[Mpls] Squirrels and Bulbs
List, As bulb planting season approaches, I am wondering what successes have people had keeping these fierce Minneapolis squirrels from eating their bulbs? Since I don't have a sufficient supply of coyote urine -- does putting chicken wire over the bulbs, under the dirt and mulch, work? Minneapolis-specific solutions would be much appreciated. Thank you (grin) Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: paul weir [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 12:02 AM To: mpls@mnforum.org Subject: [Mpls] granite paving stones There are many of you on this List who, I'm sure, have seen construction crews removing granite paving stones from roadbeds around the city and wondered how the city disposes of them. A lot of you have also thought you could put some of these stones to good use if only you knew how to obtain them. I've had the same thought, and over the last year I've taken some pains to discover how it's done. The short answer is that the city has no policy covering the distribution of stones and bricks retrieved from its roadbeds. None. Construction crews simply leave them in piles, and people go in after the crews have left the site and fetch them any way they can. However, this has not always been the case. As I know now, the city's practice for many years was to carry away the stones in dump trucks and reserve them in various storage areas, where they've remained to this day. At the City of Minneapolis Columbia Heights Water Treatment Plant alone, tens of thousands of them are piled in great stacks and heaps, overgrown with weeds, unnumbered, and, for the most part, forgotten. How they've become unforgotten is an interesting story. I'm the coordinator for a community garden in south Minneapolis and as such am always scrounging for free building materials to use in our garden projects. Last summer when Chicago Avenue was being torn up during June and July, I was curious to know how I could lay my hands on a sufficient number of stones to enable our gardening organization to build a path through the garden. I calculated we might need as many as several hundred, depending on the type of path we decided on. The obvious person to talk to about this was our city councilman, Dean Zimmerman, whom I called. Dean immediately put me in touch with a staff professional attached to the Public Works Dept., who invited me to meet him at the Columbia Heights plant (mentioned above) to examine the stones' suitability for our purposes. He was extremely helpful and would probably have permitted me right then and there to take the stones we needed, if only I had had a way to transport them. He even offered to have a city employee use a front-end loader to load them onto a truck -- if I could arrange to get a truck. I assured him I could. Alas, that was where things began to go wrong. Naturally, he was duty bound to ask the loader driver's supervisor for permission to have the stones loaded, and this in turn required the permission of a bureaucrat from Public Works' central administration. This gentleman's reaction was instantaneous and negative. We have no policy...we have no precedent...city residents have no standing...and just why do you want these stones, anyway? In answer to the last question, I said I felt that the city had a valuable asset in the stones. Moreover, since they were valuable, and since the city had not thought to make use of them for decades past, they ought now to be made available to the public for use in public spaces such as parks and community gardens. The response was once again swift and unambiguous. No, it was out of the question, it simply could not be done, there was no governing policy. I ventured to suggest that developers had been availing themselves of the stones for years with the city's tacit approval, but this was met with a shrug. Who could say? No records were kept of such things. The gentleman added that Dean Zimmerman had spoken to the Director of Public Works about the need for a policy, and she in turn had charged her staff to develop one. As the designated point man, he himself would be rolling out the policy shortly, perhaps in a few weeks, surely no more than a month, and would keep me apprised. That was in August, 2004. In February of 2005, I called the gentleman at his office in Public Works and asked how the policy was coming along. He was working on it, he said, and he'd be presenting it to the city council for their approval in a couple of days. He'd make sure to let me know when this happened. Time passed. In May, I happened to run into RT Rybak in the downtown Barnes Noble coffee shop and described to him the conversations I'd been having with Public Works. RT said he found it a fascinating and important issue and invited me to send him an e-mail. I did. Not having received a reply for another month, I stopped in to his
[Mpls] Basic Role and responsibilities of a Council Member
List, As I watch the municipal elections from a far, -- an unusual and welcomed position for me - I am inspired to ask a slightly different question. Beyond a specific stand on an issue, or ideological opinions - what are the basic skills necessary to be an effective council member? Rather than reflecting on the differentiating attributes of this candidate or another - what in fact do people feel are the job qualification for the position of Council Member? What are the skills that a person needs to be effective in fulfilling the responsibilities of a council member? A sample list to start with: - Responsiveness: Return phone calls? Follow up to emails? Respond to letters? Explain votes when asked? - Reading Comprehension: Ability to read and understand material before the council? - Attendance: Attending Council Meetings? Attending Committee Meetings? Attending Community meetings? Show up on time? - Listening skills: Ability to understand someone else's perspective? Ability to respect another person without agreeing with them? - Communication: Ability to articulate a position on an issue? Ability to clearly communicate a policy objective? - Constituent Service Skills? Manage an office which tracks and follow-ups on issues? Manage staff in a positive way? - Policy Understanding: Basic understanding of policy? Understanding of what are the departments of the city? Understanding of the different independent boards and who does what? - Team Skills: Ability to work with the other council members in a manner that results in advocated positions to be supported? - Work Ethic: Make resolutions? Make policy recommendations? Actively participate in the development of budgets? What do you think? Why? Clearly some of these are more important then others - assume there were two candidates who you liked equally well, both had stands on issues that were exactly to yours. Now assume you wanted to add to the mix how effective the will be as a Council Member - what are the specific basic skills needed? Thanks for your thoughts. Joseph Barisonzi Wondering in Willard-Hay [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Price of Gas was RE: Taxpayers League
List, As I fill my car's tank with gas and the tenths of a penny calculate into the tens of dollars, I too am prone to complain. Over two dollars per gallon for gas! -- outrageous. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Then I look in my cup holder and notice that I just paid over a dollar for nice pure filtered and flavored water. Not a gallon of water -- just a pint. If I calculate correctly that comes to over $8 a gallon. (it must be the artificial lemon flavor that makes it so expensive) Perhaps the huge corporate subsidies (scientific research and security) that have artificially kept the price of gas low are taxpayer expenses that should be diverted to (a) health care and education or (b) private checking accounts (options available for those of each partisan lifestyle) I, on the other hand, would like to respond to my own hypocrisy -- not by buying less gas or less foo-foo yuppie-fied augua drinks but by rotating my measly dollar through the community with increased frequency. Does anyone know where the locally owned and managed gas stations are in Minneapolis? Places where I can be somewhat assured that my dollar spent has an increased chance of staying in the local community for a little bit longer before it finds its ways to filling the mini bar at the vacation villa of a corporate oil executive in a Bahamas' tax-haven? Thanks! Joseph Barisonzi Networking from home in Willard-Hay [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 PS: I fully recognize that a significant percentage of the price of gas goes to pay for road construction and repair -- much of which supports living wage construction jobs here in Minnesota and Minneapolis. For the record I am glad to have an opportunity to pay this expense as a percentage of my gas purchase rather then as a toll on highway travel. Thanks! REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Would a leader on the Park Board please stand up? (Special opportunity for Carol Kummer)
List, As I read this policy, as a non-lawyer, it seems to me that almost any group assembly on park property could be considered to be in violation of this policy. Certainly most Neighborhood Association meetings which happen at Minneapolis Parks would be in violation of the policy. Many neighborhood groups solicit membership (even free membership) in their organizations. If done at a Mpls park without a permit, they are in violate of Section 3a. Many (if not most) neighborhood groups meet to express views and consider ideas. If done at a Mpls. Park without a permit, they are in violation of Section 3b. Since I have yet to go to any gathering at a Minneapolis Park (or anywhere for that matter) that didn't hand out printed materials like newsletters, pamphlets, alert notices from the police, pieces of paper with agendas. . . if done at a Mpls. Park without a permit we are all in violation of Section 3c. In fact I can hardly think of any group of people having a gathering in a park that would not be in flagrant violation of this policy. Did Mr. Grueban's former organization have a permit every time they met and handed out a piece of printed paper? In fact-- what I would like to know if ANYone, at ANYtime has EVER received a permit in occurrence with this policy? I certainly hope someone with more time then me starts a petition to immediately suspend and subsequently repeal this policy. Please organize to get the current MPRB members on the record in support of the repeal. Would two MPRB members please commit on this list to stepping forward to author such a repeal? In light of how this policy has been misused, my special request is that Jason Stone's opponent Carol Kummer rise to the occasion, show real class, and author the motion for repeal herself. Remember -- if the motion is printed, people will be expressing opinions one way or another on the issue, and the Park Board is meeting on Park Board property, you will need a special permit. Thank you. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 P.S. I went to the Park Board website in anticipation of the Stone Arch Festival this weekend and my desire to discuss issues with people I bump into. I also thought I might like to give a person or two a brochure about one of the businesses I manage. Imagine my surprise when I clicked the permits section. There were permits for picnic facility use, weddings, faciliaty use, parkway permits, still photo and video filming, canoe rack permits, sailboar buoy permits and construction permits. There was no permits for expressing a view on an issue, handing out literature, or soliciting membership. Nothing in the Frequently Asked Questions either. Now, I am not one for conspiracies -- but it would make one wonder if perhaps this policy was an archain unused policy -- like the law that red cars can't drive down Lake Street in Minneapolis, or that it is illegal to sleep naked in Minnesota (www.crazylaws.com) REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Social responsibility
List, Jim raises a great list of solid reasons for a responsible property owner to refuse rental to a potential tenant. It is framed by an equally compelling value of only renting to those we would want as a roommate (my personal reason for getting out of the rental property business. I am not good living with anyone other than myself and wouldn't wish anyone to be my roommate -- thus tenant.) However, I think there is a deeper challenging question presented by Bill. Where DO those people live? We live in a dark time where both the social commitment to rehabilitation and the funding for transition programs is diminishing. As we have discussed here, the facts consistently point to the manifestations of racism in who gets arrested, who serves time, who ends up with unlawful detainers. The spirals of credit history in an era of predatory lending by mortgage companies, credit card companies and ever retailer with their own finance department; and employment stability in an economy that puts a higher priority on maximizing shareholder return then employment seem equality prone to systemic inequalities. I am sure there are those much more literate than I who can expose the horrific role of family and gender violence in destabilizing families and leaving them with This is not to provide excuses. Yet, socially responsibility necessitates we take these factors into consideration. Driving people from neighborhood to neighborhood, from municipality to municipality until they end up a permanent transient class seems to me to be unhealthy for the families, the children and our community. It also raises legitimate value and ethical issues for consideration. I think that Bill's challenge for us to contemplate the social responsibility as individuals and as a community in ensuring that there is safe and affordable housing for everyone -- even for those we don't want to live with or next too -- is worth deeper thought and reflection. Joseph Barisonzi CommunityLeader, Inc [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] A War of Attrition -- unhealthy for all
The spin that Each of the first five ballots showed McLaughlin with more votes. The first vote showed less than one percent difference. At each additional ballot McLaughlin gained votes is not an accurate statement. The only ballot that Peter received more votes was the second ballot. From the third ballot through the fifth ballot Peter lost votes. His percentage of the total votes cast increased because his campaign lost less votes then the Rybak campaign did. The truth was that the total number of votes was decreasing and both campaigns were losing the presence of supporters to the realities of life beyond the convention walls. The convention was not a situation where either candidate mobilized delegates to reach the supermajority needed for endorsement. There were no significant groups of delegates that were swayed by floor arguments. There were no shifting coalitions that resulted in a natural consensus of the body being reached. The endorsement for mayor after the second ballot became a War of Attrition The supporters for each candidate had dug in their heels as was hoping through a war of attrition to either (a) force an endorsement or (b) maintain a block. Peter's campaign came to the convention hoping to maintain a block and left trying to force an endorsement. RT's campaign came to the convention hoping to force an endorsement and left trying to maintain a block. Both campaigns achieved some objectives and lost others. A war of attrition -- whose people can stay the longest, have the least outside commitments, have the best childcare, have the health to sit in a convention for 10 hours, jobs that let them stay -- does not seem to me to be a healthy foundation for an effective endorsement. As a DFL delegate I was committed to an endorsement consistent with the rules, values and principles of the DFL. In my eyes an endorsement is a reflection of a 60% mandate. This is when a candidate has earned the support of a super majority of the delegates. It was clear to me that neither of the two major candidates running for the endorsement of the mayor had achieved this standard. I know my experience is not as deep and involved as others, but in my last decade with the DFL I have experienced endorsements that we pushed through by parliamentary procedure or through wars of attrition which have resulted in a divided party and weakened candidates that leave the DFL party vulnerable. Forcing a conclusion to Saturday's War of Attrition would not have unified the party behind one candidate. As a delegate I therefore do not believe that endorsement for the sake of endorsement is healthy, wise or consistent with our principles. That is why after the first ballot I consistently voted for no endorsement. I am glad that was the result. I believe it was an accurate reflection of the will of the delegates. I also believe it is an accurate reflection of the mood of DFLers in the city -- who are divided in their loyalty and support for an energetic progressive mayor who has made significant mistakes and a seasoned political veteran who has yet to articulate how he would be a step forward rather then a step backward. I believe a no endorsement appropriately sets the stage for a primary battle where both campaigns will have an opportunity to better reach out and articulate their message, more people will have an opportunity to hear the candidates and hold them accountable for their past actions. In then end I believe this will make Minneapolis, the DFL, and the eventual mayor stronger and more effective. And for all of its messiness -- therein lies the wisdom of the collective process. Joseph Barisonzi [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Food at Bars
John, Just as a note for your consideration -- I have no opinion on any matter being discussed right now, but State law requires bars to serve food -- but in order to not be a restaurant they have to serve food that has been produced off-site. If they start producing the food onsite they need a different license and such will have different food/alcohol sale requirements. The snacky-crap that you refer to is actually a consequence of the current licensing law. (I learned this in talking with a smoke-free restaurant that wanted to serve their own food in their non-smoke free bar area in Duluth during the initial ban there. They couldn't serve their own name brand well-known branded signature food produced onsite to the bar -- or it would no longer be a bar and couldn't have smoking. For obvious reasons the voters have changed the nature of the smoking ban in Duluth.) Joseph Barisonzi [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 -Original Message- From: John Harris [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, April 04, 2005 7:26 AM To: 'Mpls Forum' Subject: RE: [Mpls] Smoking ban night 2 The claim that virtually all bars in Minneapolis are restaurant/bars needs to be challenged with a visit to NE MPLS. Sure you may be able to get things to eat, snacky crap like chips and peanuts and perhaps a choice of pizzas but I I would not say virtually all bars in Minneapolis are such. there are many bars that offer more than that snacky crap you speak of in NE MPLS. Jaros, Stasiu's, sample room, dusty's, spring street, mayslacks, moose, psycho suzi's, 1029, gabbys. The only one's I've been to that fit the bill would be grumpy's, the knight cap and possibly the 22nd ave station, but i have seen signs they serve food. I agree that all bars are not restaurant/bars but all bars in NE are not simply pushing snacky crap as food. John Harris webber-camden __ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Personals - Better first dates. More second dates. http://personals.yahoo.com REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Peace Ball
You kill joy. Are you suggesting that the motivation was not to make community power but for the power players to have a ball? Actually when Michelle Martin originally suggested the idea it was because she was single and had a little black dress she wanted to wear and catch a certain someone's attention. . . . Man, what a downer and cynical guy I am becoming. Joseph Barisonzi Community Knowledge Specialist CommunityLeader, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 Cloak captioned for the Romulan impaired. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 1:35 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Peace Ball It sounds like the Peace Ball was a very successful community building event. I hope that all those that enjoyed the benefits of this occasion will be even more enthusiastic about the hard work that it will take to translate such community building into powerful community change, much of which is not very much fun at all. Arthur T. Himmelman Loring 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] I apologize. Personal Email Posted to List.
