Since I was busy trick-or-treating, I must have missed this #NoBro / #Navyhill op-ed in @RTDOpinions on Halloween from developer Michael Hallmark. Just wanted to point out a few things... #Thread
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Hallmark points to other cities as model for arenas driving downtown development. His key examples: Columbus, OH; Kansas City; and Allentown, PA. 2/
The Columbus arena was built mostly by private funds, but had to be bailed out by taxpayers after it lost money for years 3/ fieldofschemes.com/2017/07/14/126…
Kansas City arena has done better - it turns a profit, but never has raised enough money to pay back its costs 4/
These are the BEST examples he can come up with. Maybe they all have spurred downtown devel, but they all come with tremendous costs for taxpayers w/ little analysis of alternative paths
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Hallmark also cites sports economist Mark Rosentraub as a "leading economist" who is "acknowledging a trend" in stadium and arena development 7/
Only Rosentraub is a former stadium skeptic who mysteriously decided to support arena projects right when he started making a living consulting for cities who want to build them 8/ fieldofschemes.com/2018/06/06/138…
For example, Rosentraub made a shaky case for Pawtucket to build a $38M stadium for a minor league team worth (by team's own admission) $11M, w/ lots of problematic assumptions about revenues 9/ fieldofschemes.com/2017/10/20/130…
Look, these arena deals are complicated, and economic effects are hard to measure. That's why it's so important to have public discussion and deep dives into the deal, and be super skeptical of devel talking points
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On a morning when @ternary_logic is reporting from #NHCommission meeting where developers (and their allies on commission) are obviously big mad they are not controlling conversation, it's worth keeping this in mind
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As I prep my political theory class for this fall, I'm struck that one thing the TX abortion law should hammer home, and that some of us sometimes forget: conservatism is openly hostile towards individual freedom #Thread
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As ideology, conservatism embraces ancient ideas of difference. Plato's Republic imagines world where people are sorted according to innate characteristics; Aristotle thought democracy was worst form of government. To Greeks, some people just better suited to rule than others
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In 1790, Brit Edmund Burke essentially launched conservatism by criticizing the French revolution. Liberty is fine, Burke argued, but what if it's the liberty of a "madman" or "murderer"? Freedom needs constraints, and isn't for everyone
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As #VAGOP convention approaches, candidates talking about banning "critical race theory" from our schools. We know that racist appeals work on many white voters (hi Donald!) but this one is especially insidious. Here's why #Thread
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First, #CriticalRaceTheory is term for some pretty high-level scholarship and theoretical work, like real pomo philosophy shit. Crenshaw, Delgado, Bell. Mostly influential in legal theory. Time mag explainer (h/t to @bluevirginia) is just fine: 2/ time.com/5891138/critic…
Key here: CRT is WAY less influential than critics claim, even in theory circles. Often mocked by traditional establishment voices. Just check this '98 Cornell law review article that claims to take CRT seriously, but actually drips w mockery/disdain 3/ scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewconten…
Background: the federal govt's Home Owners' Loan Corporation was a New Deal org aimed at helping people keep their homes post-Depression. Financially, it did pretty well - even turning a small profit 2/ trumanlibrary.gov/library/public…
But to "help" mortgage lenders, they generated maps of urban areas, color-coded by how "secure" neighborhoods would be for home loans. Here's the RVA map - guess what they based "security" on? 3/
Happy weekend VA! Earlier this week I tweeted out #VoteNoOn1, the redistricting commission amendment. I'm still a No, but feel a Prof's need to clarify after hearing from some folks on both sides #Thread 1/
Earlier I said we all want Non-partisan, but even A1 supporters say that's basically impossible. What we actually want is INDEPENDENCE. Current SB 5015 tries to specify criteria for citizen members beyond "party picks" so it would help if passed 2/
But doesn't get over the fact that legislators are on the commission, and that one or two of them could use their veto power for mischief. In an uneven partisan environment (where GOP routinely kicks Dems' ass on process/power) I don't see a way around that 3/
Good morning VA! As early voting ramps up around the state, now’s a good time to remind you to Vote NO on Amendment 1, which supposedly ensures fair redistricting. I’m not convinced. Here's why: #VoteNOon1 #Thread 1/
Background: you probably know that “redistricting” - drawing district lines for state legislature and Congress - is super important is for setting the political course of the next decade. So do politicians, which is why they try to control it 2/
A coalition pushed for fair, non-partisan process by 2019 deadline. (Constitutional amendment in VA needs GA to pass a resolution twice, then approved on voter ballot Q.) They didn't get it! Instead, they put in place a compromise
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Anyone check out the #RVAProtests "112 Days" show on @CBS6 last night? You can watch it on MSN (linked below), but I did so you don't have to. Two big thoughts: #Thread 1/
First, the doc not great on repping protestors. Some efforts to give voice to protest, but probably not central figures. I get it - it's hard to parse, there's no "President of the Movement," and lots of folks probably didn't want to talk
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But still - why so much freakin' Mark Holmberg? Why let him complain that protestors marched at Lee Circle but not Gilpin Court- and then ignore multiple anti-eviction actions? 3/ richmond.com/news/local/wat…