[Mpls] Another person assimilated into the Starborgs

[Dyna]

	The situation is even more dire in the 3rd ward, where I remain the  
only announced candidate.... During my wanderings this past day I  
refilled my Holiday mug at M&H in Hastings, BP in Pepin, and Quicktrip  
in Fountain City, each time getting change back from a dollar. Further  
ignoring the standard of political and gastronomic correctness required  
of Minneapolis' Council Members, I dined on Potato Chowder from M&H, a  
"Tornado" from Quicktrip, and overate at an oriental buffet in Red  
Wing. I also helped my self to a few armfuls of free firewood courtesy  
of the State of Wisconsin and the tank was still half full of diesel  
when I got home.

	On a more serious note the trip got me thinking... I like most of us  
have always loved the country and would live there if I could. Of  
course, country living isn't real practical so most of us would prefer  
a small town and few really want to live in bigger cities like  
Minneapolis given the choice.

	Over the last few days several writers have been kind enough to remind  
us of Nicollet Island's small town atmosphere. And surely many of us  
remember how the Cedar-Riverside had a similar small town ambiance  
before Cedar Square flattened much of it. We also know from stacks of  
studies that smaller units of government than our city are more  
"managaible" and foster greater civic involvement.

	Thusly I propose that the key for Minneapolis vitality as a city is to  
become a network of small towns. Our neighborhood boundaries would in  
many cases make sense as town boundaries, and neighborhood groups would  
be given increased autonomy to run their own towns. In keeping with the  
small town look and feel, development outside the downtown core would  
be limited in height to below the tree canopy and building footprint  
would be limited to the size of a traditional small town store or  
factory. Sacred structures like church spires and grain elevators would  
of course be exempted.

	Any comments?

		from Hawthorne Town,

			Dyna Sluyter

	

On Saturday, January 15, 2005, at 03:28 PM, mplsgordon2 at aol.com wrote:

> Jim Bernstein wrote:
>
>> At the  coffeehouse of your choice - I prefer *Starbucks* but I'll go
> wherever you  choose. I'll buy. <
>
> He's been assimilated into the Starborgs. Can a man who chooses  
> Starbucks
> over the thousands of locally owned, independent,
> shade-grown-sustainably-fairly-peace-traded-delivered-by-organic- 
> rickshaw-nonpolluting-urban-friendly-vehicl
> es  coffeehouses be elected to office in this town?
>
> Oozing wry,
> M. G. Stinnett
> Jordan
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