[Mpls] Neal St Anthony does Puff Piece on Colin Powell Center Boondoggle

[Eva Young]

This is following up on my post here yesterday (reprinted on Lloydletta):

http://lloydletta.blogspot.com/2005/06/colin-powell-in-town-to-raise-money.html

Neal St Anthony does a puff piece on the Colin Powell Youth Center:

http://www.startribune.com/dynamic/story.php?template=print_a&story=5443076

From the article:


Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Angus Wurtele, John Thompson, Bryson Holliman, Dick 
Pettingill and a couple of dozen other supporters and prospects met 
privately with Powell. They then joined Urban Ventures staff, volunteers 
and about 150 other business and community members for a rousing 
presentation in the intimate Urban Ventures auditorium.


John Turnipseed, once a south Minneapolis street criminal and derelict 
father, couldn't believe he was introducing one of America's best-known 
statesmen and most-admired leaders.


"I don't want my story replicated," said Turnipseed, who now counsels teens 
and dads on the virtues of education, work and generational accountability.


"I grew up in a family that created the Bloods street gang around here. We 
cost the state a lot of money," he said. "Now we're fixing men here."


Several teenagers and adults said the counseling, tutoring and support they 
received at Urban Ventures made the difference in helping them reject 
drugs, stay in school or reject criminal life and return to school.


This is something of an ecumenical-business effort that spans all faiths 
and reaches a variety of people ranging from Mexican to Somali.


Erickson, a former Methodist youth minister, has spent 38 years working and 
living in the Central neighborhood. Erickson, who is paid $55,000 annually 
to run an outfit with a $2.5 million budget, is assisted by a couple of 
retired business executives, Ralph Bruins and Ed Lucas, whose passion for 
making a buck was superseded years ago by a desire to work for a nonprofit 
that would target at-risk kids for graduation and success.


And Cristo Rey, a Jesuit-run high school, has inked a deal with Urban 
Ventures and several area businesses to open a school at the Powell Center 
in which neighborhood kids effectively will finance their four-days-a-week 
education with internships paid by participating companies.


Anthony ends with:

Hats off to the sharp investors in the Colin Powell Center. The return on 
this investment will be incalculable in saved lives and benefits to 
community and country.


Neal St. Anthony can be reached at 612-673-7144 or 
[EMAIL PROTECTED]


I called Neal St Anthony - and told him I thought the piece was really just 
a puff piece - and didn't address the issues of whether UV's program is 
really going to end up doing the good they claim.  I'm all in favor of 
having programs like this in the inner city, but I don't think UV is a good 
organization to run them.  Art Erickson, who is President of UV has a long 
history of anti-gay activity in the neighborhood.  City Pages covered some 
of this in 1996:


http://citypages.com/databank/17/833/article3085.asp


 While it is clear that Erickson and Bruins are adept fund-raisers, 
critics maintain that their roles as supposed leaders in the community is 
suspect. Although Erickson maintains he had a successful run at Park Avenue 
Methodist, others claim that his leadership style is contentious and 
precluded his working with other strong personalities. "We were never able 
to develop any leadership under him," says a Park Avenue parishioner. "Any 
strong leaders left as he demanded to hold the reins."


  A neighbor of the church, John Hustad, says that while he was 
not a congregant, he nonetheless butted heads with Erickson on a number of 
occasions. According to Hustad, the church held an annual festival called 
"Soulebration," and the ensuing crowds and noise wreaked havoc on the 
neighborhood. "City ordinances state that these kinds of events can't run 
more than three nights, but this event would run for seven. The noise was 
unbelievable, there was trash everywhere, and parking was a nightmare," he 
says. What was most galling, he contends, were the messages disseminated by 
festival speakers. "Some of them were extremely inflammatory. They were 
against certain minorities--specifically gays. I resented having religious 
messages beamed down my throat night after night," he says.


The Urban Ventures website is here:

http://www.urbanventures.org/

Colin Powell Center website is here:

http://www.colinpowellcenter.org/index2.html

Augsburg, Bethel, Dunwoody, Northwestern and the University of Minnesota 
are listed as partners for the Colin Powell Center on the Colin Powell 
site.  I have not verified that information with these higher ed 
institutions yet.  In the past, UV and Colin Powell Center have claimed 
partnerships that have not existed.  One example is when they claimed a 
partnership with the Minneapolis Park Board that turned out to be greatly 
overstated.


