Don't be fooled! The Star Tribune editorial board is again at its propoganda, trying to bully local officials to promote downtown and suburban business interests at the expense of inner-city neighborhoods. The Strib is engaging in its now familiar pattern of accusing opponents of double talk in an attempt to obscure the fact that the only double talk is in its own editorial position. Who does the Strib think its fooling by asserting that turning the center of South Minneapolis into a wider path from the suburbs to downtwon will somehow bring economic benefit to the central city?! There is no way that expanding 35W helps communities in the 8th Ward. It will destroy more housing, cause greater pollution, and further harm and isolate communities around the highway.
It is also real important to realize that expanding Crosstown - 62 and 35W also will not improve traffic congestion. A basic and repeatedly tested rule of urban planning is that more highway causes more traffic. (Most recent example - check out the newly rerouted and expanded Highway 55 between Minnehaha Creek and 62 during the rush hour - it is much much more congested than the old Highway 55). Wider highways simply encourage more people to drive on them and more development near the suburban exits to the highways to take advantage of the wider access. Any relief from the expansion is almost immediately offset by even greater congestion. The solution to traffic congestion is more public transporation - not more highway. The Strib's agenda is not concerned with benefitting the inner-city economy or relieving suburban commuter. Its agenda is to funnel as many people as possible into downtown in order to stimulate more condensed downtown development and enhance the value of the Strib's large downtown real estate holdings. (There may well be other business interests for the Strib or its advertisers) The threat about Minneapolis facing isolation is also familiar blackmail that the Strib loves to perpetuate. (Look at its years of shouting whining for a taxpayer-funded stadium so that the billionaires don't move professional teams). The only real hope for economic and political power for central city communities is to take control of our destiny - not to continue to sacrafice housing, economic well-being, the environment and quality of life to outside development interests. Ryback, Lillegren, and a majority of the city council got elected to stop selling neighborhoods out to downtown development interests. This 35W issue is indeed a test of the newly elected officials - a challenge to stand up for the communities they represent. Jordan Kushner Ward 8 List Manager wrote: > Welcome to the bigs, Robert Lilligren; you've been challenged by the > Strib editorial board: > > "Mayor-elect R.T. Rybak and Eighth Ward Council Member Robert Lilligren > have an opportunity to clear up the frustrating double talk that has > surrounded this project -- neighbors wanting an interchange but not more > traffic, activists wanting more transit but not on I-35W, people > continuing to demand apologies for a freeway that has been in place > since the 1960s. These two new leaders can provide the clarity needed to > bring the Lake Street neighborhoods into the metro mainstream." > > http://www.startribune.com/stories/561/899129.html > > David Brauer > List manager > > _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
