Surprise, surprise; but I see things a little differently than my neighbor Neal E. Simons.
If the mayor took the high road at any point in last night's debate televised on KSTP TV, it got by me. Most of the mayor's time was spent in feeble attempts to "make a silk purse purse out of a sow's ear," e.g., defending his misteps in reorganizing city government as 'progress,' and promising more of the same. I suppose "the truth is in the eye of the beholder" to use another old aphorism. The truth that I saw was the same "throw out the old guard" strategy the mayor used effectively to reach City Hall; I didn't vote for him for that reason last time around--I voted for him because there was a chance to realize a different vision for Minneapolis. I've seen enough of the mayor and his visual and auditory hallucinations relative to open doors in Minneapolis government, and it is up to voters to decide between two visions for Minneapolis. It was clear that both men have a record, but equally clear to me that only Peter McLaughlin had no need to spin his record as the mayor did to appear effective--Commissioner McLaughllin has a record of effectiveness in government and the mayor pretends to one. It is not desirable for Minneapolis citizens of any political stripe to have a pretender in office. Peter McLaughlin is the genuine article if one wants one's voice to be heard, understood, and acted on. Decide whether you want a great public servant like Peter McLaughlin in City Hall, or a propaganda machine; I want the former. As a 19-year member of the Sierra Club, I found some of the local chapter's endorsements surprising and contrary to the tenets of the organization. I hope they will stop doing it or reconsider their process in this relatively new practice of endorsements in local races, but I don't see much chance unless other members become more involved. I'd prefer a scorecard approach. Our local chapter's actions fill me with doubt about the difference between the effective organization I joined years ago and the apparent politically pandering group that I hope I am hallucinating now. I'll be stopping in at their Seward office soon. Take the high road. Take that FOX blimp for all I care. But never believe the mayor's hype in lieu of reasoned and principled government policy and the effective implementation of the same. Take the road that leads somewhere with Peter McLaughlin to somewhere you want Minneapolis to go. Bill Kahn missing the Sierra Nevada a bit in Prospect Park, but hoping for a higher level in Mpls government 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
