Barb Lickness has raised an interesting spectre. She says we have a political machine in control of our town. Now, let's see. In New York, they had a machine run by Boss Tweed. In Kansas City they had a machine run by Boss Pendergast. I want to know the name of the person running OUR machine. Gotta be someone out there. Well, since Barb is the expert, maybe she'll tell me.
And, then, there's the matter of people like Dean Zimmerman. Barb said the exception to the rule was Republicans elected in Ward 13. But she didn't say anything about Dean. How did an outsider like Dean get past the mighty machine? (Not to mention........try to imagine the White House ordering Minnesota DFLers to run candidate A for governor so that candidate B can run for Senate without intraparty opposition. And that is NOT a "machine"?) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In a response to Chris Johnson, Annie Young wrote "we're working hard on duplication" (or at least something close to that). That sounds like one of the most-used phrases in politics. Just once I'd like to see that defined. What does it mean when government says it is "working hard" on something. If a Park and Recreation Board "works hard" on duplication, what mileposts has it reached? A reminder: I worked in city government, doing the grunt work. I know what working hard really is. And I doubt any of my fellow workers would have failed to claim it, yet just getting back from New Year's holiday seemed to be the hardest work for some of them, so I get suspicious. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Then she said the DFL Machine punishes those who step out of line. Is she saying THAT is why Joe Biernat went to jail? Or did she mean something else. One party town's are bad, she says, no matter what the name of the party. Well, that may be true, but so far as I can see, it isn't the DFL which is giving us our present discontents. It is the state legislature. How does that figure into her theory? I'd say a one-party state would be a disaster because towns are totally subject to the whims of whoever runs the state. The ruling party can spit on city charters and do. As I say, these are the most interesting allegations in a long time. I can pretty much predict who out there is warming up to elaborate on Barb's theory. But so far I can't see much more than a theory there. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Well, the city issue here is apparently Gary Schiff's sign. Maybe someday he'll come forward and explain what he was thinking. But I think the DFL should stop worrying about "backlash". They need to worry about connecting with the majority, mostly about why so many people are willing to have Republican rule when they don't agree with what Republicans say. Frankly, the problem the DFL has is how to herd cats. The problem the Republicans have is easier because the people who vote for them have always been herdable. They are the people who gravitate to hierarchy (with whites on top, usually). And they don't have to be a majority because their ancestors created an undemocratic system to insure that property always had the upper hand in America. Let the DFL focus on the essential problem. Worrying about a "backlash" is just responding to trash talk, and you can never win a game when you let trash talk distract you. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ===== Jim Mork Cooper Neighborhood Longfellow Community Minneapolis A great town, which can and WILL BE greater! __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ 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
