Russell Raczkowski writes: > > Meanwhile, Mayor Rybak continues to demonstrate his confusion about how to "help" > communities, having but two tools in his box--cutting deals and spinning the deal as > good for the abstract "community." > > I hope someone runs for mayor that has the ability to go beyond marketing speak > and involve residents in the future of the city. . . . Rybak clearly cannot.
I'm a skeptic, too, but tell me what you'd do in what I think is the real-world situation. I'm really asking, not polemicizing. There's a lot of water under the bridge that's worth drawing lessons from, but that's gone to the treatment plant now. Here's the situation: Basim Sabri owns the property. He can build his light-industrial building on it, no matter what you (the city) wants to do - he has the zoning for that. Now, Sabri wants to build housing...in a corridor (if not a site) that's designed to have housing. Sabri is willing to pay you (the city) more to build the condos. The condos will also pay new property taxes to the city. You as a city official have two choices: 1. Say no to the housing and the extra coin. 2. Say yes and get more housing and taxes. Remember, either way you'll get the industrial building. And if you're incensed about the low land sale price, that's done. I take nothing away from anyone's right to vote against the current regime for that - but you need to answer the question, 'How do you go forward?" As I said, a real-world answer to this situation and not "abstract" polemicizing would be really helpful. David Brauer Kingfield 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
