coverage of beating
Richard Chandler states: "Are you saying it's OK to bruise a bus driver as long as you don't smack his head hard enough to give him a concussion? I certainly hope riders assaulting the driver is not a commonplace occurrence on Minneapolis buses." Of course I'm not saying it's okay to assault bus drivers. I'm saying it's not newsworthy. Metro Transit says there's about one assault per month on a driver in its system.. When a city has 14,344 assaults reported to police, as Minneapolis did in 1999, I'm arguing that assault routinely happens in the city, and an individual assault is too low a threshold for news coverage. That has nothing to do with encouraging or accepting assaults. I just don't think people want to read an average of 39 articles a day about assaults, or even one when the injuries evidently are no more serious than bruises. Like it or not, the severity of an incident determines whether it's going to get covered. Chandler suggests that "if a reporter gets shoved we hear about it for weeks." Actually, within the last couple of years, one of my colleagues was beaten while covering a story on the Prior Lake reservation. His injuries were no more serious than those to the driver, and no story was written. Steve Brandt Star Tribune
coverage of beatings
Jack Ferman raises the issue of why some TV stations covered a "serious beating" of a bus driver and the Star Tribune didn't. First, although getten beaten isn't fun, the seriousness of this one is debatable. According to TV, the driver was treated and released at the hospital for bruising. That's not as serious as a concussion or a broken skull. Beyond that, it was a threshold decision by the paper. I'm told by people who monitor these things that drivers get attacked monthly. We rarely report routine beatings of anyone, much less drivers, and if we did, the newspaper would have room for little else. Undoubtedly there would be fresh criticism of the paper for portryaing an even more distorted picture of Minneapolis or (fill in your favorite city here) as a crime-ridden place. People who are familiar with how television news works know that the availability of film footage plays a major role in deciding what's aired. There was footage available here, and that transcended news judgment. As for J Burn's criticism that the Star Tribune and other news media like to perpetuate the stereotype that violent crime happens only north of Hwy 55, here's a challenge: Tell me one murder that's happened elsewhere in the city, or the entire metro area, that wasn't covered in the Star Tribune. Steve Brandt Star Tribune
an unheralded demise
Let me start by agreeing with Lawrence Rudnick's posted arguments for strong local reporter coverage of science issues and dedicated space in the paper for science news. The correct date for the editorial he referenced is Dec. 8. I'd like to make the point that none of the articles he cites in noting the richness of scientific coverage by other daily newspapers all appeared in any one of those publications. In other words, all papers make editorial judgments about what stories they pursue and print, balancing space available against a endless oversupply of stories with which to fill that space. I've been as critical internally as many of you have been in this space in questioning the priorities demonstrated by some of those decisions. Since Mr. Rudnick's letter to the editor was undated, I'm not certain which Monday he searched the paper in vain for science articles. But a search of last Monday's paper using scien* to include wild cards found 10 articles. Throw out incidental references and there's still a 50-inch staff-written 1A article examining health concerns raised by platinum leaking into women's bodies from implants, a business section staff-written cover article about career conditions in the high-tech industry, and a Boston Globe article about adevantages in computer chip technology. Maybe it's not pure science, but I suspect most lay readers care more about applied science. Yours in scientific illiteracy, Steve Brandt StarTrib
Block E times nine?
Those who have been debating the merits of the direction Block E is
headed may be interested in the attached architectural criticism from
the Chicago Tribune. It is a critique of one such urban tourist
district in Chicago, albeit on a much large scale. I ran across it
while researching the developer that apparently wants to buy a chunk
of the former Sears site here. To avoid misleading people, the
developer's concept at Sears has nothing to do with the type of
project portrayed in this article.
