According to the Border’s Union, Borders management had a gift for them for Christmas: they walked out of negotiations:

“Negotiations between Borders Downtown and the Borders Workers Union abruptly terminated at 5:00 pm today wben Company representatives walked out. Union negotiators complained that Borders refused to make proposals on major wage items. According to the Union, Borders attorney arrived late, promised to stay as long as it took and then announced that the Company was leaving when it was time to talk money.

It was “classic bad faith bargaining” said Tom Rekuc, Local 876 Organizer. “Borders stalled all day promising to discuss wages later. Then Borders attorney cut off talks so he could leave in his chauffeured limousine.” … “

Here’s some “holiday wishes” from fellow Arborblogger Brandon Z:

” … May we all find as much peace in the new year as possible, may we fight sprawl and increase density, and may the Borders strikers stay warm, WCBN stay on the air, and all the artists find affordable space. Peace on the Huron and good will toward the NIMBYs on whom our future rests.”

Well, I may not be willing to cede that last part, quite yet, and I don’t think Brandon is either. Here’s from one of his earlier posts:

“… I’m not saying every pathetic apartment complex that comes along should be approved for density’s sake, but if a project is well-designed along the lines of good urbanism it needs to be supported via letters to the editor, letters to officials, and at government meetings, rather than let developers fight alone in an uphill battle against what are often well-organized neighborhood associations. Stay on guard– the voters essentially told the city to curb sprawl, and encouraging density in the city will be a far more powerful tool than the purchase of some scattered development rights here and there outside our borders. As long as we make it difficult for developers to build within Ann Arbor, they will head out to Scio Township and put the same number of housing units on ten times as much land.”

I frequently find myself trying to explain to friends and acquaintances, “What is a blog?” This article, a short history of the blog phenomenon, seems of general interest:

“… By highlighting articles that may easily be passed over by the typical web user too busy to do more than scan corporate news sites, by searching out articles from lesser-known sources, and by providing additional facts, alternative views, and thoughtful commentary, weblog editors participate in the dissemination and interpretation of the news that is fed to us every day. Their sarcasm and fearless commentary reminds us to question the vested interests of our sources of information and the expertise of individual reporters as they file news stories about subjects they may not fully understand. …

We are being pummeled by a deluge of data and unless we create time and spaces in which to reflect, we will be left with only our reactions. I strongly believe in the power of weblogs to transform both writers and readers from “audience” to “public” and from “consumer” to “creator.” Weblogs are no panacea for the crippling effects of a media-saturated culture, but I believe they are one antidote.”

> From Rebecca Blood’s “Weblogs: a history and perspective”

Despite pickets by the workers, and a worker’s website, the first you hear about the problems at the Del Rio in the Ann Arbor news is a story about how that bar is closing, heavy on quotes from management. (The subtext: I bet they’re closing because of all that “freewheeling”!)

“The Del Rio Bar, known for its freewheeling roots in the 1970s, will close New Year’s Eve, an apparent victim of financial problems, labor strife and changing times.

Located at the corner of South Ashley and West Washington streets, the bar had been run as an informal cooperative - decisions made largely by vote or consensus - since its founding in 1970. …

> From “Owners: Financial tailspin forces The Del Rio to close” (Why not: “Workers: bad management forces to the Del Rio to close”?)

Also, popular Ann Arbor Police Chief Dan Oates recently turned down an offer to seek the position of Commissioner of Police in Boston.

And a U-M student was the victim of a bag-grabbing near campus. I bet it was because fewer people were around due to the holiday break, since more people on the street mean more safety, and this sort of crime rarely occurs when classes are in session.

“U-M student reports robbery from Friday

The victim did not report the incident to police until Monday afternoon. He was not seriously injured. “

Yet another postmodern slugfest: rich real estate developers battling bourgeois historical preservationists, using disingenuous arguments about the need to improve density (when they mean the need to fatten their bottom line) over the destruction of an abandoned church building. Last time I checked there was a vacant lot across from City Hall, an abandoned bank at the corner of Thompson and William, and a vacant lot next to Seva. Here’s my message to the city’s real estate developers, whom all seem to be 40 to 50-year-old white guys who live in the suburbs: Go forth and densify!

