Laura and lloyd wrote:
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.
I'll stand by corrupt, in the sense that a sentient body that is dying
emits gases allowing us to know it is dying. Evidence: *The DFL has been
very slipshod in helping newcomers learn how a caucus works, how a
convention works, etc. and door-knocking every year with information
about how it is in neighbors/ward residents self-interest to take part
in the political process, even if they are avowed Republicans or Greens,
or X. * It is assumed that everyone who walks in the door understands
both the philosophy and goals of the DFL and agrees to them. *The DFL
Party Platform is about 99.44% too long, the language is off-putting,
the message is lost in the unending details.
Ideally, in a ward system, neighbors bring in the newcomers. However,
people are much more mobile than that and consequently long time DFLers
become activists, rather than citizens, as they move from one ward to
another (or are moved through redistricting). A ward is a delicate thing
and hopping around means losing that inter-generational connection but
it also means that you do not know, in any real depth, who you are
voting for at the ward level. It means, too, that you are sending forth
a person as a candidate whom you may not be able to entirely support,
yet are recommending to take the job of running the city, library board,
park board, and the most secret Estimates & Taxation.
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.
That's my point. And, the DFL only does that because they've grown
intellectually lazy with their long, long years in office. That is the
corruption of which I speak/type.
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.
I'd rather have the house in good order so that new people don't get the
notion I'm a sloppy, careless thinker and doer. I'd just hate that. Loss
of voters, whether DFLers or otherwise, is the saddest part. Face it,
democracy is a high maintenance lover. It is this loss I feel most
painfully. I'm not saying that I haven't participated in this through
neglect. My only excuse being that it's taken me years to figure it out
myself and figure out what is uncomfortable about it, what feels unfair
and unjust, if not to me, then to my neighbor. Most especially, it
allows a lot of little r republicans to convince themselves that they
are democrats just so they have the opportunity to participate on a
bigger level than just voting.
Meanwhile, I'm helping on voter education and participation in the
American Indian and other cultural communities.
See, I knew you weren't really gonna retire.
Here in the 8th ward we are not yet seeing many Latinos, Somalis or
other immigrants, but that change is fast upon us.
I spoke too loosely here. I should have said, we are not seeing many
Latinos, etc. at the ward or city conventions yet, but that is changing.
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?
I think they'll see what I see and interpret it through their individual
cultural lenses. That's the exciting part for me. My question is 'how
does a huge in-migration of several cultural groups affect a mostly
white, mostly German and Scandinavian, mostly Lutheran milieu?' How do
these new people affect the pattern of the dominant culture? How does
the dominant culture treat these new people? How do these new people
affect the struggling minority groups who are making slow, slow steps to
being reflected in the political realm? It helps me to maintain at least
the appearance of sanity in crazy times, though why that should be a
standard, I have no idea.
WizardMarks, Central
________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn
E-Democracy
Post messages to: mailto:[email protected]
Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
REMINDERS:
1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If
you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL
PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list.
2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html
For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract
________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn
E-Democracy
Post messages to: mailto:[email protected]
Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
