[Mpls] Minneapolis police to add policy in lawsuit settlement
Minneapolis police to add policy in lawsuit settlement David Chanen Star Tribune Published Jan. 22, 2003 As part of a lawsuit settlement, Minneapolis officials will announce today that police officers will be required to take training on a state law that makes it illegal for a store or restaurant to refuse service on the basis of a person's race. The action stems from a 1999 suit alleging that officers didn't adequately investigate the complaint of two black women who said they weren't allowed to buy a lottery ticket at a Tom Thumb convenience store and were subjected to racial epithets. The officers didn't take a report on the incident and later said in a deposition that they weren't aware of the state law, said the women's attorney, Jill Clark. http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3606100.html Shawn Lewis, Field Neighborhood -- ___ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup Meet Singles http://corp.mail.com/lavalife ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Goodman, Lane, Benson Commentary NRP Resolution Straight Talk About Sharing The Pain.
Dean, what will that extra $250,000 - $300,000 do, you ask? You could start by designating it to an educational program. I mean really state what it is to be used for, not drop it into a black hole within the already scary school district budget. Then you can all feel proud of yourselves. Yes, every little bit DOES help. The taxpayers are going to have a little budget shortfall in their weekly paychecks and city services;you all can tighten your budgets, too. Share the pain means more than lip service. We are very serious. You all work for us, not yourselves. In business, when business is not good, nobody gets a raise. Simple economics. Pamela Taylor (Tampa) Dean Carlson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have not had the time to fully digest Lisa Goodman's post, but theresponse below demonstrates why elected officials find it so damn difficultto do anything about the budget crisis. I'm all for looking at paring backexecutive staff raises but what's that going to actually do, save $250,000to $300,000 a year? When we have a $11 MILLION per year gap? You can force all senior staff and electeds to work for a dollar and we will still have ahuge budget mess on our hands.Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now
[Mpls] List post formatting
Reiterating two oft-repeated points that have failed to connect with some of you... 1. PLEASE, oh please snip the post you are responding to unless you need to address specific points within that e-mail. Long strings of the past text that are just there because you're too lazy to hit delete make it REALLY hard for digest readers to wade through our posts. 2. Unless you are an AOL or MSN user, you MUST post plain text. Again, when digest users get our digests (12-20 collected posts), the stuff in HTML or MIME either looks like garbage or has tons of extra characters. AOL and MSN users can't switch off HTML, as far as I know. But the rest of you - especially you Yahoo folks - can. For now, I won't release non-plain text posts to the list until they are properly formatted, at least until folks get a clue here. (Our list server holds non-plain-text posts because they can also transmit viruses, which plain text can't.) Side note: if you are responding to an AOL or MSN post, your response may go out in HTML or MIME. But you're smart people - you can figure out how to make it plain text. David Brauer List manager Fighter for the rights of digest readers! ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] New Downtown library to open one month later
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3606013.html David Brauer List manager TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Block E's McCaffery to get Stimson building?
A city council panel says yes... http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3605940.html David Brauer List manager TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Spike Moss, seeking our fair share/Insight News Article
Wednesday, January 22, 2003 Spike Moss, seeking our fair share by Edited by Dwight Hobbes, Contributing Writer Spike Moss is vice president of The City, Inc., a youth service community organization and alternative school in Minneapolis. Al McFarlane: Often youve been referred to in the White media, as a militant activist...Why do they call you militant. Why dont they call you Spike Moss, Black liberation fighter? http://www.insightnews.com/articles.asp?mode=displayarticleID=357 Shawn Lewis, Field Neighborhood -- ___ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup Meet Singles http://corp.mail.com/lavalife TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Gordon Parks, north Mpls., and Pope's
I recently read A Choice of Weapons, the
autobiography of Gorden Parks, the African-American
photographer/composer/author/movie director. {Id read
his novel The Learning Tree as a teenager, and never
realized how autobioraphical it was--its about a
young African American teenager coming of age in 1920s
Kansas.}
As did his fictional character Newt Winger in The
Learning Tree, Parks moved from Kansas to Minnesota
after his mother died in the 1920s. He moved to St.
Paul with to live with his sister and relucant
brother-in-law, who eventually threw Parks out. Parks
then began a hand-to-mouth life on the streets,
beginning in north Mpls. {Here, David, is the
Minneapolis connection.} He was hired as a piano
player at an after-hours joint called Popes, which he
describes in his book as a four-story ramshackle
house in the night-life district. His chapter on
Popes concludes with:
My job at Popes ended abruptly at the dawn of the
new year. Someone plunged a butcher knife through a
customers neck and pushed him three stories down into
the alley. As the police arrived, I escaped through a
rear exit. Running out, I saw the bloody corpse
sprawled in the snow; his face looked very young.
Common sense, and panic, told me to quit north
Minneapoliss north side as soon as possible.
I include the grisly details because theyre part of
my question: do any north Minneapolis historians know
where Popes was? The three stories down into the
alley passage makes me think of a building that might
be on Broadway or Penn, but for all I know, the
building that was Popes may now be the site of a
fast-food restaurant.
Its not often that north Minneapolis gets mentioned
in books. I found the history to be very interesting.
Ive tried looking for information on the internet,
but all I can find is news about the Popes visit to
Minneapolis...not quite the same thing.
Susan Maricle
formerly of Folwell
Bruno, MN
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[Mpls] Sharing the Budget Pain
Here's an idea! Our sister city, Austin, Texas, has a population of 685,000 and only 7 City Council Members. Since we insist that everything in Minneapolis be proportionate - we only need 3, plus the Mayor. Minneapolis is clearly over-governed, especially if you consider the 60+ mini-councils that were spawned by NRP. No wonder our budget is morbidly obese while our services are being starved to death. Vicky Heller Cedar-Riverside and North Oaks TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Block E's McCaffery to get Stimson building?
