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March 11, 2005
When Simple Disagreement Reaches Hysteria...
As we reported earlier, the city's Zoning Appeals Board sent the imaginary Coolidge Hotel, Chattanooga's favorite divisive hot potato, back to the North Shore Review Committee for consideration. And from all appearances, it looks like "this illegal and immoral project" will most likely NOT be built in its originally-planned location.
While people coming together to speak out against something they are opposed to is a great thing, too much of a great thing can be, well, not so great.
Fil Manley, who runs the anti-Coolidge Hotel website, ILoveCoolidgePark.com, seems to have taken a hard, crazed turn since we first met as guests on WGOW. That day, Fil was calm, polite, engaging and stated his points in a well-thought-out manner. He wanted to see the hotel get built -- even at the originally-planned location -- but had some concerns about the specific measurements of the hotel and how they related to the adjacent Walnut Street Bridge. Since then, he has gotten more and more vocal against the project, and has, it seems, lost a little bit of perspective.
Shortly before the zoning appeal, Manley posted a letter on Chattanoogan.com in which he states:
"The thousands of dollars we have spent on legal defense could have been spent on a much worthier cause. How many homeless people could we have fed for the money we've had to waste fighting this battle? How many school books could we have bought for poor children? How many battered mothers could we have sheltered for this money?"
The rationale behind the above passage is exactly why I have been in SUPPORT of the hotel from day one. At first, it was a playful support. But now, I am vehemently in support of it.
Fil has placed the organziation's crusade against the hotel ABOVE the real, pressing and more important (as he admits) needs of the other causes he mentioned. They didn't HAVE to spend the money and time to protest the hotel. They CHOSE to.
It's especially sad to read these comments when the mayor and the developer have already been talking about a resolution. The developer already recognizes the animosity towards his project, and will most likely not build it there due to business reasons. Not philosophical or aesthetic ones like the protestors are arguing. PUBLIC and PRIVATE people are talking TO each other to RESOLVE the matter, not talking ABOUT each other in order to GET WHAT THEY WANT, which is why it is obvious why Ron Littlefield is on the side of the protesters and why Manley, later in the same letter, asks for people to vote for him. Littlefield's long-established style of talking ABOUT other people to get what he wants is convenient to their cause.
Manley says that "a vote for Ann Coulter is a vote for the River City company and the greedy few who pull the puppet strings from behind the scenes."
If Manley thinks that there aren't people pulling Littlefield's strings -- Manley is one, himself -- and that Littlefield isn't also greedy, he's talking crazier than I thought.
RiverCity's greed is equated with money. Littlefield's greed is obviously set in his desire for power.
If Littlefield is going to have this kind of animosity about a project that is being resolved through calm, non-political means, how is he EVER going to work with the so-called "corrupt puppet masters" once in office? Why will they ever stop to consider his opinion on anything?
People get sick of bullies before they get sick of rich folks, and I am just about sick of all of it.
May the glorious former floorcoverings building rot in non-view-obstructing glory forever.
| By colrus | 11:35 AM
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