Keith,
It seems that there is a lot of anger and hostility behind your statements. You have got options. Push the city to make changes in how they issue grants and tax you. Granted this will be tough in a DFL city, but if you don't try nothing will happen, and even if you do try nothing may happen, but life isn't always fair (c'est la vie). Or you can move to city that doesn't tax you and give to non-profits.
In providing grant money to the Green Institute, I am sure there neighborhood of Philips thought there was a need for some services and the Green Institute's grant met their criteria. Plus, many non-profits recieve grants from non government sources, great local examples, Target, McKnight, Cargill, Bush, 3M, General Mills, plus donations from individuals.
I want to thank Mark Snyder for some great sleuthing on the budget and outcomes for the Green Institute. I think it speaks volumes.
For the record, I have a given a donation to the Green Institute, which didn't come for your tax dollars.
Subj: Make Green Sustainable Do-Goodin'/Outa'my pocket!!
Date: 7/16/2002 8:32:34 PM Central Daylight Time
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: Chaos Legs, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
In a message dated 7/16/02 6:49:12 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:With parenthesis comments by Keith Reitman
<<
Keith, (That is my name)
I use services provided by the Green Institute. They run the Re-Use center, which is a great concept and works very well.(It is gifted all inventory for free yet does not pay it's "grunts" a livable wage; one long term HARD worker I know earns $9@hr. It does not pay property tax, I assume. I believe the retail prices are too high to be an authentic community service and I am a professional shopper.)
The Green Space Partners program of the Green Institute help community gardening in the Philips neighborhood, primarily on vacant or unbuildable lots.(Boondoggle Alert: I would like to see the expenses paid for with government $$$ on this type of activity. Of course if it were funded by profits from The Reuse Center; that would be a neo sustainable process. Betcha a building it is not.)
Yes the focus of the Green Institute is providing a better home and planet
for all humanity and it uses some very innovative projects to do it.(All humanity, you gotta' love it, but I do not want to pay for this universal empowerment with Mpls. Tax $$$. I wish Josh Kroll would reach in his pocket for a coupla' hundred K for the Universal Good.)
Are you against non-profits for some reason? ( Yeah, they are generally run by NonProfiteers sucking my property tax $$$$ to compete with the private sector, and without competitive restraints.) Not all organizations run on the principle of the mighty dollar. (Maybe not your $$$!! POP Quiz: Who's $$$ funds The Green Institute, Josh?) One of the concepts behind community gardens is a chance to build relationships in your community.(Josh, build a relationship with your sweat; not my $$$.) That is not something you could make money on (at least I hope).((Again, spend your own $$$.))
By the way Green Space Partners, Sustainable Resource Centers, and few other groups did some community gardening workshops and real need is for north Mpls, there was one group from the North side working on a garden.(You do not need my $$$ to make a garden grow or make nice new friends in the hood. Make nice as a pastime, not a career and Leave my $$$ alone, Josh.)
Josh Kroll (Parenthesis comments by Keith Reitman)
Powderhorn NearNorth
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