[Mpls] A little media disagreement - A little lack of leadership at the City!

[wmmarks]

gemgram wrote:

> The real problem is not the staff of the City.  The real problem is 
> the management (or lack of it). The real problem is that we continue 
> to elect well meaning nice people who simply are incompetent to manage 
> our City.  We elect people who will not, or are incapable of, take  
> the responsibility to do the management work to make good ideas 
> successful.

WM: While I think part of what you're saying is accurate, the council is 
supposed to hire capable managers. They do not always do that, since 
political patronage gets in their way as does a lack of experience in 
hiring and vetting candidates. No city council types can stand over the 
managers and second guess every move managers make. Traditionally, 
council members get calls from constituents about problems, then call 
department heads and ream them a new one. This is effective management? 
It is the one often used. All of us can think of various CMs over the 
years who have used that method.

> Then again perhaps the perceived mistake is not one at all.  Perhaps 
> the "StormWaterGate" is simply an attempt to raise extra revenue on 
> the backs of those least likely to scream (or vote), the poor 
> neighborhoods of the City. My question is where the extra money, being 
> fraudulently (and now knowingly) stolen from poor neighborhoods and 
> poor people, going?

WM: It could have been done in all innocence. The big contributors to 
storm runoff are concrete parking lots, big building footprints, and 
roadways and driveways. That they didn't think it through, I'll grant you.

> Is it to subsidize the more affluent neighborhoods or is it being used 
> as a hidden means of raising revenue without having it raise the taxes 
> of those same more affluent voters?

WM: What's hidden? Of course it's to raise revenue, what else?

> WizardMarks, Central
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