I received this from the People for Independent Parks group. I am a member.
This seems like pretty strong language to me, but I am glad the false, personal
and inappropriate attacks by the "reform" group are being challenged.
Nikki Carlson, Linden Hills
PEOPLE FOR INDEPENDENT PARKS
Parks are for People!
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Julie Idelkope 612-805-5493
Barb Johnson
October 15, 2005
Minneapolis Citizens for Park Reform Dupes Public; Its Major Contributor
Planned to Build Townhomes on Park Land: Are They Watchdogs or Lapdogs?
On Friday, October 14th, Minneapolis Citizens for Park Board Reform ("Park
Reform") issued a statement disagreeing with the process the Park Board used to
acquire its new headquarters on the Mississippi River. In a startling
revelation Park Reform claimed that a citizen offered to donate his building
and property for the Park Board headquarters.
In a major omission, Park Reform didn't disclose that this "altruistic"
individual did not offer to give the Park Board anything; rather he wanted to
"swap" his land for parkland that he desired to develop. His first plan was to
build a personal residence on Park Board land adjacent to his. Another and
related plan was to build a luxury townhouse development on Lake of the Isles
Park Board land! Yes, it wasn't a "donation;" it was a swap. And quite a swap
at that! This same individual who wanted to "donate" his land and building is
the same individual who has provided nearly 50% of Park Reform's budget in the
form of a $5,000 cash contribution just before the Primary election
http://www16.co.hennepin.mn.us/cfrs/welcome.do . (Click Political
Committee/Fund, and go to Minneapolis Citizens for Park Board Reform) and Park
Reform also didn't bother to disclose this fact in its email.
The individual who gave the $5,000 to Park Reform is William E. Weisman.
Weisman owned land on Lake Street adjacent to the Calhoun Beach Club. Mr.
Weisman wanted to obtain the land owned by the Park Board located next to his
property to build a personal residence. Mr. Weisman also suggested a swap of
his land for Park Board land on the south side of Lake of the Isles where the
new dog park is located. Weisman thought luxury townhomes would be a better
use of public property than the public open space. Apparently, Minneapolis
Citizens for Park Reform likes his thinking.
Park Reform claims there was no public discussion of the Weisman Plan. In
fact, there was a neighborhood meeting on the concept and it was soundly
rejected. Park Reform claims to oppose back-room deals and claims to be
committed to transparency, openness, accountability and stewardship. Having a
major funder with a major conflict of interest smacks of a closed, back-room
arrangement, especially when nearly half of Park Reform's funding comes from
one person. When that conflict of interest goes against the public interest
then the arrangement is even more insidious. And when a group masquerades as a
"watchdog" when it actually appears to be the lapdog of a would-be developer,
serious questions of credibility are raised. Trading our dog park for private
townhomes is not being a good steward. They were very deceitful to suggest
that the Park Board could have gotten a better, cheaper headquarters through
the false largesse of their major funder as they did in their email today.
Park Reform has a continuous history of omitting the salient points whenever
they shout out their slogans. In this case they omit the fact that Weisman's
offer was not a donation at all. Earlier they claimed that the Park
Superintendent had a $500,000 slush fund; in fact there is no such fund and
there never was such a slush fund. They attack the Ft. Snelling fields as not
making money, not mentioning that parks are not supposed to make money. They
attack the fiscal decisions of the same Board of Commissioners that has brought
the concessions at the lakes out of the red and into profitability.
They must think that no one is watching or reading.
Minneapolis Citizens for Park Board Reform's tactics define duplicity. They
say they oppose privatizing park land and yet their major contributor solicited
park staff with his plan to develop luxury townhouses on Lake of the Isles
land. Is this duplicity the standard of truth we can expect from that group's
slate of "reform-minded" candidates as well? Minneapolis Citizens for Park
Board Reform and their endorsed candidates need to be honest with the public.
We wish we didn't have to send out so much information but we need to get the
truth in your hands. We apologize for the flurry of e-mails, but we know that
our words are important and that you are a thoughtful person.
In the meantime, are these people really "watchdogs" or are they merely
"lapdogs"?
Stay Tuned for our endorsements this coming week.
####
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