The Observation Deck

Alex Belisle wrote:Sorry. I'm just a newbie and am not aware of Lakewood and specifically LO history.

Alex

Nothing to be sorry for, we are not like others.

We really do not talk about many of the things we do, we just do them.

We also love helping other people do their thing too!

While other groups in the city spends most of their time and budget giving each other awards, recognition and crowing about anything.

We just do it.

.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:We just do it.

Just do it.
That sounds pretty catchy....you oughta trademark that, Jim.
I think it could catch on.

I'm young. I just turned 30. I vote. I care about local issues.

I just happen to feel entirely different about the hospital than nearly all other posters here. Why don't young folks post here? I think it's less about the outdated format and more about the terrible 'welcome wagon,' particularly in this electoral cycle.

BL supporters that dared to comment on this forum were ridiculed, insulted, and in the opinion of this young voter, bullied.

Not everyone cares to go through that. I cared enough to comment because I thought I might get some converts. Not the case -- I was naive, as I said before.

Summers didn't get my vote (or the votes of countless other young professionals in Lakewood) because of consultants or spin. He got it because we examined his record and looked at the city we decided to make our home and said 'things are going well! Let's keep this guy around!'

I'm a family man, and I love things like our great parks, library (part of the taxes that some posters complain about), the new schools being built (more complaints about taxes from some posters), and wonderful local businesses (including restaurants and bars, which some posters rail about).

Why would young folks comment when they see the stuff people are saying here? I'm interested in building the Lakewood of the future, one with small businesses I patronize, local bars and restaurants, updated, modern schools, great parks, an awesome library, and a beautiful old housing stock with fair but not excessive code enforcement (Shaker being an example of excessive code enforcement). Additionally, I couldn't understand why some folks attacked TE and LB simply for supporting Build Lakewood, when they have been great stewards of our school district, particularly over the past 4 years. We are updating our schools, the union and board successfully negotiated a mutually beneficial contract (when they did not need to come back to the table yet - kudos to all parties), and have kept the schools on firm financial ground. Really, you want to throw them out? Give me a break.

My wife and I have owned a home since we were 21 and 22, respectively. We still own that home in Cleveland and rent it out after buying our home in Lakewood. Please don't generalize young folks as being uncaring renters who only get passionate about national issues.

I'm certain that many of you would agree with my liberal perspectives, but we just couldn't agree on the hospital issue. That's fine, but I'll be damned if I'm going to sit idly by and let folks post conjecture and rumors about people like me supporting BL without having my say.

It's one thing to disagree on an issue. It's another to be obnoxious, dismissive and insulting. Lakewood belongs to all of us. My opinion is that some of the behavior of posters on this forum around Issue 64 dissuaded young folks from posting.

Alex was referring to ACTUAL young people (teens and college aged), not 30 year olds (that is only young in the relative scale of the municipal electorate).
This thread was never supposed to be about the hospital.

Just offering my observations on why folks 'under 40' (to use the term bandied about by others here) haven't been posting. Sorry to misinterpret the age range.

The point still stands -- people don't exactly view this as a 'safe space' to share their ideas without ridicule or mean-spirited remarks. That won't change any time soon unless behaviors change.

Paul,

You complain about generalizations but you make them all the while failing to address the facts before you.

You complain about conjecture yet you engage in it.

You say young people and others feel "unsafe" on the Deck but you and others openly express opinions and take aggressive positions unsupported by facts and complain when the claims are shot down as lies or otherwise.

Why do you and others constantly characterize stating facts about elected leaders" and poster behavior as "personal attacks"? Can we agree that your posts above could be taken by some as a "personal attack" on the character of posters with views that oppose yours? Do you hear any of them playing "victim"?

Since you're a family man what would you teach your children is worse:
1. Someone who tells lies in a pleasant manner.
2. Someone who tells the truth in a stern manner.

Your claim that voters were turned off by Deck posters and unswayed by expensive consultant misinformation campaign efforts suggests that Summers and the Shadow government spent their money foolishly