Sorry no money for cops, but we can fund parkways

One of the great features of Minneapolis is the parkway system. I love the ability to take a walk or take a bike ride thru the city along the parkways and trails that we have. However, $104 million for a new park to join Northeast and East River Road is a waste of tight funds. Yes it’s the money earmarked for the park board, but if basic services are strapped shouldn’t the priorities get funded first?
Like we talked about earlier in the week, if you want to pay for the amenities take care of the necessaries first. You would not give a child candy that hasn’t had a meal. Minneapolis is eating a light dinner on a credit card and it pays for it cake with cash. Makes no sense! Correct the spending problems, pay for basic services (cops, fire, waste, water, etc), lower the taxes, and the money for the parkways, bike paths, and the rest will be there. Please don’t make the Shadow throw $104 million dollars in the waste bucket! I really don’t want to have to do that.

Where is the Shadow #3

Last Week : Boom Island

Ex-Cons could find housing if the city would let them

Here we go with the programs again. The housing rental market could take care of ex-offenders once they have paid their debt to society if allowed to by the city. The mother government need not create the need and then feed the need themselves all in the name of controlling the process. It isn’t good enough for the landlords to service this market themselves, but the city needs to get it’s hands into the process and create programs requiring more tax money to be used. Here is a better idea “silly” council. Take the restrictions off the landlords allowing them to feasibly operate within the city and fill this need themselves. A council member worth their weight would sit down with the landlords and hammer out a policy that is amenable to all parties concern. It isn’t necessary for the government to fill every need. In fact, best governance is one that will work with business to fill needs. The list of issues and concerns are numerous and some legitimate, but solutions can be found to the benefit of all concerned.

Best laid plans of mice and Mayors

If you read the Mayor’s budget address you are either bored out of your mind, a political wonk, a dollar and sense junkie, or a too well informed citizen for some unexplained reason. It is laced with a plan here, a plan there, and several other plans on top of the plans. Every single one of them have a dollar sign attached to them. Plans for spurring econmic growth, jobs, making the city a place people want to call home, and the list goes on and on. What ever happen to the best plan is a sound policy. If you want econmic growth and more jobs one of the best ways to do that is to lower taxes! If you want people to move here and stay one of the best ways to do that is to lower taxes! The city should be the center for easy access to lots of jobs at a low cost of living. Instead we have the tax the rain plan. Yes I said tax the rain, otherwise known as the water run off fee. You get charged a tax based on the amount of concrete you have on your property. What is next, tax the air based on the amount of square footage you have? Don’t give them any ideas! The fee resulted because the city must have forgotten they were suppose to maintenance the sewers.
The fee for service approach has gotten way out of hand. Water, sewer, phone, garbage, and so on. I understand and agree with some of these, but it start to beg the question “what is my property tax suppose to go for?”. There are fees that should be in place, but the “Silly” council tries to place it against the property tax. For an example, False Alert fees. If you have a home seceruity system and it reports more than two false alerts a year you will get charged for each police or fire trip out to your home after the initial two. However, Council Member Remmington proposed that the fee be added to everyones property taxes. Bad policy there Ralph. All the plans in the world aren’t going to improve the underlying problems if you address the poor policy making practices.

Walk Of Life

With a high crime rate, taxes at an all time high, cost of living increases as far as the eye can see, education system crappy, and what does the city decide to spend it’s time on…making Minneapolis WALKABLE.
Ugh, we have sidewalks! The city is developing the Pedestrian Master Plan. Again with the Master Plans. Sounds like old Snidely Whiplash hatching some scheme against Dudley Do-Right, or in this case it would be Dudley Do-Citizen getting his wallet stolen again. I have nothing against walking, even some of my bipetal friends walk. It’s all about priorities. Remember our previous lesson on increase income and not taxes. The “Silly” Council can do all of the master plans they want, as long as they are providing the basic city services without committing highway robery of the taxpayers. What ever happen to the day when a government was judged on how well it provided the city services at an affordable price? It’s tea harbor time folks!

Sunday Visit #2

This week we covered how lowering tax rates spurs on economic growth and the amount of taxes collected. Following this strategy will allow the city to fully fund the basic services and afford the amenities, which currently isn’t happening.

Beware of the “Silly” Council members bearing tax relief. The Community Engagement Plan calls for retiring the TIFF districts. Some, like Council Member Ostrow, are trying to sell this with property tax relief. Don’t be taken in by the snake oil, but elminating the NRP free ride is a good idea. Just make sure the elected officials do there jobs.

Weekly Awards and Recognitions
This week the Shadow added $20,000 to the “Silly” Council waste bucket for the micro-grants to fight “Global Warming”.

The Shadow hands out the weekly “Goofy” award to Council Member Benson, again, for getting rid of he paper cups in exchange for the mugs at city hall.