As
you can tell from the accompanying ad prepared by the campaign, I am supporting
John Hayden for the Minneapolis City Council. I do this for a very simple
reason: he believes in the public’s right to know how their money is being spent
and he has the courage and intelligence to make this a reality.
Now
that may seem a bit absurd. After all, of course, the public has a right to
know when their money is involved. But tragically, that is increasingly not
true.
Just
ask yourself a few basic questions:
· Do you know what is in the
package involving the NFL and the Super Bowl committee? Is the taxpayer on the
hook? And for how much?
· Do you know how, when or why
the state legislature overrode the Minneapolis City Charter which limited taxpayer
contributions to professional sport teams owners to $10 million? The new law
now opens the door for unlimited taxpayer monies to the billionaires owning the
teams. Why did our elected city officials support this?
· Do you know how or why the
Vikings got use of the downtown Common parks free of charge? We, the taxpayers, bought the park for some
$20 million and we pay millions for its upkeep. Where is Zygi’s money? (Answer:
In his pocket.)
· Did you know that the city
property taxpayers are on the hook for the parking ramps used by the Vikings on
game and other days for free? Property
taxpayers likely will spend some $30 million to subsidize these ramps.
If
you did poorly on this test, it is understandable. There has been very little
transparency on the transfer of public monies to wealthy team owners. The issue
here is openness in government and the right of the public to participate in
decisions that take their money. We can debate the wisdom of government/ sports
teams’ partnerships later. But, for now, we should agree on full and open
disclosure.
This
is particularly essential when we realize that we are cutting back on education
for our children, reducing our commitment to public safety, and ignoring the
thousands of youngsters and war veterans looking for a place to sleep.
Let’s
have a full public discourse on our priorities and it all starts with
supporting candidates who will lead the fight for openness.
John
Hayden fits the bill. He and his wife, Jackie, are currently raising a three-year
old son in the Waite Park neighborhood and, like all parents; they want
the doors of opportunity open and the streets safe.
This
coupled with a background of service to disadvantaged children as a teacher and
mentor speaks to his commitment. Currently, as a manager with Genesys Works, he
creates opportunities for young people by helping them develop useful job
skills and employment internships. This also involves working with schools and
businesses to form partnerships for employment.
Frankly,
we need that kind of dedication to the public good in City Hall. I know that he
will fight for us. If you can, please
send a modest contribution or a note of support to John at his website: www.myneighborjohn.com.
Thanks,
Arne
