Jason Stone wrote: > The people I've worked with on NRP planning are quite smart > and have a high degree of integrity and a sincere commitment > to gather and incorporate input and report on all of the phases > of NRP planning. I haven't met any of the dullards that Michael > describes.
Regardless of whether you've met dullards in NRP, the problem is that there are no real checks and balances to prevent them from controlling neighborhood NRP processes. Who controls the NRP at the neighborhood level is, for the most part, self-selected (i.e., "who shows up"). There is no public vetting, as normally occurs in our representative democracy. The vast majority of neighborhood residents have no idea who is "representing" them and no idea of the decisions that they are considering and the actions they take (regardless of whether the NRP claims that they are). Chris Johnson wrote: > Like Jason Stone, the people I've met who worked on NRP projects in > neighborhoods have been intelligent, informed and most of all, > sincerely trying to do the right thing for the entire neighborhood. I hope that Mr. Johnson is also lucky enough to live in a neighborhood where everyone obeys traffic laws... I don't. I would also posit that what self-selected individuals believe is, "...right thing for the entire neighborhood...," may not actually be the right course of action or what is desired by the majority of residents (even if enforced "sincerely"). Joan Thom wrote: > As I've said many times over the years if you weren't involved > than you can't complain about how it was done. Make sure you > are next time and you can have more input. This is a great example of the type of thought processes that go into the NRP process, I've often heard it voiced in my neighborhood. Never mind that it totally invalidates the right of political protest, liberal or otherwise. "So, you didn't vote in the 2000 election and you haven't been actively lobbying at the Capital, then you have no right to complain about the War in Iraq." Wrong. Besides the fact that I have been actively involved in the NRP process, since I moved into in my neighborhood, and have spent hundreds of hours and dollars supporting community activism. I will NEVER claim that people who haven't been involved in the process don't have the right to complain about its outcomes. It's ridiculous to claim such a thing in a free society. And while I'm ranting, I believe that much of the housing "shortage" was manipulated (as it was in other cities) and that, if there ever was a housing shortage, it doesn't exist anymore. And, being in an extremely cynical phase, I currently don't see city politics as much more than the process of determining who gets to milk the city cow. Michael Atherton Prospect Park REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
