[Mpls] 35W- The War in our Neighborhoods
Speaking of war When I was at the 35W Access Project meeting last Tuesday, I met with some of the homeowners and small business people who are against the expansion of 35W and the widening of Lake Street. I asked one businesswoman what the process felt like and she told me It feels like war. People who live and own property next to an expanding highway project like 35W are in constant danger of becoming collateral damage. Passing resolutions against wars in far off places is fine, but what about the war here in the neighborhoods to save homes, livelihoods and our environment? Our elected officials have have chosen to be partners with the very people who want to pave over neighborhood opposition to expanding 35W. Look at the list of partners on the Midtown Community Works: http://www.midtowncommunityworks.org/themcwpartnershi.html .now look at who the contact for MCW is: http://www.midtowncommunityworks.org/contactus.html Who is Smith Parker and who do they represent? Look here : http://www.smithparker.com/selclients.html Who is the Project Manager for the 35W Access Project? Tom Johnson. Read his bio here: http://www.smithparker.com/johnson.html ...quoting from that bio: ( Johnson ).As Deputy Chairman at the Minnesota Waste Management Board, he managed the media and public affairs work that led to the selection of locations for two hazardous waste management facilities. Elected officials who profess to be for the environment and social justice should not be partners of a law firm or lobbyist that boasts of paving over neighborhood opposition to hazardous waste facilities . Elected officials who profess to be for the environment and social justice should join with us in opposing the 35W Access Project. Ken Avidor STRIDE Kingfield ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Re: Shut up, he explained
Thank you very much for your references on this most distressing problem. I am subscribing to the mailing list, and will be very interested in seeing the websites you mention. I'll send a copy to the thisland list, in case others are interested in these forums. Thanks again William Beth Lareau wrote: An excellent opportunity to discuss the Iraq situation is the Politalk discussion noted below. Also, at e-democracy, subscribe to mn-politics-national. Iraq discussion is encouraged. Beth Lareau - Announcement: Please Forward = TransAtlantic Perspectives on Iraq A Moderated E-Mail Discussion Sept 30 - Oct 25, 2002 A Continuation of the: TransAtlantic Response to Sept 11th Discussion = Sponsored by: Politalk http://www.politalk.com TIESWeb http://www.tiesweb.org - To Join The Discussion, send a blank e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Participate via the web at: http://www.politalk.com - Join with over 250 participants from around the world as we discuss the ongoing international debate regarding the situation in Iraq. Will there be a major US lead invasion of Iraq or can this situation be resolved diplomatically? US and European public opinion are sharply divided on this matter. In this discussion we'll look closer at the how citizens and academics on either side of the Atlantic perceive the conflict and discuss how we can as an international community work together to resolve the matter. This unique international dialogue is the result of a partnership forged in the aftermath of September 11th, when the TransAtlantic Information Exchange Service (Paris, France) and Politalk (St. Paul, Minnesota - USA), partnered to organize the TransAtlantic Response to Sept. 11th. http://www.politalk.com/topics/terrorism/sept11.html On Sept 30, 2002 - we will reopen that discussion and address the Question of IRAQ and how best to deal with whatever threat that IRAQ poses to the international community. Here are some of the questions that we expect to address: ** Is diplomacy possible with the current leadership of IRAQ? ** What are the political and legal implications of a preemptive attack? ** How much international support is there for a US lead attack on Iraq? How much opposition? And how deep is the sentiment on either side? ** Will removing Saddam Hussein from power make the world any safer? What will remain in his aftermath? ** Why do Europeans have such a different perspective on this issue from citizens of the United States? ** Where does US and EU policy converge? ** What are the long term implications of a unilateral US (or bilateral, with the UK) attack on IRAQ? ** How does an attack in Iraq fit in with the ongoing War on Terrorism? Please join with this diverse group of citizens from around the world, in a thoughtful and deliberate discussion on one of the most troublesome and pressing issues facing the international community. Send Questions or Suggestions To: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - To Join The Discussion, send a blank e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribers can expect to get up to 8 e-mail per day for the next 4 weeks (Mon-Fri). The discussion may also be accessed via the web at: http://www.politalk.com - EVERYONE IS WELCOME: While we focus on the US/EU implications of this debate, we welcome input from anywhere on the globe. This IS a global issue and deserves global consideration. = ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] City Council Cops Out on Iraq
