> Typical suburban/exurbanite writes: >> Before you all rush off and ban SUVs you might want to decide which of >> Minneapolis' problems it will solve. Will it increase the graduation rate >> of your students? >> Will it decrease the drug activity and shootings in your neighborhoods?
>Yes it will. It has been shown that a large number of the people buying >drugs on Minneapolis streets are from suburban/exurban areas. It will >also substantially reduce the prostitution on our streets. >> Will it bring increased funding from the state? Randall: "Maybe not, but then again those of us in the city would not be forced to inhale the pollution coming out of your unnecessarily over-sized vehicles. Our children growing up near highways would not develop asthma nor would our minority populations or elderly who all live near the highways that your SUVs use and pollute. And our residents would not need to risk their life and limb every time they cross our suburban SUV filled streets." A nice shiny new SUV, owned by a person with the money or gumption to maintain it pollutes far less than most of the little beat up old Geo Metros with "What Would Wellstone Do?" bumper stickers plastered all over them that you see smauging their way around Minneapolis streets all the time. Because it's new, has better technology in place, and is well maintained. A poorly tuned, old, unsophisticated Geo, producing gobs of black exhaust seems more of a problem. Also, how would you expect plumbers, electricians, painters, et-c to do their business in Minneapolis with an SUV ban? Show up with 40' ladders strapped to their moped? Tools toted in a little side-car, or baby-trailer? Should a family of 7 drive two cars everywhere they go, instead of one SUV? SUVs are also much safer than little tin-box cars. Don't you care about the children whose lives are saved by safe, sturdy American vehicles? Would you rather the little ones were careening down the road at 65 MPH in a tiny plastic box, or in a nice sturdy tank? > You may now return to getting excited over inconsequential issues. Randall: "This may be an isconsequential conversation, but the state of our schools, the crime on our streets, and the health of our public are not inconsequential issues." The state of our schools? Our public schools are a disaster now. Even if eliminating SUVs would bring more money for education, more money is the last thing public education needs. The more money we throw into that bottomless pit, the worse the schools get. There are a bunch of people benefiting from increased funding of public schools, unfortunately, they aren't the students! Administration is hogging the lion's share, with millionaire superintendents, and vast corruption, and bureauocracy. What's with all the intolerance in this city anyway? Everybody wants to ban something. What a bunch of touchy whiners we've become. Live and let live, eh? Dan McGrath Longfellow 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
