Wizard reported:
However, Mr. Samuels' has made a mistake in not having an adequate public explanation for why he would not go to a union shop. According to Joe Barisonzi in a series of off-list e-mails, Mr. Samuels wanted a Third Ward printer for his candidate materials. Understandable; he's running for a Third Ward seat.The 3rd ward is lucky to have such an industrial base, I suspect that several wards have no printer capable of putting out the volume of lit that Don Samuels' campaign has used.
However, when he went to at least one union printer, the entire plant was white, from the manager down to the heavy lifters. I checked that out, he was correct about that shop.There are several union printers in Minnesota, and it was prejudicial of Don Samuels to judge them all by his experience with one. That printer may have had an all white staff on the day he visited simply because they are located in an area that is largely populated by whites.
Were I Mr. Samuels I would not spend my and other people's hard earned money someplace where, apparently, I would not be welcome as an employee in the year 2002.Agreed, but Don Samuels' has presented no evidence that the printer in question, or any printer, union or not, discriminates in hiring. And Don Samuels' decision to base the placement of his printing business on race scares me- if he wins will he award city contracts on the basis of race rather than to the most qualified vendor?
I would send that information in the form of the letter to the DFL, were I a candidate wanting endorsement. And I would make that part of my speech during the endorsement process. e.g., "Ladies and gentlemen, you will notice that there is no union bug on my literature. I am aDon Samuels had my vote as a delegate. He lost it largely due to his disrespect for union folks and the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party. Had he made the statement you suggest Wizard I might reconsider, but he has not.
democrat and I support organized labor, but I will not support a union printer who has not succeeded in attracting even one qualified member of a minority community to work for his company in the 21st century. I cannot, in conscience as a DFLer, not hold all of us to our stated ideals." Would he have my vote as a delegate? In a heartbeat.
Were I Mr. Samuels at this point in time, I would publish a letter to the DFL apologizing for failing to be candid as their potential endorsee. Had I been a delegate, I would have felt that Mr. Samuels had already discounted my vote by failing to be candid on something as important as keeping my party on track.Agreed- Don Samuels could have salvaged his campaign by apologizing and going to a union printer. Instead his campaign continues on its arrogant and unresponsive course to the political graveyard- you don't win in the 3rd ward by 'dissin' labor.
Too, I suspect Mr. Samuels of having been given bad advice by his campaign committee, knowing Joe Barisonzi. Joe, you do have a tendency, verily more than a tendency, to be arrogant and careless of respecting other points of view among DFLers, even when asking for their help.Agreed. In fact, I suspect the damage done to Don Samuels' image is so severe as to destroy his prospects for a 5th ward run in 2005.
from the heights of Hawthorne,
Dyna Sluyter
WizardMarks, Central_______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
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