I want to state clearly for the record that I am not now nor ever have been a member of Minnikahda Club. My sister is a member. I went to dancing school there. I took golf lessons there from Sam Swayzee. I attended the weddings of two of my nieces there.I did a two and 1/3 forward flip off the high board as a youngster landing on my face while I was trying to impress a blond haired teeth braced girl named Sandy Gerrish. I was always a guest. I might have been a member but my father was blackballed when he applied for membership by someone my mother had taken down a notch or two for attacking my father on an issue of worker's rights. I was priveleged. I've since lost my silver spoon. This is a private club that for all these years has received preferential treatment because its members controlled the purse and puppet strings at city hall whether through outright connivance, campaign gifts, or the mistaken Horatio Alger myth that has been the tool of propagandists for the wealthier classes well into the 20th century before things began to loosen up in the last half of this century. And they could stand to loosen a lot more before we can relax. This is not about "class warfare". This is about social justice. We have a mayor who keeps telling us she is not raising taxes yet city assessors cull the tax rolls yearly and raise property values which result in higher property taxes. And Minnikahda is valued at $450,000? And pays $22,000 and change in taxes? And we see figures like the ones CM Lane shared with us a week and a half ago? I agree with Adam Steinberg about setting a goal of lower property taxes in general but he is way off base on the idea of "class warfare". This is not about envy. This is about responsible leadership, this is about a corrupt society, this is about the rich getting richer on the backs of those less well off financially. it does not need be endemic to capitalism, we have let it get to this point because like our President we all want to believe in the idea of HOPE, the hope that we can dig ourselves out of this hole, that we too can succeed and become rich. The Bible mentions Faith, Hope and Charity. Charity meaning love. Unfortunately we didn't elect a President who held Love above Hope for as the Bible says "it is the greatest of the three". This brings to mind the discussion thread concerning city council members and the ideas of amending the City Charter to include at-large members, changing the number of members, etc. Bunk! What we need are good elected officials. I find it inconceivable that there are not 14 people we cannot elect to run this city well. Add another 25 or so for independent boards for a total of 40. All you lovers out there, start stepping up to the plate. Tim Connolly Ward 7 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/
