I started writing this on Saturday, but I'm going to send it now before it gets all old and dusty. I can never be as eloquent as Tim Connolly, but today I'm feeling very happy to be a Minneapolitan. I spent this morning at the 9th Ward endorsing convention, which began for me with a speech from Kathy Thurber that brought tears to my eyes. My candidate, Gary Schiff, won endorsement with 135 votes out of 211 delegates on the first ballot. I saw many friends from across the city. R.T., Lisa, Sharon, David Brauer, and about a ton of Park, and Library Board candidates were in attendance. I spoke in favor of David's suggested change to the DFL constitution to bring caucuses to the city election year. It went down to defeat due to concerns about cost and "extra meetings." I felt like a real part of my city. What else makes our city great? For me it was Skidmore Olson's bonfire each year on the corner of Newton and Oliver, it was skating on the skinny north finger of Lake of the Isles 'til you were so cold you had to head in to sit in front of the glowing orange potbelly stove. It was fishing in the lake and canoeing all the way to Brownie Lake for a picnic. It was playing in Loring Park with the majestic swans floating in the nearby pond. It was crying when someone killed and dressed one of the swans for eating! Later it was trips to the Bryant Lake Bowl to play pinball. Taking the bus to Southdale or Downtown from the intersection of 25th and Hennepin. It was the Guthrie Theater and the old Walker Art Center with the huge bronze of PROMETHEUS STRANGLING THE VULTURE II as you entered. It was trips to the Orchestra at Northrop and stopping at Little Tijuana on the way home. Now Minneapolis is mine because we make good choices. We build jobs, housing, commerce and great places to play. Art is thriving in Minneapolis. Right in Seward the Northern Clay Center and Playwrights' Center are both nationally acclaimed art resources. Downtown is a hot place to be. It is happening. Lake Street is thriving, Broadway and Central are likewise receiving the attention they deserve. I don't always agree with decisions on where and how the city spends its tax money, but I feel like now I'll have a voice in City Hall to talk about the important urban planning issues facing the city. After a few days in the hospital tho, I realize that many people don't really know where they live. Many folks who live in the suburbs think they live in Minneapolis. I talked with all of my care givers and about 70% said they lived in Minneapolis although when asked which neighborhood it turned that they lived in Blaine, Ham Lake, White Bear Lake, or Shorewood. That these caring intelligent would claim the City as home say a lot about how good we really are. As a city dweller I take pride in living in the city. I keep the city great by participating in my community. I know that folks who have to spend 20, 30, or 40 minutes commuting each way are not able to participate in their communities. I wish we could form a culture and commerce that allows people to live close to where they work. Traveling that far each day, each way is a terrible waste of energy and social capital. The community life of people drains out them behind the wheel of their cars. The 1950 census showed Minneapolis near 500,000 people. Last year it looks like we'll hold at right around 370,000. We have room for more density. We can bring people like Russell and Beth back to the city with careful planning and skillful execution. Let's work together with a strong vision of a thriving, robust Minneapolis with a strong core and wonderful neighborhoods, welcoming friends from across the region to our businesses, homes and parks. Let's elect a city council who articulates this vision in policy and a Mayor who always works to keep this vision on the front burner. I want leaders who are out front and on message everyday. -- In cooperation, Erik Riese Seward ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ _______________________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
