Minneapolis (and Minnesota for that matter) have had a
reputation for being innovative and forward thinking
in public policy, the question is whether this
"tradition" of innovation can be revived.
I've been surprised by some of things the local media
or members of this list thought to be noteworthy.
Some predicted that the number of gay candidates here
would put the city in a national if not international
spotlight. Not likely. Now that the mayors of Paris,
France, Berlin, Germany, and our neighbor to the
north, Winnepeg, Manitoba, all have openly gay mayors,
a handful of gay city councilors is hardly
international news.
On a national level, even the gay press has completely
overlooked the Minneapolis races to larger contigents
of gay, lesbian, & transgendered people elected in
Georgia(particularly Atlanta), domestic partnership
benefits being offered by the Salvation Army and
Proctor & Gamble, and antigay referenda going down in
4 out of 5 cities around the country.
The Washington Blade (a politically significant gay
periodical out of the nation's capitol) did report
rankings of states that are the best places for gay
people to live based on the laws and public policies
of those states. I think many Minnesotans would be
surprised at being placed at 13th in this regard.
The media and many on this list scoffed at the idea of
a Municipal Utility District(city electrical utility)
as passed in San Francisco and enhanced in Seattle and
other cities around the country. Those cities on the
west coast that do not have city utilities are
scrambling to get them in place following the energy
"shortage" in California last year that had a heavy
economic cost to cities such as San Diego which do not
have a public utility and are at the mercy of Pacific
Gas and Electric's bad gambles.
We just had a school board election in Minneapolis
where more than 25% of parents of school age children
were unable to vote since, unlike other major metro
areas, we do not allow resident alien voting in school
board elections.
San Francisco joined a number of smaller communities
when it passed a $100 million dollar bond initiative
that will outfit public buildings with solar panels
and place wind turbines at some keypoints around the
city.
I guess I am feeling that Minneapolis has been resting
on it's laurels for awhile in the innovation area.
Several of Minneapolis' innovations have been maturing
and taking alot of deserved community energy and focus
to be preserved, for example-the Neighborhood
Revitalization Program.
I hope that with all the new energy in our city
government that there is more openness to return the
city to a place that leads rather than follows in
areas of public policy related to diversity and human
rights, the environment, economic development,
cultural development, etc.
Thanks, David Strand
Loring Park
Ward 7
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Find the one for you at Yahoo! Personals
http://personals.yahoo.com
_______________________________________
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
