It sounds like the StarTribune gave both candidates an endorsement. I would have to agree that both Olin Moore and Don Samuels are a cut above anyone on the present Minneapolis Council. Minneapolis cannot be anything but better off if either is elected. StarTribune did a very fair job. I do not know how you pick between them. We need them both!
I was happy to see RT and Barrett Lane playing politics by endorsing Don. The greatest criticism of Olin was that he might too easily ally with the powers that be. RT and Barrett probably inoculated him from that temptation! So Minneapolis will get a better Council Member if Olin is elected. Don Samuels has a strong enough moral foundation and commitment to Neighborhoods that he is NOT going to sell out the neighborhoods for a couple of cheap endorsements. It is very clear Don's support comes from the neighborhood residents, not from politicians trying to curry later political favors. So the endorsements don't really matter to Don. I was also very impressed with Olin's handling of this. If I were Olin, I am afraid, I would have been really POed at this cheap political ploy. Olin took it with complete grace. Even if the politicos showed very little class with such an obvious political ploy, Olin's class came shining through. I had to laugh about the endorsements, particularly Barrett's, but I am happy they did it. It helps Olin and doesn't matter to Don. The City of Minneapolis is better off because of this purely "Political Act", even if it was suspicious. Minneapolis wins with either candidate. In either case we get a welcome change. We either get a CM with some ability to access Washington and the tact and talent to not tee off the State Legislature unnecessarily, or we get a CM with ties and a commitment to fight for discriminated against "Impacted Neighborhoods". In either case it is something we do not presently have and deeply need. My advice is for who ever does not win, (neither of these people is a loser), start your campaign in the redistricted ward you live in the day after the election. That way you are a shoo-in in two years. Minneapolis could win two ways. ------------------------------------------------- Budget suggestion: 1. The way to solve a lot of budget woes is to stop duplicating services and costs with the County. Minneapolis General Hospital turning into HCMC proves how successful this can be. We took a catastrophe of a hospital and turned it into a nationally known success. Metropolis Library system, Metropolis Park system, ETC., ETC. (We serve the entire area, we might as well share the cost. Save money and give better service at the same time.) 2. Appoint Vicki as budget director; she sure seems to have a talent for tracking down dollars. (With that compliment to grease the way) Vicki how much is wasted in duplication of services? Jim Graham, Ventura Village - in the great regional City of Metropolis TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. ________________________________ 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
