[Mpls] Reception/Demonstration of E-Deliberation Tools
This Thursday - June 23rd, E-Democracy.Org and Ciceron (http://www.ciceron.com) are welcoming national and international guests for a 2 day meeting on Deepening Online Deliberation, that is taking place in Minneapolis on Friday and Saturday. This public reception is an opportunity to meet and mingle, with some of the leading experts in online citizen engagement, from the United States and Canada (and one from New Zealand). There will be a brief welcoming ceremony along with demonstrations of some of the newest online deliberation tools/games. Please, come and help us welcome these folks who share our interest in the concept of E-Democracy and are leading the charge to increase citizen participation in decision making at all levels. Your Invited: Deepening Online Deliberation Public Reception and Demonstration of Tools Thursday - June 23rd, 6:45 PM Ciceron (http://www.ciceron.com) 126 North 3rd Street, Suite 309 Downtown Mpls MAP: http://www.ciceron.com/contact_map.asp RSVP = (Optional) To [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please, mention ODDC Reception PARKING: We recommend parking in a public parking ramp on 2nd Avenue North, between 3rd and 4th Streets. This is only a short block from the reception. See you there, Tim Erickson Hamline Midway St. Paul [EMAIL PROTECTED] 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Campaigning in the Parks
Dear Peter Ginder, Acting Deputy City Attorney I am writing to you and to the Minneapolis Issues List Forum to ask for a legal opinion about the City's role in prosecuting candidates who campaign in Minneapolis Parks. From what I have read, the City Attorney is responsible for prosecuting violations of Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Ordinances. I would like to campaign in the Parks as an individual running for Park Commissioner. I would have a button or badge identifying who I am as a candidate and would hand out literature and/ or a business card with my contact information. I have applied for a general permit to campaign in the Parks. I have (nicely) asked a Park Police officer if he would issue a citation to me for campaigning in the Park if I did so. I was informed that he would not issue a citation for campaigning. He would ask me to stop distributing literature. If I did not comply, I would be asked to leave the Park. If I did not leave the Park, I would be arrested for trespassing. To further complicate this issue, while the Park Board can make rules that are not ordinances, I can find no verification that the Board of Commissioners has authorized a no campaigning in the Parks rule. There has been selective enforcement of this policy. I am told not to campaign in Parks while current Commissioners have done so and are allowed to do so. I would like your legal opinion about this issue. I will be campaigning in the Parks, which means this may require a court challenge. I will probably come before you on a trespassing charge. From: the City Attorney web site: The Civil Division of the Minneapolis City Attorney's Office provides legal advice to the City's elected officials, the City's departments, its independent boards such as the Minneapolis Public Library and the Minneapolis Community Development Agency, and its commissions such as the Charter Commission, Civil Service Commission and Ethical Practices Board. The Civil Division handles all litigation before federal and state district and appellate (appeals) courts and administrative bodies, including actions involving personal injury, civil rights violations, constitutional issues, workers' compensation, personnel and labor relations matters. I would also note that part of the mission of the City Attorney's office is to limit financial exposure for potential lawsuits and litigation. Thanks, Scott Vreeland Seward Candidate for Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board District # 3 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re:[Mpls] Campaigning in the parks
Those park police are going to be busy this weekend! Loring Park will have score of people wearing buttons, t-shirts, funny hats, and the like, waving flags and offering campaign literature and persuasive campaign dialogues to the masses that show up for the days of wine and roses. At $35 for a permit to sit mute at a table and with a $150 damage deposit to boot, looks like a real money-maker, doesn't it? Now if only those naughty candidates and their marching millions would take the park board staff seriously, assuming that the park commissioners would somehow find a way to validate a murky bureaucratic rule that somehow reminds me of Kafka. So if I'm just strolling in the park one day, in the merry, merry month of May, with my partisan t-shirt du jour proclaiming my allegiance to someone's candidacy, and I impulsively offer a piece of campaign literature to a passer-by, what will become of me? Does this escalate into a matter of Kevlar vests, pepper spray, water cannon, rubber bullets, festive plexiglass shields on the horses of the mounted patrol? They had these anti-riot accoutrements on the horses last year when the Prez was preaching to the faithful at the St. Paul hockey dome. Quite the fashion statement. Forget Easter bonnets and ice cream socials. We're in a brave new world. Is this what Commissioners Dziedzic, Fine, Hauser, Kummer, and Olson have in mind? Fred Markus, Ward 6, Phillips West 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re:[Mpls] Campaigning in the parks
