Re: [Mpls] HUD cuts to public housing budgets
As I read of all the draconian cuts in services, things that we in the richest country apparently can no longer afford to do, I look to the black hole more and more of our national wealth is going down - the black hole of the super-rich, the ones who are engineering Enron and tax cuts for the wealthy and tas elimination in stocks, etc etc. All for more and more and more money for an insatiable (how much is enuf?) band of billonaires. We can continue to let them steal more and more of our common wealth, and with it our services and amenities and necessities and eventually also our freedom and democracy. Or we can say, It's time to TAKE IT BACK! For instance, does Carl Pohlad NEED all two billion of the dollars in his name? Do the other fancy state names need mega-millions? Do Mpls sited international corporations need huge tax write-offs - especially at the expense of necessities for average citizens? Do we imagine that the only aim of life on earth is to give the rich a chance to own it all (like Monopoly), and at the expense of everyone and everything else? This is insanity. Insanity. We must be crazy ever to have listened to such bunk. The members of the 'Forbes 400', a compilation of the 400 richest people in the United States, have a combined net worth of $1 trillion dollars - greater than the gross domestic product of China (see Peter Newcomb, The Richest People in America Forbes 164 (October 1999): 169). We have let/helped some people become too damn rich - and at our expense. Are we willing to stand down from life so Sturdly Frothingale III can do prep school then Harvard then president of X Oil Co profiting from US imperial war and cutting basic services in Mpls? Class war? Yes, and about time - for our side -- the other side has been at it since the dawn of history. Most of the major ills of history (eg wars), I claim, are due to actions of the rich to get richer. A tiny percent, running everything -- the usual thru history. With the usual grim results for everyone else. Now Bush and the richies he acts for are moving for world domination, troops everywhere, wars anywhere, millions upon millions dead -- so multi-billionaires can add more multi-billions to their accounts before they die and rot. There is a DIRECT CONNECTION between all the cuts threatened below, and the the rapacious greed of the super-greedy. Tax the rich - hard. End corporate welfare. Support co-ops and small business (local, more jobs, more money stays here, sovreignty here) so that our money can't wind up in New York City or the Grand Cayman Islands. If the cuts below go thru, let's all think about where the money went. Who got it, and how. What this means for everyone else. --David Shove Roseville On Sat, 25 Jan 2003, Fredric Markus wrote: Kevin Diaz' article in today's Star Tribune gives the gist of HUD's backpedaling on moneys already committed to this fiscal year's budget for MPHA.$1.5 million erased from the current operating subsidy creates a serious challenge for MPHA management - where to slice when the entire package is already in execution. Mention was made at the Minneapolis Highrise Representative Council's board meeting this past Thursday that security costs are a big-ticket item and that a triage decision at MPHA would perhaps prefer continuing the roving team of Minneapolis police officers over full funding of the security guard contract. This choice can be framed as preferring reactive to proactive management of security concerns and is analogous to the one strike and you're out profile that Congress has insisted is the rule for removing tenants accused sometimes anonymously and sometimes for off-site behavior of acquaintances and/or relatives over which said tenants may well have no control. Removal of federal Project Lookout funding for citizen crime watch initiatives is a companion piece that HUD Secretary Martinez defends, averring that eviction is a more suitable tool than the highly successful resident-driven crime prevention strategy. To the credit of the Pawlenty Administration, state funding that replaces this federal subtraction has been left in place for now but the deep deficit in the next state budget suggests that such continuing support may be in jeopardy. Municipal financial support related to preventative security concerns may also be in harm's way as the City of Minneapolis confronts its own hard fiscal challenges. If public housing tenants are returned to the tender mercies of persons who prey on the elderly, sell drugs to the gullible, and tear at the social fabric of our lives with other violence against persons and property and the public's defenses are reduced to a roving team of eight uniformed officers for a population of 5000 tenants in forty-odd highrises and the overworked capacities of 911 responses, we will inevitably lose ground in what has been a dramatic turnaround in the quality of life in our public housing domiciles since the
[Mpls] Rybak cites community activism in Samuels endorsement
Rybak cites community activism in Samuels endorsement Rochelle Olson Star Tribune Published Jan. 26, 2003 Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak endorsed Third Ward City Council candidate Don Samuels on Saturday, saying he brings the guts and energy of a true grass-roots community leader. http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3614162.html Shawn Lewis, Field Neighborhood -- ___ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup Meet Singles http://corp.mail.com/lavalife TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] NRP: reform it or replace it:Editorial in MN Spokesman
