RE: [Mpls] Budget seminar
Michael cited the fact that 'many people have lost their jobs, lost their health care benefits, or are experiencing dramatically reduced earnings; all while their local taxes, especially in Mpls., continue to increase dramatically.' Ironic that politicians who apparently have no financial woes personally, would cite 'quality of life' as yet another reason to raise taxes. Who's life? And can somebody QUANTIFY quality? Seems another case of "I know what's good for you" government. I guess if you're poor you learn not to expect anything, so you won't be disapointed. Wouldn't continuing to raise taxes, property or otherwise, potentially drive folks who are barely hanging on into further financial despair? Jill Harmon Cleveland _ Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 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] Budget Seminar
> > But there is more to the story on one other point. The primary > responsibility for housing the homeless is the state's social-services > (administered through the counties) and the fed's - instead, the state > allows the suburbs to zone out low-income people and Minneapolis not only > gets the social problems of concentration but has to pay for it. Sorry, but that's a hoot. Start thinking Game Shows and here is my response. State and countymy foot! What city runs the largest chunk of public housing in the state, and refuses poor people to live there? What City is putting together an Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board of Directors with out holding out realistic spots for the people who rep 90% of the Affordable Housing? What City Destroys more Affordable housing in one decade that can be built in four? What City put together an Affordable Housing Task Force, spent two years talking, meeting, rallying, poured barrels full of ink, killed several forests worth of paper, then pretty much ignored the studies. Oh and once again, pretty much banned the 90% club again? What City has a Mayor who skillfully used the Affordable Housing issue to get elected? What City DOSEN'T have an affordable housing problem any more, but realizes the issue is still hot enough to garner funding from some money pot who doesn't read the papers? What City Drove the engine that led to a lawsuit where three or more government levels and entities suing each other and settled. The settlement being the destruction of hundreds of homes at a time of complete shortage. And now has turned the area into the latest Gentrified-Plaza? Whisked the poor right out of town? All at taxpayer expense? Lucy Holman where are you now? What City Blames all other cities for it's problems? Remember contestant, phrase your answer in the form of a question. Contestant: ...Is it MinneapolisBob? Bing-Bing-Bing-Bing-Bing-Bing-Bing-Bing That's CORRECT contestant. Minneapolis has been destroying affordable housing for a decade and trying to guilt, shame, sue, blackmail, what ever means necessary to force suburbs into building what Mpls won't. In playing our game, how to shift blame and fool the masses your win one of the following 1. A free 6 week crash course in "How to Start your own Non-Profit" You'll learn how to a a) Bad mouth the private sector b) Design business cards that say Executive Director c) Chose a board of directors made up of sycophants, who never question what you do, until you raise real money. d) Complain how little you make. e) Hook up with Lawyers and help plumb the code and law books looking for the next gold mine f) Harass local elected officials, claim you have wide support when you don't. Cite bogus studies. g) Look for that elusive policy position in local government where you will one day have the power to destroy more housing. Proving the old axiom. There are two many people making money off the affordable housing crisis game to solve the issue. h) Spend up to 4 times what it costs to build apartments, then rent to people who can afford to buy homes in the 150-250K Range. Or Door #2 Intern as a CCP/SAFE person. Where you will learn how to a) be paid b) blame landlords for crime c) claim your doing what Guillani did in New York with out actually busting, trying and jailing suspects. d) look people in the eye in Phillips, Hawthorn, Central, Near North and tell them " crime is down". Door #3 Run for office. If you get elected you can a) bad mouth the private sector b) bring "concentrate" all the social ills in your community because of the fact you allow a two red-light districts in your city, thus the real estate values plummet there. Then you can allow the "social service" people to move in and offer their "service". Either way contestant your the winner! The poor are pawns and the needy will get less. Which door do you chose? Craig Miller Rogers, MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > David Brauer > King Field > > > 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] Budget Seminar
on 2/19/03 1:23 PM, Victoria Heller at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I stayed at the seminar until the bitter end - it was a whine with no > cheese session. Be careful judging another's complaints as whining...they could say the same thing about yours... > Instead of housing the homeless, Minneapolis built a skating rink. > Instead of maintaining its parks, Minneapolis moved the Shubert Theater. > Instead of upgrading its infrastructure, Minneapolis doled out corporate > welfare. All true. Fair points. The Shubert was ineffably dumb, and a great symbol to bludgeon us with. But there is more to the story on one other point. The primary responsibility for housing the homeless is the state's social-services (administered through the counties) and the fed's - instead, the state allows the suburbs to zone out low-income people and Minneapolis not only gets the social problems of concentration but has to pay for it. As for the state policy to shift taxes from high-priced homes and commercial-industrial businesses to lower-income homes and individuals, it's not welfare, but doling out something to someone... Did I mention a Convention Center that produces taxes for the whole state that Minneapolis pays 100 percent of? David Brauer King Field 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] Budget seminar
