Having been appropriately spanked for running off the Mpls-only trail, I am compelled to give a Mpls-only read on what elected officials can do on any issue...particularly one as divisive as the abortion question. >From 1994-1998, the Minneapolis City Council had six of 13 members who were anti-choice. Though never a hot topic of debate, a single vote change on the Council would have put in jeopardy public school clinic access to birth control. In the same era on the County Board, HCMC training of doctors in necessary abortion procedures frequently swerved between 4-3 votes, before a solid pro-choice majority was elected. My point is...one person CAN make a difference. The MN Senate went from pro-choice to anti-choice last year after two special elections. The last line of defense? A Gubernatorial veto. I originally posted on Runbeck, not because of her abortion stance, but because she is anti-Minneapolis and, I believe anti-St. Paul, based on her votes against inner city needs. My apologies for introducing non Mpls matters to the thread. -- Steve Minn Principal Lupe Development Partners, LLC (612) 868-9112 (direct) (952) 925-3080 (fax) (952) 925-9505 (home) [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---------- >From: "Clark C. Griffith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: Multiple recipients of list <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Re: Anti-choice Runbeck mailing >Date: Mon, Sep 25, 2000, 11:32 AM > > If we are going to get involved in St. Paul politics, let's get a more > balanced view of things. So far Candidate Runbeck has been flamed > because of her stance on a single issue. The fact that she will have > zero influence, ( congress as a whole has little influence), on federal > policy with respect to that issue if elected seems to have little to do > with some commentator's comments. > I think we should now either begin a general discussion of the Fourth > CD, based on the fact it is contiguous to our city, or drop the whole > thread. So far, all I know is that Betty McCollom, of whom I have never > heard, is "qualified" and pro-choice. Presumably, the first is based on > the second. Runbeck is "not qualified" because she is not "pro-choice." > I reject single issue politics, unless the single issue is the survival > of the nation. I reject with great energy where the single issue is the > pro-life/pro choice issue. This is because there is not a single > politician in our state, or any state for that matter, who can have any > impact on the issue one way or the other. > I think we are all better served by examining candidates on other > issues, the ones where they can make a difference, and voting for or > against on that basis. > > Clark Griffith > Seventh Ward, site of the big picnic on the 26th >
