Imagine putting three of those homeless men, who get along, together and buy them a house. That much money could by them a tri-plex in a good neighborhood, pay their utility costs, and even pay taxes. Might even do that and still save several hundred dollars a month of taxpayer dollars. Imagine that, helping someone instead of victimizing and exploiting them. Imagine Hennepin County being a little more responsible with where they spend our limited tax dollars. I can imagine an organization that acts responsibly to use resources wisely and help support people to own their own housing. Wait a minute isn't that actually a possibility? I hear American Indian Housing is actually looking at that very thing? Imagine that!
Dan Prozinski is also absolutely correct about concentration. Housing inebriates within such a concentration of bars is absolutely unconscionable. Our own inebriate housing run by American Indian Housing, which houses American Indian inebriates, could not exist if it were surrounded by the bars that once dominated Franklin Avenue. The amount of money charged for a mat on the floor, however, does demonstrate the nature of the industry. The word predatory comes to mind. The interest of the organizations providing such "Housing" it seems is more in Hennepin County Shelter dollars than in the well being and sobriety of the "inmate". Justifying $716.00 per month, per man, for a mat on the floor? Unimaginable Now imagine you and family members are addicted to crack cocaine. Imagine having to live within ten feet of 20 or 30 drug dealers. Imagine that each time you leave or come to your home you have to fight your way through those drug dealers to get in to your front door. Anytime you feel a little depressed or your resolve weakens, even a tiny bit, it is there for your "need". You open your window in the summer time and the dealer is right there beside your window to sell you a moment of happiness and a life of grief. I know it would be unimaginable by an ethical organization, but that is what PPL has proposed with the CVI project. That is what the City of Minneapolis has violated its own law to allow to happen. That is what Hennepin County will pay for. We, as taxpayers, are to pay for the continued addiction of unfortunate people who need our help. That is why Ventura Village residents and business owners are suing Minneapolis and PPL in Federal Court. We are suing to stop that discrimination and that exploitation of unfortunate people. I would invite you, and others from impacted neighborhoods, to contact your neighborhood organization and ask that they join the Impacted Neighborhood Coalition. This alliance plans to form a mutual defense pact to enhance their ability to defend themselves from predatory developers and City of Minneapolis policy aimed at degrading them individually. Just as there is an organization of "Community Development Corporations", there needs to be an active organization of actual communities and neighborhoods. Jim Graham, Ventura Village P.S. Thank you RT Rybak for sticking to local issues. We have a war going on right here in "River City". When people are being shot and children killed by "collateral damage", Minneapolis Politicians need to pay a little more attention to home. When the crime and gang problem is addressed and no more bullets are flying here, then they can play. For now they should please try to pay a little more attention, and remember what they were elected to do. With one son in the military, and two sons in the age range for any draft, I also am deeply concerned personally. I know the numbers for Dayton and Sabo. City Council members can find them in the "Blue" pages. Council Members please call someone who can actually make a difference on your "personal" time, and do a little of our work and less posturing on the time we pay you for. _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