EDITORIAL NRP: reform it or replace it By: Pauline Thomas Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Originally posted 1/23/2003 In our editorial column titled NRP excludes people of color, renters (Spokesman-Recorder, Thursday, January 9, 2003), we were accused of leveling serious charges of racial discrimination against the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP). Extensive research has been done to support our analysis of the NRP program. http://www.spokesman-recorder.com/news/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=21715sID=16 Posted by Shawn Lewis, Field Neighborhood -- ___ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup Meet Singles http://corp.mail.com/lavalife TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
re:[Mpls] R.T. et al, please let us 3rd ward residents decide
Dyna Sluyter wrote: I read with no great surprise the announcement of southsider R.T. Rybak's attempt to manipulate the 3rd ward race. TN: I don't really see a problem with this. Sharon Sayles-Belton frequently campaigned for Jackie Cherryholms and Joan Campbell because they supported the same agenda. SSB endorsed one of my opponents in the 6th ward race two years ago, Dean Kallenbach. Presubmably, she wouldn't have wanted to deal with any of the rest of us has she been re-elected. RT may be a southsider, but he represents the entire city and should be out there endorsing whoever will support his goals. (I learned what a Mayor does 17 years ago in my 9th grade civics class.) RT probably feels he needs a council he can work with. Who knows, maybe we'll finally get a competent police chief and a licensing director who doesn't harass and talk down to everyone and treats people like they're human. Dyna: For the Northside slice of the 3rd to be represented by a Northeaster who didn't give a damn about us was bad enough. Now we have southsiders and wealthy suburbanites carpetbagging in our Northside 3rd ward too. TN: Dyna, As I recall, you supported Joe Biernat and frequently criticized all of his opponents, saying what a good, competent council member Joe was. I think Joe was a pretty awful Council Member, but I don't really believe he did anything illegal enough to bring us to this situation. I don't think he should have resigned. I still say that Joe (who usually supported the brutal methods of the MPD) was ironically a victim of over agressive tactics by law enforcement. I think this whole thing (Herron too) was orchestrated by the federal government and all of us who live here are going to pay for it. As much as I disliked Beirnat's heavy handed, vindictive way of dealing with residents and small businesses, I'd rather deal with Joe than anyone from the Bush administration. (DISCLAIMER: I have no love for the DFL, I usually vote Green or Independent. I'm just calling a spade a spade.) Dyna: It's time to take back the 3rd ward- vote for a real 3rd ward Labor Endorsed DFLer, Olin Moore! TN: Those labor endorsements include the Pawlenty/Stanek endorsing Minneapolis Police Federation. Dyna, I thought you were a hardcore DFLer! Do you really want a council member who won't stand up to bullies like Rich Stanek?!? Do you really want to see more heavy haded police tactics, more harassment of people of color, more harassment of immigrants and the counter-culture? As long as Olin Moore wears that Police Federation endorsement, it is a statement that these are the things he supports. Anyone who cares about human rights or civil rights on the local level should be very afraid of having more police federation endorsed people on the city council. I'm skeptical of Don as well, but Don at least talks to the victims of police brutality and consideres their needs. The more I hear from him, the more I like him, and one telling thing. Don doesn't spew out all of this nonsense about leadership. He talks and LISTENS!! Olin doesn't really seem to do much of either, he just tries to cinvice you of how good he is becuase of his connections (I've talked to both of them.) Olin however is pretty good about respnding to people right away, I'll give him that. I'm pretty close to supporting Don Samuels myself, but these races need a little integrity. My decision won't be made by RT, Mark Stenglien or even Natalie Johnson Lee. It will be made by who I feel will best represent my interests as a resident. So far, Olin's just not doing it. Tamir Nolley Holland Ward 3 __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Housing and NRP Reform Proposals
It is interesting to me that the federal administration is so calm about deficits when they come from tax cuts or military increases but so vexed about the possibility of spending adequate funds for housing. Frankly, I think there's no need to cut housing funds from Minneapolis if they can afford to spend wildly on some of these other plans, such as the gargantuan, Ceaucsecuan Homeland Security Department. __ Read the Spokesman-Recorder editorial. It is quite militant, but it fails to try to answer the question of what if you build it and they DON'T come? That is, what can really be DONE to increase inclusivity when minorities just aren't interested. Did the editorialist actually TALK to some minorities who wanted in and found barriers? What barriers were there? Does NRP fail due to holding meetings on weekday nights? Then NRP committees could reschedule to non-work nights. It is an information gap? How could that be remedied. Would interested minorities register their phone numbers so they could be called (with, of course, times when they'll be there if they don't own an answering machine?) In short, less militant rhetoric, more practical talk, would be welcome. I've gone to the meetings here in Longfellow, and we're lucky if ONE minority shows up who can be DRAFTED to represent the whole community. The problem we seem to have is a Catch-22 that if the membership is overwhelmingly white, it therefore loses its interest to non-whites. -- Jim Mork--Cooper War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our Country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. Gen. William T. Sherman (1864) Letter to the Mayor of Atlanta. Get your free Web-based E-mail at http://www.startribune.com/stribmail TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Housing Cuts;NRP Reform
