Daddy Starbucks
The holiday news slowdown has led Gawker to promise not to mock PR people who send press releases its way, but for some reason, despite our tone of relentless boosterism, we don’t get a lot of those. We can, however, link to a Saginaw News article from days ago. While meeting with the Saginaw Downtown Development Authority, the writer correctly identifies ways to make the city cooler: “unique restaurants to hit before the show (or the bar) and a few bright cafes with cool music, tasty sandwiches, big couches and coffee that costs three times what it’s worth.” All of which would put them ahead of A2. But the cool-planners’ first choice? “Daddy Starbucks.” Unfortunately, Saginaw’s demographics make it one of what must be about four places in the country that Starbucks would be reluctant to move into, which puts a major snag in the plan to “create a ’scene’ similar to Royal Oak or Ann Arbor.”
One but of news that was missed is that our official “cool” governor has cut additional millions of dollars out of the state’s higher education budget. I think that the ideal way for colleges and universities to deal with this cut is to abolish college sports. Since students usually cannoty get or afford tickets to college sports any more, they seem to function solely as entertainment for local communities, and, since local communities really don’t cxontribute anything to universities, it follows that they should be abolished.
posted by Lucky Jackson on December 27th, 2003 at 4:56 pm eUM’s sports program is supported by the revenue sports, like football.
posted by Anna on December 27th, 2003 at 8:47 pm eRegarding Lucky’s comment, “since local communities really don’t cxontribute anything to universities”, Many of us “locals” don’t get anything from the sports programs except the hassle… particularly on football Saturday’s. Us “locals” pay the tab for the sewer and water system, the streets, the garbage pick up, the police and fire and all the city services that the UM, it’s students alunni and football fans use for their amusement.
In fact the reverse is true in A2. The UM uses the city facilities and infrastructure and contributes little in return to the city. The city has little recourse in making the UM pay it’s fair share.
The housing situation in A2 is exacerbated by the unwillingness of the UM to act like a responsible guest and build more student housing
posted by mucho gusto on December 28th, 2003 at 8:48 am eI have always said that I would love to see an A2 after the “non-contributing” U of M moves out. Perhaps the historical house people could turn their talents to a “Roger and Me”-style documentary of the ensuing economic crash.
I’d also love to see the reaction of neighbors to any proposed dorm. Actually, we have seen that a little bit with the one on Broadway.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on December 28th, 2003 at 2:04 pm eAFAIK students have easy access to discounted tickets, so I don’t quite understand the assertion that students can neither afford nor get tickets to athletic events.
posted by gyc on December 28th, 2003 at 2:12 pm eLucky I can only hope that your post was sarcastic…
Students have access to discounted tickets at every local institution I know of, and they are often sold out in season packages.
As for the communities getting nothing back from the universities, I can’t in a single rant try to cover that. That’s like saying the university gets nothing from the community.
posted by Ryan on December 28th, 2003 at 2:58 pm eFace it. Ann Arbor and the UM are attached at the hip. As much as some of us may dream about it, they won’t go away. It’s fantasy for some people who imagine that A2 would dry up and blow away if the UM leaves town. Imagining the death of A2 if the UM splits is an exercise in unreality. So why don’t the two parties work together to fix some of the problems facing the city? Like building housing for it’s clients or providing some services (health, recreation, day care) for city residents?
It’s not that the UM doesn’t contribute… It does! The U brings in cultcha, clueless students, lots of restaurant jobs, some research and some tax $$ back into the community. But it also is the 800 lb gorilla. It’s arrogant, lazy, full of itself and takes a toll on the city and it’s resources.
Whose landfill contains the tons of refuse generated by students when leave?
Personally? I don’t think there’s a fair balance of trade.
posted by mucho gusto on December 28th, 2003 at 3:06 pm eI’d really like to see some sort of policy analysis studying the potential effects that a UM departure would have on Annarbour. I don’t know that it would be a total “Roger and Me” scenario, though. Flint was devastated because of the closing of the GM plants. In Annarbour, no one works anyway.
In truth, though, local yokels would die of boredom without UM to kick around. What would there be to complain about? No football Saturday traffic. No couches perched on porches. No parking problems. No long line at that breakfast place up by the hospital.
It’s a standard parasite-host relationship. Except both UM and Annarbour both think they’re the hosts.
posted by Boris on December 29th, 2003 at 9:40 am eSo typical of the new geek ethic… and one of the main reasons that Ann Arbor is overrated…
Let’s do a “policy” analysis of what would happen if…
And then to top if off with the flame bait, “In Annarbour” (What kind of bs is that misspelling??? Maybe John Allen or Elisha Rumsey(founders of A2), but no one I know) “no one works for a living” What a furball writes that kind of stuff?
As far as local yokels go, when the posters and owners of this board have lived here long enough to claim that Tree Town is overrated… well, I would think that few of you suburban 20 and 30 somethings have lived here long to enough to make that claim. Yeah, it is overrated but most of you have no clue why. How can someone claim it is overrated unless they were here when it was Ann Arbor did rate?
Ann Arbor had couches on porches long before students made it fashionable. Long ago, Ann Arbor had a real beatnik coffee shop named Marks. It was where NY Pizza is on William. Mark’s had real bohemians who wore black turtlenecks, read poetry and played chess. There was a community run theater named the Matrix Theater upstairs where the pinball joint is aboive NYPizza. I saw John Waters movie “Pink Flamingo’s” there. A neighbor of mine dated the Unabomber when he was a student at the UM. A2 had at least three head shops. There were free concerts at Gallup Park and a renowned Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival played it’s concerts in the vacant field next to Huron High School. 1510 and 1520 Hill Street were homes of pot smoking, rock n roll radicals, the home of John Sinclair and The MC5. Simple possession of pot was a 5$ fine. The Human Rights Party (a real 3rd political party) elected at least 3 people to city council. There were several large scale political demonstrations (riots) from 1968-1970.
