Readers - If you want to understand the Mayor and City Council who created the large tax increases, permitted Kraewood, and developed the plan whose crowning jewel is a strip of concrete down Maple Street, read Ben Martig's opinion piece in the November 15th edition of the Northfield News.
On behalf of the councilors, Ben tries to convince us that the Council is hearing us. The undertone of his opinion piece is that "we the 7" of the Council listens, but they know better than the other "we" - the citizens. Moreover, he asks that we-20,000 not be upset because the we-7 is acting in the "best interests" of us. Draw your own conclusions, but let me tell you my main thoughts after reading this several times:
1) I have to wonder who authorized Mr. Martig to try to defend the Council. I didn't see a resolution from the Council where they all agreed that Ben was speaking for them.
2) When you decide what you are going to do, and then have "Listening sessions" where we have to listen to you, we tend to think that you aren't listening.
3) You think that you know better than we do. You didn't want us (progressives and conservatives alike) to vote on your bike plan. You spent more on attorney fees stopping the vote than it would have cost to have a vote. And, there are other examples - Bridge Square, Kraewood, the liquor store, etc.
4) I am mad because, well ... see 1) , 2) and 3).
So, We-7, if you really want to listen, and at the same time want to do what is best for us, let me suggest an old-fashioned idea - let us vote on your pet projects. Let us decide what is in our best interests. What is the worst that could happen?