The Power Liberal

An open letter to all gubernatorial candidates

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:06:00 +0000

Dear Candidate,

I am utterly delighted that you have thrown your hat into the ring. I look forward to learning more about you, your stances, and why you will be the best at the job of governor of this great state.

I am also excited to see that you are all beginning to embrace online media. Many of us have spend years using the internet as a place to share information and organize on line. We are happy that you have decided to join us and engage us here on our home turf.

However, I feel there is something you may not have grasped yet. Paying workers or asking your volunteers to pepper our online homes with comments supporting you and attacking other candidates is not going to win our help our our votes.

Here's a little secret...you may all be brilliant politicians, and you may have fantastically experienced campaign managers. But your online supporters? Not very bright, and not very good at it. If you have a commenter start commenting out of no where, with out establishing him or herself as a presence on a site or in a community, that commenter sticks out. We start to look closely at all of that commenter's comments. We start to google that commenter's name. We review who they attack, and who they support. And in the end, we really start to look down on the candidate that that commenter says he or she is supporting.

You have to understand, if I can't trust you not to sockpuppet a website, or ask your supporters to be constructive, I can't ever hold you in that high of esteem as a candidate. If you can't keep a few overzealous campaign staff or volunteers from scorching the earth online, how can I believe that you have the ability to successfully run something as complicated as the state of Minnesota.

So, long story short, if you are planning an online presence, please treat us like you respect us, and that you don't think we are stupid. Have your campaign staff use real names. Ask your supporters to identify themselves. At the very least, tell them to try and be a part of the community. We don't run our sites so you have a venue to self-promote, and to run down the other candidates in anonymity.

Thank you,

Respectfully

Robin Marty

Ignore me for now

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:10:00 +0000

testing

The announcement you may or may not have heard this weekend

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:20:00 +0000

For those of you who didn't get to make it to my panel, or that I didn't talk to over the weekend, I wanted to let you all know that after almost three and a half years, I am now in the process of leaving the Center for Independent Media. For background, when they arrived here in 2006 I was hired to set up and launch the Minnesota Monitor (now the renowned Minnesota Independent), which I did until mid 2007. But as I began to spend more time helping the CIM set up other state based networks, I moved internally to the CIM and Paul Schmelzer took over MinMon, probably the best thing to ever happen to that site.

Over my years with the CIM my job became more and more operational based, and now that they are larger, they have hired enough people to move all operations into the DC office itself, and now having an operations person outside of DC just doesn't make a lot of sense functionally. I'll be wrapping up some advertising projects for them in the next two weeks, and then I'll be moving on altogether.

Luckily, this gives me an opportunity I haven't had in a while. The reason I came on with the CIM was my love for editing and writing about politics, as well as networking with writers, bloggers, advocacy groups and candidates, helping each of them find ways to talk to each other. It's something that I was doing less of once I left MinMon, and much less of as I worked more on the operations side.

Long story short, I'm grateful to the time I had with the CIM, but I'm also realizing I'm very grateful to move on. For now, I am going to be working on freelance and consulting projects, my first being a contract to work part time with one of my favorite advocacy groups, RH Reality Check. RH Reality Check is a news and advocacy group that covers reproductive health for both men and women in a national and global setting. Reproductive health issues are what got me into activism in college, and was one of the reasons I started blogging in 2004, so to have a chance to write, edit, and in other ways assist the group is sort of a dream fulfilled for me.

And of course, I'll be looking for other projects to work on as well. If you have any leads on freelance, I'm all ears.

My office email will shut down December 10th, but you can always find me through my personal email accounts, on twitter, or by commenting here.

Things that made me happy from Netroots MN

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:59:00 +0000

People making connections

Updated Minnesota Progressive Blog roll - last update Monday 7:30 am

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:22:00 +0000

if you aren't on here and should be, please email me or tweet me here.

I assume you can copy/paste the code from here. If not, contact me so I can email it to you.

Minnesota Progressive Blogs

Aaron Landry

Across the Great Divide

Aliance for a Better Minnesota

At the Hillocks of Hysteria

Barataria

Blog of the Moderate Left

Blue Man in a Red District

A Bluestem Prairie

Both of Us

Centrisity

Cinna.MN

The Colu.MN

The Cucking Stool

The Deets

Dump Bachmann

Hindsight - From Minnesota 2020

Dump John Kline

Eyeteeth

Hegemommy

I Don't Hate America

Mercury Rising

Metroblogging Minneapolis

Minnesota Brown

Minnesota Central

Minnesota Independent

Minnesota Progressive Project

Minnesota Rising

Mississippifarian

mnpACT!

