Star Tribune: Don Samuels / Hard choice in Minneapolis' Third Ward � Published Jan. 29, 2003
Too bad both candidates in Monday's Third Ward special election can't win seats on the Minneapolis City Council. Olin Moore and Donald Samuels would be impressive additions. Beneath Moore's canned rhetoric (DFL endorsement apparently requires the use of trite phrases like "fighting for change," etc.) lies an uncommon devotion to Minneapolis and a deep understanding of the challenges it faces. Behind Samuels' burst onto the local scene lies a remarkable set of life experiences that brings a fresh outlook to city politics. Our choice is Samuels. We can't recall a more reflective candidate, one who seems to break every mold, one filled with creative observations possible only from someone unsteeped in local habits and, thus, able see more clearly the tasks ahead. Samuels, 53, fits well the disparate Third Ward: immigrant, artist, musician, corporate executive, quietly religious family man, determined community leader. His resum� spans the ward's distinct halves as effectively as the Lowry Avenue Bridge. How about this for a life story: Born in Jamaica, son of an authoritarian Pentecostal minister. Emigrates to New York at 20. Fascinated by the American civil rights struggle, but disillusioned by the black church's self-satisfaction over its role. Flees to the corporate/artistic world. Builds an executive career as a toy designer for Hasbro, then starts his own business. Meanwhile, graduates from Luther Seminary and is ordained a Baptist minister. Moves his wife and two young daughters from middle-class comfort to a tough block in the Jordan neighborhood. Confronts drug dealers and initiates a dual-track community strategy of getting tough with criminals while urging police to be more respectful of neighbors. Samuels is a quiet man uncomfortable with self-promotion. He's an urban sophisticate who quotes Shakespeare with a lingering Jamaican lilt. But he hasn't forgotten his modest immigrant roots, seeing more clearly than many others the opportunities possible in America. He has won broad support from both liberals and moderates, among them Mayor R.T. Rybak and County Commissioner Mark Stenglein. If there's a mainstream left in Minnesota politics, Samuels swims in it. His shortcoming (lack of government experience) is Moore's strength. At 32, Moore has worked a decade for U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo. The party's endorsement and support from labor, plus the fact that voters in Northeast Minneapolis, where Moore lives, tend to turn out in greater numbers, make him the favorite. Moore has a keen sense of metropolitan issues and Minneapolis' role in them. He sees clearly the city's aspirations, especially along the north riverfront. His modest beginnings give him an appreciation for the struggles of many Third Ward families. Yet Samuels offers special gifts of conciliation and collaboration too valuable to turn away. Third Ward voters should send Don Samuels to City Hall. http://www.startribune.com/stories/561/3619319.html Joseph Barisonzi Campaign Coordinator
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