Sierra Club enthusiastically endorses R.T. Rybak for Mayor because
he will be the strongest advocate for clean air and water, greener
government, vibrant neighborhoods and world-class parks.
There are hundreds of stronger advocates for these laudable
goals in Minneapolis. Most of them are ordinary citizens who would
rather quietly work toward those goals than grandstanding by running
for mayor.
It is clear that for Mayor Rybak the environment is not a side- nor
a stand-alone issue; he incorporates green initiatives into city
planning across all departments.
Then how come the City Council had to take the initiative to
put renewable fuels into the tanks of our city vehicles?
Mayor Rybak negotiates hard while at the same time building
coalitions, as he has done with suburban representatives along 35W
to secure a bus rapid transitway instead of a cars-only freeway
expansion,
When he should have held his ground and fought for more more
efficient light rail in that corridor.
with legislators to develop a statewide aviation strategy,
Then how come they're still expanding the airport on our
southern border- this was R.T.'s major issue and he's dropped the
ball (again).
and with a broad range of stakeholders to secure the conversion of
the Riverside coal plant to cleaner natural gas.
Meanwhile, new coal burning plants in the Dakotas are on the
drawing board, and natural gas has become so expensive that Riverside
plant will rarely burn it.
Mayor Rybak has also taken simple steps to green up City Hall, like
immediately replacing the Mayor's Lincoln Town Car with a hybrid car
And having an MPD officer in the Town Car's down market twin,
A Crown Vic police cruiser. follow the mayoral Prius to provide
security is not more efficient or better for the environment. At
least R.T.'s predecessor "carpooled" with the officer in the cruiser
instead of wasting the taxpayers money looking fashionable in the
Prius while an officer in a Crown Vic follows. Mayor Fraser, who is
endorsing Peter McLaughlin, was quite happy to ride his own bicycle
to work instead of a taxpayer provided car and police escort.
, setting computer monitors to sleep mode to conserve energy,
A mayor who couldn't remember to shut off his city supplied
car and at least put it in park did that? BTW, most computers and
monitors sold over the last decade go to sleep automatically when
idle without R.T.'s assistance; R.T. has only been mayor for a bit
over 3 years.
using energy efficient lighting, and increasing to 95% the amount of
paper being used that has at least 30% recycled content.
These were trends that were already occurring without any
(in)action by R.T. whatsoever.
The Mayor also raised money to plant 5,000 trees throughout
Minneapolis, even though that is technically the Park Board's
responsibility,
Due to R.T.'s decision to reduce police staffing, many of
those trees have already been run over by the drunken and drugged
drivers who have free run of our streets.
and he is putting much needed funding into expanding our bikeways
throughout the city.
Much of that funding is federal and state money that R.T. has
no right to claim credit for.
Rooted in activism, Mayor Rybak understands the importance of
engaging community groups in issues facing our city.
R.T.'s activist roots pretty much consisted of protesting
airport noise in his affluent neighborhood. After nearly a full term
as mayor, those of us who are stuck in the working class
neighborhoods are increasingly kept awake by gunfire at night. And
while airport noise has yet to produce a fatality, on R.T.'s watch
storekeepers, seniors, and children have been killed and maimed by
that increasing gunfire.
Further, the Mayor does not accept campaign contributions from
people who do business with the city.
You sure about that?
We endorsed Mayor Rybak in 2001. During his first term, despite
tight fiscal constraints, the Mayor has moved green initiatives
forward and taken positive steps to green up City Hall.
Yes, on R.T.'s watch we have seen a difference- My gas bill
this month was over $50 and I haven't even turned on the heat yet.
And while R.T.'s office is warm and comfy, I and my neighbors live in
sweaters- the thermometer next to me here in my home reads 56
degrees. Seeking relief from the gas company's city protected
monopoly, I applied for a permit for a corn fueled heater. Instead of
a permit I received back a demand for a copy of my driver's license-
this is R.T.'s new user friendly "One Stop" Permitting process?
Mayor Rybak sticks to his principles,
He's still fighting airport noise...
he builds exciting coalitions,
With workers left on the sidelines.
and he puts the environment first.
Consistently fighting airport noise over Minneapolis
wealthiest neighborhoods!
For these reasons and more the Sierra Club endorsed him for a
second term and look forward to working with him to continue the
great work he has started.
And it would be nice if us ordinary citizens who can't afford
a hybrid car had such easy access to R.T..
Sierra Club endorsements follow a two-committee process. The
Minneapolis Political Committee is comprised of member volunteers
who were invited to participate last January through our newsletter
and online activist network and by other volunteers.
And how many R.T. supporters would it take to stack that
committee and give R.T. and endorsement?
This committee prioritizes races, screens candidates and makes
recommendations to our Chapter Executive Committee, the elected
governing body for the Minnesota Sierra Club which has final
authority over our endorsement decisions. Each committee requires a
two-thirds vote for an endorsement to proceed.
The Sierra Club is a non-partisan organization with 20,000 members
in Minnesota, including 4,400 in
And how many of those 20,000 members decided the endorsement?
Minneapolis.
Jill Boogren
Sierra Club Minneapolis Political Committee
Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood
freezing in "High Risk" Hawthorne,
Dyna Sluyter
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
