I would agree with Cristy on all accounts, and I would add that we need to get government out of the corporate board rooms altogether. Corporations need to live and die by their own swords without the government intervening to rescue them from their own wrong-minded policies. A Free Market system is one that lives and dies by its own decisions, nothing dies anymore, because govenment resusitates it without thinking if it really is the best thing to do. It is interesting to me that several elected officials regardless of what side of the aisle they hail from, are so involved in corporate interests and yet decry any type of social programs for those citizens that are trying to lift themselves out of poverty. Does this make sense? What is more costly, supporting corporations that send jobs out of this country, or supporting citizens temporarily to get them headed in the right direction. I am certain there are statistics on both situations, perhaps the Humphrey Institute should do some research that would extrapolate that information for us all.
I guess when your bottom line is greed, this works for you, very profitably I might add. Elected officials continue to take perks and payoffs from wealthy corporations that expect to buy their vote on whatever issue they hold dear. The reason the citizen does not get the same respect? There is no way that a citizen in poverty, nor even the citizen in the middle class can leverage the payola necessary to have their representative vote for their rights and needs. There is certainly no way we can rely on bought and paid for legislators to protect our rights to clean water, clean air, clean politics and an educational, transportation and infrastructure that works for us, when they are too busy building the next professional sports facility on the backs of all of us. Let's not forget how many elected officials at the city and state level voted "yes" on making the ethanol plant on West Seventh street a reality and scourge for the neighborhood and surrounding city. Lord knows what we were all breathing in as a result of that. I think elected officials need to get back to the bread and butter of what the State Constitution charges them to do. We need to organize as citizens and start un-electing those that do nothing to serve us as citizens and are just another tentacle of the chamber. Pamela J. Ellison Como Park Saint Paul ----- Original Message ----- From: "CRISTY DELACRUZ" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 1:38 PM Subject: [StPaul] On protecting natural environments > David Shove gives us an excellent example of why we need our elected > officials to look beyond the "classical" bottom line in terms of economic > development in our metro area. In fact, we all need to be concerned with how > our short term goals impact longer term issues. By using a sustainability > model rather than measuring return on investment in a short-term, quarterly > or even annual framework, we endanger our natural resources on a global > scale. > > In Saint Paul, we have been looking at cuts to our Parks & Rec programs, > some of which were restored by thoughtful city council members looking at > the natural resources that make our city so beautiful and livable. > > Randy Kelly looks at what is politically expedient (not unlike "Bush Boy" > his predecessor, now an embarrassment to the entire state for his > persecution of Kofi Annan, but I digress). Randy's "Street Beat" meetings > are a way of pretending to care about what voters think, while he's been > ignoring our voices adamantly in favor of his "pro-development" Chamber of > Commerce friends. > > Bread & circuses, I think they called this in ancient Greece, birthplace of > democracy. If you will not give the voters what they want, then at least put > on a good show, yes? To this end, Bob Fletcher's vampire face appeared on my > t.v. screen this morning to warn us of the unexpected public safety cuts... > yes, Saint Paul will feel the pinch of having less Homeland Security > funding. > > This misses the wider point, that our long term security as individuals, as > communities and as true patriots is to protect our planet from self-imposed > terrorism of pollution, environmental degradation and other forms of > internal "rot." MY version of Homeland Security is knowing the water I drink > is clean, with or without my having to buy a water filter; knowing the > runoff from my lawn is not choking out the aquatic life of the Mississippi; > and knowing that our city (and the earth) will be a livable place for our > young people. > > Traditional bottom-line economic developers needs to evaluate whether the > long-term effects will be sustainable. Businesses, having to make a profit > and not having to (yet) account for their deleterious effects on our cities > and local environments, do not have incentives to do this alone. By electing > thoughtful and future-oriented public servants (mayors, city councillors, > etc.) we all gain without making our kids pay for their parents' gluttony of > natural resources. > > Cheers, > > Cristy A. De La Cruz > Highland Park resident > No longer affiliated with any political party > > > _____________________________________________ > To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ____________________________________________ > 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/ > _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________ 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/
