Eavesdropping

Have you ever had an experience where you are listening in to someone else’s conversation and then you realize they are talking about you? 

Awkward.

I had a comparable experience on Twitter this morning while following a thread about the Perkins Transformation Plan in Baltimore. It started out like any other live tweeting of a civic event.

At the Perkins Transformation Plan meeting to hear more about Perkins/Old Town/Summerset plans

.@MayorPugh50 says that Baltimore is going to make sure the residents can stay. She points out that you can go to school at the new City Springs, and then go to community college for free, and then Morgan for free. Keep people in the city.

And then, a comment.

She thinks if we make Baltimore look like Columbia, people will want to stay here. Emblematic of her lack of vision.

And another.

I lived in Columbia for a brief time. I left to move to the City.

Sigh.

I am not always a big fan of Pugh, but this seems like a pretty big win for Baltimore. I hope residents don't get displaced, but this is not going to get us anywhere close to the suburban hellscape that is Columbia.

Wait a minute, now. Them’s fightin’ words!

Although Columbia now has better bike infrastructure than Baltimore, so...

Columbia really isn't that bad.

Looking better every day. Like I said, they’re building bike infrastructure, we’re tearing it out.

Well. That’ll teach me not to eavesdrop. Maybe.

So, from what I can tell, some people think that Mayor Pugh is using a TIF to make Baltimore more like Columbia, which is possibly rather ironic because we know some folks think that Howard Hughes is using a TIF to make Columbia more like Baltimore.

My head hurts.

Fear not, friends, the good news from all this is that the bike people will save us.