Reinventing Downtown

The Downtown Development Agency, the City, and many others want to revitalize downtown Shreveport and make it into a vibrant community. Although no step-by-step process has been developed as yet, many enhancements and improvements have already been made or are in the works to make downtown a more attractive place for people to gather in a constructive manner. It may even become a desirable place for people to reside someday. Before that can happen though, Shreveport must first admit that mistakes have been made. Then efforts must begin now to correct them.

The mistaken vision of councils and administrations past to make Shreveport’s downtown into an adult entertainment district lacked prudent foresight. Adult entertainment districts and vibrant downtowns, like cats and dogs living together peacefully, only occur in rare circumstances. Visit great cities, visit growing cities, visit thriving cities and you will not find bars open until 6 AM nor will you find the oxymoronic gentlemen’s clubs You will find those in decaying, dying downtowns however.

With the adult entertainment district came the perception of unbridled crime that threatens downtown. So much of that crime and perception of crime would disappear if the bars closed at 2 AM or earlier. Even the riverboat casinos, which know better than anyone about the dark side of human behavior, realize they are better off closing their bars at 2 AM.

Drinking late at night and early into the morning does nothing to promote the best in people, does nothing to promote public safety, and does nothing to promote our welfare. No one has been able to show me any evidence of positive growth that the adult entertainment district has engendered.

Bossier City and Shreveport pursued two quite dissimilar courses in developing their waterfront. The results gave us two quite dissimilar outcomes The Boardwalk is a thriving and expanding success. Not so the Red River District and its extensions into downtown Shreveport.

Its time for the powers that be to take the steps necessary to create a more positive atmosphere that will draw more people and investment downtown. The history of the Red River District proves that adult entertainment has the opposite effect.

Extreme Conservatives Acting Very UnReagan

The swelling of temper tantrums by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham and the like really shows a profound immaturity, lack of thoughtful analysis, is loose with factual information, offensive, personal, and worst of all --- very UnReagan.

These people seem to hold themselves up as the standard bearer for one of our greatest presidents, Ronald Reagan. However, in their rabid furor over John McCain, who's worst offense seems to be he hasn't kissed their collective ideological butts, they are blantently breaking what Ronald Reagan called the eleventh commandment. "Thou shall not speak ill of your fellow Republican." Shame on Rush et al for their heresy.

There are McCain votes and positions I would not agree with and there is alot to like in the other Republican candidates. There are even positions worth considering from the Dem candidates. However, McCain has voted his conscience and has been willing to consider changes in position when circumstances warrant. I believe that's called thinking (remember Rush - words do have meaning).

The voters will vote for someone Republican or Democrat they think will best lead this country. The extreme conservative talkers need to heed Reagan and consider the same instead of worshiping themselves while dishonoring Ronald Reagan in the process.