Scott Vreeland writes: >"CPED is saying that CPED should determine how NRP dollars should be spent, basically taking the N out of NRP. I would also note that CPED's attempt to own NRP dollars is antithetical to current approved NRP policy and procedure."
"---CPED wants to change the rules without prior notice or discussion (or competent analysis of their own policy). Now under the guise of "the unified housing policy", CPED is advocating the dismantling of neighborhood groups."< Minneapolis voters need to remember that this is not a new "Issue". The attack upon "Neighborhoods" and NRP began almost as soon as the present people were elected to office. Though the last election campaign was decided by promises of protecting NRP and "Empowering Neighborhoods" certain elected officials began almost immediately to attempt to kill those neighborhoods. The source of power for those politicians is selling taxpayer dollars and CDBG dollars. Doling out those dollars gains contributions and political favors. By controlling a source of funding (NRP dollars) neighborhoods could partially control development in their own communities. This independent funding empowered neighborhood residents, who in an organized form became viewed by the power brokers as an intolerable competition. . In the name of affordable housing the key advisors in the Mayor's office and a couple of City Council Members appearing to wish to consolidate their own power seemed to begin immediately after the six month honeymoon in attempts to remove the source of citizen empowerment, the Neighborhoods. The gist of that "affordable housing" was not true affordable housing but support for favored developers. This was evident in the vetoing of the "Affordable Homeownership Guaranteed Mortgage Program" proposed by Neighborhood reps to the NRP Policy Board and then approved by that body. There was also the very real realization that the force that had overturned the last administration and some of the last City Council was the empowered Neighborhood organizers and dissatisfied active residents from those neighborhoods. Key advisors and some Council Members realized that the Neighborhood activist, not the "power brokers", were the driving force behind the last election. Even though that neighborhood "sword" was used to win, these same "power-brokers" now decided to remove that threat to them. The first big attack on Neighborhoods was to attempt to kill their funding. The assault on NRP was well documented on the MPLS Issues. The MPLS Issues Forum played a key role in exposing this plot and discrediting those who either planned or were mislead because of legitimate concern for the "Budget" into leading that assault. Though damaged the neighborhoods won that battle. Next came the attempt by "front" people for the politicians to say official Neighborhood Organizations were only ONE of several organizations and "Interest groups" serving a "community", and suggesting that as such elected neighborhood board's input was only a small part of the consideration. Citizens and residents of Minneapolis Neighborhoods elect their own boards of directors and "Neighborhood Councils". The same is true of the Minneapolis "Board" called the City Council. I suppose the same arguments might be applied to that "Board" as is applied to Neighborhood "Boards" and "Councils". I wonder if the same people advocating for Official Neighborhoods only have a partial "advisory" voice would also advocate for allowing the City Council to only have advisory power over decisions made by the County Commissioners? I would bet not! Those same anti-neighborhood interest group, (the agencies, developers, and "organizations serving all neighborhoods" are now being used by the "Brokers" in justifying CPED to again make a run at both NRP and "Official Neighborhood Organizations". Fortunately, as indicated by Bruce Shoemaker, some Neighborhoods are aware of the new attack on their existence, and attacks upon the NRP that has empowered Minneapolis residents. Bringing this naked attempt from under its rock into the bright daylight of public awareness will probably be all that is necessary to have it slink away in the next election year. Neighborhoods should use this opportunity to organize among themselves to more formally share in a decision-making partnership with the City of Minneapolis. That partnership should be officially recognized in a formal Memorandum of Understanding and should address policy decisions in every department of City government that affect neighborhoods. Scott Vreeland continues that, >"CPED (and the council members and Mayor that were elected to fight for NRP) want control of NRP dollars taken away from neighborhood groups. The value of what neighborhood groups do is totally disregarded in this process."< Minneapolis indeed has not fully realized that the few dollars spent on NRP have indeed revitalized the City far more than the hundreds of millions of dollars the City has unwisely invested in its favorite developer's developments. Minneapolis has disregarded what neighborhoods do, but seems to have not fully realized the potential that can be gained from an involved and empowered resident base. There are billions of Federal dollars waiting for someone with such an organized citizen base to go get it. Minneapolis discounts the value of that base because the base might threaten the "powers that be". The people best able to target resources to real need and real solutions are the people living in the community, not staff people who do not live in the neighborhood and who are not directly impacted by those decisions. The people best able to justify funding are those same people. Remember the same City officials who now attempt to squeeze every dollar from single mothers seeking affordable homeownership and making $25,000 a year are also the officials who supported huge subsidies for upper-middle class condo's. If anything the Neighborhood's wise use of NRP dollars and the return on those dollars makes the City's investments of hundreds of millions look weak and lame in comparison. So Minneapolis Neighborhood activist, get informed, and get fired up. Your Neighborhoods are under threat and attack. Those now driving are trying to get you deeper into the dark woods; lets bring it out into the bright sunshine and let the residents see where this long black train is headed. It is time to take pride in what you neighborhood people have accomplished, and it's time to demand a more active role in a real partnership in running your City. Jim Graham, Ventura Village, Phillips Community Planning District, Sixth Ward of Minneapolis "We can only be what we give ourselves the power to be" - A Cherokee Feast of Days "The people are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty." - Thomas Jefferson 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
