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Contrary to what Nader supporters say, Gore and Bush are not the same =
when it comes to urban policies that will effect Minneapolis. Following =
is an excerpt from Gore's speech to the Brookings Institution that =
demonstrates Gore's grasp of issues facing Minneapolis. The complete =
text can be found at http://www.algore.com/speeches/sprawl.html. If Gore =
or Bush had a clear lead, I would urge Nader supporters to vote for =
Nader and get the Green Party $12 million. But, the biggest positive =
impact Nader can have this election is to get out the vote for Gore. Who =
knows, maybe Gore will appoint him head of the EPA.
Here's part of what Gore said:
"In the last fifty years, we've built flat, not tall: because land is =
cheaper the further out it lies, new office buildings, roads, and malls =
go up farther and farther out, lengthening commutes and adding to =
pollution. This outward stretch leaves a vacuum in the cities and =
suburbs which sucks away jobs, businesses, homes, and hope; as people =
stop walking in downtown areas, the vacuum is filled up fast with crime, =
drugs, and danger...
"How, then, can the federal government encourage and strengthen smarter, =
more livable, sustainable growth? Again, smart growth is about local and =
community decisions, and we don't want to tell anyone where to live, or =
where to locate a business. But I believe there is nevertheless an =
important role for federal support for local energies.
"We in the federal government can start by getting our own house in =
order, and making it look good. We should start paying closer attention =
to livability in the building and planning we provide to taxpayers-such =
as where we locate new post offices, new libraries, new federal =
buildings and so on, and whether we should fix up old beautiful old =
buildings in historic areas before rushing to build bland new ones =
farther out.
"Secondly, we can get our own house in order by reexamining federal =
policies that may have been well-intentioned, but have encouraged and =
subsidized the wrong kind of growth and runaway sprawl. For example, in =
some cases, federal subsidies actually gave handsome financial rewards =
to communities to extend sewage lines far out into undeveloped areas, =
rather than spending those funds for needed improvements and expansions =
in places where families already relied on them. And until we changed =
the policy, the federal government gave employers big subsidies to offer =
parking spaces to their employees, but much less help if they wanted to =
help cover their employees' mass transit costs. We need a national =
dialogue on the kinds of policies that actually subsidize and encourage =
the wrong kind of development.
"Third, we can provide carefully targeted incentives to encourage =
smarter growth-such as support for mass transit and light rail =
systems-not to restrict growth in any way, but to reward growth that =
strengthens family-friendly communities.
"Fourth, we can play an enormously positive role as a partner with =
cities, suburbs, and rural areas, as we have already started to do =
through our empowerment initiative and through out work with the U.S. =
Conference of Mayors and the National Association of County =
Organizations on their brand-new Joint Center for Sustainable =
Communities. That way, whole regions can create a vision and build =
together for their common future."
John Rocker
CARAG
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<DIV>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Contrary to what Nader supporters say, =
Gore and Bush=20
are not the same when it comes to urban policies that will effect =
Minneapolis.=20
Following is an excerpt from Gore's speech to the Brookings Institution =
that=20
demonstrates Gore's grasp of issues facing Minneapolis. The complete =
text can be=20
found at </FONT><A =
href=3D"http://www.algore.com/speeches/sprawl.html"><FONT=20
face=3DArial =
size=3D2>http://www.algore.com/speeches/sprawl.html</FONT></A><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2>. If Gore or Bush had a clear lead, I would urge =
Nader=20
supporters to vote for Nader and get the Green Party $12 million. But, =
the=20
biggest positive impact Nader can have this election is to get out the =
vote for=20
Gore. Who knows, maybe Gore will appoint him head of the=20
EPA.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Here's part of what Gore said:</FONT></P>
<P>"In the last fifty years, we've built flat, not tall: because land is =
cheaper=20
the further out it lies, new office buildings, roads, and malls go up =
farther=20
and farther out, lengthening commutes and adding to pollution. This =
outward=20
stretch leaves a vacuum in the cities and suburbs which sucks away jobs, =
businesses, homes, and hope; as people stop walking in downtown areas, =
the=20
vacuum is filled up fast with crime, drugs, and danger...</P>
<P>"How, then, can the federal government encourage and strengthen =
smarter, more=20
livable, sustainable growth? Again, smart growth is about local and =
community=20
decisions, and we don't want to tell anyone where to live, or where to =
locate a=20
business. But I believe there is nevertheless an important role for =
federal=20
support for local energies.</P>
<P>"We in the federal government can start by getting our own house in =
order,=20
and making it look good. We should start paying closer attention to =
livability=20
in the building and planning we provide to taxpayers—such as where =
we locate new=20
post offices, new libraries, new federal buildings and so on, and =
whether we=20
should fix up old beautiful old buildings in historic areas before =
rushing to=20
build bland new ones farther out.</P>
<P>"Secondly, we can get our own house in order by reexamining federal =
policies=20
that may have been well-intentioned, but have encouraged and subsidized =
the=20
wrong kind of growth and runaway sprawl. For example, in some cases, =
federal=20
subsidies actually gave handsome financial rewards to communities to =
extend=20
sewage lines far out into undeveloped areas, rather than spending those =
funds=20
for needed improvements and expansions in places where families already =
relied=20
on them. And until we changed the policy, the federal government gave =
employers=20
big subsidies to offer parking spaces to their employees, but much less =
help if=20
they wanted to help cover their employees' mass transit costs. We need a =
national dialogue on the kinds of policies that actually subsidize and =
encourage=20
the wrong kind of development.</P>
<P>"Third, we can provide carefully targeted incentives to encourage =
smarter=20
growth—such as support for mass transit and light rail =
systems—not to restrict=20
growth in any way, but to reward growth that strengthens family-friendly =
communities.</P>
<P>"Fourth, we can play an enormously positive role as a partner with =
cities,=20
suburbs, and rural areas, as we have already started to do through our=20
empowerment initiative and through out work with the U.S. Conference of =
Mayors=20
and the National Association of County Organizations on their brand-new =
Joint=20
Center for Sustainable Communities. That way, whole regions can create a =
vision=20
and build together for their common future."</P>
<P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>John Rocker<BR>CARAG</FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2></FONT></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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