Are there any critics, or even independent observers left who follow closely what is going on in City Hall? It would be informative to get more details about the proposed budget cuts. Who is really being affected? What agendas are really being served?
One striking area is the seemingly casual discussion about getting rid of the Civilian Police Review Authority. Doesn't getting rid of the one entity set up to watch the police contradict the campaign pitches of the Mayor and at least several council members to ensure more police accountability? On an MPR report, the observations were made that the Civilian Review Authority is considered in the community to be ineffective and fewer and fewer people use it. This is definitely true. The solution is for the Mayor and city council to take on the challenge of creating a better Civilian Review Authority rather than a complete cop out (pun partially intended) of abdicating any responsibility to monitor out-of-control police. As for the budget shortfalls, a better solution is to reduce the size of the police force which has greatly expanded in the past 8 years. A civilian monitoring system with greater power and broader authority and more in touch with the community would help mold a police force that could do more with less. Jordan Kushner Ward 8 _______________________________________ 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
