Re: [Mpls] Rabbits
On Wed, July 20, 2005 12:12 pm, John Harris said: >> I'd say the population is up but before anybody starts setting out >> poison >> I'd ask that you let them be. > > I have had 2 large rabbits in my yard since i moved in. they mostly > keep to themselves and while i have a decent garden, they seem to like > the weeds best. We have had a peaceful co-existence but i will be > watching them this fall and winter. If they eat my roses like they > did last winter, I will not be waiting for an owl or hawk to correct > them of that mistake. Sorry. For their sake, I hope it snows early > and often. If it comes to that, for the hawks' sake, find a method other than poison. Robert Schmid Central 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] Rabbits
On Wed, July 20, 2005 10:46 am, Steve Brandt said: > I had three rabbits grazing in my front yard this morning, and they've had a feast this summer on one eggplant in particular and several broccoli plants. Co-workers say much the same, except for one living in Edina who has seen a fox roaming her "hood. I've been trying to convince folks here that there's a spike in the rabbit population, but nobody we've found so far seems to count rabbits. > > What have people on the List experienced? Does the rabbit population seem to be spiking in your area? I'm curious whether any of you who work in the city but live elsewhere have noticed the same thing in their suburb. I'd say the population is up but before anybody starts setting out poison I'd ask that you let them be. Redtail hawks have been becoming more and more common around the metro area but I still don't see many in Minneapolis proper. While squirrels are common, they are a more difficult prey. If we leave the rabbit population alone it could encourage the Redtail population and maybe some owl populations. Left to its own, nature will balance things out. Thanks, Robert Schmid Central 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] RE: motorcycles/Where did all the mufflers go?
> I asked in an earlier post: Is there a motorcycle in Mpls. that HAS a > muffler?? Mine does and I would love to find one that is quieter but I have been told there isn't much more I can do to quiet it. I love my motorcycle but I want it to be like one of those silent ones you see in old sci-fi movies. BTW, the argument "loud pipes save lives" is wrong. I had a bike with loud pipes behind me on the highway but somehow it sounded like it was on the wrong side of me. It caused me to rely on my hearing when I shouldn't have been - I mentally mapped him where he wasn't. Robert Schmid Mpls, MN I believe that scooters are a reasonable mode of transport at > this time but > the law requires mufflers. Is the law being enforced? I posit:NO. I would > like to know if List members feel a need for more enforcement there? > > Keith Reitman NearNorth > 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] RE: Smoking and Carts
> One more time on the smoking ban: the smoking ban is tyrannical because it > is another example of oppressive power exerted by government. The smoking > ban wasn't needed if those with enough faith in the market would allow it > to > do its job. Faith in the market is misplaced faith, indeed. The "great, invisible hand of the marketplace" fails as often, if not more often than it succeeds and smoking is a perfect example of that. If the market truly worked, then very, very few people would smoke. They would understand that "benefit" of smoking is far outweighed by its costs and never start. And yet, they do. Why is this? It's because the marketplace, like democracy, fails when the consumer/elector is not properly educated. (Two American economists won a Nobel prize proving this point.) When the consumer is overmarketed and undereducated he makes bad choices and supports bad products. I used to go to clubs. I had to stop because I found that breathing was a prerequisite to enjoying the evening. Now that the ban is in effect, I can once again go to those clubs and I enjoy them more than I ever did. The smoking ban hurts those bars where the proponents of the > ban > would never, ever stoop low enough to ever go into, if even to use the > phone > or the toilet. 99% of smoking ban proponents will never deign to patronize > 99% of the bars affected by this ban. The smoking ban is elitist and > patronizing and oppressive brought to us by the same people who > regularly whine about oppression and talk about making Minneaplis business > friendly. Wow, nice stereotyping. Some of my favorite places are the ones you are eluding to. If I didn't go in them before, it was because of the smoke pouring out the door. I find it difficult to fairly evaluate a place when I'm gagging and sick to my stomach from the smell. Along the same lines as smoke... perfume. I would love it if all perfume departments were kept in an airtight room so that I don't accidently pass in front of them. Victoria's Secret is a great example of this (or used to be), you can get asphixiated just by walking past the door. (The City Center VS was the worst, I use to avoid that entire side of the mall because of it.) Robert Schmid Central 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] Pizza Delivery redlining? (Luce, Galactic Pizza, anybody else?)
> I would like to chime in in defense of Galactic only to the extent that > each delivery place needs to have boundaries and unfortunately 35W makes > an obvious one. Getting from one side to the other has limitations > because of how many roads cross it. I've heard this excuse but, having driven cab in Mpls, I consider it B.S. especially for Lake Street oriented businesses. The one-way system of 26th & 28th make a very fast commute. Besides, in the case of Luce, we share 31st St as the single obvious route between us. But that was not GP's excuse, they claimed their electric cars have a limited range. If 1.1 miles is too far then there cars are an extremely inefficient form of technology that should be abandoned. I suggest bicycles; the range is 10-100 times farther, depending on the rider. Distance and access are not vaild excuses in this case, they are smoke screens. As I pointed out in my original post I've SEEN Papa John's Map, the highway is not the divider. My area is marked in red and labeled PICK-UP only. Robert Schmid Central 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] Pizza Delivery redlining? (Luce, Galactic Pizza, anybody else?)
I know my neighborhood has been redlined by Papa Johns Pizza, I've seen the map. However, to my surprise Pizza Luce on Lyndale, a mere ONE mile from door will not deliver to me. However, Pizza Luce on Seward TWO miles away now does. (Thank you to the Seward Crew!) When I originally asked the new Luce on Lyndale why they didn't deliver I was given a frank "It's a bad neighborhood" by one of the drivers. Last night, I discovered that my neighborhood may be redlined by Galactic Pizza. They claimed that their electric cars had a limited range so 35W was the cut off line. I drove the route from my house to GP and from there to a friends apartment which has been delivered to. Guess what? The distances were the SAME. I would like to here from anyone who is more than 1.1 miles from Galactic Pizza or the Lyndale Pizza Luce to find and who has had one of these places deliver pizza to them. I am especially disappointed by this from Galactic Pizza who claims to be "Pizza with a Conscience." Redlining is not good conscience. Robert Schmid Central 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] "Stadiumus Giganticus!"
>> As anyone on here that reads my posts knows, I am totally opposed to a >> tax payer funded stadium. I have made comments to the effect that I >> could warm up to the idea under the right circumstances. Public >> ownership would be one of them. In fact I would be more than willing >> (interested) in owning stock in them. Its one of the things that has >> kept the Packers in Green Bay all these years, and they are a MUCH >> smaller market than we are here. > > history of packer community ownership. > http://www.packers.com/history/fast_facts/stock_history/ > > packer stock is worthless. you get to vote but get nothing else. it > doesn't appreciate, you can't sell it but back to the packers for a > fraction of the purchase price. I don't believe the stock allows you > to make any decisions on the direction of the team. when the team > needs more money, they sell more stock, effectively making your share > even more worthless. Interesting. What I'm hearing here is that you're more than happy to SPEND *my* money on a Stadium but you aren't willing to INVEST yours for the same purpose. I keep hearing that the Stadium will be an economic boon to the community but now I'm hearing that it's not worth buying stock in... > > the presence of stock isn't what kept the packers in green bay... > > Based on the original 'Articles of Incorporation for the (then) Green > Bay Football Corporation' put into place in 1923, if the Packers > franchise was sold, after the payment of all expenses, any remaining > monies would go to the Sullivan-Wallen Post of the American Legion in > order to build "a proper soldier's memorial." This stipulation was > enacted to ensure that the club remained in Green Bay and that there > could never be any financial enhancement for the shareholder. The > beneficiary was changed from the Sullivan-Wallen Post to the Green Bay > Packers Foundation on the basis of a shareholder vote at the November > 1997, meeting. There is a big difference between a for-profit owner and a non-profit beneficiary. You can find out what the Packers Foundation does with its money here - http://www.packers.com/community/packers_foundation/. Robert Schmid Central 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] Most drug arrests are local residents
> In my continuing effort to bust this outsider myth I > turned to Allan Knox, an analyst for the Minneapolis > Police Department. He ran a report for all people > arrested on narcotics charges from May 1, 2004 through > April 30, 2005 > > In that time there were 2,969 individuals arrested in > Minneapolis listing NARC as the charged violation. 389 > did not list a residence city. > > 1,836, or 71%, listed Minneapolis as their home town. > 745 or 28% listed a city other than Minneapolis. > > Now, Allan reminded me that one statistic does not a > case make, but my point still stands: The majority of > drugs bought and sold in Minneapolis are by people who > live in Minneapolis. You conclusion is fallacious. The data only shows that the majority of people ARRESTED for narcotics live in Minneapolis. It shows nothing about buying or selling. I conclude from this data that the police are letting suburban drug users get away. (And that conclusion is equally unsupported by the statistics.) > > A Star Tribune article this morning backs up my point > as well. 31% of boys and 17% of girls in 12th grade > in Minneapolis public school report being sold, given > or offered illegal drugs at school. And the statistics for suburban, exurban and rural schools IN COMPARISON are...? Robert Schmid Central 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] Are Mpls Gang Members Terrorist?
Absolutely not. The Patriot Act is a terribly written piece of
legislation which fails to adequately define what a terrorist is and
represents one of the most anti-democratic and anti-freedom actions since
the McCarthy era and is no better than the human rights violations caused
by the US when it imprisoned innocent Japanese-Americans during WWII.
Terrorism is "The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a
person or an organized group against people or property with the intention
of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for
ideological or political reasons."
Gangs have existed in America for centuries. They are always violent and
they are always criminal but they never exhibit a political agenda.
If we start labeling gang members as 'terrorists' then we might as well
label all criminals as terrorists. We might as well label every
schoolyard bully and abusive mate as a terrorist. Doing so would
undermine the core of criminal justice system which dictates that the
state must PROVE a person's guilt before depriving them of liberty
("innocent until proven guilty.")
The PATRIOT Act, with its secret courts, secret evidence and other
unconstitutional provisions seeks to reverse this policy and turn us into
another "guilty until proven innocent" state.
This is exactly the problem with the PATRIOT Act, that politicians and
citizens who are ignorant of its contents will try and turn this terrible
weapon inward upon us. That we, the "greatest democracy in the history of
the world" are so quick to sacrifice our freedom for the ILLUSION of
security.
I am deeply disappointed in Mr. Terril and Councilman Samuels. They
should both be ashamed of themselves.
Robert Schmid
Central
> St. Paul Director of Human Rights Tyron Terrill has sent shock waves
> through the African American community with his open letter calling gang
> members terrorist and calling for the to stop their activity by June 1. I
> have attached a link to Mr. Terrill's letter, Council Member Don Samuels
> response to Mr. Terrill, and link to my column on the subject. By calling
> gang members terrorist we will make them subject to the Patriot Act.
> Should our gang members in Minneapolis be called terrorist? I hope you
> enjoy reading the columns.
>
> Tyron Terrill's letter
> http://www.spokesman-recorder.com/News/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=56955&sID=16
>
>
> Council Member Don Samuels e-mail response to Tyron Terrill's letter
>
>>>> "Samuels, Don H" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 5/7/2005
> 11:42:29 PM >>>
> Tyrone,
> I am all for this. You should know that I had a conversation with
> Spike
> several months ago in which we discussed personal visits to homes of
> known gang members and dealers at which to announce such a
> declaration.
> I was a little dissuaded by Don Banham who felt we needed specific and
> actionable repercussions if the activity did not cease. I was a little
> stumped by that criterion and held back.
>
> But if you are at this point and Spike is also, and other leaders who
> are known advocates for our youth are at this point, then we have
> critical mass to make a Metro wide declaration which would notice our
> terrorists that they are on their own as of that date.
>
> I propose that we also move quickly to put in place, as many positive
> alternatives as we can for these guys. These alternatives should be in
> one packet, easily interpreted and with people standing by to assist
> the
> interested. This summer is a good year to start. Today I ran into two
> "strong" women, one left the city a year after being broken into 4
> times. The other is leaving by August for similar reasons. Both are
> African American model citizens. I hear this every day. We must stop
> this bleeding.
>
> The black papers MUST come on board. KMOJ MUST come on board. The
> black
> cable show hosts MUST come on board. We must thoroughly establish the
> new ethic in every corner of our community's consciousness.
>
> Please keep me up to date on the response you receive and I will do my
> part to spread the word.
>
> It is Time!!!
>
> Don
>
>
> My Column
> http://www.spokesman-recorder.com/News/Article/Article.asp?NewsID=56945&sID=16
>
>
> Booker T Hodges
> Near North
> 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
>
Re: [Mpls] Basim Sabri sentenced to 33 months
Brian Herron confessed immediately and assisted investigators in closing the loop. Without his help, Sabri may not have been caught at all. Who knows, if Sabri had made a plea agreement as quickly as Herron did, he might have gotten off with much less. What's more, Herron's career as a public servant is over. Sabri's career as a developer has years to go. Robert Schmid Central > > > What is worst? Trying to bribe a city official or being a city official > and > taking a bribe? > > > > Didnt Herron receive a year? Sabri gets 33 months 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] NO SALES TAX on Twins Tickets?!?!?!?!
> 10 Local taxes. Sales of admissions to baseball events are exempt from > local sales taxes. > > So this has Mpls giving up land it owns without repayment, and then > exempts tickets from local taxes. THIS is ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS!!! Robert Schmid Central 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] The price *I* pay for a stadium. (Was "Stadia")
> Outdoor baseball has an intangible > benefit to the community that I appreciate. I think it is worth the > cost. I have only seen the people of Minnesota completely united 3 > times in my lifetime, 1987, 1991 and 9/11. What is that worth, what was > the cost? All three were fleeting. (The unity of 9/11 lasted a little longer but also resulted in a terrible schizm in this country with one-half believing that 9/11 has been misused for political gain and the other half believing something else.) With regard to the price *I* pay for the Twins games - that price comes in increased traffic in my neighborhood after games which draws in prositution and drug dealing as fans migrate through back to their homes or whereever. No, that price is too high for a fleeting moment of your illusion of unity. Our police our underfunded as it is. I call and call and call to move the hookers and the pimps. But *I* am the one who has to clean up the garbage, the beer bottles, the underwear and the condoms. Who will compensate me for *my* time, inconvenience and risks to my safety? What share of that tax will go to *me* for the devaluation of my property as a result of this? Will I see Twins fans on my corner driving out the pimps and dealers for me after the games? I don't think so. So, no, the old one isn't worth the cost and the new one won't be worth the cost. Although, I might be willing to pay to get my neighborhood out from the umbra of the stadium. However, I really don't want to shove my problems into North Minneapolis. Let some other city have the stadium, one that can afford the burden. Robert Schmid Central 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] The ONLY NoStadiumTax Candidate
There is a candidate running for mayor who represents those of us who believe that the stadium is a boondoggle and a betrayal of faith by both of the other canidates. Her website which discusses the ISSUES is here; http://www.hakeemformayor.org/issues.shtml You may contact the campaign here; http://www.hakeemformayor.org/contact.shtml And you may donate here; http://www.hakeemformayor.org/support.shtml#donate 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] The other white meat?
