First, let me introduce you to Helen. On Tuesday, I'm walking west down Lake from Nicollet and at the corner of Lake and Lyndale I spot a slightly hunched woman with a yellow bladed ice chopper going at ice around the bus stop in front of Mike's Subs and the little jewelry shop next to it. So I talked to the woman. I'm curious. Her name is Helen and she has borrowed the ice chopper from the little shop to chop away ice at the bus stop and in the shelter. She doesn't live in the neighborhood but apparently comes there often as the day before she had gotten her feet wet trying to get on the bus. so today she has taken matters into her own hands. God bless her stout heart. Questions: What does Metro Transit get from its arrangement with Transtop? They clean shelters in summer but do they ever shovel snow or chop ice in winter? Who is responsible to clear away snow and ice at bus stops? Little old ladies like Helen I guess. I could get into a whole monologue about the foolishness of turning over these shelters to private businesses to make money. I could get into a monologue about using every available inch of space inside buses for public service info about Metro Transit instead of selling ads as the private operators used to do. But then that would not be specifically a Mpls. issue. Sidewalks: Walk from Nicollet and Lake west to Uptown and you will be astounded how few sidewalks are cleared. Why can't Walgreens clear their sidewalk? Why does almost every auto related business along Lake not clear their walks? Is it coincidental you think that those business more reliant on foot traffic tend to shovel more thoroughly? It goes without saying that every auto-related business has plowed their lots and service areas. Believe me I am sympathetic to the plight of many small businesses that are struggling under the weight of higher property taxes but unlike homeowners they have a way to pass on their costs. An individual who may be beat from a day's work, caring for a child and an aging parent, trying to stay involved with PTA etc and faces higher property taxes, fuel costs etc eeks out a victory in the compassion area from me. This is not to mention older housebound citizens unable to shovel. And please don't get me started on absentee landlords. I used to live in the Wedge where there was a fairly high amount of rental apartments owned by absent owners. Relax, Mr. Minn, I do not mean to stereotype here. Now here is a suggestion that is bound to piss off a bunch of people. I know Dave who bartends at Club Havana took me to task for it. Downtown Command routinely runs beat patrols. Some of these guys like it. They look at it this way. They're getting paid by the city to keep in shape and be out on the street having a good time. Why doesn't 5th precinct do the same thing and let cops struggle down Lake and issue warnings. Get to know business owners, gather useful information, all those good things. Gee you could even put some guys out in residential areas on a rotating basis. Now Dave thinks this is demeaning for cops, that its the work of inspectors. O.k. I'll buy Dave's argument. But then maybe we ought to put more inspectors out on the street. But then we need to pay for them and the temptation will be to levy fines which I think is a bad policy except in the most egregious cases. I think a lot of these problems with sidewalks are just a lack of awareness on the part of some of these people. When we stop using police to protect those above from the rabble and see to it that police also protect the poor, the most vulnerable, etc from those who violate the ordinances and impinge on their freedom of motion, their very liberty as it were, then we would have a more just society. This would be a simple way to demonstrate that idea and the dividends it will pay might be incalculable. There are solutions to all these problems. There seems to be lack of will and creativity. In the meantime we can thank the people of the world like Helen who see a problem and pitch in for no other reason than to keep their own feet dry. Tim Connolly Ward 7 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
