Taking Back Memorial Day Weekend in South Beach

[justing]

This thread is for people to post ideas about how to take back Memorial Day Weekend in South Beach. Hopefully some city officials and business leaders will read.

From another thread...

What the city and businesses can do is create a yearly Event to counter this. Then team up with hotels to offer special rates for those attending the counter event. Basically get other people booked in the hotels first and make an environment that would tone down Urban Week. Then they'd find a more "fun" place for Memorial Day.

Since it is Memorial Weekend how about a fund raising event for disabled veterans and their families. Bring in a bunch of top musicians for concerts. Just an idea.

Good idea justing, this actually works too. Have the city set up a competing event, or make UBW an official Miami Beach event. The city takes control, sets regulations, maybe even invites lame djs to diffuse the whole thing. Puts up portapotties (please) and controls crowds, inflow, outflow into the area. Eventually people will say "it's just not like in the old days" and they'll stop coming, or at least less will come.

[nefrocatracho]

Great idea for a thread, here's a post from another thread...

Agreed MBB. In a minor defense of this weekend, there are WAY more people here than any weekend in March for spring break, or Ultra/WMC. I say that living up in Sunny Isles. You would never know WMC or Ultra were going on up here except for a few more young people hanging around outside the Newport. By contrast, yesterday there were tons of people out along Collins, and traffic along 167th st and along Collins was horrendous. So I think that is part of the explanation for more craziness. But the other part is that there are a lot of people who come for this weekend who just want to make trouble. MB has to take over this event and I think the shootings this morning may make them realize this.

[Miami Beach Bum]

I see we aren't the only ones talking about this:


http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gayso...ith-video.html

[justing]

Nice find Beach Bum. We should keep track of this to bring everyone together after the fact.

[QUOTE=justing;96471]controls crowds, inflow, outflow into the area. /QUOTE]
Police do this around the country for political events and protest. While I don't agree with them they do justify it as "public safety." (aka, keep it out of mainstream media) Why not do the same for this event?

[Doug]

I agree that things have gotten completely out of hand, but how can you stop people from coming? Even if you could enforce a curfew every Memorial Day weekend, the same crowd would just pick another weekend to do this. The city doesn't sponsor the event or put money into bringing these people here, do they?

[Blackford Oakes]

If Urban Week is viewed as a major headache, city planners have the same right to combat it as those that arrive enmass have the right in being there.


Whoever thought living in Paradise didn't come at a cost ?

[Miami Beach Bum]

If Urban Week is viewed as a major headache, city planners have the same right to combat it as those that arrive enmass have the right in being there.


Whoever thought living in Paradise didn't come at a cost ?

I agree. The city of Miami Beach needs to stop this nonsense sooner rather than later. The protection and security of its residents should be the utmost concern. LIFE shouldn't be the cost.

[Doug]

I agree. The city of Miami Beach needs to stop this nonsense sooner rather than later. The protection and security of its residents should be the utmost concern. LIFE shouldn't be the cost.

How can they stop it, though? That is the question. Even if they blockade the whole island, the same people will just come on another day.

[justing]

I'm not talking about stopping people from coming. Making the experience less pleasurable and more of a hassle. The police would have to do research to see how they control/restrict crowds in civil protest and large political events. Many cities in the U.S. and Canada could help them with this.

If it wasn't on Memorial Day Weekend I doubt it would be as large without the Federal Holiday. Bring down the size of the event and it will be much easier for the police to control.

[fredgarvin]

I see we aren't the only ones talking about this:


http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gayso...ith-video.html

I don't know what's wrong or whats right but I do know that shootings and violence and trampling of photographers is NOT ACCEPTABLE.

I think everyone should read Mr. Sosa's well though out letter linked above.

I'm not saying I agree or disagree with everything he says but one must respect the passion in which he eloquently states it.

His letter should be a rallying point for further discussions aimed at keeping Miami Beach the paradise on earth we all cherish!

[Blackford Oakes]

If it was LAPD, there'd be shot three dead " nigga' thugs " instead of the other way around,

The city doesn't have a grasp.

[nefrocatracho]

If it was LAPD, there'd be shot three dead " nigga' thugs " instead of the other way around,

The city doesn't have a grasp.

