True, and I agree with you to a point, but personally believe that anyone
who voted for SSB simply because she was a woman of color is a sexist and
racist. If that's all it took to win an office in this town the ballots
would be a mile long.
In addition, there are many families in this city, with children, some
handicapped or maybe just hungry, who work at low-paying jobs (if they're
lucky) and are homeless, or live next to drug dealers, or worse. I won't
accept the fact that it's ok for us to live there, but our poor mayor had to
move out??!! She's the one, who when confronted during a city council
meeting about the infamous "Crack Tour", responded that we should not drive
by those drug dealers and prostitutes on the corner and fear for our lives,
but "get out of the car to talk to them and treat those young people with
respect".
That particular stance, along with her blatant absence during the entire
affordable housing task force process made me, for lack of a better term;
want to HURL.
Why should I as a citizen take her personal situation into account when she
places her personal situation, her potential promotions to D.C., and her
potential re-election above the issues that directly affect all of the OTHER
residents of this city?
JBurns
Cleveland
>From: "wizardmarks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: "j burns" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
>[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: Re: [Mpls] Number of councilmembers
>Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 11:39:01 -0800
>
>It could be that she was reelected because her opponents were not that
>fine,
>sort of a better the devil you know situation.
>WMarks, Central
>
>j burns wrote:
>
> > I've been viewing this list for quite some time and am puzzled by the
>"weak
> > mayor system" reference. Has anyone considered the possibility that,
> > currently, Minneapolis may indeed just have a WEAK MAYOR? One who's
> > invisible until there's an election in her midst? I remember at the
>start of
> > her first term how she swore she'd never move out of her ward. A few
>months
> > later, it was "hello Edmund Blvd". Her supporters lamented how her
>"little
> > tiny house just wasn't adequate". Poor thing. A lot of the citizens in
>this
> > city don't have a choice! And that little property tax fiasco at her
>lake
> > home? It was shrugged off, by her darling husband in the Sayles Belton
> > Tribune as a simple little accounting error. Aww...
> >
> > I must say, after viewing the comments on this forum, that most
> > Minneapolitans don't feel she's measured up. I was puzzled why she was
> > elected to a second term, and equally floored when I heard she's got the
> > huttspa to seek a third. If the citizens of Minneapolis are frustrated
>with
> > her performance, then WHO pray tell is the voting majority that keeps
> > electing her?
> > JBurns
> > Cleveland
> >
> > >From: Annie Young <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],
> > >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > >Subject: Re: [Mpls] Number of councilmembers
> > >Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 13:37:15 -0600
> > >
> > >I am not sure there is a right or wrong answer to the question about
> > >restructuring the council until it is actually tried. HIstorically,
>there
> > >were days when there were 26 councilmembers and other configurations
>which
> > >I am not sure about.
> > >My issue with citywide members (for any of the Boards) is about Equity
>and
> > >balance. I believe the weak mayor system in Minneapolis leaves the
>Mayor
> > >out there all alone trying to balance the needs of the entire city.
>When
> > >working within the Council member fiefdom as it operates today it is
> > >extremely difficult for the Mayor to portray and bully pulpit for the
>large
> > >city wide vision including the wants and needs of the entire city.
> > >On both the city council and the Park Board, members generally follow
>the
> > >wishes and position of the ward/district member and everyone else stays
>out
> > >of the fray. The advantage of the city wide member is that they can
>also
> > >be part of that district/ward dialogue and weigh in with support,
>choice of
> > >thinking and assessment of the needs in that particular district/ward.
> > >When attending National League of Cities and visting with councilpeople
> > >from all over the country... many, many, many of them are elected at
>large.
> > >IMHO it really does even the playing field in thinking about the overal
> > >needs of the city.
> > >Yes, it is more expensive and harder to run city-wide but it does give
>the
> > >citizen some options in garnering support for their projects and
> > >activities. And I stated earlier the at large city wide perspective
>helps
> > >to insure equity and balance on issues for the entire city.
> > >However, it doesn't sound like anyone has a grand scheme to take some
> > >wording and the concept before the charter commission in the next
>couple of
> > >months.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >At 09:56 AM 2/14/01 EST, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> > > >Having at-large Council Members will not necessarily make "your"
> > >designated
> > > > Those who are going to work at the job are going to work
> > > > What it really
> > > >comes down to is people making the commitment to public service and
>not
> > >just
> > > > Those who are truly committed are most likely to be the
> > > > Having at-large, in my opinion, will not solve any
> > > > In fact, I think it's a mistake for the Park Board to have
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > With the population of
> > > >Mpls being what it is, it would seem to me the number could be
>reduced -
> > > > In the "old" days, CMs
> > > > That position didn't evolve until the late 70s,
> > > > Most of the Assistants do the majority of the constituent service
>and
> > > > The balance of the CM
> > > > The whole
> > > >structure needs to be re-examined.
> > > >
> > > >Karen Collier
> > > >Linden Hills
> > >Annie Young
> > >Ward 6 - East Phillips in Minneapolis
> > >Citywide at-large Park Board Commissioner
> > >Working to build a sustainable community
> > >_______________________________________________
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> >
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>
>
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