After I broke this story on the Minneapolis Issues

[Mpls] Photo Cop/ Photo Op/ RT "cited" on West Bro

[PennBroKeith]

The Northside welcomed Hissoner today at West Bro and Lyndale. The Press, and 
a friendly phalanx of Mpls. Finest in-blue, were in view on the corners of 
Lyndale N. and West Bro. Beaming for the camera; RT, I am sure, was extolling 
the promise of the Brave New World of Photo Cop. I look forward to the 10 PM 
news for the sound bite. Personally, I am optimistic toward any and all added 
public "eyes on the street". I do wish we could garner much more of RT's eyes 
and 
ears; actions and presence, along our Main-Street, West Broadway. For 
instance, Mike Christenson could come down and meet the commoner people, such 
as 
myself; rather then offering us a prescriptive, trickle down, and absentee 
effort 
from on high, as is apparent here at ground level, so far.  

Keith Reitman  NearNorth
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Re: [Mpls] Re: Lagoon Project (Uptown)/Hiawatha

[Dorie Rae Gallagher]

Nokomis?  I don't understand why you object to my support for the
project.  Apparently, welcoming a project like this in one's own
neighborhood two blocks from one's own house is NIMBY and is not
equivalent in legitimacy to opinions from the other side of the
city.
David Greene


I don't object to your support for the project...I just added my own two 
cents
worth of nonsupport because this is not going to be an Uptown exclusive nor 
would I assume

that we limit list commentaries to boundaries of said project.

When Hiawatha is developed, there will be many disagreements that will come 
forth and height
will be one of them. Our Consensus Plan states 3-4 stories around 46th & 
Hiawatha with 3 going
to the north to 42nd. I believe we all must have been on fifties cold 
medicinals to have thought
that a reality. Twelve thousand more residents will be coming into the area; 
hopefully, with only one rented

car that needs to be returned.

Yup, Nokomis, but I spent many a day and many a dollar in the Uptown area... 
but the bandaids called one ways, parking and store closures.. made me 
realize a point of no return.. So the best road in Nokomis... is over the 
bridge, through the woods and across the river we go.. Highland..where all 
the buildings are low!   So that's just my two cents worth  again :+}


Dorie Rae Gallagher/Nokomis



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[Mpls] Taking the "recreation" out...

[RyanTCurry]

I don't think the proposed stadium on Nicollet Island should move forward at 
all without an overwhelming public expression of support.  But, should it move 
forward, Liz W's point stands regardless of whether or not the plot of land in 
question was, is, or ever will be generating revenue.  I took her thoughtful 
post to be of the opinion that if this moves forward De La Salle should pay the 
going rate because of all the significant MPRB costs (legal, potential 
restrictive covenant repayment, etc.) detailed throughout her diligent posts, 
and because the financial woes of the MPRB dictate that they seek fair 
compensation.  I know MPRB generates revenue where they can, but if you look at 
all the many bite size "plots" of MPRB land throughout the City, I think a very 
tiny percentage generate any revenue at all.  Certainly the rest (maybe a 
"supermajority" of plots is the right term here) should not be given to a 
private entity for less than the going rate based on that status.  

Ryan Curry
NIEBNA Resident

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[Mpls] RE: Mpls Digest, Vol 18, Issue 12

[Angela Dawson]

For Immediate Release

Contact:Media
Contact:
Margaret Lund   Angela Dawson
Executive Director  Communications
Director
[EMAIL PROTECTED]   [EMAIL PROTECTED]

612-331-9103612-331-9103


Nicollet Cooperative Association Announces Affordable Homeownership
Opportunity!

Minneapolis, MN (June 7, 2005) - Nicollet Cooperative
Association (NCA), a two-year old limited equity cooperative located at
4429 Nicollet Avenue South, announces one- and three-bedroom apartment
homes available for ownership.  NCA, one of few limited equity
cooperatives in Minneapolis, provides affordable homeownership to
families, with an emphasis on the importance of community building. NCA
was originally developed by Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund, a
Minneapolis-based cooperative developer, technical assistance provider,
and lender. 

