Interesting that Jim Niland is named here as a "green party city councilman" when he was endorsed by both the green party and the DFL. I understand Jim is still on the rosters of the local GP but the only time I ever recall seeing him at a GP event was when he was working with "Greens for Wellstone" during the Wellstone campaign.
Seems he pulls out his past GP credentials and membership selectively primarily to support DFL candidates as he sees fit or when he sees them as being of use. David Strand Loring Park --- Guy Gambill <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hello Minneapolis, > > "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > Tuesday, November 1, 2005 > > Contact: Nancy Beals > 612-465-0414 > > Bleak Environmental report card for Minneapolis > Mayor > R.T. Rybak; > challenger Peter McLaughlin proposes environmental > and > energy plan for Minneapolis > > Mayoral Candidate Peter McLaughlin today unveiled a > major environmental and energy initiative for the > City > of Minneapolis. Environmentalists supporting > McLaughlin also issued a stinging rebuke of > environmental claims made by Mayor RT Rybak, > charging > Rybak with taking credit for environmental policies > initiated by others and for curtailing environmental > efforts needed by the City. > > "The Mayor has claimed credit for environmental > successes he had nothing to do with," McLaughlin > charged at a press conference today. "And in some > cases he has actually set the City back. I will not > stand by while environmental successes achieved > before > he took office erode under his leadership". > > Environmentalist and McLaughlin supporter Mark > Andrew, > co-founder and first president of MPIRG and co-chair > of Earthweek 1972, conducted a review of Rybaks > record on environmental issues and gave him low > marks > across the board. Andrew cited a series of false > claims made by the current Administration, including > taking credit for the phosphorus ban in lawn > fertilizer and vapor recovery requirements for gas > stations that were passed by the previous > administration, and his claim that the City meets > the > air quality standards of the Kyoto Protocol, which > it > has not and does not at the present time. > > In addition, the Mayor has allowed key City staff > vacancies to go unfilled, thus detracting from the > City's ability to regulate for environmental > quality. > The Environmental Management Section now has fewer > staff than that of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. > > "As a contrast to these false claims and indicators > of > neglect, I today am proposing a series of > initiatives > designed to put our city on a path for being the > nations most progressive on environmental policy > and > innovation," McLaughlin said. "Chief among these is > my > proposal to create within the City a Department of > Environmental Quality, thus elevating for the first > time the environment to the status of a full city > department. > > The new DEQ will house all of the environmental > functions of the City that have been scattered > throughout the bureaucracy of the City and will be > involved with planning, permitting, protection and > grant writing. The DEQ will be able to generate > more > Met Council, state and federal grant and partnership > dollars for projects like improving water quality in > our lakes, creeks, and river. > > Peter understands that understaffing environmental > protections, by spreading such responsibilities too > broadly at the city level, winds up COSTING money, > it > doesnt save money, said former Green Party City > Council Member Jim Niland (who supported Rybak in > 2001). > > McLaughlin also said he will take a more pro-active > approach to making the City a more sophisticated > energy customer. As very large energy user and > purchaser, we should be able to exert a lot more > influence than we have been by actively pushing for > energy alternatives such as wind or biomass to > generate electricity and alternative fuels for the > City's vehicle fleet. "I pledge to dramatically > increase the City's participation in programs that > reduce our reliance on fossil fuels," McLaughlin > stated. "As one of America's great cities, we should > be a national leader on making our cities more > energy- > independent." > > McLaughlin also pledged to become a national leader > in > the incorporation of green principles in > architectural > design. "Ive worked on these standards at Hennepin > County, and the City's own buildings should set an > example for the community on the value on green > building principles," McLaughlin stated. "I will > create an environmental standard for all future City > buildings, and, over time, we will work with the > private sector to achieve sustainability principles > in > building design for commercial buildings throughout > the City." > > McLaughlin also proposed expanding on initiatives > hes > led with residents in the Phillips neighborhood. I > believe that we can help many more people in this > city > become better energy consumers by expanding the work > Ive done at the new Phillips Community Energy > Cooperative as well. Weve saved residents tens of > thousands of dollars collectively in the first two > years since we formed. Such work brings about > economic and environmental justice for residents. > > Finally, McLaughlin expressed frustration with the > lack of park space in the core business district of > downtown. McLaughlin stated that the City is short > on > green space downtown and pledged to establish at > least > one downtown park as part of the City's overall > downtown development plan. "There is a dearth of > outdoor green space downtown," McLaughlin charged. > "I > will establish a taskforce within the first six > months > of my term to examine where and how additional park > space and green connections can be established > downtown. While there is green space in some parts > of > the City, there is an obvious lack of park and other > green space in the downtown core. Vibrant urban > areas > have adequate park and green space available. We can > add enormously to the livability of the central core > by taking this challenge seriously," McLaughlin > said. > > Peter McLaughlin is a person who truly knows how to > get big things done, said Jennifer Lovaasen, who > worked with McLaughlin on completing the citys new > Hiawatha Light Rail Line. We held more than 600 > community meetings during the preparation and > construction of the LRT. And it was Peter who > worked > through the difficult meetings, worked with > concerned > residents, and pushed for change even when it would > have been far easier to not show up. We can credit > Peter for providing the leadership on this project, > which is without question the single most > significant > regional environmental reform in our lifetime. > > #### > > > Guy Gambill > (Uptown) > > > > > __________________________________ > Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 > 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] > === message truncated === __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 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
