I dunno. This whole scene, with Pawlenty cutting LGAs, then we're supposed to declare parts of the city a "disaster area"? Maybe the whole state, since we got this new "leadership". We went through this whole thing about not reducing the law enforcement effort at all. And the city, both council and mayor, insisted we MUST cut back in law enforcement (though we tried to generate as much creative thought on this as possible). What's the real "disaster" here? Is it the leadership telling the lawless "we have to deprioritize law and order"? In the zoological world, when there is a sharp reduction in nourishment, there is an AUTOMATIC process to save vital organs. Seems like in politics, the common sense of nature is absent (yeh, I can hear you all snickering out there, but cut it out). What got "saved" by reducing the law enforcement effort. Spell it out. I wasn't talking about CANCELING all this stuff, I was talking about either stretching it out or simply putting it on hold till the finances get better resolved. Who knows? Since Pawlenty only got 44 percent, he isn't doing this on the basis that any majority of Minnesotans resoundingly endorsed his no tax increase pledge. I suppose his hope is that he'll attract more votes by ravaging communities, but maybe it'll be what will make him a one-termer. With that in mind, why not plan for some future repair of the city's financial situation (when reason returns to governement) and simply figure out what COULD wait for that day. But as just one resident and taxpayer in this city, I do NOT believe law enforcement takes a day off. I'm sure the rank and file in the police department feels the same way. Now, if we could get just a few of the elected leaders of the city to see that, maybe we wouldn't need isolated CM's fasting. He should call it a "Fast for Reason".
Issue: Tough on Drugs
I just have to sit here and shake my head when I hear one MORE person saying that the crime problem will just go away if we get "tough enough" on crime. But we heard that in 1986 when Reagan declared war on crime. If you bother to go look at crime stats, crime took OFF after he declared that war. It didn't start dropping from that rocket launch until Bill Clinton was in office. So, this miracle solution is MORE than a little suspect. It is a nostrum that some people simply will take to their graves. And like religion, there's no cure for it.
________________________________________ Jim Mork Cooper Neighborhood Longfellow Community Minneapolis, MN We think. You'll like it here. And we're more fun than a barrel of Norwegians
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