When the community venues project was originally announced, the platitudes and high fives were everywhere. Talk was that there would be a 30% minority participation, with job training for everyone interested, and we’d all be happy forever after.
Not everyone was jubilant however. Harris Rosen of Rosen Hotels, County Commissioner Tiffany Moore-Russell, among others were never convinced that the venues project as touted by Buddy Dyer and Rich Crotty would heal all wounds, raise all ships and bring hope and prosperity to the hood.
Back then Rev. Bracy reluctantly went along while family members were offered jobs by the city. Daisy Lynum promised transparency and several barbeques in the ghetto were organinized to parade the promise of the community venues, and the great fortune being bestowed upon the Parramore neighborhood and Orlando’s west side.
Fast forward to 2009 and you wouldn’t recognize the difference in tone, depth and substance. The Community Venues project as we have known it is dead. Buried. Finished.
A funny thing happened to prosperity and training for the poor. While local black politicians were having their ass cheeks kissed, someone forgot to tell the ghetto that this was all a drill, a practice session in lies and central Florida’s rise to fame and fortune.
But, now that another promise of jobs and prosperity have proven to be yet another myth, Orlando blacks will simply sit back and watch new comers get the jobs in their neighborhood. While the nighborhood gets summarily dismantled to accomodate Buddy Dyers dreams of gentrification.
Word has it that local NAACP President, Rev. Bracy plans to hold a press conference lamenting the broken promise and the fact that Hispanics are taking jobs that were promised to Orlando’s urban poor.
Shut up Rev Bracy! Where were you when the side deals were being made, and the promises of training programs were broken? Where were you when Keith Longmore of the West Orlando News demanded transparency? Where were you when plans for the Citrus Bowl were being scrapped? Where were you when the Permorning Arts Center promise was being broken?
