Re: [Mpls] List Members in the News

[Jhpalmerjp]

I think in order to be fair to Dean, it’s important to note as someone who
has worked in the corporate world, and I’m sure that Barb would be able to
attest to this, that it is very difficult to get time away from your job, and
that they tend to be a lot less understanding about a candidate forum than a
non-profit or government agency is in terms of time off.   

That being said, I would think that any company that a person’s work for for
5, 10, or 15 years and knows they’re running for office would understand the
need to be gone for a couple hours.  Of course you need to give proper notice
which Rick states that Dean didn’t have (3 days before the forum), however
Matthea Little Smith sent out notice to the SD61 group on March 12th and
Jenny Heiser sent out notice to this list on March 14th, so those are two
notices sent to groups that at least Rick is a part of, and if Dean isn’t I
would recommend that he join them in order to keep informed.  I would be
surprised, however, that someone who served as assoc. chair of SD61  would
not be on the email list.

More to the point, though, Eva pointed out a fact: Dean was not at the
candidate forum.  I’m not quite sure how that translates into her showing her
view or having dislike for Dean.  It seems to me to be an observation.  
Further, I don’t know why anyone would then spin an addressing of this
point into an attack on another candidate. Unless I’m woefully naïve about
this list, I was under the impression this was for sharing views and
information as well as some lively discussion.  I would really rather see
discussions like this and this race, be about the issues themselves not
mudslinging and personal attacks.  I think we lose a piece of ourselves and
the spirit of democracy when we deviate from this.   

Why not call for a debate? Rick makes the point that the Insight Forum didn’t
allow for enough time for a real discussion of the issues, well then I think
we should have one.  The Whittier Neighbors Forum allowed people to hear the
candidates, but when everyone answers the same question it’s a lot easier to
form and answer, and sometimes your thoughts are already said by 4 people
ahead of you. (on a side note, if someone can remind me of the second of two
forums that Rick reference Dean was at.  I know we held the Whittier Forum,
and then the Insight Forum, and the Property Rights committee meeting were
the only other two that I recall which were held (and Dean wasn’t at either)
so I’d like to know if there was another forum that I wasn’t invited to, or
if my memory has started to go at this young age.)

I think a debate would be a great opportunity for us to focus on the issues
instead of mudslinging and get a real good understanding of the candidates
and what they bring to the table.

Jonathan Palmer
Stevens Square


Leadership Does Matter!
www.jonathanpalmer.org