Steve Kotvis wrote:
> Dan,
>
> No argument that Tony or anyone has it well within his rights to ask his
> elected officials whatever he wants. In fact, I would go one step further
> and say that as a citizen, he has a responsibility and obligation to do so.
>
> However, I may we have a very different understanding and expectations of
> this Forum. I do not view this medium as an official channel of
> communications. It is not the same as picking up a phone or emailing or
> visiting with an elected official. This is an independent group forum.
>
> I see the Minneapolis Forum, as I do other open discussion groups, as a
> public place, like a public park, where visitors come and go. We have
> conversations among those who are present. Others who are not engaged in
> conversations may or may not be in attendance. They come and go. But no one
> is obligated to be there nor are they responsible for engaging in
> conversations. Visitors to the space have the right to listen in on what
> people are saying because it's an open and public place for conversation. I
> don't see it as an official public hearing or public meeting, nor do I see
> it as a phone call an email or other personal one-one-one communications.
>
> Maybe it's just me but I heard Tony's request as demanding. That the public
> deserved an answer. And dawgonit, if someone was not going to answer the
> question, that meant it was irresponsible behavior. For me demanding a
> response from another on this forum is to me like standing in the middle of
> that park and shouting out and saying you must hear me and if you don't
> you're being irresponsible. I just don't believe that is communications.
> Communications is one-to-one, from one person to another. I'm a bit
> suspicious that Tony did not realize he was deliberately doing this given
> his experience in public office. (From other past city council member I've
> heard they would have never survived responding to everything in this day of
> emails and public discussions.)
>
> At least that's the way I've come to view this forum, as a public place of
> conversation. I can't argue that my tone was "lecturing." I'm sorry for
> doing that because that brings the quality of the conversation down to a
> level of contempt. Perhaps, fairly or unfairly, contempt was what I heard in
> Tony's statement. I'm sorry I went down there with it. My intent is to be
> respectful, because I believe in this thread the end, many of us are
> fighting for the same thing, a better solution to our educational system.
> My apologies for disrespect exhibited in putting out a lecturing tone. (In
> the interest of one-to-one conversation, I will extend a like apology to
> Tony offline.)
>
> Perhaps my view of the role of this Forum is different than others, so it
> might be interesting to learn about that.
> ________________________
> Steve Kotvis
> Kenwood, Minneapolis
>
>
>
>> From: Dan McGuire <sabier@visi.com>
>> Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:32:02 -0500
>> To: Steve Kotvis <stevek@elemenop.us>
>> Cc: Tony Scallon <tscallon@msn.com>, Minneapolis Issues Forum
>> <mpls@forums.e-democracy.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Mpls] Yes on MTC buses for public school students
>>
>> Thank you, Steve, for bringing the facts that you did to the
>> discussion. It helps a lot.
>>
>> I don't think you're lecture to Tony is appropriate, though. I think
>> Tony is well with in his rights as a citizen of this community to ask
>> whatever he wants to ask of any elected official and their staffs. I
>> think this forum is a great place to ask those public questions. If
>> elected officials and their staffs choose not to participate and hide
>> behind the tables in their official meeting rooms and speak through
>> others, that's on them.
>> Dan McGuire
>> Ericsson
>>
>> Steve Kotvis wrote:
>>
>>> To begin Tony, I find the posturing of your question to be a bit ingenuous.
>>> This Forum is not a place where we can demand answers of others. It is
>>> rather a gathering place where people come and go and have conversations
>>> about topics of common interest. There is no accountability or
>>> responsibility to attend this place of conversation much less respond.
>>>
>>> That is, I think if you were actually serious about getting an answer about
>>> the issue it would not be done in such a grandstanding way. You might
>>> actually do the work to go reach out and request an answer in a more
>>> official or formal or convicted way.
>>>
>>> That being said, I took some time of my own to seek out some answers to
your
>>> questions because I found the questions of interest and because I have
taken
>>> the last couple of years to develop relationships with school officials
that
>>> permits me to not only know who to ask but to have a positive relationship
>>> with these people in a way that permits me to ask these questions. Tonight,
>>> I was able to ask these questions following the attendance of the school
>>> board meeting.
>>>
>>> I believe your first question, which you seem to answer in your second
>>> sentence, is confirmed. Referendum dollars do not go to contract
alternative
>>> schools. According to my conversation tonight with Margaret Westin, Chief
>>> Counsel of the Minneapolis school district, the state law establishes the
>>> funding methods for contract alternative schools. It states that 95 percent
>>> of the state per capita education funds are passed through the district to
>>> the contract alternative school. Five percent is retained by the school
>>> district for administrative funds and are used to cover state oversight and
>>> reporting requirements.
>>>
>>> Contract alternative schools are operated as 501(c)3 nonprofit
>>> organizations. While these organizations may raise funds from outside
>>> sources to help supplement their operations, state law prohibits the
>>> Minneapolis Public School district from making donations/non-profit
>>> contribution to 501(c)3 organizations.
>>>
>>> So you may wish that some of the referendum funds be allocated to a
contract
>>> alternative school, they are prohibited to do so according to state law. If
>>> you have a beef with that, it seems it should be taken up with the state
>>> legislature, and not with the Minneapolis Public School district which is
>>> following this state law.
>>>
>>> I hope this puts this argument to rest.
>>> ________________________
>>> Steve Kotvis
>>> Kenwood, Minneapolis
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> From: Tony Scallon <tscallon@msn.com>
>>>> Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:42:02 +1300 (NZDT)
>>>> To: Minneapolis Issues Forum <mpls@forums.e-democracy.org>
>>>> Subject: Re: [Mpls] Yes on MTC buses for public school students
>>>>
>>>> I am still waiting for an answer to the use of referendum dollars for
>>>> alternative schools. Alternative schools currently do not receive any
>>>> property tax referendum or building levy dollars. Has any committee or
the
>>>> MPS Citizens Budget Advisory Committee studied these program dollars. If
I
>>>> remember correctly, the McKenzie report was not positive towards
alternative
>>>> programs.
>>>>
>>>> I believe we as taxpayers deserve an answer. The most needy students
should
>>>> share in the referendum. The alternative students are counted as part of
>>>> the
>>>> Minneapolis Public Schools.
>>>>
>>>> Tony Scallon
>>>> Longfellow
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>
>
>
>