In a message dated 3/23/02 12:22:34 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< From Ray Stoltzman of North St. Paul in today's PiPress "Well, the city of Minneapolis and it's bleeding heart Dfl political clique has finally reached the pinnacle of success in making the city of Minneapolis America's capital of diversity. >> Keith says; I am not so troubled by this Ray's comments; although he does go too far by stereotyping people, he is clearly frustrated. But he missed the stealthy portion of the former regime's dynamic. Had he been aware, he might have had more respect for the ostensibly liberal Jackie/Sharon/Joan triad. I do not. That part being the ethnic cleansing instituted through their assault on affordable housing. Most often implemented as a frontal attack on small business people who provided rental housing. The redlining of certain neighborhoods as criminal containment zones also punished homesteaders like Donna Elringer of the Park Av. Blockclub. Classic urban renewal was at the core of this policy; it was unfair to all the victims of it's implementation. The demagoguery was simple; shout against "absentee" landlords/slumlords as the walls are raised around the ghettos. Then board um up knock um down-clear the land at low municipal cost. Sharon's love for children did not keep her from foreclosing their homelife at the apartments she closed. Or allowed Jackie to close. Hurrah, people would clap and cheer. Golden Valley Road/Morgan Ave- Knock um down, and thousands more. And that kinda brings us up to current. Some people went a little crazy. Be they poor folks at the shelter, getting a free "hot and a cot", and Still angry. Or absentee landlords now absent of their investments, while the city claims success and holds a vacant lot. Or again, honest folks like Donna E., who survived the urban equivalent of the plagues of Pharaoh, only more prolonged. And undeserved. So people do get a little crazy, they lash out at what they don't understand. And at what they do understand. They play into the hand of the real demagogues. For the record- I did not chuckle (as did DB) at Timothy Connally's rant in X-rated language. I despised it. It was demagoguery disguised behind demagoguery. Much more dangerous then Ray's clumsy letter. Keith Reitman NearNorth _______________________________________ 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