I just sent a private and inappropriate email accidentally to the entire list and I sincerely apologize. It was tainted by personal feels and emotional baggage and was inappropriate. I apologize. Does anyone know where I can find a computer program that would scan my email and ask me prior to sending if that was something I really wanted to send? Thanks. Joseph Barisonzi 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A 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] Red Light Cameras
I would like to second Barb's comment about the expansion of the program. I would propose that many neighborhoods would be willing to front the money for the cameras. Perhaps the fines could be divided between who ever does the ticket processing and the neighborhood to pay back the initial camera acquisition cost? Then Barb and her neighborhoods could put up the $2K (or what ever it is) to put a camera on the drug dealing on the corner. And assuming a $100/incident ticket and a 20% processing fee -- after 25 tickets the camera would be all paid off! That would be, what, a month? Not a bad return-on-investment. Subsequent revenue should be dedicated to crime fighting in the immediate area. In this way the immediate geographical victims of these type of crimes could receive resources for geographically appropriate and specific responses. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Disingenuous and Unfortunate
Michael, As a contributor with money and time to FREE -- the Green-lead effort to overturn the redistricting plan; I want you to know that I found your recent editorial about the Lawsuit to be extraordinarily disingenuous and unfortunate. Trying to reframe this as a DFL versus Green debate is not an accurate reflection of the facts. Here are a quick couples that you fail to mention: 1. The current unfortunate plan was passed with the support of the Green Party representative on the Commission. 2. There was no effort to put Councilmember Lee into the same district as a close ally. The close ally DFL Councilmember Samuels was not a council member at the time. When he ran for office he knew that his neighborhood would not be in the Third Ward after redistricting. This fact was regularly used against Don during the election. 3. The efforts to overturn the redistricting plan have been consistently supported in both time and money by many active DFLers including DFL officer holders since the beginning. This in no way undermines your core point that the current districting is not favorable to the issues we all share in common. No does it undermine the effort to ensure a positive resolution of the lawsuit. Yet, I would propose trying to disingenuously add the extraordinarily partisan spin on these efforts is alienating to the many people who would like to support your efforts --including people on the council that you will need to eventually support any alternatives that you may have to propose. Joseph Barisonzi [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A 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] Clarification needed: Rich people exempted from the second-hand smoke rules?
I believe that Vicki is wrong. The Council got a legal opinion on that yesterday. Perhaps on of them could confirm? Private clubs -- like the Minneapolis club -- are still regulated place of employment. If they have a license to say -- serve food -- Sorry Vicki -- another I thought so which turns out to be conjecture, and false. Joseph Barisonzi Community Knowledge Specialist CommunityLeader, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 I don't know if you got the whole picture or not... but (s)he's not exactly working on all thrusters. - McCoy, Star Trek IV -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Victoria Heller Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2004 9:08 AM To: Mpls Forum Subject: [Mpls] Clarification needed: Rich people exempted from thesecond-hand smoke rules? I assume that private, members only clubs are exempt from the air pollution rules. You know, places like The Minneapolis Club -- where all of the rich Democrats hang out. Only the poor and the foot-bound metrosexuals will be impacted. Right? Anyone with a car and some money can circumvent the rules. Right? I thought so. Vicky Heller North Oaks and Cedar-Riverside 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A 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] Lingering death by arithmetic
Vicki, I am not going to get into an argument about you gross generalization about Independent Boards, Other Expenditures, the MCDA or NRP -- there are far better people to do that. I would like to address you underlying philosophy. You said that we should Rather than spend, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, borrow, tax - I am suggesting a transition to spend, tax, pay the bills. Interesting. Is that how you run your business? Your personal life? You have no mortgages? No leases? No credit cards? No construction loans? No lines of credit? You deduct no assets depreciation? I know there are some religions that call upon their members to avoid all debt -- but it does not seem to me that is a religion we would want our public business to worship. Joseph Barisonzi Community Knowledge Specialist CommunityLeader, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 That is, I heard a good bit about a ring and a dark lord and something about the end of the world. But please Mister Gandalf sir, don't hurt me. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Victoria Heller Sent: Friday, June 11, 2004 12:51 PM To: Mpls Forum Subject: [Mpls] Lingering death by arithmetic [Carol Becker] Here is my challenge back to Ms. Heller. Which of these things should be cut? Which programs and by how much? This can then be translated into property tax levels and we can talk about what the tax savings will be to the average taxpayer. [Vicky Heller] Here are the 2003 Minneapolis budgeted expenditures: They total $1.22 billion. 231,800,000 Public Works 146,400,000 MCDA 122,000,000 Capital Improvement 122,000,000 Debt Service 97,600,000 Other 97,600,000 Police 97,600,000 Transfers to Other Funds 73,200,000 Park Board 48,800,000 Fire Dept 48,800,000 City Coordinator 24,400,000 Health Family Support 24,400,000 Convention Center 24,400,000 Licenses Inspections 24,400,000 Library Board 24,400,000 Other Independent Boards 12,200,000 City Attorney Without auditing each of the categories, it's difficult to identify wasteful spending - and I don't have the time or desire to do it. The $97 million of other spending should be identified, since it is equivalent to the entire police department. When we get the 2003 financial reports, we will see how much of the MCDA budget was reduced - note that its budget is equivalent to police and fire combined. The $146 million must include the costs of running the NRP - which in my opinion should be completely scrapped. Too bad we can't recover the $200 million that's already been spent. Until the debts and debt service are eliminated, the City should suspend payments to Other Independent Boards. Citizens should be willing to contribute without expecting compensation. What are all of these boards anyway? What do they do? Why can't the City Council make those decisions? Property taxes should be doubled - until all debts are paid - including the new library, the new Guthrie, and whatever happens at the Sear's site. Once the debts are gone, Minneapolis will once again be the shining star of the North with more than enough money to maintain and increase its assets. Rather than spend, spend, spend, borrow, borrow, borrow, tax - I am suggesting a transition to spend, tax, pay the bills. Minneapolis is choking on debt service right now and interest rates will be going up soon. Something must be done pronto. We'll all be a lot smarter when the 2003 reports are available. Why does it take so long for the City to produce financial reports? Vicky Heller North Oaks and Cedar Riverside 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A 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] Dick Day's School Bashing
List, I think this idea of Earl's is brilliant. For those of us that are supports of the public schools to make up a one page flyer and doorknock Dick Day's district? Brillant. Sign me up! Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay Solitude, the safeguard of mediocrity. - Ralph Waldo Emerson -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Earl Netwal Sent: Saturday, May 22, 2004 11:38 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Dick Day's School Bashing Perhaps what's needed would be for a group of say 200 or so Minneapolis teachers to get together and do a day of door-knocking in Owatonna, talking to the good folk who live there about the challenges faced in Minneapolis schools and how Mr. Day has been a contributor to the problem rather than a part of the solution. 200 teachers could probably educate a whole lot of Owatonnian's in one day, and perhaps bring Mr. Day to the point where he might be willing to look at solutions rather than opportunities to throw brick-a-bats. Earl Netwal, spouse of a special education teacher in Minneapolis' Schools, and resident of the NENA portion of the urban forest. https://www.plaxo.com/add_me?u=4295259900v0=581478k0=2037342478 . 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A 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] smoke 'em if ya got 'em
Jonathan and List, Once again the issue that there may or may not be a reduction in business is cited -- yet no study to substantiate it. Thank you to the people have forwarded me studies (especially the peer review kind) that show there is no decline in business in areas the institute a ban -- and I am reviewing those. But no one has forwarded me any type of research substantiating the claim that there is a loss of business to restaurants or bars after a ban. I would like to make up a fair briefing sheet on both sides of this issue -- citing real facts not just the individualized stories that too often pass for fact. It makes sense to think that they would -- but I honestly can't find anything that says they do. (yet -- still looking though) Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] McManus says They proved they were men.
All, So, I am so intrigued with this story-- that even though no one else has clamored in, I will respond to my own post! smile A memo ordered destroyed that was never destroyed? Two officers come to McManus with information and are put on administrative leave? Investigation by the BCA? The highest ranking women on the force, who just happened to be the lead internal candidate for the position, put on leave? Who is now represented by Former Federal Attorney Lillehaug? Where is the former chief in this? I was just listening to McManus on MPR say that he commended Cpt. Martin and Lt. Carlson for proving they were men. Slip of the tongue? Just an expression? Reflecting an underlying bias? There is clearly something going on here that hasn't come out in the paper yet. At least we know the way to earn the chief's respect is to prove you are a man. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] 3 top Minneapolis police officers put on leave
3 top Minneapolis police officers put on leave Politics? Good policing? Strong statement of change? Shaking things up for the sake of shaking things us? Taking responsibility up the command structure to make a statement? Taking responsibility up the command structure to assert authority? And most importantly, why didn't I learn aobut this on this list first? Good job Rochelle Olson at the Strib for the breaking news. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay Disillusionment is what little heroes are made of. - Gene Kelly -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Michael Hohmann Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2004 11:34 AM To: Mark Wilde; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [Mpls] Timberwolves win (why don't you care?) I attended the Wolves game last night... a near sellout crowd at Target Center, and the Wolves did it again, beating the N Jersey Nets 81-68. The Wolves started out slow against the hot Nets, but were able to tie the score by halftime, and finish with a real blitz in the last five minutes. Troy Hudson was the star of the game. We got downtown early for some food, shopped a bit and qualified for free parking in a nearby lot, and enjoyed the game. Stores seemed busy on this week night. We checked out the newly relocated and remodeled Dakota Jazz Club on the Mall and found McCormick Schmick's doing a brisk business in food and drink. This was my first trip to the new Dakota, since it relocated from St. Paul, and it looks GREAT!! Given all this, I must say that I remain opposed to public financing of professional sports enterprises, and recommend the upcoming conference at the Humphrey Institute at U of M (this Fri/Sat) to all interested list members: Reining in Competition for Capital http://www.hhh.umn.edu/projects/prie/index.htm Michael Hohmann Linden Hills www.mahohmannbizplans.com also note: The CURA Housing Forum holds it's brown bag session Friday, Feb. 27th, 12-1:30 at Carlson School of Management, Rm. 1-143. Topic is: Subprime Lending and Foreclosure in the Twin Cities. It's free! -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Mark Wilde Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2004 9:19 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Timberwolves win (why don't you care?) snip The Timberwolves have the second best winning percentage in the whole NBA. Kevin Garnett has been a superstar on and off the court, probably the best player in basketball right now...and why does this list make me feel quilty about watching sports? Nothing about sports on the list...high school basketball, hockey, u of m women, nothing. Mark Wilde Windom Park snip 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A 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] on thumpers
Kevin, What are those rights afforded by law and due process? I thought we lived in an employment at will state which means a employer does not have to have a reason or any due process to fire someone. I thought that the only obligations they have are those that are in a contract, and systemic discrimination issues. Even employee manuals usually include a clause that reminds you that it isn't a contract and the employer follows the guidelines within the policy at their own pleasure. My understanding would be the rights and due process you refer to would have to be contained within the contract. Where am I wrong in this understanding? Thanks! Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay Contained in this short life are magical extents. - Emily Dickinson -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of kevin stoll Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2004 3:55 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] on thumpers Lawsuits against officers have gone down since the city has started to fight those lawsuits instead of settling out of court. There is nothing in the contract demanding more proof before an officer is fired. When an officer is fired they have the some rights afford by law and due process. Most likely the case ends up in front of an independent hearing officer to settle the case. Incidentally the last 4 officers fired by the department have been upheld. Kevin Stoll Kenny Neighborhood - Original Message - From: paul weir [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, January 19, 2004 11:33 PM Subject: [Mpls] on thumpers People ask over and over again why the city so often concedes large out-of-court settements to plaintiffs in thumping suits yet never manages to fire the cops involved. I'm no lawyer, but I suspect one of the reasons these cops remain beyond reach is that the city's contract with the Police Federation requires much more stringent proof of culpable behavior than the courts require for determining liability. If I'm right in thinking so, it would mean that that the city has waltzed itself into a vicious circle: Cops whose viciousness results in court settlements of hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars cannot be fired because of an agreement the city itself negotiated; but since they cannot be fired, they're put back out in the street where they generate -- you guessed it -- more law suits. I also suspect that when the city justifies itself for settling these cases out of court by describing them as too dangerous to litigate, we are getting a fairly realistic assessment not of the legal merit of the city's position but of the professional competency of its own attorneys. Finally, I would point out an ironic symmetry here. Sociologists assure us that the vast preponderance of mayhem that occurs in our streets is caused by a relatively small number of criminals, perhaps as few as two or three percent of the overall criminal population. This is a proposition that most people seem to have no trouble accepting. We're also assured by the same authorities that only a tiny number of cops engage in brutality. Now, why is it so easy for most of us to accept the former, and so difficult for some of us to accept the latter? I have my own ideas, but I'd like to hear what others think. Paul Weir 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A 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] Re: Millions in subsidies
All, Does anyone know if there has been any responses to Steve Brandt's article about Brighton claiming there was sufficient profit to share with the city as an initial and early investor in their river front condo building exercise? * Has there been any official comment? * Is anyone looking to hold elected feet to the fire on this issue? * Has anyone officially requested that a legal authority look into this issue? This will be a great opportunity to find out if the new alphabet office of development is the MCDA with a new façade -- or actually an accountable advocate for the residents and taxpayers interests. Joseph Barisonzi Willard Hay ** MILLIONS IN SUBSIDIES From: Chris Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Re: [Mpls] Millions in subsidies for the homeful Fri, 05 Dec 2003 16:48:49 -0600 (In Part) From Steve Brandt's article in yesterday's Strib: The city provided several million dollars in up-front assistance for the rehabilitation of two milling buildings and the construction of a third between them. Despite grossing $50 million in condominium sales from developing three buildings overlooking St. Anthony Falls, a developer said it probably hasn't made enough money to pay the city under a profit-sharing deal. The condos along S. 2nd Street in Minneapolis sold for a cumulative total far higher than the $27 million that Brighton Development estimated they would fetch before it broke ground in 1998. At least 10 units sold for more than $1 million each, and one topped $3 million. Link to the article: http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4245464.html Chris says: I guess I need to take new math or creative accounting or greed ethics. The city was supposed to receive 25% of any profits exceding $4.4 million. The sales were far higher than the expected $27 million, a number no doubt agreed to by the city as an amount that would net the city some profit. And yet, despite exceding the no-doubt optimistic forecasts, there is no money to pay the city its share? Sounds like Brighton lost money on paper but made a fortune in hard cash through the use of creative accounting. It's just another case of the city giving away taxpayer money to favored developers. COMMENTS/QUESTIONS: When does suspected creative accounting become actionable in criminal or civil court through the Hennipen County Attorney, Minnesota Attorney General, or U.S. Attorney? Since the City of Minneapolis and some of its officials could be either plaintiffs or a defendants in such action, the City Attorney would have possible conflicts of interest. Can tax payors initiate inquiries or action? Do they have to post a bond? If there is actual malfeasance and not just sloppy or negligible oversight, don't we have to do more than just complain about wasted tax dollars? If it is just sloppy or negligible oversight, don't we need to do more than just yell about the problem? What? 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Park Board Action Recap
Okay, I fear I might be out of the loop, is this what we have so far? In an aborted process, a majority of board members who had clearly communicated extensively outside of the formal public process and without notification of anyone including their fellow board members, voted in one meeting to hire a Superintendent of the greatest public park system in the United States an individual who had neither applied nor interviewed for the job yet was known to this group in large part because he was the CEO of a nonprofit which had a publicly subsidized rental agreement in the flagship park property and in turn provided free memberships as gifts to Park Board employees? Am I getting this right? Really? Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Porter accuses different officer of earlier sexual assault
According to the Star Tribune, Stephan Porter changed has changed his story about which of the officers assaulted him. Porter accuses different officer of earlier sexual assault http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4227463.html [Porter] accused Minneapolis officer Scott Creighton on Wednesday, but Porter had said earlier that officer Jeff Jindra was the one who assaulted him with a toilet plunger handle during the Oct. 13 drug raid. Creighton was also present at the earlier raid, according to the document. The Rev. Randolph Staten, who has supported Porter, questioned the credibility of Creighton's statement: It seems to me the police are making this up as they go. Ok, now I am really confused. Who is making things up as they go along? Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Annie Young Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2003 11:56 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] EPA Award for Met Council Before I get yelled at abaout this not being loal... Carin DeWar, Bill Anderson (of the Environmental Dept of our City) and many other in Minneapolis were very influential in directing the writing and selling of the Smart Growth Initiatives that were placed in this award winning plan. Too bad the revisionists who came in this year haven't followed through with these plans for the 2030 FRamework which many Minneapolis agencies are currently responding too. The new one is a disaster compared to the Award Winning Plan. Oh well - let's hear it for changes in administrations! Yuck! And Congratulations to the old guard. Annie Young East Phillips Subject: EPA Smart Growth Award winners On November 19, EPA announced five winners of the 2003 National Awards for Smart Growth Achievement. This Award recognizes outstanding achievement in smart growth by state, local, or regional governments in five categories: Built Projects, Policies and Regulation, Community Outreach and Education, Public Schools, and Overall Excellence in Smart Growth. More information, including summaries of the award-winning projects, is available at www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm. The winners are: Overall Excellence in Smart Growth: Metropolitan Council, Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area, Minnesota Built Projects: Department of the Navy-Southwest Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, San Diego, California Policies and Regulations: Cuyahoga County Treasurer's Office, Cuyahoga County, Ohio Community Outreach and Education: Georgia Department of Community Affairs-Office of Quality Growth, State of Georgia Public Schools: Wake County Public School System/City of Raleigh, Raleigh, North Carolina -- End of [EMAIL PROTECTED] digest, issue 554 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. 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. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A 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] RE: Economics