> ops a day His whole campaign has been designed to paper over any > difference between us. We're both the same, we're both the same. And > when I raise any substantive differences, it's called negative > campaigning. Gosh, that sounds familiar. Where have I seen that scenario before? Oh, yeah, the last two presidential campaigns. Will the Democrats never learn? Robert Schmid Central 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] Wealth and moral virtue
> Often people, on the left and on the right, confuse wealth or the lack of > it > with some sort of moral quality. > > Having wealth is a socioeconomic status...being wealthy does not imbue > that > person with an evil or good nature. No, but having extra resources or even inate advantages, I believe, carries a moral RESPONSIBILITY. I believe in the concept of noblesse oblige which, literally translated means "nobility obligates." In ethical discussion, it is sometimes used to summarize a moral economy wherein privilege must be balanced by duty towards those who lack such privilege or who cannot perform such duty. It has been used recently primarily to refer to public responsibilities of the rich, famous and powerful, notably to provide good examples of behavior or to exceed minimal standards of decency. (http://www.answers.com/noblesse+oblige&r=67) I believe that noblesse oblige applies to us all. We all have a responsibility to recognize the advantages we do have and to use them responsibly. The greatest example of noblesse oblige are probably never seen, but the greatest violations of noblesse oblige often are. Robert Schmid Central 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] Celebrity Tax
Actually, David's suggestion was to tax wealth over a certain limit. His choice was arbitrary but it could be reasonably keyed to an index which predicts the amount necessary to live off of at a comfortable level for, oh say, 70 years including inflation. Actually, this is not a terrible idea. Any system needs energy to keep running. For an economy, money is that energy. If its all bound up and not flowing, the economy slows down. When individuals have excessive fortunes that they can not use, that money either sits and does nothing or it gathers more money to it. In these cases, it wouldn't hurt to release a portion of that money each year. Such a tax might encourage greater charitable giving or it might encourage more investment in businesses and technologies which would otherwise be considered too risky. In any case, jobs are created and money starts flowing. Robert Schmid Central > David Shove writes: >> Or a Wealth Tax. Tax not just income from this year, but all accumulated >> wealth. Annually take a certain percentage of wealth over, say, 10 >> million >> dollars. Pohlad et al could either pay or move. >> >> This would make the rich smaller, and the poor taller, so we might be >> able >> to play a fairer game on our playing fields. > > David suggests taxing savings. Money kept in savings and investments by > wealthy people fuel our entire banking system. If Pohlad (a popular target > for dislike) and the like didn't have large amounts of money in the bank, > I > wouldn't have been able to finance my home. Where do you suppose banks get > the money to lend us poor folks? > > Should a person who has worked his or her entire life building a > substantial > nest-egg to retire then have to fork over a portion of their (already > taxed) > assets every year, until they have nothing left and have to find a way to > earn money at 80, or until they have the same mediocre financial condition > as those who did not work so hard? > > Would a home, or land be included in assets? If (for example) Pohlad sold > the Twins and any other income generating businesses he has a stake in, > and > retired, would he have to give up his boat? His house? His vacation home? > How about his art and jewelery? > > Taxing wealth is counter-productive to our economy. The concept is the > product of envy, a rather ugly emotion. > > It isn't in the purview of city government to do so, any more than the > city > can tax income (thank God). > 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] Security for the rich, screw the rest
We have had open firefights in south Mpls this year and the city is going to spend $700K to combat panhandlers and public urination. http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5371189.html Gang violence is being squeezed on the North side so the gangs are starting to move southward. We are, by some estimates, short by 200 officers but DOWNTOWN gets extra money to roust those nasty panhandlers. Money for Millionaires and more cops for safe places. The people setting priorities in this town need to be fired. 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] The only acceptable public stadium deal
There is only one public stadium deal I can accept. A 30 year fixed mortgage at Prime Rate with the mortgage placed on the TEAM. That way, if the team leaves, we still get our investment back. I would be happy to LEND the Twins $360M. I know Mr. Pohlad would happy to do the same for any of us. 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] Stadium deal
> They've only been advertising family package > deals for about 40 years now. It's common knowledge > that baseball is the cheapest family sports > entertainment available. I really don't know what more > they should be required to do when the slightest > investigation reveals this as obvious. How about paying for their own stadium? Why am I being forced to give money to an unprofitable corporation with no hope of recovery on my investment. > >>I wholeheartedly support this as the best deal > we're going to see for years to come, and ballparks > won't get any cheaper as the years acrue. >> >> Jon Gorder Cathedral Hill Then it's not worth it and we can do without it. 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] RE: Twins Stadium
> I agree with the recent posting by, I think, Mr. Greene, noting that > transportation reform advocates have been attempting the nearly impossible > task of getting a small regional sales tax for transit, something of huge > importance for the lives of real people and the vitality of the Twin > Cities for decades into the future. Do we have a priority issue here? > > Chuck Holtman > Prospect Park Well, let's see. Looking at Peter McLaughlin's 2002 fundraising report (http://www16.co.hennepin.mn.us/cfrs/getReport.pdf?seq=4&ids=84) I can find four Pohlad's making maximum donations to his campaign but I don't recognize any transportation advocates on the list. You do the math. 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] Re: Mpls Wifi proposal advances
Becca Vargo Daggett wrote: > Wed, 20 Apr 2005 07:25:49 -0700 > Jeanne brings up the most important point - who will own it, whose rules > will guide operation? > That owner will have a natural monopoly over citywide wireless. This is a big concern for me. Becca, I don't know if you you used the phrase 'natural monopoly' intuitively or from its legal context but, in either case internet service is NEVER a natural monopoly and to allow it to be become a monopoly undermines the core technology that makes the internet so powerful and reliable. I am concerned about the effect that this system might have on existing LOCAL ISPs. Under no circumstances should this system be given into the hands of some internet giant. In fact, I think that only local ISPs should be given a chance to bid on it, even if they do act in consortium. I do want this system, but I want it run on the best technology with the best protocols and as a decentralized system, the way the internet was designed to be. 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] Raucouscaucus revealed at last
H, perhaps it would have been better for us to let him hide and just remain a nuisance, rather than to shine the grow light of exposure that may allow him to grow and blossom into an even greater force than he is now...? I don't really care one way or the other. However, it was annoying to have someone subscribing with false identities to listserves I run. Now perhaps, he (or whoever) can stick to one address. Since you don't seem to mind sharing the "public" information of others, I think it's only fair to share yours, don't you agree? Oh my Gosh! No! That information can only be found in the phone book! Yes, it *is* public information. Owning domain names and hosting websites carries some small amount of responsibility, perhaps not unlike owning a newspaper. If I publish defamatory material, the victim has a right to know who is responsible for it. Even if the material is not defamatory or actionable, people have a right to know who is behind it to test its veracity. If I am going to take the time to make a public statement, here or via web, I am not going to hide behind anonymity. Doing so only weakens my statements. I certainly value my privacy, but I have nothing to hide - especially if John Ashcroft thinks I should keep quiet. Robert Schmid Central 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] Raucouscaucus revealed at last
The identity of raucouscaucus.com has, at last been revealed. For some this will be a surprise, for others a confirmation. Apparently, Melbourne IT, the domain registrar did not like false information in the domain records; Domain Name.. raucouscaucus.com Creation Date 2002-12-14 Registration Date 2002-12-14 Expiry Date.. 2003-12-14 Organisation Name Ken Avidor Organisation Address. 3629 Grand Ave Organisation Address. Organisation Address. Minneapolis Organisation Address. 55409 Organisation Address. MN Organisation Address. UNITED STATES Admin Name... Ken Avidor Admin Address 3629 Grand Ave Admin Address Admin Address Minneapolis Admin Address 55409 Admin Address MN Admin Address UNITED STATES Admin Email.. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Admin Phone.. 612-827-0545 Admin Fax +61.3 96202250 Tech Name Domain Administration Services Tech Address. Level 2 Tech Address. 120 King Street Tech Address. Melbourne Tech Address. 3000 Tech Address. VIC Tech Address. AUSTRALIA Tech Email... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tech Phone... +61.3 86242400 Tech Fax. +61.3 96202250 Name Server.. yns1.yahoo.com Name Server.. yns2.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] What is your [school] list up to today?
What WOULD Einstein do? He was a professor - I suspect that he would applaud these children for stretching their minds. He was a survivor of Nazi germany - He would applaud these children for using the voice they still have. He was an opponent of war. You do the math. And he showed that Newton was wrong. And Lincoln? I seem to remember he had some pretty strong politcal opinions. What about Eisenhower, who warned us against the rise of the military-industrial complex? Or Theodore Roosevelt who said - "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” I was taught Thoreau. Who taught me about civil disobedience. Did my school make a mistake? What about Oppenheimer? - he was also a physicist. Or is his history a little too embarrassing? What about Schroedinger? Heisenberg? You don't even want to know what those two little subversives were hiding in their equations. Or Darwin? Knowledge held in common? That must be a very tiny amount of information. On Thursday, March 20, 2003, at 12:34 PM, Craig Miller wrote: express our values. What if they aren't your neighbors or neighbors children's values? Then we start a DIALOG. Robert Schmid Central 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] Children protesting (Field School) Proud Parent (Correction)
On Thursday, March 20, 2003, at 11:04 AM, ken bradley wrote: The teachers did not have the students vote for walk out at Field Middle School yesterday. The staff was truly surprised by the students walking out, and they have been informed future walk outs will have consequences. I think that is as it should be. The student walkout, regardless of who organized or led it, was an excellent lesson in the exercise of first amendment rights. But the lesson would be lost if some or all of the students did it because they thought it was fun. In order to make the lesson viable, it should reflect real-world implications, i.e. if you break the rules, their will be consequences. I hope the students do walk out again. I hope their parents encourage them to do so. For the first time since 9/12/02 I have hope that we will once again be 'the land of the free and the home of the brave' instead of the land of "make me safe!" Robert Schmid Central 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] Green party endorses Character Assassination
STRIDE is responding with the only ammunition they have left. I have noticed a tendency on the part of the city to treat Phillips/Central rather like the U of MN treats its students. If a project is unpopular, just wait a few years and implement it quietly. Time and again projects are opposed and time and again they are revitalized by those who stand to directly profit from them. Just as with the executive branch and the "war", the conflicts of interest in this project run deep. Unless/until these conflicts are brought into the open, there is no hope for an honest discussion. Robert Schmid Central On Wednesday, March 12, 2003, at 11:49 AM, Scott Persons wrote: Apparently civility and respect did not make the list of Green values if they are endorsing STRIDE. The tactics employed by STRIDE thus far are embarrassing to witness, I'm all for an honest discussion of the impacts of this project but time and again the folks at STRIDE choose to focus on personalities and demonizing supporters of this project. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs but I am disappointed to see the Green Party endorse a group that employs these abusive methods. In cooperation, Scott Persons Lyndale Neighborhood Ward 10 TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Govenor Pawlenty Should Demand Rep. Linder Step down
We have language which invokes a 'single affirmation of individual
rights, equal protection, and due process' somewhere in our laws ...let
me look... oh, yeah - the CONSTITUTION - well, except that black slaves
were considered 3/5 human, indians were excluded altogether ("not
taxed") and of course, women weren't really counted because they were
property too.
Each of these categories has been added in time because each one has
been used as an unjust reason to discriminate against whole groups of
people. Someday, I hope this will be an obsolete blue-law. But until
then, bigots will, like children, seek to discriminate against someone
and cry "it's not in the law" unless we use specific language.
Robert Schmid
Minneapolis
On Wednesday, March 12, 2003, at 09:48 AM, Michael Atherton wrote:
"Minneapolis City Charter
141.40. Substantive and Procedural Powers and Duties of Commission.
Commission on Civil Rights Home
The Commission shall:
(1) Seek to prevent and eliminate bias and discrimination because of
race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex
affectional preference, disability, age, marital status, status with
regard to public assistance or familial status by means of
education."
So, can someone explain to me why all these specific classes
of discrimination cannot be covered by a single affirmation
of individual rights, equal protection, and due process?
Is the City going to progress through history by incrementally
adding new classes of discrimination as they become politically
and socially fashionable, or just when their political lobbies
become powerful enough?
Michael Atherton
Prospect Park
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Re: [Mpls] Proven cop offense - cut 1 cop
Or this could have the effect of cutting one of the good cops, in essence removing a control rod from a nuclear core. The idea is right but simply cut the cop who is convicted. With the lottery good cops may become more vigilent, but bad cops will become more brutal knowing that they only have a 0.1% chance of losing their jobs for their actions. Robert Schmid Central On Thursday, February 27, 2003, at 12:27 AM, David Shove wrote: Q: How do we bring give the police force reason to obey the law and not beat the daylights out of minorites, poor, mentally disturbed etc citizens? A: Every time there is a proven brutality, one position will be cut from the police force. If it is set at say 900, it gets cut to 899. Then ALL of the officers are given a number from 001 to 900, and 3 "power ball" single digit balls are drawn, preferably on TV with lots of fanfare. The number, and then the associated name, of the officer is displayed, and he/she is thereby FIRED and may not be replaced. How long do you think it would take before ALL the cops were enforcing the most decorous polite behavior on ALL other cops? If brutality anywhere could mean the loss of his/her job, how long until Mpls had the best police force on earth? --David Shove Roseville On Wed, 26 Feb 2003, Steve Brandt wrote: Steve Brandt: I believe that people are referring to this incident, encapsulated in this morning's paper: In 1997, Storlie shot and wounded Lawrence Miles Jr., who was 15 at the time, in south Minneapolis after Miles ran past him with a BB gun. Storlie shot Miles, believing the teenager was pointing a gun at his partner. Miles and a friend were playing BB-gun tag in the 3600 block of Chicago Av. at 1:30 a.m. when that shooting happened. Storlie was exonerated by the Police Department and the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. Last year, a federal jury found no police brutality in that case and declined to award money to Miles. Steve Brandt Star Tribune TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls 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] Choking Geese - followup
Dr. Cooper was good enough to give me a lesson in bird banding as related to Geese. His response is printed below. I continue to be amazed at the diversity of design between different species. Begin forwarded message: Dear Mr. Schmid, The neckbanded Canada goose observed on the Miss. River (PJ19) was banded five years ago just upriver at the Broadway Bridge area on 7/23/1998. The bird--an adult breeding female--was trapped as part of a research on aircraft-Canada goose collisions at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. My records show that PJ19 was retrapped at Broadway and the band inspected for cracks and neck for injures on July 11, 2001. None were found and the bird was released. Neckbands are used to measure goose movements and survival, and to the identify individual birds in behavioral studies. Canada goose neckbands were first used in the early 1960's after a period of captive testing and redesign. Their use is authorized by the USFWS Bird Banding Laboratory. To date neckbands have been placed on 100,000+ Canada including the endangered Aleutian Canada goose. The published literature and our observations of more than 7,000 neckbanded geese show no records of Canada geese being choked or injured by neckbands of the PJ19 design. The neckband observed may have appeared to be 5-inches long but could not have been because PJ19 is a standard neckband of 2.5 inches length. Neckbands when sealed are 1.25 inches inside-diameter and rigid. This design permits the band to slide up and down the neck--but not over the bird's head--and the free passage of food and water. The movement of the rigid bands also removes mud and other debris that adheres to the inside of the band. Studies comparing neckbanded goose behavior with non-banded geese show a slight higher (2-3%) level of preening but otherwise no differences in feeding, sleeping, or locomotion. To the causal observer, neckbands may appear too tight at times but are not. Geese have erectile neck feathers. When erected during aggressive posturing or fighting, the feathers double the diameter of the neck. During cold weather, the neck feathers may be erected to conserve heat, thus make the neckband diameter appear too small compared to the neck diameter. Goose necks also can show temporary bulges. Lacking a crop similar to chickens and may other birds, geese have an elastic esophagus which enlarges when they feed on dry grass or grain. After accumulating a mass of food, the goose drinks and material is then soften and passed through the esophagus. There are cases in the literature of geese dying from a impacted esophagus as a result of feeding on dry soybeans but no similar instances have been reported for neckbanded geese. Thank you for your concern; please let me know if you have further questions. Jim Cooper -- Dr. Jim Cooper Professor Emeritus Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology University of Minnesota 1980 Folwell Ave. St. Paul, MN 55108 Voice: 612-624-1223 651-644-6206 Fax:612-625-5299 Pager: 612-527-0323 on 1/8/03 2:10 PM, Robert Schmid at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Is this one of your geese? Could the tag have been misapplied? Begin forwarded message: From: "Schmiesing, Elizabeth H." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wed Jan 8, 2003 1:51:25 PM US/Central To: "'Caffeinate The World'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: RE: [Mpls] Choking Geese I believe that the tagging is done by the University of Minnesota, by a professor named Jim Cooper. Betsy Schmiesing Linden Hills snip I saw 22 geese at the Mississippi river bank behind the Federal Reserve building today during lunch. One of the geese had what looked like a 5 inch long black tube with the label PJ19. The "tube" wasn't flexible so when the geese bent down to drink, there was a sharp crease on its neck at the top of the "tube". The crease was similar to a crease in a filled garden hose when you snap the hose. Not only was the tube too long, but it was too narrow. The geese looked like it was choking. Which group would put such a label on the geese? There has to be a better way to tag them. 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
Re: [Mpls] Junk Mail - A Minneapolis Problem
Fair enough, but some of these businesses serve legitimate mailing purposes instead of or in addition to Junk Mail. When I searched Qwestdex for Advertising Direct Mail in Minneapolis I found only 7, not 47. Perhaps the other 40 are in the suburbs or only have a phone/mail forwarding presence? But the point still stands - with regard to mailers from outside Minneapolis, they are exploiting public services without paying for them and our local junk mailers are doing the same in thousands of other communities. As for Billy Graham - since they have sent me nothing, I can assume they are not buying my name off of mailing lists from others. I can hope that they are only communicating with people with whom they have, in fact, established a relationship. And to use at least some of your own words; "So although some may not like it, drug dealers and prostitutes are located in Minneapolis, do pay taxes [(at least sales taxes)] in Minneapolis and do provide jobs in Minneapolis." Does this mean I should accept drugs and prostitution because it contributes to the economy? Finally, I might be more willing to pay attention to political and charitable mail if I didn't get so much other commercial crap. Robert Schmid Central On Monday, January 6, 2003, at 11:28 AM, Terrell Brown wrote: -Original Message----- From: Robert Schmid Subject: [Mpls] Junk Mail - A Minneapolis Problem For the most part these junk mailers are not located in Minneapolis, do not pay taxes in Minneapolis and do not provide jobs in Minneapolis. They use and exploit our public services without even BEING here. [TB] Ah contraire ... they are here. A quick search revealed these with addresses of "Minneapolis, MN" and by the way isn't the largest mailer from the Minneapolis Post Office the Billy Graham Evangelical Association? So although some may not like it, these mailers are located in Minneapolis, do pay taxes in Minneapolis and do provide jobs in Minneapolis. The entire list looks like lots of jobs ... many in North Minneapolis. Sorry, I hate to let a few facts get in the way of a good rant. ___ 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] Junk Mail - A Minneapolis Problem
On Saturday, January 4, 2003, at 02:12 PM, Chuck Holtman wrote: Mr. Marshall states (1) that many, many people make their living from the production and distribution of junk mail and (2) that the junk mail industry would not exist if it were not successful at selling products. Mr. Marshall also states that "the appropriateness of the product" is "another issue." The exact same argument can be made to support drugs and prostitution, with one exception. I would argue that drugs and prostitution provide "valuable goods and services" whereas junk mail does not. Junk mailers are thieves. They steal our time and our money. Specifically they steal our taxpayer money by making us store their garbage in our landfills. An estimated 12.2 MILLION pounds of junk mail are hauled away as garbage in Minneapolis. (35.7 M lbs in Hennepin county). For the most part these junk mailers are not located in Minneapolis, do not pay taxes in Minneapolis and do not provide jobs in Minneapolis. They use and exploit our public services without even BEING here. Further a lot of the junk mail I receive is from very questionable businesses. How many of our citizens are being duped by shady and unethical business practices originating from these mailers. So I ask our Council Members who are on this list. What does it cost us each year to dispose of 12.2 Million pounds of garbage each year? What are you doing to recover these costs on our behalf? What is being done to locate and prosecute the Spam Lords? I would rather spend my taxpayer money on rehabilitation of those lured into the world of spam so that they can be productive, honest citizens again. It is a far better use of our money than throwing it into a hole where the acids will leech into our groundwater. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood ___ 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] but it IS Junk mail.
