What's really needed in Shreveport (Caddo region) (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: real estate, apartment complex)

[Chance and Change]

"We need a "No Drop Out Policy" for school age people.

If as a society we know that and uneducated society feeds into violence, crime, later life health problems, and a negative image for the areas when growth opportunities look in our direction. Then how can we ignore the need for "education to become mandatory and highly enforced".

We should be looking across the nation to market the many 'closed schools", to tech facilities, science and medicine focused facilities. We should be looking at how we can set them up, where a Pell Grant and not more than a supplemental expense up to $10k, is the most debt students will encumber to complete programs at these facilities. Over the course of 2yrs, that is expensive, but Pell Grants help offset the over-all cost. We have many many people who are capable of teaching what they know to others. the age range can be from 18-50 and this can transfer many people to responsibility mentality, because they will have marketable skills. We don't have a system where all people can consider University, but many many people will certainly consider "Training facility skill programs". It should include a drop out penalty, unless a student transfers to a Community College or other Learning programs.

The facilities have most of what they need, the only thing they are lacking is "support housing", but many local people can simply commute to the campus, via routing the Sportran business to have a stop located at these facilities.

This is desperately needed in the MLK area, and it makes no sense to allow the Linear Facility to sit there empty in an area that has among the worst education stats and the people who are the most needy of skill trained education.
the area around Pierre Ave needs the same thing done with the School that has been closed in that area as well.
These facilities can accommodate young and older people in a mixed setting for improving skill development.
These facilities have enough space so a collection of Non Profits can work from these locations to better coordinate the usage of the resources directed into Non Profits to help the people. Actually the assistance numbers will likely increase, as the accessibility to these services will be on campus.
Sunset Acres has the same scenario with the Closed school on Quinlin.

Look around at the Health Care needs in the area, look at the potential for us to train people for the 21st Century Tech Revolution that has been going on for 25 or more years. Yet we lag in these areas of developing a needy society with these skills.

Strict Dress Attire - Shirt and Tie and No saggin clothes, neatly groomed, strict discipline and if necessary re-located some of the local barber school to the campus so students can get discounts on their grooming while others learn the trade.
Everyone will have a class in the responsibility of raising children, the cost, the work and the responsibility, as a mandatory programming course for all students.

This is a far better options than doing nothing !!!! This is one means to work on stamping out crime from wandering and delinquent youth and young adults, or even older adults who have come to a point of feeling hopelessly lost and feeling left on the outside of the society of systems.

Students can also have options to participate in volunteer programs to work with various public service departments, to learn skills while helping improve the city and its appearance and conditions.

There is the other school off of Greenwood Rd, across from Praise Temple, which is another areas that has a lot of transient people with no direction or sense of how to uplift themselves.

These schools will be equipped with police sub stations on campus, to help improve and maintain the standard of a learning institution.

We can also move people who are non violent criminals out of the recidivism cycle.

Everything is accomplished through education, skill training, and life skill training programming.

In 5-10 years this region as well as across the country will have a tremendous need for "Assisted Living Facilities', we can get ahead of the curve by understanding the need to train people for these programs.
We can create Developer Incentives and Developers and Investors will come and build these facilities where they are functionally affordable.

Everyone is going to get old one day, and reality is one does not have to be old, to find themselves in need of an Assisted Living Facility Provisions. We need not wait till the crisis of the realism of time brings us the challenges in high volume, and find us unprepared. We can began to prepare now.

The options for new business of many sorts is a high possibility when we have more skill trained people, because many people have a innate entrepreneurial motivation, if they feel prepared to take that step.

We need to look to the future with an expanded mindset, to see now what our needs will become as time moves us forward.

Fortunately we have the facilities and we have the resources and the means to acquire additional needed resources. We have the Land and we have the people.

We simply need the will to have and embrace vision to build progressively for a better future.

The more Responsible we become, the more Responsible we will be as a society of people.


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At some point someone is going to get smart enough in our Political Arena to learn how to market the GM plant as a multi industry facility, and that can lead to other stagnant industrial facilities to become marketable.

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We should already be looking at how to attract a "diesel repair facility' to take advantage of the Freeway Extension, and a State of the Arts Trucking Servicing Facility - If we fail to do so, someone else will see and capitalize on the idea and we will be wondering how did we miss the opportunity.
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We are allowing the Filming Industry to fade slowly into decline and we need to get busy to figure out how to revitalize it and upgrade what we offer and how we engage this industry.

