Dennis writes: "While Mayor Kelly has to convince people to win support, I guess the city council just buys it." Correction: When Mayor Kelly wants support, it seems he skips the City Council and the people entirely, and just goes straight to the Legislature to bully our *elected* St. Paul delegation and threaten the rest of St. Paul's bonding project for the Mayor's one pet project (the Holman Field floodwall). Hardly a model of democratic and ethical standards. Erin Stojan Dayton's Bluff
Mike Fratto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I was wondering when someone would post on this subject. My question is why is this issue fodder for the Pioneer Press to look into at this time? the issue has been around since its inception. With all the comments about the Mayor and his relationship with the Council members and his desire to use these funds for the flood wall, could it be that Toni Coleman did the story as a result of the Mayors interest in using the money? I don't want to sound cynical of our press but this paper has become a conservative paper, even to the point where columnists are writing editorials disguised as columns. Mike Fratto Payne Phalen >>> "Dennis Tester" 03/22/2005 1:48:40 PM >>> LOL Oh yes, our city council is so ethical. Council cash called slush fund STAR component is criticized, but members say neighborhoods benefit BY TONI COLEMAN Pioneer Press In 1997, the St. Paul City Council took some leftover sales tax money from the city's STAR program and split it equally to distribute as each of the seven council members saw fit. The city calls it the Neighborhood Investment Initiative program; critics call it a slush fund. Up until the council created the program, anyone who had a brick-and-mortar improvement idea for St. Paul - from a playground to a neighborhood coffee shop - could apply to the city's STAR (Sales Tax Revitalization) program, which over the past decade has pumped more than $60 million into improvement projects throughout the city via a half-percent sales tax. Then, a citizens board would review the application and make a recommendation to the City Council. Now, groups have another option and a way to circumvent the elaborate, months-long review process, and that's raising concerns. To date, the council has designated more than $4 million for members to distribute to neighborhood groups, businesses and city departments that can skip the regular vetting process. There is no set annual amount for council members, and the allocations almost always in the form of grants have varied widely year to year. link: http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/11188365.htm While Mayor Kelly has to convince people to win support, I guess the city council just buys it. Dennis Tester Mac-Groveland ----- Original Message ----- From: "CRISTY DELACRUZ" To: Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 12:43 PM Subject: [StPaul] Thank you for standing up > > Council Member Helgen, > > Thank you (and others) for standing up against blatant abuses of power by > Mayor Kelly. It is high time the citizens had a leader who they can trust > and will represent them in the most honest and ethical manner. I > appreciate what you and others have done to make the process of > policy-making more transparent and less about Kelly's bullying of council > members and their constituents. > > Cristy > > P.S. I think it was well worth it to have worked on your campaign! Keep up > the good work. > > * * * * * * * * * * * > Cristy A. De La Cruz > Highland Park > > > ------------------------------------------------- > JOIN the St. Paul Issues Forum TODAY: > http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ > ------------------------------------------------- > POST MESSAGES HERE: [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/ > > > -- > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.7.3 - Release Date: 3/15/2005 > > ------------------------------------------------- JOIN the St. Paul Issues Forum TODAY: http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ ------------------------------------------------- POST MESSAGES HERE: [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/ ------------------------------------------------- JOIN the St. Paul Issues Forum TODAY: http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ ------------------------------------------------- POST MESSAGES HERE: [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/ ------------------------------------------ Erin Stojan Dayton's Bluff, Ward 7 --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! ------------------------------------------------- JOIN the St. Paul Issues Forum TODAY: http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/ ------------------------------------------------- POST MESSAGES HERE: [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/
