Jul 16, 2010
Star-Telegram Publishes Bizarre, Vaguely Incomprehensible Anti-Streetcar Editorial. Also, the Sky is Blue.
By: Kevin Buchanan
Enough people have been asking about this, a bizarre anti-streetcar editorial by the Star-Telegram’s Mike Norman, that we had to at least acknowledge it.
Mike Norman is the Star-Telegram’s editorial director for Arlington and Northeast Tarrant County, so obviously he has a keen, rapier-sharp understanding of central city transit, walkable development, and urban design issues. In this editorial, he rolls on the usual 22-inch chrome wheels of the Star-Telegram Editorial Board’s streetcar editorials – misrepresentation of how TIF districts work, tired old canards about people paying for the streetcar when they aren’t even in its area (I’m glad he points this out, since there are certainly no road or highway projects in the Metroplex that are payed for with funds from people who live nowhere near them and will never use them), and the like. Same story, different day, in other words. We figure you’re all capable of reading our last post on the subject, so why rehash things? There’s plenty of more cheery stuff we could be writing about.
What is unique to Norman’s piece, though, is the tasty chocolate glaze of juvenile, condescending sarcasm he layers on top of the meal for you. This 28-year veteran of the Star-Telegram takes the opportunity to mock young creatives and professionals, classic walkable neighborhoods, and more using the sort of writing that wouldn’t pass muster in a high-school English class.
A few choice examples – we’re not above a bit of snark ourselves:
Streetcars! How exciting! How trendy and modern and new!
Hi, folks. I’m Mike Norman, and I’ve just discovered an incredible writing tool: nuance-free sarcasm! It goes down smooth.
So many of the very best cities are getting them.
Yeah, it’s such a hilarious joke that Fort Worth’s peer cities are investing in better transit! What a riot, that we should be aspiring to compete with our peers for future success!
Up-and-coming young professionals and artists and creative people of all sorts love them, you know. It just gives me goose bumps to think that we could have them in Fort Worth.
It’s all so funny, since there’s no point in a city trying to attract up-and-coming young professionals and creatives! Why would anybody want those types in a city?
(And there’s certainly no way that older folks could possibly benefit from better transit!)
I want them. Oh, I so want them. Want means a lot.
Yes, Mike, that’s why people are advocating for the streetcar – they just mindlessly want them, with absolutely no actual reasons or genuine benefits behind that want.
We want to switch Fort Worth’s future development from auto-oriented to pedestrian-friendly, lower-intensity to higher-intensity, commercial corridors to mixed-use districts and sustainable, walkable urbanism.
Oh, I love those words. Don’t they sound so positive and creative, so 21st century, maybe even 22nd? I’m going to look them up on my iPhone.
Mike Norman: on the record with the position that walkable neighborhoods and reduced car dependency are jokes. So, everybody who lives in Downtown Fort Worth, or the 7th Street corridor, or the Near Southside, or Trinity Uptown, or any other part of town where that sort of thing is going on? All of you who like living somewhere where you don’t have to be shackled to a car to get around, where you can have choices like walking, bicycling, or taking transit? All you developers who are building such projects? All you investors putting money into those kinds of places? The Star-Telegram editorial board thinks you’re hilarious and worthy of mockery. Remember that next time you’re thinking of spending some money on a newspaper.
The people in Washington now see that we’re so smart, and they’re going to give us almost $25 million for this circle route.
That kind of settles it, doesn’t it? I mean, $25 million in free money if we can get the circle route under construction in 18 months (that’s what the grant says). Do we even need HDR anymore? I mean, isn’t all this studying pretty much a waste of time when we all know what we want?
It’s really easy to write incendiary editorials when you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.
All indications are that the FTA will let us change the route from what we submitted (a skeletal “downtown circulator” which will likely bear no resemblance to the finished product). They’re not going to force us to take money to build an ineffective system – they’d like it to succeed, too. And nobody, in any shape or fashion, has suggested we don’t need HDR anymore – that’s just idiotic.
In other words, this “point” (?) of Mike’s editorial completely falls apart.
And in closing, one last slice of weird, juvenile writing:
The streetcars are going to be so lovely! La-di-da, la-di-da.
That the Star-Telegram Editorial Board has been reduced to this sort of self-parody so early in the process is fascinating to watch.
Just wow…
so much for civil discourse.
This sounds like the comments from the literary genius that came up with drill baby drill. Do these people really not understand that oil is non-renewable. I would like to hear a comment from this author on street car systems and walkable neighborhoods in 5 years when gas is $10.00 a gallon. I love the oblivious thinking that we will carry on with the old ways and somebody will magically develop some energy to replace gas so we can continue to drive our oversized vehicles and live worry free. Thisguy needs to get out of his protective bubble and join the real world with the rest of us.
Thank you, Patrick.
“I love the oblivious thinking that we will carry on with the old ways and somebody will magically develop some energy to replace gas so we can continue to drive our oversized vehicles and live worry free. ” Yes!
It’s people like Mike Norman that make individuals from outside of Fort Worth think our city is so bass-ackwards. I love Fort Worth and I love the potential of what it can become. My two favorite cities in this great state of ours are Austin and Fort Worth. In that order. The only reason I love Austin more is b/c they have a stronger walkable/bikeable/trasitable (I made that up) community. It’s reactions like Mike’s diatribe against the streetcar system that make me throw my hands up in disgust. I have every desire to settle here for the long haul, but Mike and all his followers make me wonder if I’m right for this city.
