--- Ed Fesler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The Taxpayers League (which controls the > Republican > party in Minnesota) claims that the lack of chaos > and > congestion from the bus strike proves that transit > is > a bad deal for taxpayers and doesn't reduce > congestion.
Transit as "a bad deal for taxpayers" is going a bit far. I believe the point is not that bus-riding folk are fine, but rather that traffic congestion has not been significantly impacted. It's neither here nor there to me, since I want the busses back up and running, but I will say that University Ave has been no more congested than usual, despite media predictions that traffic would be crazy during the strike. Perhaps the point to be gleaned is this: many bus-riders don't have cars, and that's why there isn't an explosion of congestion. I consider myself lucky because I do have a car, and have been driving it to and from work at the capitol since the strike began. I thought of asking Karen Clark, Neva Walker and Linda Berglin if they'd like to carpool with me... but then abandoned that idea. Just because I regularly befriend democrats and other assorted liberals doesn't mean that they would necessarily afford me the same courtesy - as evinced by the tone of some members of this list! At any rate, that is my story: I am a bus-rider with a car and now I'm driving until this is over. Since I see no one from work on my usual bus, I assume there is no one in my office who is interested in carpooling. Perhaps I should send out an email just to make sure though, now that I'm rethinking the situation. This is an especially good idea considering that my car may be about to conk out. Finally, without getting too far afield from Mpls, I must take issue with the above quoted text about the Taxpayers' League "controlling" the Republican party. Nobody controls me, Mr. Fesler, and I on the executive board of both my GOP senate district and city organization. I DO live in an urban core and I DO support transit. Furthermore, most legislators (with one or two notable exceptions) will support spending that has positive ramifications for their district. (And their re-election chances.) It seems quite simple to me. Connie Nompelis Ventura Village (Soon to move to Phillips West, if all goes as planned) > > Here is the Strib article about the Taxpayers > Leech: > > http://startribune.com/stories/373/4648115.html > > Philip Pina of the Pioneer Press (who ought to > know > better!) wrote this: > > "An estimated 75,000 people make about 220,000 > trips > each day, but the vast majority has cars or other > ways > to get around." The vast majority?????? > > According to Pina it is only the poor and > homeless > who do not have cars. It is a good article except > for > this whopper. > > Here is Pina's PP article: > > http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/8119336.htm > > > Here is an article which warns of future > escalation: > > http://www.startribune.com/stories/373/4647981.html > > When are Mayors Rybak and Kelly going to get > involved? When will the Mpls City Council pass a > resolution? > > It would be interesting to archive the public > statements of all elected officials concerning the > bus > strike. > > Maybe elected officials could join the labor > movement in calling for a general strike if the > strike > isn't settled soon. If some elected officials won't > criticize Pawlenty and Bell-replace them! > > Anybody who brags about lack of chaos is asking > for > big trouble. If all the suffering is being done by > bus > riders and transit workers...that won't last > forever. > > If anarchists or anybody else with an ax to grind > wanted to disrupt traffic with low-level vandalism > it > wouldn't be that hard to do... > > If responsible leaders don't take drastic action > to > end the strike the forces of chaos and destruction > will! The Devil finds work for idle hands and he is > always open for business. > > Did the labor movement understand what kind of > battle it was getting into? The transit-haters who > control state government love the transit strike. > The > anti-urban Republicans think they can force a long > transit trike and get away with it. > > This strike could have been prevented. > > > Ed Fesler [EMAIL PROTECTED] Minneapolis > Corcoran > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Search - Find what you�re looking for faster > http://search.yahoo.com > 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! 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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