From Steve Brandt's article: The city owes $6 million on the building for money borrowed to finance its purchase, rehabilitation costs and interest. McCaffery, who is developing nearby Block E, offered $2.5 million for the building .the city's cost to hold the building is $430,000 annually. Obvious Questions that were NOT asked: Who pocketed the $6 million? When did the default occur? Why didn't we hear about it? How long has the building been empty? This is a mini-Brookfield debacle - one of many that the public was never told about. Oh well, another $4 million down the toilet - too bad we can't collect sewer charges for it. Vicky Heller Cedar-Riverside and North Oaks TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Sharing the Budget Pain
I'm not convinced that our NRP associations and council members are part of an overgoverning problem. Under any future scenario (and most past scenarios), NRP's portion of the city budget will be small. Giving neighborhoods (including their business residents) locally determined control over one percent of the city budget does not overgovernment make. As far as council ratios go, the idea seems to be neither here nor there. If it makes perfect sense to compare Minneapolis to Austin, TX, maybe we could look to a microcosm of Minneapolis such as, say, Mora, MN, to help us determine the appropriate size for our city council. Mora's council has 4 members who represent 3,200 people. With 382,000 residents, should Minneapolis have 478 council members? Of course not. Likewise, is Mora overgoverned because it has a ratio of 1 council member per 800 citizens, far beyond Minneapolis' ratio? Probably not. If Minneapolis is overgoverned, let's determine this through statistics and arguments that have some bearing on the situation at hand. Dana Bacon Page neighborhood HPDL NRP association board member --- Victoria Heller [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Since we insist that everything in Minneapolis be proportionate - we only need 3, plus the Mayor. __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] List post formatting
But don't they need to get a Stribmail account? DB on 1/22/03 9:07 AM, Jim Mork at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Sure they can. Stribmail is just another website they can visit and Stribmail doesnt generate codes. Begin Original Message AOL and MSN users can't switch off HTML, as far as I know. But the rest of you - especially you Yahoo folks - can. -- Jim Mork--Cooper War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our Country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. Gen. William T. Sherman (1864) Letter to the Mayor of Atlanta. Get your free Web-based E-mail at http://www.startribune.com/stribmail TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Goodman, Lane and Benson on the City budget
Councilmembers Goodman, Lane and Benson provided us with a lengthy explanation of the NRP funding situation. It seems to boil down to were broke. The tell us of a list of requests from some NRP participants that the requests are so far from the reality we face in this financial climate that we need to address them immediately so that no one is left wondering why we will be forced to reject this resolution if and when it comes before the City Council. Strong words coming from the members of the Council, members of the Council that include the Community Development and MCDA Operating Chair, Intergovernmental Relations Chair and probably the best budgeting mind on the Council. They tell us why we cant tap some specific sources of money to fund NRP. They remind us We must have a plan to live within our means. adding For the first time, community development became a direct competitor for property tax dollars alongside of police, fire, public works and all other activities funded primarily through the property tax. Police, fire, streets and sewers basic city services. I found a couple of responses interesting. First I read How about turning back the pay raise you folks voted for YOURSELF this past year? In addition how about voting to cut Council Member and Senior Staff salaries by 10%. This seems to be the typical knee jerk reaction for any government budget shortfall, cut salaries. If we are going to have good qualified managers, we need to pay them a competitive salary; otherwise they will go work for someone that will. My experience with the citys managers has always been that they are good people who are dedicated to doing the best job possible. Then I read How about a referendum needing a 66% vote at the City election for a pay raise for Council Members? In a representative democracy we elect people to make decisions. If we think the decisions are bad we elect someone else (remember Sharon Sayles Belton or Jackie Cherryhomes, Joan Campbell someone must have thought they were doing a bad job as they are no longer in office). And why a 66% vote, wouldnt a majority be sufficient? Someone else said One cut the police department could make without the citizens feeling it would be to suspend the deputy chiefs positions and put the three of them back into their civil service jobs. Or maybe combine the police departments in Hennepin County and save even more administrative dollars. Or I read, What will that extra $250,000 - $300,000 do, you ask? You could start by designating it to an educational program. To which I respond The city is not in the business of providing schools, the city is responsible for police, fire, roads and sewers. We need to let the School Board do its job and the members of the City Council do theirs. Thank you to Councilmembers Goodman, Lane and Benson for telling it like it is, its nice to have someone leave out the sugar coating for a change. Terrell Brown Loring Park __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Samuels, Moore and unions
I've tried to contact both the Samuels and Moore campaigns regarding my (and many others) experiences with the Minneapolis Police. To give Olin Moore his due, he returned my phone call right away, but then went on to say that he's a labor person and that stopping the reprehensible, bullying behavior that MOST police officers exibit while working at the street level (I don't buy this nonsnese that the majority of cops are good professionals...it's just something people say when they want to hide behind their own fear of people who are different, a justification of arrogant police behavior. I've NEVER encounter a street level officer who was polite or professional), is something that requires concensus. Mr. Moore sighted his strong labor views as a reason for seekiong the endorsement of the police federation, the only union to endorse the Republican Pawlenty. I found this answer to be really whimpish. To me this simply means that he's not willing to support the zero tolerance policies on police harassment that are needed. That he's not willing to have police who commit murder and beat people up prosecuted like any other criminal. Cheif Olson's clever manipulation of the mediation process shows that this may be an issue where you simply can't find consencus, and you need to take a tough stand. Though I greatly apprecited his promptness in returning a call to a potential constituent, Olin Moore showed that he's not willing to be tough on police brutality. Don Samules (who also screened for the PF endorsement, and presumably didn't get it mostly because he's Black, and is also using tough on crime rhetoric) never returned my call. Does anyone know of a good write-in candidate who's got at least gets a little upset when he sees out of control cops beating people senseless? Tamir Nolley Holland Ward 3 __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] City Pages raves over north Mpls. restaurant
Good to see a restaurant on Lowry get its due: www.citypages.com/databank/24/1155/article11018.asp Missing soul food in east central Minnesota, Susan Maricle formerly of Folwell __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Stimson Building
Ms. Heller asks: Who pocketed the $6 million? When did the default occur? Why didn't we hear about it? How long has the building been empty? Answers: 1) $6 million was paid largely to whoever sold the building to the city, the contractors who did work for the city to fix the roof, remediate asbestos and so on, tenants who had to be relocated, etc. 2) What default? 3) You didn't hear about it because it didn't happen. 4) Don't know. I was a fill-in reporter on this story. For people who truly want to know more about events leading up to yesterday's short-term granting of development rights to McCaffery, the MCDA board report is posted at: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/2003-meetings/20030131/docs/06_StimsonBldg.pdf Steve Brandt Star Tribune TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Sharing the Budget Pain
Ms. Heller likely advances her modest proposal merely as a rhetorical device. However, at the risk of taking the proposal at face value, it should be noted that reducing the number of Council Members to 7 or 3 would certainly result in an all-DFL Council. Certainly this would be an unintended consequence, at least from Ms. Heller's point of view. :) Also, as you reduce the number of decision-makers, you increase the chance of wide variations in policy outcomes. I've read surveys of studies done on jury decision-making, comparing decisions made by a 12-person jury to a 6-person jury. Decisions made by a 12-person jury are more consistent and predictable than those made by a 6-person jury - which, when influenced by one or two strong personalities, can produce extreme results. And, for what it's worth, I lived in Austin, Texas, for over 3 years. City politics there were as goofy and dysfunctional as they are here - even with only 7 council members. Greg Abbott Linden Hills On Wednesday, January 22, 2003, at 08:03 AM, Victoria Heller wrote: Here's an idea! Our sister city, Austin, Texas, has a population of 685,000 and only 7 City Council Members. Since we insist that everything in Minneapolis be proportionate - we only need 3, plus the Mayor. TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Block E's McCaffery to get Stimson building? WHY AND HOW?
Vicky, my question is how they advertised that the McCaffery building was for sale? I do not know anyone who knew the building was up for sale. Any building at 7th and Hennepin that has retail space for a restaurant and room for 11 housing units has got to be worth more than 2.5 million. The Strib article says they bid the Minimum amount. Why was the minimum that low? This $4 million difference may seem like chump change after what was squandered on Target and Brookfield, but it is almost half of the annual amount that the Council wishes to kill NRP for. A little better marketing might be in order. Also, isn't this the same outfit that promised to do certain things with Block E and then did what ever they wanted to do? Who at the City does these Real Estate deals? Haven't they ever heard of a Conditional Deed? How about the words Performance Bond? It is my opinion that ANY City property turned over for a specific Improvement purpose should contain a Conditional Deed. If the condition is not met then the building and all improvements revert to the City. This Condition would be a great incentive to do what is agreed upon. A Real Estate professional would insist upon it, but I guess we are dealing with a different kind at the City. The sweetheart deals the City has been doing are more, I know you are my friend, so here take my money and Real Estate and please, please keep your promise to love me and do what you said you would do. Sounds like something out of a bad romance novel, or our City Hall. Vicki you are wrong about cutting the number of City Council people. The secret is to create more of them and pay them a part time salary, so they can be regular people with regular jobs. Twenty-five thousand a piece for fifteen or twenty part time council people. Shared staff. We would get better service, and it would attract better people. People who really want to do the public service and keep REAL jobs in the REAL world to support themselves. They will tell you the City needs professional policy makers. Give me a break! This is the best job most of these people will ever have, unless they make Deals about their retirement after Council Life. (The kind of retirement deal that a certain Middle Eastern Businessman was seen on television making to Brian Herron.) Amateurs who suddenly become Professional politicians just do not seem to be working. I think Professionals who do amateur public service would be better formulae. Minneapolis ran a whole lot smother and there seemed to be less political corruption when we had more 'Part Time Council Members who were elected to two year terms. You are correct about the more than 60 smaller councils. These Neighborhood organizations have to review and advise the council on everything anyway. Have their decisions reviewed by the Council and overturned if improper or not in the interest of the City as a whole. The neighborhoods have been or are in the process of creating Neighborhood Master Plans for their discreet areas. This duplicates and makes superfluous most Planning activities. Those Master Plans and NRP make superfluous most MCDA functions for Community Development. DO NOT LOOK FOR ANY CHANGE WITHOUT A REFERENDUM. Jim Graham, Ventura Village The rarest of gems, with the greatest clarity, and with the greatest brilliance, is not the diamond. The rarest of all gems is the truth. Yet as scarce as truth is, the supply has always far exceeded any demand for it. In fact it may well be the lest desirable commodity in the Universe. Ask any politician TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Council Member salaries
Just a quick note to correct some recent information regarding the salaries of City Council Members. The current City Council did NOT give Council Members a pay raise last year. In fact, State law prohibits a sitting Council from establishing its own rate of pay. Toward the end of each term of a City Council, the salary rate that will be in effect for the NEXT City Council is established in advance by the City Council Members whose terms are about to expire. At this point in time, no sitting City Council Member has any say about what his or her rate of pay will be. Demanding that Council Members cut their own salaries is asking the Council to take an action that is not legal under current State law. Dore Mead Tangletown former City Council Member, Ward 11 TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Sharing the Budget Pain
Dana Bacon wrote: I'm not convinced that our NRP associations and council members are part of an overgoverning problem. Under any future scenario (and most past scenarios), NRP's portion of the city budget will be small. Giving neighborhoods (including their business residents) locally determined control over one percent of the city budget does not overgovernment make. It's not giving neighborhoods control, it's giving neighborhood organizations and the people who run them control. Let's not forget that it's the people who show up that run the NRP programs and that participation and representation have been and still are an ongoing problem (or in my opinion an inherent flaw of the NRP). Michael Atherton Prospect Park TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Taxation but less representation?
