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Forwarded for: Kerri North Allen
(She tried to post this yesterday, but for
unknown technical reasons the post did not go through).
=======================================================The posting that Finney says NOPE is false.
To clarify the posting that Chief Finney has decided not to run, Finney has consistently said that he will announce his plans following the presidential election. Finney does not want anything to distract from the current election. The results of the national election has a direct impact on St. Paul.
As anyone who's read or listened to Finney's commentary in recent weeks, he is very concerned about the current support of our frontline defenders in St. Paul and around the nation. Cuts in funding on the national level and the under funding of public safety on the local level has left St. Paul with less firefighters and less police officers serving St. Paul. Since the attacks of 9/11 the number of authorized firefighters and police officers has decreased here in St. Paul. The actual number of police officers and firefighters currently on the payroll in St. Paul may be less than what is authorized. In the Pioneer Press last week, Chief Harrington "noted that St. Paul has 1.9 officers per 1,000 residents, while the average for a city of St. Paul's size is 2.9 per 1,000. And for a city with St. Paul's crime rate, the average would be 3.4 officers per 1,000 residents". Bill Finney made St. Paul a safer city while he was police chief but he does not think it is fair to continue to ask our public safety officials to do more with less.
There are hundreds of people in the city asking Finney to run for mayor. Just last week I was at a community celebration, honoring Finney for his service to St. Paul, and announcing a scholarship in Finney's name at Metro State. Over a dozen people spoke to Finney's service. The last statement from every individual that got up to speak was, "And when you make your announcement, I have a check for you."
Finney has tremendous amount of support through out the city and Finney is serious considering running for mayor. We'll all have to wait until after Nov. 2.
Kerri North Allen
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