Once again, it's important to know the difference between passing this bill POST-election and POST re-districting vs. PRE-the next election and PRE-the next redistricting.
Voters went to the polls to elect their councilmembers believing they were electing them for a four-year term. The charter - and state law - call for 4-year terms for councilmembers in cities of the first class, perhaps all charter cities. Now comes my friend, Phyllis with the extraordinary notion that the Legislature essentially negate the will of voters in the last city election by shortening those council terms to two years. Where was this bill four or five years ago when the City Charter was amended to provide for four-year council terms? Amending this bill now to cover all election from now on, i.e., creating two four-year terms and one two-year term to account for redistricting after the 2010 census for application thereafter makes all the sense in the world. (This idea should apply to ALL 4-year term seats at all jurisdictional levels.) But this bill deserves to be voted down. It is a very suspect bill considering the election of two (almost three) Greens last time and the defeat of two veteran DFL councilmembers. Bad timing. Bad bill. Bad law. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul -------- What does it matter to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy? � Mahatma Ghandi > From: Terrell Brown <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 14:11:43 -0800 (PST) > To: Minneapolis Issues List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: RE: [Mpls] MN House Committee Hearing on Rep. Kahn's H.F. 67 Bill > > Actually I'm happy to SUPPORT Rep. Kahn's proposal. Are you serious in > suggesting that we shouldn't have an election because it costs money? > Do you want to just cancel the next couple of elections to save a few > bucks? > > Constitutionally the primary reason we have a census is so that we can > equalize the populations of the districts we use to elect our > representatives. That the current 6th Ward has 122% of the population > of the current 12th Ward (33,364 vs. 27,363) based on the 2000 census > is likely a violation of the Voting Rights Act. > > The segregationists back in the 60's liked such an arrangement. Under > represent a district with lots of minorities (6th Ward) and over > represent a district that is mostly White (12th Ward). So our most > over represented wards are the 1st, 11th, 12th, and 13th. Anyone want > to guess which wards have the fewest minority residents? Anyone think > the current arrangement would withstand a Voting Rights Act challenge? > > > Terrell Brown > Loring Park > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf > Of > Jenny Heiser > Sent: Monday, February 24, 2003 2:10 PM > To: MN-POLITICS-ANNOUNCE; Mpls Forum > Subject: [Mpls] MN House Committee Hearing on Rep. Kahn's H.F. 67 Bill > > > Please see the information, below, regarding the time and location > of this hearing. The City of Minneapolis is lobbying against this bill > on > the grounds that it violates the principle of local control. This > legislation essentially allows the state to dictate to Minneapolis, a > city > of the first-class, how its election laws should read. In addition, > holding > a special election in 2003 in Minneapolis would cost city taxpayers > almost > $500,000 - a cost hard to bear in these times of economic hardship for > the > city. > > Please let your local MN Representative know that you do not support > this > bill, let this committee's members know that you want them to vote > against > it. Contact info is below, following the committee hearing information. > Come > to the committee hearing if you can. A number of Minneapolis officials > and > city staff will be testifying at this hearing. > > Share This Information With Your Family, Friends, Neighbors, Co-Workers > > WEDNESDAY, February 26, 2003 2:30 PM > Committee: Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs > Room: 200 State Office Building > Chair: Rep. Jerry Dempsey > Bill(s) Added > Agenda: <snip> > > **** HF 67 (Kahn) City council members election required after > reapportionment. **** > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more > http://taxes.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 > 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
