Yes, you all ask very good questions that I for one do not always answer
because in reality it is somewhat embarrassing. Imagine how I feel that it
took 15 years to build skateboard parks, or it is taking over 10 years to
build a new multi-cultural center in East Phillips Park or why did it take
forever and a year to get a solar system on top of Matthews Center (which
Scott Vreeland literally had to almost put up by himself). Rusty
equipment, damaged roofs and potholes - all in the day of a Commissioner's
work and just not very "sexy". Not like having a plaque on a new Sailing
Cub or Marina. Or selling the store to any developer that appears to come
along (an over exaggeration perhaps).
As most of you know I do not particularly care how many of those plaques
are up as I am with maintaining the system we have in an eco-friendly,
sustainable, fiscally responsible manner. Unfortunately, I am most of the
time talking to blank walls or tilted windmills.
So you may say - if it is so rough being in the minority - why is she
running again? Because I believe - because I have hope, I have tenacity
and I have a great amount of trust in the citizens of this city this fall
to make some good decisions about who should be on the park board and we
will have a good chance of turning the good ship "Lollipop" right side up
before it sinks it's slow death to the bottom of the Mississippi. And I
want to be part of that historic change for the better.
Vote Sept. 13th and Nov. 8th. You do have some choices.
Annie Young
candidate and "sitting"
citywide Minneapolis Park Commissioner
PS - the surest way to never have more 90+degree days again is to demand we
build a water park within 6 blocks of everyone's house since we appear to
be heading into the tropical era. What do you think? Global warming at
its best.
At 11:35 PM 8/1/05 -0500, Elizabeth Wielinski wrote:
Just to clear up a bit of misinformation. Commissioner Kummer is not
on the planning committee, nor was she the parent of DeLaSalle
graduates. That would be Commissioner Hauser.
And Dorie ... the question you and the other neighbors should be
asking Commissioner Kummer is why your park has been delayed until 2009
but the brand new recently acquired ( and quickly named not following
MPRB procedure ) Solomon Park jumped ahead of all the parks in the
line. This question has come up before and has never been answered by
any commissioner that posts on this list ( and yes Commissioner Young I
know you were opposed to the naming without following procedure).
Your park is not the only park that has faced many delays and my question
is, will all the park upgrades keep getting pushed further and further out
while projects like moving the park police ( $400,000) and building an
event center on the south end of Lake Calhoun ( to give the Tin Fish more
parking and estimated at $1 to $2 million) as well as who knows what kind
of lawsuits the DeLaSalle issue could still spawn at who knows what kind
of dollar figure are pursued? This is the year we can all check out
candidates and decide... do we want our basics covered and our parks
maintained or do we want to become "private enterprise developers" and
don't kid yourself that these enterprises are bringing in the money to
cover the basics... they bring in the money to upgrade the "private
enterprises". Yes, there are dollars transfered into the operating fund
from the enterprise fund, but do those dollars even cover the planning
staff hours put into the enterprise projects????? Seems to me that the
salaries for planning are all paid out of non-enterprise funds. Too bad
we can never see a "real" budget to know just how all of the money is
spent. I hope the staff is ready to answer Commissioner Mason's question
from the last MPRB meeting about just how much staff time HAS been spent
on DeLaSalle.
If the MPRB really wants to do it for the kids... it would be nice if
the rec center roof wasn't in danger of collapsing or the playground
equipment wasn't rusty or in my neighborhood if the bike paths weren't
potholed and limb threatening.
Liz Wielinski
Columbia Park
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PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list.
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