For Immediate Release
Contact: Joseph Barisonzi
612-518-5536
www.aCityForNeighbors.org
Minneapolis Voters receive Report Card on their council members
A City for Neighbors distributes 3000 report cards to DFL delegates before ward conventions start.
Information available at www.aCityForNeighbors.org
On Tuesday, February 26 over 3,000 DFL Minneapolis voters will receive a report card on how their council members have voted on key city issues. The report cards, produced and distributed by A City For Neighbors, calculates the percentage of "good neighbor" votes taken by the current 13 council members. The report card is a tool providing citizens the information they need to hold council members accountable for their most recent votes on issues such as affordable housing, subsidized development projects, the airport, environmental concerns and government ethics.
The report card was simultaneously published at
www.aCityforNeighbors.org with detailed research supporting each of the votes.According to Joseph Barisonzi, co-chair of A City for Neighbors, "In order to make voting decisions, citizens need to have information about how their Council Members are voting. We are providing a summary of important roll call votes. Citizens will make up their minds for themselves."
Barisonzi further reports that "there is a very disturbing pattern of putting big money special interests ahead of people and neighborhoods � our goal is to make the information available and support citizens to make up their own minds. We are confident the citizens will hold their elected officials accountable based on the public record."
While the report card was initially sent to DFL delegates, Barisonzi said, "We are committed to sending this report card to every citizen in Minneapolis." A City for Neighbors has targeted DFL delegates because 12 of 13 council members are DFLers. The incumbents� ward conventions are the first time citizens can hold their elected officials accountable in any election year.
Who is A City for Neighbors?
Formed less than two months ago, A City for Neighbors is a group of concerned Minneapolis residents who strive to advance a new vision for Minneapolis. A City for Neighbors, which does not endorse candidates, seeks to promote discussion and accountability by providing information to citizens about votes in City Hall that affect Minneapolis neighborhoods. A City for Neighbors is counting on positive feedback to provide the support to distribute this and other information tools to all Minneapolis voters.
Why these votes?
The selected votes were representative of the issues that have dominated public and media attention over the past 8 years. They are also the most indicative of the City�s skewed priorities: Block E, Target Store, Stadiums, our "affordable housing" money going for housing that is not really affordable at all. A City for Neighbors was committed to providing information on clean, single-subject votes where the issue being voted on was the only thing being voted on.
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
_______________________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
