twin city sidewalks

2012-03-16

University of Minnesota Human Resources' Misleading Salary Comparison

Graduate Student workers at the University of Minnesota are voting next week about whether or not to form a union, to allow graduate students (research assistants, teaching assistants, and graduate assistants) to collectively bargain for a contract with the University. This is a big deal for the four thousand graduate students at the University, who up until now have not had any representation with the University administration.

Well, there has been a flurry of emails sent to all graduate students coming from the University Administration, including various deans, presidents, and vice-presidents at the office of Human Resources, attempting to misinform graduate students about the need for a union at the University.

One of my favorites is this misleading all-campus email, which included two incredibly badly made charts showing comparing salary and benefits for graduate students.

Check out this graph that the Office of Human Resources sent out, comparing pay at the University of Minnesota to the "Big 10 Average Pay":

I'm not going to quibble with the University's numbers. But any scientist who knows anything about anything would look at this graph and roll their eyes.

Forget about the really problematic X-axis for a moment. The main problem with this graph is that it doesn't account for large cost-of-living differences between Minneapolis and any of the other places that "average Big 10 Schools" are located.

Minneapolis is a major American city, the 15th largest metro area in the country. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is one of the only large land grant schools located right in the middle of a city.

Well, this is great, and I love living here. But it also means that the cost of living is far higher for University of Minnesota graduate students than a graduate students living in Lincoln, Nebraska or Champaign, Illinois.

Just check out these cost of living comparisons from a well-known real estate website:

Cost of living comparison – Other Big 10 Cities v. Minneapolis

$13,222.00 -> $11,543.00 in Champaign-Urbana. (University of Illinois)
$13,222.00 -> $11,465.93 in Iowa City, Iowa. (University of Iowa.
$13,222.00 -> $10,982.63 in Lincoln Nebraska (University of Nebraska)
$13,222.00 -> $10.963.42 in Columbus, Ohio. (Ohio State)
$13,222.00 -> $11,698.83 in West Lafayette, Indiana (Purdue University)

On the whole, most Big 10 schools have costs of living that are between 10% and 20% LESS than Minneapolis. The only comparable Big 10 city is Evanston, IL, home of Northwestern University. Other than that, every Big 10 school is located in cities and towns with far cheaper rents and expenses. Your grad student paycheck would go a LOT farther if you weren't living here.

The University's email barrage have been highly condescending. It's safe to say that any graduate student at this school could poke holes in their arguments about why we DON'T need a union. And I hope that they do!

P.S. Don't even get me started on this stupid pie chart:

2012-03-12

Notice of Public Meeting: BURP #4 Tomorrow at The Republic

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
ZONING ADJUSTMENT HEARING

[In 1917, Seven Corners looked like this!]

Pursuant to MN-DOT/TCS Section 38-431.02, notice is hereby given the TWIN CITY SIDEWALKS and to the general public, that the BUFFS OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING (BURP) will hold a meeting open to the public on March 13, 2012, at 5:00 p.m. located in Republic Bar, Seven Corners Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

1. Application #: ZA-39-12-7
Existing Zoning: Really Bad Ideas
Location: Way Too Many Places
Quarter Section: 13-31(G9)
Proposal: Discuss various boondoggles in latent or blatant states going on in the Twin Cities metro, of which there are many, alas.
Ordinance Sections: 615.B.Table B
Applicant: Yours Truly

2. Application #: ZA-40-12-6
Existing Zoning: RE-24
Location: Railroad Track Near You
Quarter Section: 20-33(I9)
Proposal: Discussion of the future of America, as pertaining to the Twin Cities in particular, especially the future of rail transportation given the precarious nature of government funding and political consensus viz. the exact machines expected to be used in the future
Ordinance Sections: 608.C.8.h 608.C.8.h
Applicant: Still Yours Truly

3. Application #: ZA-41-12-8
Existing Zoning: A-1
Location: Uncanny Springtime
Quarter Section: 6-37(E10)
Proposal: Discussion of the Weather
Ordinance Sections: 627.D.91.a. 627.D.93.a.
Applicant: Yours Truly

4. New and Old Business

[As Yogi once said, "If you see a fork in the road, take it."]