Fred Markus wrote: Does this escalate into a matter of Kevlar vests, pepper spray, water cannon, rubber bullets, festive plexiglass shields on the horses of the mounted patrol? They had these anti-riot accoutrements on the horses last year when the Prez was preaching to the faithful at the St. Paul hockey dome. Quite the fashion statement. Forget Easter bonnets and ice cream socials. We're in a brave new world. Is this what Commissioners Dziedzic, Fine, Hauser, Kummer, and Olson have in mind? Of course not, they'd rather you just say, thank you and go away. Randall Cutting Seward 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Solidarity
On Tuesday, June 21, 2005, at 12:16 AM, Dyna wrote: R.T.'s contingent was about half the size of Peter McLaughlin's and you were probably the only one of R.T.'s much vaunted endorsers to make the parade. Perhaps after Peter outpolled R.T. at the city convention those endorsers are making themselves scarce? working for Peter McLaughlin and a better Minneapolis from Hawthorne, You know, I just don't believe in spitting on the other side in these campaigns. I was not worried about the size of the contingent, the shape the signs were in or whether there were more t shirts or not. This campaign to me is about doing a good job in a very bad situation. R.T. has done that and he will continue to do it for as long as it takes to bring Minneapolis up to where it belongs. It does not take a math genius to tell us all we need long term solutions to long our term revenue issues. There is no quick fix for Minneapolis' ills. Some of it is of our own making, and a lot of it is due to the malevolence showered upon us by suburban and outstate legislators, and of course our maniacally ambitious governor. I like Peter McLaughlin a lot and have worked with him since he first came to the Urban Coalition many years ago. I say hello to him every time I see him. I think mayoral campaigns benefit from debate and illustration of the issues. That's all fine. But I don't like nasty signs stuck in car windows, bad language, bad treatment, and lots of anger. That does no one any good. While we are busy creating enemies out of friends and casting slurs across a one-inch gap of difference, the Republicans are happily making all of our lives miserable. Best, Laura Laura Waterman Wittstock Candidate for Minneapolis Library Board of Trustees DFL and Labor endorsed Minneapolis, MN 612-387-4915 www.laurawatermanwittstock.com http://laurawatermanwittstock.blogspot.com/ Wittstock for Library Committee 913 19th Avenue SE, Mpls, 55414 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] New Software for MPLS-ISSUES?
On Behalf Of Tim Erickson Sent: 21 June 2005 00:38 To: mpls@mnforum.org Subject: [Mpls] New Software for MPLS-ISSUES? E-Democracy.Org has begun to move our forums to a new software package called Groupserver. The two new Local Issues Forums in the UK both run on Groupserver, as does the St. Paul Issues Forum. We'd like to see MPLS make the move someday as well. This will be a big step forward for the Minneapolis list. Take a look a Brighton and St. Paul's messages - notice how posts with the same subject line (yes, strategic posters will want to stop changing subject lines for expressive purposes) neatly pack into digests by time: http://forums.e-democracy.org/brighton-hove/groups/bh/messages http://forums.e-democracy.org/stpaul/groups/stpaul-issues/messages It also has an integrated member directory where you can opt-in to share basic information about yourself that will be just one click away from a URL inserted in each of your posts. The big democratic problem I see with e-mail lists and web forums is that conflict and difference is accentuated by the medium. People tend to reply first to what they disagree with an opinion and second, they might correct or add additional information. The silent majority or minority has no way of expressing me too support for a post without cluttering our mailboxes. Measuring the silence is something those deeply connected to local politics can do naturally, while those new to the community might over estimate the level of conflict in the community. I don't have a technical answer, but perhaps you do? Now that E-Democracy.Org is investing in the open source GroupServer tool as a solution, we can raise funds to have new features built that we need and share them with others as well. So please come along to the meeting and offer your input. If you can't make it, here is a web movie tour of GroupServer: http://e-democracy.org/groupserver Cheers, Steven Clift E-Democracy.Org P.S. The switch should happen at some point over the summer. 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] libraries
Today the New York Times reported on a study by the American Library Association that says there have been over 200 inquiries into patrons reading habits since 9/11. Considering that the Patriot Act does not allow a librarian to even mention that he/she has been asked about a patron's reading habits, this is a sad commentary on he damage wrecked by the Patriot Act on library users' freedom to read. Considering the case of Mr. Masaoui, one wonders whether MPL librarians have been asked about patron's reading habits. WizardMarks, Central 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] 100 years ago today Theodore Wirth arrived
