It’s almost a done deal and we didn’t think it would happen, but it did: The Orlando Performing Arts Center is probably going to be built, right across from City Hall. In this time of rage we think one thing should be made very, very clear to all who will no doubt be wondering in several years why we ever wanted to gamble so much money in such an uncertain economy: The public did not decide to build this high-dollar venue. No matter the charts and graphs detailing the community desire, a proposition to build OPAC was never put to a popular vote, and that’s because it would have been shot down. Don’t let your city or county leaders tell you otherwise. A couple of half-assed straw polls were collected at political events, and a smattering of phone calls were made, asking citizens questions like, “Would you like to plant your butt in a cushy seat and watch some fancy entertainment?” But the fact is you never had any input on this at all.

Here’s a solid Cheap Shot to the slick OPAC committee for having the chutzpah to call this a project the people have been clamoring for.

If the Downtown Arts District’s CityArts Factory is to be taken as any kind of indication of just what ramshackle numb-browedness this whole downtown facelift is going to be, then we’d rather take a Cheap Shot of Botox to the temple and sip straight from the Grey Goose bottle at home.

Opened in April with much hullabaloo (“Places like the CityArts Factory represent new educational opportunities where children and adults alike can experience arts and culture, and create lifelong memories of going to events with friends and family,” Mayor Buddy Dyer blathered at the time), the crumbling behemoth (shabby chic?) has grown into a catchall for fashion-free fashion and artless art. Gone are the days of surprise culture emanating from the purple-haired street urchins outside Go Lounge. Now the street urchins serve appetizers to the drunk and wealthy at CityArts Factory. Punk rock bartender, can we have another cheap shot?