Re: [Mpls] Convention Center: a bad deal?
I hate to say I told you so, but... back in the mid 80s as one of the union stewards at Continental Baking we fought a losing battle to stop this boondoggle. Being located right next to the old Convention Center we had a good view of how it was being utilized. We noted that about the only show that was running out of space was the auto show. The old Convention Center was about the right size for regional meetings and shows and was an asset to the city. The building was only about 20 some years old and in no need of replacement. Connected to the Convention Center was the Minneapolis Auditorium, a classic WPA hall with the awesome Voice of Minneapolis pipe organ and even an ice arena in the basement. Clearly with proper maintenance and some upgrades over this years this facility would still be serving us well. The new Convention Center's backers argued that a bigger convention center would bring in big national conventions and their big dollars. Unfortunately Minneapolis is not on the short list of places national groups want to have their conventions and we don't have enough hotel rooms to house them anyway. The new Convention Center's backers won that battle, and throwing good money after bad we even put an addition on a couple years back. So after spending $300,000,000+, losing over a hundred living wage jobs and lots of affordable housing, bulldozing a couple year old parking ramp, and making a classic pipe organ homeless the auto show has more than enough room. hidin' out in Hawthorne, Dyna Sluyter REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Cops arrest NAACP meeting-goer at Gallmon's request
Correction: In my initial post under this thread I reported that I left the scene at 11:45. That was an inadvertent error. I left the scene at 10:45 AM. In a message dated 9/27/2003 10:14:52 PM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: This does not appear to be an unprovoked attack. It was a police action initiated by a complainant. The police used unnecessary force resulting in serious harm to Mr. Flowers. According to witnesses, Flowers offered no resistance to the arrest. The fact that this police action was initiated by a complainant does not justify police brutality. Incidentally Flowers is black and a member of the federal mediation panel that's trying to get the City to take some steps to get its cops under control (too many thumpers, too much racial bias). I cannot image Al Flowers saying or doing anything to a cop, especially under the given circumstances, that would give a cop a good reason to rough him up. Witnesses to the events I described include 5th ward council member Natalie Johnson Lee, State representative Neva Walker and at least two members of the press, including a spokesman-recorder reporter, in addition to me (an occasional freelance writer for the Pulse and other publications). The spokesman-recorder reporter, Isaac Peterson also interviewed witnesses who saw one part or another of the Saga, so you can expect a blow by blow report of the whole thing in the Spokesman-Recorder next week. I think that Mr. Flowers is in an excellent position to sue the City, the NAACP, Reverend Gallmon, and the Urban League and / or the property manager who was allegedly unwilling to hear and obey the orders of his boss, Clarence Hightower (to allow Flowers to attend the NAACP branch meeting). How much longer is the national office and state conference of the NAACP going to let the local branch leadership run amok: operating outside of NAACP by-laws, illegally operating NAACP Parent Information Centers, suppressing its own investigation of the City's implementation of the Hollman Decree, and using the police to intimidate NAACP members, to break up general membership meetings, and to suppress criticism of actions by the school board? -Doug Mann, King Field - REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Questioning of Jennings appointment grows
Questioning of Jennings appointment grows Martha Sawyer Allen, Star Tribune Published September 28, 2003 More Minneapolis black community leaders joined the chorus Saturday of those opposed to the Minneapolis School Board's decision to hire David Jennings as the next superintendent. http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4122834.html Shawn Lewis, Field Neighborhood -- __ Sign-up for your own personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup CareerBuilder.com has over 400,000 jobs. Be smarter about your job search http://corp.mail.com/careers REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] See you at Lucille's!
