My Incredible Retort

I recently had battle with a local suburbanite, I thought it was a fine piece of literature. I'm willing to bet it will probably be published somewhere.

What they said -

I just heard about this site from a neighbor down the road in my sub-division. Wow, I have to say. I read some of your blogs and can't believe you guys actually live here!! I really think things are going well for Fort Wayne. For a lot of us, we love the fact that everything is so convenient here. I can go and get everything I need within only 5 minutes of my house. I think this is part of what attracts many to this great city! Ample parking where ever i go. I'm in and out so I can get home to my family. Its the main reason we moved here from Indianapolis. Traffic can be a problem around 4 PM here, but nothing like those big city's. And I think it helps the fact we don't have everything concentrated in one downtown area. When everything is in one area, it causes big traffic problems and way too many people in the same place. I think our current economy is going great. Do you guys watch the news at all? President Bush has said it is his main priority to keep jobs in America. I believe his word and think our industry and factories will stay here. I just couldnt be happier living here, my son and daughter are getting good educations and are learning good morals in a great midwestern city free of crime and poverty. I'm just curious, if you guys dont like what's going on here, why do you live here?

-Arlington Park Resident

What I cleverly responded -
A. Park resident

Alright, I'm back and ready to battle.

First to address your industry and factory jobs. check out - http://www.wane.com/Global/
story.asp?S=6307879

nuff said.

Secondly - I love Fort Wayne. I went away to college and decided to come back because I felt that Fort Wayne small enough where I could get involved and make some sort of an impact, but large enough I wouldn't be bored. I am a firm believer that Fort Wayne has great potential and opportunity is abundant. Fort Wayne has suffered from worrying about spending money, causing us to SETTLE. We settle for 'just enough' or things that are adequate. Because of this we suffer from an adequacy complex.

Fort Wayne is a great city, sure, but if we keep saying no to these great opportunities and refuse to take steps to reach our potential they will just stay those - unmet potential and lost opportunities.

Starting your career in Fort Wayne has been tricky, as a young professional I would like to change companies every 5 years or so (drive up the base pay). If the opportunities to advance in my career are not in Fort Wayne, much like others I know, I will be forced to leave.

Your last statement is pretty alarming though, and you are not the only one that has expressed this opinion of "If you don't like it, then leave." Has Fort Wayne always been so warm and welcoming? Its pretty much the sentiment Fort Wayne has towards change.