15211.org

The 15211.org team has been talking a lot about taking risks. While we want to promote all that is good about Mt. Washington, we need to continue to shine a light on what can be better. It’s a fine line though. Talk too much about the things that are wrong and people accuse you of being negative so how far do we push?

I say we haven’t pushed hard enough.

I’m going to make a blanket statement and say “we all love living in Mt. Washington” for many, many reasons. And we’ll continue to laud people who advocate for and achieve positive change. We’ll also recognize that progress is incremental and improvements won’t happen overnight. However, tip-toeing around issues so as not to hurt people’s feelings or sugar-coating what is really going on in our neighborhood is not productive and we won’t engage in it. This is not to say we are not respectful of everyone’s opinions or that we think personal attacks are acceptable pratice. What we are saying is that trying to please everyone has left our community in limbo for far too long.

I would venture to say that there are a lot more of you visiting the site and sending us e-mails than go to a month’s worth of CDC and REDO meetings. But what do we do with that? I think we need to start defining objectives and setting goals. Here are some of our guiding principles. If you’re onboard, let us know.

• “We tried that 20 years ago and it didn’t work” is no longer a phrase or ideology that will deter us from trying something again and again and then again. The truth is that circumstances change and that the conditions that didn’t allow something to work decades ago probably don’t hold true today.
• We will help to ensure that elected officials making decisions on our behalf are qualified based on a) similar experience or b) knowledge of the non-profit or public sector. At this point, we have some highly-qualified people representing us, but not enough. Next election cycle (and this includes community organizations), ask people running what makes them qualified to serve.  
• No one group or individual will hold Mt. Washington hostage. This is self-explanatory.
• Get involved. And it doesn’t have to be in any official capacity. Pick up Doritos bags on your street. Keep an eye out for the kids in your neighborhood. Help an elderly neighbor. Be present in your community.
• Become a Mt. Washington advocate. Say you find a cool little bakery in another neighborhood and go there all of the time. Ask to speak to the owner. Maybe she’d consider opening another shop on Mt. Washington.
• Support responsible development. Before we jump down the throats of developers just for (gasp) daring to propose anything new in our neighborhood, let’s hear them out. And then let’s hold them to their word. Don’t let the oversight and neglect of some speculators taint all future development.