What's behind this outrageous action of this gang of 5 officials? We don't know all the gory details yet, but odds are they aren't pretty.
If experience here and other cities is any guide, actions like this are being done for our finest leading familes - developers, big box retailers, construction companies, old wealth families with a stake in the profits. The usual suspects. The ones who nine times out of ten are responsible for destroying the community for profit. The top members of the Chambers of Commerce. The families that regularly attend $1000 a plate political dinners. The CEOs who own various local legislators. Owned legislators are most likely just poorly paid stooges for the leading families. Families hanging out in country clubs, yachts, private jets, prep schools, ivy league colleges, corporate board rooms. Let's try to stretch our minds and imagine ourselves as members of the Mpls area elite, clustered around a rare-wood table at a local county club so exclusive most of the rabble have never heard of it. Our kind of place. "The topic today is, if we take control of the Mpls Park System, how much can each of us make? What would be the highest return for our acquisition? How much can we get away with? Can we get the council to help? The cops? Local media, eg Clear Channel? How many park board members will sign on? How far? How much is keeping all these government people happy going to cost, and who is going to pay it? What will be the cost of the media campaign to sucker er persuade the public into going along? How much to make sure the cops intervene with clubs and pepper gas and rubber bullets, if the rabble take to the street in protest? Will the governor go along? If we need him, Bush? "Now, down to exploitation. (Yes yes!) There are xxx acres of Mpls parkland. With a good strategy we can take over half of them now, maybe more later. (hear hear!) Now, what goes on our acres? John is for elite townhouses. Frank is for McDonalds franchises in every park; Chuck wants Coke machine kiosks too. Ned wants to fence off the best acres and charge admission, or make them by club membership only. Carl wants a ballpark and parking in what was Theodore Wirth - and a pack of public money! (ha ha go for it Carl!). Zeke wants a miniature Disney-land type development on or near the LRT - how about Minnehaha Park - we could take, say, half of it now, half later. (and public money too! yes yes!) "Now, the best part - we'll tell people the corporations have come to help (ha ha) the park system!! (ha ha help ourselves! guffaw choke ha ha). Now now decorum, please (snicker). (think they'll buy it? of course they will). Corporations help the park system??!!! Ha ha! Good one! (the park system - now you see it, now you don't!! snicker cough). Meeting adjourned." Well of course this is just fictional. We all know this has never happened here (in River City) and never will, because we are all honest and good, and we all have the best intentions, we all want what's best for everyone. So we can all go back to sleep. Perhaps in a park - if we can find one in the future. --David Shove Roseville ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 21:53:50 -0600 From: John Erwin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] RE: Outrageous Election by the Park Board - John Erwin Dear List Readers, As an elected official I can not believe what happened at the Park Board meeting this evening. Although this action reflects badly on the institution of the Park Board, I am compelled to let the public know. The majority of the Board committed what I consider to be a gross abuse of power that all citizens of this city should be outraged at. In fact, those citizens who were there were outraged. Bob Gregor, former Minneapolis Alderman, was there and said it was the most outrageous behavior he has seen! 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
