The city dodges the illegal immigration question with
"its not our responsibility"
Why should it be any different with federal drug laws?
Mike Jensvold
Ward 10
--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> Aside from the shock and pleasure that comes with my
> agreement with certain
> folks on the list with whom I don't normally agree,
> it seems like we've not
> tread any new ground in any of these exchanges. I'd
> like to explore just how
> Minneapolis can legally declare certain areas of the
> city as non-enforcement zones
> for independent study of drug use. Federal laws
> prohibit all sorts of
> activities that could lead us to cogent solutions to
> all sorts of societal problems;
> shouldn't we be looking at ways to change or legally
> circumvent those laws to
> find real solutions? As many have pointed out, what
> we do instead is to chuck
> a significant part of whole generations living in
> certain areas or economic
> circumstances into the garbage dumps while those who
> are better off, legally or
> not so legally, live lives unaffected by drug or
> substance abuse phenomena
> (other than their remuneration as recent posts of
> Booker Hodges point out). As a
> nation, we forge ahead with traditional solutions
> based on speculation and
> personal prejudice instead of solid facts about the
> problems. What we really need
> is a moritorium on the 'War on Drugs' and a deep
> rational and scientific
> approach to the real problems of substance abuse
> leading to the creation of
> effective solutions. What can we do here in
> Minneapolis to lead the way besides carp
> at one another on the list and attend post mortem
> vigils or prayer breakfasts
> in the troubled spots in our city? I'd be interested
> in hearing from the
> Mayor and his challenger on these issues.
>
> Because Mayor Ryback promised to make the best of
> the position of mayor of
> the City of Minneapolis as defined in our charter, I
> voted for him in his
> campaign against Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton, whom I
> thought was invisible and
> ineffective; but I don't know that I can vote for
> him a second time. Because, as
> with Sayles Belton, the actual work of the office
> remains largely invisible in
> the Ryback Administration, I have grave doubts about
> what is actually getting
> done. I take seriously Peter McLaughlin's contention
> that public participation
> has been curtailed during the term of Ryback at the
> helm, such as it is, in
> City Hall. My impression is of a communications
> machine to circulate what to me
> appears largely as "spin," i.e., R.T. Ryback appears
> to be the 'Virtual' Mayor
> of Minneapolis. You can write a "strong mayor" into
> the City Charter or not,
> but you still must elect the genuine article to get
> things done ('Everybody
> talks about Minneapolis, but nobody does anything
> about it' to misquote Mark
> Twain). I think I know who that is, but I still need
> convincing.
>
> Bill Kahn
> 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
>
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
