Flapjacks and Flip-Flops..The Messiah Barack Obama is in St. Paul

Sorry for the Messiah title given to Senator Obama by other media figures, but his candidacy reminds me more of movement rather than a campaign. Doesn’t mean that a movement is a bad thing. The flapjacks reference is credited to the fact that he had pancakes at his breakfast fundraiser. I promise to make equal fun of Senator “Straighten up and talk” when he comes to town. The flip-flops reference is to the “all not so mighty’s” changing positions on issues such as oil drilling.
The Minneapolis Shadow focuses the subject matter regarding the Presidential race on areas as they relate to city policy and areas of concern on a local level. The fact that the presumptive Democrat nominate for President has presented us with his grace (or is that grace us with his presents) it gives me an opportunity to fire my first salvo in this war for the big chair.
One aspect that a city must focus on as a key livability factor is education. Looking at the two main presumptive candidates there are a number of differences that are key.

McCain talks about reform, innovate, responsibility, accountability and parental choice. These areas all are critical to fixing education mess that cities such as Minneapolis find themselves in.

Obama talks about overall increased funding, increased programs, providing daycare, and school and community partnerships. We have done all these things for years and have produced little results. He does talk about mentoring, tutoring, and extended learning time which I agree is critical to improving education.

I look forward to hearing more from these two on this issue as the season really heats up. Right now I think Senator McCain has the better plan.

For the latest string of murders - bring on the vigils

First and foremost my heart goes out to those that have lost loved ones in the ongoing murders occurring in Minneapolis. All life is precious and we should mourn when one is cut short. These vigils that happen after a murder has been committed maybe good for community healing, but do nothing towards eliminating the problem. The best time that can be done to honor the memories of those gone is to take action to solve the problem. No amount of hand holding and singing of hymns is going to solve anything. It takes action by the “elected” officials, police, and the community to rid ourselves of this reoccurring problem. Unless our city council members, Mayor, and other “elected” officials take the kind of action needed to solve this; we are going to continue to break out the hymn books and candles. It’s past time to demand action!

Avoiding Criminal Recidivism

One of the biggest problems in the criminal justice system is the repeat offender. There are many factors that make it difficult for a paroled individual to “get along” once released and to avoid repeat offences. Difficulty in finding jobs, housing, drug and alcohol treatment, and general reintegration into society issues contribute to the pressures of avoiding violations. The Urban Institute did a case study on the interaction with parole officers, which I found very interesting http://www.urban.org/publications/411744.html. It highlights the need to have parole officers take a more active role in leading ex-cons to jobs, housing, treatment programs, and other needed services. Taking this approach would go a long towards cutting the recidivism rate and be a very good investment of the taxpayer’s dollar.

Newsflash: Minneapolis has plenty of money to support its essentials

The city council members and mayor must have looked in the correct cookie jar because they have found $41 million dollars to spend on something that isn’t a necessity. I guess they now can afford more cops, to pay for their own park improvements and bike paths, can buy back their movie rental libraries, and can lower taxes. The project to change the traffic patterns on Marquette and second avenues, add art and landscaping, widen sidewalks, and change bus lines will cost $41 million dollars in a city that the officials claim they always need more money to fund their responsibilities. Next time the ‘silly council” and mayor claim they need more money from you, better hold on to your wallets and tell them to take a flying leap down Marquette avenue.