I’ve been a resident since June 1, and would have kept moving if I had investigated the downtown block between Third and Fourth avenues northeast. I have gone to the engineer’s office, talked to shop owners and residents, and most neither write about it (or your paper); voice anything (but they care about the supposed tensions between white people and Latinos); or just roll their eyes, which can be summed up as the contrived label of “Minnesota Nice.”

I’ve heard of the reasons for this block: arson, litigation, finding the owner, but all are mostly shrouded in secrecy. This doesn’t address image of Austin, and what people feel when they see this block in the middle of downtown. If you don’t have to look at it, then you don’t care!

This block, in my opinion, should have been leveled in one month. Whatever happened to emminent domain for the public good? What do citizens and tourists feel and why? They’re not just looking at vacant buildings, boarded up and graffitied, that exist anywhere! The firefighters did their job, but then it was time for the city to move in for the cleanup!

It’s time to assess blame: the mayor’s an ex-cop, who by nature is trained to react but elected to serve. He has not led or been active.

What has Hormel done? Without Hormel, Austin most assuredly would dry up, and cease to matter.

I-90 Austin: Next seven exits to fraud and nothing!

Tom Portel,

Austin