The question and answer session soon became a corporation bashing bonanza. Maybe soon is the wrong word. Does anyone realize that this is straight out of atheistic Marxist ideology? That we were all sharing resources until one group decided to hoard the resources for themselves; the origin of evil in the world. A theistic view teaches that we are all subject to the same proclivities that are inherent. Proclivities not dependent on how much money (material) one possesses as communism professes.
One question came to mind for the distinguished speaker that I kept to myself; "Have you found it easier working with government or corporations?"
Friday February 20th, at the school's Friday Afternoon Live (FAL) lecture series the 'Congress for a New Urbanism' had a forum on what the Obama stimulus package means for Wisconsin. In general it was to support the principles of Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND). There was a common agreement on the panel that the dollars should be going more to urban infrastructure rather than freeways. A position hard to deny with our overbuilt out lands and the condition of the roads in our urban areas.
Mark Ernst of Engberg Anderson Design Partnership was one of the panel members and made an interesting comment.
He said, 'the number of dollars determines whether good or bad decisions are made.'
So much for the quality of one's character. But he went on to qualify that by lamenting that people with educations in architecture and planning are not more involved in government; in seeking elected office and shaping our communities in a more responsible fashion.
I asked the FAL panel how they could support rail solutions, a topic that took a good portion of the discussion, without the potential for any real growth in Wisconsin; with companies leaving Wisconsin. To have a truly vibrant community we need not only jobs to increase, but corporations to decide to make their headquarters here. Much of the arts and other amenities a city has to offer can only be supported with corporate sponsorship. Amenities that draw people into the city.
The answer was, developing unspecified water based and green industries will bring growth and a supposed justification for rail. Most likely heavily subsidized corporations and rail. And how profitable will those companies be? How many jobs will that create? What kind of profits, corporate dollars, will go back into the community and what percentage of those actually originated in government subsidies? (is there any real tax revenue generated?) In our current tax and anti-business climate, even if such jobs materialize they will not bring vibrant corporations to Wisconsin that can support the amenities that define a major urban center. Corporations and jobs have been leaving Wisconsin far before this economic down turn.
The blunt reality is that centralization of capital is required for man to advance. Corporations have been the centers for free market development in the past and abuses are far to easy to find. But man has been abusing his fellow man irrelevant to ones social or economic condition. As we see the consciousness of man advance we find the inverse to also be true. Corporations are becoming more and more responsive to their employees, the environment and the world condition. There are many examples of corporate philanthropy. Architecture is no exception. Below is a picture of a Carnegie Library in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, now a bed and breakfast.
On the other hand the centralization of capital in government is the greatest threat to freedom and prosperity that exists in the world today. No organization wastes money more efficiently and is subject to scams and abuse than the government. And government produces nothing. Even more dangerous is the misdirection of resources. Resources that could be directed to real need rather than manufactured need that breeds dependency. A dependency some may call buying votes whether you are on the dole, working in a government run health care system or building structures ever increasingly funded by the public dollar.Under my last employer I learned some very basic economic realities. If a church comes to you wanting to do an addition or new building ask them if they have a segregated building fund. If they don't... don't waste your time, the project isn't going to happen. As far as Day Cares, it is not an uncommon occurrence that the investors will realize, far before they inform you, that they cannot afford to go ahead and they don't understand why they have to pay for something they are not doing. If you already brought in consultants, such as an engineer, it is a cash flow catastrophe.
But are Planners and Architects aware of the public capacity to fund the projects they promote, such as rail based on archaic technologies? Tax dollars are not a bottomless pit of money. As organized as the AIA is, do they hold any views on the economic sustainability from the public perspective of the projects its members are working on? The reality is Architects and Planners have much more influence on how our money is spent than they want to admit. (I was working in one of the more prominent firms in the city before a major Presidential election some years past. Next to a junior partner who spent the greater part of his day organizing vehicles and drivers to bring people to the polls.) Do they understand their own bottom line but are incapable of understanding economic sustainability on a larger level? Can any responsible organization look at Southeastern Wisconsin with it's density, tax burden and business climate claim with competence that rail is economically sustainable? They claim, Architects and politicians alike, that it is an amenity that will draw people and businesses to Milwaukee. I guess that is over other cities such as, San Francisco, Seattle or Phoenix. I believe 'Penny wise but pound foolish' is the proper expression for the profession. And just foolish as far as government goes...
No,... just foolish overall.
I am not against dedicated mass transit under the right conditions, but the conditions do not exist and new technologies are not being implemented to the extent they should be.
Charities, NGO's, other organizations such as Architects for Humanity, Center for Resilient Cities and even corporations, that must produce to remain viable, are far more accountable and do far greater economic good for the world as a whole than any government that can simply raise taxes that must be paid under threat of imprisonment. Government that has increasing power to outlaw or ostracize those in contention with their policies as the masses become more and more dependent on the mind numbing dole effect. Dependent on monies bound to dry up along with the charities and fore mentioned engines of human advancement.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely and no corporation comes close to the power of the government.
