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John Reinan

Minneapolis, MN
Commenter for
5 years 15 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 10/23/12 at 11:22 am in response to Reviving downtown Minneapolis by filling up old buildings

This is why I wish I could get in my time machine and plead with the city leaders of the 1950s to exercise a little discretion with the Gateway project. We leveled block after block of buildings with character, buildings that would be coveted business and residential addresses today.

And we either replaced them with soulless boxes -- or let their spaces be taken by cheap, asphalt surface parking lots. My god, I have never in my life seen a major downtown with so much ugly surface...

Posted on 09/19/12 at 09:45 am in response to Obama honors World Champion Lynx

Corey, thanks for this post -- I love the Lynx. Look at all those proud, happy, accomplished women! It makes me feel good. Can you possibly link to more photos of the event?

This is our one and only current championship team -- they should be getting a bigger share of local media attention than they do.

Posted on 08/13/12 at 02:51 pm in response to Loss of ‘daily’ newspapers accelerating

The Web doesn't require fewer bodies, it supports fewer bodies -- absolutely right.

Posted on 08/05/12 at 08:29 pm in response to First ad of Minnesota Senate race is a lulu

Eric, you should take a look at what MN-based Jefferson Action is doing in a hotly contested Congressional race in Ohio. This is precisely the kind of thing they're trying to end, and they're starting to have an impact.

I'm working with them in a paid capacity, so full disclosure. But this is so on point that I had to mention it.

www.jeffersonaction.org

Posted on 07/19/12 at 09:12 am in response to The ‘I Do’ factor and poverty: Why are married families better off?

It's undeniable that it's much easier for a man in our society to dodge the responsibilities -- financial, emotional and societal -- of parenthood. I think Professor Heitzeg is right when she points that out. I'm not sure what can be done about that situation, but addressing it would be a big step.

Posted on 05/29/12 at 11:39 am in response to Six blighted Twin Cities locations — and what should be there instead

You could have added 20 more sites in downtown Minneapolis -- the hangover from the decision to raze the Gateway district. More than a half-century later, we're still paying the price for that decision -- with a couple dozen ugly surface parking lots in downtown, plus a collection of rectangular brick and cement buildings that represent the absolute worst of 60s and 70s design.

Posted on 05/24/12 at 04:35 pm in response to End of Pioneer Press no-layoff era ... but more celebrity coverage?

I remember back in the mid-'80s to early '90s, when the Pioneer Press was doing some very ambitious stuff and winning Pulitzers. It seemed like a very happening place then. (I tried to get a job there as a copy editor and they shunted me off to talk to the guy who wrote a stamps column.)

Posted on 05/23/12 at 10:22 am in response to Layoffs at General Mills and lessons from Minnesota’s Fortune 500 companies

Thanks so much for putting this into perspective. Excellent piece.

Posted on 05/15/12 at 03:12 pm in response to Thank you, Mr. Postmaster, for finally hearing the voice of rural America

Great column, Audrey. I wonder how many readers realize that the postal Service's financial crisis is the result of a nutty mandate imposed on them several years ago by Congress. The Postal Service was required to fully fund all its pension obligations for the next 75 years -- a burden the government has not seen fit to impose on any private business, many of which operate their pension plans at 60 percent funding levels or less. I've never heard an explanation for this singular requirement...

Posted on 04/20/12 at 01:29 pm in response to Not so fast: Why a Vikings’ move wouldn’t be easy

This is a great piece. I do think there's one area that could use clarification. I was listening to KFAN radio in my car yesterday (Thursday). Dan Barreiro had on the NFL's executive VP of operations -- a high-level person who speaks with authority for the league. Can't recall his name -- it was Eric Grubman or something like that.

They discussed the LA situation at length. The official was adamant that the league's position is to remain at the current 32 teams. He said repeatedly...