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Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 6th, 2013, 4:50 pm
by nordeast homer
MNDible, I apologize for my comment earlier, I just get very frustrated with what sounded like mocking coming from you. I think twincitizen summed up a lot of local politics to me with his post.
I think you guys are focusing too much on party identification in a race that technically is non-partisan. If I were to run, I would have to seek the DFL nomination to win, not that I'd necessarily want to. I vote Democratic, sometimes Independence Party, depending on the race. I consider myself a shade more fiscally conservative than most Democrats. There are some things I am not fiscally conservative about, such as the need for higher taxes/spending on public transit and metro-wide tax base sharing (LGA and Fiscal Disparities). While a Republican candidate for Mayor or City Council is not viable due to the incompatibility of the state and national party platform, I'd love to see an Independence Party candidate get in the race to bring a little balance to what will be DFL vs. DFL vs. DFL vs. Green in most races. (I realize I just contradicted myself by focusing on party identification)
Some people don't have a problem with this, but I think there is a lack of vision and differentiation with the DFL. It seems to be "who can spend our hard earned money in larger and more creative ways". I make less now than I did 5 years ago yet I pay more in taxes...there is something fundamentally wrong with that! Why is it so hard for a city, state, or federal government to stay within it's means? The only example I see is Wisconsin, and Walker is being villified and will likely be voted out of office even though he has the state on budget, even when the previous governor had them headed for a financial meltdown.

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 6th, 2013, 7:52 pm
by VAStationDude
I know Redisciple has made this point before but it's worth repeating. Minneapolis politicians who best articulate and pander to standard liberal causes that have no impact on the business of running Minneapolis get elected. Abortion, gay rights, taxing the wealthy and helping the poor are important to DFL activists in Minneapolis but have little bearing on how well Minneapolis politicians do their job. In areas that really matter to the city, Mayor Rybak has been pretty conservative. The 2013 city budget is $1.20 billion. Without adjusting for inflation, ten years ago the budget was $1.197 billion. The city has hundreds fewer employees than when the Rybak took office in 2002. Yes, taxes have gone up but that's more a result of declining state aid, correcting horrid budgeting before Rybak became mayor and ballooning pension liabilities.

I don't know where this idea that government spending is out of control.

According to the St Louis Federal Reserve Bank, federal spending has flat-lined: http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/upl ... gchart.png

Minnesota state government is spending less, adjusted for inflation, than it did in 2001: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/pubs/2011mgib.pdf (page 30)

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 6th, 2013, 10:34 pm
by web
its a right wing conspiracy about spending. also taxes and crime.

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 7th, 2013, 7:29 am
by nasa35
its a right wing conspiracy about spending. also taxes and crime.
:lol:

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 7th, 2013, 9:07 am
by FISHMANPET
I know Redisciple has made this point before but it's worth repeating. Minneapolis politicians who best articulate and pander to standard liberal causes that have no impact on the business of running Minneapolis get elected. Abortion, gay rights, taxing the wealthy and helping the poor are important to DFL activists in Minneapolis but have little bearing on how well Minneapolis politicians do their job. In areas that really matter to the city, Mayor Rybak has been pretty conservative. The 2013 city budget is $1.20 billion. Without adjusting for inflation, ten years ago the budget was $1.197 billion. The city has hundreds fewer employees than when the Rybak took office in 2002. Yes, taxes have gone up but that's more a result of declining state aid, correcting horrid budgeting before Rybak became mayor and ballooning pension liabilities.

I don't know where this idea that government spending is out of control.

According to the St Louis Federal Reserve Bank, federal spending has flat-lined: http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/upl ... gchart.png

Minnesota state government is spending less, adjusted for inflation, than it did in 2001: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/pubs/2011mgib.pdf (page 30)
I'm glad someone else said it. The kinds of issues that Democrats or Republicans care about on a state and national level don't really apply at a city level. If nothing else, Rybak has cut government spending while trying to reinvest in infrastructure. Sounds like a pretty mid century conservative stance to me.

The things that matter in this election, or any other really, are hyper local. Is the stadium purely a conservative/Republican or liberal/Democrat issue? I don't think so. It's more nuanced than that.

And I know plenty of sane normal Republicans, but by and large the ones running the party are pretty batshit insane and certainly hostile to cities.

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 7th, 2013, 10:34 am
by mattaudio
So it seems like in theory, major parties should not drive Minneapolis politics... IRV, different issues, etc. Seems like the reason why we're still plagued by major party politics in local races is that campaigns are so expensive and legally complex, so major parties have the fundraising, marketing, and legal infrastructure needed to get elected. Sad.

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 7th, 2013, 1:14 pm
by mplsjaromir
I know Redisciple has made this point before but it's worth repeating. Minneapolis politicians who best articulate and pander to standard liberal causes that have no impact on the business of running Minneapolis get elected. Abortion, gay rights, taxing the wealthy and helping the poor are important to DFL activists in Minneapolis but have little bearing on how well Minneapolis politicians do their job. In areas that really matter to the city, Mayor Rybak has been pretty conservative. The 2013 city budget is $1.20 billion. Without adjusting for inflation, ten years ago the budget was $1.197 billion. The city has hundreds fewer employees than when the Rybak took office in 2002. Yes, taxes have gone up but that's more a result of declining state aid, correcting horrid budgeting before Rybak became mayor and ballooning pension liabilities.

I don't know where this idea that government spending is out of control.

According to the St Louis Federal Reserve Bank, federal spending has flat-lined: http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/upl ... gchart.png

Minnesota state government is spending less, adjusted for inflation, than it did in 2001: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/pubs/2011mgib.pdf (page 30)
How dare you use facts instead of tired truisms?