It is interesting to me that the federal administration is so calm about deficits when they come from tax cuts or military increases but so vexed about the possibility of spending adequate funds for housing. Frankly, I think there's no need to cut housing funds from Minneapolis if they can afford to spend wildly on some of these other plans, such as the gargantuan, Ceaucsecuan Homeland Security Department. __ Read the Spokesman-Recorder editorial. It is quite militant, but it fails to try to answer the question of what if you build it and they DON'T come? That is, what can really be DONE to increase inclusivity when minorities just aren't interested. Did the editorialist actually TALK to some minorities who wanted in and found barriers? What barriers were there? Does NRP fail due to holding meetings on weekday nights? Then NRP committees could reschedule to non-work nights. It is an information gap? How could that be remedied. Would interested minorities register their phone numbers so they could be called (with, of course, times when they'll be there if they don't own an answering machine?) In short, less militant rhetoric, more practical talk, would be welcome. I've gone to the meetings here in Longfellow, and we're lucky if ONE minority shows up who can be DRAFTED to represent the whole community. The problem we seem to have is a Catch-22 that if the membership is overwhelmingly white, it therefore loses its interest to non-whites. ___ -- Jim Mork--Cooper War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our Country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out. Gen. William T. Sherman (1864) Letter to the Mayor of Atlanta. Get your free Web-based E-mail at http://www.startribune.com/stribmail TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Third ward race
Nobody asked me to make my personal endorsement, but I've been working for Olin Moore's campaign since the beginning of January. Besides having worked with him for years (campaigns and other stuff), I want a candidate who lives in and will continue to live in the ward. As a resident of the new 3rd ward, and disenfranchised by this election taking place in the old third ward, I have a particular stake in this selection. I fully expect a complete city council election in 2003, either through legislative or court action. An election 15 years after the census (in 2005) makes a mockery of one person- one vote, one of the cornerstones of democracy. Olin is one of the few candidates from the original field who lives in both wards (and has lived on the North Side). (And also supports a 2003 election.) I understand that Don Samuels has not promised to move within the boundaries of the new third ward, even if elected. (If, I'm wrong on this point, I expect a Samuels supporter to correct me.) One of the principles of representative government is residency so I would prefer to have a now and future resident elected. I also find it outrageous that one ward (6) has two resident council members and another (8), has none, but that's really an issue for a general elections piece, not a Third Ward discussion. Finally, to John Kremer, worried about Southside involvement in NE issues, the freeway fight 30+ years ago was over Hiway 335, not 394. It did not get built because I passed an amendment stopping it in state law with the help of an important Southside resident, Martin Sabo, then Speaker of the House. Phyllis Kahn State Rep. 59B TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] How did Steve Cramer get the housing job with County Commissioners
Does anyone know the process involved in hiring Steve Cramer for his current job in housing with the Hennepin County Commissioners' The man has a terrible record on poverty issues, issues regarding homelessness and low income housing. Yes, I know his stint with PPL, but every good politico needs something to point to help neutralize legitimate criticism. How is it that this person, who clearly serves the wealthy and has contributed to the destruction and dearth of low income housing gets yet another job with housing? Margaret Hastings-Mpls.-Kingfield
Re: [Mpls] R.T. et al, please let us 3rd ward residents decide
If I recall correctly, one of the more noxious aspects of the last round of council elections in 2001 was the unwelcome involvement of non-residents (SSB for sure, but quite a few others as well) in many DFL ward conventions. While it certainly is RT's prerogative to do as he pleases in the W3 race, I believe that it is far preferable for the mayor, any mayor, to leave the ward races to the ward residents. Just FYI, although it has merely been a custom, I think the school board practice where sitting board members who are not up for reelection refrain from involvement in other candidates campaigns is a good one. Ann Berget Kingfield
RE: [Mpls] Public housing funds
