Hello all, I haven't joined the list again, just wanted to add my two cents since I still live in this once fair city. First, libraries are the backbone of western civilization. If we still intend to progress we need to realize that police, fire, and information are all essential aspects of any metropolis. That these services are available to all must remain firmly in our collective mind. This is not up for discussion. For Minneapolis to not have a central library is akin to a house with no windows. This is Minneapolis' continuing tradition of eradicating all vision. A house with no windows delivers the basic services, but lacks sunlight. How will our plants grow? Please build the library we voted for, or do the citizens of Minneapolis need to sue the city council for failing to build the library we voted for? It seems that is the only avenue the city council understands. Ok, the carrot, if any of you have read, "The Rise of the Creative Class" by Richard Florida, you know that things like libraries attract "people" creative people...people or should I say it in terms you understand, "Human Capital". Why would creative people come here when we can't even do the basics. Currently, Minneapolis is ranked 11th in the United States. How far do we need to fall for city council representatives to wake up? 20th? 30th?Creative people generate capital.
It seems our elected officials were creative when they needed, running for office. My city council member Don Samuels got creative to knock the apple cart of the dfl. I find it hard to believe thirteen people could not find a way to build and operate a library. As I understand it, it's the operating budget that's the problem. Is there no way for us to come up with the money to operate, no way of volunteering, no short term loan? from a NYC site about the statue of liberty..... In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery were among the methods used to raise funds. In the United States, benefit theatricalevents, art exhibitions, auctions and prize fights assisted in providing needed funds." It is quite appalling to know that I get to pay for things like blockE, target, gavidae, etc. et al, ok fine, but no library. When the french were giving us the statue of liberty we would not ante up the money to build the base on which it would stand. again from http://www.nps.gov/stli/prod02.htm#Statue of "Back in America, fund raising for the pedestal was going particularly slowly, so Joseph Pulitzer (noted for the Pulitzer Prize) opened up the editorial pages of his newspaper, "The World" to support the fund raising effort. Pulitzer used his newspaper to criticize both the rich who had failed to finance the pedestal construction and the middle class who were content to rely upon the wealthy to provide the funds. Pulitzer's campaign of harsh criticism was successful in motivating the people of America to donate." So this can be done, and should be done, so how is the only question. http://www.creativeclass.org/ Robert Yorga St. Anthony West "The great way is easy, yet people prefer the side paths. Be aware when things are out of balance. Stay centered within the tao. When rich speculators prosper while farmers lose their land; when government officials spend money on weapons instead of cures; when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible, while the poor have nowhere to turn, all this is robbery and chaos. It is not in keeping with the tao." 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
