Re: Re-charging of ISAG cases - Response to Mr. Kushner
Mr. Kushner is right in general - Minneapolis Attorneys generally prosecute misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors. There are times, however, when these cases are turned over to other jurisdisctions like Hennepin County or Ramsey County, especially when there may be accusations of conflict of interest. Not having called the City myself, I went on the article's statements that the County would be prosecuting. As to the staffing issue, the City Attorney's Office has 105 FTE. Again, the small number of cases which this represents to the overall case load of the City would not substantially affect the workload. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: Jordan S. Kushner [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2000 11:48 PM Subject: Re: Re-charging of ISAG cases - Couple of facts a question Response to Ms. Becker: First off, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, not the City of Minneapolis Attorney's Office will be prosecuting these cases. Incorrect!!! (as usual Ms. Becker) The Minneapolis City Attorney's office IS prosecuting the ISAG protest cases referenced by Rosalind Nelson. Points of information - the City attorney's office prosecutes misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors with a very few exceptions (such as malicious punishment of a child), and the protesters are charged with misdemeanors. The County Attorney handles felony cases and charges involving juveniles. Second off, the County Attorney has 160 attorneys, and over 400 staff total and it is doubtful that these few cases would cause any overtime or other things sliding. The City Attorney's office has substantially fewer attorneys. There is one attorney (Assistant City Attorney Michael Hess) offiicially handling all the cases. I do not know how many staff and police are doing work on the prosecutions. It is obvious, however, that the hundreds of hours being spent on prosecuting political activists could otherwise be used for other purposes. (I do not know that the other ways that their time would be spent would necessarily be much better - eg discriminatory prosecution of people of color for minor offenses arising out of discriminatory arrests). Third off, this article does not provide any information as to why these cases are being brought back. There are good legal reasons that they could be brought back. Does anyone have information on why this is? The charges are being brought back on the basis of allegations that the accused persons participated in the ISAG demonstration. It is as simple as that. The city alleges that the demonstration was unlawful, and is therefore prosecuting people whom it believes participated. It is my admisttedly unobjective opinion that not only are there no good legal reasons for the proseuctions, but the prosecutions have the intention and effect of repressing free speech. I have yet to hear any refutation of this opinion. The other underlying motive for the prosecutions (and I feel comfortable stating it to be a fact) is the political pressure from the police department to pursue the cases based on reasoning that the fact of criminal charges somehow justifies all of the violence and money ($1.15 million) that they spent to repress 150 peaceful protesters. Carol Becker Longfellow Happy new year! Jordan Kushner Powderhorn - Original Message - From: Rosalind Nelson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2000 12:51 PM Subject: Re-charging of ISAG cases According to the Independent Media website (www.minneapolis.indymedia.org) the city is re-charging ISAG protesters whose cases had been dismissed in November (apparently the ones that were dropped by the judge because of "no probable cause"). So are they hoping for a different judge? Trying to make extra work for the protester's lawyers? It seems as though the City Attorney's office must have some responsibilities other than conducting a war of attrition with protest groups. So are they hiring extra staff, working lots of overtime, or letting their other normal duties slide? Rosalind Nelson Bancroft
Re: Re-charging of ISAG cases - Couple of facts a question
First off, the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, not the City of Minneapolis Attorney's Office will be prosecuting these cases. Second off, the County Attorney has 160 attorneys, and over 400 staff total and it is doubtful that these few cases would cause any overtime or other things sliding. Third off, this article does not provide any information as to why these cases are being brought back. There are good legal reasons that they could be brought back. Does anyone have information on why this is? Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: Rosalind Nelson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2000 12:51 PM Subject: Re-charging of ISAG cases According to the Independent Media website (www.minneapolis.indymedia.org) the city is re-charging ISAG protesters whose cases had been dismissed in November (apparently the ones that were dropped by the judge because of "no probable cause"). So are they hoping for a different judge? Trying to make extra work for the protester's lawyers? It seems as though the City Attorney's office must have some responsibilities other than conducting a war of attrition with protest groups. So are they hiring extra staff, working lots of overtime, or letting their other normal duties slide? Rosalind Nelson Bancroft
Re: Electric Car Shuttle System
Part of the answer lies in why people ride transit. There are two kinds of people who ride transit: people who have no other transit option (mainly the poor, disabled, and elderly) and those who are going to work. In the Twin Cities, 32% of riders have no other transit option and 81% of people are going to work. Also, 75% of persons riding transit are doing so during the rush hour. For the people going to work (the majority of riders), they usually are not making multiple stops. They are going from work to home or home to work. If they need to make multiple stops, they usually drive (70% of folksing taking transit have access to a car) or they use pool cars provided by their employer. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: Russell Wayne Peterson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2000 7:09 AM Subject: Electric Car Shuttle System I read the article RT forwarded about how in California people are taking the rail into the city to a point and then getting a car they've parked there to drive in the rest of the way. I've always wondered how an LRTsystem works where many people need to go to meetings at different sites. Our bus system really doesn't serve that very well and neither will LRT. I know that PRT would serve it, but since we haven't gone down that venue quite let, I've kind of put that aside in my thinking. Perhaps we need a system of cars that are available for people to move across town once they are at work: kind of a park and ride in reverse. You could take a bus or lrt to your work place and then once you get to work, let's assume downtown for now, you would have a place with rental electric cars that you could drive and shuttle yourself around to meetings if need be. We could use a card coded system to log miles and who uses the cars. It might get complicated, but could be worthwhile. Does anybody know of such a system in the world? Or does anybody have any thoughts on this kind of system working with LRT and a better bus system? Russ Peterson Ward 9 Standish R U S S E L L P E T E R S O N D E S I G N "You can only fly if you stretch your wings." Russell W. Peterson, RA, CID Founder 3857 23rd Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55407 612-724-2331 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Steve Sumner (home) Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2000 12:01 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Mr. Wellstone needs an k-12 education I've support publicly the referendum, and wrote an article that was published in the local newspaper stating such. The referendum brings that school budget under more local control, but the next step in this is to remove the same amount from the state funding. Regarding the numbers... Two things need to happen here : 1. Separate the ELL and Special Ed student numbers from overall test score numbers. This would be a more fair representation of comparison numbers. 2. The school administration needs to be serious about addressing the real issues that the standards report points out, instead of looking for excuses. There are real problems in the Minneapolis school system, and they won't get solved with excuses. Some of the issues aren't seen as much in other school districts. The cities generally face these issues more than the subs. The school system needs to address itself to how to deal with these issues instead of looking for excuses. Steve Sumner Ward 1
Re: Personal attack on Cherryhomes
