The passage of Vision Fairbanks

As I reported earlier, and as readers of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner may may have read, the Vision Fairbanks downtown revitalization plan passed the Borough Assembly 8-0.  While this seems like a stunning coup, I have worries.
First, some highlights (or at least points of interest):
Dozens of citizens testified — and just about all in favor.  [...]

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Freedom, coercion, and community: The people’s thing, part 2

This post continues thoughts begun in “The people’s thing?” about three weeks ago.
(If you’re wondering where my fuller report is on the Vision Fairbanks public hearing before the FNSB Assembly, it’s coming.  This is now a little more timely.  And it’s what I feel like writing about today.)
As I said in “The people’s thing?”, there [...]

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Good news, bad news: How Vision Fairbanks fared at the Assembly

This can only be brief right now, since it’s late and I need to go to bed.
The good news is, Vision Fairbanks passed the Assembly 8-0-1.  (Nadine Winters had a conflict of interest and had to recuse herself.)
The bad news is, the version that passed was the weaker of the two proposed — one that [...]

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Open letter to FNSB Assembly on Vision Fairbanks

For those just tuning in: The Borough Assembly will hold a public hearing on Vision Fairbanks this Thursday evening (Aug. 21) at 6:00.  Be there, speak in favor of its adoption, and wear blue to show your support!
More details here.
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Following is a letter I’ve just sent to the members of our Borough Assembly:
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Good [...]

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The joys of being bound

For those just tuning in: The Borough Assembly will hold a public hearing on Vision Fairbanks this Thursday evening (Aug. 21) at 6:00.  Be there, speak in favor of its adoption, and wear blue to show your support!
More details here.
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Those of you who read the Vision Fairbanks article in today’s (Monday’s) News-Miner will [...]

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ACTION ALERT: Support a revitalized, pedestrian-friendly downtown Thursday, Aug. 21!

Friends, this is The Big One: The Borough Assembly will hold a public hearing on the adoption of Vision Fairbanks this Thursday, August 21, in a session starting at 6:00.  Be there, speak in favor of its adoption, and wear blue to show your support!
If you’d like to know why you should speak in favor [...]

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The people’s thing?

What chance does Fairbanks stand of being — or being part of — a republic? Can we be a community?
In high school, I learned that the United States was not a “democracy”, as many people think, but a “democratic republic”. Certainly the CIA World Factbook describes us as a “Constitution-based federal republic”.
The [...]

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Misanthropes in our midst

I often think that, in Fairbanks, I must be seen as some kind of pervert.
At a recent work meeting about re-visioning our reference services, we were asked to describe our ideal reference service.  I suggested that we should offer, in one place, all the things students would want to hunker down and study: not only [...]

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