From:
Jim Graham
Date:
Oct 14 14:03 UTC
Short link
You are correct Jessica; it is because you pay extra for the "full digital
package", which you pay more for. This is another case of the City Council
doing a very poor job of representing the residents of Minneapolis. Comcast has
been a bad deal for Minneapolis consumers both for the cable television and for
their taking over from Road Runner.
I am sure the Mayor has less than enthusiastic support for MTN. After all it
does encourage "Participatory Democracy" and that has been something that the
Mayor and Council have attempted to kill in Minneapolis. Citizens armed with
the accurate and real information to make decisions about our political
leadership is something the Mayor's office absolutely does not want. Look at
the gag orders for public employees and creation of the "Communication" office
to manage "information".
This week people from Minneapolis will leave for an international conference on
"Participatory Democracy" in Toronto, Canada. Minneapolis can rightfully take
pride in its NRP program being viewed as leading the world as a model for
"Participatory Democracy". They have been invited to teach the world how
Minneapolis has accomplished the level of Participatory Democracy NRP has been.
This is the highest irony as that while the rest of the world respects this
Minneapolis NRP program and looks to it as a model, at the same exact time the
City Council and Mayor is busy gutting that same program. Some of the media
really should cover this.
I sure wish we had a City newspaper that covered such important issues. The
Star-Tribune once served that purpose, hopefully they will someday return to
covering Minneapolis issues and concerns. Until then, television will have to
be counted on for that coverage. Limiting MTN coverage would further deprive
the voters of Minneapolis of the information they need to fully participate.
Watching the City Council debating gutting NRP was an eye opener on WHO was
leading that effort and the incredible arrogance they displayed in doing it.
Minneapolis needs a Mayor and Council that values Participatory Democracy and
will work to empower the citizens with not only access to as much information
as possible, but also a Mayor and Council that will be open to the actual
Empowerment of that informed people.
According to reports fro other Senators and Representatives, through the
lobbying efforts of Council Members and the Mayors staff (and some conflict of
interest) a Minnesota Senator and House Member in the Conference Committee were
influenced to change the language of the State Legislation to continue NRP.
They knowingly changed it to non-specific language that would allow a few
turncoat Council Members to kill NRP.
Those same Council Members then fought any attempt by Sandy Colvin Roy and Cam
Gordon to include any real Citizen participation and empowerment into their new
scheme to take the money without the Participatory Democracy. Participatory
Democracy means having citizens have the power participate in decision-making.
That was the part the Council and Mayor could not abide.
Hopefully much of Minneapolis will Participate in getting a Council Member and
Mayor that will represent the people and encourage their participation rather
than attempting to kill it. Minneapolis people really do lead the nations
cities in innovative problem solving, they are honored for it internationally,
they deserve better leadership to represent them.
Jim Graham
The rarest of gems, with the greatest clarity,
and with the greatest brilliance is not the diamond.
The rarest of all gems is the truth.
Yet as scarce as truth is, the supply has always far
exceeded any demand for it. In fact it may well be the
lest desirable commodity in the Universe.
Ask any politician.