Barb, Bravo! I have to agree with your perspective Barb. I believe that the scope of the city council is with the city of Minneapolis. We have a plethora of issues and problems here in our city. We elected the council to address and focus on Minneapolis, I wish they would do just that. Karen Forbes Central - Original Message - From: Barbara Lickness To: Jordan S. Kushner ; Minneapolis Issues Forum Sent: Saturday, September 28, 2002 10:34 AM Subject: Re: [Mpls] City Council Cops Out on Iraq Personally Jordan, I wish Dean Zimmerman would spend more time passing resolutions that would help his war torn ward than concentrating on issues that are 12,000 miles away from here. While I am not diminishing the significance of the ward in Iraq, we elected our city council people to concentrate on the city. I expect that to take precedence over everything else. If I have a passion about the war in Iraq, I am calling Paul Wellstone or Marty Sabo, not Dean Zimmerman or Robert Lilligren. Since Dean has taken office he has offered resolutions for us not to watch T.V. for a week, against some human rights offenses in some country in the way beyond and now the war in Iraq. HELLO, he has people that fear for their lives every single day in Phillips and sleep with one eye open. I haven't seen one resolution from him that might help them. In fact, I hear very little from him on the horrendous crime issues in Phillipsother than the police are brutal. Mostly, he shows up at meetings late, stands in the back of the room, says nothing and then leaves. So far R.T. is the only city leader that is taking a leadership role about the crime problems in Phillips. Many of the people I speak with in war torn Phillips are wondering when he will put their safety and well-being ahead of his other passions in countries far away. This is why he was elected. If Dean wants to debate the war in Iraq, then run for U.S. congress or U.S. Senate. In the meantime, Phillips needs his attention here in Phillips. Barb Lickness/Whittier "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed,it's the only thing that ever has." -- Margaret Mead Yahoo! - We Remember9-11: A tribute to the more than 3,000 lives lost
[Mpls] Will you help pull our West Broadway Oxcart?
Dear Mike Opat- I read thru your posting on The List Forum this morning. I also took the opportunity to review the Northwest Corridor Website (address-from your post). As a member of the West Broadway Area Coalition in North Mpls. I have some concerns about the gaping disconnect between City and suburb(s) along the path of our Hwy. 81. I am positive that you should be in communication, and sharing your insights, with our Board and it's members. So should the other stakeholders in the Corridor Project. West Broadway Av. in North Mpls. is, in our opinion, The Avenue with the most Potential in Hennepin County. Part of the reason for the massive potential is the current dismal conditions extant there. This huge negative disparity with all reasonable measures of normality, are in part do to the disconnect of our stretch of Hwy. 81, our Mainstreet, with the rest of the whole Northwest quadrant (please pardon the mouthful). Yes, there are many other contentious issues to developing a normal, functioning, and viable mainstreet serving our North Mpls. residential neighborhoods; while allowing West Broadway to be a Major County Commuter Artery between DT and the outer edge of the County. I will not start to list them for you at this time. Being a partner in the successful reconnection/redirection and integration of Our Avenue with the Most Potential, with the rest of Hwy. 81 vitality and renewal, means earning the esteem of all residents and stakeholders in this, Our County. Please join your efforts with ours, and let us join with yours. The disparity and contrast is obvious between in-town/suburban. The successes will be crystal clear, so will missed opportunities. Let's connect; You, our Board, and through you, other Hwy. 81 stakeholders. I regret I didn't realize and understand the need for this message until now. Your posting on The List Forum helped my realization, Thanx. Keith Reitman NearNorth ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Clare Housing: Could we have some facts to go with the emotion?