R.T. Rybak wrote: There will be more coming on this but it would be helpful if people who do not live in public housing would read these stories and try to become familiar...we need help from many sides so we can help get these buildings the help they need. I think that it is clear, that in the long run, we should work towards the elimination public housing. In the short term it appears that the agencies involved will be able to absorb the cuts. For instance, it is unclear to me what would be impact in Minneapolis given that in St. Paul the result would be to: ...lose between five and 20 jobs from the 245-member staff. In addition, it may have to close the waiting list for housing, suspend non-emergency overtime and eliminate training and travel and some offices. Why are they paying for non-emergency overtime and traveling anyway? I believe that we should reorient our approach to public housing from large public projects to serving specific needs and shifting to private ownership. That is to say, we need a provide a pathway from public housing to private ownership in situations where it is reasonable. It is not practical or cost effective to provide public housing for the lifetime of an individual. There are a number of ways that we can achieve this goal. 1. Provide short-term housing for the homeless. Such housing should be minimal. 2. Require that private developers allocate a portion of their projects be reserved as affordable housing. 3. Provide loan programs and training for low income individuals to become homeowners. The city already does all of these to some degree, we just need to focus more on the goal of eliminating public housing altogether. Michael Atherton Prospect Park TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Third ward race -Phyllis is incorrect
[DFL Rep. Kahn said] I understand that Don Samuels has not promised to move within the boundaries of the new third ward, even if elected. (If, I'm wrong on this point, I expect a Samuels's supporter to correct me.) This is not accurate. Talking once with Don would confirm this. In fact Don has spoken numerous times at public forums, house parties and on this list about this issue. Don is not a career politician planning his next election now. For Don, the council seat is not a launching block for a political career. He is running to represent the current residents of the Third Ward. If the voters choose Don, after the lawsuit is finalized, the borders of our new wards are secured, and Don has had the experience of serving as a Council Member he will take three variables into consideration: 1. What will be best for his family? 2. What type of representing will the residents of the new Fifth be receiving? 3. What is the feedback and support from residents in the new Third? As Don and Sondra did in this race -- he will get together with neighbors and supporters from throughout the Ward -- and decide what is in the best interest of the people of the Third Ward. If that means Don and his family moves -- then they will move. Joseph Barisonzi Samuels Campaign Coordinator TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] R.T. et al, please let us 3rd ward residents decide
Dyna writes about RT's endorsement, We 3rd ward DFLers heard out all the candidates, including yours, and decided to endorse Olin Moore. Apparently you and your pack of outside interests have no respect for our 3rd ward process. While I didn't hear or read the exact quotes by RT (and perhaps there would be something more telling in an exact quote), there's three thoughts I have on the above statement. 1) Believe it or not, not every DFL'er attends conventions. That said, I don't think all 3rd ward DFLers actually heard out all the candidates... As anyone who has been involved in the DFL endorsement process (and likely other parties also) knows, only a portion of even DFL delegates attend the convention, and that number is only a tiny fraction of all DFLers within a ward boundary. However, despite only a tiny fraction of voters attending a convention, the endorsement often carries immense weight with it. 2) Believe this or not, but not every last citizen of the 3rd ward is a DFLer. I know, what a horrible thought for the Minneapolis DFL. With that said, the DFL endorsement is of little consequence to those who aren't DFLers. Therefore, to claim that RT is doing something improper to the third ward just because he didn't honor the DFL endorsement is a claim without merit. 3) Believe THIS or not, but RT is the mayor of the whole City of Minneapolis, not just Linden Hills or any neighborhood. It is absolutely fair he attempt to bring about what will be, in his opinion, the best representation for an area of the City he represents. Gary Bowman Audubon Park = Wars are, of course, as a rule to be avoided; but they are far better than certain kinds of peace.'' --Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Re: anti-war resolution
Maybe the big, sophisticated berg of Minneapolis is sophisticated enough to know what is local business and what is national business. Maybe the big, sophisticated berg of Minneapolis is also sophisticated enough to know while war is not preferable and exacts a price, debating and endless diplomatic talks which are bordering on being on joke are meaningless without the willingness to back up the talk. Maybe the big, sophisticated berg of Minneapolis is sophisticated enough to realize that nations like France and Russia are opposing military action because they're more worried about their own business deals in Iraq than ridding the world of a dictator on par with Hitler. Gary Bowman Audubon Park [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Below is a copy of an antiwar resolution being considered by my hometown, Portland, Me. Too bad a big, sophisticated berg like Minneapolis can't do this. (Bar Harbor, Me., another huge metropolis, is also considering a resolution). Linda Mann Kingfield = Wars are, of course, as a rule to be avoided; but they are far better than certain kinds of peace.'' --Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] NRP: reform it or replace it:Editorial in MN Spokesman
