Wag the Dog

Bryan

I have heard that Ted may have actively denied that a red light district even existed in Amsterdam, is this correct?  Or was Ted just indicating there there wasn't an area in the red light district named "Boomgard"  I personally have not had any success with multiple queries on google to pin the two together; however the name and the cost associated with this is still crazy.

The city of Franklin and the alderman must do a better job of educating the citizens on what is going on multiple issues and not expect them to always hit the city of Franklin's website to check out the agendas posted for each meeting to decide to attend that particular meeting.  I am very interested to see if the city educates the public in the near future on this issue or if they just move along.  I was not aware of any of the previous meetings on this subject until it was brought up on this site.  I am also interested in seeing how my new alderman addresses this issue.  From my understanding there may be no interest in placing this as an agenda item for future common council meetings which brings me to my last point.  

Janet posted some comments on her March 27th blog from the candidate forum about my new alderman, Steve Taylor.  He had this to say via Janet's paraphrasing I believe:

-Wants to serve the public and make the place better than when he came.  

-You need to get to know people you serve.  

-You must make Franklin strong and if you get more public involvement it will make the government better.  

-Have to get more people to the polls.  

-Involve the constituents in decision-making process….

-Get to know the people you represent.  Put out newsletters and hand it to them.  

-Look at the voters list.  Issue – call a dozen people at a time  – listen to people – They're my boss.

-Their conduit to 4th district…to city hall.  Hammelman:

-Know your neighborhoods – People tell the council people how come I didn’t know about so, and so…

-Tell them to look at agendas on website and be aware of local government.

-I have to be approachable.

-I listen to what they have to say.

I will be interested to see how he handles this issue amongst the one's Kevin has mentioned in a timely fashion in the manner indicated by the bullets above.

Apollo

Ted did deny that there was such a district. I believe he said he contacted the Amsterdam travelers bureau and they said they never heard of such a thing.

As for how the presentation of the Boomgaard district was handled to the Franklin public via a press release. This seems to be a point of contention that of many people I have talked to have brought up.

I think that if Zizzo and the 27th Street Steering Committee had, prefaced the how and why they came up with this marketing name, along with the business people they presented it to before the just plopped it out, you would have had more acceptance.

This continues to be handled poorly with an attitude "This is what we decided to name it, we are the experts, now get over it" and "This is a non-issue the bloggers have stirred up".

Last nights meeting did not address this issue at all and would not have if the citizens had not brought it up.

Your new alderman Steve Taylor, did not address this at all at the meeting.

The Mayor looked like he was going to have a panic attack, when Ted started addressing Fred with this personal attack and looked even more panicked when Fred spoke and addressed Ted.

All this could have been preempted but wasn't.

You are right Apollo, this will be interesting to see how the whole council addresses the electorate in this coming year, including your alderman Steve Taylor, he is after all the Council President.

Apollo,

I have the tape of the comments...SOME of what he said was:

Ted Grintjes did not refer to the district as a "Red Light District."  He said, "And she has made a claim that is outrageous saying that there is a; I don’t know what you call it, a gay, sex and drugs district in the city of Amsterdam that has to do with a lot of gay activity. It is the most outrageous thing that I have heard."   (he was referring to Darlene Collins, a Franklin resident who had referred to the Boomgaard as a Red Light District in the first comment of the evening).

He went on to say,  “I spent most of the day yesterday on the phone with the city of Amsterdam, the Amsterdam tourist bureau, the University of Amsterdam.  There is a gay organization on that had no record of the Boomgaard District or any other organization had such a district or the name for such a district in the city of Amsterdam.  I spoke with several business associates that have been long-term residents of Amsterdam and there is no such district.”

Also,  yes...those statements by Alderman Taylor are rough notes I typed during the forum...paraphrasing.  I did not have a tape recorder at that time.

I didn't think the AMSTERDAM RED LIGHT FRUIT ORCHARD was going to cause such a stir at the recent Franklin Common Council meeting!

I doubt if any "recorded" information could be found that would verify this "word of mouth" information that is locally known in Amsterdam [and possibly broader] as the BOOMGAARD DISTRICT [fruit orchard district].

All of the "research" found on the Web, that Rhiner was referring to, means absolutely nothing in a case like this. Here is why:  

Amsterdam has a district just like Milwaukee.  One can GOOGLE info. about these districts such as..... Milwaukee travel article on  www.guidemag.com  With 22 gay clubs, most of them in the Walker's Point and Third Ward area, Milwaukee has more gay bars, per capita, than San Francisco. ...

