[Mpls] [mpls} District 4 debate a Kenwood Recreation Center

[Annie Young]

Just for the record - we do get funding from Foundations. General Mills, 
the Twins Foundation and the Minneapolis Foundation stick with us all the 
time.  Others join in if it is partnership that is within their program 
guidelines.  Do people really think we haven't been "begging" from money 
from very source there is for a very, very long time ( and I do mean 
years). From Federal, state and local levels to boot. And, believe me, our 
staff does know who to write grants - lots of them!  PLEASE!

But, then did Ms. Wielinski also point out that Ms. Hansen is very 
interested to returning to all programs and services being FREE in the park 
system and no need for a fee for service strategy.  While I personally do 
hate Fees for Service I figure I would have to cut over 100 staff people to 
find the money to cover no fees in the system.  Is this realistic?

Annie Young
citywide Park Commissioner
seeking re-election in ' 05


At 08:02 AM 10/19/05 -0700, Niel Ritchie wrote:

>Thanks to Elizabeth Wielinski for her commitment to
>reporting on the park board and related issues. This
>clip below from last night's debate is illustrative of
>the need for rigorous public discussion.
>
>Planning for foundations to help the Park Board avoid
>making difficult budget choices is not a realistic
>approach to governance.
>
>As one who has worked in the non-profit sector, I have
>a hard time imagining that already overburdened
>foundations would be very open to requests for this
>type of subsidy when more basic human needs like food,
>housing, education, healthcare and HEAT are growing
>rapidly as the Feds and State balance their budgets on
>the backs of municipalities.
>
>Having said that, Christine Hansen seems to be
>suggesting that the reason foundations aren't already
>giving to this type of activity is either poor
>financial management or poor grant writing by the
>existing board.
>
>Did she offer any suggestions of how to better spend
>the money they do have? Did she cite any examples of
>existing partnerships that would be models for this or
>give examples of her own fundraising prowess?
>
>
>Still happily voting for Park Board Reform in Linden
>Hills.
>
>Niel Ritchie
>
>
>
> >
> >    Christine Hanson was of the opinion that the MPRB
> > should be making
> > these places free and that more partnering with
> > foundations would give
> > the needed dollars to make this happen.  With her
> > background in
> > business she would be able to help make the grant
> > requests more viable
> > with better plans for how the money would be spent.
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
>
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