The most frustrating thing that happened to me this winter was when a grader came by and plowed my street right to the curb...exactly how it should be done. But they only did it that way once all winter. It showed me that the crews had the training and the equipment to get the job done, but usually didn't. It is a management issue. It's sort of a metaphor for the city's whole approach to streets, trash, crime, graffiti, airport noise, <insert your issue here>.
Everything necessary to run the city properly is in place, but they just don't get the job done.
Rich Chandler - Ward 9
-----Original Message-----
From: Terrell Brown
So the Mayor of Minneapolis couldn't get her party to support her bid for reelection and it sounds like she is in denial. She just can't figure out why.
Her public explanation is that the "left wing" of the DFL is upset with the money she gave to Target Corporation to build a downtown store. I think its much more than the "left wing" of the DFL that doesn't approve of the Target subsidy, a subsidy that has increased substantially from the amount of her original proposal. Can you say "doubled"?
Even if you thought that the Target project was a good use of City of Minneapolis money, it doesn't seem unreasonable to expect a realistic projection of how much it will cost. Maybe just a little bit of candidness on what this stuff costs, not this "oh, by the way, we're going to need to spend just a little bit more"
It's like LRT. I heard an interesting tidbit on MPR this morning about LRT. The Met Council project manager for the LRT project was recently the project manager for the new Safeco Field, the new baseball park in Seattle. How many hundred million did that thing go over budget? I don't like the trend here. (and I like the concept of LRT.)
We know from our Metrodome experience that it is possible to build a public project on time and on budget. MNDOT seems to be able to do come in on time, on budget with their projects. Why can't Minneapolis and Met Council do the same thing?
We moved the Shubert Theatre a couple of years back. It sits boarded up on its new location right on Hennepin Avenue. No progress. How much did Mayor Sayles-Belton have us spend on that one? How much will she have us spend on Block E? Oh, yes Block E. That's what we moved the Shubert off of because construction was immanent.
So why is the Mayor having trouble with her reelection bid? Maybe it's her misplaced priorities. She's spending her time giving money to Target Corporation and Block E developers while she ignores Police Department racial profiling and lets restrictions stand that keep boarded up houses owned by MCDA from becoming affordable housing. Real issues affecting real people. She has good opponents this year, should it be a surprise that her campaign is falling apart?
Terrell