How much of OUR cash will you be using to extol YOUR virtue? Excerpts from Brandon Lacy's post: ...this well financed, well planned, and much needed development project. VH - Says who? How about some evidence to go with your opinion. ...with some units designated for low income folks and people living with HIV/AIDS.. VH - How many is some? Where are these beneficiaries living now? ..The building plan includes retail shopping space as well as ample green space.. VH - Non-profits building retail with our money? Over my dead body! ...The MCDA and the housing authority will make the final decisions. VH - Oh oh. I had better write a will. Vicky Heller Cedar-Riverside (Work) North Oaks (Home) ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Clare House: Today's Strib, 394 Vacant 1 BR Apartments $500-$699
Victoria Heller wrote: I just did a search on the Star Tribune website for 1 bedroom units between $500 and $699. Also keep in mind that lots of vacancies are not advertised through the Strib. Here are some of the criteria: is it wheelchair accessible? Can an ambulance crew navigate it? Can the tenant get easy access to the myriad assistance he/she needs? I cannot remember all the requirements from the friend who most recently died of AIDS, but I remember that it took some industrial strength committment on the part of 40 friends to allow our friend to die at home where he managed to live well beyond medical expectations principally because so many people committed to help. We had to say no to wheelchair accessibility, ambulance ease of accessibility, and other important issues. It sounds to me as if Clare Housing has/will put in place many of those important pieces to make it possible for someone without 40 friends who can commit to 18 months of 24/7 care to have a quality of life during the end game. One(s) can be flip and find apartments anywhere, but AIDS is a nasty disease and people need lots of help to weather its storms. Just any old apartment will not do the trick. WizardMarks, Central ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Clare Apts,
Michael and Victoria's objection might be more intelligible if we knew what the going rate per apartment is nowadays in new construction. One argument I can think of FOR building these apartments is as renter of last resort when other landlords discriminate against those with AIDS. If property-managers considered nothing but financial solvency in renting apartments, there might never be any reason for public funds in construction. But there are a lot of pretty sneaky ways to cover up personal bias. = J P Mork--Cooper Stress is Nature's way of telling you that you're not working enough uncompensated overtime. Catbert, Evil HR Director __ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Clare Apts,
Michael and Victoria's objection might be more intelligible if we knew what the going rate per apartment is nowadays in new construction. One argument I can think of FOR building these apartments is as renter of last resort when other landlords discriminate against those with AIDS. If property-managers considered nothing but financial solvency in renting apartments, there might never be any reason for public funds in construction. But there are a lot of pretty sneaky ways to cover up personal bias. = J P Mork--Cooper Stress is Nature's way of telling you that you're not working enough uncompensated overtime. Catbert, Evil HR Director __ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Clare Housing Villified (Or Vickified) Again...
List: Obviously Ms. Heller has chosen to ignore the fact that this issue is not only about affordable housing (which we STILL lack in abudance), but also a service needed for people living with HIV/AIDS. She again misses the original point of the first email that the neighborhood association was not opposed to the project on financial grounds but on grounds based in bigotry and discrimination. None of Ms. Heller's half-formulated arguments and defensive personalization of the issue change the fact that the project is needed and the community in which it is to be based has spoken against it based on bigoted beliefs. There may be 394 vacant 1 BR apartments in Minneapolis but how many people are there that NEED apartments that have the economic ability to secure an apartment. And, much as Ms. Heller attempted to do with the issue of funding for the public schools, she is again choosing to ignore information readily provided. As I provided in a previous post, the Clare Apartments project is not only an affordable housing project but also a project that includes built in staff and service support for people living with HIV/AIDS. The project is designed to allow people living with HIV/AIDS a chance to live at home with appropriate social and medical support in a space that is supportive, nuturing and not isolating. And, the project is designed to provide housing to homeless individuals as well as other individuals using programs such as section 8. How many of the 394 units that Ms. Heller is speaking of are designated housing for homeless individuals? None I suppose. How many are section 8 classified? How many folks need this kind of support in the Twin Cities? I am positive the number is more than 394. I'm glad that Ms. Heller can be so flippant and declare that not only is there no housing shortage, which is not evident by any means (I will give her that we are not in the crisis situation in which we were a year ago as brought up by