It's today from 1 to 3. Looking forward to meeting everyone! Still a couple of open chairs left, if anyone has a last-minute change of plans. Susan Maricle formerly of Folwell __ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Member of Federal Mediation Panel attacked by Mpls Police near Urban League
Exclusive: Accusations of police brutality in Minneapolis Watch video Updated: 09-28-2003 12:19:40 AM Tonight a dozen people say they witnessed a beating of an unarmed man by Minneapolis police officers. http://www.kstp.com/article/view/122762 Shawn Lewis. Field Neighborhood -- __ Sign-up for your own personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup CareerBuilder.com has over 400,000 jobs. Be smarter about your job search http://corp.mail.com/careers REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Racism and Politics
At 11:24 AM 9/27/03 -0500, Michael Atherton wrote: I have a different perspective than these numerous social scientists. I adhere to the common dictionary definition (2): ra-cism (rasizm) n. 1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. 2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race. It is interesting that Ms. Gross's definition allows people of color to discriminate on the basis of race, while excluding others. This is starting to sound like semantics. The point I was making is that there is a distinct difference between individual prejudices and institutionalized racism. This doesn't mean that individual prejudices are okay--they are not. However, the methods for overcoming individual prejudices (like diversity training, etc.) will not end institutionalized racism. That's because institutionalized racism is perpetuated as a means of social control that serves certain classes of people at the expense of others. It takes power to maintain the kinds of structures needed to keep institutionalized racism going. In general, people of color don't have access to that kind of power, though I've certainly known my share of people of color who harbor prejudices against other people of color, gays, immigrants, whites, Jews, etc. While I'm disturbed and disgusted by these individual prejudices, I recognize there is a huge difference between an individual making a bigoted, ignorant remark and the kind of institutionalized system that, for example, makes prison the Blackest place in America (to quote Mumia Abu-Jamal). Here's an example: A number of people on the list have made the astute observation that there are impacted neighborhoods or containment areas where transitional housing and other high-density units always seem to be placed by government and social service agencies. This isn't because the people who populate that housing just naturally gravitate to those particular neighborhoods and demand the housing be placed in those areas (Jim Graham's Grape and Jazz events notwithstanding). It's because people in power make decisions that this is where that housing will go. This system is perpetuated because wealthier folks do not want this kind of housing in their 'hoods and they've got the power and influence to keep those units out. This concentrates a lot of low income people, especially people of color, in certain areas of the city. Add to it the fact that these areas are chronically underfunded and underserved and this constitutes a form of institutionalized racism that appears to have been going on in this city for a long, long time. No amount of diversity training will get rid of that ingrained, systemic racism. It must be challenged in other ways. On the original post that got this discussion started, nowhere in that post or the statement that followed did people say that they did not want Jennings because he isn't a person of color. That's something folks on this list read into the post and statement. What I read was that people were concerned about the process in which he was selected and they are concerned about his qualifications and character based on his lack of on-the-ground experience in the schools and based on positions he has taken as a legislator. These seem like reasonable concerns to raise and rather than play the race card to silence the questioners, I would like to see these concerns addressed. Michelle Gross Bryn Mawr REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Minneapolis Public Schools Issues
This posting is written is response to recent discussion about various Minneapolis Public Schools issues: Superintendent: I respect the parents who question Mr. Jenningss qualifications and voting history on race and education issues, however, I am troubled that any black superintendent candidate (even the ideological equivalent of Clarence Thomas?) may not be subject to the same scrutiny. Regarding Mr. Jennings himself, education outsiders can be valuable, but Mr. Jennings was nominated because he is a political insider. Anyone who suggests that schools be run like businesses not only fails to understand that education is its own reward, but should be prepared to pay students for above-average achievement with token currency. Ability grouping: In general, I am not opposed to ability grouping (though I think it should be limited to average and advanced), as long as the system is based on mobility rather than permanent tracking. Mobility (perhaps on a semester-by-semester basis) not only allows average children to be promoted, but provides an incentive for advanced children to maintain their achievements. Also, many children (including gifted children) are advanced in some areas but not in others; a child may belong in some advanced subjects and some average subjects. If all children in a grade are taught the same subject during the same period (by different teachers), a hypothetical child can be in the advanced math and science groups, the average social sciences and reading groups, and receive tutoring in spelling. In addition, grading should never be on the curve. Commercialism: Anyone interested in this issue should read Giving Kids the Business: The Commercialization of Americas Schools by Dr. Alex Molnar, who has a Ph.D. in education. Dr. Molnar addresses concerns such as corporate curricula and classroom advertising. I personally dont believe soda, fast food, and other junk food should be sold on school property, but we cannot prevent students from bringing it into school. Uniforms: Egalitarian arguments aside, school uniforms are primarily authoritarian. A school can have rules about suitable attire without mandating conformity, such as a requirement that students be covered at least from below their necks to below their knees. Roberta M. Beach Minneapolis Ward 7, Precinct 5 REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Racism and Politics