EDITORIAL NRP: reform it or replace it By: Pauline Thomas Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Although tactically I appreciate the added pressure for reform within the NRP, I am appalled by its character. It seems that the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder's concern revolves around the lack of benefits for a particular group, rather than its inherent lack of representation for many classes of residents and individuals. It is with sincere regret that I have observed a transition from the politics of civil rights to the politics of individual benefit. The rights of individuals should not be determined their race or by their income, be it wealth or poverty. We need to retreat from this Piece of the Pie Politics and focus on insuring that every individual in our society is represented and treated equally by our government. Michael Atherton Prospect Park TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Public housing funds and Quasi_Public Housing funds
RT, you may be technically correct when you say, because there has not been new public housing built in this country in a couple decades. but you are wrong in the reality. When almost all the funding to build a housing complex, and the majority of funding for rent, comes from tax dollars, then how can these units be looked at as Non Public Housing? Without the public this housing would not, and could not exist! Let us look at an example project which I have personally supported so there does not appear to be bias against public housing. An example is Portland Village in my neighborhood. Please show me what is the source of non-public dollars? What private dollars are involved? The rents are reasonable for the residents, but are still quite high in total. The difference comes from heavy public subsidies of those rents. If 2/3 of the rent comes from public tax payers please do not tell me these are not quasi-public housing. It is not that there is no public housing being built. It is a matter of public housing being built with public dollars by private Non-Profit housing providers. This quasi-public housing thus avoids much of the constraints, regulations, and criticism of true public housing. There are approximately 800 beds of Supportive Housing within a one 1/4 mile circle of each other in my neighborhood of Ventura Village. If those projects were under the Public Housing rule, they would for sure come under the Holman Decree and be forced to relocate. As it is the City has been able to engage in this pattern of discrimination without being challenged. Until now! The Affordable Housing shortage is most dramatic in the Affordable Homeownership area. Affordable homeownership has been demonstrated to be the BEST and most sustainable means of stabilizing poor people's lives. Yet it is an area that seems to be totally overlooked by your present administration. In fact anything other than quasi-institutional large multi-unit buildings owned by Non profits seem to be the only thing receiving consideration. This is a perception on my (and other's) part. So if it is a miss-perception please correct it with the number of affordable homeownership units your administration has initiated. Please do not include those units coming from neighborhood NRP. If you have possibly overlooked this source of sustainable affordable housing then please realize what Habitat for Humanity and Jimmy Carter figured out a long time ago. It is Affordable Homeownership that changes lives and stabilizes communities. The vast majority of affordable housing comes from the private sector, not from the Public sector. So in this time of budget and fiscal restraint, please look to the private sector for small, affordable, rental housing. Private residents using private financing can provide far, far more affordable, and higher quality, housing than large institutions. I know this was explained to you before, but you probably forgot with all the distractions and pressures that your office and those around you place on your time and mind. Jim Graham, Ventura Village TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] This Week in The Minneapolis Observer
T H E M I N N E A P O L I S O B S E R V E R A Weekly Digest of All Things Minneapolitan www.mplsobserver.com Vol. 2, No. 24 January 27, 2003 This is a preview issue of The Observer. To see a sample issue, check out the Web site at www.mplsobserver.com. Subscriptions are $12/yr. ** THIS WEEK IN THE OBSERVER: * Neighborhoods Bark as City Hall Moves to Slash NRP * Midtown Farmers' Market to Be Unveiled * Park Board and MCDA at Odds in Community Garden Tiff * Pawlenty Hedging on No Tax Increase Pledge? * University Med School Student Debt Called Worrisome * Piper Jaffray Suitors May Include Dain Plus: Downtown bike racing, camping out at the government center, Natalie Johnson Lee's State of the Union, the art of wrestling, and the power of neighborhoods. ** NEIGHBORHOODS BARK AS CITY HALL MOVES TO SLASH NRP Mayor R.T. Rybak and three city council members on January 10 proposed a budget-cutting resolution that could cut more than a third of the 2003 budget for the Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP). The move, according to David Brauer in the Southwest Journal (http://www.swjournal.com) triggered a resolution from a group of neighborhood organizations and a sharp response from leading council members. The community response, authored by representatives of 35 city neighborhood organizations, demanded that the council allocate $33 million for community development in 2003 and that one-third of that amount be set aside for the NRP budget. The neighborhoods also demanded that