Insight News Endorsements: Thursday, November 03, 2005 http://www.insightnews.com/articles.asp?mode=display&articleID=2066
Twin Cities voters are at a crossroads. While differences in candidates for important local offices may not seem great, we believe they are appreciable and bear scrutiny and analysis by voters. Having conducted public policy forum broadcast interviews with those seeking office in the upcoming election, Insight News endorses the following candidates based on our observation of the candidates' relationship to and history with the Twin Cities Black community. These endorsements reflect our belief that the candidates have a genuine commitment to empowering our community through a vision and policy of inclusion that will be evidenced in support for programs that mean growth and development of Twin Cities Black communities. Mayor: For Mayor of Minneapolis, Insight endorses Peter McLaughlin. McLaughlin is a career politician and a career public servant whose service brings honor to the art of politics and governance. McLaughlin ably serves our region as a Hennepin County Commissioner. As Mayor of Minneapolis, he will provide hands-on, hard-ball management and policy experience that will advantage the city. McLaughlin was successful at the county level in creating a hedge against state and federal budget cuts because of strong and respected ties to state and federal policy makers, and because on his watch, the county has been effective in managing taxpayers' money. City Council: Insight endorses Don Samuels for Minneapolis 5th Ward City Council. Samuels continues to articulate a vision for maintaining and growing our community by encouraging Black business investment and development on the Northside. Samuels promotes the idea that if Asians have been supported in their desire to create a business and cultural destination, University Avenue in St. Paul, and if Latino communities, have been supported in their desire to establish their cultural identity as a Lake Street business asset, so too should Black people expect and gain support for establishing West Broadway as a vibrant economic gem that incubates, grows, and celebrates businesses that reflect the strengths of Black culture and identity. While others may criticize him for being absent from City Hall to conduct vigils in North Minneapolis to note and mourn the victims of murder, we say it's about time for someone in City Hall to take Black life seriously. If every senseless killing were given the attention and scrutiny Samuels is calling for, even to the point of some other city business not going forward, because the city feels a duty to fix the conditions that make murder an option for the hopeless, that perhaps would be a sign that our city is on the road toward equity and parity for our community in governance and public life. Insight endorses Diane Hofstede for Minneapolis 3rd Ward City Council. Hofstede has been a visionary pioneer in public education and particularly in stewardship in the Minneapolis Public Library system, where she has served with distinction as an elected director. Insight endorses Ralph Remington for 10th Ward City Council. Remington has done his homework. He is knowledgeable, articulate, capable and an effective bridge builder. Remington's is a bellwether candidacy, through which some learning may be gained regarding white voters' capacity to see beyond race and prejudice which appears here as "Minnesota Nice", this millennium's reincarnation of the Nixon-Agnew theology of benign neglect. Remington is the best candidate for the mostly white 10th Ward and 10th Ward voters should affirm him and themselves in selecting him. Insight endorses Elizabeth Glidden for 8th Ward City Council. Glidden is a civil rights and workers' rights lawyer who has cultivated progressive coalitions that stand to serve the predominantly Black 8th ward well. Her opponent, Marie Houser, crossed the ethics line, damaging her own credibility, by unauthorized representation in campaign literature of Mary Merrill Anderson as a supporter, even after it was demanded of her that the literature not be distributed further. Her continued use of the questionable and possibly illegal literature shows a callous disregard for Merrill-Anderson, for Black people, and for voters in general. A commitment to expediency, especially when it might be deceptive, rather than principle, has no place in City Hall. Library Board: Insight endorses Sheldon Mains, Laura Watterman Wittstock, Alan Hooker and Rod Krueger for Minneapolis Library Board. Each has demonstrated clear, expansive visions of how libraries are foundational underpinnings of successful community life. They understand that broadened access means access to the business of building and maintaining the library system, as well as to the rich content held therein. Park Board: Insight endorses Rochelle Berry Graves for an at-large seat on the Minneapolis Park Board. Insight encourages bullet balloting in Berry Graves favor. Though voters are asked to vote for up to three candidates in the citywide seats, a vote for Berry Graves alone strengthens the likelihood of her election over her competitors. Berry Graves' voice is a necessary one for the residents of Minneapolis. Warning: some on the Park Board don't think the big business-like economics of the Park Board system is something "little people" ought to be concerned with. However, voters would be wise to prevent old style back-room dealing that may not serve the public interests in the long run. Berry Graves is a voice of conscience and of reason that we can count on to serve our interests. In Park District contests, we endorse LuAnn Wilcox, Jason Stone, Louis Birnstein, Traci Norstrom, and Scott Vreeland. - - - - - - - - - - Rod Krueger Nokomis East http://www.rodkrueger.org - - 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