100 years ago today, Theodore Wirth arrived by train at the Milwaukee Road Depot and set foot on Minneapolis soil for the first time. Charles Loring, on behalf of the Minneapolis Board of Park Commissioners was actively pursuing 42 year old Theodore Wirth, who had a stellar personal and professional reputation. Wirth had designed and implemented many projects with the famous Olmsted Bros Firm and had personally earned international acclaim for his park design skills. In addition, Wirth had an educational background and experience in the fields of horticulture, engineering and park administration From 1883 to that date the Board of Minneapolis Park Commissioners had never had a staff Landscape Architect. Charles Loring, represented a committee appointed by the Minneapolis Board of Park Commissioners. The Park Board invited Wirth to Minneapolis and offered to pay Wirth's travel expenses so they could get his advice. In reality they were trying to convince Wirth to become our second Superintendent of Minneapolis Parks. Once Wirth had seen the possibilities for design and development of parks in Minneapolis, he was unable to resist Commissioner Loring's offer. Theodore Wirth described his feeling this way - ...when I bade Mr. Loring goodbye at the Milwaukee Station, I had about decided to remain in Hartford. Then, during my long journey home, the possibilities for utilization and development of those many attractive features - the lakes, the river gorge, Minnehaha Creek, and the hilly wooded country to the west - lingered constantly before my eyes, and a desire to have a hand in their development steadily mounted as I neared home. The Board was to pay Wirth's travel expenses. The expenses submitted by Theodore Wirth for the trip from June 21-26, 1905, totaled $90. It was money well spent by the Minneapolis Board of Park Commissioners. In return for the investment, Minneapolis became the beneficiary of the number one park system in America. There were some negotiations however. Before Wirth resigned from his secure position as Superintendent of the Hartford Connecticut Parks, the Minneapolis Board of Park Commissioners agreed - 1) Wirth needed a car and a driver to move him more efficiently around the city while he was designing and developing the park system. .The Park Board agreed. Minneapolis had accumulated 1,810 acres of park acquisitions since they were established in 1883, however, little development had occured. 2) Wirth wanted to keep his devoted and efficient bookeeper, Christian A. Bossen. The Park Board agreed. Wirth brought Chris along from Hartford. Chris Bossen got the Park Board's finances in order as Wirth's assistant and when Wirth became Superintendent Emeritus in 1935, Bossen became the third Superintendentr of Minneapolis Parks. 3) One of the most well known of the many negotians was that the Park Commissioners agreed to build Theodore Wirth a home and office of his own design in a Minneapolis Park. (This was to replace the beautiful home that the City of Hartford had provided for him). .. The Park Board agreed. That home was built for Wirth in Lyndale Farmsted Park on the Corner of 40th and Bryant Avenue South. The historic Wirth Offices and Drafting Room in the House are the actual location where the entire Minneapolis Park System was designed or re-designed to the highest standards. Wirth, with the support of his board, tripled the size of the park system. This brought international acclaim to the Minneapolis Park System and by 1927 park planners from all over the world came to study the Minneapolis Parks. Although the historic Wirth Home was actually (and still is) owned by the Park Board, Wirth continued living in his home until shortly before his death in 1949. At that point the home became an established benefit as the home for the succeeding Superintendents. Charles Doell lived there and so did Howard Moore, Charlie Spears and Robert Rhue. Then David Fisher objected to living in a fish bowl and abandoned the house in 1995. The succeeding superintendents, Mary Merrill Anderson and Jon Gurban have not lived there. What is the highest and best use of a home with such a remarkable history? Through the efforts of the Minneapolis Parks Legacy Society the Theodore Wirth Home and Administration Building has been entered on the National Register of Historic Places. The Legacy Society has developed a program similar to those currently in place at the Stevens House and the Godfrey House. The Legacy Society has asked the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board for an agreement similar to those at the Godfrey House and the Stevens House. The Legacy Society's plan would open the historic Wirth Home as a service to the public at no cost to the Park Board. A few travel expenses, a house in a park, a car and a driver in exchange for the
[Mpls] Peebles supporters not keeping eyes on the prize, part 2 of 2
Ron Edwards writes (long quote, ends just before Doug Mann responds), As CM Natalie Johnson Lee said: Why did you hire her? They told me that they hired her, not only because she was qualified, [but because] she had a proven track record of what she could do and how she could deliver it. The challenge is now that she is rising to her qualifications and demonstrating that she could prove, what is the problem? Many of you know, when someone cannot get us any other way, it becomes, “The Attitude.” We have personality differences. Well, get over it. Our children need someone with her personality to move an agenda for them and you need to be clear that we are not taking this sitting down... This is not a joke, we are not playing. We are serious about the education of our children and we believe she is the one we need right now to move our children's agenda forward. If you're ready for a fight [Johnson warned the board] bring it on! Even Brandt admits that In her first year on the job, Peebles has alienated some parents, teachers and principals with what they describe as an intimidating topdown style. But she has also taken control of the worst scoring schools, and the first set of test results to be released for her watch showed marked improvement in basic-skills tests for