I believe it is important to hold our elected officials to their word and to critique their activities. I do not believe it is necessary to talk about how their positions give you nausea or how you arn't able to hold down solid food after reading something they wrote. That is the part of Mr. Conally's post which is the personal attack and that is unnecessary. It sometimes seems that some folks believe that elected officials by virtue of their position don't even deserve basic respect. And when we treat elected officials like that, it allows us to depersonalize and dehumanize them, making them into some monolithic force instead of a group of folks, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, who are doing their best to better Minneapolis. All I'm asking for is that everyone treat everyone else with respect and decency. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: Russell Wayne Peterson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2000 10:25 PM Subject: RE: Attack on Cherryhomes due to affordable housing position There is nothing wrong with holding our elected officials to their word and to what is in print. We have a serious affordable housing crisis in our city and the current administration and council leadership has spent most of their time on corporate welfare instead of addressing basic issues such as higher paying jobs, affordable housing and basic street maintenance just to name a few. That is not a personal attack, it is illumination of the facts via citizen advocacy through direct experience or observation. And that debate is what this forum is all about. Perhaps if our leadership would start participating in forums such of this on a more regular basis, it might just make our democracy rise to a higher level; instead of a constant negative critique of their performance. Russ Peterson Ward 9 Standish R U S S E L L P E T E R S O N D E S I G N "You can only fly if you stretch your wings." Russell W. Peterson, RA, CID Founder 3857 23rd Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55407 612-724-2331 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Carol Becker Sent: Saturday, December 09, 2000 10:36 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Attack on Cherryhomes due to affordable housing position To quote Woodstock (from Peanuts) "Every time someone comes up with a good idea, someone else brings up the budget." The Niland affordable housing proposal would have cost as much as the City currently spends for the Fire Department, an amount of money it simply doesn't have. It was much more responsible to put together a program which is financially reasonable than to approve a program which was completely out of the City's ability to fund. It also would have made the issue of affordable housing a problem of the City of Minneapolis, rather than a problem of the whole region. Affordable housing has to be a regional issue with regional solutions and Minneapolis needs to respond but only as part of a much larger response. Carol Becker Longfellow PS - These personal attacks do not have a place in this forum. - Original Message - From: timothy connolly [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, December 08, 2000 7:58 AM Subject: cherryhomes announcement what gives? i thought i could look forward to comments about the city council president's candidacy for a fourth term. shocked, i'm shocked! my favorite part of the strib's story was the line " a big part of her personal decision was the North Side housing development and her work on afffordable housing." happily i had only imbibed juice and coffee and no solid food when i read that. what work on affordable housing was that to which she was referring? was that leading the council in a 7-5 vote against councilman jim niland's affordable housing resolution which came directly out of the work done by and recommendations from the mayor's task force on ah? or was it her leadership in passing a watered down affordable housing resolution that has resulted in only a 3% increase in housing for those most in need, those whose family income is less than 30% of MMI (median metropolitan income) and a 79% increase in housing for those at 80% (MMI)? i would have thought ms cherryhomes would have pointed to her work on making "the block formerly known as block e" a showcase of inner city redevelopment in which we all may take great pride. enough. my nausea has passed. momentarily. tim connolly ward 7 __ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. http://shopping.yahoo.com/
Re: Bassett Creek/The Jordan Aquifer The MPRB
The City of Minneapolis gets its drinking water soley from the Mississippi River. Minneapolis also sells about a quarter of its water to suburbs, including Golden Valley. The inlets for the system are in Fridley. St Paul gets its water from a combination of lakes in the northern suburbs and the Mississippi River. There has been under discussion a connection between the two systems so St Paul could feed water to Minneapolis in case of a river contamination or either system could feed the other if there was a cryptosporidium infestation or such but I lost track of this discussion several years ago. Perhaps someone from the City could give an update? The last I remember was that the interconnection would cost like $20 million so it had never been done. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2000 11:27 AM Subject: Re: Bassett Creek/The Jordan Aquifer The MPRB In a message dated 12/5/2000 12:38:23 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes in part, regarding the use of Jordan Aquifer groundwater for once-through cooling by General Mills before dumping into surface water of Basset Creek: The City of Golden Valley has entered the lawsuit on the side of General Mills as an intervener, and has filed an amicus brief in the lawsuit. Golden Valley does not happen to get its municipal water from the aquifer, but instead is hooked into the Mpls river water system. Don't the MN DNR and cities relying on the Mississippi River for potable municipal water supplies have a major interest, from a contingency planning perspective, on maintaining adequate, clean groundwater in event of a major supply disruption with Mississippi River water? After all, there are not only other waste treatment systems upstream along the river, but also several power plants, including the nuclear facilities in Montecello which use river water for cooling purposes. What would Minneapolis and Golden Valley do if the Mississippi were to incur significant contamination over an extended period? Just curious. M. Hohmann 13th Ward
Re: TIF Funding due to decertification/Response to Ms. Del Calzo
The figures of $360 million and $770 million came from the City Assessor who maintains a ten year projection. I didn't question him about how the projection was done, however. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: Russell Wayne Peterson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2000 7:27 PM Subject: RE: TIF Funding due to decertification/Response to Ms. Del Calzo Once again, I appreciate Carol's answering of our questions online. However, I am a little confused. Can Carol or someone tell me how our tax capacity can almost double from $360 million to $770 million in nine years? And my second question is how much of that decertified TIF money will be needed to pay off the NRP debt service and continue to fund NRP? And if there isn't enough, will we need more? Russ Peterson Standish Ward 9 R U S S E L L P E T E R S O N D E S I G N "You can only fly if you stretch your wings." Russell W. Peterson, RA, CID Founder 3857 23rd Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55407 612-724-2331 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Carol Becker Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2000 8:53 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: TIF Funding due to decertification/Response to Ms. Del Calzo Let's see if I can give an answer to the question Ms. Del Calzo asked about how much money will be coming in when those TIF districts are decertified. For people who don't speak property tax lingo, tax capacity is what we often refer to as the "tax base." This is a figure which is calculated using the estimated market value of property in the City adjusted for the type of property. Tax increment financing is when we take a portion of the tax base (the tax capacity) and segregate it so the revenues from those properties go into a special pool rather than the general tax base that we use to pay for schools, the county, and basic city services. For 2001, the city has $360 million in tax capacity. Of this, $55 million is in TIF districts, or about 15%. By 2010, it is projected that the tax base (tax capacity) will grow to $770 million. Currently approved projects will increase the amount in TIF districts to $71 million by 2004 (9% of tax capacity) and remain level, assuming no other TI projects are added. In the year 2009, TIF disticts start decertifying, which means that they will no longer put their money into their special pool but instead put their money into the general pool used to pay for schools, county services and city basic services. In 2009, the amount of tax capacity in tax increment districts will be decline from $71 million to $55 million in 2009 and $37 million in 2010. Assuming no districts are added, more and more districts will decertify until the full $71 million is returned to the general tax base. So what does all this gibberish mean in taxes? In 2010, about half of of this TI will decertify. So between 2008 and 2010, taxes could be reduced for the general pool about 4.5% or money for services could increase by 4.5%.As additional districts decertify, additional money would become available (assuming no more TIF projects are added) until the full $71 million is returned to the general tax pool, adding 9% overall to the tax base. I hope this answered the question. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 6:36 PM Subject: Library Funding in the out years I would like to thank Bob Gustafson for his insights on the financial matters related to the Library Board. In his last post he talked about a shortfall in the years 2008 and 2009 that the City has said they will help address. All at once it dawned on me that the policy makers are already gearing up to spend all the money that will be released when the TIF districts are paid off in that time frame. That is, of course, if someone doesn't get the bright idea to extend the life of those districts. Could someone out there, are you listening Carol Becker, tell us how much will be coming in when those districts are decertified? Jan Del Calzo Lynnhurst
