Note to the community: Don’t get “Befuddled” by the celebratory status of a few politicians – ask the questions that need to be asked! According to Rep. Ellsion’s Son, North Minneapolis should look different and be doing a lot better….Mmmmm
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Abraham Lincoln: “You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.”
The 2008 Federal Earmarks tell a story of political collaborations that seemed to bypass the community. This opportunity from our elected officials have not focused on the need to address the housing foreclosure crisis, the lack of jobs in North and South Minneapolis and the social service agencies that are actually working hard to keep the lights on while still serving the undeserved populations of Minnesota. It’s shocking to know that a local elected official’s office is in one of the Flagship Social Services Agencies – but yet they are not listed below.
There’s a flip side to this. Some of the organizations that desperately need economic stimuli in the form of Earmarks – don’t have the capacity to complete the necessary paperwork to be submitted. Imagine a youth and adult entrepreneurial program funded by Earmarks; A new business incubator; a summer youth employment program; a social wellness hub; a community CWT (Compensated Work Therapy) program for ex-offenders. None of these thing where considered.
The Minneapolis Public Schools knew they were in trouble for the past 3 years – how come no one stepped forward and addressed the issues of getting dollars through Earmarks rather that asking the voters to support a referendum that would raise property tax in an economy that would make an estimated 20% of home owners fall into foreclosure if passed? Furthermore, the MPS can’t supply information on how the money would be used, what the actual property tax increase would be and what would be different in light of our children of color failing in school that make schools in Mississippi look better than schools in one of the richest counties in the United States (Hennepin).
The operative word this political season is “change.” Ask yourself, in 2004, 2006 and 2008 we were asking the same questions; we had the same economic problems. When will we as Americans stop apologizing for being Americans and stand up to the carefully worded statements of a few politicians that by the information below really don’t want to address the needs of the community – but work in a collective effort to fund the “haves” rather than assisting the ‘have-nots”.
Who got Federal Earmarks 2008? (To see this information click HERE)
1. Bolder Options – Minneapolis: A program to reduce truancy
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Coleman; Klobuchar; Keith Ellison; Ramstad
Amount: $312,550
2. Bolder Options – Minneapolis: A program to reduce truancy (Listed twice)
(Same as Above)
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Coleman; Klobuchar; Keith Ellison; Ramstad
Amount: $117,500
3. Central Corridor Light Rail – Light Rail Project
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Coleman; Klobuchar; Keith Ellison; Betty McCollum
Amount: $10,192,000
4. Children’s Hospital and Clinics – Minneapolis, Minnesota
(Hospital)
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Klobuchar; Keith Ellison; Bachman; Walz
Amount: $302,000
5. City of Minneapolis: For land and building acquisition
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Coleman; Klobuchar; Keith Ellison
Amount: $264,600
6. Hennepin County Human Services – Public Health Department
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Klobuchar; Keith Ellison
Amount: $407,000
7. Jewish Family on Children Services of Minneapolis
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Klobuchar; Keith Ellison; Ramstad
Amount: $192,000
8. Gunfire Detection System – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Coleman; Klobuchar; Keith Ellison
Amount: $564,000
9. Minnehaha Creek Watershed – UMR Lake Itasca to L & D
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Coleman; Klobuchar; Keith Ellison
Amount: $226,000
10. Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Coleman; Klobuchar; Keith Ellison
Amount: $95,000
11. NorthStar Commuter Rail
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Coleman; Klobuchar; Keith Ellison; Oberstar
Amount: $53,900,000 (53 Million)
12. Plasma Sterilizer (?)
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Coleman; Klobuchar; Keith Ellison; Oberstar
Amount: $3,000,000 (3 Million)
13. The City of Minneapolis – Combined Sewer Overflow Improvements
Elected Officials who signed off on the money: Klobuchar; Keith Ellison;
Amount: $295,000
The final amounts that the above organizations received totals $69,867,650. Let’s round it off…$70 Million Dollars! Another example of “bad cooks”.
An environment of no Economic Stimuli demands that we follow the money and ask the questions while holding our leaders accountable.
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