Michael Atherton). I am also impressed that she has determined through her clairvoyant powers that everyone out in the world has the emotional, social, and fiscal means to find and keep housing while attempting to deal with potentially debilitating life circumstances. Further,the issue of paying taxes is irrelevant to this topic. As I provided in a previous post, little taxpayer money is going to support this project. Of the taxpayer money that is supporting this project, it is money that has been previously assessed and designated for use as money to support people living with HIV/AIDS (if you have issue with this, take it up with Congress). This issue is not the same issue as building a new stadium in which new taxes may be levied to support the project. For those people who seem to believe that spending money on supporting people living with chronic and potentionally fatal diseases is somehow outrageous, they will be happy to know that funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and care has decreased steadily over the last several years (not necessarily correlating with a corresponding decrease in need or infection rates). As Ms. Heller challenged me previously, I challenge her to please support her claims with facts. Her claim that this project is unecessary is clearly not based on fact. The issue of necessary or not has been predetermined by need (and the fact that the 4.4 million has been raised). The issue at hand is whether or not the city will allow the hatred of a majority to prevail over the right of a minority to live. -Brandon Lacy Campos -Powderhorn Park _ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Re: Clare House: Today's Strib, 394 Vacant 1 BR Apartments $500-$699
What do you mean by ambulance accessible, Wizard? Isn't that a basic requirement for all housing? And, if it isn't why isn't it? Isn't that why we have parking restrictions in the winter -- so that all buildings in the city are accessible to emergency vehicles? I thought I read somewhere that the average emergency response time in Minneapolis is 3 minutes for the arrival of the first on the scene -- often the Fire Dept.'s paramedics -- with a maximum of 7 minutes for the arrival time of the ambulance. If there are some places in the city that aren't accessible by ambulances (not to mention other emergency vehicles), wouldn't that be a violation of some code (one hopes)? Barbara Nelson Burnsville Once and future Minneapolitan ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Traffic, Housing, War, and Democracy
Jim Mork says: snip Cars and mass transit can live together. For decades, I used buses with a car parked at home for trips where mass transit wasn't an option (such as those involving moving bulky loads). But as Jim says, the end of the days where we just assume we can jump in the car on a whim are coming to an end. I don't agree. I think the ability to jump in a car on a whim will be here for many years to come. The only reason it might turn out otherwise is if the government decided to prohibit private driving. While many people on this List might like to see such a law, 90% of the voters in this country would be horrified by such a move to limit our freedom. So it ain't going to happen. Mark Anderson Bancroft Neighborhood ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] List Get together Correction
List Get together correction: Friday October 4th, 6:00PM until When ever. In the tent. Dress warm. Proving that spell check does not equal proofreading. Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] Former Fultonite ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Decorum
Members - Do not put another member's name in a subject head - it almost always is, or leads to, a personal attack. Members names should not be altered for sarcastic purposes. Let's speak to the issues, not the person. David Brauer List manager -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Subject: [Mpls] Clare Housing Villified (Or Vickified) Again... ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Traffic Reduction
- Original Message - From: James Young [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 10:43 PM Subject: Re: [Mpls] Traffic Reduction Jim Young wrote: I would argue that the problems associated with cars go far beyond just safety and pollution, especially for inner city areas like Minneapolis. Automobile users don't begin to pay the costs associated with their road use. There are direct costs such as property, sales and income taxes that used to pay for streets and road. There are also huge indirect costs such as lost tax revenue from areas that were converted from tax paying property to public roadways and decreased property values in areas adjacent to high volume roadways. These costs for regional transportation roadways are not borne equally by all either. The most heavily used roads - the attractive corridors, as MNDOT calls them, are all in the central city neighborhoods. The calls for increasing their capacity come from people who, by and large, don't live in the city and won't have to suffer the indirect costs of taking even more land off the tax rolls. Realistically, I agree that cars are here to stay but that doesn't mean that the transportation system we've built in the past 50 years is what will work well in the next 50 years. We need to think about what life will be like when the metro area has double the population it does now and even more than double the number of cars. Mark