[Mpls] Cafe Dinapoli Can we keep it open for just a few months, to get one last go around?
I'm willing to bet that most of our listers have been to Cafe Dinap at least once. Tell us your memory. I took my first girlfriend to Cafe Dinap. I remember it was Halloween night in 1980. The costumes on the street and inside were astounding, bordering on sinister. I took no other lady to that establishment until the one who became my bride came with me. Is there anything we can do to keep it open for just a little while? Craig Miller Rogers Former Camdeninte and Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] 3rd degree treatment by fellow lister
Two questions for you Keith. When did you purchase the next property on the hit list and were you aware that the city/county would be acquiring the property for the Lowry redevelopment when you did so? dennis plante lind-bohanon Craig Here Here lies part of the problem with Mpls public policy and some of those who help shape it. One of our fellow listers has brought to all of our attention an issue and an example of poor judgment to say the least or out right illegality by the city/county to say the most. Keith Reitman is on to a legit newstory with large impact and tremendous issues-list relevance. Fellow lister dennis plante of lind-bohanon posts some very list appropriate comments. 'When did you purchase the next property on the hit list and were you aware that the city/county would be acquiring the property for the Lowry redevelopment' That's it, two personal questions, no comment, no discussion of policy. Thus raising questions about Keith directly and landlords implicitly. I'll venture that dennis plante is formulating opinions about Keith's motives. Questioning why someone shouldn't just get out of the way of the city plans. Ready to cast judgment upon the matter of someone's purchase of a deeded, titled, fee simple property in Minneapolis. The sad part about it, is that dennis plante's thinking represents a very large part of the thinking on this list and the city body politique in general. Dennis exercises landlord bashing, and calls it commentary. It reminds me of a post from a couple few years ago. Some one posted some rather out of mainstream mpls issues list opinions on an issue. One of the posters then wrote a post that basically said 'anybody got any dirt on this guy? email me off list' Why does a landlord have to go through more citizenship tests in mpls and this list then none-landlords? craig miller rogers minnesota former camdenite and taking one post in my life to emulate ee cummings or is it someone closer to home [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] Karl Marx would laugh at the Mpls Neighborhood group behaviour
Pam Writes In Whittier, we have been fighting a similar battle on our block since 1999. Our SAFE officers had told us to keep calling 911, but we discovered that 911 calls are either recorded or logged, not both, and that the tape recorded ones are erased after time, so that the paper trail we were trying to create didn't exist. So, we made our own log and had about 5 911 calls over a month or so. We sent that list to our councilman, our CRT, everyone. What finally worked was tracking down the real owner of the house, who owns several homes and, according to the police, rents them illegally. Our block club reported the owner to our councilman, our precinct, the city inspections folks, everyone. Some of these folks complained to us that we shouldn't have gotten the councilman involved because he rattled some cages, but can I say, again, since 1999? Then, our block club wrote a letter to the owner of the house saying that we were working with the city, the police, the council; that we knew he'd want to know that his tenant was breaking laws and causing neighborhood troubles, and that we were not going to drop this until the guy was gone or his act was cleaned up. We can't point to one cause, but our block club believes that all of these avenues, working independently, moved the owner to evict the tenant. Sadly, he is only a few blocks away and is someone else's problem, which we wouldn't wish on anyone. But right now, there is a lovely for sale sign on the property. CM Look how many city employees at somewhere between 80-100k per year in taxpayer cost are working overtime to not solve a problem. Council member, council aid CRT, CCPSAFE, Inspectors, everyone, unpaid helpers, block club leaders neighbors. They all worked so hard to punish someone who wasn't breaking the law (owner). The lawbreaker has moved just a couple blocks away and everyone celebrates. The problem was not solved. The new tenant can be worse, the new landlord might be worse. This is what amazes me. After 17-20 years of trying to pin the blame of the city ills on the landlord, the policy shapers, makers and breakers still have not seen the error in going down that route. Got a problem with drug dealers using pay phones?- Blame the big phone company and remove payphones. Got a problem with ill people who break laws and sniff paint and glue? Blame the hardware and craft shops Got a problem with people vandalizing your blue mail box receptacle? Take them a way. Inconvenience the elderly or carless. Got a problem with people stealing the grocery shopping carts? Blame the grocery stores Got a problem with people dealing drugs? Blame SUV driving suburbanites Got a problem with people who just break the law every damn minute of the night and day and ruin your neighborhood? Blame a guy in Elk River, protest, and spend umpteen thousands, but never,never, never get serious with the people who are destroying your neighborhood. Just stick to the tried and true, blame everybody but your own neighbors. Pam writes Maybe you can track down the owneryou can do so from the Mpls. site by searching by address--and keep in touch with the owner under the name of your block club. Our owner didn't like the idea that everyonethe councilman, the inspections dept, the precinct, and the block clubknew who he was and was not going to leave him alone until he fixed this. You're right; it's not fair or fun to have to be so vigilant. But it's also not fair for owners and tenants to bring down the neighborhood. CM Thomas Jefferson when asked 'what was the price of freedom?' Eternal vigilance was his answer. Citizens of Mpls-The landlord does not sell the drugs. The landlord does not shoot people. The landlord does not smash into your car to get drugs. As long as you try to pin the tail of your ills on the landlord you will continue to have worse ills. For those of you who received a classical political education, try this one on for size. Marx said 'religion was the opiate of the people'. IF you do not understand what he meant by that, you will not understand the next statement. If you want to know what he meant, email me off list, I will not demean or besmirch the inquisitive. Landlord hating is the opiate of the desperate Minneapolis neighborhood group. Craig Miller Former Fultonite Former Camdenite Former Mpls Landlord Living in Rogers Minnesota and loving it [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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
Re: [Mpls] Sid and stadia
Second, I would ask if the people polled knew the state income tax paid by the Twins and visiting players, combined with the additional sales tax earned, could run up to an estimated $11 million a year in a new stadium. The sales tax from building materials also would provide a lot of money to the state. Third, I would have asked if the people polled understood the number of jobs a stadium costing $478 million would provide. Fourth, I would ask if there should be a referendum on the stadium, when there wasn't one when the Minneapolis City Council spent $4.7 million moving the Shubert Theater and gave $35 million to the Guthrie Theater and other government-sponsored projects. Then I would ask if the people polled had any idea of the extent of the crime problems downtown and what 81 home games would do to improve that situation. Those games would attract more business downtown. And last but not least, I would have made sure I polled some of the nursing homes and some shut-ins and get their reaction on how different their lives would be if they didn't have 162 Twins games to listen to on radio and watch on television. Incidentally, the callers on WCCO Radio on Sunday morning voted 14-2 in favor of a stadium, although some also wanted a roof on it. Steve Brandt Star Tribune/Kingfield Craig Here; Steve asks great questions. He should ask them of the mayor or get Rochelle Olson to ask them. Get STRAIT answers. If the mayor doesn't want to give strait answers, don't print them. I find it truly tragic that in under 4 years the seduction of RT has been completed. The innocent man standing on the podium or the street saying I was born in a great cityI want to die in a great city has gone completely political animal. Lets weigh the facts. 1. New Stadium in your downtown in a an area that everyone seems to think is a great place for it. 2. Tons of Union Jobs to build the project. 3. Stadium provides linkage of the new transit lines. North Star Which will help North Mpls. 4. Economic boom around stadium will be real. Which will help out North Mpls. 5. Old stadium will stay for a while. No black hole at that location. When it sells, big development area ready for mayor. 6. Direct subsidy by the city of Mpls is nil. Thus not violating the city ordinance passed shortly before RT was elected. 7. Rich suburbanite people who buy all the drugs and provide all the johns to the sex and drug trade will pick up almost 70-80 percent of the public cost of this stadium. 8. For RT this is a win win win situation. Yet he hangs way back and says little if anything. Good work Doug Growe. Lets analyze the politics here 1. RT afraid of upsetting the DFL delegates. 2. McLaughlin must vote for this or against this before the DFL convention. No one accused Peter of being an innocent. He's been a politician for a long time. If Peter votes for the stadium plan, he is saying I'll do what's right for all the citizens of Mpls. Translation he is willing to look out for the city while he has or doesn't have the DFL endorsement. Or if it costs him that endorsement. 3. RT on the other hand, who did not get DFL endorsement, who challenged a DFL incumbent, will run without DFL endorsement is willing to hide while the greatest single public building on his watch is being debated. Because he wants that DFL endorsement. Thus RT is willing to push the best interest of Mpls to the side while he tries desperately to be the Mayor of the DFL delegates gathering two weeks hence. Can you believe it? This is the same guy who wanted to live and die in a great city. Great reputations are forged in crisis. This stadium item is in the balance. Where is the Mayor? Craig Miller Former Fultonite and Camdenite Past supporter of RT Rybak Living in Rogers Minnesota [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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 biggest panhandler in Mpls
The only other time I got on board with a Twins Stadium deal was when Carl promised 90 million dollars. Then we find out he wasn't writing a check. He was claiming naming rights, beer pouring exclusive rights, etc. That was how he came up with his 90 million. By selling all the things that the owner of the stadium can sell, there is a lot of money. But he wasn't building the stadium, he was selling all the stuff you and I have the right to sell by being the owners of the building. Here are the questions I hope the list can answer. 1. Who will own the stadium? 2. Who will name the stadium? 3. Who gets the cash for all exclusive rights such as signs, beer pouring etc? 4. How much is the check that actually comes out of a Marquette Bank Account under the name of Carl Pohlad payable to Hennepin County? 5. How much money is going back to Mr. Pohland? Let's hope it's not another hocus pocus deal like 1995 1996? or was it '97 or '98 What ever. Craig Miller Rogers MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] CPED Pay checks
David asks: 1. Restructuring. How can the city justify $100,000 salaries at a time of layoffs - and when a similar number of MCDA high-level execs were let go. Peter says: Excellent questions, David. Thank you very much for posing them. David says: I would appreciate answers from someone at City Hall to the list, in the name of fuller discussion. (CM) RT should borrow a page from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. At the height of the great depression when he and his administration were trying anything to deliver prosperity and a 'New Deal', they came up with a novel idea. They hired EXTREMELY qualified people for various top level government jobs. The kind of people who were EXTREMELY successful at getting things done. Or in most cases, people who had already made plenty of money. They had to have made plenty of money, because, Roosevelt only paid them $1 a year. That's right. They were called $1 a year men. Read Kearns-Goodwin's book. RT ought to reconsider the positions. Solicit some EXTREMELY talented people and ask them to serve for a $1. Just make sure these new $1 a year Men/Women aren't favoring their former employers or such. Craig Miller Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Mpls Planning Vacancy Rate
Over the past two years, the vacancy rates of rental units have increased from 2.0 - 2.5% to 6.5% today. 5% is considered a balanced rental market. I don't know how many rental properties exist in Mpls. GVA Marquette Advisors, who calculates the vacancy rate for the metro area, surveys about 20,000 rental units in Minneapolis every quarter. A 4% increase in the vacancy rate (6.5% - 2.5%) for Mpls translates to 800 more apartments empty. TRANSLATION: GVA Marquette Advisors, which surveys a fraction of the rentals in Minneapolis, had no trouble finding 800 MORE empty apartments than a few years earlier. If one surveyed all rentals in Minneapolis the number of vacant apartments would be MUCH larger. I find it utterly ridiculous that in an attempt to dispute the census figures, Minneapolis Planning Director Chuck Ballentine said other signs that point to continued growth are low vacancy rates... How can Mr. Ballentine be the director of planning and NOT notice all the For Rent signs around Minneapolis? Our leaders think there is a low vacancy rate. I am not sure if I should laugh or cry. Bill Cullen Hopkins Uptown. (CM) Affordable Housing has become way to big of a meal ticket for govt and non-profits. Solving this issue would cost too many jobs. Too many Exec Directors would have to go out and get real jobs. All those consultants, planners, managers, project directors, lobbyists, past government employees would have to go. The horror! Addressing and managing the 'problem' is the way to keep many people on the payroll. But don't solve the problem or admit that the problem has gone away. Nonono, we can't have that. Our leaders would be honest if they eliminated the last department created to address this issue. Henn Cty would be the likely subject. We have a whole new affordable housing department at the county level. Duplicative, un-necessary and a waste of money better spent elsewhere. Craig Miller Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] What's left of Old Minneapolis?
Hasn't Ribniks been around for about 145 years? It either them or another leather dealer. Craig Miller Just back from Gettysburg and a little creek called Plum Run. Where the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, led by a company from the Old Mill City,forever distinguished themselves and all of us, by paying giving the The Last Full Measure. [EMAIL PROTECTED] TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Fw: MPPA at Two Months
Craig Miller Buffalo MiniStorage 930 Calder Ave NE Buffalo MN 55313 763-682-4320 Boats, Household, Office 10X11 $50 - Original Message - From: Mitch Berg [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2003 5:59 PM Subject: MPD: MPPA at Two Months The law was passed two months ago, and took effect about a month back. Where's the bloodbath? There've been quite a number of shootings - but not a one has been carried out by a permit-holder. There's been road rage - but none of it has ended in a shootout involving a legal permittee. I know, I know - it's only been a month. But in eleven more months, I'll be recycling the same post. But this post isn't about statistics. It's about press bias. The Strib reported yesterday on the U of M's myopic attempt to declare itself above the law by banning *legally permitted* handguns from its campuses. The story has the same paranoid, ignorant, alarm-baiting bleatings from the U administration. The article notes a comment by President Bruininks: Our university community has always assumed that handguns and other weapons had no place in our classes, libraries, labs, student unions and at other sponsored activities, Bruininks said. Given these considerations, we felt that a policy addressing the possession of weapons on campus is the best course of action for the University of Minnesota. Enh, whatever. The guy's wrong, but that's no news flash. The galling part, of course, is the bias of the reporting on the subject. The Strib article relies on campus shooting incidents that, if you look a little closer, actually make the case for concealed carry on campus. The article says: Shootings occur every year at American colleges. Last year at least five incidents resulted in fatalities. At the University of Arizona, a failing student shot and killed three professors and then turned the gun on himself. The story fails to note that, while Arizona is a shall issue state, the University had gotten itself exempted. The shooting took placed in a Gun Free Zone. Just like the U wants to be! The story continues: At the University of Cincinnati, a student shot two other students and then killed himself. Until last week, Ohio was a discretionary issue state. This next one is the best: ...a student suspended from a Virginia law school shot and killed the dean, a faculty member and a student and wounded three others. The article omits that the shooter was then apprehended by three students - http://www.uwire.com/content/topops012402002.htmlarmed with legally-permitted handguns! In the meantime - stores are remaining un-posted in droves. And CCRN is writing the history of Concealed Carry reform in Minnesota - it should be available very shortly, and will directly address the notion that the bill didn't get enough debate... See you next month. Mitch Berg Yes, I feel safer now Da Midway! Shot In The Dark Laura Billings' Favorite Blog http://www.mitchberg.com/shotindark/ MN-POLITICS-DISCUSS http://www.e-democracy.org/mn-politics/ is a CIVIL discussion of Minnesota public issues and politics. --- Don't like E-Democracy's rules? You have alternatives: http://www.e-democracy.org/mninteract Messages (text-only, no attachments) are to be signed with your full real name, city and e-mail address. No member may post more than twice a day. Moderator/Discussion Rules Manager: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe to MN-Politics-Discuss send a blank email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For the list to retain its value, and to show respect for your fellow list members, please keep a Minnesota focus on your posts. Thanks. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Summer Get Together
There was an article in the strib today about Delmonico's Deli. My fav hole in the wall deli in three counties. The 2nd Mr. Delmonico passed away, and the deli is for sale. Check it out if you've never been there before. The old world is disappearing before our eyes. Sunday July 20th. Let's get together at the Bocce Ball Courts at Beltrami Park, right next to Delmonico's. Fillmore and Broadway. Goto Mapquest or yahoo.com for a map. 1112 Summer Street is Delmonico's. The park is big, lots of trees. Playland for the kids, no noise, two or three bocce courts. Some one bring the bocce and pickolinas. I have none. Bring your cooler, better bring your bread. The deli will sell you the meats and cheeses. Hows about 1:00PM? I'll tie down the balloons with lead this time. I'll bet the park is smoke free ;=(( If you need directions from the southside, email me off list. Craig Miller Buffalo MiniStorage 930 Calder Ave NE Buffalo MN 55313 763-682-4320 Boats, Household, Office 10X11 $50 TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Crime fighting and dumping grounds?