Re: Library Funding in the out years
The short answer is lots, but I will get an exact number and get back to the list. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 6:36 PM Subject: Library Funding in the out years I would like to thank Bob Gustafson for his insights on the financial matters related to the Library Board. In his last post he talked about a shortfall in the years 2008 and 2009 that the City has said they will help address. All at once it dawned on me that the policy makers are already gearing up to spend all the money that will be released when the TIF districts are paid off in that time frame. That is, of course, if someone doesn't get the bright idea to extend the life of those districts. Could someone out there, are you listening Carol Becker, tell us how much will be coming in when those districts are decertified? Jan Del Calzo Lynnhurst
Re: Proposal to discuss police conduct/Park Police
Regarding Dean Zimmermann's post on why there is no discussion about the Park Police as part of the police brutality discussion. An alternate explanation could be that with 35 or so sworn officers patrolling and doing investigations for over 170 park properties, 24 hours per day/7 days a week, scattered over 54 square miles, (these numbers are coming from memory - my appologies if I'm a little off) it may be that the Park Police are so unable to adequately patrol these parks as to rarely be in any conflictual situations. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: Dean Zimmermann [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 4:52 PM Subject: RE: Proposal to discuss police conduct Rich McMartin sets out a wild and provocative suggestion that perhaps we should just abolish the police force in Minneapolis and see hat happens. When I first read it I was aghast, surely he must be kidding. But, then, really, is the alternative any better? On another subject: Every once in a while somebody suggests that the Park Police (which has a good, not perfect, but good reputation) should be abolished and their work be taken over by the Mpls Police (which has a, er, you know, a reputation), Is something backwards here? Sincerely, Dean Zimmermann Commissioner Mpls Park Board. Dist 3 [EMAIL PROTECTED] 612-722-8768 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Richard McMartin Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 1:32 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: Re: Proposal to discuss police conduct Perhaps we should just abolish the police force in Minneapolis and see what happens. -- Rich McMartin mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://tcfreenet.org/people/mcmartin/ Bryant Neighborhood of Minneapolis
Fw: Proposal to discuss police conduct - Reporting relationship of Police Chief and Mayor
From the Minneapolis City Charter, Chapter 6, Section 1 "Section 1 Powers of Mayor over Police--Chief. The mayor shall be vested with all the powers of said city connected with and incident to the establishment, maintenance, appointment, removal, discipline, control and supervision of its police force, subject to the limitations herein contained and the provisions of the civil service chapter of this Charter, and may make all needful rules and regulations for the efficiency and discipline, and promulgate and enforce general and special orders for the government of the same, and have the care and custody of all public property connected with the police department of the city. The executive committee shall, by and with the consent of a majority of all of the members of the city council, appoint for a term of three (3) years commencing January 2, 1980, some suitable person as chief of police, subject to removal upon the recommendation of the executive committee by a vote of a majority of all of the members of the city council. Such position shall be in the unclassified service." Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, November 23, 2000 9:11 PM Subject: Re: Proposal to discuss police conduct In a message dated 11/23/00 9:03:26 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: yes, it is definitely about time that we start challenging our out-of-control - or perhaps too-much-in-control police department. i think the FIVE KILLINGS IN THE PAST YEAR is a further manifestation of a police department that is not held accountable to our elected civilian government. It is a priori that police in Minneapolis are not held accountable to civilian government, given the absence of oversight by legislators. It stands to reason that a congress that allows the trundleing of the most basic human rights would do absolutely nothing against an armed agency. It is even more astounding that a beguiled public will continuously hold onto the reins of malfeasance, even in the face of arrogant disdain for the safety and welfare of citizens exhibited by public officials to date. It may be the case that more wide spread attention should be generated to awaken the sensibilities of the general populace: atrocities are not reserved to specific incidence and so we are all subject. Nor is this indignation limited to the police, even though their acts are the more lethal. An earlier post mentions redress of police conduct via city council. I submit that their intervention would be minimal in scope and affect, even if they were inclined to act. Such an initiative requires strong leadership at the state level to mandate accountability through legislative effort, and due process that holds police accountable for the loss of life in its functioning. Contrary to some beliefs, this does not undermine the ability of the police to protect the rights and lives of the citizenry; rather it sets the tone for police response. I've experienced the anxiety of facing an eneny under fire therefore I know that proper training and experience teaches one to be more aware of the response to a threat. So, when I hear the number of rounds expended in a subject, I know it to be a rookie facing action for the first time, or the calous response of an insensitive force "sending a message". Admittedly, police forces face a formidable foe: well armed, and seemingly disposed to dispersing the obstacle. In and of itself, that does not give license for "termination with extreme prejudice". Any command that allows such action is not fit to serve. Robert Anderson 8th Ward
Re: Fw: Proposal to discuss police conduct - What is the Executive Committee
In Minneapolis, there is no chief operating officer that all department heads report to - no "point" to the reporting pyramid as department heads report to different committees of the Council. In an attempt to pull together some of the personnel decisions into one place, the Executive Committee was established. The Code of Ordinances specifies its duties as follows: "Minneapolis Code of Ordinances CHAPTER 3. POWERS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS Section 4. Executive Committee. There is hereby established an executive committee consisting of the Mayor, the President of the City Council, and up to three additional members of the City Council to be chosen by the Council; provided, however, that not all of the members of the executive committee shall be of the same political party, unless the Mayor and all of the members of the City Council shall be members of the same political party. The executive committee shall establish its own rules and procedures. It shall be chaired by the Mayor. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Charter or special law to the contrary, the executive committee shall have the exclusive power to appoint and remove during their terms of office the Police Chief, Fire Chief, City Engineer, Commissioner of Health, City Attorney, City Assessor, City Coordinator, Civil Service Commissioner, and any officer in a department or agency who, by statute, Charter or ordinance, is appointed by the Mayor or City Council or by any public board the majority of whose members are members of the City Council. An appointment or removal shall be effective only upon approval by action of the City Council taken in compliance with the requirements of Chapter 2, section 2, and Chapter 3, section 1 of this Charter. When considering an appointment or removal the executive committee shall follow procedures prescribed by ordinance or resolution of the City Council which may include provision for participation by members and committees of the City Council, but in the case of an appointment such procedures may not impose a limitation on the candidates to be considered by the executive committee. All appointments by the executive committee shall be made from nominations submitted by the Mayor. If after three nominations or if within ninety days after a position becomes vacant, the Mayor has failed to gain an executive committee appointment and Council approval to fill the position, a majority of the executive committee may submit in writing to the Mayor a list of at least three qualified persons from which the Mayor shall nominate a person to fill the position. If that nomination fails of approval, the executive committee may submit a new list of three qualified persons and the Mayor shall again nominate from such list, and these steps shall be repeated until a nomination results in an appointment and in its approval by the Council. If the Mayor fails to nominate from a list within twenty days after receipt thereof, then a majority of the executive committee may appoint from such a list. A person holding an office or seat filled by appointment by the executive committee who has not been reappointed and approved by the City Council within six months after expiration of his or her term shall vacate the office or seat and shall remain vacant until a new appointment is made and confirmed. The executive committee may designate someone to fill the vacated office on a temporary basis for a period not to exceed ninety days. The executive committee may suspend without pay any officer appointed by it in the unclassified service for a period not to exceed five (5) working days at one time, and for longer periods with the approval of the City Council. Further duties of the executive committee shall be only as prescribed by ordinance or resolution of the City Council." - Original Message - From: Jenny Heiser [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 8:15 AM Subject: Re: Fw: Proposal to discuss police conduct - Reporting relationship of Police Chief and Mayor Carol Becker wrote: From the Minneapolis City Charter, Chapter 6, Section 1 The executive committee shall, by and with the consent of a majority of all of the members of the city council, ... Carol, or any other list members: Please help me out with some information about just what the "executive committee" is and who sits on that committee. Thank you. Jenny Heiser East Phillips Ward 6, Prec. 8