Which local charity should I give my money to if I want a great park system? Or trained professional law enforcement? Which charity should I give to if I want ensure that the traffic lights work? Which charity should I give to clean the leaves off the streets? What charity should I give to if I want the sewers to filter my waste before it is dumped into the Mississippi River? What charity do I give to if I want people prosecuted for breaking the law? Or if I want to ensure people see qualified judges? Which local charity should I be investing in to ensure that the restaurants I go to have passed a health inspection? What charity do I give to if I want neocons to get training in basic economics? Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay Anderson Turpin wrote: It's like those signs you see around the city that say Happy to pay for a better Minnesota. Hey, I agree with the expressed sentiment completely. It's the implied belief behind the signs that I'm totally opposed to -- that paying more taxes to the state will result in a better Minnesota. If people are happy to pay for a better state, then they should give money to the charity they think will improve the state the most. Do they really think their taxes will improve things more (or as much) as the same amount of money directed to a cause of their own choosing? You know taxes go to that awful corporate welfare too, and other things that progressives love to hate. People from every political spectrum should want to minimize government spending because it simply isn't as effective at achieving our aims as money directed right at the place it's needed. Ok, I'm all set to donate large sums of my money to charity to accomplish some important social and societal goals which will better the state and the city. Can you tell me which charities will build light-rail transit lines all over the city, connect to St. Paul and (horrors) the suburbs, too? I'd also like to see more highways, more heavy (long-haul) rail and commuter rail. Lastly, I'd like to get the airport out of everybody's backyards and put it out in the country on a high-speed rail spur, like sane cities around the world. Which charity can do that? Ignore the cost for a moment, and the answer is still none. Paying taxes for anything other than their own personal comfort is one of those things that neoconservatives just love to hate. Chris Johnson Fulton 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 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] Star Tribune: Don Samuels: City must seek accountability and healing
Don Samuels: City must seek accountability and healing Published October 16, 2003 Recent allegations that two members of the Minneapolis Police were involved in a felony assault at a north Minneapolis apartment have shocked us all. The event is made more challenging because of its racial overtones. On the one hand we are tempted to act as if we are totally unaware of this racial factor and hope it goes away. On the other hand, our reaction might become so emotional that we are unable to make constructive contribution to the ensuing dialog. Both extremes are avoidable. It is possible to approach this dilemma in such a way that accountability is justly pursued and healing is initiated. The African-American community has been, historically, at the lowest end of America's racial hierarchy. Long centuries and decades of this abuse should not be covered up in the cause of peace. When this willful denial happens, hate inevitably erupts, inconveniently and often violently. Instead we should examine how this alleged incident has become the eventuality of America's continuum and then change course toward a better future. The violence of black gangs and the genocidal repercussions of the drug trade testify to the fact that the externally inflicted lynchings of the Jim Crow era have now been replaced by internally inflicted homicide. Young black men in gangs might not have learned much in school, but they have learned well the diminished value of their lives and the lives of their people. From these lessons in inferiority, they have emerged as master scholars. They know now, more than anyone else, the true insignificance of their worth. In turn they treat each other accordingly. They occupy residential communities where their women, mothers and children live at great risk. They fight turf battles, destroying the lives they hate and putting at risk the depreciated lives they share. They train disposable recruits in their fatal trade like crops for the grim reaper. That is why we must try our best to send them new messages of their full humanity and provide opportunities, for those who are open, to learn new ways to survive and thrive. And that is why we must, with even swifter urgency, dispatch the incorrigible among them to institutions of constraint, where they are no danger to those of us whose lives they so despise. On the other hand, the genocidal violence and humiliating actions of renegade police also testify to the lingering strains of virulent racism. Men armed with lethal weaponry, official sanction and racial hate will degrade and destroy life, sully community relationships and debase the profile of our city's authority. Their hate of black bodies becomes justifiably expressed in the vile humiliation of the deserving inferior. There is this class of men, who have found in the city's sanction of their use of force a perverse opportunity to violently express their rabid disregard for the human dignity of people born brown. That is why we must mandate effective training in racial sensibility for all our officers. That is why we must actively screen officers for racist and abusive tendencies and that is why, when racial crimes are perpetrated, we must also put away the offenders. And so, these two faces of the one coin continue to flicker in a society that continues to bet its future on the naïve notion that things are different now. What we must do instead is commit ourselves to strident intolerance of all forms of racial hate, whether it is expressed intraracially or interracially. We must unwaveringly face the reality that the wanton disregard for human life is possible from all quarters. It exists in denser concentrations in the smoldering cauldron of race. As a society, we must act swiftly to address the dehumanizing of people of color and especially black people. We must name it when it appears in the form of community defilement by gang terrorism. And we must identify it even when it erupts in the guise of justice, inflicting degradation on the very perpetrators of intraracial hate to which they were dispatched. We must recognize the hate of brown bodies in any form. We must call it hate in every guise and we must address it with a sure and even hand. In this case, should the allegations against the alleged community perpetrators be true, then let us act according to the remedies prescribed by law. And should the charges against the alleged official perpetrators be true, then we must act with even swifter, impartial justice. After all, they are the face of our justice. In either case our deep wound gouged by history and exacerbated by this incident will begin to heal. Our diverse community will begin to recognize our common enemies. And we will realize that the common values of human dignity and peace make siblings of us all. Don Samuels represents the Third Ward in the Minneapolis City Council. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay Man will occasionally stumble over the truth
[Mpls] Minneapolis in CNN's Spotlight. Council Member Samuels to be interviewed live.
Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels will be CNN's Anderson Cooper's guest on 350* at 6:00 pm tonight. My understanding is that there will be a 45 minute segment starting at 6:25 pm CST about Minneapolis, community-police relations, the alleged police brutality, and the FBI involvement. Interviews with numerous City and community leaders have been (or are being) taped. Council Member Don Samuels will be interviewed live. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay 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 in CNN's Spotlight. Council Member Samuels to be interviewed live.
Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels will be CNN's Anderson Cooper's guest on 350* at 6:00 pm tonight. My understanding is that there will be a 45 minute segment starting at 6:25 pm CST about Minneapolis, community-police relations, the alleged police brutality, and the FBI involvement. Interviews with numerous City and community leaders have been (or are being) taped. Council Member Don Samuels will be interviewed live. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay 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] My statement today on the River Run Proposal
List, I know lots of you don't get attachments through the list. So here are Don's comments on River Run for all to read, critique, and consider: Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay Comments on the River Run project from Council Member Don Samuels: The River Run Project is a proposed housing development on Marshall Avenue on the banks of the Mississippi River in the Sheridan Neighborhood. The neighborhood leadership of Sheridan reviewed the project over six months and made many suggestions for change. Here are several of the changes demanded by Sherman, to satisfy the community. Some of these were satisfactory to the group and some were not. 1. The number of units was reduced from 119 to 101. 2. Underground parking was increased to reduce the need for above ground parking. 3. Impervious surface was reduced and more green added to the rear. 4. A rain garden and small pond were incorporated into the landscape. 5. The building was set back more to facilitate the future enhancement of Marshall Street. 6. Direct public access to the river was integrated into the site. 7. The height of the building was reduced, in proximity to the river, to reduce the need for a variance. 8. A faux-stone façade was added to some areas of the lower level to enhance the look. On the other hand there are some change requests that were not achieved: 1. The developers said home ownership an unequivocal impossibility. 2. They also did not believe mixed commercial use was viable in the current market. 3. They could not guarantee trouble free parking. 4. The neighborhood was still not satisfied with the four-storied frontage on Marshall. 5. Neighborhood leaders felt the (rental) density of 101 units, was still too high for the site. There was additional concerned about saturating the rental market, especially with Bottineau Commons, of similar size, just recently opened only blocks away. 6. Neighborhood leaders felt the design was not appealing or area specific and that the building was not beautiful. 7. Community leaders were concerned that the building became a visual and physical obstacle to the river. In addition, concerns were raised about the management of Bottineau Commons, owned by the same developers. The building, which had opened this summer, had experienced a shooting and other minor criminal activity and surrounding parking problems. As a small business owner, I appreciated the tremendous work that the property owner and developer had done to respond to community concerns. As a neighborhood activist I had deep sympathies for the appropriate and legitimate concerns raised by the neighborhood leadership. After observing months of adjustments and objections, in good faith, I attempted to break the stalemate by negotiating what seemed to me to be significant changes on behalf of the community, to move the project toward approval. These included: 1. The addition of a well-designed lobby to open the building up and make the space more welcoming. 2. An improved balance between market and affordable units. 3. An innovative mortgage accrual program included in each rental payment to build a down payment nest egg for residents to have the option and an incentive for moving into home ownership. The developer was reluctant, but willing to make these changes contingent on neighborhood support. Community leaders, however, did not embrace this compromise. At the last community meeting, a straw poll was taken and the vote was tied 10/10. After the meeting several neighbors complained that they had been confused about the vote and would have voted against the project. In the end, every community group with direct or indirect involvement in the project voted against the project. A brief tally of communications in our office has opinions against the project running 25:1 against the project, with over 100 communications logged. In the end, and after much consideration, I have decided to vote against supporting the public financing of the project. Here is why: The project is financed by the city, which requires that in such a case, the community should review and register their opinion to the city. That opinion was overwhelmingly against the project. As an elected official, I am chosen to make decisions on behalf of my community and the city so that people can go about their lives. The city allows and encourages people to give their opinion directly, that opinion must be taken seriously. When that opinion reaches the level of consensus, it must prevail. If the elected representative has a dissenting view, they can and should try to persuade the community. But if and when a community participates in that spirit -- is active and vocal -- but remains un-persuaded it is counterproductive to the democratic process not to heed that voice. Empowering the community and encouraging community engagement demands nothing less
RE: [Mpls] Historical readlining
I am sure there are phd's in History on this list that will rip apart my analysis, but what the heck -- I am feeling risky today. According to "African Americans in Minnesota" by David Taylor and published by Minnesota Historical Society Press (2002) the African Americian dominated neighborhoods in Minneapolis have been: 1. 1860-1875 In the area of North East basically where East Hennepin, University and Broadway come together. 2. 1870-1930: On the other side of the river 3. 1870-1915: North of Franklin, West of Chicago and East of Lyndale 4. 1910: Start of the first North neighborhoods about the Olson Hwy and Lyndale Avenue intersection. 5. This expands North and Northwest in the 1930's 6. Continued in that expansion in the 1970's 7. In South Minneapolis in 1925-ish there was a hub South of 40th west of Chicago and East of Nicollet. 8. This hub grew north and south in the 70's to range from Franklin does to 60th between Chicago and Nicollet. As interesting is the migration of African Americans from South to Bloomington, Burnsville and Richfield and from North to Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Robbinsdale, Crystal and Plymouth. Based on the footnotes in the book the data for making the maps seems to have come predominately from Census data, and would have all the flaws inherent in the collection of that data. Joseph Barisonzi Willard Hay The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it. - P.J. O'Rourke -Original Message- From: mpls-[EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:mpls-[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of David Brauer Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 5:04 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Historical readlining on 9/9/03 4:47 PM, Jim Bernstein at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: There are parts of the Near North Side and in Central that were historically black neighborhoods and there was, up until the close of WWII, a loosely enforced "code" by lenders, developers and realtors that kept all but the most prosperous black families confined to those neighborhoods. Elected officials in the city for the most part but with noteworthy exceptions, accepted that code and did not shake the tree. Notwithstanding Jim's larger point, this post tweaked something I've wondered about for some time... Does any listmember know the historic boundaries of the redline (within which people of color could buy)? When I first moved to Kingfield, someone told me the line on the west side of the highway (which of course wasn't the highway then) was 38th Street; I've always wondered if that was true. Perhaps the boundaries were fuzzier...but if anyone knows or has done the research, could they share their info on the list? Thanks, David Brauer Kingfield 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 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] Building Bridges: North and NorthEast to South and South West
Bottom of the Ballot resumes their "After the Election 2003" seminar series on Tuesday, Sept. 16 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Southwest High School, 3414 W. 47th St. The guest speaker will be City Councilmember Don Samuels (3rd Ward) discussing the need and opportunity for Southwest neighborhoods to care about and get involve in what is happening in North and NorthEast Minneapolis. Southwest Journal covers the upcoming event in this weeks issue: http://www.southwestjournal.com/display/inn_news/news09.txt Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay Every great and commanding movement in the annals of the world is the triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it. - Ralph Waldo Emerson -Original Message- From: mpls-[EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:mpls-[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Dean Zimmermann Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2003 11:15 PM To: N.I. Krasnov; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] Somali street gangs (was: Libel, Star Tribune, etc.) Yes, there is awareness of the Somali youth gang problems on the West Bank. I have met with two different groups of elders on this issue, and I know that Paul Zerby is also aware. The mosque on the West Bank has begun some intensive programming activities for Somali youth. Block club activity is beginning inside the Riverside Plaza. Dean Zimmermann Mpls City Council - Ward 6 - Original Message - From: "N.I. Krasnov" [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2003 9:41 PM Subject: [Mpls] Somali street gangs (was: Libel, Star Tribune, etc.) "MJ Mueller" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: N.I Krasnov wrote: "I find it a G-d send that the Somalis settled here. They will show whites that black people moving into a neighborhood is not de facto synonymous with crime. The Somalis have a culture and belief system that preclude anti social behaviors. " MJ sez: This may be true from a cultural standpoint, but in reality there is quite a bit of gang activity happening in the Somali youth on the West Bank. There have been a couple of incidences of riot-like swarming and beatings of unarmed , innocent people and the perpetrators have been Somali youth. I also received an off list email about the Somali street gang problem in Cedar-Riverside. I've gone on service calls to the projects and the Cedar Ave. area, and wasn't aware of the gang problem. Are the Somali organizations aware of the gangs? N.I. Krasnov Loring 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 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 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] An interesting experience with 911
All, I believe there is. Unfortunately the system seems to have failed for Michelle. I can't imagine why. As I left my house in Willard Hay I noticed the growing size of the dice game and dealing at the end of the block. I plugged in my phone and hooked up the earpiece and called 911. When I dialed I crossed over into Golden Valley and I was connected with the Golden Valley 911. They immediately connected me with Minneapolis 911. Minneapolis 911 was polite, professional and efficient. I use Verizon. I don't know if that matters. As a side note, my neighbor reported that the police were there within 15 minutes or so. Less then a week later there was a GTF bust on the property. Now the kids can play in the yard without watching drug dealing or prostitutes begging for a hit. I am glad. Of course, I am sure the problem will be back soon -- but it is a nice reprieve. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay Children are all foreigners. - Ralph Waldo Emerson -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Melissa Wyatt Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2003 11:29 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] An interesting experience with 911 On Thu, 21 Aug 2003 11:08:42 -0500, Michelle Gross [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: snip I hit 911 on the cell phone and called in the situation and location. The 911 operator said, oh, that's St. Louis Park and immediately hung up on me. Luckily, police and fire crews came up just then so I didn't redial. I've wondered since, though, if St. Louis Park just happens to have a different 911 number than the rest of the state or if I was supposed to find a phone book and fumble around for some other number to call. end A friend of mine had a similar experience a few years ago. He was walking from my house to another friend's place, and was mugged at 25th and Aldrich. He was jumped by three guys (what were they thinking, he's 6'4 and was holding a motorcycle helmet in one hand... he could've bludgeoned them). He dialed 911, but he's from New Jersey, so it called the local NJ 911 line. They told him tough luck. He ended up calling me, had me call 911, and walked down to the Loon Grocery to call again from there. Don't you think there's a way we could fix the call system so it would forward to the nearest 911 center? Melissa Wyatt Uptown TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) 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 BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:2.1 N:Barisonzi;Joseph FN:Joseph Barisonzi ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ORG:CommunityLeader.com TITLE:Community Knowledge Specialist TEL;WORK;VOICE:612-518-5536 EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED] REV:20021022T222414Z END:VCARD
RE: [Mpls] Who would scandalize my name?
