"The stiff regulations that make it tough to sell off parkland, including the need for district court review, are in the City Charter." Well, the Ostrow amendment to eliminate the Park Board and give it to the City Council quietly eliminated those regulations. No reason they couldn't have been kept, even if it was the City Council running the Parks. But they would have been eliminated. I wonder if that wasn't the real point of the proposed elimination of the Park Board -- to suddenly make all that land available to sell off piece-by-piece during the city's latest financial crisis. I imagine the various developers already have their plans made for various pieces of parkland.
The zeitgeist of Minneapolis' drivers is just about the worst part of living here. The culture of entitlement, get-out-of-my-wayism, and simple general rudeness blended with general stupidity courses through the streets like blood pumps in my forehead when someone blows a stop sign. Just today while I was operating some equipment near the Walker when some person in an Infinity tried to push me off the road because I can only go 9 mph. Never mind that we were less than 100 ft from a stop sign, but my presence infuriated this over-entitled Mt Curve Ave resident, and he had to prove it by seriously jeopardizing my safety. Because the Park Board doesn't provide simple safety items like mirrors for its equipment, I had no idea he was there, or was so pissed. (I was told later by a co-worker about one block behind that Mr. Infinity flew up at a high rate of speed, following me by less than one foot.) At any rate, he tried to pass me in a very stupid place (which is when I noticed him), then tried to force me up onto the curb when he realized that he was about to cause a head-on crash with another car. Please excuse the tediousness of my anecdote, but I think is symbolizes the impatience, dangerousness, and general flouting of the law that I see everyday. Pedestrians and cyclists do not need to have this explained to them; they live with it just as I do. What can be done? I think it starts with the State. They need to provide enough money to police departments so that they can proactively enforce the law instead of trying to catch up on a queue of 911 calls. Drivers need to be held accountable. When they break the law, they need to be cited. This just never happens. Agree or disagree with any particular statue, but I'm confident that Minneapolis would be a safer place if drivers knew that their bad behavior might actually net them a fine. Individuals are extremely adept at explaining why their bad actions are prompted by someone else, or that they are simply responding to an unfair system. I say: enough with the excuses! Enforce the speed limits! Cite stop-sign and red-light runners! Cite those who don't yield to pedestrians! Education through enforcement!
On 7/2/09, <email obscured> <email obscured>> wrote: > > The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board last night voted unanimously to > charge ahead with seeking its own charter amendment, one that if approved > would make them an entirely independent governmental unit. No more > reliance on the Board of Estimate and Taxation for such things as tax > levy-setting and key for Park Board commissioners no worries about what > would happen if the City Council were to get the BET's powers. Park Board Commissioners pledged to start collecting petition signatures for a charter change at Powderhorn on the 4th of July. But signators won't know what they are supporting. Where are the proposed amendments to the City Charter? More importantly, where is the draft charter or other authority for a completely independent park board? Some at Park Watch are trying to envision a completely independent Park Board. We have a few questions. How will the new Park Board be legally organized? How many Park Board Commissioners will there be and how and when will they be elected? How will reapportionment work? Will the new MPRB eliminate at-large representation because of the negative impact of IRV on the at-large races? Or will all Park Board Commissioners be elected at-large so reapportionment is not an issue? Will Park Board Commissioner become a paid position? With staff? What happens to the purchasing function now handled by the City of Minneapolis? What happens to the financial protections currently in the charter and ordinances? What about contract compliance and civil rights enforcement? The City attorney also reviews certain Park Board contracts. Will the new Park Board have an in-house legal department? The City also handles all the Park Board funds so it appears the Park Board would need a vastly expanded finance department. The City handles Park Board hiring. Will the Park Board need a new civil service department? What will the deal be with the Park Board police - they are now tied in with the MPD. What will an independent Park police force look like? The stiff regulations that