May 27, 2003

GOT A FEW MINUTES?

Then take the time to read this fine article, which proves that sharp, informative and clever journalism still happens in the US. Here’s the intro:

In the past decade, the village of New Rome, Ohio, suffered a severe case of urban flight—46 percent of its residents packed up and moved away, according to the latest U.S. Census numbers. Folks familiar with New Rome and not fond of it may sanitize their explanations for this exodus, but in simple English it usually comes down to this: New Rome is a chickenshit town ...

Posted by Tim Blair at May 27, 2003 02:19 AM
Comments

Sure the chap isnt describing Melbourne and Victoria under the clans running state government and local councils?

Posted by: d at May 27, 2003 at 09:09 AM

The reporter wasn't killing two birds with the same pen : decribing also Melbourne and Victoria and the clans who run state government and local councils - speed trap is a dead give-away ?

Posted by: d at May 27, 2003 at 09:19 AM

Victoria by any other name still has ridiculous fines and tax men with blue uniforms and guns. At least the pollies in New Rome aren't claiming saftey as the reason, they appear more honest, they do it for the money.

Posted by: Jake D at May 27, 2003 at 10:59 AM

One of the downsides of federalism.

Posted by: Chuck T. at May 27, 2003 at 02:08 PM

Could President Bush be persuaded to send the marines to Victoria to liberate us from another nasty regime?

Mr.President,the current regime is odious and there is no rescue being ventured from Canberra.Unlike the war against Iraq, the prats in Spring Street will just flee, no resistance whatsoever. They are, craven ductile little toads whose bravado is commensurate with their grip on power. Fling the turds back into the sewerage swamp from which the eerged.

Posted by: d at May 28, 2003 at 10:00 AM

This story reminds me of my hometown, St. Louis, MO. In northern St. Louis County there are about 40 tiny municipalities whose raison d'etre is to generate revenue through traffic tickets. And they're all really scuzzy and don't invest a penny back into the community. I did a city search on the St. Louis County web site. The village of Champ has 12 residents. I kid you not.

Posted by: Anne at May 28, 2003 at 02:36 PM

Anne, ditto local councils in Australian. The purpose of rates, once upon a time anyway, was to do modest general things of small cost, bitumising local streets for instance, modest landscaping, ensuring well kept carparks in shopping strips. Now the money is psent on `causes' and `(t)issues', consultants, politicians, bureaucrats-more of the damned things.
`community centres'- to play twiddlywinks and keep youf entertained (lest they indulge the usual weekend thrills and joys of bashing old ladies, auto-thef, breaking and entering -all spattered as respites from sniffing coke).
Councils now slug ratepayers fro things which the rates once payed for. Shopkeepers on a shopping strip in the urbs were hit for an extra $10000 in rates because the council upgraded the carparks.!

ONe shouldn't use expletives in public but , they are a pack of greedy, grasping bastards.

Posted by: d at May 29, 2003 at 10:44 AM