Quality of Life

• Quality of Life

» Quality of Life

I love Saint Paul for a simple reason: our quality of life. Saint Paul is a city of neighborhoods, and a city of neighbors. Saint Paul people know each other and recognize each other. We smile, we walk the streets, and patronize Saint Paul businesses. We are not a city trying to be a suburb, but a unique place with unique people. Unfortunately Mayor Coleman doesn’t seem to understand what makes Saint Paul unique. Under his leadership Saint Paul has lost some of its vital institutions and businesses:

West Publishing -- gone
Ford Plant -- gone
Ivance Insurance -- gone
Anchor Bank -- gone
Macy's -- gone
PLUS OVER 70 businesses along University Ave have been destroyed and are now gone due to the under-planned Central Corridor project!

Porky's on its last day of operation, an icon of University Ave since 1953, now banished to a museum South of Hastings.

While Porky's, at 1890 University Av. in St. Paul, "has always been doing OK [and] was not losing money, it's just a business decision," said Nora Truelson, who began at Porky's as a carhop in 1957. She became the owner's girlfriend and eventually his wife and business partner until Ray Truelson died in 1994.

The Central Corridor light-rail line, which is being built to connect the downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis, "is going to ruin the avenue, and I'm sure there isn't going to be any parking," she said, adding that high taxes and disruption from the line's construction were also factors.

I believe in the Saint Paul quality of life and want to revitalize it. We should not be driving out any employers, and we should not destroy another family business. We should listen to our business owners and not allow one more business to fail due to under-planned projects! We need to listen to our business owners and neighborhood groups to ensure success and vitality for all.

We need a true leader. Someone who has owned and operated their own private business for over 15 years with thousands of happy customers! A true leader is a leader always with an open door and an ear that will listen.

ALSO, Project paid for -- OOPS! Mayor Chris Coleman forgot about the 70+ private small businesses!

Where does it end?”