Parking Lot “Postscripts”

As a postscript to the Bank of America park lot story at the corner of White Oak & Osage, it finally got an upgrade. No, it wasn’t cleaning up the weeds, trash, debris, or removing the rusty barbed wire fencing. The guard posts, that support the chains that are there to keep people from parking there, got a freshening up with a new coat of yellow paint. That’s right. The guard posts and chains are intended to prohibit any of their neighbors from parking there, unless, of course, it’s Santa-Cali-Gon. Who are their neighbors? That would include Independence Chamber of Commerce, Commerce Bank (their competitor), the Truman Heartland Community Foundation (who moved out a few weeks ago), and immediately to west located in the National Historic Landmark District, Hillcrest Ministries (family homeless shelter). Actually, families who need the services provided by Hillcrest because of, for example, “bank” foreclosures, don’t even have a place to park except for the street. If you haven’t figured it out, Independence if full of ironies, but this one takes the funnel cake. But, wow, those are some good-looking posts. Great job BofA! You might swing by there during Santa-Cali-Gon and admire all four of these wonderful bright yellow posts. And while you’re there, ask the good folks selling parking spots for $5.00 to clean up the mess when they are done so the parking lot will be ready when the chains go back up for the next 361 days. Yes, I would hope the clean up would include the mess that was there before they started. I know that is above and beyond the call of duty, but good folks always seem to forget that this area is a “Presidential Neighborhood.”

As postscript to this postscript and in breaking national news, just a few days ago, Warren Buffett has agree to invest $5 billion in BofA whose stock shares have been dropping over financial worries in the economy. A few recommendations to Mr. Buffett; you might suggest changes in the management structure at BofA. When all decisions are made in Charlotte, NC concerning the management of their assets world-wide, sometimes they miss the target when it comes to important local interests and concerns. I guess we should extend a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” to Warren Buffet & Co. who will actually end up owning a piece of this parking lot. Yes, that’s right, now Warren Buffet will be involved in Santa-Cali-Gon.