[Chance and Change]

There are some good things, one is the Mayor knows the school system, which is a plus factor when it comes to talking about utilizing school facilities, she has excellent experience in knowing how education facilities are set up, which could be a great help if we can find organizations who want to establish "Tech/Vocational" Training Programs in these facilities. Plus, being the Mayor, the stated agenda is to see the over-all city improve. I would think the ability to work with the Caddo School Officials especially having been in a leadership position in Baton Rouge for the School system. (All these things becomes big plus factors).

We can do it, especially once we grasp that fact that all our young people are not University Bound. But they will engage in vocational and technical programs with a good system set up and in place for them to access. LATER, there will always be a % who will want to go on to even higher education programs. But the key is to set up a entry foundation which they can acquire skills, boost sense of self worth by having options that don't appear to be unreachable.

As human beings, when one comes from a very economically poor environment, the thought of multipe 10's of thousands of dollars for University, with a very high culmulative total debt. It is not only freightening, it is a matter of qualifying for the assumption of such debt, then having no support funding for the incidentals needed when one is a university student away from home. (most people can understand what that expense and challenges is). We have a great volume of all ethnic people in this region who want to learn, who want to gain a skill. But when people are poor, it seems like a distant dream more than a reachable reality.
As a society, we need truly to stop bickering and think about how to make things better for the young people. It is without a doubt, this will be their city in a matter of 10-15-20 years. As we grow older, we should want young people able to move into slots and progress the environment.

If we think carefully, to understand the growing need for Senior Assisted Living, Senior Care Facility of All sort, then we would be more understanding of how to invite investor to come and build these things. We have more than enough means to give them concessions and tax reductions and many other things which allow them to build quality facilities. It only strengthen our systems for the Future.

If everyone realize,that one does not have to become old to need these services; we have many young people from the spectrum of sickness, accident and all other sorts of eventful things which may thrust one into the need of one of these care facilities. No One is exempt from consequence bringing the need for such care into their lives.

We can learn how to build for these things without being overwhelmed and then being desperate to try to fix the problem 'after the fact", we can get ahead of the programming, not only in building, but in training people for the eventual needs that are sure to come into existence.

For any naysayers, I'd simply say, go and visit a senior care facility, or a Long Term Care Facility or Assisted Living Facility or even Senior Citizen housing. If the need does not become apparant, then one has not given it the focused attention of understanding.

We can dramatically reduce cost if we think smart, plan well and develop ahead of a crisis.

Look around the city, think about what was written about a Civic Corp, this is another avenue we can create as a society, because every day, blight expands, weather related destruction come and destroy much, we have a crisis situation of our electrical grind that needs desperate upgrading, we have all natures of civic needs. Each area is a skill development opportunity, as well as hands on works that the young people can engage and learn while they become an active part of building and rebuilding a better civic environment. We discount far too greatly the innovative spirit that is within the young people of our day and time. We need to create, support and inspire the young to take an active role in what will be the worlds they come to inherit for the course of their lives.

Please don't come with "where is the money coming from" - This nation is the wealthiest nation on the planet, and it find ways, all one has to do is look at the VAST Monies spent to fight wars 8 thousand miles away for more than a decade. Surely we can find monies to uplift and fix our own nation for peace time living and improvements in our civic living conditions and systems.

We can stop wasting millions on government shut down, pointless political drama like Benghazi, when fact is our own congress and its sequester and failure to fund sufficiently was a great part of the culprit, and underestimating the extent that radicalism would go when we establish facilities in radical islamic terrorties. We can stop wasting time making political drama out of every nit picking thing. and step back and look at the big picture. Stop fighting to deny others the same benefits one wants to hoard for themselves, and readily utilize, but whine if others utilize these very same benefits.

It's time for a progressive mindset, that we can continue to improve what is America and what makes up the lives of American people.

[Chance and Change]

It's a curious thing: Do people in Shreveport visit this site, or do they visit and just don't care to engage discussing things which can progress this city?

Its appears there is a great deal of Apathy even in the local news paper web section, and even on the web section of the local TV news it appears people post negative humor or a defeatist nature of commentary. Most articles go without any commentary. The local TV or News has no concern or interest to address any of the commentary posted. They gloss over it and discount it, even when it ask the reporter to invest time to actually cover a story, rather than post what comes across the wire or the police blotter.

One can wonder what does the rest of the nations people who come across the Shreveport section of this site actually think about the limited interactivity of this cities section of the site. Or if people consider low performance city sections of the site, to be with limited cultural interet, limited literacy or just plain don't care one way or the other.

Maybe its just that many people don't even know the site exist????

[JWG223]

I honestly don't know what Shreveport needs. I think it's just in decline. Noone is moving there, and those who can leave, often are. It's a sinking ship, so to speak. I know you're wanting to better it, I just don't know if it can be done.