MN Moderate to Liberal Political Roundtable

MN Publius

MNStories

News Day

Perfect Duluth Day

The PF Hyper Blog

Pharyngula

Power Liberal

Progressive Veteran

Rook's Rant

Roott333's Blog

Small of America

Smithers Minneapolis

Tild~

Truth Surfer

Twin Cities Sidewalks

Twin Cities Daily Planet

The Uptake

The Usual Suspects

Vox Verax

WoMN Focus

Watch Rachel Says

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:04:00 +0000

I don't know how anyone can watch this and think that anything resembling a real debate is happening.

(Via MNPP)

Once upon a time in 2007....

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Once upon a time, back in March of 2007, I was working on opening the Iowa Independent for the Center for Independent Media. It was very early spring...I had quite literally just turned 30 4 days earlier, and I was in a hotel in Des Moines interviewing people to be the Managing Editor of the new site.

Sitting in Iowa in 2007, looking for people to work for a politics-focused blog, one of the first things you're going to discuss is what is happening with the caucuses. It was still 10 months until caucus day (maybe more -- I can't remember the real timing of the original, pre-leapfrog caucus date). However, we were already 4 months into heavy campaigning thanks to Iowa's governor jump starting the process less than 4 weeks after the 2006 election.

If I remember right, Vilsack had just dropped out of the running. The general consensus with most Iowans I met was that he was urged to enter the race, and enter it very early, in order to help the Clinton campaign. The Clinton campaign was believed by many to think the nomination would be won by whoever had the most money to spend. It was assumed that the combined fundraising power of a New York Senator/former First Lady and the former President of the United States would be totally dominant, and the longer the race lasted, the more expensive it would be. Since announcing first, especially that early, would be too obvious, Vilsack was allegedly talked into being the stalking horse that would force the rest of the candidates to declare.

In March of 2007, it seemed like an excellent plan. Clinton had the very early positioning of the front-runner status. She had a very loyal base. She quickly became the one to beat. And with her name recognition, her endless pool of money, and her early mobilization of supporters, she pretty quickly ended up with the mantle of inevitability. Sure there were some problems. The people who liked her really liked her, but the people who didn't? Let's say there were some pretty high negatives involved. Some were rational, others, not so much.

As the primaries continued, it only got worse. Probably the true death knell of her candidacy was the Michigan primary, where she left her name on the ballot. Sure, she played exactly by the rules, but for a lot of people it just didn't seem exactly fair or right somehow. For her supporters, they didn't understand why other people were upset since they were simply campaigning and running. But for those who didn't support her, the wedge was deeper, and the negatives grew.

Clinton's campaign was right about one thing -- it was a long campaign, and the person with the most money won. But no one expected that a relative political newcomer could ever raise the kind of funds he did. They also underestimated the desire many people had to see a new name in the running for office. After so many years of Clinton and Bush White Houses and the same names and faces running over and over again for different positions, "change" became mostly a desire to see someone new do (hopefully) something different.

I'd been working on this post ever since Fecke put up his Entenza piece, because I see a lot of parallels between Matt Entenza and the early Clinton campaign. Both candidates were seen as early on favorites due to finances, name recognition, and, in some ways, by this weird political idea of "it's my turn." Both candidates had extremely high positives, but for those who didn't like them, they REALLY didn't like them. Both have done things in campaigns that weren't necessarily officially unethical, but could be seen by their dissenters and coming dangerously near the line if not crossing it. Both were running early, long campaigns at a time when, let's be honest, a democrat really should have an excellent chance to win.

There are a few large differences, though. The most significant is that in a national election, a third party candidate is usually not that much of a factor (yes, 2000 aside). But we lost the governor's house in 2006 in part because the Independence Party ran a candidate who was often more progressive than the DFL's own nominee. Minnesotans do not just hold their nose and party vote. If they did, we probably wouldn't have just sworn in a senator last week.

Is Matt Entenza the most winnable candidate running right now? Perhaps. He certainly has more name recognition, money and staff than the others involved. For those who gauge a political race on weighing those factors then yes, he probably would be the inevitable candidate.