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 11th, 2013, 4:56 pm
by Nick
Three thoughts after receiving a mailing from Mark Andrew today:

1) I'm impressed/annoyed that my full legal name is on it.

2) Among other things, he lists his accomplishments as a student at the U (Associate Editor of the Daily!), which I felt weird about doing with my resume less than a year after graduating.

3) I've now gotten a robocall and a letter from Andrew and nothing from anyone else. Point, Andrew.

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 11th, 2013, 7:03 pm
by MNdible
Similar to you, the only communications from a mayoral candidate I've received have been from Mark Andrew.

On the flip side, I'm uncomfortable with somebody who has a first name for a last name.

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 11th, 2013, 7:24 pm
by FISHMANPET
Yep, I got that same letter today.
Full Legal Name
OR CURRENT RESIDENT

Oh well, nothing tops Phyllis Khan coming to my door to get me to caucus for her in the convention to make me feel like a powerful member of the DFL.

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 11th, 2013, 8:17 pm
by Nick
Oh well, nothing tops Phyllis Khan coming to my door to get me to caucus for her in the convention to make me feel like a powerful member of the DFL.
In the dueling incumbent redistricting situation last year for my state house district, then-Rep. Marion Greene came to my [ninth floor tenement] apartment to talk to me about who I was supporting. Not only was I home sick that day (and I never take sick days unless I'm near death) and looked like hell, but I had already taken now-Rep. Frank Hornstein up on going out to coffee and so I politely told her I was supporting him. Like Thatcher/others said in the Ward 10 thread, you can get involved in local politics pretty easily. The people who show up rule the world, everyone else just whines on the Internet.

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 12th, 2013, 10:50 am
by twincitizen
If you're on/near the West Bank right now, you should go to this and report back to us: http://hhh.umn.edu/centers/cspg/events/2013/0327.html

I hope video or audio of this event is posted online.

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 12th, 2013, 2:44 pm
by FISHMANPET
Uh, that's on the 27th. And I'd go, but I'll be out of town.

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 12th, 2013, 10:31 pm
by twincitizen
Apologies on that one. I blame Outlook for somehow putting it on my calendar for today. Not even the correct day of the week! :oops:

At least now I have two weeks to figure out how to take an extra long lunch or take a half day for fun. I really want to go.

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 16th, 2013, 5:22 pm
by Nick
Maybe it's just because I watched House of Cards recently, but something about this makes it seem like a setup to make an announcement:

http://www.startribune.com/politics/sta ... 60151.html
Dayton's chief of staff Tina Smith: Bridge-builder with a hammer

Her boss is one of the most demanding and critical politicians in Minnesota — and she is friends with his ex-wife. She is pushing a new tax plan that is troubling to many in her vast network of business friends. And then there are those persistent rumors she is running for mayor of Minneapolis.

After years enmeshed in DFL politics, Tina Smith has emerged as Gov. Mark Dayton’s powerful chief of staff. The job is proving to be the biggest test yet of her skills as a government reformer, hammer-wielding operative and bridge-builder.

Amid a crushing schedule of meetings last week, Smith slipped over to a luncheon at the University of Minnesota. She chatted with former legislators, business leaders and those who enjoy brushing up against power.

[...]

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 16th, 2013, 7:37 pm
by twincitizen
With candidate forums scheduled and the DFL conventions coming up so soon, what could she possibly be waiting for? A budget deal to get done at the state first?

Why are the DFL conventions so early? Is there any real reason to hold them in April? I suppose you can't do them in summer, it's a busy ass time in Minneapolis and a good chunk of students might not be around.

Re: 2013 Minneapolis Municipal Election

Posted: March 19th, 2013, 9:01 pm
by Nick
http://www.startribune.com/politics/sta ... 83441.html
Union leader who wrangled stadium support now in demand from Minneapolis council

The Minneapolis DFL’s endorsement could prove pivotal this year, with all 13 council seats up for grabs and an especially competitive mayor’s race that lacks an incumbent for the first time in two decades.

Union leader Dan McConnell helped wrangle backing from the Minneapolis City Council for a new Vikings stadium in one of its most contentious votes in recent history. Now, council members are trying to win support of their own from the DFL party he chairs.

The Minneapolis DFL’s endorsement could prove pivotal this year, with all 13 council seats up for grabs and an especially competitive mayor’s race that lacks an incumbent for the first time in two decades.

The twin roles of McConnell, who is also business manager of the Minneapolis Building and Construction Trades Council, don’t seem to trouble City Hall veterans. One noted that labor has been the “L’’ in the DFL Party for more than six decades. They are, nonetheless, a revealing example of the way that party politics and union influence continue to intersect at City Hall — in big votes and big elections.

[...]
And today's quote of the day:
Council Member Don Samuels, a stadium backer who attended, recalled feeling surprised at the show of union support because he had not previously enjoyed a close relationship with organized labor.

“I didn’t know that that could happen — that all the unions could get together like that, and I got an envelope with … a couple grand,” he said recently.

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 25th, 2013, 8:48 am
by HoratioRincewind

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 28th, 2013, 8:14 am
by PhilmerPhil
Video of yesterday's mayoral debate:
http://www.theuptake.org/2013/03/27/fir ... andidates/

Re: Mayoral Race

Posted: March 28th, 2013, 11:07 am
by twincitizen
Mark Andrew sounds like a gayer RT Rybak, but I generally liked what he had to say. I thought it was a 3-way tie between Andrew, Hodges, and Schiff. Samuels and Cherryhomes are complete jokes.