I agree wholeheartedly with Greg Abbott's assessment of the mission drift we have been seeing lately. The Park Board itself is responsible in part for this unseemly development. Rushing a decision of such magnitude is shabby leadership and I've been very pointed in my criticism of this apparent intention. I've also been fairly clear about the larger context of the Historic District and the limited carrying capacity of the Island proper.
Addressing the Minneapolis Issues list generally, I notice that no one in the position to make appointments to the CAC has picked up on what I think is obvious - the need to have folks with clarity of vision in this larger planning realm. Astonishingly, the membership of the CAC has been kept from the general public. This is hardly appropriate. I don't want to be appointed. That's not the point. Not to know the identities or interests of any of the persons being asked to sit on this committee just days before the committee is to meet and just a few weeks before that committee is ostensibly expected to have informed and final opinions is IMHO a transparent attempt to tilt the scales to one side's eventual intention. Given the proximity of the election on November 8 and the intensity of the controversy, I suggest a more credible process on the calendaring of this preparation is essential to eventual public acceptance of the CAC's and the Park Board's actions. Fred Markus, Ward 6, Phillips West -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Greg Abbott Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2005 4:09 PM To: Chris Johnson Cc: Issues Forum Mpls Subject: Re: [Mpls] Cost of Stadium and Tuition at D I have followed the DeLaSalle stadium debate, but I have drawn no conclusion one way or the other. In my judgment the opponents of the stadium have completely lost perspective if they think pointless quibbling with DeLaSalle supporters over tuition and scholarships advances their cause. DeLaSalle is a fine institution, and contributes greatly to the quality of life in Minneapolis. It is counter-productive to deny or minimize that fact. If the debate becomes a referendum on DeLaSalle generally, the stadium opponents will almost surely lose. So, let's stipulate for the record that DeLaSalle is an excellent, amazing, divinely-inspired school that saves thousands of kids from the clutches of poverty and crime. That fact is not a sufficient condition to permit a private religious entity to use public park land. The only way this deal makes sense is if the public as a whole benefits. From the perspective of the Park Board, the larger question is -- does the stadium proposal improve the use and access of the affected park land by the public as a whole? From what I can see on the list, no one has discussed this particular point. Someone needs to provide some hard data on current public use and enjoyment of the tennis courts, compared to potential public use and enjoyment of the new facilities. Use and enjoyment of the facilities by DeLaSalle is not a public benefit, even if helps keep kids off the street. Justifying use of public land by private religious groups on the basis of the good works done by those religious groups sets a very dangerous precedent, and is wholly inconsistent with the principle of church/state separation. If the public benefits, as well as DeLaSalle, then it's a win-win. But without a direct public benefit, it's a no-go. So let's reframe the debate, and leave the discussion of tuition and financial aid on the table, OK? Greg Abbott Linden Hills On Sep 1, 2005, at 2:26 PM, Chris Johnson wrote: > I would like to make my own comparisons, and draw my own conclusions. > > To repeat the question: how much is DeLaSalle's tuition? The > correct answer is a numerical value, expressed in dollars and > cents, not an opinion on its relation to the amount at "most" > private schools. > > Carlson thinks the tuition went up about $500 and another parent > said around $1,500. Which is it? > > How many students get more than a token amount of financial aid? > How many students get 50% or more of tuition? Giving over half the > students a few dollars might qualify as financial aid, but would > not be representative of the real financial needs of the student body. > > One other note about financial aid. All students at Catholic high > schools in the archdiocese are eligible for need-based grants from > the Archdiocesan Annual Catholic Appeal. DeLaSalle is hardly > unique in that aspect. > Greg Abbott [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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
