My Letter to Gov. Mark Dayton with regards to his stance on the Southwest LRT in todays Minneapolis Star and Tribune: Dear Gov. Dayton, I am disappointed in the lack of respect for a public process throughout this project. The process ignored the Met Council approved and City Council adopted Minneapolis Comprehensive Plan for Sustainable Growth that directs where development should be encouraged and where open space should be protected and expanded. Nothing in that plan endorses the notion of the Kenilworth Corridor. The process ignored the concerns of the citizens regarding the routing through Kenilworth and allowed the media to position these citizens as NIMBY influential DFLers. The process early on lacked the integrity of critical thought as it considered merely the costs of materials and construction and not the benefits, ignoring the concept of stimulating Minneapolis development, serving a population that relies on public transit, and encouraging an integrated rather than segregated metro area. The SWLRT is no different than I-394 tunneling white middle class suburbanites in their protected vessels to the shinny central city, with no cause for rubbing up against the realities and challenges of those who live in the city, further insulating and isolating our urban v suburban populations. The process lacked due process and integrity throughout, and we end up today throwing our hands in the air and admit that the route is flawed but the only option, as you are quoted in todays newspaper. I want to believe in our public institutions and am involved at many levels. But experiencing this process has me growing weary, disenchanted and discouraged. Today, I question my confidence in the government doing what is right, and what it is doing to Minneapolis and the metro area. Thank you for hearing my concerns. startribune/politics/statelocal/254469331.html
Posted on: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 14:18:33 +0000
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