Lets not mix the apples and oranges here. This is not an either/or choice between a stadium and public schools!
A new baseball new stadium - or staying in the old one - will have zero impact on the problems faced by public school and teachers today! School districts are funded by a combination sources including a state aid funding formula, local property taxes, and some federal dollars for specific programs. Many school districts also obtain moneys through local referenda or bonding initiatives. I wholeheartedly agree that the public schools are under funded and that it is an outrage that teachers have to spend their own dollars for basic classroom supplies! But that is a whole different issue than the decision to build or not build a new baseball stadium - the two issues are not entangled in any way! As for salaries, professional athletes have remarkable skills that the rest of us do not have and they are fortunate in that the public is willing to pay them to see them play. Not any different than musicians, comedians, actors, or other entertainers. The question is not one of relative value, it is hard to single out teachers as more deserving than for example the orderly at the nursing home, the person who picks up your garbage, or dozens of other occupations that are necessary and underpaid and underappreciated. I am as pro teacher as any on The Issues List! Their contribution are oftentimes unrecognized until later in life. It is a great privilege for me as a 50+ year old to have had the opportunity in the past few years of being able to thank some of my teachers for their patience and persistence and that what I could not appreciate at 15, I am deeply appreciative so many years later! I think it is very unfair and wrong to assert that anything is "crooked" about the decision to proceed (if the Legislature and Governor approve)with a countywide sales tax increase to partially fund construction of a new baseball stadium. Obviously a lot of people are unhappy with that decision even though many others believe it is the right decision. One can certainly attack or criticize the decision or the process ,but no one ought to accuse the commissioners or others who support the decision of being "crooked" unless there is some evidence to back up such grave accusations! Jim Bernstein Fulton -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Connie Beckers Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 10:41 AM To: Karen Cooper; [email protected] Subject: RE: [Mpls] help for MPS Let's give the schools our tax money and let the Twins have a fund raiser for the stadium, huh?!? Let them collect phone books and newspapers and pop cans for a penny apiece. Let them peddle candy door-to-door or sell magazine subscriptions or save soup can labels. I know of a teacher at North High who, upon learning of additional program cuts and teacher losses at her school, called and invited each and every commissioner to spend a day there before voting. Not one responded. No one can deny that our schools are in trouble; it's the contributing factors that seem to be in dispute. But the fact is, it's about money -- programs are being cut, teachers are being realigned to save money, materials are being paid for by the teachers themselves in some cases. This same teacher at North also suggests that if the stadium gets built on the backs of taxpayers, the players' salaries should be capped at what a teacher in our public school system makes. Consider the contributions to our future from a school teacher vs. a pro athlete. Hmmmmmmmmmmm .... didn't take long did it? Teachers are in charge of educating our young people with little or no parent involvement these days. Classrooms are more crowded than our prison cells. Teachers often pay for materials from their own meager salaries. Athletes do ..... what? I know of one personally who volunteers at an elementary school several days a week and others who contribute to their communities in many ways. But by and large, they're only impacting a few with an interest in sports while some of the less than stellar role models are teaching our young people other less than desirable traits. The priorities of our governmental leaders are misdirected and they can do a lot more damage before the next election. It doesn't really feel like a government for and by the people anymore, does it? It's more about who's got the deepest pockets. The thing with the stadium is so obviously crooked .... I'm just amazed that our county board thinks we're all so stupid that we can't see it, too. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Connie Beckers THE GODDESS OF GLASS 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 -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.9 - Release Date: 5/12/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.9 - Release Date: 5/12/2005 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
