"Brown, Terrell" wrote: > Michael Atherton Monday Morning Tirade:
Respectful discourse? > [TB] Probably one good reason not to discuss that is that such an "ordinance" would >be an amendment to the City Charter. Charter amendments are voted on in an election. > The two (2) most common ways to bring a proposed charter amendment to a vote are >that it be proposed by petition signed by the required number of people (i.e. the >limit on city funding of sports facilities) or brought forward by the City Charter >Commission. The members of the Charter Commission, by the way, are appointed by the >Chief Judge of Hennepin County District Court. I can rather quickly come up with the >names of 3 parties that had Governors who appointed members that are sitting on that >court. > > Its probably best not to blame the Council for things that are beyond their scope. I learn so much from this list. So, I suppose then that the city council cannot place a charter amendment on the ballot themselves? And could not lobby the Charter Commission for an amendment? > \Back to the Atherton Tirade: > > > Or we might also discuss the fact that the individuals posting in support of early >elections, > > you, Ms. Khan, Mr. Brauer, and Mr. Melendez are stanch DFL supporters. I believe >that your > > party is more interested in holding on to power than in helping the people it >professes to > > represent. > > [TB] The general consensus is that the purpose of a political party is to elect >candidates. That probably explains why the DFL likes to have DFL office holders, the >Republicans like to have Republican office holders and the Independence Party wants >to hold on the office holders they have and perhaps elect a few more. I fail to see >anything sinister in that, its all on top of the table. You seem to have missed the point. "I believe that your party is more interested in holding on to power than in helping those it professes to represent." When I was, in my younger days, a Democrat I believed that the party represented those who had been marginalized by the system: the poor, the working class, and minorities. I believed that the party did not use Dick's bag of dirty tricks; that it acted on principle; that it really stood for something. But, you're right, now that I'm more mature I realize that it is just another political party, not much different than the one across the isle. Which is why, I suppose, I am not a member of either. > Now based on some conversations that I have had, I do not agree that everyone who >supports the proposal is a "stanch DFL supporter". I haven't seen the roll call of >the House committee that approved Rep. Kahn's bill last week, but based on the makeup >of the MN House, I feel rather confident in saying that it had support from outside >the DFL. The committee chair who scheduled the hearing is Rep. Jim Rhodes who last I >checked does not identify as DFL. Funny, I don't remember any republicans supporting the bill on this list, which is what you will see that I was referring to if you reread my post. > Tirade again: > > Why is it that my overwhelmingly DFL neighborhood can set up a fund to move >affordable housing > > elsewhere, rather than promote it in their own neighborhood? What are the ethics > > of that action? > > [TB] That, sir, is NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard). Again is really isn't a partisan >thing (although I suspect that a person could find some affordable housing in >Prospect Park), it pops up everywhere (see Lydia House thread, also some past threads >about Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport) I was referring to a specific housing development of $200,000 to $300,000 townhomes which sidestepped affordable housing by promising to fund it elsewhere. Ok, so maybe it's just me, but I find discrimination by people who claim to be democrats more distasteful than I would find it by republicans. At least before G.W. the republicans never claimed to care much about the poor and downtrodden. I have more respect for a White separatist who openly avows discrimination, than I do for a liberal democrat who publicly avows integration and privately acts against it. As to Mr. Carney's and Mr. Brauer comments about the Greens chances in a new election, I think that L. Hogan stated it very well: Who, with a concerted effort, can bring more resources to bare (dollars and people) in a new election? Should the Rams get a second chance to replay the Superbowl? Given that they've seen the game plan who do you think would win? And, by the way, the Greens vs. the DFL is nowhere near as equal a match up. Michael Atherton Prospect Park _______________________________________ 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
