There has certainly been a great deal of discussion recently about the race in the second ward.
In the course of this discussion Robb Clarkson asked to hear more about how I would bridge the gap between differing groups in the Ward. This is an excellent question and an issue I have been thinking and talking about throughout this campaign. I am convinced that some of the problems in our ward have, in fact, resulted from a lack of leadership focused on bringing people together. I believe that I bring that kind of leadership and the kinds of skills needed to do that to the ward. There are basically three key elements to this( IMHO): 1. inclusiveness and access 2. the ability to listen with understanding to everyone, 3. The ability to find and communicate to each group both the meaningful differences in a way they can be understood and related to and the common ideas or goals that go beyond the differences. And... 4. a willingness to honor diversity and use it to find the best outcomes possible through out it all. Through my work in our community - especially in the Neighborhood Revitalization Program in Seward - I have seen how important these things are to effective planning, problem solving and effective community building. I have made a clear commitment from the beginning of this campaign to improve participation, better connect people to government and to maintain open and effective channels of communication. I am committed to communicate with all groups and all individuals. I have worked hard in the campaign to set aside time to meet with anyone, to translate my campaign lit into several languages and to come to talk to people throughout the ward at their gatherings, meetings and doors. As a candidate I set aside the second Saturday morning of each month to be available to meet people at a local coffee shop and I held a series of additional open meetings throughout the ward in the evenings, including one when we hired a translator to be sure that language differences would not create too large a barrier. As a council member I will continue to hold regular open meetings in the ward. I will set up an e-mail communications system for announcements and for discussion. I willwork to overcome language, cultural, age and other barriers. I will produce a newsletter and I will work to use community radio and personal contact to understand all the individuals and the groups in the ward better. The important thing is that I will be equally accessible to everyone in the ward and I will strive in include everyone in our decisions. There has been far to much divisiveness throughout the ward -- between business groups and shelter advocates, between developers and renters, between students and longtime homeowners. The only way we will break through the barriers already formed, in my opinion, is through patient, careful communication. I will do that by listening and building trust and then by both communicating between groups and by helping to bring groups together so that they can communicate with each other in an atmosphere of trust and respect. One of the values I hold dear is a respect for diversity. I believe that diversity is something to be honored and valued and not to be feared. I am convinced that by using or diverse views, by understanding different perspectives and concerns we actually find better solutions and better ideas in end. It may take more time and it may take more work, but in the end it is worth it. Just as I have committed myself to doing this in the past I will make this a top priority as Second Ward Council Member if elected. I thank you all for your interest and caring in this campaign. I will post more later this evening (or tomorrow early) to more of the discussion and I ask that we all (especially those who are my advocates) work to keep these last days positive, focused on issues, focused on the future and focused on all the good we can do working together for our ward and our city. Yours, as always, in peace and cooperation, Cam Cam Gordon for Ward 2 914 Franklin Terrace Seward, Mpls. MN 55406-1101 (612) 332-6210 http://www.camgordon.org Green Party, Progressive Mn, Labor (UE 1139) and Sierra Club Endorsed _______________________________________ 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