Steve Brandt
Star Tribune
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property taxes-appeals
Somebody asked a few dozen posts ago about appealing taxes. Here's some info. Steve Brandt Star Tribune Paper: STAR TRIBUNE (Mpls.-St. Paul) Newspaper of the Twin Cities Headline: TAKING ON THE ASSESSOR // Knowing how to fight City Hall is the trick Date: 04/18/93 Section: BUSINESS Page: 01D Edition: METRO Byline: Steve Brandt; Staff Writer Graphic: CHART;ILLUSTRATION Length: 20.3 Subject: taxation;real estate;government;article Slug: ASSE18 There's still a holiday hangover on your credit card bill. Form 1040 says pay up. Now your mailbox holds the news that the tax assessor has jacked up the value of your home. Most people grumble and learn to live with higher assessments. But this is one time when it might pay to fight City Hall. In fact, your assessment notice tells where and when to appeal. But knowing how can save you thousands of dollars. First, let's be clear about what you're attempting to do. The assessor is estimating how much your home would sell for in an arm's length transaction between a willing buyer and seller, as of the previous Jan. 1. This year's assessment will be one factor in the taxes you pay next year. To change that assessment, you need to pinpoint sales of other homes that prove your assessment is too high. The key to doing so, assessors say, is to cite examples of homes that are as similar to and geographically close to yours as possible. You also want to identify comparable homes sold as recently as possible. Few homeowners have a good feel for housing values unless they've recently been in the market, said Mike Livingston, who supervises residential assessments for Minneapolis.. He recommends that homeowners test their assessments by checking sale prices for their neighborhood listed in the Star Tribune's Saturday Homes section. Someone with a home assessed at $70,000 might drive by nearby homes listed in the $65,000 to $75,000 range. "If the property's considerably nicer than theirs and it sold for what their property is valued at, then their property is probably valued too high," Livingston said. But appearances may deceive. The neighboring house that looks like yours may be 200 square feet smaller. Or it may have a 1940s kitchen while yours was remodelled last year. That's why the assessor's office in your municipality is a good place to start your challenge. The office has detailed information on the houses that at least on the outside look like yours. The assessor's office also can informally resolve an assessment dispute. "The preponderance of cases will be resolved by talking to the assessor first," said Robert Hanscom, Hennepin County's appraisal manager. Moreover, discussing issues with the assessor can strengthen a case presented to members of a municipal or county appeals board, he said. Talking to the assessor also can clarify what challenging your assessment is not about. It's not about your ability to pay taxes or whether your taxes are too high. The assessor's sole job is to estimate market value. Homeowners will be "wasting their time talking about tax rates," said Jude Okney, who listened to property owner appeals for seven years on Hennepin County's Board of Equalization. Much the same goes for local and county boards of review, which may change an assessment if the assessor won't. Take along statistics, not arguments, assessors say. It also helps to take photographs of deficiencies in your property - such as foundation cracks - and photos of homes that are comparable to your property and were assessed for less. How a homeowner fares in an appeal depends in part on the attitudes of local board members, who often are familiar with local real estate conditions. The Minneapolis Board of Review heard 133 residential assessment cases last year. Ninety-eight assessments were lowered and 32 were maintained. But three were increased. That's one danger of appealing. A board may decide to raise a property's assessment if it's undervalued. "A frivolous appeal could be quite damaging," Hanscom said. Property owners who aren't satisfied with the decisions of local review boards can appeal to the county level. Last year in Hennepin County 12 of 40 homestead assessments were cut. The biggest was a $53,600 reduction on a $350,000 home in Orono. The home front How to get your property assessment changed Your property tax notice arrives in the mail. Your home has leaped in value - nice news, maybe, except your taxes also jumped. Realistically, you think the value is too high. What can you do? 1. Check your facts: - Make sure the statement is correct. - Look at the price of homes for sale in your neighborhood. 2. Visit your local assessor: - Review similar properties in your area. - Try to resol
RE newspaper endorsement scorecard
And todays' lesson is? Although this is editorial page data, don't assume the Strib is an unbiased, objective newspaper. Bob Schoonover Afton MN A more apt lesson would be to not assume that the Strib has an unbiased, objective EDITORIAL PAGE. News and editorial are separate departments. Labeling the whole paper because of the stance of the editorial page is a misreading of how a newspaper functions. It's comparable to concluding that because the Supreme Court rules one way, the Justice Department and the rest of the federal government must feel that way. Is there liberal bias on the editorial page? Bob's numbers can speak for themselves. I do know that the Pioneer's editorial page made some conscious choices several years ago to seek conservative-liberal balance in its staff. The bulk of the Star Tribune legislative endorsements are researched by two retired reporters who have close to a half-century's experience between them in covering state government and rate as pretty fair observers of both the issues and what it takes to ably serve as a legislator. They are Gene Lahammer, formerly of the Associated Press, and Betty Wilson, formerly of the Star and the Star Tribune. Steve Brandt
Newspaper graffiti
I've forwarded Russell Peterson's issue to people who should be able to follow up on it. Complaints about newspaper boxes needing graffiti removal may be routed to Paul Holland at 673-4304 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] Steve Brandt Star Tribune A full-service neighborhoods reporter
referendum taxation
Somebody posted the information attached below over the weekend. It's incorrect. Businesses will pay $57 annually per $100,000 of valuation if the library proposal passes. Steve Brandt Star Tribune the tax bite from referendums like this is entirely on the residents; business property is completely exempt from these additional taxes.