Exactly right UTS. And apparently one shooting victim was actually hit by a cop firing on that black Mercedes. MBPD seem to be completely incompetent

I also don't want to see UBW end, I just want it more controlled and safer. Doug, I think the city SHOULD sponsor it and then exert more influence on how it plays out.

[dylan]

They have to just dump thousands an thousands of roaches all over SoBe so that people are too grossed out to even attend.

[Blackford Oakes]

Exactly right UTS. And apparently one shooting victim was actually hit by a cop firing on that black Mercedes. MBPD seem to be completely incompetent

I also don't want to see UBW end, I just want it more controlled and safer. Doug, I think the city SHOULD sponsor it and then exert more influence on how it plays out.

OMG ! MPD has a Tillman situation.

If you caught my musings of today on this subject, Miami Beach needs to embrace and recognize Urban Week and take ownership of it.

I think we're on the same page.

[Blackford Oakes]

The mayoral campaign is still alive on run-off mode with two candidates left.

Here is were locals can make a difference. I doubt it will happen but I'd like to know the opinion of the remaining candidates on the issue of Urban Week.

I don't do campaigns but I've been in marketing and sellin ice to eskimos all my life. There is material to work with while the iron is hot with the public.

A public stance by each candidate is now required on the subject of Urban Week. I might be naive with thel local political scene. These remaining cats might not have jurusdiction in SoBe at all. I'd still exploit it and get the populace right away on my side before my opponent does.

This is a fkn no brainer.

[coach]

Quote Originally Posted by justing View Post
What the city and businesses can do is create a yearly Event to counter this. Then team up with hotels to offer special rates for those attending the counter event. Basically get other people booked in the hotels first and make an environment that would tone down Urban Week. Then they'd find a more "fun" place for Memorial Day.

Since it is Memorial Weekend how about a fund raising event for disabled veterans and their families. Bring in a bunch of top musicians for concerts. Just an idea.

What the hell? Not to be rude, but this is such a dumb idea. How would they even enforce it. Say I am a hip-hop baller coming for UBW. I call up the "Hotel du Jour" and ask about rates. They say, "Well, we have this special event going on, "White Fright", and we are offering special rates for that. Are you coming for that event?" I'd be all like, "Hellz, yeah! Gimme demz special rates!"

Now, what is the hotel supposed to do? Is it supposed to monitor me and see what parties I go to? Is it supposed to raise my rates if I happen to go see "MC Box-O-Rocks" at Cameo? I mean, the idea makes no sense whatsoever.

[coach]

[QUOTE=justing;96484]Nice find Beach Bum. We should keep track of this to bring everyone together after the fact.

controls crowds, inflow, outflow into the area. /QUOTE]
Police do this around the country for political events and protest. While I don't agree with them they do justify it as "public safety." (aka, keep it out of mainstream media) Why not do the same for this event?

Upon what criteria? Political events and protests are an entirely different situation. These are just tourists.

[Doug]

...and what if you're a hip hopper who is also a veteran? Good points, coach. I like the basic idea of creating a counter event, but you're right, if a hotel offers discount rates if you're attending something else, they'd need more than just your word that you were attending. Like proof of purchase of a ticket to the counter event.

[coach]

I agree that things have gotten completely out of hand, but how can you stop people from coming? Even if you could enforce a curfew every Memorial Day weekend, the same crowd would just pick another weekend to do this. The city doesn't sponsor the event or put money into bringing these people here, do they?

And curfews are completely unAmerican. Americans should be free to move about as they please. Punishing innocent people for other people's crimes is totally inappropriate.

We get how many tens or hundreds of thousands of people here for this weekend and a few of them cause problems.

And that is my issue with this entire thread and with this entire sentiment. We are talking about punishing thousands, tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people for the crimes of a few. If people really want that kind of authoritarianism, I would suggest moving to another country, not to put too fine a point on it. But, this is not my kind of America.

[coach]

Maybe Carlos Miller or someone can dig up good statistics. How many people show up? How many people are involved in altercations?

I mentioned this in another post, but it is worth re-stating. Did anyone hear about the shooting of a fairly well-known poet recently? Would you also be in favor of shutting down all poetry events? Think about it.