But we are still 16 months before the election. We are still almost a year until we even have a nominating convention. There are more candidates to declare, and, much of the "he's ahead, don't talk about negatives" talk seems to be a push to keep the "inevitable" meme in place so these candidates don't run.

From the point in which I started drafting this post to now, Fecke once again nailed it with this piece about inevitability. Inevitability is a game you play when you are trying to keep the race exactly as it is at this moment. Inevitability is a fear of change in circumstances.

16 months is a long time in real life, and an even longer time in politics. The trend of ridiculously long campaigns that start less than two months after the last election may be a boon for those of us who are peripherally involved in politics, but have the disadvantage of making people want to declare races over before they even begin. The only thing inevitable at this point is that there are many, many months before we will have a candidate, and hopefully that candidate will be decided on by the strength of her or his stances on bettering our state, and not on who has the most money or their communications team organized the earliest.

(Note: I think I have made it no secret that I am hoping to support a female, pro-choice gubernatorial candidate. But in case you have somehow missed that about me, go here.)

A long, long time

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:38:00 +0000

On February 27th, 2007, Al Franken dropped by Drinking Liberally. Shortly thereafter, he sent me this note.

858 days later, Franken was certified the winner of the Minnesota Senate election of 2008.

Congratulations, Senator Elect Franken. I hope you've been having as much fun all 867 days as you were the first 31.

Regarding the Ward 1 City Council Coverage

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:41:00 +0000

It's been mentioned around the blogs that I haven't been keeping up the Ward 1 city council coverage since the endorsement convention ended. Frankly, I haven't seen the need to do more stories because to me, there has been no news. Doron Clark and Jose Velez ended the convention asking for the delegates to endorse Kevin Reich unanimously, which we all did. Although Susan Howitz Hanna is still in the race, she has yet to even put up a website, much less do any active campaigning that I can see (and I did email her after the convention asking her to keep me in the loop so that I can stay on top of any potential campaign). To me, there is just no news, and I'm not a blogger who will grasp at straws or do rehashes and what might have beens just to fill my pages.

And as for park board, I am fully behind my neighbor Liz.

I understand there is a new ward 1 blog in town, and I welcome all of you to go read it. I won't be covering the race unless until there is actual news to write about.

Long time no blog

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:53:00 +0000

Sorry for the dead blog. I'm working on a new project that I hope to be unveiling soon. In the meantime, I microblog, if you are interested, on twitter.

Video from Velez

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:07:00 +0000

Ok, I know I said that I was supporting Clark. But I still appreciate good outreach, and this is, as far as I know, the first Video message to go out in the Ward 1 race. And I like it! I wish more candidates did these, they really get personality through.

Doron Clark for Ward 1

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:08:00 +0000

Having finally spoken to all of the candidates, I have made a decision to support Doron Clark for city council, and will be voting for him on the first ballot. Although I was a huge fan of Jose Velez, I believe in the end that Doron has an energy, an enthusiasm and a determination that puts him just ahead of Jose and through that one my support.

It was a very difficult decision to come to. Frankly, after meeting Jose for coffee a few weeks ago I was ready not just to vote for him, but to ask him for a job as well. His vision for the community was compelling and I wanted to be a part of it.

But I feel both men are equally qualified. Endorsements began to matter more to me, and then intangibles became a bigger and bigger factor.

Friday morning, I found a note in my door that Doron had stopped by door knocking the night before. Saturday, I found him at my door again. I was letting in a group of women for a bachelorette party I was hosting and he was on my doorstep. I offered him an anatomically correct cookie, and he pointed out to the women entering that he was, in fact, not the stripper for the party. I introduced him to one woman and said "She's in your district, too."

"I'm Doron Clark and I'm running for City Council," he said, offering his hand to shake.

Not many people can wander into a situation like that and be completely unphased. If he has that kind of calm and humor in the face of the unexpected, I think he will do wonderfully handling big personalities, budget crises and other calamities in the office.

So today, I am happy to announce myself as a supporter, and hope you will consider supporting him as well.

Ward 1 update

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:05:00 +0000

Sorry about the low posting, but it's been surprisingly quiet since caucus. I've had no contact from the Clark campaign. Reich has friended me on facebook and sent me a list of upcoming house parties. In fact, the only one who's done any real outreach to me so far has been the Velez campaign, with Jose calling two days ago and Rosemary calling tonight. I think I will be making a houseparty on the 25th, and I will try to hit a Reich coffee at Audubon this Sunday, assuming my bachelorette party isn't too rambunctious the night before.