Victoria Heller posts: Our sister city, Austin, Texas, has a population of 685,000 and only 7 City Council Members. Since we insist that everything in Minneapolis be proportionate - we only need 3, plus the Mayor. Brandt: Or one could look on the bright side and consider that Minneapolis used to have two council members for each ward. So the halving of representation that Victoria Heller seeks already has been accomplished. There were some advantages to the old system. If one alderman was indicted and convicted, as happened frequently in the bribery scandals of the late 1920s, the ward wasn't left without representation, except then-Third Ward (mostly today's Fifth) where both aldermen were convicted. Steve Brandt Kingfield TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] List post formatting
Cool. I'll broadcast this advice after work. I assume you surf to Stribmail from within the AOL interface? Thanks, DB on 1/22/03 9:20 AM, Jim Mork at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Getting one is NOTHING. Took me a minute or two. Begin Original Message But don't they need to get a Stribmail account? DB -- Jim Mork--Cooper War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our Country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. Gen. William T. Sherman (1864) Letter to the Mayor of Atlanta. Get your free Web-based E-mail at http://www.startribune.com/stribmail TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] List post formatting
OK, here's the explanation of the previous note that should have gone only to Jim Mork. Jim - bless him - is trying to help figure out a way that AOL and MSN users can post in plain-text (since the AOL MSN software won't let you do it.) Jim's suggestion is to sign up for a Stribmail account - not because he loves the oft-demonized-on-this-list Newspaper of the Twin Cities - but because you AOL/MSNers can surf to the Stribmail site, send your list messages in plain text, and keep me and digest readers happy. I assume you could also get your incoming list mail there, and keep your AOL/MSN inbox clean and spiffy. (This was what I was talking to Jim offlist about). Consider it a suggestion, but it would be great if this worked. David Brauer List manager Mistake-prone today TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Stribmail
An obvious question: how to sign up for stribmail? See http://www.startribune.com/stribmail/ And to make it easier for those who want to go this route, let me know and I'll switch your list subscription. Best, David Brauer List manager TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Stribmail
--- List Manager [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: An obvious question: how to sign up for stribmail? See http://www.startribune.com/stribmail/ Maybe it's the registration center on the left sidebar? I didn't try it though. Thomas T. Thai Whittier __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] I35 Excess Project
We do not need this project. If Allina wants it, pony up the $153 million and build your road. We need transportation alternatives. I want my tax dollars to go to non-polluting means of travel - vehicle exhaust causes cancer. Carbon dioxide is not good for you to breath. Put this money towards a rail system, Personal Rapid Transit, but not for another or a bigger road. Stephen Eisenmenger Calhoun Area Resident Action Group (www.CARAG.org) - Don't just tell them where you are. Tell them who you are. Free email at www.newcity.com. TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] List post formatting
--- List Manager [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: [...] Jim - bless him - is trying to help figure out a way that AOL and MSN If there is a searchable archive of the list, a while back I posted instructions on how to post in plain text in MSN and AOL. [...] __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Goodman, Lane, Benson Commentary NRP Resolution
I want to echo Terrell Brown's comments that the uncoated language from these three council members is necessary at this juncture. One thing I found interesting is the reminder that: the purpose of NRP was to provide service re-design and to better integrate neighborhood planning into all City planning and development decision making. Now NRP has become more about the money, not the planning, and that's unfortunate. I'm not quite sure this was the overall specific purpose of NRP, but the trend away from straight out funding of NRP neighborhoods to integration of city planning through neighborhoods is a trend that is well on its way to reality. I have a few questions that I hope can be answered: 1. I was unaware that we were running a deficit through NRP funding, which appears to be related to the bonds issued to fund NRP. Could we get more specifics on this? 2. I assume the Chapter 595 Levy is the one also called the HRA Levy that in part funds housing creation. True? Sorry if this is a rather stupid question. Along those lines, I assume that the competition between general tax revenues that fund police, fire, etc., and the HRA Levy that funds housing/community development is a competition necessitated by the overall 8% tax ceiling. That is, if we retain the HRA/Chapter 595 Levy, we must cut back the property tax rate so that the overall rate is 8%. Just need clarification on this, as I wade through the intricacies. One suggestion: why not pool available funds for NRP and establish more of an RFP approach to distribution of funds to neighborhoods, taking into account City priorities, and also rewarding collaboration between neighborhoods? We did this already in some way with the NRP's Affordable Housing reserve fund. Involve neighborhood groups in the determination of priorities and development of an RFP process, thereby creating a gateway for communities to provide direct input to the city planning process. Gregory Luce/Project 504 St. Paul TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Goodman, Lane, Benson Commentary NRP Resolution
I'd like to commend Goodman, Lane and Benson for thoroughly explaining the financial constraints facing NRP and the city. The picture isn't pretty, but I think they've clearly laid out the framework in which a solution must be found. Those working to save NRP are going to have to work within the current budget constraints to be effective. As CM Goodman wrote, The purpose of NRP was to provide service re-design and to better integrate neighborhood planning into all City planning and development decision making. Now NRP has become more about the money, not the planning, and that's unfortunate. I say, make the NRP a division of the new planning department, use city staff to help each neighborhood organization draft its plan and set priorities, then have neighborhood organizations apply for funds from various programs to complete specific projects (not pay for admin). Lastly, make sure the committee approving the funding has adequate neighborhood representation. John Rocker Calhoun/CARAG/Wellstone? TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Block E lot for Cheap?