BRAVO! Joseph Barisonzi Community Knowledge Specialist CommunityLeader, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ed Felien Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 4:02 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Who would scandalize my name? Dear Friends, I have been out of town for the last few weeks. I was sorry to see on my return that some of my friends have had so little to do in my absence they have spent great energy speculating about my character (or lack thereof). The hideous blemish on my reputation seems to be a result of my association with Basim Sabri. Mr. Sabri is alleged to have tried to influence a City Council Member. Federal prosecutors indicted him in District Court. The indictment was dismissed by the judge. An appeal by the prosecution to the Court of Appeals reinstated the indictment, and, now, that decision has been appealed by the defense to the United States Supreme Court. But, of course, Mr. Sabri is guilty until proven innocent. He's guilty of being a Palestinian working to provide business opportunities for Latin Americans and Somalis. He's guilty of being a businessman trying to rehabilitate residential and commercial buildings in South Minneapolis. And, worst of all, he's guilty of getting things done. Look at what he's done to Lake Street from 2nd Avenue to 5th Avenue. And he did that without any government money, completely on his own. I heard about Basim Sabri years ago. Lisa McDonald was my friend before she ran for City Council the first time. I heard a lot about Basim Sabri, and that helped form an opinion in my mind about who he was. Then, I started to notice what he was doing. I looked at what he had done. And I began to think it was probably better to judge the man on what he had done, rather than on what some people said about him. I have had an interest in the Sears building all my life. It has been an icon in South Minneapolis. Our family shopped there when I was a child. My mother worked in the Catalog Department. I bought a house two blocks away on 10th Avenue in 1970, and I have lived in its shadow ever since. When Sears left, like the rest of South Minneapolis, I was devastated. I tried to save the building when the Council Member wanted to tear it down for a Chicago developer who wanted to replace it with a strip mall. In 1987 I offered a plan to use the first floor as a community market place, open to all ethnic groups in South Minneapolis-one-stop shopping, you would be able to get onion skins for eggrolls, tortilla shells for tacos and lefse for butter and brown sugar-all under one roof. But it was just an idea. I had no capital to undertake something like that. Then the Mercado opened on Bloomington and Lake, and Basim Sabri opened a bazaar on Lake and Pillsbury for Somali small businesses. Since then Sabri has created business spaces for Latin Americans and Somalis at 207 East Lake, 301 East Lake, 341-347 East Lake, and, most recently, at 417 East Lake. I heard MCDA was inviting proposals for the renovation of the Sears building. The last time MCDA asked for proposals, I don't remember anyone but Ray Harris making an offer. I was afraid no one would want to work to save the building. I believed Basim Sabri could do for the Sears building what he had been doing for troubled properties along Lake Street. I met with him, and I convinced him to submit a proposal. I am a very small member of his team to renovate the building. I believe very strongly that he has the vision, the energy, the determination and the experience to renovate the building in a manner that will best benefit all the people of South Minneapolis. I have not publicly written about this until now because our decision to submit a proposal happened so fast. On June 9 we learned there were three other developers submitting proposals, and we might not make the first cut, so it didn't seem worth talking about until we knew one way or the other. The decision of MCDA to shortlist just happened a few days ago, and MCDA decided to submit all four developers to the City Council sitting as the MCDA Board of Commissioners. So, at this point, Sabri Properties, along with Fine Associates, Ryan Properties and the Comote Development Team will be considered by the MCDA Board in September. There are strengths and weaknesses in the other proposals. But, perhaps, a comparison of the proposals should wait for another time. There has never been a secret about my association with Sabri Properties. It was mentioned prominently in the June 14 Star Tribune article by Steve Brandt that described the proposals. But, to return to the purpose of this response, yes, I am proud to be an associate of Basim Sabri, and I believe he has done great things to renovate Lake Street. He's colorful and controversial. He's not afraid to crack eggs to make an omelet. But, he gets things done! Ed Felien Powderhorn
RE: [Mpls] Unintended consequences
Michelle, Some initial thoughts about your comments: 1. The troopers will not be familiar with the neighborhood. This is true. This is why the State Patrol will under the command of the local inspector and will be teamed up with a local law enforcement officer. My understanding from Inspector Dolan is that the State Patrol will never be out on their own. (The Mayor was very insistent on this when he and Don met with the Governor.) They will be a resource to expand the scope of the existing law enforcement resources. 2. What good will 12 more do to a force of 800+? First of all it is not just 12; it is a coordinated response including Park, Hennepin County, and CRT law enforcement resources. It also includes other resources from Hennepin County District Attorney's office and the ATF. What these additional resources will allow is a target response to the problem area without seeing a decrease of resources for any other area of the city. 3. Everyone agrees that long-term solutions are important. Stopping the bleeding, saving lives, and creating a window for other initiatives to gain traction are important too -- especially to the majority of residents in there neighborhoods bearing the brunt of the bad choices by some people in our community. 4. As much as I oppose the concealed weapons law, I do feel compelled to point out there is no demonsratable connection between the violence in our communities and the concealed weapons law. The bangers are not going to hand gun safety classes and filing out applications for concealed weapons permits. The indirect link contending that the conceal and carry law increases the flow of guns, thus allowing more into the community is logical -- but not demonstrated. As much as it would be political convenient to point our fingers at an unpopular bill as the rational for the increase in violence of the past two months, it probably isn't intellectually honest. 5. Let's assume there is a policy of creating crime containment areas which helped to create a climate for these shootings to occur. Then this is precisely the type of coordinated response the clean up the crime containment area. This coordinated law enforcement and citizen action, lead by strong civic leadership, is exactly the letting it be known that the area no longer exists. The coordinated response teams are surgically targeting the known perpetrators. This is precisely what Ms. Gross calls for. The outstanding question is whether those who traditionally work on social and economic justice issue will lob rhetorical bombs decrying short term solutions as not being enough -- or will join local residents and help build a healthy community. Let's seize this opportunity, and come together as a community to really make a difference for the people of this community. Understand that there will be different perspectives and different approaches, but that we all want the same thing and working together will make each of our individual efforts stronger. I would urge the residents of Jordan (or anywhere else in the city) that have concerns and are interested in being part of the solution to contact Jonathan Palmer at Jordan Area community Council or Laura Wolff at Don Samuels Council office. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) 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] Don Samuels on Gary Eichten tomorrow at 11-noon on NPR
Tune in to MPR (91.1) to hear Gary Eichten's guest Minneapolis Council Member Don Samuels Tuesday, August 5, 2003 11am-Noon Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) 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] Unintended consequences--help for Jordan
List, The additional resources for North Minneapolis, specifically Jordan, which were secured by Councilmember Don Samuels with the support of Mayor RT Rybak, Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglien and Governor Tim Pawlenty provide a window of opportunity. Much as stopping the bleeding prepares for deeper surgery -- stopping the immediate violence allows longer term solutions an opportunity to gain traction. The violence, which had peaked with five serious shootings in three days, is not a broadbase insurgency due to poverty, lack of affordable housing, or fraying social service fabric. It is directly connected with a handful of known individuals, with long criminal records, that are terrorizing the surrounding population. Because of the business they have chosen, and how they conduct this business, they have put a dark cloud over the incredible positive work being done by organizations, agencies, businesses and individuals in the community. A coordinated response with additional resources was necessary. The state troopers were one small part of the new resources that were brought to the table. On Friday Don announced new resources from the Park Police, Hennepin County Sheriffs department, Hennepin County Attorney's office, CRT, and the Gang Task Force. There was also the framework for a taskforce to be lead by DPS Commission Rich Stanek to respond to future situations such as this. An expanded citizen response has also been launched. I find the proposition that people turn to a life of crime and violence because of the lack of opportunity to be completely unacceptable. Poverty is one factor that increases the likelihood of succumbing to the appeal of bad choices; but there are several other equally strong factors that also increase that likelihood. Community apathy, personal need for escapism, spiritual hopelessness, community dissolution and discontinuity concentration of people who can not take advantage of opportunity, and inadequate and inappropriate law enforcement are all factors which when aggregated support an environment where bad choices become prevalent. The overwhelming majority of poor people and members of community of color have made different choices. The overwhelming majority of the residents of impacted neighborhoods are struggling to make ends meet without picking up a crack pipe. The overwhelming majority of people from communities of color have invested in their futures and are reaping the benefits. The bad choices of a very few must not be allowed to write the efforts of the majority off as a peculiar abnormality. (Likewise the corporate leadership of WorldCom, Enron, or Halliburton were neither poor nor black when they chose a life of crime.) This is not to say that poverty, lack of affordable housing, and needs for a social service fabric is not serious issue related to the overall health of the community. They must be and are being addressed. But too often these root causes are used to paralyze efforts to address immediate problems. While we work on continuing and expanding solutions to address these issues we can not allow the fear and terror of violence to undermine our efforts. The flawed perception that law enforcement and addressing underlying root causes is a dichotomy must be replaced with a healthy and balanced both/and approach. As the citizens of Jordan rise up and communicate clearly that they will not be forced into their homes by the criminal behavior is it possible that the purveyors of the violence will simply move to another neighborhood? I hope not. But yes, it is possible. Thus, as Don and RT said on Friday, this is not a Jordan challenge or a Minneapolis challenge but a regional challenge. We must all come together to meet it. As the new resources focused on Jordan accomplish their goal they will be focused on additional hot spots in the city. In this, Don and RT have responded in a manner consistent with the goal to make the entire city a safe place to live. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) 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 Don Samuels no thanks to the Governor, Now It's time for Others to Step-Up?
List, Clearly law enforcement is only one part of the equation. Clearly we all agree personal and social engagement and economic development are equally important. We can also all agree that a sense of safety and stability are the bedrocks on which these other goals can be achieved. Don wanted me to note that he was extremely appreciative of the gesture of the Minneapolis Police in dropping a bullet-proof vest off on Thursday night. Don did put it on and showcase his lean-mean-crime-fighting-machine. This was mostly for the benefit of his wife Sondra. smile In the end, it was put on a chair; and Don, Sondra and their two kids cuddled-up in the tent at the community garden on 26th and Knox and spent a peaceful night. Please stop by this weekend at the garden and say hi to Don, Sondra, and other community leaders. The 24 hour vigil continues through Sunday. Share your ideas of how the community can best utilize the window created by the additional law enforcement resources from the State, County, Parks, County Attorney Office, Weed and Seed, and the CRT. Or just enjoy the garden and drink some lemonade. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:2.1 N:Barisonzi;Joseph FN:Joseph Barisonzi ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ORG:CommunityLeader.com TITLE:Community Knowledge Specialist TEL;WORK;VOICE:612-518-5536 EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED] REV:20021022T222414Z END:VCARD
RE: [Mpls] Samuels will fast until more beat cops walk Jordan
List, The key variable missed in the Star Tribune story is that Council Member Samuels called for the beat cop goal to be met not through the further stretching of limited City of Minneapolis resources, but through a coordinated approach using Park, Transit, University, County and State law enforcement professionals. This is precisely the type of innovative local leadership that Pawlenty calls for. That does not however remove Pawlenty from responsibility for the role he must play to support that to happen. Joseph Barisonzi Willard-Hay -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of List Manager Sent: Friday, August 01, 2003 7:16 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Samuels will fast until more beat cops walk Jordan Wants five 24-hour-a-day patrols. Police say that means 35 officers - more than an entire 4th Precinct shift. http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4019359.html David Brauer List manager TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) 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 BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:2.1 N:Barisonzi;Joseph FN:Joseph Barisonzi ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ORG:CommunityLeader.com TITLE:Community Knowledge Specialist TEL;WORK;VOICE:612-518-5536 EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED] REV:20021022T222414Z END:VCARD
[Mpls] FW: Council Member Samuels announces three important events
Greetings, Council Member Samuels asked me to send all of you the text to a press release he issued this afternoon. He would like very much for all of you to come and show your support at one or both events. Don Samuels, Minneapolis' Third Ward City Council Member announced today that in response to gun related violence in Minneapolis, he will be holding both a Call to Action Press Conference, and an extended vigil. Council Member Samuels' decision comes on the heels of multiple shootings which happened in the City in just the last three days. The most recent incident happened last night in North Minneapolis' Jordan neighborhood. The victim was a child between the ages of one and two-years-old, and was in her home at the time of the shooting. Press Conference What: A specific call to action to address gun violence in Minneapolis When: 10:00 am, Thursday, July 31 Where: Jordan Neighborhood Community Garden, located at 26th and Knox Avenues North Extended Vigil What: Council Member Samuels will fast and hold an around the clock vigil in honor of recent victims of gun violence in Minneapolis When: From the evening of Wednesday, July 30, to the evening of Sunday, August 3rd, 24 hours a day Where: Jordan Neighborhood Community Garden, located at 26th and Knox Avenues North Why:To draw desperately needed City and State attention and resources to the ongoing crisis of gun violence in Minneapolis. Council Member Samuels urges everyone to join him in his extended vigil, day or night, to show unity in community efforts to end gun violence in Minneapolis. For further information, please contact Council Member Samuels' office, at 612-673-2203 Also please join Don is supporting: Jordan Peace Rally and BBQ Jordan Community Council in partnership with MAD DADS will host a Peace rally and Kick-off to their new community street patrol. When: Friday, July 1, 2003 Where: Jordan Neighborhood Community Garden, located at 26th and Knox Avenues North For more information contact Jonathan Palmer @ 612-529-9267 TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) 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] Don Samuels in the Pioneer Press
Sunday Pioneer Press article profiling Third Ward Minneapolis City Councilmember Don Samuels: MINNEAPOLIS: 3rd Ward vigilance Council Member Don Samuels' recent vigils to remember people killed in his ward, while politically risky, seem to be uniting a community. BY JUDITH YATES BORGER Pioneer Press http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/5981301.htm Excerpts: When it comes to City Council votes, Samuels appears to be walking a middle line through a bipolar ward. I'm not sure that he has any voting pattern, said Council President Paul Ostrow. He listens, then makes a judgment. Listening is Samuel's strong suit. I've seen him sit through very lengthy presentations and say nothing, said Mayor R.T. Rybak. Then he'll say one small thing at the end, and it will be a gem. Al McFarland, editor of Insight News, which circulates widely in the 3rd Ward, believes Samuels is being accepted on both sides of the river. His vigils are resonating, McFarland said. By example, he's inviting ordinary people to take a stand. And more. . . . Joseph Barisonzi Powderhorn [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) 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] Where do I go 80's dancing in Minneapolis?
