[Vision2020] Cleric Campbell Confides

[Joseph Campbell]

Thanks for the feedback, Doug! I was careless in the way that I expressed my
point. Let me try again.

Rather than talk about Christ Church, it might be better to talk about the
Wilson Associated Ministries (WAM), since there is more than Christ Church
involved, e.g., Campus Christian Ministries (which owns the Nuart Building),
Atlas Academy, Anselm House, New Saint Andrews, etc. Exactly how all these
separate entities fit together--who owns what, for instance--is very
confusing indeed, as you, Doug, no doubt know yourself.

Perhaps you are correct that WAM has not purchased any new property. It
would have been better for me to say that WAM has tried and is still trying
to purchase several properties near the downtown area, e.g. the old Gart
Sports building as well as a separate property near Anselm House.

As for the violations of law, I was talking, in particular, about the zoning
law violations committed by Atlas Academy and New Saint Andrews. After all,
what would the need for conditional use permits be unless these entities
were in violation of the zoning laws. Moreover, it turns out that this is
New Saint Andrews's SECOND zoning violation since its inception, for it was
originally located in an R3 zoning district.

There is also a string of other rumors that have come my way: affiliations
between WAM and several downtown businesses, including a new ice cream
parlor; tax code violations; more abuses of zoning laws committed by the
weekly disputatio meetings; an attempt to purchase property for a church
near Washington Street; illegal boarding houses; deliberately misinforming
WAM supporters to get them to show up at a town meeting. I want to make it
clear that I have no first hand knowledge about any of this and I am not
making any accusations at all, not even indirectly. As far as I know, all of
it might be false. Everything in this last paragraph exists for me on the
level of UNSUBTANTIATED RUMOR.

Nonetheless, the whole picture does make we worry about the future of
Moscow. WAM already owns a lot of downtown property and appears to be
searching for more. WAM is currently in violation of zoning laws and their
response appears to be to work around the laws (change them or ignore them)
instead of abiding by them. My big worry is that given that WAM has come so
far working, in part, against the law, just think what might happen once the
laws are in their favor. I fear that the town I love will change into
something of which I, personally, want no part. Nor do I wish to move.

These are all serious concerns of mine. Clearly the WAM supporters don't
have these concerns but some of the rest of us do. You can respond to my
worries with more insults and obfuscation, Doug, but that is unlikely to get
me to put those worries aside. I would suggest trying another tactic.

> "Christ Church... continue(s) to buy property in downtown Moscow, an
> activity that is not even slowed by the fact that they have violated
> several laws by doing so."
> 
> What property did Christ Church recently purchase? What laws did they
> violate in so doing?
> 
> I?m grateful that he is not a real estate agent, it?s bad enough that he
> makes a living as a philosopher.
> 
> lemeno Doug!