Mudslinging and issue avoidance are standard for elections in this country, and our local elections are no exception. With the possible exception of the Park board, anyone can predict the agenda and outcomes of city government for the next four years.
The crime issue will be thrown around like a hot potato; noisy theatrics signifying nothing. Regressive taxation will increase. City spending will require new debt faster then we reduce our load of old debts. New unsustainable infrastructure will add to the economic and environmental burden. Minneapolis politics continues devoid of ideas or inspiration. Minneapolis residents are no longer citizens. Mostly we are drooling fans screaming and cheering for favorite candidates as they entertain us with their campaign antics. The local political circus fills the void in order to keep the rabble in line. Reality must never intrude, or the show will be shown for the farce that it is. We need more voices to be raised and more lives to be lived outside of the political circus. Here are links to some articles where reality is allowed to intrude just a bit. I encourage list members to begin to live outside of the political circus, and to introduce reality into the political dialogue whenever possible. Food for thought: First, testimony from Robert Ebel (Chairman of Center for Strategic and International Studies Energy Program) before Congress, published October 31. http://www.mees.com/postedarticles/oped/v48n44-5OD01.htm Note that Ebel's careful comments in the last three short paragraphs of the section entitled "Energy and Foreign Policy." Note the warning about repeating over-reliance on petroleum with over-reliance on natural gas (which has already peaked in the USA, will soon peak in Canada and Mexico). Notice also the short section entitled Opportunities for Improved Efficiency and Use of Alternative Energy Forms." "We are consuming energy resources at a rate far in excess of replenishment." While Ebel does not consider himself to be a part of the "peak oil" awareness movement, he states the essentials of the movement as fact in this testimony. Second, "Take A Peak" -- Grist interviews energy investment banker Matthew Simmons. Simmons is a well-respected oil insider who has invested billions of dollars of other people's money for over 30 years. He notes that we need to switch from roads to rails and from commuting to work to walking, biking, and telecommuting -- as soon as possible. Third, Claudia Reed's article entitled "Bringing it Home: Plug the leak of Money, Jobs" http://www.energybulletin.net/10390.html Notice that our local politicians almost all cater to the "TINA" philosophy rather than to the "LOIS" philosophy. "There Is No Alternative" is as important in local politics as in global politics. Politicians reinforce dependence on huge corporations who use communities and then pack up and leave a huge economic hole when taxes, wages, or environmental issues threaten fat profits for a tiny minority. Fraud is not an exception in the TINA world, it is the rule. LOIS (Locally Owned Import Substitution) is the economic philosophy which will benefit us the most through tough times and easy times. The article gives examples of communities making the transition from TINA to LOIS. I think we ought to look at these models for business development in Minneapolis. Remember that large corporations must take more from a city than they give -- wealth extraction is the rule. We subsidize them through tax breaks and infrastructure tailored to their desires but paid for by the people. Once again, we're muddling through another campaign with real issues not even on the agenda. We need to re-make our city for the real future, but candidates are too busy entertaining voters....who've been well-trained to be "consumers-with-a-job" rather than citizens. -- pedaling for peace and ecojustice from Lynnhurst -- Gary Hoover 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
