This mayoral campaign is one long yawn and the tail-nipping dog fight in the Minneapolis Forum is so old fashioned and non-productive.
What are we to do when Blackshaw san directly addresses McLauglin san, a man clearly his superior? Hara-kiri is too good for him. Give me a break! If these guys have time to think up and respond to this ballet of etiquette, then they've got way too much time on their hands. They still have jobs working for the public. When are we politico-wonks going to get off our elitist butts and start demanding that our candidates - the guys that WE support, not the other guy - start showing us what he's got? If I wanted to take it all on faith, I'd vote Republican and let my brain relax. I want details about serious issues. Farheen's editorial about a month ago, touched on a key reason why voter attendance is so low and why we DFlers / Democrats shouldn't assume that we have any election locked up. There is a huge absence of creative and analytical thinking about real issues. People don't vote note because it's hard to get to the polls. They don't vote because the candidates and the parties don't give them a reason to take them seriously and make the effort to vote. If I weren't such a bleeding-heart type with 6" thick, rose-colored glasses, I'd probably skip voting too! So, here are some general examples of the things I'd like to see. (If I missed it, please tell me where I can find this info in this campaign): NRP: Specifics relating to past-present-future budgets, support or no support of NRP program and why. Where does NRP fit into the political philosophy of the candidate as it relates to citizen's involvement in neighborhood revitalization? If they don't support NRP is there an alternative and how would it work (no platitudes, please) with examples from other communities or detailed supposition if it is a new idea. Development and Right of Eminent Domain: Where do commercial developers fit into city and metropolitan planning? Are there enough checks and balances in place to protect the public from out-of-control development? Where does the candidate stand on eminent domain and what is their record on that issue? What does the candidate think are the Pros and Cons for eminent domain? Police, Fire, and Emergency Preparedness: What are the five top complaints against the police department and what has/is being done to correct them? For the mayoral challengers, what do you consider the top 5 issues the police need to work on and what detailed plans do you have for addressing them? Same for Fire and Emergency Preparedness. Approach to Government: The candidate should give two mistakes that they have made while in their respective offices and what did they learn from them. What is their management style/method? Where does quality control fit into this? What role does the public play in the day-to-day operation of the City government or Metropolitan Commission? Is it important for the public to become more involved and why/why not? Is transparency important in government and if so give specific programs or plans for fostering that transparency. At the least, the candidates should produce substantive white papers that tell us clearly what their plans are, what the estimated costs are, where funds are to come from, and realistic benefit/risk assessments. It would be great if the candidates could actually addresses these issues and debate the details, pros cons, etc. The American electorate is changing and expecting much more from their candidates than obfuscation, safe platitudes, and mud slinging. The party that can deliver a truly responsive, candid, and thoughtful candidate will get the votes. Our local elections are where it all starts. At this moment, I am not hopeful. Les Phillips SD60 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
