gemgram wrote:
We should be brutally honest here. While Dean Zimmermann is a nice
folksy man, who is enjoyable to talk to, exactly how has Dean been
effective? Other than providing cover for the Sabri's in their
exploitation of Somali businesspeople....
Yes, let's be brutally honest, Jim. No city council member has any
business toadying to your personal hatreds. That's cronyism. George Bush
has made a mess of the whole country with cronyism, so we probably
shouldn't emulate it. The city's requirements, vis-a-vis developers,
cannot be any different for Sabri than they are for Ryan Company or
Sherman, or Towle (these are the signs I've seen on construction
downtown). Businesses in the sixth ward do have the right to call on the
council member for support for projects that stand to benefit residents
of the ward.
Perhaps when Sabri returns from Levenworth, the city will have grounds
for not doing business with him. I don't know whether or not there are
rules around that kind of issue. You're personal campaign against
Zimmermann, just because he was doing his job and he doesn't hate Sabri,
is disgraceful.
One could also point out, (and I will) that you have run for council
member in the sixth several times, and very dang few votes came your
way. That suggests to me that whatever your personal standard for sixth
ward council seat, that standard is not shared by your neighbors.
Zimmermann is not the police, he is not the justice system. As CM he has
a very different job. He is required to support his ward and deliver
constituent services to his ward. Since the sixth is knee deep in
Somalis, it would seem that assisting them is part of the job.
It looks like it could be a squeaker between Zimmermann and Lilligren. I
suggest that means that enough residents of the sixth are happy with
Zimmermann as a CM to make quite a race between him and Lilligren. After
four years of Lilligren as our sort-of council member, were I in the
sixth, of the two, I'd vote for Zimmermann. Our experience with
Lilligren along Lake St. and south of Lake St. has not made Lilligren
fans of us and some of his early backers are, I hear, working to get him
defeated in the sixth. He's a nice enough sorta fella, but not an
outstanding CM.
Dean was effective in getting Mayor Rybak to get in bed with Basim
Sabri, in getting the Mayor to perform his only veto of his political
career to help a known briber of Council Members to acquire the entire
Elroy City block of Minneapolis, including the street, for about
$150,000 dollars. So yes, in that Dean was effective.
Wasn't it also true that the Elroy block had gone dormant years ago and
was sitting there collecting trash and making space for nogoodniks to
operate more easily? Isn't it in the city council's self interest--and
the mayor's--to have someone develop it? At the time, Sabri had not yet
even been to court; the city could not refuse to support him on the
basis of federal charges. Despite the fact that the man is, allegedly, a
genuine horse's patoot when it comes to interactions with his tenants,
and he certainly treats his staff poorly, he does manage to turn out a
useable product in a reasonable amount of time for what the city
considers a fair price.
I'll say it again. We who live on Lake St. and its environs were
grateful to Sabri for taking on 301 and 315 East Lake St., for taking
on the southwest corner of 4th and Lake, for a new building on formerly
vacant land in the 200 block of East Lake, and refurbishing Reachout at
5th and Lake. It has made a world of difference in our safety and has
brought back a section of the city that was as dead as a kipper on a
cracker and the primary turf for hookers, pimps, johns, druggies,
dealers, murderers, and god only knows what else.
At the Elroy site, I don't believe there was a competing developer with
a plan for that land. Had the city not worked with Sabri, he could have
had them in court for discrimination. And he has the money to do
that--and would--in a heartbeat.
You are asking for the impossible and blaming Zimmermann because he
could not, as an even half way sensible person and a public official,
give you what you wanted..
WizardMarks, Central
________________________________
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
