Friday, May 22, 2009
NorthSide Media
I am not surprised that one of the first things to come out of last night's public meeting on the McEagle NorthSide project is a new blog on the project. Rick Bonasch was at the meeting and took it on himself to launch NorthSide Blog for citizen discussion of the project. This probably won't be the last. Paul J. McKee, Jr. promises that a YouTube video and interactive website sponsored by McEagle are in the works for the next few weeks. Certainly others who attended the meeting will take to and create new media to broadcast their thoughts and concerns. The more discussion, the better!
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The question is, will McKee's "interactive" website allow unfiltered comments? It really won't matter either way because there will be plenty of other places online to find uncensored information.
One of McKee's biggest gaffs so far has been his attempt to keep this project secret. Thanks to the internet, the deal has been one of the worst kept "secrets" in town. McKee would be well-served to begin truly engaging the public. Until then, the mistrust and resentment will continue.
I would highly encourage writers/residents concerned about NorthSide development, whether related to Blairmont or not, to press the cornucopia of Web 2.0 bling into service to help get the word out.
1. Similar to STL Syndicate, which uses RSS to compile a handful of blogs ...
http://www.stlsyndicate.com/
... set up syndication for the like-themed blogs, e.g. Ecology of Absence, NorthSide Blog, STL Rising, Urban Review.
2. Set up a Twitter feed. My recommendation is @NorthSideStory
3. In addition to the facilitated workshops that McEagle plans to host, use Meetup.com or Facebook.com to organize your own workshops. Don't let McEagle's paid facilitators dictate the conversation.
4. Use Skype and/or Freeconference.com if you need to periodically chat verbally to stay in touch.
5. All these tools will allow your constituency to better identify itself, letting you do useful things like issue your own press releases to coincide with McEagle's.
Thus far, McEagle has been setting the pace and dictating the schedule. The past two meetings about Northside development were orchestrated entirely by McEagle.
You don't have to play with this orchestra, as McEagle ultimately has no higher authority over the future of NorthSide than any other property owner and resident. Don't forget the alderpeople involved are your alderpeople too.
Another snake-oil salesman comes to St. Louis promising trolleys, 'green' this and that, and 20,000 new jobs. Hasn't the city learned learned from past mistakes like Pruitt-Igoe and Darst-Webbe, Ballpark Village, the Keil Opera House?
The Keil Partners received all kinds of incentives from the city and in return, we were supposed to have a renovated opera house. The Cardinals were supposed to build Ballpark Village using their own money in return for $250M in incentives. Not only have they received an additional $68M from taxpayers, they're using the lame excuse that they can't afford to build it because of the economy; this excuse sounds not-so-surprisingly similar to the one used by Keil Partners years ago.
McKee is just nothing more than the previous high profile con-artists who use extravagant promises to loot taxpayers and then deliver a watered down product, if any at all. Perhaps McKee can placate his Napoleon complex with a nice game of SimCity or Civilization; at least then, he won't be toying with the lives of real people!
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