St. Paul E-Democracy Links http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/links.html _________________________________________ --- Erik Hare <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
"I was afraid we'd hit this point one day, and we have. Public money is up for grabs to the best connected, and departments like Public Works or the Libraries have to be ready to seriously tighten their belts." This raises a good point. Just who are the people who've gotten government loans to fund their businesses in the past? Does anyone know if a list of recipients (and the individuals behind the organizations actually receiving the funds) is available and how to access it? Funny, when a question about failure to repay such a loan by a city council candidate was raised earlier, merely asking the question was roundly condemned here as being an illegitimate attack. Now, we have Erik ranting about improper political influence in the context of the Ruminator loan proposal. Does the Ruminator really have political influence? Its owner seems to have convinced his councilperson to go to bat for him. Is that improper influence? >From what we're hearing, this whole issue may be moot (thank God). The loan prequest is being withdrawn and a private investor has stepped up to the plate. Erik also mentioned The Liffey loan. I'm certainly not defending it but I believe the city believed they needed a pub in the hotel to make the hotel work and they approached Kieran's to do that. It wasn't a case of The Liffey requesting a loan as a bailout. It was the price of their opening something that the city desperately wanted. Charlie Swope Ramsey Hill _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ _____________________________________________ For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract
