Councilmembers Goodman, Lane and Benson provided us with a lengthy explanation of the NRP funding situation. It seems to boil down to "we�re broke". The tell us of a list of requests from some NRP participants that the requests "are so far from the reality we face in this financial climate that we need to address them immediately so that no one is left wondering why we will be forced to reject this resolution if and when it comes before the City Council."
Strong words coming from the members of the Council, members of the Council that include the Community Development and MCDA Operating Chair, Intergovernmental Relations Chair and probably the best budgeting mind on the Council. They tell us why we can�t tap some specific sources of money to fund NRP. They remind us "We must have a plan to live within our means." adding "For the first time, community development became a direct competitor for property tax dollars alongside of police, fire, public works and all other activities funded primarily through the property tax." Police, fire, streets and sewers � basic city services. I found a couple of responses interesting. First I read "How about turning back the pay raise you folks voted for YOURSELF this past year? In addition how about voting to cut Council Member and Senior Staff salaries by 10%." This seems to be the typical knee jerk reaction for any government budget shortfall, cut salaries. If we are going to have good qualified managers, we need to pay them a competitive salary; otherwise they will go work for someone that will. My experience with the city�s managers has always been that they are good people who are dedicated to doing the best job possible. Then I read "How about a referendum needing a 66% vote at the City election for a pay raise for Council Members?" In a representative democracy we elect people to make decisions. If we think the decisions are bad we elect someone else (remember Sharon Sayles Belton or Jackie Cherryhomes, Joan Campbell someone must have thought they were doing a bad job as they are no longer in office). And why a 66% vote, wouldn�t a majority be sufficient? Someone else said "One cut the police department could make without the citizens feeling it would be to suspend the deputy chiefs positions and put the three of them back into their civil service jobs." Or maybe combine the police departments in Hennepin County and save even more administrative dollars. Or I read, "What will that extra $250,000 - $300,000 do, you ask? You could start by designating it to an educational program." To which I respond � The city is not in the business of providing schools, the city is responsible for police, fire, roads and sewers. We need to let the School Board do its job and the members of the City Council do theirs. Thank you to Councilmembers Goodman, Lane and Benson for telling it like it is, it�s nice to have someone leave out the sugar coating for a change. Terrell Brown Loring Park __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. ________________________________ 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