[Chance and Change]

Decisiveness is a good thing needed, as well as its needed by a great many cities. when plans are drawn and things are approved. - get busy an get it done". This type of pro-activity is always a needed elements.

We have what other cities have, and that is a need to be very pro-active to move our agenda forward.
America is with many challenges, all across the nation. We are not the nation we use to be, which was: a nation that was a builder".
We've become one of fear, somewhat complacency and unfortunately when we become comfortable with blight and other things lingering too long, we become to accept is within the landscape. IT is however an expensive endeavor to remove it, and it poses a great number of challenges. But. as with needs, it take decisiveness, to engage and push the actions forward to address the needs.

[JWG223]

Originally Posted by Chance and Change

Decisiveness is a good thing needed, as well as its needed by a great many cities. when plans are drawn and things are approved. - get busy an get it done". This type of pro-activity is always a needed elements.

We have what other cities have, and that is a need to be very pro-active to move our agenda forward.
America is with many challenges, all across the nation. We are not the nation we use to be, which was: a nation that was a builder".
We've become one of fear, somewhat complacency and unfortunately when we become comfortable with blight and other things lingering too long, we become to accept is within the landscape. IT is however an expensive endeavor to remove it, and it poses a great number of challenges. But. as with needs, it take decisiveness, to engage and push the actions forward to address the needs.

Shreveport is like a run-down apartment complex. It needs upstanding, affluent, community-active residents. However, like a run-down apartment complex, noone that fits that description is moving there, and if any are left, they are headed OUT, except for the odd few who have sick family members, etc. there, and they are typically more engrossed in taking care of them than promoting the community/making changes/etc.

I have literally, never in my life, seen a $400/mo apartment complex morph---over ANY span of time---into a successful $1200/mo apartment complex, unless cost of living is how it did it. That's all I'm trying to say.

You're really just engaging in verbal masturbation in all these posts, IMO, and I don't understand half of them, as they seem lifted from some verbose speech from a bygone era during deconstruction in Detroit or something.

I simply do not understand what you are driving at. I do know that words are not the answer. I think moving is. I would encourage people who are not happy, to move if they can. There are many great places in this country live, and life is too short just to talk about it!

[Chance and Change]

I thought you moved !!!!

No one doubts that Shreveport has a lot of work to do, but it still exist and the fact the work is due, there are many places much worst.
But because of the high minority population is not a cause nor reasons to go into your spills of put down of the city. Most of your commentary is directly slanted toward that angle.

Now, name any place with challenged issues regarding employment and industrial needs that is some peaceful mecca of idealism.
We already understand your ideals are of and for a white dominated population areas. I don't discount that Shreveport has issues, but I don't buy into the slants have any need to be bigoted on a race slant.

POVERTY IS POVERTY, REGARDLESS OF THE ETHNICITY IT EFFECTS and poverty will bring what poverty brings due to the fact of what poverty represents in being what it is.

I don't see Arkansas as some ideal for me, I actually have no interest to move to Arkansas. But if it works for you, that's great.
One thing is a fact, one can meet with calamity in any place in the nation within the societies of today. So, I'd say don't get some false sense of security because you've surrounded yourself in an predominantly white community. Maybe you might want to take a minute and watch some of the crime blotter, and even some of the crime shows based on real life crimes that does not dominate the headlines. You mind find out how false your sense of security is based on the premise you base it upon.

It's ok that you are interactive on this segment of the site, but let's be realistic in the big picture within talking about this stuff. There is no "utopia". Human beings are Human beings, and it does not matter about the ethnic make up, people can be 'arse holes" no matter where one moves to. Because there is no such thing as a perfect people.
I won't disagree with you about the violence in the dire impoverished areas and if you note many of the shooting and stabbing are in the dire impoverished areas. One can't fix ignorance when people get caught in the ramification cycles of downward spiral in the poverty cycle, when they have failed to educate themselves as in often the case in dire poverty areas, its just symptomatic across this country. I don't know of a city in this nation that does not have some broken down run down challenged segments in or in close proximity, and some of those are made up of people of a variety of ethnic population as well as ethnic mixes. Point being, Poverty functions the same across the nation, where it exist, crime, drugs, violence, struggles, frustration, short tempers and all the things that make people go into dire survival mode and become to feed upon one another.
President Johnson, outlined that long ago.

[JWG223]

Originally Posted by Chance and Change

I thought you moved !!!!

I did, and have not been back in almost a year.

No one doubts that Shreveport has a lot of work to do, but it still exist and the fact the work is due, there are many places much worst. Okay, let's rule out Compton, Detroit, MD, and Flint. Now...name them, lol!
But because of the high minority population is not a cause nor reasons to go into your spills of put down of the city. Most of your commentary is directly slanted toward that angle. I don't care what the cause is. It's a dump.

