I really enjoyed the second of the two articles (below). The first just made me mad -- especially this part:
'Opat countered that the tax is fair because new Twins stadium will create a more vibrant Downtown for everyone. "I think people live Downtown for the excitement, and there's a little bit of an upcharge for that."' As Julie Swenson so eloquently explains, there are a lot of reasons to live downtown and excitement may very well be one of the aspects of daily life downtowners are seeking to avoid. People live downtown to avoid all the petty, noisy, South Minneapolis hassles of kids knocking over garbage cans, throwing bricks through car windows or using pellet guns to crack windshields, of fireworks nightly from the fourth of June through mid-July and round-the-clock overhead jets in busy flight paths. People also live downtown for myriad reasons having nothing to do with sophistication, noise avoidance, or excitement seeking. Many live downtown because they do not drive. Some who live in modern apartments and condos have handicaps. Some empty nesters move downtown because their houses have become too big, empty, and lonely. Some ecologically-minded live downtown because that's where they work and by living downtown they can avoid using cars or buses. The downtown tax in restaurants is already higher than elsewhere in the city. I don't think we really "deserve" to pay more. Peace. N.S. Gill About Guide to Minneapolis/St. Paul http://minneapolis.about.com About Guide to Ancient/Classical History http://ancienthistory.about.com > You say it's an entertainment zone, we say it's our neighborhood - > Downtown stadium taxes (and list members in the news) > http://www.skywaynews.net/display/inn_coming/downtown02.txt > Downtown: where luxury is cheaper than it seems > http://www.skywaynews.net/display/inn_voices/voices01.txt > > _______________________________________ 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
