Terry Olsen is more than willing to pay a quarter a day for the next three years to help her beloved city dig out of its budget hole.
In fact, she recently figured out how much that would be -- $273.75 -- and made out a check to the city of St. Paul. She sent the check and a letter to Mayor Chris Coleman, hoping he might know where the money would best be used and might be able to enlist others to contribute.
"It's our city, we should be responsible," Olsen said. "Why don't we strengthen our neighborhoods by what we can do?"
The city has a $44 million hole in its budget from 2008 to 2010. Drastic cuts, from closing a library and recreation centers to laying off police officers, have been proposed.
"I believe if I can help reduce gang activity by giving a child a library to learn in, or maintain a safe playground to keep them off the street, then this investment in my neighborhood is much wiser than any Wall Street investment," she wrote.
Olsen, an architect, knows that not everybody in town is able to afford -- or has the desire -- to chip in. She has a hunch, though, that there are others who would be able and willing to give money or volunteer their time and expertise where needed.
She was inspired after reading a letter to the editor in the Highland Villager. A resident wrote in and proposed that if everyone in St. Paul paid 13 cents a day for three years, the budget problem could be fixed. Olsen figured she could do a quarter a day.
"It's a lovely gesture from someone who understands the importance of our libraries, parks and city services," Coleman said.