I can't find the e-version of the article. Maybe our hard working leader can do it for us. But we go. Page 18 of the current SWJournal has a picture and story by Scott Russell. A civilian was laid off in the Police Department. Not a sworn officer. Budget cuts you know. Well happy day, the person has been picked up by the Mpls Inspections Department. Here is the beef. Does the person have the training or education to be a housing inspector? If so, my beef is over. If not, why are we doing this? The old girls network picking someone up when they are down? I and many landlords have spent years complaining about the complete lack of knowledge and training of a high percentage of the housing inspectors. Not just in the city, but all over the metro. Last item, I see hotdog grilling is coming back in vogue for fighting crime. Craig Miller Buffalo MiniStorage [EMAIL PROTECTED] TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Career Pathways for 8th Graders in MPS
Subject: [Mpls] Career Pathways for 8th Graders in MPS It is always interesting to see how parents perceive changes in the school district regarding learning styles and quote the SLC curriculum. Do you all know Barton School and its reputation today. Barton is classified as an open school and a merger between Lake Harriet Open School (Fulton Open) and Harrison Open. When Lake Harriet Open School first started, the turnover was extremely high. (CM) Quit selling parents short. They looked they disliked and they moved on. Why, because the parents did not understand the concept or have the patience to see what would happen to their child as the school began to identify itself. It needed time to develop its own personality and learn how to became the school it is. Just like a human who does not have an indentifiable personality when born. Now look at Barton, one of the top schools in the city. I believe that we have to give SLC a chance to develop itself and see how the students achieve in later life. (CM) Is it just me just getting a headache reading this? Why do so many people jump the gun and judge after only 1 or 2 yrs. (CM) By the logic established in this post, jumping around every two years shouldn't hurt the child. The curriculum changes every two years. The name of the schools change every two years. The program structures change every two years. The time schedules change every two years. The Principals change every two years. The bus schedules change every two years. The mad scientists who get the New idea of the biennium change every two years. Where I have my eldest now is going to change very little between now and when my youngest starts school. The school my eldest goes to, is very similar to the one I attended. Not physically, but classroom and curriculum wise. It is the parents who prejudge the school. Do you talk to your kids about the school and what they like or dislike about it. Have you really given the school a fair chance or do you make a judgement call after only 1 year. MPS does look for new ways to improve themselves in spite of the budget cuts accountability to others and the citizens of MPS and the state legislature. (CM) At 13,000 per year. This is a joke. BTW that 13k per year really isn't a true number, it has to be much higher. The 13 k is based on the begaining of the year. With the astoundingly high drop out rate, it must be up around 17-21,000 per senior. Please do not prejudge any program or MPS because you may not have all the facts about the situation. Statistics can be geared to show anything. Talk with the kids about their experiences. (CM) Try this novel concept. Tell your kids where they are going to school, tell them to get good grades, help and make them do their homework. Take away their bikes, video, icecream and time with friends if they don't cut it. Works wonders in three generations of both my families. Craig Miller So very happy to not have my kids in the mad experiment that is known as MPS Rogers, MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] eli kaplan Linden Hills TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Dealing With Property Tax
I'm a RealtorR and frankly I _rarely_ see many market values that are are too high. The opposite is true, however: market values tend to be lower than the marketplace values of the homes. BTW, I'm talking about the estimated market value rather than the lower limited market value (the latter is tempered to not permit market values to increase too sharply in any one year). IIRC, it's the Limited Market Value that is used to calculate the actual tax amount on the home. Maybe this idea would work in the opposite direction. That is, anyone who appeals their estimated market value to their local board of equalization would agree to sell their home at the EMV value (grin). Rick Mons Shoreview (CM) Until the late 1970's ( I can't tell you if it has changed since then) the Japanese used just that system. The property owner would value the house and pay the scheduled tax. The local government reserves the right to buy the property at the price stated. Thus most folks kept their value up a little higher then market. Revenues keep coming in. Amazingly efficient. Wouldn't work here. Too many people at city-county-state making a living at explaining to us great unwashed, things like 1. Accessed market value 2. Limited value 3. Tax value 4. Tax capacity 5. Market value 6. Mill Rate 7. LGA 8. Homestead Credit 9. This old House credit 10. Circuit Breaker 11. Certificate of Rent Credit 12. Need I go on. It used to be you needed an attorney to understand tough parts of the law. Even I use an attorney to appeal my taxes. The city won't take you serious until you do. Same thing with other govt levels when it comes to rightaway and em-domain. Won't listen to you or hear your argument until a lawyer is presenting. By then the amount you settle for goes up. Craig Miller Buffalo MiniStorage 763-682-4320 [EMAIL PROTECTED] TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Re: Expand the gun ban to include lobbyists and lawyers
To quote accurately from an even earlier version. And it is through this world I travel I've seen lots of strange men Some will rob you with a six-gun And Some will rob you with a fountain pen But'll you'll never meet an outlaw Who'll drive a family from their home Woody Guthrie Dust Bowl Blues Craig Miller Buffalo MiniStorage 930 Calder Ave NE Buffalo MN 55313 763-682-4320 Boats, Household, Office 10X11 $50 - Original Message - From: Tim Bonham [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: mpls-issues [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 3:29 PM Subject: [Mpls] Re: Expand the gun ban to include lobbyists and lawyers Quote (semi-accurate) from an old Bob Dylan song: Oh, there's bandits and there's bankers, Some rob you with a six-gun, and some with a fountain pen. But I've never seen a bandit Throw a family from their farm. Tim Bonham, Ward 12, Standish-Ericsson What's the difference if someone holds a gun to your head and demands your money, or if they hire a lobbyist or lawyer to do the same? I say BAN ALL GUNS, LOBBYISTS, AND LAWYERS!!! Personally, I'm more afraid of lawyers than I am of guns. Vicky Heller, North Oaks TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] deferred loans, Urban Support...etc
V. Freeman writes Greeting's to all~ I hope all has had a swell holiday, I spent mine in the hospital. Recently, I have been reading the list and sometimes, it's even better than watching the news or the soaps. I can even here theme music when reading some of the latest things on the list. Gee Whiz. However, I am writing this to say how my husband and I are truly grateful for the deferred loans that was offered in Hawthorne. It has allowed us to fix and totally renovate a kitchen that was once call the dark domain. We knew upon signing the papers that this is a deferred loan and that we would have to live in our home for the next three-five years and then all would be forgiven; with predatory lenders and other scum's trying to steal our homes, a deferred loan was the safest and most financial way to go. We have a beautiful kitchen, fixed pluming, and most importantly we have our home. I think the thought behind deferred loan's for neighborhoods, are to get people to stay in the neighborhood. Even though this hood at times may get more than it's fair share of problems, over all I and my family and staying. Moving to any other neighborhood would be like moving to a foreign country. (CM) And I forward on to certain members of the Minnesota Legislature. This list does more to hurt Minneapolis then Murderapolis, Moneyapolis, Helicopters, etc. Keep it up. Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] Living in a city that has no such free kitchen program, but has to fund yours. And really organizing votes because of it. TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Let's get ready to RUMBLE!!!!!
If betting on the results in a South Mpls knife fight Lisa McD vs. Pete McG Bet the rent on Lisa, it's lead pipe cinch. She shoulda been mayor. Craig Miller Old Northsider [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: gemgram [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 3:54 PM Subject: Re: [Mpls] Access Project Bullying or at least imagined bullying The List occasionally creates images that are absolutely hilarious. Such a funny one is Tom Welling's about Peter McLaughlin Bullying Lisa McDonald. Anyone who knows Lisa McDonald must have gotten a good belly laugh at that image. Tom apparently does not know what a strong woman truly is. Peter having a heated argument with Lisa I can well believe. But succeeding at bullying her, I do not think so! Peter may out weigh Lisa, but she out grits him. Down home we like to say, It is not the size of the dog in the fight, its the size of the fight in the dog. While Peter might be a big Shepard who will bark back at you if you want to argue, Lisa is a terror of a terrier. When she gets a hold of a rat she don't let go. I love Peter, but if I have to choose someone to go into a tough bar or back alley with , I'm choosing Lisa. TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] riverfront development
The Ap 4th issue of the Business Journal reports activity on the riverfront... SchaferRichardson, based in Minneapolis, has a purchase agreement for the Pillsbury A Mill in the St. Anthony Falls Historic District across the Mississippi River from downtown. The firm is working on a mixed-use development that could include between 700 and 1,600 for-sale homes, real estate sources said. see full story at: 'Developer buying historic Pillsbury mill,' by Scott Smith http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2003/04/07/story3.html Michael Hohmann Linden Hills (CM) The article mentions that SchaferRichardson is in talks with city officials. I may be guessing here, but what the heck. It's either the MCDA, Mayors office or CP Ostrow's office. Start paying attention people. If you want the subsidy gravy train to end, get in the loop on this adventure RIGHT NOW. Keep asking questions of the buyers, city, ADM, reporters etc. Go to the meetings, ask to see the documents. See if this deal has transparency or if the taxpayer involved deal is hidden from public view. Or maybe the public involvement will be left to the bare minimum. Such as water, curb, gutters and boring stuff. Wouldn't it be nice? Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] Symtom of a sick city
The Southwest Journal has an excellent case study of what is wrong with the city of my birth. http://swjournal.com/display/inn_news/news01.txt The problem is too much high speed traffic on 50th street. Having lived a block away from there for 10 years I would have to agree.During rush hour it gets pretty fast. Every now and then you get to see a pretty good car wreck, with a lot of busted glass. No deaths that I can remember. The solution offered by the traffic engineers and being trumpeted by the neighborhood groups and individual folks is to eliminate most of the parking on 50th street between France and Lyndale Ave. For those of you un-familiar with this stretch: it is long, vibrant and a model for all other commercial streets to emulate. Very little chain store action. Mostly unique individual stores with loads of character, that employ locals if not owned by locals. As is the case in situations like this, the shopkeepers are opposed. In this case specific, the shopkeepers are UNIVERSALLY OPPOSED. They are complete agreement from one end of this commercial street to the other. No diverging opinions. Since horse and buggy days small business owners want street parking. We managed to survive 75 years of automobiles on this street. But their opinions are going to mean very little. They 1. Pay more taxes 2. Shovel their walks before the home owners. 3. Get sued more often. 4. Employ the kids of the neighborhood, who don't want to work at the suburban big box. 5. Provide countless sums of money to local well intentioned groups and causes. 6. Sponsor every thing under the sun. 7. Allow their business' to be the organizing and focal point for community involvement. 8. Get graffittied more often, and get billed for the effort. 9. If the parks are the heart of the city, these business' are the soul of the city. They are the reasons people come and stay in SW Mpls. There are better parks in many cities, there are better schools in most of the suburbs, there is more housing for the buck everywhere, there is more efficient use of taxpayer dollars in all other cities. But the one thing the burbs can never have is the cool scene of commerce in the city. Nada, donut, never, not gonna happen. Hands down, slam-dunk, over before it started. Small city business romp! For some of these business, the parking on the street are as inseparable from them as yeast is to a baker. They just have to have it. The SWJ pointed out that some long time business' are leaving instead of putting up with it. How terrible and sad. So why are these business' being damaged? 1. Because the business speeds down the street? No buildings don't have wheels 2. Because the employs speed down the street? Maybe the pizza delivery guys, but no, that doesn't make sense either because they usually have a store logo all over their car, they would get busted and accounted for. Most of the employees park their cars and go to work. No the reason they are going to be punished, is that the citizens of Mpls and some suburbs like to drive fast and break the law. So we're going to punish the business owner for someone else's sins. Lets review some past items. 1. Pay phones, nuisance, got rid of, not because they rang to loud or anything. But because law breakers called drug dealers were using them. So we got rid of most of those. 2. Mail boxes. The blue ones, we packed most of those up, not because of anti blue lead paint contamination. But vandalism perpetrated by law breakers. Got rid of most of them. Make the old folks walk or risk sticking it in their own mail box. 3. Now we are going to squeeze the small business' for the crimes of others. Minneapolitans, do you still live in a glorius city? Or are you giving up the quality one increment at a time because you fail to hold your fellow citizen accountable for their criminal and dangerous acts? Craig Miller Former and Future Resident Living in Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, April 11, 2003 9:02 PM Subject: [Mpls] No Parking on South 50th S./France to Lyndale/Merchant Angst Anybody notice the signs festooned around 50th and Xerxes S. No parking, No Business, No Neighborhood? I called the local lamp maker, Michael's, at the Corner to find out the buzz. What has got boutique retailers upset, I asked? Tentatively, I learned, there will be no parking on the South side of 50th, from France to Lyndale. I learned from another source that retailers, Judith McGrann and Needlework Unlimited are already bookin' to points west, over the parking issue. One neighbor said, We are losing nice, little, neighborhood businesses. She asked, What will replace them? I did not have any answer; I know parking is gold. I imagine that Barrett Lane will be identifying, and acquiring, off street parking nodes from willing sellers, to replace the lost, on-street slots. Right? Too bad
Re: [Mpls] Affordable housing -budget Crisis-no kidding!
Think of the Westminster Abbey Choir and a Monty Python Holy Grail Parting of the clouds. HAELUJAH! Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Barbara speaks the Truth. Never in the history of human kind have so many, made so much from the people in the name of the poor. And yet it still continues. Craig Miller Rogers MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: basia To: MINNEAPOLIS Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2003 4:57 PM Subject: [Mpls] Affordable housing -budget Crisis-no kidding! Everyone agrees that the West Bank needs more homeownership, we haveless than 10% owner occupancy, with the majority of the residents livingat or below the poverty level. We all support more homeownership, but it is coming at a very high price to the taxpayers. The City of Minneapolis is planning to "forgive" a 1.8 million dollar loan made to the West Bank Community Development Corporation and it's various "acronyms" when (and if) they can manage to sell 19 units-some single family and some duplexes to the long suffering occupants. The owners (WBCDC, and other"partners" in cahoots with the non-profit- too numerous to keep track of), paid little or nothing for these homes over 20 years ago. Now they get to keep the profit on the sales, enjoy appreciation on an asset they never paid for, get the lots for less than 7,000 (currently owner by the City of Minneapolis) and we wonder why we have to lay-off police and fire personnel. Please let the City Council and Mayor Rybak know that sometimes we have to say 'enough already' to the non-profits living off of the taxpayers and the poor. Barbara Murray homeowner Riverside Park/West Bank
Re: [Mpls] Kudos' to Rybak Opat
I wonder how many employees and programs are just going to be picked up by Henn County. If even one is picked up, I'm going to burn my Commissioner's ear off with my phone. Why should the county have to clean up the city's mess? Craig Miller Citizen of Hennepin [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Michael Hohmann [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [mpls] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 4:20 PM Subject: [Mpls] Kudos' to Rybak Opat Kudos' to Mayor Rybak County Board Chair Opat for agreeing to discuss the possible merger of City and County services. They were to hold a press conference today at 11 a.m. A Strib article in today's paper indicates that CC members Johnson and Colvin-Roy also talked with Opat recently in efforts to move the discussion. Opat, the article reported, indicated he'd like to accelerate our talks and see some results by the end of the year. Health, public safety, human services, public works, elections and the accessors have been described as targets. Workforce/employment services and IS are also mentioned. Minneapolis, Hennepin merger talks heat up, by Rochelle Olson in today's STrib (4-2-03) ; http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3797778.html I'd like to believe that all our CC members have been in some active discussion with their counterparts on the Hennepin County Commission regarding the possibilities for merger of service delivery programs. Of course similar types of savings could be achieved by many/all municipalities within Hennepin County. This is an area all Minneapolis residents (and residents of other municipalities) should be discussing with their CC members and County Commissioners. I look forward to hearing details about today's Rybak-Opat meeting, and any follow up including potential savings available to the various customer classes (city/suburban, residential/CI taxpayers), major barriers to be overcome, planning milestones and schedules. I'd ask any lurking elected leaders and news folks to please keep us posted. Michael Hohmann Linden Hills ~~ Michael A. Hohmann and Co. www.mahohmannbizplans.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 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] Doing in the small city landlord
anyone seeing any work getting done? I see a lot of meetings while a landlord waits with empty building and pending lawsuits unable to rent while the assembled talk a lot. There are requirements that neighborhood groups and individuals be hired as lead workers. Plans for supervision, training,CAREER DEVELOPMENT,and POST PROGRAM PLACEMENT of workers are required. I repeat, read the statute listed above. It will take you less then 3 minutes. Check out what Hennepin County just spent on Lead Abatement projects just a short time ago. http://www.co.hennepin.mn.us/pa/newreleases/03.01.28.envgrants.htm Look at those numbers, does anyone think their house or duplex could afford those kinds of bills? If there is no grant waiting, what will happen to all the work orders that Mpls is going to generate? Those houses are going to end up in the construction dump yard. Check out what the feds have to offer in lead abatement. http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/lhc/index.cfm What is done with the federal and state monies? It funds programs to install new windows and abate lead hazards, at a highly subsidized rate to homeowners and landlords (in most cases, I believe the property owner foots about 1/3 or less of the overall bill). It funds a program that writes down interest rates to 0% on loans to abate hazards. It provides free lead risk assessments to property owners. It funds abatement work in home-based daycare. These directly benefit the small property owner (and daycare provider) who does not typically have the capital to complete lead hazard work. So, are we on track to do in the small city landlord? Nope, just the opposite, while at the same time committing to protect children from lead poisoning. I'd say that Council Member Zerby, Zimmermann, Lilligren, Samuels, and Johnson Lee (who voted to recommend the program yesterday in committee) understand the complexity of the issue and the interrelationship of landord and tenant and, in reality, are attempting to save a necessary city program through a revenue neutral proposal. It takes a clear understanding of how complicated the landlord-tenant issue is--not an us vs. them mentality--to keep us on track to make this city lead-free by 2010. I'd say that this is a win-win proposal and, if you really look at it, has benefits for everyone, especially the small property owner who already benefits from a strong lead hazard control program. Examples please Finally, I understand the argument that this imposes a fee on all landlords. But it is minimal when compared with the overall cost of a lead-poisoned child. If, in addition, the landlord decides to pass the fee directly on to a tenant, then it amounts to 25 cents per month, the cost of a gumball. I say, raise my rent for one gumball a month if it means children will continue to be protected from lead-based paint hazards. Bring a gumball to tomorrow's hearing to make just this point. Why not everyone bring 150 gumballs. That will make it all go away. Why not build 10 stadiums. Think of all the jobs. Craig Miller Former Affordable Housing Provider [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] Doing in the small city landlord
Check out tomorrow's Public Safety and Regulatory Services Agenda. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/2003-meetings/20030404/PSRS20030326a genda.asp City staff has teamed up with 504 to fund the further destruction of affordable rental housing. This time the bogeyman is lead. Is there lead in rental housing? Yes Is there lead in 90% of all the housing in the city, including single family homes? Yes Is charging $3.00 per unit per year to fund big lead hunters going to make more affordable housing available? No Are big lead hunters going to find big lead ? Yes Are rental properties going to be targeted? Yes Are rental properties going to go vacant and eventually be destroyed? Yes Has Project 504 discovered another way to fund the destruction of rental property owners or the taking over of their property??? Are there going to be programs available to protect the life savings of a single elderly women who has relied on the rent from her duplex for the last twenty years? No, don't let anybody fool you. The landlord will pay for this or they will stop renting. Or worse yet, the unit will go unoccupied, and you know what happens then. Soon the landlord (suburban or your neighbor) loses the property. Call your city council member, especially if it's Niziolek, Samuels, Colvin Roy, Johnson Ostrow Zerby Tell them to vote no tomorrow unless the city has a program to pay for all the work orders that are going to be drawn up. This is going to devalue each and every piece of rental housing in the city by a large chunk. It will also drive up insurance rates on all housing in the city. The means for proving that the owner of the property ( this includes former homeowners) had prior knowledge of lead just got lower. The grounds for lawsuit just got lower. Mpls property owners already pay extra premium for various sins of city policy. Now we'll just have to pay more. Craig Miller Former Mpls Landlord living in Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] Agenda Update
Link broke goto the city main site bottom middle official pubs and notes click then click council committee meeting schedules agendas then click standing committees then click public safety and reg services then click meeting schedule then click current/committee agenda pull down window and select public saf/reg services 3-26-03 Anyone got a faster way to the link? Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Issues Mpls [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2003 2:53 PM Subject: [Mpls] Doing in the small city landlord Check out tomorrow's Public Safety and Regulatory Services Agenda. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/2003-meetings/20030404/PSRS20030326a genda.asp City staff has teamed up with 504 to fund the further destruction of affordable rental housing. This time the bogeyman is lead. Is there lead in rental housing? Yes Is there lead in 90% of all the housing in the city, including single family homes? Yes Is charging $3.00 per unit per year to fund big lead hunters going to make more affordable housing available? No Are big lead hunters going to find big lead ? Yes Are rental properties going to be targeted? Yes Are rental properties going to go vacant and eventually be destroyed? Yes Has Project 504 discovered another way to fund the destruction of rental property owners or the taking over of their property??? Are there going to be programs available to protect the life savings of a single elderly women who has relied on the rent from her duplex for the last twenty years? No, don't let anybody fool you. The landlord will pay for this or they will stop renting. Or worse yet, the unit will go unoccupied, and you know what happens then. Soon the landlord (suburban or your neighbor) loses the property. Call your city council member, especially if it's Niziolek, Samuels, Colvin Roy, Johnson Ostrow Zerby Tell them to vote no tomorrow unless the city has a program to pay for all the work orders that are going to be drawn up. This is going to devalue each and every piece of rental housing in the city by a large chunk. It will also drive up insurance rates on all housing in the city. The means for proving that the owner of the property ( this includes former homeowners) had prior knowledge of lead just got lower. The grounds for lawsuit just got lower. Mpls property owners already pay extra premium for various sins of city policy. Now we'll just have to pay more. Craig Miller Former Mpls Landlord living in Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] Point of Information
My mid term memory must be going. What was the name of the recent blue ribbon audit of the city, city financial practices? A hundred plus pager I believe. Is there a link on one of the city web pages? Little help. Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] Rogers 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] North Side Rules
Let's have 3 cheers for the North Side. North and Henry Rule How about one more game at Target. Henry Vs North for the State Championship. Craig Miller Former North Sider 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] Lincoln Hughes Shakespeare etc.