library referendum
A number of questions have been posed in the last few days about the downtown library project and the associated referendum. Many of the answers can be found in the several dozen articles the Star Tribune has published on this topic in the last two years. These are available online for free * at your nearest public library. Steve Brandt
Dry creek
For those of you who missed it in May, here's a Star Tribune story explaining why the creek is dry. .Essentially, Lake Minnetonka is still catching up from a dry fall last year, a dry winter and a dry spring, plus another dry fall now. For those who want more information, here's a web site: http://www.minnehahacreek.org/ Paper: STAR TRIBUNE (Mpls.-St. Paul) Newspaper of the Twin Cities Headline: Minnehaha Creek myths // Low water prompts flood of suspicion Date: 05/01/00 Section: NEWS Page: 01A Edition: METRO Byline: Mark Brunswick; Staff Writer Graphic: MAP;PHOTO Length: 26.8 Subject: water;weather;agency;natural resource Slug: CREK01 This is the land of 10,000 lakes, so why not 10,000 conspiracy theories as well? Take the case of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, an obscure agency charged with controlling the water flowing into Lake Minnetonka and through the 22 miles of Minnehaha Creek to the Mississippi River. Some folks living along Lake Minnetonka want to know why the district is pandering to those downstream by keeping water levels low at the lake. Others see a stream of water worthy of a garden hose flowing over Minnehaha Falls and want to know where the district and the state Department of Transportation are diverting water during reconstruction of Hwy. 55. A tour bus operator in Minnehaha Park called the folks at the Watershed District recently and asked them to turn on the falls because he was going to be leading a group by there soon. But district officials say that Mother Nature, not Big Brother, is making water levels low. By last Thursday, the Twin Cities area had received 4.12 inches of precipitation, compared with 8.36 during the same period in 1999. Last week, the district held a preemptive public summit to pass along information such as where docks can be put in and to address myths about the lake and creek. Officials said at least a foot or more of rain will be needed to bring levels up to normal, taking into account evaporation and ground absorption. The key to the issue is the dam at Grays Bay, on the eastern edge of Lake Minnetonka. Constructed in its current form in 1979, the dam controls water flowing from the lake, where expensive houses abound and a boating industry flourishes, into Minnehaha Creek, where canoeists, innertubers and kayakers wait. It is closed when lake levels drop below 928.6 feet above sea level, which has been the case since September. Last Friday, as watershed officials looked skyward, the level was 928.26 feet. . Debunking conspiracies While the summit was a civil affair, with about 20 people politely asking questions, complaint calls to the district continued afterward. Historically, suspicions have been so prevalent that the district put out a document three years ago titled, "Myth of the Open Dam." "Lake Minnetonka isn't a swimming pool to fill on command," wrote Watershed District President Pam Blixt. "Dial-A-Lake-Level service does not exist. Even if we wanted to lower Lake Minnetonka, opening the dam to do it would be like emptying a swimming pool with a straw." The district finds itself frequently disputing the same myths: - The myth of whim: While some charge that the district opens and closes the dam as it pleases, it actually follows a detailed plan, coordinated with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and predicated not only by water levels, but also time of year and other criteria set by the DNR. - The Libb's Lake mistake: Water flowing into this finger lake south of Grays Bay is frequently mistaken as evidence that the dam is open. The actual outflow is to the north. - The two-level twist: Some people have complained that when the dam is open, parts of the lake are drained, while others are allowed to remain at higher levels. But "think of your bathtub," Blixt explained. "When you pull the plug, the level goes down all at the same rate." - The secret of the seven wells: In 1938, seven wells were installed in Lake Minnetonka to pump water into the lake from the aquifer. At one point, the lake level increased 49 inches. But during the summer of 1942, a combination of precipitation and pumping sent water over the dam and into the creek. The wells, which Hennepin County owns, have since been capped and are not operational, the Watershed District said. Still, the idea of reopening them comes up frequently during dry times. Watershed District Administrator Eric Evenson has received most of the calls recently, fielding about a dozen on conspiracy theories alone in the past few weeks. He has been at the watershed for about a year and a half and has been told to expect more calls, particularly if sunny skies continue. "They said it's been the worst since 1987, when the lake levels were low," he said. "People are absolutely convinced we are draining the lake." . A seasoned observer Paul Pedersen, own
mpls-issues
Anyone out there interested in starting an e-discussion group on Minneapolis issues? Steve Brandt King Field