Anderson here: I think you're wrong that Mpls loses property value from public roadways. Jim Graham made a recent post saying that Phillips neighborhood land values were actually higher than more prosperous neighborhoods further south, just because Phillips is closer to downtown. Similarly, the value of the whole city is enhanced because of its central location and easy access. If we have poor transportation through the city the value of our property will decrease. Don't we want suburbanites working downtown? Without downtown and our business base, we'd all be payng a lot more in property tax. The workers downtown also pay a lot of Mpls sales tax. I think Mpls is shooting itself in the foot when it makes it harder to get downtown. I do agree that as the Twin Cities grows, public transit will make more sense economically. A train might even make some sense in some areas today. Unfortunately, the Hiawatha line makes no cost sense at all. What are the statisitics? Is it something like 2% of the commuters to downtown Mpls will take that line? And these are numbers generated by supporters of mass transit, so they are probably overstated. The Northstar makes a lot more sense than Hiawatha, since it actually goes where lots of people live, and new rail doesn't have to be laid. But I don't blame the Republicans for shooting it down, after the State was burned for almost a billion dollars on the Hiawatha boondoggle. Mark Anderson Bancroft Neighborhood ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Candidate for Sheriff
There's a new candidate for Sheriff in town, and he wants to make a few changes. Meet Juan Lopez, you can call him J'Lo. Please join him: Thursday October 10, 2002 6 #8211; 8 PM Rainbow Chinese Restaurant 28th Nicollet Ave South, Minneapolis Upstairs Meet the man, eat, drink socialize and support the campaign. This is a fundraiser, albeit humble. There is no minimum or even suggested donation. Mainly we want you to come and meet this guy who has been running an old fashioned grass roots campaign for change and justice. Committee for Juan Lopez for Hennepin County Sheriff PO Box 201314 Bloomington, MN 55420 (952) 888-3556 http://pages.prodigy.net/lopezforsheriff [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get your own 800 number Voicemail, fax, email, and a lot more http://www.ureach.com/reg/tag ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Clare Apts,
-Original Message- From: Jim Mork [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2002 3:52 PM To: Discussion Forum Subject:[Mpls] Clare Apts, Mel's Reply $60 to $80 per sq. ft. are the Turnkey Costs for new apartments, if you furnish the land. Recent quotes from Kraus Anderson Const. $70 X'S 800 sq. ft. equal $56,000 an apartment. There isn't a building shortage, only an income shortage! I have never heard of an owner or agent asking about someone's health before renting to them. Mel Gregerson CAPS Whittier PS We also have vacant nursing homes for advanced cases. Again, not a building shortage only an income shortage! Michael and Victoria's objection might be more intelligible if we knew what the going rate per apartment is nowadays in new construction. One argument I can think of FOR building these apartments is as renter of last resort when other landlords discriminate against those with AIDS. If property-managers considered nothing but financial solvency in renting apartments, there might never be any reason for public funds in construction. But there are a lot of pretty sneaky ways to cover up personal bias. = J P Mork--Cooper Stress is Nature's way of telling you that you're not working enough uncompensated overtime. Catbert, Evil HR Director __ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Iraq and City Council - Rebuttal
Although i do not expect to change the mind of the several list members who so vigorously oppose the idea of the Minneapolis city council discussing any issue that is not completely confined within city boundaries, i will point out several flawed assumptions: Flawed Assumption #1 - Taking positions on foreign policy issues means that city council members are not focusing on problems directly affecting the city. The two are not at all mutually exclusive. There is no reason why a hardworking city council member cannot spend full time on traditional city issues while also weighing in on momentus national and international issues that concern constituents. (Dean Zimmermann certainly does all of this. Barb Lickness' diatribe appears to be based on differences in political ideology, that leads her to disapprove of a council member balancing concerns about police abuse with singleminded concerns about crime. This is the same sort of ideological difference that would lead to hostility to connecting local issues to global problems). It was Minneapolis residents after all that urged the city council to pass a resolution on Iraq. Some residents are concerned with issues other than crime. Do we count? One of the Green Party's key values is Personal and Global Responsibility, which recognizes the connectedness of local and global issues. Flawed Assumption #2 - Federal issues should be addressed by federal officials. The point that federal policies affect what happens in the city, which was addressed in my previous post, and will be addressed again in response to Flawed Assumption #4. In addition, we also have the problem that federal elected officials are elected through a system that is dominated by money, and