Title: Re: [Mpls] What is your [school] list up to today? Lincoln. "that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/al16.html Knowledge held in common. Not the political opinion of SD 60 of the DFL party. Mr. Miller, examine the quotes and descriptions attributed above to your scholarly heroes. The words can easily be used to discredit your view that any child in the Minneapolis School District who opposes the war is being led astray. It would seem that your cultural icons REQUIRE a critical eye on warfare and state power and unbridled authority. It seems that according to criteria you have selected, our children are learning well -- probably because they are being taught well. I am immensely proud of the them. I'd hire one of them in a minute. By the way, my ancestors homesteaded in the Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg area and I grew up in the Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa area. A rural education is no guarantee of lock-step homogeneity. I am a living example of that. Keith Nybakke Nokomis East Minneapolis (CM) Fellow list members; Here is a good case study on bad arguments and failing to play by the rules. 1. Use of the persons name, and questioning their ability to reason. My critics construed my mention of our historical giants as a support of war. Re-read the post. I advised studying our giants not peace studies of S. Mpls. BTW- My favorite president of all time,Lincoln, was the greatest warmonger in presidential history. By his orders one of every six able body men age 17-35 in this country died. Let that figure sink in. He also suspended the writ of habeas corpus. Using Lincoln to defend the peace movement is like a fish without a bicycle. 2. My whole point of posting on this issue, is to question MPS policy of using taxpayer money and time to fund political operations and using impressionable kids to do it. 3. My critics keep trying to label my thinking as controlling what kids do. Not true. Stick to knowledge building in the school. Keep the protesting out side the school and after school hours. 4. Each day MPS allows teachers/students to pass up the quest of knowledge for the political activism of the streets is another day when legislators ALL across the state wonder why MPS gets to spend so much of theSTATEs money. This lowers the credibility of the public school. Back in the 80's there was a gag going around. Patterned after the Navy recruitment adds. Minneapolis Public Schools: It's a cause, not an education. 5. For all those parentswho are so proud of their kids protesting during school hours. What if the pro-war folks were organizing inyour child's school? Wouldn't you be happier if there was no politics in the schools? Be honest. Craig Miller Not lucky enough to Graduate from the Brooten Belgrade Elrosa System. But Lucky enough to Have a fatherClass of 1950Brooten High Lucky enough to have a mother who didK-8 in a one room school house in Padua and then graduated from Brooten High 1954 Living in Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[Mpls] What is your school up to?
I believe that the schools that organize and allow kids to take class time off to go out and protest are using taxpayer money for political purposes and bordering on brainwashing the kids. It has been many years since I was on the frontline of management in the private sector. You know the position, hiring firing, and being the one who shows up early and stays late. Well, if I ever have to be in that thankless position again, I've got news for the Mpls School Board. All things being equal between two job applicants.I'm going to remember which school district thought it was ok to stop teaching math, reading, and writing. Tough decisions made easy by the Minneapolis School Board. To those parents who fail to prevent this nonsense. Shame on you. Your doing your children such a disservice. Craig Miller Rogers MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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?
Well this sure set off a hornet's nest. Anybody been reading Doonesbury lately? How all Oregon High School Graduates are being kept out of the mythical Ivy League college. This is how it starts to happen. All things being equal one kid graduates from Kerkhoven-Murdoch-Sunburg and the other kid graduates from SW High Mpls. All things being equal, then you read the headline of what MPS does DURING school time. Now picture yourself as the employer, administrator, Dean, etc. One of my critics on this thread, claimed that this is how we share and express our values. What if they aren't your neighbors or neighbors children's values? Let the school teach two plus two, Shakespeare, Langston Hughes, Stravinsky, Ravel, Newton, Einstein, Lincoln. Knowledge held in common. Not the political opinion of SD 60 of the DFL party. Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] Rogers, MN Has this list gone absolutely mad? About remembering which job applicants are graduates of Minneapolis Public Schools and which aren't, I have 2 things: --Be sure you apply that standard to the Rhodes Scholars, IB Diploma winners (including myself), Ivy grads, and Athena winners who graduated from MPS. 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] Senator Berglin and Responses to Graffiti
Symptom of a sick city. Blaming/penalizing/billing of the innocent for the actions of others. In my hometown of Minneapolis we have had in the near past and possibly right now; People in policy making positions who think graffiti is acceptable, something to be lauded and defended. The notion of punishing responsible parties or those who can legitimately hold taggers accountable is considered a bad policy. So says the previous posters on this issue. Senator Berglin is proposing to bring some small pathetic measure of accountability to the law breaker. Yet it is met with hostility by the non-affected classes. Currently the city penalizes the owner of the property for the action of any of our children. The city demands that the property owner report damage to her property, repair it by a certain date ( regardless of the cost), or else be fined, taxed or possibly deprived of your license to engage in commerce. Issues such as this make the city such an easy target for a--kicking. No personal responsibility. Get it together citizens of the city. Graffiti is a no brainer, never debatable. It is destruction of property. Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] Former Mpls Housing Provider Rogers MN 55374 ? Do you think incidents of graffiti will drop further once the state goes after parents of taggers, especially parents who are living below federal poverty guidelines? Sorry I didn't state my position in the original post. If what I've read here about Sen. Berglin's bill is true, it's a very bad idea. I don't think penalizing parents for their children's actions will work, and I don't think it's fair, since there are many reasons kids do bad things. I also want to briefly respond to David Shove: Those who argue that graffiti should be tolerated because billboards are subscribe to the eye for an eye ethos (literally), that I think comes up short. There are many of us who hate billboards AND graffiti - maximizing visual pollution is a really counterproductive idea. I could see a shred of morality for this argument if taggers limited their defacement to ads. But they don't. Ask the owners of the historic sandstone It's Greek To Me building, who had to pay thousands to remove a tag from the top of their builiding - I watched as chunks of sandstone came raining down from the necessary powerwashing. Or the folks in Lyndale, who paid for neighborhood welcome signs in multiple languages, only to have them defaced by fans of the band Wookie Foot bearing bumperstickers. It's easy (and often correct) to reflexively side with the powerless over the powerful. But there are many victims here who don't really qualify as the latter, and don't want to be caught in the visual crossfire. 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] Abe Lincoln in Mpls
He would go visit the statue in his honor in Camden. At the farthest northwest reaches of Victory Memorial Drive and Victory Memorial Parkway stands the flagpole. At that corner you can step up towards the flag, turn around and see on-obstructed for 1.5 miles in each direction. Joining your view are the graceful elms that have survived Dutch Elm. Those elms and their later replacements provide a canopy over the Blvd-Drive. By each one of those stately trees lie a marker in memorial to all the men of Hennepin County who gave the last full measure in defense of France in 1917-1918. Across the drive in the circle on a pedestal is Abraham Lincoln. He would look around and listen to the world going by. Some of it little changed in 80 years in that location, thus not much different then his own time. The cars would intrude, maybe a far off airplane from the crystal airport. He would think of how truly right we were to fight to preserve the union. How had this young upstart nation transformed the world? As to what he would write, I'll let the poets try. Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] Former Camdenite Were Abe Lincoln to come to 2003 Mpls: where would he go? what would he do? what would he think? how would he write it up? --David Shove roseville 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] Lack of Diversity in political thought/application
Bill Cullen said: We don't get either program in the burbs. I pay for my spring cleaning annually. My reply: Here we have what is the essence of the problem with Minnesota politics right now. ( CM) I call it differences of opinion settled on election day. It's the attitude If we don't need it in the burbs, then nobody needs it. (CM) I would say the same but converse thinking has ruled the city for two decades. I call it the Imperial Paris method thinking of your typical Minneapolitan. You must support our great things-programs inside of our mother city boarders. You suburbanites have no desire, brainpower, or cultural need to have these things in your ugly conformist bedroom communities. Snif-Snif. Until we get back to some kind of acceptance that we've got different needs (and living in the burbs doesn't make you a rugged individualist) and that we've all got to stick together to support those needs, (CM) Translation, suburbanites pay higher taxes to support your entertainment, cultural pursuits,NRP's etc. then our society is just going to get more and more sick. (CM) Self inflicted? When that time comes, as it surely must with politics divided the way it is, then living in the central cities or the burbs will both be harrowing experiences. (CM) I'll bet you your wrong. The suburbanites will pay taxes to support their basic needs. They already do and then pay some of Mpls's basic needs. Why can't the city of Mpls behave like the oldest child in this big Minnesota family and take a LEAD roll in starting a new renisaince of municipal governance and life. Show the rest of the state how a vibrant, bustling, pounding city can pay for itself and kick the junk habit of moaning in withdrawal pain of not having someone elses money to spend? Leadership is not crying about how the rest of your family won't help you in your addiction of someone elses money. Craig Miller Rogers, MN Former Citizen and Future Citizen of the Minneapple 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] Housing
It seems to me there are only two rational ways to use NRP to get people into affordable housing: subsidize rents or guarantee mortgages. You could ADD units, but then what happens to the unoccupied units out there now? I'm no great lover of the whole class of landlords, but hey, if they've got empty units and someone is hunting shelter every day, Jim Mork Cooper ( CM) Don't you just love this kind of open mindedness. Public policy debate based on open, in print, hatred and group association. Is there such a term as landlord profiling? Can I sue someone or the city? Craig Miller Former Affordable Housing Provider [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] Protecting Our Backs
Here Here! Jim is dead on the mark with this post. Craig Miller Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] I'm sure I'm not the first person to have this thought, but I thinkt he city has to start seriously tying our core needs with our core revenues, something an outside and hostile political grouping cannot deny us. Of course, that also means that extraordinary expenditures must be so constructed as to weather temporary economic hard times. A household would think this way, and I think the time has come for the city to do so also. We've heard some fretting about getting sued because we made lavish plans when we thought the flow of money was insured. That is a good point, but not the way it was presented. We have to consider the RISKS of these plans and never create a legal exposure due to interruptions in income. With homes, that is guaranteed by protections built into our laws. But as a city, we need to insure the protection on each contract we consider. If a potential contractor will not settle on that, we should never HINT that we would do business with them. We have ! a risk management department, but it has to start doing its job better. And candidates for city elective office have to be cornered on these quesitons. We've been remiss as voters in considering that we elect charming but careless people to office. -- Jim Mork--Cooper 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] My first apartment.