eighth-graders. Brandt goes on to admit that Dr. Peebles’ “ reputation for turning around troubled schools, both in Cleveland and in New York City” is why “Board members said they chose her.” We must then conclude that they really didn't expect her to be successful. Doug Mann responds, Here is the linchpin of Edwards' argument (The whole argument collapses without it): In her first year on the job, Peebles has alienated some parents, teachers and principals with what they describe as an intimidating top-down style. But she has also taken control of the worst scoring schools, and the first set of test results to be released for her watch showed marked improvement in basic-skills tests for eighth-graders... In his initial article about the those test score results, Steve Brandt noted that test scores were up districtwide compared to last year, but the gains were substantially smaller than average in schools with below average test scores last year, i.e., the test score gap between high and low performing schools greatly increased. And test scores gains were, on average, smallest in schools directly under Peebles' special supervision. The black-white test score gap also widened. The basic problem facing the Minneapolis Public Schools, in my opinion, is that a large majority of its students are not thriving academically. Large majorities of poor whites and people of color in Minneapolis do not have access to quality educational programs in the public schools. And it is not just the black community that has a stake in a fight to make a quality public education accessible to all on an equal basis. And, in my opinion, the school board and community should focus their attention on the education access gap and how to close it. The district has a legal obligation to acknowledge and do something about the grossly unequal distribution of critical resources between schools with high and low concentrations of African American students. -Doug Mann, King Field Candidate for 8th ward city council http://educationright.com/blog 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Minneapolis Politics: Are they for real?
Aaron Klemz wrote: And lastly - what really gets me going is the insider party activist banter that demonstrates what the real problem is here. If the sum total of Minneapolis politics is contained in your ability to woo 300-400 activists at the endorsing convention, and/or get 10-12 union and interest group endorsements then we have truly become an oligarchy in function if not in name. Before you get all democracy on me - let's be clear. 90+% (and I would love to get the actual number on this) of endorsed DFL candidates win. AND - democracies function badly when become exclusively personality driven. It leads to ridiculous outcomes like no shirt, no parade contingent, no vote. And while I don't believe that rationale drives most activists, it seems to me like the distillation of our current model of politics in Minneapolis rather than an aberration. So what, exactly, are _you_ going to do about it? If you don't like what's happening, what's preventing you from changing it? David Greene The Wedge 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Predatory Lending - Taking a stand to end the practice in Mpls
Jim Bernstein wrote: High cost loans are not predatory loans; but, almost all predatory loans are high cost loans! A high interest rate is usually not the main issue in predatory loans if the borrower if understands what that rate is when the loan documents are signed. What turns the interest rate alone into a predatory loan is when the borrower is told one rate and it turns out to be higher, or the borrower is assured that it will be within a range but that the loan will be at the low end of that range (it never is), or if the quoted rate is dependent upon other or variables or conditions which may be either onerous or impossible to meet. We did - and still do - need laws to outlaw predatory lending practices and schemes. Minneapolis and St. Paul continue to be ground zero for predatory lending in Minnesota. AN: Thank you all for contributing to the Predatory Lending discussion! I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread and have learned much about the pros and cons of an anti-predatory lending ordnance. It seems to me that fundamentally this issue is about personal responsibility and mutual responsibility. It is a valid argument that one should be able to make their own choices, even bad ones, when it comes to lending or anything else for that matter (personal responsibility). It is also valid that we need for some checks and balances on institutions that may take advantage of vulnerable groups (mutual responsibility). Home ownership is good for the economy, and more importantly, good for the overall livability of neighborhoods. I believe that it is our aim and responsibility to further advance ownership for all people of Minneapolis, so that we create the most peaceful, just, and livable city possible. An anti-predatory lending ordnance for Minneapolis will do just that. Aaron Neumann Candidate for Minneapolis City Council Ward 3 (Green) Neighbors for Neumann 1828 Marshall St. NE #18 Minneapolis, MN 55418-4211 612.788.1284 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://VoteNeumann.org Bridging Diverse Communities Effective Government * Healthy Environment * Safe Communities * Arts Advocacy Politics isn't about big money or power games; it's about the improvement of people's lives. - Paul Wellstone 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Peebles supporters not keeping eyes on the prize, part 1 of 2
