GREEN ROOF SHOULD MAKE MINNEAPOLIS OFFICIALS BLUSH
I'm listening to AM 1500 and Joe Soucheray is talking about Minneapolis spending $1.7 million on a new "green" roof for city hall.
According to KSTP, city hall "will replace the gravel portion of its roof with a ‘green’ roof, which will have several types of plants, open space and a deck area."
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak is complaining that he needs more money to fight crime, yet the city has almost $2 million to spend on a grass roof.
According to KSTP, city hall "will replace the gravel portion of its roof with a ‘green’ roof, which will have several types of plants, open space and a deck area."
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak is complaining that he needs more money to fight crime, yet the city has almost $2 million to spend on a grass roof.
10 Comments:
This saves money. It's good public policy (putting a little more money in upfront but making it back later) and it's fiscally conservative.
What is your, or Mr. Strom's, alternative proposal? Crime will exist in 20 years, and more money will be freed up then. Should we throw away our future?
This sentence is the thesis of the story: "A gravel roof would cost $1.2 million and last 20 years, while the ‘green’ roof costs $1.7 million and last 36 years."
If you have an issue with this, the debate should be centered around this sentence. Is $500,000 more worth it for a downtown green space and an additional 16 years of use? My answer would be yes. Michael, Joe and David what do you think?
NO! The point is that if Rybak and the Minneapolis legislative delegation (and the Star Tribune) are going to blame a lack of cops on Pawlenty budget cuts then they had better damn well make sure they are spending taxpayer dollars on crap like this.
That's the point, NSP. The city of Minneapolis has a lot to answer for before it goes blaming anyone but itself for a lack of money to hire cops.
END OF DISCUSSION.
Crap like what? Like fixing the roof? The city has a multi-million dollar budget and pays for thousands of things including fire, parks, after school programs and so on.
Why is that Pawlenty only got interested when a white guy from Minnetonka got shot near Block E?
Why is that Pawlenty only got interested when a white guy from Minnetonka got shot near Block E?
What an idiotic comment.
How about the idea that crime has become rampant in downtown Minneapolis and it doesn't matter what color the victim is or where their home address is? Why, in the defense of a comrade does one see the need to make an offensive, basically racist comment like that? It just makes you look like a moron.
Wow, could David Strom be any more of an idiot?
Let's see. A new roof is needed. A 20-year roof for $1.2 million is $60,000 a year for a roof. A 36-year roof for $1.7 million is a bit over $47,000 a year for a roof. And it is better for the environment.
So you're telling me that the green roof is bad even though it costs less in the long run, is better for the environment, and won't tax the storm sewer system as much (saving more money), simply because it costs more up front? Are you kidding me? Does David Strom only buy the cheapest goods available at a store, even if buying a larger size results in a lower unit cost, simply because the smaller size costs less up front? How much of an idiot can you possibly be?
Evil Dem said: "crime has become rampant in downtown Minneapolis." Show me the stats. Perhaps sensationalist crimes are on the rise, but overall downtown Minneapolis is a very safe place.
The reason Pawlenty is to blame is because it was his LGA cuts that forced cuts in police. The reason the state provides LGA is becuase places like Minneapolis are destinations for people like mortgage bankers from Minnetonka.
Downtown Minneapolis is safe and people will keep coming because the Timberwolves don't play in Eden Praire, you can't see a Broadway show in Elk River and you can't earn $500,000 a year working for Target in Elko.
Race is a factor in this, you are naive if you fail to acknowledge it.
overall downtown Minneapolis is a very safe place.
Compared to where, Haiti? Only someone looking to defend the current administration of Minneapolis could be so blind to the reality. The reality is that people see the rise in crime and they're no longer going downtown. I would need many hands to count the number of friends who just a few years ago enjoyed eating at restaurants there. Now they're choosing to spend their time and money elsewhere because they know the truth - downtown is no longer a safe place to be after normal business hours.
The reason Pawlenty is to blame is because it was his LGA cuts that forced cuts in police.
Pawlenty doesn't decide where the City of Minneapolis spends it's money, their City Council does. Because the state didn't give them a hand out doesn't change who is responsible. A city council makes priority decisions and spends their money accordingly. The Mpls city council chose different priorities, choosing to have fewer cops but spent their money on other things. Instead of changing those priorities and tightening their belt, they decide to blame others. No one but themselves is to blame.
Downtown Minneapolis is safe and people will keep coming because the Timberwolves don't play in Eden Praire
True, there are some things that are only available downtown. Nevertheless, there are a lot of things people CAN do outside of downtown. Restaurants and movie theaters are available in all directions and people are voting with their feet and money. My family used to go to Crown Theater all the time. While I'd still go there, the rest of my family refuses to go there anymore. They see the news and they've seen the harassment on Hennepin or in the skyways. We can eat anywhere or see movies at any number of other theaters without the threat of being shot while listening to opera music over loud speakers.
Race is a factor in this, you are naive if you fail to acknowledge it.
Do you mean that the gangs are mostly black? Or that those causing most of the trouble are black? If you want to acknowledge that fact, then you're right, race is a factor. If you are suggesting that people only think crime is bad because a white suburban guy got shot, then you're the one who is naive. People have been worried about downtown for a long time now and it's been this way long before any white guy got plugged.
I am skeptical of the green roof on city hall. Sure it's been done before but usually on a building designed to take the weight of a bunch of grass soaked with rain not retrofitting it on a victorian building. If it turns out bad, guess who will pay to fix it? Also Lisa Goodman was on camera blathering on about how people will be able to go up there and drink coffee. The more foot traffic it gets the less time it will last and the less cost effective it is.
LGA was created by the state government as aid it would give to local governments so they would not have to raise property taxes. Instead, cities used it as free money and became to dependent on it. LGA was reduced in 2003 because the budget was a disaster and LGA wasn't doing its job, therefore could be cut.
Given that LGA will rise in the coming years, maybe the city could wait with the green roof until then and use the money to fund cops in the mean time. Or, use the money to fund an election to get real people in city hall. Heads should be rolling out of that building, instead, they offer only excuses.
Post a Comment
<< Home