Re: Finance Director
Mr. Woods - In some ways we are in heated agreement. I am all for citizens being involved in public debate. I have worked for that. I have supported that. I believe it in it. But it is a two way street. If citizens want to be involved in debate, they also have a responsibility to become educated on the issues. This discussion has been rife with out and out fallacies about the role of a consulting financial advisor, about the role of the Finance Officer at the City of Minneapolis, and about the processes used to hire department heads at the City of Minneapolis. Citizens who want to criticize process need to hold up their end of the deal and educate themselves before making unfounded statements. That is the social contract that we all hold to as citizens. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: Robert Wood [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2000 11:48 AM Subject: Re: Finance Director 2) What purpose would it serve? Monday-morning quarterbacking by people who didn't sit through the interviews, didn't review the qualifications of the individuals, and who don't know the duties of the job? So what if the guy, in his 19 years of public finance work, worked on some stadiums. I bet there isn't a single credible candidate who wouldn't have something in their background that someone would object to. The question is whether the person has the skills to do the job. And Kathy O'Brien is the most capable administrator I have met in my entire career in public service. And I have met a lot. I feel a need to respond to this. Like Mr. Connolly, I feel a deep cynicism about the way that the city government functions. I also am unhappy about the fact that various levels of government keep on trying to shove another stadium down the throats of the citizens of Minneapolis and in general try to construct it as a place of pleasure for non-residents. But more significantly, I'm a little disturbed by some of the implications of Mrs. Becker's positions. There may be a legitimate position to say that Mr. Born is a decent fellow and that Kathy O'Brien is a very good administrator. One can even say that the critiques are wrong... perhaps they are. But there seems to be something going beyond that in the language concerning 'monday morning quarterbacks' et al. that seems to be saying that the critics should be minding our own business and letting the administrators run things. I have to disagree with that. We have the right and duty to criticize those making decisions for us because we are citizens (I apologise for the self-aggrandizing, civics lesson feel of this statement.) and we (at least should) live in a city that decisions are made on a basis that we are the ultimate arbiters of those decisions. To put it bluntly, Minneapolis should be a city made up of its citizens not its administrators. In the years of activism, I've been repeatedly told that I can't have an opinion in any number of subjects on the premise that I am not an 'expert' on the subject. Who precisely are these 'expert' guardians who act without interests except those that are of the general good that are not to be questioned? I think it is perfectly reasonable to be suspicious of a council that has repeatedly tried to sell different versions of a stadium to a hostile public. I also think it is perfectly reasonable to be suspicious of the fact that they hired an individual for Finance Officer that is highly involved in stadium politics. Perhaps these issues will play out to naught, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a reason to be wary. Robert Wood a somewhat rambling anti-authoritarian marxist/ green party member St. Paul resident who works at and attends the university of minnesota
Re: new finance director - Attack on new Finance Director
I hate to tell you guys but first off, no finance officer "brokers" political deals like the ones that you are talking about. No consultants broker those kind of deals either. Politicians broker those kind of deals. No staff person would get within a mile of the kind of heavy politics it would take to put together a deal like that. Second off, how many people on this list have been asked to work on things at their jobs that they didn't personally believe in but had to because it was there job? In finance, you work on a lot of deals and frankly at a base level they are all the same. Money is money whether you are selling bonds for libraries, stadiums, convention centers, street construction, schools. It is all pretty much the same on the finance end as far as selling bonds. Third, to insinuate that some hired gun was brought in to just do this one deal is pretty demeaning for the person who was hired. A finance director deals with a whole bunch of very not sexy things - CAFR preparation, state auditors, cash flow management, CIP development, etc, etc, etc. To insinuate that this guy was brought in because of one deal is just simply inaccurate and demeaning to someone who needs a plethora of skills to do this job. Fourth, if this is the Pat Born who worked on the Convention Center, I can attest that he was a really good smart guy who will be an asset to the City. I also believe that he is a resident to boot. I am looking forward to good things from him if he is the Pat Born I remember. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, November 20, 2000 2:06 PM Subject: Re: new finance director Actually Ann, I was talking about the Pat Born that St. Paul hired in 1999 to help try and negotiate a deal with the MN twins for a publicly funded stadium. I was talking about the Pat Born who worked with Milwaukee on the publicly funded, Miller Park and the Pat Born who worked with St. Louis on the publicly funded football stadium. wade russell longfellow
Re: parking meters/ramps/buses
There is a system to this. On-street parking is geared to short-term parking needs. For people stopping in, staying for a short time. That is why you see no meters in the core that are more than two hours. Also, parking at a meter long-term will always be more expensive than parking in a ramp to provide an incentive to ensure that spot turns over to the next short-term parker who needs it instead of having a premium spot tied up all day. There are two basic kinds of ramps in the downtown: shopping/entertainment and commuter ramps. The shopping/entertainment ramps are in the very center of the core and function alot like parking meters. They are affordable for a couple of hours but get very expensive if you stay all day. An example is the Dayton's Ramp. Then there are commuter ramps, which are further out of the core and which are geared to people parking all day. Usually these have one rate for all day rather than an hourly rate. These are mostly for people who work downtown and commute by car. An example is the Gateway Ramp. Minneapolis has the largest municipally owned parking ramp system in the country. These commuter ramps have been citied consistently as one of the keys in having a thriving downtown. Regarding transit. Transit has two basic types of riders: those who are getting to work (which are about 75% of riders) and those people who do not have any other transportation option (about 25% of riders - who are mainly the poor, the disabled, and the elderly). As congestion becoming an increasing problem as the region grows and the number of highways don't, more and more people are turning to transit to get to work. Ridership is up 22% over the last four yers. In downtown Minneapolis, there are some companies where 60% of employees commute to work. Transit is a very good solution for employees getting to work in the downtown. They do not compete with parking meters though as that is a different type of trip usually. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: John Rocker [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, November 17, 2000 12:53 PM Subject: Re: parking meters What struck me about the Strib article was Lisa Goodman's comment that increasing rates could encourage more people to use ramps and thereby alleviate the congested downtown streets. To me, that flies in the face of creating a more livable downtown. In my uninformed opinion, raising the rates is fine, but we should be dramatically increasing the number of on-street parking spaces in the core of downtown to make quick stops easier, provide some life on the streets and buffer the pedestrians from traffic. If congestion is a problem during rush hour, limit the parking to non rush hours and heavily ticket the cars that haven't been moved. (This works well in Washington DC.) During non rush hours, all I see are wide open streets and No Parking signs. John Rocker JCR Realty Advisors/ National Survey Systems 3211 Fremont Avenue South Minneapolis MN 55408
Re: Viking?! The Poodle?
