Steve asked me to forward this: For almost nine years, I've had the professional and personal latitude to write about almost anything in Minneapolis that intrigued me. That time is coming to an end now.
I want to let people in this online community know of this because some of you have grown used to calling me as a point of contact at the Star Tribune for things happening in this city outside of City Hall. You should now call my soon-to-be-ex supervisor, Cathy Riddick, at 673-4921 when you have tips or story ideas. I don't have any word that there will be someone to assume my neighborhoods beat. That decision isn't Cathy's but will be made at a level above her. I have strong feelings about the need to cover Minneapolis as more than crime and City Hall. I have expressed these inside the newsroom, but I am going to bite my tongue about that in this forum for now. I have been reassigned to cover Minneapolis schools. I have to say candidly that I'm heartbroken to be leaving my current beat. I drove down E. 28th St. this week and realized that I won't have a ringside seat as yet another developer tries to convert that big old hulk into something that of economic and social value. Nor will I be the reporter to check how many people displaced by the Hollman settlement finally move back into the new housing or the guy to investigate whatever new real estate scam takes advantage of people like as those victimized by property flipping. I want to thank all of you who over the years have helped me to do my job. You have answered my questions patiently, and even when all the details we discussed didn't make it into print, they helped me to summarize things with accuracy. You served as my guides to your neighborhoods. I would also like to pay tribute to a lot of fine public servants with whom I've dealt over the years. It's fashionable among some on the list to assume the worst about City Hall and those who work for it. There are many frustrations in dealing with city government, and the city puts unnecessary obstacles in the way of news reporters. But I have seen many city workers perform with relentless energy for the good of the commonweal, and rise above the restrictions of the system with creativity and sometimes with bravery. Some of them work at the agency formerly known as MCDA, which gets lots of blame here but also deserves credit. I would also like to pay particular tribute to city Finance Director Pat Born, who has been answering my questions about public finance patiently since I was a cub reporter at the Legislature well back in the last century. He's served the public with class and without spin. Reporting on Minneapolis schools will be a challenge for me, and I hope that you will help me. I actually applied unsuccessfully for this beat many years ago, before I discovered neighborhoods. I have much to learn as a schools reporter. As always, my approach will be to study how the system is supposed to work, and then measure whether it doing the job or not, and why. I will focus on stories that are more than he-said, she-said disputes in favor of those that illustrate a larger issue that affects more people. You can help me by keeping in touch. Let me know when the Minneapolis system or a person who is a part of it performs exceptionally well or exceptionally poorly. I hope that those of you on the list, and in the neighborhoods, will continue to work for the public good with informed criticism. I will stay on the list, and chime in from time to time. Steve Brandt Star Tribune reporter Kingfield resident REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
