It's been really interesting reading this debate on labor. I have views, but I don't need to offer them now. However, one thing: "labor" has for many, many decades refered to ORGANIZED labor. Labor is a noun and verb with generic meanings, but in POLITICS, no one has run as a "labor candidate" who didn't have the support of organized workers. So, it is semantic hanky-panky to use it in the generic sense. None of these parties is that stupid and sheltered. They KNOW what they are trying to project. And Republicans are against EVERYTHING that labor in its traditional political sense has always meant. They have worked since the '30s to undermine it.
As to Janet Jones, the poor victim of the accident at 38th and Nicollet, I took the liberty of contacting the Traffic Division and spoke to its commander, Greg Reinhard. It was a most enlightening chat. He said, yes, he knew the case, he knew it was investigated, he knew it was not a hit and run but a case where the driver called 911. And there was a ticket issued. He said there were about 15,000 accidents in Minneapolis annually. He said about half were investigated and written up by the traffic division. He said there were 20 fatalities, and everyone of them gets investigated. He said fender-benders were handled by giving the motorist a package to allow them to submit a highway report. He said his division is stretched very thin which affects its ability to do effective enforcement. But he said if he gets the extra 12 officers, he hopes to work on the worst offenses that occur, but that doesnt mean people won't run red lights and such. He said the police force walks a thin line between enforcement and becoming the heavy hand of government. He doesnt want to become the latter and perceived by citizens as a problem. I pointed out that people say that drivers make turns with less caution than is advisable. He didnt deny that but said a certain percentage of fatalities occur because pedestrians fail to use caution in how they cross streets. I come (a long time ago) from Oregon where I always saw both pedestrians and drivers use a lot more circumspection than they do here. And I told Lt. Reinhard that I find driving a little scary with people crossing thru traffic wherever it suits them. At night, I've had people just appear out of nowhere in my headlights, so I know there are people dying because of lack of patience. As I say, it was a most enlightening chat, and the lieutenant strikes me as a very moderate and sensible individual. He said that often the evidence just isn't good enough to make any charge at all, and I believe that. You could see a traffic infraction, but how often could you prove that your judgment was right? Eyewitness accounts aren't enough to convict (Thank God, considering the tendency of eyewitnesses to be wrong). Sad that Ms. Jones had to die, but it is relief that that only happens 20 times a year. I'm sure its worse elsewhere. -------------- Jim Mork--Cooper "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be call the Children of God." Matt 5:9 http://www.unitedforpeace.org Get your free Web-based E-mail at http://www.startribune.com/stribmail _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