Limited equity homeownership is particularly valuable in today's
real estate market. Between 1994 and 2002, the average home value in
Southwest Minneapolis-where the Cooperative is located-jumped 210%, from
$128,723 to $271,354.  High home prices exclude many families from the
real estate market, depriving them of the single best way for Americans
to build wealth--home ownership.  NCA provides a limited-equity
structure which allows for below-market equity growth for the first five
years of ownership.  Once a resident has lived in the cooperative for at
least five years, the resident can resell their share in the
Cooperative, which is attached to the value of their unit, at whatever
price the market will bear.

Living in a cooperative removes much of the risk from
homeownership.  Each member household pays a single monthly charge which
includes their mortgage payment and all costs of living in the
cooperative, except for phone, cable and internet service.  That means
that the Cooperative sets aside a portion of these monthly charges in an
operating reserve account, which protects members from unanticipated
costs such as higher-than-average taxes, utilities, insurance, or
repairs. Cooperative homeownership offers residents all the benefits of
homeownership, such as homestead tax treatment and a mortgage interest
tax deduction.

Residents realize one very important benefit from living in the
Cooperative that they wouldn't see by living in a conventional
single-family home or condominium: that benefit is community.
Cooperative members work together on everything from building
improvements to yard landscaping. 

NCA currently has one- and three-bedroom units available.  All
units are carpeted and include refrigerators, ranges, range hoods and
air.  Other amenities include free onsite laundry facilities, free
off-street parking, a community meeting room and outdoor gathering
space.  Units range in size from 761 to 1,092 square feet.  As with any
homeownership opportunity, residents have the freedom to decorate their
units.  For more information, please contact Eileen Shore, Realtor at
612-202-1297.

###
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[Mpls] Public pensions...

[George Janssen]

   The current issue of BusinessWeek has the cover story "Sinkhole: How Public  
Pension Promises Are Draining State and City Budgets." Although  this problem 
has been discussed on this list along with the links to  SOUTHWEST JOURNAL and 
STAR TRIBUNE stories, interesting that the problem is  now becoming national 
news. Here are the "hard choices" summary at the end of  the article. Where is 
Minneapolis leaning?

Bill Dooley
Kenny
 
 In answer to your question Mr. Dooley, "where is Minneapolis leaning", 
relative to public pension financing, it is leaning toward ever higher taxes 
for the already over taxed Minneapolis property owner.

The effort is once again before the city council, which just months ago 
voted it down, to extend the funding date of the Minneapolis Police Relief 
Association (MPRA) from the year 2010 to 2020.  The "compromise" which Mayor 
Ryback, through his finance director Pat Born, accepted not only extends the 
amortization date to 2020 but gives a full additional pension unit to each 
retiree and widow.  This action alone will cost the taxpayers 10's of millions 
over the next 15 years.  This time around, the city council will, most likely, 
vote for the bill as it now has the mayors endorsement. If not, Rep. Phyliss 
Kahn is standing in the wings with an identical bill at the state which would 
require NO local approval.  This effectively removes the city council, as the 
direct representative of the Minneapolis taxpayer,  from any vote or discussion 
of the matter.  These are very powerful interests pushing this bill.  Why?  
Once again, follow the money.

Many of the same politicians, who stood idly by, when the fund was 
criminally looted in 1998 with no investigation as to circumstances, no grand 
jury impaneled to determine who was responsible and no attempt made to 
determine the MPRA board of directors responsibility, their legal councils 
responsibility, or their advisors responsibility in this loss of nearly $10 
million of member/taxpayer money.  These same politicians and many of their 
recently elected fellow politicians, are willing to take the chance that the 
same thing will not happen again.  At the same time, many of the fund 
directors, managers, office staff and legal council are still in place and in a 
position to "mismanage" funds again.

