I think Jay Clark summed up the arguments for and against the NRP:
>NRP was designed to get more people involved in their community, and
>reforming government to more effectively meet community resident's needs.
The only >justification for me is that the neighborhoods are doing such a
good job at outreach >and involvement that they know better than downtown
what are the needs of the >community, and can better direct those resources.
>In Minneapolis, we are fortunate to have city workers who are, overall,
>professional, hard-working, and committed. Part-time neighborhood
volunteers, no >matter how committed and intelligent, will never, on
average, be as professionally >competent as the downtown city staff."
So, why not keep the planning and prioritizing on the neighborhood level and
let the city's professional staff manage the money and implement the plans
once they are approved? Does each neighborhood really need its own staff for
implementation?
John Rocker
CARAG
