On 2/6/04 1:58 AM, "Dyna Sluyter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Here is where you join the chorus in blaming the victim. First, > painting the trim will do nothing to chase criminals away. Second, any > investment in this dying neighborhood is likely to be lost- if my home > will be worthless in a few years anyway, it makes no economic sense to > spend thousands to paint it to city specification. BTW, the city owns > the land on two sides of me and has yet to offer any assistance in > forming a block club, etc.. Yet the same city is quite willing to > imprison disabled citizens because they cannot paint trim twenty feet > up. The city of Minneapolis has thusly become the problem rather than > the solution. Does "the city" help anyone form block clubs? I thought neighborhood groups did that. I know Hawthorne Area Community Council certainly promoted block clubs back when I used to work for them. Give them a call at (612) 529-6033 and I'm sure they'd be happy to help connect you with other interested neighbors. As for the peeling paint, my experience with city inspectors is that they'll work with you if you show some actual inclination to get the work done. One of my fraternity's houses was cited late last year for peeling paint, but it was too late in the season for us to arrange for painting. So we were given until late this spring to get it done. And we will. City inspections only gets nasty on folks who refuse to take responsibility for the property they own. The argument about what makes economic sense and what doesn't is completely irrelevant. The ordinance is the same whether you live in Hawthorne or Longfellow and if it were enforced differently, that's what would make the city "the problem rather than the solution." If you aren't willing to maintain your property, sell it now and move someplace where you won't be responsible for that. I hear the vacancy rates on apartments are pretty high right now, so you might find a good deal. After all, you're gonna lose any investment you have in your house anyway, right? So why not cut out and run now rather than go down with the sinking ship? Mark Snyder Windom Park REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