Now, name any place with challenged issues regarding employment and industrial needs that is some peaceful mecca of idealism. I don't think you'll find that place. Poorly managed cities usually suck all the way around.
We already understand your ideals are of and for a white dominated population areas. I don't discount that Shreveport has issues, but I don't buy into the slants have any need to be bigoted on a race slant.
Hah! You think minorities are the only trash in Shreveport? Let me help you out. I've lived every level of lifestyle except "ultra well off" in Shreveport, and I promise you, it's not a race issue. It's a mentality issue. I live in a town now with a TON of integration, and it's great. We don't have issues with race-motivated crime and other things that Shreveport seems plagued with on that front. I'm a minority in my current apartment complex, and have no problems here.

POVERTY IS POVERTY, REGARDLESS OF THE ETHNICITY IT EFFECTS and poverty will bring what poverty brings due to the fact of what poverty represents in being what it is.

I don't see Arkansas as some ideal for me, I actually have no interest to move to Arkansas. But if it works for you, that's great. We're fine up here with or without you.
One thing is a fact, one can meet with calamity in any place in the nation within the societies of today. So, I'd say don't get some false sense of security because you've surrounded yourself in an predominantly white community. You're right that Whites make up over 50% of the area, but with a 30-50% minority population in my area, depending on which town you're in...what are you talking about, lol? Maybe you might want to take a minute and watch some of the crime blotter, and even some of the crime shows based on real life crimes that does not dominate the headlines. You mind find out how false your sense of security is based on the premise you base it upon. Again, what are you talking about? Explain that one a bit better.

It's ok that you are interactive on this segment of the site, but let's be realistic in the big picture within talking about this stuff. There is no "utopia". Human beings are Human beings, and it does not matter about the ethnic make up, people can be 'arse holes" no matter where one moves to. Because there is no such thing as a perfect people.
I won't disagree with you about the violence in the dire impoverished areas and if you note many of the shooting and stabbing are in the dire impoverished areas. One can't fix ignorance when people get caught in the ramification cycles of downward spiral in the poverty cycle, when they have failed to educate themselves as in often the case in dire poverty areas, its just symptomatic across this country. I don't know of a city in this nation that does not have some broken down run down challenged segments in or in close proximity, and some of those are made up of people of a variety of ethnic population as well as ethnic mixes. I've actually tried to find "that place" where I live now. I can honestly say, I do not care what neighborhood it is, you could put me out of the car anywhere within 25 miles of where I'm sitting, without a weapon, and I'd happily walk out of it. Shreveport? I would NOT take that bet. Point being, Poverty functions the same across the nation, where it exist, crime, drugs, violence, struggles, frustration, short tempers and all the things that make people go into dire survival mode and become to feed upon one another.
President Johnson, outlined that long ago.

You don't need to be White/Black/Asian/Mexican/whatever to think the town is a dump and crime is out of control.

Also, I want to touch on a bit of your little diatribe. You mentioned president Johnson. LBJ. You seem to mention him in a sense of "racial equality", taking the vibe from your last few sentences.

DO.
YOU.
HAVE.
A.
CLUE?!

Who LBJ was and what he stood for and the damage he did to the Black community, and how much he hated them? Do you? Really?

Tell me you're not ignorant about how much he hated Blacks. Oh, please tell me you're not that far sheltered from the racial issues in this country?

[Chance and Change]

Ok, so we are getting a better understanding, Just want to make sure you know that "all people" create crime, good that we agree on that aspect.
I am not going to make any excuse or try and cover up for the craziness of the black crime, because it is purely insidious. it is overtly in the news all too frequently of shooting and stabbings, I think its the dumbest thing ever.

I can tell you I did a lot of walking in Bangkok a few years back, not even knowing the place I walked many miles safely on a daily basis, I found myself going through some very rough looking places, but no one bothered me. Sorry I can't say the same for Shreveport. So I agree with you on that matter, one certainly has to know the community before striking out on a walk. I use to walk in this community, but the demographics have changed and a lot more people have come from various areas, I don't feel as safe and comfortable walking anymore, One reason is people seem to like owning too many Pit Bulls, I don't so much have a fear of the young people walking around, they don't seem to have increased the risk in the area. but I don't like the fact that I don't feel these dogs are secured away from public spaces well enough.

I can't stand to see sagging pants people in my areas or any place its just simply pathetic. I wish all business would deny them entry!!! until they have no choice but to pull up their pants.