Oh, good friends of the Minneapolis watering hole, My good friends and I (as previous identified by David: posse) feel like escaping from the propaganda of Fox, the horror of CNN and the deep freeze of the local economy by going out dance if we want to this weekend. On previous such trips we went Salsa dancing but this time we feel like escaping into the banality of the pop culture that governed us as we came of age. So, we are looking for the joyful harmonies of 80s music. You know ABBA, Flock of Seagulls, MC Hammer, Wham, Culture Club, New Edition, Cure, Def Leopards, Loverboy, the Police, Bon Jovi, and of course David Hasslehoff (who know, I try to include him on every list) So here is the question: Where do we go dancing with 80s music? I know this is not the same weight as the other critical issues facing Minneapolis: like the wading pools, or the 35W access project, Linders fascism, nefarious connections between Stride, Raucous Caucus and other potential terrorists, or Scott Persons windmills. So for every breath you take while answering this email -- thank you. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale (PS: My good friend Michelle is reminding me not to forget Madonna so here it is Our favorite Material Girl!) (PPS: Sorry, forgot Prince what was I thinking big shot-out to all the Prince fans especially Peter. Hi Mr. Delirious!)
[Mpls] Jury Duty
List, I have the joy of being called for jury duty the first two weeks of March. On one hand I am excited to serve the community in this manner. On the other I am worried. As a small business owner I dont know how I can afford the time away from the store. I work as a consultant. Several of my clients of major projects that we are in the middle of implementing. My involvement is (at least in my mind) is critical to the projects success. My pay is also contingent on my active involvement in the project when ever the clients requests. I have all ready postponed my jury duty once. I know my situation is not unique. How have others responded? What does one do? How to I address my sense of duty? Cant we swap our civic duty to the jury with something that doesnt take up the entire work day for two weeks? Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale
[Mpls] Don Samuels Inaugural Speech
% white. This disparity gets worse every year. We are at a point today where it would not matter if the apprehensions were justifiable 100 percent of the time. Individual incidents of justice, administered by an unjust system, are nullified by the naive intent of that justice and breed resentment. We must, with a sincere heart, recruit, retain and track our diversity. We must challenge ourselves to reverse decades of inadequacy by having at least half of our new officers be people of color, every year, until parity is established. We must move up to a new level of efficiency in City Government. We should adopt or adapt the Baltimore model known as CitiStat which uses existing, affordable technology to improve all areas of city government. CitiStat consolidates data, establishes and tracks performance standards reliably, enhances transparency, improves service delivery, saves money and treats our citizens like the valued customers they are. With open hearts, we must enter into a new era of ethical transparency where this council's integrity is above reproach and trust in government is restored to mint condition. We must move forward to pass a new code of ethics incorporating the recognized best practices in ethics law. This must include an independent review panel, which instills accountability -- both for city officials and for those who would make accusations against them. Our overarching priority must be a restoration of public trust and we must be willing to relinquish prerogatives of convenience to achieve this essential goal. We must develop our green-space along the Mississippi, which is the heart of our ward and our city. Let us transform this river from a flowing wound of division back to the gleaming ecological treasure nature gave us. Let us rise to the commitment of support promised by MCDA and Planning Department to make the vision a reality and on schedule. The river must become a venue for new love, not sludge and sewage. Let us make it a gift to Hawthorne and Holland, Jordan and Sheridan, linked by green-ways to each community, easily accessible and welcoming to every neighbor, the birthright of all citizens, rich and poor, east and west; preserved, healthy and clean. Let us make a well-managed transition from heavy industry to clean, light industry and offices. Let us stabilize and foliate her banks, attract recreational boaters, create riverfront hospitality destinations, fishing piers and overlooks. We must support the grassroots initiatives of the arts community, the creative heart of our city. We declare the third ward a Mecca for the Arts. Our Arts District is not a three-day fair. It is a permanent home for the arts, where generations of artists will be born, trained and sustained. Let our children see the option of the arts as more than the prerogative of the privileged few, as accessible to all who have talent and wish to share their genius. Let the arts community become an irresistible draw to the city and state and to nation whose heart has been hardened by numbing pop culture and frigid utilitarianism. Let our esthetic heart beat again. Let us take time to see beauty, and consume it. Let us develop a sales tax category for artists that allow them to keep more of what they earn and real estate tax incentives that allow artist to stay in the area that they have revitalized. Can one love a community? Can a heart beat for the city? Can the restoration of the disenfranchised be an ardent desire? I believe it. I believe, in my heart, that we can all rise to a higher level of sacrifice for our city, embrace new levels of efficiency for our city, live up to higher standards of integrity, and achieve a deep embrace of community for our city. Then we will experiences a new sense of fulfillment in our city. It is St Valentines Day. The city's heart beats faster in anticipation of our commitment. Joseph Barisonzi Community Knowledge Specialist CommunityLeader, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 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] Separate Police Communications Has Not Served the Community
List, I can think of four great reasons to consolidate the police communications department with the City communications department. 1. Organizational: The Police think of themselves an independent organization -- separate from the accountability and management of the City of Minneapolis. They are in fact a department. Anything that is done to integrate the police into the city as a whole is a good thing. 2. Community Accountability: Every time there is a threat of police brutality the representatives from the police department immediately jump up and deny that anything is wrong. I believe this undermines efforts at finding the truth or letting facts speak before a community polarization of the issue. Perhaps channeling that communication through a department that is responsible to the interests of the city as a whole will result in a greater opportunity to respond to tragedies with a little less polarization. Those that raise the fear that this is centralization worthy of a communist state should explain how the communities of St. Paul, Chicago or New York have less police accountability because their police's communication departments are integrated with the rest of the city's communication activities. 3. Negotiating the Police Budget Through The Media: While generally the police department tries to reassure the public that crime is down and Minneapolis is safe, the message suddenly changes whenever the management is expected to operate within a budget. Around budget time a story is inevitably planted that all Minneapolis is on the verge of becoming a war zone and whomever's proposed budget or contract will reduce the force by half. I don't believe public works, the MCDA, city attorney, licenses, regulatory services and inspections department all need their own communication departments -- so why should the police department? Should the public works department have their own communications department so that when the city council changes budgets a driver of a plow truck can say Well this will just result in massive car pile ups and stranded vehicles? 4. Presenting a Lousy Image of Our City to Minnesota: I know a sensational crime story in the urban core makes great copy to lead the nightly news. The results are devastating for our communities -- in spirit and in tangible dollars. I hope that the coordinated strategy will result in less sensationalism and more news stories based on facts. And dare I hope I read one less stories that quotes a police officer who lives in the suburbs saying something to the effect of - Downtown Minneapolis is just scary; I would never bring my family here. Imagine a 3M employee being quoted That spray is worthless, don't ever buy that or a soldier being quoted as saying Oh, none of us are really prepared to be here at all. I agree that there has been a significant lack of leadership by the elected city leadership around the police department. I would propose that integrating the police department's communication function into the city of Minneapolis' communication function is an example of just the type of leadership needed. Give us more! Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale (Wondering who did the aweful job of coordinating the announcement of this change at City Hall -- hoping it isn't the same person who will be taking coordinating all the communication functions.) BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:2.1 N:Barisonzi;Joseph FN:Joseph Barisonzi ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ORG:CommunityLeader.com TITLE:Community Knowledge Specialist TEL;WORK;VOICE:612-518-5536 EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED] REV:20021022T222414Z END:VCARD
[Mpls] Special Election Day in the third Ward.
Special Election Day in the Third Ward! Vote. Call a friend to Vote. Take a neighbor to Vote. This is a tight race and history will be made! If you would like to volunteer during the day to get out the vote, phone voters, drive voters to the polls, do poll watching. . . .or just be part of the action give us a call or stop by The Conga at 5th and Hennepin NE Joseph Barisonzi Samuels Campaign Coordinator 612-518-5536 A Special thank you to S.L.
RE: [Mpls] PiPress take on 3rd Ward race
I think we should set a policy for the list that press must check with the author and ask for permission before lifting straight from the list. The dear lovely reporter from the Pioneer Press is the worst offender. Joseph Barisonzi Community Knowledge Specialist CommunityLeader, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Eric Mitchell Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2003 10:04 AM To: List Manager; Mpls list Subject: Re: [Mpls] PiPress take on 3rd Ward race I noticed that I'm named and quoted in this aricle. The quote was taken from one of my posts here. Another quote from our list was used, but it was attributed to just another poster. Is there not a courtesy procedure when 'lifting' posts from this site and using them in an aricle? Eric Mitchell Maple Grove __ 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 BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:2.1 N:Barisonzi;Joseph FN:Joseph Barisonzi ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ORG:CommunityLeader.com TITLE:Community Knowledge Specialist TEL;WORK;VOICE:612-518-5536 EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED] REV:20021022T222414Z END:VCARD
[Mpls] Star Tribune Endorses Don Samuels
Star Tribune: Don Samuels / Hard choice in Minneapolis' Third Ward Published Jan. 29, 2003 Too bad both candidates in Monday's Third Ward special election can't win seats on the Minneapolis City Council. Olin Moore and Donald Samuels would be impressive additions. Beneath Moore's canned rhetoric (DFL endorsement apparently requires the use of trite phrases like fighting for change, etc.) lies an uncommon devotion to Minneapolis and a deep understanding of the challenges it faces. Behind Samuels' burst onto the local scene lies a remarkable set of life experiences that brings a fresh outlook to city politics. Our choice is Samuels. We can't recall a more reflective candidate, one who seems to break every mold, one filled with creative observations possible only from someone unsteeped in local habits and, thus, able see more clearly the tasks ahead. Samuels, 53, fits well the disparate Third Ward: immigrant, artist, musician, corporate executive, quietly religious family man, determined community leader. His resumé spans the ward's distinct halves as effectively as the Lowry Avenue Bridge. How about this for a life story: Born in Jamaica, son of an authoritarian Pentecostal minister. Emigrates to New York at 20. Fascinated by the American civil rights struggle, but disillusioned by the black church's self-satisfaction over its role. Flees to the corporate/artistic world. Builds an executive career as a toy designer for Hasbro, then starts his own business. Meanwhile, graduates from Luther Seminary and is ordained a Baptist minister. Moves his wife and two young daughters from middle-class comfort to a tough block in the Jordan neighborhood. Confronts drug dealers and initiates a dual-track community strategy of getting tough with criminals while urging police to be more respectful of neighbors. Samuels is a quiet man uncomfortable with self-promotion. He's an urban sophisticate who quotes Shakespeare with a lingering Jamaican lilt. But he hasn't forgotten his modest immigrant roots, seeing more clearly than many others the opportunities possible in America. He has won broad support from both liberals and moderates, among them Mayor R.T. Rybak and County Commissioner Mark Stenglein. If there's a mainstream left in Minnesota politics, Samuels swims in it. His shortcoming (lack of government experience) is Moore's strength. At 32, Moore has worked a decade for U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo. The party's endorsement and support from labor, plus the fact that voters in Northeast Minneapolis, where Moore lives, tend to turn out in greater numbers, make him the favorite. Moore has a keen sense of metropolitan issues and Minneapolis' role in them. He sees clearly the city's aspirations, especially along the north riverfront. His modest beginnings give him an appreciation for the struggles of many Third Ward families. Yet Samuels offers special gifts of conciliation and collaboration too valuable to turn away. Third Ward voters should send Don Samuels to City Hall. http://www.startribune.com/stories/561/3619319.html Joseph Barisonzi Campaign Coordinator BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:2.1 N:Barisonzi;Joseph FN:Joseph Barisonzi ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ORG:CommunityLeader.com TITLE:Community Knowledge Specialist TEL;WORK;VOICE:612-518-5536 EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED] REV:20021022T222414Z END:VCARD
[Mpls] Insight Endorses Don Samuels
Monday, January 27, 2003 Endorsement: Elect Don Samuels, 3rd Ward by Insight News Don Samuels offers the best of all worlds for residents of Minneapolis' Third Ward and for our city. As an immigrant and naturalized American, he brings a voice to the thousands of new Americans whose arrival helps stem the Minneapolis population decline attributable to urban flight of recent decades. As a man of African descent, Samuels brings the reality of diversity to a City Hall that is long on lip service and short of action, when it comes to recognizing that the lives and aspirations of people of color are not just peripheral issues to be relegated to the margins of the City's business agenda. As a businessman, Samuels' corporate experience brings a sense fiscal reality, that accountability of having to operate within the budget. But that hard nosed business pragmatism is balanced by the entrepreneurial zeitgeist, the dogged hope, the irrepressible commitment to being a possibility thinker. Samuels says without boasting, but a as matter of fact, that he was a single father who parented a son 24-hours a day for over 15 years. That fact speaks volumes about his belief in the responsibility of men to be present in the lives of their children, especially their sons. Samuels has a new family, He and his wife, Sandra chose to live in the Third Ward --the challenging part of the Third Ward in the Jordan neighborhood. That family decision, to create a home and to raise their daughters in a neighborhood that has been scarred by gang violence and deaths, and drug dealing lawlessness, reflects Samuels' sense of obligation to be a part of the solution by demonstrating that rallying neighbors can vanquish fear that allows hopelessness and lawlessness to flourish. Samuels is a DFLer who showed strongly in the special DFL endorsing convention for Third Ward and strongly in the special primary last month. Now is the time for DFLer's of good conscience, who are not afraid of the progressive and liberal tradition and standards of this great party, to be their finest and grandest. We encourage DFLers to act in good faith, adding their vote to the expected votes of Republicans, Independent Joseph Barisonzi 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] 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
[Mpls] Rybak, Stenglein to endorse Samuels in Third Ward race
Rybak, Stenglein to endorse Samuels in Third Ward race Rochelle Olson Star Tribune Published Jan. 25, 2003 Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak will endorse DFLer Don Samuels today in the City Council's special election, passing over DFL endorsee Olin Moore. The endorsement was an unexpected coup for Samuels as he seeks to upset Moore in the Feb. 3 election to succeed Third Ward Council Member Joe Biernat. In a written statement Friday, Rybak said Samuels represents a new voice from the community who is stepping forward and challenging others to be better citizens. Don didn't wait for others to change things. He saw a problem, got out and did the work that needed to be done, Rybak said, adding that Samuels is courageous, something politics needs right now. Rybak and others are to formally endorse Samuels at a news conference this morning. Moore, who has worked for 10 years in the Minnesota office of U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo, has been endorsed by several labor unions besides the DFL Party. Samuels first received attention last summer when Rybak brought him to City Hall as a community voice of calm following violence on the North Side. Samuels lives in the Jordan neighborhood and is active there. He wasn't interested in running for office until neighbors prevailed upon him to run after Biernat's resignation following a conviction on corruption-related felonies. Word of Rybak's endorsement came as a surprise to Moore and to the council's DFL Majority Leader Scott Benson, who is working on Moore's behalf. The mayor's a big boy, and he can make his decisions as he sees fit, Moore said. This is politics, and people pick sides, and that's fine. He declined to express disappointment in Rybak, saying that he's focused on seeking the support of voters in the Third Ward, which covers parts of north and northeast Minneapolis. Benson said he found the news very curious. I would have expected the mayor would either support the endorsed candidate or remain neutral. Minneapolis DFL Party chairman Brian Melendez said the party has no rule barring Rybak from supporting the candidate of his choice. Rybak won the 2001 mayoral election as a rookie candidate without DFL endorsement himself. He took on DFL incumbent Sharon Sayles Belton. DFLers declined to endorse any candidate at the city convention, which had the effect of giving Rybak a boost. Samuels is expected to pick up a handful of other endorsements from a cross-section of politicians, including independent Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein; council members Barret Lane (an independent), Barbara Johnson (a DFLer) and Natalie Johnson Lee (a Green Party member), and former Third Ward council contenders Valdis Rozentals (a Republican), Shane Price (a Green Party member) and Trish Schilling (an independent). Benson noted that, with individual endorsements, the candidate is susceptible to the endorser's baggage as well as benefits. I always think those endorsements are risky, he said. -- Rochelle Olson is at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Joseph Barisonzi Community Knowledge Specialist CommunityLeader, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 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] Rybak and Stenglein join community in support of Samuels
