1. Were the NPR Policy Board by-laws regarding process for this type of proposal violated in the way this came to a vote? No matter how you feel about the idea, if it was "rammed through" without due legal process, then it's wrong.
2. Was there indeed, as was reported in the original post, no income requirement in this proposal for people to qualify? This would be bad. I bought my house with CRA assistance through 1st Bank and it was great. It was very much the way Jim G. makes this proposal sound. But there were strict income requirements.
A comment on Keith's post on 'packing' and others I have read over the years:
It interests me that 'packing' is only brought up when people who traditionally may not participate in NRP or neighbrohood group activities show up. When neighborhood groups start to organize and are populated by those who will eventually decide what goes to whom and how, that isn't for some reason, considered 'packing'.
I think that if the by-laws allow, and folks have a short term interest for the sake of their community and neighborhood, then showing up when appropriate for those reasons is perfectly appropriate. It may tick off the folks who show up every month, participate in every lottery and grant program, and are used to making all the decisions about who gets what and how, but that's what grassroots democracy is about. It's like any public meeting. You bring your supporters, make your case and do whatever you can legally do to get it through.
The constituants at that mosque appeared to have played by the rules and won fair and square. There's nothing wrong with that.
Eric Oines North Minneapolis
"When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall - think of it, always."
~ Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), Agitator
_________________________________________________________________
The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
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
