> Vanessa Says: Wow!, probably the same car load of folks that just brought
> the crack down the street in front of my house. I have said before, if
> raising taxes helps do try and get a better police response time, and more
> drug raids and busts, then please, by all means raise away. If raising my
> taxes to will help implement more action plans geared at gang reform;
> implementing positive youth programming and jobs, then by all means,
please
> do that. I guess I would rather see tax increases go toward building up
the
> community with prevention and intervention, early children issues, health
> issues and seniors, then to see it being used for a place or thing I would
> probably never use or enjoy.
That's the same kind of stuff they've been spending money on for ages, and
things continue to worsen. We need a new approach. "Action Plans" and
"building community" and "intervention and prevention" are all happy phrases
that sound good but do nothing. Mayor Rybak has in the past actually ordered
police not to interfere in lawlessness in North Minneapolis, then brought in
a mediator! That's "building community," I guess. Give police the authority
to do their job, and bust the bad guys. Elect judges that will enforce the
law, and get these guys off the streets. The more bad guys that are in jail,
the fewer there will be to hassle us. Elect officials who will appoint
judges that will enforce the law. "prevention-intervention" I suppose means
putting a first or second time drug dealer, or violent offender in an
outpatient treatment program instead of jail. Just get rid of them.
Everybody makes mistakes, some will say. You have to give people a chance.
Has anyone on this forum made the "mistake" of burglarizing a home for crack
money, or shot a person over a turf war? ("Oops. Sorry. My bad. Won't happen
again.") The city, and state are constantly clamoring for more of our money,
and things continue to decline. It's not a problem of funds. It's how the
funds are used. Take all the money out of these ineffective
"intervention-prevention," "community building," "meditator/consultant,"
programs, and put it into assault weapons, front-end-loaders, riot gear,
police training, hiring, and at other levels of government, prisons, and
this problem will dry up pretty fast. (Provided we have the will to actually
enforce the law). Forget these ticketing cops who are only glorified tax
collectors, as the mayor calls them "revenue neutral" in his budget, because
they are only hired to write tickets and raise revenue. I'd be willing to
bet that Minneapolis police catch way more people driving without their
seatbelt on in a month than drug dealers. Catching a drug dealer doesn't
raise any money, you see. It costs money. Follow the money. Just imagine if
everytime a decent person was cited for a minor infraction, and paid their
ticket, instead that cop was on the case of a murderer, drug dealer,
gangster, or rapist! Enough with this non-judgemental feel-good jibberish
that's so prevalent in society today. There are bad guys out there. Go get
them, and lock them up! This city has gotten "progressively" worse over the
past two decades. See a pattern here?
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
