Minneapolis city officials certainly have a duty to provide adequate and effective fire protection service to their city, but it’s unfair to single out that one city and one department for criticism as The Rake does, when the true fault lies with the decisions imposed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Republican legislators. The governor and Republican lawmakers who backed him in his “no tax hike” pledge utterly failed to recognize that this policy would have real-world effects—and the reduction of firefighters, police, and other essential city services is one of the biggest. They talk about “the budget” as if it were some mathematical abstraction, but as mayors, council members, and fire and police chiefs can testify, there are real people, real communities, and real challenges attached to every digit in the document. That’s why House Democrats proposed a budget that avoided these devastating cuts in aid to cities. Every citizen ought to be concerned about the ability of our city governments to protect them. But blame ought to be laid where it truly belongs: with the governor and the Republican legislators who put their own narrow ideological and partisan interest above the public interest.
State Representative Len Biernat, District 59A, Northeast Minneapolis
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