Of course, if the funds resources would be moved to the state for 
administration and the funds board of directors allowed to wither and die, 
these same politicians would not continue to enjoy the dollars which would be 
lavished on them in extending this fund an additional 10 years.  The 
Minneapolis taxpayer might realize some tax relief but when did a Minneapolis 
politician worry about the taxpayer over his or her own reelection funding?  

It is well beyond the time MPRA should have joined the overwhelming number 
of fire/police funds administered by the state of Minnesota.  The cities whose 
fire & police funds chose to assimilate into the state fund many years ago, do 
not have any where near the pension problem as Minneapolis.  Their members 
also, over all, enjoy pensions larger than their counterparts in Minneapolis 
MPRA.

George Janssen
Longfellow

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[Mpls] Reminder - Tomorrow, Zimmermann @ Maria's re: 311

[Collins, Natalie M]

Council Member Zimmermann will meet constituents in the back room at Maria's 
Café tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.  Stop by for coffee, conversation, and 
delicious corn pancakes!
 
We will discuss 311: Minneapolis One Call with Steven Bosacker.  The One Call 
system, scheduled to begin next January, will handle non-emergency calls for 
information or requests for City services.  Similar systems are in place in 
other cities, including New York and Chicago.
 
For further information, contact the Ward 6 Office at 673-2206.
 
Natalie Collins
Aide to 6th Ward Council Member Dean Zimmermann
(612)673-2206
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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[Mpls] Pension Promises and City Budgets

[WLDJ36]

The current issue of BusinessWeek has the cover story "Sinkhole: How Public  
Pension Promises Are Draining State and City Budgets." Although  this problem 
has been discussed on this list along with the links to  SOUTHWEST JOURNAL and 
STAR TRIBUNE stories, interesting that the problem is  now becoming national 
news. Here are the "hard choices" summary at the end of  the article. Where is 
Minneapolis leaning?
 
HIGHER TAXES
For the worst-off there seems to be no way around higher taxes. This is the  
solution labor groups prefer and are pushing for, but it is against the 
general  public's desire for lower taxes, and won't be enough by itself.
 
MORE BORROWING
State and local governments have issued more than $30 billion in pension  
obligation bonds over the past 10 years, and more bonds are likely to come. 
This  
is risky since they push costs to future generations and carry substantial  
investment risk.
 
MORE RISK
In a reach for better returns, public plans are moving more of their  
investment dollars into foreign equities, hedge funds, private equity funds,  
real 
estate, and other higher-risk and possibly higher-return investments.
 
401(K)s
The push has stalled in California, but inevitably other states will have  to 
consider this style plan as a way to cut costs and shift more of the  
investment risk to the workers, ending employer guarantees.
 
DEFAULT?
Most state constitutions guarantee pension promises, so once a benefit is  on 
the books, it's permanent. There's no history of default, and many think even 
 a municipal bankruptcy would not erase these debts.
 
Bill Dooley
Kenny
 
 
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Re: [Mpls] Re: Lagoon Project (Uptown)

[David Greene]

Dorie Rae Gallagher wrote:


Part of this is self-interest.  I own a single-family home in the
Wedge and there has been lots of tension lately over rezoning parts
of the neighborhood to eliminate single-family homes.  I like the
historic character of my neighborhood and I want to preserve the
wonderful Craftsmans and Victorians in the area.


Then perhaps they should build the 12 story buildings in the Wedge area


The proposed project IS in the Wedge area.


and be done with the single-family homes. You like the character of your
neighborhood and wish to preserve it...I think it would be great with 12 
story
buildings with high density housing and family eateries, how exciting! 
Or is this

the case of not in my back yard...


Nope, it's the case of "fill in the underdeveloped areas first."  This
project is two blocks from my house.  Not literally in my backyard,
but certainly close enough to be visible, potentially impact lighting
in my yard, etc.


Getting back to Uptown...we have a Downtown...we don't need two. Uptown
has a flavor all it's own and does it need to change..

Dorie Rae Gallagher/Nokomis


Nokomis?  I don't understand why you object to my support for the
project.  Apparently, welcoming a project like this in one's own
neighborhood two blocks from one's own house is NIMBY and is not
equivalent in legitimacy to opinions from the other side of the
city.