make it tough to sell off parkland, including the need for district court review, are in the City Charter. Will the newly constituted Park Board abide by this or is this a plan to make it easier for the Park Board to sell off land? In this charter change, will the voters be granting the Park Board taxing authority? What will this look like? What will be the constraints? (My recollection is that the MPRB Commissioners have asked for the maximum levy, about 10%, in recent years - because t they knew they would be held to less by the Bd of Estimate and Taxation.) What recourse will individual taxpayers have under the new system? Will this change mean that the Park Board is no longer eligible for CLIC funds? Will all Park Board bonding go through the State? What about the role of citizens in this process? I note that the Park Board current bonding requests to the State didn't even go through Committee, there was no chance for citizen review and input. CLIC currently provides a citizen input avenue for bonds backed by the City. In recent years, the Park Board has been weak on citizen participation: notice, review and input. What roles will citizens have in this new Park Board? Where is this written? Who is paying for the Park Board to campaign on charter changes? The Park Board has a PAC - something like Parks Past, Present, and Future. Is the Park Board willing to voluntarily disclose on a monthly or bi-monthly basis so we can see the money behind this radical change? I understand that the Park Board fears that Ostrow's amendment to eliminate the BET will pass and that the Park Board will then be financially strangled by the City. This has not happened yet. With or without the Ostrow amendment, it might be a good idea to have a totally separate Park Board. This is a major decision, one that deserves planning and study. It's too important to be lowered to the level of a popularity-based petitioning campaign at Powderhorn Park on the 4th of July. We need to see the actual charter language and any related ordinances. We deserve to know what this new government will look like. We need to know how we will be taxed and what protections are in place for our tax dollars. We ought to know if this proposal will cost more than the Park Board currently pays for admin - especially for finance, purchasing, contract compliance, legal, and police - and how this will affect current services. Commissioners, please provide details! Please post the proposed charter amendments and all related documents online. Please give us a projected budget for the changes this new government would require. Shawne FitzGerald Powderhorn
Banaanbax: Murder of Burhan Hassan: Freedom Rally to protest the murder of Burhan Hassan and the other Somali American kids brainwashed and stolen from their parents as well as C.A.I.Râ bulling. http://mplsmirror.com/joomla3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=371:banaanbax-murder-of-burhan-hassan&catid=61:neighborhood-events&Itemid=191 Republicans at Pride? I wasnât sure what to expect coming to represent ârepublicanismâ at the Twin Cities Pride Festival this last weekend. I am a ward officer and a member of the Minneapolis City Republican Committee. Our Chair, Nik Ludwig, has maintained a consistent effort to reach out to a new audience. http://mplsmirror.com/joomla3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=370:republicans-at-pride&catid=35:local-politics&Itemid=104 A Minnesota Voice On Senator Al Franken Let me tell you how this looks from the progressive, social justice, anti-war and election integrity activists right here, you know, in Minnesota. Terry Yzaguirre Powderhorn
Below are today's Daily Planet headlines specifically concerning Minneapolis. For all today's news, see tcdailyplanet.net. Arts Orbit Radar: 7/2/09 http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/23996 by Jay Gabler, TC Daily Planet The Battle of Richfield, drunk Ferengi, dragonslaying Canadians, and cancer-fighting ninjas. OPINION | Barb Johnson responds http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/24076 http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/24076 by Barb Johnson, Special to the TC Daily Planet As the race for the 4th Ward City Council seat begins, the challenges and opportunities facing our neighborhoods are being discussed. I welcome this discussion, and want to respond to some recent comments in this newspaper. ExtraVaaKhanga brings African-inspired fashion to downtown Minneapolis http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/24074 by Jamie Thomas, TC Daily Planet This weekend downtown Minneapolis will welcome an international showcase of multicolored design when it hosts the 2009 ExtraVaaKhanga fashion show, a three-day celebration of African influence on international fashion. The headlining event is a multi-designer runway show on Friday at 8:00 p.m. at the Graves 601 Hotel. INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET MOVIES | Larry