Jerry,

I complete agree with this statement "You and I are as much to blame as anyone. " That is 100% correct. I also understand your concern for safety, all big cities have these same issues in downtown areas. I honestly believe this is a move to run the homeless out of downtown, but you'll never hear anyone say that. But I digress.

i think the way to revive it is to pull a few medium sized, or a couple large, employers into downtown by offering them GIGANTOR tax incentives to move in. Maybe the city helps with some renovation of some of the buildings? Heck, they should move City Hall right downtown. That's a statement.

I think getting businesses to relocate downtown is the first proper step toward attracting other services. People need to eat, and like to shop. I loved working in downtown Seattle because I could walk out the door and had my choice of 100's of restaurants within walking distance. I believe pulling professionals downtown is the right move.

The work Bitwise is doing is commendable. I hope they manage to create a big presence right in the middle of downtown Fresno. I believe that's their goal.

Look, if I lived up there and had the ability to run a standalone business I'd move it downtown, I'd encourage you to do the same.

Thanks for the comment. You make a lot of great points. I kind of wish you'd posted it to your weblog.