Committing Seppuku

Enough already with the outrage over the term "slum and blight" used to describe downtown conditions as part of the CDBG grant!

Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) are one of the very few Federal programs available to fund local infrastructure improvements. But there's a catch- what ever program proposed by Gray must achieve at least one of the three National Objectives mandated by Congress:

1: At least 51% of the socio-economic population served by the improvements must be from low/moderate income households; or

2: The primary population served by the grant improvements must be from a Federally-recognized group that is traditionally of low/moderate income status (ie. the elderly, handicapped, children, etc.) ; or

3. The area targeted for improvements is declared to be slum and blighted by the local government.

So the Village Master Plan Committee believed that they could best meet the National Objectives requirement by asking the Council to pursue the third option. Frankly, its a rather tenuous argument. While other Maine communities have been able to show vacant storefronts, firetrap apartments, indigents living in the alleys, the best we can muster is pealing paint at the Russell school. But what the heck , affluent towns such as Kennebunk, Freeport, and Hallowell have gotten away with it.

We can too, if local citizens flushed with hometown pride did not raise such a ruckus to attract the press' attention. Or was it the other way around? Either way, be aware that the reviewers who score our grant applications in Augusta also watch Channel 8 news and read the Press Herald. Suddenly cognizant of how many Gray citizens want to tar annd feather the Council over the Slum & Blight designation, these reviewers may now question the validity and legitimacy of the town's application.
Unless you believe the existing downtown is a thing of beauty or have no interest in recouping some of your Federal taxes, please recognize that your indignation is scuttling the Village Master Plan effort.

So shut up, at least until April when the CDBG awards are announced. Aren't we all tired of committing Seppuku?

Publicus Lives

To paraphrase Twain, the reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated.

Been both away and very busy this winter season. But am back now for a while.

So to my two fans out there in the blogosphere , I will be returning to blogging momentarily.