therefore have limited accountability and do not represent the views of many constituents.The emporer/president was not even elected but installed by a court. The city elected officials, who have smaller constituencies than any of the federal elected officials and are more accountable to grassroots interests, are more likely to be representative and responsive to constituents than Congress people and certainly non legitimate president. Although the city officials do not have any direct influence over military and foreign policy, they are the often the only elected officials who might actually be responsive to grassroots activists. It is also interesting that Patrick Peterson cited the Green value of decentralization as a reason why the city council should not be involved in foreign policy. A belief in decentralization requires the opposite counclusion. It means that more policy decisions of any sort should be made by more local units of government that more closely represent their constituents. This means that local units should have more of a say in foreign policy. (It may be a problem for a staunch DFLer to try to interpret Green values. Problematic Assumption #3 - When the city council passes a resolution on foreign policy, the federal government will not pay attention and it will just look silly. I will not argue with RT that Dick Cheney probably could care less what the city council thinks. It is unlikely that an administration that was not even legitamately elected will care much about the opinions of average voters or their elected representatives. Peace activists have a difficult time getting influencing any federal officials to pay attention, given the dominance of military interests at the federal level, and therefore must try whatever methods are available. In the context of the grassroots disempowerment on these issues, a statement by the governing body of a major city is one of the more powerful statements available. If some Minneapolis city council members were not so narrow in focus and caught up in procedures, it would not take much time or cause much harm to simply vote on whether to make a statement to oppose war. At the same time, it would be prefereable to go beyond symbolic statements. I suggest that the city council research the ways in which Minneapolis participates in the war effort or war economy, and take action to cease that participation. Baseless Assumption #4 - The suggestion that urban crime problems are caused by policies in Washington is out of touch with reality and/or an effort to distract public attention by those who have a business interest in perpetuating the problems. [This is my best effort at summarizing Jim Graham]. This characterization is a classic attempt to impugn personally impugn others' competence and motives in order to avoid dealing with fundamental ideological disagreements. My previous post responding to the suggestion that city council members should be concerned about crime rather than foreign policy, stated that there is indeed a connection between the huge waste of money and resources on war that could and should be spent to address the poverty in the inner-city that leads to crime. Graham focused on my reference to the
Re: [Mpls] Iraq/Proof:too much fresh air hurts pedalers focus
List, It seems to me that if the tragedy of September 11, 2001 and its subsequent links to Minneapolis can be talked about here, so can the Iraq issue. That we are possibly going to war in part because of that, I believe makes it a valid topic for discussion. Some folks may not like it, but that does not make it any less so. The folks wishing to discuss it should be able to without censure from the list master. Those that do not should refrain and simply hit the delete key on their keyboard when an Iraq focused post shows up. Pamela Taylor (Tampa) --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Keith says: These world-view rants with minimal, strained, tie-in to Mpls. hurt this forum. Someone will wish to rebut this posters world-view rant, or someone else's, and then Mpls. issues get left in the dust, again. If you wish to deal in World issues, find a different forum. If you wish to deal in World issues, find a different forum. If you wish to deal in World issues, find a different forum. If you wish to deal in World issues, find a different forum. If you wish to deal in World issues, find a different forum. If you wish to deal in World issues, find a different forum. If you wish to deal in World issues, find a different forum. Keith ReitmanNearNorth See below- In a message dated 9/28/02 1:06:05 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Add this to the cost of creating new generations of terrorists who are themselves terrorized and full of hate for a country that uses dirty nuclear bombs (DU weapons) which will cause cancers and other illnesses for hundreds of years in their cities, towns, and villages. Add this to the cost of treating our own soldiers who become ill and die from exposure to the radioactive fallout from DU munitions, which are manufactured right here in the metro area. (Note that NATO troops have demonstrated to be transferred out of Kosovo due to the alarming rise in leukemia amoung troops there, and the USA has told them to shut up...) So, to sum up the connection between our town and towns and villages in Iraq, we are losing much needed funds which could be directed to making life better here but which are being misdirected kill, maim, destroy, terrorize other people around the planet in pursuit of empire for a few cronies who drape their fascism in falsehoods. Democracy means installing the next franken-terrorist who will toe the line. Free Market means Free for me but not for thee. And capitalism does not mean that those who actually work to make life better are rewarded, but rather those who suck up to the corporate aristocracy. Writ ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls __ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Wizard's suggestion about ADU accessability is right on the Mark
