Democracy Help

RightElbow Sep 09, 2011 20 Comments

I believe in being an active participant in our republic, but I’m also lazy. My usual decision making process is to read the statements candidates submit to the League of Women voters, but it doesn’t look like the Duluth chapter is active (at least not this year, and at least not on its website). Does anyone know where I can find cheat sheets on the city council and school board candidates? I can find endorsements from labor and political parties, but I’m trying to make up my own mind … in the quickest and laziest way possible.

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20 Comments

Claire

about 13 years ago 

LWV is indeed quite active, and there will be some candidate forums later this month. Sadly, not before the primary. I'll see if I can find the schedule and post it. The newspaper just published candidate profiles along with their answers to questions. You should check that out to begin with. And also the paper is running op eds written by different candidates, I am finding those op eds really helpful in guiding me in the school board races. For instance, I'm leaning towards voting for Doug Frisk for school board based on the views he expressed in his op ed. He sounds like a voice of reason on a badly fractured board.

Re the city council, it's been a lot easier to figure out what to do. It seems to me that the only two city council at large candidates running aggressive campaigns are Emily Larson and Linda Krug. I've had plenty of opportunities to meet them and talk to them and am happy to vote for them, they seem to be everywhere!  They are both sharp and well-informed and will add a lot to the city council. Although I know who Heiko is, I haven't heard anything out of the other four candidates running or from their supporters.

todobrillante

about 13 years ago 

The chamber of commerce also published a candidate survey...I believe it's available as an insert in their most recent Duluthian magazine.

Chris

about 13 years ago 

I agree with Claire that the at-large city seats have two strong candidates.  But with the non-at-large local district city council seats, I can't find much information on those races.

Carla

about 13 years ago 

Candidates who have filed for the position of City Councilor representing the Fourth Council District (Precincts 23-29) (one opening) [two-year term]:

    Jacqueline Halberg, 626-7273
    Garry Krause, 715-394-6677 x.6339
    Ryan Miles, 2524 W. 15th St. (55806), [email protected]
    Wallace Newquist, 3112 Exeter St. (55806), 628-2041
    Travis Silvers
	

Candidates who have filed for the position of City Councilor representing the First Council District (Precincts 1-7) (one opening)

    Todd Fedora, 651 Everett Street (55803), 348-2780, [email protected]
    Jennifer Julsrud, 4920 Woodlawn St. (55804), 525-2409, 464-8527, [email protected]

There is some info about Linda Krug on Howie Blog and other places.  She and Emily are both strong candidates.  Jackie Halberg has drawn a lot of opponents - most notably Gary Krause.
And Jennifer Julsrud is running against Todd Fedora.

Generally speaking - if you like democrats you will like Halberg and Julsrud and if you like republicans, you will like Fedora and Krause.  Both men have been councilors so finding out about them should be pretty easy. 

Halberg has also been a councilor, appointed by the other councilors (which is probably why she has drawn so many appointments.)  She has not been high profile but has mostly voted with Gardner and Anderson and done well on constituency service.

Hope this helps.

Claire

about 13 years ago 

I just saw a story on TV last night about a man who got screwed over by an unscrupulous contractor, and his house repairs were not finished. His house in fact was no longer inhabitable. He called Jackie Halberg, his councilor, and the end result was some contractors came over and finished the job for him gratis. Wow, THAT is constituent service!

Chippy

about 13 years ago 

Good information, thanks for posting. I'm looking for information on the candidates running for school board. Is there a good spot to find out more about them?

Chad

about 13 years ago 

Incidentally, the LWV forums are tentatively for Sept. 20 at the Lakeside-Lester Park Community Center and Oct. 27 at Holy Family Church.  6:30 pm for both.

Carla

about 13 years ago 

Two additional notes:
Jackie Halberg was endorsed by Mayor Ness on Friday and Ryan Miles is basing his campaign on support of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Claire

about 13 years ago 

It's also obvious from the language in Tim Riley's op ed in today's DNT that he's a social conservative. His op ed lacked concrete ideas should he win, though was lots of talk about "family values."

Joel tells me the DFL endorsed for at-large school board Miernicki (sp?) the retired educator. I've heard good things about him, and look forward to reading his op ed. Like I said earlier, I liked what Doug Frisk had to say in his op ed about moving forward as a community beyond the divisions brought about the Red Plan and how parents must be involved in their children's education.

Samual

about 13 years ago 

Claire,

Can you explain how Linda Krug was appointed to the task force and now is running as DFL. Her pick to that task force and running for a seat on the council seems a little out of place.