Reading the Highland Villager #57

[Basically the problem is that the best source of Saint Paul streets & sidewalks news is the Highland Villager, a very fine and historical newspaper. This wouldn't be a problem, except that its not available online. You basically have to live in or frequent Saint Paul to read it. That's why I'm reading the Highland Villager so that you don't have to. Until this newspaper goes online, sidewalk information must be set free.]

Total # of articles about sidewalks: 11
Total # of articles about sidewalks written by Jane McClure: 10

Headline: Task force will design new park for old tank farm site; soccer fields are only one of many options for West End acreage
Reporter: Jane McClure  

Short short version: Empty space near the new "victoria park" area on West 7th street is going to be turned into a park, and the city is trying to get people to be on a Tax Force to design it. A while back neighbors got upset by the suggestion of using the space for soccer fields, and raised a big stink. Hopefully they can find something more better this time. [Cricket pitches? -Ed.]

Headline: Cupcake comes up two spaces short; City Council denies restaurant a parking variance on appeal
Reporter: Jane McClure  

Short short version: Report on the [snark] situation about the ex-potential for a new delicious bakery to move into Grand Avenue where an old clothes boutique used to be. Story goes into details about the city council vote. Includes quotes from bakery owner VanDeraa (such as "I don't know what I could have done") and CM Thune (such as "We're so close!"). Also includes quote from the Summit Hill Association about the "severe parking shortage ... [which] is the problem that the SHA [abbrev. for Summit Hill [property value] Association] hears the most about." Parking, its right up there with taxes and the weather. [Which is why we should do everything we can to make sure that any new business includes a huge external off-street parking lot, because what walkable neighborhood walkable neighborhood is complete without large surface parking lots? I can't think of any. -Ed.]

Headline: GABA wants to add one hour to Grand Old Day
Reporter: Jane McClure  

Short short version: Wow! It's like daylight savings time for Grand Old Day. It might end at 6 instead of 5:00 now. [I'm sure the Summit Hill Association will try to make sure there are enough parking spots for the 10,000 people walking up and down the street. -Ed.]

Headline: Compromise elides Pizza Lucé, neighbors on new parking lot
Reporter: Jane McClure  

Short short version: There was a public meeting about the Pizza Lucé's semi-non-significant plan to build a parking lot across the street from their pizza place in a space that they tore down next to an old commercial building. The driveway requires a variance. Neighbors don't like it. They have a few reasons, such mostly having to do with cars driving around, "light and noise pollution", and "safety." [It seems like people don't like cars backing out into Selby Avenue. Why? Because it slows traffic down? Would they rather NOT have a delicious pizza place in their neighborhood that you can walk to? (I guess so.) Of course, I'm also NOT in favor of more parking lots in a city that should be getting denser. I don't know. This seems really minor. But then again, a friend of mine was at this meeting called it "the most contentious neighborhood group meeting he's ever seen." Considering he's been going to roughly 2-3 St Paul neighborhood meetings every week for 10 years, that's REALLY saying something. Why does parking one's car tap so directly into people's incredible Hulk-like rage-lizard-brains? -Ed.]

Headline: Ford Site Task Force gears up for another round of planning; renewed redevelopment effort will begin March 5 with review of past studies
Reporter: Jane McClure  

Short short version: There's a "task force" that's trying to plan what to do with the Ford Site once the old auto plant starts getting demolished in the summertime. They basically haven't decided anything yet, but its not going to be an "education and training center."