Vicky, my question is how they advertised that the McCaffery building was for sale? I do not know anyone who knew the building was up for sale. Any building at 7th and Hennepin that has retail space for a restaurant and room for 11 housing units has got to be worth more than 2.5 million. The Strib article says they bid the Minimum amount. Why was the minimum that low? Craig Here I'm tempted to drive on down and take a look. It seems real cheap to own a piece of DT for that much. My first hunch is that this would have went for much more if word got out farther and deeper. Lets borrow a page from our big sisters at HUD. Open suggestion to Council Mayor and MCDA I've followed and went to several HUD multi-family auctions in the past few years. Most out of state and some right here in Minnesota. Here's some things to consider. 1. Check out the constantly updated website at www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/mfh/pd/mfplist.cfm 2. I've attended several auctions. The final sale price always exceeds the minimum by large amounts. Usually multiples. 3. The amount of people attending the auctions, is always large. Apparently the word is getting out. 4. Each time after a sale I've run the numbers based on the sale price. Here is my conclusions: - The buyers are paying a little too much or way too much for the property. - Or they are willing to bust their hump that hard to make things work for years needed to recover their investment - The taxpayer is getting the best deal possible for the bankrupt or vacant property. -The email and electronic bulletin board works fantastically. Here is the suggestion for us in Mill City. All Sales and RFP's need to be emailed to an ever expanding email blast list. MCDA should carry a link of website for the properties on inventory and when the auction is. Check out Henn county's tax forfeit auction page www.co.hennepin.mn.us/taxsvcs/gstxtfla.htm More exposure leads to higher sale prices. Currently I get blast from MCDA for What's New. If the blast list gets larger and larger, more will know of sales and opportunities. The new additions to the RFP and prop for sale should be as explicit as possible. The goal is to get more buyers, sell for higher prices, more money for treasury. I know we have to publish a legal minimum in Finance Commerce, so be it. But we could market a whole lot more and farther with the internet. Craig Miller Rogers, MN TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Stimson Building
The city has to quit buying high and selling low, no matter how noble the motives might be. Or maybe more precisely, the city should only subsidize a project if it can clearly demonstrate that the return on its investment is greater than it would be if it did nothing. If the city subsidizes one project to kick start redevelopment and new privately-financed development sprouts up all around the subsidized one, the overall increase in tax revenues may justify the initial subsidy. I'm just not sure anyone is doing the analysis. The city spent $6M to rehab the Stimson Building that it now plans to sell for $2.5M because it can't afford the carrying costs. The Stimson Building's rehab was done in conjunction with the Pantages, but what was the city's exit strategy? What did it hope to gain by taking a loss on the building? Would the city coffers had been better off just leaving the building alone until the market made the numbers work? One of the next projects on the agenda will be the Urban Village, where the city, Met Council and Hennepin County will spend $7.8M to buy the Sowles Crane site, pay to relocate the company to Eagan, prepare the site for development -- and then turn around and sell it for $1.8M. How much new development -- and in what time frame -- does this project have to spur to justify a $6M subsidy? In how many years would this property have redeveloped without public intervention and under which scenario would the city be better off? These are the types of questions the city council members need to be asking before any more projects are bought high and sold low. John Rocker Calhoun TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Taxation but less representation?
And Austin, along with many other Texas cities were taken to court under the Voters Rights Act, because their municipal elections systems were considered purposely racist with all at-large city councils that kept white people in power despite the almost even population split of whites and people of color in nearly all of them. The cities lost that battle and were forced to establish some form of district representation. Minneapolis would be better served - as would all cities of any diversity whatsoever - by a system of multiple representatives from somewhat larger wards elected proportionally with a few at-large seats to balance the natural parochialism and log-rolling and vote-trading that all single-representative ward systems create and cannot avoid. A city the size of Minneapolis could easily handle 15 city councilmembers, with 12 councilmembers elected from six larger wards of two councilmembers each plus three elected at-large. This configuration would provide each voter with a chance to both vote for and run for any one of five seats of the Council's 15, no matter where they live, enjoying the opportunity to contact and influence more than one member as they do now and be more content knowing that at least two of them are voting their district's interests and another three are looking after the city's interests as a whole, providing an important balance of perspectives on city governance. While we're on the subject, the City Council's mix of administrative and legislative roles - which now and always clash with those of the Mayor - should be dropped, either by creating a Strong-Mayor form, separating legislative from administrative powers and responsibilities or by making the mayor one of the at-large councilmembers, sitting as the Council president with expanded duties, but increasing the role of the City Coordinator to that of a City Manager with the power to appoint department heads with the advice and consent of the Council. This is, of course a more idealistic view than would be politically possible unless a serious coalition was formed to study, conceive and place a charter amendment initiative before the voters to change the structure of city governance to something resembling most other cities in the country. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul What does it matter to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy? Mahatma Ghandi Victoria Heller posts: Our sister city, Austin, Texas, has a population of 685,000 and only 7 City Council Members. Since we insist that everything in Minneapolis be proportionate - we only need 3, plus the Mayor. Brandt: Or one could look on the bright side and consider that Minneapolis used to have two council members for each ward. So the halving of representation that Victoria Heller seeks already has been accomplished. There were some advantages to the old system. If one alderman was indicted and convicted, as happened frequently in the bribery scandals of the late 1920s, the ward wasn't left without representation, except then-Third Ward (mostly today's Fifth) where both aldermen were convicted. TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Fw: [Mpls] Gordon Parks, north Mpls., and Pope's
Chances are, Pope's was located around Lyndale and Plymouth. Before the freeway and urban renewal, this area had many bars and night clubs. Cozy's and theBlue Note were two of the last. My grandfather owned a coal company and my father used to talk about delivering coal to the brothels in the area. He didn't remember the exact addresses, but when we drove through the area between Ply and Lyn and the Farmer's Market, he would reminisce, until mom cut him off. Mpls used to be quite a wild town. Anne McCandless Jordan TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] I-35W Access Project and consultant contracts
In response to questions regarding the selection of Smith Parker and SEH to work on the I-35W Access Project (no bidding process for SEH), Tom Johnson wrote: David, Please contact Jim Grube, Director of Transportation regarding the contracting with Smith Parker to manage the I-35W Access Project. snip I can provide you with his phone number and e-mail address. While talking with Jim, you may want to also inquire as to how SEH was contracted for the Access Project. Again, I can provide assistance in reaching Jim. snip David Piehl writes: What? I was looking for answers for the list, not a laundry list of contacts that I'm already familiar with. From the Southwest Journal article a few weeks ago, I'd say it went something like this: Tom Johnson worked as a consultant with Scott McBride on the initial study for the 26th and 28th Street ramps, Scott had an office at Smith Parker. Scott is now at SEH, and is thus the lead engineer on the Access Project (I think he used to work for OSM?). From what I know, Scott does good work - that's not the issue. Johnson McBride are old colleagues, and Johnson steered a contract McBride's way - maybe to avoid challenges on the questionable engineering issues. Crooneyism? David Piehl Central Regards Tom Johnson __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] re: tax but less rep
I have been in Texas a lot and I know that not only are the Latinos -in Austin and other towns- a big part of the populace from a long ways back but they all get along awfully well with whatever Germans or other 'Anglos' -and have, since the Texans took it away from the Mexicans -shortly after the Battle of the Alamo- and which pleased the Mexican people there and they keep on coming out of Mexico to live and work there and elsewhere in the USA. I was told once by a Mexican girl that in Mexico people get elected to public office and then they build big mansions outside of town with all the money they get. There are lots of police and all other public servants -to include in politics- that are Latino -Henry B. Gonzalez was for example- In Rio Grande Valley, they have big bill boards saying; 'Welcome Winter Texans' meaning northern Anglos. The Latinos are 95% of the populous and -I am sure- of the government representatives- and they all get along well. The idea that some white political hacks have been conspiring in Texas cities to keep the Latinos out sounds like misinformation to me. I heard once that even Lady Bird Johnson was some Latino. James Jacobsen // Whittier TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] RE: [central-traffic] I-35W Access Project and consultant contracts
