Saturday, 10 February 2007
The Link Outside The Chain
(part 1 here) There sure was a big turn out of the well-dressed-in-red for the anti-WalMart human chain around Northcross mall. People brought their kids and dogs, too. Since I live a few hundred yards away, I went over and took some photos of it.
On a Saturday morning there's still activity at the bus transfer center across from Northcross. A group of people had just boarded the 19 before I walked up to the benches. There were a few left waiting for other routes.
I asked them what they thought of the crowds lining the other side of the street. Summed up best by one woman: "I don't like it." And asked of WalMart, they all wanted one to come in.
I pointed to the people across the street and commented, "Notice none of them are asking you what you think?"
I hope some of them did at some point after I left. It's hard to have an open mind if you don't exit your bubble. Take a look at the detailed photos this person posted of the chain and ask yourself, "Does this look like a socio-economic cross-section of Austin? Does it even look like a socio-economic cross-section of the surrounding neighborhoods?" Just something to think about when keeping an open mind.
The Vice President of the organization suing the city said, "A Supercenter with rainwater harvesting is still a Supercenter." That's a nice sound bite, but it doesn't really match the reality of the area or what is proposed, does it?
Anyway, here are some more photos of the chain. I hope they all ask themselves whether the money they are sending to sue the city (and the tax money the city must spend if they are sued) is well spent compared to where else it could have gone.
(part 1 here) There sure was a big turn out of the well-dressed-in-red for the anti-WalMart human chain around Northcross mall. People brought their kids and dogs, too. Since I live a few hundred yards away, I went over and took some photos of it.
On a Saturday morning there's still activity at the bus transfer center across from Northcross. A group of people had just boarded the 19 before I walked up to the benches. There were a few left waiting for other routes.
I asked them what they thought of the crowds lining the other side of the street. Summed up best by one woman: "I don't like it." And asked of WalMart, they all wanted one to come in.
I pointed to the people across the street and commented, "Notice none of them are asking you what you think?"
I hope some of them did at some point after I left. It's hard to have an open mind if you don't exit your bubble. Take a look at the detailed photos this person posted of the chain and ask yourself, "Does this look like a socio-economic cross-section of Austin? Does it even look like a socio-economic cross-section of the surrounding neighborhoods?" Just something to think about when keeping an open mind.
The Vice President of the organization suing the city said, "A Supercenter with rainwater harvesting is still a Supercenter." That's a nice sound bite, but it doesn't really match the reality of the area or what is proposed, does it?
Anyway, here are some more photos of the chain. I hope they all ask themselves whether the money they are sending to sue the city (and the tax money the city must spend if they are sued) is well spent compared to where else it could have gone.