Merriam Webster is wrong. To be more fair, Merriam Webster is out of date. The modern definition of junk mail is best defined as; Unsolicited mail, email, fax or phone calls for the purpose of generating sales, support, contributions or marketing information. Your reliance on mail class and addressing scheme is disingenuous in the face of modern computers, databases and mailing machines. It was junk mail. Bristle all you want. I recently signed a petition against Dubya's war. I asked them to NOT put me on the mailing list. Guess what! I got mail from them. It went right into my circular file with the other pound of crap I get each day. It was junk mail. Those flyers on my car? Junk mail. I will defend the legal right of political campaigns to do this - political speech must be protected. But I WILL protect my privacy. If it invades my home, my phone or my email box and its unwanted it IS Junk Mail. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood On Friday, January 3, 2003, at 11:17 AM, Terrell Brown wrote: -Original Message- From: Joseph Barisonzi 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. ... 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? [TB] I recall hearing at a campaign management class a few years ago that for a candidate to be successful s/he needed to get his or her name in front of a voter 7 times. In this case the election was to a certain extent unexpected and many of the candidates didn't have high levels of name recognition. It was also a rather long ballot with, what, 20 names. And, oh by the way, the election did not get a whole lot of media attention. So how is a candidate expected to introduce himself to the voters? Probably can't door knock the entire 3rd Ward in a month (or less). You certainly don't tell much about yourself on a lawn sign or billboard. Television (even radio) advertising is expensive and especially when you are paying to send it well beyond your target audience. That leaves neighborhood newspapers and direct mail. With direct mail I can use a voter list which should be rather up to date since there was an election only a couple of months ago. If I were the candidate or campaign manager, I'd be mailing as much as I could afford. I'd try to mail to likely voters if I could identify them, but I'd mail as much as I could afford. The candidate's job is to introduce him/herself to voters, direct mail is part of that job. I think that those who object to a candidate's use of direct mail are doing so because they support another candidate. An informed voter should appreciate all the information they can get. Terrell Brown Loring Park terrell at terrellbrown dot org ___ 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 Primary- Sly Di's Political Postmortem (Street Price= $.25)
On Tuesday, December 31, 2002, at 01:29 PM, dyna wrote: Drawing not quite 10% of the vote Shane Price provided further evidence that the Green Party is no longer a force in national or local politics. It is with some sadness that I watch the Green Party's departure from the world of major party status at midnight tonight. This is incredibly and sadly short sighted. If there is one thing that really sets Greens apart from the all other parties it is the ability to think and work with long term goals in mind. For these other groups "long" means three years. Greens think decades ahead. So, do not assume that the Greens are done. That is exactly the same as thinking that failed to foresee the bursting of the tech-bubble and the crash of the stock market. ___ 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] Voter turnout - BETTER than 2000?
I developed a spreadsheet of precinct voting from 2000 a while back. Based on reports thus far, it is fair to compare this year's voter turnout with the 2K Presidential election. My numbers aren't accurate due to redistricting of course but in one case, turnout at 10:30 was already 50% of 2000. I can't wait to see the final results. I'll just be happy to see a high voter turnout. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid ___ 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] Minneapolis Turnout
I was voter number 68 around 8:10am. Normally, I would have been voter #10 at best. Central 8-3 (?). On Tuesday, November 5, 2002, at 08:51 AM, Kurt Waltenbaugh wrote: ECCO 10-3: I was voter 263 at 8:30am, out of 2,386 registered in the 2000 election. The line held 40-50 more people, and was fairly constant while I was there. Any other stats/predictions for turnout this year? KtW> -- Kurt Waltenbaugh [EMAIL PROTECTED] ECCO, Ward 10-3 Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid
[Mpls] MN Green Party opposes Referendum to terminate Hennepin Conservation District
Last week the Minnesota 5th District Green Party voted to oppose the upcoming referendum to terminate the existence of the Hennepin Conservation District. Dissolution of the HCD violates two key values of the MN Green Party - Ecological Wisdom and Grassroots Democracy. The Hennepin Conservation District (also called the Hennepin Soil & Water Board) and other Soil & water Boards are the only environmental agencies which are governed by a democratically elected Board of Supervisors. To learn more about the Hennepin Conservation District and the referendum go to http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid. DON'T GIVE UP YOUR VOICE! PLEASE vote; X Against the termination of the Hennepin Conservation District. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid ___ 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] Where are all the lawn signs?
Perhaps you are calling the wrong party. I've done plenty of envelope stuffing and lit dropping this year and I expect to do more. The Green Party - grassroots democracy, the way it ought to be. On Tuesday, October 22, 2002, at 02:19 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: A couple of people have questioned the dearth of lawn signs this year and I think I know why. I suspect all the money is going to other forms of advertising that are deemed to have a bigger bang for the buck. Alas, campaigns are changing. In the old days everything was done by volunteers and the work was simple, make calls, pound lawnsigns, stuff envelopes. One of the friends recently called a U. S. Senate campaign office and volunteered to help. The only thing the person who answered the phone could offer was the opportunity to host a fundraiser. So this is what it has come to - raise money to hire consultants to make media buys. How sad. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid ___ 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] Legalize drugs now
There is a difference Michael. Legalization would make drugs legally accessible, taxable and commercially available. De-criminalization would not necessarily make drugs commercially available but would treat drug-use as a medical condition not a criminal offense. In other words, addicts would get medical assistance instead of jail time. There is, of course, a spectrum of scenarios between legalization and de-criminalization that involves a variety of different approaches to different questions e.g.; Would it be legal to grow/make and sell drugs or only for personal use? How available would drugs be (by prescription only, Over the counter, in vending machines)? On Sunday, October 20, 2002, at 04:10 PM, Michael Hohmann wrote: All these comments on legalizing illicit drugs raises a question in my mind; from a legal perspective, what is the difference between legalization and decriminalization? Seems a primary intent is to take the profits and violence out of these enterprises... How do the two concepts differ? Could the city (county or state) be any more effective in one area vs. the other? Does the city/county even hold any standing in any of these areas- or is it a moot point at this level? Any legal scholars, jail-house lawyers, or informed list members care to comment? Michael Hohmann Linden Hills -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:mpls-admin@;mnforum.org]On Behalf Of Anderson & Turpin Sent: Sunday, October 20, 2002 3:31 PM To: mpls@mnforum Subject: [Mpls] Legalize drugs now I've been thinking about the issue of drug legalization ever since Eddie Felien posted his pro-legalization comments here. While I still don't think a candidate for county office cam have much effect on the Drug War in Minneapolis, I do think we could form a drug legalization nexus in Minneapolis that might then spread to the rest of the State. Towards the end of Jesse Ventura's run for governor four years ago, Jesse said something about legalizing drugs. All the Dem and Rep political analysts then said Jesse's comments proved that he wasn't a real candidate, because of his off-the-wall legalization comments. I was so ticked off at these commentators that I voted for Jesse (up to that point I was leaning towards Coleman). I wonder how many other people voted for him for the same reason. I think there is a pretty large contingent of people who realize that the dangers of illegal drugs are dwarfed by the already existent dangers of the Drug War. I also suspect that the largest contingent of these people is in Minneapolis. Past attempts to legalize marijuana failed because the legalization advocates were too narrowly focused. Legalization was the only thing they lived for. Thus the failure of the Grassroots Party, and NORML before that. What we need to do is get politicians with full agendas to accept that the legalization of drugs as an important crime-fighting tool. I think most politicians have seen such a position as death to their political career because it seems so far out. But I believe that so many of us in Minneapolis have had direct experience with many of these drugs (including our politicians), that we know that the drugs aren't nearly so bad as the violence that occurs when you push the sale and use of them underground. So it shouldn't be political death in Minneapolis to take a pro-legalization stance, and should even earn the candidate a few votes. This will only work if we have state-wide candidates pushing this agenda, because they are the only ones who can affect the laws. Even state-wide there are limitations as to what they can do, but MN should be able to have some affect without the FBI breathing down our necks. Therefore, I ask the state-wide candidates on this List to come out in favor of drug legalization. It doesn't have to be full legalization - it could be just legalization of "lighter" drugs, along with regulation of these drugs much like we do today with alcoholic beverages. We need to legalize more than marijuana however. To have a major effect on crime we also need to legalize cocaine (including crack, of course). And it will help immensely if it's a tri-partisan movement, so that the party left out doesn't get political capital by attacking the movement. Kevin Trainor - show us that central city Republicans don't believe that the only way to stop drugs is to throw all them druggies in jail. Phyllis Kahn - show us that being part of the DFL doesn't mean that you just favor the status quo. Does the DFL truly want to slow down crime? Holle Brian - this should be easiest politically for you, considering the counterculture origins of most of the Greens - probably most of them would love legalization (every time I hear Tricomo I wonder what he's been smoking). And the same to the rest of the state-wide candidates that don't come to mind right now. This truly is a Minneapolis issue because this movement needs to
Re: [Mpls] Why landlords won't rent to you.
I can't really finish reading all of this message. Mr. Miler's comparison of hating jews and blacks to attacking landlords and people who make more money than you is really sickening. (Quoted below for reference). It reminds me of the lawyer who sued over lawyer jokes. My family have been landlords (I'm not). I've seen good tenants and bad tenants. I know it can be tough on a good landlord. It is in the interest of good landlord to be careful about his tenants (like Mr. Miller apparently is). This is especially true in multi-unit apartments. It IS the landlord's responsibility to choose carefully and evict when necessary in order to maintain a safe community within their properties. Why? Because the tenants don't have the power to do it. But there is a clear economic advantage to maintaining a good community. A good community means peaceful neighbors who pay their rent on time, who can prosper in their jobs because they can rest at night, whose kids do well in school because they can study in a safe, peaceful environment. This sometimes means that you get to raise the rent and nobody complains! But what about the bad landlords? They "serve a need" as Mr. Miller pointed out. They deserve to be attacked. They deserve to be run out of town - even to the point of leaving property abandoned. But the property must be reoccupied and soon - preferably by owner-occupants from the community. I have seen the value of subsidizing low-income buyers to buy homes in their neighborhoods. It doesn't always work, but nothing works 100% of the time. But when it DOES work the effect reaches far beyond one family and one home. So, if you are truly a good landlord Mr. Miller, I feel your pain. But if you are actually one of the slumlords you deserve all the pain you get. I applaud Ms. Mann for her efforts. > Well picking > on Jews, blacks and others went out of vogue. Go after the landlords, > it's > the 21st century. > > CM: Now were getting into the part of the motivation. Just hate people > who > make more money then you. Compare to what you have, if you have less, > call > the cops. It really is a simple way to ease your envy/hatred. > Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid ___ 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] Twins ... Community Ownership ... more
I see a fundamental problem with community ownership - as far as I know, Baseball league rules do not allow a team to be owned by a publically traded corp. Correct me if I am wrong, please. > What is St. Paul doing differently > that they can avoid an increase in property taxes again bringing their > string of years without an increase to what? 9 years? What do they do > differently than Minneapolis? > Go to downtown St. Paul and find out. It's virtually a ghost town. Several shopping centers have gone completely vacant down under Norm's "leadership". They almost lost Daytons (Hudsons, Marshall Fields whoever they are now). Food courts have all but vanished. I think an effective anti-Norm commercial would simply show timelapse photography of the World Trade Center in St. Paul. "Before Norm" (bustling). "After Norm" (empty). "Do you want him to do this to Minnesota? to America?" Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Twins *Sigh*
I knew it wouldn't be long before we'd hear calls for a new stadium. I don't mean to be insensitive, but if the twins go away, the old folks can adapt to following the Saints. And frankly, a lot of their loyalty began back in the days when the Twins salaries were on par with the Saints. Back then it was "Our ball club" not "our professional baseball team." As for Minneapolis BUYING the twins. I'm afraid James was too polite - that idea is ludicrous. We're STILL paying for the target center and now we have to pay for those deadbeats at Brookfield as well. Where would we get the money to buy and support the team? I'm happy the Twins won. I really am. But baseball economics is still broken and it would be the worst possible public policy for us to bail them out. As far as their income tax contribution, it's not that big a deal. We would get a bigger income tax contribution if those salaries were spread out amongst a larger employee base who worked full time in Minnesota. On Monday, October 7, 2002, at 08:07 AM, James E Jacobsen wrote: > Ref. Jim Graham's letter in regard to the Twins, he makes a > good > observation about handicapped and house bound types. I have thought > the > city or the Sports commission > -or whoever- should make cheaper tickets available and free transport > on bus > or lite rail for those to attend the games. such would boost the gate > and > generally add to the community. > As to having the city or any government entity buy the Twins, > I > think that would be a collosal mistake. I doubt the Twins have been a > profitable business for the Pohlad's, except as a tax write off. Carl > Pohlad, though, must have had something to do with the Twins winning > the two > previous World Series, first ever since early 1960s. I just don't > think the > city government would be anything to run a pro baseball team. Who > would do > it?, the Council or certain council members? or RT? Would there be > another > big agency like MCDA to administer the team? If they aren't being > harassed > to death someone will buy the team. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid ___ 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] Education: Colleges Charge Thousands for 3rd Grade Grammar Classes
> Conspiracy theorists (generally on the political right) claim that this > purposeful "dumbing down" of American children has been strategically > masterminded by the left - to keep "educators" at all levels on the > public > payroll, and to maintain an ill-informed, dependent voting block. > The Conspiracy theories I'm familiar with (I suppose these come from the left) is that the dumbing down of our education developed gradually through pressure from industry to create a "good" workforce. Unfortunately "good" was defined as having just enough education to do the job but not enough to challenge the status quo. This would also having the effect of creating a malleable and ill-informed consumer base who would accept things like planned obsolescence and not be discriminating shoppers. In the last few years I have noticed stores doing this; 24-pk of pop - 5.99 SALE 12-pk of pop 3.09 ea (i.e. $6.18 for 24 cans). The Nobel prize in economics in the last year was awarded for the following "surprising" thesis; A poorly educated and ill-informed consumer base damages the economy. The correlary to this thesis is that a poorly educated and ill-informed electorate damages democracy. Whatever the conspiracy theories are, I watch my classes get "dumbed-down" right before my eyes in high school. I don't have answers for how to fix our schools, but I do know they are broken. ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] traffic stops and cops
A long time ago, I used to be a gophers fan. That was pre 1984 when I was a scout and used to usher at Gopher Football games. Then came the Mitch Lee scandal in my freshmen year at the U. Then I actually attended a game in the dome. The crowd was pathetic. Then more scandals... tons of money pours in from boosters for legal defense. Somewhere in there I remember a physics student from the U (I must not have been in school then) got charged with something serious. No defense money, 30 seconds of air time, off to jail. Scandal after scandal after scandal special treatment heaped on special treatment cheating scandals dorm scandals low graduation rates and you wonder why I oppose buying a new stadium for millionaire athletes and their billionaire bosses? (One note in the Vikings favor - they are fining Moss $50K. Minnesota won't fine him more than $2K and I doubt he'll see jail time even if he's found guilty.) OK, more fairness - these scandals are perpetrated by a minority of athletes. The majority are decent people who do a lot of community service. What gets me steamed is the special treatment the scandal artists continue to get. I'm guessing that if Moss weren't a viking he would still be in jail. On Thursday, September 26, 2002, at 02:40 PM, Emilie Quast wrote: > What no one seems to want to open: Randy Moss and his traffic > citation. > > YEAH! This is great. > > Several years ago I came within inches of getting creamed by a car in > my > neighborhood. THe car failed to stop at a stop sign, failed to yield > to > traffic on a through street (which was me), was speeding > > I called the second precinct and reported the make, model and tab > number of > the vehicle and gave a description of as much of the driver as I could > see, > which was basically nose, neck, shoulders and knuckles. It looked > like one > of Clem Haskins' star players to me--the really big one. > > The cop on the desk would not even take a complaint because "You > didn't see > the driver's full face, Ma'am and you would not be able to positively > identify this person under oath." > > The cop then incompletely covered the receiver and said to someone in > the > room, "It's just a call on _. Musta had a fight with his > girlfriend." > > My what a difference! :) > > Emilie Quast > SE Como > ___ > 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 > Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid ___ 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] talking trash
