>From a budgetary perspective, Minneapolis can't take care of the basic financial business on it's table. In Minneapolis, we are trying to deal with approximately $200 million in accrued, deficit city expenses plus current fixed debt; this is above and beyond current and growing annual operating expenses and new capital projects-- like downtown and neighborhood development, schools, libraries, parks, lakes.... There is a shortage of affordable housing, a lack of basic preventive medicine for uninsured city residents, the streets are in terrible shape, yada, yada, yada. Given this fiscal predicament, I believe it is not the responsibility of Minneapolis property taxpayers to cover the medical-related expenses associated with city employees' seeking 'transitioning gender' medical care. City property-tax payers, city voters, city elected officials and those seeking city election must identify priority city issues that are affordable, given the limits placed upon city revenue sources. I'm sure current and prospective elected officials won't have much to offer on this issue-- which is too bad. We are in difficult financial times in Minneapolis, although most city residents don't yet have a clue. We hear arguments on this list and elsewhere regarding what makes this City great, identifying are our weaknesses, and offering suggestions on how to improve the collective situation; and, we hear the positions of those making the effort to run for public office, screening with all the self-proclaimed mini-groups representing this or that cause. It's time to identify affordable city priorities and responsibilities that property taxpayers can effectively and realistically afford. Federal, state and county responsibilities are another matter. Michael Hohmann 13th Ward > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of > David Strand > Sent: Monday, March 05, 2001 6:24 PM > To: issues minneapolis > Subject: [Mpls] Health care for municipal employees transitioning > genders > > > Recently San Francisco, CA expanded health care > coverage for city employees to cover expenses related > to transitioning gender. Does Minneapolis' health > care package for employees already cover such > expenses? > > Minneapolis was the first city in the U.S. to provide > protection from discrimination on the basis of gender > identity/expression in 1974. Minnesota became the > first state to do so in 1993. This provision is > included under the definitions of sexual > orientation/preference in the statutes. > > As a historic leader on issues of bias against > transgendered persons, it seems Minneapolis would > understand the special needs of transexuals and others > need for gender identity related medical care. Does > anyone know the city's policy on this issue? > > David Strand > Loring Park > Ward 7 > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. > http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ > _______________________________________________ > Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy > Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: > http://e-democracy.org/mpls _______________________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
