Tired of poor people
I read your article several times to help me understand where you are coming from. I agree with you on having an intelligent and well-thought plan to make this project work for everyone involved. What I don't agree is making it sound like it's such a bad thing to want to change that area into something beautiful. I am a taxpayer and my tax dollars are being spent on these projects and I think they should be monitored.
Regarding the people who live in the area, you wrote: "They are required to have a job or be in training. … Their homes are subject to housekeeping inspections, they must register all guests in advance, and restrictions are placed on where they are allowed to gather with family and friends. If their children get into trouble, the whole family can be thrown out." Here's my response:
1. To have this type of housing, everyone needs to be working. I don't care if it's McDonald's, county cleanup or Walgreens.
2. Inspections are needed 'cause without them they will tear the housing up in no time flat.
3. If the children do get into trouble, like stealing or breaking into others' homes, yes they could/should lose their housing privileges because we all have to live by rules.
I am tired of hearing about the poor people. I have friends who work two or three jobs to make ends meet. They do this because they have pride and drive. We all make choices in life and we also have the power to change. I don't have any data to back this next statement, but I would bet that if you did a study on the people living in public housing a large majority are lifetime users. So if you are saying the rules of being in public housing are unfair, then I suggest they get a job, get their life together and live on their own. If not, then play by the rules that are set by the taxpayers, both state and federal.
The key for Tampa to be a more lucrative city is to clean up the area around Channelside and Ybor. Yes, this means getting public housing out of the area. Period! The property (Tampa Park Apartments) is too valuable not to tear down and build new medium to high end housing to ensure this city prospers. Tourism and a great community is the only answer to this location. Something to remember: It's always about money, and in the end public housing depends on it.
—William Morgan
Tampa
I think some of your suggestions have merit. The plan may have some glitches, but my argument was that we should try to find a way to implement it.
But what are the alternatives for the residents of any one of the housing projects? We can simply ignore them, bulldoze the projects and gentrify the area. We can rebuild the projects, displacing as few residents at a time as possible, and keep the self-contained public housing, which will decay at the same rate as the older one. There will be no jobs, no neighborhood services, and nothing to spur the younger residents to better things. Or we can try to serve many of the residents with housing that will blend in, and add moderate priced housing and some upscale to the mix. We can provide green space, which is so scarce in the city. We can add good transportation and neighborhood shopping and provide for the elderly. And in all fairness we can demand that a certain number hold jobs, get into training programs, go to school. We can give some hope to what is now a hopeless situation. We need to address safety issues to encourage the kind of diversity that will make this work.
Tampa has taken the attitude that absolutely nothing new will work here: no transit, no smart growth, no new urbanism, no residential clustering and so forth. And unfortunately, the County Commission and the City Council have made sure we do not try anything new. An exception might be Westchase, but it has no jobs to speak of, so it creates its own congestion. It does have a village and bike trails and a school and services, but also many large lots. And no room for the poor.
Did you know that the population here has increased 27 percent and land use has increased 34 percent? We can't do that forever. What would be your solution to too many people, and not enough space? Rebuilding the city is our best solution. And working to improve the lot of the poor while providing safe, attractive housing that does not totally separate them from the rest of our citizens.
—Lynn McGarvey
Tampa
Avoiding crystal meth
Great article, sorely needed in the gay community. I've tried it a few times myself, beginning with a weekend in N.Y., and it scares me.
I know friends who use it regularly, and I know I could get sucked into that lifestyle myself if I continue to associate with them and put myself in situations where the drug is offered. I have a successful business, a good income, two graduate degrees, a beautiful house in south Tampa, and a lot to lose if I were to succumb. Your article expounding on the various effects and dangers helped remind me that my decision to avoid it is the right one.
Thanks again, I found the article personally helpful, and I think others will too.
—Name withheld by request
Tampa
This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2004.
