The questions seem to be: - What is the value of having a "non-commercial" vendor operate the vending service? Does the non-commercial vendor offer a value that contributes to the idyllic community atmosphere of the park experience? Personally, I see value in receiving the service from a non-commercial vendor. It feels good. Reminds me of time past. Helps differentiate the experience from a commercial one.
- Is the park board capable of operating a profitable (or least not money loosing) non-commercial vending service? If they are incapable of doing this, I guess it really doesn't matter. Have they proven capable in other venues? I honestly ask this question because I don't have any idea of the answer. Steve Kotvis Kenwood > Chris Johnson wrote: > Theodore Wirth's vision, and that of the Park Board in the first half of the > 20th century, for those concessions was to provide a service to the public and > an opportunity for employment for neighborhood youth, and the learning and > other community benefits that go with it. Like neighborhood schools and > neighborhood libraries, neighborhood parks become part of and support the > community fabric. There was a park within 6 blocks of every residence in the > city, so that all children and families would have easy access to them -- not > just the families with soccer moms willing and able to act as limousine > services to such inaccessible places as the Ft. Snelling soccer fields now > leased by the Park Board. > > Until the early 1980s, the Park Board grew its own plants and trees at its own > greenhouses and nursery, providing yet another pair of locations for a large > number of city youth to have good experiences and gainful summer employment. > > So, do you want billboards on park benches, Dairy Queen signs over > concessions, and other privatization and commercialization of our parks? Or do > you want the community- and neighborhood-oriented parks that our predecessors > left us? > > > Mark Anderson replies: > What are you saying here, Chris? You wax on about Theodore Wirth's vision for > our parks, and I was waiting for your climax: where you explain the grave > danger to this utopian vision. Apparently this is all about giving DQ the > concession at Lake Harriet? That gives up the community-oriented parks we > have? > > I don't understand, Chris. I think the main result of out-sourcing the > concessions would be that the park system could collect more cash than their > current inefficient and poorly managed yields. At the top of your e-mail you > basically accuse the Park Board of hiding theft at the concession stands. > Then at the bottom, you defame the Board for giving up day-to-day management. > I'd think you would celebrate taking the management away from the Board. > > Also, why do you have an emotional attraction to the concession stands being > run by the Park Board? I can understand your concern with losing the benefits > of our park system. Mpls does have a great park system. I would miss it too, > if we lost all the green space. But the concession stands? Who cares who > runs them? They are already the exception to the green space, perhaps an > unavoidable blot on the rest of the parks. But if we have to have them, let's > at least make money on them. > > Mark V Anderson > Bancroft > 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 -- Steve Kotvis 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