David Greene
The Wedge
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Re: [Mpls] Re: Lagoon Project (Uptown)

[Harvey Zuckman]

I do object to the Lagoon project for many reasons, first and foremost is
not about the project itself, but about the intense demand for development
in the Uptown area with no consideration to how all these developments will
burden the infrastructure.  This is just one of several projects on the
table in Uptown, and it alone is one that will dramatically change the
essential character of Uptown, in my opinion.

Should that kind of decision be made in a piecemeal fashion, one project at
at time? I don't think so.  If we want to promote greater density in this
area, it seems to me we need to plan that in a more comprehensive manner and
insure that the infrastructure is in place to support what is done.

I strongly support development of more and improved mass transit, but I also
know that cars are not going away for a long time.  Once is building is
built, it's too late to say, "Oops, we should have widened that street or
created a turn lane," now with a new building in the way.  It's a regular
occurrence that power goes out in this area several times a year, not just
during hot or stormy weather.  How is the electrical grid being upgraded to
support all this?

When you look at the view of this project from the Hennepin elevation, it
dominates.  It is so out of scale with the surrounding area.  Calhoun Square
did such a wonderful job when it was built to blend with and enhance the
existing environment.  While I find the design of the Lagoon tower
interesting, it both seems very out of place in Uptown and out of scale.
What¹s wrong with a 6-8 story building that would provide a backdrop to
existing building, rather than detract from the stately old library, the
respectful design of Calhoun Square and the existing Lagoon Theaters?

It makes sense to me to increase the residential density in this area, but
let¹s not go overboard and let¹s assure it is done in a planful way.  Isn¹t
this the right time to have a building moratorium so our communities can
discuss these issues and our city leader develop a plan?

Developers will always say that they need more height and/or more density to
make their project economically feasible.  It seems to me that if they paid
an appropriate price for the property based on existing zoning laws, they
wouldn¹t be saying that.  It¹s not my problem that they planned that the
city would roll over and give them what they want.  They shouldn¹t hold us
hostage to their speculative property purchases. That¹s their problem.

Uptown is great and it can be greater. Let¹s make it that way by planning
it.  I welcome more residents to this area and more daytime activity as
well, but simply yielding to piecemeal development without having an overall
plan to support it is a recipe for disaster.

Harvey Zuckman
ECCO Resident - 29 year
East Isles Business Owner - 37 years

On 6/6/05 11:55 PM, "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:

> Re: [Mpls] Re: Lagoon Project (Uptown)

-- 

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[Mpls] Uptown/Lagoon

[Terrell Brown]

Dorie Rae Gallagher said
"Getting back to Uptown...we have a Downtown...we don't need two."
"I can see some 3-4 stories but that is personal preference. I like to
see sky, open spaces, unique buildings and not rubber stamped housing
that's 12 stories creating shadows and mold on the neighbors."
"just am not into high density housing. Never lived in an apartment
building where I needed to walk down a hallway to apartment such and
such and become known by that number."

Nick Responds:
No one will cofuse Uptown for Downtown because of 12 a story building. 
What would be unique about more 3 and 4 story buildings?  Tall
buildings do not block out the sky especially at 12 stories.  In fact a
tall slender building can allow a developer to preserve more open space
than a shorter, squatter building.  Wouldn't a 12 story building be the
epitomy of unique in Uptown at this point?


[TB]  The Lagoon project may bring back to Uptown the uniqueness that
it has lost.  A decade, even more, ago there were more of the one of a
kind shops, shops that you wouldn't find anywhere else.  Now Uptown has
The Gap, Kinko's, McDonald's and Panera Bread as its largest fixtures. 
With the possible exception of McDonald's, each of those places does
have some redeeming value, but they all have other locations that on a
nice day many of us might even consider walking to.

Instead of fighting change, embrace it.  A few hundred day time workers
who will not only shop places on their lunch break, but tell others of
that special place they find will enable those one of a kind places to
exist.  Add a strong residential core and those places can even thrive.

Minneapolis will never be Tokyo, we'll never even have the density of
New York City.  That doesn't mean that we can't be smart enough to mix
uses.  There is no rational reason to create retail/commercial space
that doesn't have residential above it.