David in Woody Allen's "Whatever Works": Flawed but funny http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/23994 by Jim Brunzell III, TC Daily Planet Having directed his last four films abroad, director Woody Allen returns to his beloved New York for his 40th feature, "Whatever Works," which opens this Friday at the Lagoon Cinema. Many of Allen’s fans will not only rejoice to see New York as his backdrop again, but will appreciate the casting of Larry David to play the “Woody Allen” role that Allen himself played up until the mid-90s: the atheist, neurotic leading male looking for love and disapproving of everyone along the way. Weekend What's What 7/2-7/5: Red, white, and bodacious http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/24071 by l'etoile magazine staff Happy B-Day America! As a bazillion of our fellow countrymen prepare to grill hot dogs, drink beer and watch fireworks, you’ll be taking it up a notch thanks to all the hip events this weekend. Shuck the traditional and toss on that Darth Vader suit you’ve been saving for a rainy day and hit up the ConVergence Sci-Fi Convention, or head to the Soap Factory Saturday night for the annual Ten Second Film Festival. There are plenty of rock shows, dance parties and art exhibits to be had as well, so slither into your patriotic party pants and enjoy! OPINION | Health Care providers increase and expand outside the “Corridor” http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/23974 by Harvey Winje, The Alley Businesses close and new businesses open continuously in Phillips Community. The Alley’s front page story in June and July 2009 was about Dr. Joe Grayden leaving the Community University Dental Clinic on Bloomington Avenue. But, he is continuing his practice ten blocks away on Lake Street. This event caused us to focus our attention on other changes of health provider locations in the blocks close to Bloomington and between Franklin and Lake Street. Here is what we found. NEW IN BLOGS SINGLE WHITE FRINGE GEEK | Fringe 2009—Returning favorites: Rockstar Storytellers http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/24064 by Matthew A. Everett • Every year I clear out the pre-Fringe Top 10/ Top 20 roster and make way for new blood. Every year, bunches of artists from previous lists pop up again on the Fringe schedule. Like me, they apparently can’t stay away from the lunacy and head rush of it all. Consequently, there’s plenty of proven folks I’m happy to recommend, along with each year’s crop of newbies.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board last night voted unanimously to charge ahead with seeking its own charter amendment, one that — if approved — would make them an entirely independent governmental unit. No more reliance on the Board of Estimate and Taxation for such things as tax levy-setting and — key for Park Board commissioners — no worries about what would happen if the City Council were to get the BET's powers. Park Board Commissioner Walt Dziedzic likened it to a last stand for the currently semi-independent system. "We're talking about fighting something that's trying to kill us," he said, referring to the BET-eliminating charter amendment that's guaranteed to be on the November ballot. Expect park volunteers out this weekend collecting signatures for a petition. More here: http://www.swjournal.com/index.php?&story=13951&page=152&category=63 Cristof Traudes Reporter, Downtown & Southwest Journals Elliot Park
Minneapolis stories only - more news at TCDAILYPLANET.NET Northside Achievement Zone develops (without Geoffrey Canada) http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/23903 by Scott Russell, TC Daily Planet There have been many programs, initiatives and promises over the years to improve opportunities for Minneapolis’ families and children, particularly on the Northside. Still, achievement and opportunity gaps persist. So now comes the latest of these initiatives: “NAZ”, the Northside Achievement Zone, which says it hopes to raise student achievement by duplicating some of the strategies of Geoffrey Canada’s high-profile Harlem Children’s Zone — but without the charismatic leadership of Canada or the multi-million dollar funding and new educational programming it has. Proud "dykes" come out of the woodwork to march in Minneapolis http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/23969 by Sheila Regan, TC Daily Planet The Twin Cities Avengers held their annual Dyke March on Saturday. Around 200 participants chanted, danced and cheered as they celebrated their pride in an unpermitted march significantly devoid of any commercial influence. Starting at the Walker Art Center, they marched down Hennepin Avenue and around Loring Park. Participants in the march said they liked the Dyke March because it was more inclusive than the official Pride Parade that happened the next day, and didn’t have the commercial sponsorships that have come to mark the Pride Festival.
One Governor candidate has responded to this: "A recent youtube video shows a group of youths harassing a gay man at last Sunday's Pride parade. I deplore their immoral and illegal actions. It is also extremely disturbing that the video shows a security officer walking by the harassment and doing nothing to stop it. There is no place in Minnesota for that kind of immoral and illegal behavior. If I become Governor, I pledge to do everything within my power to stop it." Mark Dayton
I was curious what they were actually planning for enforcement so I emailed the Smart Trips people, this is the reply I got from Jessica Treat: "Thanks for your message, Ian. The enforcement campaign we sponsored this week targeted Snelling Avenue between Selby and Summit. The goal of the campaign was to educate both pedestrians and motorists about the law. We partnered with the St. Paul Police who stepped up enforcement to ticket both peds and motorists who violate the crosswalk law. We’ll collect data from the police on how many tickets were issued this week and my guess is that we’ll see far more violations given to motorists. "The kick-off and media event on Monday was specifically targeted at an unsignalized intersection where peds have the right-of-way but motorists rarely stop. Here’s some live coverage <http://kstp.com/news/stories/S991138.shtml?cat=1> of the kick-off where you can clearly see that motorists are the primary violators of the law." So, sounds like they are looking to improve the enforcement of laws to have motorists yield to pedestrians, which is good.
From Finance and Commerce: " July 1, 2009 2:19 PM CDT The Fine Art of Parkingby Burl Gilyard Staff Writer Neighborhood tensions surface over MCAD’s parking proposal Everybody wants a place to park, but nobody wants more parking in their neighborhood. That’s the dilemma facing the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), which sits in an urban, residential area of south Minneapolis. MCAD is pitching a new $2 million, 107-space surface parking ramp on land it owns near its campus at 2501 Stevens Ave. To make room for parking on the site, MCAD is also seeking to move a vintage house and demolish its garage. MCAD’s proposal is set for a hearing before the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) on July 7. ... " http://www.finance-commerce.com/article.cfm/2009/07/02/The-Fine-Art-of-Parking-Neighborhood-tensions-surface-over From the HPC agenda (items 3 and 4): http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cped/agendas/hpc/2009/20090707_HPC_Agenda.asp Remember a few years back when the fair oaks site was going thru city planning ... and the commissioners' and cm's tough questions (plans for the land, timelines, conditional use permits {cup expires soon}). As demonstrated in the comp plan and planning commission sop, the city isn't a fan of surface parking lots (why there aren't any along the Mpls portion of the LRT). it's obvious to any of us who attend some of the big events (collections, lectures, programs like Art In Bloom) that parking is a pain. Bus service ain't so hot either ... especially for the evening events ... when safety is a concern. Creative solutions, anyone ? best wishes, cheryl luger nokomis east “I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.” --- Jonathan Swift
There is a thread regarding this topic on the Powderhorn Neighbors e-democracy forum: http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls-poho
Hi, I'm a freelance reporter working on a story for the Twin Cities Daily Planet about whether background checks are prohibitive to some people in terms of volunteering with the city's park system. To see where I'm at on this so far, check out my Reporter's Notebook at http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/06/30/reporters-notebook-background-checks-bar-volunteers.html. I'm looking for a variety of perspectives on this issue, so I encourage you to post a comment on the page or email me at <email obscured>. (Let me know if you prefer to be reached by phone and if so, at what number). Additionally, please do let me know if you feel there's anything missing from the reporting. Thanks for your help on this story. Best, Anna Pratt P.S. To see a list all of the stories we are working on, go to the Daily Planet homepage (tcdailyplanet.net) and click on Stories We Are Working On in column three.
http://www.startribune.com/local/49611907.html?elr=KArks:DCiUnP::DE8c7PiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr Steve Brandt Reporter Star Tribune (Minneapolis) 612-673-4438 <email obscured><email obscured>>
The Misadventures Of Johnny Northside (The Summons) : Some of you may or may not have read the Adventures of Johnny Northside, which is written by blogger John Hoff a.k.a. Johnny Northside. http://www.mplsmirror.com After Stonewall : Sometimes the wait can be intolerable and violence ensues. That happened in willy-nilly in 1969 and now we seem just this side of a national monument of some sort. http://mplsmirror.com/joomla3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=361:after-stonewall&catid=35:local-politics&Itemid=104 Landscaping Idea: I wanted to pair nature with the modern design of the building; therefore I installed Swedish Aspens, which link the environment and construction in an essential way. http://mplsmirror.com/joomla3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=360:landscaping-idea&catid=38:home-and-gardens&Itemid=118 also check out: Twin Cities Pride Celebration 2009 Rally In Minneapolis Terry Yzaguirre Powderhorn
As his full name is David Scott Dibble, it probably is indeed our Minneapolis SD-60 Senator.
