Taking Back Kentucky, the Bohemian Index, and The Faint

I was riding my bike around the neighborhood on Sunday and spotted a car with an
“I Brake for Snakes” sticker on it. Under the pronouncement it said ‘Slade, Kentucky’.
The sticker is for The Kentucky Reptile Zoo which is located near the fabled Red River Gorge.I then remembered that the car belongs to former Lexington Herald-Leader writer, and currentStatesman writer, Bill Bishop. He and his wife moved to Austin around the same time Sarah and I did and reside in a lovely house near Stacy Park, in Travis Heights. I stopped by, unannounced, for a visit.

One thing I enjoy about people like Bishop is that they’re always uncovering examples
of the things that create a sense of “place.” I think they understand that it is the sum
of all the little things that create ‘place’ and a city or region’s culture.
He was telling me about something called the “Bohemian Index.” We’re always seeing reports
about cities that are emerging tech centers or being declared hot for one reason or another.
The index suggests that places like Austin, Boulder, Madison, Cambridge/Boston, etc.,
that are known for fostering an environment where musicians, artists, filmmakers, and the like, are welcomed, also have a strong high-tech economy.
This something I have been curious about for awhile. If you just start thinking about
America’s innovative, entrepreneurial-driven cities, it becomes clear that these are also the
cities that support the fine arts, creative expression, etc. It makes you wonder why more cities
that are attempting to turn their economic situation around don’t place a
stronger emphasis on the measurements of the so-called Bohemian Index.

Speaking of missed opportunities, a letter in today’s Herald-Leader reads,

As a native Lexingtonian who lives out of state,
it is with some degree of horror that I read the Aug. 13 online article
about Take Back Kentucky and opposition to smart growth. It is exactly this
kind of provincial, backward lack of thought that blemishes the state’s reputation
and keeps Kentucky lagging behind other states, such as Tennessee and Virginia.
The principle is simple: Growth is inevitable. Fayette County grew by 35,146 people
in the last 10 years. We can grow smart, or we can grow stupid. What does stupid
growth net us? Unlivable communities and a far greater expenditure of taxpayer
resources in the long term.

I remember thinking the same thing after reading about this militia-esque
group that seems to be inching toward semi-credibility by bending the ears of conservative,
rural pols and landing quotes in the state dailies. One thing that kills me about
groups like this is that they hear about one example of “smart growth,” that occurred somewhere
else, and have instantly made up their mind on the issue. The issues surrounding growth are
complex and require thorough consideration. For example, a city’s zoning ordinance may requre that a
new Wal-Mart have so many sq. footage of parking space. But as we all know, when driving by
these kinds of mega-shopping centers, the parking lots are rarely full. What if a developer
wanted to make the lot a tad smaller to save money or just because he thought it would
look nicer and hence attract more people. He would not have a choice because of the inflexible,
outdated zoning clause. Our zoning laws essentially make it illegal for any growth that
resembles the livable neighborhoods of yesteryear to be created. This is just one piece of
minutia that comes into the smart growth, or whatever the hell you want to call it, discussion.
Why worry about the extremist rantings of Take Back Kentucky? Because they and their
provincial ilk are distorting the issue and convincing more moderates that this just another
insidious example of government reach. Their irrational fears can have profound effects
on how Louisville, Lexington, and other cities evolve. Its time to truly take back Kentucky–from
the yahoos that insist the state remain an unhealthy, uneducated backwater.

Hailing from Omaha, Nebraska is The Faint, an honest-to-goodness New Wave band that is currently on
tour. I heard about them from a guy I met at the recent Pinback show at Emos. I was pretty suspicious. If they really are a New Wave
band then there has to be some kind of irony or hipper-than-thou statment being made that would
probably escape most of us. I checked out their new CD, BRYCC House on September 9th. The band will be at Emos in Austin on Sept. 28.

An Austin 4th Street institution is about to close: it is confirmed that Sunday is the last day
for Waterloo Brewing Company,
Texas’ oldest brewpub.

August 30th, 2001