Post in Minneapolis Pension Levies

Mar 29 13:59 UTC

When Doug Walter writes in the Minneapolis Issues that the City has indeed used
the "Legacy Fund" for pension debt he leaves out that the City Council and
Mayor has also used NRP to cover many other infrastructure problems that have
arisen because of the politicians' mismanagement. Certainly the Neighborhoods
approved those things, but it was out of necessity to provide for the welfare
of the City that had not been properly managed by the City.  This includes
Schools, parks, police, public safety, and housing, but the list is larger..

  Thank you Representative Phyllis Kahn for clearing the record about the
pension fund mismanagement and the on going debt resulting from it.  Indeed the
financial problems of the City and the pension fund bonding can be laid at the
feet of mismanagement on the part of the Council and Mayor.  Of course some of
it was done before the present administration, but in their eagerness to rob
Peter to pay Paul the present group has carried on (or accelerated) that
financial problem.

The real problem is one of leadership, and a second one is understanding
finance.  A bit like a kid with a credit card running it out of money then
covering for past mistakes by applying for TWO new credit cards.  Again, it
seems that the City leadership skipped the class about compounding interest for
savings in grade school, or they are unable to make the logical jump in reverse
to apply the theory to debt.

Is it any wonder that the City's leadership is held in such low regard by the
State legislators? (And that is being far to kind)  This is particularly
alarming because that poor regard is the opinion of the Democrats.  The
Republicans just laugh at the situation like one would at the drunken
debauchery of an enemy. They say we Democrats in Minneapolis have gotten what
we deserve from our City leaders; after all we elected them more than once.  It
makes one wonder how we do so well with electing County Commissioners and State
Senators and Representatives.

The NRP and discussion of Tony Scallon really brought this home to me.  I must
admit that Tony is viewed with mixed feelings in my community.  After all
because of a fight over the Phillips Pool and Gym, Tony was instrumental
bringing down the neighborhood organization and in creating the "Muddy Waters"
process that saddled the community with the "POP" organization and all the
crazy people associated with that blight on the community.  But still, Tony was
head and shoulders above other Council Members in serving the City and my
community.  Even when we were fighting with him!  We have NOT had such a leader
in Minneapolis since.  And Tony has been gone for twenty years! Compared to
today's group even that Republican "General" from the Fertile Crescent looks
amazingly gifted.

So thank you once again Phyllis, and please help us convince Senators to get
the NRP legislation attached to the Senate omnibus bill.  Please do not let the
City's politicians deprive the citizens of Minneapolis of this tool to improve
the lives of their children, their families, and their communities.

We do need all the readers to call, or fax the members of the Senate Finance
Committee to beg them to keep NRP alive.  Especially needed is for those who
know people out-state to ask them to urge their Senators to vote this support
of NRP.  They need to hear from you TODAY!
Finance Committee Members are:

Chair:Richard J. Cohen
Ranking Minority Member:Dennis R. Frederickson
Member:Ellen R. Anderson
 Linda Berglin
 Don Betzold
 Steve Dille
 Michelle L. Fischbach
 Leo T. Foley
 Linda Higgins
 James P. Metzen
 Steve Murphy
 Gen Olson
 Sandra L. Pappas
 Pat Pariseau
 Claire A. Robling
 LeRoy A. Stumpf
 David J. Tomassoni
 Jim Vickerman

We can always count on the Linda Berglin and Linda Higgins but the others need
to hear from all of us. Google the Minnesota Senate Finance Committee and you
will get their contact info.  Please call or fax, it is too late for e-mail to
be effective.

Jim Graham,
Ventura Village

  The City that scorns excellence in community infrastructure as a humble
activity and tolerates shoddiness in political philosophy because it is an
exalted activity will have neither good sewers nor good public policy; its
political policies will hold more crap than its pipes. - Gem