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DFLers Karen Clark, Neva Walker, Keith Ellison, Margaret Kelliher, Biernat and others support state bonding funds for anti-gay organization
Rhodes; Walker; Clark; Anderson, J.; Anderson, B.; Soderstrom; Ellison; Kelliher; Jaros; Seagren; Sykora; Mariani; Biernat; Mahoney; Nornes; Penas and Abrams introduced:
H. F. 2553, A bill for an act relating to capital improvements; authorizing the issuance of state bonds; appropriating money for the Colin Powell Youth Center in Hennepin County; providing for construction of the Colin Powell Youth Center.
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Jobs and Economic Development Finance.
Thanks to house minority leader Rep. Matt Entenza for NOT cosponsoring this bill.
EY: I encourage people to contact their legislators and tell them to vote NO on HF 2553.
The Colin Powell Youth Center will be run by Urban Ventures - a group with an anti-gay history. Urban Ventures is unpopular among many residents in the area UV operates - the Central and Phillips neighborhoods in Minneapolis. In fact many in the area refer to them as "Urban Vultures."
When Central Neighborhood resident, Walt Gutzmer was the designated "Gay Representative" on an NRP committee in the Central Neighborhood, Urban Ventures sent out the meeting notes to committee members. Included in Gutzmer's board packets, was the copy of an article included in an Urban Ventures newsletter. This article called on gays to repent and to change to being straight. Other steering committee members did not get a copy of this article.
I'm curious whether the City or State would consider funding an organization that promotes a biblical view that says there can't be interracial marriage (kind of like Bob Jones University).
Urban Ventures also has a history of undermining Jewish parents. As Liz Greenbaum reports on the Minneapolis Issues list describing Jewish parents who sent their kids to Urban Ventures for soccer practice - responding to a flyer that was sent home with the Minneapolis Public Schools children:
When parents are signing their children up for classes - soccer, swimming, art classes, dance, music lessons - no one should have to "check out" an organization to see if they have a hidden agenda. They are exactly what is expected - soccer, swimming, art etc. and nothing more. If Urban Ventures were on the up and up about this, they wouldn't have taken the kids to the far corner of the field away from parents' ears to do this. They intentionally hid what they were doing, and believe me, had no intention of cluing the adults into their subversive agenda. If you want to know how it went I can get you in touch with the parent who experienced this - they tried to stop her from going over to see what her daughter was talking about. Personally, I find this extremely disturbing that a parent would be blamed for not checking it out thoroughly enough.
EY: From an Urban Ventures grant application to the Partner's In Possibilities fund:
"The goal of Leadership Development is to develop students who by
their senior year in high school are so committed to Jesus Christ that they can survive and thrive in any environment."
The area and children the Colin Powell Youth Center will serve come from diverse religious perspectives. Will Urban Ventures respect the Muslim, Jewish and other non-fundementalist Christian parents who send their kids to this program? Shouldn't Government programs that serve the area's youth have a history of respecting the religions of all the youth - and their parents?
A resolution opposing funding for the Colin Powell Youth Center passed at the Senate District 58 Republican convention (a convention in North Minneapolis). This passed even though people at the convention were fully aware this was part of Governor Pawlenty's bonding proposal.
Why doesn't the St Paul Delegation say they won't vote to fund the Colin Powell Youth Center boondoggle - and say they want to put the 4.2 million proposed for that project into the Planetarium - a project that will serve ALL children - not just those children who are being brought up by fundementalist Christian parents?
It's good that St Paul legislators publically opposed the Bachmann Holberg Anti-Gay Amendment. It's disturbing that they would support public bonding funds for an organization with Urban Ventures anti-gay history.
Contact your legislator - tell them you want to vote NO to state funding to an anti-gay organization which has a history of undermining parents who are not Christian fundementalists.
Jesse Ventura wisely vetoed funding for the Colin Powell Youth Center two years ago. This pork barrel boondoggle ought to get sent back to Gov Pawlenty without the votes and support of the St Paul Delegation.
According to the Star Tribune's article by W Harry Davis supporting the Colin Powell Center (notably Davis doesn't live in the area where the center will go) - 4.2 million is proposed for that center. This money would be better spent going towards the Planetarium in Minneapolis. This planetarium is something that benefits kids from all over the twin cities. It also generates interest in the sciences at a young age - something we need to encourage if Minnesota is going to remain economically competitive.
Eva Young Near North Minneapolis [EMAIL PROTECTED] Blog is up: http://lloydletta.blogspot.com
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