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I must take issue with statements by Natalie Johnson Lee, Ron Edwards and others who are widely recognized as leaders of the black community in their response to latest controversy over Thandiwe Peebles performance as school superintendent. The district's best schools are heavily concentrated in the district's wealthiest and nearly all-white neighborhoods. For a majority of nonwhite and poor white students, the public school options have been narrowed to low and middle-tier public schools, dead-end curriculum tracks in some of the better public schools, and charter schools. Pamela Taylor says: I don't believe the comment about where the best school's are located came as any surprise. With that in mind, how many White parents from those neighborhoods have ever been seen protesting at the school board about lack of anything? Minorities and poor white students have. My point is, WHY do we allow the wealthy neighborhoods to get the best of everything? Why has the MPS allowed that? Doug Mann says: Complaints about Peebles that are making the school board sit up and take notice appear to be coming from white parents in the Southeast quadrant of the city. That's where many of the city's middle and lower tier schools are located. That's where a majority of white students are not thriving academically in the public schools. Look, my kids are in the Southwest area schools and Dr. Peebles has basically left these schools alone. So if parents like me were only looking out for our own kids, we would too shut-up and color. Why risk bringing on a round of retribution? But as a citizen, I want the whole district to succeed... Pamela Taylor says: Take the above statement made by Lynnell Mickelsen and mentally insert wealthy school parents. Shutting up and coloring is exactly what those parents were doing when minority parents were saying what Lynnell is now. Did anybody see the White parents protesting the School Board about any problems in the minority community? Did they offer to give up any of their children's amenities? Doug Mann says: I doubt that the school board and Peebles want to rile up the school community in SW Minneapolis. There is a lot of support for the status quo there, which is why the issue of closing the education access gap is not being addressed by the School Board, Thandiwe Peebles and her supporters, and the Star-Tribune. Pamela Taylor says: So, it appears that you are saying that when poor Whites are having issues, the School Board must do something right away, which is to possibly consider firing Ms. Peebles. So when did they become unimpressed with her skills and abilities, when that is the basis on which they hired her? Who are they trying to placate now? You say that Peebles doesn't want to rile up that community, but by concentrating on schools other than those in that SW community, she has. Ms. Peebles doesn't have the problem; it is the School Board who appears to be in a quandry. Is it possible that Ms. Peebles was getting to the worst schools first, and perhaps the extreme SW corner of Ward 13 that appears discontent was next on her list? Minorities have waited for so long without seeing the wealthy White parents jumping up and down on their behalf to make things in the schools fair and equal, that I am failing to see the problem here. Doug Mann says: On the other hand, there is some support in SW Minneapolis for the kind of school reform agenda that I advocate. In the general election of 2002 the highest level of support for my candidacy was in ward 13 (the extreme SW corner of Minneapolis). Pamela Taylor says: Until Whites and Minorities are joined together for the greater educational good of ALL CHILDREN, not too much is ever going to change. And, until the citizens of Minneapolis are joined together in an honest effort to reform the practices of the School Board (i.e. vote some out, and change the mindset/policies, etc.), it will not matter who is superintendent, that person will be doomed before they start, and we will forever be paying out huge severance checks as they leave, with only a pittance left in the bank for education. Yes, I believe their eyes are on the prize. It is the opposition whose eyes have remained closed because they do not want to see what is coming at them. Pamela Taylor (Lyndale) - Yahoo! Sports Rekindle the Rivalries. Sign up for Fantasy Football REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at
[Mpls] Get Out The Vote Community Festival
List, I am reading the letter addressed specificly to 8th Ward Candidates. It lists three levels of paid sponsorship - Gold $1000, Silver $500, and Bronze $250. It specificly states that ones PAID sponsorship buys their way into the candidates forum. This leads me to ASSUME that candidates who do not pay are not allowed to speak at this forum. Now when I asked Councilman Lilligren about this some weeks ago, he stated that he was simply asking for sponsorship, and that they were only thinking about doing a forum. Now I could read before I started to school, and my comprehension is pretty good too (My mother taught a literacy program in the community), and my vision is nearly perfect, so I am quite confident in my abilities to know what I am looking at. This letter is dated May 12, 2005. It clearly states the fact that it COSTS to particpate in this forum. It clearly states that there IS a forum, there is no just thinking about it at all. So my gut feeling is that this is an underhanded tactic to exclude some campaigns. I don't believe any of the candidates should pay a dime to speak at this public awareness event. Your letter states that this is supposed to be an integral step towards buildingand empowering those communities traditionally left