I believe the public is quiet on this issue because I think most people realize that making a bigger agency doesn't make a more responsive agency. Witness all the corporate consolidations like Qwest...have you gotten better service delivery since they got bigger. Probably not. The public has indicated they want a more responsive MCDA, I don't believe the McKinsey plan will create that.
This thing is a minefield in terms of implementation. There are various union negotiations to go through as well as a trip to the legislature. NRP is a multijuristictional agency. You cannot make it a department unless you go to the legislature and change it's structure. Trust me Ron Abrams would love to restructure Minneapolis government. Be careful what you ask for, it might not turn out how you imagined. NRP just might be totally eliminated. Certainly a director for this mammoth new agency shouldn't be hired until the city has a road map, presented to the public, of the hoops that need to be jumped through to achieve this merger. After watching the presentation to the Council on this plan I was stunned to hear that McKinsey hadn't been given any direction to look for cost savings in this plan. That is reprehensible given the current economic climate in this city. Plus the mayor sent out a letter in May indicating that no employees would be laid off with implementation of this plan. I'll bet this plan will increase grow government and will end up costing more. Currently the agency runs on TIF money alone. As a department they'll be drawing from general fund money....your taxes. Plus how could anyone who has dealt with unresponsive, unhelpful staff at the agency think that a new structure will change the bad apples that exist. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to shut down the MCDA, get rid of dead wood, cut personnel costs, deal with financial problems and refocus the mission, and instead the city is talking about making it bigger!!!! Mark Oyass said it best in the Tribune. The mayor and council should set no more that three priorities for the agency and other departments included in the McKinsey plan, and then motivate employees to work towards those goals. But that is hard work!!! Setting up this new structure and thinking everyone is going to fall in line is a fantasy. Lastly there was a post earlier this week about McKinsey's falling revenues that was based on a story in the NY Times. The July 8 version of Business Week not only confirms that McKinsey is losing business, and discounting fees but also that "McKinsey helped create Enron's high-risk business model. And some of McKinsey's other clients haven't fared so well, either: Kmart, Swissair, and Global Crossing." Just because they're a consultant and just because it's free doesn't mean this plan is a good thing. Lisa McDonald East Harriet >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [Mpls] Still kinda quiet of the McKenzie report >Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 07:42:41 EDT > >Hi list members..A few nights ago I went to the Mayor's meeting with >community people to discuss the McKenzie report, some of you were there, >but >it's been very quiet on the list..any I missing something??? I for one >support the change and urge the City Council members & Mayor to do so >also.. >Our Mayor seems to want it too..What about all of you??? >Becky Olson >Whittier >_______________________________________ >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 _________________________________________________________________ Join the world�s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com _______________________________________ 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
