I challenge anyone to go walk around the proposed Mpls rail stop locations on the SW Alignment and conclude that the Kenilworth route makes any sense for the City. The only stop with development potential (near Calhoon Village on Lake) would also exist on the Greenway/Nicollet alignment. This is not news, some will argue the City had little choice in a County driven project, But that doesn't excuse the City's planners for recommending Kenilworth over the Greenway/Nicollet alignment.

Block E's failure was predictable at the outset. San Martin and Dewar correctly repeat what many said at the time Block E was built: it fails to serve any urban function in an important central location. The suburban mall mix of tenants was noted as proof that the building as designed was a failure before it opened.

Instead of driving around it, I suggest you get out and walk. The building is a fortress, with few openings to allow interactions with either skyway or street level...

A less desirable feature of parliamentary governments, particularly in countries with fragmented social or religious groups (sound familier?) are coalition governments. When no party has a clear majority, a ruling coalition has to be put together - often resulting in outsized influence for small radical groups. Do we really want Michelle Bachman or Todd Aken calling the shots because they control some small block of congressional votes?

An important but rarely discussed factor in the Republican takeover of the legislature was direct mail by outside Republican groups that targeted voters in specific districts. The mailings were not sophisticated, but very inexpensive (compared to media buys). Since it seemed to work last time, why wouldn't it be used again? Generic TV ads are more expensive and less targeted then direct mailings for specific legislative races.