I would also add the Uber-dive, the Poodle Club to the list. Where else can you get a steak and two beers for under $10? Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 11:57 AM Subject: Re: Viking?! I'd go for the Viking too. I think it meets or exceeds the requisite Seediness Standard and besides, think of the zingy discourse that could ensue when participants consider the (uninsured) Dania Hall ruins just across the way! I vote for the Viking! Ann Berget Kingfield 10-10
Re: [Fwd: DFL Delegate letter] - how to dehumanize other people
The fastest way to dehumanize someone else is to call them a name. Hats off to everyone who has wrote in saying this kind of stuff does not belong on this list. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2000 5:17 PM Subject: Re: [Fwd: DFL Delegate letter] Friends, I missed the "neo-nazi" remark. Actually I'm glad I don't know who stooped to make such an unfounded and sensational comment. Such a slur has no place on this list. It's ironic that such writers often wrap themselves in the flag of political correctness and then descend in record time to new depths of degraded rant. This is the kind of flagrant and opportunistic incivility that drives decent people away from res publica. Please stop. Ann Berget KingField 10-10
Re: Paying for the Library/Regional facilities but Minneapolis pays
I believe that county-wide support for a regional facility like the Central Library is not enough. I believe that we need a region-wide way of addressing and paying for items of regional significance. I also believe the State should pay for things of State significance. The problem is when it comes to crunch time, the Legislature bails, leaving the City to make something happen. And we have a narrowly-defined regional governance structure and because of this, we don't even think of having a regional government address these types of issues. Case in point, the Minneapolis Convention Center. A facility that gives business from around the State the ability to showcase and sell their goods on the national and international market. Clearly a state benefit. The discussion of having a national-level convention center was started by the State. Then the State refused to pay for it, pushing the cost off to Minneapolis. Minneapolis stepped up to the plate and made it happen. The result? A great facility important to the State and City economy. But when we talk about the debt load of Minneapolis, the biggest portion of that debt is the Convention Center. Other examples? The Minneapolis Institute of Arts (the most unknown property tax in the City). The Target Center and the Metrodome (food and liquor taxes used for the Metrodome for several years and pledged to the Target Center if needed). The Chain of Lakes and the other regional parks. (paid almost virtually all by your tax dollars). Etc. I support a City tax for funding the Library because I believe it is the only way of getting the job done. Over the long-term though, the two questions in my mind are 1) how do we engage the Legislature to take responsibility for things of State significance which are owned by other levels of government and 2) how do we fund things of regional significance without a regional source of funds and a narrowly defined regional government. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: Steve Minn [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, November 11, 2000 7:53 AM Subject: Paying for the Library Tim Bonham misses the point, and frankly, so did most Minneapolis voters. I'm very much a believer in central cities as cultural and destination engines of a region. That's why I supported LRT. BUTMinneapolis has a shrinking percentage of tax base relative to the growth of the region,and Minneapolis has a increasing proportion of local debt relative to local tax base growth - primarily due to a high level of TIF. Minneapolis used to always be a net contributor to Fiscal Disparities. Now, many suburbs are net contributors, and Minneapolis occasionally a net recipient. As C/I and Apartment tax rates continue to get relief from the legislature, and new projects downtown get disproportionate TIF relative to private investment, the debt and tax burden of the city gets shifted to a smaller and smaller number of taxpayers...i.e.: Mr. Bonham's house. Hey...pay for it...thank you.but I'm still an urbanite at heart, and I think Minneapolis SHOULD have demanded county-wide support for this institution, and denied resource sharing unless they got it! Steve Minn Minneapolis-deprived -- From: Tim Bonham [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Paying for the Library Date: Fri, Nov 10, 2000, 6:49 PM Date: Thu, 09 Nov 2000 17:18:59 -0600 From: "Steve Minn" [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: "Beem, Katy" [EMAIL PROTECTED], Subject: Paying for the Library ...You have made my point...Non Minneapolitans will use it, and not pay for it! You know, Steve, I think some of those Non-Minneapolitans also drive on our streets or swim in our lakes or play softball in our parks, all without paying for it! Gee, do ya think maybe we should set up tollbooth checkpoints at the borders of the city? Or maybe just accept this as one of the prices to pay for living in the big city the economic heart of the state? If we want to get into all the myriad of ways in which the city residents/taxpayers subsidize suburban/rural areas, that's a whole new ( lengthy) discussion. Tim Bonham Longfellow Neighborhood
Re: Paying for the Library - Response to Mr. Minn
Where would the 2.5 million books go if there wasn't a central library? Regardless of who manages the system, there needs to be a new building to house this collection. What would be really great would be if someone who knew someone over at the state could maybe find some money to fund a portion of the new library. Even though the votors approved $110 million in bonds, I'm sure the City would greatfully sell less bonds if someone were able to do this. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: Steve Minn [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2000 3:15 PM Subject: Paying for the Library Dear Katy, and all the kind voters of Minneapolis who voted for the privilege of a duplicative, redundant and unnecessary stand-alone downtown library, unattached to the County system, and unpaid for by the regional and business users who are not in Minneapolis...You have made my point...Non Minneapolitans will use it, and not pay for it! -- From: "Beem, Katy" [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" [EMAIL PROTECTED], Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Paying for the Library Date: Thu, Nov 9, 2000, 3:50 PM Quoting Steve Minn who is "Glad he doesn't have to pay for the Library." Perhaps the 67% of Minneapolis residents who voted yes to support a well-deserved and greatly-needed new library, and possibly Steve Minn himself, will be more than glad to USE the Library. Katy Beem The Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library proud to support the library and grateful to Minneapolis voters As an experienced observer of Committee process during budget hearings, I can assure you that this phase of the budget process is not only dry, but extremely tedious. It would not make for interesting television. For the most part, staff give generic overviews and answer specific questions from CM's in attendance, which varies by subject matter and topic. It is mostly an instructive process, not deliberative. The far more interesting part of the process that would be of value to outside observers, is the actual budget mark-up that occurs in December. CM's are prone to explaining votes as they do in Council Meetings, and televised coverage would probably compel a lot of hand wringing, if motions and amendments to alter the budget were put forward. Steve Minn Glad he doesn't have to pay for the Library. -- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Budget Hearings Date: Thu, Nov 9, 2000, 2:54 PM I understand the City Council Budget Hearings will not be televised on cable television. I urge list members to call their City Council member and request that the hearings be televised during the later half of this month. CM Lane suggests, "The best information I have is that the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, Joan Campbell, has elected not to do so. I am not privy to the basis for this decision." Call Joan Cambell at 673-2202, others are below. Ward 1, Paul Ostrow (612) 673-2201 Ward 2, Joan Campbell(612) 673-2202 Ward 3, Joe Biernat (612) 673-2203 Ward 4, Barbara Johnson (612) 673-2204 Ward 5, Jackie Cherryhomes (612) 673-2205 Ward 6, Jim Niland (612) 673-2206 Ward 7, Lisa Goodman (612) 673-2207 Ward 8, Brian Herron (612) 673-2208 Ward 9, Kathy Thurber(612) 673-2209 Ward 10, Lisa McDonald(612) 673-2210 Ward 11, S. Doré Mead (612) 673-2211 Ward 12, Sandy Colvin Roy (612) 673-2212 Ward 13, Barret Lane (612) 673-2213 M. Hohmann 13th Ward
