Thanks Mike Hohmann for your analysis. It is a loss to the city that we didn't manage to elect you to the Library Board.
At 10:26 AM 01/05/2002 -0600, Michael Hohmann wrote: >Thanks to Alan Shilepsky for his thoughtful comments yesterday re: post >I'm confident Barret Lane will make his fiscal expertise and knowledge of >the city budgets, his ideas and insights, readily available to all Council >members, especially the new ones-- even though he was not elected W&M >committee chair. The city budget process for next year should provide some >real challenges, and CM Lane can play a key role in educating other Council >members regarding the prudent fiscal strategies and choices needed to help >assure sound development policy over the longer term-- the long-term >consequences associated with annual budget decisions. I also urge CM Lane >to use the media, including this list, to greater advantage in making the >general public- Mpls. residents, more aware of the fiscal issues and choices >being addressed by the CC. Increased media coverage and greater >budget-process transparency should help city residents provide more >thoughtful input to their newly elected leaders in City Hall. > >Likewise, I'm also sure that Mr. Moir (former Finance Director, now on the >Mayor's staff) will have insightful fiscal advice, and I urge CC members to >avail themselves. In fact, it would be nice to see W&M Chair Johnson >actively seek Moir's advice and input as a knowledgeable expert-- in >addition to that of the current Finance Director. And, as Dave Delvoye >indicated, I hope our elected leaders in Mpls. (i.e. Council Chairs) work >closely with the legislature and the Ventura Administration to adequately >represent City interests at the state level. I hope Chair Johnson and Council Member Lilligren listens to both Moir and Barrett Lane -- and also in the case of CM Lilligren, keeps his ear to the ground to his constituents wishes in budget priorities, rather than listening to full time labor lobbyist Brian Beale first. Labor's best interests are not necessarily in the best interest of the city and the taxpayers. Lilligren's largest single source of donations after his contributions to his committee was from the labor pacs (around $2500 I believe). This was about 25% of what he raised for his election. Most of his other contributions were small contributions -- often $25, $50 from individuals within the ward. The labor donations came AFTER the primary. Those who worked on his campaign put in lots of "sweat equity" and got him through the primary with a healthy lead. One rather interesting and ironic note. Robert's campaign was going to be getting phone bank support from labor -- but the union had it's own labor troubles and their workers were on strike. So no labor provided phonebank. The campaign managed without. Labor did do a lit drop for Robert -- but their "sample ballot" spelled his last name incorrectly. Eva Eva Young Central ----------------------------------------------------- Click here for Free Video!! http://www.gohip.com/freevideo/ _______________________________________ 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