Wizard's suggestion about wheelchair accessibility really hits the mark, (no it's not a play on Wizard's name, just her accuracy; which I complement her on). One of the true shortages in housing is the shortage of such wheelchair accessible units. This is particularly true of smaller units located within the community, rather than only in a multi-unit institutional type of housing. Many of us in this huge baby-boom generation are going to very quickly need such units. If we entertain any hope of independent living in our preferred communities, we are going to need to start building them NOW. Our Minneapolis Planning Department does not seem to be very concerned with this coming need and the shortage that they have Planned. Of course Minneapolis Planning reminds me of Military Intelligence, both are used as common jokes. You would think Mayor Rybak would look to hiring a few people who can Plan for a future that has certainly been predicted since this huge population bubble was in its twenties. An example of the Planning Departments close-mindedness about handicapped accessible housing can be seen in their recent recommendation that the Ventura Village Carriage Houses only be allowed if they were totally up a set of stairs and located totally above a minimum two-car garage. Ventura Village had designed a carriage house specifically to meet the needs of wheelchair bound people living independently. This Accessory Unit would have a garage tall enough for a handicapped Van and living quarters on the same flat surface. Additionally it would be equipped with the bathroom, kitchen, and cabinetry that a handicapped person would require, (and could actually use). I think the Planning Department needs to do a little planning that includes the future of their own mother or father, the possible future of a child, and possibly their very own future. Anyone who may someday be diabetic, or who may one day have a spinal injury, or some other debilitating disease, (THIS INCLUDES EVERYONE I KNOW) needs to be concerned with such Planning. The City of Minneapolis needs to encourage and praise anyone who will fill this need, not discourage and penalize such people. Those who care about handicapped people should be calling their City Council-member and the Mayor's office demanding that Ventura Village and other neighborhoods be allowed to build Handicapped Accessible Accessory Units. Those of you who care might also consider building such a unit in your back yard, (but first call, because they don't want anyone to build one). The same problems can be said to exist with MCDA, MHFA, Hennepin County, and the Met Council. One would think it would be a requirement for any units funded by these agencies. Units that have been designed to be accessible for the disabled are certainly usable for abled people without any modification. The reverse is definitely not true. It is almost impossible to economically retrofit a housing unit designed exclusively for abled persons to one close to being adequate for the handicapped. So even these governmental bodies need to do a little Planning for the future. It will cost their developer buddies only a small amount more to build such units. The public should demand at a minimum there is some benefit from the public' s tax money going to subsidize such units. So List-Members call your Hennepin County Commissioner, your State Legislators, and yes even your MET-Council Representative and DEMAND that they only fund housing that is designed for either elderly people or that is designed to be handicapped accessible. If a housing unit is accessible for the handicapped or the elderly, it is surly accessible for the young and the abled. It has been amazing to have engaged in this battle for the last couple of years without the advocates who supposedly represent Affordable Housing and Handicapped people even seeming to be aware of it. Do those Advocacy groups actually advocate for people, or are they only advocating for their multi-unit developer patrons. I hear them make statements at Mayor Rybak's housing conferences, at the Met Council, and at the Legislature, but I never see them when we are at the City Council fighting for the zoning changes that would allow such housing to be provided by and for individual people. If they are truly interested they should also be visiting some City Council people. I wonder if it is because the advocates are just unaware that individual people who own a duplex or triplex in aggregate are the providers of most of the Cities' truly affordable housing. Affordable has also become a joke. Affordable to whom? Starting police officers, firemen, and yes even Planners qualify for such Affordable Housing. No wonder the working poor have a problem competing for it. It is an election year folks. START CALLING. Next year they will not have as much need, (or reason), to listen. Jim Graham, Ventura Village ___ Minneapolis