As one of the organizers of the budget discussion last night, I appreciate Mike's comments. I agree with much of what he said about how the seminar turned out - partisan in appearance, somewhat restricted in dialogue, and I will add that it veered from the topic of how the cuts will effect Minneapolis. This was partly an outcome of circumstance. We invited the legislators who serve SW Minneapolis and they are all DFL. We were also not aware on scheduling it that the Governors budget would be out that afternoon. I think this made it difficult for in depth conversation as the legislators didn't have full knowledge yet of what was being proposed. We consider all of our efforts to be experimental and we are always evaluating what we do. I was happy to see there were 10 of the 50 in attendance who came from this list. For those who attended, please give me your feedback so we can shape our future seminars. Michelle Martin Armatage Getting to the Bottom of the Ballot Project Coordinator TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Budget seminar
I attended most of the 'Getting to the Bottom of the Ballot After the Election' budget seminar held last evening at SW High School. However, after listening to what I'd characterize as a monotone DFL promotional effort, I walked out-- as did many others in attendance. I recognized many friends/acquaintances in the audience of about 50-75 people, but after a point, I just decided that I'd heard enough. It was too one-sided. Upon entering the meeting, attendees were asked to write questions for the city-state politicians on the program; then questions were addressed to the elected folks... but members of the audience were not allowed to speak-- no comments or questions. Several speakers/elected officials said they were there to hear from us-- the voters, yet they did all the talking (at least while I was there). I stayed for over an hour, tried to speak more than once, and decided I had better things to do. Had I been able to speak, I'd have raised a few points: As someone once said... 'It's the economy, stupid...' (might have been Vicky). The economy is the driver in this discussion, make no mistake. City budgets, state budgets; they're all the same in the sense they're all funded by taxpayers. And where do taxpayers get the money to pay taxes... what is the ultimate source of those tax revenues? Jobs and successful business is what drives the economy. Corporate earnings are DOWN. The markets have been down double-digits in recent years; major corporate bankruptcies abound, small businesses are disappearing, employees are being dismissed; people's wealth has been seriously eroded, retirement savings/ pensions are down across the board-- totally lost in many cases. Many people have lost their jobs, lost their health care benefits, or are experiencing dramatically reduced earnings; all while their local taxes, especially in Mpls., continue to increase dramatically. Yet it was the consensus among speakers last evening that taxes should be increased to maintain our 'quality of life.' There was no discussion of the pro's and con's of proposed cuts or any indication of what level of tax increase was needed. Everyday people have rent and mortgages to pay, food and clothing costs, medical expenses, school expenses for kids, parents in ill health, yada, yada. This is the condition of the general population, and it includes Mpls. residents. Those working on commission, receive nothing when a sale isn't made-- that's cars, houses, computers, home and office furniture, office space, real estate, commodities and investments in general. Many on salary are dismissed when sales decline. In many cases, if you're not carrying your weight, you're let go. It's not just the US economy that is sick... the world economy is in disarray-- and it's come home to MN... and Mpls. It's the economy that generates the wealth and earnings and jobs that make taxes possible. When the people must cut back, the government must cut back-- at the state and at the local level. All I heard last night was how these proposed cuts were going to hurt-- of course they are going to hurt. However, when our earnings decrease, our expenditures must decrease. Health care costs are touted as drivers of cost increases-- hello; welcome to the real world of non-union labor and competitive markets. Increased health care costs don't just affect government budgets and government workers. The private sector has been incurring increased health care costs and workers in the private sector have been hit hard with out-of-pocket increases in health care costs for decades now. I'm not saying this is wrong or that is wrong, or this is how it should be-- I'm saying this is how it is... reality. We hear that a freeze on public employee wages will impact people's retirement plans. When my earnings are down, my retirement plans are also impacted... along with my daily spending patterns-- where does the complaint-line form? Think about how a layoff will impact your retirement! There should be some nexus between the public and private sectors, some nexus regarding job security, wages and the competitive marketplace. If workers aren't happy with their employment contract, or more realistically in the wider workplace- their at-will jobs, they are free to seek other opportunities... the greener grass. Well, sometimes there isn't any greener grass; only drought and water shortages. State and local government in MN is in the middle of a big-time drought. Let's talk about wants and needs. Let's talk of duties and responsibilities-- of all parties, political and otherwise, to take this opportunity and use it to streamline the public service models we've depended on for decades. When I sat in a high school gymnasium and heard that President Kennedy was shot dead, there was no cadre of union-counselors brought in to help ease our minds; I washed, waxed and buffed the floors in my high school as a kid; now days parents can't even donate paint and v
