On Tuesday, May 24, 2005, at 03:00 PM, wmmarks wrote:
The DFL as a party is corrupt, not because any of its members are
corrupt, but because it has held hegemony for maybe fifty years.
Corrupt is a strong word. Evidence for that is lacking. Change and lack
of change doesn't imply corruption unless there has been some sort of
evidence (or proof) that it is or was practiced.
What is disappointing to me is the weak role the DFL plays in laying
out the numbers and voter education so there is some better chance at
comprehending the issues. Urban legends grow like mushrooms in the
vacant spaces where the data should be.
The DFL, having lost bunches of folks to the Greens, and bunches more
to apathy, will only survive, somewhat intact, if it is remade by
people of color and new Americans. They have the innate power to
infuse the excitement of their diversity into politics.
Voter turnout is the biggest loss. The Putnam research (Bowling Alone)
points to some possible reasons for loss of voter participation. In my
opinion, the DFL has played the hands it has been dealt. I'm all for
diversity and more participation by American Indians and people of
color but it remains to be seen what shape that will take or what shape
the house will be in when assessed by those coming in. I'm willing to
wait for that appraisal, a lot of which will determine future
direction. Some of it I will be participating in.
Meanwhile, I'm helping on voter education and participation in the
American Indian and other cultural communities.
Here in the 8th ward we are not yet seeing many Latinos, Somalis or
other immigrants, but that change is fast upon us.
WARD 08
POP 30,271
DEV 839 (deviation from 1990)
% DEV 2.85%
White 14,760
%White 48.76%
Black 8,841
% Black 29.2%
Hisp 4,307
% Hisp 14.23%
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/redistricting/20020430planstats.asp
Personally, I think that the way to have the strongest city is to have
a triangle of representative parties so that getting the majority
always requires cooperation from at least one of the other two groups.
Do you think that is how people of color and new Americans will see it?
Best wishes,
Laura
Laura Waterman Wittstock
Candidate for Minneapolis Library Board of Trustees
DFL and Labor endorsed
Minneapolis, MN
612-387-4915
www.laurawatermanwittstock.com
http://laurawatermanwittstock.blogspot.com/
Wittstock for Library Committee
913 19th Avenue SE, Mpls, 55414
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