I have to disagree with Matthea a little bit on the endorsement system. I find it to be, at least in terms of the school board elections, far from grassroots. At least that is my observation from the last 6 years. And, again, if we truly want a grass roots approach to putting members on the board of education, then let's do it without the party endorsement system. I suggest a radical idea: support a candidate based on his or her positions/ideas/intelligence/and integrity rather than the fact that the candidate has the blessing of the powers that be. All the party endorsement system accomplishes is pushing party line politics at the school board level. It also makes it damn difficult to get any fresh blood, perspectives or ideas on the board of education.
(Side note: I do support the endorsement process for non-school board elections as it appears to be much more appropriate and grassroots when it comes to other elected offices). I absolutely disagree with almost everything Brian Melendez recently posted concerning Judy Farmer. I have known Judy for about ten years now. I think that Judy has played an enormously positive role on the Board of Education in the past. But it is also obvious to me that what has worked in the past is not working now and new blood and new ideas are needed at the board of education. I believe that both Judy Farmer and Ross Taylor should step down from the board and make way for younger people with fresh ideas. But, the party process all but has ensured that Judy Farmer will be back at the Board of Education in January. As a candidate for school board, I received numerous emails from folks telling me that they would not support me for school board if I didn't participate in the endorsement process. What I found amusing was that many of these people had told me publicly or privately that they didn't support Judy Farmer, but they would support her over me because she would have the endorsement and I did not. This coming directly after being told that they were supporting me because of my ideas and energy. I simply can not understand the logic behind how some people choose to support candidates. It seems as if some people would rather support a bad candidate in the "right" party rather than an excellent candidate outside of the Chosen party. In general, you can most definately find common themes among successful school board candidates. They are almost uniformly older (meaning older than 35...almost always over 40). They are predominately, in Minneapolis, white. They almost always have kids in the public schools and/or are teachers or retired teachers. It is nearly impossible to be elected to the Board of Education in Minneapolis if you don't fall into one or more of the categories I just listed. None of those categories necessarily imparts wisdom on what is needed to make sure that students achieve. Although, I will say, I personally support YOUNG and/or effective teachers to run for the board of education. Anywho. Not much point to that post than to try and demonstrate that our endorsement process for the School Board almost always ensures that qualified candidates will never make it to the Board of Education. -Brandon Lacy -Powderhorn Park -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Andy Driscoll Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2002 10:04 AM To: Minneapolis Issues Subject: Re: [Mpls] School Board Endorsement People of color: Step to the plate. Your City and your school need you. It is not the responsibility of others to find you. You must come out of the shadows and present yourselves to a public that wants you to represent your communities in decision-making and policy-making processes. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul (where the top vote-getters for school board year after year have been people of color since the 1970's) ------ "Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action." - Benjamin Disraeli > From: M Smith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Thu, 6 Jun 2002 05:41:44 -0700 (PDT) > To: Pamela Taylor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Catherine Shreves > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Mpls Issues <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Mpls] School Board Endorsement > > Pam: > > One of the things that people are color are doing is trying to develop fully > qualified candidates of color. I believe that Jonathan Palmer is an > excellent example of that effort. Jonathan is a political novice. He is > learning the process, but his I believe his qualifications speak for > themselves. I believe our next step is to make sure that these fully > qualified candidates, that we work to develop, have a chance at any party's > endorsing convention. > > One thing I really think that needs to happen is that we do a heck of a lot > more outreach to folks of color to get to the precinct caucuses so that we > have a larger pool of delegates. I personally believe in the endorsement > process because it does depend on grass roots organizing. However, when > there is not effective outreach, which I can only speak for the DFL, there > hasn't been in the last few years, you tend to get the same ol' party folks > doing to same ol' things. > > I know there is much criticism of the current endorsing system, but I > believe until we work to make the current system effective, which we > haven't, change for change's sake is futile. > > Matthea Little Smith > Powderhorn Park > > > --- Pamela Taylor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> Hello Again, >> >> I understand Catherine's concern, but I still believe >> that a African-American presence in face and body is >> needed. However, I have also stated that I don't >> believe in voting for someone based simply on race. >> They need to come truly qualified. >> >> I believe that can happen, but the DFL and other >> parties have to make way for that to happen, and so do >> long term incumbents, etc. >> > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup > http://fifaworldcup.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 > _______________________________________ 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 _______________________________________ 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