Michelle said: --- Michelle Gross [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On the original post that got this discussion started, nowhere in that post or the statement that followed did people say that they did not want Jennings because he isn't a person of color. That's something folks on this list read into the post and statement. In all fairness, I believe that someone did indeed imply that Jennings was not qualified because of his race. Please review the snippet of the post from Batala below. If that was not the intention of the press release, it was poorly written. My perception of this issue is that some black community leaders did begin to use race as one of the issues for disqualifying Jennings, but that they are now backing away from that and using the other list of disqualifying factors. From: Batala [EMAIL PROTECTED] | This is spam | Add to Address Book To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] CC: al mcfarlane [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED], Tyrone Terrill [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] STATEMENT FROM BCC/AALS REGARDING DAVID JENNINGS Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 16:45:44 -0600 For immediate release Contact Reverend Randolph Staten, 612-521-2444 Black Church Coalition/African American Leadership Summit: Black Community Outraged by Selection of David Jennings as School Superintendent snip We are outraged and insulted by the Minneapolis School Board appointment of David Jennings as Superintendent. We strenuously object to the improper appointment process. Further, David Jennings¹ selection is inappropriate. Jennings is not qualified to head the Minneapolis Public Schools District, a district that has 73.8% students of color. * * * Jason Stone | Hale __ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search http://shopping.yahoo.com REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Racism and Politics
At 07:09 AM 9/28/03 -0700, Jason C Stone wrote: In all fairness, I believe that someone did indeed imply that Jennings was not qualified because of his race. Please review the snippet of the post from Batala below. If that was not the intention of the press release, it was poorly written. My perception of this issue is that some black community leaders did begin to use race as one of the issues for disqualifying Jennings, but that they are now backing away from that and using the other list of disqualifying factors. From: Batala [EMAIL PROTECTED] snip We are outraged and insulted by the Minneapolis School Board appointment of David Jennings as Superintendent. We strenuously object to the improper appointment process. Further, David Jennings¹ selection is inappropriate. Jennings is not qualified to head the Minneapolis Public Schools District, a district that has 73.8% students of color. I guess I read both the original post and the statement one right after the other. My perception is that the statement above relates to concerns that Jennings has held some rather dubious positions on race issues while at the legislature and that this is what they felt made him not qualified to head the Minneapolis Public Schools District, a district that has 73.8% students of color. But I can see how someone would read each piece in isolation and derive that the group was saying that Jennings is unfit only because he's white. You're right--that was probably a poor way for that group to lay out its arguments. It created unnecessary doubts about their rationales and agenda. Nonetheless, I still support their right to challenge this appointment based on what we now know to be their concerns. Michelle Gross Bryn Mawr REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] re: what country are we living in?
Please pardon me because my computer hasn't been working and my e-mail has been spammed-out so I don't know what has been going here. However, I did have time to monitor the courts again. This time it was for the criminal court. Maybe you, dear reader, have not heard about the courts since you were in civics class. I stepped in to one court room where people were waiting to be arraigned. There were about 20 to 25 people waiting their turn to face charges. They were all colors except white. The four lawyers and court personnel were white. (I happen to be white but I have been going to meetings of the Communities United against Police Brutality.) One young woman came out of the court room so disturbed she could barely talk to us. With some foreign accent, she said she was not guilty of what she had been accused. This is nothing new. Other court-watchers said this happens all the time. People are pressured to plead guilty to a lesser charge to supposedly get off easily when they are not guilty of anything. This costs them time, money, and grief. Over and over the CUAPB keeps hearing about people of color being brought into court on false charges. Sometimes, it is to cover up police abuse. On this morning, we were there for a woman who had been