Given the volume of posts on this list, I apologize for posting twice today but some things are just to rich to pass up/
> -----Original Message----- > From: Michael Atherton > > > But it is not the legal technicalities that cause me > concern here, it is fundamental issues of ethics, fairness, > and justice, and this reallocation process in Prospect Park > helps demonstrates why the NRP is indeed a very bad thing. [TB] I suspect that most of the neighborhoods in Minneapolis have at one time reallocated some money. I know that Loring Park has done several Plan Modifications. I think it is reasonable to expect that when you do a 10 year plan some things will change before you complete the plan. Over a period of a decade, needs change. Hey, it's a neighborhood groups, everyone has a voice. > I think that most of us would agree that lobbyists and special > interest groups often has a negative impact on governmental > processes. What is really insidious about the NRP process is that > it eliminates the middleman (our government representatives) and > allows special interest groups to directly allocate tax revenues. [TB] I'm not sure how you describe a special interest group, perhaps its anyone who disagrees with me. I DO NOT agree that lobbyists generally have a negative impact on the process. To the contrary, they often are able to offer important information to decision makers. Good lobbyists are highly respected because of their honesty. The "middleman" being eliminated gives you a pure democracy. It's like the old town meeting where everyone has a voice. You don't need someone to represent particular groups of people (i.e. the residents of a particular ward). When it comes to a neighborhood, I don't understand how the residents of that neighborhood can be considered a special interest, they are the interest. > Take for instance the current Prospect Park Reallocation. > A number of groups with specific interests sought funds and > by lobbying people of like minds to attend the meeting > they were able to dominate which proposals were considered > and which were not. This is in contrast to representative > democracies where ideally our elected officials try to balance > the needs and conflicting concerns of their constituents. [TB] I can't think of anything better than people speaking for themselves. As I understand it there were a couple of hundred people at the Prospect Park meeting, that's hardly a few interested people taking advantage of the process. The 2000 census shows 6,326 people in that neighborhood, that's a good turnout. A town meeting is even better than a representative democracy, everyone has a voice. In many cases the town meeting isn't real workable due to the number of people involved. I suppose it could save us the cost of 13 council salaries if someone wants to try the Charter amendment. > What I find most distressing about this process is that my > neighbors care little what means they use as long as their > ends are achieved. I find this kind of "My Piece of the Pie > Politics" to be particularly distasteful. The fact that the > NRP pits neighbor against neighbor and brings manipulative > politics out of city hall and into our communities is one of > the factors that contributes to making the NRP a very bad thing. [TB] I'm not willing to demonize my neighbors who have a different view on a subject than I do. Not only would it make the world rather boring if we all thought the same way, many of our best solutions are compromises reached by those with different viewpoints. Some day when I have absolutely nothing else to do, I'll listen to the explanation of why manipulative politics is acceptable at City Hall but not in the neighborhood. BTW, I'm not convinced that they exist either place. > It might be different if the NRP had some standardized process to > insure that meetings were conducted in a fair and reasonable > manner, but when rules change dynamically from meeting to > meeting to benefit special interests little fairness exists. [TB] To the contrary, NRP does have such processes. Call Barb Lickness and I'm sure she'll tell you about them. > Ultimately, the NRP > structure insures that small cliques dominate neighborhood decisions, > and the voices of individual residents are drown out in the > rush to grab as much pork as possible. [TB] In my mind when you invite everyone to participate and they do it mitigates the chances for the small groups to dominate. All of the neighborhood groups that I'm familiar with would welcome additional participation. Terrell Brown Loring Park Terrell at terrellbrown dot org BTW - If anyone knows how long the lines got at the impound lot during the snow emergency would you let me know off list. Thanks. - T TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Go to bed at night. 2. Things will be better in the morning. 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
