In a message dated 9/20/02 10:22:29 AM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> But based upon land costs and tax > rates, there should be a sliding scale for these subsidies. What the MCDA > Operating Committee needs to do is figure out what is reasonable in that > regard. Otherwise the present scenario simply becomes an excuse and one > more covert tool for keeping "those" people out of certain neighborhoods. > Our City is a high density, well connected grid; at least compared to a fourth tier suburb. People living anywhere in the city can go to a job, lake, park, retail outlet, church, bar, sex shop, or bagel shop, etc., with relative ease. With, or without, a car. Market forces have deemed South Lyndale a desirable and expensive place to reside. Why should tax $$$ lavishly subsidize a poorer family to live at Lyndale and the creek? Unlike Wayzata it is not a social exchange to allow burger flippers to be near their grills, or even firemen to be near their ladders. You can get there from here; rather easily. This money tossing seems like subsidized socialist engineering; and for what? And this is not about putting a halfway house for recovering pedophiles over there. Nor about a halfway house for junkies, alcoholics, emerging felons (from prison), etc., because there is a reasonable argument against the current packing and stacking extant exclusively in the hood. I am not that old but I recall taking a ride with my Mommy, Daddy and Sister to look at the neighborhoods where the richer folks lived. In the Twin Cities posh is really not that far away from hood. And we are all about the same distance to all amenities, except safe streets and maybe decent schools (I am no expert there!). It is easy for most anyone to realize and acknowledge that racial segregation is wrong. I am not convinced that one should not start out in a starter neighborhood, in a starter home. As large, or as shmancy, as one can afford is OK, too. But giving people money, big money, to live by the creek, cause it is expensive for other people, seems ludicrous. Safe, clean streets; throughout the city- Buy it. Good schools with students learning; throughout the City- Buy it. Transit; Ditto. With these items in place the only subsidy might be a token to get on the bus; and we subsidize that weather a poor person gets aboard or not. Keith Reitman NearNorth _______________________________________ 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
