At 10:54 AM 2/25/02 EST, you wrote: >In a message dated 2/25/02 8:28:28 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] >writes: > ><< > Why can't the kind of energy that is going into thinking of how to > subsidize wealthy baseball and football interests go into thinking of > how to subsidize housing to make it affordable? > > Jeanne Massey > Ward 10, Kingfield > >> > Keith says; I agree with Jeanne regarding the subsidizing of wealthy >sports interests. I am against tax dollars to stadiums. I am concerned with >her goal of focusing on "... thinking of how to subsidize housing to >make it affordable." That is a no-brainer; just throw tax dollars at it. The >difficult and needed focus should be on how to create an environment where >housing goals are reasonably accessible, achievable, and sustainable to the >broadest group of aspirants, without wasteful subsidy. Aim high, the current >subsidies to nonprofiteer developers are expensive, open ended and not >solving the problem. I recommend a locally disdained system called >capitalism. Let the greediest capitalists, in pursuit of profit, erect the >buildings that will house people. The building codes should keep their >efforts honest. Do-gooders, controlling the public purse, stand aside. And >your for-profit, stealth, subsidiaries; come out of the closet and compete or >perish.
I agree -- the attitude that for-profits, or businesses are bad, and non-profits are good is very short-sighted. I think with budget deficits, it gives the city a chance to look at how to spend taxpayer money more efficiently. Jeanne Massey writes: Mayor, do not waffle on the stadium issue. Your firm leadership is critical here - no public money for a stadium. You need to say it for the public to hear. You campaigned on it. =============================================== This part really torks me off. RT used Lisa McDonald's hearing loss to his advantage at a debate to try to say she was pro-public funding for stadiums. In earlier debates RT used this issue against Sharon Sayles Belton. Part of the reason people voted for RT was they wanted a strong voice that would promote and sell the city without selling out the city taxpayers. Now what RT did is sell the county on taking this on -- and was a way to get around the referendum city voters passed on public funding of stadiums. The Star Tribune did another editorial yesterday praising the Hennepin County Commissioners who voted for this boondoggle. I also think it's unfortunate that city council people -- and county commissioners are spending so much of their time on this issue. They need to figure out how to provide better basic city services. Eva Eva Young Central _______________________________________ 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
