The current budget situation is reminicient of the 1980's when the City Council often balanced it's budget on the back of the independent Board's. It isn't hard to understand if the Board's budgets are getting cut and the City Council's is increasing, that part of the increase is hidden by the dollars that are being redirected from the independent Board's. For those of you who believe the Council is better at looking out for your tax dollar, I'd suggest you look a little more closely at the return your getting on your tax dollar. Until the recent shift in school funding I know that the Park Board's property tax only represented 5 to 6% of your tax bill. If you paid $2,000 a year in taxes only about $120 went to the Park Board. That amount supports foresty, operations and maintenance, and recreation programs we all utilize and enjoy. I'd like to know what city program delivers the value the Park Board does for that amount of money. For those of you who enjoy bashing the Park and Library Board because you have other issues with them, be careful for what you ask for. The independent Board's roles in creating the current financial crisis is miniscule, at best. Giving the City Council control over the financial resources of the independent Board's is like putting the "fox in charge of the hen house". The assumption that the Council will not act to take care of it's own needs first, is just not borne out by past or present experiences. I hope, as others have suggested here, you more carefully scrutinize the Mayor and Council's proposals and demand they repect the fiscal autonomy of the independent Board's.
Scott Neiman Windom _______________________________________ 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
