Comments on: David Tandy: An Unsurprising Swift Flip-Flop

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:31:22 +0000

After all, its just Louisville for ya. Where productive work is shunned and instead we will all sit around and have our nails buffed and manicured and everyone will be happy. After all, doesn’t our fine mayor and his hacks call this Possibility City?

Everyone can sit on their duffs and do nothing while the infrastructure declines, the job base that pays taxes declines, and everyone can find a nice gentrified neighborhood to sit in front of and have their daily pot of coffee, tea, or lattes while reading the paper while contributing nothing of value.

I’m sure that Mayor Happy Pants wants it that way since after all this area has lost tens of thousands of jobs over the years and people are working more and making less. Kind of a nice way to sit around and be a slacker and maybe have that side job serving up lattes.

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:26:59 +0000

Here’s an idea. Let’s figure out a way to assist and retrain the people working at JBS Swift. Find them new jobs at comparable wages, similar benefits, etc. Then they can shut the plant down and move it somewhere else so the Butchertown residents can live in peace until they find something else to bitch about. After Swift goes out of town and those people leave the jobs, they can then bitch about something else. It will work and everyone will be happy, well at least Swift and the workers because then they can leave Louisville in the case of Swift and probably have less regulations and taxes somewhere else.

By: john

john — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:30:39 +0000

“I believe this is what we Real Americans like to call political cowardice or spine-lacking.”

If there is one thing David Tandy has been accused of, it certainly would not be that he has a spine.

By: Steve Magruder (I, not D or R)

Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:11:40 +0000

MetroHack says it all in his moniker. This person always takes the position against neighborhood interests.

Anyway, in terms of politics, Tandy is quickly earning the title Mr. Expedient. And he wants to be mayor? Where’s the principles?

By: John

John — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:08:57 +0000

Oh, I forgot. They should have to stop storing meat in the trailers – it’s illegal. Let’s hold them to the law. And if the fines are too small for the smell violations, then fix the law, put some teeth in it. I’m not suggesting Swift should get away with breaking the law, just that they should be punished according to the law, not use this as an excuse to shut them down.

By: John

John — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:06:04 +0000

Swift built an exclosure around an existing hog chute. Without a permit. they should be fined $1,000 per day from the start of construction to the day they received the permit. But had they applied for the permit they would have received it (much like they did when they finally applied). It was not expanding their capacity, so wasn’t barred under the conditional operating permit. And not in the least bit appropriate to pull their operating permit. Swift has operated with that permit since rezoning occurred.

I own property in Butchertown, three properties to be exact, two of which are within 1 block of Swift’s property, one three blocks up Story Ave from them. When they shut down (when, not if) my property will all experience immediate appreciation. Do I look forward to that? Yes. But at the same time, I came into this neighborhood knowing the situation, knowing the history, and knowing it’s an urban neighborhood. It sickens me to think I’m in anyway a part of the forcible gentrification that is happening with Swift and with Wayside. I view myself as one small part of an urban neighborhood, and I try to co-exist with my neighbors, even the ones I find to be a burden. If I didn’t want to deal with Wayside or Swift, I’d be in the Highlands or Crescent Hill. I lived in the “smell zone” of Swift for 5 years, and it didn’t bother me in the least. Any long-time resident of Butchertown will tell you that it quickly fades in the background, and you stop noticing it at all. My guests hated it, but I always just shrugged my shoulders and asked them how much they thought my house would have cost if I lived in the Highlands.

By: jake

jake — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:54:15 +0000

Restrictive zoning? That’s what zoning is for! Ha.

Really, people. Swift is illegally storing meat in idling 18-wheelers on a lot not zoned for it.

Swift built new buildings without obtaining permits.

Kinda big deals. Not instances of neighbors trying to run Swift outta town.

Facts are facts. Swift has repeatedly ignored laws and regulations. The Butchertown Neighborhood Association (not a select few people who are upset) isn’t fabricating this mess. It’s legit.

By: mikesr

mikesr — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:47:31 +0000

Tim, read the history of the area. As early as the 1820’s, German immigrants moving to Louisville built slaughterhouses behind their homes and created a “Butchertown” around the area where livestock was traded. The Bourbon Stock Yards began in 1834.
Economics of scale dictated the size of the slaughter houses over time. By 1845, Louisville had four major meat packing businesses known as “pork houses” in addition to the many family-owned and –operated slaughterhouses. For decades, Beargrass Creek ran red during the summer droughts.
Yes, a large meat packing industry has existed in Butchertown long before any of the current residents. They need to stop whining about the smell that was there long before they moved in to the neighborhood.
Is it OK for the neighbors to impose restrictive zoning so as to run JBS out of the neighborhood? I think not.
What business does not change over time in order to compete? Yes, JBS must be good neighbors, but JBS should be allowed to conduct business as efficiently as possible, even if it means expanding.
Or the residents of Butchertown can pride themselves on having sent 1300 more hard working men and women to the unemployment line.

By: chief

chief — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:44:01 +0000

Tandy is a just an offseter, he practices the art of acting like he doing something when he really plans to do nothing.That wishy washy non comittal pro politico can’t be trusted to get anything done!….he’ll never actually commit to a stand that puts him out there!

I agree that the Plants jobs are of critical importance, but to be correct and fair if the city & BOZA / Zonning Dept are going to let the violations slide , maybe thats the posture that they sould allow with Nina Mosley and the Downtown Hotel!….Why is JBS a favorite child ?….and the Homeless Hotel is getting leaned on so hard?
In this economy and recession ,I hardly believe the average home in Butchertown is $250k +???….However I’m sure there are some that have been redone that reach that level or more. But anyone who’s invested in the neighborhood has always known the JBS Plant was already there.
The cost of $400-$500 Million to move JBS ?…..Wow! ….that’s a lot!…maybe JBS should buy the Neighborhood?

By: Tim

Tim — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:38:20 +0000

Butchertown was given its name because that is where the small, local butchers conducted their trade back in the 1800s. It is not named after the huge meatpacking facilities that moved into the neighborhood much later. I am tired of hearing the “they were there first” crap. No they weren’t, the neighborhood was there first. Read your history.

And Jake is right. JBS Swift has been a public nuisance, flaunting air quality, water quality, and zoning laws for years upon years. They consistently go around the law; building, expanding, and growing without permits, knowing that the penalties they will be given will be just slaps on the wrist to such a giant corporation. The send stench into the air, rattle houses with trucks, destroy roads and curbs, and pay no attention to their impact on the land or on the community.

What you have here is not a jobs vs. neighborhood problem but a giant multinational corporation vs. neighborhood problem. Hopefully we will start to elect leaders who want to solve this problem rather than simply continue to sweep it under the rug.