Craig
Nice piece, and well said by the Strib. Thank you
for sharing this with us.
Chuck Dillerud
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, May 14, 2006 6:30 AM
Subject: [Winona] Craig Brooks sent you
an article from startribune.com
[Winona Online Democracy]
This article from StarTribune.com has been sent to
you by Craig Brooks.
*Please note, the sender's identity has not
been verified.
The full article, with any associated images
and links can be viewed here.
Craig Brooks wrote these comments: I just
wanted to share this story about how small local government can still
create positive things for citizens even in this curent top => down
big government environment we seem to be in. I hope it shows that local
citizen involvement in our democratic processes is still viable and
worthwhile. Craig Brooks
|
Editorial: Learning anew that
government is 'us'
,
This is no fish story: It took a
Governor's Fishing Opener six years ago to convince the community of
Crane Lake that it needed more government.
When then-Gov. Jesse
Ventura was considering Crane Lake, on the Canadian border east of
International Falls, as the venue for the annual launch of the state's
summer fishing season, event organizers made the customary request for a
$5,000 contribution from the host city.
Trouble was, there was no
host city. Crane Lake, a settlement since frontier days, had never
established a local government.
Area tourism business owners
promoting Crane Lake's bid for the annual event sought the requisite
funds from the only local government they had, St. Louis County. But the
DFLers on the county board weren't interested in ponying up so that an
Independence Party governor could have a photo op with a walleye. They
declined.
Irritated, the Crane Lake business folk went home,
raised the money privately, snared the 2000 Opener -- and started some
serious conversations about their community's future.
They could
contend for a new visitor center for Voyageur's National Park. They
could negotiate land exchanges with the adjacent land owners -- county,
state and federal governments -- to allow for more private investment.
They could give residents the means to decide how to provide things like
sewers, Internet and cell phone service, and recreational trails. They
could grow, and control the growth, so they did not become "another
Ely." They could -- if they had a local government.
"For any
government agency to work with you, you needed to be organized," said
Bill Congdon, whose Voyagaire resort was a co-host when Ventura came to
fish at Crane Lake.
Butch Eggen headed the steering committee
that developed a community action plan in 2001, with funding and staff
help from the U.S. Forest Service. "It drew our community together to
talk about these things," he said.
The plan chose six priority
projects for community betterment. Forming a local government was first
up. By an overwhelming majority vote, Crane Lake became a township in
2002.
Since then, a new sewer system has been built and
high-speed Internet has come to town. Property values have risen. Cell
phone service is only a month away. Discussions are in progress for a
four-season trail system and a new community center, which require land
acquisition.
Taxes went up, too -- by a modest $20 a year on a
$100,000 homesteaded property. "I'd tell people, isn't $20 a year worth
a good experiment in civics?" Eggen said.
Along the way, Crane
Lake residents began to think differently about the whole notion of
government. Eggen explained, "We used to think that government was
something that came from Washington to St. Paul to Duluth to us.
Government was out there, coming at us.
"But that's not how this
country was founded. It started at the local level and went the other
way. It still should."
When Crane Lakers began considering their
community's needs and dreams for the future, they discovered the
continuing relevance of an old Minnesota idea: Government is "us." It is
the means by which a locale -- or a state -- controls its own destiny.
It can build the shared assets that in turn allow private assets to
grow.
Crane Lake may be a small place at the end of the road. But
in its aspirations and its understanding about coming together to
achieve them, it's not so far from the rest of Minnesota. It may even
have something to teach the rest of
Minnesota.
|
_______________________________________________
This message was
posted to Winona Online Democracy
All messages must be signed by the
senders actual name.
No commercial solicitations are allowed on this
list.
To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please
visit
http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona
Any problems or
suggestions can be directed to
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
If you
want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page
at
http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
|
