In a post responding to the thread of this topic, Michael Atherton
quotes from my post on another topic thread: whether Minneapolis Public Schools
should operate a radio station (both posts copied in full below). Perhaps his
rationale was that I referenced two state Republican leaders; I don't know, but
perhaps others might suggest more possibilities. Specifically, Mr. Atherton
seems to be concerned with my use of the clich�, "bottom line," by which I
meant
the net profit or loss in an economic venture or simply the last line or net
in a spread sheet or pro forma; I hope my use of the term in the quote implied
to most that the decision to cancel the MNDOT contract for radio traffic
reports with KBEM/MPS was based in false suppostions that it would save money
and
that contracted traffic reports were unnecessary, i.e., an attempt to
externalize a legitimate expense.
Now to stay true to the topic thread, "Republican Views...,' I should
say that the kind of contextual error above perpetuated again and again in
rhetoric to support or undermine one position or another is a trademark of many
Republicans stating their views on Minneapolis. Now I don't know for a
certainty
that Mr. Atherton is a Republican, but I strongly suspect that he is; I
normally don't make these assumptions on this list. I am and always have been a
Democrat, except for a brief time before the 1976 primary when I registered as
a
Republican to vote for fiscally conservative and socially moderate Republican
John Anderson, so no assumptions are necessary about my party stripes. Still,
if there were Republican politicians out there running for state or local
government to represent me who did not use the rhetorical device described
above in
their campaigns and instead made strong logical arguments, I might be forced
to change my stripes again. So far most identifiably Republican views of our
fair city come from outside our boundaries; it is for this reason that, before
now, I don't think I've ever responded to a thread on this topic with the
possible exception of school topic or two. DFL leadership in Minneapolis seems
fiscally conservative, and Republican views are "bizarre," to quote myself.
Considering the quote of mine that Mr. Atherton chose, I'm surprised he
didn't make a point that I've been waiting a long time for folks to call me
on, off list or on; but that is a topic for another post.
Bill Kahn
Prospect Park
****************************************************************************
Message: 9
Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 11:13:07 -0600
From: "Michael Atherton" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [Mpls] Republican Views of Minneapolis
To: <[email protected]>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Bill Kahn wrote:
> ... Homo sapiens sapiens evolved to do and what our
> culture has derailed in favor of wasting both opportunity and
> resource for a bizarre and abstract notion of "the bottom line."
> We've all got to start thinking in the long term and value
> sustainability over generations for millennia to come.
The notion of a "bottom line" is no more bizarre and abstract
than the notion of a "bottomless line." One of my objections
to the NRP is that most participants think that government
funding is an unlimited renewable resource. "It's OUR money."
Many people in the city also seem to lack an understanding of the
relationship between revenue and spending. They place responsibility
for the city's budgetary problems on a lack of funding from the
state rather than irresponsible spending by our mayors and the city
council. The city's problems are not only due to the reduction in
state revenue sharing and the recession, but to poor decisions related
to unwise expenditures, inefficient management, TIFF, subsidies, and
pensions.
Many people also fail to recognize the relationship between taxes and
economic well being, i.e., there is a point where growth in taxation limits
the benefits returned to individuals by a healthy economy.
Mark Snyder wrote:
> As David pointed out, the current city administration is focusing on
> "paying off the credit card" which means that cuts from city operations
> are being shifted towards debt reduction. Anyone who looks at the mayor's
> 2005 budget can see many cuts in department budgets since 2002/2003.
...
> So I don't make anyone's head spin from how complex this budget stuff can
> be, I won't even go into the fact that skyrocketing health care premiums can
> easily wipe out budget cuts made in operations...as any good business owner
> already knows.
Although budget analysis and planning is complex, there is a simple
question that needs to be answered. Is the debt being reduced or is
it continuing to grow? Is the city's budget just treading water and
keeping the creditors at bay, shifting the problem into the future
or are we actually reducing the portion of the city's budget that is
financing the debt? I'd like to hear an explanation from the Mayor.
While it is not likely to change my vote in the next election (the
current alternative candidate seems even less interested in reforming
the city's finances), it would give me more hope that additional
increases in my family's property taxes will not force us into the
suburbs.
Michael Atherton
Prospect Park
-----------------
Subj: [Mpls] RE: Should the Mpls Schools be operating a radiostation?
Date: Sunday, January 2, 2005 2:24:07 PM
From: WJKAHN
To: [email protected]
I actually listen to KBEM quite a bit. When I'm not otherwise occupied,
I'll listen to the "Bluegrass Saturday Morning Show," because it is about the
only way to hear this sort of music on a regular basis. I listen to the usual
jazz formats as well. What I do not hear, except on the rare occasion that I
have the station tuned in post-rush hour, is students or student produced
programs. I'll admit that my attention to KBEM is sporadic, but it seems to me
that MPS has always under utilized this educational resource. I guess I'll have
to fork over some dough to them now.
With existing technology--existing within MPS--I believe that this
station can be retooled to benefit far more students in the district than it
has
in its history without tapping out the limited MPS resources available. Add to
the existing partnerships with business and nonprofit groups in the
geographical broadcast area and you can exceed what potential exists today, I
hope.
Keep in mind this is coming from an old mechanic; I never throw out a
tool unless it is broken beyond repair or beyond redesign to another
purpose--it is the kind of industry that Homo sapiens sapiens evolved to do and
what our
culture has derailed in favor of wasting both opportunity and resource for a
bizarre and abstract notion of "the bottom line." We've all got to start
thinking in the long term and value sustainability over generations for
millennia
to come. Holding on to KBEM is a good first step in learning to use everything
we've got until it is unusable.
As far as the KBEM metro traffic report contract with MNDOT, we have yet
to hear how MNDOT will insure that Metro drivers will get reliable updates
over their radios except for what other public and commercial stations happen
to
dole out for free as a neighbor points out in a recent Star Tribune letter.
Are we all supposed to get cellphones, dial 511, and spin off the road in
distraction? It seems that such updates are thought unnecessary. We're about to
start this years legislative session, and I hope this topic gets some
discussion.
Given the anti-Minneapolis bias in the House, perhaps the sale and
relicensure of KBEM or another station to a broader group of education concerns
with
direction and input from MNDOT, MN Department of Education, and the
Metropoliton
Council as a resource for a greater number of state school districts should be
considered. Or, in our time of controversy over Federal Communications
Commission regulation of the air waves, it is time for Minnesota to clearly
define
what is required of stations to serve the public good instead of leaving it up
to the whims of station owners and managment. The air is ours and our public
needs count. If we can't get information vital for the good of society when and
where we need to have it, our democracy doesn't count for much. As usual our
legislature and state bureacracies have much to define, discuss, and perhaps
do something about this issue. From MNDOT plans it appears that after the KBEM
contract expires in March, Twin Cities traffic information on the radio is
something with which they will no longer concern themselves. Kudos to Governor
Pawlenty and his MNDOT Commissioner Carol Molnau for this happy state of
affairs; I'm as certain as they are that the market will will provide us what
traffic
information that we need when we need it on the radio. They made the right
decision, right? ......Right.
Bill Kahn
Prospect Park
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