KILLING THE PARK BOARD?
It is responsible for our beautiful city
The March 3 editorial, "Let charter change conservation begin," ignores the fact that the talk has never stopped since the Park Board was created in 1883, when, as an independent body, it kept control away from the council and mayor. It went on to create the country's most respected city park system.
Minneapolis parks have consistently provided recreational opportunities for children and adults, protected parks and lakes from encroachment and managed its finances when faced with the same constraints the city libraries had.
In tight times, Park Board members understand the city's need for funds, yet no one wants development around lakes, the loss of parkland or the closing of recreational centers and programming. The Park Board has done wonders with less. But changing what makes Minneapolis special is not the answer.
BOB FINE, MINNEAPOLIS;
COMMISSIONER,
MINNEAPOLIS PARK AND RECREATION BOARD
the stimulus package
Democrats are using fear to sell a bad bill
President Obama has warned that the "economic crisis could turn into a catastrophe" if the stimulus bill is not passed. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has publicly stated that "every month that we do not have an economic recovery package 500 million Americans lose their jobs."
Aren't these the same people who criticized the Bush administration for creating "fear" in the American public to gain support for the administration's terrorism policies? Aren't they doing the same thing (i.e., creating fear in the American public) to gain support for their economic policies?
