I am pleased with the tone taken by Peter Bell. "This is not going to be a slash-and-burn operation," said Peter Bell, whom Pawlenty previously had appointed to lead the group. "It is a group that believes the council has a legitimate role."
Although he may not take actions that I think are necessary, he at least appears to want to make a process work. The appointees appear to range from moderate center to conservative. That is a better outcome than those originally offered. Of course, Mr Bell is an intelligent and accomplished politician. As my Grandpap might have said, "He could be funnin us. Wait an see which way he moves." Thanks. John O'Neal Northeast Minneapolis [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 09:14:18 -0600 "Ann Treacy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > The Star Tribune had an interesting article on the appointments over > the > weekend. I'll paste it below. The article gives the impression that > Pawlenty worked with Peter Bell on the appointments. This sort of > surprised me because with so much of the budget cuts he seemed to > almost > work against organizations. > > I may have the wrong idea of him working with Bell or against the > others > but that's the impression I got. Ann > > http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/3732009.html > Pawlenty appoints 16 members to Met Council > David Peterson > Star Tribune > Published 03/04/2003 > > Departing often from a list of finalists that bristled with anger > toward > the Metropolitan Council, Gov. Tim Pawlenty late Monday named a new > council deep in experience and with a relatively moderate look. > > "This is not going to be a slash-and-burn operation," said Peter > Bell, > whom Pawlenty previously had appointed to lead the group. "It is a > group > that believes the council has a legitimate role." > > The council, which influences development policy in the > seven-county > area, had come under criticism from some corners in the last four > years > for emphasizing development oriented around public transit such as > light > rail. > > Pawlenty, a Republican, passed over a number of property developers > and > party stalwarts. He appointed a few party mavericks and a sizable > group > of people whom Bell knows well and has worked with in the past. > > "We chose people I felt I could work with in a collegial sense," > Bell > said. "People who aren't afraid to let their opinions be known, but > who, > once a decision is made, will support it. At the end of the day, > the > governor is going to hold me accountable for the work of the > council." > > Bell's role in the selection process became evident as he described > four > of the five last-minute appointees -- who had not been finalists -- > in > terms of his relationship with them. > > Annette Meeks, a staff member with the conservative think tank once > led > by Bell, was one of the five. So was Glen Skovholt, who like Bell is > on > the board of the American Refugee Committee. > > In one particularly notable decision, Mary Hill Smith, a moderate, > pro-transit Wayzata Republican was selected ahead of Michael Wigley > of > Orono, a leading member of the Freedom Club, a group of > businesspeople > who have sought to move the party in a more conservative direction. > > In addition to Hill Smith, who has been on the council for 10 > years, > Pawlenty appointed three other holdovers from the group that served > under Gov. Jesse Ventura. And he passed over a number of people > whose > application essays showed them to be actively hostile to the > council's > direction in recent years. > > "It doesn't look to me like a group that's going to storm the walls > and > create radical change," said Curt Johnson, the last Republican to > hold > Bell's position as council chairman. "Remember, Tim Pawlenty was > part of > a legislative group that created the Met Council as we know it" by > expanding its power in the mid-1990s to include transit and sewers > as > well as its traditional planning function. > > Diversity of views > > The council was created in 1967 and is considered one of only two of > its > kind in the country, along with Portland, Ore.. It has been a > perennial > source of aggravation to some conservatives, who resent its > interference > in local decision-making. So liberals were fearful of what might > happen > under Pawlenty. > > "There are certainly no bomb throwers here," said Russ Adams, head > of > the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, a coalition of politically > progressive groups. "As far as I can tell, there doesn't appear to > be > anyone who is out of the mainstream in his or her thinking or is > very > anti the idea of regional thinking." > > The group includes some diversity of views, however. Lynette > Wittsack > Stenglein, a self-described "stay-at-home mom" from northeast > Minneapolis, vowed in her application to retool the council, > redefine > its focus and recast its mission. > > Two of the more interesting figures on the council could be a pair > of > people who worked with Bell at the Center of the American > Experiment. > Meeks, that group's director of government affairs and public > programs, > was once an aide to then-U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Along > with > former Republican state party chairman Chris Georgacas, who also > was > named to the council, Meeks led the American Experiment's 1999 > "Minnesota Policy Blueprint" study, a comprehensive plan state > government that emphasizes limited government, lower taxes, and > "time-tested family and social values." > > Meeks, who is white, was named to a Minneapolis seat that > represents > areas where many minority members live. Pawlenty chose Meeks over > the > two finalists recommended by his nominating committee: Clinton > Collins, > a black attorney and Democrat, and James Grabek, a white corporate > executive and Republican. > > Bell said, however, that Pawlenty's council has as many people of > color > -- three of 17 -- as Ventura's did at the end of his term. He also > noted, that unlike the last two people to chair the council, he > lives in > the central city. > > Lee Hunt, mayor of Lake Elmo -- a city that for years has tussled > with > the Met Council over its wish to remain rural -- said he was > unfamiliar > with many of the appointees but assumes they will tend to side more > with > local communities. > > "I must say, from the top level I've been very pleased with the > message > they've been sending," Hunt said. "I'm assuming those are the type > of > people that are reflective of [Pawlenty's] feelings." > > One new appointee, Skovholt, worked for Republican Gov. Harold > LeVander > at the time the Met Council was created. > > -- Staff Writer Mike Kaszuba contributed to this report.-- David > Peterson is [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > C Copyright 2003 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On > Behalf Of Eva Young > Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 11:01 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [TCMetro] Met Council Appointments > > What do folks think of the Met Council Appointments? > > Eva Young > Minneapolis > > GOVERNOR PAWLENTY APPOINTS MEMBERS TO METROPOLITAN COUNCIL -- March > 3, > 2003 > > > Saint Paul -- Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment > of > sixteen members to the Metropolitan Council, saying that like all > areas > of > state government, the Council needs to reform the way it operates > to > improve service delivery. The Governor said he selected "an > interesting > mix" of individuals and community leaders who will bring innovation > and > diverse perspectives to the regional agency. > > > "The Met Council has an important role to play in the quality of > life in > the Metro area," said Governor Pawlenty. "Through innovation, reform > and > increased efficiency, it can improve service. By being a strong > partner > with communities, it can encourage and facilitate economic growth > that > protects the character of each community and is also good for the > region > as > a whole. Along with Peter Bell's leadership, I'm confident this is > the > team > to get the job done." > > > Governor Pawlenty's appointees include: Rick Aguilar, Duane Arens, > Marcel > Eibensteiner, Song Lo Fawcett, Chris Georgacas, Peggy Leppik, > Annette > Meeks, Tony Pistilli, Roger Scherer, Glen Skovholt, Russell Susag > and > Lynette Wittsack and the reappointment of Tom Egan, Jules Smith, > Mary > Hill > Smith and Natalie Haas Steffen to the Metropolitan Council. > > > Aguilar, West St. Paul, is president of Aguilar Marketing > Productions, > is a > commissioner of the RiverCentre Authority, founded the Hispanic > Chamber > of > Commerce, and is a past chairman of the St. Paul Area Chamber of > Commerce. > Aguilar replaces John Conzemius in Metropolitan Council District 16. > > > > Arens, St. Anthony, is the director of community and economic > development > for Connexus Energy in Ramsey. Arens replaces Jim Nelson in > Metropolitan > Council District 10. > > > Egan, Eagan, is an attorney and partner with the law firm of Egan, > Stewart > & Lauer in Apple Valley and a former two-term mayor of Eagan. He > has > been a > member of the Metropolitan Council since May 2002. Egan is > reappointed > to > Metropolitan Council District 15. > > > Eibensteiner, North Oaks, is founder and president of Royal Oaks > Realty, > Inc., Royal Excavating, Inc., and Imperial Homes, Inc. Eibensteiner > replaces Roger Williams in Metropolitan Council District 