More council thoughts after those, I think.

Reversing the economic downturn -- Solution 1

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:02:00 +0000

I've been thinking a lot about the economy lately, like most people no doubt. So periodically over the next few days I'll be putting out alternate 'bailout' ideas. This first one came today via email:

The main problem right now is that we're in a constant downward spiral of decreasing spending -> job losses -> foreclosures -> repeat. Right? If we could break that cycle we could at least bottom out the market and then start working our way back up. So....

The government should pay to the banks the value of 25% of all mortgages originated or refinanced from late 2001 to late 2007 (or whatever the bubble years were). In return for this money, the banks agree to reduce all of these mortgages by 25%. That's it.

The conservatives are happy because the government takes no ownership stake in the banks or the mortgages or anything else. Other than this one action they stay out of the market. The liberals are happy because this gives direct benefit to the middle class. The banks get a bunch of capital to pad their bottom line and extend credit. Most importantly, homeowners get relief in the form of lowered mortgages payments so fewer of them go into foreclosure and those who weren't near foreclosure get a little extra money each month to spend or save as they see fit. Also, this puts the value of houses a little closer to their true value which helps to stabilize the housing market a bit and also allows at least some current homeowners the chance to unload their current properties and buy a new house without taking a major loss.

The only major downsides I can see are that it would cost a ton of money and it would end up rewarding some bad behavior from people who took out loans they couldn't afford, but both of those downsides are inevitable parts of every equation. The reason my solution is different is that it's forward thinking-instead of just giving money to banks to offset toxic asset write offs (due to foreclosure) it stabilizes the banks *and* the homeowners so that foreclosures stop happening and then banks don't need to continue writing off toxic assets.

So, brilliant or simplistic? What do you think?

I think it would work, but then again, I just really want to sell my house and get something bigger.

Suffering for beauty

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:39:00 +0000

The theory is being tossed out that VP candidate Sarah Palin was handicapped by her beauty, as there are no smart and beautiful women. Personally, I assume people questioned her intelligence because of media interviews, but that's just me.

So, are all sexy women considered less intelligent? Are there no smart hotties in government?

I think if we look around a little we can find some...

Standing on the corner, waiting for the bus...

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:36:00 +0000

I have a weird car phobia. I'm not sure why, but I utterly hate the idea of driving. Maybe it's because I know I have a habit of distractability, or maybe it's the fact that I really don't like things that go fast (I hated skiing, I use my brakes biking down hills, and I'm a poke on gocarts). So far, I've managed to avoid a drivers license thanks to decent public transportation. And being a one car household is nice, especially when that car is paid for and under warranty for another 5 years.

So needless to say, when I was told that because of the plans to pull down the railyard bridge in Columbia Park the #11 was going to be in trouble, I worried quite a bit.

For those who don't know the neighborhood, we're sandwiched in between University and the railyard. We're about 5 blocks wide and 5 blocks long. We have a lovely park at one end, and the other end is the Minneapolis boarder. Because we are so cut off, we have little through traffic, and mostly quite streets. And, for a transit lover like me, the #11 comes through it fairly regularly, stopping a block from my house, and goes downtown where you can hook up with pretty much any bus you need. It's not a frequent bus, like you can get on the big routes, but if you plan right it's usually mostly convenient, running every 20 minutes during rush hour and half hour off rush, Monday through Friday. It gets harder on the weekend, when it's only every hour. And, as I discovered one Saturday night, it doesn't go all the way home after 11pm, dropping me about two miles from my house at 12am after girl's night.

Still, it does the job, and really, it's all we have unless you count an express bus that runs 6 times a day M-F, three times in the morning and three times at night.

It didn't occur to me when they were making plans for the bridge that the bus would no longer be able to run. Luckily, someone who went to the meeting emailed me, and I was able to contact Jack Yuzna, who today sent me an email assuring me that the route, although it will be moved, will continue running.

This is a huge relief not just to me, but to many in my neighborhood. Many people here have more people than cars, or are trying to keep their costs down in ways that make the bus a good choice for them. And frequently the bus is taken by the elderly in my neighborhood, who would not have the ability to walk the 3/4ths of a mile it would take to get to Central, the next nearest route.

