I think we have to be careful in characterizing suburbs as
being less concerned with social programs and affordable
housing as a whole. That's kind of like saying that
minority people commit more crimes per capita. Perhaps each
is statistically true, but that leads us down the slippery
slope of discriminating against people based on a
characteristic - skin color or geography. I think it is
much better to try and embrace each other's thinking and
understand the underlying issues better. O.k., enough
preaching from me. ;-)
One of those arguments in this
"neighborhood-association-stakeholding-through-money"
concept I'm interested in has to do with progressive and
regressive taxation and dues. It seems many times like we
paint with too broad a brush. We discount the suburban
association with dues point blank because it is that
slippery slope that leads to buying in of the franchise as
Fred said or as David put it:
"The biggest problem - based on my personal philosophy - is
that dues are
often levied as a flat tax. ($20 to join, for example.)
That's regressive -
it hurts people more who have less ability to pay."
Yet part of what those dues pay for in my association is the
maintenance of the sidewalks. In Minneapolis, maintenance
of the sidewalks is paid for by homeowner and is not based
ability to pay or shared by the entire neighborhood. I know
many in my former neighborhood who didn't have the ability
to pay, but had to. This seems way more regressive to me
than spreading the cost throughout the entire neighborhood -
even if it is on a flat basis.
But be that as it may, why couldn't the taxing structure be
organized so that it was clear what went to neighborhood
investment, much like school funding. I'm sure I'll be in
trouble for saying that and I know there is a move to
simplify funding through the state, but that movement really
distances people from their individual stakeholding. I
don't have the answer, just looking for thoughts. What do
people think?
Russ Peterson
St. Michael
former Standishite
_______________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy
Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more:
http://e-democracy.org/mpls