Headline: Public Works seeks comment on latest plan for Jefferson bikeway
Reporter: Jane McClure  

Short short version: There'll be an open house about the Jefferson bikeway, where "neighbors are invited to sound off." [Oh good.] Public Works is running it [, which probably means that it'll involve a large orange sign placed int he middle of the road that says, "Hate this stupid sign? If so, please call xxx-xxxx to complain," at which point they'll tally all the calls and use it as a proxy for public opinion. -Ed.] Article includes [deadpan] description of last year's bike boulevard fiasco.

Headline: Plan for 17 miles of St Paul riverfront gets public hearing
Reporter: Jane McClure  

Short short version: There was a "hearing downtown about the Great River Passage, a plan for parks along the Mississippi. Article includes detail that the SHA has voted to approve it. [Provided of course that there is a new 29,999 space underground parking ramp built along Grand Avenue between Lexington and Victoria -Ed.]

Headline: Light-rail project planners take a lesson from last year's mistakes
Reporter: Jane McClure  

Short short version: Article about how the LRT construction people are changing based on feedback they received during last year's construction. Changes seem to be mostly about increasing pedestrian access, increasing the pace of work.

Headline: Metro Transit has rapid bus routes on fast track for W. 7th, Snelling
Reporter: Jane McClure  

Short short version: Article about Metro Transit's plan for BRT corridors in St Paul. Includes [dismayingly dismal] quote from CM Thune saying "It's the Riverview Corridor all over again. I don't know how many times a neighborhood can say 'no'. [Because improved transit access is a terrible idea! Article includes awesome BRT map that has a special stop marked "Mickey's Diner," that's presumably only for people going to Mickey's or the Nut Roll factory. -Ed.]

Headline: Permit OK'd for new highland McDonald's
Reporter: Jane McClure  

Short short version: The Planning Commission approved a McDonald's on West 7th Street that will have "more parking that is allowed" and a second drive through window. [I missed this meeting, alas.] Article includes quote from McD's representative Roy Crouston. [Is that a typo? Should it be "Crouton"? -Ed.]

Headline: Parochialism carries a high cost in St Paul
Reporter: Michael Mischke

Short short version: Editor Mischke is upset about all the NIMBYism in St Paul. [...at least, as long as it doesn't have anything to do with bicycles] Editorial goes over the Pelham project, the Cupcake bakery, and the Pizza Lucé parking lot situation and lambasts people's negative anti-development attitudes. [Do I find myself agreeing with Mischke? I guess so. -sigh- -Ed.]

Classic Sidewalks of the Silver Screen #65

Deckard gets the first of the Nexus-6's to break no little amount of cyberpunk sidewalk Chinatown windowglass...

... in Ridley Scott's (1982) sci-fi masterpiece, Blade Runner.

2012-03-09

* Sidewalk Weekend! *

Sidewalk Rating: Euphoric

As in all colonial cities, there were two towns within this one: the white town--and the other. And in the white town there were still other differences. The periphery of the white town was known as the Haut-Quartier--the upper district, comprising villas and apartment buildings. It was the largest and airiest part of the city and was where the secular and official power had their palaces. The more basic power--the financial--had its palaces in the center of the town, where, crowded in from all sides by the mass of the city, buildings sprang up, each year higher and higher. The financiers were the true priests of this Mecca.

[Marguerite Duras, fm The Sea Wall.]

[A slapdash beg button on a temporary stoplight on University Avenue.]

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It was designed for 250,000 people over 60,000 acres (24,000 ha). In the plan, only 1/6 of the area would be paved, the remainder would be open space: parks, wilderness, and farms. The plan called for the MXC to be partially enclosed by a geodesic dome. It would contain a branch of the University of Minnesota and 3M Corporation.

[fm Wikipedia.]

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But regulators say that 95 to 112 deaths and as many as 8,374 injuries could be avoided each year by eliminating the wide blind spot behind a vehicle. Government statistics indicate 228 people -- 44 percent of whom are under age 5 -- die every year in back-over accidents involving passenger vehicles. About 17,000 people a year are injured in such accidents.

[fm Strib.]

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