I'm told that there will be a public discussion about the detour, and I will continue to make sure that details of the meeting get out into the public. At this point, the most logical choice would be to reroute onto University, making a stop at 37th, then turn, perhaps on Lowry, although that still leaves out a lot of people on the other side of the bridge.

If you have rerouting suggestions, I would love to compile them to have to present once a public meeting is set. Ensuring buss access to our neighborhood is a huge priority to me.

However, just in case, I suppose I should work on getting over this car phobia and getting my license.

Post caucus wrap up

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:24:00 +0000

So I was surprised, delighted and a little upset honestly to find out that we had more people/letters than spots to the ward convention in our precinct (upset because as an assistant precinct captain, that makes things harder). We managed to work everything out due to a whole lot of MN nice, and avoided having to subcaucus. I wonder how much of democracy is really about drawing names out of hats...

I'm glad we didn't have to subcaucus because frankly, after seeing all 4 candidates speak, I'm more torn. I liked Kevin Reich as a speaker a great deal. I'm hoping to get to talk to him one on one before the convention. Velez came off as the most uncomfortable speaker, although I think he started in our room so maybe he warmed up as he went. Clark was poised and well versed in his stump.

I was annoyed by Susan Howitz Hanna. Please don't come into a room of neighborhood activists who met to participate in their government and say that you are there to represent the people who don't like to show up or get involved. It's one thing to work to represent everyone in your community. But emphasizing that you want to represent the other folks isn't going to win over the active participants.

I think there were a lot of Reich supporters in my room. I saw a lot of buttons.

So, still decisions to be made, but I feel like there is still enough time to make it well informed.

Ward 1 Final Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:21:00 +0000

It's the night before caucus, and the endorsements appear to be flying left and right. Clark just recently received Stonewall DFL and ACORN, and Velez's endorsement by the Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council. It seems like mow is the time for reflecting, and so I have been.

In all honesty, it's been most likely a two person race in my head for a bit. Although I greatly enjoyed talking with Susan Howitz Hanna, and as much as I feel I should support a woman candidate, I just don't feel like she has put the thought and effort into her campaign that the others have. I know that she has only recently entered the race, but I don't get a strong grasp of what she is running for, other than because people have asked. Our ward and our city will be going through some very trying times. I need more from her than what I am seeing.

I still have not had a chance to talk to Reich. That's primarily my fault. Frankly, I was already having a very hard time deciding between Clark and Velez. I don't think I really wanted another person in the mix. Possibly that was what made me less open to Hanna as well, but I still feel pretty sure about my decision regarding her.

So that leaves two.

I have a list of pros and cons for both Velez and Clark. And I have been going back and forth for about a week now. I intended to list everything until I realized that my issue right now is that when I was done meeting with Clark I thought he was a person I'd like to sit down and discuss politics and the city's issues with. When I was done meeting with Velez, I was half tempted to ask him for a job.

I'm really enthused about both candidates. I think they would both make great city council members. But when it comes down to it, I can't make a decision yet, and I don't think I'm ready to. I need more time to see them campaign. And I want to see what Take Action Minnesota thinks. There are still a lot of people on the fence and I've decided I don't have to feel guilty about being one of them.

So I'm going to caucus undecided tomorrow. Hopefully I will see you all there.

Velez endorsed by Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:40:00 +0000

For Immediate Release

Minneapolis Building Trades Announces Endorsements for Minneapolis City Offices

Minneapolis, Minnesota (March 2, 2009) The Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council is proud to announce the following endorsements for Minneapolis City Council, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation.

Mayor

RT Rybak

City Council

Ward 1 Jose Velez

Ward 2 Cam Gordon

Ward 3 Diane Hofstede

Ward 4 Barb Johnson

Ward 6 Robert Lilligren

Ward 7 Lisa Goodman

Ward 8 Elizabeth Glidden

Ward 9 Gary Schiff

Ward 10 Lara Norkus-Crampton

Ward 11 John Quincy

Ward 12 Sandy Colvin-Roy

Ward 13 Betsy Hodges

Park Board

District 1 Michael Rainville

District 2 Jon Olson

District 3 Scott Vreeland

District 4 Tracy Nordstrom

District 5 Marty Demgen

District 6 Bob Fine

At-Large John Erwin

At-Large Tom Nordyke

At-Large Annie Young

Board of Estimate and Taxation

Carol Becker

Sean Broom

Our endorsement committee, comprised of representatives of our affiliated unions, voted unanimously to endorse this slate of current and future city leaders. We look forward to working with them to build a city that has a sustainable economy and infrastructure.

