Greg writes: > I'm not about suing people and I hope David Brauer's comment about the > "demonizing of disagreement" was not also applicable to me, a frequent > critic of NRP. If it was, so be it, but I feel I and others have always > suggested constructive methods for change.
My comment is definitely NOT applicable to Greg. I agree with Greg that tenants are not as involved as anyone (most homeowners or renter's advocates) would like, and I truly appreciate his substantive suggestions for change. Would that all advocates attached specific, reviewable solutions to their criticism. I recently asked for a neighborhood-based plan within our NRP budget for homelessness/low-income housing and am still waiting. Were I still a neighborhood president, I would welcome Greg's involvement in organizing, or helping us organize, my neighborhood. As a Kingfield resident, I still do. My biggest objection in the renter's arena is that there is some sort of systematic exclusion. I think this is important because the implication is that some are trying to keep others out. This isn't happening, at least in my experience. As with partisanship, I think the divide between homeowners and renters is vastly overstated. On some level, I agree with Alan Shilepsky that any participatory system is tilted away from those without time to participate. HOWEVER, there are multiple ways and venues for people to get involved according to their time & energy. (Side note: congrats to Prospect Park for having childcare at meetings. I wish DFL caucuses did... but then Tim Bonham would ding me again for making more work for him...) Even at its peak, NRP was never more than 10 percent of the property-tax-supported budget (and a much smaller percentage of the overall budget). That leaves 90-plus percent directly in the hands of elected representatives. (And of course, they still have the final say on neighborhood plans.) Today, NRP's slice is about 3 percent. Tomorrow, it will be less. If we used NRP to apportion our entire property-tax-supported budget, I'd agree there was a problem. However, it is a rivulet of money that has reaped a torrent of involvement. Certain people get more involved through NRP, others through elections, some by whining at the hardware store. I like living in a city that offers lots of options. Anyway, my point is that you can be an NRP critic, be thoughtful, open-minded and constructive. My experience indicates Greg is that. David Brauer King Field 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
