On 7/1/2011 12:27 AM, Kimm Tynan wrote:
Clark Park is still publicly-owned property, owned by the citizens and
taxpayers, and what goes on there is a valid concern of any citizen
taxpayer.
Kimm,
That is absolutely the correct principle, but citizens have lost the
"right to know!" That crucial right, as evidenced in this RoundUp
cover-up, is one of the many indicators that the process of
privatization has indeed succeeded in Clark Park. Privatization is an
entire process and much of it occurs very "silently" and over time.
(Watch a special discussion today at democracynow.org This is one of
the many very important issues discussed by Slovaj Sisik and Julian
Assange)
Loss of this right to know by the "citizen taxpayer" has profound
ramifications for we citizens. All other rights depend on this keystone
principle!
Changing the deed for public parks is not at all in the interest of the
corporate plutocracy and is not the indicator of privatization! Please
don't make the mistake I've heard so many people utter. It's a false
sense of security to feel that as long as the name, taxpayer, is on the
deed of public assets that all the rights and freedoms we associated
with them will remain intact!
The Parks department serves as a spicket for the outward flow of
taxpayer money! And that is now the only role that the Parks department
has in Clark Park, as CONTROL of the park and all policies have indeed
been privatized. (You can verify on UCD marketing materials, which I've
copied to the list, that it claims control of all aspects of Clark Park
including policies. When you control a giant media machine, you can
flood different audiences with completely contradictory information, as
we've seen time and again since the gentrification began.)
These special service districts are just one of the many mechanisms to
radically divide societies resources between rich and poor
neighborhoods. These half million dollar "grants" flowing to some
"districts" deprive other neighborhoods of even the most basic needs as
their taxes, fees, and costs go up up up. That's one of those
inconvenient truths that the middle class likes to ignore as they line
up hoping for their own pork sandwich or special service district.
Kimm, we need to ask ourselves, why hasn't one of our neighbors simply
called the Parks Department and asked, who deploys and decides upon the
chemicals in Clark Park? To whom do we address the Right to Know
letter, so that we citizens can inspect the documentation of chemical
treatments? Given the level of disapproval that I've heard, why haven't
we received a simple answer and report about RoundUp, if Clark Park
remains a fully public park? If the park belongs to all taxpayers, why
was Tony West ever allowed to ban all taxpayers from attending secret
redesign meetings?
What the city officials, Penn, and FOCP are doing to accountability is
best imagined as a 3 stooges scene. A taxpayer asks the stooges, "Who
dumped chemicals on Clark Park?" Each stooge simultaneously raises both
arms and points at the other two stooges.
If you can visualize the triangle formed by the 3 stooges with
out-streched arms, you can see why none of our neighbors has reported an
easy answer so that we can simply investigate the history of RoundUP
exposure! Someone on the list pointed out that Tony West, FOCP leader,
always points to the city and insinuates that the city simply does
whatever it wants and has full control of the park. UCD claims that it
is in full control in its literature. But UCD has long refused any
accountability about anything, because they are not the government but a
private entity. And I've reported before that the Parks Department
points to UCD and "the community" when it is asked for information.
(The public confrontations I reported having with your old friend, the
Parks commissioner, ended with a meeting agreement because of this
reliance on dysfunctional Friends groups. After he publicly admitted
this "dependence" on "Friends" groups, he also justified this transfer
of authority by stating that the city doesn't have the resources to
check if their Friends groups are functioning and responsive to the real
community. That's why he would not meet with me after he was out of the
public view.
It is not acceptable for the Department of Recreation to point at the
Friends of Clark Park and claim that they "represent" the community.
Since everything depends on this lie about FOCP, they must refuse to
look at the evidence and continue to have FAITH that Tony and Brian are
a responsive little mini-government always ready with a truthful
answer-hahahahahahaha)
Do you see what I mean about visualizing the three stooges pointing at
each other? Do you see how ordinary busy taxpayers caring for their
kids and pets, simply give up when they try to get a straight answer
from these stooges? The ONLY WAY to get back our right to know about
RoundUP and make Clark Park a truly public space is through a lawsuit
against the city! Everything about this RoundUP coverup should help
wake people up to the fact that privatization is much more than the
promised land. Everyone should get used to the taste of RoundUp because
this controversy is just a first sample of what privatization is all about!
Kimm, I'm glad you confronted Tony West's tactics! Most people I know
dismiss him, because his tactics aren't rocket science. But silence has
long been the worst enemy, as democratic societies begin to collapse.
The silence about FOCP tactics has long shown that civic association
intimidation works very well even as the entire neighborhood groans but
allows the roots of abuse to continue!
(This article in today's Inq. helps illustrate the government as money
spicket while citizens rights and accountability are simultaneously
denied. The word "public" means different things at different times.
You may also check out the privatization of parking meters in Chicago.
The corporation doesn't own the streets of Chicago but they do control
the policies now)
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20110702_Phila__s_New_Media_charter_school_contends_it_s_not_a_public_school.html
