A Northsider emailed me yesterday after finding one of my campaign brochures on his door. He told me he was very impressed with my ideology and commitment to North Minneapolis. He told me that over the years he’d seen many “unqualified challengers to the DFL candidate…BJ (the incumbent).” He knows her personally and respects her experience and clout, saying it’s “probably a good thing at this time.” Although he doesn’t always agree with her he expressed concern about my “lack of practical experience dealing with different North Minneapolis factions,” meaning the neighborhood groups. This message closed with a recommendation to get the DFL endorsement, to “put a little neighborhood volunteering under your belt,” and to try again if I don’t win this year with best wishes. Upon further reflection I revised the reply that appears below (blogging provokes reflection). My reply follows:
I respect the neighborhood groups, but I don’t think my lack of experience working with them should overly concern you. I’ve worked with some in Northeast. I don’t think you should be too concerned about my lack of experience working with Northside neighborhood groups because I can compensate for that with my training, experience and understanding of organizing, community development and public policy. I’ve done community work for several years and recently was contracted by a Northside initiative which has Northside neighborhood groups as organizational coalition members.
I am a great listener, quick learner, and good presenter. I can facilitate large meetings, analyze issues, reports and proposals, work equitably with diverse groups and negotiate conflicts. The incumbent may be the daughter of Alice Rainville (Ward 4 CM 1975-1997), she may know all the downtown insiders and have support from some unions, but prior to her being elected to her first term, BJ was a psych nurse… Moreover, I believe she is undemocratic and inequitable.
When I participated in the DFL endorsement process, my primary motivation was to help Troy Parker, my other opponent in this race, block Barb from getting the endorsement, although he never responded to my communication about this. I’ve voted Democrat 9X% of the time in my life, but I truly am a non-partisan citizen and candidate. I believe in public policy for the people, not the parties. I do have the Green endorsement and proudly represent it, yet I’ve never been an activist member of any political party to date. I believe many DFL politicians, at various levels of government in Minnesota, have disserved and disappointed North Minneapolis.
TP, my other opponent in this race said he’d abide by the DFL endorsement at the 4th Ward Convention on March 21st, 2009, but he changed his mind after BJ won the endorsement after 10 rounds (it was an unfair game but it was legal). Parker’s campaign literature touts him as a “Real Democrat.” In recent years former 58B (Northside) State Representative Willie Dominguez agreed to abide by the DFL endorsement and his reneging was unpopular; he lost his race to Bobbie Joe Champion. He is currently lit dropping throughout the Ward to get his signs raised early, but he’s not door knocking. TP moved to the Northside from the Southside 15 years ago to run for City Council against BJ in 1997.
As I canvass the 408 residential blocks in Ward 4 I ask a series of survey questions. Survey Question 5 asks my constituents, “What kind of Council Member do you want to represent our community?” Out of 250+ interviews to date a mere 2 or 3 respondents have indicated that that want a Council Member who is a DFLer. If 4th Ward residents want to vote for the DFL endorsed (by less than 100 people) City Council candidate this year then they must recognize that they are voting for a far right wing “Democrat” in name only. If they want to vote for the alternate or “real Democrat” they must know that he has already lied to the community before ever getting elected. Neither DFL candidate in the 4th Ward this year is worthy of my 1st Ranked vote.
I am confident that I will win this electoral race because the incumbent is disconnected from most of the community members living in our Ward, many people don’t support her and she will depend primarily on mailings while I am door knocking the entire ward. Approximately 75% of the people I am directly speaking with are indicating strong support for my campaign. Respondents to my survey are indicating dismal approval ratings for the incumbent, low single digits - 2% in Precinct 10 (4-10). Although I haven’t quantified Precinct 8 (4-8) yet I do not recall interviewing a single person in 4-8 who is supporting the re-election of the incumbent. The email that compelled me to publish this BLOG is the first individual indicating support for her, but I haven’t met him in person.
Low single digit approval ratings for BJ is far worse than former U.S. President W Bush’s final 22% approval rating, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll. The vast majority of 4th Ward residents are ready for change in our City Council office and in our neighborhoods. Our Ward will give Minneapolis its greatest political upset in this year’s 2009 City Elections!
The incumbent will be unseated as long as I successfully canvass the entire ward, follow-up with everyone we contact along this campaign trail and organize powerful events in the fall, all of which we will do! When I’m elected I will represent and serve the entire 4th Ward. Our office will strive to be optimally proactive, engaging, responsive and progressive. My goals for the Northside are to (I) increase civic participation, (II) hold City Hall accountable, (III) promote good neighborliness, and (III) facilitate partnerships and community actions to improve social and economic conditions over North.
I’m not offended by this man’s implying that I’m unqualified, but I hope to have the opportunity to prove him wrong. BJ may know all the downtown insiders, have the support of some unions and she does have 3 terms (12 years) of experience, but has this significantly benefitted the 4th Ward? Moreover, I am confident that I’ll produce better public policy and constituent service. I believe I am far more visionary and progressive. I will engage the 4th Ward in unprecedented ways, fostering good communication and cooperation between City Hall and Northsiders. Overall, my goal is to be a strong advocate on the City Council, to champion pubic, community and private investments in the growth of a healthy Northside community with high quality residential living.
Thx!
mh
(inner) peace