Now w/ that being said, I also realize I am in the right place when I discover people like Kevin B., Bernie (Trinity Bicycles), et. al, who are doing so much to move Fort Worth into the future and on the right track (pun intended). People who not only want to make Fort Worth a great city, but also a great community.
My point is….I don’t have a point. I just wanted to get these frustrations off my chest. When I read articles like Mike’s it just makes my blood boil and it’s great to see others feel the same way. One day this city will be the people’s city and it’s because of individuals like us who will make that happen.
Stupid young whippersnappers! Why don’t you stay in Austin where you belong, and take your precious streetcars with you while you’re at it!
This is the most bizarre thing I’ve read lately, like someone’s documented descent into madness.
Streetcars are good for everyone–young professionals, children, teenagers, elderly people–EVERYONE! They give eldery people who can’t (or shouldn’t) drive newfound freedom and mobility. Teens can go downtown or to West 7 to see a movie with friends without getting behind the wheel of a car–this is safe for them, and keeps parents from having to be a chauffer.
And gasoline isn’t going to be around forever. We need to come up with alternative now, not when it’s too late. Anticipate the pain, as Pat McCrory would put it, don’t wait ’til it gets so bad you’re forced to change.
Something that I’ve felt for sometime – the eastern third of Tarrant County (Northeast and to a lesser degree Arlington) feels a greater alliance with Dallas than to Fort Worth; these are mostly the newer residents to our region; and they think of their central city as being Dallas, not us. It seems that Fort Worth is only on their mind when you a place to put a jail.
Following upon my feeling, did the NE S-T opined so vigorously when their central city, Dallas, received federal funds for the Oak Cliff streetcar or the McKinney Streetcar extension. To be certain, Amon Carter’s S-T would never had printed such an anti Fort Worth/pro Suburban editorial as the sorry and mean spirited ones which are coming out of today’s S-T. Nor can I believe that the Kimbells, Tandys and Bass’ would look favorably upon such bizarre editorials in light of the magnificent gifts they have given to our central city. Instead of faux city squares, such as in Southlake, Fort Worth has awaken and is revitalizing a true city core and during this the process is awakening other cores within the city.
There appears to me to be a cynical political strategy being promoted by some to see any initiative by the Federal Administration to fail by rejecting funds which are intended to stimulate the national or local economies. Mr Norman’s Eastern Tarrant strategy probably does finds favor there, but hopefully, will not find favor in the remainer of Tarrant County, the part of the county which lives, works, believes and takes pride in this, our city.
Oh, those were the days when the original Fort Worth Star Telegram, then a true hometown paper, would promote and hail the joys of being in Fort Worth. Shame on the (ne/arl) S-T!
when i first read the editorial, i couldn’t believe it. honestly, i thought it was a joke. like something from The Onion.
but when you really do read it, and strip away the awful sarcasm and condescension, you actually see a level of near-hatred for progression, and for the folks that bring progression (and, not to mention, money) into an area.
Fort Worth is a growing, vibrant community. it is a big city, with a small town feel, and that’s almost unique. it has the opportunity to be a world class city.
and there are people who fill fight that at any cost. and it’s sad, and pathetic. much like that article, and the person who wrote it.
Wow, a friend called me to tell me about this editorial; I must say that her assessment of it as mis-informed, sarcastic and juvenile was spot on. I am so thankful for our country’s precious freedom of speech and think that editorials should be given a lot of latitude.
However, any paid journalist should have some ethical requirements to somewhat research a subject and somewhat accurately represent the facts.
And, any paid journalist should have writing skills somewhat above that of a snarky unsophisticated prepubescent. I would say teenager but most teenagers I know have much more wit and skill with sarcasm than is displayed in this editorial.
If this journalist was paid for this poorly written and poorly research editorial- then shame on the Star Telegram.
Thanks, Kevin for your ongoing commitment to the progress of Fort Worth.
Wow.
This is why I don’t read the editorials.
Or the Star-Telegram…
Now excuse me while I finish reading the news on my iPhone.
Wow! Bizarre is an accurate word for it. I agree that Amon Carter must be spinning in his grave about many of the happenings in FTW lately.
Who reads the Star-Telegram??
Many people read it. Local press is important so I don’t want to dog it.
I am however surprised by the author’s naïveté in that editorial and the FWST’s willingness to print it.
I just have to say that commenter “Renamerusk” is my hero. He verbalized all the things I was feeling. I’m an out-of-state college student who is looking forward to moving back to Fort Worth and being apart of the forward progression of this great city. I often have to correct my out-of-state friends’ thinking about Dallas as the only major player in our region’s economy/stature. Knowing this, I have no doubt that newcomers to our region would pledge allegiance to Dallas over Fort Worth and agree with this naive article. (Have no pity on them for they are uninformed.)
How dare Mike mock/assume the opinions of my generation. Because I keep up with local happenings, many of my friends ask me with enthusiasm about the time lines of such projects as the streetcar and the Trinity River Uptown project. I am here to say that the youth and future leaders of Fort Worth are ready for progression and look to such projects with optimism. We want to move back to a better Fort Worth. A Fort Worth with options! I plan on attending the modern streetcar public meeting on August 9th and sharing the passion the youth of Fort Worth holds for such enhancements to this great place. Thank you Kevin for pioneering the path in which I walk.
[...] ground was previously shown false in the last two pieces on misleading S-T editorials, here and here. Let’s dip into a few specifics of this latest one, though. The city has been studying the [...]