Andy Driscoll writes of the Guthrie: Ann Berget stirs memories of some grand old big G days while making perhaps the most salient point on the projected parking ramp, a structure that almost never strikes at the cultural heartstrings. ...
Rapson's design was indeed a marvel. ... But it does strike me that there is more than mere edifice here, one the Walker apparently finds useless in its quest to sever its west arm. There is the occasional 1960's structure that deserves retention. Not all vestiges in the otherwise drab post-modern utilitarian period lack serious architectural value. And, like Ann, I am at a loss to see the value of a ramp whose potential customers will be going elsewhere in any event. ... The Walker is wonderful, but its audiences limited. Where is the demand? Surely, the vicinity offers parking opportunities while the reuse of the Guthrie can accomplish several ends, including artistic and presentation ones. [TB] I like preserving the uniqueness of our neighborhoods. In this case, living across Loring Park from the Walker/Guthrie, it’s only a few minutes walk away. I also like that Walker Art Center is expanding. The plans that I have seen create a wonderful arts space. The original Rapson design of the Guthrie disappeared with a previous remodeling. The thrust stage is recreated at Guthrie on the River. We do have a history of preserving theatre in Minneapolis. The State and Orpheum have been successfully restored. Restoration of the Pantages is beginning and The Shubert, well something may happen to The Shubert someday. The Guthrie suffers from being in an area that hosts a different kind of art. It hosted a major art gallery before The Guthrie arrived and will host gallery and exhibit space after The Guthrie leaves. Mark Snyder writes of Jesse, RT, Sharon and our schools: While I agree with Neal Simon's position regarding SSB, I shudder at the comparison of RT with Ventura. Ventura may be the most popular governor in recent memory, but his effectiveness is not so concrete. He certainly doesn't seem to be a friend of Minneapolis. ... Just this year, Ventura rammed through property tax "reform" that further guts K-12 school funding, ... While the Legislature must share some blame, so must Ventura. … ... ... I'd like to know how Council candidates feel the consequences of Ventura's "reform" should be handled. I'd also like to know where school board candidates feel cuts to K-12 funding should be targeted in light of the hit imposed by this great "reform". [TB] Mark mischaracterizes the effect of the school financing changes made by the last session of the legislature. There is not one school district in the state that gets less money per student because of the reforms. Our schools receive state funding based on a series of rather complex formulas that start with a basic amount per student and then have a number of add-ons. The whole thing is explained in a hundred plus page document that is out on the state’s web site. Add-ons include such things as for kids receiving free and reduced price lunches (the 2 highest schools in the state on this piece are in Minneapolis (Barton?) and the White Earth Reservation), population sparsity (for bus transportation), etc. Some add-ons favor some districts, some others and the legislature is constantly tinkering with them for a whole bunch of reasons. Prior to this years reforms each school district in the state would levy a specified rate and the state would then provide the difference between the formula amount (above) and what the property tax levy raised. After the reform, the state pays the whole thing. >From a school standpoint, the dispute is not in the source of the money, but how much the formula should provide. Most schools wanted more of an increase than they got. Our state constitution says that schools/education are state responsibilities, the state should be providing the money. One of our major problems is that people in many parts of the state want to ship any thing they don’t want to deal with (i.e. poverty, special education) to Minneapolis (and St. Paul) and then come back and say “that’s Minneapolis’ problem, let them pay for it. That the Minneapolis schools need more money (I think, albeit I haven’t studied where they spend their money) is not because of the property tax reforms, its because the Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature set the funding formula at an amount that doesn’t provide the money. We in Minneapolis suffer because many rural legislators campaign on claims that Minneapolis gets to much money for our schools. They ignore that we get an extremely high percentage of the students where English is a second language and other things that require expensive programs. When it comes to funding our schools there is a horrible anti-urban bias among both rural DFL and Republican members of the legislature. David Brauer points out a quote in the Strib story on money in the race to be mayor: Steven Schier, chairman of the Political Science Department at Carleton College, said he found Rybak's bottom line "quite odd." "Usually primary victories open purses, particularly because that was a striking victory against an incumbent," Schier said of Rybak's primary win. "What I think this suggests is that a lot of established political players in Minneapolis are trying to rescue the mayor financially." [TB] Established political players (also known as the Politics as Usual Crowd) don’t like change. They benefit from working the system. They know that at least 6 of 13 Councilmembers will be new and more change than that scares the heck out of them. We need change. Eight years as Mayor is enough for anyone. The Politics as Usual Crowd has used our tax dollars to buy Target Corporation one heck of a nice store downtown, Block E, all while letting our affordable housing supply go. With half the Council new and a new Mayor there will be much less of a need for anyone to protect their past record. It gives the City the opportunity to move forward with fresh ideas. The Mayor has raised and spent more money that she did 4 years ago (I don’t understand why she wouldn’t release the whole report choosing to mail it in just before the deadline … it should be one interesting contributor list when it arrives at the Government Center today), her opponent has raised much less than the Barbara Carlson campaign did 4 years ago. It should be one interesting election night. Terrell Brown Loring Park [EMAIL PROTECTED] Do You Yahoo!? Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