I'm so grateful to whoever started this thread, it really shows a snapshot of our community. SAM: I think it was Craig Miller. Probably didn't know what you were starting, didja Craig? Yep, the evil landlord who lives in the burbs. He's the one who started this. Who spent his poorest years in Duluth. You think you had dirt cheap rent? Try living in the Central Hillside of Duluth at the height of their great depression years. 1979-1989. We had a cool 3 bedroom for 270 a month all but phone paid for. Each summer and fall we would re-negotiate. The poor landlord from St. Paul was so desperate to have warm, rent paying bodies. When I moved out, the guys were paying a COMBINED $90 a month. Based on my recollections, I was probably paying more then 30% of my monthly income on rent. That was in 1986. Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] Rogers Former Affordable Housing Provider 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] Cutting size of the City Council
Any one going to defend the city on this one? Anyone? Doubt it. Any of the city leadership going to take the necessary steps to prevent this from happening again? Doubt it. The city is so charged up to get a high profile landlord like Steve Meldahl. They would spend that kind of money, for a misdemeanor. Is it any wonder why the city is in trouble at the capitol. Craig Miller Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] Today I was in criminal court charged with a misdemeanor. The crime? A tenant who rents a house from me took down the rear fence (without my permission) so he could work on his car close to the house. I was charged criminally for this even though my property manager sent to the housing inspector, Sarah Maxwell, the name and phone number of this tenant. She refused to send the order directly to the tenant and instead ticketed me personally. The Housing Maintenance code says in 5 different areas to send the orders to the proper and responsible party. Obviously this is the tenant. To make a long story short, after 3 Court appearances, at the beginning of the trial, I made a motion before the judge to dismiss. I had to research the ordinances thoroughly and I found a technicality to beat them. The judge dismissed the case. Here is the bottom line. The City had 3 City attorneys and the housing inspector there prepared to take me to the woodshed for my heinous crime. They were prepared to spend a half a day to prosecute this case. Do you think this is a good way for the City to spend its time and scarce resources??? Steve Meldahl 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] The Library
Can some one explain to me/fourm in 10 bullet points or less. Why we had to get rid of the old DT library? BTW if we don't build a new one and we have already bulldozed the old one, we face these charges. 1. We don't need one. 2. We didn't need one. 3. Or we're paying too much rent when we should have kept the old one. 4. The city voters, planners, admins and dreamers look like idiots. What happens if a dramatically scaled down library gets built now? What was all the fuss ($) about? How much money have we spent so far, with the possibility that we will build a quonset hut? 12 years of planning. Someone earlier asked today why the city is taking it on the chin at the legislature. The Strib opined similarly. Well this is today's lesson/answer. Craig Miller Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Chris Steller [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2003 10:54 AM Subject: Re: [Mpls] The Library Not to Tuesday morning quarterback, but ... During the debate over which block to build the new main library on, what value was placed on the projected gap in service during construction on the same block? Because I feel the social and opportunity cost of service interruption was already high, even under the scenario of a new library opening in 2006. A gap of even a few years means lost opportunities, including library-going habits that never form or shrivel up. Chris Steller Nicollet Island-East Bank 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] Realism in Housing:
The poster writes. The definition I've heard of affordable housing' is 30 percent of income. A $600 apartment, if ALL utilities are included, costs $7200 a year. $7200/.3 is $24,000 a year. $24,000/2080 = $11.50 an hour. Retail employees don't MAKE $11.50 an hour. And that is what the modal employee does. If you make $7.50 an hour and IF you have 40 hour/week job, you make $15,600. Doing the rest of the math, it means an affordable domicile is $390 a month INCLUDING utilities. So, now which of you geniuses is renting for $390/month? Craig here Beware of rules chiseled on stone tablets issued from Mt. Washington DC. Just because a govt technician or housing advocate says so, doesn't make it true. Think about your first apartment, I'll bet everyone of us paid more then 30%. Then think of your first mortgage. Those payments sure looked big in the beginning. Then you learned how to trim your expenses, earn more money. List members, what are your recollections of your first apt, house, and how much of your pay it consumed? Craig Miller Former Affordable Housing Provider Living in Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] Affordable Housing - Other Ideas
On a related note, I've been waiting for someone to respond to Vicky's fascinating post on how much poor people can afford for housing. No one has responded yet, so I'll ask the key question. Are apartments for $600/month available? If so, she makes a very good point. No full-time worker, if single, should then be homeless, except in extraordinary circumstances. Mark V Anderson Bancroft Neighborhood Craig here. Less then 4 months ago I sold 34 units in Camden. Great area. CM Johnson's office can testify to the neighborhood and the quality of the property I ran. The average rent for a two br was $640. The 1br's were $600. There are least a thousand of these unit types open in the city of Mpls right now. Someone mentioned earlier that if we have 8-10,000 units in the metro open right now. Why so many people with out stable housing? That is a great question with a long answer. Now's not the time. Residents paid electricity telephone. I paid the big bills garbage,gas, heat, water. Residents paid elec and phone. The minimum housing cost was about $700. Almost any single person with a $10 hour job could squeeze by in a 1br. But that is all they would do, is squeeze by. Get a roommate, bump up to a 2br, and the savings are readily apparent. Savings of almost $300 per month. Take that times 36 months and you have $10,800. Come to think about it, that's how I got the scratch together to buy my first house. The $10,800 gets you a down payment in many areas of Mpls. Oh BTW. To anyone who asks. Your not supposed to raise a family and save for a house on $5.15 an hour. If you are, teach your younger brothers and sisters how tough that is and encourage them not to try. WAGE LEVELS I've been a free market capitalists for quite awhile. I went to many church basement meetings where MICAH, ISAIAH and you name it have been pushing for more Non Profit Housing. They would always enlist the local business/employer. The local employer would prattle on about how they can't hire any more employees because housing is too expensive nearby. These business' thought nothing of having some one poach the taxpayers pocket to pay for the housing of their employees. So as of this point I'm joining the barricades on this issue. If housing is out of reach for the entry level worker, and the government refuses to ease the cost of housing through regulation and legal reform, then we need to make the employer pay their employees more. If they want good employees who are adequately housed, they should pay higher wages. Why unload the underpaid on the taxpayers of Mpls? Oh BTW, don't let these employers build company owned housing. A good deal of blood was spilled in the 8th congressional district in the 20th and 19th century to end the 'Company Town' and the 'Company Store'. A very large percentage of labor strife and embittered misery can find it's flash point in the 'Company Town'. Craig Miller Former Affordable Housing Provider Living in Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] Affordable Housing - Other Ideas
(CM) Adding and critiquing Home Ownership: I would like to see a program where low income people could get their down payment (anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000) paid by the city. (CM) This better be a pilot program. What happens if everyone with who gets turned down for a loan else where moves into your city. Do it by lottery by those who have been pre-qualified. Impacted neighborhoods first. This is substantially less expensive than the per unit costs of rehab or new construction under the name of affordable housing. (CM) AMEN! The city is spending something over 100k per affordable unit. The city could even put a lien against the property for the amount of the down payment. At any point that the title is transferred; refinancing, sale, gift, whatever, the money would be returned to the city and used again to help someone else. (CM) Make sure the house is worth something before purchase. Over the years the various government agencies have held mortgages worth in excess of the house. The house sits in inventory. The house burns, gets wrecked, gets looted, etc. Often with the compliance, negligence, overt, covert knowledge of city agencies. MADE, MOHAN city of Maples, Hen Co. Circa 1980's -1999. personally believe that the down payment can be one of the biggest hurdles to home ownership. When money is tight, there is no way to set aside the extra that is needed to get into a house. Loans for a down payment just increase the burden even more to those who are already struggling. (CM) I would cut back on the program in tougher times. Fully fund during good times. Rental Housing: I really like the idea of rent stamps so that the people who qualify for them can have some kind of meaningful choice as to where they want to live. (CM) Rent stamps would work if the overhead and overbossing is kept to a minimum. BTW, don't ask the current administrators what the 'minimum' should be. They are not programmed to work themselves out of a job. Another option whould be to allow boarding and/or rooming houses again. This is a very efficient means of sharing space. It offers a home owner, with extra space, the opportunity to get some extra income and provides the renter (especially single people) with a truly affordable option. I lived in a boarding house some years ago and absolutely loved it. This becomes risky business in our modern crime apologetic city. Can't tell you how many senior,severely limited income ladies I've advised over the years. Some were physically injured by their tenants. Just terrible to see that happen. They still had to go through the torturous legal process to get the bad guy out. Boarding houses should have instant eviction power. No bones about it. They call a cop and out goes the tenant. Ageing widows should not be excluded from rental income by violence. Thanks to Catherine for letting me butt in. Craig Miller Rogers Former Affordable housing provider on the north side. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] Why Minneapolis is bad for business.
The poster gives us a teachable moment. She decries violence The poster writes The problem has been festering for a while. Down at 18th and Washington the Old Colony station has become a late night hangout for various and sundry gangbangers and such. Gunshots are a frequent occurance there, in fact there was a shooting there last night. No death was pronounced so that shots fired didn't make the news. The violence at Old Colony is so frequent that Minneapolis Police often stage there in readiness around bar closing time. Makes one wonder why the city allows Old Colony to stay open all night- perhaps it's because their magazine rack is mostly stocked with porn? Having the 200 Club open again doesn't help either- the dealers are doing business in the parking lot just like before. (CM) Supposedly legal to drink age adults come out of bars and start shooting up the streets. So lets shut down the gas station. Now that's getting to the root cause of things. Drug dealing going on in a parking lot, that's the bar owners fault. Shut him down. Lady's and gentleman, that is the first step to economic cleansing of a gritty blue collar neighborhood. Ignore the crime, blame someone else. Don't deal with the law breakers. Bust the people with a license. Trash their business with the power of government. Government of the inspector, by the neighborhood groupster, for the economic class cleanser. Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] Former Camdenite 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] Mpls. LGA cuts in Pi Press
Title: Mpls. LGA cuts in Pi Press I once organized 6 landlords and hundreds of dollars to paint all the picnic tables at Creekview park or Webber park in Camden. Let me tell you, there were a lot of tables. High quality, 10 year, expensive weather resistant paint, from Lathrop at a discount. Park board said 'no'. liability issues you know. I responded that we were all middle aged conscientious adults with loads of experience. Then came 'union work, don't do it'. That ended that. I suppose we could have went ahead and did it any way. No one would have really busted us. But volunteers are by nature, law abiding. Craig Miller Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Anne McCandless To: Borger, Judith Yates ; Mpls Forum (E-mail) Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 2:41 PM Subject: Re: [Mpls] Mpls. LGA cuts in Pi Press Or, the residents who live close to the hydrants could help out and paint them.What a fun project to promote community involvement. Anne McCandless Jordan - Original Message - From: Borger, Judith Yates To: Mpls Forum (E-mail) Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 2:11 PM Subject: [Mpls] Mpls. LGA cuts in Pi Press http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/5254772.htm MINNEAPOLIS: Rybak outlines budget cutbacks 5254772.htm Minneapolis firefighters might soon be painting fire hydrants when they aren't fighting fires, under a money-saving plan suggested by Mayor R.T. Rybak on Monday. ( BY JUDITH YATES BORGER, Pioneer Press, 02/25/2003 03:01 AM CST)
Re: [Mpls] Memories of a time before 35W
I think the Access Project, by creating direct freeway access for Wells Fargo and Allina, will exacerbate this phenomenon, making it even easier for suburbanites to come and work in the city, and flee home at the end of the day. (CM) Don't you just love it when people accuse you of fleeing at the end of your work day. Says a lot of about what you think of suburbanites. Make it easy for the Repubs to organize out there. BTW, I've asked this question before. How about we move 1 million suburbanites back into town. Wonder what quality of life would be like? Folks have noticed an increased interest in living in the city over the past few years - I believe one of the major contributors to that is the capacity constrained freeways that are limiting potential for sprawl through long commutes. (CM) Part right here. We loved getting home in under 15 minutes while watching the traffic stack up on 35S every eve. But Dave's bigger point is the peak of interest city living. Traffic is way down the list. Here's what sells the best. 1. Coffee 2. Tall mature trees 3. Parks, creeks, river, lakes 4. Downtown, 5. food 6. small yards to cut. 7. no driveways to shovel, 8. Local papers 9. mean politics 10. night life 11. the smell, feel, touch, taste, sound of the city 12. Ancient trees died for my floors, archways, and doors. 13. 10 foot ceilings. 14 Porches 15 Sidewalks These items will sell Mpls like nobuddy's bidness. For the city to be successful and vibrant. The following items must be understood. 1. There is a transience in the city. Even in the best neighborhoods. The average stay at an address, even in the residential home neighborhoods is high, compared to the burbs. 2. This being the case, it is paramount that real estate values keep increasing better then the suburbs. 3. Understand that the small starter home is really being driven by starter families, folks in transition (single, divorced, just getting started) ,or folks settling in for a few years before Florida or retirement takes them elsewhere. 4. Those fams who wish to stay will drive the larger homes up. 5. Accept the fact that growing families are going to move out. The city doesn't offer enough house-space, bathrooms, for a reasonable price in a neighborhood safe enough to let your kids run all day without worry. We would all like to raise kids on Red Cedar or Forestdale in Fulton. But the houses start at about 450,000. You can get the same square footage in an exurb for about 250,000. With no crime, better schools etc. Think of Mpls as part of the 'life cycle of housing-living' providing a stage of life and a state of mind for those who wish to partake. As much as people despise the suburbs, an ever larger portion of your fellow future citizens will come from there. They will come because of the U, cheap housing, cool bars, great dating scene. Many will stay, live in trendy neighborhoods. Then will come the decision to move, stay, or leave temporarily. Make sure they have a good experience before they move. Bigger freeways will not only destroy additional property in the city, but they will also have a chilling effect on development in the areas of the city where investment faces the greatest risk - the extended suburbs are viable alternatives with big freeways and access. There is only one downtown, one center of city, one historical place that pre-dates all other surrounding places. Bigger freeways may take up a little more space. But they will also make it easier for people to come and spend more money, explore what the city has to offer and possibly drop roots. Craig Miller Rogers MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] 44th Ave North, did you here that North!
Let's here it for the Camden Spooners.
I agree. The atmosphere is loaded with locals talking about everything.
Don't forget Emily's FM Diner on 44th/Penn. Emily makes rounds like a SSide
Chicago Ward Healer. Something wrong with your meal (never is) she'll have
it done right in a nanno second. Her husband Elliot works the grill in
complete view of all. Can talks sports, politics, marriage counseling and
still keep 12 orders of bacon-eggs-sausage-french-toast-pancakes flying. Oh
and listen to how he rings that bell when he's got an order ready.
Craig Miller
Former Camdenite
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
If any south-side greasy-spoon lovers are willing to
venture to the north side, the Top Diner {on Lyndale
near 44th} is one of the best. No atmosphere at
all--ripped vinyl-upholstered stools, beat-up Formica
tables-- but the breakfasts as bountiful as they are
cheap. Its busiest time {so I've heard} is from 2 to 6
am, after the bars close and folks still want to
socialize--but want more substantial fare than
Perkins. Cops eat at the Top, too.
Susan Maricle
Bruno, MN
formerly of Folwell
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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 themcrime 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
[Mpls] Citizens of Mpls to cheap..
I have to disagree with Val with extreme vehemence. My dumpsters in Minneapolis were the target of everyone else's free dumping for 25 years. I first must commend city solid waste for taking many things that the suburban haulers and cities would not take. Your garbage bill is one of the few deals you get in Mpls. The apartment dweller just pays higher rent to support the illegal dumping of the homeowners in the city. I know few do it, but until you have owned a dumpster in a residential neighborhood, you wouldn't believe it. Anything that was billable or the free drop point was too far away, ended up in my dumpsters. All the construction materials from other peoples houses ended up in my dumpster. We put locks on the dumpsters, the stuff piled up on top or in the alley. The crime was rampant. I kept track of my extra billing one year on an 11 unit building. The total was $482.74 That was more then two months billing. Oil, couches, beds , tables, tv's, tires, excess lawn clippings when the city is past the free point, full automobile transmission, bumper from a Buick, Paint cans, etc. I once caught a man in progress. Called 911 and followed him home and took digital pics of the whole act. The police never did a thing. I then picked up large amounts of the garage clean out that he had left and delivered it back to his yard within 10 minutes. This brought a response from the cops. I denied doing it. You know, the cops didn't believe me. But they still didn't bust anyone. Go figure. Craig Miller Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] Greeting's List, and Happy Saturday! (Comment: Not all rental property owners do this, but there are a few that do. This post is about the ones that are to cheap to handle their own trash and leftover furniture, or kitchen appliances removal.) I'd like to know, is there a law or city ordinance against dumping your waste onto someone else's property? Here lately more so in the 5th ward, landlord owners have continue to dump rubbish from their rental units onto someone else's property. In one weeks time a renter told me about three drop offs' that she has seen, and plenty more is delivered when she was not watching.She tells me this is becoming the norm. One was asked what he was doing, leaving trash and furniture in the back of these homes. He said they were dropping of some stuff that needed to be pick up by the city. Not only at this particular house, but the one behind her, on the side of her, and down the alley from her. When she kindly ask them to remove their rubbish, they became completely upset and asked her why. Does anyone on the list or lurking about have an ideal of where one could report such blatant disrespect and obviously to cheap to haul away their own junk. Please e-mail me. Thanks! 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] Section 8
I've read the posts concerning Section 8. Twenty five years of participating with the program has taught me a few things. 1. For legit to discussion to occur, everyone has to understand and agree that about 95% or better of the landlords who do business in the city are law abiding and solid business people. Failure to grasp this knowledge, makes discussion useless. 2. Good landlords are defined by their tenants. Good tenants are defined by their landlords. 3. Bill Cullen points out the higher vacancy rate right now. It's come to my attention that the rate is actually higher then that. Throw in the free rent and bonus' being given, and the rate is even higher. Bill also notes the pure amount of units available. I've said it many times, there is no shortage of housing. That issue is over. Take those precious resources and spend them somewhere else. Henn County should shut down it's newly created housing department before it grows roots and stays forever. 4. There are 10,000 plus units avail in the metro right now, with over 3,000 on-line for occupation in 2003. Those who say those are too expensive and luxurious to help out are not paying attention to econ 101. The financiers of the new place will not allow the owners to lose money. They will force the A+ (new bldg) owner to fill her building with tenants. Take them from A- or B buildings if you must. The B building owner then chases C building tenants and so forth and so forth. End result, rent is going down, not staying even. The same report from GVA says rents are staying about even. Not true, the posted rent is staying even, but if you give a free month away, the rent just fell by one month or 8.5 percent. This is looking like 1988-1993 all over again. Great time to be a renter with bargaining position. 5. Bill Cullen asks if landlords are discriminating. Section 8 is a voluntary program. Regardless of tenants advocates protestations. The program is voluntary. 6. Bill Cullen asks if applicant's histories are preventing them from renting. YES. The city, county, state have made renting to high risk tenants ( Julie Sabo's term not mine) a potentially dangerous proposition for the small part time landlord. BTW it is the small part time landlord that has the most desirable units for families. Duplexes and houses. 7. Bill's final point is apt. Let's understand the problem before we start proposing solutions. 8. HUD is now again requiring full year leases as Keith has pointed out. HUD seems determined to never address this issue until 10's of thousands are in such desperate situation. Month to month leases are the only way management can deal with a situation that has gone bad. Mr. Meldahl points out, rightly so, that most Sect 8 renters are judgment proof. 9. Winning a judgment isn't easy, it's a pain in the a--! For those of you on the list who have gainful employment with no projected end date or desire to leave, you will never risk a judgment if you know your in the wrong. Those who have nothing to lose, or un-reliable income have nothing to fear. I.E. renting to someone with a rock solid income for 12 months or more at a crack is sensible. 10. Paper work, paperwork, paperwork. Oh and btw, don't let a Sect 8 Administrator say something like the rent's guaranteed, or it's simple, or they just don't know what their talking about. It doesn't wash. Ask the landlords. I refer you to item #2. Landlords and tenants decide if Section 8 is a good program. Not the administrators. Most of the landlords just hate it, I'll bet a large majority of the tenants wished there was a better way. 11. Jason Sittko asks two questions. Two answers. 1. The landlords are not professing more of it will cure the housing problem. More units solves the problem. His question number two I refer all to my point #1 12 Mr. Meldahl points out that there is higher maint cost on sect 8 units. Someone professed that older less maintained buildings are more likely the cause. Sect 8 certificates and vouchers go to any building, not by date or location. All things being equal and two 2-bedrooms next to each other on the same side of a building. The Section 8 one will likely need more work, a lot more. This is not a guarantee in every situation. But is something I will bet on. Like insurance actuarial tables, the facts just can't be argued. 13 We've played blame the landlord for too long in Mpls for housing needs. We have vacant units coming out of our ears. We have Executive Directors, and govt programs to choke all the kings horses. It's time to pursue completely different directions. Craig Miller Former Mpls Landlord Living in Rogers - Original Message - From: Bill Cullen [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 8:10 PM Subject: RE: [Mpls] No Longer the Giveaway County Board It seems that many of us equate homelessness with lack of housing
[Mpls] Criminalizing housing?
