What's wrong with the Park Board?
The Minneapolis Parks have been the social, cultural, and political center
of our city in many ways and on many occasions. We have a great history of
political speech in our parks. Surely the current Park Board Commissioners
should see what a huge blunder it is to remove political candidates (especially
Park Board candidates) from the parks or to prohibit candidates from wandering
freely at outdoor festivals and celebrations.
Barry Clegg wrote:
>"If the Minneapolis Observer is correct (Ballot Box - June 10), the conduct
of
>the Superintendent was, in my opinion, outrageous. Unless Candidate Stone
was
>dropping literature on the ground (littering) or attaching it to a tree or
>bench (billposting), there is nothing in the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances
or
>the Park Board Code of Ordinances that would prohibit him from distributing
>political literature, and even if there were it would likely be
>unconstitutional."
There is an existing MPRB ordinance that protects free speech in the Parks:
PB2-19. Parades, entertainments, public meetings, etc. Bands, processions,
parades, military displays, entertainments, exhibitions, public meetings and
constitutionally protected expressions shall be allowed, given or held in the
parks subject to the rules and regulations regarding such activities as
promulgated under this section. (Code 1960, As Amend., � 1010.271; Pk. Bd.
Ord.
No. 90-103, � 1, 9-5-90)
{Promulgated means- set forth- and there are no limits from other
ordinances- other than ordinances like proper attire, indecent language, or
spitting
on the walkways}
Under Park Board Rules, The City Attorney shall have charge of all
prosecutions of violations of Park ordinances. So the City Attorney could not
prosecute unless there was a written ordinance regulating a certain behavior,
(like
handing out literature).
As a Park Board candidate, I need to talk to park users about their concerns
and ask them how well the park system is working for them and their
neighbors. I need to be in the parks. As a candidate I am allowed to enter
locked
apartment buildings to distribute literature.
So now I have to remove my campaign button to enjoy our parks?
Thanks,
Scott Vreeland Seward
MPRB candidate District # 3
_www.scottvreeland.org_ (http://www.scottvreeland.org)
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