Who are These Groups Part 2; The Association of Metropolitan Municipalities

Well, the League of Minnesota Cities isn’t the only the third party group your taxes dollars are going to.  The Association of Metropolitan Municipalities is yet another.  Here is their self-description;

Metro Cities (created in 1974 as the Association of Metropolitan Municipalities) primary objective is to be an effective voice for metropolitan cities at the Legislature and Metropolitan Council, so as to influence state legislation affecting metro area cities, and regional policies that accommodate the needs of metro area cities. Metro Cities is the only metro-wide entity that lobbies and monitors the Metropolitan Council, and the only region-wide organization representing cities before the Legislature and Executive Branch.

Metro Cities represents 79 member cities, comprising 90% of the region’s population, including the core cities, inner ring and developing communities, before the State Legislature and Metropolitan Council. Metro Cities provides a forum for bringing city officials from across the region together to share ideas and experiences and works to foster open lines of communication between city officials and officials at the state and regional levels of government.

Metro Cities lobbies on a wide range of policies, over 60 in all, including transportation, local government aids and credits, wastewater, redevelopment and housing. Legislative policies are developed each year by consensus of our membership.By statute, Metro Cities makes municipal appointments to the Met Council’s TAB, TAC and GIS Boards, and convenes the election of city members to the GEARS committee, giving metro area cities a voice on these important boards and committees.

 So we have a third party lobbying a another third party group in the Met Council!!! And who is in charge of this group?

Check it out here;

http://www.metrocitiesmn.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={7BAE703E-619E-4255-B70D-E75AE87777B4}

Once again, it is a group of elected officials and government bureaucrats. How do these people represent their cities and a third party group?? Conflict of interest anywhere?

So what do we the taxpayers pay these groups; Well, they don’t say on their website.  In fact, they don’t even provide a budget. The only thing they have is the following statement;

Annual dues are calculated as a percentage of each city’s LMC dues, and reflects population.

Wow! Nice transparency!! we know the city of Crystal pays about $7,800 to the AMM every year so you can guess what your city pays.  For a list of member cities click here;

http://www.metrocitiesmn.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={49B5A48B-0BD3-4DEE-B35A-D3D746E5A172}

What are legislative policies? Check out a couple of them;

Metro Cities opposes state attempts to control or restrict city fund balances. These funds are necessary to maintain fiscal viability, meet unexpected or emergency resource needs, purchase capital goods and infrastructure, provide adequate cash flow and maintain high level bond ratings.

Oh yes! You want all the “free money” from the state, but no restrictions on any of it! No restrictions or control of fund balances??

Metro Cities supports the appointment of Metropolitan Council members by the Governor with four year, staggered terms for members. The appointment of the Metropolitan Council Chair should coincide with the term of the Governor.

That’s a great way to “represent the people!” You support the state “appointing” a third party group with no accountability but you favor local control!!

Metro Cities supports the bi-partisan Legislative Commission on Metropolitan Government, or another entity, to monitor and review the Metropolitan Council’s activities and to provide transparency and accountability for the Metropolitan Council operations and functions.

So we should form a committee to watch the unelected body of government!

Metro Cities strongly supported the ¼ cent sales tax passed by the 2008 Legislature. This tax is levied in the Metropolitan Area and dedicated to transit. The sales tax represents a commitment to investment in our region’s transit ways.

Yeah, you guys have never met a tax hike you didn’t like, and by the way isn’t that money thrown in the general fund and necessarily “dedicated to transit?” And how about complete streets!

A complete street may include: sidewalks, bike lanes (or wide paved shoulders), special bus lanes, comfortable and accessible public transportation stops, frequent and safe crossing opportunities, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, narrower travel lanes and more.

Narrower travel lanes? Special bus lanes? More median islands? Ugh!

They also support a telephone tax using dialing 911 as the scare tactic;

Public safety answering points (PSAPs) must be able to continue to rely on state 911 revenues to pay for upgrades and modifications to local 911 systems, maintenance and operational support, and dispatcher training. Metro Cities supports state funding for the technology and training needed to provide the number and location of wireless and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) calls to 911 on computer screens and transmit that data to police, fire and first responders.

Yes, pay a larger tax or nobody will be there when you dial 911!

If you can read anymore of their agenda without puking click here;

http://www.metrocitiesmn.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={AA0C5E20-1E93-4EE8-94E9-93ADB8219091}

Ladies and gentlemen, your tax dollars at work!

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