Out of the mouths of babes or those who are relatively new to town! First of all, no place else I've lived held landlords accountable for the activities of their residents unless if there was a clear demonstration of intent to enable criminal activity. Thing of Phil Hartman in a guest appearance on the Simpsons. Welcome to the Mill city. You can't quite place blame where you want to? Can't figure out what's wrong? One party town, got you down? Can't pin the tail on the donkey for politically in-correct reasons? Well come to Mpls. We've a fall guy like you haven't seen since Nixon left office. We blame the landlord. This all encompassing bad guy has worse press then the big bad wolf. He's to male, white, has more money then most of his tenants, might live in the suburbs. Drives a truck or luxury car. He's such an obvious target. It's easier then shooting fish in a barrel. Crime? Garbage in the streets? Drugs? Schools failing? -You name it, we got a program based on landlord hate to assuage your anguish. Or pass the blame. -We've got executive directors of all stripes who are hungry for funding. -We have so many government agencies trying to solve the housing shortage it makes other wars on look timid. Secondly, some other places I've lived it was illegal to discriminate in housing on the basis of one's history with the criminal justice or public assistance systems. This type of discrimination seems to be encouraged by the system we have here. There appears to be far less of the opinion that if someone has the done the time for the crime that they've paid their debt to society and should not be subjected to further punishment. Minnesota leads the nation in non-incarceration punishment. Hennipen county and the Minneapple receive the disproportionate share of the criminals. There appears to be a noxious classism underlying the idea that people who rent need to have their activities monitored by their landlord as if all rental properties are really minimum security prisons to contain the power and minorities. Sad but true. Phillips, Hawthorne, Jordan fit that description. Take a look at CCP Safe handouts. A little over one third of the latest brochure shows how you can keep an eye on those renters next door. How to call the police up and make life hell for the tenants and the landlords. Note that these issues are unlikely to be a problem for those who can afford more expensive apartments in the community. Class cleansing. Not just the housing, but the smelly factory jobs and those ugly looking places where they fix their cars. Thanks for the rant and the show. Craig Miller Former Mpls Landlord Living in Rogers David Strand Loring Park 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] North Oaks
Suburb bashing has been fashionable on this list from time to time. It really lends credence to the urban delegation at the legislature. How much LGA does the city depend on from those suburban chairwomen and chairmen? Craig Miller Rogers MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] Folks, let's lay off the North Oaks bashing. It's insult and inflammatory, and frankly, personal attack at this point. Yes, this rule goes both ways. But take the high road. There was nothing inflammatory about Vicki's initial post. David Brauer List manager 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] RE: Today's City Council Meeting and middle class affordable housing
We have an instructive use/abuse of power admission today. Best of all it's from our fearless leader. David Brauer uses and names names. Margaret writes then David responds. As a former president of the Kingfield board, I'd like to respond to a couple of Margaret's comments. She writes: Take my neighborhood of Kingfield as an example--largely middle class-- and the last time I checked, not a haven for people who are homeless. From having been on the KFNA board and now on the NRP steering committee I shudder to think where housing dollars will go if left to the control of the Kingfield Neighborhood. The last board meeting I was at, much was being made of the two (potential) single family units for low income people that may be built. Those two units will merely replace the two houses that the KFNA board and the City Council and the Mayor supported being torn down for the Ace Hardware Parking Lot. Me: Something for people to remember: the infamous Ace Hardware homes were NOT affordable housing. They were more expensive than many homes in our neighborhood, including on Margaret's block. Our original plan with the Ace homes was to move them off Ace's property and make them affordable - using up to $100,000 in NRP money (for which I earned Keith Reitman's enduring condemnation; being caught between Keith and Margaret gives me a wry satisfaction). The move didn't work out for many reasons, but Kingfield's interest and financial support weren't two of them. CM: Not quite sure of rules here, but using listmembers names and their opinions for basis of discussion. Margaret subsequently quit the board, so she wasn't around when Steve Jevning (current president) and I spent countless hours trying to pressure Ned Abdul, the developer of the nursing home at 4429 Nicollet, to include low-income housing - in a 29-unit development, by the way. CM: Here we have a 1.Board President of a neighborhood group- Zoning/schmoning the neighborhood boss doesn't like your idea 2. Editor of two of the largest and influencial non-daily papers-What did Truman say don't pick fights with people who buy ink by the barrel 3. List master of the most influencial municipal policy based list/serv forum in the universe. With the power to exclude from the forum. ..I spent countless hours trying to pressure How would you like to bump into that? I suppose the cause was good. Sorry Mr. Abdul, it's just democracy. This is just chilling. Craig Miller Glad to be out of the city Living in Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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] Homeless persons: Where shall these three live?
This is what Minneapolis Public Housing or Minneapolis Taxpayer Subsidized housing should be reserved for. PPL, MICAH, Catholic Charities, Lutheran Social Services, MPH, Central Community Housing Trust. While Jim Scheibel, Alan Arthur and Cora McCorvey are sitting on tons of taxpayer money and have vacancies. Shame on us fellow citizens who allow this to happen. Where is ACORN, Up and Out of Poverty Now, Mel Duncan, 504. People are going homeless and freezing while we the taxpayer have vacant apartments and houses. MPHA and all Non-profits that have city money in their projects should have to post their actual vacancy record with the city every month. Craig Miller Former Affordable Housing Provider of Camden Rogers, MN - Original Message - From: Victoria Heller [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mpls Forum [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 10:42 AM Subject: [Mpls] Homeless persons: Where shall these three live? Over the past two weeks, I have rejected three separate persons who applied for one of my apartments ($410 per month.) The first person has 2 convictions for criminal sexual conduct, one with a 13 year old minor. He has also plead guilty for failure to notify change of address for sex offenders. He has also been convicted of domestic assault. The second person has 2 Court ordered evictions (unlawful detainers) within the past two years, and her most recent landlord asked her to move for dealing drugs, high traffic volume to and from her apartment, non-payment of rent, and trashing her apartment. She has also been convicted of malicious punishment of a child. The third person has 1 felony conviction, and was evicted from his previous apartment owing $3,000 in rent. In all three cases, the only source of income listed is SSI - which is a form of social security for persons with disabilities - including alcoholism and drug addiction. SO THE QUESTION IS - Where do the citizens of Minneapolis want these people to live? Vicky Heller Cedar-Riverside and North Oaks 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] Block E lot for Cheap?
Vicky, my question is how they advertised that the McCaffery building was for sale? I do not know anyone who knew the building was up for sale. Any building at 7th and Hennepin that has retail space for a restaurant and room for 11 housing units has got to be worth more than 2.5 million. The Strib article says they bid the “Minimum” amount. Why was the minimum that low? Craig Here I'm tempted to drive on down and take a look. It seems real cheap to own a piece of DT for that much. My first hunch is that this would have went for much more if word got out farther and deeper. Lets borrow a page from our big sisters at HUD. Open suggestion to Council Mayor and MCDA I've followed and went to several HUD multi-family auctions in the past few years. Most out of state and some right here in Minnesota. Here's some things to consider. 1. Check out the constantly updated website at www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/mfh/pd/mfplist.cfm 2. I've attended several auctions. The final sale price always exceeds the minimum by large amounts. Usually multiples. 3. The amount of people attending the auctions, is always large. Apparently the word is getting out. 4. Each time after a sale I've run the numbers based on the sale price. Here is my conclusions: - The buyers are paying a little too much or way too much for the property. - Or they are willing to bust their hump that hard to make things work for years needed to recover their investment - The taxpayer is getting the best deal possible for the bankrupt or vacant property. -The email and electronic bulletin board works fantastically. Here is the suggestion for us in Mill City. All Sales and RFP's need to be emailed to an ever expanding email blast list. MCDA should carry a link of website for the properties on inventory and when the auction is. Check out Henn county's tax forfeit auction page www.co.hennepin.mn.us/taxsvcs/gstxtfla.htm More exposure leads to higher sale prices. Currently I get blast from MCDA for What's New. If the blast list gets larger and larger, more will know of sales and opportunities. The new additions to the RFP and prop for sale should be as explicit as possible. The goal is to get more buyers, sell for higher prices, more money for treasury. I know we have to publish a legal minimum in Finance Commerce, so be it. But we could market a whole lot more and farther with the internet. Craig Miller Rogers, MN 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] The Mayor breaks his promise to do filmed interveiw re: homelessness
I agree. Every Non-Profit with taxpayer dollars behind it should be completely full. Regardless of quality of resident. The taxpayers paid for the housing. ACORN,504,UP AND OUT OF POVERTY NOW, CATHOLIC CHARITIES, MICAH, shame on all of you for not hitting the streets yesterday and demanding that all direct city subsidized housing be full with people now. Craig Miller Rogers - Original Message - From: Victoria Heller [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mpls Forum [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, January 18, 2003 12:33 PM Subject: [Mpls] The Mayor breaks his promise to do filmed interveiw re: homelessness There are plenty of rooms at the downtown Radisson Hotel for homeless persons in Minneapolis - AND WE, THE TAXPAYERS, HAVE ALREADY PAID $20 MILLION FOR THE ACCOMMODATION. Let's use of the housing we have already paid for - $500 million in the past ten years!! The heavily subsidized real estate developers should step up to the plate and DONATE their vacant apartments to house the homeless. Rather than pay an ADDITIONAL $700 per month per mat on the floor, we should save the money and use our available inventory - there are LOTS of vacancies. Vicky Heller Cedar-Riverside and North Oaks ___ 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] Crime Walgreens
Mpls is circling the toilet bowl when we make policy based on this kind of thinking. The poster wrote. ***Walgreens*** I read that story too and scratched my head. My favorite theory is that they had a massive shrinkage problem to which they could find no solution but closing up. I notice that the Minnehaha Mall is now a focus of lots and lots of larceny. When I asked our SAFE officer, he explained it was minor theft that was represented by all the symbols concentrated at Lake and Minnehaha. Well, if that could happen at Target and Petters, how much MORE could it happen at a Walgreens on Franklin? Getting rid of electronics and other favorite targets and concentrating on prescriptions might go a long way toward solving the problem. But that would probably need to be some other retail company. The poster would have us believe that getting rid of electronics and other favorite targets of theft would make things better. Let's see now. 1.We had too many drug dealers working our pay phones 10 years ago. So we got rid of large amounts of the pay phones. Bet that was a real convinence for us all. Need to make a call? keep walkin. Technology has almost got rid of them for us in the year 2003(cell phones). 2. Recently the SW Journal pointed out that the post office is pulling many of the blue mailboxes because of vandalism and theft. So the people who like or HAVE to walk now have to drive, or risk leaving outgoing mail by their own house box or what ever inconvienece this policy has created. Thanks alot Mr. Tagger. 3. Too many people throwing garbage on the street and the city is not going to pick it up. So you the citizenry better start adopting these cans or forget it, because the city isn't in the garbage business anymore. 4. Too many people sniffing glue and paint. Ban or inhibit innercity hardware and craft shops from selling paint or glue. Bet you that increased sales in the city and dug into Home Depots bottom line. 5. Let's force, convince, strong arm Wahlgreens, Target etc into dropping certain lines of products that criminals like to steal. Lets force our local employers to stop carrying products because we the people refuse to enforce the law on the criminals. BTW lets punish Target, Cub, etc for the criminals who steal the shopping carts. Is it any wonder some of these chains charge more in the city? They get taxed higher and they have to take the blame for crime to. 6. Too Much risk of terrorism in central water systems. Let's go back to wells. 7. Too much risk in you name it. We'll ban someone else. But never, never, never, never, never ban the criminal behaviour that is destroying the QUALITY OF LIFE we supposedly enjoy in the city. Hey Minneapolitans. Look how much we have sacrificed. Where do we draw the line? Did we really live in a great city once? Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Jim Mork--Cooper Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be call the Children of God. Matt 5:9 http://www.unitedforpeace.org Get your free Web-based E-mail at http://www.startribune.com/stribmail ___ 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] 'Twas the night before the election....
Boffo!!! Encore! Craig Miller - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2002 10:07 PM Subject: [Mpls] 'Twas the night before the election 'Twas the night before the election, when all through the ward, Not a campaign was stirring, it seemed we'd all be ignored. The lit was dropped on the windshields with care, In hopes that tomorrow soon would be there. The hacks were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of victory danced in their heads. And candidates in Northeast, and those in the North, Had just settled down, for what the Primary would bring forth. When out in the streets there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the grass not covered with snow, Gave the lustre of mid-day to the scene below. When, what to my wondering ears should report, But an Authentic Community Voice with waves of support. With supporters of all races, creeds and colors, I knew in a moment it was the candidate before all others; More impressive than any, his passion shone bright And he whistled, and shouted, his priorities through the night: Now, Families! Now, Development! Now Community And Nonviolence! On Housing! On Safety! On Fairness And Conscience! From the edge of the North! Through Northeast and all! Now dash away! Dash away! On to City Hall! And with him they came, their hearts filled with hope No longer would they settle, no longer merely cope; For here was a man, authentic and real A voice from the community, not some backroom deal. And then, in a twinkling, I heard at the door A quick knock-knocking, from who, I wasn't sure. As I drew it open, what should I see, There stood Don Samuels, Council Candidate, Ward 3. He was clad in ideals, from his head to his foot, Knowledge, Compassion, and Community Input A bundle of wisdom he carried from his life, Not to mention two loving daughters and a very capable wife. His eyes -- how they twinkled! His experience shone through! His dedication and commitment, no challenge could undo! His smile warmed you from your head to your toes, An authentic respresentative, one instantly knows; A guardian ad litem, an activist and artist, One conversation with him and I knew which candidate was smartest. Long on community, yet short on hot air, I knew when we needed him, as our councilmember he'd be there He was running I knew, just to do good work Not for career move or fame, or any special perk And passing his lit and shaking my hand He thanked me for my time, and leaving, made a request not a demand He sprang to the community, to him they gathered round A wave of support lifting him up off the ground And I heard his request as he walked out of sight, VOTE DON SAMUELS TOMORROW, AND WE'LL ALL HAVE A GOOD-NIGHT! Jonathan Palmer Poetically Supporting DON SAMUELS in Victory ___ 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] MCDA small business loans
I just paid $3,500 for a replacement boiler. That included. 1. New boiler 2. Removal of old boiler 3. New honeywell zone valves in the 11 apartments 4. Installation 5. Permit 6. Circulating Pump 7. All pipes and plumbing needed at boiler or zones. 8. Labor Now I'll specutlate. Did the MDCA suggest, provide, or in anyway help Kelly O'Brien pick her contractor? IF they did, it might explain a little the desrepency between what mine cost VS hers. Craig Miller Formerly Camden's 3rd largest landlord [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: steven meldahl To: Kelly O'Brien ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, December 27, 2002 4:33 PM Subject: Re: [Mpls] MCDA small business loans How the heck can you pay $30,000 for a new boiler??? If the building where you replaced the boiler is the one just down from the Art Institute, you got screwed. Unless you replaced all the plumbing runs and radiators. Steve Meldahl Jordan (work) - Original Message - From: Kelly O'Brien To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, December 26, 2002 10:51 PM Subject: [Mpls] MCDA small business loans Thank goodness for the MCDA small business loan program! A few years ago the Hennepin History Museum needed to replace an 80+ year old boiler. With the help of the MCDA we were able to deal with this emergency by taking a loan of $30,000 to pay for the boiler--half at around 9% from Franklin Bank (our neighborhood bank) and half at 2% or so from the MCDA. This program helped us maintain our home in the Whittier neighborhood and the blended rate was something oursmall nonprofitbudgetcould cope with. Thank you MCDA! Kelly O'Brien Kingfield HHM Board President
[Mpls] Anti Repub rant. Answer
Apparently no accounting for disgruntled Republicans (and a few others) who will never be satisfied until every public service is privatized and unavailable to everyone but the affluent and their property tax bills disappear. Craig the Repub here. I've noticed precious few if any Mpls services privatized. Maybe one of the city officials who monitor this list can name some. Try get over the 1% threshold of total city outlays. I doubt we'll find it. You don't get something for nothing. You can't expect taxes to disappear without watching little things like your streets going unplowed, Talk to my fellow citizens in Near North. In snowy winters it is common belief that large parts of north go relatively un- plowed. street lighting go dark, we have large parts of the city that don't get street lights repaired or replaced for longs stints already. If it was a privately owned system the bulbs would be changed within 48 hours or someone would get fired. schools shut down, We already have that in Redwing etc. criminals freed, already have that to. no one does anywhere near 60% of their sentance. Mpls is where other jurisdictions unload their extra criminals. It's called prison by other means. Hawthorne, Jordan, Phillips. cops disappear, we have that already, count how many officers are on duty after 12:00 midnight. Compare that to how many are working between 8:00-4:30 M-F buildings burn to the ground, water stop flowing, sewers back up. I believe it's been well documented for the past 8 years that our water infrastructure system has been neglected for quite some time. You want more patrols, better patrolling, fewer gangs, less violence? Pay up. And shut up. We are already paying for all of the above. I'm not sure if I see the difference in what we are getting for payment or no payment. Oh and by the way. There hasn't been a republican administration in over 30 years. There has not been a Republican mayor with a republican council ever. Ever since we went with party designation there has been long uninterupted decades of DFL Majorities coupled with DFL Mayors. You think if all those city services were privately operated they'd be cheaper and better and less bureaucratic? Some of them? Yes. Gaze around at the wonderful corporations who represent not only privatization of public services but also have a monopoly on most of them: Xcel/NSP. Qwest. Tried dealing with those people lately? Watched their management all but indicted? Don't you love those gas bills? Those electric bills? Those telephone statements? And the great service they give in return? White collar Criminals should be punished. But as for the service they provide. Yes I am still happy. I know my phone, gas, electric companies work. I turn on my switch or pick up the dial and wahlaa. It works. Now if I call a city official for the basics, that's another matter. Crime.lets just stop right there. Do the people listed below as wanting their very own mayor think this is all OK? I have never understood is why so many of you place so much faith in the private sector as if the private sector is run by angels while the public sector is seen as Satan's realm. I fear there is nothing that would satisfy some people. People who chronically complain about anything public would do so no matter the mayor. Best thing to do in these cases: ignore them. Yep, we got ignored for quite a while. We tossed out bushels of Mr. Driscolls co-horts. Fritz and Roger looked into the camera in those last days and asked. Who do you trust or said in one way or another. It's a matter of trust In nation leading record turnout, we voted Republican. Go figure. Craig Miller Rogers MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] Andy Driscoll Saint Paul ___ 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] What's with Mpls DFL?
