Getting back to the main point of my question, which was to get an answer that was satisfactory.
To quote Malcolm X, "No. I'm not satisfied." Rick Stafford has responded for the Kallenbach campaign alledging that my post was the first notice they had of any forum. While I find this hard to believe, it in fact illustrates my point. The Insight Forum had announced pre- and post- Primary that it would be hosting candidate forums with the surviving candidates. In the last several weeks, there have been several candidates forums: School Board, Library Board, City Council, and every one of the candidates seems to know except Kallenbach. Which illustrates how out of touch the campaign is with the African American community. This is a weekly forum broadcast over the radio and cable access which also announces next week shows, there is ample opportunity for notice. If I were really concerned about the African American community and had many years of experience with political campaigns, and knew I had missed two forums hosted weekly in the African American community, not only would I be contacting them to find out when the next one was, but if there wa sn't one, I would ask them to schedule one. At very least I would show up and meet people and pass out literature. If I were really concerned that is.... I would most certainly call back to the Newspaper that hosts the forum if they had called me twice. The past reasons don't hold water because for the first forum candidates and participants were given different reasons why Kallenbach was not present and for the second, the birthday excuse was given but again depending on who you speak with, it was in or out of town. The legitimacy of the reasons are neither here nor there at this point, because the fact remains that Kallenbach has yet to participate in any significant meeting, event, program etc. with the African American community and the other communities of color, and when questioned on his commitment or desire to serve, his campaign manager responds that he's been doorknocking in the Sixth Ward, and that shows it. ????? If I were to be questioned on my commitment to issues of the GLBT community, and I said that I doorknocked and talked to some Lesbians and was therefore committed to the issues, would you or anyone else really think that that was enough? Incidently, I haven't notice Kallenbach absent from any major events in the GLBT community or the DFL for that matter. What it really comes down to is priorities. I'm not satisfied, because I have yet to see a satisfactory answer. I already gave examples of what could have or should have been done in regards to the Insight Forum. But to expand it further, Kallenbach wasn't at Juneteenth (which is an annual event), neither the NAACP or Urban League annual functions, the Redistricting Hearings at the Urban League, the 10,000+ organizational meetings, etc. These are key meetings and events in the African American community, trying to make it to at least one would lend some credence to statements of concern, but I'm force to again ask, "Where's the Candidate?" Further Stafford goes on to state that Kallenbach has done four mailings to voters of the 6th Ward talking about many of the issues that persons of color have identified as important to them as further evidence of his support and commitment: true affordable housing, safe and livable neighborhoods, police brutality and racial profiling, and living wage jobs. Those are issues that voters that happen to be persons of color have identified, not the issues of persons of color, but rather issues of everyone. With the exception of Racial Profiling, they are no more the issues of the communities of color, than they are the issues of the GLBT community. If I asked what were the issues of the GLBT community, would any serious person name these issues and omit ones such as Domestic Partner benefits, women's right to control her reproductive system, and the Minnesota AIDs project support? Where does Kallenbach stand on out of home placements, reparations, and redistricting? These are issues of concern to the Africa n American community, if he's concerned about our issues he should know this. Finally Stafford cites Kallenbach's screening with ACORN. ACORN is a very good and responsible organization, but is known for being the largest community organization composed of and focussing on the issues of low and moderate income families. Is the African American community being equated to low and moderate income persons? I hope that's not the case, but can find no other reason for the reference. This is a time for serious candidates, and specifically for candidates who actually care about their constituents. Pat answers will not cut it today. If the Kallenbach campaign thought they were doing enough to address issues in the communities of color (aside from that being indicative in and of itself) I'm telling you right now it's not. Dean Z has been to the forums, and has answered the questions. I've said what Kallenbach could do in here and the issues that he should respond to. I ask the question again of "Where's the Candidate?", and for some indication that he will focus on the specific issues of concern to the various constituents he hopes to represent, and not some pre-fab one-size-fits-all package. We are not all the same, and if Kallenbach is going to represent us, he has to not only recognize the different issues in the various communities, but also provide true answers. Jonathan Palmer Stevens Square-Loring Heights _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
