On 8/12/05 6:42 AM, "Karen Harder" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I think our discussion on Clean Water Legacy and the city stormwater fee is > a case of Kevin McDonald trying so hard to disagree with his opponent that > he has taken a bad position to make that point. I know that's not what I'd > like to see in a City Councilmember. Like many others, Ward 12 candidate Kevin McDonald is raising legitimate concerns about Minneapolis¹ stormwater fee I have personally found his insights calling for greater cooperation between the city and other levels of government refreshing and desperately needed. As an environmental professional, I can tell you that it would be a mistake to discount the significant link between Minneapolis¹ new stormwater fee and the proposed state Clean Water Legacy Act (CWLA). City residents want its city to leverage the resources of other levels of government to solve problems. They want to know that every effort is being made to address critical city issues, such as the health of our lakes and rivers, through intergovernmental cooperation. McDonald is right on that this legislative bill will (and must) pass and it will impact the city in a big way. The CWLA is the biggest environmental bill in over a decade and will pump in a much needed $80 million annually into cleaning up impaired waters. McDonald is right in that Minneapolis is a city full of impaired waters (lakes, creeks and rivers) and the challenge ahead will be coordinating our city resources with those from US EPA, state government and elsewhere. Kevin McDonald knows a thing or two about environmental funding mechanisms. He agrees that, to the extent practical, the approach to these fee systems must be based on the polluter pays principle the pollution generators foot the bill. In 1990, Kevin was the chief staff architect of the state Pollution Prevention Act and its fee system. This Act¹s fee charges emitters $0.02 per pound for toxic compound they release to the environment. Interestingly, the fee revenues are poured back into innovative programs and incentives to help the very emitters reduce the wastes they generate. And it has been very successful - cutting releases/emissions of toxic chemicals in Minnesota by over 50% since it was introduced. I disagree with Karen Harder¹s accusation that McDonald is manufacturing some type of disagreement with CM Colvin Roy. Kevin raises legitimate points that: - Duplex owners are getting a raw deal and are being treated unfairly as a result of the way the city¹s stormwater fee was structured. As the council¹s point person for the fee, CM Colvin Roy has discounted these concerns and is not pursing any modifications with an degree of urgency. - It makes little sense to saddle our public schools, libraries and parks with hefty stormwater fees during extremely tight budget times. McDonald makes a lot of sense when he points out that there surely are many other ways the city build incentives to encourage alternative stormwater management at our schools, libraries and parks. - Many small businesses in the city are open to the idea of reduce the quantity of stormwater, and improving its quality. However, the fear is that they only see their city saddling them with yet another fee that makes it more difficult to stay in Minneapolis. For McDonald, small businesses are the very ones he¹d like to see grow in the city and provide employment opportunities for city residents. Listening to the concerns of small business owners in the city is a great quality in a city council member. - In addition, while many folks have focused on who the "losers" are in this utility fee restructuring, it would be wise not to overlook who the "winners" are - the large multi-unit rental property owners and developers. And not only do they benefit directly from the fee restructuring, but most of the fee reduction/credit opportunities are designed for them, with little thought given to developing meaningful reduction/crediting opportunities for small rental properties, small businesses or homeowners. Upon realizing this, I'm really gaining a greater understanding for the frustration many Ward 12 residents and small business owners have with Colvin Roy. There certainly are real differences between Ward 12 candidate Kevin McDonald and CM Colvin Roy. The most significant distinctions are not ideological, rather they are in leadership qualities, the ability to creatively problem-solve, the desire to solicit the opinion of others and to actively listen, and their track records for getting things done. I, too, welcome the discourse on environmental issues in our city elections. I think constructive criticism of city environmental policies and fee systems should be welcomed and encouraged. Mark Snyder Windom Park Kevin McDonald campaign volunteer 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
