We are doing the photo shoot tomorrow morning at the Girls state basketball
tournament during the first game then he might stick around for the second
game. So I have my interview with ch 5 before the 10am game 1st on then Ill be
miked up all day feeding back into the truck im looking forward to it.


I will let you know know when it will air.

Steven MacDonald Froemming

http://www.stevenssports.com

All is fixed.

The general idea is that we are trying to make it easy to
automatically sign your post with your real name and location via your
public profile (in addition to City you can fill out your
neighborhood, township, etc.).

Since I have your attention, why do not you consider updating your
community life "who's who" public profile and upload your picture for
the web site. The photo OPTION allows you to have your picture next to
your posts across the system. We only require the minimal "public
life" information in your profile as a democracy-based project, but
you are free to share more details about yourself as you like.

Login here:

     http://forums.e-democracy.org/login.html

(If you can't recall your password or for those who signed up on paper
and haven't been to the website, you can reset your password here:
      http://e-democracy.org/password  )

Some newer things in the profile:

1. Photos are resized automatically making it easy to add an image.
Square or vertical photos seem to look better, but any size can be
shrunk down to fit.

2. You can add links in your "about me" bio section.

3. If you use Twitter or have a blog, we encourage you to link to it
under "Best Web Link About You"

Here is a sample profile:

   http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/stevenclift1

You might also notice that if you post, this is a handy place to see
all of your public posts across different groups.

We've also added a new member directory which allows you to sort
people by place, organization, etc.:

    Here is an example:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/citycamp/memberdirectory

Again, for those who were surprised yesterday when the computer
incorrectly blocked your post without warning, we and our hosting
provider are very sorry for the inconvenience.



Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
  Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.Org
  Follow me - http://twitter.com/democracy
  New Tel: +1.612.234.7072

I wanted to let folks know we have a technical problem that was
resolved and has re-emerged.

In short, we are now simply requiring "City" to be filled out when new
people register. This means people never have to manually "sign" their
posts to conform to our long standing rules.

This should only be required to register, but for some reason it is
being retroactively stubborn for people attempting to post who do not
have that field updated.

We will be in touch immediately with the folks in New Zealand who host
our forums (they are sleeping) to re-fix the problem.

We are considering requiring this field to post down the road after a
major "update your profile" campaign. You can now upload a profile
photo that will be auto-resized and other goodness.

If you want to post today, please update your profile with your city
by logging in here:

    http://forums.e-democracy.org/login.html

Then click the "Update Your Profile" settings and add your City.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Steven Clift
E-Democracy.org

Steven Clift - http://stevenclift.com
  Executive Director - http://E-Democracy.Org
  Follow me - http://twitter.com/democracy
  New Tel: +1.612.234.7072

St. Paul Smart Trips, a local non-profit that promotes transportation options,
will be creating an illustrated map of Highland Park. The full color map will
focus on exploring Highland Park by foot and bike and include things like
transit routes, parks, schools, restaurants and grocery stores.

We want to make the map meaningful to neighbors and are asking for your help in
shaping what appears on it. We'll be including better known places like the
Ford Plant, Highland Ice Arena and St. Catherine’s, but are counting on your
creative suggestions. Is there a building you enjoy the history of? Maybe a
public art piece or a shortcut nobody else knows about?

Send your top five lesser known landmarks or hidden gems to Laura Baum at
<email obscured> or 651-224-8555 x21 or reply here. The deadline is
Monday, March 15. Photos encouraged!

See some of our previous maps at http://www.smart-trips.org/maps.php

This topic was also posted to the Highland Park issues forum.

March Madness is now in full force with the big day of the Boys' Hockey
Tournament.  The crowds are huge and lively, bubbling with energy and more than
a few bucks to spend.  Between this week's festivities, Saint Patrick's Day,
the WCHA, and all the other things it's one long event in itself.

But is there something we can learn from the crowds?  I think so.

http://erikhare.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/march-madness/

I think we can learn quite a lot about them and make good use of the lesson.

Since IRV is an issue being discussed in Minnesota as a whole information
on how it is doing in other places seems relevant.  As I said in during a
discussion on Almanac last year, it will be interesting to see what happens
to  the Green Party in Mpls now that we have IRV.  It has been my belief that
 what has strengthened the Green Party in Mpls had been the chance to go
head to  head with the DFL between the Sept Primary and the November general
elections.  Now that there isn't primaries, I suggested that it will
negatively effect them.

What we see in San Francisco IRV has now totally wiped out the Green
Party...


Green Party’s San Francisco Supervisor Changes to the Democratic  Party
March 11th, 2010

On March 11, Ross Mirkarimi told the press that he has changed his voter
registration from “Green” to “Democratic”. See this story from the San
Francisco Bay Guardian. *Mirkarimi had been the Green Party’s only
county supervisor in California,* although the party still has some
California city councilmembers, and has Mayor of Richmond, California,
is a registered Green.

_http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/03/11/green-partys-san-francisco-supervis
or-changes-to-the-democratic-party/_
(http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/03/11/green-partys-san-francisco-supervisor-changes-to-the-democratic-party/)

JMONTOMEPPOF

Chuck Repke

Some of you may have seen the Pioneer Press article yesterday on a study
conducted by a U of M faculty member about the impacts of our school choice
and transportation on emissions and fossil fuel use. I was curious about of
number of things, particularly related to one of the conclusions about using
neighborhood schools - because the fundamental problem in St. Paul is that
our schools are spread fairly evenly all over town, our kids definitely
aren't.



I was thus grateful to receive the following memo from the superintendent
this afternoon, and to pass it on to all of you:



+++++++++++++++++

The Pioneer Press on Wednesday published an article on a study conducted by
the U of M related to school bus emissions and school choice in SPPS. The
study was not done in consultation with SPPS, though the group did receive
approval through the district's research committee to get the study sample.


District staff in REA and Transportation did a preliminary review of the
study and found the following:

*	This was a study of transportation policy from a particular advocacy
standpoint, specifically that emissions and fossil fuel use need to be
reduced. It was not a study of educational policy, so their conclusion that
the ideal is neighborhood schools is not based on sound educational policy,
but on reducing emissions and fossil fuel use.
*	The study was based upon the researcher's idea of how a
transportation system would operate, not upon the Saint Paul School
District's actual operations.  It was not based upon the actual student
population or upon the actual distribution of our students.
*	That said, as we move forward with plan of action this calendar year
that addresses three key issues TOGETHER (academics, choice and our fiscal
reality), we will look at all the data at our disposal.  Details about next
steps that relate to these issues will be forthcoming this spring.
*	It is important, when reviewing any data that affect decision making
that we base our information on the most accurate information that truly
reflects our students, our values, and our mission.

Given that, here are some observations about the U of M study:

*	There is a serious imbalance between the concentrations of kids and
the capacity of our bricks and mortar. We would need to transport
substantial numbers of kids under any scenario unless we were to undertake a
massive building campaign. With overall excess capacity, we will be moving
kids to where there is room.
*	The routes the researchers developed do not reflect transportation
route reality as far as starting and ending points, stop sequences, trip
sequences, or number of trips per school.
*	The routes the researchers developed do not take into consideration
special circumstances such as disabilities and hazardous streets.
*	The study was based upon all buses running out of the First Student
Snelling terminal. In reality, at the time of the survey, Snelling ran 40%
of routes while Centerline in Maplewood ran 4%, Oakdale Terminal in Oakdale
ran 23%, Monarch in Roseville ran 20%, Safe-Way in South Saint Paul ran 6%,
and SPPS ran 4% of the routes.
*	All Saint Paul buses do multiple sequential trips serving students
going to different schools.  In some cases when schools are located in close
proximity, students from more than one school are transported together.
*	The study used ARCVIEW to do the modeling.  ARCVIEW is a Geographic
Information System program, not a computer routing system.

Here is a link to the article:
 <http://www.twincities.com/ci_14643553?nclick_check=1>
http://www.twincities.com/ci_14643553?nclick_check=1

Saint Paul does not spend $30 million on transportation for school choice as
the article states.  The Transportation Budget includes special education
transportation required by federal and state law, nonpublic school
transportation required by state law, transportation to the East Metro
Integration District schools, transportation of homeless students to the
school of origin as required by Federal law, transportation of nonpublic
students to public schools for special education service as required by
state law, and transportation for students who would encounter hazardous
traffic conditions like University Avenue if walking to school.  The
estimated cost breakdown by areas is:

*	Special Education $10,061,619
*	East Metro Integration District $710,271
*	Area Learning Center $1,600,567
*	Homeless $252,259
*	Hazardous Crossings $250,000
*	Non-Public $600,819
*	Regular Education which includes school choice, integration,
desegregation, ELL, LEAP, etc. $15.271.321.

Additionally, Saint Paul has consistently been recognized as one of the most
efficient large transportation operations in the United States.  According
to the most recent School Bus Fleet Magazine survey of the top 100 school
district transportation operations for the 2008-2009 school year, Saint Paul
was No. 33 in the number of transported students, but is No. 59 in the
number of buses used to transport those students.  Saint Paul averaged 103
students transported by each bus whereas the national average was 68
students per bus.

Minneapolis is the only school district in Minnesota that is comparable to
Saint Paul.  For the 2008-2009 school year, Department of Education reports
indicate that Saint Paul had a state regular category per pupil cost of
$417.40 while Minneapolis had a regular category per pupil cost of $778.88.

Valeria S. Silva
Superintendent
Saint Paul Public Schools
360 Colborne Street
Saint Paul, MN  55102
651-767-8152

Let's keep the topic focused on St Paul issues or those national issues
which have some unique effect upon St Paul   ... the issues need to either
be unique to St Paul or (if they are regional, state or national issues)
discussed in terms of their effect upon St Paul and/or her residents. Talking
about the placement of cameras _in_ St Paul is fine.  But going off on the
tangent(s) of a national medical record registry or nefarious "corporate
$-men" isn't on-topic unless there's some unique effect upon St Paul or
residents.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss further, please send me a
private e-mail.  Thanks for your cooperation.

Rick Mons -- Forum Manager
email to:  stpaul-fm AT e-democracy.org for those viewing on the web

Pat,
I may not agree with you on many things. But I liked your cliches (from the
womb to the tomb; creeping up on us like a two dollar girdle).

Corporate big brother, the $-men, will be watching more intently than the
G-men. Because cameras are only the start of the spy society. Think about
how easily we could be tracked if we were chipped like dogs or followed if
underwear had personally coded RFIDs. That is where we are headed because
being anonimous will be out and being tracked will be in. It will be sold to
us as a way to keep 'illegals' and 'extralegals' out of our jobs, out of our
country. It will be hawked to us as a way to ensure our security.

But the real value will be to the $-men, hucksters who will see as marks. By
carefully identifying us on a personal level, they will be able to
narrowcast ads tied to us on an individual basis. All you will need is your
very own plugged in personal reciever. A next generation smart phone will do
nicely until holographic projections tied to your personal retina are
invented. Think of the efficiency of that message -- your very own personal
ad keyed to your personal buying habits.

Mike Schoenberg
MacGroveland, St. Paul

and i am with you dean. all our personal medical records in one database! big
brother watching over us from the womb to the tomb. next thing you know those
"golden agers" will have   big brother panels looking over them to add/subtract
to that  database. cameras on the streets is big brother creeping up on us like
a two dollar girdle. maybe we should get in touch with our congressman/women.

I am with you Andrew. Next thing you know they will want all of our personal
medical records in just one database!  "There ought to be a law...." Maybe I
should get in touch with my legislature? Ha!

Dean Sheldon, witnessing Big Brother creeping up on us one chink at a time

There is interest in having the Powers That Be tell us what's going on "out
of the goodness of their protective hearts."  Why should we have to get them
into a meeting to tell us the details?  We should request they put out a
"brochure" or something.  The People have a right to know why these things
are cropping up everywhere and We shouldn't have to pry it out of them.  Or
maybe that's what investigative reporters are for.

I talked with Public Relations Officer, Paul Schnell about the cameras on
Monday. It was very informative conversation regarding the matching money
for cameras; cameras being installed within a specified distance from the
Mississippi port area, the number of cameras set to be installed by the city
and the number already installed.  Who decides where, how the cameras have
been utilized so far, length of time 'video' is retained (14 days/2 weeks,
as  "new 'video' pushes out older"). I would like to know more about
different types of cameras, etc.

Is there interest in a public meeting for questions and answers?

I noticed in the recent Villager that St. Paul's finest plan to install cameras
"along the river" -- whatever that means.

I think this camera business is getting out of hand in the city..........

Hmmm, i think we need to put videos where the highest amount of crime is
happening, which is currently CEO offices, high executive offices, banks and
wherever lobbyists visit.

Grace Kelly nicknamed Kelly
Watching crime-in-high-places volunteer curmudgeon in Merriam Park

fyi update

Elizabeth Dickinson
West Side

Begin forwarded message:

FYI - followup.

fyi

Elizabeth Dickinson
West Side

Begin forwarded message:

I agree that flood plains are stupid places to build permanent housing. I also
agree that poorly coordinated FEMA is preferable to Homeland Security Apartheid
Fencing.

Martin Comacho, a 14 year St. Paul Central senior, tied for 1st Monday
night in the State Math league tournament. St. Paul Central tied for 2nd
with Eden Prairie, just behind first place Wayzata.

Yes, the first sentence is correct - Comacho is 14, and a high school
senior. But the high finish was because Central had a strong team, not just
because of him. Highland Park, which also has done well in previous years,
was invited to send a team to this year's tournament because of their
strong performance during the season.

Wayne Roberts a Math professor at Macalester for many years, helped found
the state math league more than 25 years ago. Even though he has retired
from Macalester, he continues to help with the Leagu.

More than 3,500 students have competed this year in the state high school
Math league. It is an important and valuable thing to do. Congrats to these
"math-lets" and to their coaches.

Joe Nathan, Highland Park