I also don't like the increase in litter that was not here 10 yrs ago when I moved here. I see people trash conveniences store parking lots and other parking lots, and that was not the case 10 yrs ago or even 5 yrs ago. It has happen in the last 3-4 yrs. It pisses me off, because it does nothing but bring the property values down. people parking in places that no one parked before. Just simple stuff that should not exist. A Police officer who lives in the area told me I talked to while getting coffee in the mornings, told me its a mix of both blacks and whites who are on the lower income levels who simply just don't seem to care, have moved into the area. I noticed the last time I walked I looked at the number of houses that are not as well kept as when I first moved here. It's very frustrating !!!!!!

In California where I lived, one could walk for miles early morning, late evening and it was simply a peaceful walk.

We have some very bad areas here, certainly some I would not care to go walking in. Even when I moved here people gave me all kind of warning even about riding my motorcycle out in the rural areas. So it was warnings about some black areas and some warning about rural white areas. I made sure to get a permit for self protection.

I don't like the way a great many things are not done here that could easily be done better. Although there are some very nice areas that are well kept and very low publicly reported crime. I don't like how some have decided to go to areas where people maintain their homes and area and break in peoples cars, I think its a shame and I do wish for those people to be caught.

As to LBJ, I was speaking about his claim of want to have a War On Poverty, now who that was aimed to benefit, who knows. But it was a good idea, that just did not pan out.

I know the racial issue in the country as well as those within the city. To me its insanity, just straight out pointless.

Maybe you might want to take a minute and watch some of the crime blotter, and even some of the crime shows based on real life crimes that does not dominate the headlines. You mind find out how false your sense of security is based on the premise you base it upon

This means simply that crime is crazy and it is committed in insane acts by all ethnicity of people.

As for Shreveport, Yes... I want it to be better and try to have some optimism about it, but I see the reality, sometimes while driving around, I look at some things and realize that "one simply can't fix it", and some of the things are purely insidious and one can't fix stupidity either. Some areas the only thing that will fix it is to bull dozier it over.

Since I live here, I'd be wrong not to want to have some optimism, whether it will evolve to become better I don't know, but I do know that a great many areas have a great many challenges. I look at areas that are simply expanding ghetto's, I also know the ravages of poverty has a grip on some of it to an absurd point.
I don't like to see young people sitting in groups in a yard in the middle of the day, or crowded around a porch in the middle of a weekday. I don't like to go downtown and see the people who have turned the benches at the court house into a day home, or the area by the library into a day sitting areas, when they are not there to read or learn, they just have made it a homeless gathering place. I use to ride my motorcycle to all areas, to see what the city was like in full scope when I moved here, and some areas were simply beyond belief in the deterioration.
It will take a massive amount of industry and money to fix a great many parts of the city, which is not likely to happen any time soon.
With family who is aged and sickly here, so I know I'm not going anyplace, so I have to think in terms of improvement potential in some ways.



Off Topic- I saw the news this morning, of 16 people injured in New Orleans, and its frustrating to see gathering of black people, where it seems all to frequently to turn into a gun battle in the middle of a crowd. It is purely INSANE.
I recently read about some incidents at the Shreveport Fair, where black people turned it into a violence fest.
Stuff like that I find absurd. I am all for arresting and locking people who do this stuff up.

[Chance and Change]

What is really amazing is - the so called "Third World Countries", or very heavily populated places like Bangkok I mentioned, they have imporvished areas, but one thing I noticed, the people make an effort to be neatly presentable. Even when they work at Fast Food places or Circle K's, they act and present themselves Professionally as to respecting the job.

We have areas where people won't even pick up the trash in their community, and some who moved from the country turned some communities in the same side of the house junk storages, front yard junk storages, and other things which are direct from imporvished country atomsphere conditions.
My point with that, is DON'T move to an areas if you can't respect the maintenance of the areas and uphold what it takes to keep it up.
I too think when Real Estate people sell people homes, don't just focus on 'can they make the payments", but factor in what are the maintenance upkeep cost and can they afford it.
This is extremely evident in how parts of Highland fell north of Line Ave, as well as places of working class homes like Woodlawn and Sunset Acres, and even Queensbrough was once a maintained community. Now, these area are in serious trouble. Some of them cannot be brought back, except as I said, by bull dozier the whole sector and let contractors come in and rebuild it. But to do so, it become a matter of Gentrification because many of the people living there won't be able to afford newly developed properties. Then the question is - where and how do you relocate those whom are moved from the run down properties.
Shreveport also need a STRONG, program AGAINST Slum Lords, who buy up property for rental income but have no concerns for fixing or maintaining those properties. This needs to be a massive program in many of the imporvished and run down areas.