Corner5
08-02-11, 12:56 PM
Well ,well, so they are moving 136 trees for the Grand Prix. Remember when they moved the palm trees in San Jose? Not to mention the uproar of government funds for the race! Both are part of Baltimore's event, yet no letter writing or wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth by the irl faithful on how disgusting this all is for OW.
Trees falling for Baltimore Grand Prix
Race organizers promise to replace those they're removing to improve view
August 01, 2011|By a Baltimore Sun reporter
Dozens of trees are falling on downtown streets to improve sight lines for spectators at the Baltimore Grand Prix, but event planners intend to replace them after the race — half of them in large pots so that they can be moved, not destroyed, in future years.
Workers on Monday took saws to a few trees that lined a section of West Pratt Street in front of the Baltimore Convention Center to make room for a prime grandstand viewing area. More trees, in five other downtown areas, are being removed to accommodate the thousands of spectators who are expected to watch the races Labor Day weekend.
In total, 136 trees will be removed before the race and 139 planted after it, said Lonnie Fisher, assistant general manager of the Grand Prix.
Fisher said Baltimore Racing Development, the company running the three-day event, worked out a plan with the city's Office of Sustainability, the Downtown Partnership and the Waterfront Partnership that includes removing and replacing trees on along West Pratt Street, at the Inner Harbor and near Camden Yards.
and this- http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/2011/06/city_approves_additional_99k_f.html
more money.
This is from San Jose 2006-
Grand Prix Swindle of Shame
Posted by Jack Van Zandt on Thursday, April 27, 2006
More:
When the promoters of the San Jose Grand Prix went to the mayor and vice mayor for a $4 million public handout in August, the answer should have been a quick and simple “no.” Instead, according to information uncovered by the Mercury News this week, the city administration of Mayor Gonzales, aided and abetted by Cindy Chavez, acted surreptitiously behind the scenes to do a deal like thieves in the night, deliberately keeping their colleagues on the council and the citizens of San Jose in the dark.
We shouldn’t even be having this discussion. The Grand Prix was an obvious mistake from the start and should have never been approved to take place on our city streets. It upsets the flow of traffic and lives of every downtown resident and worker for eight weeks while they build and then tear down a track and grandstands for an event that lasts, in total, a few hours. Some people have to be moved from their homes for the weekend and many local businesses located within the area can’t operate. What other neighborhood in this city, or any other, would put up with this?
Big-time national sponsors have elbowed out local businesses (like Gordon Biersch) and, according to what I hear around downtown, only the big hotels and other chain locations really benefit from the “extra” revenue. Locally owned restaurants and other businesses reported that their takings during last year’s race were far lower than normal because the regular customers they depend on stayed away in order to avoid the chaos.
Now, to add insult to injury, the city is busy “relocating” palm trees downtown to satisfy the “needs” of the race promoters for a faster, more exciting track through our streets. What the hell is wrong with these people? This neighborhood is our home. Why should we make a sacrifice, against our will, of the well-known surroundings that we are comfortable with for this ultimate symbol of conspicuous consumption: a car race? Would those of you who live out in Willow Glen, Evergreen or the Rose Garden stand for this?
Our elected city leaders should have stood up for the people who live here and who are most affected by the staging of this event. Instead, they went behind our backs and sided with the promoters and out-of-town business interests in secret, and then gave them $4 million of OUR MONEY. I just keep thinking about what $4 million could have done for the quality of life in our city 365 days this year instead of benefiting yet another special interest for a 3-day event that could have been better held where it belongs: the Indianapolis Speedway.
Shame on those of you on the council who voted for this swindle.
HYPOCRITES!!!!!!:thumdown:
Trees falling for Baltimore Grand Prix
Race organizers promise to replace those they're removing to improve view
August 01, 2011|By a Baltimore Sun reporter
Dozens of trees are falling on downtown streets to improve sight lines for spectators at the Baltimore Grand Prix, but event planners intend to replace them after the race — half of them in large pots so that they can be moved, not destroyed, in future years.
Workers on Monday took saws to a few trees that lined a section of West Pratt Street in front of the Baltimore Convention Center to make room for a prime grandstand viewing area. More trees, in five other downtown areas, are being removed to accommodate the thousands of spectators who are expected to watch the races Labor Day weekend.
In total, 136 trees will be removed before the race and 139 planted after it, said Lonnie Fisher, assistant general manager of the Grand Prix.
Fisher said Baltimore Racing Development, the company running the three-day event, worked out a plan with the city's Office of Sustainability, the Downtown Partnership and the Waterfront Partnership that includes removing and replacing trees on along West Pratt Street, at the Inner Harbor and near Camden Yards.
and this- http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/2011/06/city_approves_additional_99k_f.html
more money.
This is from San Jose 2006-
Grand Prix Swindle of Shame
Posted by Jack Van Zandt on Thursday, April 27, 2006
More:
When the promoters of the San Jose Grand Prix went to the mayor and vice mayor for a $4 million public handout in August, the answer should have been a quick and simple “no.” Instead, according to information uncovered by the Mercury News this week, the city administration of Mayor Gonzales, aided and abetted by Cindy Chavez, acted surreptitiously behind the scenes to do a deal like thieves in the night, deliberately keeping their colleagues on the council and the citizens of San Jose in the dark.
We shouldn’t even be having this discussion. The Grand Prix was an obvious mistake from the start and should have never been approved to take place on our city streets. It upsets the flow of traffic and lives of every downtown resident and worker for eight weeks while they build and then tear down a track and grandstands for an event that lasts, in total, a few hours. Some people have to be moved from their homes for the weekend and many local businesses located within the area can’t operate. What other neighborhood in this city, or any other, would put up with this?
Big-time national sponsors have elbowed out local businesses (like Gordon Biersch) and, according to what I hear around downtown, only the big hotels and other chain locations really benefit from the “extra” revenue. Locally owned restaurants and other businesses reported that their takings during last year’s race were far lower than normal because the regular customers they depend on stayed away in order to avoid the chaos.
Now, to add insult to injury, the city is busy “relocating” palm trees downtown to satisfy the “needs” of the race promoters for a faster, more exciting track through our streets. What the hell is wrong with these people? This neighborhood is our home. Why should we make a sacrifice, against our will, of the well-known surroundings that we are comfortable with for this ultimate symbol of conspicuous consumption: a car race? Would those of you who live out in Willow Glen, Evergreen or the Rose Garden stand for this?
Our elected city leaders should have stood up for the people who live here and who are most affected by the staging of this event. Instead, they went behind our backs and sided with the promoters and out-of-town business interests in secret, and then gave them $4 million of OUR MONEY. I just keep thinking about what $4 million could have done for the quality of life in our city 365 days this year instead of benefiting yet another special interest for a 3-day event that could have been better held where it belongs: the Indianapolis Speedway.
Shame on those of you on the council who voted for this swindle.
HYPOCRITES!!!!!!:thumdown: