Whoa, Nelly!! There are a couple of important facts
that are missing from the below post.
First of all, Dean Zimmerman WAS allowed to speak in
the morning. I believe it was after Jim Niland gave
his farewell address. Dean was allowed as the outgoing
Park Board member representing the Ward to thank
everyone for their past support, etc. If that was all
that Dean wanted from the convention, he achieved it
and should have then left.
He didn't. Plus, he had several people at the
convention wearing "DFLers for Zimmerman" buttons. And
after the ruling of the chair that he could be
nominated but wouldn't be allowed to give a campaign
speech, he conveniently found a large piece of tape
which he placed over his mouth and kept there for most
of the convention (which he stayed at til the end). If
that wasn't a staged protest I don't know what was.
I might also add that the rules for the convention had
to be adopted in the morning. And if Mr. Zimmerman had
an objection to that particular rule which forbade him
from speaking, he should have had one of the delegates
on the floor who were supporting him to try and have
it stricken. He did not and it was not removed.
Loki Anderson
Audubon Park
Ward 1 (thankfully)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
--- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> In a message dated 3/24/2001 11:43:24 PM Central
> Standard Time,
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
>
> > It seems that the discussion about the 6th Ward
> convention is missing
> > what should be the big story. Besides the
> longstanding questions of the
> > emphasis on caucus system because of the small
> number of participants,
> > it appears that the 6th Ward convention has now
> raised questions about
> > whether the process itself is even open or
> democratic. I have now heard
> > from a few corroborating sources that even though
> Dean Zimmerperson was
> > nominated by one or more delegates, the
> leadership refused to allow him
> > to speak! So anyone who does not meet the DFL
> party hack purity test is
> > not allowed to compete for the DFL endorsement?
> I will not rush to
> > judgment since i was not there, but i am anxious
> to hear explanations.
> >
> > Jordan Kushner
> > Powderhorn, Ward 8
>
> My fellow Mpls residents,
>
> The 3rd and 5th paragraphs of my below posting
> clearly answers the questions
> around Dean Zimmermann's exclusion from being able
> to speak at yesterdays
> Ward 6 dfl convention:
>
> Dean "Zimmerperson" Zimmermann has been a very
> active member of the dfl for
> roughly 30 years. Dean has worked on campaign after
> campaign, from the Co-op
> wars to the Jesse Jackson campaign, always working
> to promote a set of values
> he has held dear. In 1993 Dean Zimmermann was
> overwhelmingly elected as a
> dfl endorsed candidate to the Mpls Park and
> Recreation Board and
> overwhelmingly re-elected in 1997 with the
> endorsements of both the dfl and
> the Green Party.
>
> Dean Zimmermann attended the dfl 6th Ward convention
> yesterday to address
> local activists and friends he has worked with over
> the years and ask for
> their personal support of his City Council
> candidacy. Dean did not go to
> this convention to seek the dfl convention, he
> attended because he has strong
> ties with and shared values with many committed
> activists and friends within
> the dfl in the 6th Ward.
>
> Traditional dfl rules allow any elected official who
> carried the dfl
> endorsement (which Dean Z did) to address the
> convention for 2 minutes.
> Early morning the convention debated the new
> (special) rules proposed for the
> convention with specific rules not allowing "anyone
> who has or who is seeking
> the endorsement of another major party" to speak at
> the convention. While
> these rules were debated, the Chair of the
> convention did allow Dean Z to
> address the convention for about 1 minute with the
> stipulation that he not
> mention his candidacy for City Council (which he did
> not).
>
> Dean Z has been clear to everyone for weeks that
> since he is running with the
> Green Party endorsement that he will not seek the
> dfl endorsement, delegates
> fought to nominate their friend Dean ZImmermann
> anyways. Dean Z was
> nominated, there was a debate both for and against
> Dean Z' being allowed to
> even be nominated (which should at most conventions
> allow him to address the
> convention).
>
> The ruling of the convention Chair was that Dean Z
> could be nominated, but
> would not be allowed to speak at all (while all the
> other 5 candidates were
> invited to address the crowd for 8 minutes each and
> participate in a question
> and answer forum). At this point Dean did consider
> withrawing his nomination
> (since he did not come to seek the dfl endorsement),
> but we realized that
> this was not our party's convention (Dean Z & his
> son Klaus' status as
> delegates had been revoked before the convention by
> the credentials
> committee).
>
> We allowed the dfl convention to proceed however the
> elected dfl delegates
> wanted (without our interference or organizing of
> the floor). It was ruled
> that Dean Z would so blatantly be exluded from being
> able to speak, even
> though many delegates clearly wanted to hear him,
> this was when Dean placed a
> large peice of tape over his mouth where it remained
> for the rest of the
> endorsement process. 7 ballots later (and one close
> vote which almost
> adjourned the convention between the 6th and 7th),
> the dfl 6th Ward
> convention endorsed Dean Kallenbach with only 53
> votes (just enough votes on
> the button).
>
> I will be proud to be a part of electing one of the
> first Green Party
> candidates to the Minneapolis City Council through a
> direct vote of the
> people of Minneapolis.
>
> Chris Allison
> Campaign Manager for Urban Superhero, Dean
> "Zimmerperson" Zimmermann,
> Green Party endorsed candidate for Mpls City
> Council, 6th Ward
> 612-872-2342, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> www.zimmerperson.org
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=====
"So quick bright things come to confusion."
-Bill the Bard
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