Wizard's right, I AM lucky to live on the same block as Aftercare. Let me add my commendations to James Walker and Aftercare, Inc! I live between 4 houses owned by Aftercare, Inc. For those that think half-way houses ruin neighborhoods, you should INVITE this program in! In 5 years of living here, I have never had one problem or one concern about them. I know from historical research and my own experience that this program has improved the neighborhood. I know that they keep watch and keep the dealers out. It's a very good program! On Monday, September 23, 2002, at 10:04 AM, WizardMarks wrote: > Craig Miller wrote: > >> Intelligent insight. Hope opinion making like this doesn't get very >> far in >> the genetic pool of the Mpls/DFL/Activist species. >> > > Schmidt is lucky in one way. Aftercare, Inc. is on his block. Every > man jack of 'em is an ex-junkie learning how to have a life without ' > being in the life.' They set a powerful example of how to go about > making that change. > The paradigm shift has to be away from the stupid and unsuccessful war > on drugs and toward the recapture of the basic humanity of the > junkies. > I'm really counting on the African American Men's Project for taking > the leadership in this struggle. That appears to be their intention. > > WizardMarks, Central > Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid ___ 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
Details Please? Re: [Mpls] Direct your anger where it belongs: Brookfield Default Phase 2
Can you supply the details of this? Is it a bond or loan? Which buildings are we talking about. Do we, the taxpayers, have a security interest? What happens if they default (other than us having to pay the bill). I ask this because I have long believed we should have let the target center go bankrupt and then, if there were no other buyers, buy it for pennies on the dollar instead of the ludicrous dollar-for-dollar state/city aid package they got. Once we owned it we could have run it as desired and eventually sold it for a profit. On Monday, September 23, 2002, at 08:54 AM, Victoria Heller wrote: > September 30th, next Monday, is the deadline for Brookfield to pay > Minneapolis $17.4 million. > > If Brookfield doesn't pay, the struggling Minneapolis taxpayers will > have > to. > > It seems to me that our Mayor and City Council will have to choose > between > the rich municipal bondholders and their constituents who are trying > to make > ends meet. > > Will the real Democrats please step forward? > Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid ___ 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] talking trash
I have similar problems. However, the argument that my neighbors are doing it is wrong on two counts; First, we have a wind problem. A lot of trash gets blown here from lake Street. Second, it's people from outside, especially the burbies who come here looking for sex & drugs and think that we are their trash can. On Sunday, September 22, 2002, at 08:51 PM, j c harmon wrote: > I recall a semi-controversy a couple years back when former CM > Cherryhomes was seeking some funds to help to clean-up West Broadway. > Naysayers from the cleaner, gentler wards were miffed. The argument > being that people in their wards don't throw garbage all over, and why > should another ward get money to fix what is essentially a behavioral > problem... It's hard to convince people who don't litter to part with > tax dollars to pay the slobs that do. Besides, there are already tax > dollars at work paying Sentenced-to-Serve crews to do that for them. > Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid ___ 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] Terrorism as Minneapolis Issue
On Thursday, September 19, 2002, at 10:56 AM, Victoria Heller wrote: > According to the 2000 census, > out of a total population of 382,452, > 41,967 people in Minneapolis are NOT citizens. > > Here is the link to the census data: > > http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/citywork/planning/Census2000/2000- > Mpls-Profi > leofSelectedSocialCharacteristics.asp > > Just a comment, not a conclusion. > It may be "just a comment" but I feel a need to round out the statistics here; There are 323,637 native born US citizens in Minneapolis. Native born US citizens - just like the terrorists who blew up the Oklahoma City Federal Building. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid ___ 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] Biernat: He was scared and his tummy hurt
On Tuesday, September 17, 2002, at 08:33 AM, Victoria Heller wrote: > Is this what we call leadership? This sounds like something a five > year old > girl would say. > > It's a symptom though of a much bigger problem: The epidemic of > justifying > horrible conduct by CREATING excuses. > > In the private sector, one gets paid for producing results, not for > coming > up with 20 reasons why the job couldn't get done. Apparently we're > still > willing to pay people in the public sector for making excuses. Until > this > changes, nothing will improve. I know I'm going from the specific to the general again, but I just realized that this argument is not very valid. I've worked in and around some very large companies and, frankly, they run exactly the same way. The public/private comparison that some people favor so much is really only valid when comparing small companies to the public sector. In which case the same comparison can be made between small private and large private companies. What I see from this is that we need to promote SMALL business and stop wringing our hands over businesses like Northwest, Honeywell and the Twins. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed http://www.raptor.net/~rschmid ___ 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] Computers in Mpls Schools
I hope this is not true Greg, it would be evidence that the School Board is making decisions based on the wrong criteria. Numerous studies have shown that the Mac platform has significantly lower operating costs for schools. Also, as far as I know educational software is heavily aimed at the Mac market. I can feel my hand reaching for my lighter so I'll stop before I drag my favorite flame war here. On Thursday, September 12, 2002, at 02:33 PM, Greg Abbott wrote: > At a party last weekend, I was told by a parent that the Minneapolis > School > District had eliminated all tech support for its Apple Macintosh > computers > as part of its recent budget cuts. > > Can a knowledgeable list member confirm or deny this? If true, it > would > IMHO be the very definition of false economy. > > This raises the larger question, addressed to the school board > candidates, > of the district's information technology policies. Nationwide, there > has > been a trend to "standardize" computers on the Microsoft Windows > platform in > education. I am curious if the District has a policy to standardize on > Windows, and where the various candidates stand on the issue. > > I don't want to attach more importance to this issue than it deserves - > teachers teach students, not computers, and the platform question is > even > one more step removed. And I'm sure I'm giving our esteemed List > Manager a > Maalox moment by potentially introducing the mother of all flame wars > -- Mac > v. PC -- to the Mpls Issues list. > Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed ___ 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] Green Party Primary Vote Totals in Mpls
I can tell you that 2,179 of the Green Votes came from Hennepin County. I can't be more precise than that until much later. You can investigate yourself by going to http://electionresults.sos.state.mn.us/ SelectPrecinct.asp?M=P&rq=27Hennepin and more at; http://www.sos.state.mn.us. On Wednesday, September 11, 2002, at 09:37 AM, Scott Persons wrote: > I was reading the Strib election results and saw that statewide about > 6,000 > Green party voters gave Green Party endorsed Ed McGaa the heave-ho for > some > other guy. Anybody on the list know how many of those Green votes > were cast > in Minneapolis? My instinct tells me most were cast here given the > fact > that the party actually has elected officials in Mpls. Any concerns > from > Green Party types about the low total of voters given the embarrassing > Ed > McGaa? > > For comparisons sake the rough statewide vote totals for the 4 major > parties > in descending order, DFL-225,000; Republican-175,000; > Independence-40,000, > Green 6,000 (analysis of these turnouts would be appropriate on another > discussion forum). > > Scott Persons > Lyndale > Only voted yesterday to see Greg Gray get through and bummed he didn't > > ___ > 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] crooks
> If we had a database of all these fingerprints, maybe we could catch > some of > these crooks. Heck, is there anyone sophisticated enough on this list > who > can develop a neighborhood system? If the police can arm Spike Moss > and his > crew to patrol and be willing to pay them, I say put in a proposal for > some > money for high tech equipment and do our own testing. > The government has been using our money for years on security yet our > secret > service and other entities can never find out anything in enough time > to do > anything proactive. Americans will have to take measures to protect > itself > since no one else is going to do it. > Life is so much easier when you know what the bottom line truly is. > Have a safe day. > Pamela Taylor > (Who is glad to know that her color is not the issue but would still > like to > know how Robert Schmidt got such good service living five blocks away. > We > know it's not a WASP thing either, so what's the magic word? - in > Clearwater) > Based on everything I've read I think my good service was the result of good timing and good luck. First of all, fingerprint databases DO exist now and the internet has made it practical for law enforcement to have access to state and federal databases so actually gathering the evidence had some value this time. Also, the window was broken in such a way that getting good fingerprints was a realistic possibility. Finally, the fingerprint specialist was available. It was late afternoon and it was a quiet day. As for developing a neighborhood computer system - it could be done for certain things but a fingerprint database would be impractical. The infrastructure necessary to support a biometrics database is large and expensive. The software alone would break a neighborhood budget. I would support the creation of a civilian property crimes investigation unit. Their purpose would be to go into low-risk situations (post-burglary) and gather and analyze evidence, track patterns and so forth. When their research and analysis amasses enough evidence to identify a suspect, the case can be turned over to police. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed ___ 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
HOAX Alert: Re: [Mpls] [Fwd: Fw: re: please read carefully!]
THIS VIRUS ALERT IS A HOAX. I'm not blaming anyone but I do wish to prevent to perpetuation of the hoax. According to Symantec's website at http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/jdbgmgr.exe.file.hoax.html "Symantec Security Response encourages you to ignore any messages regarding this hoax. It is harmless and is intended only to cause unwarranted concern. This is a hoax that, like the SULFNBK.EXE Warning hoax, tries to persuade you to delete a legitimate Windows file from your computer. The file that the hoax refers to, Jdbgmgr.exe, is a Java Debugger Manager. It is a Microsoft file that is installed when you install Window." I became suspicious due to the instructions that "IF YOU FIND THE VIRUS, YOU MUST CONTACT EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK." This is usually a good indicator that the "alert" is a hoax. On Tuesday, September 10, 2002, at 01:20 AM, Barbara L. Nelson wrote: > Sorry about this. > Barbara > > From: Dianna Radford <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Mon Sep 9, 2002 9:04:26 PM US/Central > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], > [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Fw: re: please read carefully! > Reply-To: Dianna Radford <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > -- Forwarded message -- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 19:07:55 EDT > Subject: re: please read carefully! > > > This was sent to me by a good friend--some of you may get duplicates > on it, > > > but better safe than sorry. I found the "teddy bear" in my > files--please > follow the instructions--it was easy to get rid of. > > My address book has been infected with a virus, and as a result, so > has > yours because your address was in my book. The virus is called > jdbgmgr.exe. > It cannot be detected by Norton or McAfee anti-virus programs.It sits > quietly for 14 days before damaging the system. It is sent > automatically > by > messenger and by the address book, whether or not you send emails. > > In essence, because you are in my address book, you are likely to be > infected. SorryI guess it goes with the territory! > > I followed the instructions below and it was easy to get rid of. I > didn't > > really think I'd find it, thinking it might be a nasty joke. Nope. > It was > > > there and now it's not. > > TO GET RID OF IT: > > 1.Go to start, then Find or Search > 2.In Files/Folders, write the name jdbgmgr.exe > 3.Be sure to search in your "C" drive > 4.Click Find or Search > 5.The virus has a teddy bear logo with the name jdbgmgr.exe > ***DO > NOT > OPEN*** > 6.Right click and delete it > 7.Go to the recycle bin and delete it there also. IF YOU FIND THE > VIRUS, > YOU MUST CONTACT EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK. > > Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it was very easy to get rid of. > > > > > > > > This was sent to me by a good friend--some of you may get duplicates > on it, but better safe than sorry. I found the "teddy bear" in my > files--please follow the instructions--it was easy to get rid of. > > My address book has been infected with a virus, and as a result, so > has yours because your address was in my book. The virus is called > jdbgmgr.exe. It cannot be detected by Norton or McAfee anti-virus > programs. It sits quietly for 14 days before damaging the system. It > is sent automatically by messenger and by the address book, whether or > not you send emails. > > In essence, because you are in my address book, you are likely to be > infected. SorryI guess it goes with the territory! > > I followed the instructions below and it was easy to get rid of. I > didn't really think I'd find it, thinking it might be a nasty joke. > Nope. It was there and now it's not. > > TO GET RID OF IT: > > 1. Go to start, then Find or Search > 2. In Files/Folders, write the name jdbgmgr.exe > 3. Be sure to search in your "C" drive > 4. Click Find or Search > 5. The virus has a teddy bear logo with the name jdbgmgr.exe > ***DO NOT OPEN*** > 6. Right click and delete it > 7. Go to the recycle bin and delete it there also. IF YOU FIND THE > VIRUS, YOU MUST CONTACT EVERYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK. > > Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it was very easy to get rid of. > > > > > > Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed ___ 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] crooks
I live 5 blocks from where Pam lived. Last year my garage was broken into. They busted a window to get in. The police were prompt and, when the saw the broken glass, they called for a crime lab specialist to take fingerprints. (I had fun watching that part.) I am satisfied with Police response in this case. They showed up quickly and they took prints. I don't expect them to be able to find the perp on this alone but it does allow them to A) run a match against prints on file or B) group my case with several others if they are lucky enough to catch someone. Why was my service better than both Pam and Craig? I don't know. Banks: Years ago my girlfriend lost $200 out of cash machine - she must have left the card in and the next person took advantage of it. TCF lied to us on two counts - first that the card was ejected before the receipt and second that she was liable for the total amount. ( There was a $50 limit on her liability.) Was she careless? Yes. But that doesn't allow TCF to lie to her to avoid their liability. I have many other complaints against TCF and I long for the day when they go out of business. On Monday, September 9, 2002, at 11:57 AM, Craig Miller wrote: > This is a great post for demonstration purposes. The points I make > here are > all my opinion. I think Pamela is what New Yorkers call a 'soon to be a > Republican'. Or loosely. A Democrat who hasn't been mugged yet. > > > >> List, >> >> I got ripped off and I blame the banks. I did not overdraft my TCF > account. >> I had my home broken into and a book of blank checks stolen. The >> crooks >> cleaned me out. When I was filling out the paperwork at the bank, I >> asked >> how they could cash those checks when the signature clearly did not >> match? >> Of course they have no answer for that. So what is the point in >> having >> those signature cards if they don't have any intention of checking it >> against the one on the check? I was robbed in January of 2000. It >> took >> them until April of that year to determine that they should give me >> back > my >> money. > > The bank is fulfilling the requirements to get re-imbursed from their > loss > prevention specialists (Insurance). They will pay you off when they > get paid > off. They need to verify and be sure it wasn't a personal job. Please > do not > take that personal. >> >> Previous to that I had been robbed and the burglars broke windows and > such, >> and left clear fingerprints on the remaining windows and walls. I >> immediately called the police, touching nothing, so they could gather >> evidence. It took them almost two hours to arrive at my home, and >> when > they >> finally got there, they said it was not customary for them to dust for >> fingerprints. They wrote a report, which nothing ever came of, and > gathered >> no type of evidence. I was given some crappy story, and I was quite >> pissed >> with the men in blue when they left. If I hadn't been a law-abiding >> kind > of >> gal, I would have hit them over the head on their way out. They seemed >> useless. > > When we got burgled in prestigious SW. The cops laughed at me for > leaving a > window/screen open. I didn't get mad, I slapped my head and went > DOH > They gave me a form to fill out and give it to my insurance. That was > the > end. > > When I got hit by an un-insured motorist, the cops had him in custody > right > there. He handed me a card for my insurance company. Restitution from > the > man who totaled by car-jo-daily bread??? Na. Get the picture. Prop > crime is solved by personal insurance. You are responsible for your > loss.The > city is not going to get the bad guy and make him pay. Never, never, > never. > > Today's Strib quotes a downtown Police Inspector. To many crimes are > going > un-punished. Didn't we just see a stunning number of something like > over > half of Henn County traffic fines are not being paid? Lets see, we've > determined that Property Crime is not a matter to be addressed by law > enforcement. Now we have misdemenor offenses being not dealt with > (downtown) > or applied as building code(Ask Tony Scallon). What's next on the old > crime > chart? Felonieshm who can we offload that on? >> >> Incidentally, I lived in the Central neighborhood in a nice house on >> the >> corner of 34th and Park Avenue, I am a woman, and African-American. > Hmm... >> Could that have had anything to do with it? > Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed ___ 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] Re: Pit Bulls: Ban Them !
