Dear List Members:
I take exception with Ms. Becker's "connect the dots" approach to
political analysis on this issue. I further object to Ms. Becker's claim,
by implication, that I am attempting to "smear" Ms. James.
The majority of the City Council saw fit to establish the Office of
Cultural Affairs. I would not have voted for it given the needs for other
city priorities. By my count, there are still not seven votes (or nine
votes in the face of a presumed Mayoral veto) to disband the office. So,
at least in the near-term, the question of "should we he have an office
of cultural affairs?" has been decided. That's life.
In my opinion, Ms. James has done a very creditable job piloting a
controversial office in a highly politicized environment. She has
correctly approached the challenge from a strategic standpoint, attempted
to involve all of the stakeholders (including dissenting council members)
and has come up with a plan to implement her strategy. From my
conversations with her, I know she is willing to be held responsible for
delivering on that mission.
In the case of "A Lot of Art", Ms. James was faced with a funding
shortfall and she had two choices (1) push ahead, commit the resources
whether she had them or not and ask for an additional appropriation or
(2) terminate the program. The former is easy -- it pushes the
responsibility to say "no" up the food chain; always a safe bureaucratic
response. The latter is harder because it means taking responsibility for
delivering on your mission within your budget. In this case, that
responsibility comes in a very public forum.
Ms. James took the harder road, much to her credit. No one can guarantee
that they won't make mistakes. In my view, the test of a professional is
how they handle themselves once they've made one. Here, Ms. James handled
the problem in a professional and responsible manner. Too bad that is
news.
I can separate my lack of enthusiasm for a program with my support for a
public employee doing her level best to accomplish a task duly authorized
by the Council. So long as she continues to do her best to accomplish her
mission, produces the results she promises and stays within her budget,
and so long as the program cannot be terminated, Ms. James has my support.
Ms. Becker has clearly been around long enough to understand that a
reporter's story is his or her work-product, not the work-product of the
person or persons quoted in it. While my quotes in the Strib were
accurate, shame on Ms. Becker for using this story to argue, by innuendo,
that I was involved in a "smear" or some other illegitimate attempt to
undermine Ms. James' operation. My dispute -- and I think it is a
legitimate dispute -- is with the council members and the mayor who think
this is something on which we should spend scarce tax money; not with Ms.
James.
-------------
Barret W.S. Lane
Fulton
Minneapolis City Council
Ward 13
Minority Leader
--
Barret W.S. Lane
Attorney at Law
2925 Dean Parkway, Suite 300
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55416
Office: (612) 924-0496
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Minneapolis City Council -- Ward 13
Minority Leader
350 South Fifth Street, Suite 307
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415
Office: (612) 673-2213
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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