Re: staff reply to Meadowbrook dialogue
The report I was citing *was* from 10 years ago. Wow - time flies when you are wonk. Let's see if we can tease this out. The golf courses, refectories, the parade tennis complex, the ice arenas, boat docks and such contribute $1 million to the Park Board General Fund. From this money, the costs of paying for providing services like accounting, human resources, and the Park Board itself. In 1990, this cost was $300,000. Assume over 10 years, this inflated to about $450,000. So half of this money is going to overhead costs that should be borne by the income-generating activities. The balance of these funds, say $500,000 for ease of math, is going to the general fund for general activities like programs for kids and maintaining parks. Now if this all was earned on from Meadowbrook alone, an asset with a value of $20 million, this would be a rate of return of 2.5%. But this $500,000 is being earned from six golf courses, five concession stands, the tennis bubble, the boat dock rental, etc. Given the public investment that exists in these renvenue-producing facilities, the $500,000 which is going to the Park Board general fund is a pittance. If we sold only Meadowbrook, and put the money in a trust earning a concervative rate of interest, say 6%, you could get $1.2 million a year for kids and parks. For an asset which is outside of our city limits and benefits few residents, this sounds like a good idea to explore. As to Meadowbrook making a $350,000 profit and the golf courses making $1 million for capital improvements, this gets mostly plowed right back into capital improvements for golf courses. That isn't money for kids or parks in Minneapolis. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: Annie Young [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, November 05, 2000 9:36 AM Subject: staff reply to Meadowbrook dialogue From: "Siggelkow, Donald E." [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: "Young, Annie" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: Meadowbrook Date: Sun, 5 Nov 2000 08:18:40 -0600 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Carol reviewed this over 10 years ago and she is wrong. Meadowbrook nets about $350,000 annually and along with all the other courses contributes $1,000,000 a year to the Park Board General Fund and to debt service for youth athletic facilities. The golf courses also fund $1,000,000 in annual capital improvements for the enterprise system. Annie Young Ward 6 - East Phillips Citywide at-large Park Board Commissioner Working to build a sustainable community
Re: Boards - creeping-fascist tactics
For everyone who does not know about it, the Minneapolis Police Department holds a citizen's academy where citizens can learn more about how the police department works, how officer's are trained, and what police work it like. I would encourage anyone who has questions or issues with the Police Department to take the time to go through this facinating experience. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: David Shove [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2000 10:01 PM Subject: Re: Boards. And, given the militaristic creeping-fascist tactics of the Mpls police under Belton re Highway 55, Mayday, ISAG, etc, why should we want to replace the Park Police with law-breakers in official dress? Now, if we could replace Mpls "finest" (joke) with Park Police, that might be quite an improvement! (Unless of course more experienced observers prove that the Park Police are even worse the the Mpls cops - hard to do, but one should never underestimate those who are being all that they can be). --David Shove On Thu, 2 Nov 2000, Clark C. Griffith wrote: It appears to me that one of the great strengths of our city is the balance of power that exists. If the Park Board were to be merged into the City Council, there would be no parks after the first decade. Remember the Parade/Guthrie fiasco of a year ago. The city council leadership had agreed to give the Parade grounds park to the Guthrie. It was the independent Park Board and independent members of the council, who saved that park for us. Let us continue with our balanced system. The idea to merge the Park and Library Boards with the City Council is simply absurd. Clark Griffith, 7th Ward,
Re: where's a good watchdog when we need one......
We had an event to publicize the need to replace the downtown library. We hired a company to put up some posters on the event. Unbeknown to us, they posted some of them in illegal locations. The next morning, I had a call from a police officer (8:00 am, by the way - great work by the MPD) letting me know that they had done this. We called the company and they were to have taken all of them down. If I can get the location, I will make sure that it comes down as they may have missed one or two. Carol Becker Longfellow. - Original Message - From: timothy connolly [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2000 1:51 PM Subject: where's a good watchdog when we need one.. walking along marquette between 7th and 8th streets on the east side, i happened to notice library referendum posters(vote yes! for books) attached to streetlight standards. paid for by friends of the library, carol becker, treasurer. go get her, lisa. sorry! couldn't resist. i am no trappist monk. i sure hope somebody else in this city reads the pipress and got that joke. thanks to brian lambert for that reference to ralph! Tim connolly ward7 __ Do You Yahoo!? From homework help to love advice, Yahoo! Experts has your answer. http://experts.yahoo.com/
Re: homesteading - has been changed
The Legislature changed the property tax classification rates such that
rental property and homesteaded property are now taxed at the same tax
classification rates. (that means the same amounts regardless of rental or
homesteaded classification) I can't speak to the issue of cabin owners as
there are no cabins in Minneapolis.
Carol Becker
Longfellow
- Original Message -
From: Richard Chandler [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2000 2:23 PM
Subject: "homesteading"
This homesteading bit on our property taxes is a machiavellian plot
between
the cities and the rural counties to plump the revenues from renters and
cabin owners. Apparently the office holders feel pretty safe about
this.
The renters in the cities pay their property taxes indirectly and never
see
the bill. Even if they are aware the places they live in are taxed at a
higher rate they may not vote anyway. The cabin owners are probably
aware
they are being taxed at a higher rate than their neighbors as they do
see
the bill, but they usually don't live in the county their cabin is in
and
can't vote for against anything where their cabins are.
I'd like to see this stripped out when the legislature looks at property
taxes with the legislature next year. Similar properties should be
taxed
at
the same rate regardless of who lives there and how often.
Rich Chandler - Ward 9
-Original Message-
From: craig miller
Note the following facts.
1. If a $200,000 4 - plex non-homestead sits across the street from
my
house (valued @ $200, 00 ) we can observe that the 4 plex will pay
about
$6,000 in property taxes. The homesteaded house will pay about $2,200
in
prop taxes.
This is to add to what was posted by Colin Hamilton in reply to Tim
Bonham's post ("the tax bite from referendums like this is entirely on
the
residents; business property is completely exempt from these
additional
taxes.") This is not true. Commercial property owners will, in fact,
pay
increased property taxes if the referendum passes. The tax levy is
based
on market value. For every $100,000 of market value (either commercial
or
residential property), owners will pay $56.71 annually in years 5-25
for
the Library Referendum.
Commercial property owners pay more than half of the property taxes
collected in the City of Minneapolis. Based on 2000 Property Tax
dollars,
the proportion is as follows:
Commercial other property = 54.5%
Single family, homesteaded = 27.3%
Apartments (non-homesteaded) = 12%
Multi-unit, homesteaded (e.g. duplex or fourplex, owner occupied) =
2.2%
Multi-unit, non-homesteaded = 2.2%
Single family, non-homesteaded = 1.8%
Re: homesteading - has been changed - correction
I misspoke slightly regarding the disparity of "homesteaded" property.
Rental property with less than four units is taxed at the same tax capacity
rate as a homesteaded property: 1% for the first $76,000 in value and 1.65%
above that. For buildings of more than four units, the tax capacity rate is
2.4%. (This is the amount that each property "puts into" the property tax
base.)
Carol Becker
Longfellow
- Original Message -
From: Carol Becker [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2000 5:58 PM
Subject: Re: "homesteading" - has been changed
The Legislature changed the property tax classification rates such that
rental property and homesteaded property are now taxed at the same tax
classification rates. (that means the same amounts regardless of rental
or
homesteaded classification) I can't speak to the issue of cabin owners
as
there are no cabins in Minneapolis.
Carol Becker
Longfellow
- Original Message -
From: Richard Chandler [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2000 2:23 PM
Subject: "homesteading"
This homesteading bit on our property taxes is a machiavellian plot
between
the cities and the rural counties to plump the revenues from renters
and
cabin owners. Apparently the office holders feel pretty safe about
this.
The renters in the cities pay their property taxes indirectly and
never
see
the bill. Even if they are aware the places they live in are taxed at
a
higher rate they may not vote anyway. The cabin owners are probably
aware
they are being taxed at a higher rate than their neighbors as they do
see
the bill, but they usually don't live in the county their cabin is in
and
can't vote for against anything where their cabins are.
I'd like to see this stripped out when the legislature looks at
property
taxes with the legislature next year. Similar properties should be
taxed
at
the same rate regardless of who lives there and how often.
Rich Chandler - Ward 9
-Original Message-
From: craig miller
Note the following facts.
1. If a $200,000 4 - plex non-homestead sits across the street
from
my
house (valued @ $200, 00 ) we can observe that the 4 plex will pay
about
$6,000 in property taxes. The homesteaded house will pay about
$2,200
in
prop taxes.
This is to add to what was posted by Colin Hamilton in reply to Tim
Bonham's post ("the tax bite from referendums like this is entirely
on
the
residents; business property is completely exempt from these
additional
taxes.") This is not true. Commercial property owners will, in fact,
pay
increased property taxes if the referendum passes. The tax levy is
based
on market value. For every $100,000 of market value (either
commercial
or
residential property), owners will pay $56.71 annually in years 5-25
for
the Library Referendum.
Commercial property owners pay more than half of the property taxes
collected in the City of Minneapolis. Based on 2000 Property Tax
dollars,
the proportion is as follows:
Commercial other property = 54.5%
Single family, homesteaded = 27.3%
Apartments (non-homesteaded) = 12%
Multi-unit, homesteaded (e.g. duplex or fourplex, owner occupied) =
2.2%
Multi-unit, non-homesteaded = 2.2%
Single family, non-homesteaded = 1.8%
Re: DIVESTMENT PASSES in MPLS (fwd) - Burma
From my memory, the City of Minneapolis does not invest in stocks. The City invests cash on hand. How it can invest this money is strictly outlined by the State. Playing the stock market is not on the approved list of investments. And given the US's sizable trade with Burma, I can say with a lot of certainty, that the City probably has never it its history spent any appreciable amount of money on goods from Burma. So the actual effect of this resolution is nil. And meanwhile, time that could have been spent on real issues like the budget or improving the criminal justice system or taxes, were spent on an issue which the City of Minneapolis has no impact on whatsoever. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: David Shove [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, October 13, 2000 7:19 PM Subject: DIVESTMENT PASSES in MPLS (fwd) Congratulations to the Mpls City Council! Three cheers! See forward, below... -- Forwarded message -- Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 12:43:38 -0500 From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: DIVESTMENT PASSES in MPLS For Immediate Release Contact: Mick Schommer, 612-874-7899 Minneapolis City Council Approves Human Rights Policy on Burma City to Sell-Off Stocks in Corporations Financing Burma's Military Regime, Adopt Ethical Standards on Burma-related Investments Minneapolis, MN (Friday, Oct. 13, 2000)-The City Council of Minneapolis voted 8-5 today on a human rights initiative that directs the city to sell off--or "divest"--its stocks and avoid future investments in companies that do business in Burma. Burma is controlled by brutal military regime with an abysmal human rights record, including forced labor of millions, rape, torture, mass killings, and opium/heroin trafficking. The divestment is authored by Council Member Jim Niland (Ward 6) and sponsored by the Free Burma Coalition. At today's meeting, Council members Herron, Mead, Campbell, and Council President Cherryhomes asked to be listed as co-authors. The Burma Divestment Resolution registers the city's outrage of the military dictatorship's abuses and the multi-national corporations that finance the regime to take advantaged of a slave-labor force and exploit the natural resources. "If we do nothing, we are sending a message that the city should profit from the atrocities in Burma," said Niland. The Council passed a similar "Selective Purchasing Resolution" a few months ago that would have prevented the city from buying products or accepting contract bids from companies involved in Burma. However, Mayor Sharon Sayles-Belton vetoed the measure in a move that surprised many Councilors and upset many community advocates. Council Member Ostrow, who had earlier voted against the purchasing resolution, changed his mind on the divestment issue. He said the new resolution satisfied his previous legal concerns and was building upon the city's history of adopting ethical parameters in its investment choices. Following this argument, the Mayor has also agreed to sign the Burma Divestment Resolution. . "This resolution is the final leg in a long journey to get the Minneapolis to take responsibility for how it uses public money and to stop the killing of my people," said Aung Koe, a Burmese activist. The success in Minneapolis bolsters the human rights movement for Burma after a Supreme Court decision this summer striking down a related measure in the State of Massachusetts, which cast a shadow over other Burma initiatives. Minneapolis now sends a strong message to local governments that they have the legal authority-and obligation-to exercise good judgment in dealing with corporate-sponsored abuses. "This is the least the city could do to keep its own hands clean from the bloodshed in Burma," remarked Patti Hurd, a county social worker and Free Burma Coalition volunteer. _ Mick Schommer FREE BURMA COALITION - Minnesota 2549 Harriet Avenue South #2 Minneapolis, MN 55405 phone: 612-874-7899 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web: www.FreeBurmaCoalition.org -- fwd by David Shove
Re: Many Rivers
Could you name some names here? Who are the "creators of LRT and its proposed TOD communities"? How are they affecting this process? What reasons are they giving for their actions and in what forums did they do this in? Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: Annie Young [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2000 1:35 AM Subject: Many Rivers The word on the street here in Phillips is the main reason Many Rivers is having problems is due to the concern by creators of LRT and its proposed TOD communities that they don't really want large families, especially those of color living near these new fancy stations. What's even more "crazy" is that in East Phillips, just a stone's throw down the street from Many Rivers, there are plans to rehab and build 4 and 5 bedroom places for our large hispanic and somalian families. Are they going to tell us "no" to those also. With two LRT stops on the eastern border of Phillips there will be the pull to do the mixed use Hollman decree type developments. our question - how will those new urban villages meet the needs of the residents who already live here in the old urban village? And as far as knowing the answers about density and LRT - since the impacts will not be significantly noticeable for the first few years (5-7) but by years 30 - 50 years out seems to be what all this urban planners are saying... then this is a lot of blind faith being put into the marketing numbers put out for the needs of the LRT to work over that period of time. I ramble - but it will be interesting to know the real reasons about Many Rivers - anybody want to bet on this being an ideal environmental, economic or social justice battle. Annie Young Annie Young In 1919 (80 years ago) it was written. The rich are still lining their pockets at the expense of the poor. And in 2019 what will they write??? The rich are still lining their pockets at the expense of the poor.