While Uptown may currently be losing out to Northeast as a desirable
developing area to live, it doesn't necessarily need to.  It to has
people interested in making improvements to the area and several sites
that are prime for improvement.

Rather than complain that property tax rates are increasing at to rapid
of a rate, its time to support projects that not only make the city
more desirable but increase that tax base at the same time.  That is a
way that the city may be able to afford the level of service that we
seem to desire.



Terrell Brown
Loring Park
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[Mpls] Uptown Lagoon Project

[Nick Frank]

Dorie Rae Gallagher said
"Getting back to Uptown...we have a Downtown...we don't need two."
"I can see some 3-4 stories but that is personal preference. I like to see 
sky, open spaces, unique buildings and not rubber stamped housing that's 12 
stories creating shadows and mold on the neighbors."
"just am not into high density housing. Never lived in an apartment building 
where I needed to walk down a hallway to apartment such and such and become 
known by that number."


Nick Responds:
No one will cofuse Uptown for Downtown because of 12 a story building.  What 
would be unique about more 3 and 4 story buildings?  Tall buildings do not 
block out the sky especially at 12 stories.  In fact a tall slender building 
can allow a developer to preserve more open space than a shorter, squatter 
building.  Wouldn't a 12 story building be the epitomy of unique in Uptown 
at this point?


Why shouldn't the developer whom owns the land which is currently a surface 
lot, be allowed to build something of moderate hieght, that there is 
sufficient demand for?  Remember that just because you don't want to live in 
an apartment/condo building does not mean that no one else should be allowed 
to.


Additionally what makes you believe that it is economically feasible to 
build 3 and 4 story buildings as infill in the Uptown area?  I think the RFP 
on the Walker library site illustrated clearly that buildings must rise 
above that height to be feasible.  If we accept that fact of the matter 
there are only three outcomes:

1. We allow taller buildings like the one proposed
2. We subsidize the financial gap to make short buildings feasible
3. We don't get development, tax base, more housing choices, retail, etc.
This same situation is going to play itself out in the Loring Park 
neighborhood where they currently have a moratorium.


My non-NIMBY credentials:  I live in Elliot Park a block away from Grant 
Park (30 stories or so) and 4 or 5 other proposed towers that will range 
from 8 to 32 stories.  The neighborhood's plan for these blocks in 2002 was 
3 and 4 story properties that would blend in with the older structures.  The 
neighborhood received an education from the developers that their desired 
developments were not feasible and therefore would not happen.  Since 
obviously subsidies aren't available, the choice is to either build up or 
end up with the same old parking lots.  I think the neighborhood made the 
right choice in this case and embraced more intensive development.  10th and 
Portland will be a real destination in a few years.


We NEED more intensity in housing and land use.  That is the only way this 
city can grow.  If we are not growing, we are shrinking or stagnant and I 
have yet to see anyone make a convincing argument that we can afford that.


Thank you,
Nick Frank
Elliot Park

_
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Re: [Mpls] Taking the "Recreation" out of "Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board"

[nikkicarlson001]

Hi Liz:
 
Thanks for the thoughtful post. My understanding is that currently the plot of 
land on Nicollet Island that DeLaSalle wants to use for the playing field is 
not generating any revenue. Am I incorrect? Also, is there some other plan for 
turning that plot into something that generates revenue?
 
Nikki Carlson
Linden Hills
 
 
 
-Original Message-
From: Elizabeth Wielinski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Minneapolis Issues 
Sent: Tue, 7 Jun 2005 08:45:59 -0500
Subject: Re: [Mpls] Taking the "Recreation" out of "Minneapolis Park & 
Recreation Board"


The issue of giving the land away could come back and haunt the Park Board just 
like the sale of the Fuji-Ya site. With the Fuji-Ya site the legislature kept a 
substantial amount and the rest of the money derived from the sale was shared 
with strings attached. The MPRB is short $2.5 million a year in their forestry 
budget ( per the Minneapolis Tree Commission ) , and their usual sources of 
income other than our property taxes, LGA, Metro Park dollars, funds from the 
LCMR, and fees from non MPRB teams etc... are all under attack ( even the golf 
courses are running behind with all of this rain ). The Park Board will 
regardless of their decision probably spend quite a bit defending itself in a 
lawsuit filed by one side or the other with the DeLaSalle issue, meanwhile 
something is going to have to give. Cuts will probably fall pretty hard on the 
RECREATION side of the budget as the other parts have been pared to the bone. 
How will this new field help? Maybe if DeLaSalle was payin
 g the going rate for leasing that property I would breathe easier. And in case 
you didn't notice it isn't being called a lease, that would involve a 
super-majority vote. 
 