Rybak and Stenglein Endorse Don Samuels Diverse group of Council Members and Community Leaders forms in support of Neighborhood Activist and Businessman Don Samuels is a uniquely courageous individual who represents everything we need in politics right now: more citizens stepping forward, inspiring their neighbors to do what's right. - Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak On Saturday morning January 25, 2002 in the kitchen of neighborhood activist and campaign volunteer Kim Carlson, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Stenglein endorsed neighborhood activist and businessman Don Samuels for City Council. The Mayor and Commissioner joined Council Members Natalie Johnson Lee, Barb Johnson, and Barret Lane in support of Mr. Samuels who is running as a Democrat without DFL party endorsement. At the announcement were former competitors for the Council Seat: Valdis Rozentals, a Republican; Shane Price, Green Party; and Trish Shilling, an Independent all who have officially thrown their support behind Don Samuels. Also in attendance were community leaders from throughout the Third Ward including Maureen Carlson, Joyce Vincent and Jim Jarvis. Don Samuels represents a new voice from the community stepping forward, inspiring his neighbors, and building community block by block, challenging us all to be better citizens. said Mayor R. T. Rybak. Don didn't wait for others to change things he saw a problem, got out and did the work that needed to be done. Don Samuels is a uniquely courageous individual who represents everything we need in politics right now: more citizens stepping forward, inspiring their neighbors to do what's right. Commissioner Mark Stenglein, whose County Commissioner district includes the Third Ward says, We need to have someone in City Hall who'll be unafraid to ask the hard questions and make the right decisions on behalf of these residents. Don Samuels has been that voice for so many years as a community volunteer - now we need that voice on the Minneapolis City Council. Don Samuels is the right person for this job. Don's shown his commitment and dedication to the people and I know he'll make a great council member for the Third Ward, says Stenglein. I am proud that my neighbors, from both sides of the river - from every neighborhood in this ward - are joined today by Democratic, Green, Republican, and Independent leaders said Don Samuels in front of a cheering crowd of almost 75 supports. By working together, across party line, on both sides of the river we can lift up and empower our neighbors of the Third Ward - and we can call our neighbors throughout the city to a new commitment to community. After the crowd was warmed by political speeches - they all grabbed maps and literature pieces and fanned out across the ward. We are here to tell our neighbors how excited we are about Don Samuels said community leader Jim Jarvis. Don Samuels, who emigrated from Jamaica 33 years ago, is a small business owner who has worked as a toy designer and inventor for 22 years. He rose in corporate America to be the Director of Research and Development for Hasbro. He has been an active leader in the Jordan Neighborhood in North Minneapolis where he co-found the Jordan Livability Project. He rose to city-wide prominence when he stood up to create calm during the Jordan riot last August. An ordained minister with a Master in Divinity from Luther Seminary, Don is married and the father of three. He raised his son for 26 years as a single parent; and currently is raising two preschool children with his wife Sondra. A special election on Monday, February 3, 2002 will fill the seat which was vacated by Joe Biernat. For additional information about Don Samuels and the campaign please visit www.DonSamuels.org or contact Joseph Barisonzi, Campaign Coordinator at 612-518-5536. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale 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] Significant Endorsements for Don Samuels
Significant Endorsements For Don Samuels To Be Announced On Saturday morning January 30, 2002 at 10 am the Don Samuels for City Council campaign will make a significant endorsement announcement at a press conference in Northeast Minneapolis. Don Samuels, the community activist and small business owner, is running an insurgent campaign for City Council in Minneapolis Third Ward. Running as a Democrat, but without the endorsement of the DFL Party, the Samuels campaign has been building support and momentum since their stunning second place finish in the Primary on December 30, 2001. The Samuels campaign will hold a press conference at the launch of a volunteer literature drop on Saturday morning. The press conference will be at 10 am at the home of Kim Carlson, 2308 Marshall Street NE. There will be significant photo and film opportunities. For additional information about Don Samuels and the campaign please visit www.DonSamuels.org or contact Joseph Barisonzi, Campaign Coordinator at 612-518-5536. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale 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] NWA; Don Samuels;NRP
Jim, I don't believe that anyone is making the argument that Don as a self-made immigrant can do Sabo's job better then he has. Don is running for City Council -- not Congress. He has no aspirations to run for Congress, and does not include his perspective on congressional issues as part of his campaign platform. Nor do I believe that anyone is making the argument to support Don because of connections he may or may not have. While Don is very proud to have earned support from his potential peers as diverse as Green Party's Natalie Johnson Lee, DFL's Barb Johnson, and Independent Barrett Lane. In the end he wants to earn the endorsement of a majority of voters in the ward. He wants to earn their support because of who he is and his personal, professional and volunteer experience. On the question of making jobs -- who has made more? It depends on how you think jobs are made. If jobs are made by the government: then yes, Martin Sabo has made far more jobs then Don. If jobs are made in the private sector: Then Don's 12 years in corporate America and 11 years as a small business owner has resulted in far more people going home with paychecks to pay the rent, the mortgage, the food bill and medical insurance. Either way - government or private sector -- Don has been part of far more economic development then his opponent -- who is NOT Martin Sabo but Martin Sabo's constituent outreach person. For many it is Don's real world experience of making jobs, balancing budgets and advocating for his employees that make Don such an appealing candidate to fight for the Third Ward in these trying economic times. And I think that is a very realistic reason to choose one candidate over another. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:2.1 N:Barisonzi;Joseph FN:Joseph Barisonzi ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ORG:CommunityLeader.com TITLE:Community Knowledge Specialist TEL;WORK;VOICE:612-518-5536 EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED] REV:20021022T222414Z END:VCARD
[Mpls] Don Samuels Resume
For those who requested to view Don Samuels resume: http://www.donsamuels.org/meetdon.htm Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale
[Mpls] Okay --so I am a sucker -- but it's not Junk mail.
List, As someone who believes strongly in the political process and still idealistically believes in the importance of political speech, my neck has bristled every time I saw the subject line that read Re: [Mpls] Controversial junk mail (not from Don or Olin, from the MPS) Being a geek, I checked the definition of junk mail. According to Merriam Webster: Main Entry: junk mail Function: noun Date: 1954 : third-class mail (as advertising circulars) that is often addressed to occupant or resident Now I can't speak for Olin's political mailings. I do know that Don Samuels campaign sent 5 pieces of mail over a five week period. Each was sent first class presort and was addressed to a specific resident at a specific address. By definition it was not junk mail. Now I understand that many people don't like to be bothered with the messiness of political mailings. So, at huge risk (I know all my friends are rolling their eyes right now) let me ask an innocent question: What suggestions do people have for balancing the need and desire of political campaigns to communicate with voters during an election with the desire by many people to not receive material about political candidates? I would appreciate it if responses would take into consideration that during every campaign, candidates and their volunteers hear the following complaints: 1. I never heard of you 2. I never heard from you 3. I don't know anything about you 4. Can you send me some material (this of course was after five literature pieces had been mailed and two had been put on their doorstep) 5. I don't vote because I don't know about the candidates. 6. Don't bothering me at home. I don't take phone solicitations. Over the next month Don's campaign would like to make our case to the voters of the Third Ward why we believe that Don is the best choice to be the next councilmember. It would thrill me to find a way to do this that did not result in accusations and attacks of flooding mailboxes or making unwanted phone calls - and resulted in view rates equal to mail or contact rates equal to the phone. Suggestions? Joseph Barisonzi Community Knowledge Specialist CommunityLeader, Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-518-5536 ___ 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] 3rd Ward race- does the Gay community have a friend in this race? Yes, several.
List, Most of the campaign volunteers are out -- well campaigning -- rather then responding to Dyna's outrageous posts. 1. The Unsupported Accusations The Samuel's campaign is in no way playing loose with the rules. Dyna is making leaping assumptions based on partial information at best. We have printed no where near 70,000 literature pieces. Simply because Dyna, as a likely primary voter has received 5 mailings -- she assumes everyone in the ward has. Nothing could be further from the truth. Simply because Dyna doesn't know who the Samuel's donor list is she assumes it must be coming from illegal or illicit sources. Is it so hard to believe that a professional African-American man without a party endorsement would have the resources to raise money to run for office? When the campaign finance reports are filed the list of donors and expenses of the campaign will be appropriate, responsible, legal and moral. To imply otherwise is completely irresponsible. 2. Don supports GLTB civil rights Don Samuels as an individual and as a candidate is pro-choice and supports GLTB civil rights. He would have supported the Domestic Partnership ordinance which recently passed the City Council. He would work closely with the Minneapolis delegation to advocate that the city be allowed to extend domestic partnership benefits to Minneapolis City employees. Don was never invited to screen with Stonewall DFL prior to the endorsement, and their endorsement of the DFL-endorsed candidate after the DFL endorsement was a foregone conclusion. As Stonewall DFL's leadership has expressed on this list before they are obligated by their organizational charter to support only the DFL-endorsed candidate. Don is not that candidate. 3. The dark-side of the DFL I can not close without responding to this comment of Dyna's: If Don Samuels had any real community values he'd respect the choices of his neighbors and join them in supporting the DFL endorsed candidate, Olin Moore. As a Democrat I find this offensive and the exact sentimentality that is justifiably driving voters from the DFL in droves. With this philosophy we wouldn't have a single statewide elected Democrat. Both Mark Dayton and Mike Hatch ran against the DFL-endorsed candidates on their respective roads to victory. Even the party heroes like Rodger Moe and Skip Humphrey have run against the DFL endorsement. The idea that 60% of 72 people, no matter how representative, should solely choose who the candidate should be to the exclusion of other choices is utterly undemocratic. If the party is going to be revived, and re-earn a majority either in Minnesota or nationally -- the idea that it is disrespectful to run against a DFL-endorsed candidate must whither away. We need the new faces, the new ideas, the new constituencies, and the new voices that non-traditional candidates offer. We do not need more of the same party insiders propped up by organizational loyalty -- we need to reach out and lift up authentic community leaders. 4. A viable alternative Fortunately there are many Democrats, both in the 3rd ward and around the city that felt it was in the best interest of the DFL, the best interest of the city, and the best interest of their neighbors in the Third Ward to provide an authentic community voice -- someone who may not have played all the political games -- but someone with diverse, unique experience and a well developed moral and political compass -- a real chance to be considered by all the voters in the Third Ward. We don't choose, they don't determine, only some will vote -- but we have tried to create a level playing field where the best candidate will emerge from the will of the people. On Monday night we will learn the voters choices. Proud to be working hard to give amplification to an authentic community voice, Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale ___ 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] 3rd ward- a council seat up for auction? No.
List, As the person helping to coordinate Don's mailings I must protest Dyna's false allusions and numbers. Don's campaign budget for the City Council is a reasonable amount in the $7,000/range. The total printing and mailing budget was less then $5,000 and we are within budget. Our per piece cost is not fundamentally different from the cost of the 3+ DFL endorsed candidate's full color postcards which have been mailed to voters. Don does not putting any of his own money into the race. Our fundraising from neighborhood supports has been more generous. His ability to connect with people has made him remarkable successfully, especially in light of not receiving any of the PAC money available to party endorsed candidates. A total of five holiday cards were sent to a target list of likely voters. These holiday cards played on a variety of primarily secular holiday songs. They were designed by someone with a Jewish background, and reviewed by a full scope of third ward residents from different cultural and religious backgrounds. People found them a humorous way to introduce a candidate to the voter during the middle of a festive holiday season. My favorite was the Silent Night - Silent Night card. My partner's favorite was the 12 Days piece. Most of all I would like to defend our designer and printer whom Dyna referred to as scab. Our printer is a minority-owned business located in the heart of the North Minneapolis portion of the Third Ward. We chose our printer to reflect Don's commitment to the small businesses of the Third Ward. The majority of the employees of the digital design and print company live in the Third Ward. They are paid a competitive wage. This state-of-the-art company is a dynamic shop of people working on the cutting edge of digital media production. They are an incredible asset to the North and Northeast community. Don is proud to have had an opportunity to utilize their talent. They made a significant contribution to the campaign's ability to introduce Don to a broader audience. A budget in a campaign is a double-edge sword. If a candidate is unsuccessful raising sufficient funds to mount a credible campaign they are accused of not being a serious contender -- if too much is raised they are susceptible to challenges I hope that Don strikes the balance which is reflective of his values. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:2.1 N:Barisonzi;Joseph FN:Joseph Barisonzi ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ORG:CommunityLeader.com TITLE:Community Knowledge Specialist TEL;WORK;VOICE:612-518-5536 EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED] REV:20021022T222414Z END:VCARD
[Mpls] Don Samuels is a First Generation American
Andrea, Don is an immigrant -- born in Jamaica, immigrated to the United States as a young man, and completed the naturalization process. He is a US citizen. This is part of his life story, and part of what makes him such an exciting candidate for City Council in the Third Ward. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale ___ 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 .
List, Great Doug Grow column about Don Samuels. http://www.startribune.com/stories/465/3526617.html Go Don! I have never met such an authentic community voice. It was refreshing to see him on Monday night. My favorite line -- after all the other candidate claimed to have never supported a non-DFL endorsed candidate for office -- was when Don said: (paraphrasing) I love my brother -- I wouldn't always support him. I love my sister -- but I wouldn't always vote for her. And there are some Democrats I would support either! The Sabo machine beat the Labor machine on Monday. Come December 30 -- I believe the neighborhoods will win. Joe Barisonzi Lyndale Trivia Pursuit Question: How many delegates at the Third Ward Convention were African American? BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:2.1 N:Barisonzi;Joseph FN:Joseph Barisonzi ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ORG:CommunityLeader.com TITLE:Community Knowledge Specialist TEL;WORK;VOICE:612-518-5536 EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED] REV:20021022T222414Z END:VCARD
[Mpls] Third Ward -correction
(In my zeal I of course missed a critical contraction: List, Great Doug Grow column about Don Samuels. http://www.startribune.com/stories/465/3526617.html Go Don! I have never met such an authentic community voice. It was refreshing to see him on Monday night. My favorite line -- after all the other candidate claimed to have never supported a non-DFL endorsed candidate for office -- was when Don said: (paraphrasing) I love my brother -- I wouldn't always support him. I love my sister -- but I wouldn't always vote for her. And there are some Democrats I wouldn't support either! The Sabo machine beat the Labor machine on Monday. Come December 30 -- I believe the neighborhoods will win. Joe Barisonzi Lyndale Trivia Pursuit Question: How many delegates at the Third Ward Convention were African American? ___ 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] RE: Minneapolis Third Ward Politics
the work is done by those who show up I love that phrase. It is a vitally important sentiment to allow an organization to move forward with its mission -- always waiting around for unrepresented group of people can turn into the quagmire which paralyzes action. Unfortunately it is also the phrase which allows for a never questioning the underlying premises of who it is that shows up. It allows us to avoid the serious questions about systemic marginalization and disenfranchisement of those with less access to political power. It is also not a very strategic political move. The group who shows up in the DFL has become increasingly disconnected with the larger group of voters who share the DFL values but can't justify the time and energy it takes to show-up to the labyrinth of meetings that make up the DFL infrastructure. A quick review of statewide races would show that the work being done by those who show up at the DFL has not proven very effective in the end goal of electing statewide candidates. I would argue a review of the last city election would equally show that in a review of competitive races the DFL delegates didn't do so well. (Kallenbaugh, Campbell, Cherryholms, Abbot lost. And two candidates who were perceived as blocking DFL endorsements: Rybak and Niziolek went on to win [for fairness reasons this does not include the DFL endorsement for Herron]) The determining factor of victory was not status in the DFL -- but active involvement in the community. The Stonewall DFL held their screening before filing was closed. All of the candidates who have announced their intention to run were not invited -- in fact all of the candidates who we have announced their intention to run as DFLers were not invited. I certainly support any organization's right to conduct their own endorsement process in anyway it sees fit -- but the fact that these process reinforce a process which is inherently marginalized authentic community voices who have not been invited into the DFL establishment bodes poorly for both the party, the city, and those of use who care about the values the DFL professes. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Tim Bonham Sent: Saturday, December 07, 2002 3:44 PM To: mpls-issues Subject: [Mpls] RE: Minneapolis Third Ward Politics Some information about 3rd Ward: At the Stonewall DFL Screening on Friday, both Olin Moore Kari Diedzic stated that they would not run against an endorsed DFL candidate. Margo Ashmore stated that she would, and that she was not sure that she would even seek DFL endorsement -- she was undecided, but might run as an Independent. I don't understand the apparent indignation of some people about the fact that several of the candidates live in the new (redistricted) 3rd ward but not in the old 3rd ward. It isn't like these are carpetbaggers moving in just for the election -- they have lived worked volunteered in this ward for many years, and are well known to people in the ward. The DFL delegates (and DFL primary voters) will soon let them know if they haven't done enough for the ward! For some of them, the ward line is literally just across the street. The only legal requirement is that they reside in the (old) ward as of Saturday, Jan 5th, 2003. After all, Robert Lilligren Dean Zimmerman were not required to relocate when their ward moved out from under them in the redistricting. And at least one candidate, Kari Dziedzic, has already moved to an address that is in both the old new ward lines. I also don't agree with the comments denigrating the DFL endorsement convention. I really expect that there will be as many delegates at this convention as at the last one, even though that one was much closer to their election as delegates. And if delegates have moved out of the ward, no doubt other delegates have moved in, and can be seated at this convention. And in the end, as the saying goes, the work is done by those who show up. Tim Bonham, Ward 12, Standish-Ericsson ___ 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 BEGIN:VCARD VERSION:2.1 N:Barisonzi;Joseph FN:Joseph Barisonzi ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) ORG:CommunityLeader.com TITLE:Community Knowledge Specialist TEL;WORK;VOICE:612-518-5536 EMAIL;PREF;INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED] REV:20021022T222414Z END:VCARD
RE: [Mpls] Minneapolis Third Ward Politics -Correction
Mea Culpa -- the 100 or so delegates were elected in March 2002, which is not two years ago. Preliminary reports are that as many as 25 of them have already moved. I may be overly optimistic -- but this does not seem to me to be an accurate representation of the Democrats who live in the Third Ward. The Party should consider some basic standards for holding an endorsement convention. The quorum should be based both on the eligible delegates -- and the base Democratic vote in the area. Without the quorum an endorsement is not an accurate reflection of Democrats intent, and perpetuates a cycle of disenfranchisement. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale ___ 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] Dearth of Volunteering?
