--- Dennis Plante <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I am simply amazed. I received what appears to be a "sample ballot" (at least the wording appears on it) in my mail yesterday. In review of the literature piece (front side the "endorsed candidate", backside Martin Sabo) I learned that the piece had been generated and paid for by the STATE DFL COMMITTEE. Can anyone find precedent of this EVER having been done for a DFL candidate in a city council election?? Anyone? Who (within the state dfl) would be in a position to make such a decision? If I am not mistaken, Eric Mitchell stated on the 3rd party issues list that the state dfl would NOT be lending resources in this election. I guess I should have asked for clarification.
Eric reminds Dennis: Dennis, I think Tim and Brian clarified that for you. Dennis goes on to try and be helpful by stating: "It would seem to me that a better use (by the state dfl) of the monies expended in generating and mailing the "lit piece" might have been to do community outreach in disenfranchised areas JUST LIKE North Minneapolis, in an effort to build a stronger base for their party. Afterall, isn't this the stated #1 priority of the city dfl for the year 2003?" Eric informs Dennis: Now Dennis, it was only last Tuesday when I wrote of the state DFL efforts last year to inform and encourage northsiders on how to get involved with the decision making process of the party. I'll repost it below for you. Aside from what you've already been informed of, the state DFL also partnered up with several northside community organizations and long time community leaders to work on various voter information and voter turnout campaigns. The state DFL also provided financial assistance to organizations where the activities were more of a non-partisan nature. The DFL is present weekly on the Northside, be it in community meetings, conferences or attending the Policy Forum. The state DFL Party AND its candidates put both money and time into the community in 2002 at a greater rate than ever before. The DFL is working daily to politically empower communities of color and disenfranchised voters across the state. Very early numbers showed that Minnesota communities of color led the nation on the rate of turnout in 2002. At the time I read that report it looked as though only Florida would come close. What are the other political parties doing? Don't tell me they are supporting Don. That's good, he's good candidate and by the way, a DFLer. They needn't pat themselves on the back. What are they doing that's ongoing and for the long term? Before this election, after this election? What are you doing before and after to help the northside voters get more involved in the political process? If you got more detail and accurate suggestions on how the DFL can be better involved, email me offline. Below is an excerpt from my January 28th repost, maybe it will jog your memory. It was answering a question on the process seeming to be one of segregation or exclusive because there was a low number of persons of color as delegates to the 3rd Ward endorsement convention. There was a underlying suggestion that maybe the DFL had something to do with it. I just go on to explain that it's simply not the case and the Party efforts were in the exact opposite direction- the party is trying to get more people involved. January 28 repost: The delegates are the delegates who were delegates to the previous Senate District Convention. In other words, if you walked in to your precinct caucuses last year, you were more than likely a delegate to your Senate District Convention. You can't get more grassroots and open than that. There is no proof of being a DFLer needed, no litmus test or previous attendance required. Just show up - literally. Moving up to the 2002 precinct caucuses, I printed up brocures and booklets on the DFL caucus system, in both english and spanish. They were distributed at some neighborhood community meetings in Mpls and St Paul. Phone calls into the Near Northside were made as well as public service announcements on community radio. I also met one on one with community leaders from different groups of people of color. Matthea Little Smith (DFL Affirmative Action Officer at that time) even held workshops at the Urban League and Sabathini Community Center (I believe). We at the state DFL really tried to get everyone involved in the last round, by making more people aware that the political process begins at the precinct caucus, not just voting in the primary (I would like to see more turning out for that as well). I encouraged people of color to be more involved in the decision making process, not just wait for the decision to be made by others. Can we at the state DFL do more? Sure, I'm open for more suggestions, but understand this clearly, that there is no contrived effort to segregate and disenfranchise, that's irresponsible of you to throw out there without reviewing the efforts of the Party in the last few years. Since we are talking about political parties, check with the others and ask what have they done internally to include more people of color. Eric Mitchell Maple Grove __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
