Last Tuesday, Athens voters handily struck down the proposed moratorium on new building in the city limits. They were wise to do so because the ban was far too broad. By banning most development on undeveloped land for the next 18 months, the proposed moratorium was too overreaching in its scope. But it should serve as a wake-up call to City Council that more than 2,000 Athens residents are upset about the way the city is developing. If those in charge of planning Athens' growth do not take heed of this faction and think about where the city is headed, the low amount of support for something as drastic as the moratorium will increase if proposed again.
As it stands, two areas of Athens are in competition for business: Court and East State streets. Court Street is geographically hindered from future growth because it is bounded on all sides by other development. But, it is within walking distance for most Ohio University students -a very lucrative market for any retailer in Athens. This pedestrian-friendly venue and the streets around it are home to shops catering to students: fast food, clothes, music and books. That will never change -the student market will never leave its customers.
East State Street, though, caters to both students and Athens residents not affiliated with the university. With big-name stores like Wal-Mart, Lowe's and Staples selling hardware, groceries and office supplies, many stores on the strip cater to a more established clientele -one with a garage and a kitchen in need of stocking. Unfortunately, if anyone wants to get out to these stores, a car is necessary, for a walk down East State Street is three things: loud, dirty and unpleasant.
And therein lies the problem: With more and more unfettered development on East State Street, that strip will eventually become the economic center of Athens. Only time will tell if that is good or bad for the city's economy. But if Athens continues to spread east down the Hocking River, the developers will realize a new market for student housing and build more high-rise apartment complexes à la Carriage Hill and University Commons farther and farther from main campus.
If this is allowed to happen, not only will East State Street be filled with student housing and commercial sprawl, but OU risks becoming more of a commuter campus, which would be a tragic blow to this beautiful college town and potentially the Court Street businesses that thrive there.
Backdoor drafting
With as much lip service as Republicans gave Democratic calls of a backdoor draft
it seems such a thing is not a fantasy. In yet another desperate grab for troops, the U.S. Army has called up a veteran of the first Persian Gulf War 13 years after his discharge from active duty and eight years after he was discharged from the reserves.
In response, David Miyasato, a 34-year-old petroleum supply specialist and truck driver, is suing the military, saying he has already fulfilled his eight-year obligation to serve, The Associated Press reported.
The veteran is right to sue. He has already served his country honorably and justly. For his own government to ask him to jump back into armed conflict now that he is married, owns his own business and has a 7-month-old daughter is, at the very least, underhanded.
But this case is not isolated and points to a much larger -and more frightening -problem. The U.S. military does not have the troops it needs to sustain itself. More and more reservists and those on Individual Ready Reserve are being called up or asked to stay on duty much longer than they had first been told.
The quagmire in Iraq is getting worse. More than 1,000 U.S. troops have died in the conflict, and with offensive operations in Fallujah underway, the end is nowhere in sight. With President George W. Bush potentially eyeing other countries, such as Syria, North Korea and Iran, other armed conflicts might not be far off.
Miyasato's lawsuit is just the tip of the iceberg. The military is stretched to its limits, and stories like his are not likely to go away. The government can no longer publicly pretend that it can get the job done in Iraq and abroad with its current level of troops. The solutions to this now-apparent problem, though, are not so obvious. The draft is politically untenable and is not seen by the military itself as a viable solution, and troop levels cannot just magically rise. However, one thing is certain -it is disingenuous and wrong for the army to call on people like Miyasato to finish the job. 17
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