Re: Minnikahda Tax Bill - Meadowbrook Golf Course
Regarding the Meadowbrook Golf Course history and the Park Board. I believe the Park Board was trying to add golf courses in the 1920's and 1930's (I don't have Theodore Wirth's book in front of me and am doing this from memory). They wanted another golf course on the south side, after having added Hiawatha. There were no more large farms to buy within the City limits as the City was starting to get built out by this time. The Board found this farm three miles outside the city limits. The City Charter gives the Park Board the authority to buy land "adjacent" to the City limits, which was necessary as much of Wirth Park and Gross Golf course are not in the City Limits. The Park Board bought the land for a golf course. This purchase was challenged in court (1936 I believe) and there is now a footnote in the Charter stating that "adjacent" is defined within 3 miles of the City Limits. Don Fraser brought up the question of selling the thing off. The land value is about $20 million. No money net is made off the golf courses (i.e. no money comes back to the taxpayers for ownership of this asset) and very few Minneapolis residents use the course. If we sold it for development and put the money in the bank, we could essentially set up a $20 million foundation for the Park Board which could be used for whatever purpose was desired. Carol Becker Longfellow - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Multiple recipients of list [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 5:41 AM Subject: Re: Minnikahda Tax Bill A little history - the Minnikahda Club was there before the Minneapolis Park System. There was a lot of class warfare involved in carving off the lake frontage for public use one hundred years ago. As part of the deal, the Club still gets to pump water out of Lake Calhoun to water its golf course. Wonder if we could condemn the property for the same price that they have accepted for so long as the taxable property value? Doubt it. As it is, the place is fenced off green space providing maybe 100 people a golfing outing on any given day. Maybe another 750 or so rest comfortably in the knowledge that those lovely links are reserved just for them . . . and the kids who sneak in through the breaks in the fence every now and then. As long as we're talking about maybe condemning and taking over the Minnikahda Club for public use, maybe we could bring up the topic of Meadowbrook Golf Course. Located in St. Louis Park, west of Hwy 100 and across Excelsior Blvd from Methodist Hospital, it is owned by the City of Minneapolis. I've never quite been able to figure out the deal. Maybe there were a bunch of senior Minneapolis gov't employees who were living in St. Louis Park back in the '50s, looking forward to their retirement activities, seeing the logic of having a city-owned park near their homes? Or was it just one more example of how the suburbs colonize and parasitize the central City? Anyone else ever notice that the "Hennepin County Park System" was bought and paid for by Minneapolis as the major taxpayer before it got changed into the "Hennepin County Suburban Park System"? At the time, there was no buy out, and part of the impetus was supposed to be the idea that the suburbs might "take over" the Minneapolis Park System, and lordie lordie, we didn't want that to happen . . . So, just like with the Metrodome vs. Met Stadium locations, we traded off the truly desirable land for something no one else wanted anyway. Golly, we sure have had a bunch of shrewd operators on our city council over the years. As if 75% of the arrests in the Minneapolis Park System aren't still suburban kids. And we keep providing this wonderful park system for all our neighbors while they disconnect and hide their systems from us. Now if only we couldn't figure out a way to arrest people for economic crimes that are so much more egregious than smoking a little dried up weed. Say - - you don't suppose that might be part of a continuing pattern where the rich and powerful criminalize the lower classes, do you? Why, that could even lead to the upper classes ridiculing some poor backwoods kid raised by just one parent who has the gall to beat a favored oil-rich Connecticut Texan for his personal habits - while foisting some ne'er-do-well coke-snorting wastrel rich kid on the rest of us . . . Dave Porter SW Mpls YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.
Re: City Budget -- Response to Council Member Lane
I have done a number of governmental budgets and one thing I can say is that they are never balanced with rhetoric. It is easy to say that you want "world class services" and at the same time say you want to "turn off the money tap." (both quotes from your post) These are things we all want. There is nothing more telling about a politician then where they allocate dollars and staff. I personnally believe it is the hardest thing a politician can do. I challenge you to put out a budget, a real balanced budget that meets the criteria that you have set in this post. In this post, you make many inuendos about inadequacies of Mayor Belton's budget. You allege that she has not been doing an adequate job planning for the City's budget. You allege that she has been selling out our future by pushing off costs. You allege that she has not been creating a vision for the budget. Nothing could be more from the truth. When the Mayor did her first budget in 1994, she inherited a budget that had been facing substantial declines in revenue. Overbuilding in the downtown and the economic downturn in 1991 and 1992 substantially reduced property tax revenues coming to the City. Over the next several years, revenues slowly increased, almost reaching the pre-recession levels. Then the Legislature began giving tax breaks to high value homes, to commercial/industrial property, to rental property. Again, a downturn in revenues to the City. So through most of her tenure, she has had to contend with cut-back budgets. How idd the Mayor respond? She created a process to systematically evaluate services and to find savings. What were some of the savings? The city studied its fleet services which provides cop cars and fire trucks and dump trucks and snow plows. It found that the fleet was too old and costing us too much and if it modernized the fleet and replaced the 65 year old garage with something more efficient, it could lay off one-third of the mechanics and pay for both the fleet modernization and the garage and save several million per year. It closed its dental and health clinics and contracted with providers in the neighborhoods, serving more people better at a cheaper cost. It merged our WIC services with the County's to reduce overhead costs. It had staffed street maintenance and snow plowing with a complex union contract that people worked 7 months a year and got paid for 11. The Mayor herself sat down with the union leadership and got a new contract and now these people work 12 months a year and get paid for 12 months of work. It improved our risk mananagement and saved $500,000 a year. It put in a new financial system and sold bonds and paid for it by the savings we were to recapture in staff and service efficiencies. I could go on. Is this sexy stuff? Is this the kind of exciting thing that get the Mayor's face on the TV news? Let me tell you, fleet replacement plans and risk management programs and union negotiations are about as dull as government service gets. But it is the kind of stuff that Belton has focused on to be able to have a responsible budget. It is the workhorse kind stuff that is her trademark. Not flashy. Just responsible. Not only was she able to bring in the budgets to meet the shortfalls in revenue but she was also able to find a little money to invest. She invested first in additional cops and attorneys. The results of this are clear in the double digit declines in crime we have seen the past several years. She then invested in infrastructure, as you noted. She invested in moving to a pay-as-you-go capital program which will save substantial amounts of money in the future. She invested in improved street sweeping and beginning a graffiti program where there was none before. Is this as much new service as some folks would like? No. But it was what we could responsibly afford. The financial institutions have acknowledged this vision and leadership. Even during the downturn in revenues, the City has maintained a AAA bond rating. This means that national financial institutions have acknowledged that Minneapolis has the highest level of financial management. Only a handful of cities our size have this distinction. There is no secret financial problem. There is no financial crisis. There is no lack of disclosure. There is just the same on-going problem of fitting demands to available resources. Carol Becker Longfellow PS I wanted to respond to a couple points in your post that were factually inaccurate. Lack of priority-setting in the budget: There is no real effort to unpack the entire bundle. Even in cities which have attempted to identify core services, set real priorities and make cuts accordingly, these attempts have largely failed due to lack of leadership and lack of or failure to create common values. Moreover, the idea of systematically evaluating government's output - for efficiency, quality, coherence with publi
