[Mpls] Bus tour

[David Shove]

On Sat, 31 Jul 2004, WizardMarks wrote:

> Will those council members help the more problematic wards? I seriously
> doubt it. Except as they are aiming for a higher office, there is no
> particular advantage to be had by so doing.

This would be solved by Proportional Representation (PR). The 13 seats
elected AT LARGE (but only one vote, not 13, for each voter) makes the
WHOLE CITY EVERY CM'S BUSINESS. Separate districts lets the poorer
districts be sacrificed. PR puts everyone in the SAME BOAT. It makes seats
less secure, more open, more responsive (or else you're not re-elected).
It forces the people in the better off areas to care for everyone, not
just their better-off selves. So you can imagine who might be for it, who
against.

The Green Party favors PR; if you want PR, vote Green.

--David Shove
Roseville


> After reading the morning paper today (Strib), my reaction was (a) photo
> op! photo op!
> (b) these city council folks have not one idea of how to contend with
> what is urban guerilla warfare by assorted ganglords and their minyans
> for all intents and purposes. This current situation has existed, to one
> degree or another, both north and south sides since 1987, that I can
> personally attest to from here in Central. Seventeen years!
> City council members all know the grim realities of the situation and
> have been through those areas--probably on their way to somewhere else.
> No doubt they are grateful that the areas do not fall into their wards.
> It gives them the freedom to upgrade already nice areas in their own wards.
> Will those council members help the more problematic wards? I seriously
> doubt it. Except as they are aiming for a higher office, there is no
> particular advantage to be had by so doing. Touring impacted
> neighborhoods has very little value to them, so why do it? Plus, of
> course, drawing the attention through photo/story ops does nothing to
> change the situation either.
> That the council members whose wards these are appear to be making no
> headway in building solutions is the really unfortunate situation we face.
>
> WizardMarks, Central
>
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