Richard, Thank you for answering my question. I know of Tom's commitment to his Franklin Ave neighborhood business properties, but have never known where he lived. I appreciate your response on his behalf.
John, I have no idea why you imagine you know me or what meetings I attend or my level of commitment to my neighborhood. It's hard to imagine how it's a "cheap shot" to wonder what Minneapolis neighborhood someone lives in...particularly when they've expressed their anguish over the state of my neighborhood. Jeez, John, take a relax-o-pill. List, I absolutely support affordable housing in my neighborhood. Whittier, despite my realtor's warnings, was my neighborhood of choice when I was looking for a house to buy. It was also, by glorious happenstance, one of the few neighborhoods I could afford as a single person earning less than $30,000/year. I am in love with my neighborhood. I walk and bike all over this place and I couldn't honestly tell you-and don't honestly care--which houses are "halfway houses" or which apartment buildings accept Section 8 vouchers. I feel safe, am fond of my neighbors, and, short of today's email from John, have never felt harassed here. I take exception to the argument that there are too many "poor" or "needy" people (to reluctantly use Tom's words) in my neighborhood. The notion that, as my neighbors in their lawsuit opposing supportive housing claim, "Our backyard is full" sounds like an infestation problem, not like we're talking about other human beings who have, eek! less money than we do. (Or how about the similar phrase that other neighborhoods should "take their share"? It's nauseating.) But maybe I just get stuck on the semantics of my well-meaning neighbors. Of course people of every income level and any ability should be able to live and work in whatever neighborhood they choose, and I support the building of affordable housing wherever we can get it, from Whittier to Wayzata. But these are the best of times and the worst of times. My property value has gone up ridiculously in the three years I' ve owned it, while people are sleeping under the freeway bridge across from my now-priceless porch. Meanwhile, Plymouth Congregational Church is being sued for hoping to turn an empty nursing home into apartments while St. Stephen's Church has been sued for trying to provide a couple dozen more shelter beds. We could go on playing "You Build It" for another decade or we can support the willing builders. Margaret Miles Whittier ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Cevette" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'M Miles'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 1:05 AM Subject: RE: [Mpls] Heroes dead-beats, and 1/4 mile spacing of Supportive housing > What an incredibly cheap shot at someone who has devoted thousands of > hours on countless committees over 10 years from Nicollet Avenue > Redevelopment to the Whittier Alliance to make Whittier better...from a > person I have never seen at a Whittier community meeting, who only of > late pops up on occasion to squeak the Lydia House line so project > supporters can misrepresent to the community there is neighborhood > support for this lucrative business transaction. > > John Cevette > Whittier > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf > Of M Miles > Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 5:44 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [Mpls] Heroes dead-beats, and 1/4 mile spacing of > Supportive housing > > > Tom-- > Regarding your call for affordable housing in all of Minneapolis' > neighborhoods. . . Could you let us know what neighborhood you live in > (as is the list protocol)? Thanks, Margaret Miles Whittier > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 12:56 PM > Subject: [Mpls] Heroes dead-beats, and 1/4 mile spacing of Supportive > housing > > > > I recently attended the Affordable Housing Summit and was very > > concerned that the Mayor's office seems to be proposing regulatory > > reform that includes weakening the 1/4 mile spacing provisions of the > > Zoning Code (Chapter 536) regarding "supportive housing." Such a > > change would undoubtedly further concentrate supportive housing into a > > > very few neighborhoods, and reinforces the fortress-like stance of the > > > rest of the City. We all know it is time for reform of many housing > > policies. I fear, however, that weakening the 1/4 mile spacing law is > > not reform, but a retreat to the City's most retrograde practices, > > i.e., segregating the > poor > > and disabled into pre-selected enclaves. > > > > It is far past time for a larger portion of the city to shoulder a > > fair share of the civic responsibility to care for the needy. > > Arguments that > urge > > us to disregard matters of spacing, and that tout the value of > > "existing infrastructure" are circular, if not cynical, and will > > certainly lead to further segregation of the poor and disabled into > > already struggling, overwhelmed, high-crime neighborhoods. They are a > > sad perpetuation of the unworkable status quo. > > > > While the housing crisis is real and urgent, it is no excuse for > continuing > > to segregate the neediest citizens, whether by intention or not. Now > > is > not > > the time for us to shrink from the admittedly difficult task of > > convincing greater areas of the City that they have a duty to > > contribute to housing solutions, and not just with lofty talk or cash > > contributions. We should > all > > consider the impact of removing one of the only legal inducements to > > bring about real integration of the poor and disabled into the larger > > fabric of the City. It would be foolish remove or weaken the one tool > > > that allows > for > > positive change to take place. > > > > As we begin anew to tackle the issues of the poor and needy we need to > > > remember that we don't all start at the same place. Some truly > > "heroic" neighborhoods have long been leaders in the delivery of > > services and supportive housing. For example, Whittier has 23 > > supportive housing facilities, Phillips 23, Stevens Square 11, Central > > > 10. These four neighborhoods supply 43% of all supportive housing in > > City. > > > > By contrast, almost half of all Minneapolis neighborhoods (38) have NO > > > supportive housing. 18 neighborhoods have only one facility. Like > dead-beat > > dads, these dead-beat neighborhoods often talk big, yet never seem to > > make the time or space to really share the civic duty of caring for > > the poor > and > > needy. > > > > > > Tom Berthiaume > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________ > > 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 > > _______________________________________ 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