maced in her face by police (The police said they maced her chest.) as they confiscated her van and had it impounded. It was fully licensed and insured. Her crime was sleeping in her van. I don't even have to go out of my house to hear of abuses that I think you fair-minded people would be ashamed of. What country are you living in? I asked a man who called me from the Veteran's Hospital. He needed a device for sleep-apnea so that he could sleep without waking up every 15 minutes. He was not allowed to have that in the assisted living place nor the nursing home where he had been. He could have that at the Veterans Hospital. But there, on whatever excuse, he was given psych drugs. He told me they had told him he could go to a nursing home if he would sign over his assets, but if not, he would go to Anoka Regional Treatment Center (State Hospital). In court, the psychiatrist testified that his memory was poor. Conveniently, this psychiatrist had been on vacation when he was brought in so she couldn' t examine him until after he had been forced to take brain-damaging drugs for several days. He was in court so that the Veterans Hospital could get an order to force these life and brain-destroying drugs on him. He was able to function all right when he had the sleep-apnea device. This would have been much cheaper for society to pay for than to maintain him on psych medications for the rest of his life. The drugs shorten lives because of their effect on the liver, pancreas, heart, etc. Meanwhile, the papers are full of the struggle to understand why so many high-school shooters and why people kill their babies or turn on their parents or police or others. Lump in with these the unlucky judge who slapped a boy. The papers refuse to print the news that one thing the killers have in common is their use of the psychiatric drugs. The boys in Columbine were using the antidepressants SSRIs. That was no secret in 1999. Since then, many million-dollar lawsuits have been won against Eli Lilly, the maker of Prozac, by many people who had never been depressed before but who turned violent after taking the SSRIs for a few weeks, or after trying to get off them. This news is not printed in the mainstream media but is well-known, even though the legal settlements are secret. No longer do the papers say the shooter had a history of mental illness. Many of us would assume that that would indict the drugs. They are very addictive. For one of the recent shooters, it was reported once that he was being tested for a split personality. As one too familiar with the mental health system, I am sure that he was being given psychiatric drugs as part of the testing. The British CSM--counterpart to the FDA--alert notes No SSRI/SNRI is licensed in the UK for the treatment of depression in children and adolescents aged under 18 years. www.ahrp.org. Louise Bouta Kingfield Well Mind Association of Minnesota [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.wellmindminnesota.org REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Racism and Politics, Jennings the Strib
In a message dated 9/28/2003 8:45:30 AM Central Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: At 11:24 AM 9/27/03 -0500, Michael Atherton wrote: I have a different perspective than these numerous social scientists. I adhere to the common dictionary definition (2): ra-cism (rasizm) n. 1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. 2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race. It is interesting that Ms. Gross's definition allows people of color to discriminate on the basis of race, while excluding others. This is starting to sound like semantics. The point I was making is that there is a distinct difference between individual prejudices and institutionalized racism. This doesn't mean that individual prejudices are okay--they are not. However, the methods for overcoming individual prejudices (like diversity training, etc.) will not end institutionalized racism. That's because institutionalized racism is perpetuated as a means of social control that serves certain classes of people at the expense of others... I think that both Michael and Michelle are making valid points. If I correctly understand his point I agree with Michael that black supremacism, discrimination against whites by blacks, and prejudices that are widely held by blacks concerning whites are not OK, positive, or progressive (and Michelle stated her agreement on that point). However, white supremacy is clearly the dominant ideology, an ideology that influences, to varying degrees, and in similar and complementary ways the perceptions and actions of a large majority of blacks, whites, and others. Racial inequality and the discriminatory practices that help to perpetuate it, including those of the color blind variety (such as curriculum tracking by perceived academic ability) generally reinforce the notion that the white race is, by nature superior to other races. Political power is usually concentrated in the hands of the rich with support or passive acceptance by a majority of the population. And racial inequality and discriminatory practices has worked pretty well as a means to help the rich at the expense of most people who have to work for a living. JENNINGS The Prince by Machievelli has been required reading in introductory 'political science' courses since 'political science' was invented. The Prince lays down some generally applicable guidelines for people in positions of political authority, and those who aspire to positions of political authority. Jennings has certainly demonstrated his ability to wield political power along the lines recommended by Machievelli. But I haven't seen any evidence that Jennings has had an epiphany that could transform him from a savvy defender of the system to a savvy and dangerous revolutionary. THE STRIB The Strib has