The even randomer thread

[That Aud Smell]

Hm? I think we're talking about the same thing. Maybe from different angles.

 

I took you to be talking about the redevelopment, rebirth of the east side and the people who live there -- something that would be done for, and perhaps in some significant part by, the under-served people who have lived (and often languished) there for decades.

 

OTOH, gentrification is the process whereby (mostly) white folks move into a neighborhood and displace the folks mentioned immediately above.

 

Some of that is already going on in and around the Fruit Belt and the medical campus.

[darksabre]

I took you to be talking about the redevelopment, rebirth of the east side and the people who live there -- something that would be done for, and perhaps in some significant part by, the under-served people who have lived (and often languished) there for decades.

 

OTOH, gentrification is the process whereby (mostly) white folks move into a neighborhood and displace the folks mentioned immediately above.

 

Some of that is already going on in and around the Fruit Belt and the medical campus.

I think we're being a little hard on the definition of gentrification. At it's core it's just the middle-class-ifying of a neighborhood. It doesn't necessarily have to be wealthy whites moving in, but that's the form it certainly takes since white people in America also tend to hold most of the wealth, mobility opportunity, access to financial assistance, etc.  

 

But you are right that what Taro and I are talking about does differ a bit, mostly because I wish there was a better way to do the gentrification dance from within a neighborhood rather than from the outside. I'm trying to come at it from a different direction. 

 

I agree with him that it will inevitably happen. The east side will gentrify someday. In fact it strikes me as crazy, given the potential it is currently loaded with, that it isn't already happening. But we know why that is: the wypipo aren't ready yet. It'd be nice if it wasn't dependent on that...

 

I guess I wish there was a way to get creative with the rebirth of the East Side. Do something different. Do it in such a way as to reward the people who currently live there instead of making them feel like it's not their thing, that they're just spectators watching as the white wave rolls back in. I know the east side is pretty poor, but you have to think there is more money leaving the east side than is staying in it (with respect to commerce), and that it could be tapped in such a way as to start that growth internally. 

 

One area where there is some growth happening is around Sycamore/Woltz where a Bengali Muslim immigrant population is settling in. I think it's great because that's the kind of fearlessness the east side needs. 

 

But oh my lord you should see the white people bitching about it on the Broadway Fillmore Alive Facebook. Gerry from Cheektowaga sure doesn't like that St. Gerard's is being turned into a Mosque even though he doesn't even effing live there. 

[That Aud Smell]

^

 

Good stuff.

 

I take a dim view of Prince Andrew's Buffalo Beelyun, but I think some of that money is backing the workforce training center that's being built in an existing building on Northland Avenue. The goals of that place sound intriguing and promising. Maybe training 100s of east side residents for modern manufacturing jobs could make some headway in regenerating a black middle class.

[darksabre]

^

 

Good stuff.

 

I take a dim view of Prince Andrew's Buffalo Beelyun, but I think some of that money is backing the workforce training center that's being built in an existing building on Northland Avenue. The goals of that place sound intriguing and promising. Maybe training 100s of east side residents for modern manufacturing jobs could make some headway in regenerating a black middle class.

This would certainly make a difference, but how many of those jobs are there?

 

It'd be nice if we were training people on how to run their own businesses instead of on how to work for wages for some company outside your neighborhood that doesn't care about you. I got on this train of thought the other day because I was wondering about black owned businesses and how the east side could probably use more than just a couple bars and corner markets. There are repair shops, a used appliance place, some clothing retail, but you'd think there could be more. These places certainly aren't supplying all the consumer needs of the east side. People still have to drive to Walmart or Home Depot or Tops.

 

The backbone of east side growth should be neighborhood small businesses owned and operated by the residents. That keeps money in the community.

[That Aud Smell]

This would certainly make a difference, but how many of those jobs are there?

 

It'd be nice if we were training people on how to run their own businesses instead of on how to work for wages for some company outside your neighborhood that doesn't care about you. I got on this train of thought the other day because I was wondering about black owned businesses and how the east side could probably use more than just a couple bars and corner markets. There are repair shops, a used appliance place, some clothing retail, but you'd think there could be more. These places certainly aren't supplying all the consumer needs of the east side. People still have to drive to Walmart or Home Depot or Tops.

 

The backbone of east side growth should be neighborhood small businesses owned and operated by the residents. That keeps money in the community.

 

To the question: The training center states in its publicity material that the region is slated for a massive wave of retirements of skilled mfg workers. So, there's that. Also, there are apparently a number of manufacturers in the region who have been talking to Albany about being unable to hire qualified people from the area. So, that too.

