Leslie Turk's article on Mayor Durel's vision for the horse farm reveals superb conceptual thinking on the mayor's part ("Field of Dreams," Dec. 21). The formidable artistic talent and genius in Acadiana should never be forgotten, yet we have no competent investment funds to keep alive our artists and their artistic system. They do actually have to eat while they toil to build a financial model based on their artistic work products.
This green space could be the nexus for developing our artistic system with a more mature and viable financial economic model. It brings them all together in a living space that stimulates creative energies. Since the foundational roots of our culture are Greco-Roman, the amphitheater is an outstanding metaphor for Acadiana.
As for the intended grubby, vulgar business plans by Doc and his boys, it should be remembered that it is quite common in academic affairs for a distinguished educator who has toiled ceaselessly in the public arena for many lengthy years to reward himself financially, furtively on his way out. In reading many volumes of the history of great universities of the last eight centuries, this is an extremely common pattern.
Kudos to The Independent Weekly for exposing the stupidity and inanity of these self-serving plots and schemes to enrich a very, very few at the expense of the multitude in the present and future. This is a cost this community cannot morally or financially afford. Doc and the boys want to piss away futurity. Think cash, and back the mayor's highly promising structure for adding to the development of our considerable artistic system here.