I would like to address David Brauer's statement that takes issue with my corollary betwen Mark Stenglein's street sweeping and crime. I understand there is nothing on Mark's website to indicate such a relationship in his mind between litter and criminals. Mark wants to clean the streets. He likes tidy. I'm not sure why he thinks we need to do this. Certainly it is not necessary citywide. There are sections of many wards where you could literally eat off the ground. The areas that need the greatest attention are those with the highest concentrations of poverty and that usually have greater percentages of minorities and renters. Some of this is guesswork on my part. I do not have access to the data the political incumbents and their factotums possess but I'm sure one will respond if I am wrong. Why not apply our energies in those areas. More importantly, why don't we apply more energy and finances to alleviate conditions that might make this less of a reality in the future. Yes we want cleaner streets for those who live there but some people come off as though litter is a personal affront to them even when it happens somewhere else. This ought not be about being a clean city just for the sake of the sensibilities of people intent on imposing their sense of order on the world. I'm opposed to tough talk on litterers. I don't particularly like taggers but I don't know how you stop them beyond what we are doing. How do you stop anyone from getting a "thrill" as David might say. Yes we want adults and children to be better citizens and not litter but it's difficult to muster much care and concern when you know the likelihood of ever escaping poverty and realizing the fruits of citizenship would be an aberration rather than an expectation. Better than sending around the street sweepers it may make greater sense for those of us who live the American Dream, who have freshly painted homes in nice clean neighborhoods, who are where we are as much out of privelege as merit, were to walk as a peaceful army of friends and fellow citizens of this city into those distressed neighborhoods of litter and crime and high infant mortality and poor nutrition and all the other things that go along with poverty and racism and expressed our good will and intention to join as one, to raise all ourselves up and to begin repayment, not in condescension or out of guilt, but because we know it is right and good and our only real hope of ever solving the problems we see. Maybe it is time for we as a city to reach out and embrace the idea of reparations for African-Americans if for no other reason than it makes good sense. Now this might be a beginning of something great. This might also make all of us feel safer in our own city. This might be an education for those who have never seen Cottage Park where Kevin Brewer was shot and killed or where any number of other victims of police brutality, institutional racism, skewed economic priorities and bankrupting moral principles, or lack thereof, that put inordinate profit and growth and accumulation of wealth for selfish individuals and soulless corporations above the commonwealth of all our citizens especially those living lives of quiet desperation who die a thousand painful deaths before they are mercifully released from the ultimate bondage. I'm talking about more than symbolism here. We've had enough of symbolism. Mark likes parades. At least he was all over the NE parade, if not the Gay Pride parade. Maybe he wants to lead the parade into the depressed neighborhoods up north, in a section of the city where he supposedly could have had some influence given his position as County Commissioner in that part of the county. Instead he would rather send in the street sweepers and talk about the irresponsibility of men of all colors---except blue as David Brauer points out---- and expect us to follow. Sounds like the revenge of what Syl Jones calls "the tall white guys" except that they have always been the real powers that be and the ones who have gotten us into this mess. These are the same guys who have ceded just enough power to make us think we were coming into our own and who dressed up in sheeps clothing while they played behind the scenes and sabotaged efforts at progress until all of us, progessives included, became so disillusioned that we would turn to them for salvation. I'm not buying it. I'm betting there are enough people in this city, of all hues and creeds and political splinters, who feel as I do, people who want a leader who offers better ideas than sending in the street sweepers and who aren't afraid to get their hands a little dirty in the process of opening their hearts and minds and making real progress. I do not want to hear about the "great city of Minneapolis" when I know that by latest count 18.5% of our citizens live below the poverty line. There is something seriously wrong with that statistic and clean streets will not lessen it or make those who live with it daily any more comfortable. I agree with David Brauer's assessment of Commissioner Stenglein's inclination to pander to police interests. I think it is dangerous. I still remember the comments made by The Commissioner to the Editor of the Police Federations newsletter and Cyndi Montgomery, spokesperson for MPD outside the ISAG hearings. He tried to sluff it off as nothing, an innocent remark, in a conversation we had but in light of things I have seen and heard lately, I wonder. Does Mark Stenglein announce a break with the past thirty years of "failed" municipal government or a reversion to the good old days of Charlie Stenvig when cops could sit in the same room as I, sweeping a floor, and refer openly to the niggers their dogs bit instead of cloaking their racism under the guise of good police work. It's not by coincidence that when the police shot Demetrius Sesler in the back and were forced to take three days paid leave as prescribed by police policy they referred to it as "trigger time". I accuse the Commissioner of nothing. I think he is affable. I like him. Some of the unspoken things I sense from some of his followers gives me concern. Tim Connolly Candidate for Mayor Downtown Resident __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! 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