Croman Plans / A social problem needs a social response
C o m m e n t s * t o * t h e * A s h l a n d * C i t y * C o u n c i l, 15.04.2008 18:45
Citizens in Ashland, Oregon participate in government as seen in comments that have been sent to the decision makers, the Ashland City Council.
This is from an email so in standard "email format" if you wish to read it in chronological order then you must either start from the bottom up or stand on your head--rogue imc volunteer.
On April 15, 2008 at 12:55 PM, Gerry Cavanaugh wrote:
If I may, let me confront the broader social, as opposed to the narrowly economic, dimensions of the tasks before us, namely, that, the only way we may overcome the ever growing, ever more oppressive drive of capitalism to provide increasingly scarce goods to a few people with an increasingly lot of money, is by socializing the costs of such basic goods as housing and equitably sharing them. Of course, absent that tactic, such goods may be provided for some with lesser incomes, the way the super-rich in, e. g., Vail, subsidize rents for their drawers of water and hewers of wood. (Any hard workers who are
not so blessed may move to Modesto.) But, already, those "slums of tomorrow," the suburbs, are falling into disrepair, as predicted, and the urban centers are pricing the poor into oblivion in the periphery. So Ashland is propelled into its future as Carmel and Sausalito, to name but two examples we have all so witnessed; So Manhattan, my home town, now boasts of a "middle class" averaging $150,000 p. a. income.
We have a local problem that must be equitably addressed, but equity is unattainable if we merely tinker with the market Moloch. Many will conclude that it is fatuous to even hint at a "socialist" response to this universal challenge but if we do not begin there we end up with only more of the same and much worse. And we are really and truly running out of time as well.
On Apr 15, 2008, at 12:05 PM, Tom Marvin wrote:
Quite so Paul. And if the electric tool-abouts are attractive and good and simple and not too expensive, everyone in town will want one, and every tourist will rent one, and try to export it home.
Our tool-abouts are pretty sporty looking, with larger diameter wire wheels, older, smoother, rounded lines in its composite or glass shell with replacable sections. No AC except the wind and fan, room for a passenger + groceries or bi-mart tv, symmetric AWD, regenerative braking, 60+ mile range, optional 8 hp gas limp-home motor. These will pull any hill, in nearly any weather. Near-zero maintenance, essentially 100% recyclable, depending on tire choice.
If the legislation passes, there will be the same tax incentives you can currently get for PV arrays. This bill also provides equal incentives for low-tax payers.
> ==================================================================
>>>> Paul Copeland 04/15/08 9:28 AM >>>
> I agree. A bunch of geeky engineers tooling around town in electric
> cars
> is a sweet idea!
>
> Most of the metro areas on the West and East coasts are unfordable for
> young people and young families. That's a bad thing for our
> society and
> is hurting us right here in River City. But the Croman project is not
> going to solve the housing cost problem. Attracting higher paying
> technical jobs (mostly located in places where housing costs are
> similarly high) seems like a more optimistic vision for Ashland.
> Employers looking for low cost labor are going to locate some place
> like
> Modesto. There is no point in marketing Ashland as a low cost place to
> do business because that is not our strength.
>
> On 4/13/2008 11:43 AM, Gerry Cavanaugh wrote:
>> BRAVO! to Tom!
>> gjc
>> On Apr 12, 2008, at 5:10 PM, Tom Marvin wrote:
>>
>>
>>> However the Croman development is dissected and wrought over (and
>>> over-wrought), we have to hope that something like the Ashland
>>> Electric TownCar Co. will take root upon soil there that has been
>>> annointed with the good wishes of a community which recognizes that
>>> our city is a perfect place to perfect a multi-faceted
>>> transportation system that is sound, quiet, clean, and life-giving
>>> rather than net life-sucking.
>>>
>>> In addition, every building in the Croman Village could be required
>>> by code to have significant photovoltaics and other solar in its
>>> design, all parking there could be shaded with photovoltaics; a
>>> closed-cycle PV factory where all solvents, etc are reclaimed/
>>> recycled could flourish in Croman. This is how you make it
>>> attractive.
>>>
>>> The housing/salary details cannot be planned and need not trouble
>>> anyone. The economic water in Ashland will seek its own level; we
>>> only need to look down the road into the future along the lines we
>>> see most clearly, and direct our interests accordingly. We KNOW
>>> for example, that huge, carbon vehicles are passe at best; we KNOW
>>> future transportation will be different. We KNOW we can do better,
>>> and make a certain traffic-choked city better in the process.
>>>
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