Before I respond to this. I need to point out that my wife wrote this post but I'm going to respond anyway. On Tuesday, August 27, 2002, at 01:19 PM, Chris L Beckwith wrote: > > Robert Schmid wrote: > > >> It's quite tragic that there is a real debate > about banning certain >> breeds of dog. Arguing that a certain breed is > "bad" is an argument for >> eugenics - the same pseudo-science that > white-supremacist zealots >> embrace to claim that african-americans are > genetically "bad." > > > Chris repsonds: > > And what would you call the current campaign to > eradicate the northern snakehead fish, voracious > predatory fish from China that threaten native > fish, from North American waters? Would you > classify that as eugenics as well? Gimmie a break. No,of course not. The Northern Snakehead is not a subspecies of a North American fish - it is a distinct species that has been artificially transported from another continent. As such, it lacks natural predators and threatens the balance of ecology by its presence and the risk of rapid, unchallenged reproduction. You can research similar situations such as the import of rabbits in Australia and mongoose in Hawaii. > The only tragedy here is the profound intellectual > fraud of making an analogy > between racial eugenics and the banning of a > dangerous dog breed. You obviously lack an understanding of biology and Taxonomy. Eugenics is a pseudo-science which makes the claim that one subspecies of homo Sapiens is superior or inferior to another subspecies of homo Sapiens. All human beings are homo Sapiens - i.e. they are the same species. All domestic dogs are canis Domesticus (http://www.nafcon.dircon.co.uk/zoology_class.html) this includes Terriers (Pitbulls, Rottweillers, etc), poodles, mastiffs and so on. Subspecies of Canis Domesticus include Alsations, terriers, Saint Bernards, Pit Bulls, German Shepherds and so on. What we call "breed" in other animals is called "race" in human beings. Thus, your arguments about one subspecies of dog are exactly like arguments made by eugenisists about subspecies of humans. If a scientific theory has been discredited for one species it can not be made to apply a different species for the sake of convenience. Bad science is bad science. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Re: Pit Bulls: Ban Them !
It's quite tragic that there is a real debate about banning certain breeds of dog. Arguing that a certain breed is "bad" is an argument for eugenics - the same pseudo-science that white-supremacist zealots embrace to claim that african-americans are genetically "bad." The "practical reality" of this issue is biology. The dog, the owner, the child, and the child's parents are all animals. None of them is born vicious; but abuse, neglect, or intentional training/indoctrination will teach them to be vicious.Humans, with their bigger brains, are the ones in control to mold their behavior, the dog's behavior, and their children's behavior. The same malicious or thoughtless owner who teaches a dog to attack or neglects and abuses it until it strikes out is a parent who teaches his children to hate, neglect, and abuse. The thoughtless parent who does not teach his child to act properly toward animals creates a thoughtless child with no concept of how to approach or live with its fellow creatures. We compound that damage when we start telling tall tales that there is something wrong with a breed, or when we call an individual dog "bad" and decide that we humans didn't put that "bad" into the dog. The fact is that many of the people who buy and raise pit bulls and other powerful dogs do so because they want to create a dangerous animal as an accessory to their manhood. Any resulting misbehavior is 100% the fault of the idiot who owns and molds that dog. The "practical reality" of the issue is that we have a social problem. We accept mistreatment of an animal that makes it half-psychotic, then blame it on the animal. We accept that species must die to make way for "progress," even though the actions that kill the species also will kill us - it'll just take longer. We accept the idea that we have to make our children "safe" by banning dog breeds or by making window screens unbreakable so that a child taking a running slide at a window will be saved by the screen rather than having it give way (I'm not making this up - it's a real lawsuit). Yet we don't insist that adults take responsibility for themselves & their children by teaching them responsibility & giving them the knowledge to back it up. What else shall we do? How far shall we go? Shall we ban cars because there are bad drivers who strike & kill children? Shall we ban factories that spew stinking fumes into the air, making HUNDREDS of children sick with asthma attacks or other respiratory complaints every year? Those who want to ban dogs argue for that solution because it's convenient to them. They don't want to live without their cars or the manufactured items which resulted in the release of hundreds of tons of deadly pollutants in their creation, but they PERSONALLY are not inconvenienced if nobody else can own a certain breed of dog, so that's OK. That's a cheap feel-good action that solves nothing. Folks, we have to think a bit more deeply than that. A handful of children are injured or killed by dogs every year. More are hurt or killed by intoxicated or inattentive drivers. Far more are hurt or killed by the toxic effects of industry. What does common sense tell you is the greatest concern? I can't accept the idea that keeping the children safe must be our first priority, and it must be done at all cost - especially at the cost of ignoring biology & giving up on the absolutely essential concept that we must all learn to take responsibility for ourselves, each other, and our fellow creatures if any of us are to survive in the long-term. The day we give up working toward that "perfect world" is the day we might as well all slit our wrists, because we'll be doomed as a species. Stupidity, individual or societal, is the only offense that nature treats as a capital crime. It's time we all wise up & start targeting the big problems & stop chasing red-herring panaceas like banning breeds. Roxana Orrell Central Begin forwarded message: > From: "Chris L Beckwith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Mon Aug 26, 2002 06:31:23 AM US/Central > To: "Mpls - Issues" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [Mpls] Re: Pit Bulls: Ban Them ! > > Chris responds: > > Having read the replies to my original post on > banning pit bulls, I'd like to respond by saying > though it is clear there are a number of strong > animal sympathizers here, I believe their > sympathies concerning pit bulls are utterly > misplaced and, frankly, as the above indicates, > somewhat out of touch with the practical realities > of the issue. > > First, let's blow a fallacy out of the water: > There seems to be an unspoken, rather naive faith > in the syllogism that because dogs make good pets > and pit bulls are dogs, pit bulls therefore make > good pets. Nonsense. I have no idea why defenders > continue to believe they can peddle the twaddle > that pit bulls are merely the victims of bad P.R, > bad owners and bad treatment. In short, that these > are good pets whom we ha
Re: [Mpls] Police shoot again and I forgot my Signature
*Sigh* My autosignature thingy didn't work. So here it is Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed On Wednesday, August 14, 2002, at 09:48 AM, Robert Schmid wrote: > Last night I received the following report on the shooting; > >> We just returned from the scene of a police shooting of a young man in >> North Minneapolis. This young man, while critically injured, is >> fortunate to have survived the shooting. >> >> We spoke to several witnesses who told us that the young man was >> running from police at the time of the shooting and that he was in the >> middle of jumping over a fence when he was shot FOUR TIMES IN THE >> BACK! Police are claiming in the media that he had a gun but all of >> the witnesses told us he did not. Further, a number of witnesses have >> signed an affidavit stating that police officers told them, "you got >> one of ours so now we got one of yours," alluding to the death of >> police office Melissa Schmidt. >> >> While we were in the area, police were quite out of control, harassing >> people, making racist comments and threatening that they "will be >> next" if they tried to walk down the street, pick up their children >> from daycare in the area, etc. > > Now if I assume, for the sake of argument, that the police story is > absolutely true, and the this story is entirely fabrication - I have to > ask myself "What purpose would such a lie serve?" I can't find an > answer. If, on the other hand, I reverse my assumption and ask the > same question, I can easily see the motivation behind such a lie. > > As in most things, I would guess that the truth lies in the middle > somewhere but this is one of those occassions where the facts may be > less important than the perception of the facts. The perception is > simply that we can not trust the police. It is an assumption held by > many and it effects their perception and judgment. The same is true of > those who implicitly trust the police. > > There is a clear need to rebuild this trust and I have SOME ideas that > will help. I for one favor police who will live in the neighborhoods > they patrol. An officer who is more afraid of my neighborhood than I > am, is not an officer that I can trust. But how do we compel officers > to live in the community? > > I would aks that the city council establish a scholarship fund. This > fund will be available to student-residents of Minneapolis who are > committed to acquiring the necessary degrees and training to become a > police officer. In return they sign a contract binding them to 5 years > residence in and employment with a particular Mpls police department > precinct. In other words, in high school, a student commits to > returning to his/her neighborhood for five years as a police officer. > If they drop out or leave, they are obligated to pay back the loan. > I'm sure that the city could wrangle something with federally > guaranteed student loans to ensure that they are not dismissed under > bankruptcy. > > If this is enacted now it will be ten years before we see its > benefits. It may be a long wait but the important question is, can our > City Council and Mayor see that far ahead and plan that far ahead? > > > On Wednesday, August 14, 2002, at 09:01 AM, Rosalind Nelson wrote: > >> I think that people are upset this time not so much because the police >> shot the suspect but because of reports that one officer told people at >> the scene, "You got one of ours and we got one of yours." >> >> Rosalind Nelson >> Bancroft neighborhood >> >> >> Stephen Jester wrote: >>> >>> According to today's paper, the suspect was carrying a .40 caliber >>> handgun. >>> I recently shot a gun of this caliber, and let me tell you it packs >>> some >>> punch. I'm not surprised by the resident's reaction, and the >>> complaint that >>> the police didn't have to shoot "this boy". Well, he's 19, so he is a >>> man, >>> and I don't think veteran officers would shoot a man in cold blood. >>> Let's go back to the chase and shooting of the boy on 3700 >>> block of Girard >>> last summer. What was the reaction then? Why did the cops have to >>> shoot that >>> boy. Why? HE HAD A GUN AND POINTED IT AT ANOTHER HUMAN BEING. The >>> parents of >>> that boy came out and blasted the police, without knowing all the >>> facts. >>> Tur
[Mpls] Police shoot again, community trust waivers, and an idea is born (reborn?)
Last night I received the following report on the shooting; > We just returned from the scene of a police shooting of a young man in > North Minneapolis. This young man, while critically injured, is > fortunate to have survived the shooting. > > We spoke to several witnesses who told us that the young man was > running from police at the time of the shooting and that he was in the > middle of jumping over a fence when he was shot FOUR TIMES IN THE > BACK! Police are claiming in the media that he had a gun but all of > the witnesses told us he did not. Further, a number of witnesses have > signed an affidavit stating that police officers told them, "you got > one of ours so now we got one of yours," alluding to the death of > police office Melissa Schmidt. > > While we were in the area, police were quite out of control, harassing > people, making racist comments and threatening that they "will be next" > if they tried to walk down the street, pick up their children from > daycare in the area, etc. Now if I assume, for the sake of argument, that the police story is absolutely true, and the this story is entirely fabrication - I have to ask myself "What purpose would such a lie serve?" I can't find an answer. If, on the other hand, I reverse my assumption and ask the same question, I can easily see the motivation behind such a lie. As in most things, I would guess that the truth lies in the middle somewhere but this is one of those occassions where the facts may be less important than the perception of the facts. The perception is simply that we can not trust the police. It is an assumption held by many and it effects their perception and judgment. The same is true of those who implicitly trust the police. There is a clear need to rebuild this trust and I have SOME ideas that will help. I for one favor police who will live in the neighborhoods they patrol. An officer who is more afraid of my neighborhood than I am, is not an officer that I can trust. But how do we compel officers to live in the community? I would aks that the city council establish a scholarship fund. This fund will be available to student-residents of Minneapolis who are committed to acquiring the necessary degrees and training to become a police officer. In return they sign a contract binding them to 5 years residence in and employment with a particular Mpls police department precinct. In other words, in high school, a student commits to returning to his/her neighborhood for five years as a police officer. If they drop out or leave, they are obligated to pay back the loan. I'm sure that the city could wrangle something with federally guaranteed student loans to ensure that they are not dismissed under bankruptcy. If this is enacted now it will be ten years before we see its benefits. It may be a long wait but the important question is, can our City Council and Mayor see that far ahead and plan that far ahead? On Wednesday, August 14, 2002, at 09:01 AM, Rosalind Nelson wrote: > I think that people are upset this time not so much because the police > shot the suspect but because of reports that one officer told people at > the scene, "You got one of ours and we got one of yours." > > Rosalind Nelson > Bancroft neighborhood > > > Stephen Jester wrote: >> >> According to today's paper, the suspect was carrying a .40 caliber >> handgun. >> I recently shot a gun of this caliber, and let me tell you it packs >> some >> punch. I'm not surprised by the resident's reaction, and the complaint >> that >> the police didn't have to shoot "this boy". Well, he's 19, so he is a >> man, >> and I don't think veteran officers would shoot a man in cold blood. >> Let's go back to the chase and shooting of the boy on 3700 >> block of Girard >> last summer. What was the reaction then? Why did the cops have to >> shoot that >> boy. Why? HE HAD A GUN AND POINTED IT AT ANOTHER HUMAN BEING. The >> parents of >> that boy came out and blasted the police, without knowing all the >> facts. >> Turned out that he was running with the bad crowd, and all police >> accounts >> were correct. Once again the community activists come out when a black >> person is shot by the police. But why aren't they over here off of >> Lowry? >> Why aren't they telling the black kids to get off the street corners >> and >> clean up the neighborhood they live in? I see more people sitting on >> the >> stoop of their house with beer cans and bottles in the front yard. >> What's up >> with that? I just would like to see these activists facing up to the >> real >> problems on a day to day basis her on the northside. >> I've told my father that the only solution to this is to hire >> a black >> police chief, and hire all black cops to run the areas that blacks are >> concentrated in. What will be the complaint then? This is another case >> of >> the police saying one thing, and the residents saying anoth
Re: [Mpls] Is Mpls prepared for an Oil Shortage?