Brian Herron-Convicted Jackie Cherryhomes- Never charged or convicted of any crime. But the image of more then one policy board, govt, atty, funding agency having to re-write their rules and conflict of interest policy after a date with the former COUNCIL PRESIDENT, is a telling item. Dismissed by the voters. Joe Biernat- Council VP Convicted Sandy Hillary- No crimes or convictions, but dangerously close to trading votes for money. Borrowing/Fleecing funds from friends, relatives, and acquaintances. Dismissed by the voters. Mark Andrew- Next up to be indicted? These are all DFL'ers who rose to the pinnacle of power in their city or county. In the case of Mr. Andrew. Chair of the MN State DFL party. How far do we have to go back in our city's history to see this much malfeasance? Floyd B. put away a whole bunch of city councilors in the late teens of the last century. Has there been another era such as this in the past 85 years? Craig Miller Shocked and waiting for other shoes to drop. Former Fultonite. [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Andy Driscoll [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Minneapolis Issues [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2002 10:48 AM Subject: [Mpls] Apology I have been properly upbraided, and not defensively so, for citing the Mark Andrew story as lazy reporting for clichéd adjectives describing Andrew - and other story figures over time. I really should have focused on the phrasing and writing, not the reporting. The reporting was quire wonderful, frankly. Mark Andrew is know by many of us as a liberal, and I fall on that side of the line myself, unabashed, as it were. Mark is known to reporters and old party hacks and colleagues as a liberal. The story is a good one, ferreting out as it did the guy helped out by a plumber's union official who pled guilty to using union funds to perform work on an elected official's private residence. Important story. Not lazy reporting. Clichéd adjectives come easy after nonstop research and meeting deadlines. I just wish they didn't fall so easily off the tongue and onto the keys for publication. But it's not always the reporters' job to catch them. It's an editor's. So the charge is easily spread around the newsroom. Clichés are bad enough, but when used in print or broadcast news by reporters, editors, commentators, the effect is to reinforce unnecessary stereotypes. So. I apologize to Steve Brandt and Rocky Olson for implying, even explying, that the story represented lazy reporting. It did not. It was good. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul The most consistent and ultimately damaging failure of political journalism in America has its roots in the clubby/cocktail personal relationships that inevitably develop between politicians and journalists. When professional antagonists become after-hours drinking buddies, they are not likely to turn each other in. --Hunter Thompson Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1973 ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Got a bus/Van
I may be off list here. A friend is making a donation to a church bus fund. They need a van or bus. I'll be throwing in a chunk. Does anyone know of an agency, foundation, government office that has transport funding programs? Please contact me off list. Thanks up front Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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] Affordable Housing: causes-solutions?
WM: One of the problems with rent stamps, a.k.a. Section 8, is the bureaucratic requirements which make it one tricky business to evict a tenant for cause. Enter the non-profit. They specialize in moving paperwork around to suit the parameters of federal money. They have special software and everything. They have rules to which they hold tenants accountable. They never assume that of course people know how to live in a house. Commercial landlords/ladies really are not set up to handle that type of workload. I don't have a solution and I don't know that what we have presently is anything more than a bandaid. It is a problem looking for solutions. WizardMarks, Central (CM) Section 8 has taken a step backward recently. One reason Section 8 Tenants were unable to get apartments throughout the early-mid-to late nineties was the one year lease requirement. Plain and simple, the landlord had to sign a one year lease with the resident. As Wizard has pointed out, getting someone out for violating the lease under Sect 8 is 'tricky'. That is an understatement. Well a few years ago, Sect 8 seeing the crisis decided to offer month to month leases. This was good news. Most of us landlords started to rent to those on Sect 8 again. If the tenant screwed up, you gave them notice. That simple. 30 days was the most you had to put up with. Now, It is my understanding that Sect 8 is going back to one year minimum. This indicates two things. 1. The affordable housing crisis is over. 2. The Feds believe that enough landlords will take the risk on a one year lease. They need their apartments rented. It will cause many landlords to quit Sect 8 again. That's too bad. Why must Section 8 insist on the one years lease? It's counter productive. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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] Getting out of Mpls
Proving the old adage A little bit of knowledge can be dangerous And Look before you leap As for the homily of Craig Miller, I'm having trouble giving it credence. How coul you, what do you know? The reason is that there was a time when there were 1 or 2 percent vacancy rates in the city. There have been times when there was vacancy rates in the high teens in North and South Mpls. Check 1987-1992 That probably was because Chairman Greenspan was trying to single-handedly deflate the economy. I've been around since Volcker was trying. In general it's been good for almost all Americans. Some even say he succeeded. But now mortgage rates around here at at levels of the 1950s. Result: rising vacancy rates. Signs out in front of rentals. And DROPS in what the landlords can charge. This is true, but nothing to ease the burden of families who are renting. It's a bargain market for one bedrooms right now. The vacancy rate for 2,3,4 bedrooms is 0.0% according to GVA Marquette. That's within the city limits. All that non-profit money still hasn't solved it. Well, I CAN imagine what a gas it was when renters had few choices and couldnt up and move if you gouged them or refused to do repairs. Stop imagining and ask. A Gas was the slang from my formative years. Landlording in the funky market that is Mpls compared to the burbs and elsewhere was always much more of a delight. The food was better, the challenges different, the solutions more diverse. It was a gas. They would love a contrite Minneapolis which thought of landlords as gods and renters as vermin. But we're different. We're stubborn just like the little scrapper. This is a good example of the kind of attitude that permeates the city body politic farther up the food chain then most people are willing believe. People actually make policy decisions based on this kind of thinking. You don't know it exists until you see it and feel it. Until you have provided affordable housing in Mpls, you never will. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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] Apartment Bldgs Sold
List; I've recently sold my families holdings in Minneapolis. Unlike Mr. Frenz, who I believe owned mostly in Mpls, and lives in Mpls, most of my families holdings are outside of the city. We made a deliberate effort not to buy any more property in Mpls or Hennepin county in the late 80's-early-90's. Our most glaring objection was and is the city's and citizen's belief that the landlord can be held responsible for other citizens criminal behavior. Within the larger metro-state wide rental property OWNERS community, the city of Mpls is being viewed as a self inflicted sick sibling or worse a rabid dog. Something to be avoided at all costs, not trusted with serious matters (such as your retirements or kids educations), being so out of step with the rest of us that normal functions of government are not being met. The state of relations between the city and it's landlords has been bordering on hostility for some time. There is very little co-operation. When it comes to my industry, the city is so dysfunctional that it is breaking down. What I find so disheartening is this. After 10 years of persecuting landlords for all of society's ills. The city ( collectively ) was starting to wise up and look for another way out. Maybe address crime by individual. Putting the interests of landlords on par with other property owners and business owners. But I see a dangerous backsliding taking place. A new round of senior police officers are using the term problem properties in the open again. Landlords and buildings are getting profiled not the criminals. The new council has members who are quick to blame landlords when they ought to know better. Many gray beards who knew better have left the scene. It looks like a new dark age could be coming to my industry within the cities boundaries. The star chamber justice system is revving up again. After universal acknowledgement that the private sector is the engine that can solve all housing issues in the least amount of time with the least amount of taxpayer dollars, we have little private sector involvement at all with out huge subsidy. With interest rates at such low levels we should have been at heartstoppingly high vacancy rates. Not so. The policy of the city makes lower cost housing too much of a burden. The end result for those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. 1. Doubling. The practice of jamming two families into space meant for one. 2. 50 percent or better of take home pay going to rent. 3. Over 100,000 citizens in Hennepin county with a UD on their record. The scarlet letter of inability to rent in most places. So many branded because of fear of City Of Minneapolis Policy. 4. Generally having their housing deconcentrated, destructed, gentrified,and being class cleanesed right out of town. 5. Having a seperate police department built just for you if you rent. Don't believe me, pick up your latest CCP/SAFE handout. Last I checked over half of the brochure was devoted to who to call if those people in the apartment building weren't behaving. 6. All sorts of non-profit housing people who could qualify elsewhere while truly needy and homeless are left on the streets. Executive directors and housing advocates eating up ever larger portions of the fatted calf while those they claim to fight for go needy again. 7. Kinsey Report is one of many sources that prove what the landlords have been saying all along is true. Thanks for reading this far. I'll conclude. What is truly sad, is that for me and many others: 10-1 years ago I would never have thought of getting out of the city. Being a landlord in the city on the good days is just a gas. All the things that make Mpls unique and desireable have their own derivitive in my industry. But the bad days kept on coming and coming. Most of them provided by our government. Even when vacancy rates were low and rents stable and rising, the city and other levels of government just ruined it all. Craig Miller Holding one last unit in Fulton. Anybody want to buy it? No longer Camden's 3rd largest landlord [EMAIL PROTECTED] The latest issue of TWIN CITIES BUSINESS JOURNAL has an interesting article regarding the sale of 20 Uptown apartment buildings from Steve Frenz (JAS Properties) to Spiros Zorbalas (Uptown Classic Properties). This sale was for $10 million which averages $45,000 per apartment unit. According to the article, Frenz is shifting his apartment investments to other cities out of frustration with the regulatory environment in Minneapolis. The key issue raising (Frenz's) blood pressure is the way Minneapolis calculates storm-water fees based on the amount of water used within a building. Most cities instead calculate how much runoff storm water a property produces, he said. Minneapolis' method unfairly penalizes multifamily apartment buildings because those buildings use more water, but that additional water use has nothing to do with storm water, Frenz said. Bill
Re: [Mpls] Mpls Awards - no more!
I agree with my fellow award winner Mr. Brauer. Someone form a Non-Profit and start soliciting money from the little people, CO's, and everyone in between. This can be made into the Evant'e Sociale of the Fall season. Take my name and email down now and sign me up for the board and volunteer committee. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] I don't think anyone who has won one of these awards did it for the award. And no one will stop doing what they do because the awards don't exist. But it is amazing how gratifying a frame, a piece of glass, a finely written piece of paper, and a neat City of Minneapolis pin can be to someone who willingly donates their time. I know that was multiplied times the 10 winners and their proud friends and family. I hope a way can be found to save the awards. I won't be winning another, but I think this is an important thing for the community and future winners. I'd wager they are a truly minimal expense (Re: CM Colvin Roy's fair comment, I would at least like to know how much the Awards cost to put on, to justify it being cut). Perhaps a foundation or even a group of volunteers, ala Southwest Citizens for Civic Engagement, can take over the awards to keep the recognition going. Perhaps the Citizens Fair and Minneapolis Awards can be combined with another event (the Aquatennial?) to further reduce expenses and, in the case of the Citizens Fair at least, increase traffic. David Brauer King Field ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls ___ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Mpls Property Taxes
List; To those who debate a voter approval for any tax increases. The DFL'ers will never grant you that authority. Try put it on the charter change committee'sschedule. You'll get faced. This is similar to asking the State wide DFL for Initiative and Referendum. Not going to happen if the Left of Center party has anything to say about it. The Council is raising our taxes this year by a large amount. They can do this because the next election is just about 3 years away. By the time the election occurs you will forget what happened. It's a tried and true method. Your memory is too short. I would quit grousing about it. The sooner we take are forget pillsand get on with blaming the legislature the better off we will be. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2002 7:39 AM Subject: [Mpls] Re: Property taxes. Should there be a requirement for referendums for any property tax increases that exceed the rate of inflation which I believe was 2.2% for this year?(http://www.bls.gov/cpi/home.htm#data)Neal E. SimonsProspect Park
Re: [Mpls] Cub on 60th
Thanks to CM Mead for clearing all that up. Why do we have to subsidize any grocery store. If the one on Nicollet can make it. Why not the one in NE? Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Dore Mead [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, November 11, 2002 9:24 AM Subject: [Mpls] Cub on 60th In response to Mr. FitzGerald's request, please note that the Cub Foods store on 60th received NO subsidy from the City of Minneapolis or any other level of government. The store even paid for the Public Works additions needed to accommodate the store, such as some of the adjacent traffic lights. While eligible for State funding, the developer of Cub paid out of his own pocket the costs of environmental clean-up for the site. That work continues -- that's what goes on in the funky little building at the western edge of the parking lot. Hopefully that work will finally be completed in the not-too-distant future. Dore Mead Tangletown ___ 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 ___ 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
[Mpls] Mpls DFL'ers warped vision of Repubs
In a message dated 11/10/2002 3:11:01 PM Eastern Standard Time, Jim Mork writes: And I reject the idea it is a function of one-party government. To offer that as a remedy implies the OTHER party will use the same laws better. That's a religious faith because there is no sign of that ever happening. Jim. I'm beginning to think you wouldn't recognize a real live Republican if one hit you in the face. Your perception of my party is so warped by your preconceptions of what Republicans are that reality can't break through all the false impressions you've built up from listening to the garbage dished out by the DFL and their friends in the local media. Unfortunately, you're expressing a point of view that is held by several thousand of your fellow Minneapolis residents, who firmly believe we're all about throwing Grandma out in the snowdrifts with the poor folks, without so much as a can opener for their dog food. And as long as you continue to think like that without actually talking to us, nothing is ever going to change in this city. CM Kevin; I have to disagree with you. Mr. Mork has got it right. Repubs are aweful. Since election night I've witnessed 72 large trucks empty their left over mercury waste in Lake Calhoun. I've heard that every one in Horn tower was to be thrown into the snow. Whe we found out it was too early for snow, we reached into are large bag of Tax Increment Finance and put them all on a bus Labeled Mark Dayton perscription express. We kept driving north until we found a snow bank and tossed em out. What Joy!!! Tomorrow we have to get 50% of the high school girls pregnant, get 50% of the boys to drop out, and the rest hooked on crack. Man we are busy people. This thread is off topic. Let us end it here. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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] No voter fraud found in contest (JohnsonLee vs Cherryhomes)
Hey Rochelle! Any chance we can find an electronic version of the Anoka County Report? Are there any listmembers savvy with the Anoka County websight? Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Shawn Lewis [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, October 18, 2002 6:35 AM Subject: [Mpls] No voter fraud found in contest (JohnsonLee vs Cherryhomes) No voter fraud in Minneapolis council election last year Rochelle Olson Published Oct 18, 2002 The Anoka County attorney's office found no grounds to further pursue election fraud charges in the 2001 contest between Minneapolis City Council Member Natalie Johnson Lee and former Council President Jackie Cherryhomes. http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3373197.html Shawn Lewis, Field Neighborhood -- __ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup ___ 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 ___ 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 neighborhood entrepreneur makes the Strib
I found St. Anthony's article somewhat uplifting but generally a downer. The red tape and asinine behavior put forth by the city bureaucracy shines through when you read the daughter's battles with the city. Could you imagine lack of greenspace in back of an existing structure could cost her a license? I am sure the city employees are just doing their job as issued from their higher ups. Now's the time when some good local Greens should step up to the plate and say this kind of regulation has to end. How bout it Zimmerman and NJL? RT if your reading, don't bother streamlining. Open a mayors appeal desk. When someone had done all that is sensible in their app, let them come to your office for the quick overrule of a bureaucrat. Then keep track of what office or employee is leading the league in overules. Then get move the city employee somewhere else or find out which reg is being bumped into the most. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: List Manager [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2002 5:05 PM Subject: [Mpls] Minneapolis neighborhood entrepreneur makes the Strib http://www.startribune.com/stories/1069/3365526.html David Brauer List manager ___ 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] 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. Good points but already stipulated. 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 is what we all strive for. But Mpls city governmnet does not strive for this in certain areas. Ask our listmembers who have been pointing this out. Dyna comes to mind. 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. Serve a need may be a bad choice of phrase. The slumlord comes into existance because the better landlords and properties will not rent to people with slummy credit, crime or rental history. But the poster suggests they should be attacked and the tenants cast to the wind. The property left abandoned-vacant-rotting-burning. This is what we practiced in Mpls for over 15 years. This has had terrible results. One result is the public school transient student issue. We have over 150,000 people with UD's on their record in the last 10 years. We have poisoned base of relations with our largest provider of affordable housing. We have non-profits who sell themselves as white nights who then raid the public purse for un heard of amounts. We have destroyed so much classic housing. So, if you want more poor kids to keep moving and ruin their educational opportunity at a young age. Do what Mr. Schmid advises, attack the landlord and his tenants. Mr. Schmid clearly points out he prefers owner occupied. Not those #$%^* smelly %^)( people who rent. I'll repeat here again. I do not want ugly neighbors, buildings or neighborhoods. But will the city ever help the landlords in tough situations with meaningful assistance-service? The past 15 years would indicate 'no'. The post of Mr. Schmid-Ms Mann would indicate that we are slipping into another dark age of landlord baiting. 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. Your applause only compound the error. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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] Why landlords won't rent to you.
that going after the landlord is going after some one who has something to lose. Try going after the felonious and misdemenor offender. Lock them up for 10-20-30days at a crack. Get them sentenced within 24 hours of their crime. BRING BACK municipal court. Ruin their life one month at a time instead of ruining your sleep night after night. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ 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] Thanks, Craig!
