Ethan Jewett's proposals seem a lot more levelheaded and practical than the usual talk about bikes here, but I want to add some comments. Bike lanes are somewhat of a help, though my own experience biking is that turning cars create danger for bike lanes because they always have to turn through the bike lane. And as we know too well, Minnesota drivers do a lot of things pretty impetuously and without warning. So, my own thought after driving and biking on 26th and 28th is that they might think about some re-engineering of the lanes. They already have a problem with changing the number and location of lanes. I'm sure if they rethought how those lanes work, they could work bike lanes in so they would be safer. But they would NEVER be really safe. I still think bikes are safer on streets that have less traffic and traffic that moves slower. Cars are driven on these one-way streets as if they were some kind of expressway. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The views expressed on community candidates for chief are welcome. But I'm waiting to hear the other side of the story from people who know it. I guess I'm biased in favor of outsiders for the simple reason that kissing up should never make you chief, no matter who (politicians, business, etc) you kiss up to. I suppose the Police Federation leadership has THEIR wish list, too. And I'm especially keen that not be taken by our politicans as the roadmap to a better city. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I, too, think MPS needs to look at how much good, if any, small class sizes have done. Small class sizes are always a good thing. One-to-one would be great in a perfect world. But if you look at key indicators of success before the referendum compared to now, if the small class sizes haven't achieved what was promised to voters in the referendum, then any fool can see that there is still a problem out there. Now, if administration is part of that problem, one would expect the administration to try to sweep things under the rug. But that is not saying the real problem is administration. Because there's little evidence that charter schools, freed of that administration, have done that well, either. Perhaps the problem is simply a student body without the life circumstances allowing learning. At least among those failing. As I've previously said, I know many students who have succeeded marvelously. So there is one district here that allows people to excel and to fail. Why are some failing with the same instruction as the successes.
Whether the Super thinks we voters are "naive" or not, she needs to get serious about an explanation for this. I wouldn't mind at all if she pointed out all the environmental things that have changed since we graduated more high schoolers than anywhere in the nation. And then maybe society can start implementing a few remedies (like Head Start, nutrition, or whatever, but I sure wish we could reinvent the settlement house movement and take it AWAY from the schools!) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We do have a "finance council". The Board of Estimate and Taxation. I think that's where they arranged the 8% cap. Maybe the city finance director can jump in and confirm that. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In terms of honest books, anything that does not instruct students should be listed as overhead. And there should be generally-accepted accounting standards (not Arthur Andersen-style) so that school districts can be compared. I kind of wonder where Pat Awada is on this. It is her job to INSURE acceptable books for government bodies. ===== Jim Mork Cooper Neighborhood Longfellow Community Minneapolis A great town, which can and WILL BE greater! __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ 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
