Let me start this post by coming right to the point: To RT Rybak's wife, Megan and to your son and daughter- 'Thank you for sharing your husband and father with the residents of the City of Minneapolis for the next 4 years'. Yesterday, as I attended the public events following the swearing in ceremonies at City Hall, I realized that there is a great similarity between RT's wife, Megan and their children and Governor's wife, Terry Ventura and their two children.
For Terry, it all started when Dean Barkley showed up at the Ventura's Maple Grove farm one day and said, 'Jesse, why don't you come on out to the barn with me- I brought a couple expensive, imported cigars and I know that you are not allowed to smoke in the house'. We all know how that story ended. I also remember working at the Independence Party (Reform Party at that time) booth at the Hennepin County fair on Saturday afternoon in 1998. A couple of ladies wearing cowperson shirts, blue jeans and cowperson boots came up to the booth and I asked them if they were going to vote for Jesse for Governor. One lady said 'yes' and one lady said 'no'. Figuring I had one vote, I asked the lady who said 'no' why she wasn't going to support our candidate with the hopes that maybe I could swing her vote. Her answer was simple and straight to the point- "I'm not voting for him because he is my husband and he just might win this whole thing". That was the first time that I met Terry and I continue to be impressed with her and proud that she is our state's First Lady. I can imagine for Megan it started out the same way. One day about a year ago, RT says, 'Honey, I think I will run for mayor this year' and I can imagine Megan saying something like 'Yes dear, do what ever you like', assuming that 21 other candidates were going to say the same thing in Minneapolis in 2001 and there wasn't a great deal of risk in being supportive at that time. And then we had the Endorsing Convention and the Primary and finally the General Election and it is like "Oh S---!- He Won!" So all that I am trying to say is "Thank You" to the new Mayor's family. As a resident of Minneapolis off and on since 1951, I appreciate you 'loaning' (or maybe 'sharing' is a better word) your husband and father to me and the rest of Minneapolis for the next 4 years. In addition to what you were used, with RT as your 'full-time husband', 'full-time father' and 'full-time breadwinner', you must now include 'full-time mayor of a major metropolitan community'. I can't even begin to imagine the enormous changes that you face as a wife and mother. And to RT: Don't be afraid to use one of Jesse's famous lines- "I'd love to, but it is 'family time', so don't even ask". Ron Lischeid Windom Underdogs like Jesse and RT are the reason I'll keep running _______________________________________ 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