been remarkably consistent in trying to make race the issue in its reportage of school news and school board elections, instead of a focus on school policy and the effects of school policy on the academic achievement gap between whites and blacks, poor and 'middle class' students, etc. For example, the Strib encouraged a protest vote for the black candidates who made it through the 2002 primary election because the Democrats didn't pick a token black candidate for the board. And the black candidates would bring a needed 'black perspective' to the board's decision-making process. But the Strib did not enlighten its readers how the perspective of the acceptable black candidates differed from the perspective of the acceptable white candidates. Carol Johnson was the candidate with just the right qualifications when the school board desperately needed someone who could help to tame the NAACP. Skin color became unimportant in the case of David Jennings because the princes of the school community are awe struck by Jenning's political savvy, and the black community can be dismissed as an inconsequential minority group. Allie Shah's latest piece about the negative reaction of those self-appointed black leaders to the board's appointment of Jennings is classic Strib education beat reporting. When did the pastors of black churches become self appointed leaders of church going blacks? When did the black leaders who the Strib usually goes to for quotes about the schools become self-appointed leaders? When they start saying things that the school community princes don't want to hear. I'm sure there are some blacks and whites who think that the superintendent job should be held by a black person and are making a fuss about the hiring process for that reason, but wouldn't make a fuss about the process if the board hired a black person who is qualified for the job of chief academic officer, such as assistant superintendent Cheryl Chrecy (I apologize if I got the spelling wrong). That is what a school superintendent
RE: [Mpls] Racism and Politics
Doug Mann wrote: If I correctly understand his point I agree with Michael that black supremacism, discrimination against whites by blacks, and prejudices that are widely held by blacks concerning whites are not OK, positive, or progressive (and Michelle stated her agreement on that point). Just to clarify and to be consistent: I am NOT saying that prejudice is not OK (although I agree it is not positive or progressive). As I have said before, prejudice is Constitutionally protected, e.g., if I want to believe in superiority of the White (or Black) race that is my right. We still do have freedom of thought in the United States (unless Ashcroft has pushed some new Terror initiative passed Congress). It is discrimination that is illegal. Prejudice is often a bad thing that results in unjust policies and dysfunctional behavior. But unlike Ms. Gross I will not be suggesting that prejudice people be required to take sensitivity classes. I do hope that we can all be fair, rational, and conscientious, but I also don't think it's something that we can or should dictate. My point in regards to the opponents of Mr. Jennings was that it is not consistent on the one had to cry racism in disadvantageous situations and then use racism to support your decision making process in another. If these people what to declare themselves Black supremacists all the power to them (I always thought that Farrakhan had a number of valid arguments). My major point was that Mr. Jennings or any other candidate should be judged on how effective their policies will be. The race of the superintendent seems to have little impact on student achievement. Political power is usually concentrated in the hands of the rich with support or passive acceptance by a majority of the population. And racial inequality and discriminatory practices has worked pretty well as a means to help the rich at the expense of most people who have to work for a living. I don't know how much List members know about social class theory, but I don't believe that race places hard limits on how far you can advance in American Society these days. You've always had to be born into the upper-upper class. I think it's fair to say that Bill Cosby had risen to middle-upper and also fair to expect that his children or grandchildren may be upper-upper (if they live in the right areas, go to the right schools, belong to the right clubs, etc.). Don't forget that the Kennedys were Irish and it only took then a few generations to reach the cream of American Society. JENNINGS But I haven't seen any evidence that Jennings has had an epiphany that could transform him from a savvy defender of the system to a savvy and dangerous revolutionary. I just saw Mr. Jennings on Almanac this morning. Whoa! I don't think this man has a clue about educational policy. I think that the school board is only interested in his business and political savvy. The Minneapolis School Board is not reformist, why should we expect them to hire someone who is? The Board is only interesting in maintaining the status quo and I think they've found their man. I PREDICT...that the educational policy person that Mr. Jennings is looking to hire will be a person of color! And, most likely ineffectual as well. I nominate A.B. Whitfield for superintendent. See story in NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/24/education/24PRIV.html I've been trying to get the Tribune to do a story about schools that work, there are enough of them in the country to get a glimmer about what needs to be done in the public schools. Michael Atherton Prospect Park REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Housing codes
