Minneapolis Tax Payers Off Duty

Yesterday it was a ripe 99 degrees here in sunny Minneapolis. The humidity kept climbing all day long. I could actually see my neighbor’s lawn progressively turn a lighter shade of brown. A good samaritan was trying to rescue thirsty and dying trees along Lyndale Avenue, armed with a hose he had borrowed from Pizza Luce. It was truly uncomfortable yesterday. The situation was made even worse by the news that Minneapolis Parks and Recreation was forced to close all area beaches due to the budget cuts passed earlier this year. So unless you belonged to some swanky suburban private pool club your shit was out of luck and you were stuck with a six dollar plastic pool from Wal-Mart and some cold hard ciders.

Today the budget cuts take down another treasured institution of summer. All Minneapolis Public Libraries will be closed until September 3rd. That’s just no good.

I’d like to think that this is one big evil plot put forth by Target Stores and other local retailers, who have pressured the government to take away free community options for kids and their parents in order to drive more consumers to their air conditioned stores and movie theaters in this last week of back-to-school grabbing and shoving. But there’s no one to blame for this mess but ourselves. For it was we (but not me) that elected a Governor who ran on a campaign of ‘no new taxes’ and now it is we who must endure the reality of that wonderful promise. I for one, welcome mo’ taxes. Where can I send my money? My tax dollars are paying for President Bush to fly in tomorrow for a $2,000 dollar a plate re-election campaign fundraiser on the private property of the Saint Paul River Center. Can I request that some of those tax dollars be used to keep open Public beaches and libraries? How about the library hold it’s own fundraiser? I can’t do the $2000 a plate deal but I could certainly attend, say, a $100 a plate fundraiser. Especially, if they serve vegetarians. Perhaps a Pot Luck benefit might be a better idea. Attendees could bring their favorite recipe that they got from a library cook book.