Now Emily Larson is a good choice. I have known Emily some years now. I like Chad Smith as the other choice. 

Also, I think the other candidates are trying, yet THEY don't have the DFL and people out dropping off materials and fliers. My parents in Lakeside said some dark hair guy came to their door speaking for Linda Krug and Larson. I know this is fact Claire. You seem to be judging others without merit. 

Samual Johnson

TimK

about 13 years ago 

Samuel- what task force? -not mentioned elsewhere in this thread. And isn't picking someone to vote for a judgement? Isn't that what this is about?

Samual

about 13 years ago 

Tim, you must not follow the news. Second I find this Claire lady posting at other places and she is saying the same thing. So, I am referring to something this Claire lady said at another site more than likely.  

Claire is everyplace on the net. 

Larson and Smith are my picks for at large and I more than likely think Newquist is my pick in the 4th. 

Thank you
SJ

Claire

about 13 years ago 

Samual, I don't quite understand what your problem is. I'm not casting stones on any candidate, I'm just saying that I think that Emily Larson and Linda Krug are running aggressive campaigns. and the others aren't. And, yes, part of that aggressive campaigning is that they have people working on their behalf -- some of that assistance comes from the DFL and from Labor, who both screened Larson and Krug and endorsed them. They also have friends and colleagues who believe in them and are busting their butts to get these two excellent candidates in office. Instead of resenting this, and complaining, maybe those who support other candidates should get off their butts and work for their chosen candidate. That is what democracy is all about.

As for your complaint that I am "every place on the Internet," and that I posted about Linda Krug and a task force elsewhere, I really have no idea what you are talking about. I post here and I am active on John Rathe's "New" Duluth Politics page on FB.  There is someone named Claire who posts some wacky stuff over on Area Voices. That is most definitely not me.

Claire

about 13 years ago 

Not to belabor my point about which candidates are running hard, and which aren't but I just searched on the DNT's website to check on which city council (at large) candidates wrote op eds. Apparently, the DNT invited all the candidates to write op eds. This is an incredible opportunity for a candidate to introduce themselves to a lot of people at one fell swoop. I was surprised to see that Emily Larson, Linda Krug, and Tim Riley were the only three at-large candidates to write these pieces. As far as I'm concerned, the other three candidates who didn't bother to write their op eds squandered a golden opportunity. This is yet one more reason for me to vote for Krug and Larson. They are in it to win and I appreciate that. If someone can't even be bothered to write 300-400 words on why they are running for office, how badly do they want to serve?

If I were in the 4th District, I'd vote for Jackie Halberg. She's a doer, she's not just a talker.

Joel

about 13 years ago 

Yes, Linda Krug served on the recent Tourism Tax Task Force.  This was the Task Force that made some recommendations to reform Visit Duluth's operations to insure public accountabilty for how they spend the large amount of tax dollars they get. For me, the work she did on the Task Force speaks well of the kind of councilor she will be.

How did she get the DFL endorsement? The same way as anyone else:  1) You ask for it 2)  You make the case that your values and priorities are consistent with those of the DFL 3) You make the case that you have the ability to run an effective campaign.  After doing all that, the party representatives that are elected out of the precinct caucuses take a vote, and if you get 60% of the vote, you are endorsed.

Joel

about 13 years ago 

Samual-- are you suggesting that it is a bad thing that candidates like Linda Krug, Emily Larson, and Jackie Halberg have inspired and motivated people to volunteer their time to their campaigns.  I can assure you that the DFL field operation in city races is a 100% volunteer affair.  If there's anyone who doesn't like the local DFL, they are free to create their own volunteer field operation.  (Competition is always a good thing in politics.) But if you don't have a whole bunch of people who are willing to bust their butts, and to do so without any expectation of personal gain, you won't be successful.

edgeways

about 13 years ago 

Someone is running for a local position based on his support for the Defense of Marriage Act? Yeesh, a bit behind the curve there.

Joel

about 13 years ago 

And I should add that anyone who wants to help make the local DFL better should please join up and get involved!

Conrad

about 13 years ago 

What does the Defense of Marriage Act have to do with the city of Duluth? How is that a platform?  That has to be the funniest thing I have read in some time.

Claire

about 13 years ago 

Carla, how did you find that information about Ryan Miles? I looked him up and he says he's religiously and fiscally conservative and Christian, but I didn't find anything about his views about DOMA. I don't think Miles will make it through the primary anyway, it'll be Jackie Halberg and Garry Krause I think.

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