Gary Hoover asks, > I notice no discussion of the Ward 13 City council race. snip > Are there no issues worthy of discussion in Ward 13? snip > Are both candidates equally acceptable to the voters of Ward 13? snip > Perhaps -- like Rybak and McLaughlin -- the Ward 13 race is > really about DFL insider politics? snip
[MH] I guess discussions are taking place in coffee shops and at the door when candidates come calling with their literature. However, more often than not the literature is being direct mailed in this high-bucks race. I found property taxes to be the top issues on people's minds as I went door-to-door before the primary. And I think the city budget will increasingly be on people's minds as the general election approaches-- what with higher interest rates and more expensive motor fuels continually reminding folks that the cost of living is going up, up, up. I predict that choices for Mayor and City Council in the 13th, while limited to heavily labor endorsed DFL candidates, will be influenced primarily by budgeting and spending priorities advanced by the candidates. Are voters and taxpayers going to be willing to pay the higher taxes associated with some campaign promises or will they demand that politicians hold the line on property taxes and limit spending? Are the Mayoral and CC candidates (and MPRB, MPL Board and BET candidates as well) going to commit to using and following a multi-year planning and budgeting process that establishes longer-term goals and objectives consistent with capital and operating budgets that are matched to realistic property tax revenue streams that increase slower than in recent years; where the tax levy and annual property tax revenues increase at a rate more in line with general inflation (not triple the rate of inflation, or more)? Or, will we regress back to a deficit-laden, credit card-spending mentality in order to provide all the varied special interests with the jobs, wage and benefit increases, and programmatic spending they expect as payback for their support during the political campaigns? How much of which services do we want, or more importantly, how much do we NEED? What are our spending priorities and how much are we willing to pay? People of modest means and those on fixed incomes are concerned with making ends meet. They fear being forced out of the homes they've lived in for decades, the homes they've raised families in, because they can no longer afford the property taxes. People all over the city share these same concerns-- renters and homeowners alike. The increased cost of energy, post Katrina/Rita, will add millions of dollars in unexpected costs to City budgets over the next year-- and thereafter, as energy production lags demand. How much more money is expected to be spent on energy by the city (and Park/Library, etc.) over the next year, as compared with the average annual energy expenditure over the past several years? Where will these extra funds come from, this year and in the future? Fleet fuels, space conditioning (heating/ cooling), and conventional electric costs will continue to escalate at rates above that of general inflation indefinitely, just like health care and pension costs. Are candidates factoring in the increased cost of energy when they discuss their policies and plans? Tens of millions of dollars will be needed annually just to cover old pension costs in Minneapolis, even after we refinance them. The annual capital costs associated with the new downtown library will be going from $3 million to $12 million over the next few years, and continue at that level for a couple of decades or more. The NRP program is going broke; what is the appropriate model for assuring citizen participation as we move ahead in Minneapolis? What are we willing to pay each year for citizen participation, and what can we get for those dollars? What is really NEEDED and where does the money come from? What are the candidates promising and how will they pay for it? The crime issue has been largely politicized in an election year-- what changes are NEEDED (not WANTED), and what will they cost each year? School budgets will be pressed with added energy costs-- for heating and bus transportation. Where will the School Board get the money? What are our priorities and how will we pay for them? As fed/state costs are continually pushed down... the buck stops here... with property taxes-- the taxes that run city and county government, our schools and parks and libraries; the taxes that pay for the BASICS. The taxes we all pay as homeowners and renters. There is no free lunch and voters should pay attention to what candidates are saying, or too often, not saying. Candidates need to be put on the spot as to what they plan to do and how they plan to pay for it. Voters and taxpayers must remind the politicians what we NEED... not what we, or they, want. Not all inclusive by a long shot, but you get the idea! Mike Hohmann Linden Hills > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Behalf Of Gary Hoover > Sent: Monday, October 03, 2005 8:27 AM > To: List Manager; mpls@mnforum.org > Subject: Re: [Mpls] Council races - who, and why? > > > I notice no discussion of the Ward 13 City council race. > > Why is that? There are list participants in Ward 13? > > Is silence golden? > snip > Gary Hoover > snip REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 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