I recommend that we convert our city vehicles to natural gas engines now. Las Vegas uses them. It doesn't matter whether we attack or not. Sooner or later we will be in another "oil shortage" predicament. BMW and a few other forward thinking companies are working on engines which burn pure hydrogen. Very efficient, water-steam is the only by-product. Of course, it would melt a normal engine but I think they've overcome that problem. I would also recommend that the city improve it's bicycle (and even motorcycle) friendliness. (Which includes better bike lanes, bicycle lockers and public locker rooms so we can shower and change.) Those of us that can ride bikes, should ride bikes. We should be working at every level of government to reduce our dependece on oil. (Not just foreign oil, ALL oil). We can do this without severe sacrifices if we start NOW rather than waiting until the last minute. On Friday, August 9, 2002, at 09:01 AM, ken avidor wrote: > What plans does this city have in the event of an oil shortage?...nearly > all the transport in this city runs on petroleum-police cars, fire > trucks, MTC Buses, school buses etc. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Candidate for Hennepin Soil & Water Board, District 2 Green Party Endorsed ___ 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] Compassionate Cops
I think you are completely misinterpreting my words. I don't blame the officers involved. I commend them for their courage and compassion. I don't believe the officers did anything wrong in this case. (And I haven't heard anything to the contrary.) But my comments are not about what happened - they are about the subsequent acts of an organization. However, blaming compassion for causing the deaths of Donald and Schmidt is a rather sad argument. If I were to conjecture on how this event came about I would guess that Martha Donald has years of experiences which tell her that she can't trust the police. Then after 60 years, with perhaps the beginnings of Alzheimers (a GUESS), she snapped at the wrong moment and at the wrong officer. So far, this is the only theory I have. However, my theory, if correct, would indicate that asking officers to have more compassion would not have saved either women but may save someone a few years from now. And yes, I do demand that officers have compassion. And it's often easy to tell who has it and who doesn't. I have met good cops and bad cops. I have met them in Minneapolis and I have met them elsewhere. It is better to have had and lost a compassionate officer than never to have had one at all. One final comment on Barb Lickness' comments from earlier. I can forgive individuals for their thoughts, words and actions in the heat of the moment. However, the Police Federation is not an individual it is an organization. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood On Friday, August 9, 2002, at 08:32 AM, Mark Wilde wrote: > Robert Schmid wrote: "I am angry at the police > federation because they claim to speak for all police. > They show no compassion and a police officer without > compassion is a truly terrifying thing. > > Based on what I know, Officer Schmidt was the kind of > officer who had compassion. Compassion is a rare > commodity these days and its mere presence indicates > that courage exists alongside it. We need more > officers with compassion. We can leave judgment to > the jury." > > > Asking police officers to have more compassion would > not have prevented the deaths of Donald and Schmidt, > isn't compassion what got them killed? If the officer > had not allowed the other woman to go to the bathroom > they would both be alive today. > > The argument is a knee jerk reaction against police > officers and it happens every time there is a tragedy > like this. Don't blame the police officers who are > forced to make ugly decisions in split seconds without > all the information. > > Mark Wilde > Windom Park > > > __ > Do You Yahoo!? > HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs > http://www.hotjobs.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
Re: [Mpls] Earwig info
> > Earwigs can be beneficial in the garden if they can be prevented from > damaging vegetables and flowers, and entering the household. It is > important to avoid killing earwigs because they are predators of some > small insect pests such as aphids. > But do earwigs have natural predators here or are they an unchallenged invader that could become the next zebra mussel? ___ 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
Big verbal error. My fault. Re: [Mpls] website - solutions
Although I'm exceeding my posts for today, I need to respond to this. On Thursday, July 18, 2002, at 05:08 PM, JIM GRAHAM wrote: > I could not disagree more than with Robert Schmid's statement > that student performance is a measure of the student's ability > and nothing more. I think a students ability is the one thing that is > measured the least by student performance. You are correct, it was an incorrect choice of word on my part. I meant to say that a measure of a student's performance is only a measure of a student's PERFORMANCE. > "Good" teachers > motivate children to perform well and to their REAL ability. > A teacher who can not do that, or want to do that, needs to get > a new job. I saw an excellent teacher in my High School crushed by the weight of parental demand that he stop being tough. This weight originated from the whining of my classmates and leveraged by their parents and the power of the school board. Yes, they crushed his desire to teach and he left. But it was NOT HIS fault. It was the fault of the parents and school board who drove an excellent teacher out of the system. He did demand excellence. He did practice tough love. But what can he do when his employer tells him to stop? > > This argument reminds me of the racial verbiage that was spewed > by Nazis in Germany and people wearing white sheets in Indiana > and down South in this country. The amount of "natural" ability it > takes to perform well is minuscule for a student. Agreed, I had no intention to raise the pseudo-scientific specter of eugenics. > If reading this someone feels they detect a subject that I have strong > feelings about, well you are right. It comes from someone who probably > only had two or three good teachers in his life, and whose children > probably only had three or four in their lives. But without those two > or three the world would have been a great deal different. Wouldn't it > be nice if those good teachers were the rule and not the exception? > If we were a little more demanding in Teacher "Performance" and > valued the ability to educate over the ability to be educated, it just > might be that the teachers would also perform better. > Like you, I am passionate about this subject. Like you I only had 3-4 good teachers in high school. However, I saw direct evidence that their ability to teach and to challenge me was impaired by the school system and a general attitude toward education as unnecessary in my town. Football was much more important. Good teachers either left the field or went to schools where they were appreciated. Strangely, I was motivated to do well by own alienation in that environment. My desire for escape fueled my passion to learn. ___ 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] website - solutions
And, of course, once again I forgot to sign my post; Robert Schmid Central On Thursday, July 18, 2002, at 03:43 PM, Robert Schmid wrote: > > On Thursday, July 18, 2002, at 01:32 PM, Michael Atherton wrote: > >> Terrell Brown wrote: >> >>> Now, that's not easy. Student performance isn't necessarily a >>> measure >>> of teacher effectiveness. >> >> If student performance isn't a measure of teacher effectiveness then >> what is? Speaking in the aggregate of course. > > Wow, I think I suddenly understand the problem with your statement > Michael. A minute ago I agreed with you wholeheartedly. > > It lies in the word "effective" where most people are just trying to > confirm that our teachers are "good". I can see a situation where a > teacher is brilliant, creative, caring, dilligent and hard working but > in which he/she has no "effect" on one or more students. > > In this situation, most people look immediately at the teacher and > blame him/her for that student's failure to learn. However that > student has many other influences which may make them apathetic or > resistant to learning including family, peers and even the school > system itself. > > No student will learn unless they WANT to learn. Currently I would say > that our society as a whole does more to encourage students toward > athletics, entertainment and apathy than toward learning. We as a > society have made it acceptable, even normal to be a "dummy". It is > humorous in our society to be unable to program our VCRs, we have whole > series of books called "for dummies" and "Complete Idiot's Guide to". > Public Billboards and advertising sport bad spelling and worse > grammar. Our news access is controlled by "Spin Doctors" whose job it > is to make the news understandable. > > Student performance is a measure of the Student's ability. Not much > more. > > ___ > 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] website - solutions
And, of course, once again I forgot to sign my post; Robert Schmid Central On Thursday, July 18, 2002, at 03:43 PM, Robert Schmid wrote: > > On Thursday, July 18, 2002, at 01:32 PM, Michael Atherton wrote: > >> Terrell Brown wrote: >> >>> Now, that's not easy. Student performance isn't necessarily a >>> measure >>> of teacher effectiveness. >> >> If student performance isn't a measure of teacher effectiveness then >> what is? Speaking in the aggregate of course. > > Wow, I think I suddenly understand the problem with your statement > Michael. A minute ago I agreed with you wholeheartedly. > > It lies in the word "effective" where most people are just trying to > confirm that our teachers are "good". I can see a situation where a > teacher is brilliant, creative, caring, dilligent and hard working but > in which he/she has no "effect" on one or more students. > > In this situation, most people look immediately at the teacher and > blame him/her for that student's failure to learn. However that > student has many other influences which may make them apathetic or > resistant to learning including family, peers and even the school > system itself. > > No student will learn unless they WANT to learn. Currently I would say > that our society as a whole does more to encourage students toward > athletics, entertainment and apathy than toward learning. We as a > society have made it acceptable, even normal to be a "dummy". It is > humorous in our society to be unable to program our VCRs, we have whole > series of books called "for dummies" and "Complete Idiot's Guide to". > Public Billboards and advertising sport bad spelling and worse > grammar. Our news access is controlled by "Spin Doctors" whose job it > is to make the news understandable. > > Student performance is a measure of the Student's ability. Not much > more. > > ___ > 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] website - solutions
On Thursday, July 18, 2002, at 01:32 PM, Michael Atherton wrote: > Terrell Brown wrote: > >> Now, that's not easy. Student performance isn't necessarily a measure >> of teacher effectiveness. > > If student performance isn't a measure of teacher effectiveness then > what is? Speaking in the aggregate of course. Wow, I think I suddenly understand the problem with your statement Michael. A minute ago I agreed with you wholeheartedly. It lies in the word "effective" where most people are just trying to confirm that our teachers are "good". I can see a situation where a teacher is brilliant, creative, caring, dilligent and hard working but in which he/she has no "effect" on one or more students. In this situation, most people look immediately at the teacher and blame him/her for that student's failure to learn. However that student has many other influences which may make them apathetic or resistant to learning including family, peers and even the school system itself. No student will learn unless they WANT to learn. Currently I would say that our society as a whole does more to encourage students toward athletics, entertainment and apathy than toward learning. We as a society have made it acceptable, even normal to be a "dummy". It is humorous in our society to be unable to program our VCRs, we have whole series of books called "for dummies" and "Complete Idiot's Guide to". Public Billboards and advertising sport bad spelling and worse grammar. Our news access is controlled by "Spin Doctors" whose job it is to make the news understandable. Student performance is a measure of the Student's ability. Not much more. ___ 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] anti ghost
On Friday, July 12, 2002, at 08:56 AM, James E Jacobsen wrote: When there is a game in town and the out of town team stays at the Hyatt -which they often do- then it doesn't take an Arthur Anderson CPA to figure that the Hyatt hotel and restaurant business will benefit from that. And whether it is 5,000 or 50,000 people attending the game, likewise, some of those people will stay in hotels, likely are in town for other business and are staying someplace and probably eating. The differences would be seen -if the team were not there- in the attrition in the hospitality industry -including employment, and the diminishing of attendant normal tax revenues. James E Jacobsen // Whittier Then let the Hyatt pay for it. Why aren't they lining up to buy stock in a public corporation to build a stadium? So if I spend $300 MILLION (in tax revenues which could be spent on schools) to build a stadium what will be my return on investment? How much will go to the hotel employees and how much will go the hotel officers and directors and thus, how much will be returned in taxes? Given recent events I suspect an Arthur Anderson CPA COULD show me a return on investment from all this, but I'll stick to accountants I know and TRUST. Robert Schmid Central
Re: [Mpls] baseball ghosts
Well, first of all your 'facts' on the economic boon of professional sports are incorrect. A study was done that showed that NO city could show economic benefit from taxpayer funded stadiums and professional sports and several could demonstrate economic loss from it. Even stories a few years back in City pages reported that restaurant owners did NOT see a significant boost in patronage after Twins & Vikings games. If TV revenues are so lucrative, let THEM pay for a stadium. As for my statement that the economics of baseball and Mineapolis are not compatible - my words were "They are VERY LIKELY not compatible anymore." Which is a statement of theory and opinion not facts. Since you demand factual support from me I want to see the books that show that Minneapolis economy benefits from Twins activity. I keep asking, I don't see them. E On Friday, July 12, 2002, at 07:05 AM, James E Jacobsen wrote: Ref a century ago, when players had day jobs, there wasn't television then -yielding $80 million a year and broadcasting the game all over. In spite of those that are negative, In whatever time period required, the stadium -without extra taxes- would not only pay for itself it will contribute greatly to the community, in that it does bring in people, and it provides additional use and patronage to the already built parking ramps, hotels, bars and restaurants in the area, not to mention theatres and etc. And without the Twins, there would be a heavier burden on tax payers to make up the loss of revenues on parking ramps and for the lessor tax collections in all categories. I would like to know on what factual basis the economics of baseball and of Minneapolis are 'very likely' not compatible now. James E Jacobsen // Whittier
Re: [Mpls] Fw: re ghost & baseball
On Thursday, July 11, 2002, at 12:57 PM, James E Jacobsen wrote: Ref: The antibaseball Ghost The farm people I am talking about all across the North Central states, as I said, not only do they come in to games and pay their expenses they usually have other business to do, like as buyers for store merchandise or attending elevator or business conventions etc., Cenex for example. For your further info, it is as logistical support center of the North Central States in the farm homestead movement a century and more ago that gave the Twin Cities its economy and metropolitan status. James E. Jacobsen // Whittier And so we come full circle on the argument again - if the rest of the state benefits then let the rest of the state pay don't just tax Minneapolitans with local sales taxes. If the local businesses get so much money from these people and from the Twins, why aren't they lining up to buy stock in a private corporation to build a stadium? It's because the accounting doesn't work out! A century ago, baseball players were part time employees of the club who had to hold "regular jobs" to pay the bills. A century ago, the economy here was very different than it is today. Farming is still a critical part of the Minnesota economy but technology has or will allow the decentralization of a lot farm economy functions. Agriculture is not the sole foundation for Minneapolis economics anymore. The economics of baseball has changed. The economics of Minneapolis has changed. They are very likely not compatible anymore. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood
[Mpls] Re: Traffic Lights
Boy did you just open the Pandora's box on one of my pet peeves of Minneapolis. In short, there are too many stoplights in south Minneapolis. You can barely move. There are stoplights where stop signs should suffice and "No right turn" markers for no reason I can fathom. I can only assume that many of these lights have been added, one-by-one, at the request of neighborhoods or individuals without consideration for how they weave together as a web. The result, IMHO is not increased safety but a decrease in safety. The reasoning is simple: too many stoplights create aggravated drivers. Aggravated drivers maneuver and speed up to "make the light" thus creating a new and different hazard. Minneapolitans also have a unique driving habit - the "first left turn on green". This habit causes the first car to jump the light and make a fast left turn before oncoming traffic makes it impossible. It's not correct traffic ettiquette but some people obviously feel they won't be able to to move if they don't do this. It would be nice if Minneapolis would consider removing some of the stoplights that are up and replacing them with stop-signs if necessary. We don't need stoplights every 1-2 blocks. Robert Schmid Central On Wednesday, July 10, 2002, at 11:54 AM, JIM GRAHAM wrote: > Since we are talking about traffic lights and problems, can any City > employee address the catastrophe the City has created for signals on > 11th Avenue beside the Dome. This incredible bottleneck makes driving > down 11th Avenue heading north almost impossible at rush hour. > That is legally driving north on 11th at rush hour. > > You cannot cross 6th and 5th most times because the lights are so close > together and timed such that the downtown traffic on 6th fills up the > lane and the light changes before you can get across the intersection. > This forces drivers to break the law in one of two ways, they either > block the intersection until a light changes or they pull into the bike > lane. > Actually driving in the bike lane appears to be the preferable method as > it seems to be the safer alternative and is the one most often employed. > The street was two lanes prior to the bike lane and traffic negotiated > the > intersection with a minimum of problems, so there was no need to do > proper traffic engineering for the site. > > Given that Minneapolis is trying to promote bikes as a viable > transportation alternative, I would suggest that "Traffic" fix this > problem. > I also would suggest that the Traffic Department look at such > bottlenecks when the City is putting in other bike lanes. With the > necessity of compact use of street rights of way, (several forms of > transportation using them simultaneously), it is also necessary to do > a little more effective and proactive traffic engineering. You can't > just > remove a lane of traffic and add a bike path without adjusting other > elements in the equilibrium that is the urban environment. > (hope that was adequately pedantic) ___ 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] Environmental Concerns, and more
On Tuesday, July 2, 2002, at 09:53 AM, Constance Nompelis wrote: Part of the problem lies in our definitions, which seems ever to be the case. I do not find a garage, even -gasp- a double-car garage, to be "envirnonmentally unhealthy." I suspect, given the amount of cars and garages located in this city, that most people agree with my sentiment. Here's the big problem: WHO gets to decide what is okay and not okay for Minneapolitans to do with their own property? (That is a rhetorical question, FYI) I submit to this list that we must consider that question carefully, because those decision-makers may not always be on our "team." The more power we give to them (regulatory, etc.) the harder we may get bitten in the future. I understand that some list members don't like to look at their neighbors' big ugly garages. The question is not "who" but "HOW" do we make those decisions. It is not enough to say "democratically". If 51% decide we should all drown in the Mississippi do the other 49% have to go along. When it comes to questions of environmental sanity we can not have the argument along the lines of aesthetics. That argument is filled with personal bias and is utlimately self-defeating. Environmental decisions need to be made with three things in mind; 1) What is our best scientific understanding of what the effects will be if do/don't do something. 2) What DON'T we know. 3) What are the risks of disregarding nature? More heat? Floods? Our history is filled with well-documented blunders where humans thought they were above nature and later got bit hard for it. If you think that we are above nature I would suggest that you try and block the wind from a tornado or stand in the path of a flash flood. IF we make such decisions we should make them carefully - draining swamps and move flood ponds can be tricky business. This discussion goes well beyond the appearance of a couple of ugly entertainment venues (or garages) it goes to our physical well-being. Robert Schmid Central
Re: [Mpls] Environmental Concerns
I think I addressed this topic on another list so I will restate some of my views here; > It absolutely boggles my mind that so many folks on > this list openly advocate the removal of others' > rights with regard to their private property. The argument that property is actually 'private' is incorrect when used to describe land and real estate. Land use effects others, therefore some regulation of it is valid to provide a common basis of rights so that one landowner does not infringe the rights of another by causing real damage, devaluing the property or generally impeding their right to 'quiet enjoyment.' Too many people take up the argument to protect their own 'quiet enjoyment' while forgetting that their own actions can and do impede someone else's 'quiet enjoyment.' This is why we have laws about disturbing the peace, garbage collection, and so on. > > I know quite a few people who live in Minneapolis and, > due to high taxes and regulation plus a lack of jobs > and adequate transit, are compelled to commute to the > suburbs for their work. > > What we need in this city (and state) is lower taxes > and less regulation. With that will come more JOBS, > and less of our city's residents will seek employment > in the suburbs, which means less driving in and out. This sounds like the typical argument that we must CHOOSE EITHER a healthy environment or a healthy economy. It is a wrong argument. Without a healthy environment we will not have a healthy economy. Without a healthy economy we are more likely to resort to shortcuts which damage our environment. Environmental concerns are not merely ideological. Many of them are necessary concerns which ultimately effect the physical health of us all. ___ 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] Hooray for Minneapolis (We dodged a bullet!)