11. > > > Fawcett, St. Paul, is an attorney and partner with the law firm of > Kelly > & > Fawcett and chairs the St. Paul Human Rights Commission. Fawcett > replaces > Dan Galles in Metropolitan Council District 13. > > > Georgacas, Mahtomedi, is a principal and shareholder with Goff & > Howard, > Inc., a public relations/public affairs firm in St. Paul. Georgacas > replaces Marc Hugunin in Metropolitan Council District 12. > > > Leppik, Golden Valley, recently retired after serving six terms in > the > Minnesota House of Representatives, where she chaired the Family > and > Early > Childhood Education Finance Committee. Leppik replaces Frank > Hornstein > in > Metropolitan Council District Six. > > > Meeks, Minneapolis, is director of government affairs and public > programs > for the Center of the American Experiment. Meeks replaces George > Garnett > in > Metropolitan Council District Seven. > > > Pistilli, Brooklyn Park, is the owner of Park Appraisal Service, a > real > estate appraisal company, and a member of the Brooklyn Park City > Council. > Pistilli replaces Todd Paulson in Metropolitan Council District Two. > > > > Scherer, Plymouth, is chairman of the board of Scherer Bros. Lumber > Company, and previously served on the Metropolitan Council from 1980 > to > 1984 and again from 1992 to 1998. Scherer replaces Saundra Spigner > in > Metropolitan Council District One. > > > Skovholt, St. Paul, is president of Government and Community > Strategies. > Skovholt replaces Lee Pao Xiong in Metropolitan Council District 14. > > > > Jules Smith, Chaska, is an attorney in private practice, president > of > International Renaissance Festivals, Ltd., which produces and > operates > renaissance festivals in Annapolis, Maryland, and Toronto, Ontario, > and > president of International Conference Foundation. Smith has been a > member > of the Metropolitan Council since 1993 and currently chairs its > Management > Committee. Smith is reappointed to Metropolitan Council District > Four. > > > Mary Hill Smith, Wayzata, is a past chair and current member of the > Minnesota Women's Campaign Fund, and chair of the Sheltering Arms > Foundation. Smith has been a member of the Metropolitan Council > since > 1993, > and chairs its Transportation Committee. Smith is reappointed to > Metropolitan Council District Three. > > > Steffen, Ramsey, has previously served as a member of the Ramsey > City > Council, commissioner of the Department of Human Services, and an > Anoka > County Commissioner. Steffen has been a member of the Metropolitan > Council > since 1999. Steffen is reappointed to Metropolitan Council District > Nine. > > > Susag, Richfield, is president of SUSAG Environmental Consulting, > Inc., > and > was the director of environmental regulatory affairs with 3M. Susag > replaces Phil Riveness in Metropolitan Council District Five. > > > Wittsack, Minneapolis, is a stay-at-home mother, former business > owner > and > community activist. Wittsack replaces Carol Kummer in Metropolitan > Council > District Eight. > > > "I am pleased by the caliber of individuals that Governor Pawlenty > has > appointed to the Metropolitan Council," Chair Peter Bell said. > "There > are > some very significant issues before the council and I am eagerly > looking > forward to working with these new members." > > > The Metropolitan Council coordinates planning and development in > the > seven > county metropolitan area and directly operates several regional > services. > The Metropolitan Council consists of 16 metropolitan citizens > appointed > from geographically defined districts in the seven county > metropolitan > area > and a chair. All 17 members are appointed by the Governor to > four-year > terms that are co-terminus with the governor. > > > Eva > Eva Young > Near North > Minneapolis > Blog is up: > http://lloydletta.blogspot.com > > "You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is > based > on > freedom, and that means freedom for everyone - not just you! You > may > leave > the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but > the > world is full of idiots, and probably always will be." --Article II > of > the > Bill of Non-Rights. > _______________________________________________ > Twin Cities Metropolitan Issues Forum > http://www.e-democracy.org/tcmetro > Rules: Sign posts with real name. You may not post more than twice > a > day. > > _______________________________________________ > Twin Cities Metropolitan Issues Forum > http://www.e-democracy.org/tcmetro > Rules: Sign posts with real name. You may not post more than twice a > day. > > _______________________________________________ Twin Cities Metropolitan Issues Forum http://www.e-democracy.org/tcmetro Rules: Sign posts with real name. You may not post more than twice a day.
