Mayor Rybak is well within the bounds of propriety to suggest that anyone who thinks that this urban area can do without mass transit might as well belong to the flat earth society. A flat earth and an urban area like the twin cities without mass transit are equally illogical. I personally think it is high time that the rhetorical ante be upped a bit; the transit workers deserve at least that from the rest of us. Dan McGuire Ericsson ----- Original Message ----- From: "Allen G" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Mpls Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Rybak, R.T." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, March 07, 2004 5:50 PM Subject: Re: [Mpls] Bus strike and transit
> > Thank you for your work on this issue, Mayor Rybak. It is good to see that the > city of Minneapolis has taken what steps it can in addressing issues due to the > transit worker stike. > > The one thing I ask of you given your position of leadership is to refrain from > making statments "...but I'm especially hopeful that these business-government > partnerships are what is needed to get around the flat earth society that > doesn't see the gridlock that is growing around them." Invoking a term like > flat earth society doesn't improve the public discourse on this issue. In doing > so you are lowering yourself to the same level as the Taxpayers League. Just as > we know a few days of normal traffic doesn't mean that Minneapolis and the metro > region don't need buses, we also know that a persons stance in regards to > transportation doesn't mean they believe the earth is flat. > > Such name calling gives the media an easy out in covering the strike. They can > focus on the name calling instead of covering the short term issues of the > strike such as people whose main means for getting about the city is the bus. > Let alone larger long term issues that affect transit and the effeciency of > transit such as how much of growth in the region should occur on the fringes of > the metro area versus redevelopment in it's core cities and aging first ring > suburbs. > > Sincerely, > Allen Graetz > Prospect Park > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rybak, R.T." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Mpls Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, March 06, 2004 12:50 PM > Subject: [Mpls] Bus strike and transit > > > > Minnesota Taxpayers League President David Strom had a remarkable > > statement this morning: "Transit just isn't that important to the smooth > > functioning of the Twin Cities transportation system"...."there just > > doesn't seem to be much difference in traffic when buses are running and > > when buses are not. > > The bus strike shows decisively that proponents of transit are simply > > not telling the truth when they say that transit ridership reduces > > congestion." > > > > This ignores a couple things that happened in Minneapolis, at least. > > First, scores of city employees and business people took extra steps in > > planning, coordinating car pools, etc. to make those first days a little > > smoother. This included the city spending additional money to put new > > traffic control officers on duty, something that is clearly not > > sustainable long term. > > > > Second, and more important, the past two days have seen hundreds of > > people go through real suffering. I talked to one man who works > > maintenance downtown who day rode his bike from Hopkins the second > > day...in the snow. We have been getting many other calls from people > > going through other real challenges because the buses aren't running, > > and it's important right now to tell those stories. > > > > Toward that end I could use your help. Could people, either on list or > > direct to me, tell stories they have heard about what people have had to > > go through with the buses not running.....My goal is to have enough of > > these that I can get them into the media when they are trying to > > determine whether Strom is right or not. Much of the discussion has > > centered about those coming in and out of downtown, which is important, > > but I am especially interested in those whose experience and stories may > > fall through the cracks in other parts of town. > > > > On a related topic, there was a very good letter in the paper this > > morning by John Akre that leaders of Minneapolis and St. Paul need to > > help the Metropolitan Council develop a broader consensus for transit in > > the region. I told John this morning that he's right and there is at > > least the beginning of some good news on this front: > > > > I was at the Met Council Monday for a meeting of Chair Bell, > > representatives of metropolitan chambers of commerce (including Twin > > West, Minneapolis and St. Paul) and several mayors (including me and the > > Mayors of Bloomington and Minnetonka). The goal was for the chambers > > and the Mayors to work together on moving a multimodel transportation > > system. This is good news to have the business community helping > > aggressively on this, which I believe is what is needed to oppose those > > in the Legislature who have been so anti transit. > > > > There are a couple other business/government coalitions that are growing > > around this, too. Mayor Kelly and I successfully got The Itasca Group, > > a coalition of ceos of corporations, to take on transit as one of their > > key initiatives. I also spoke to Charlie Weaver, head of the Business > > Partnership, yesterday and he, too, seems to be willing to play a role > > in moving transit issues forward. > > > > Another coalition that has been moved forward by Rep. Frank Hornstein > > and Sen. Scott Dibble is a group of mayors along 35W...We are > > collectively pushing the idea of bus rapid transit on 35. Also CM > > Schiff is working on streetcar options and CM Zimmerman is working on > > PRT > > > > It's important for Minneapolis officials keep pushing transit > > forward....but I'm especially hopeful that these business-government > > partnerships are what is needed to get around the flat earth society > > that doesn't see the gridlock that is growing around them. > > > > Anyway, that's a long way of asking for help in getting the stories of > > people who are had to make sacrifices during the bus strike. > > > > R.T.Rybak > > 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 > > > > 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 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
