Here's another question from one of SPicy's many dedicated readers.  It raises an interesting question about timing.  Timing is not only important for a stand-up comedian - but also could be helpful if you want to move a community.

Dear SPicy,

I see that the Mayor of Saint Paul now wants to meet with the developer of The Bridges AFTER the city council voted down the request to rezone the land needed for the development.

I'm confused.  Didn't the developer spend years working on the project - running full page ads, holding meetings, agreeing to meet with anyone and everyone who wanted to talk about the project?

I know the downtown is struggling, the city needs to raise taxes, and there isn't a lot of new development happening - making The Bridges even more important to the city. Yet the Mayor has NEVER met with Jerry Trooien about the project?

I also heard that the Mayor's office worked hard Tuesday to make sure the city council voted down the zoning the request to kill the project - telling the council the Mayor wants to be able to "start over" with a developer who has said there isn't a plan B.  The Mayor even refused to give union groups a chance to avoid the collision.

I have been called unintelligent by some people but - doesn't it work better to talk to people BEFORE you work so hard to kill their project and the chance for new jobs? 

To me it's like using the brakes in a car BEFORE you hit the wall.  It's been my experience that doing it AFTER-the-accident doesn't work so well.  But what do I know?

Mr. C Test Dummy

Dear Crash,

SPicy shares your confusion. 

Not only does it make more sense to use the brakes before you hit the wall, it also works better when someone looks before they leap, aims before they shoot, walks before they start chewing gum, and thinks about why they want to be mayor before they actually seek the office.  One would also think very carefully about who you endorse for office as well, this whole accident could have been avoided.

SPicy's advice for you is to get engaged "in the process" and reach out to the Mayor's office.  Randy Kelly had Housing 5,000.  You could call the Mayor's office to offer up another idea:  Task Force 10,000. 

The administration has the opportunity to bring the community together to create an energetic, proactive fabric of vibrant and robust task forces, blue ribbon panels, community advisory groups, community engagement exercises, and design charettes to study and plan for the future of the community. 

If they city is not going to actually do something to create jobs and development, we can at least engage each other in self-motivated exercises to act as if its actually happening.

SPicy holds onto some hope that the Mayor ill get smart.  But since were talking about accidents and avoiding crashes, the Mayor has pretty well proved that he has a hard time reading traffic signs let alone drive for success and in SPicy's eyes he is pretty much uninsurable