In a message dated 4/29/02 4:18:56 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
<< This logic keeps on coming up, and I just don't buy it. 1. Landlords
are not oppressed class. There hasn't been a historical trend within the
United States to systematically incarcerate, murder, and steal the labor of
landlords.
(SNIP) Keith here;
Private property, the fruit of landlord labor, and the corner stone of our
democracy, was systematically stolen from its' owners during the DFL
juggernaut of the last 20 years in Mpls. And then knocked down and hauled to
the dump, causing the housing shortage. Some politicians systematically
attack landlords, who invest beyond their neighborhoods, as an easy target
and scapegoat. Investment in the urban core, which in itself is a good thing
and creates new and concerned stakeholders, became demonized for political or
craven personal gain. As disinvestment rises and the environment becomes more
grim, the hateful invective and demagoguery becomes more shrill as
neighborhood types join in to vent their frustration. They chant "Down with
the slumlord'' as the city vacates and boards their homes and sends the
chanters to the county shelters and under the bridge. Step one of
ethnic/economic cleansing and good old urban renewal prevails.
(SNIP) back to RW
Your analogy simply doesn't work. Also people choose to be
landlords.(Keith-But not punching bags) This simply puts the term
'slumlord' out of the category of race. No one would think that by stating
that a mechanic is a thief who
didn't fix your car means that all mechanics are thieves. 2. the term
"slumlord", a historical one to describe landlords who exploit their
tenants simply does not apply to all landlords (Keith- No it does not, but
where do you start and where do you stop with the name calling?), nor does it
apply to
landlords who take their time about getting things done. It applies to
people who simply do nothing to maintain their properties and allow them to
sink into the mire. If other landlords feel implicated it's because they
feel that they should be allowed to do whatever they want with their
'property', not because the term implies that all landlords are slumlords.
(SNIP) Keith here;
You can say slumlord is this--- but not this--- this--- not this ad nauseum.
But when the rent is late, the noisy drinking party is long and the tenant's
guests are angry and yell "slumlord", isn't it just a dirty ruse? And RW, you
wish to employ this dirty word in what you believe is a dignified fashion by
offering modifiers.
(Snip) back to RW
I agree that the term 'slumlord' is an explosive one, but not
because of a legacy of oppression of landlords, rather because it ties into a
legacy of landlords exploiting the poor. I don't think that it is
something that should be used in the context of "my landlord took two weeks
to fix the dryer" but it isn't unreasonable in the context of not fixing
the heat in the dead of winter for two to three weeks. When push comes to
shove, I think that the issues is that landlords have to take care of their
property... Ultimately, I think that this maneuver is used to squelch any
real debate about the condition of houses in this city.
(SNIP) Keith here; I see we agree that it is vital and fair to talk about
landlords maintaining their property, not prolonging "no-heat" issues, etc.,
but I find that YOUR "...maneuver is used to squelch debate about the
condition of houses in the city," and instead promote dirty name calling and
demagoguery. Your outlook punishes reasonable landlords and all tenants.
(SNIP) RW again;
I for one find it
offensive to those who actually suffer from repression in this society and
politely request that the line of logic be ended.
Robert wood
St. Paul resident
(SNIP) Keith again;
I politely demand you look at the lesson in urban demagoguery Jackie
Cherryhomes and SSB and Joan Campbell delivered to us c.o.d. We bought and
paid for it, will we not learn from it? Let us be more civil in problem
solving! No name calling.
Keith Reitman, NearNorth
>>
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