 

I appreciate what you're saying about small businesses. That's not for everyone, though. Hardly, in fact. The large majority of people just wanna go to work somewhere. Days gone by, there were thriving pockets of middle class black Americans in the area -- due largely to large-scale employers like Bethlehem Steel.

 

It's also a bit of a chicken and egg issue. Until you get real wages flowing into the neighborhood, who's going to support the local shops?

[darksabre]

To the question: The training center states in its publicity material that the region is slated for a massive wave of retirements of skilled mfg workers. So, there's that. Also, there are apparently a number of manufacturers in the region who have been talking to Albany about being unable to hire qualified people from the area. So, that too.

 

I appreciate what you're saying about small businesses. That's not for everyone, though. Hardly, in fact. The large majority of people just wanna go to work somewhere. Days gone by, there were thriving pockets of middle class black Americans in the area -- due largely to large-scale employers like Bethlehem Steel.

 

It's also a bit of a chicken and egg issue. Until you get real wages flowing into the neighborhood, who's going to support the local shops?

Chicken and egg for sure. I just think there probably is enough money in the east side to support small business, just not enough opportunity to do so, since starting those businesses is hard.

 

Also, I always balk at the use of manufacturing jobs as a solution to employment problems. I feel like whenever someone says "there are going to be these jobs" they never turn up in the quantity or quality hoped for. It would be nice if manufacturing jobs really were part of the solution, I just never buy it.

[Taro T]

This is exactly something I've been thinking about. Like... What if there was a non-profit that employed accountants, business experts, stuff like that, who could help you manage your business, or teach you how to? You have experts who you can bring in to mentor the startup workers. Say I live on the east side and I don't have my high school degree but I want to open a bakery? I don't know a ton about baking, but the incubator has grant money to bring a bakery expert in to train me and a few workers, and a business consultant to help me with basic accounting, ordering supplies, etc.

I don't know. Just something I've been thinking on.

Stuff like that of which you are musing about does exist to degrees, if we make it to the Amerks meet up we can discuss some of the stuff happening in Ra-cha-cha & some things that we're hoping to bring to Buffalo. But some of these are truly in their infancy and there are a lot of hurdles to make these programs successful. But there are a lot of good people from different sectors trying to make them work.

Seems like what d4rk was talking about, and Taro's reference to gentrification, are two very (very) different things.

Not really. Not to put words in his mouth, but D4rk was talking about an ideal & also to a degree lamenting that many of the current residents won't reap the fruits of a rebirth of the East Side.

 

I was merely agreeing that realistically the lament is accurate.

 

Like he said, we're closer than you are realizing, IMHO.

[Taro T]

To the question: The training center states in its publicity material that the region is slated for a massive wave of retirements of skilled mfg workers. So, there's that. Also, there are apparently a number of manufacturers in the region who have been talking to Albany about being unable to hire qualified people from the area. So, that too.

 

I appreciate what you're saying about small businesses. That's not for everyone, though. Hardly, in fact. The large majority of people just wanna go to work somewhere. Days gone by, there were thriving pockets of middle class black Americans in the area -- due largely to large-scale employers like Bethlehem Steel.

 

It's also a bit of a chicken and egg issue. Until you get real wages flowing into the neighborhood, who's going to support the local shops?

And to a certain degree that is due to our education system still being geared towards graduating people ready to work on assembly lines even though those jobs are disappearing. We need to teach our kids to be entrepreneurs at an early age, and we don't.

 

/steps down from soap box.

 

(A lot of these issues in this recent diversion of this thread are very near & dear to me, but typing out responses with the nuance and detail they deserve would result in spending more time than Randy did diagramming Candy Cane breakouts/ zone entries. And unfortunately, there just isn't enough time to do this topic the justice it deserves.)

[rakish]

This is exactly something I've been thinking about. Like... What if there was a non-profit that employed accountants, business experts, stuff like that, who could help you manage your business, or teach you how to? You have experts who you can bring in to mentor the startup workers. Say I live on the east side and I don't have my high school degree but I want to open a bakery? I don't know a ton about baking, but the incubator has grant money to bring a bakery expert in to train me and a few workers, and a business consultant to help me with basic accounting, ordering supplies, etc.

 

I don't know. Just something I've been thinking on.

 

I'm in rural Virginia. I've been thinking about this idea myself, I call it the hot dog cart idea.

 

Basically the difficulty of starting a hot dog cart is the underlying requirements, you not only need a cart, you need a commercial kitchen to support you. The idea is to start a commercial kitchen, build a handful of food carts, get the operation running, then push the whole operation on to one of hot dog cart operators, then move on to the next industry and do the whole thing over again.