List, My head started to throb as I thought about the contention that campaigns are run simply by fundraisers and consultants. I am volunteering on three races this cycle. One of those, a State Senate race has well over 100 active volunteers. Fifty of those volunteers working at least 3 hours a week. Ten of them are working more then 10 hours a week. The only paid people are the printer and the mail house. Maybe we gave the designer a stipend after the 10 literature piece. Oh, and the person who coordinated the food for one of the weekly group door knocks may have gotten to take some extra food home. Rest assured all of the campaign's balance sheet for every party is recording far more volunteer hours then anything else. Personal feeling aside on the content of those campaigns from other parties (and some from my own) I think a huge congratulations and thank you are in order for the hundreds of thousands of volunteers all over the state that are doing the grunt work of democracy. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 PS: And a special pox on the homes of those who choose to participate only by complaining about a) Receiving too much literature in the mail; or b) The nature of political ads. Negative ads only work on people who are not involved. The best way to stop negative ads is to get involved in the dirty process called democracy. And I am on every fundraising list known to man, and I still get more ads from credit card companies begging me to go further in debt then from people wishing to represent me as an elected official. ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Theatre riot
List, There have been literally hundreds of rap concerts in town without disturbances. There have been disturbances after College sports events and we don't sarcastically say A disturbance after a college game. What a surprise! There are disturbances of hundreds of people every time Bush or Cheney come in town on official business or campaign business. We don't sarcastically say A disturbance following the president. What a surprise! Less then a month ago YO! and What Up! held a conference/festival on Rap and Hip Hop music at Intermedia Arts. Two day of music from Noon until 10 pm, largely residential area, hundreds of kids from all over the metropolitan area, nose rings, tattoos, spiked hair. Not a single problem. Not a single police call. Perhaps that is the norm? Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 Who has never listened to an entire rap song in my life. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Dooley, Bill Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 12:13 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Minneapolis Issues List Subject: RE: [Mpls] Theatre riot A disturbance after a rap concert. What a surprise! Bill Dooley Kenny -Original Message- From: Terrell Brown [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2002 12:03 PM To: Minneapolis Issues List Subject: [Mpls] Theatre riot On the day that MCDA announces the upcoming opening of the Pantages Theatre, we read in the paper that a small riot broke out inside the neighboring Orpheum Theatre. http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3368474.html Apparently at least part of the problem was that the musical group performing at the Orpheum did not begin its performance as scheduled which, I guess, is not that much different from many MCDA projects. This time I told there were a dozen cops working to break up the melee in the theatre. I'm unclear if this was before, during or after the performance. Anyway the activity moved out into the streets, shots were fired and one person went to HCMC with stab wounds. This follows by a few days the stabbing murder of a Loring Park neighborhood resident at the edge of Loring Park. Generally murders are rare downtown, this hasn't been a good year. But why is MCDA allowing theatre concert goers to become agitated by late appearing acts which only excite riotous behavior? Is that the way we create a safe downtown? Agitate the customers? Terrell Brown Loring Park terrell at terrellbrown dot org __ Do you Yahoo!? Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos More http://faith.yahoo.com ___ 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 ___ 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 ___ 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] Governmental Support for Garage Bands. . . .
Title: Garages are for more than just cars... List, Lets all take it for granted that garages are nice and useful. For parking cars, fixing bikes, storing shovels, hanging rakes or as my garage is being used at this moment to paint a 960 sq. ft graffiti mural for the Dungeons of Darkness and Doom @ the Mall of America (Haunted House fundraiser for Whats Up!, YO!, and the Mall of America Youth Foundation which opens this Wednesday). No one is dissing garages. The question is only one of whether they should be mandatory on new construction. I strongly believe in building and zoning codes. The ones I like the most are the ones that ensure the safety of buildings for their current and future inhabitants. Nothing is more frustrating then opening up the wall of an old house and finding a maze of interlocking home sprung wiring. Codes I support are those that help to impact our quality of life through design. This is a tricky area constant attention must be paid to balancing the values and goals of the community with the rights of the individual property owner. Since garages neither directly impact the safety of the building, nor does the lack of a garage negatively impact the quality of life of the community I believe making garages mandatory would be a significant overstepping of the line into governmental micro-management. I would much prefer the City Council spent their time exploring strategies for supporting the building and maintaining affordable housing, figuring out how to make the Target Center competitive, and resolving our pension problem before they invest time and energy in the mandatory nature of garages. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 PS: If support for garages was actually a covert way to provide governmental subsidies to support garage bands and ignite the dormant Minneapolis music scene thus returning us to the forefront of the cutting edge scene then I take back everything I said -- and I support making garages mandatory.
RE: [Mpls] Car Crash 36th and Grand
List, I know the people who live in that house. They are wonderful. Very involved in the community. They will do anything -- except watch cars in their front yard. My understanding from them is that IF they watched cars in their front yard they would be spending most of their lives in court as a witness to car accidents. Both 36th and Grand, 36th and Blaisdell are two high accident corners. My hearts go out to them as they try to collect insurance money to re-landscape after every fender bender. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 PS: When I was at LNA I wanted to use NRP money to by one of the speed cameras. I thought we could pay the city for administering the ticket and then we could earn revenue from the speeders in the neighbohrood. This revenue could be invested in things which reduced traffic speed and volumne. Unfortuently the camera-ticket-givers were ruled illegal or something like that. Darn it. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of ken avidor Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 5:42 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Car Crash 38th and Grand Since the media doesn't consider car crashes newsworthy, (hmmm...I wonder if all those car ads have something to do with it) here is a link to see what happened when two speeding cars collided at 38th Street and Grand Avenue last Saturday. http://www.roadkillbill.com/crash.html Now you can see for yourselves that I'm not exagerating the risk children take when they walk or bike on the sidewalks, alleys and streets of Minneapolis. When are we going to get enforcement of the speed limits? When are the cops going to crack down on motorists who run red lights? Ken Avidor 38th and Grand ___ 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] Hennepin Stronghold? Maybe. Major Candidate? Maybe Not or Putting the Green Vote into Perspective
List, It's been my impression that Minneapolis is the stronghold/beachhead of the Green Party in Minnesota. I looked for Ken Pentel's voting results to test this. While I haven't added up a Minneapolis breakdown of the gubernatorial totals yet, I did find Hennepin County's totals easily. Comparing Mr. Pentel's Hennepin County total (2,130) with his statewide total (5,388), I calculated that Ken got 39.5% of his votes from Hennepin County, even though Hennepin only has about 25% of the state's population. There is another set of facts that are far more interesting. Democratic candidate Ole Savior and Republican Candidate Leslie Davis both outpolled Ken Pentel in Hennepin (3633 for Ole, 2990 for Leslie). The news for Ken is worse statewide. Ole and Leslie each got over four times as many votes as Ken. (25,205 for Ole, 22,157 for Leslie) Nothing against Ken nor the Greens for stirring the pot, but getting obliterated by Ole Savior brings the term major candidate into perspective. It also raises pragmatic political question about intent, purpose and self-delusions. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 Minneapolis Hennepin County -Ken Pentel 2,130 -Leslie Davis 2,990 -Ole Savior 3,633 Statewide -Ken Pentel 5,388 -Leslie Davis 22,157 -Ole Savior 25,205 __ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes http://finance.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] McKinsey, Yesterday, What happen?
List, Did anyone have a chance to following the discussion of the McKinsey stuff at the City yesterday? What happen? Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 ___ 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] Everything you wanted to know about city pensions....
List, This is a fantastic article. It really makes one sick in the stomach. I have heard whispers for years about the impact of the pensions on the budget. When the Police Federation lost the million in by playing high risk investments in Technimar -- there were a couple Star tribune articles hinting that the city taxpayers were going to have to foot the bills. The staggering nature of the financial situation is outrageous. Let's hope the era where City Taxpayers have no control over funds with no transparency is over. I hope that the City Council approves sending the Fire and Police funds to the state. I hope that our lobbyist can win approval to do that in some manner that allows the taxpayers to fund the gap without destroying our tax base. I hope that there is a serious re-look at the City's official role in the lawsuit brought against Brian Rice et all by former and current police officers (I believe include former chief John Laux) as it relates to Technimar -- maybe some of the money can be recovered. Let's also hope that who ever the new city appointees to these boards are they are professionals with a sense of civic duty that compels them to show up -- and city officials with the responsibility of following up with their appointees. And let's all cross our fingers that an leader emerges who can articulate an investment strategy which doesn't put tax dollars into Enron, WorldCom, and the Qwest's of the world. There must be a better way. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 PS: Isn't it interesting that the best lawyer in the Pension business also just so happens to be the Best Lobbyst the Park Board could find, also is the real estate expert that signed the purchase agreement on behalf of the Park Board for their riverfront headquarters, also is the Lawyer who guided the Police Federations investment in Technimar??? With apologies to Deep Throat -- wouldn't it be great to have the resources to follow the money? ___ 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] Mplscivicdiscuss
Jim, And how is it substantively distinct from the list we are currently participating in? I mean other then the obvious, that Jim is the moderator accountable to no one rather than David who is accountable to an elected board of directors? Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Jim Mork Sent: Monday, September 09, 2002 9:33 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Mplscivicdiscuss OK, one last try. I'm going to change the charter for Minneapolis Civic Discussions: Unlimited posts, unmoderated, no residence requirement. I do request that place of RESIDENCE be stated in a signature. Neighborhood is nice but not required, city will do. And the other thing is not a rule but a hope that the bulk of discussion will be about Minneapolis to justify the title of MINNEAPOLIS civic discussions. However, I think I'll say that issues that have a lot of impact on Minneapolis, such as state taxes and Highway 62 widening are very legitimate discussion topics. This is a significantly different set of parameters from anything I see out there. If people don't subscribe, I'll bow to the marketplace (yes even leftos do it) and kill the group. Jim Mork (Cooper/Longfellow/Minneapolis) __ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes http://finance.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] MyBallot.net - The Primary Voter's Online Sample Ballot Source
List, I love the idea of myballot.net. I have been looking for a resource to provide friends of mine who are not yet engage in politics. Unfortunately myballot.net is not yet that resource -- but it could be! The best thing about myballot.net is that it does let you know which House, Senate, County and Judicial races you will be voting in. This is nice; of course you could already get this at the Secretary of State's or Hennepin County's sites. I check four addresses. The first two had significant problems and the other two found the ballot correctly. Based on past experience, it seemed as though the engine for this was the same one that Hennepin County has. There are challenges, mentioned on this list before, with the Hennepin County database which have not been cleaned up or resolved. More importantly is instead of integrating the links to the candidates web site, or issue-based links compiling information from the candidates on the different issues -- it simply forwards the user to a Goggle search of the candidates name and the identified issue. For incumbents with a record, press and listings from interest groups this works sometimes. For Jean Wagenius on the issue of Environment Goggle's top choices were links to environmental organization proclaiming Rep. Wagenius' strong environmental leadership. For Greg Gray the first link on the issue I picked sent me to a far right wing group that had an editorial labeling Greg Gray as a racist for supporting gun control as a legislator. Other places in the site listed Dick Gephardt as a communist subverting the constitution and Franklin Delano Roosevelt as their top pick for Racist of the Month. For challengers it is even more difficult. For none of the challengers that I clicked were any of the top ten offered links actually about the person in question. This was especially true for people with common last names -- like Johnson. For a political novice or someone without my addiction to the internet -- this would be frustrating and result in not learning about the challengers. On the other hand I did learn that an Andrew Koebrick who may or may not be the same person as the Green Party Secretary of State Candidate appealed a City Council action to build 88 units of Senior Housing on July 24, 2002. Most disappointing there is no way to look at comparisons between the candidates on issues. Either in their own words -- or some type of translation. I urge every one of our overactive list users to check the site so constructive comments can be forwarded to the great volunteers trying to make this happen. Perhaps a couple of us should also volunteer to help. So I will do that as well! Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 ___ 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] Roche v. Dibble
List, I have had the opportunity to review literature and campaign material from both Rick Roche and Scott Dibble. I have known Scott for years through his work on transportation, city, development, affordable housing, human rights, and airport issues. But I always have a soft spot in my heart for rebels running unconventional campaigns so I thought I would check Mr. Roche out. I recently had the opportunity to read in full the literature Mr. Roche dropped challenging how hard Scott has worked as a first term legislature, challenged his effectiveness as a member of the minority, and touted his own long legislative record (two terms in the 70's in Massachusetts) I also read his attack letter on Scott to Progressive Minnesota's membership. What I have learned is that Mr. Rouche is immensely qualified to represent - Massachusetts in the 1970's. But for those of us living in Minneapolis 30 years later -- Scott Dibble is a far superior choice. Senate District 60 has always been incredibly well represented. For over two decades by a true hero Allen Spear who wielded universal respect as the Senate President. Then Myron Orfield, who changed the political landscape in St. Paul and provide the platform for Democrats to have a fighting chance in the Northern Suburbs. He left public office to continue as the foremost national expert for regional approaches to planning and development. This are big shoes to fill -- and only someone as grounded and as connected as Scott Dibble in the people, lives, businesses, neighborhoods, and issues stands a chance. All my bets are on Scott -- and all of Minneapolis and Minnesota will reap the rewards. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 ___ 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] Atherton's Mature Response to the Star Tribune
