When Allina threatened to go on permanent strike from Mpls, sucking millions of dollars in tax dollars from the city, that was excused by some as a "sound business decision." Adding $200 million dollars or so to the burden to get a "transportation monoculture" freeway/driveway to the door is a form of extorting more money from the poor and middle class to serve a conformist corporate culture which exists to extract wealth from every aspect of its operation, not to provide healthcare, jobs, or any other external good or service.
Similarly, when the Twins or Vikes threaten to go on permanent strike from the city or metro area unless they get enormous transportation and "dome" infrastructure dedicated to their narrow "sports industries" our government and media leadership bend over backwards repeatedly to accomodate. Billionaires and millionaires get to strike, then, while the tax burdens are shifted to the beleagured and shrinking miffle class and while the middle class is "walmartized" and told to conform to a cancerous corporate monoculture. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. We need a large, strong middle class for civic strength and for democracy. That happens through intention and is sustained through a strong sense of the common good, not through fragmenting our city and metro into mutually exclusive angry groups. -- pedaling for peace and justice from kingfield, on a trike -- fair and balanced winter transportation -- Gary hoover 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