The Jordan Area Community Council led the campaign to get a rental property licensing ordinance passed in Minneapolis in 1991 We wanted rental property licensing because we found that too many problem landlords, when cited for serious code violations, would choose to pay the fine rather than make the repairs. Rental property licensing put real teeth in the inspections department's bark, because inspections could pull the license, denying thousands of dollars in rental income. With the extra bite, the inspectors could more effectively force problem landlords to comply with citations. But we never intended to simply leave the books on the table. We wanted to use block meetings to identify the houses that were the most delapidated and dangerous, and have block volunteers work with the inspections department and elected officials to use rental property licensing to get these properties cleaned up. I think that neighborhood organizations and neighbors need to be actively involved for rental property licensing to be used effectively. By the way, I also think that rental property licensing can be an effective tool for fighting drug dealing. Drug dealers usually are not practising Martha Steward Living. The places they live in often have serious code violations. Send the inspectors in, and the housing code violations can be used to get the drug dealers evicted and the property cleaned up. We never had the chance to do block organizing with rental property licensing because about the same time RPL was passed we were picked in the NRP lottery and we were off to the races. Jay Clark Cooper REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Violence and psychiatric drugs
Louise Bouta wrote: Meanwhile, the papers are full of the struggle to understand why so many high-school shooters and why people kill their babies or turn on their parents or police or others. Lump in with these the unlucky judge who slapped a boy. The papers refuse to print the news that one thing the killers have in common is their use of the psychiatric drugs. The boys in Columbine were using the antidepressants SSRIs. That was no secret in 1999. Since then, many million-dollar lawsuits have been won against Eli Lilly, the maker of Prozac, by many people who had never been depressed before but who turned violent after taking the SSRIs for a few weeks, or after trying to get off them. This news is not printed in the mainstream media but is well-known, even though the legal settlements are secret. No longer do the papers say the shooter had a history of mental illness. Many of us would assume that that would indict the drugs. They are very addictive. For one of the recent shooters, it was reported once that he was being tested for a split personality. As one too familiar with the mental health system, I am sure that he was being given psychiatric drugs as part of the testing Very valid points Louise. If more people were aware of the damaging effects of neuroleptic and psychotropic drugs, we could greatly reduce violence in our society. It is not just the street drugs that make our cities unsafe. Keep up the good work! Reverend Carly Swirtz Midtown, Phillips REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Thank you, Susan!
I hope the list manager and members will indulge me one extra posting today since I'll be away from my computer for the most part tomorrow, dealing with a family medical issue. Thank you, Susan Maricle, for setting up the gathering at Lucille's Kitchen today. I stopped by to get takeout and just to meet folks. The food was terrific and the company was even better. The fact that Susan drove all the way from Bruno, MN to be there makes her efforts all the more appreciated. Lucille's was packed to the rafters and a lot of who's who among the community were there, including Carol Johnson and, of course, Annie Young, who was at our table. There was a good-sized line of folks getting take out orders. I leaned over to the owner at the counter and said you're not really going to close down, are you? He replied, Naw, we're not closing. I asked him if that was the official word and he said not yet, but they were sure they could figure out how to keep things going. Thanks again, Susan, for putting together the gathering. It was lovely to meet the folks who were there. Michelle Gross Bryn Mawr REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Thank you, Susan!
Michelle Gross says: Thank you, Susan Maricle, for setting up the gathering at Lucille's Kitchen today. I stopped by to get takeout and just to meet folks. The food was terrific and the company was even better. The fact that Susan drove all the way from Bruno, MN to be there makes her efforts all the more appreciated. Lucille's was packed to the rafters and a lot of who's who among the community were there, including Carol Johnson and, of course, Annie Young, who was at our table. There was a good-sized line of folks getting take out orders. I leaned over to the owner at the counter and said you're not really going to close down, are you? He replied, Naw, we're not closing. I asked him if that was the official word and he said not yet, but they were sure they could figure out how to keep things going. Thanks again, Susan, for putting together the gathering. It was lovely to meet the folks who were there. Peter Schmitz responds: I'd like to extend my thanks to Susan as well. I also would like to call on list members to make a donation to Lucille's Kitchen. Minneapolis cannot afford to let this place go. Would it be that difficult for concerned citizens and civic leaders to raise $30,000.00 on behalf of this important enterprise? Think about it. If 300 of us contribute $100.00 each, that covers the current debt. Or how about scaling down to where 600 of us contribute $50.00 a piece? While $100.00 or $50.00 may sound like a lot, I know people who've paid twice as much to see second-rate musicians like Cher and Justin Timberlake.--Peter Schmitz CARAG REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
