Accepting responsibility is just one more act of everyday heroism we should be able to ask of our police officers. Instead, we blame the system, arguing that everyone shares responsibility, so nobody has to own it.
Entries Tagged as 'You-gene'
Of Tasers and Dots
January 28th, 2010 · No Comments
Tags: Arr-Gee published · Civic · You-gene
Rebuild Downtown’s Credibility First
January 15th, 2010 · 2 Comments
If a chicken and a pig get together to make some ham and eggs, the chicken’s involved, but the pig has to be committed.
Tags: Arr-Gee published · Civic · You-gene
Vacancies Tax Downtown’s Viability
January 8th, 2010 · No Comments
Busy storefronts have merchants inside. They open their doors and sweep their sidewalks. They shoo away miscreants. They call the police when things get out of hand. Empty buildings don’t do any of that. Empty buildings cause most of the trouble downtown, yet their owners pay less for the services that aim to keep downtown safe, clean and attractive.
Tags: Arr-Gee published · Civic · You-gene
Buying Local Celebrates Local
December 18th, 2009 · 1 Comment
Wandering through the Lane County fairgrounds this time of year, I often feel like a fly on a spin-art machine. Holiday Market is colorful and dizzying, in equal measure.
Tags: Arr-Gee published · Civic · You-gene
Food and Familiarity Downtown
November 27th, 2009 · No Comments
Shelter and clothing keep humans warm by covering them from the outside. But food isn’t warmth until the body processes it. Likewise, respect is a fuel that can be converted into dignity — another warmth.
Tags: Arr-Gee published · Civic · You-gene
Diversity and the Company of Strangers
November 12th, 2009 · No Comments
Our mothers meant well when they warned us not to trust strangers, but true hospitality requires that we forget that lesson, or temper it with courage. If we really want diversity, strangers can help us more than our friends. But we don’t know any strangers. All we know is not to trust them.
Tags: Arr-Gee published · Deep · You-gene
Built, But Not Ugly
October 23rd, 2009 · 1 Comment
Local designers have the skills to build beautiful buildings, but they won’t get built without the permission of the clients. When it comes to publicly financed buildings, that’s you and me.
Tags: Arr-Gee published · Civic · Urban Design · You-gene
Newspapers Bleed
October 18th, 2009 · 1 Comment
As long as a newspaper’s owners might find themselves behind you in the check-out line at your favorite grocery store, you have an influence that citizens in other cities have lost.
Tags: Arr-Gee published · Civic · Media · You-gene
Not-Just-Saturday Market
October 1st, 2009 · 1 Comment
Young people settle in places where they see opportunity. Saturday Market provides that when it allows anyone to hang out a custom-crafted shingle, even if it’s made of cardboard and crayons. You can start a business in Eugene for less than $100. If you have the drive and the wits, you can succeed.
Tags: Arr-Gee published · Urban Design · You-gene
Downtown Development Ripples Outward
September 24th, 2009 · No Comments
When it was built in the 1980s, there was hope that it would spark redevelopment, but its central downtown location didn’t attract commerce, and the adjacent conference hotel has probably not improved so much as stayed the same.
Tags: Arr-Gee published · Urban Design · You-gene