Received a surprising fundraising letter in the mail today from my old pal Sarah Janecek (we go waaaay back: at the dawn of the '80s, Sarah and I waited tables together at the Minneapolis Hilton on Industrial Blvd and 35W.)
Anyway, Sarah being a die-hard Republican (and commentator and lobbyist), I was surprised to see her so effusive for the mayor. But here's some of the letter's pitch. I'll give you the bold face first (I love to read political letters bold face only): "RT Rybak campaigned for Ralph Nader in last year's Presidential campaign and sought the Green Party's endorsement...Sharon Sayles Belton is a mayor we can trust. "...We know that Sharon Sayles Belton will work for what is important - keeping crime down, creating good-paying jobs, building affordable housing, investing in the vitality of our downtown and neighborhoods, boosting student achievement in our public schools and managing the city well....we hope you will join us in our support of Sharon Sayles Belton. Please vote for Sharon on Tuesday, Novemeber 6." Here's the rest of the letter, paid for by the Sayles Belton Volunteer Committee: "Some of us supported Sharon in the primary election, and quite frankly, some did not! Now, all of us are united in our support for Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton's re-election. "Some of us are non-DFLers in a heavily Democratic city; our voice is especially important this year. Democrats are divided - almost evenly - between the primary winners. Our votes can make the difference in the general election. "Others of us are not Minneapolis residents but are convinced that a vital Minneapolis is in the interest of all Minnesotans, especially those living in Hennepin County cities. Even though we cannot vote in November in the Minneapolis election, the result of this election is very important. "For us, Sharon's challenger is not an acceptable choice. [Insert above reference to Ralph Nader]. "Thin on substance, Rybak's campaign for Mayor is focused principally on himself. He says that his work experiences have prepared him to be Mayor. Yet, he has moved from job to job and, according to City Pages, 'there are few shining stars on [his] resume.' City Pages also reported 'Rybak has a tendency to embellish' his experiences and has 'a knack for hyperbolic self-promotion.'" [Side note from Brauer: interested readers should contact City Pages and ask the editor why there was no Sayles Belton examination to complement their Rybak look. They have had at least two months to profile the other candidate. True, the mayor's record is better known, but a comprehensive Sayles Belton analysis would have only been fair. Back in '93, CP's Monika Bauerlein did excellent, useful profiles of then-council president SSB and then-powerful county commissioner John Derus, even though both were well-known public officials.] Anyway, the letter continues: "By contrast, Sharon Sayles Belton is a mayor we can trust. She has no personal agenda other than to improve our city. Ultimately, our choice for Mayor is based on her qualifications and achievements. "Minneapolis is truly a better city than when Sharon was first elected Mayor. Serious crime is down to a 35-year low. The city is on track to build over 2,000 affordable housing units in the next three years. Nearly 3,000 people were placed in good jobs with benefits last year. "Downtown in thriving and many sound investments have been made in our neighborhoods through the NRP. We are building a new library and our parks have never been better. We must do more to improve our public schools, and Sharon always has been personally committed to that effort, especially in the effort of promoting community schools. "[Boldface part about Sharon working for what's important.] As Republicans and Independence Party members both moderate and conservative [ask-for-vote boldface]." The letter is signed with the following names - I'll try to ID the ones I think I know something about: Carolyn Anderson (former Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commissioner...appointed when Sharon was mayor or council president) Ben Bowman Sally Howard (former Republican council member, from the Uptown area I think) Polly Johnson Diane Darby McGowen (sic - related to Republican Hennepin County sheriff Pat McGowan?) Robert J. Olson (our police chief?) Parker Trostel (former GOP? council member) Peter Bell (recent Independence Party county commissioner candidate, Center of the American Experiment principal) Dan Cohen (former Republican city council member) Sarah Janecek (Republican activist, lobbyist, commentator) Randy Johnson (Republican county commissioner, Bloomington area) Kristen Meyer Mary Tambornino (Republican county commissioner, Edina area, perhaps with some SW Minneapolis) David Brauer King Field - Ward 10 (Didn't sign the letter, just forwarding it...) _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________ 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
