It is my understanding that the Mayor and city council members opposed to voting on a resolution against a unilateral war are opposed because they do not feel they were given the mandate by the voters when they were elected to city council.
Those who support the resolution would like to send a powerful message to President Bush and the congress that the City of Minneapolis is opposed to this war without first exhausting other options and obtaining international support. A referendum would be ideal (and more powerful as it would prove a greater degree of support), but time and the legal mechanics don't make it a viable option. If enough of their constituents petition the city council members to support such a resolution, the council members should feel secure that they are acting with mandate. Although I am caught up in the redistricting mess, I am technically still in Ward 1, and I voted for Paul Ostrow in the last election. I would like to organize with other people in Ward 1 to get a petition circulated and signed with enough names to make Council Member Ostrow feel satisfied that he is acting with the mandate of his constituents. Anyone interested in working on this, please contact me offlist. I'd encourage constituents in other wards to do the same in their ward - even in the wards with council members in support of the resolution to show them the support and help convince Mayor Rybak. - Jason Goray Sheridan NE Interesting reading: Did Hussein "gas his own people"? http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/31/opinion/31PELL.html (requires username and password, signup is free) __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com 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
