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Re: “T-SPLOST Project List: Highlights”
I finally realized that the best thing about T-SPLOST is that it has distracted CL from covering "Occupy," if that still exists. Woo! I hope the CL Editorial Board can pick a new topic by next Tuesday so they don't accidentally go back to covering that
Re: “T-SPLOST round-up: Campaign finally acknowledges transit in web video, opponents question ballot language, sports execs endorse measure”
While you're checking notes on vital matters like when the Greyhound station was built, can someone please look up the point at which we decided to bicker about the potential mix of transit vs. road funding rather than argue about questions such as:
1. Why we would want to impose a new sales tax to raise the price of MOST EVERYTHING at a time when we are trying to emerge from a recession? My little friend called "the price elasticity of demand" says that when you raise prices, people buy less stuff. And if people buy less stuff, then people are making less stuff, so you need fewer people employed making stuff. I think most of us would agree that stimulating demand would be a good thing about now, and raising prices does not stimulate demand
2. At what point we decided that transportation was the most important thing to worry about and hence the most urgent additional tax to vote on? I'm living in City of Atlanta and I see a lot of need for better schools (and school oversight), better law enforcement (and law enforcement oversight), better services for marginalized groups (chronically poor, homeless, drug addicts and on and on), just off the top of my head. I would pay more to improve any of these in a heartbeat...so when we go to the polls in three years for the "hire-more-police-so-you're-less-likely-to-get-killed-if-you-live-in-the-wrong-neighborhood-1%-SPLOST," then I'd rather people not be saying "H*ll no, sales taxes are already 10% because of the water, the transportation, etc. and I ain't payin' no more"
2*. As a corollary to #2, improvements such as education, public safety, etc. that make the City of Atlanta more liveable would also encourage more people to live in the City of Atlanta, rather than living in East Bumblef*ck and having to drive several hours to get to work or anything else. So let's think about voting for the liberal agenda we want anyway to solve the transport problem, h*ll yeah!
3. If we do indeed decide that transportation is the most important thing to worry about, why would we create a new tax and a new disbursement mechanism/governance process rather than raising the taxes that we already have, i.e. the MARTA sales tax for transit and the gasoline tax for roads? Like, maybe us folks in Fulton and Dekalb could vote to pay another 1% in MARTA tax to restore the existing system and build fun new things like Clifton corridor rail, and everyone in the state who wants more roads can vote to raise the gas tax to have more 8-lane roads in places I don't go?
3*. As a corollary to #3, if we raise the gas tax to pay for more roads, then my old friend the price elasticity of demand (see above) would say that people will buy less gas...in which case there would be less driving, less congestion, less pollution, fewer SUVs, etc. despite there being more funds to buy roads...so us intown lefties would get what we want anyway! Woo!
So, sorry to backtrack, but it would be helpful to clear these things up so I can feel like it's OK to worry about these potential road vs. transit mix discussions, and feel less like we've been very well manipulated to follow someone else's agenda with the slender carrot of Beltline rail or whatever. Any help here?
Re: “Strange neighbors”
Hey...Sr Bostock cites "two tortillas stuffed with al pastor meat" as a dish at the surviving Midtown location of Zocalo (the restaurant). Can anyone verify that they have a real trompo there? This was one of the distinguishing features of the long-lost Grant Park location...I ain't no expert but my wife is from Mexico City and says they had the real deal there, and it was an awesome testament to what Pork Can Be, a meat somewhere between bacon and barbecued pork shoulder. These things are frustratingly hard to find...if there's another authentic one in ATL let us know and we'll be there, resuming the weight gain we'd begun a few years ago at the Grant Park Zocalo. Thank you
Re: “Review: H. Harper Station”
If you tried Harper Station when it opened, it's definitely worth going back - the food is clearly improving. Focus of menu and execution are much crisper than its pretty-good beginning. The Sunday Supper at $15 is a ridiculous bargain. I think the "punch bowls" on the drinks menu are a genuine cocktail innovation...does any other place sell interesting, high-end mixtures for 4-6 people with a block of ice?
Re: “Um, we think Shaun's is closed. Like right now.”
Earlier on Wed. evening (around 5:30 when I went by) there was a sign on the door saying essentially "Shaun's is closed. Thank you for your four years of business." That, to me, suggests that it's over and out. Would've been nice to get a straight answer about what's going on between last week's announcement and this week's door sign
Re: “Parish Foods & Goods”
...because we didn't stay long enough to eat. Oblivious hostess, tables packed so tightly servers can't move without bumping into you, weird seating plan of packing everyone into the back while the front of the restaurant is empty, terrible acoustics (louder than a Friday night Highlands bar) so we can't hear each other and much less the server, needlessly annoying menu-on-chalkboard-across-the-room thing, freezing cold hyper-air-conditioning. That sums up the first two minutes...after which we doubted it was going to get better so we left. To top it off, we step around the corner and the valet is sitting on my car. We greatly respect Mr Amick's experience, of course, so we would appreciate it if he could stop by the restaurant and talk with the management and staff. I'm sure he can help them understand that a reasonably pleasant and professional experience is necessary for customers to return...or in fact for customers to stay long enough to order. Hopefully the kitchen is run better than the dining room.