they control the designated funds and that the NRP continue as an independent agency rather than be consolidated in the city's new planning and economic development agency. This sparked a testy retort from three influential council members, who argue that the neighborhood demands are so far from the reality we face in this financial climate that we need to address them immediately so that no one will be forced to reject this resolution if and when it comes before the council. The council members, Barret Lane (13th Ward), Lisa Goodman (7th Ward), and Scott Benson (11th Ward), noted that the largest source of community development funding comes from federal Community Development Block Grants, which account for about $18.5 million a year. This money, however, cannot be applied to neighborhood projects. Indeed, they note, two-thirds of the city's $33 million for community development is ineligible for NRP use. And if that $11 million was guaranteed to the NRP, no money would be left for other projects. Lane, Goodman, and Benson go on to point out that because the city last year used a $4 million community development levy to support an NRP budget that had been eviscerated by tax reform legislation at the state level, the program now has to compete with other essential services for general funds. With state Local Government Aids cuts a real possibility, we must preserve our ability to fund basic services in the general fund (police, fire, and public works) before funding community development, they wrote. The city's precarious budget situation, they add, requires that the NRP, like every other city department work toward the most efficient structure and cost-effective operation. Demanding that the agency remain an independent entity, they argue, makes no sense. The purpose of NRP was to redesign city services and better integrate neighborhood planning into all city planning and development decision-making, they conclude. Now, NRP has become more about the money, not the planning, and that's unfortunate. About 30 neighborhood activists met with Rybak and council members January 16, but were unable to get officials there to back off from their budget-cutting intentions. Rybak said flatly that he would not guarantee $11 million to NRP and Goodman reiterated that the money simple isn't there. The next day, however, Deputy Mayor David Fey e-mailed neighborhood activists, reassuring them that city officials have no intention to eliminate the program. The resolution doesn't address NRP at all, he wrote, except to clarify that NRP funding is part of total community development funding . . . that can be supported within its property tax policy. MIDTOWN FARMERS' MARKET TO BE UNVEILED Mayor R.T. Rybak and Ninth Ward Council Member Gary Schiff will host an open house February 18 to introduce the new Midtown Public Market, an outlet for fresh vegetables, baked goods, and other products at the intersection of Hiawatha Avenue and Lake Street. PARK BOARD TRUMPS MCDA IN COMMUNITY GARDEN TIFF The Park Board last month adopted a resolution supporting community gardens now threatened by the Minneapolis Community Development Agency's (MCDA) aggressive building program. PAWLENTY HEDGING HIS NO TAX INCREASE PLEDGE? Governor Tim Pawlenty toured North and South Side businesses January 10, seeking support for his budget plan, and may have
RE: [Mpls] Public housing funds
Truth be told the monies and structures put in place to support affordable housing have become a monster that seeks to protect its self. Why would the city back million dollar townhomes on the river yet allow thousands of homes to be destroyed? Money and power seek money and power, this is how ssb and cherryhomes played it. I believe the admin. in power now will try to overcome the dfl, we love the developers money, to create housing for the less fortunate of mpls. Dain Lyngstad phillips/edina --- Michael Atherton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: R.T. Rybak wrote: There will be more coming on this but it would be helpful if people who do not live in public housing would read these stories and try to become familiar...we need help from many sides so we can help get these buildings the help they need. I think that it is clear, that in the long run, we should work towards the elimination public housing. In the short term it appears that the agencies involved will be able to absorb the cuts. For instance, it is unclear to me what would be impact in Minneapolis given that in St. Paul the result would be to: ...lose between five and 20 jobs from the 245-member staff. In addition, it may have to close the waiting list for housing, suspend non-emergency overtime and eliminate training and travel and some offices. Why are they paying for non-emergency overtime and traveling anyway? I believe that we should reorient our approach to public housing from large public projects to serving specific needs and shifting to private ownership. That is to say, we need a provide a pathway from public housing to private ownership in situations where it is reasonable. It is not practical or cost effective to provide public housing for the lifetime of an individual. There are a number of ways that we can achieve this goal. 1. Provide short-term housing for the homeless. Such housing should be minimal. 2. Require that private developers allocate a portion of their projects be reserved as affordable housing. 3. Provide loan programs and training for low income individuals to become homeowners. The city already does all of these to some degree, we just need to focus more on the goal of eliminating public housing altogether. Michael Atherton Prospect Park TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Third ward race -Phyllis is incorrect
