What can I say, I finally get two messages on email about my entries so now I have changed my settings so anyone can comment directly on my blog.
March 30, 2008 and it is still winter, I guess we are paying for the last few years of almost no winter, this year it has been more like the winters I remember when I first moved here in the early 70's. Then it was fun, now it is an annoyance. But there are worse things and a wonderful summer is coming. After this a few bugs and a little humidity will be a welcomed change.
I keep hearing the comments about how hard it is to meet people here and of course, being who I am, I have a theory and lots of comments. This shall be my rant of the week.
Minnesotans are wonderful, warm and sincere folks but they don't understand what it is like to be NEW and after all why should I try to change them, when they have built a society I want to be a part of for whatever reason. It is amazing to me how many natives here that I know still have the same friends they had in kindergarten. I guess it shows one thing, people here make friends for life. Friends here are not discardable.
But still, how about us new folks? We are capable of that as well, just give us a chance, but that is another topic for another "rant."
I have basically been here over 25 years and I am still sort of a newcomer. Those of us that are new have learned that over the years we make friends with other folks that are new here too. I really think this is the reason the "Minnesota Miracle" is quickly slipping away.
Minnesota used to be a place that literally embraced it's community in its entirety and genuinely cared about each other. Sure there were racial issues like everywhere and that is not to excuse it but everyone had to learn and some still are. Social programs were great for those that needed them and they really were not abused that much. Sure sometimes they were but heck, what isn't? The schools were fantastic, consistently in the top 3 even in the inner cities. Roads were always well maintained in the summer and winter (at least we didn't have bridges falling down into rivers. The streets were basically safe for kids and everyone really. The jobs were well paying, you really could live the good life on average wages here as an average citizen. It was cold but there was a pride in surviving yet another blizzard. It was not cause for complaint but cause for pride.
With the lack of interaction between the locals and new comers, the new comers have not been educated about the benefits of taking care of the least among us and enjoying what we have here. Some of the new comers come from places with less taxes, less government "interference" and less kindness. Since they come here and really like the place for the great society that was built, they want to being with them the parts of the place they left that just so happened to be in direct conflict with what is here and what caused this place to be what it is keeps them here in the first place.
Selfishness was not the norm here, generosity was. Sure we paid more taxes for "good schools" and "good roads" and "safe streets" and "plentiful libraries with extended hours" and "forward thinking planning" and "great parks systems" and "clean water and air." Even the corporations headquartered and founded in Minnesota are different. They mostly believe in giving back to the community that is loyal to them. Target for example, they have always had a policy of giving 5% of pre-tax profits directly back to the community in the form of support for the arts, parks and education and countless other community endeavours. Can you say that about WalMart, or Halliburton, or Mobile Exxon, or even Macy's or how about Nordstrom's, a great company but do they give back? The others don't do this because they were not part of the Minnesota culture when they were founded and they don't "get" the benefits of this kind of philanthropy.
Any of you reading this, please, the next time you have an actual conversation with someone from Minnesota, ask them how many good friends they have that are not natives, not just friends but good friends. Then ask them to think about it for a minute and then tell you why. What a great place to start a conversation that could actually lead to something more than a general "hello how are you?" If you already have the habit of putting Minnesota down because Minnesotans are passive aggressive, or cold or unfriendly, or the weather is so freaking cold, or what ever the complaint is, stop it. This is no way to make friends. No one wants to hear you complain. If you don't like it, the US is temporarily a free country and you are free to move about the country. Mississippi has low taxes, warm winters low government interference and the welfare spending is very low, they would love more residents I am sure. No matter what the locals complain about, remember it is like family, I can call my sister a bitch and have many times, but you better not.
My experience here has been wonderful almost all the time. I do have great friends and some are locals, not many but some. Sure I hate the long winters, but you know what, I have lived in California and Washington and Ohio and Iowa and Puerto Rico and Illinois and Indiana and I will tell you something you all know and may have forgotten, no place is perfect but there are many many things worse than cold weather and the new comers that have not figured out what makes this place tick are bringing those things with them.
Vickie, Happy Birthday a day late!! Ruthie, I can't wait to read your comments.
If you want a mention, Comment...
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
I'm back after all the prodding
Howard seems to think someone cares what I have to say so here we go again.
What memories that brought back reading my last post from Hawaii. After a hard winter in Minneapolis I am looking forward to going back again after tax season.
I want to write something about politics then I say naaaaah. I think the economy of this country is living proof of what is wrong and frankly I don't think it is going to change when John McSame gets elected, in fact it might get worse. Hillary and Barack are killing each other and destroying the best chance we have for change.
I am on the Minnesota Department of Transportation again. Finally the legislature has the good sense to fire Carol Notnow. I have lived in these cities off and on, mostly on, since January 1974 and I can say this, what the hell happened? If anyone is paying attention they know things are not getting better. When I first moved here this was a wonderful place to live, sure there were problems and some things have gotten better for some but for the most part it is not an improvement. We used to be able to drive around here without all the traffic worries we have now. Sure we have more people, a lot more people, but we should have a bigger tax base to provided the basic services we had in the past and by now you would think there would be some improvements, but NOOOOOO. Gridlock is awful during rush hour, traffic lights used to be timed so if you obeyed the speed limits on city streets, especially one ways, you never had to stop unless you turned and went another direction. Now I think MDOT is purposely trying to see how much aggravation they can cause. For what reason, I can't figure out, but aggravation is the name of the game.
Just tonight we went to a movie and getting back on the freeway was a guessing game, the signs are so misleading. Freeway entrance ramps are sometimes on the right and sometimes on the left, but do you think they might tell you in advance with all the signs which lane you are going to have to be in, no, let's aggravate everyone and wait until they are 100 feet from the entrance and then they tell us. Howard says you have to live here to know which lanes you need to be in, I say if the freeways are only for those of us who live here, why waste the money on signs at all?
