As one of the leaders in the anti-stadium effort, I began to think the other day what should our strategy be if there is no special session for Stadiums or no Twins bill emerges from a special session.
As I have written here previously R.T. threw away the DFL endorsement, when he did not come out against the terrible Hennepin County proposal and then lukewarmly backed it a week later. One of the worse political performances I have ever seen. But then it occurred to me that if McLaughlin is elected Mayor of Minneapolis, there will have to be a special election to fill his seat on the Hennepin County Board. I think this is why Mike Opat had his piece in today's Strib Op-Ed page screaming that if a bill doesn't come out of a special session, it's dead. (How many times have we heard this litany?). What Opat is terrified of, is that if McLaughlin wins the Mayor's race, an anti-stadium candidate will run for McLaughlin's seat and win and there will be a call for the Hennepin County Board to revisit the Twins - Hennpin County deal. Opat knows he doesn't have the 4 votes to pull the rabbit out of the hat a second time. He only got the resolution passed because he and Jerry Bell mislead the public and sprung it on the public at the last minute after close to a year of negotiations. So, I find myself in the rather strange position of disliking Mclaughlin for this attempted giveaway of a billion dollars of taxpayers dollars to one of the richest men in the world, Carl Pohlad, but hoping he gets elected Mayor, so we can undo the terrible Stadium deal at the Hennepin County Board. Opat is screaming there has to be a special session, because he knows the deal could go down the tubes if McLaughlin wins the Mayor's race. If anyone planning or gearing up to run for McLaughlin's seat? What City Council people live in McLaughlin's district? Dann Dobson No Stadium tax Coalition Summit Hill - Saint Paul --- Eva Young <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > It's rather odd, but it's the Green Party candidate > who is standing up for > the Minneapolis Taxpayer. > > http://pulsetc.com/article.php?sid=1989 > > Hakeem sees herself as a viable alternative to the > other choicesRT and RT > Liteand embraces the policies of a true > progressive. But while her > platform, which focuses on four issues: sustainable > economics, living > wages, affordable housing and an anti-racist > approach to public safety, may > not differ extensively from that of her DFL > challengers, there is one issue > that clearly sets them apart: The Stadium. Hakeem > unabashedly decries any > public financing of a baseball stadium, while both > DFLers support > legislation that would give $350 million of city > money to the Twins. In an > effort to placate both sides, McLaughlin has added > an amendment to the > stadium bill that includes funding for youth sports > activities, amateur > sports, child care and libraries. Hakeem called this > a little Band-Aid on > a bullet-sized wound, adding, That money could be > used for so much good > so much good. Its such a disgrace. > > [Note to Rep. Ellison and Sen. Higgins - please > OPPOSE this legislation] > > Perhaps its her age or her idealism showing, but it > seems clear that DFL > support of the stadium is a deliberate nod to > developers who influence > public policy and can make or break political > careers. As one source > proclaimed, If you want to have a political career, > you have to support > public funding for stadiums. You can placate the > liberals with other issues > [such as same-sex rights and social service > programs], but if youre going > to do business with business, youve got to support > public subsidies in > some form. Even if it means doing business with > Carl Pohladowner of > United Properties and one of the wealthiest > landlords in the state. > > Tom Swift - aka Swiftee goes after her: > > http://restraininorder.blogspot.com/2005/08/bigot-heal-thyself.html > > From the post: > > After having a look at Farheen's > <http://www.hakeemformayor.org/index.shtml>website, > I'm convinced however > that she is in fact a viable candidate for > Mayor..but not because she is of > Arab descent. Minneapolis is perpetually hungering > for a completely > clueless, pie-in-the-sky, barking moonbat to take > the place of the > partially clueless DFL party hack it has in place at > any given time, and > Hakeem Farheen fills the bill as well as > anyone..white, black, brown, red > or yellow. > > Best of luck and Salaam alaykum baby. > > ************************************************************* > Who is Tom Swift? Tom Swift is a blogger from the > Minnesota Organization > of Bloggers - a collection of far right blogs - with > an exception - > Centrisity - which is a centrist blog. Swift is a > familiar presence on the > Dump Michele Bachmann blog - but he managed to be > abusive enough that he > got me to boot him. So now he's surfaced over on > the Yowling by the > Fencepost blog: > > http://lloydletta.blogspot.com/2005/08/tom-swift-embarrassment-to-republican.html > http://www.mirocat.com/2005/08/how-much-is-your-head-worth.html#comments > > This is the guy who was instrumental me booted from > the Minnesota > Organization of Bloggers. > > He ran for School Board under the Republican Party > banner. Will the > Republican Party in St Paul endorse this guy when he > runs again? > > Tell you what knucklehead, if it's high insurance > rates that have your > frilly panties wadded up your crack, I'll see your > challenge and raise you one. > > I'll support _______ fill in the blank "for your own > good and for lower > insurance rates" laws when they are attached to an > anti-buggering law. > > You want to yell about insurance rates my little > barking moonbat? > > Strap these statistics around your pointy ears: > > Estimated cost of caring for persons living with > AIDS in the US, 1997-2002 > > The total estimated cost of AIDS-related medical > care in the US grew from > $4.6 billion in 1997 to $7.3 billion in 2002. > > rew, if one of those little motorized beer cans ever > gets close enough to > "ride along side" of me, I'd knock the pencil neck > riding it off, toss out > a grappling hook and drag it behind me to the > nearest junk yard. > > Now THAT is a beautiful thing. > > Friday, August 12, 2005 9:30:17 PM > > Congratulations to Farheem Hakeem for getting under > Tom Swift's skin. > > Just Say NO! to the Stadium Session! > > > > Eva Young > Near North > Minneapolis > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://lloydletta.blogspot.com > > "You do not have the right to never be offended. > This country is based on > freedom, and that means freedom for everyone - not > just you! You may leave > the room, turn the channel, express a different > opinion, etc., but the > world is full of idiots, and probably always will > be." --Article II of the > Bill of Non-Rights. > > > 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 > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com 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