out of the process. Mr Lilligren, please CLARIFY. They also can buy time in front of the MTN camera which would constitute a paid commercial in my estimation. I am not versed in the ways of public broadcasting, but is that not against the rules? You are having KMOJ do periodic PSA's which is good. But instead of simply letting them freely mention the various campaigns as a PSA curtesy to the community, those 5 minute slots are up for sale, too. Now I can understand campaigns buying time themselves, but it seems as if you are working for the campaigns, too. If your office is already paying for this event, why charge anyone an additional fee? Mr. Lilligren, please CLARIFY. Also, the letter states that the food is free, the MTN coverage is supposed to be free. You are putting out a call to talented youth in the area to perform. Is the entertainment free, or are you planning to pay them? I know that sponsorships are nice, but if you did not get any, you already told us that your 8th ward office was paying for this. Mr. Lilligren, please CLARIFY. Now with the bruhaha about campaigning in the parks, the fact that you are selling signage and to the highest bidder on PARK LAND, it begs the question: Do you have the right PERMITS FOR THAT? If not, you better start attempting to get them now. We do not want to witness another unecessary misuse of our park police if it can be avoided. Mr. Lilligren, please CLARIFY. This being an election year, I want the budget for this event to be disclosed. I also want to know who/where the money collected from this event is going. The letter left that part out. Since the candidates had to inform you of their intent to be a sponsor by June 1st, could you now supply us with a list of those Candidates who will be allowed to discuss the issues at the forum? Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. See you at the gathering! Pamela Taylor (Lyndale) __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] FW: cross-cultural connections
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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Lowry Ave. road project hugely misguided in property acquisition process
With permission from Jamie LaVanier- Victim of City/County meddling with her 8 unit building on 6th St. A very nice well managed building. The owner had even installed a video surveillance camera over the back yard. Now it is emptied boarded and trashed after the City/County emptied a building before they owned it. The victim was only a landlord. Keith Reitman NearNorth The landlord next on the empty the property in advance of purchase hit list. FACT. Subj:RE: Lowry Ave. road project hugely misguided in property acquisition process Date: 6/21/05 2:06:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Jamie La Vanier) To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thank you Keith for being the voice in this. My Lawyer said what the city/county did was illegal. Just today I had to file a police report, because someone busted into my boarded up vacant building to break a window and take all the copper piping out of the interior and kick in all the doors. All this because of what the city did. I will be talking to J.P. from the Sentinel tomorrow morning, he wants to take my photo in front of my boarded up building. I am at my wits end, and I think that is what the county is counting on. 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
RE: [Mpls] Lowry Ave. road project hugely misguided in propertyacquisition proce
Two questions for you Keith. When did you purchase the next property on the hit list and were you aware that the city/county would be acquiring the property for the Lowry redevelopment when you did so? dennis plante lind-bohanon 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Peebles supporters not keeping eyes on the prize
In response to Pam Taylor's post: What I don't get is what do people think Dr. Peebles has done that's so great? The schools under her direct supervision did not do as well as the rest of the district -- so why do we think that district employees should have to put up with her abrasive and demoralizing style. What has she accomplished that's so wonderful? I think it's great that the board stood up to her and did what they are supposed to do --- supervise the superintendent. I'm not saying she should be fired, I'm saying she should be supervised by the board and not let run amuck making people uncomfortable for nothing. If the discomfort was resulting in some great change and advancement, it might be worth it, and if it was only discomfort, not bullying and demoralizing. But there's lots of work to be done in the schools and everyone has to pull together, not apart. Dr. Peebles is very smart, she's motivated and she clearly has the ability to bring others in as a part of her vision -- if that's how she sees her job. Let's hope she does. I don't know if the board talked to her before her job review about the problems they were seeing and hearing about -- if they didn't, that's a shame and they didn't do their job -- but whether they did or didn't, the board needs to play more of a role, not micromanaging, but making sure that the district is going in a direction they agree with -- that's why we elected them. Pamela and others who feel she's been mistreated by the board, I would like to know what it is that Dr. Peeble's has done that somehow excuses how she has treated people. diane wiley tangletown who has had numerous issues with the minneapolis public schools over systematic racism and lack of services 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
[Mpls] Taxpayer's League: Light Rail has infected the Twin Cites....
