The posts about the "gay drain" to Canada made me think of this somewhat blunt and confrontational piece written by the editors of The Stranger in Seattle. It is well worth reading. The issues facing Minneapolis and Seattle are not all that different.
http://www.urbanarchipelago.com I think it's clear that in Minneapolis, we are interested in preserving and (dare I say) improving our quality of life. A lot of us hoped that the Federal election would help us advance these goals. We have to accept that it hasn't. With that in mind, we might have to look at urban solutions to the problems that the federal government refuses to address. There's more than one way to skin a cat. Examples: * How can we ensure that the citizens of Minneapolis have universal access to health care? Arguably they do already - they can just go to the HCMC emergency room and not pay the bill. But I think we all understand why that doesn't work, and can't continue. There has been talk of statewide solutions, such as expanding MinnesotaCare to cover all uninsured Minnesotans. Not only is that beyond the scope of this list, it requires a cooperative governor. How can we create a citywide solution? Or - while I'm brainstorming - why not a nationwide "MetroPlan"? Don't the uninsured residents of Democratic-controlled cities comprise a large enough pool to start a single-payer plan of our own? * How can we maintain and improve air and water quality in the face of declining Federal standards/enforcement? * How can we protect our gay/lesbian/bi/transgender citizens and demonstrate that they're valued here? * How can we get inner-city mass transit out of the hands of those who hate transit and don't want to pay for it? I say the last part reluctantly, because I realize we really do need metro-wide solutions. And I realize that support for mass transit in the metro area is NOT completely divided along party lines, for which I am most grateful. Nonetheless, whether it's trolleys, PRT or more light rail, Minneapolis needs more options, and preferably ones that don't require the continued good will of the state legislature to keep them running. Sam Adams East Phillips (now Ward 9) 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
