[Jim Bernstein] The nine county metro area actually subsidizes the rest of the state to the tune of about $3 to $1 - conservatively!
[Vicky Heller] How do you calculate that claim? Are Minnesota income and sales taxes higher because you live in the City? Minneapolis only has 385,000 people, 285,000 adults. The population of Minnesota is just short of 5,000,000. Both numbers from the 2000 census. Interesting sidenote: the Minneapolis population in 1950 was 500,000. [Bernstein] Whom you characterize as "spendaholics" are simply people elected as county commissioners, mayors, council members, school board members trying to keep necessary services and facilities that people in their communities depend on. [Heller] If elected officials disclosed accurate financial data, I would agree. Do you know why Minneapolis is $2 billion in debt? [Bernstein] This runaway parochialism has already created modest crises in some rural and urban communities and, in the current political climate, will get worse before it gets better. [Heller] The crisis in Minneapolis and elsewhere is the result of spending money that we don't have, going deeper and deeper in debt, and adding ever-increasing interest payments to the load. Elected officials are afraid to raise taxes high enough to cover current expenditures - so the problem gets worse and worse and worse year after year. I actually think property taxes in Minneapolis should be tripled each year until the City's debts are retired. That would be the fastest way to educate the voters. I agree with part of your statement....." the dumbing down of America" is partly to blame. I maintain that people would get smart quickly if they had to pay their own bills.....which is all I propose in Minneapolis. Vicky Heller North Oaks and Cedar-Riverside 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