  As to bringing religion into the picture, I believe Chris Johnson in his post 
included private not just religious institutions in his examples. He could have 
also included charter schools ( quasi -private ) in the equation and I'm sure 
many are located next to parks as well. 
 
  Speaking of the 2006 budget... how is that looking Commissioners? 
 
Liz Wielinski T-ball mom ( yes, I am trying to keep recreation available ) 
Columbia Park 
Who would like to thank the Skyway News for sharing DeLaSalle's proposal with 
the public as it was not available to the audience at the June 1 meeting. 
 
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Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn 
E-Democracy 
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[Mpls] Uptown Lagoon Project

[Nick Frank]

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Re: [Mpls] Taking the "Recreation" out of "Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board"

[Elizabeth Wielinski]

  The issue of giving the land away could come back and haunt the Park 
Board just like the sale of the Fuji-Ya site.   With the Fuji-Ya site 
the legislature kept a substantial amount and the rest of the money 
derived from the sale was shared with strings attached.  The MPRB is 
short $2.5 million a year in their forestry budget ( per the 
Minneapolis Tree Commission ) , and their usual sources of income other 
than our property taxes, LGA, Metro Park dollars, funds from the  LCMR, 
and fees from non MPRB teams etc... are all under attack ( even the 
golf courses are running behind with all of this rain ).  The Park 
Board will regardless of their decision probably spend quite a bit 
defending itself in a lawsuit filed by one side or the other with the 
DeLaSalle issue, meanwhile something is going to have to give.   Cuts 
will probably fall pretty hard on the RECREATION side of the budget as 
the other parts have been pared to the bone.  How will this new field 
help?  Maybe if DeLaSalle was paying the going rate for leasing that 
property I would breathe easier.  And in case you didn't notice it 
isn't being called a lease,  that would involve a super-majority vote.


  As to bringing religion into the picture, I believe Chris Johnson in 
his post included private not just religious institutions in his 
examples.  He could have also included charter schools ( quasi -private 
) in the equation and I'm sure many are located next to parks as well.


  Speaking of the 2006 budget... how is that looking Commissioners?


Liz Wielinski  T-ball mom ( yes, I am trying to keep recreation 
available )

Columbia Park
Who would like to thank the Skyway News for sharing DeLaSalle's 
proposal  with the public as it was not available to the audience at 
the June 1 meeting.


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[Mpls] Health and Wellness Program

[Jennifer Anderson]

North Memorial Medical Center and the Jordan Area Community Council are 
sponsoring a six week health and wellness series focused on Chronic Conditions, 
such as asthma, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, heart 
disease, lupus etc.
 
This series offers self management tools that will assist with better managing 
chronic conditions.  
 
The program is a 6 week committment beginning Monday, June 13th - July 18th.  
All sessions are held Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8pm at Unity House, 2507 
Fremont Ave No.  Minneapolis.
 
If you are interested in attending, or know someone who could benefit from this 
series, please call Jennifer Anderson, Health Outreach Coordinator at 
612-529-9267 to register.


-
Do you Yahoo!?
 Yahoo! Mail - You care about security. So do we.
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[Mpls] Minneapolis Unwired

[WLDJ36]

Minneapolis has a low wi-fi rate for its population. Thank goodness for the  
independent coffee shops. Here is the link: 
_http://www.startribune.com/stories/535/5443822.html_ 
(http://www.startribune.com/stories/535/5443822.html) 
 
Bill Dooley
Kenny
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Re: [Mpls] Stormwatergate robbery gets personal

[gemgram]

I apparently did not complete my "analyze this" list.  A reader off list 
suggested that I also add to it and mention that the same eight "Impacted 
Neighborhoods", that absolutely do NOT have adequate public safety and 
police protection, are also the same neighborhoods where the greatest 
percentage of rental properties exist.  So the very same poor people, who 
are paying the largest amounts for RT Rybak's stormwater tax on the poor, 
are also receiving the least protection from the City of Minneapolis.