I heard the growing trend among gen X, Y and Z is going home to live with Mommy when the going gets tough. So go the *#!* home and take your SUV with you!
That breakfast place by the hospital is named Angelo’s.
The bohemian past of A2 is indeed past but it is not a myth
posted by mucho more gusto on December 29th, 2003 at 1:02 pm eWhat’s with “furball”?? That old chestnut must date back to Annarbour’s bohemian days. You know, back when they wore turtlenecks and played chess and had couches on porches well before those reactionary students came in to town. Groovy, man.
And this: “How can someone claim it is overrated unless they were here when it was Ann Arbor did rate?” Besides being poorly phrased, your sentiment is outright idiocy, Mucho. That’s like saying that no one can criticize airline service today unless they were regular passengers forty years ago when the stewardesses were actually hot and you could still smoke on the plane.
Thanks, though, for the drug-addled stroll down memory lane.
posted by Boris on December 29th, 2003 at 3:00 pm eIt’s the drug addled thing that gets you, doesn’t it Boris?
Forgive my old arthritic fingers and urgency to post, k? You see folks, Mr Boris, needs to go to the Chicago Manual of Style for his criticism. It’s like picking on someone’s spelling, except it’s grammar. That sort of repartee´ went out with 56k modems.
Boris’ comments about A2 being overrated is like a virgin saying that sex is overrated. He hasn’t done it long enough to know.
Run along kid… move to Seattle. A place that’s really overrated.
posted by mucho more gusto on December 29th, 2003 at 5:40 pm eFurball is much more genteel than dickhead
posted by mucho gusto on December 29th, 2003 at 5:45 pm eMucho, I liked your comments under the other entry (about how AA is a conservative town that thinks it’s progressive); that was nicely said and right on the money. But everything you’ve written under this entry is just drivel. Especially your constant condescension and “pulling rank” based solely on how old you are. Is your baby boomer status supposed to impress? No one cares about how arthritic your fingers are or how many antique Will Rogers put-downs you can drag out of your cobwebbed memory. Time has passed you by, Mucho. Your generation had its chance to change the world and you f*cked it up. Get over it. The remaining 5-15 years you have left to live will be much happpier if you stop living in the past.
Just some friendly advice from a “kid.” Do with it what you will.
posted by Boris on December 29th, 2003 at 10:47 pm eLike most trash, I put it where it belongs… in the recycle basket
Man, you are one angry dude. If you’re lucky, you’ll grow up to be old and smart like me.
And maybe you’ll learn to recognize sarcasm and subtle humor when it’s shoved down your narrow little mind.
Life ain’t bean bag, sonny. (apologies to Will Rogers)
posted by earth to boris on December 30th, 2003 at 7:51 am eI can recognize “sarcasm and subtle humor,” Mucho. I see neither in your posts. And if I seem as if I’m “one angry dude,” it’s because I despise your cavalier “hey, man, let’s not place blame” attitude. There are big problems at the local and national level and I think it’s more productive to address them head-on and to lay blame at the feet of the guilty parties rather than wax nostalgic for some hipster doofus coffee bar where “real” bohemians played chess 30 years ago. (Goodness, no one plays chess anymore; how AA has changed….) That’s why I’m angry, “man.”
Anyway, my New Year’s resolution is to stop wasting time on the internet arguing with condescending, arthritic, burned-out baby boomers who live in the past and won’t admit that their generation is to blame for 99% of our present ills. I guess that means we’re done, Mucho.
posted by Boris on December 30th, 2003 at 10:14 am eWow. That’s cold Boris.
Happy New Year everyone! Honk, Honk!
posted by todd on December 30th, 2003 at 10:21 am eBoris got no perspective. Doesn’t realize that many of “our present ills” were here (or in process of getting here) long before the boomers arrived and will be here long after his kids blame him for screwing up the place. It’s all relative.
By his way of thinking, we can blame our parents for the fucked up world they left us. Nuclear war, Cold war, global paranoia, a governmental bureaucracy of outrageous proportions, unwed welfare mothers, etc.
Hey! That’s what Boris is blaming me and my generation for!
Boris, tell me why your generation and younger voters have the worst voting record???
You’re just spitttin’ angry and want to kick some ass. Never solved anything. Nope. Never did. Never will. Get over it Bo, life isn’t fair.
posted by mucho gusto on December 30th, 2003 at 11:54 am eAnd a happy New Year to you, too, Todd!
posted by Boris on December 30th, 2003 at 12:19 pm eI find this an interesting thread, but I am appalled by mucho’s conention that college students do not behave like “responsible guests.” Ann Arbor is a college town. Students belong there. It is the townies who moved here because they wanted to live in a college town who o not bahve like “responsbile guests.” Ann Arbor’s primary function is to house students who go to the university of Michigan. If the people who wanted to live in a college town do not approve of parties, sofas on porches, etc., they should leave. (And by the way, te snivelling about students getting discountd football tickets won’t fly. When U-M’s athletic deparmtnet runs a deficit, it is the students who make up for the deficit through their tuition.) (Since “mucho gusto” is upset by the fact that U-M has become a rich kid’s school, I am curious as to how active he has been in fighting agaisnt tuition increases and the like.)(By the way, people in Tuscolaaso, Alabama where black turtlenecks and play chess.)
posted by Lucky Jackson on January 4th, 2004 at 10:39 am e