How delighted I am to here our city officials say that we can't afford the tax increase to fund the twins ballpark. Now somebody else can pay for it. Some notable points in the debate; The dome is LOSING money on the twins. According to testimony in the House on Saturday the twins bring no profit to the dome and must be subsidized by the Vikings. Where is the logic in a proposition that says a bigger stadium with even more empty seats will somehow be profitable. Will they ALL be luxury suites? The anti-county provision was caused by a rep from Edina or Minnetonka (I don't remember which) but it is a classic display of "We want it in THEIR town not OURS and we don't want to pay for it, we want THEM to pay for it." So we are most likely safe for another year. GO SAINTS! Robert Schmid Central ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Kids Suspended in MPS
On Sunday, May 12, 2002, at 08:19 PM, Rick wrote: > Hello all, > > I do appreciate all the comments and suggestions but pardon me, how > would we pay for all of this?!!! > > According to my calculations, the 3% tax decrease that George W gave his wealthy buddies is enough to nearly TRIPLE the number of teachers in the United States AND raise their average salary. Another good source would be the increased defense spending that W wants. That increase is greater than the entire defense budget of Britain. How about all the money everybody wants to spend on a damn sports stadium? The problem is that, as a culture, we favor sports heroes and deride our intellectuals. This culture exists strongly in our schools where smart kids learn to hide their intellect and are indirectly and even DIRECTLY told not to make the other kids look bad. In short, competition in the classroom is frowned upon but lauded in gym class. The entire system is flawed. Yes, when I have kids I will send them to a private school because I don't want them to suffer through what I and many of friends suffered. How will I pay for it? I don't know but I will find a way because their education is a hell of lot more important than red-herrings like drug-wars, terrorist threats and sports stadiums. Robert Schmid Central ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Boycott Target and other Corporate Parasites.....
On Friday, May 10, 2002, at 08:14 AM, Victoria Heller wrote: > I would like to know which Minneapolis businesses loot the public > treasury > and which ones do not. > > The guilty will not identify themselves - so I would like to start a > trend > whereby innocent businesses (large and small) proudly post the following > message: > > "THIS BUSINESS DOES NOT TAKE GOVERNMENT HANDOUTS!" My money will go to > these businesses only. > > If people start asking businesses (and landlords) "Have you received > public > subsidies in any form?" - we can quickly separate those who pull the > cart > from those who ride on the cart. Great idea but are you going to verify their claims as well? Or are we just going to take them at their word? Robert Schmid Central ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Banning SUVs
ARGH! I forgot to sign - Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Banning SUVs
>> > >I'm curious if drug dealing would decrease if we ban SUV's from >> > >entering N. Phillips >> > >> > I doubt it, even if you could do it, but I sure wish the license >> > plates >> > would get published in the newspaper. >> >> In St. Paul I remember they had a website that published hookers and >> johns who were caught in Frogtown. I wonder if that had an impact and >> if such measures might deter people from coming to drug infested area >> to deal and to buy. > > And a lot of this type of stuff is being challenged in court by the > ACLU. Personally I feel that this sort of "publishing" is > slanderous/libelous (whichever one is for printed matter, I can't keep > them straight) and I hope our fair city will not engage in it. Let me straighten some things out. Defamation of character (slander/liabel) is not the same as a violation of privacy and it does not mean saying something unkind about someone else. At it's most basic, a statement must be false to constitute defamation. In most cases it must be "knowingly" false. (In order for it to be actionable it must also cause a measurable harm.) So, if I watch my corner and I report; "A vehicle bearing license plate ABC123 stopped at the corner of Xth & Lake and picked up a woman." This Is unlikely to be defamation because it is factually true. If, on the other hand I report "John Doe was seeing trolling for hookers at Xth & Lake." Then I may be making a false statement which might be actionable - 1) I may be able to confirm that John Doe owns the vehicle with that plate but I do not know if John Doe was actually driving. 2) What do I know about the person who was picked up? Anything? Even if she is a known and convicted prostitute I can not be certain that prostitution is being considered. 3) Am I reporting my own account or someone else's? If I were to set up a website to publish incidents like this I would require, at a minimum, 1) a photograph showing the vehicle, plate and identifiable landmark; 2) a signed statement from the witness; 3) NO government funding or involvement (this raises other issues) and 4) I would state no more than facts that can be readily verified by the photograph and the statement of the witness. If the witness is unwilling to testify in court, I wouldn't risk publishing it. > > Frankly, I think the better solution would be to decriminalize > behaviors that have no obvious victims. Drug buyers, drug sellers, > prostitutes and their patrons... these people are not usually If you can remove the pimps, the drugs, and the long term psychological effects from prostitution we can begin to have this conversation. Short of that, the prostitutes themselves are the victims. ___ 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] Rybak to Olson: Start looking for another job
What matters here is (A) How the chief is dismissed and why and especially (B) How the new chief is hired. If the new chief is hired after a typical search and replacement scenario it will do no good. IF, however, the new chief found and hired with the mandate "You are being hired to restore community trust and respect in the police force" then it will make some difference. Job postings should state explicitly that the position requires someone who can face accountability before the public and restore that trust. Many candidates will not want the job under those circumstances. They will say, "I can't do my job as a law enforcement officer with my hands tied." Yes, there are contradictory job requirements but that's the way it is. Now, as to why the Chief is the one responsible? I think the best example is the ISAG protest non-event. Chief Olsen spent hundreds of thousands of dollars expecting a war that didn't happen. That is a very dangerous frame of mind. It can be self-fulfilling. By many accounts, the events in Seattle prior to ISAG were as much the fault of the police as the protesters. Whenever a crowd gathers in Mpls I expect to see armored police, and I usually do. In contrast, in Dublin on St Patrick's day, I saw a few unarmored police wearing flourescent green vests (targets?). The attitude is different, the culture is different and thus the results are different. The chief sets the tone and the culture of the department. In this case, the chief must go. Robert Schmid Central David Brauer said: > I want to agree with Tamir, up to a point. Tamir writes: > >> Wizard makes an excellent point about changing police >> chiefs. Although I support the buyout of Olson's >> contract it's important to remember that this won't >> make much of a difference in terms of the avarage >> rank-and-file cop being rude to, beating, or even >> killing the Black/Somali/Hispanic/long haired/spiked >> haired (etc.) resident. > > I have only reported on, not witnessed, incidents of alleged police > brutality. Since I will be reporting on police issues again, I am going > to be less-than-certain about Olson's staying and the police > department's actions. > > HoweverI think Tamir hits the nail on the head on how the problem > seems to be blamed on one man - Olson - without some acknowledgment, > that if there is a problem, it has to be broader than the chief. > > Yes, the Chief is the top person and thus bears significant > responsibility as a leader. But I am concerned that while RT has warred > with the chief - his predecessor's choice - in public and apparently > private, he has not mentioned other leaders or potential offenders in > the department, who endorsed him through the Police Federation. > > I think we overdo the Great Man theory of history, and I worry we are > overdoing the Poor Leader theory if there is a problem in the > department. It seems logical that this is bigger than one guy. Our > leaders should tell us why he is the sole offender, and if it's bigger > than that, what they will do beyond criticizing the chief. > > David Brauer > Kingfield > > ___ > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn > E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: > http://e-democracy.org/mpls ___ 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] Re: Congrats to Mpls. Reps Who Voted for Stadium Bill
Vincent Thomas said: > Dear List Members: > > to be a stronger marketer for Minneapolis than Mayor Sayles-Belton; I > recall talk of him doing for Minneapolis what Mayor Coleman did for > Saint Paul in this regard. If the stadium is located in Minneapolis, it > is more likely that our Mayor will be able to fulfill his campaign > pledge. > You mean Mayor Rybak is going let downtown Minneapolis become gutted and leave it looking like a ghost town while proclaiming that somehow things are better? Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] SHAME on the Mpls reps who voted for Stadium bonding bill...
ScottP said: > ...You passed Politics 101 with flying colors! The stadium bill was > going to pass with or without your support last night and you wisely > voted with the majority ... >We need to start planning for this reality and quit hand wringing about >the evils of corporate baseball and get the best deal we can. Y'know I remember hearing a philosphy like this something like "The Germans are moving into versaille so you might as well deal with it and stop fighting..." In this age of "wars" on everything in site, this is the first shot in a war on the poor in whatever city this bomb goes off in. The funding proposal will require taxes on "food, liquor and entertainment taxes in the city that is selected as the new stadium site." Minneapolis has been putting up with s*** long enough. Our dining and entertainment has been taxed to pay for two stadiums already and you want a THIRD?! Well, here's what I'M going to do - I'm taking my entertainment dollars elsewhere. Whenever I eat out, or go to a show I'll be doing it somewhere that isn't making me pay for a stadium. Oh, yes. And I'll be looking for new candidates to support. Robert Schmid Central ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] A quick explanation?
>Has there been a concious effort to get certain voices involved or >is > everything open to whomever signs on? Both? Should there be an effort > to gain certain voices and if so, how is it established which ones and > who should try and fetch them? 15 years of experience with listserves and Bulletin Boards has taught me that such forums tend to have a life of their own. People who are normally silent and invisible suddenly become well known for their posts. Likewise, those who might normally be well known fall silent. Of course, there is a continuum of behaviors that are unique to listserves. As such, listserves tend to be self-regulating. First, a person must have computer access so the population of the list is automatically limited. Second, people make decisions on whether or not to post for reasons that are different from the reasons they would choose to speak. So you can bring people to the list, but that is no guarantee that they will benefit or participate. There will always be a complaint that the debate is elitist due to problems of access, the ability to post and to get your posts read - the delete button is all too easy to use on some people. It is a most effective weapon for silencing others. So, my philosophy is "those who are here are here." The debate that occurs must stand or fail on its own merits, not on a claim of being representative of the whole. We do not represent anyone but ourselves and as a group we represent no one, least of all the whole city. Leaders should listen to our debates as they would any other group of people. Anyone who thinks that we truly represent the continuum of thought in Minneapolis are mistaken. Robert Schmid Central ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Imagination game
That's easy. Run. My martial arts instructor makes it very clear. OPTION 1: Avoid the conflict. I already have a 20 foot head start. But you didn't mean ME? Did you? You meant an idealized me who is physically fit, well trained in police tactics, techniques and fighting styles and required to stay. Well, in that case, let's be more realistic - You, and several of your buddies, armed with pistols, shotguns, various forms of clubs and your CAR(s) are facing someone armed with two non- ballistic weapons. He, at the least, is disturbed and probably untrained in weapons technques. You have several minutes to call for various forms of help, herd and confine him to a controllable space and try and lower the tension. Now what do you do? Robert Schmid Central Clark C. Griffith said: > Imagine that you are standing twenty feet from a man who is holding a > machete and a crow bar. He is looking at you and is angry and starts > toward you. You have a pistol. If you shoot at his legs and miss the > bone, he keeps coming. If you shoot at his waving arms and miss a bone, > he keeps coming. The machete is raised to strike at your head. You have > three seconds to act or your head will be split open. What do you do? > Where do you shoot so as to assure (1) That you will hit him, and (2) > Do enough damage to stop him before you are killed. Answers must be > given within the three second time limit. > > Clark Griffith 7th Ward, > ___ > 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: Fwd: [Mpls] police bashing
First of all, let me sign this in advance so I don't forget again, Robert Schmid Central Michael Atherton wrote: > street violence or violence in general. I mean how else can someone > believe that you can take away a machete from someone > without suffering an injury? > It's not my intention to imply that any weapon can be taken away from someone "easily" or "without injury." However, given the choice between a disarm which results in injury and death with no other injuries, I demand the disarm. It takes skill to use any weapon. I doubt that this guy was . I know a couple of people in town who, armed with a machete, would be a serious risk to a half dozen cops. Anyone else, however, is as much at risk to themselves as anyone else. But the police have ARMOR available to them. I see it all the time, flack jackets for daily wear and riot gear for more serious occasions. We pay the police to risk injury on our behalf. We don't pay them enough for that, probably, but then we probably couldn't afford what they are really worth for that service. The police are human beings and I know that at least some of them are agonizing over this event. Those that aren't probably shouldn't be on the force. Those that remain should receive the training necessary to avoid this situation in the future. I have been told that some of the precincts in the "bad" neighborhoods are used as rookie training centers, allowing more experienced officers to go to other neighborhoods. This is bad policy if it's true. I have also been told that there is an age limit for a street cop, older officers being forced into desk jobs. This leaves us with inexperienced and untrained cops on the worst streets. A very bad mix. This man could have been taken without loss of life. It may not have been possible without injury, but it was possible to do so without loss of life. Robert Schmid Central ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: Fwd: [Mpls] police bashing
RANDERSON wrote: >I, for one, respect the police and the hazardous nature of their work. >However, as one trained in defense techniques which require thought during >the heightened moments of confrontation, I can not accept that the most >likely alternative was the wanton taking of a human life. And, it is high >time that we hold those empowered to serve and protect to do just that. >Too often, when confronted with persons of color, rationale is subject to the >extreme, esoterical notion that un-bridled, in-human circumstance feeds the >frenzy. And, since the one confronting is considered sub-human, given to the >wildest extremes, imaginable, over-whelming force is justified. Thank you for saying this. I am familiar with some of the techniques that could have prevented this debacle, even though I am unable to use them. I happen know that the police department has in the past received training from at least one instructor who teaches forms which specifically involve machetes and other weapons of varying lengths. The police seem to be too gun-centered. There are other tools and techniques available but everything we hear seems to be centered on whether or not to use "the gun." I respect the difficulties of the job the police are trying to do. However, they wield the authority of the state and the power of life and death and therefore I demand high standards from them. I get very concerned when I am told that they are unwilling to live in my neighborhood. This tells me that they are afraid of my neighborhood. I can not trust gun-wielding individuals who are more afraid of my neighborhood than I am. I know what it's like to have a gun pointed at me by someone who is afraid. Anyone in that condition is unpredictable and dangerous. ___ 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] Mpls has more than 1,420 Charities and 636 Churches
Forgot to sign that post again! Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood Robert Schmid said: > > This entire thread carries the tone that all of these charities must > hoarding cash. > > As with businesses or with people, a few of these charities are wealthy > but most are not. > > For example, One of the non-profits listed in Minneapolis is RaptorNet, > a non-profit web-hosting service for Raptor rehabilitators and other > environmentally friendly organizations. Cash income last year = $0. > It didn't even apply for 501(c)(3) status because the filing fee $150 > was too much. All the equipment (valued around $500 total) is on loan > and the connection is provided free of charge. RaptorNet survives on > my time and scavenged equipment. > > Another example, the National Lawyers Guild barely maintains a cash > flow to cover it's postage costs. WHAT?! A Lawyer's organization > strapped for cash? Yes, the value of the Guild comes from the hundreds > of hours spent by guild members supporting the community. Most of our > attorneys are legal aid workers and public defenders who have dedicated > themselves trying to make the phrase "and justice for ALL" a reality. > If their time is was recordable as income at market rates we would be a > million dollar organization. As it is, many out-of-pocket expenses for > printing and mailing go unreimbursed. > > Example 3, a raptor rehabilitator in Texas which receives and provides > veterinary care for 200-300 birds of prey per year. One of the more > successful centers in the country runs the entire project whith 4-5 > staff on less than salary of a US Senator. Most raptor rehabilitators > around the country are single person projects. The Minnesota Raptor > Center which does receive corporate support from Northwest and others > is an anomaly, but no one there is getting rich. > > I would guess that 75% or more of the non-profits and churches listed > for Minneapolis are living on less than $100,000 per year and as much > as half can't afford a staff person. > > > > ___ > 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] Mpls has more than 1,420 Charities and 636 Churches
This entire thread carries the tone that all of these charities must hoarding cash. As with businesses or with people, a few of these charities are wealthy but most are not. For example, One of the non-profits listed in Minneapolis is RaptorNet, a non-profit web-hosting service for Raptor rehabilitators and other environmentally friendly organizations. Cash income last year = $0. It didn't even apply for 501(c)(3) status because the filing fee $150 was too much. All the equipment (valued around $500 total) is on loan and the connection is provided free of charge. RaptorNet survives on my time and scavenged equipment. Another example, the National Lawyers Guild barely maintains a cash flow to cover it's postage costs. WHAT?! A Lawyer's organization strapped for cash? Yes, the value of the Guild comes from the hundreds of hours spent by guild members supporting the community. Most of our attorneys are legal aid workers and public defenders who have dedicated themselves trying to make the phrase "and justice for ALL" a reality. If their time is was recordable as income at market rates we would be a million dollar organization. As it is, many out-of-pocket expenses for printing and mailing go unreimbursed. Example 3, a raptor rehabilitator in Texas which receives and provides veterinary care for 200-300 birds of prey per year. One of the more successful centers in the country runs the entire project whith 4-5 staff on less than salary of a US Senator. Most raptor rehabilitators around the country are single person projects. The Minnesota Raptor Center which does receive corporate support from Northwest and others is an anomaly, but no one there is getting rich. I would guess that 75% or more of the non-profits and churches listed for Minneapolis are living on less than $100,000 per year and as much as half can't afford a staff person. ___ 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
