STATE OF THE COUNTY – WAYNEDALE: This past weekend was Democratic City Councilman Glynn Hine’s annual State of the 6th District. I opted not to attend this event this year as I had attended for the past few years and its always the same thing---here are the problems we’ve been working on, here are the solutions to those problems, here is the status of those solutions, and here are the departments working on said problems. Instead, I opted to heed the calls of Democrats out in the 4th District of the County Council (Republican Larry Brown’s territory) and the 4th District of the City Council (Republican Mitch Harper’s territory). I wasn’t expecting such mixed reviews coming from one area. Essentially those in the Aboite Township area are pretty happy about things. The city, under the Henry administration, has done a yeoman’s job of increasing services out there. The Jefferson Pointe area is thriving, most likely because of the close proximaty of two discount retail giants, Walmart and Target, coupled with higher-than-average county incomes and a substantial number of residential properties at property tax caps. However, outside of Aboite Township, I was smacked with the reality that came right out of the book, “A Tale of Two Cities” or the more recent “Hunger Games” trilogy. At first, Waynedale seemed like it had everything going on—The Stand was open. A sure fire example of Spring and I stopped in for some St. Patrick’s inspired “green yogurt.” But upon closer inspection was the reality that lots of businesses on the main drag through Waynedale were gone, lots of empty storefronts between The Stand all the way down to Wilds Commerce Center. In a small town like Waynedale, sadly that has become the all-too-accepted new norm. I met a gal named Samantha for lunch at the Azar’s Big Boy to discuss the upcoming “Taste of Waynedale”, an annual event hosted by Kingston Residential Health Care Community to raise funds for good causes. This year’s causes include Community Harvest Food Bank and the Fort Wayne Trails-Waynedale Initiative. While enjoying Turkey Manhattan over fresh, homemade mashed potatoes (yum!), the topic of conversation turned towards the local economy. It was impossible for the conversation to not go there as we were seated by a window overlooking a steady flow of pedestrian traffic, including many folks carrying their groceries from Kroger. I would have chalked the experience up to a nice day, but a few months ago, at a Democratic Luncheon Club meeting, another Democrat had asked me to look into what was happening in Waynedale and that person had cited an increase in people needing to walk to and from the grocery store to save gas. Upon a closer review of these folks, it was easy to tell those walking to get exercise or enjoy the weather as a way of combatting cabin fever and those who were walking as a necessity. During our luncheon, we witnessed an elderly couple walking to the store and then coming back from the store. The elderly woman stumbled, was caught by her husband, and some of their groceries went tumbling into the street. Fortunately, Waynedale is full of good people and many people in vehicles stopped to come to their aid, with one person taking them home. Samantha had suggested a drive through Waynedale so that she could point out how there was an increase in pedestrian traffic, an increase in minorities who had relocated to the areas (particularly those of Hispanic heritage), an increase in the number of people trying to find work by operating small businesses out of their home, and the huge increase in rental properties. I was stunned….absolutely STUNNED….by the amount of temporary housing located in Waynedale, ranging from mobile home communities to several big, sprawling apartment complexes. Some neighborhoods seemed unaffected, such as the Avalon Neighborhood (which has the coolest treehouse in all of Allen County—one complete with a slide!!). Samantha showed me the area surrounding one of Waynedale’s largest employers: Fort Wayne Metals (interestingly owned by Scott Glaze). The traditional residential properties surrounding FWM was in poor condition, just like most of the neighborhoods outside of Avalon. However, in contrast, the mobile home community of McArthur Estate and Bridgedale Apartments and Bridgedale Terrace apartment complexes were well-maintained. Samantha introduced me to residents left and right and the one thing that I kept hearing over and over and over again was how these folks were being squeezed by taxes. Those who still owned their own homes were being eaten alive by property taxes with no sign of relief in sight because their homes were nowhere near the 1% property tax cap levels. Those who didn’t own their homes were forced into rental living (i.e. mobile home communities, apartment communities, or motels)—many because they couldn’t afford gas to get to work and elsewhere plus food, medicines, and other cost of living expenses and their housing plus property tax. Worse, many of these folks were paying the same amount in monthly rent that they were for monthly mortgage payments minus insurance expenses and without home ownership….and all in fear that soon, if things continued going the way they were going, that they would have to move in with other families or move out of the area. Tears and fears just overflowed. Many of these folks feel like they are second-class citizens, subjugated to the welfare of Fort Wayne to their own detriment and survival. One expressed a near unbridled anger as he showed me how the local town paper was being used as propaganda for both the local Democratic Party (i.e. Mayor Henry’s column and Township Trustee Rick Stevenson’s column) and the local Republican Party (i.e. State Senate Pro Temp David Long’s column)….and “how dare the Democrat Party ‘buy off’ Waynedale News with a Commercial Façade Grant. How would Waynedale News benefit from a new storefront?? It’s a newspaper!! Who cares what their building looks like….” This guy was right. Waynedale News does look like a propaganda piece. The front of their building didn’t stand out, but neither did any of its neighbors. While the building didn’t stand out, their obnoxiously-sized sign sure did. I couldn’t justify the grant to this guy….and I didn’t try. It would have only added insult to their existing injury. :-( (shaking head)
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 05:35:52 +0000
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