[Mpls] Minneapolis is stealing thousands from poor homeowners

[gemgram]

At the Mayoral debates RT Rybak made the claim that it was his "executive 
experience" and ability that made a difference.  I assume this means that he 
is in "executive" control of the new charges for stormwater run off.  I 
assume he was also a party to the creation of this new "Tax" on people, as 
well as its implementation.

That being said, perhaps RT can explain it to us.

I received a letter today informing me that I would be paying an additional 
$27.47 in taxes each month for this service. That this "ESU" charge was 
computed on the basis of one "equivalent stormwater unit (esu) at $8.72. 
That an "esu" was 1,530 square feet of "Impervious surface".

Now on principal I object to this new tax without referendum.  But in 
addition, I object to the City's math, and knowingly victimizing poor 
people.  The only hard surface on my lot is my house which is less than 1500 
square feet, and since I do not have a driveway or garage then that is the 
only "impervious area".

When I called to object to their math I found something else I object to. 
Arrogant, non-customer friendly civil servants.  I was informed that I was 
billed on the basis of a statistical model.  When I objected and offered the 
opinion that the City look at its own GIS material and bill people on the 
basis of real footage the un-civil servant huffily said that I could 
formally protest this billing and go through a process of appealing it, if I 
wanted to.  I am sorry, but this will undoubtedly fall unfairly upon those 
who simply pay a bill thinking the City would only bill them the correct 
amount.  How about my bill being $0.00 until the City gives me an accurate 
one?

The argument of this unfair billing being fair because it was statistical 
just does not hold water.  Remember folks, statistically 15.3% of the City 
Council are  taking bribes based on the last Council. But we should not 
"Charge" the present CM's for it until we have evidence that they 
individually are presently doing so. This is based on two of the last 
Council being convicted of that crime being used as a "statistical" sample.. 
So please, do not charge poor people on the basis of "statistics".

Older people and poor homeowners from poor neighborhoods will be unfairly 
charged this new tax burden because they simply will not challenge the City. 
People in poor neighborhoods without garages and paved driveways and small 
building footprints will be unfairly victimized by both the new tax as well 
as the City's statistical robbery.  I expect RT Rybak as the "Executive" in 
charge to not only remedy this injustice, but to also apologize to the 
thousands of people from poor neighborhoods who would have been victims of 
this new "statistical" tax.

Jim Graham,
Ventura Village, Phillips Community Planning District, Sixth Ward of 
Minneapolis

>"The people are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our 
>liberty."
"We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt."
- Thomas Jefferson