There were a couple of southsiders present. Mike Holhman, the Wiz, Barb Lickness, I'm sorry if I missed a couple of you. In general though, considering how bottom heavy this list is with south siders, as usual they wouldn't deign to cross Hennepin Ave and see what happens up north. Too bad they missed it. Sticking it in the eye of the south side. Former Camdenite Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] PS: Any one seen my Official Oktoberfest Mug? When I switched from German to Irish, they switched mugs and my two chipper was gone. Subject: [Mpls] Thanks, Craig! Thanks Craig, it was excellent!! And Octoberfest at Gasthaus was a gas! What an alive crowd. Besides us, NE neighborhood types, and college students, there was a Carlson School of Business contingent having a reception/party in the Rathskeller. So where were the South Minneapolis types? Renee made it in from Wisconsin! (But don't believe her--it wasn't that cold! She was shaking, but that was on the dance floor.) Alan Shilepsky Downtown ___ 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] Guthrie Land Sale: More fun with numbers.....
The Minneapolis Rubes are getting taken again. In the real estate world we call vacant or buildable land dirt. 'How much is the dirt?' Well, out here in the sticks, dirt that had corn on it last year and houses built upon it next year goes for about 120,000 per acre or $3.00 per sq ft. That's if it has a street, gutter, and municipal water/sewer. So thirty miles away from downtown it's three bucks. And the city is giving it away for $5-7. Listmembers, this land along the river could go for $30-50 per sq ft if you want to. Just think what we could fund with $1.3-2.1 Million dollars. MPS could hire 100 teachers for a year. MPB could hire 300+ park supervisors for one summer. I have no idea how many ESL specialists could be hired to teach english to new hard working immigrants. The city has to stop selling such valuable land for so little money. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] One acre of land contains 43,560 square feet. Last fall, Steve Cramer (then executive director of the MCDA) said that the land sale to the Guthrie involved no subsidies - it was a fair market value deal. 10 acres of the City's BEST RIVERFRONT LAND for $3 million. That was $6.79 per sq. ft. Now we ponder selling two parcels: Seven acres to the Guthrie for $4 million = $7.62 per square foot. Three acres to ? for $2.3 million = $5.68 per square foot. A Few Questions for Council Members (MCDA Commissioners): Minneapolis paid $50.00 per square foot for Target Store land. Why is Riverfront land so cheap? Why is there a discrepancy between the two prices: $7.62 vs. $5.68? The parcels are adjacent. How much did the City pay to acquire the land, and how long have we been holding it (off the tax rolls?) In other words, what was our COST - so we can calculate our LOSS. Lots of investors would LOVE to buy riverfront land at those prices: Where do we submit our bids? How will you choose the WINNERS? Eagerly awaiting a reply, Vicky Heller North Oaks and Cedar-Riverside (a stone's throw away from the site in 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 ___ 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] I'll pay $20 for the land..
I'll pay $20 per sq ft for the parcels. Craig Miller Ready willing and able to build housing on the river with no subsidy from the city [EMAIL PROTECTED] Vicki I am willing to partner with you to offer $10.00 per square foot for the same land. Perhaps we could start the MPLS List Development and Trust Company, LLC. If this is indeed not a subsidy then our offer should be accepted. You know Vicki we could build Affordable mixed use on the site, Condo everything for home ownership and individual business ownership, and still do all right, buying the land that cheap. You know Vicki you are fighting unfairly. Like Foghorn Leghorn says, You can argue with me but you can't argue with mathematics. Jim Graham, Ventura Village (and wondering why I don't ever get deals like that) - Original Message - From: Victoria Heller [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mpls Forum [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, October 05, 2002 9:32 AM Subject: [Mpls] Guthrie Land Sale: More fun with numbers. One acre of land contains 43,560 square feet. Last fall, Steve Cramer (then executive director of the MCDA) said that the land sale to the Guthrie involved no subsidies - it was a fair market value deal. 10 acres of the City's BEST RIVERFRONT LAND for $3 million. That was $6.79 per sq. ft. Now we ponder selling two parcels: Seven acres to the Guthrie for $4 million = $7.62 per square foot. Three acres to ? for $2.3 million = $5.68 per square foot. A Few Questions for Council Members (MCDA Commissioners): Minneapolis paid $50.00 per square foot for Target Store land. Why is Riverfront land so cheap? Why is there a discrepancy between the two prices: $7.62 vs. $5.68? The parcels are adjacent. How much did the City pay to acquire the land, and how long have we been holding it (off the tax rolls?) In other words, what was our COST - so we can calculate our LOSS. Lots of investors would LOVE to buy riverfront land at those prices: Where do we submit our bids? How will you choose the WINNERS? Eagerly awaiting a reply, Vicky Heller North Oaks and Cedar-Riverside (a stone's throw away from the site in 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 ___ 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] Gasthof Update
Tent opens at 5:00PM No cover free parking Dress Warm including gloves and hats. Mpls Issues has reserved two tables with Mylar Balloons, Blue and Green I believe. Craig Miller [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
Re: [Mpls] issues gathering UPDATE
Yes, Friday night at Gasthof Zur Germutlichkeit 2300 University Ave NE In the tent. Dress warm 6:00PM til whenever Look for the balloons If it gets too cold or noisy,we can go to the Ratzkeller. Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] Former Fultonite - Original Message - From: j c harmon [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2002 6:36 PM Subject: [Mpls] issues gathering Is the gathering at 6pm tomorrow? How would a person know where the issues folks will be? Indoors or out? Huutsfutsen! Jill Harmon Cleveland _ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.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] Directions to List Get Together Parking and Links
Gasthof Zur Germuchliceit 2300 University Ave NE -Coming up I-35? Cross the River and Take the University/4th Street Exit Take left on 4th street, go until you cross Central Ave/MN Highway 65 one more Block and you come to 1st Ave NE take a left, get to right lane, next right is University Ave You now have 22 blocks to go. It's on your left. Check out the cool churches you drive by. OR Go all the way up I-35 to Broadway St. Exit Head left or West when you get off the exit. Go many blocks West. Wave high to MPS District admin building. until you get to University, take a right. Gasthof will be on your left. I-94? Head North/West on I-94, do not take 394 exit. Take Broadway Exit. Come to stop light. Take left and get over to right lane. Take right turn onto Broadway Take Broadway over the river, the gothic castle you see is the old brewery Take left at University, there is a McDonalds on the corner. Just a few blocks on the left. There is a huge white tent in the lot. You can't miss it. PARKING There is a large lot on sight. There is ample parking on University, 23rd,24th Ave NE and all the rest of the streets. University Parking is prohibited before 6PM. All parking is free and very safe. Northsiders alert! Lowry Ave Bridge was closed today. Take Broadway or Camden Bridge. If they are taking out the humming metal of that bridgeI PROTEST For those who like nice maps and instructions. http://maps.yahoo.com enter the address 2300 University Ave NE Minneapolis MN you don't need the zip Craig Miller [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
Re: [Mpls] Library and glass
Lets see if I have this right. The library would connect Nicollet and Hennepin under one roof. Bully! It reminds me of the real old pictures you can see when Nicollet and Hennepin came together at Really Old City Hall. 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
[Mpls] It's official Brookfield stiffed us.
The deal is done. Brookfield stiffed us. Are there any deals in the works with city tax money that does not have a lock on the family jewels for collateral? What fall 2002 deal is going to haunt us years from now because we failed to do our job as a lender? 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
Re: [Mpls] Which Way for Central Avenue?
- Original Message - From: B. Shoe [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Which Way for Central Avenue? The Holland neighborhood's meeting on the Cub proposal two weeks ago attracted over 100 neighborhood attendees. A straw poll conducted at the end of the meeting resulted in well over 90% of the attendees indicating that they do not want a Cub Foods at this location on Central AT ALL. However, project proponents, including some city officials, appear to be trying to portray the growing opposition to this proposal as merely some concerns regarding traffic congestion and noise which can be mitigated by tweaking the design of the store. Bruce Shoemaker Holland Neighborhood CM Bruce is right. Central is making the long awaited comeback. Look to what KMART did for Nicollet. Cub can achieve that and more for Central. Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] Former Fultonite ___ 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] List Get together Correction
List Get together correction: Friday October 4th, 6:00PM until When ever. In the tent. Dress warm. Proving that spell check does not equal proofreading. Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] Former Fultonite ___ 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] List Get Together - Maybe E-BlockHead will cut us a deal
I am in favor of the Hard Rock. It costed us a lot. It also costed, in part, the employment of SSB/Cherryhomes. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Victoria Heller [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mpls Forum [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2002 8:10 AM Subject: [Mpls] List Get Together - Maybe E-BlockHead will cut us a deal How about the Hard Rock? McLaffurty should be accommodating. If we show our property tax statements, we eat and drink for free. Renters pay double (as always.) Vicky Heller North Oaks -- -- ___ 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] (no subject)
Unless I am overruled by the list master, the die has been set. In honor of the longest traveling guest of our list, Pamela Taylor THE SOME WHAT QUARTERLY MPLS LIST GET TOGETHER is reconvening at Gasthof Zur Germutlichkeit 2300 University Avenue In Beautiful North East Minneapolis Friday October 4th 6:00PM-? They are in the middle and will be celebrating Octoberfest They have a big tent outside. This solves the smoke/no-smoke issue. Smoke if you have em, outside with the breeze. DRESS WARM. Bring gloves. I've been there during O'fest before. It's fun. The polka band plays from 6-9PM then moves downstairs to Mario's Ratskeller. Let's take in some Minnesota culture, sample some old world suds, and see if the hunters moon will pay us a visit. And see if those southsiders will dun to travel to parts unknown. Craig Miller Kid Camden [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
[Mpls] List Get Together
Hello Everyone; It's been awhile since the last listmember get together. How about one in honor of our farthest traveling member, Pamela Taylor? Craig Miller [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
Re: [Mpls] talking trash
Intelligent insight. Hope opinion making like this doesn't get very far in the genetic pool of the Mpls/DFL/Activist species. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Robert Schmid [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: j c harmon [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: Mpls Forum [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, September 22, 2002 10:56 PM Subject: 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. ___ 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] Mpls loses W. Broadway case...Duhh!