The potholes, man alive what the heck is going on? Last night we were in Edina and as we were entering on crosstown 62, we hit the edge of a pothole on the entrance ramp that could swallow a Yugo and pop the tires on any other car with a direct hit. It has become common knowledge that the streets are no longer maintained in Minneapolis, they just do emergency repairs. You know, fishing Yugo's out of potholes. The rest of us just keep on repairing tires all the time. It all seemed to go downhill starting with the election of the wrestler in 1998. He was good at writing checks to all us for a tax surplus that existed during the Clinton economy but what I got would just about repair one tire. I guess Jesse Ventura had some mammoth SUV and did not like the license fees so he slashed them, really slashed them. Of course everyone thought that was great until now that we realize...hey there is no money to repair the roads. After all we had a interstate highway bridge that feel into the river at rush hour last summer. You would think that would get every ones attention, but no.....not here.
Our wonderful governor Pawlenty vetoed a bill the legislature passed to address the issue. Finally they had the "balls" to override his veto this year. So guess what, we are getting a 3 cent per gallon gas tax increase and a lot of folks, and especially the tax payers league, are so pissed they can't stand it. When gas goes up 15-30 cents per day sometimes, I want to know just who is going to notice 3 cents? At least now there will be some money to do some catch up and get some of the bridges repaired and finally build a transit system that works. Let's just see if they can figure out how to do that?
I have written about the practice of hiding access to Hwy 55 from downtown before. It is a mystery. Last fall I spoke to the Senate majority leader personally (he was at our house for a fundraiser for our favorite city council member) and he and his office made numerous attempts to get something done, but still, there are no signs. I guess someone wants that one hidden, again from anyone who does not live here. That is a main artery from downtown to the airport, I would hope that more than locals are going from downtown to the airport, but hey who am I? Call me stupid, but I thought making visitors welcome and helping them find their way around would be good business.
Do you think this is enough for now? I do.
Good night.
Post a comment so I know you are reading my ramblings and rantings.
Aloha!!
What memories that brought back reading my last post from Hawaii. After a hard winter in Minneapolis I am looking forward to going back again after tax season.
I want to write something about politics then I say naaaaah. I think the economy of this country is living proof of what is wrong and frankly I don't think it is going to change when John McSame gets elected, in fact it might get worse. Hillary and Barack are killing each other and destroying the best chance we have for change.
I am on the Minnesota Department of Transportation again. Finally the legislature has the good sense to fire Carol Notnow. I have lived in these cities off and on, mostly on, since January 1974 and I can say this, what the hell happened? If anyone is paying attention they know things are not getting better. When I first moved here this was a wonderful place to live, sure there were problems and some things have gotten better for some but for the most part it is not an improvement. We used to be able to drive around here without all the traffic worries we have now. Sure we have more people, a lot more people, but we should have a bigger tax base to provided the basic services we had in the past and by now you would think there would be some improvements, but NOOOOOO. Gridlock is awful during rush hour, traffic lights used to be timed so if you obeyed the speed limits on city streets, especially one ways, you never had to stop unless you turned and went another direction. Now I think MDOT is purposely trying to see how much aggravation they can cause. For what reason, I can't figure out, but aggravation is the name of the game.
Just tonight we went to a movie and getting back on the freeway was a guessing game, the signs are so misleading. Freeway entrance ramps are sometimes on the right and sometimes on the left, but do you think they might tell you in advance with all the signs which lane you are going to have to be in, no, let's aggravate everyone and wait until they are 100 feet from the entrance and then they tell us. Howard says you have to live here to know which lanes you need to be in, I say if the freeways are only for those of us who live here, why waste the money on signs at all?
The potholes, man alive what the heck is going on? Last night we were in Edina and as we were entering on crosstown 62, we hit the edge of a pothole on the entrance ramp that could swallow a Yugo and pop the tires on any other car with a direct hit. It has become common knowledge that the streets are no longer maintained in Minneapolis, they just do emergency repairs. You know, fishing Yugo's out of potholes. The rest of us just keep on repairing tires all the time. It all seemed to go downhill starting with the election of the wrestler in 1998. He was good at writing checks to all us for a tax surplus that existed during the Clinton economy but what I got would just about repair one tire. I guess Jesse Ventura had some mammoth SUV and did not like the license fees so he slashed them, really slashed them. Of course everyone thought that was great until now that we realize...hey there is no money to repair the roads. After all we had a interstate highway bridge that feel into the river at rush hour last summer. You would think that would get every ones attention, but no.....not here.
Our wonderful governor Pawlenty vetoed a bill the legislature passed to address the issue. Finally they had the "balls" to override his veto this year. So guess what, we are getting a 3 cent per gallon gas tax increase and a lot of folks, and especially the tax payers league, are so pissed they can't stand it. When gas goes up 15-30 cents per day sometimes, I want to know just who is going to notice 3 cents? At least now there will be some money to do some catch up and get some of the bridges repaired and finally build a transit system that works. Let's just see if they can figure out how to do that?
I have written about the practice of hiding access to Hwy 55 from downtown before. It is a mystery. Last fall I spoke to the Senate majority leader personally (he was at our house for a fundraiser for our favorite city council member) and he and his office made numerous attempts to get something done, but still, there are no signs. I guess someone wants that one hidden, again from anyone who does not live here. That is a main artery from downtown to the airport, I would hope that more than locals are going from downtown to the airport, but hey who am I? Call me stupid, but I thought making visitors welcome and helping them find their way around would be good business.
Do you think this is enough for now? I do.
Good night.
Post a comment so I know you are reading my ramblings and rantings.
Aloha!!
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