For more news (including Senator Al Franken stories), go to TCDAILYPLANET.NET Former JACC ED is now suing bloggers http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/23964 by Anna Pratt, TC Daily Planet In the incredible ongoing saga of the Jordan Area Community Council (JACC), the neighborhood group’s former ED, Jerry Moore, who was fired after pulling punches against neighbors, is now suing blogger John Hoff (a.k.a. Johnny Northside), Donald Allen, principal of V-Media and five John Does for defamation and biased reporting. One woman's trip through the insurance maze in Minnesota http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/23970 by Lisa Peterson-de la Cueva, Minnesota Women's Press A year and a half ago, Sonya Austin Emerick dropped her son off at day care at 5:30 a.m. and drove toward her job at a produce warehouse. Instead of going to work, though, she began looking for a building big enough to destroy the "big ol' Cadillac" she was driving until she suddenly pictured her son's face. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK | Background checks bar parks volunteers http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/23965 Minneapolis parks have recently tightened enforcement of rules about background checks for volunteers. But does the “systemic bias of the criminal justice system” mean that many African American males will be barred from serving as volunteers? We want to hear your ideas. MUSIC | Sugarhill Gang at the Fine Line: After 30 years, what you hear is not a test http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/23957 by Crystal Erickson, TC Daily Planet The Sugarhill Gang performed last Wednesday night at the Fine Line Music Café. The tour falls on the 30th anniversary of “Rapper’s Delight,” the first rap single to crack the Top 40. Although nostalgia seems to be all the rage, the show didn’t draw the crowd it deserved. But the Sugarhill Gang are just out touring for the love of music, and still know how to get the party started—covering the classics and introducing new material to an adoring crowd. Black press of America brings national convention to Minneapolis http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/23935 by Ahndi Fridell, KFAI The Twin Cities metropolitan area is fortunate enough to have two successful Black-owned community newspapers. Insight News and the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder are co-hosting the National Newspaper Publishers Convention, a four-day conference for the Black Press of America. Representatives from 200 newspapers across the country are expected to attend the conference, which began June 24 at the downtown Minneapolis Radisson hotel. Tracey Williams is the publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. She spoke to KFAI News Director Ahndi Fridell about the current economy's impact on smaller, community-based newspapers. SINGLE WHITE FRINGE GEEK | Shameless plug of the day: <i>Crescendo</i> preview (Thursday night only) http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/23926 by Matthew A. Everett • Ever want to tinker with a Fringe show while it was still in progress? Well, now’s your chance.
" SESSION DAILY http://www.house.mn/hinfo/sdaily.asp News from the House Budget A legislative commission approved a resolution condemning Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s plan to unallot nearly $2.7 billion in state spending. http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/sessiondaily.asp?yearid=2009&storyid=1921 Published 6/30/2009 Government Many laws with a fiscal impact take effect at the start of the state’s fiscal year, July 1. http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/sessiondaily.asp?yearid=2009&storyid=1922 Published 6/30/2009 " best wishes, cheryl luger nokomis east/minnehaha Mpls
Another perspective on Pride The Northstar Healthcare Collective ran two Street Medic teams for the two "unpermitted" (well except for the First Amendment) marches of the Trannies at 3 p.m. and then the Dykes March at 7 p.m.. Both marches went well and apparently caught police completely unaware. Which could explain why they went well. The Dykes March was led at one time by a Minneapolis PD on a SEGWAY. He was patrolling Hennepin, by the Basillica when we marched by. He felt the need to lead us, which was hilarious as right behind him was the Dykes on Bikes. Yes, we got pictures of that. Michael Cavlan RN Powderhorn
I just talked to Mike Ablen the city debt guy and he said that this bond was strickly the Minnesota Twins responsibility. The city currently has $191,000,000 of variable rate debt and has $1,100,000,000 worth of outstanding debt. As bad is it got durring the credit crunch last year we paid %7.99 on the variable rate debt and over a three week period it cost us more than we expected. We are currently paying %0.6 and our rate resets weekly. As far as the BBB- rating, that poor credit line belongs strickly with the Twins and the expected risk of repayment on their debt. Just thought you would like to know. Michael Katch Downtown