This case is quintessential in describing what most business operators hate about Mpls. 1. If this doesn't define highhandedness, unabashed naked abuse of power. Chose your clever phrase. 2. One party rule, boss of the council. 3. If the lawyers at city hall were any good they would work for Fagre and Benson. If they had any class they would have refused to argue the case. They would have resigned. They could have sued the city for forced misrepresentation. 4. Anyone who takes the city's side on this one does not have the sense god gave a doughnut. Jackie Cherryhomes was out to destroy a business and it's human being owner. She didn't care how much she abused her office, the constitution, the taxpayers purse. None of that mattered. And she held what most considered the most important job in town. Thank the heavens for Natalie Johnson-Lee. 5. If the barriers are still up at noon today, the city needs to lose 10 million. Thank someone for paying the lawyers who won this case, and the one for American Iron. The city has lost it's willpower to do good. Doing wrong pays more. 6. The sad thing about all of this is this: Before 12:00 noon today it will have happened again to another small business owner who doesn't have the muscle to fight back. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] Street barricades unfairly harmed business; Supreme Court rejects city's appeal; Cherryhomes pushed through the policy over staff objections; damages may be in hundreds of thousands of dollars... http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3319702.html 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 ___ 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] Boulevard development loses committee vote
List; Thanks to Listmember S. Brandt for writing the story. Thanks to David to linking the strib story. The housing development in question was to receive 542K for 15 units. Equals $36,130 per unit subsidy. Not the cost, but grab bag money. The project is being subsidized in other fashions. Housing tax credits are as good as cash if not better. Sometimes they get you investors with limited knowledge of real estate, thus minimum interference for the managing entity. Deferred loans are great also. It allows you to pile up net revenue with out paying debt. Picture not having to pay your house loan for a couple of years. You could do something stupid and spend the cash, or you can stick it in the bank at a fixed rate for the pre-determined time. You make serious interest money on the taxpayers dime. 'other assistance from the MCDA'. I wonder what that amounts to. $36,130 plus X is what the subsidy amounts to. Is there county,MHFA (State) or other agencies involved. Not a bad deal when you start adding it all up. 3 cheers for the three who said no. One hiss for the private sector landlord who said yes. I also hope that the private sector developer who pursued this passes the word to the rest of their sistren and brethren. Mpls isn't such a cheap/easy date anymore. Craig Miller Man with a conscious who could never start a non-profit. [EMAIL PROTECTED] Former Fultonite - Original Message - From: List Manager [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mpls list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, September 20, 2002 5:42 AM Subject: [Mpls] Boulevard development loses committee vote The southwest Minneapolis project has been seen as a way to increase affordable housing in a less-affordable part of the city, but a city council committee decided a subsidy was too rich on a 3-2 vote. The developer said the subsidy - $542,000 for 15 subsidized units - was in the middle range of city proposals. Robert Lilligren and Dean Zimmermann voted yes; Paul Ostrow, Lisa Goodman, Scott Benson voted no. http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3243590.html 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 ___ 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] RT Ask for Biernat's resignation
CM: I have to echo what Terrel is saying. To the average partially engaged or un-engaged citizen, the Biernat scandal is just a horrible stain on my hometown. No amount of reform talk/action is going to matter. It's like a drunk holding a beer and saying I can change, I swear it. No matter how much we pretend to clean up our act, it doesn't matter until the 20 ton elephant is removed. It reminds me of all the Nixon apologists. No matter how much they talked about the foreign policy successes or how he funded and expanded the Great Society programs, we kept coming back to the BUT: What about Watergate. I haven't checked the City Charter lately. If the council has the authority to expel one of their own, and fail to do in this situation, well shame on all of us. Craig Miller [EMAIL PROTECTED] Former Fultonite and moving back when the last rat is in college. If Mayor Rybak wants to rebuild trust in City Hall, he should start by demanding the resignation of Councilmember Joe Biernat. The other members of the city council should do the same thing, they certainly shouldn't allow him to remain as chair of the committee which supervises the function that the indictment (and the confession we read about in the papers) involves. I think the technical term is: Throw the bum out. Maybe then we can start building some trust in City Hall. Until then it is a cruel joke. Terrell Brown Loring Park terrell at terrellbrown dot org __ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC Yahoo! http://sbc.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
Re: [Mpls] Schools from the Outside Looking In
What David fails to face up to is what Michael first pointed out. The gloom and doom of IGH is producing better educated kids then the lab experiment know as MPS.Those test scores don't lie. MPS is not keeping up, period. People read those scores and make decisions. Intelligent people are supposed to get the best information possible and make educated decisions based on them. The MPS Teachers Union was the leading opponent of such testing, scoring and publishing. The last thing they wanted was to have their students and results compared to others. Or to have parents and voters figure how much(little) they were getting for the dollars that were being spent. The MPS-Ed Minnesota(and predecessors)-School Boards, Admins fought tooth and nail throughout the Carlson years to prevent testing, scoring and publishing the results. The Educational-Industrial-Complex of Metro based Teachers fought a 1812 style fighting retreat to Moscow. They reargaurded every step of the way. The problem was there was no Borodino or Moscow waiting for the those in favor of testing, scoring, and publishing in a meaningful way. Carlson and those in favor of providing more information to the consumer won. Now the results are in. And it makes the city schools look like a wreck. Huge portions of the city school kids are being left behind by those who swear to help them the most. For those of you who didn't get the historical comparisons of the last two paragraphs, that's too bad. Fault your schoolboard, admin, teachers. The reformers are being called names, accused of wife beating, or generally sexist. Cassandra never had it this bad. (For those of you who do not know who Cassandra was, that's too bad) I guess another large portion of MPS's kids will have to be sacrificed to please all who make a living off the kids. Another generation of kids futures jeopardized because their educators,officials,civic leaders were mad at white suburban people who tend to vote republican. Earlier this month we debated what would make the Harrison neighborhood a better place for mortgage qualified homeowners and builders? Well take a look at the info provided by Michael, and get to work. Oh and by the way. Don't do the typical thing like banning Edina Realty from publishing those nasty little facts. Or leaning on the MLS. Craig Miller Former Fultonite Who exercised school choice by moving. [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: David Brauer [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Michael Atherton [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2002 9:11 AM Subject: Re: [Mpls] Schools from the Outside Looking In Michael writes: Below are links that home buyers are given when doing a real estate search in the Metro aera. Edina http://cobrands.eneighborhoods.com/neighborhoodgifs/824613309001.gif Inver Grove Heights http://cobrands.eneighborhoods.com/neighborhoodgifs/824613917001.gif Minneapolis http://cobrands.eneighborhoods.com/neighborhoodgifs/824613721001.gif Where would you move your family? Where would your property taxes, your volunteer efforts, and energies go? This is the kind of choice that my family will face in four years. Michael, I'm glad you included Inver Grove Heights here. My brother-in-law is a fifth grade teacher in that system; he and my sister moved out recently for many reasons: rampant development had turned their dead-end street into a highway, meanwhile a REAL highway was built two houses away. Airport noise is increasing, etc. The problem with the suburbs is that they can change out from under you. But perhaps the most damaging thing was the school system. IGH is a classic case of Myron Orfield's warning about the perilous inner-ring suburb: the population of poor kids is exploding, and the aging population of IGH - a tax-base-poor locality - has repeatedly rejected school funding referenda until one finally passed on the third or fouth try this year. More than most places, funding have not kept up with the challenges from a changing student body. I'm sure my brother-in-law would have fled IGH schools long ago, but can't for several reasons: 1. His union seniority (he's in his 50s) won't transfer to another public district) 2. Private schools don't pay enough and 3. The kids in IGH really do need him. But I would say anyone who picks IGH over Minneapolis based on a website like this would do a better job of vetting statistics. David Brauer King Field ___ 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
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. The police have no time to pursue these matters. Shots fired or other violent episodes take hours to respond. Mpls spends money on other things besides quick response. The citizens/voters/elected officials like it like that. Besides, if we did arrest all the bad guys, where would we put them? The citizens of Mpls, Henn Cty, State of MN like it the way it is. It's cheaper housing criminals in Phillips, Whittier, Jordan or wherever. By housing them in those neighborhoods, the taxpayer doesn't directly foot the bill. More of the incarceration cost is subsidized by the aforementioned people in those neighborhoods. Really folks, special thanks ought to go around to all those who vote year after year to house criminals in private housing. It saves us so much money in taxes. So what if someone's neighborhood goes down the drain. King George the III got in trouble for housing his army in private homes. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that Red Coats behaved better then your average 21 Century crack dealer. 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? Slighly overweight married whiteboy who epitomizes busy middle class. We lived in lesser house but a better neighborhood ( if house values define) then Pam. We got the same level of law enforcement service. I don't blame the cops. I blame the county and state for not locking up bad guys. I blame the various levels of government for condoning, encouraging, or subsidizing the break up crucial building blocks such as families.There are so many people who need blame before the cops. Kind of like being a landlord. It's to easy of a target but still the wrong target. BTW Looks like the Blame the Landlord method is going to be applied as a final conclusion on the 26th Ave N Meelee. If in doubt yell the butler did it! It gets you to the next round of the game, when this round has lost it's flavor. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ Minneapolis Issues
[Mpls] City Budget
Vicky Heller's post got me to the city website then the budget. Go to the city sight click budget, it'll get you to lots of PDF docs. Boring accounting stuff. But it's what you need to know. There seems to be a gap between 2001 Revenues 493,866,000 and Expenditures 542,690,000 That's a gap of over 49 Million. Where is it being carried on the books? How did the city get borrowing authority that 50 states and no other municipal government enjoys? Can some one from city hall clear the soup here? Or are we running an annual deficit like Uncle Sam? The other item I noticed in Vicky's post. The amount of debt service. She correctly points out that it went up almost 40% in one year!! What's the forecast amount in the out years. Over a third of our rev is paying interest. What if 1/3 of your income was paying credit cards? I know my life is not the city, but GD! what's going on here? 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
[Mpls] The Rake
List; Does the 'Rake' have a websight? Thanks in advance Craig Miller Former Fultoninte [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
Re: [Mpls] Latest on Brandon Hall murder
Seems like the County Atty had plenty of time,reason, and ample evidence to put the shooter for other heinous acts, but didn't. It looks like 1030 Morgan( 10 affordable homes) was sacrificed so that we could avoid dealing with a murderer. For those of you new to the list. 1030 Morgan Ave N. is where Ms. Hughes was murdered. Jackie Cherryhomes and friends blamed the building. The building was given a death sentence. The good/bad residents living there were made homeless by city action. Now a young man with promising potential has been shot dead. Fighting crime isn't like it used to be. I wonder if a bar or parking lot has to be condemned now? Or is our society going to punish people when they need punishment? Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: List Manager [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Mpls list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 6:10 AM Subject: [Mpls] Latest on Brandon Hall murder http://www.startribune.com/stories/512/3208795.html 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 ___ 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] Yes, we are living in the same City. Just each looking at it thru the colored and distorted glasses of RACE
We are way off topic here. Let's stick to Mpls issues. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] With respect to Jim's opinion and his advice, to Brandon, I think perhaps he not fully understand the problem that he delineates. wrt issue 1, whether White people were part of the group that enslaved Blacks or not, they do enjoy certain privileges, freedoms and advantages by virtue of the fact of skin color. Freedom from certain levels of oppression and harassment being among the top as well as access to resources and information. wrt issue 2, I would ask Jim why it is Black people's responsibility to elect a non-White mayor? By segmenting it out and asking Does W. Brandon feel the rest of Minneapolis should elect a Black Mayor just to prove it is a liberal city? places the needs of the Black Community into a different area than all of the rest of the residents. The fact that it took as long to elect a non-White mayor speaks directly to the lack of diversity and indirectly/directly to the consciousness of the city. Were they even willing to consider a non-White mayor, and why or why not? If the city is truly a liberal city, then color of a candidate would not even be an issue, but it's a pretty strong indication how liberal (or lack thereof) the city is when it has never had proportional representation. wrt issue 4 I'm still trying to ascertain why the size of the minority population is the reason for lack of minority representation. The implication is that the only way that people of color get elected is if there is a larger population of color, which actually makes Brandon's point that the city is not liberal. If the only people voting for persons of color, then the implication is that the city is far more racist than Brandon asserted. Is this what Jim is saying? I'm not even going to touch how Jim was able to work in a plug about supportive housing, but he does get to a good point of the issue of institutional racism, just a wrong example. Irish and Scotts and even Chinese came as Indentured Servants, not Slaves. It is not the same, and to equate the experience creates perceptual differentiation that is incorrect. If all these groups came over as Slaves, why are only Blacks in the situation they are in? The next answer is of course the stereotypical laziness, criminal behavior, etc. Nor were poor Whites ever treated the same as Blacks in this country. To even raise these thoughts disregards the experience, oppression and inequality of Blacks historically and currently. I would reiterate some of the texts that Brandon referenced if one thinks that things weren't so bad, aren't now or ever were equal. American Slavery is the first time that one race was enslaved by another, it was different and worse than any other form that existed, and the effects still exist today, that is what institutional racism really is. Check out Howard Zinn's People's History, and James Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me, Cornell West's Race Matters and many other's I'd be happy to recommend if you email me off list. But the problem has never been as simple as more minorities, and it has not been an equal experience. Jonathan Palmer Victory (A conscientious Scots-Irish African American, who's ancestors owned his other ancestors and who cannot trace his African American roots too far because of the systematic destruction of that group, but who is proud of all his heritages nonetheless) ___ 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] Section 8 mention in Mckinsey
Messer's Hohman started and Lohman commented about the Section 8 housing program. Affordable housing should represent a component of virtually every commercial development effort in the City where public funds are committed. snip With regard to Section 8, I wish that someone would take on this issue. A greater and greater number of landlords opt out it. There should be an effort to find ways to make Section 8 more appealing by providing incentives and support to landlords who accept it. And nothing of what I just said says that landlords should have to tolerate bad tenants. What are the kinks in Section 8 that can be worked out? Who's the expert on this? This is not a Minneapolis specific issue, but a very large portion of Minneapolis rental housing is involved with the section 8 program. What would make Section 8 more appealing? Section 8 has made some worthy improvements in the past 4-5 years. Still not enough. Less paperwork as always. I know it sounds like a throwaway line, but it's the most common response from landlords who get fed up and quit. Inspection of unit should be done before agreements are made with Section 8. Currently you show, screen, agree, in writing, to rent with someone who likes the apartment. Not so fast. Section 8 does an inspection and can order $thousands of dollars of work. Guess what? You have to do it. Doesn't matter if the apartment is more then reasonably ready. Doesn't matter if your annual inspection was passed two days ago. You have to do the work. Period. Secton 8 rental contract is still onerous and one sided. It takes away landlord options to deal with rule and lease violators. Don't listen when an advocate tells you you can use your own lease if you want. It's BS. Email me off line, I'll make an appointment with you and show you a blank Section 8 lease or HAP Contract. Section 8 and accompaning fed-state-local-non-profit agencies to make you keep bad tenants. They do this by deciding what a bad tenant is, and backing it up with taxpayer financed legal dollars. The experts are the landlords. Listen to them, incorporate their concerns. I'll repeat as I started. It's much better now then in the past. Oh, and BTW. More landlords are particapating then one year ago (fact). That's because the vacancy rate has gone back up the affordable housing crisis is over(opinion). Craig Miller Northside Landlord Currently providing over 13% of my space to Section 8 tenants. [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
Re: [Mpls] Bob Fine Editorial - The Park Board's numbers are fishy
I took a little time to confirm what Vicky posted. She's dead on in all of her facts. List Members; It's time to start scrutinizing every little thing the park board does. It troubles me that they could mishandle such a large amount. What about the minor and mid size expenditures? The board is about to make a very unwise purchase. 1-2 million in poor decisions could keep the parks open for kids in Jordan or any other neighborhood for longer hours. We could hire that many coaches for basketball and little league. Kids could be playing all day seven days a week. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you drive by the proposed new digs at 2117 West River Road N, you will see a two story industrial building in a sad state of repair. Next door is Broadway Pizza, 2025 West River Road N. On the other side are two buildings: Doyle Lock at 2201 and Star Press at 2225. I looked up the 2002 property tax valuations and tax bills for these 4 properties. Here they are: 2117 (Moore Business Forms - New Digs) Valuation: $2,360,000 Property Taxes: $98,823 2025 (Broadway Pizza) Valuation: $743,000 Property Taxes: $30,045 2201 (Doyle) Valuation: $605,000 Property Taxes: $24,175 2225 (Star Press) Valuation: $532,000 Property Taxes: $21,070. Brian Rice said that the appraised value of 2117 is $3.3 to $3.4 million. Hm.must have used the City Center appraiser. Having been in the real estate business for over 30 years, I can assure Mr. Rice and the Park Board that no one in their right mind would pay $3 million for that property at this point in time. Commercial property values are dropping like a rock. Mr. Rice also said that he believes the City assessor carries a value on it of $3.2 million. Wrong Mr. Rice: It's $2.3 million - and falling. As a comparison, I looked at a nice office building on the edge of the loop - 825 S 8th Street. This property has two towers, one with 5 stories and one with 12 stories. It sold last year (in the midst of the real estate frenzy) for $3.06 million. It took me about 10 minutes to do my little exercise in due diligence. If the Park Board thinks it's getting a good deal - we've got a serious competence problem. On the other hand, I've got about 4 acres of incredible land on the West Bank - with breathtaking views of Downtown Minneapolis. I'd be delighted to sell it to the Park Board - for say $10 million! Let's make a deal: That way, Moore Business Forms and I can laugh all the way to the bank together. One more note: Renting office space is smart during times of declining market values. Buying office space is smart at the bottom of a cycle - not at the top. Vicky Heller Cedar-Riverside (Work) North Oaks (Home) ___ 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] More on Adopt-a-Litter Container
HereHere!! I am still the poster child for this program. If you already have a commercial dumpster, this is a no brainer. If your a landlord, your already being blamed for the problem. Get a can, empty it yourself and save your self a bunch of pain. Craig Miller 44th Ave North Garbage King [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Mark Snyder [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Minneapolis Issues Forum [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2002 11:36 PM Subject: [Mpls] More on Adopt-a-Litter Container Hi all, Some of you may remember from a few weeks back when I touted the innovative Adopt-a-Litter Container program run by the Minneapolis Division of Solid Waste and Recycling as a way to help with litter downtown and elsewhere in our city. At the time, I'd just submitted my application and I've now had my very own container for a little over a week. I'm pleased to say that it's getting used extensively! I find far less trash in my yard/boulevard and the storm sewer out front nowadays and I'm betting it will really pay off next spring when I don't have to pick up mounds of garbage that were usually unveiled when the snow would melt. It's been gratifying to learn that folks will do the right thing if given the opportunity. So if you're a Minneapolis resident or business owner located in a high-traffic area like a bus line or something, I strongly encourage you to take part in this program. You can learn more and download an application at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/citywork/public-works/solid-waste/ My one suggestion for improvement would be to make this program more visible. On the City of Minneapolis web site, I think it's worthy of getting listed under A in the main services directory to make it easier for people to find. If appliance disposal qualifies, I think Adopt-a-Litter container ought to as well. It also might not be a bad idea to do an insert in a future water/garbage billing or advertise the program in community newspapers like Hennepin County Environmental Services has done with their waste reduction efforts. To reach businesses, perhaps Solid Waste and Recycling could partner with Licenses and Consumer Services to spread the word if that's not already being done. Mark Snyder Windom Park (59A) [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
[Mpls] How many city employees are there?
I know this has been covered before, but here goes. How many in each branch of the city. City this would include MCDA and MPHA folks who get paid by the city. Library Schools Parks 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
[Mpls] Repeating History
This is deja vu all over again. We have a cop get murdered. One half the city is justifying, minimizing, victimfying and the other half is putting up for sale signs. It took a long time for the last middle class flight to be rectified. Let's not repeat it. Craig Miller Former Fultonite [EMAIL PROTECTED] David Wilson wrote: Assuming that woman who shot the cop is mentally ill... And if the woman was not mentally ill? The family member who called the police to alert them said that 'her mother was drunk and she had a gun' according to the Strib. I do not think that negates Natalie Johnson Lee's point that she was someone's mother, someone's child, a member of the community and regardless of the horrible circumstances of her death, she will be mourned by her family and friends. Further, while she apparently was the killer of a police officer, she was not always a killer. If we are toting up pluses and minuses, every life has value. The woman probably was not always 'a bad guy' even though she did a hideous thing (allegedly, of course). In the midst of death, we are here to affirm life. WizardMarks, 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 ___ 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] Memorium For Melissa Schmidt
I suggest that this list observe 24 hours of silence. In memoriam of Officer Melissa Schmidt. Starting today at 7:40PM. Craig Miller [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
[Mpls] Mpls License Board
Mr. Cox's e-paper states that the Mpls License Board ( the one that holds license power over plumbers, electricians etc.) is going out of business. Question for the list. Is this true? Will it take only the state issued license to do work in the city? Or will it still require something from Mpls City Hall? Is there a city hall person who could fill us in? Sounds to good to be true. If it is true, get ready to have all of your repair/installation bills to come down in price. This is a good first step in removing some of the frustration that one feels when trying to get things done in the city. This would be a big step for Minneapolis. 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
[Mpls] (no subject)
Finance and Commerce also has another article about how much more affordable housing is in the Twin Cities Visa/Vi the rest of the country. The affordable housing crisis is over. It's time to spend our precious resources on other truly needy issues. Crime, ESL, labor training, etc. The link is at www.finance-commerce.com/recent_articles/020777a.htm or www.finance-commerce.com look for the article link at the bottom, Housing. Craig Miller Former Fultonite Affordable Housing Provider [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
