I think Paul meant for this to go to the whole list serve, but it just came to my address:
-------- Thanks to Dan Nordley for his response to James Jacobsen's comments about neighborhood organizations. I read James post and didn't quite know where to start. "Crabbiness," to quote Nordley, seems just about the right word to describe Jacobsen's post. Though it is not my normal sentiment, in this case I too hope that Jacosbsen remains uninvolved. Jacobsen wrote: >The 'neighborhood' groups and offices have been sink hole for millions of >dollars of taxpayer moneys You know, I don't think we will all ever be able to agree on the best way to deal with money and the government, but I would much rather have decisions about spending be made at the grassroots level as is done with NRP than at the city wide or even state level. And, yes, I know that NRP isn't a completely efficient way to disperse money, but it beats concentrating all of money and power for spending at the city or even state level. Picture how disconnected we are from spending decisions made at the Federal and State levels and think of how much more control we can have when neighborhoods have control over their own little "fiefdoms." Contrary to Jacobsen's concerns about fiefdoms, neighborhood organizations are the curators of true participatory government, giving every voice the chance to be heard. Now, I'm off to my neighborhood's Annual Meeting and Board election. Paul Lohman Lynnhurst Paul Lohman [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________ 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 _______________________________________ 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
