities.
We have a lot of work to do in every aspect.
Last edited by Chance and Change; 08-23-2015 at 09:45 AM..
Oh, wait...Elio is coming to save the day! ROFL! Oh Shreveport...you so stupid.
That's not the problem with SHV/Bossier...
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