Notes from the city hearing: 

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Now, lest you think me shallow, let me just say that yes, I fully understand the value and necessity of public hearings.  And the subject of this particular hearing is important to me.  But.

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It does have all the ingredients for a good soap opera, though.  See, there are two kinds of people at the Center tonight:  those who support the rezoning and building of insanely expensive condominiums at the expense of the view from the downtown isthmus, and those who think it's a block of frozen crap painted gold.

Can you tell how I feel?  It's called "editorializing."

Anyway.  The two kinds of people have different stickers.  One is dark blue and advocates saving the downtown view.  The other is light blue and advocates revitalizing the downtown core.

By filling it with millionaires.

Okay, vast oversimplification.  But see, friend, that's just a taste of the kind of rhetoric I've been half-hearing all night. 

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So we've got our opposing forces.  Our Hatfields and McCoys.  Our Team Jennifer and our Team Angelina.  In addition to the varying shades of blue on their lapels--because Olympia, despite the fight surrounding inevitable gentrification, is still blue, damn it--there are other notable markers, a visual shorthand for the inexperienced viewer.

Dark Blue (or, Fuck You, Moneybags):  Clarks.  Polar fleece.  Hemp.  Skirt+pants.  Earth-toned.

Light Blue (or, Wealth Is Delicious, Like A Fig Plucked From The Asscheeks Of An Underage Thai Prostitute):  Suits.  Ties.  Spit-shined shoes.  The occasional pair of jeans, rumpled just so, to go with the calfskin faux-mocs.

See, even without the badges it'd still be an easy distinction.  Part of me is baffled by how obvious this sartorial divide is.  And then I start thinking about cultural anthropology.  And then, for some reason, I start thinking of Sarah Palin.  And how much I--

Back up.  Take a breath.

So, point being, it doesn't seem like anything will be swayed tonight.  The vibe I get is that the council has already decided and they're just keeping their mouths shut.  I'm not going to go so far as to say the fix is in, but I'll heavily imply it.  So, to add to the tragicomedy of it all, they've given the public a bullshit forum to openly rage against the dying of their own personal light.

Wow.  I'm cynical. 

Eh, fuck 'em.  I'm going to go back to looking random shit up on Wikipedia. 

Hooray!