David, Again, you and other interested residents need to contact Jim Grube regarding the contracting processes. The Southwest Journal article was very accurate regarding most subject areas, but Scott McBride never officed at Smith Parker. He was an OSM employee and then later an employee of SEH. I was not involved in the decision regarding SEH and wasn't part of the discussion regarding their contract. Jim Grube is the accurate source. Thank you, Tom Johnson Smith Parker TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] tax // rep
I meant my last post as dealing with what I see as misinformation in discussion of local city representation, -and the comparisons with other states and cities. Other than for that purpose it would have been totally not germane. And while I am at it, in Texas, huge amount of families, -old and new- including the Bushes- are intermarried with Latinos. James Jacobsen // Whittier TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Three councilmembers posting on NRP
All three councilmembers -- Goodman, Lane and Benson -- should be commended for their candor and analysis. I think their coherent explanation reflects a high degree of respect for the members of this list, whatever its merits, something that should probably happen more frequently by other municipal representatives. I'm a little dismayed by some of the reactions to their posting, inasmuch as the suggestions regarding council size and salary really beg the issues raised by the councilmembers. (I hesitate to call them the Gang of Three for fear of the negative connotations.) I am no NRP expert, so I do not have the background to analyze their discussion in full. However, I would appreciate hearing from listmembers who are better versed on NRP so we can all learn how this proposal will both affect community organizations and to suggest how we can address the underlying fiscal problems in a constructive manner. Asking for salary cuts for councilmembers or suggesting that we reconfigure the council to something resembling municipal government in Texas is a so's your mother kind of response to a very serious question. Just throwing in my two cents-- Steve Marchese Ward 11/Hale TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] The City's Financial Management
Michael Atherton: Let's not forget that it's the people who show up that run the NRP programs and that participation and representation have been and still are an ongoing problem (or in my opinion an inherent flaw of the NRP). Um, it is the most DIRECT democracy offered anywhere in the world. Unlike voting in Florida, you CANNOT be removed from a list by the Secretary of State with no recourse. I would be in favor of ID checks in order to vote (so strangers from another neighborhood could not sway the vote) but no one can claim that city government is more democratic. * Regarding the Stimson Building: How about selling city-owned real estate on E-Bay where the whole WORLD can get involved. Um, but on a more serious note, I don't think this will be a big problem with the current dire financial situation. The debt load won't ALLOW our government to step in and take over stuff that require deep pockets. *** As regards a leaner approach to city government, maybe my insider experience would be helpful. I was a member of the ITS staff for three years. I made carping remarks about the fact that groups of my area would sit around in full view of department patrons, doing NOTHING and complaining loudly about the people (primarily the Finance Dept) we were supposed to serve. That bought me enmity from the lifers, leading to discipline for being a disruptive influence. Which is probably predictable enough. But I then turned to Kathy Thurber and told her in letters NOT to believe department managers when they reported how things were going in their departments because I knew firsthand what was wrong in my area. It was a contest to exploit the advantages of civil service certification. Two of us did not exploit that because we felt it was wrong. The result was that we did all the unwanted hours and work. This unnamed individual told me you will be missed on my last day. And it was sincere. Now he was the ONLY conscientious person in that area. As one of the few city taxpayers in my area, I acted the way I knew taxpayers would want us all to act if they only knew the insides of their government. But the management of the area was hard at work managing customer expectations. We generally would produce the least results possible to make sure they didn't expect too much of us. As I say, I told Thurber that government could cost less than it did if ONLY the management could be made to manage. But she called that micromanagement. I came to regard Thurber as a protector of the status quo and longed to see her replaced. The last time she ran for election, her percentage of the vote was the lowest for a DFL CM citywide. I think she saw the handwriting on the wall and chose not to run again. That made me more optimistic. I hope Gary Schiff has a better attitude because the city can no longer AFFORD the hands-off approach Thurber subscribed to. They are in office to MANAGE the services that we pay for, and Schiff and the others have to know those civil service people won't do it without serious political management. By going to work for the city, I lost my illusions. And I'm quite confident that budget cuts do NOT have to compel equal service cuts. But it is up to the political leaders whether they will let that happen. -- Jim Mork--Cooper War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our Country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. Gen. William T. Sherman (1864) Letter to the Mayor of Atlanta. Get your free Web-based E-mail at http://www.startribune.com/stribmail TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Police behavior
In response to Tamir, Let me apologise for any negligence on my part for not responding to your call. I have no recollection of your call or of receiving any message regarding your call. But, please understand, these are hectic times for me, and there seems to have been an oversight. I have spoken repeatedly about the issues of police/community relationships and my views are very clear to those who have heard me speak on the issue. I believe there is evidence of racial prejudice and abuse of authority by elements within the Minneapolis police. I believe this is unacceptable and should be addressed at every level and that citizens complaints should be handled in an open and timely manner with results of investigations made available to the public. I also believe that the police force is too uniformly white. It is not healthy for any community to have any single group represent law enforcement in great disproportion. It is not good for the community that I only see white men patting down black men, spread-eagled against cars along neighborhood streets. It is not good for the community that I only see white men tackling black men to the ground, even when the action is justifiable. This racial disparity breeds perceptions that law enforcement is a white prerogative and crime is a black phenomenon. This is the visually degrading imagery that the young people in my neighborhood see. It is damaging to the psyche of young people of any colors, but especially black young men. The only solution is a radical change in recruitment practices to force the police department to look like the community it serves. This must be done quickly, with a workable plan, a firm schedule and a specific deadline. At the same time, I see the street crime at close range all around me. I see that virtually all the sellers are young black men. I know their prospects are bleak and their alternatives pitiful. But I insist that drugs and gang violence must be removed from our streets by any civilized and just means necessary. That means, when a young man sells drugs down the street from my house, the police must remove him immediately and he should pay the prescribed penalty for his crime. These young men tend to belong to gangs. In their struggle for territory and sometimes in their initiation rituals, they fire guns and kill people, both innocent and guilty. One day they might kill my wife or my daughter. Heaven knows, I have already been threatened for calling the cops on these guys. So the odds of my family actually being hurt are very real. And so we have this strange paradox that I have the possibility of being harassed by some ignorant policeman for being black and at the same time the real danger of being killed by some ignorant young black man for simply living in my community. I will not tolerate either. I will be strident, vocal, unyielding and an insufferable thorn in the behind of both if they think they can hold me hostage in my community in this land of the free. And I challenge either group to try to manipulate me to be silent about its own violations so that we can address the violations of the other. I will not do it! In Minneapolis last year, at one point, 20 homicides had been committed. 19 of the victims were African American. 17 of the suspects were African Americans. I don¹t care who you are, white cop or black gang member. If you are hurting or killing young black men, you should be punished by the full extent of the law. And it matters not whether the fellow you killed or abused was a criminal or a saint. Let me close by saying, young black people in the inner city need to live among African Americans who care about them. They need to live among African American people whose lives are working. They need to live among the full range of people who look like them. They need to see gainfully employed and middle class African Americans. They need to see strong, law abiding black men taking care of their families, loving their wives, playing with their children and ultimately reaching out a hand of friendship and an offer of structure to them. Young ignorant white cops also need to see this. They need to have their misconceptions checked by encounters with a wide range of African Americans who can articulate outrage in a reasoned and effective manner. Tamir sounds like such a voice. I hope you stick around long enough to help us continue to demand justice and equality for all, from all. God knows we are hopeless without it. Don Samuels TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Fw: [Mpls] Goodman, Lane, Benson Commentary NRP Resolution
