Mr Brand writes: <<At one time the SW Journal was a comfortable community newspaper highlighting the happenings and events in SW Mpls. Over the past few years this paper has broadened its reach to a point where is really is no longer a SW Mpls newspaper. A significant number of the articles (especially lead stories) have nothing to do with SW Minneapolis. And, an exceptional amount of the display ads are for businesses outside of SW Mpls. And, for whatever reason, the SW Journal has some bee in their bonnet and appears to want to lambaste the Minneapolis Park system ...>>
I, also, could not disagree more. Who on earth wants a "comfortable community newspaper"? And although I admire the business acumen of the chain of Sun newspapers, PR filler and advertorials doth not a community newspaper make. I very much appreciate the "real newspaper" standards that the Journal has brought to community coverage, I crave the city council/political coverage that they offer ( which has been unmatched by the dailies ) and I assume others in Southwest feel the same way - we are, as a whole, one of the most politically engaged groups in the city - with record high turnouts in primary and general elections, etc. As for Mr. Brand's dig at Scott Russell's superb Park Board story. Whew! Another huge disagreement. The Park Board is a public entity that deserves more, not less scrutiny. Just because their purview is trees and lakes and not garbage collection and street repair doesn't mean that as elected officials that oversee substantial budgets they don't have to answer to the public. Mr. Russell's story uncovers no illegalities but an ethical morass that I hope will be cleaned up, pronto. As for Bob Fine's quote ( and I paraphrase) "why are you picking on us? we're just doing what the City Council does, too" then I respond: If so, City Council - watch out! If this pattern of accepting campaign contributions from those who benefit from City contracts exists at the Council level, then I hope that there are just a few councilmembers out there who are feeling a bit nervous right now. As should be all of the Park Board members except Vivian Mason, and Annie Young. These are the things that voters remember. I think it was John F. Kennedy that said something like "its not enough to avoid impropriety, one also must avoid the appearance of impropriety " (OK, well, do as he says, not as he does). RT, what does your ethics committee have to say about this issue? Susan Herridge Lynnhurst _______________________________________ 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