One will never find the metaphorical tag hung on this kind of district on Google or anywhere else to provide "proof" that it exists...yet it does!  You would have to assimilate yourself into the local environment to learn that handle.  It is a colloquial thing.  This should be pointed out to those who think they can dupe others to think they have "researched" and found the "Boongaard District" of Amsterdam not factual.  

I would bet the Third Ward has some "underground-type" of title that lampoon's the area...maybe it is "fruit orchard" as well.  Ask someone who goes there for the real title.

At any rate, my good Hollander friend of many years, who lived in various places in Holland and Germany speaks eight languages, would know more about these matters than anyone around here and I trust his knowledge.  He plans on visiting possibly next summer and could testify at that time if need be...or the Zizzo Group could pay his way this summer!

What we need is someone from the Zizzo group who has spent a good portion of time in that district while on a European vacation to corroborate this information.

At this point, I think that it behooves the Zizzo group to incontrovertibly prove that the title of BOOMGAARD has never been used in Amsterdam by anyone referring to this red light district.

On second thought, that might drive their exorbitant "marketing" costs even higher by sending themselves and the 27th Street Steering Committee on a porky, fun-filled trip to Amsterdam to check this out!  Forget that I suggested it.

Boomgaard District on So. 27 St. =  Amsterdam's homosexual "fruit orchard" district.

DITTO!

More egotism, autonomy, and underhandedness from the Council, the 27th Street Steering Committee, and blowhards like Grintjes and Rhiner who demand to have their way and could care less about the taxpayers.

As a public servant Grintjes had no right whatsoever to attack Mr. Keller.

Anyone who gives of their time and money to attend public meetings and speaks their onions is a commendable citizen and should be treated with honor and respect.  How quickly these “strutters” forget who their boss is  -  the taxpayer.  If these servants don't like their “boss”...QUIT !!!  You won’t be missed!

When you decide to go into public service you have to be brain dead to think you won't incur the ire of those that pay your wages, especially when that servant supports something that incites a ground swell of input and is vehemently opposed by everyone that responded.  

You know how it goes:  If you can’t take the heat………….

GRINTJES DESPARATE re. RED LIGHT DISTRICT?

I feel compelled to repeat and add to what Grintjes said in response to my information about the Amsterdam Boomgaard District.

I doubt if any "recorded" information could be found that would verify the "word of mouth" information that there is a special title in Amsterdam [and possibly broader] applied to their "BOOMGAARD DISTRICT", locally known as "the fruit orchard".

Milwaukee also has a district like this.  One can GOOGLE info. about these districts.  One example is a Milwaukee travel article found at  <www.guidemag.com>  that states: "With 22 gay clubs, most of them in the Walker's Point and Third Ward area, Milwaukee has more gay bars, per capita, than San Francisco. ...

One will never find the metaphorical tag hung on any of these kinds of districts on Google or anywhere else to provide "proof" that it exists...yet they do!  You would have to assimilate yourself into the local environment to learn that handle.  It is a colloquial thing.  

This should be pointed out to people like Grintjes, chairman of the South 27th Steering Committee, who thinks he can dupe others to think he has "researched" and found the "Boongaard District" of Amsterdam does not exist.  His claims of "talking to a tourism bureau, business partners, the University of Amsterdam, and his family" hardly lend any convincing proof that there is not a homosexual red light district in Amsterdam with the local "nickname" of Boomgaard.

Does it make sense that any of the sources he cites would abandon their fealties to their home turf even if they knew the truth?  Don't forget that the extraction of Grintjes and the word "Boomgaard" coincidentally just happen to be Dutch. You connect the dots!

I would bet the Third Ward has some "underground-type" of title that lampoon's the area as well...maybe it is also "fruit orchard".  Ask someone who goes there for the "nickname", outside of a resident or a business owner from the third ward.

At any rate, my good Hollander friend of many years, who lives in Amsterdam and speaks eight languages, would know more about these matters than anyone.  I trust his knowledge...not Grintjes propaganda.  Note:  My friend plans on visiting possibly next summer and could testify at that time if need be...maybe the Zizzo Group or Grintjes would pay his way?

At this point, I think that it behooves Grintjes and the Zizzo group to incontrovertibly prove that the title of BOOMGAARD has never been used in Amsterdam by anyone referring to this red light district.

On second thought, that might drive Zizzo's exorbitant "marketing" costs even higher by sending themselves and the 27th Street Steering Committee on a porky, fun-filled trip to Amsterdam to check this out!  Forget that I suggested it.

"Boomgaard" District on So. 27 St. =  Amsterdam's homosexual "fruit orchard" district.