John has some goods points here. Most of my neighbors are really concerned that we are going to lose any meaningful input into the decisions concerning our neighborhood. Many of us are skeptical that downtown knows what's best for us ( go figure ). One way this could be alleviated is if the meetings at which decisions were discussed and made were a) well publicized b) brought out into the communities and c) held during hours when residents could attend. This wouldn't even cost any money. It would also help if proposals were posted to the city's web site prior to the meeting so that people could look them over and become somewhat familiar with them. By not doing this, citizen participation becomes impossible for the vast majority of people. It is no wonder that many of us feel this works to the advantage of our elected officials and therefore, do not have much trust in City Hall. Anne McCandless Jordan TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Stimson Building
John I have to make a clarification on the Sowles building issues and Urban Village. Initially the figures were no where near that much. Unfortunately because of the leaden feet of the MCDA over the last four years the project has gone up in cost. If the agency had executed on this deal in the early phases the cost would have been substantially lower. I believe the project was and still will be an excellent project. Obviously many other folks felt the same way. The Met Council has funded this project on two occasions as has the County. It has total neighborhood support. I haven't seen the latest projections in tax capacity but given the rise in housing I think this project will deliver the goods over it's lifetime. Lisa McDonald East Harriet - Original Message - From: John Rocker Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 11:58 AM To: mpls issues Subject: RE: [Mpls] Stimson Building The city has to quit buying high and selling low, no matter how noble themotives might be.Or maybe more precisely, the city should only subsidize a project if it canclearly demonstrate that the return on its investment is greater than itwould be if it did nothing.If the city subsidizes one project to kick start redevelopment and newprivately-financed development sprouts up all around the subsidized one, theoverall increase in tax revenues may justify the initial subsidy. I'm justnot sure anyone is doing the analysis.The city spent $6M to rehab the Stimson Building that it now plans to sellfor $2.5M because it can't afford the carrying costs. The Stimson Building'srehab was done in conjunction with the Pantages, but what was the city'sexit strategy? What did it hope to gain by taking a loss on the building?Would the city coffers had been better off just leaving the building aloneuntil the market made the numbers work?One of the next projects on the agenda will be the Urban Village, where thecity, Met Council and Hennepin County will spend $7.8M to buy the SowlesCrane site, pay to relocate the company to Eagan, prepare the site fordevelopment -- and then turn around and sell it for $1.8M. How much newdevelopment -- and in what time frame -- does this project have to spur tojustify a $6M subsidy? In how many years would this property haveredeveloped without public intervention and under which scenario would thecity be better off?These are the types of questions the city council members need to be askingbefore any more projects are bought high and sold low.John RockerCalhounTEMPORARY REMINDER:1. Send all posts in plain-text format.2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible.Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-DemocracyPost messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mplsGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com
Re: [Mpls] I-35W Access Project and consultant contracts
You're doing a lot of work to tie 35W into illegalities at MNDOT and certainly the illegalities are rife, it would appear. From everything in the Strib, at least one person at MNDOT clearly nailed it as arrogance on MNDOT's part and failure in MN Administration to be able to make MNDOT follow state rules. However, when neighborhood people agreed to Smith Parker as a service provider, WE knew nothing about that. We found out the same day everyone else did, the day the Strib printed it. It's not normal for people to know the down and dirty about MNDOT unless they regularly have to deal with them. What we did know was that MNDOT is arrogant and not an honest broker in the sense of bringing their wants to the table at the beginning of the process. Infuriating, counter-productive, even stupid, maybe. All legal. MNDOT's failures are not the responsibility of Smith Parker. A person as low down on the food chain as Tom Johnson is unlikely to know any more about state contracting irregularities than we do. The state cannot allow all it projects to halt because it hasn't kept control of one of its departments. By law, the state has to pull MNDOT in line. We have thousands of hours of our time and not one of us got a damned dime out of it. (Personally, I have only hundreds of hours, but other neighbors have thousands--Paula Gilbertson, Mike Gramling, Julie Ingebretson, Annie Young, Dick Pitheon, Mable Vickla, Craig Anderson--it goes on and on.) Everyone of us who cared had the right to sit through thousands of hours as well. You served on the 35W PAC for 2 years as the appointed Central Neighborhood rep. The whole 38th St. elipse-about arose at your suggestion to move the 35th and 36th street ramps to 38th. It was a much smaller, less intricate project before you spoke up. After you left, the PAC instructed the architects and engineers to draw up some ways in which your suggestion could be incorporated into the project. There were 2 or 3 designs, the elipse-about was chosen. PAC voted to go forward with your suggestion and enlarge the project to include moving the ramps to 38th. Robert Lilligren sat on the PAC, stepping down on the day of the final vote. Throughout his tenure on the PAC Lilligren voted with the majority almost every time on all the particular elements of the plan approved by the PAC on November 19 and mid-December. Your neighborhood, Central, has been represented over the last two or so years very well by David Jensen, who made a suggestion, incorporated way into the process, to change the fly over. It beautified the project immensely. Central Neighborhood voted yes on the Access Project. Central Neighborhood was heard and its suggestions incorporated. Let's move ahead now. WizardMarks, Central Dave Piehl wrote: In response to questions regarding the selection of Smith Parker and SEH to work on the I-35W Access Project (no bidding process for SEH), Tom Johnson wrote: David, Please contact Jim Grube, Director of Transportation regarding the contracting with Smith Parker to manage the I-35W Access Project. snip I can provide you with his phone number and e-mail address. While talking with Jim, you may want to also inquire as to how SEH was contracted for the Access Project. Again, I can provide assistance in reaching Jim. snip David Piehl writes: What? I was looking for answers for the list, not a laundry list of contacts that I'm already familiar with. From the Southwest Journal article a few weeks ago, I'd say it went something like this: Tom Johnson worked as a consultant with Scott McBride on the initial study for the 26th and 28th Street ramps, Scott had an office at Smith Parker. Scott is now at SEH, and is thus the lead engineer on the Access Project (I think he used to work for OSM?). From what I know, Scott does good work - that's not the issue. Johnson McBride are old colleagues, and Johnson steered a contract McBride's way - maybe to avoid challenges on the questionable engineering issues. Crooneyism? David Piehl Central Regards Tom Johnson __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Sharing the Budget Pain
Vicky's idea here is as senseless as Jesse Ventura's unicameral plan. Reducing the number of elected representatives just makes it much harder to reach them. Here in Minneapolis, you can call your city council member, and speak directly to them, or get a call back within a couple of days. That would certainly not be true if we had only 3 Council Members! All you'd get then would be a talk with an un-elected assistant. Tim Bonham, Ward 12, Standish-Ericsson Our sister city, Austin, Texas, has a population of 685,000 and only 7 City Council Members. Since we insist that everything in Minneapolis be proportionate - we only need 3, plus the Mayor. Minneapolis is clearly over-governed, especially if you consider the 60+ mini-councils that were spawned by NRP. No wonder our budget is morbidly obese while our services are being starved to death. Vicky Heller Cedar-Riverside and North Oaks TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] A person as low down the food chain as Tom Johnson
Tom Johnson's career as related by the SW Journal follows. I think it is clear that Johnson has some mighty connections streching from MnDOT, to corporations, to the federal level, and to Hennepin County. I should be so low down the food chain. . . . He has public relations, marketing, and lobbying experience. What I don't see is any experience organizing communities to make group decisions about their future. There are people who specialize in such things as professionals, you know. . . . Russell Raczkowski Bancroft Neighborhood Background in public affairs, marketing and public relations in both road and transit projects. Director of Marketing and Public Affairs for the Office of Minnesota Road Research for. . .(MnDOT) Assistant Chief Administrator for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Director of national relations for MnDOT. Consultant with Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Aliina Hospitals and Clinic. (. . .getting the job. . .in part from a recommendation from Allina Foundation's executive director. . .) Smith and Parker. . .legal counsel to Phillips Partnership--a group of political and corportate leaders. . . . Johnson himself says One month, Abbott Hospital would pay. The next month it would be Honeywell. Next month it would be Children's Hospital, Every month, somebody would pay me. I wasn't under any contract. I wasn't an employee. It was a loose deal. Johnson knew the government ropes; he had previously worked as MnDOT's federal lobbyist. . . . The county made sole-source contracts with Smith Parker to manage the project. . . . At that point, around January 1999, Johnson said he became an employee of Smith Parker to spearhead the project. TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Union printers, trivial crimes
