Letter: North Asheville’s gentrified bullies fail to do their part

Posted on by Letters
Graphic by Lori Deaton

There’s something about Jessica Wakeman’s article [“Not on My Sidewalk: Neighborhood Backlash Derails North Asheville Emergency Shelter,” Nov. 8, Xpress] that misses the obvious by definition, which is that exclusive neighborhoods exclude, though it’s no less definitional than the Asheville Downtown Association parade committee’s attempts to implement apolitical policy.

But what angers me about it is the Episcopal Appeasement, spelled out in bold that lets North Asheville make millions off intimidation, along with Biltmore Forest and Montreat, while “East and West” do their part, so I really don’t see why the city or county tolerate these gentrified, shirking bullies.

I’m not seeing much understanding of free markets, either, on the part of either the Rev. Milly Morrow or too many “green” volunteers and tenants, who just don’t seem to grok how picking up litter raises the rent, the way the true underclass gets it. I hope these shelters realize that by sheltering people in neighborhoods, they reduce market demand, thereby enabling those sheltered, and other workers, to find permanent housing right nearby, which is the objective.

— Alan Ditmore
Leicester

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com
View all posts by Letters →

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

5 thoughts on “Letter: North Asheville’s gentrified bullies fail to do their part”

    • indy499

      Yep, I ran his nonsense thru the google translator. It said: Try a rewrite

      1
  3. Janio

    Growing up in Kenilworth, I often thought that it was odd that city owned and subsidized housing in the Kenilworth neighborhood seemed to be exclusive to that area. These families were just part of the neighborhood. I’m sure there was and is a benefit of not living in a big housing project. Not including larger housing projects of the time in more central areas of the city, the duplex and single-family dwellings scattered around Kenilworth, that have been there for decades, never seemed to be duplicated in other areas of the city. North Asheville always seemed similar to Kenilworth to me, and there were certainly spaces in that area to put subsidized housing. How does North Asheville get away with NOT doing it’s part to assist others?

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.