For those of you not on the Green Party of Minnesota list, here are some comments written by Betsy Barnum (posted with permission). Betsy lives in Ward 2.
Mark Knapp Lyndale --- Betsy Barnum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Fran Gumminga wrote: > I think we let CM Paul Ostrow off too easy when we say he was > backed into a corner and had to vote for the project. Had to? > Ostrow wants to be City Council Prez. Who needs this kind of > "new leadership" when we could have gotten that from the old > leadership? You wanna be a leader, then stand up for what you > claim you believe in. I think this is a very astute observation, and expresses one of the core ways in which I envision (and have witnessed, with Annie and Dean and their refusal to cave on the park land swap for the 55 reroute, to cite a memorable example) Green politics differing from business as usual. I can't help but be reminded of Senator Wellstone and his justification for voting to approve the bombing of Kosovo, that "there's no other option." If an elected official can't make a principled decision, but has to fall back on excuses like, he got backed into a corner, there wasn't any other choice, something is wrong. Part of what it means to be Green is that we believe there *are* choices, there *are* alternatives, and we expect our elected representatives to think and act accordingly. In a way I feel sorry for people like Ostrow and Wellstone, whose party doesn't support them for making a principled decision. Maybe it's harder for them to do that, than for Green Party people in office, who know they have their own party (both membership and leadership) behind them in taking risks or stands that may be unpopular with the big-money interests. Betsy Barnum [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.greatriv.org (under construction) ***************************** Anything we love can be saved. --Alice Walker __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Find the one for you at Yahoo! Personals http://personals.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