Jonathan Palmer's message yesterday contains some unfair accusations that tell only half the story. Jonathan is covering over the fact that he and the Samuels campaign haven't always played by the rules. (I am not getting into the issue of union printers. The DFL Party does not require a union bug on its candidates' literature. But most candidates affiliated with the DFL Party do shop union out of respect and support for Labor, and many voters take that fact into account. The Samuels campaign has explained its reasons for going to a non-union shop, and each voter can weigh that explanation for himself or herself.) Jonathan writes that this campaign has been rife not only with inane questions, but with attacks and threats of legal action against the campaign for . . . daring to call Don a 'DFL candidate.' But Jonathan is not telling the whole story. The wording on the Samuels campaign's literature violates Minnesota Statutes section 211B.02 relating to false claims of support. The Fair Campaign Practices chapter is a criminal statute, and requires that the County Attorney investigate any alleged violation. The penalty for the candidate is forfeiture of the nomination or election. (There is also a provision for imprisonment or a fine, not only for the candidate but also for the involved campaign staff.) I don't know whether any voter was in fact misled, and I assume that the wording was a simple mistake by an overzealous, inexperienced staffer who is unfamiliar with the law. But the wording that was used--regardless of intent or effect--was wording of the kind that the Fair Campaign Practices law prohibits, and which the Supreme Court of Minnesota has held in several cases is misleading as a matter of law. (Ironically, in one of the more recent cases, the Supreme Court overruled a Hennepin County judge and nullified an election for Ward 3 alderman. The infringing candidate was Sandra Hilary.) The Supreme Court has established fairly clear guidelines under the statute--for example, an unendorsed candidate may still identify himself or herself as a member of or affiliated with the DFL Party--but the Samuels literature violated these clear guidelines. In spite of advice from the other officers in favor of turning the infraction into a campaign issue, and instead of simply handing the matter over to the County Attorney, I wrote privately to Samuels campaign manager Joe Barisonzi, with whom I have dealt before and whom I respect, in the hope that he and I could resolve the matter promptly and quietly just between us. I appreciated the way that the Samuels campaign handled the issue: they consulted an attorney, and listened to her advice. Mr. Samuels assured me that he never intended to mislead anyone, and agreed that he would stop using the illegal wording. I considered the matter closed, I assumed that the Samuels campaign did too, and I asked that the other officers respect the discretion with which the Samuels campaign had handled it. The following week, at Joe Barisonzi's request, I spent a little of my own time summarizing the applicable legal precedents as a guide for the Samuels campaign. I am very disappointed that Jonathan, a member of the Samuels campaign staff, has now publicly reopened this issue in order to bash the DFL Party without taking any responsibility for the unlawful conduct that prompted the attacks and threats that he complains of. We just lost one Ward 3 Council Member over criminal misconduct, and the Council's image has suffered as a result--partly because some foolishly argued that the crime was trivial. When I read Jonathan's message, I wrote promptly to Joe Barisonzi, in the hope that Jonathan was speaking only for himself and not for the Samuels campaign when he trivialized this violation. I waited 24 hours before posting this reply, but have not heard back. Next, Jonathan writes, In fact, I have even been told I should resign my position as a director of the CD and co-chair of the Affirmative Action Commission by 5th CD DFL Leadership because it is 'insulting' and 'disrespectful' that I would be 'uppity' enough to have chosen to support an African American man running as a DFler over the endorsed candidate who is a White man. I don't know who Jonathan is attributing those quotes to and, on the DFL Party's behalf, I disown any implication that a candidate's race is a relevant consideration. If somebody said so, then they weren't speaking for the Party. But again, Jonathan is not telling the whole story. He was approached, respectfully, about his offices in the DFL Party--not because he was supporting an African American man, because he has knowingly broken the rules under which he ran for and holds his office. Jonathan is a party officer. One of the principal functions around which the Party is organized, and a part of the job description for every party officer at every level, is getting the Party's endorsed
[Mpls] Web-based List Survey
Perhaps a year ago (even longer?), I received an email with a link to a web-based survey about the uses and purposes of the Minneapolis List. I assumed it was sponsored by the List itself, but David (off-list) tells me not so. I would like to track down the folks who designed it and find out about the results.Does anybody out there know? Martha Bolinger ECCO TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re:[Mpls] Three councilmembers posting on NRP
Steve Marchese writes in part ...I would appreciate hearing from listmembers who are better versed on NRP so we can all learn how this proposal will both affect community organizations and to suggest how we can address the underlying fiscal problems in a constructive manner. There are economies to be achieved by having fewer free-standing NRP neighborhood offices and by sharing staff across neighborhood boundaries. Less balkanization would mean tens of thousands of dollars not expended if fewer full-time staff were employed at the individual NRP neighborhood level. Take away thirty such staff positions and their benefit schedules and you've certainly gone past a million dollars even when adding back some municipal-level planners riding circuit for a year or two. There's a cost in institutional memory at the neighborhood level, but such memories are still there in the voluntary boards. And there are economies of scale in the fact that current technology permits standardized analysis - demographics, traffic studies, other thematic material derived from public data sources. No need to stop at any given NRP neighborhood boundary with this. Speaking of community organizing, there's no substitute for face-to-face work, but does it have to be salaried? If so, what are the reasonable geographic boundaries? To what degree can passive techniques like direct mail be used? Mailings are expensive, but salaries are more expensive. I just don't see an all-or-nothing situation regarding NRP's overhead dollar costs if there are cost-saving workarounds that people can live with. Fred Markus, Horn Terrace, Ward Ten, in the Lyndale Neighborhood --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.443 / Virus Database: 248 - Release Date: 1/10/2003 TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re:[Mpls] Don Samuels on police behavior
Platforms and websites can be crafted by people like me who have a way with words. I've been at this since the 1960s. I offer the example of the current United States President as an example of someone in public office who needs all the help scriptwriters can give him. Doesn't make him bad on the face of it - President Eisenhower was inglorious in his public voice and yet a seasoned and highly respected leader. R.T. is good at thinking on his feet and he writes well too - as do a number of the incumbent and former city council members that contribute to this list. Thank you List Manager David Brauer, one more time with feeling. Don Samuels' response to Tamir Nolley about police behavior is high rhetoric: principled, clearly reasoned, based on first-hand knowledge, grounded in historical context. I can't believe that anybody ghost-wrote this. I'm impressed. Fred Markus, Horn Terrace, Ward Ten, in the Lyndale Neighborhood --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.443 / Virus Database: 248 - Release Date: 1/10/2003 TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Goodman, Lane, Benson Commentary NRP Resolution
Greg Luce wrote: I have a few questions that I hope can be answered: 1. I was unaware that we were running a deficit through NRP funding, which appears to be related to the bonds issued to fund NRP. Could we get more specifics on this? [In 1990 a number of tax increment districts were refinanced in a way that deferred a significant portion of the debt service and allowed the tax increment stream to be used for other community development purposes. The most significant of those purposes was the first phase of the NRP Program. Although It was never expected that there would be sufficient TI to completely fund the twenty years of both phases, it was also not anticipated that legislative property tax changes would severely reduce that TI stream and that this would occur at the same time that the deferred debt became due. The result is not an NRP deficit but reduced resources that need to be allocated between NRP and other community development priorities in a way that negatively impacts both.] 2. I assume the Chapter 595 Levy is the one also called the HRA Levy that in part funds housing creation. True? Sorry if this is a rather stupid question. Along those lines, I assume that the competition between general tax revenues that fund police, fire, etc., and the HRA Levy that funds housing/community development is a competition necessitated by the overall 8% tax ceiling. That is, if we retain the HRA/Chapter 595 Levy, we must cut back the property tax rate so that the overall rate is 8%. Just need clarification on this, as I wade through the intricacies. [In effect, the Chapter 595 Levy is the Minneapolis version of the HRA levy created under the special law, Chapter 595 that also created the MCDA from a number of Minneapolis development entities. Your understanding of the, competition is exactly right.] Jack Kryst King Field TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] The City's Financial Management
