The parking ban goes into effect when there has been so much snow that you
cannot effectively plow it all onto the boulevards. Plows can get it to
stack only so high and when it comes trickling down onto the street, cars
have to park further out into traffic. (and remember, we folks are
responsible to shovel it from the sidewalk side so plows can push it back
only so far) When this happens, it becomes impossible to get fire trucks
and police
vehicles down streets.
When this happens, the City is forced to make a decision: do you sacrifice
safety for ease of parking? Some people have a harder time parking and have
to walk further to their houses. On the other hand, for someone having a
heart attack, the time that fire truck is trying to maneuver down a street
or
time that the fire fighters have to run carrying their equipment to get to
that house can make the difference between living and dying. Which would
you chose if you were the Mayor or City Council Member? Is it worth losing
some lives because a fire truck couldn't get down some streets? In 1999,
the City averaged 65 calls a day for emergency medical service. Are those
lives worth asking some people to walk in further to their house?
For me, living in the City involves a complex social contract with my
neighbors and this is just one of the sacrifices I make to live in the City.
Carol Becker
Longfellow
----- Original Message -----
From: David Wilson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Carol Becker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2001 8:11 AM
Subject: Re: [Mpls] Press releases on list
> I had a conversation with Mike Kennedy from the Department of Public Works
> about 2 months ago about the lack of plowing in the Loring Park
> neighborhood and the burden that the alternate street parking put on
> residents (especially if the plowing didn't get done). We discussed the
> quality of life issues and the "philosophy" of parking.
>
> I stand by the following statement: aside from the health and safety
> issues of parking, city staff have some discretion in imposing parking
> bans and enforcing these bans. Within this discretion area, very little
> consideration is given to customer/residents' needs and the decisions are
> made to accommodate the needs of the city staff over the residents.
>
> Karl Marx wrote something like this(and I am paraphrasing): "It is the job
> of the philosophers to study the world. It is our job to change it."
>
> The lifting of the ban is at least a week overdue. And except for the
> interlocking directorate of the Lisas on the City Council, I don't know
> who should get credit for lifting the even-side parking ban.
>
> Shame on the city bureaucracy for not factoring in citizen needs.
>
> David Wilson
> Loring Park
>
>
>
> On Thu, 22 Mar 2001, Carol Becker wrote:
>
> > A different perspective:
> >
> > The weather warms. The snow melts. The streets become passable by
> > emergency vehicles. The Public Works Director and the Police Chief take
> > note and remove the restrictions, an authority which lies with them and
not
> > the Mayor or the City Council . Someone has to send out the press
release
> > so the Mayor's Office does, fairly noting in it that this is not the
> > decision of the Mayor nor the City Council. The press release is sent
to
> > the wider press and to the list. I think characterizing a "score" for
any
> > politician is inaccurate.
> >
> > The real question is why did the Star Tribune chose to interview a
mayoral
> > candidate for this article when there were 12 other Council Members that
are
> > not running for mayor who could have been interviewed? Why did they
chose to
> > involve themselves in the mayoral race in this way and if they were, why
not
> > provide balance?
> >
> > Carol Becker
> > Longfellow
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Fredric Markus <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > To: Mpls-Issues <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2001 12:05 PM
> > Subject: [Mpls] Press releases on list
> >
> >
> > > Aw, this is too easy. Fact is: snow restrictions lifted. Start your
> > > stopwatches! The list hears about it from CM Mcdonald; someone on the
list
> > > thanks the CM for her good work; and coming in a distant third, the
list
> > > gets a press release from SSB's camp stoutly affirming involvement. My
> > vote
> > > is: Score one for Lisa.
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > http://e-democracy.org/mpls
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy
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> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy
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