Here's my question: We already know many (most?) of the cops don't live in Minneapolis - I'm curious what percentage of the firefighters or other city employees actually live and pay property taxes in Minneapolis?
The reason I ask is because my guess is the leaders of these various employee organizations are betting that a McLaughlin administration will loosen up the grip on the purse strings a lot more than the fiscally-responsible Rybak administration that has been able to pay down $70+ million in inherited debt from SSB, et al. Not to mention, doing this while also managing massive cuts in LGA and reduced property tax revenues thanks to the actions of our governor and State Legislature. Now, there's nothing wrong with these various employee organizations seeking more money or better benefits. They probably deserve it. But personally, if it comes to choosing whether the cops get a raise or whether my gramma gets taxed out of her home in over in Holland neighborhood, the choice is pretty easy for me and for her. We'll stick with the guy who's figured out that a big part of our city's financial and other problems was an inability by previous administrations make the decisions that would allow them to pay for their promises without going into massive amounts of debt. For Jim Graham or anyone else to say that the Rybak administration has been a disaster says more about the critics and either their inability or unwillingness to understand the reality of the city's budget challenges than it does about Rybak's performance. Just look at all the new development that has gotten underway during the Rybak administration. You've got the Sears project, the not one, but three grocery stores scheduled to open downtown and without subsidies for any of them (for how long did we hear that was impossible?) and numerous other projects that add up to $2.5 billion in construction that is underway in our city. Now, I'm not saying that Rybak is personally responsible for all of this. But what I am saying is that if Minneapolis was the disaster that Peter McLaughlin and Jim Graham would have you believe it is, do you think all of these projects would be going on? Don't you think that these various business owners and developers would be hesitant to invest in the city that McLaughlin claims we've become? So what does it say about McLaughlin's view of Minneapolis and what his campaign has been about if they're going ahead and investing in Minneapolis anyway? Maybe that he's wrong? Mark Snyder Windom Park On 8/30/05 9:15 PM, "gemgram" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Minneapolis Professional Employees Association (MPEA) Endorses McLaughlin > > Minneapolis City and Park professional employees have had enough of Mayor > Rybak's failed reform policies. Four years ago, the Minneapolis > Professional Employees Association (MPEA) endorsed Rybak for Mayor. This > year, MPEA endorses Peter McLaughlin for Mayor. > > One wonders again, exactly what groups do endorse and support RT RYBAK? The > police, the firefighters, the public employees of the City all understand > the failure the Rybak administration has become. Not specifically because > of RT, heck he is a affable well meaning person. It is because of his > appointments. In that, though well meaning, Mayor Rybak has been an utter > failure. While RT might be a great person to have at a party, you sure would > not want him planning and making arrangements for it. > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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
