tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30400278.post7050214328397791909..comments2010-02-08T11:02:17.159-05:00Comments on The Gross Report: Back From HiatusStephen Grosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08704949337738506028noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30400278.post-26176950471910849352007-06-09T03:05:00.000-05:002007-06-09T03:05:00.000-05:00generalissimo asks "how much was spent"? Ouch. M...generalissimo asks "how much was spent"? Ouch. Minnesota is way up there in the taxes department. The great roads and services don't come without a cost. Also asked is who has access? The answer will be interesting to hear. I think of the many activities my family participated in when I was younger and poorer. We took the children for free to Dayton's 8th floor auditorium every Christmas. It was a big deal. Will Macy's start charging or eliminate it? We went to Twin City Federal's Hollidazzle parade for free every winter. It, too, was/is a big deal. The St. Paul Winter Carnival . . . anyone who wants to play can. Most things are free although there was an entry fee for the last ice castle. The ice sculptures are free. Diggin' Dino's are free right now. The 5 year tribute to Charles Schulz of Peanuts character statues was free. The Children's Museum is free on certain days of the month. The Saints games are $7-$10 apiece and it's baseball like it used to be played. The beaches at the parks are free. The flower gardens at Lake Harriet are free. Many of the Aquatennial activities are free. Should I go on? Libraries, biking/hiking systems, top notch education, community theater in the park, . . . It will be interesting to see The Gross Report's analysis will be interesting to see unfold.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30400278.post-67624619883290160892007-06-04T09:57:00.000-05:002007-06-04T09:57:00.000-05:00As a former journalist, I always was frustrated th...As a former journalist, I always was frustrated that stories with a positive angle, such as success stories, were considered "fluff" by editors and stories about failures or scandals were touted as hard-hitting journalism. My experience in graduate was similiar. Professors boasted about being "critical" and "analytical." However, at the end of the day, it seemed to me their conclusions generally had a negative slant: this failed, this didn't measure up, this lacked, this minority group was blocked access... Without including the upshots. This contrasts with the Disneyland-esque P.R. cheerleaders who always smiling, telling us everything is great... <I>Ugh!</I> <BR/><BR/>Let's find middle ground for this intellectual discourse. (I was tempted to say intellectual intercourse and leave the rest up to your imaginations. <I>- get yer minds out of the gutter</I>). My suggestion is that Gross should maintain his even-handed approach. If something is working, he should tell us why. Share not just the success but the operations that led to success. Other important questions to consider: <BR/><BR/>1. <B> The bottom line:</B> How much was spent. I think readers like to know the cost to make something work well. <BR/><BR/>2.<B> Perspective:</B> If Gross finds something working great in the Twin Cities, maybe he could provide perspective by offering an example of the same thing that is lacking elsewhere. I.E., great urban parks in St. Paul... Poor park system in (blank). <BR/><BR/>3. <B>Access: </B> Who has access? Does limiting access make it a failure or is some level of discrimination key? <BR/><BR/>4.<B> Local Culture: </B> Tell us about local attitudes and how the lend to a great or poor urban experience.Generalissimohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06066524363430126515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30400278.post-4328696939754520882007-06-03T22:05:00.000-05:002007-06-03T22:05:00.000-05:00I look forward to hearing more of the great aspect...I look forward to hearing more of the great aspects & concepts. So much writing these days is about what is wrong (with the war, with poverty, with Cleveland, with athletes, et cetera). Good material is wonderful to read!JeffreyThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08640834494586337848noreply@blogger.com