Perhaps Ms. Kahn would like the 16 year olds to vote dfl to stop any real public involvment.(she did sponser abill asking for children to have the right to vote). Dain Lyngstad phillips/edina --- Joseph Barisonzi [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: [DFL Rep. Kahn said] I understand that Don Samuels has not promised to move within the boundaries of the new third ward, even if elected. (If, I'm wrong on this point, I expect a Samuels's supporter to correct me.) This is not accurate. Talking once with Don would confirm this. In fact Don has spoken numerous times at public forums, house parties and on this list about this issue. Don is not a career politician planning his next election now. For Don, the council seat is not a launching block for a political career. He is running to represent the current residents of the Third Ward. If the voters choose Don, after the lawsuit is finalized, the borders of our new wards are secured, and Don has had the experience of serving as a Council Member he will take three variables into consideration: 1. What will be best for his family? 2. What type of representing will the residents of the new Fifth be receiving? 3. What is the feedback and support from residents in the new Third? As Don and Sondra did in this race -- he will get together with neighbors and supporters from throughout the Ward -- and decide what is in the best interest of the people of the Third Ward. If that means Don and his family moves -- then they will move. Joseph Barisonzi Samuels Campaign Coordinator TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Has R.T. peaked? Meddling Mayor Rybak and Stenglein supportSamuels,
I was at a DFL event today and noted the reappearance of the Sharon Sayles-Belton for Mayor button. I feel sorry for R.T.- he barely takes office and the city gets hit with it's biggest financial crisis in memory. It ain't gonna be pretty, and a lot of oxen, sacred cows, and various pet projects won't just be gored or sacrificed- they're going to slaughter. R.T. and the council will get to fight over who gets to hold the smoking electrodes... Now the traditional solution to this problem is to follow the political Peter Principle- run for higher office. Unfortunately for R.T. there are no statewide offices up for election in 2004, and thank goddess Congressman Sabo is not about to give up his seniority. So R.T. is stuck for the full term. If he wants to run for reelection or for Governor in 2006 he needs to find a scapegoat for Minneapolis' financial crisis. Now the Republicans have this act down to an art- they simply blame those greedy public employees. Being as taxpayers far outnumber public employees this sick strategy usually works. Perhaps R.T. is going to steal a page from the republican playbook and balance the city budget on the backs of city workers? To pull this fiscal atrocity off R.T. would need some votes on the city council, at least enough to sustain a veto. With 3 Council Members behind him in bucking the pro labor DFL majority, R.T. needs only the support of the other Green Party Council Member and the election of Don Samuels to give him those 5 votes to sustain his veto of any city budget respectful of labor. If this is what R.T. Rybak is planning it's a desperation tactic- he'd be more likely to be reelected by respecting and working with city workers to solve the cities financial crisis rather than disrespecting them. standing up for working folks and Olin Moore in Hawthorne, Dyna Sluyter -- TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Has R.T. peaked? Meddling Mayor Rybak and Stenglein support Samuels,
What makes you think that Greens aren't pro-labor? Annie Young East Phillips At 11:57 PM 1/26/03 -0600, dyna wrote: I was at a DFL event today and noted the reappearance of the Sharon Sayles-Belton for Mayor button. I feel sorry for R.T.- he barely takes office and the city gets hit with it's biggest financial crisis in memory. It ain't gonna be pretty, and a lot of oxen, sacred cows, and various pet projects won't just be gored or sacrificed- they're going to slaughter. R.T. and the council will get to fight over who gets to hold the smoking electrodes... Now the traditional solution to this problem is to follow the political Peter Principle- run for higher office. Unfortunately for R.T. there are no statewide offices up for election in 2004, and thank goddess Congressman Sabo is not about to give up his seniority. So R.T. is stuck for the full term. If he wants to run for reelection or for Governor in 2006 he needs to find a scapegoat for Minneapolis' financial crisis. Now the Republicans have this act down to an art- they simply blame those greedy public employees. Being as taxpayers far outnumber public employees this sick strategy usually works. Perhaps R.T. is going to steal a page from the republican playbook and balance the city budget on the backs of city workers? To pull this fiscal atrocity off R.T. would need some votes on the city council, at least enough to sustain a veto. With 3 Council Members behind him in bucking the pro labor DFL majority, R.T. needs only the support of the other Green Party Council Member and the election of Don Samuels to give him those 5 votes to sustain his veto of any city budget respectful of labor. If this is what R.T. Rybak is planning it's a desperation tactic- he'd be more likely to be reelected by respecting and working with city workers to solve the cities financial crisis rather than disrespecting them. standing up for working folks and Olin Moore in Hawthorne, Dyna Sluyter -- TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Third ward race
