I am posting for the first time on this list. My name is Scott Smedberg and I live in Whittier.
I am dismayed by the level of financial involvement by both government and private business in the 35W Access Project process, all to hoodwink us into road building. At Phelps Park on Thursday a Republican invokes this "project"as a Wellstone kind of a project, a Public Relations law firm is paid to convince us that we want what they are paid to sell us and a small business owner waves a list of 38 small Hispanic business owners who support the project. Speaking to this business owner after the meeting, I had a chance to look at her "petition". It said "Sabri Properties" on the top and there was no statement, just a hand-numbered list of signatures. The only thing it tells us is how many Hipanic tenants Sabri has who will sign a piece of paper when pressured by their landlord or his representative.
This process is not for the benefit of the community. People are being pressured and influence is being pedaled. I have spoken with dozens of small businesses on Lake Street that do not even know of this "Pack" process, including many Sabri tenants. We have a Lake Street that is revitalizing and I spend a lot of time there. Bus ridership is skyrocketing, new businesses open weekly, and just when success is being achieved Allina and Wells Fargo hire someone to sell us an access myth.
Now that Robert Lillegren has so bravely spoken, let us continue to build what we need: Light Rail, the Midtown Greenway, small scale infill along Lake Street, and most importantly, the vibrant urban community that will never be built by a Public Relations Law Firm.
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