I have to politely disagree with Mr. Kelland on his point.
His presumption seems to be that because NRP folks are
volunteers in the neighborhood, they are above the kind of
thing that can happen with elected officials. This is pure
bunk as anybody with broad experience in human nature knows.
Voting is the right of accountability for each citizen. The
NRP system surpasses that right as it is currently set up by
setting up an additional layer of beauracracy that does not
go through our elected representatives accountability. I
would say that it is now easier for elected council members
to skirt responsibility than it was before - therefore
taking away accountability. And don't tell me that these
neighborhood groups are duly elected - they are not. Only a
few people ever really show up and support the system. It
is probably more an extension of the DFL caucuses than
anything else. And as we all know, many in the DFL are more
interested in keeping people out than keeping them in.
Look, I think grass roots participation is great. And I
think many of the NRP groups and individuals do great work.
I just don't understand why we have to create a huge
bureaucratic system to do good work. People should be
motivated of their own free will to do good things. The
government shouldn't have to setup a system for volunteerism
like this. I like a lot of NRP, but I also think at some
levels it is a welfare system for volunteers that creates
another huge layer of access denial to citizens without
direct voter accountability. It is something that should be
improved.
Russ Peterson
Saint Michael
Russell W. Peterson, RA, CID
Founder
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