Thank you Doug, for your clarification. Yes Doug, you are correct about the Bossen area. I can remember a time when the delivery drivers for a business I ran considered that area to be almost as bad as the area around Lake Street. I can understand the frustration someone would have at not having adequate police protection, no matter what neighborhood you come from. It is part of the frustration that went on around the "Community Oriented Public Safety Initiative Reserve Fund (COPS)" program. It was a dilemma for me because I thought Police protection was the responsibility of the City and it was improper to use NRP funds to replace what was clearly a City obligation. At the same time we were assured that the dollars were going to be spent, and if we did not take our share it would go to other neighborhoods. We, and Jordan, have faced greater drug and crime problems than most other parts of the City. The needs of our people overcame whatever reticence that I may have had about the program's source of funding. When the house is burning down sometimes we forget to look down the street and share the water with someone whose porch is on fire. We forget that perhaps their house may also burn down if they do not get at least some of the water.
When there is a City wide issue (such as NRP) and I think of which neighborhoods (and who) can be counted on to be in the front working on that effort, I think first of the folks from NENA. I hope, and am sure, we will continue to be partners in such efforts. Most people and neighborhoods are probably unaware of the effort and hard work that NENA staff put into insuring that they would continue to have NRP. I am truly sorry that NENA may have been shortchanged on any NRP funding program. Our neighborhoods NEED to be supportive of each other to tackle problems we may mutually face, and supportive of each other to tackle problems that are uniquely our own. Just as our two neighborhoods (and a couple of others) certainly have done more than most to save NRP for the entire City. My initial post was to suggest the leveraging of funds was a good way to bring attention to the issue. It was the reason for the example of the Franklin Library. As I posted earlier, I support Dorie on the issue of community libraries. The neighborhoods need to support and teach each other to net fish, not jealously squabble like two gulls fighting over a carp on the beach; even though we are both hungry. The saving of NRP and community libraries are only two of the issues we (and other neighborhoods) can collaborate on. We probably need to squawk a little louder at each other BEFORE the water (or the carp) runs out. So we can make sure we share and mutually find some more. Maybe let you have a little extra carp, if we get a little more water. Jim Graham, Ventura Village Neighborhood, Phillips Community, Third Precinct, and Sixth Ward of Metropolis 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