 

The idea comes from Township and Village Enterprises that were important in getting the Chinese economy going in the 1980s, except that my not-for-profit would take the roll of angel money supplier that the town governments did in China. It's also a variation of how the tech financing works in California.

 

In some ways the past few months have been good for getting this idea rolling, as I've joined the board of the local museum, so I'm getting in contact with grant money options. In others, it's difficult, as the economy improves I get work that I wasn't getting a few years back, so it's difficult getting side projects going.

[That Aud Smell]

I appreciate the feedback and acknowledge that the issue is a massive one.

 

Here’s what I don’t want for an east side revitalization: Another avenue by which a small group of politicians enrich a small group of developers, who build tax-incentivized housing for relatively well-off people. That is: I’d rather an east side comeback not resemble much of what’s been going on to date in Buffalo.

[Stoner]

Two bent rims from hitting a horrific pothole on I-86.

 

From quick googling, I have no recourse with NYS DOT because it's still, in the eyes of Albany, winter. Is that right?

 

Should I repair or replace the rims?

[darksabre]

Ain't no repairing rims.

[jsb]

I think we're being a little hard on the definition of gentrification. At it's core it's just the middle-class-ifying of a neighborhood. It doesn't necessarily have to be wealthy whites moving in, but that's the form it certainly takes since white people in America also tend to hold most of the wealth, mobility opportunity, access to financial assistance, etc.  

 

But you are right that what Taro and I are talking about does differ a bit, mostly because I wish there was a better way to do the gentrification dance from within a neighborhood rather than from the outside. I'm trying to come at it from a different direction. 

 

I agree with him that it will inevitably happen. The east side will gentrify someday. In fact it strikes me as crazy, given the potential it is currently loaded with, that it isn't already happening. But we know why that is: the wypipo aren't ready yet. It'd be nice if it wasn't dependent on that...

Although by definition that is correct but in reality it's upper middle class and to what you describe as wealthy that will make this happen. Also being white doesn't make you wealthy nor evil. Until there's money to be made in this endeavour, it won't happen. What you describe is how projects and crack houses come to be.

[Stoner]

Ain't no repairing rims.

Rims can't be repaired? Plenty of places seem to offer the service, including my mechanic.

[That Aud Smell]

Two bent rims from hitting a horrific pothole on I-86.

 

From quick googling, I have no recourse with NYS DOT because it's still, in the eyes of Albany, winter. Is that right?

 

Should I repair or replace the rims?

 

Gah. Sorry to hear. I was taking a shortcut through a trucking depot area yesterday and hit a pothole so massive that I still cannot believe that the entire wheel assembly didn't just disintegrate.

[MattPie]

Rims can't be repaired? Plenty of places seem to offer the service, including my mechanic.

 

Depends on the rims and the damage. FWIW, depending on what you drive you may be able to pick up aftermarket rims for ~$100 on tirerack.com that don't look ridiculous (or steel rims for half that). Take that into account when the repair estimate comes in. :)

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Microsoft is the bane of my existence.

 

Windows did an update and required a restart.  Oh, oh ... my first restart in over a week.

 

No problems ... but, sheeshh.

[WildCard]

Artist Avicii has passed away at 28. Given his alcoholism and age, I would assume something along those lines is the cause. Not to degrade him or anything

[sabills]

Artist Avicii has passed away at 28. Given his alcoholism and age, I would assume something along those lines is the cause. Not to degrade him or anything

Didn't recognize the name, but this is the song I recognize and I think most would:

 

 

Great tune. Always sad to see talent get wasted so young.

 

Edit: I think I actually like this one better:

 

Edited April 20, 2018 by sabills

[Doohicksie]

this is the song I recognize and I think most would:

 

Nope.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Nope.

 

:unsure:

 

Never heard of this Avicii guy.  RIP.

 

Is he Italiano?

[ubkev]

:unsure:

 

Never heard of this Avicii guy. RIP.

 

Is he Italiano?

 

Looks swedish.

[North Buffalo]

Didn't recognize the name, but this is the song I recognize and I think most would:

 

 

Great tune. Always sad to see talent get wasted so young.

 

Edit: I think I actually like this one better:

 

Crap my wife and love those two songs RIP alcholism sucks

[Stoner]

Depends on the rims and the damage. FWIW, depending on what you drive you may be able to pick up aftermarket rims for ~$100 on tirerack.com that don't look ridiculous (or steel rims for half that). Take that into account when the repair estimate comes in. :)

I have the last honest mechanic. $180 including labor. No reason to mess around with trying to repair them.

[Wyldnwoody44]

I have a good one too, can drop car off whenever and they give me a ride to/from my place, he also let's me buy my own parts and doesn't charge me the own parts labor/hr increase