Steve Marchese writes in part "...I would appreciate hearing from listmembers who are better versed on NRP so we can all learn how this proposal will both affect community organizations and to suggest how we can address the underlying fiscal problems in a constructive manner.
There are economies to be achieved by having fewer free-standing NRP neighborhood offices and by sharing staff across neighborhood boundaries. Less balkanization would mean tens of thousands of dollars not expended if fewer full-time staff were employed at the individual NRP neighborhood level. Take away thirty such staff positions and their benefit schedules and you've certainly gone past a million dollars even when adding back some municipal-level planners riding circuit for a year or two. There's a cost in institutional memory at the neighborhood level, but such memories are still there in the voluntary boards. And there are economies of scale in the fact that current technology permits standardized analysis - demographics, traffic studies, other thematic material derived from public data sources. No need to stop at any given NRP neighborhood boundary with this. Speaking of community organizing, there's no substitute for face-to-face work, but does it have to be salaried? If so, what are the reasonable geographic boundaries? To what degree can passive techniques like direct mail be used? Mailings are expensive, but salaries are more expensive. I just don't see an all-or-nothing situation regarding NRP's overhead dollar costs if there are cost-saving workarounds that people can live with. Fred Markus, Horn Terrace, Ward Ten, in the Lyndale Neighborhood --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.443 / Virus Database: 248 - Release Date: 1/10/2003 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
