8/21/12
Lizee and cronies swept into office almost two years ago with promises to "take back the City." Here's a short list of big ideas and projects that they started and which remain unfinished. Will a council under mayor-anointed Zerby finish anything?
- City wide-water has a murky future. Originally, the idea was to see how to encourage those who could connect now to do so. This has been lost in the discussion that's centered on expanding the water system to all homes.
- A strategic plan for Shorewood is strategically not moving forward. Seems the gang of four can't figure out how to advance this.
- A City-wide resident survey to be used to direct future projects and policies was completed in early 2011, but has been put on the shelf. Seems the activity of doing a survey was to magically morph into action plans.
- A trail plan was developed in early 2011, but no trails have been created even though the cronies set aside $1.8 million to fund them.
Seeing a pattern? The Insider is.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
... and what is the problem?
ReplyDeleteDo we want a government forcing people to drink city water; when citizens don't want or need it?
Why is that assumed "good" or "progress"?
Do we want a government taking your private property for a trail when there are no petitions seeking a trail?
Do we want politicians creating a master plan for us; instead of allowing us the freedom to do what we want with our PRIVATE property?
I like the pattern of a passive government following the people - not trying to drive them with a cattle-prod towards some senseless, utopian, planned hell-hole.
The insider needs to get a grip and count our blessings.
I think the Insider HAS a grip and that is why this blog exists. The Insider throws it out there for the readers to comment on.
DeleteI don't think I have ever read here that the Insider advocates any of the things you are suggesting in your post.
I believe in the Insider suggested in "Unfinished Business" that we have spent a bunch of money on research and development for things that the many of us do not want and that the city doesn't necessarily need.
The government is not going to take any of your "private property" for a trail. Clearly, you do not walk or ride a bike anywhere.
But thank you for sharing your fear. It reminds the rest of us that there exist all nature of extremes in our community.
My friend/neighbor,
DeleteThe whole Insider posting above is a critique of the council for NOT getting these projects accomplished. The Insider wonders if a Mayor Zerby will finish ANYTHING?! The Insider asks if you are seeing a pattern (of failure). If the Insider were neutral, as you assert, there would be no criticism nor critical tone.
Perhaps you are new to the city and are not aware of the protests that stopped the city from taking private property along Smithtown Road for a trail?
I use the trails all the time. Why do you ask? What does my private behavior have to do with the fact of government seizing private property?
And I am curious why you would put quotation marks around "private property".
Thank you for labeling me "extreme". Name-calling is very mature, advances your argument and keeps us focused on the issue at hand.
People who bitch, yes bitch, about putting trails or sidewalks in Shorewood are enlightening, especially those that then blythely head off to another locale to use the trails built by others--and in someone else's front yard.
DeleteShorewood has a Master Plan, as does every city. It's called the comp plan. From the day you bought your property you had rules on what you could do or not. Some rules protect us from the stupidity of others, some are patently ridiculous and overreaching. If you don't want rules why aren't you in Kentucky or Mississippi?
DeleteInsider, have any information on mayor-to-be in Excelsior Mark Gaylord? He uses the term South Park, like Zerby, and thinks Excelsior should be a "destination city." He only moved here 10 years ago. What does he do for a living? How connected it he with the hotel-and-restaurant bigwigs?
ReplyDeleteI recommend that the new councilmember candidates put out an info piece that says "I promise to do nothing." And we'll see how many votes that gets them.
ReplyDeleteThe current council ran on actually doing things and they won. Though they have not necessarily delivered, the fact that they won tells us that there are people here who want to leave the 19th century behind.
For those of you who wish to change Shorewood... why did you move here if you didn't like it?
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of trails, sidewalks, regulations, curb & gutters and streetlights in Minneapolis. You could have had it all!
You remind me of people who move next to an airport and then complain about the noise.
What is it that people have against trails and sidewalks?
DeleteWe all moved here from somewhere else and caused change, and that includes you, whether you own up to it or not. That is, unless you live in a teepee.
DeleteLet's get this trail thing right.
ReplyDeleteIt is bogus from the get-go.
There is a big difference between a railroad ROW trail that is flat and with 50 feet of natural terrain on either side, and a trail cobbled in on the side of a busy road, with hills to navigate, and fronting private property.
Everyone wants to use the former. NO ONE will use the latter, except long distance bicyclists from outside the area, and the occasional distance runner.
Seriously? Long distance bicyclists don't use the LRT they use the roads - haven't you seen them?
DeleteHotvet believes pedestrian access is one of the most important issues we have - well, then take it on -- lead by example and put a side walk along Strawberry so the kids can safely walk to school and bike to Cathcart.
NO ONE? Really? Hysterical baseless diatribe.
ReplyDelete