They are really losing it on this issue. Eva Young Near North Minneapolis X-Apparently-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] via 68.142.207.145; Tue, 21 Jun 2005 15:36:31 -0700 X-Originating-IP: [198.161.90.3] Authentication-Results: mta338.mail.scd.yahoo.com from=taxpayersleague.org; domainkeys=neutral (no sig) Subject: Event ALERT! Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2005 16:23:09 -0500 X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: Event ALERT! Thread-Index: AcV2p2wwgFaOQwCxT8SQSGZ5w198uA== From: Taxpayers League of MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Loop: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Taxpayers League of Minnesota Event ALERT! June 21, 2005 Volunteers needed for the '2005 Preserving the American Dream Conference' June 24-26th Light rail has already infected the Twin Cities, but find out how you can help other areas fight this disease Interested in helping staff an event dedicated to protecting freedom, mobility, affordable housing and exposing the fallacies of smart growth? Then this is the event for you. The http://americandreamcoalition.org/pad05.htmlAmerican Dream Conference is being held at the Holiday Inn Select in Bloomington and more information on how you can help can be found by contacting the head of the American Dream Coalition, Randal O'Toole at mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED] The Preserving the http://americandreamcoalition.org/pad05.htmlAmerican Dream Conference is a great opportunity to hear from local and national transportation experts and learn about light rail, smart growth and the rest of social engineering's twisted lexicon. If you would like your name removed from our e-mail list, please reply with unsubscribe in the subject line to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED] Eva Young Near North Minneapolis [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lloydletta.blogspot.com You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone - not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be. --Article II of the Bill of Non-Rights. 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Lowry Ave. road project hugely misguided in propertyacquisition pr...
Keith says: Thanks for asking. I Closed: 5/2004. Also, I was well aware the Lowry Corridor Project was pending. Initially they presented us stakeholders on the other side of the street (North) a plan to demo our buildings down, The seller was also well aware; but time passed and he doubted a quick outcome, or any outcome with the project. He was sick of the downward spiral at the site, had an older appraisal of the site for twice what he sold it for, and bet on me enough to turn over the reins of the property on a contract. It was overrun with criminals and trespassers. The day of closing I had an armed security officer serve each occupant a notice. Short and sweet; it said: I am Keith Reitman the new owner of the building. This is your 30 day notice to vacate. There has been an armed security presence on site almost every day since then. I also executed a pending eviction court writ from the previous mismanagement. It took me about two months before I was able to gain access to, and even SEE all the units I was responsible for managing and keeping clean, and safe. I have been across the street from the property for about 8 years. I would routinely curse it every day for the trouble magnet it was up until I took over. Literally. Dennis, the building was for sale for a year before I bought it. I acted to make the corner clean and safe, along with superb cooperation from like minded neighborhood stakeholders like: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Jamie L.), [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Kdang Lor), [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Don Roggenbauer, Spartan Protection), [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Ku Khang), [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Todd Williams), Sector Lieut. Lund, and many others. Together, we made the MDC (Most Dangerous Corner) a safer and cleaner place. We got busy and WE succeeded. Come on over sometime and I'll show ya' around my corner. Now, would you explain why bad policy by the City/County in eminent domain mismanagement should cause you to question my reasonable and positive actions. I am the owner of the property; I bought it, I risked my neck, I spent a fortune on repairs, improvements and maintenance. I am here; see. By the way, I had been in business on Lowry for seven years, on May 2004, when I bought the site. Among other reasons I bought the site is I needed it's parking amenity for my Bar/diner setup and apartments, across the street, which have NO parking amenity. Further by the way, although I garnered much thanx from local family business owners for taking a stand WITH THEM for a clean and safe Lowry. I never heard an atta boy from you or your buddies. But it is still not to late. I am still here, every day, to make it better, God willing. Didn't you go over the river for what you explained as economic reasons, here, on The List. I stayed for economic reasons; 24 years so far. Again to the City/County:If you wanta' buy my property; OK. Don't meddle with my tenants till you own my property. Any more questions Dennis, just ask. Keith Reitman NearNorth In a message dated 6/21/05 7:38:31 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Two questions for you Keith. When did you purchase the next property on the hit list and were you aware that the city/county would be acquiring the property for the Lowry redevelopment when you did so? dennis plante lind-bohanon 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Taxpayer's League: Light Rail has infected the Twin Cites....
