Peter is the last thing from scary. Is he a seasoned politico - yes; does that make him scary - I don't think so.
I have been through several issues with Peter where he has been extremely helpful and supportive. I currently serve on the Board of the Phillips Neighborhood Energy Co-op with him. Peter is a strong supporter and advocate of "being green". Just a couple of examples he has personally come up with include the Hazardous Waste Mobile Unit (which has bitten the dust with the budget cuts, and pushed the window on the county developing and using Sustainable Design Principles in all of its buildings (especially new construction). They were part of the thinking in the venue of garbage and justice that he picked up from being around us. He worked and worked with the neighborhood and county staff on the many alternatives that evolved out of the dreams and hopes of the garbage transfer station struggle. The County (and Peter) can never forget Phillips role in changing how garbage is thought about and how we took on the landfills, construction debris, jobs and environment issues that face the solid waste management tasks that the county is responsible for. Phillips just keeps pushing and pushing - and Peter is with us on that particular agenda.
He has worked tirelessly on bringing LRT to the metropolitan region (good or bad for neighborhoods is still to be determined). The Hwy 55 debacle not withstanding - the need for LRT in the region is something that should have happened long before many of us were around. Do I agree with Peter on everything he does - certainly not! 35W Access Project at Lake Street is a boon-doggle and I'm not quite sure about this 27th St flyover Hiawatha of his (which just got funding from the Feds)? Other county issues I don't really follow very closely. But don't pick on him about the Garbage Transfer Station struggle or his work in Phillips.
No politico is perfect, certainly including myself. None of you will agree with us individually or collectively all of the time. There is no such thing as perfection other than in your own mind.
Is this a paid -:) (or volunteer) support ad for Peter in the future - absolutely not! Would I vote for him for Mayor, I can't say.
I just know he does fight and work for the people in Phillips many, many of his days downtown at his current job and that's ok by me.
Annie Young
East Phillips
At 03:36 PM 3/21/03 -0600, you wrote:Tom Wellings writes:
This is REALLY bad! Peter McLaughlin is very scary. Remember when he was pushing the garbage incinerator for Phillips?? . . .
My response:
If the issue is the old proposal for a Hennepin County garbage transfer station on what is now the site of the Green Institute, that proposal was initiated before my time on the County Board. Moreover, I think it's fair to say that I had as much responsibility as any elected official for helping the neighborhood convince the County Board to abandon this proposal. Feel free to ask Annie Young for confirmation of my role in the demise of the transfer station.
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