Talk:Tacoma, Washington

for anyone interested...this could be added to this article, or a new article could also be created [1] Kingturtle 00:15 May 5, 2003 (UTC)

What's with the gang section???

Is it really necessary to highlight which gangs are active in which neighborhoods? Tacoma, like most other cities, has some gang activity. Things may have been pretty out of hand 20 years ago, but contrary to what the media tells you, there is not a big gang problem here... If there is no big groundswell of opposition, I'm going to clean that paragraph up in a few days to remove the by-neighborhood shakedown. - Ctb 19:51, 10 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I think it would be appropriate to mention the areas that show heavy gang activity, but not necessarily show which gangs inhabit which areas -- unless there has been a notable, ongoing, newsworthy dispute that has otherwise affected the neighbourhoods or the lives of those in those neighbourhoods. Sky 19:36, 30 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"131.191.57.233" appears to have reinstated several of the edits I did earlier to remove the geographical descriptions of where gangs are located. (At minimum, there is some issues with "no original research" here as there is no source citation.) If "131.191.57.233" has any input to the discussion I would expect that he/she would provide it on the talk page. I'm also going to remove the "methamphetamine capital" reference as there is no source cited on this whatsoever (see here for a non-citation). I have no illusions that there may be gang activity in Tacoma, but I do not think that it deserves the prominent mention that it is getting in this article. I'm going to do some minor cleanup at this time. Subsequently, unless someone has any opposition, I'm going to create a new section in the vein of "negative image of Tacoma" where we can move descriptions of gangs, the Aroma, etc. - Ctb 21:00, 3 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hey, this is 131.191.57.233, also known as **N**. Native, live right off of 6th Ave. Anyway, I haven't been back to this article for awhile and I notice that, once again, the gang stuff has been brushed over. I'll refrain from making any edits this time in the spirit of building consensus.

This page looks a lot better than when I first found it. The first page read like a cheerleading article, talking about how Tacoma used to be this and that "but it's not anymore!" Tacoma used to smell bad... but not anymore! Tacoma used to have gangs... but not anymore! Look at the convention center and the UW, we're a modern, world-class city! Uhh, I really resent the attempt to pave over Tacoma's history. This has always been a rough-and-tumble town, from the dockwockers and loggers of yore to the military who made So. Tacoma their home starting in the 1930s. IMO, that's part of it's charm.

These are the facts. (1) Tacoma still smells. "Total sulfur emissions" may have been reduced, but when the wind blows right, all downtown is still bathed in it. (2) Tacoma has more gang activity than similar-sized cities in the Pacific Northwest. Yes, Hilltop isn't as bad as it was in the 1980s, but it ain't no picnic either. (3) UW is cool, but on the whole the "Downtown Renaissance" sucks. The Convention Center is a stupid building, the Art Museum is ugly, and if one drives along the historic streetcar routes from Stadium to Lincoln, it quickly becomes apparent that the blocks between 13th and 17th are ***the most sterile to be found anywhere***. I have a dog in this fight, because a culture which verbally glosses over the past tends to accept and encourage the same on a physical scale. Tacoma has some of the most interesting neighborhoods and business districts to be found anywhere, and I would hate to see that lost in the name of "revitalization."

Let's figure out how to discuss the unsavory aspects of the T-A-C. I will concede that perhaps my detailed descriptions of which gangs own what turf don't belong in the main article, but the current text is just laughable. "Tacoma became infamous for gang activity in the 1980s and early 1990s, but it has declined significantly in recent years. Areas formerly associated with gang activity, such as Hilltop, have been significantly cleaned up." Yeeeaaah... let's make this article a true depiction of Tacoma, from the shiny and clean to the grimy and unsavory. I'll hold on edits for the time being.

-----N, April 29th, 2006

Gangs are in every large US city, I don't see how that assists the information concerning Tacoma. I moved the gang section to history where I believe it is more appropriate than "revitalization."

---AceLt.

I agree with below and above, the gangs references on the main page should be brief. But the current text is *LAUGHABLE*. "but it has declined significantly in recent years as many neighborhoods have enacted community policing and other policies." It's a rose-colored, sure-we-were-ghetto-but-no-more attitude. NOT true. We've got people in East Tacoma spraying houses with bullets and killing 3 at a time, we've got people shooting up the mall and the freeway and all over the freakin' place. YES, this stuff happens in Chicago, Houston, etcetera - but it doesn't happen with nearly the same frequency in Seattle or Portland, which are comparable, larger cities.

