Skip to Content

Chris Shepard

Mpls, MN
Commenter for
2 years 19 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 01/13/13 at 05:23 pm in response to Dayton’s eagerly awaited budget proposal touted as a ‘historical shift’

This is a very interesting (and well thought-out) comment. I've never heard an argument FOR a flat tax put so well. With that said, I'm not sure that a flat tax could ever be considered more fair than the graduated tax model. Low-income earners simply cannot handle the same income tax rate as a high-income earner, especially since relative wages for the middle and lower classes have stagnated over the last several decades.
Regardless, the part of your comment that points toward the...

Posted on 10/17/12 at 08:34 pm in response to What to do with Block E? Thinking outside the cubicle

What a great article... Lots of ideas to mull over...
How about a Terminal Market, a la the Reading Terminal Market in Philly (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_Terminal_Market), or the Essex Street Market in New York City (http://www.essexstreetmarket.com/). They have...

Posted on 12/29/11 at 12:19 pm in response to What Minnesota can learn from Vermont's renewable-energy plans

Vermont is one of a handful of states on the east coast doing interesting things with alt energy. New Jersey requires 25% of it's power to come from renewables. That mandate results in power companies purchasing power from homes that offset their energy consumption with solar power, thus making it profitable for individual home owners to purchase the technology. New York State has also done something pretty innovative. They created the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority...

Posted on 03/01/11 at 04:36 pm in response to Vikings stadium idea politely moves ahead in Arden Hills

Has anyone done a phase 2 on this property to determine what the actual clean-up costs will be? I'm sure Ryan Co has some numbers, but does the general public know anything specific? You'd think they'd have to clean it up pretty good for us to forget about the depleted uranium shells that were manufactured there.

Posted on 01/18/11 at 01:27 am in response to The Vikings stadium puzzle: Can anyone put the pieces together?

I'd like to see the stadium built outside of the Twin Cities, and linked by commuter rail. I'm in favor of levying a state-wide sales tax to help build a stadium just outside the city limits of St. Cloud. Funds from the tax would go toward extending the Northstar rail line from Big Lake up to St. Cloud, and afixing a station at the new stadium. Sterns Co could pony up some cash for purchasing the land. Zigi can cover the rest...
I pick St Cloud for several reasons: it's part of an...

Posted on 01/07/11 at 12:48 am in response to Do urbanists hate the automobile? Not this one

This is a wonderful piece, a susinct summary of urbanist values. However, I'm directing my commment to the one made by Victoria. She suggests that Steve Berg's line, "Those who prefer to drive long distances and occupy large footprints should pay a fair cost," doesn't make sense when considering roads/highways as public goods (like parks and schools). I would argue this menatality is flawed. By allowing drivers to continue their free access to highways, we're effectivley subsidising sprawl,...