> Brauer, you sound a little defensive here.
>
> That wasn't the Minneapolis GOP chair - it was the entire Minneapolis GOP
> committee who voted to support the library referendum. It voted to
> support the school referendum as well. And then later requested that this
> be printed on the GOP sample ballot sent to every Republican in
> Minneapolis. The Minneapolis GOP chair, Lee Eklund, also wrote and
> submitted a separate op-ed piece for each, only one of which the Strib
> printed. How many votes did that add to the pile? Nobody knows, but if
> you or anybody else wanted to write Lee Eklund a thank you note I'm sure
> he'll read it to the committee.
>
> Adam mentions his own tax ideas and you opine that conservatives have yet
> to "make a convincing case that they could both restrain spending and
> intelligently encourage city development through reasonable public
> investments." Did you pay attention to our last two legislative cycles?
> We got a tax cut AND a nice bump in education spending. Now I know you are
> going to tell me that is not Minneapolis, but since Minneapolis hasn't
> elected a Republican recently, this lets you off just a little too easily.
> The case has been made, and made resoundingly.
>
> Rich Chandler - Ward 9
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Brauer
> This seems contradictory: if we're all DFLers here, and you agree we need
> to work across party lines, you should have worked to convince us,
> especially all the 60Bers here. (Plus, Mpls-issues readers are a captive -
> dare I say fixated? -- audience.) I think Terrell Brown took the time to
> make moderate Republican points - but aiming his fire more at DFL
> politicos than DFLers who actually express sympathy with tax frustration.
> I think the mini-debate that occurred between Terrell and Myron during the
> summer was great, and am sorry you didn't attempt it here, Adam.
>
> However, I must take issue with your complaints that this is a "list of
> DFLers." The list was set up to be open to all, and there may be a higher
> percentage of non-DFLers on the list than in the city as a whole. (I think
> most people haven't disclosed their party affiliation; it's reasonable to
> think a majority are DFL, given the city's make-up, but never assume!) I
> welcome any and all non-DFLers to mix it up - a one-sided list isn't much
> fun. Also, whatever folks' affiliation, this list has been fairly critical
> of DFL governance of the city. Adam might have exploited that.
>
> One excellent way to combat ignorance is to be specific. Instead of
> basically claiming that anyone who is a DFLer can't complain about
> property taxes, you'd do well to detail where, exactly you would draw the
> line about city spending. That way, perhaps, we can look past the label.
> But so far, it's all been partisan labeling - which I admit I shot back at
> you.
>
> I did check out the Stenberg website. From the issues section: A pledge
> not to raise taxes (that's nuanced - better hope there aren't emergencies,
> recessions, welfare reform doesn't crash, and god forbid additional
> investments that might actually be worth it.) The phrase "government
> monopoly on education" - code for vouchers (without actually saying so.)
> Pro-life. Pro-death penalty. Anti-same sex marriage. No public incentives
> for affordable housing other than property tax cuts. On these major, major
> issues, all GOP boilerplate - not that a GOPer can't have that, but not
> one claiming to break the mold.
>
> There are a few unconventional positions: 100 percent state funding of
> education. Pro-LRT (but not in the Hiawatha corridor) - a new exurban
> airport connected by LRT. Pro-new stadium (!) as long as it's less than 10
> percent of the total cost. Domestic partner benefits through cafeteria
> plans where employees get a set amount of money they can spend on
> benefits.
>
> So there's something. (To be fair, Rod Grams would never go for a
> stadium...but then, neither would Jim Niland.) Not enough to convince me
> the GOP has turned over a new leaf, but list members can now judge for
> themselves. (http://www.stenberg.org/issues.htm)
>
> To take my own advice about not strictly labeling the other side, I was
> pleasantly surprised that the city GOP chair endorsed the library
> referendum. Even though I was only a lukewarm supporter, and it seems a
> curious place to acknowledge higher taxes can, at times, be good, I took
> it as a positive sign that Republicans can be open-minded. I look for more
> evidence of same.
>
> And I can't speak for others, but I can say that I would gladly vote for
> the candidate with the best platform - Republicans, to my mind, probably
> won't get there, but there is an opening.
>
> David Brauer
> King Field - Ward 10 - Fabulous 60B!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Adam Stenberg
> Admittedly, we didn't take the time to post our ideas to this list of
> DFLers, but I'll seriously reconsider that in the future (many 60Bers are
> on this list). Iam well aware that we can't solve these problems without
> working across party lines.
>
> Many of us Republicans do not fit into the stereotypes constantly thrown
> around in the press or in these public forums. We are working hard to
> change our party, to introduce ourselves as people, and to overcome voter
> apathy and, in some instances, ignorance.