So, let's tell the world what we are. We're an insanely beautiful city with a wonderfully laid-back citizenry. We've got a bit of a crime problem, and when the wind is right the whole place smells pretty bad. Our port is second to none, and our elected officials' inferiority complex has led them to drop millions on stupid buildings like the convention center, then try to close fire stations to recover the debt. Basically, we're an all-American city, with shiny sides and dirty sides and bright sides and quite a few dark sides. But we're not yuppie-friendly; go to Bellevue or Puyallup.

If you really want a discussion of the history of Tacoma gangs, perhaps it could be on a separate linked page like the neighborhoods. However, other than mentioning gangs on the front page, I don't we necessarily want to dovote a huge amount of space to it there.

--AceLT 01:36, 3 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"We've got people in East Tacoma spraying houses with bullets and killing 3 at a time,"

Most big cities have gang problems even with multiple deaths. However, I have not seen it on any of their front pages. Perhaps you might try placing some of the content on the East Tacoma area section.

--AceLT 19:57, 9 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

You're missing the point though. Yes, places like Chicago or Houston have the same problems, but if you actually compare statistics we are way above cities like Seattle or Portland, which are the most comparable. Therefore, it is disingenuous to talk about gang activity as if it all occured in the past.

citation needed for drive by section.

--AceLT 19:03, 12 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"Today, Crime activity is rising in East Tacoma. Drive-bys are increasing, and police fear it might reach the hundreds as seen in the hilltops in the old days. Car jackings are also common near the east side and near the Tacoma mall and downtown. (citation needed) "

I don't see any cite for any of these statements.

--AceLT 19:36, 12 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Sister City: Takuma

I reinstated Takuma to the list of sister cities. It was mentioned in the newspaper recently and a Google search will list some sites such as this that confirm this. --Chris S. 02:27, 9 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]

That site is hardly authoratative compared to the City of Tacoma website and the Sister Cities International website, neither of which lists Takuma. I don't know if there maybe was a previous association that no longer exists, or if they're only informally 'sisters' (probably based on the similarity between the names), but clearly Tacoma and Takuma are NOT officially sister cities. I think it should be left off, at least until it can be determined if they were once sisters, or are just informal sisters, so which ever it is can be specified. Niteowlneils 03:03, 10 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Hmm. Ok, I see. I was looking for a list like that myself. I wonder, though, where people got this idea? Apparently people think there is some connection. The Takuma website in Japanese even has something about Tacoma - http://www.town.takuma.kagawa.jp/tiea/tieah3.htm. 詫間 is Takuma and タコマ is Tacoma on that page. But my Japanese is very basic, so I can't tell if there is a reference to sister cities. It does mention a party, a baseball game, and elementary school students from Tacoma. Also this page mentions that Tacoma & Takuma were to enter a sister-city relationship in 1991. And this Seattle-based Japanese-American newspaper says they are sister cities. Anyway, I wonder where they got this idea. --Chris S. 09:59, 10 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]

My guess it that it's most likely an informal term based on the shared name, and/or the fact that the baseball games between Tacoma teams and Takuma are connected to the Sister City program ("The Tacoma-Pierce County Sister City Cultural Baseball Exchange has existed for over 14 years between Tacoma high school baseball players and players from Takuma and Kitakyushu, Japan."[2], even tho' the relation developed thru the sister status with Kitakyushu. Niteowlneils 19:07, 10 September 2005 (UTC)[reply]

racism

why no talk of the racism in tacoma like the riots in april 1968 where half of hill top was destroyed or the opression of the natives in tacoma by the whites? or the raceism by the whites against the chinese in the late 1800? wtf is this just some lame ass happy city BS? tacomas a corupt city that KKK history raceism and genocide talk about that..

tacomas a city built on blood and bones of slaugthered natives i have livied here my whole life its run by a corupt cityu councel and a croupet police cheif its a hell hole of raceism and oppresion

(unsigned comments by 24.19.89.36)

Feel free to add information on all of the above to the article. --Lukobe 04:03, 26 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I added the City of Tacoma Population by year

I added the City of Tacoma Population by year history from 1910 thru 2000. JeffreyAllen1975 05:13, 27 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Urban Form additions

-Clarified and expanded discussion of the street numbering system (not sure if it is brief enough, though). -Expanded discussion of business districts and added a link to the Cross District Association -Added a link to the article on the ferry Rhododendron, which I hope to also expand in the future.

Opening section needs revision

The opening section of Tacoma needs some revision. It's not very concise, nor does it give a general overview of the history, spirit, and pattern of events that occur here, nor does it highlight recent events that have taken place here like Downtown revitalization or the like.

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