My thoughts are that people should not be forced out of their own community through neglect or lack of equal opportunity or, in some cases, public work projects that can make or destroy whole neighbourhoods and business communities.

I have spent a lifetime watching alternate governments exert their power to disrupt generations-long neighbourhood dynamics and traffic flow. Old family businesses which are vulnerable to extended road closures were bound to fail. Whether this was done through design or stupidity Is beyond my ken. Such decisions are made behind closed doors through which few of us are ever invited, especially those who won’t meekly agree.

Gentrification and assimilation have long been used to cleanse communities of any uncooperatives such as artists and writers and objecters who dare step into that fuzzy space the power-brokers cannot fathom.

The thing is that artists and writers often bring value to those run-down buildings nobody else would consider inhabiting. The poor souls might even be happy there until the gentrifiers swoop in. If the developers do make a profit while “cleaning up the mess” who will object except maybe a few poor artists or writers.

I don’t blame any one government agent. They are merely pawns in some larger game sweeping away any artist who refuses to sit quietly in some government-approved corner whitewashing their words or their art.