Ooops - Re: [Mpls] Skyway to nowhere
That last post should have been signed, especially since I probably ruffled some Midwestern feathers. Robert Schmid Central Neighborhood ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Skyway to nowhere
Jim Berg said: > > The fact that the designer is French and "innovative" > doesn't mean that this design is innovative. (I guess > I just stopped being careful.) It's a bunch of boxes > covered in metal. Plus, we've been having discussions Oh, no. Not another "Pile of Schlitz" (Weisman Art Museum). Look if this guy wants to create ugly designs A) Stay in France and B) Stick to clothing at least then we'll only have to look at it for a season. I think this is evidence of an inside joke amongst architects that Minneapolitans will fall for an ugly building if it's called "Art." ___ 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] Public Schools
> I guess my take is this -- Black History, Women's History, Gay History > etc. are all history. From what I've heard, from stories from > teenagers who have attended the Minneapolis Public Schools, is that > there is lots of focus on "multiculturalism" -- and less focus on > historical events like the fronteer (two days on that topic I heard) -- > and the major impact that had on American History. That bothers me -- > I guess maybe this dates me, but when I took American History in 9th > grade, we spent about half the year on the Fronteer. There is much > more to Black History than Martin Luther King. > Just as there is much more to Women's History than the modern wave of > Feminism from the 60s. 19th Century Feminists such as Susan B Anthony > were opposed to abortion for example. I hate to admit my ignorance, > but I don't know what HBCUs are -- and am not totally sure what > Scientific Colonialism means. It's a question of what is important. Frankly, I don't think the frontier needs half a year. We are taught so little history that the more I read and learn the more I feel like I was lied to in my history classes. We are taught a cleaned-up form of history (history written by the victor) such that any attempt in later years to clarify or correct it is met by a mass of people makign accusations of 'revisionism.' Was the civil war about states rights or slavery? How many high school students can adequately answer this question? ___ 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] Public Schools
Thomas Swift said: > > "In my experience the system only works for > "mainstream", white, heterosexual "average" > students. Students at the top and bottom, left and > right are dis-served whether they are segregated from > the heard by race, gender, intelligence, talent, > sexual preference, economic class, and even political > views." > > This thought illustrates what "multiculturalism", the > chase after "diversity" and the moral relativism swept > in under cover of the "progressive schools" banner > hath wrought on the public schools. > > It's message is so pathetic, so lacking in redeeming > value, I am left speechless. Our poor, poor kids! Please, find the speech. This is not a retort it's a taunt. It's the equivalent of crying "unamerican" in the face of criticism of the Ashcroft/Bush administration. I am reminded of the death of Socrates and Plato's allegory of the cave. Will you merely attack what you do not understand no matter how true it may be? Robert Schmid Central ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Public Schools
Pamela Taylor said: > If we > do not demand that our teachers teach in new methods > coming out college, This statement worries me. As a victim of many of the educational "experiments" of the last 30-40 years I tend to equate this with "lowering expectations" of our children. I'm sure this isn't what you meant but I'd really like to hear some specifics of what these methods are and how we expect to resolve the issues. > how do we expect to infuse any > kind of change in how ANY of our kids learn? By doing > so, you can address the issue of children of color. > > Without changing methods, you will continually get the > same results you have always gotten, no matter how > much money you can find to put into the educational > system. Lets not waste what little we have. Otherwise, I agree. > --- Brandon Lacy Campos <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: >> >> My feeling: >> >> 1. The Budget Crisis...the new school board members >> are going to have to >> be adept at re-creating the Public Schools into a >> non-profit model that >> may need to include grass-roots direct appeal >> fundraising to the parents >> and citizens of Minneapolis. NO WAY. The moment we retreat to fundraising events to support our public education system is the day we might as well shut it down. It just gives policy makers a chance to reduce funding more and more and/or turn our schools into the hands of corporate interests. >> >> 2. Addressing the needs of students of color and >> poor students...the >> school district CONTINUES to fail to meet the needs >> of and educate >> students of color and poor students. ignoring social >> factors that come >> to school with students does not allow all students >> to learn. These are not the only students whose needs are not met. In my experience the system only works for "mainstream", white, heterosexual "average" students. Students at the top and bottom, left and right are dis-served whether they are segregated from the heard by race, gender, intelligence, talent, sexual preference, economic class, and even political views. Education is supposed to be the great equalizer, but it can't be when not all students are being educated to their potential. Robert Schmid Central ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Crows thread
> > They are known to have a hierarchy and family type structure and are > reported to be among the smartest of wild birds. At sunset they have a > nesting and gathering instinct especially prevalent at this time of > year. They are also a threat to many species of birds other than > themselves, from what I have read. This is slightly unfair as it would be possible to say that all species are threats to other species, especially between scavenger/predator species. There may be an overabundance of crows and, if there is then it means one of two things (or both); a) That they are manifesting themselves as keepers of sacred law, and harbingers of great change and/or b) That there is an imbalance in the local ecosystem which has allowed them to overpopulate. I might suggest that their over-population is now threatened by the growing number of red-tail hawks, falcons and owls moving into the city. These things will take care of themselves as long as we keep our parks and waters clean. Robert Schmid Central ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Affordable housing crisis is over
> Bad Government is the reason rents are high. > > It is the private affordable housing providers that are required to > collect enough rent to pay the taxes that fund our Government > and their idea of affordable (subsidized) housing. > Minnesota is one of a few freak states that tax a rental home at > a much higher rate than an owned home. Why??? > Because it encourages owner-occupancy and because a rental property is not a homestead. It exists for business purposes, i.e. to make profit therefore it is taxed as both a property and as a business. For example, I could make decent money on my house if I rented it out and bought a different one somewhere else. This would deprive someone of the same benefit I have, i.e. an affordable place to live, so if I rent it instead of live in it, I can expect to pay higher taxes. As it is, I pay less for mortgage, insurance and taxes than any of my friends pay for rent alone, and I get equity and tax deductions. What does a renter get? A place to live, yes - but no long term security, no equity, no tax deductions (although there are rent rebates.) Rental housing exists to make a profit off of others' need for housing. ___ 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] Affordable housing crisis is over
This is hardly proof that the affordable housing crisis is over. Where are these 4% of units? What is the mean/median/mode rental rate on them. Is this in Mpls? Mpls-St Paul. All the suburbs? How many of those units are on decent bus lines? What is the definition of affordable. How much of this vacancy rate is based on people packing more adults than is safe into less units? What is the cost of "affordable" housing. One statistic for one quarter does not make a trend. Robert Schmid Central > Was I the only one who noticed the rental vacancy rate has gone from > 2.1% to 4% in just one quarter? And that figure is going to keep > climbing. > > Saturday's paper has the change noted in the usual spot. Chair > Mondale, Mpls City Council, and all policy makers who have other un-met > funding needs: Here's a news alert. Other projects are more deserving > of funding. The affordable housing crisis has passed. Those of you who > desire more funding for other good causes, now is the time to re-double > your pressure on the elected officials. Show them Saturday's paper, > tell them to > re-prioritize their funding goals. The avalanche of funds that are > starting to go into 'affordable housing' can still be diverted to other > worthy projects in the city. > > One of the great things about this list is that you can re-read old > posts. So like Cassandra, my predictions go un-heeded. Like Churchill, > I can say I told you so. > > > Craig Miller > Former Fultonite > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ___ > 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] PRT-A Lousy Idea.
> >>Okay , what's wrong with PRT ? (Personal Rapid Transit) > >>If you've read the literature like I have, it quickly becomes >>obvious why PRT is not the solution to car-choked streets. I can think >>of dozens of reasons, but here's a few to start with and maybe you can >>come up with some of your own. >>PRT runs on the outside of buildings and punches large holes into >>their second floors. I don't think this idea will meet the approval of >>groups devoted to the aesthetic appreciation of and historic >>preservation of landmark buildings. You mean like skyways do? This is not a requirement of PRT. This is a design detail. Some buildings may allow PRT inside, others don't need it. >>PRT allows anyone to climb aboard, drunks, prostitutes, teenagers, >>drug dealers and do what they want in the privacy of the PRT >>vehicle...leaving behind vomit, used needles, condoms, grafitti, >>odorshard to police thousands of vehicles whizzing around on > http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Ethnic diversity on NRP Policy Board
While I agree that the lack fo checks and balances is a significant problem in the NRP and many if not most of it's neighborhood organizations, it is a problem that can be repaired. The NRP does not have to die - if it did we would lose the value of its experience and the "wisdom" gained. NRP can and should reform itself, there is enough good in it that it would be possible to change or remove the failed/ weak aspects and renew it. Michael Atehrton wrote: > Although one goal of the NRP may have been some type of democratic > pluralism in which the greatest good is fairly distributed by a > reallocation of governmental power, I would have hoped that by now > people would have realized that the NRP has simply shifted power from a > large municipal bureaucracy to smaller one, and not to the "people." > Just as communism was based on an implicit assumption that the goodness > of human nature would surface after the end of capitalism oppression, > the NRP founders must have assumed that shifting power to the > neighborhoods would automatically result in fair, wise, and > representative decision making. Unfortunately, unlike the the Framers > of the Constitution they failed to account for the propensity of humans > to favor selfish personal interests over the general welfare. This > reliance on the goodness of human nature and not on a series of > checks-and-balances is the NRP's fatal flaw. Let it die its natural > death, along with so many other failed social experiments. > > 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
Re: [Mpls] Dodging responsibility at CNIA
This is nothing but unfair attacks on Jana Metge. CNIA was running nicely UNTIL she was illegally fired by a new Board of Directors who were installed as part of coup by Basim Sabri. She was fired first at an illegal meeting by the new directors, some of who had not even met her, this meeting was boycotted by responsible board members who believed the meeting was illegal. When a legal transition of power was made, at which time many of the remaining old board resigned, they did it again without regard to employee rights or law. That same board was sued by former employees for not being paid when they too were fired without review. The current situation at CNIA is the responsibility of the Board of Directors NOT Jana Metge. Robert Schmid Former Treasurer of CNIA 8th Ward. > -Original Message- > From: Jana L. Metge > Sent: Friday, December 28, 2001 12:00 PM > Subject: > > > Needless to say, I do not agree with Wizard's statements, I also > thought that personal attacks were not tolerated on Mpls. Issues? > > > Message: 15 > Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 23:29:40 -0600 > From: "wizardmarks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Mpls] Ethnic diversity on NRP Policy Board > > Jana Metge at Citizens for a Loring Park Community wrote: >> >> I completely agree with Greg's point and was very disappointed that > no one >> from diverse neighborhoods such as Central or a couple of the north >> neighborhoods, >> NRP sent all neighborhoods the same information. In years past, >> Central has always organized well. > > WM: This is disingenuous. You, of all people, know what has > happened in Central and that CNIA is no longer able to field > candidates, get its act together to inform the neighborhood, > etc. You're as much, if not more, responsible for this state > of affairs than many another. > > [TB] Wizard is right on point with her remark. The only thing that > wasnt said was that Jana Metge was the paid employee of the Central > neighborhood group (CNIA) who ran the organization at the time it fell > apart when Basim Sabri and his group tried to take over. > > Like many government employees she just moved on to a similar position > in another organization (CLPC in Loring Park). The story at the time > was that she was pursuing legal action against CNIA. > > Those who run such organizations should expect to be held to standards > as City department managers and expect the same public criticism from > those who take exception to the policies they promote. > > Our tax dollars are going into our neighborhood organizations and those > who run them should expect to be held accountable for the actions they > take using those dollars. > > > > Terrell Brown > Loring Park > > > __ > Do You Yahoo!? > Send your FREE holiday greetings online! > http://greetings.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] North vs South
Eduardo Parra wrote: > What disturbs me is > that once again is the North vs. South mentality creeping in here. > Perhaps I have an allegiance to the North side at present, but you > must know that I did live in the Keewaydin Neighborhood for 15 years > and was always struck at the imbalance in city resources and energies > between the North side in general and the more affluent South side. > Rodney King was quoted as saying "can't we all get along?". Can't we > focus on the City, not the specific geographic areas when we advocate > for our leaders? As an outsider originally from California, this > reminds me of the mindless energies Californians put into their > Northern California vs Southern California rivalry! I can see the > Strib > headlines..."South Minneapolis secedes from North Minneapolis". I'd say yes but we have a peculiar geography here. The highways have successfully divided the city north-south and east-west. Just as the river divides Mpls & Saint Paul. The differences can be quite apparent when you cross the highway and each section of town has a slightly different demographic and needs. So what's good for Mpls may not be good for all, and may be detrimental to some, neighborhoods. We have to focus on our neighborhoods because when some advocate for soemthing they believe is good for the whole city, they don't consider the damage it may do to one part. It's not all that different than the competition between the city and the suburbs. ___ 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] PiPress Minneapolis stadium story
About $25 million of the public share would come from game-day parking revenue at existing parking ramps behind Target Center and from other city-owned downtown parking lots. Another $45 million to $50 million would come from borrowing backed by a rebate of Minnesota income taxes paid by Twins ballplayers and by visiting players. As noted in the article I cited earlier the taxes cited here amount to about $2.2M /year. Again, this will take a minimum of 25 years to recover and the Metrodome is only 20 years old. This also means that that income will be taken out of the state general fund for the next 25 years. I'm feeling betrayed and hornswaggled by my candidate and he hasn't even been sworn in yet! HOMES NOT DOMES! Robert Schmid, 8th Ward, Central - but for how long? > I missed a good piece by Pat Sweeney today in the St. Paul paper...to > add to the stadium debate: > > http://www.pioneerplanet.com/news/mtc_docs/195948.htm > > David Brauer > List manager ___ 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] Mpls stadum proposal
EIGHTY FIVE PERCENT public funding? You act like not having a sports franchise is not an option. Where do you get the second scenario from? More extortion based panic? Are you expecting that we will have a mayor like Norm Coleman who let downtown St Paul become vacant so he could build a stadium? We should never have bailed out Harv & Marv. We should have let the Target Center go into foreclosure and either bought it cheap or let someone else buy it cheap. What were they going to do, move it? The only teams I will even consider building for are the gophers. But first, they must prove that they are supporting STUDENT athletes instead of acting as a minor league for professional sports. A recent article in the StarTrib (http://www.startribune.com/stories/503/850469.html) stated that the state receives $4M in revenue from Twins-based activity. Based on this, you are asking us to buy a stadium that will take us 85 years to pay for. (Assuming no interest and zero inflation). Yet the dome is only 20 years old and you want to scrap it. Of that $4M, $945,000 comes from the Twins $27M payroll. That's a tax rate of 3.5%. Normal people in Minnesota pay roughly 8% income tax. So, instead of building a stadium for millionaires, we could instead invest MUCH LESS money into creating jobs that pay $50,000/yr (540 jobs) or $30,000/yr (900 jobs!) which would produce roughly 2.16M in income tax for the state and probably $1.5-2M in sales taxes while simultaneously keeping people off the welfare and unemployment lines. I say, HOMES NOT DOMES! Robert Schmid 8th Ward, Central > I think we should move on to other topics. Here are the two > alternatives for stadium finance. 1. A $400,000,000 retractable dome > stadium is built for the Twins involving 85% public money and a similar > Vikings/UofM stadium is built several years later. 2. The Twins go away > and the Vikings have a $550,000,000 dome built for them at public > expense, for which they pay nothing, a separate open air football > stadium is built for the Gophers, the public pays off Target Center and > Excel Center debt and both the T'Wolves and Wild receive rent free > leases. > > Clark Griffith, 7th Ward ___ 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] Litmus Test - Mpls stadum proposal
I keep forgetting to sign my posts - Robert Schmid 8th Ward Go Saints! > Attention Mayor Rybak. This is a litmus test issue. Fail, and I start > looking for a new candidate now. Extortionists should be prosecuted > NOT appeased. ___ 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] Litmus Test - Mpls stadum proposal
Attention Mayor Rybak. This is a litmus test issue. Fail, and I start looking for a new candidate now. Extortionists should be prosecuted NOT appeased. ___ 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
