| I would like to respond to the following post by Andy Pomroy.
I have met paul zerby twice at functions I have been at, basically by chance. I have not met Cam, however, I only recieved a phone call from his campaign. I am nervous that paul, who says he believes students are part of the ward, also seems to posit that students are part of the "problem" in the ward. I am a student. I also pay 550 bucks for a dumpy efficiency. Today i recieved an eviction notice. Im also not convinced that paul zerby (who is about 70 years old?) is really going to remember us students when (if???) he is elected. This ward is diverse. I would like to see someone in control of this ward that doesnt put the interests of the wards' most uptight, wealthiest, and most exclusive homeowners before the interests of the other 5 neighborhoods in the ward. Look at the example of the Leaning Tower of Pizza Rezoning. Why are the residents of prospect park so concerned about on campus underage drinking ???? Last time i checked U village is a half mile from Bedford street, and for the most part, graduate students are the only ones who are able to live in prospect park...As if having a bar in a dorm was going to make a noticeable increase in student consumption of alcohol. I have serious questions about how Paul will include other members of the ward in his process no matter how good it seems. As for experience, I think we learned from the last group of council members that experience is not always a good thing...for some...knowing how the system works provided the knowledge of how to screw the system (HerronGate).... For this reason a breath of fresh air is good, whether you think fresh air can come with experience or not. Do we need another lawyer on the council? seems to me there are 3 other lawyers likely to be elected anyways... according to a previous post. As for the remark about phyllis kahn being a strong leader for 59B...i guess so...if your idea of strong is showing your face three times a year in the ward during the election....and then burying yourself under the blanket of the white marble of the state capitol. In my eyes, the legacy of the DFL and other historically leading parties is basically a legacy that we are taught to believe exists, a construct. Andy writes "that the Green Party (has) not yet shown me that they are a superior party to the DFL in terms of getting things done". I would love for him, Zerby, and Kahn, (if your reading this ladies and gents) to tell me what exactly has the DFL done for the second ward in the last 5 to 7 years? Lately the DFL has been busy (reluctantly) admitting how stupid it was for trying to shut down a West Bank institution in the hard times cafe. While Paul's campaign slogan refers to his status as "A DFLer for change", I fail to see very much in the way of anything drastically different in his campaign from your everyday DFLer. On the other hand, my view is that Cam has made every effort to be an inclusive minded council member, and a community oriented one at that. Certainly Paul comes off as an affectionate person who cares deeply about the issues....just like our big buddy "W" tries to do on TV. On the issue of police, paul actually may have said more than what cam has, and on this point he looks like the better guy. If you want to judge the candidates on how they arrange the issues on there websites fine....but as I noticed...on the first page of the Zerby site, all that was said is contained below in the following 7 lines. On Cam's page, I had to fish through his several detailed statements and take a link to the issues page to get to the following. My point being here, that while zerby may get points for being succinct, I appreciate Cam's attempt to try and hash out his view of things a more lengthy, developed manner, rather than beefy statements that seem to fry down like a socalled Hardees hamburger. I have pasted excerpts from the websites so that we can further break down these candidates on the issues: Robb Clarksen Marcy, the pocket of southeast Mpls Paul: Affordable housing for residents, ahead of large downtown development. � Better police practices, a reevaluation of CODEFOR, an end to racial profiling, and a strengthened civilian review board � A cleaner and greener city, reduction of pollution � Better city services, including snowplowing� Safe, clean and timely transit for residents� Early assistance to help our kids succeed � Better relationships between the University of Minnesota and surrounding neighborhoods Cam: Creative Solutions to the Housing Crisis Housing is a basic human right. Cam will work to preserve the housing we have and back the construction of new affordable housing to meet future need. He knows that our best solutions will be found by bringing all the stake holders, including community members, developers and those with unmet housing needs, together as equal partners. Economic, Cultural and Educational Vitality Small businesses, cultural experiences and educational opportunities are among our most valuable community assets. Cam knows the importance of protecting and developing community-based businesses and cultural resources. He will help us plan together so that our businesses and institutions work for our neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for everyone. Community-Centered Policing and Justice Cam will work hard to ease tensions and build trust between police officers and the people they serve. We can improve all areas of policing, from recruitment and training to evaluation and accountability. We need a model of community policing that we all agree on and a civilian review process that really works. Clean Land, Air and Water for Everyone We must take responsibility for our natural resources. It's time to phase out dangerous lawn chemicals and decrease our dependency on fossil fuels and garbage incineration. Cam will fight to establish clear goals for future sustainable development and promote conservation and environmental stewardship throughout the city. Investing in City Services City infrastructure serves as a foundation for our economic and ecological future. We must meet our commitments to provide basic services. We can, for example, maintain public trash receptacles and develop clearer, fairer snow emergency procedures. Transportation Cam is dedicated to increasing and improving public transit options and pedestrian and cyclist thoroughfares to give commuters alternatives to automobiles. To be successful, light rail and commuter rail must serve the people who live and work along their paths. The neighborhoods involved must be part of planing and implementation. Commitment to Communications When elected, Cam will work hard to stay in touch with the people he represents. He will keep you informed through newsletters, open meetings in the ward and other innovative channels. He will not stop seeking out your ideas and listening to your concerns. In response to the ongoing debate between Mr. Zerby and Mr. Gordon, I would like to throw my hat into the ring. Paul does care about those who live at or around and attend the University. He has knocked neighborhoods and the dorms thouroughly. I myself have spent time with Paul in the dorms where he connected very well with the students there. And why did he connect? Because he actually has ideas. He has done what a campaign manager always tells a candidate what not to do, talk about specifics. I look at both of their websites and Paul actually has ideas to combat the problems that both Cam and Paul identify. When talking about Police practices for example Cam says just this, |
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