The downtown circulator service is headed towards its inevitable death, as the Ann Arbor News engages in a bit of sensationalism about the latest ridership figures. I wonder how AATA director Greg Cook will spin its death, which will happen within two years: maybe it’ll be a lack of “density” downtown? Or maybe he’ll admit he doesn’t know the first thing about the transportation needs of downtown residents, who could care less about a ride someplace 3 blocks away, but might be interested in dedicated shuttles to Briarwood, supermarkets, and most of all, the Airport.

Well, apparently Walter Cronkite is with me on this one: Saddam Hussein should face charges before the International Criminal Court at the Hague.

” … This year, the United Nations established the International Criminal Court at The Hague - a permanent Nuremberg Tribunal. This country, however, withheld its endorsement of the court unless Americans serving as peacekeepers are immune from the law and the court’s jurisdiction.

Taking Hussein to the International Criminal Court not only would signal a change in the tone of American foreign policy, it might begin to heal the wounds in our relationship with the U.N. Security Council and with its members. It might even persuade such powers as France and Germany to join in the effort to reconstruct Iraq, to help it become a free, independent and democratic nation. It might also begin to restore our badly damaged reputation within the community of nations.”

> From Walkter Cronkite’s column, “The trial of Saddam Hussein”

Let’s Talk Transit

Like many out-of-state students, this holiday break I flew home via Detroit’s Metro Airport. I got to the airport using MSA’s airBus service. According to the Airbus website, they will operate 29 trips to the airport and 24 trips from the airport back to Ann Arbor during this Winter Break. Assuming every trip is 80% full (not unreasonable, since many trips to the airport totally sold out) and each bus holds 50 people (an estimate, tour busses are about that) then the service will provide 2,120 “rides” either to or from the airport. Most likely the figure will be higher: during Thanksgiving break, some of the return trips were totally full as well. The success of the service is no doubt due to the hard work of its organizer, U-M undergrad Neil Greenberg, but also because the service provides a much-needed, inexpensive service. With comfortable tour busses, no boot.

I find it odd that such a successful and obviously needed service is operated by undergrads through the student government. They do a fine job, but both the University’s transportation service and the Ann Arbor Transit Authority must be slightly embarrassed: here is a transit “amateur” who has developed a service to do exactly what they purport to do - provide needed transportation services. Here’s what I had to say about it way back on October 24:
“It’s an embarrassment to the University that this financially sustainable and much-needed service must be organized by undergrads through the auspices of student government: the administration should, like many other colleges and Universities, run a shuttle to and from the airport on a regular schedule, with extra trips when demand requires.”

I’m not aware of any reason why the University hasn’t operated a similar service either now or in the past, and I hope the example set by airBus convinces them to begin regular shuttles to the airport. I know that the AATA has refused to operate such a service because the administration of the Detroit airport has insisted they pay fees to operate regularly scheduled service to the airport - something almost never done for other bus systems at airports across the nation. Back in September, fellow blogger Richard Murphy posted a letter to the editor from the Ann Arbor News suggesting the AATA operate an express shuttle to Detroit’s Metro Airport. He opined the AATA should begin operating such a service, and then contest the fees later. I agree: I don’t particularlly care how unreasonable Ed Macnamara’s cronies are being, transit comes first. The AATA is a non-for-profit service, and while charging a fee might be unfair, refusing to provide a much-needed transportation service because of a petty disagreement seems more unfair.

Also, you may wonder why the Daily hasn’t asked Transportation Services why they don’t offer airport transit year-round. It may just be they’re too busy looking for “problems” with the service at actually think about the underlying issue: the only way to get to or from the airport without a car (or friend with a car) shouldn’t be a $50 cab.

A Zingerman’s employee was held up for an undisclosed amount of cash at 10:30 PM Friday night. I wonder why the description of the suspect doesn’t include race?

And a few holiday season break-ins (from the same link):

“900 block of Greenwood Street, Friday. Computer taken. Entry through unlocked door.

2700 block of Jackson Road, Saturday. Cash taken. Window smashed. “