Minneapolis Ward 13 occupies the scenic southwest corner of the city. It primarily consists of residential housing under the spreading branches of a large and mature urban forest. Containing all of Lake Harriet, a portion of Lake Calhoun, and a large section of the Minnehaha Parkway, residents of our ward enjoy beautiful surroundings and form a stable base of home ownership that supports a high standard of livability in our fair city.

However, citizens know that communities can deteriorate quickly if there is a problem in institutions that support our neighborhoods (primarily Linden Hills, Armatage, Kenny, Lynnhurst, Fulton, West Calhoun and East Harriet). Republicans are interested in supporting these institutions like the many schools, libraries, parks, roads, and businesses. We also know that this support is a balance of good tax policy and wise spending of resources.

At a recent neighborhood celebration I had the honor to staff a table sponsored by Minneapolis Republicans. Many more people than I expected in this bastion of liberal politics stopped to sign our petitions calling for lower taxes. Evident in that activity is a growing neighborhood perception that unchecked tax and spending increases are not in the best interest of the city's prosperity. We Republicans need to be meeting our neighbors wherever we can and encouraging them to think again about the issues facing Minneapolis. We need a new course and Republicans stand ready to take the lead.

We encourage every one of you to join us in this new leadership challenge.

Brian J. Bergs