[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Mr. Abbott makes some good points. My problem with Peter McLaughlin is
that it doesn't seem that he has learned from the SSB mistakes and
wants to back to the bad old days of spending more than we have and
worry about the impact on the budget later.
Then you're saying there is function to guilt by association that will
help us choose the best mayor among the contenders. There is an
association, of course, between McLaughlin and SSB. As a legislator, and
after the legislature as a county commissioner, McLaughlin worked in
concert with the City of Minneapolis on issues which impacted the same
group of people that SSB's work impacted. He'd have been a fool not to
have cooperated with the City of Minneapolis since his legislative
district and his county district both covered a good sized chunk of the
same geography.
It is the county's records that show McLaughlin's strength the most..
McLaughlin's been a commissioner for two terms, maybe three. The county
budget is in good order, still he's managed to repave Lake St., bring in
the light rail, keep his commitment to the NRP, make some notable
improvements in the way the county handles some social service
functions, contributed county staff to working in concert with city
staff and state staff on issues addressing safety, housing, and the
human infrastructure. [Have you any idea how many more jobs it is
possible for core city people to apply for with just one line of light
rail in place? Jobs at the airport, the maul of America, s slice of the
494 beltline. The impact of that many low skill jobs on the core city is
enormous.] He's focused county funds to create a more positive economic
situation for the county as a whole.
Truth to tell, McLaughlin's turned out to be a much better county
commissioner than I expected. He does know how to unsnarl messes. He
stays focused. He knows how to support his vision. He's cautious, thinks
things through. He's learned to listen to and hear people who are not
mainstream and figure out ways to contend with circumstances and support
improvements. He has earned the respect people accord him.
WizardMarks, Central
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