I guess then the question becomes, should we just have the residents living in the "new" 3rd ward hold sway over the upcoming special election? While in fact an election for all city council positions may, or mayNOT be forced by legislative action in the upcoming future, a special election for a currently vacant city council seat exists and WILL take place next week on February 3rd. Unless I am missing something, it would appear that The Honrable Rep. Kahnis suggesting that residents of the existing 3rd ward cast their votes to accomodate her concerns and needs, instead of theirs. Who then would be faced without "one person, one vote" representation ? Or should "they" just wait for representation until redistricting occurs? Dennis Plante Jordan From: "Phyllis Kahn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Mpls] Third ward race Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 22:46:23 -0600 Nobody asked me to make my personal endorsement, but I've been working for Olin Moore's campaign since the beginning of January. Besides having worked with him for years (campaigns and other stuff), I want a candidate who lives in and will continue to live in the ward. As a resident of the new 3rd ward, and disenfranchised by this election taking place in the old third ward, I have a particular stake in this selection. I fully expect a complete city council election in 2003, either through legislative or court action. An election 15 years after the census (in 2005) makes a mockery of "one person- one vote", one of the cornerstones of democracy. Olin is one of the few candidates from the original field who lives in both wards (and has lived on the North Side). (And also supports a 2003 election.) I understand that Don Samuels has not promised to move within the boundaries of the new third ward, even if elected. (If, I'm wrong on this point, I expect a Samuels supporter to correct me.) One of the principles of representative government is residency so I would prefer to have a now and future resident elected. I also find it outrageous that one ward (6) has two resident council members and another (8), has none, but that's really an issue for a general elections piece, not a Third Ward discussion. Finally, to John Kremer, worried about Southside involvement in NE issues, the freeway fight 30+ years ago was over Hiway 335, not 394. It did not get built because I passed an amendment stopping it in state law with the help of an important Southside resident, Martin Sabo, then Speaker of the House. Phyllis Kahn State Rep. 59B TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Has R.T. peaked? Meddling Mayor Rybak and Stenglein support Samuels,
It really hasn't very much at all to do with whether or not the greens are or are not "pro-labor". I had the opportunity to befriend the first publicly elected "Green-Party" official in the U.S. - Kelly Weaverling (yes, I voted for him). He was as pro-labor as you can get. As are Don Samuels and RT Rybak. To assert, as Dyna has often, that Don Samuels is anti-labor is absurd. Without even knowing anything about an individual, how could anyonebelieve that an immigrant that has not won the power ball, or inherited a large sum of money be anti-labor? Did he somehow mystically leap-frog over a few levels of society right out of college? Is his address in North Minneapolis just a PO Box that forwards mail to a plush home in an affluent part of Minneapolis? Apparently, unfounded judgements are being made. Dennis Plante Jordan From: Annie Young <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: dyna <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] Has R.T. peaked? Meddling Mayor Rybak and Stenglein support Samuels, Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 00:32:16 -0600 What makes you think that Greens aren't pro-labor? Annie Young East Phillips At 11:57 PM 1/26/03 -0600, dyna wrote: I was at a DFL event today and noted the reappearance of the Sharon Sayles-Belton for Mayor button. I feel sorry for R.T.- he barely takes office and the city gets hit with it's biggest financial crisis in memory. It ain't gonna be pretty, and a lot of oxen, sacred cows, and various pet projects won't just be gored or sacrificed- they're going to slaughter. R.T. and the council will get to fight over who gets to hold the smoking electrodes... Now the traditional solution to this problem is to follow the political Peter Principle- run for higher office. Unfortunately for R.T. there are no statewide offices up for election in 2004, and thank goddess Congressman Sabo is not about to give up his seniority. So R.T. is stuck for the full term. If he wants to run for reelection or for Governor in 2006 he needs to find a scapegoat for Minneapolis' financial crisis. Now the Republicans have this act down to an art- they simply blame those "greedy public employees". Being as taxpayers far outnumber public employees this sick strategy usually works. Perhaps R.T. is going to steal a page from the republican playbook and balance the city budget on the backs of city workers? To pull this fiscal atrocity off R.T. would need some votes on the city council, at least enough to sustain a veto. With 3 Council Members behind him in bucking the pro labor DFL majority, R.T. needs only the support of the other Green Party Council Member and the election of Don Samuels to give him those 5 votes to sustain his veto of any city budget respectful of labor. If this is what R.T. Rybak is planning it's a desperation tactic- he'd be more likely to be reelected by respecting and working with city workers to solve the cities financial crisis rather than disrespecting them. standing up for working folks and Olin Moore in Hawthorne, Dyna Sluyter -- TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
