[Mpls] PIP squeaks on parks

[Jason McGrath]

The PIPs (People for Independent Parks) offer an intriguing agenda. Their
main points:

 "We support an independent Park Board."

Are they suggesting that the reform candidates want to eliminate the
independence of the Park Board? Independence from what? Since no reform
candidate has suggested the MPRB should be subsumed by any other government
agency, I suppose what they're afraid of losing is independence from citizen
oversight. Too late.

 "We need responsible and rational people to act as stewards of these
amazing treasures we call our parks."

Here they are in complete agreement with the Park Board reform movement. The
question is, is it "responsible" to go millions of dollars over budget for a
single new sports complex while cutting after-school programs for kids in
local parks? Is it "rational" to hire an inexperienced, bumbling, and
arrogant superintendent without even going through a formal interview
process, just because of his insider connections with the Park Board
majority? Is it "responsible" to spend millions of dollars (and go $3
million over budget) on a new Park Board headquarters while allowing
diseased elm trees to stand for months and infect other trees on both public
and private property? And the list goes on . . .

 "A self appointed group of 'watchdogs' has attempted to interject a massive
dose of politics into the park elections to serve a narrow agenda based on
the personal disagreements of a few misguided and misinformed people."

How are the disagreements "personal"? What specific "misinformation" have
these "misguided" people spread? I've met several reform candidates and
citizen "watchdogs," and what has struck me is their knowledge and
integrity. If you're going to make such charges, back them up.

 "They seem to want change for change's sake."

Um, when a public agency is wasting millions of dollars in taxpayers' money
and letting a precious public asset go into decline through mismanagement,
"change's sake" is the last reason citizens might think of for demanding
change.

 "They come out with the most negative charges imaginable and are only
against things. As Edmund Burke said, 'All that is necessary for evil to
triumph is for enough good men to do nothing.'"

The most negative charges imaginable? What is more negative than calling
your political opponent "evil"? I've yet to hear that from any reform
advocate or candidate, but there you have it from the PIPs in their very
first squeak!

 The truth is that the Park Board reform movement has a momentum that will
not only change the composition of the Park Board but will affect other
races as well. It is patently obvious to me that other politicians who
support the current majority are ignoring the public good in favor of
personal DFL connections, and I will remember that at the ballot box. For
me, that means State Sen. Wes Skoglund, who signed off on the PIP squeaks,
and a certain City Council member who appears to be shifty on the issue.
It's refreshing to see other candidates for state office (like Scott Dibble)
and city office (like Scott Persons) who are clear in standing for Park
Board reform, just because they know it's right.

 Jason McGrath

Corcoran neighborhood, south Mpls