Newburyport, Development and Greed
April 21st, 2006I have this horrible feeling, having gotten a phone call from a developer (see earlier post) that developers actually are reading this blog to get information about Newburyport.
I figured it would basically be a local readership, but apparently not. According to the email I received, I am apparently “reaching the masses.” This is not necessarily a good thing.
So I was thinking, Ok, what if I was a developer and I was reading the Newburyport Political Blog, what would it sound like from their point of view.
Well, we have Mr. Karp as a landlord, not exactly small potatoes, so that must mean it’s a pretty good place to invest in. They were picking up that I wasn’t exactly too happy with the mayor from a policy point of view. And if you read the Newburyport Political Blog, there is a lot of chit, chat about how the mayor sure does sound like he is pro-developer. And we have a very pro-active, pro “smart growth” planning director who’s been fired.
When I think about the Newburyport Political Blog from that perspective, Newburyport must sound like a developer’s playground. No wonder there was a (most probably a lot more than one) developer from out of state sniffing around our small, historic, seaport city. Makes me feel sort of ill.
This brings me to the subject of greed. How many people in Newburyport are there out there, if a Target came to town, if they could make mucho money, would jump at it, integrity of Newburyport be damned. Of course it would be called tax base first, being fiscally conservative, Newburyport’s best interest at heart, jobs for one and for all.
Money, lots and lots of money, does very strange things to folks. We’ve all seen it happen again and again. Yes?
Mary Eaton, Newburyport