List, There are several reasons that I will not be voting for Michael Atherton. None of which are because neither the DFL nor the Star Tribune to endorse him. I will share three: This first and foremost is that Mr. Atherton is not an advocate for public education. (See post below as yet another example where is criticism of Mr. Shapiro is that Mr. Shapiro was and is not a critic of public education) I believe school board member the legal, fiduciary, political, ethical and moral to advocate, promote, boost as well as ensure the quality of our public education system. I want my school board members to have the finesse to be both advocates for improvement while also being boosters for public education. The second reason is that based on Mr. Atherton's posts on this list I feel I have had an opportunity to get to know his perspective on public education and the role of schools in our society. I have read the studies he quotes, and read the studies that make contradictory claims. I have seen the limits of education and child development researches applicability to the school setting. Mr. Atherton clearly does not share my values about active schools and civic society. While I in no way deny him the right to those opinions -- it doesn't mean I would want to vote to have someone with those opinions be a trustee of arguably the most important public asset in Minneapolis. (Apologies to all the Park Board fans. . . ) The third reason is that in a time of budget cuts, and immense challenges because the electorate experimented with a critic in our state government -- the personal style has exhibited -- especially since the Star Tribune editorial -- has done more to convince me that the editors may have in fact had an extremely valid point. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale Ward 10 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Michael Atherton Sent: Monday, September 02, 2002 9:35 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] Strib school board endorsements Michelle Mensing wrote: Michael Atherton writes: When I started my campaign for Minneapolis school board a number of people told me I was crazy, that the educational establishment and the DFL would destroy me. There were obviously enough voters who broke away from the DFL mold to elect Denny Schapiro (who ran as an independent) to the school board last year. If a candidate has a message that resonates with voters, they will vote for that person regardless of endorsement. Denny Schapiro was not and is not a critic of public education, he is a supporter of the status quo. Mr. Schapiro was also endorsed by the Tribune and his chances were not destroyed prior to the primary by the Tribune editorial board referring to him as a, 52 year old failed businessman with narrow personal concerns. I'd like to see someone justify the Tribune's lack of endorcement of the only two public school critics in a field of 12 canidates. I happen to not agree with the discussions I have heard from Michael Atherton, therefore I will be selecting other candidates to vote for. And it will not be purely based on DFL endorsement. I will be supporting 3 of the 4 DFL endorsed candidates because I like what I have heard them say. My fourth choice has not yet been decided, but I do know it will be one of the non-DFL endorsed candidates. That is your right. I expect that many people will not vote for me, and probably three to four times as many now with the Tribune's distortion, but I'm running to make people aware that the failures of the public school system can be corrected and are not intractable. Not winning a school board seat will be more beneficial for me than winning, given that I would have worked compulsively to improve the schools and it would probably have consumed too much of my time. My family will just follow the path of many other parents who have the means and we will avoid the public schools. I just thought that voters should have a choice other than the typical DFL candidates who know little or nothing about education. Just what is it that you've heard the candidates say other than sound bits and platitudes? What exactly are their positions, proposals, and goals? Joe Ericson is the only one that I know that has taken the time to identify their positions on issues. I agree there is a problem with the DFL's endorsing system in Minneapolis and I hope DFL members will continue reforming the city endorsing system (as I know I will do). But, I think it is a little simplistic to suggest that the DFL will destroy candidates who are not endorsed. Denny Schapiro seems to have survived. I have been told that Mr. Schapiro is well connected in the DFL and had previously been active as a party member. I respect the fact that he choose to run as an independent and did not seek endorsements, but as I pointed out his candidacy wasn't undermined prior to the primary by the state's
Re: [Mpls] Library/Planetarium Fundraising and Grantwriting
List, The numbers don't support the inital contention that this is a strong history of fundraising or granwriting. In 2000 grants represented less than 4% of total revenue. And with a small background in fundraising that I have, a nonprofit whose purpose it is to raise money should certinally baable to build a donor base of more that 120 thousands dollars after more than 50 years. I am making no judgement on the need for the money, how it is spent, how it should be spent, whether public institutions like the library should have to go out and raise fund. . . . all I am saying is that neither the amount raised by the MPS or FMPL are enough to justify the statement a strong history of fundraising and grantwriting Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 Gibson, Kristi wrote: In response to Wizard Marks' post regarding the library's history of fundraising and grantwriting: The Minneapolis Public Library and The Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library both have a strong history of fundraising and grantwriting. A significant portion of the library's revenue comes from grants, including federal, state, and local government programs, foundations, and neighborhood organizations. In 2000 grants supplied $.8 million out of the library's total revenues of $22 million. While we don't have a grants office, managers and administrators, with the assistance of front line staff, prepare grant applications and manage grant funds received. Our largest grant in recent years was $.5 million from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, used to accelerate library services that meet the needs of today's new immigrant families and assist their transition to a successful life in Minneapolis. Likewise, The Friends of MPL have been raising funds on behalf of the library for more than 50 years. In the current fiscal year, they've garnered $120,000 in grants and corporate gifts that support library and Friends programs, including the Planetarium. Kristi Gibson Public Affairs Minneapolis Public Library ___ 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 ___ 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] Dairy Queen at the Lakes
List, How about Sebastian Joes at Lake Harriet. And Sonny's at Lake Calhoun. Both locally owned small batch favorties. Sonny's is 100% organic and natural. Then when I feel like some Hanna Lemongrass ice cream I will walk around Lake Calhoon, and when I want some awesome Chocolate Chip I will walk around Harriet. It will make the decision of where to walk so much easier. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale (Home of Sonny's Ice Cream) Ward 10 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Rick Carney writes: I too would favor a local company, absolutely, if there is one with the wherewithal and ability to step in and take over. The question is, who wants to, and even more importantly, who can? David Brauer writes: According to DQ's website, they are based at: American Dairy Queen Corporation 7505 Metro Blvd. Minneapolis, MN 55439 So they're local. And it seems they have the wherewithal. But wait - this just in - DQ's claim to Minneapolis-basedness is a big corporate LIE. True locals know that Metro Blvd. is not in Minneapolis, but EDINA! So they ARE out-of-towners. David Piehl writes: Dairy Queen may have local headquarters, but they are a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc (as in Warren Buffet). Here is a link to their website: http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/; Someone else commented about Ben and Jerry's. Ben and Jerry's was sold a few years ago for several hundred million dollars to Unilever, the second largest food company in the world - based in the Netherlands. http://www.unilever.com/ Haagen Daz, on the other hand, was owned by Pillsbury and is now part of General Mills. Though Nestle managed to get control of the North American ice cream production, all of the Haagen Daz ice cream shops world-wide (and they are everywhere in northern Europe) are owned by General Mills. Further, it's all natural. Personally, I'd rather see Sebastian Joe's open up there, or maybe a Grand Ole Creamery - with a focus on ice cream cones (nearly no litter) and maybe non-disposable dished for those who'd rather not deal with a cone. David Piehl Self-Appointed Central Neighborhood Ice Cream Expert ___ 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] Unbank, the Planning Commission, Citizen Participation
List, I haven't ranted on the list for a bit, so when I saw the post about the Planning Commission's support for Unbank and the unarticulated unhappiness by a group of Central residents -- I thought to myself no time like the present For many, driving down a commercial street and seeing check-cashing or payday loan businesses and advertisements for a rent-to-own sale on a complete living room set is a sign of economic destruction. For many it communicates slums, the ghetto and reminds them to lock their door and roll up their windows. The liberal righteousness decries the hardship burdened by poor folk. For me it is a clear sign of the failure of the mainstream economic institutions to meet the needs of low-income people. The mainstream economic institutions of banks and credit unions do not meet the needs of many of the people in our community. For these people the process of paying rent, sending in the electrical bill, securing a phone line, or buying a bedroom set can be a nightmare process of fingerprints, user fees, double charges, demeaning looks, and multiple visits. Accomplishing this while holding down your job and parenting kids takes a pretty clever genius to not be looking at further declining credit, late fees, poor rental history and a host of interrelated challenges. Yes, check cashing facilities and rent-to-owns charge extraordinary high interest rates and fees. Banks charge less fees (ideally anyway) and credit cards charge lower rates (well, except mine -- but that is a different story) but there are many people who for a variety of reasons do not have the credit to secure a credit card. I know, for those of you that get tons of credit card applications in the mail every day it might be hard to imagine. For the majority with bank accounts, debit cards, and easy access to your cash at any ATM, the value of a check cashing facility may not be immediately apparent. But for thousands of people with no bank account, these businesses allow the customer to convert a paycheck into the cash they need to pay bills. For the majority with credit cards and draft protection on your bank accounts, covering an unexpected car or medical cost is not a disaster. But for thousands of people with no credit; a payday loan can be the only hope. The alternative is the guy you know through a friend of a friend who will charge you a lot more money and threaten physical harm on your loved one if you can't pay at the right time. Is it a moral outrage that people who are already paid abysmally unlivable amounts of money for the work they do have to pay extraordinary fees to cash their check, and pay again to convert their cash into a money orders to pay their rent or phone bill? Yes. Is it a moral outrage that people get caught in cycles of debt just to have a television or a couch to sit on in their living room? Yes. But the answer is not making access to financial services even more difficult. Licensing, regulating, and bureaucratizing them out of the neighborhood does not make the need go away. So before we wave the flag of neighborhood standards, cleaning up the ghetto, and stand on the platform of moral righteous decrying user fees let's explore what we could do to support and empower low income people to have access to the financial services that they (we) need. I am not speaking for or against the proposal for an UnBank in Central Neighborhood. I am making no value judgment about the representation or lack-thereofof CNIA to the broader community interest. I am making no comment on the emergence of other organizations to represent groups of resident's interest. I am writing only to invite the list to think creatively how the community can support meeting real needs of families and invite them into the mainstream economic institutions. Rather than rally against what we don't like; let's develop some viable solutions for what we do want. What does a neighborhood-based institution look like that cashes checks, provides payday loans, and rents-to-own without user fees? What if people could build a savings account each time they made their rental payment, or each time they cashed their check at that neighborhood-based business? What is social service organizations used money, not as a hand -ut, but an incentive and matched this savings account so that people had a real chunk of change? What if this real chunk of change allowed someone to open a real bank account, with draft protection, a visa debit card, and a financial counselor to support developing money management skills? What if that was a business that was collaboratively owned by the community so that the profit could be reinvested in the community? What if someone called Unbank and asked them if they want to be a partner in that business? Just a thought, Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic
Re: [Mpls] Open Records
All, Would this include Target Corporation, the Twins, the Guthrie, US West, Excel, and other organizations that receive contracts with public money to carry out specific functions? Every meeting of the Target Corporation would become an open meeting that anyone could attend? If more than two directors of Excel Energy met at the Minneapolis Club they would be in violation of the Open Meeting law? Or this another example of double standards? Joseph Barisonzi Andy Driscoll wrote: ANY publicly funded organization should be subject to the open meeting and records access laws. Period. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul -- I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength, and bid defiance to the laws of the country. --- Thomas Jefferson,1816 From: Michael Atherton [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2002 17:39:45 -0600 To: Mpls List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [Mpls] Open Records I'd like to thank everyone for providing such useful and accurate information in answer to my question. Now I have a few more questions. Why would a neighborhood NRP organization feel that it is necessary to have a legal opinion to allow them to avoid releasing records in regards to NRP business? That is especially after at least one MCDA lawyer felt that they should? Is this in the sprit of community involvement supposedly engendered by the NRP? I believe that if the NRP is going to be funded again it should be on the condition that their contractors be subject to the Open Records Law in relation to NRP business. If not it allows rouge organizations to do much as they please with very little oversight and accountability. Michael Atherton Prospect Park ___ 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 ___ 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] NRP the fiefdom
All, There seems to be three aspects of the assertation of neighborhood fiefdom's and the NRP. The first is that the neighborhoods currently act like little fiefdoms. The second is that there didn't use to be little feifdoms and now there are. The third is that this is bad. Rather then just assumptions and rhetoric. I would be interested in specifics. What is a fiefdom? What is an example of neighborhoods acting like a feifdom? What is the basis of the conclusion that feifdom behavior is the norm? When did the neighborhoods not act like feifdoms? When did that change? Is it correlated with the design of the NRP, or with the organic development of neighborhoods within a city structure? What is bad about neighborhoods focusig on issue on a neighborhood scale? What examples are there for where an individual neighborhood action has been harmful to the collective interests of the city? Everywhere I go in Minneapolis I see examples of neighborhoods working together. To me -- that appears to be the norm. When neighborhoods are working on their own, it is because the issue or the solution is specific to the local geographic area. Nowhere am I seeing neighborhoods at war. I have not see or heard any example of where fiefdom-ism has undermined collective civic interests. Of course, my experience may be atypical. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 ___ 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] Salary Votes
List, My comments on Councilmembers Schiff's inconsisitency had nothing to do with his votes on how the Mayor chose to organize his staff and what to pay them. My comments were a clarification on the inconsistency to which Scott Persons referred. Which had to do with the council leadership vote. The record is that Gary Schiff grabbed the microphone after the election to call for unanimous support of Ostrow's candidacy for Council president. But then when it came time to vote, voted for Barb Johnson. I then proposed a reason as to why. If Councilmember Schiff has a new vision for progress and change, which is different from the one that he has communicated in his literature and to the voters when he ran for office, it would be nice for him to publically share that vision. I would be interested in how Councilmember's micromanaging the organization of the Mayors office is a positive direction for the city. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale Neighborhood, Ward 10 ___ 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] Gary Schiff's mayoral staff salary critique
Brian, I believe that Scott was referring to Gary's celebrated comment after the election in the Star tribune where he called for unanimous support for Councilmember Ostrow. But then later -- when Ostrow decided he wasn't the most qualified member of the council to be chair of Zoning and Planning -- he switched his allegience to Councilmember Johnson. Of course he did do the honorable thing and make the obligatory motion for unanimous support of the newly elected chair after the election of the chair -- but the record should show that councilmember Schiff did not stand by the Mayor or the agenda for change when the time for rhetoric had passed and the votes were taken. Joseph Barisonzi Lyndale, Ward 10 ___ 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] www.aCityForNeighbors.org
For Immediate Release Contact: Joseph Barisonzi612-518-5536www.aCityForNeighbors.org Minneapolis Voters receive Report Card on their council members A City for Neighbors distributes 3000 report cards to DFL delegates before ward conventions start. Information available at www.aCityForNeighbors.org On Tuesday, February 26 over 3,000 DFL Minneapolis voters will receive a report card on how their council members have voted on key city issues. The report cards, produced and distributed by A City For Neighbors, calculates the percentage of "good neighbor" votes taken by the current 13 council members. The report card is a tool providing citizens the information they need to hold council members accountable for their most recent votes on issues such as affordable housing, subsidized development projects, the airport, environmental concerns and government ethics. The report card was simultaneously published at www.aCityforNeighbors.org with detailed research supporting each of the votes. According to Joseph Barisonzi, co-chair of A City for Neighbors, "In order to make voting decisions, citizens need to have information about how their Council Members are voting. We are providing a summary of important roll call votes. Citizens will make up their minds for themselves." Barisonzi further reports that "there is a very disturbing pattern of putting big money special interests ahead of people and neighborhoods our goal is to make the information available and support citizens to make up their own minds. We are confident the citizens will hold their elected officials accountable based on the public record." While the report card was initially sent to DFL delegates, Barisonzi said, "We are committed to sending this report card to every citizen in Minneapolis." A City for Neighbors has targeted DFL delegates because 12 of 13 council members are DFLers. The incumbents ward conventions are the first time citizens can hold their elected officials accountable in any election year. Who is A City for Neighbors?Formed less than two months ago, A City for Neighbors is a group of concerned Minneapolis residents who strive to advance a new vision for Minneapolis. A City for Neighbors, which does not endorse candidates, seeks to promote discussion and accountability by providing information to citizens about votes in City Hall that affect Minneapolis neighborhoods. A City for Neighbors is counting on positive feedback to provide the support to distribute this and other information tools to all Minneapolis voters. Why these votes?The selected votes were representative of the issues that have dominated public and media attention over the past 8 years. They are also the most indicative of the Citys skewed priorities: Block E, Target Store, Stadiums, our "affordable housing" money going for housing that is not really affordable at all. A City for Neighbors was committed to providing information on clean, single-subject votes where the issue being voted on was the only thing being voted on.Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
