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| "Never argue with a man who buys ink by the barrel" |
Jay Furst responded to the post Furst things first on Facebook. Despite the proverbial warning about doing so, I appreciate very much the exchange. The thread appears below:
Jay Furst Coupla quick comments, Dave, and then it's Bombay time: You say that Mayo and Rochester should only push for jobs that "pay wages, provide benefits and open opportunities that will sustain families and allow them to prosper." Great utopian goal, but I'll repeat my question: How does that happen? Will DMCC and the city council set minimum wages for housekeeping jobs and require health care coverage for restaurant workers before it approves a hotel project? Not realistic. Will they reject lower-dollar projects that are primarily lower wage? Can't imagine, and why would they, as I asked -- at the end of the day, a low-wage job is preferable to a no-wage job, especially in a city that's growing fairly dynamically. It's elitist to think otherwise. IMHO, the force that's going to push up wages and income levels locally is aggressive job creation that pushes us closer to full employment -- that's the promise of DMC as proposed. Reason to be encouraged, rather than looking for the darkness at the end of the tunnel.
Dave Beal "Utopian," "not realistic," and "elitist. It would help to know why one might think so, but you were heading elsewhere and in a bit of a hurry. I'll get back to you on how there are less restricted ways to characterize the options. You asked again "how that would happen?" w/out engaging the answer given in response to the same question you asked earlier. These sorts of things (community benefit agreements, health impact assessments, poverty impact statements ) are happening elsewhere. For example, you might check out the community benefits agreements for big developments in Cleveland where that other "clinic" is about two years further along with its own DMC plans. Here's a link to the "Staples CBA" in Los Angeles -http://www.forworkingfamilies.org/sites/pwf/files/resources/CBA-LosAngelesSportsAndEntertainmentDistrictProject.pdf
- Dave Beal "Can't imagine, and why would they..." As the Mayor said, the city we build is only limited by our Imagination...so there's that. As to "why would they", well maybe they come to see employment that sustains families as worth the effort. Maybe they imagine a city where these concerns are weighed in the balance as decisions are made.
- Jay Furst Have these "community benefit agreements" have actually been implemented in Cleveland or LA, Dave? That's an interesting link to the LA document, and here's the Cleveland link:http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/OfficeofEqualOpportunity/CommunityBenefitsAgreement
www.city.cleveland.oh.us
One of the primary goals of the Jackson administration is to ensure that local d...See More - Dave Beal There is this recently from Clevelandhttp://www.gcpartnership.com/News/2013/Community-Benefits-Agreement-MOU-02-26-13.aspx
- Dave Beal This from LA http://communitybenefits.blogspot.com/2008/01/hollywood-and-highland-center.html
communitybenefits.blogspot.com
The first CBA was negotiated in 1998 in relation to the planned development of t...See More - Dave Beal Here's a health impact statement in process in Hennepin Countyhttp://www.hennepin.us/bottineauhia
- Dave Beal Poverty impact statements (or assessments or projections) are still getting traction, here's an overview that includes some MN referenceshttp://www.clasp.org/admin/site/publications/files/Poverty-Impact-Projections.pdf
- Dave Beal You'll find the Staples CBA (which what I thought I had linked to above, but apparently not. It's available at that site and elsewhere) contains wage and benefit provisions as well as affordable housing. CBAs can be about a range of benefits, a recentone up in the Twin Cities dealt with digital access. I guess I don't know what sort of reply to your How? question will count as satisfactory. In the post I [got bumped off and now I'm back]...as I was saying, in the Viva City post, in addition to simply "wanting to" I list three ways: (1) take their approval authority seriously by (2) using it to balance private/public interests with other vital community interests, by (3) making use of planning and policy tools that assist them in doing so (like CBAs, HIAs, and PISs). For a start that at least points us in the general direction and vicinity of a "how" doesn't it? A full accounting is a bit much for blog post much less an fb reply. Besides, I'm not trying to settle the issue, but raise it. We all need to weigh in on some hows - at least those of us who regard the issues like employment that sustains families and allows them to prosper as germane. I'll take this conversation back to Viva City at this point except to say two more things: I really will continue to resist any suggestion that Mayo has accountability here. The magnitude of its role in this endeavor is undeniable, but the locus of authority for these issues rests with the city - and we should all insist upon that BTW. Likewise, let's get past if we can that raising these issues constitutes "dark ended tunnels" and "dark failings" or any other variations that marginalizes any expression of concerns to the realm of Henny Pennys, Eeyores, and Elijahs.
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