To those on the minneapolis issues list who care about what happens to the core of our region. I recently found out about a committee task force type hearing to discuss the future of the metropolitan council with respect to local govt and metropolitan affairs. The agenda reads : "A public meeting to take testimony on metropolitan governance; operations, and performance of the metropolitan council and its agencies". For some reason, the planning group (coordinated by legislator Mary Liz Holberg, of Lakeville) scheduled all of the commission meetings in outlying suburbs...many in the third and fourth rings. I asked unnamed people I know at the Met Council why this was done, and one response was "well, it is an election year". Mrs. Holberg told me one reason she didnt want to hold a meeting like this in minneapolis was because she didnt want to inconvenience people by "forcing them to park in downtown minneapolis and having to pay". I wanted to tell her i appreciate her taking advantage of the subsidy my tax dollars appropriate for her to park for free all over the metro area, but i bit my tongue. Id love to know what Myron Orfield thinks of this, and the rest of you as well. If the met council wants to be a regional institution it should get regional input. If state legislators want to take control of regional governance, they should make at least a half hearted attempt to involve the region. In short, I URGE YOU ALL to show up at the meeting and comment on a possible discourse that likely will affect you. The event takes place at the Plymouth Creek center (14800 34th avenue north off of highway 55) on Wednesday, November 1 at 7 pm. You can get directions from the Plymouth City Hall (sorry i dont have the number here). Robb Clarksen SE Minneapolis [EMAIL PROTECTED]