ABOUT THE MINNEAPOLIS BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL

The Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council and its affiliates represent nearly 30,000 union construction workers. Our affiliates represent construction workers as well as employees who work for the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Together, we are building better communities everyday!

###

ACORN endorses Doron Clark

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:27:00 +0000

I hope to do my thoughts later tonight, but the baby is sick again so I'm having issues getting it done. In the meantime, another Clark endorsement---

For Immediate Release: March 2nd, 2009

Contacts: Sunday Alabi, APAC Chair 612.860.5520
A Nurack, Head Organizer 515.664.6691

Minnesota ACORN PAC Endorses Slate of Candidates
Minneapolis candidates commit to fight for working families

Minneapolis, Minn. - Members of Minnesota ACORN Political Action Committee endorsed a slate of candidates for Mayor and city council in Minneapolis. The endorsements come a day before the March 3rd precinct caucuses and sets the candidates on the path to win critical support from other organizations that work for social justice.

ACORN PAC's Endorsed Candidates:

Mayor: RT Rybak

City Council:

Ward 1 - Doron Clark
Ward 5 - Don Samuels
Ward 6 - Robert Lilligren
Ward 9 - Gary Schiff
Ward 10 - Matt Filner
Ward 11 - John Quincy

"These candidates are committed to fighting for working families," said Sunday Alabi, the Chair of ACORN's Political Action Committee. "From fighting predatory lenders and preventing foreclosures to creating living wage jobs and workplace dignity, these candidates have worked hard to help low and moderate income communities. We're proud to send them to City Hall."

Winning the endorsement of an organization that serves low- and moderate-income communities and addresses issues such as affordable housing, health care, and poverty may help the candidates gain the endorsement of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party.

The ACORN Political Action Committee is a voluntary organization established by members of ACORN, a grassroots community organization of low and moderate income families. ACORN PAC organizes our communities to support candidates who will stand up for the interests of low and moderate income people.

757 Raymond Ave., #200 St. Paul, MN 55114 -

(651) 642-9639 (651) 642-0060 fax -

mnacorn@acorn.org

Doron Clark gets Stonewall Endorsement

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:39:00 +0000

Stonewall DFL Endorses Doron Clark
Clark Picking Up Steam Heading into March 3rd Caucuses

Today, Stonewall DFL announced its endorsement of Doron Clark. "I'm honored by Stonewall DFL's endorsement," Clark stated in accepting the group's endorsement. "I fundamentally believe that basic civil rights must be extended to all members of the GLBT community."

Clark's campaign manager, Nolan Pitlick added, "Stonewall DFL thoughtfully considers all candidates in a race. Their endorsement shows the depth of knowledge Doron holds on a diverse spectrum of topics."

The endorsement gives the Doron Clark campaign critical momentum heading into the March 3rd DFL caucuses.

Broad Support for Doron Clark
Stonewall DFL's endorsement joins the endorsement of AFSCME, Minnesota's second largest union; neighborhood presidents Jeffrey Kraker (Logan Park), Jeffrey Martin (Waite Park), and Wendy Menken (SE Como); and hundreds of supporters.

Click here to learn more about caucuses
including what to do if you cannot attend
You Can Help!
Doron's needs your help to win!

* Caucus for Clark on March 3rd at Northeast Middle School (7:00 pm)
* Become a volunteer! If you have 30 minutes, you can help. Email volunteer@DoronClark.com to help.
*
Facebook Fan Page
* Donate!Can you help today with a gift of $30, $60, or even $300?

www.DoronClark.com

Prepared & Paid for by Neighbors for Doron Clark; Dean DeGroot, Treasurer
1914 Ulysses St. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418

Take Action Minnesota City Council Candidate Screening

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:24:00 +0000

1821 University Avenue W, Suite S-137

Saint Paul, Minnesota 55104

Tel: (651) 641-6199 Fax: (651) 645-1311

www.TakeActionMinnesota.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 27, 2009

For Information Contact:

Greta Bergstrom

(c) 651-336-6722; (o) 651-379-0765

Greta@takeactionminnesota.org

TakeAction Minnesota To Hold 2009 Candidate Screenings

For Minneapolis City Council Races

(St. Paul, MN) February 26, 2009 – In early March, TakeAction Minnesota will be holding candidate screenings for endorsement in four competitive Minneapolis City Council contests. All current members, as well as individuals wishing to become members of TakeAction Minnesota, are invited to attend and participate in the endorsement selection process.