Jim Mork wrote in regards to the NRP: Um, it is the most DIRECT democracy offered anywhere in the world. Unlike voting in Florida, you CANNOT be removed from a list by the Secretary of State with no recourse. I would be in favor of ID checks in order to vote (so strangers from another neighborhood could not sway the vote) but no one can claim that city government is more democratic. I can and do claim that city government is more democratic. 1) Knowledge. Residents must understand the function, purpose, and process of the NRP to vote wisely. I doubt very seriously that a citizen picked at random could you very much at all about the NRP process. At least in high school there is some attempt to explain the process and duty of voting in governmental elections. 2) Opportunity. a. Residents must be aware that voting is taking place. I don't believe that this is true. I've proposed a number of methods to obtain greater participation in the NRP process all of which were rejected by my neighborhood association. I believe that municipal elections are much more widely publicized than NRP meetings. If you live in the 3rd ward it is very likely that someone has knocked on your door to inform you about the election and if not I'm sure you received quite a bit of junk mail. b. In city elections I can normally vote in a few minutes and have a wide choice of times at which I can vote. In NRP decisions I have to sit for hours at a particular meeting, set at a particular time, and on a particular date. And, since there is no absentee voting, this process excludes a large number of people. 3) Validity a. State and local election procedures have gone though a hundred years of refinement to prevent corruption and inaccuracies. Votes at NRP meetings are left up to the good intentions of the contactors (which I have good reason to question). b. A number of traditional voting procedures are not used, namely secret-ballots, and rules against undue intimation or bias (even the Athenians used secret-ballots). c. Campaign reform laws have targeted the use of misleading and distorted information. The NRP has no such checks and balances. d. There are no procedures to prevent special interest groups from buying votes or packing meetings. In general, representative democracies function well because of the establishment of basic individual rights, a series of checks and balances, and a system to adjudicate complaints. In reality the NRP lacks all of these basic protections. Michael Atherton Prospect Park TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] list post format
One can download use and incredimail at www.incredimail.com. It will format plain text or fancy stuff. This is being sent from incredimail.. The nice thing about incredimail you can receive your mail from aol and msn. Incredimail can go to that site and bring the mail into incredimail. Try it. Eli Kaplan=Linden Hills TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] 3 Council Members NRP Commentary
3 Council Members NRP Commentary JLS--I wish to thank Council Members Goodman, Lane and Benson for putting together their straight talk about the NRP in view of the poor financial situation in which the City of Minneapolis and its taxpayers/stakeholders find themselves in January 2003. I hope the honorable council members recognize that the many neighborhood activists working to find solutions to the NRP funding problem and to continue the successful program are as sincere, concerned and dedicated to the general welfare of our fair city as any other Minneapolitans. == RE: [Mpls] Goodman, Lane, Benson Commentary NRP Resolution Goodman, Lisa R [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tue Jan 21 16:24:00 2003 Straight Talk About Sharing The Pain. Strong neighborhood organizations make for strong neighborhoods and strong neighborhoods have made Minneapolis one of the most livable urban cities in the United States. With this in mind we, as three of your elected members of the City Council, want to address the long term funding issues and structural organizational issues facing the City as we prepare to approve the city's five year budget priorities. We call on neighborhood associations, activists, and community leaders to work with us as your elected representatives to help us figure out the future of the NRP. Resolutions like the one being circulated have little basis in the financial reality we face together as a City. They only serve to split the community and the neighborhood groups into factions that will end up competing with each other for resources rather than focusing on planning for outcomes. == JLS--Perhaps the trust level among neighborhood associations and activists would now be higher if the Council and Mayor had led late last year and worked with the community interest, neighborhoods, and other jurisdictions representatives on the NRP Policy Board to help us figure out the future of the NRP. City leaders, past and present, seem to ignore the multi-jurisdictional nature of the NRP and one of its core purposes of bringing greater collaboration among jurisdictions to better serve the residents of all Minneapolis' neighborhoods. The NRP statute was established by the State Legislature in 1990. The Legislature amended the NRP statute in 1996 to expand the permissible uses of NRP funds. Some officials seem to take the position that there an inherent contradiction in both empowering and funding municipal services through the neighborhood level, the building blocks of the city? The point is well taken about the need to avoid competing factions fighting over scarce resources--affordable housing advocates, environmentalists, the construct of different neighborhood types, impacted versus non-impacted, etc. Some have said that NRP ought not to have been about building up smaller-scale bureaucracies at the neighborhood level, but rather about defining and delivering necessary, valued and efficient local government services to city residents. Some may recall near the conclusion of the January 11 meeting with NRP Policy Board members and neighborhood board presidents (and many others) how Council President Ostrow harkened back to the core principles of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program. == We face serious challenges as we move forward as a City to address our economic and community development issues. Developing and sustaining healthy, safe and affordable neighborhoods, with living wage job opportunities and a sense of community can continue. Bringing all voices to the table for an honest discussion has been our desire all along. Straight talk, whether the message has been hard to deliver or hard to hear, has been a priority for us and we will continue to tell the truth and hope you take our efforts at face value as we proceed down this difficult path. == JLS--The neighborhood associations and activists have stepped up to challenge what many see as a power grab. People are concerned about losing meaningful input into important decisions affecting our quality of life. We're still waiting to hear from the other key players from the other governing jurisdictions on the NRP Policy Board. Are the other jurisdictions going to continue to participate in a second phase of NRP? Some would say that some jurisdiction(s), to be blunt, were drawn to the NRP since for them it was merely a cash cow. The Mayor and Council certainly have the capacity of bringing all voices to the table for an honest discussion. Work with the NRP Policy Board and set up a series of well-publicized community wide meetings, fora and other new technologies to discuss the new financial realities, facilitate that open and honest discussion, and solicit ideas for new ways of doing business. TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn
[Mpls] 3rd Ward Politics
Well, I guess I won't trouble myself with Michael's answer about democracy. I think he really needs a dictionary to sort out the confusion between representation and democracy (they aren't the same thing). And the socalled professionalism of elected representatives is NOT a cure-all for public issues he claims it to be. I wanted to update my feelings about candidates such as Mr. Samuels. I recalled going to the Truth-in-Taxation hearing where I heard the anguish of such small business types as John Kolstad (there were several others). It occurs to me that maybe it WOULD be good to have a voice on the inside for small business, assuming that Mr. Samuels has had similar experiences with the burden of taxation. Perhaps he would speak up for Mr. Kolstad and his many, many peers out there. However, Mr. Samuels disturbs me in another way. He says that drugs are sold by gangs and gangs fight for turf, and that innocents get harmed. Fine. But WHAT does drug dealing have to do with this?? A lot of shrewd politicians sense the revulsion people have for selling addictive substances (though how often do they speak up about it in reference to alcohol, cigarettes, or even gambling and burning gasoline?) The FACT is that what is wrong with drug gangs is that they use lethal weapons in ways that are illegal and dangerous. And city government should be fighting that REGARDLESS of the presence of drug dealing. If I fire off a hand gun and murder someone by accident, I don't see that my lack of drug activity makes the victim less dead. So, let Mr. Samuels step forward and say that it is firearm use in the city limits that he minds, and stop trying to demagogue by using the magic phrase drug dealing. The phrase is irrelevant except in terms of political exploitation. -- Jim Mork--Cooper War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our Country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. Gen. William T. Sherman (1864) Letter to the Mayor of Atlanta. Get your free Web-based E-mail at http://www.startribune.com/stribmail TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Union printers, trivial crimes
As long as we're on the subject of "trivial crimes" as they relate to the current 3rd ward campaign, maybe the city dfl could cruise down Lowry Ave between Washington Ave., and Penn Ave., and verify the legality of the campaign signs posted at the business properties. I'm sure this has already been taken care of, as it seems that there is an infinite amount of time taken-upon issues of this kind. It was never made clear - was it Jonathan Palmer, or the city dfl that originally brought-up the "serious infraction", no wait, I'm SURE the term used was "fellonious offense"for using the termdflcandidatemistakenly by the Samuels campaign??? I probably don't have any business asking, as I'm only a3rd ward resident,and therefore don't have much of a say-so in this election. But I'm curious nonetheless. Why is it that the city dfl feels the need to seek thepersonal endorsement (in this election) of a US Senator? Seems kind of odd to me. Why is it that a grassroots campaign can generate and make available a campaign platform (donsmauels.org), yet a city dfl endosered candidate isn't able to? One last question, and it REALLY does affect me. The city dfl has made it "their priority" this year to "reach-out" to minorities. Would you be so kind as to share objectives and goals related to this priority. I'd really be happy to see the dfl persuade the number of voters in the western half of the third ward to vote that Don Samuels was able tomotivate (to vote) in the primary, as then they'd stop blaming me for all the bad decisions I make. Dennis Plante Jordan Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
