Kevin Trainor wrote: > I think we should quit pretending that any race at > the city/county level is nonpartisan and grow up. Any time > you have a difference of opinion as to ends and means, you > are going to find political parties lining up on either side > of the question. This is why school board candidates, city > council candidates, library board candidates, etc., etc. all > can be found filling out questionnaires and showing up for > screening interviews with various political groups that have > an ax to grind, whether those groups are the teachers unions, > the Teamsters, the Republican and DFL and Green parties, > or the Monster Raving Loony Party.
I suppose that we do need to recognize that electoral races are indeed partisan. For instance, just look at the slate of school board candidates endorsed by the DFL. If the party is representative of the politics in Minneapolis for the last twenty years, then these candidates are its reflection. The question for voters should be whether these candidates have any proposals for fomenting real change in our educational system. Do any of these candidates advocate changes that will significantly increase tests scores or reduce the dropout rate? Will we have to look back ten years from now and find that we have exactly the same educational system that we did when we went to the polls this year? > Most voters want some idea of where their candidates > stand, but it's a rare voter (in my experience) who will > actually take the trouble to sit down and read what the various candidates have to >say for themselves in the Star > Tribune, much less look at the literature produced by the > various campaigns. They would rather know if the candidate > in question has the DFL/Labor endorsement. No kidding, in my > occasional bouts of service as an election judge, I have had > voters come up and ask me for a copy of the DFL/Labor sample > ballot and be somewhat put out when I told them no, partisan > political materials weren't allowed in the polling places. I agree that most voters will not take the time to research the candidates. But, it's also important for the candidates to make information about their positions available. I will do so by creating a website that explains my views on all of the current issues relevant to public schools. And, if I should miss any I will provide a means for voters to ask questions. I will take advantage of any opportunities to inform voters of my views in public meetings and if I receive enough money in donations I will attempt to reach very voter in the city by mail. I challenge the other candidates to make their positions known as well, and not rest on their party's platform. Robin Garwood wrote: > 2) We could provide local candidates with a certain amount of space - > something like three short lines - to summarize the reasons they think they > are the right choice for the position for which they're running. A > candidate could outline their priorities, values, experience, party > affiliation, or whatever info they think makes their case most strongly. > This would, in my opinion, limit the influence of parties, increase voter > participation in smaller, less-known races, and ensure a higher accuracy of > representation. > If I remember correctly, in California when voters got their sample ballots a pamphlet was included which give pro and con arguments on ballot measures and allowed (at least major) candidates to make statements about their positions and qualifications. Does Minneapolis do anything similar? It would help provide voters with more information than party affiliation and incumbency. Of course school board candidates and judges don't even have party affiliations identified. Michael Atherton Prospect Park _______________________________________ 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