So in the year 2045, when gasoline reaches the current equivalent of $5.00 to $10.00 a gallon and our supply of fossil fuels are just about depleted, how does the Taxpayers League propose getting all their members from their homes in Eden Prairie and Maple Grove to work? Oh, dumb me. Teleportation will be common by then and we won't need cars. Dann Dobson Saint Paul --- Eva Young [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: They are really losing it on this issue. Eva Young Near North Minneapolis X-Apparently-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] via 68.142.207.145; Tue, 21 Jun 2005 15:36:31 -0700 X-Originating-IP: [198.161.90.3] Authentication-Results: mta338.mail.scd.yahoo.com from=taxpayersleague.org; domainkeys=neutral (no sig) Subject: Event ALERT! Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2005 16:23:09 -0500 X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: Event ALERT! Thread-Index: AcV2p2wwgFaOQwCxT8SQSGZ5w198uA== From: Taxpayers League of MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] X-Loop: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Taxpayers League of Minnesota Event ALERT! June 21, 2005 Volunteers needed for the '2005 Preserving the American Dream Conference' June 24-26th Light rail has already infected the Twin Cities, but find out how you can help other areas fight this disease Interested in helping staff an event dedicated to protecting freedom, mobility, affordable housing and exposing the fallacies of smart growth? Then this is the event for you. The http://americandreamcoalition.org/pad05.htmlAmerican Dream Conference is being held at the Holiday Inn Select in Bloomington and more information on how you can help can be found by contacting the head of the American Dream Coalition, Randal O'Toole at mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED] The Preserving the http://americandreamcoalition.org/pad05.htmlAmerican Dream Conference is a great opportunity to hear from local and national transportation experts and learn about light rail, smart growth and the rest of social engineering's twisted lexicon. If you would like your name removed from our e-mail list, please reply with unsubscribe in the subject line to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED] Eva Young Near North Minneapolis [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lloydletta.blogspot.com You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone - not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be. --Article II of the Bill of Non-Rights. 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls __ Discover Yahoo! Get on-the-go sports scores, stock quotes, news and more. Check it out! http://discover.yahoo.com/mobile.html 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
Re: [Mpls] Get Out The Vote Community Festival
The Festival is now in its fourth year. It is an event that I originated, with a lot of help from the community, as a response to the low level of political involvement (as evidenced by the low voter turnout) in this part of the ward. While campaigning in 2001 I committed to working to educate people about the importance of political involvement. Using my office to organize this festival is one way I've tried to deliver on this commitment. Others are; participating in political caucus trainings (both partisan and non), visiting schools (both in the ward and citywide) to discuss government and politics with students, and participating in voter registration and GOTV efforts in low voter areas. My credo is, those who participate in their government find their needs best met. There is a focus on youth involvement and attendance at the Festival. The strategy here is to expose young people to political discourse and to build an expectation in these youth that politicians will pay attention to them and their communities. Pam Taylor writes: If your office is already paying for this event, why charge anyone an additional fee? RL: My office budget (which is no great shakes) contributes to the costs of the event, but as I explained in an earlier post to this list it does not cover the entire budget. We seek sponsorships from a number of sources. We have corporate sponsors like Allina and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Individuals contribute, too. Many festivals and events seek contributions and sponsors to cover costs (like MayDay and GLBT Pride). Also, many charge campaigns for space in parades and/or parks (like MayDay and GLBT Pride). Different levels of sponsorship bring different levels of benefit. I will ask my Assistant, Tiffany Green (now in her third year of doing an excellent job coordinating this event) to post to this list the schedule of sponsorships. PT: This being an election year, I want the budget for this event to be disclosed. RL: No sweat. I will ask Ms. Green to post the budget to this list. Three of the four years of the festival have been election years. PT: This leads me to ASSUME that candidates who do not pay are not allowed to speak at this forum RL: As in years past, any candidate for any office from any party that attends is given mic time. PT: Now with the bruhaha about campaigning in the parks...Do you have the right PERMITS FOR THAT? RL: Park staff have been involved in planning since the beginning. I expect them to inform us if we are out of compliance. This year does seem to have a new dynamic regarding campaigning in Minneapolis parks. As Fred Markus posted on this list recently re. this weekend's Pride festival: Loring Park will have score of people wearing buttons, t-shirts, funny hats, and the like,waving flags and offering campaign literature and persuasive campaign dialogues to the masses...Does this escalate into a matter of Kevlar vests, pepper spray, water cannon, rubber bullets, festive plexiglass shields on the horses of the mounted patrol? Let's hope not. PT: Mr Lilligren, please CLARIFY RL: I hope I have. The Festival will be Saturday, July 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Green Central Park at 34th St. and 4th Ave. PT: See you at the gathering! RL: I couldn't have said it better myself! Yours, Robert Lilligren Council Member Ward 8 Candidate Ward 6 Phillips West 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. 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 Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
