wizardmarks wrote:
> Not quite accurate. Someone who was not there alleged that Dean was not allowed to
> speak. We don't know the truth of that statement. WMarks, Central
The truth is this: Dean "Zimmerperson" Zimmermann WAS allowed to speak,
very early on in the convention's proceedings, for 1 minute -- though the usual DFL
convention rules allow current DLF endorsed officeholders to speak for 2 minutes --
in his capacity as an elected Minneapolis Park & Recreation officeholder, DFL endorsed
in 1997. The 6th Ward Rules Committee came up with their own set of rules, with
several notable departures from the usual convention rules that most DFL'ers abide by
at their conventions, for yesterday's convention. It was obvious to even the most
casual observer that these "special" rules were proposed to thwart or exclude any
undesirable candidates, i.e., a candidate such as Dean Zimmermann who has already
been endorsed by another major political party, the Green Party of MN. What was
somewhat comic, and sadly ironic, about all of the time and energy put into the pre-
convention credentials and rules maneuvering by a small number of Ward 6 DFL
party regulars is this: it was never part of candidate Zimmermann's campaign strategy
to seek the DFL Ward 6 endorsement, nor his intent to speak beyond the 2 minutes
usually allotted to currently elected DFL officeholders. There never was, nor is there,
any disrespect intended toward the DFL party by Dean nor any of his supporters.
Dean's embrace of the Green Party's 10 key values (see footnote at end) and his
desire to be an active part of the Green Party is a logical extension of his life-long
committment to social, economic, and political justice for all citizens -- of his
neighbor-
hood, his southside Mpls. community, his beloved city, yes even to the global world
that is increasingly impacting all of us locally. As I recently explained to a DFL
neighbor,
the Green Party is bigger than MN, bigger than just the U.S. This party represents the
fastest-growing political and social justice movement in the world: with viable local,
grass-roots chapters in over 81 nations. We, as Greens, are not going to somehow just
vanish to accommodate the wishes of the MN DFL, nor are we going to morph into a
caucus of the MN DFL. We look forward to leading the way, alone, on those issues where
we
think and believe that the Green vision is the best one, but we also look forward to
working
in coalition with other political parties, including the DFL, on those issues where we
have a
shared common vision.
Regardless of the intent of the Ward 6 Credentials and Rules Committees to
insulate their
convention delegates and alternates from hearing some of the innovative and worthwhile
ideas of Dean Zimmermann, those of us supporting Dean's candidacy to become the next
Ward 6 Minneapolis City Council member look forward to a race where the issues and
solutions to problems specific to Ward 6 neighborhoods will be well-addressed. We look
for-
ward to our paths crossing those of the other Ward 6 candidates, all of whom we hold in
high
regard.
One last thought that I would like to share is this: Please, make no mistake
why
Sharon
Sayles Belton, Jackie Cherryhomes, and other DFL elected regulars were at yesterday's
Ward 6 convention, largely in support of Dean Kallenbach's becoming the endorsed DFL
candidate. While many of us would like to think that we are electing council members to
best
represent our neighborhoods and to give voice at city hall to those whom are voiceless,
those
politicians already in positions of power within our city government are seeking to
ensure
the
election of council members who will choose to keep them in power, to wit: re-electing
Jackie
Cherryhomes as Mpls. CC President.
Jenny Heiser
East Phillips
Campaign chair of "Friends for Dean Zimmerperson"
The Green Party's 10 Key Values: social and economic justice, grassroots democracy,
ecological
wisdom, future focus (also referred to as the "7 generations" approach), non-violence,
feminism,
decentralization, respect for diversity, community-based economics, personal and global
responsibility.
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