"... Get up, stand up! Don't give up the fight! ..."
Jeanne,
Mark Yost is one of the top five of at least 17 reasons why we cancelled
our SPPP subscription a fortnight ago. What a dink-stained wretch he is.
And what a photo! pffft....
The Villager and Community Reporter rock! They may not be The Onion, but I
do like the Villager's abortion "discussion." How 'bout that Mischke
fellow (Letter to the Editor) and his view on reproduction?! Yowzers! I
hope he doesn't think I will rot in Shaggers' Hell, childless and alone
with my Meat & Two Veg stuck in an oven for eternity. Too bad people
weren't more like rabbits, who can terminate their own pregnancies and
reabsorb "the tissue" if they foresee hardship ahead. I bet you've never
met an at-risk bunny, eh? Rabbits have a God-given gift that humans, being
only 10,000 years old, have not yet developed. In St. Paul, anyway...
I was not aware of the latest STAR goings-on until yesterday's
McClurification. Interesting... (As for DeTester's comments, I was glad
Chris Coleman was ready, willing, and able to give his "slush fund" to
something he found to be important, valuable, and worthwhile. I'd prefer 7
Councillors to each dole out $100,000 than one mayor to dole $700,000.)
All those "large projects" Jane points out are certainly worthwhile, but
being a cake-and-eat-it-too kind of guy, I hope I will still be able to
apply for $5000 for the local park. (I did so unsuccessfully the other
week, but wished the minimum were lower - I only wanted a bit to get things
rolling. I was unsuccessful because I didn't read the Rules. Imagine
that. But never mind - there's always next year. Hopefully..)
Ten thousand dollars here and ten there can have a huge affect on the types
of things a lot of us are clamoring for - small businesses, grass-rootsy
events, park enhancements, plantings, better bus shelters, sidewalk
ashtrays, ventilation systems, etc. Maybe they can come up with some sexy
formula like (P1*T)+(P2*T)+...+(Pn*T) = T, where P equals Percentage and
ΣPi=100%, n=12, and T equals Total Money Available. Grant Amount
One=G1=P1*T, and would be $1000, G2= 2000, G3=5,000, G4=10,000, G5=20,000,
G6=50,000, G7=100,000, G8=200,000, G9=500,000, ..., G12=$5,000,000. You
will note this is log-rhythmic, something with which we Stillwater
lumberjacks are in-bred. It is left to the bean-counters to determine the
Pi's and T.
Anyway, I think the STAR program is fantastic. It may have it's faults,
but I am naive enough to be able to overlook those. It certainly is the
only way I can think of right now for any of us to be able to get something
done in our neighborhoods. I would love for Cafe' de Tava (which might
been your "Bar Iron Lung," Jeanne, you may recall) to "knock down that
wall!" and rebuild that little building like it was meant to be. If we
could see inside the cafe' again (and if diners inside could look out), it
would be "good for business." I'm surprised the Chamber isn't all over
that one. The Tava family probably doesn't even know what a STAR grant
is... (They're at Randolph and View, SW corner).
What was the question? Oh, the SPPP. I know I'm not the only one who has
cancelled. If I had a bird cage, I wouldn't line it with the SPPP, and I
feel sorry for the people who haven't quit working there yet. I do have to
admit I have my own little "gawker slowdowns" - if I see a copy I have to
stop and look at the carnage. How sick is that? Last Sunday's edition
featured by boss(es) in the Business section. The article is posted down
in our "Instrument Room" and everyone makes fun of the ironic and daft
error: "typography" instead of "topography." It's inattention to important
detail like this that annoys those of us in the trenches.
Take Matt Anfang's post at the beginning of March: he said something like
"other than that, I have not made any other errors." Well, I went on to
identify dozens of errors, mainly of the spelling, grammatical, and
punctuational varieties. This may seem petty to him and to you, but I
found it very funny and, simultaneously, extremely sad. Here is someone
who is in a decision-making position who does not care about the details,
which to me will translate in the streets to widths of sidewalks, colors of
bricks, species of plants, etc. What comes off of his fingertips and out
of his mouth obviously seems all well and fine to him, but to me it appears
to be garbled shite and a disgrace to the King's English and St. Paul's
school system. If you are too lazy to press the Shift key, you lose my
respect. If you don't care about the details, you will allow crap to be
built and will have no concern for historic structures. It's so annoying.
The Powers-That-Be give the go-aheads for big projects and it's always left
to the residents to fight like crazy to prevent the developments from
looking like they were built by amateurs. He's lucky that that post is in
my Draught folder, I tell you!
This all brings me to the Schmidt Brewery again, as well as piles of
(sham)rocks and cracked, dirt-filled WEBA pots (ever heard of the
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion, people?) on our sidewalks, but that will
have to wait...
A Hine
Thinking outside with mai bocks in W2-P6
Ortega For Mayor, Coleman For Governor, Homans For President, Beers For
Everyone
Andrew M. Hine
Corporate Research Materials Laboratory
3M Center 201-1W-28
St. Paul MN
55144-1000
USA
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tel: (651) 733-1070
Fax: (651) 737-5335
Lab 201-W110
Jeanne Weigum
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent by: To
[EMAIL PROTECTED] Mike Fratto
forum.org <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
[email protected]
cc
03/22/2005 07:05
PM Subject
Re: [StPaul] Thank you for standing
up
It is my understanding that the editorial writer, Mark Yost, has made
some really inflamatory comments to council members and staffers that
give the impression of "Gotcha" journalism. Anyone else heard about
this? Actually, just who is this guy and were did he come from? He
seems to be taking the 'angry man' approach, the 'everything others are
doing must be suspect' approach. I would love to get other people's
reaction. All-in-all he seems to be a negative on the PP, not a real
addition.
Jeanne Weigum, Dickerman Park supporter (Dickerman Park was awarded
$25,000 from these funds, as reported in the PP as a big PLUS last
Wednesday in their front page metro above the fold article about the
Dickerman family also contributing to the renovation of the park.)
Mike Fratto 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" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 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" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> 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/
--
Jeanne Weigum
651-646-3005
fax 651-646-0142
-------------------------------------------------
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/