In 2005, the last year the Minneapolis City Council was on the ballot, TakeAction Minnesota had a perfect record of endorsements. All council candidates that had been endorsed by the organization (called Progressive Minnesota at the time) went on to win their respective races – including highly competitive contests in Ward 8 (Elizabeth Glidden), Ward 10 (Ralph Remington), and Ward 13 (Betsy Hodges).

TakeAction Minnesota strives to create deep, accountable democracy within our organization and with elected officials. Candidates screenings are an integral part of that process. Members hear from City Council candidates about their vision for social, racial, and economic justice in Minneapolis and vote on which candidates TakeAction Minnesota should endorse.

This year, TakeAction Minnesota’s PAC Board has made the decision to endorse in four council races that are considered to be hotly contested. These include the races in Ward 1 and Ward 10, in which council-members have decided to step down (Paul Ostrow and Ralph Remington, respectively) and which have created open seats. They also include Ward 5 (Don Samuels, incumbent) and Ward 2 (Cam Gordon, incumbent) which are also expected to be competitive. TakeAction Minnesota will also be endorsing later in Ward 6, Ward 8, Ward 11 and Ward 13.

Screenings will take place on two separate Monday evenings in March, as follows:

Wards 5 (North Mpls) and Ward 10 (Uptown)

When: Monday, March 9th, 6:00pm-8:30pm

Where: Harrison Recreation Center

503 Irving Avenue North, Minneapolis

(same bldg as Harrison Education Center—park in back—enter Rec Center

on park side of bldg)

*Deadline for member registration, to vote, is 5pm Monday, March 2

Wards 1 (Northeast) and Ward 2 (Seward, Cedar-Riverside, Prospect Park)

When: Thursday, March 19th, 6:00pm-8:30pm

Where: Logan Park Recreation Center

690 13th Avenue NE, Minneapolis

* Deadline for member registration, to vote, is 5pm Thursday, March 12

The candidate screenings are open to anyone joining TakeAction Minnesota by 5:00 PM on the day one week before the screening date – 5:00PM Monday, March 2 for Ward 5 and Ward 10, and 5:00pm Thursday, March 12 for Ward 1 and Ward 2. Every member joining by the previous week deadline can vote on candidate endorsements in any Ward, regardless of where the member lives.

To RSVP for one or both dates, or to obtain more information -- including complete screening rules – please visit TakeActionMinnesota.org. For additional questions related to the screening process, please contact Ryan Greenwood at 651-379-0742 or by email at Ryan@takeactionminnesota.org

Lastest Clark Email

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:24:00 +0000

4 Days Until Caucuses at Northeast Middle School
Turning Heads in Ward 1

Community Support
Doron Clark logo
In this week's Northeaster newspaper, Northeast resident Roberta Lundorff explained why she plans to support Doron Clark for Ward 1 City Council at the March 3rd caucuses.

"On March 3rd DFL members will convene the 2009 precinct caucuses. One particularly important race is the City Council race in Ward 1. As I go to caucus I am looking for a candidate who will create an atmosphere for new job growth and economic expansion; these are critical to the future stability of our City.

After spending considerable time canvassing the websites of the announced candidates I have come to discover that only Doron Clark has brought these issues to the forefront of his campaign. Not only has Doron Clark identified these needs; he has also taken the next step and provided a vision to accomplish this goal." - Roberta Lundorff, Northeast Minneapolis

Neighborhood Leaders Support
The presidents of Waite Park, Logan Park, and Southeast Como all endorse Doron Clark for Ward 1. They work closely with Doron and know that Doron will build on his work in Windom Park by fighting for our neighborhoods.

Labor Support
AFSCME, Minnesota's second largest union, agrees that Doron Clark is the best pick for Ward 1. As AFSCME's endorsed candidate, AFSCME knows that Doron's plans for Minneapolis support working families and help small businesses.

Click here to learn more about caucuses
including what to do if you cannot attend
You Can Help!
Doron's needs your help to win!