My, My, My, what a mess poor administration of a good program can cause. 
When poor executives, administer it. Even the public employees of 
Minneapolis are distressed by how badly the City is being run. I have been 
contacted by City employees from at least four different departments asking 
what can be done to get the City back on track.  They all agree that the 
City administration has become a mess. I am sure the employees really do 
know how lame their bosses really are.  Those employees get the heat for the 
inept jobs their bosses do.  They also are in the best positions to know 
just how badly the City is really being run. The employees at Public Works, 
the Fire Department, Police Department, and yes even CPED, all seem to know 
that they can not do their jobs unless managed properly.


If the present City leadership was not so out of touch with the real people 
they could just ask neighborhood residents and their own City employees how 
to straighten out this mess. I guess the "leaders" just think so little of 
that public that they supposedly serve that they need experts like McKenzie 
to tell them something.  They just do not realize that the real experts on 
Minneapolis are its own people.  That same public is shaking their heads, 
and like me and Tommy Lee, looking at the train-wreck saying MY, My, MY, 
what a mess!


StormWatergate is a symptom of well meaning, bumbling management. We have 
management that is indeed well meaning, and I do not for a minute believe 
that RT Rybak and most Council Members are not well meaning. BUT, we the 
public are looking for management skills that just are not there.  No matter 
how good you look on TV, and no matter how much fun you are having 
pretending to run a City for the cameras,  you still have to manage a City. 
No matter how good that Cadillac convertible looks sitting in the driveway, 
if it does not have a motor to do the work or driver to direct it, that cute 
Cadillac is not taking us anywhere.  It is time for the Rybak administration 
to stop partying and get to the work this City really needs.


Jim Graham,
Ventura Village

"The people are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty. 
We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt."<


- Thomas Jefferson
If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the 
other direction.





- Original Message - 
From: "gemgram" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

To: ; "Nick Coleman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 10:07 PM
Subject: [Mpls] Stormwatergate robbery gets personal


Unfortunately, (for me) Stormwatergate has reared its ugly political head 
even higher.  Today I looked at the waterbill for the small duplex that my 
son homesteads.  The duplex sits on a 1/2 lot that is only about thirty feet 
wide.  It occupies about 850 square feet of area and has neither a driveway 
nor a garage.  The monthly bill was $10.00 for water, $8.00 for sewer, 
$44.50 for solid waste, and a few 2.00 or 2.50 charges and then the real 
killer, the stormwater fee for that less than 900 square feet house is 
$55.10.


A neighbor in a larger single family house with a cement back yard is paying 
less that ten dollars.  Ten dollars for probably 3000 square feet of 
impermeable surface.  Is RT Rybak's administration something or what? 
Hiding a regressive tax on the poor as a "FEE".  RT Rybak and Governor 
Pawlenty sure share many things in common.  Boyish good looks, a willingness 
to have their rich friends profit at the expense of poor people and a 
willingness to pee up our backs while smiling and telling us it is only 
raining.  Perhaps since RT did not get the DFL endorsement after his hiding 
taxes on the poor and his "caring" fiscal conservative" hollow fluff will 
the get the Republican endorsement.


Nick Coleman once asked for examples of this fiasco, well Nick I have five 
in hand. The largest utility bill that anyone of those duplexes have is the 
Minneapolis tax on the poor posing as a waterbill.  For those of you who do 
not think this is a tax on the poor analyze this, over 80% of all really 
affordable housing in Minneapolis is supplied by duplexes; rental duplexes 
are paying sometimes nine times what more affluent houses are paying, 
waterbills and wastewater bills are passed directly on by a landlord to the 
renter of those "truly affordable" units.  Not only are the legitimate 
charges passed along but also the fraud that the City is perpetrat