The Mayor has asked some good questions about where there may be opportunities for different levels of government to save money through sharing or resources. I hope that people will come up with some innovative ideas.
However, I think people need to keep in mind some realism that the budgetary problems are so massive on all levels that no amount innovation is likely to turn around the situation as a whole. The best shot at turning things around is the November election and the hope that the people as a whole will catch on that the neocon Republicans are bankrupt. If they replace them with progressive Democrats, then a lot can be done. On the national level, the neocon Republicans have converted this country into something like a modern Sparta. We are not a state that has an army but an army that has a state. Only if we pull back from spending so much of our wealth on our armed forces and start spend it on education and other needs of society are we likely to survive. Remember that the Soviet Union fell apart because it literally bankrupted itself by spending so much on arms. On the state level, we've got to dump the politicians who espouse the neocon world view that "I can only win if everyone else loses." We've got to have people who figure that unless everyone wins then, in reality, we all lose. And that means that we tax at a level sufficient to support the education and other government services that we all need and actually spend that money on education and those needed services. So, with due respect the mayor (I always love the phrase "with due respect for...." I think that it has become a euphemism for "With no respect for you and your dumb ideas." But I really do think that the mayor's idea is worthwhile.) I think that everyone must keep in mind all the budgetary problems with the schools, the city, the libraries, and the county and then go to the polls in November and VOTE DEMOCRATIC. Steve Cross Prospect Park 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