* Phone Bank Sunday afternoon: email Volunteer@DoronClark.com or call 612.987.8142 to help
* Caucus for Clark on March 3rd at Northeast Middle School (7:00 pm)
* Become a volunteer! If you have 30 minutes, you can help. Email volunteer@DoronClark.com to help.
*
Facebook Fan Page
* Donate! Doron is almost to his $1000 February goal. Can you put him over the top today with a gift of $30, $60, or $100?

www.DoronClark.com

Prepared & Paid for by Neighbors for Doron Clark; Dean DeGroot, Treasurer
1914 Ulysses St. NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418

More Facebook--Kevin Reich

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:50:00 +0000

If you're at all computer dependent, facebook is probably one of the best ways to keep up with the candidates:

I Like Reich For Northeast

To link the community and build the coalition to elect neighborhood organizer Kevin Reich to the Minneapolis City Council, Ward 1, for Northeast’s greater overall public benefit.
Positions:

1. Progressive
2. Community Empowerment
3. Vision & Experience
4. Neighborhood Revitalization
5. www.reich4ne.com

Category:
Political Campaigns
Description:
Kevin Reich has spent the last 20 years dedicated to neighborhood and community development. He is an organizer and advocate of citizen outreach and participation, education and youth service programs, with an impassioned emphasis for NE Minneapolis.

The First Ward is a vibrant and diverse City Council ward in Minneapolis with a very active commercial corridor along Central Avenue, where many ethnic restaurants and emerging businesses line the street, showing how a new influx of people to NE Minneapolis are reshaping the neighborhood. Ward 1 includes the neighborhoods of Columbia Park, Waite Park, Marshall Terrace, Audubon Park, Holland, Windom Park, Logan Park, Northeast Park, Mid-City Industrial, and a small part of the northern Como neighborhood.

There could be no better fit for such a diverse ward than Kevin Reich who has committed his public life to community organization and neighborhood advocacy. Kevin’s adult life has been spent bringing people together – whether it is advocating for a better business climate or building bridges through consensus and dialog, he has ensured that all voices are heard. His philosophy is one of a holistic and integrated approach to governance and community partnerships, resulting in resource efficiency and greater overall public benefit.

Born and raised in the working class neighborhoods of NE Minneapolis, Kevin Reich graduated from Edison Senior High School and then St. Olaf College in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in both Philosophy and Asian Studies. He spent several years in Asia as a teacher, trainer, and writer of educational materials, and then moved to back to Minnesota to attend graduate school for Public Administration at Hamline University in St. Paul. He and his partner Cindy, the Director of Marketing for the Minnesota Orchestra, have since made NE Minneapolis their home where they are raising Kevin’s daughter, Oshana.

Upon returning to his origins in NE Minneapolis, Kevin has spent the last eight years as the Project Director of Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association, where he has gained extensive experience in strategic planning, budget and contract oversight, and project direction. He became a strong advocate for neighborhood participation, and was an Eastside Food Co-op founding Board Member and Site Planning Project Chair. Every day Kevin works with all levels of local government (County, City, School and Park Boards) to direct resources, programming and projects for the betterment of NE Minneapolis.

Kevin announced his intentions to seek the open Ward 1 City Council seat as a natural extension of his proven service to the communities of NE Minneapolis. He has quickly established himself as a formidable candidate and is seeking the DFL party endorsement on March 3rd in a multi-candidate field.

For many years, Kevin Reich served the Windom Park Neighborhood Association as their Board of Directors Co-chair, and currently serves as their Community Land Use & Planning Committee Chair. He is also a PEACE Foundation Co-founder and Vice President where his efforts have focused on youth involvement and crime prevention. Kevin Reich also currently serves on the Edison Community and Sports Foundation Board of Directors.

Find Kevin on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/profile....

Via Facebook -- Meet Doron Clark

noreply@blogger.com (rew) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:48:00 +0000

Host:
Neighbors for Doron Clark
Type:
Meetings - Informational Meeting
Network:
Global
Date:
Friday, February 27, 2009
Time:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:
Como Student Community Cooperative (U of M Family & Partnered Housing) - Community Room (2nd Floor)
Street:
1024 27th Avenue SE
City/Town:
Minneapolis, MN
:
View Map
Google
MapQuest
Microsoft
Yahoo
Phone:
6129878142
Email:
events@DoronClark.com