On Saturday, January 31, 2004, at 06:18PM, Chris Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
<snip> >I praise Lilligren, Johnson Lee and Zimmerman for their courage. They >stood up for what is right and best for the citizens of Minneapolis. > >Those who are unable to stand up to the demands of lobbyists, >bureaucrats and political rain makers take the coward's course of >action, instead of the right course. > >I like my public servants to serve the public, not corporate interests. > >Chris Johnson >Fulton Mr. Johnson, I am public, and am grateful for the vote. This may come as a surprise to you, but I do not have any corporate interests, am not a lobbyist, bureaucrat, nor a political rainmaker, and yet I still support the Access Project and the potential locating of Allina headquarters in the former Sears building. It is my belief that the balanced outlook on city planning shown by the City Council is actually the correct one for the Lake Street area. It is also my belief that the real courage shown is by those City Council members who stood up to those with the single-minded belief that their way is the only way -- in my opinion, that is what takes real personal courage. As for CM Niziolek, your abstention seems to be a pattern -- stating that the process is somehow flawed therefore allowing you to sidestep an actual vote on an issue is truly the most cowardly position of the whole lot. I can respect those Council Members who voted against the Access Project -- they have beliefs and held to them. But CM Niziolek, you are paid almost $70,000 per year to be a leader. To blame the process in a political arena for anything is one of the more naive sentiments I have ever come across. Politics is inherently messy and the process will almost always be flawed when you have people with divergent opinions of what is right and wrong coming together to attempt to enact policy. CM Niziolek, here is a little secret though, those divergent opinions extend all the way to the process itself -- sometimes the process is going to more to your liking, just as sometimes the voting outcome is going to be more to your liking. Sometimes it is not. Twelve of your colleagues were not offended by the process and actually took a stand on the issue. You were the only one to abstain based on process, just as you voted against McManus based on process. These are not the qualities of a leader. Nor do they show any real personal courage. Andrew Reineman Linden Hills Ward 13 -- Trying to Keep Minneapolis from becoming another Detroit. 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
