It's been way to long since I've "bedded a woman" but
let me give a shot at this thing. I'm told it's like
riding a bike; you don't forget how.
I live downtown. I think the idea of one penny going
to subsidize a grocery story is a horrible idea. It is
unnecessary.
I shop at Lund's in Uptown, have for years. I grew up
in the neighborhood and rember when it was Hove"s.
I've also shopped at Rainbow Foods in Uptown but
prefer Lund's for reasons of personal taste. I prefer
their cheese selection, the deli and meat departments,
etc but primarily the length of the checkout lines and
the relative intelligence of the cashiers. I also like
having my bags packed for me.
I also shop regularly at the Wedge where i prefer the
produce and a number of other products. For instance,
Rice Dream rice milk costs 20 cents less at the Wdge,
the Spring mix lettuce is less expensive and red leaf
lettuce tastes better when it is "organic". Valencia
oranges which i squeeze eah morning for juice also
cost 99 cents a pound versus $1.29/lb at Lunds. I
dont' know the price at Rainbow.
I walk home from these stores to 12th and LaSalle.
It's no big deal. I like the exercise. If i am tired i
will take the bus. It only costs $1.00, soon to rise
to $1.25. Of course I shop for one person and i do it
at least once a week so I rarely have more than two
bags.
There ae such things as cabs and buses in this town
and they have no difficulty navigating between
downtown and anywhere else. I've even seen whole
families riding the bus and cabs charge the same for
one as they do for three.
And when you figure out how much a car, insurance,
license, gas and parking tickets, not to mention
towing and impound fees cost, you can take a lot of
cab rides and still save money. And you can get
stinking drunk and never worry about tickets. I drove
cab. Believe me, I know!
As most of the people in downtown housing are either
single or empty nesters I see little difficulty in
either case of taking the bus, a cab or walking.
Additionally there are two supermarkets downtown or
very close by, on 18th and Nicollet and in the
Eastgate shopping center on Cental at University. Did
they ever receive subsidies? I seriously doubt it. Red
Owl Stores, which was the orignal developer saw a
market and built.
What SSB is talking about is providing a subsidy to
either Lunds or Byerly's, the same company I might
add, to build an upscale grocery for people who live
in expensive housing that has often essentially been
subsidized by the public. If i recall, the LSGI plan
included such an establishment.
Is this a new type of social organization?
In one of the multitude of "Plans" for the city and
downtown, the stated housing plicy is to increase
choices for those with the fewest options, i.e.; the
poor and to provide normal housing choices for those
with the greatest number of options, the rich.
These sorts of subsidies seem to be just the opposite
Target was not built downtown for poorer people, your
traditional discount shoppers, but for the middle and
uper classes living downtown who don't want to have to
schlep to Broadway or Minnehaha and Lake. If poorer
residents near downtown find this new store more
convenient it is only by accident and not design.
i suggest to those who live the good life outside the
urban core, the central city, and who grouse about the
Target subsidy, me thinks you protest too much. This
Target downtown was built for you in your declining
years when the kids are grown and you move downtown
from the shores of Lake Harriet.
I do not want to begrudge anyone the good life. Those
who live in the more posh neighborhoods pay ridiculous
property taxes and you deserve relief and decent
services but those who are of more modest incomes are
more seriously impacted proportionally just as poorer
people are more likely to be adversely impacted by
crime as a general rule.
I have not read todays paper yet so this was mostly in
response to what Bob Gustafson had written and my
general thoughts. I also apologize for the tone of
class animosity but I feel like I've become the voice
for the disenfranchised on this list. a mighty strange
turn of events for one born into the lap of luxury!
Tim Connolly
Ward 7
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