> I am upset that Stonewall DFL chose to endorse
> candidates for office who have voted against the
> interests of the community on more than one
> occassion
> and it points up the need, despite the proper role
> and
> hardwork of Stonwall DFL, Lavender Greens and Log
> Cabin Republicans, to have a non-partisan endorsing
> organization that can look at record and issues
> without needs to conform to party loyalty, party
> endorsement adherence, or other partisan
> constraints.
>
I agree that something like this would be useful.
Outfront has a non-partisan endorsing PAC that deals
with state elections, but doesn't deal with local
elections. With limited resources, I'd rather put
time into something like this for legislative
elections than local....
> For example, Stonewall DFL endorsed Barb Johnson in
> Ward 4 despite her opposition to the equal benefits
> ordinance and her opposition and incredibly
> insulting
> behavior and comments regarding the repeal of the
> restroom ordinance that was creating real problems
> for
> transgender residents and visitors to the city.
>
> I'll never forget Barb waltzing into committee after
> skipping the hours of testimony concerning the need
> to
> repeal the restroom ordinance and announcing that
> she
> was voting against it because she didn't want the
> city
> to be seen as odd or weird and out of step with the
> rest of the state. IF she had been there for the
> testimony, she would have known that it was the
> ordinance that put Minneapolis out of step with the
> rest of the state as in the majority of the state
> there were no similiar problematic local ordinances
> and no state laws exist which create the same
> problem.
> But she was all too quick to disparage transgender
> people and their concerns without hearing one wit of
> the testimony that the majority of committee members
> treated with due respect. Stonewall DFL's
> endorsement
> of Barb Johnson does little but hurt their
> reputation
> which is the most important asset of such endorsing
> caucuses.
>
David - thanks for this background. This reinforces
something I posted about earlier this week - and that
is Barb Johnson's unacceptably poor attendance record.
I agree with you, that this move of Barb's was very
inappropriate. If she couldn't be bothered to listen
to the discussion on this issue, her comment was
inappropriate.
> I would second Eva's call for Stonewall DFL to
> involve
> it's volunteers in the Nov. 22nd special election in
> State Senate District 43 in Minnetonka and Plymouth
> where the DFL'er Terri Bonoff has taken a stand
> against the constitutional amendment to ban same sex
> marriage whiler her Republican opponent, Judy
> Johnson,
> has stated her support for the amendment, opposition
> to abortion rights and desire to see schools teach
> "intelligent design" instead of or in addition to
> evolution which she says she doesn't believe in.
> It's
> a scary thing in a public official in a day and age
> when the public faces the possibility of the H5N1
> avian flu virus "evolving" the ability to pass from
> human to human. I really don't want public
> officials
> looking out for the public health who "don't believe
> in" evolution at a time like this.
Judy told me she believed she was misrepresented by
the Strib on Intelligent Design. This is an issue
that Judy hasn't thought of much - and she clearly
blew the question on it at the Chamber of Commerce
forum. I suggested to Judy that she post her position
on this issue on her website, and clarify her position
at the upcoming League of Women Voters forum. When I
first talked to Judy, she had not yet taken a position
on the Bachmann amendment. She favored restricting
marriage to man/woman, but was concerned about the
reach of the amendment. It appears that her position
on this may now be support of the amendment without
qualification. I'd like to see her asked that
question during the upcoming League of Women Voters
forum.
November 14, 2005
League of Women Voters - Senate District 43 Debate
Wayzata Central Middle School
305 Vicksburg Lane
Plymouth
7:00 PM
> Same in Senate District 19 which includes Rockford,
> MN
> in Hennepin County and the majority of Wright
> County,
> where John Dieterling(sp?) is the DFL endorsed
> candidate who survived the primary on Nov. 1st to go
> on to the general election on Nov. 22nd. He has
> also
> taken a stand against the constitutional amendment
> and
> I believe would be better for the majority of
> Minneapolitan's as well whether your talking about
> the
> services for the poor and the needs of immigrants or
> public health, arts funding, metro transit, respect
> for religious diversity, public school funding or
> Local government aid which is so important to our
> city. He doesn't appear to be a "city hater".
>
This district 19 race is much more of an uphill battle
for Democrats. The Democrat in that race deserves
kudos for publicly opposing the Bachmann amendment.
Eva Young
Eva Young
Near North
Minneapolis
Blogs:
http://lloydletta.blogspot.com
http://www.outletradio.com
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