Partisan endorsements ( from Campaign activity) published on 8/14/2007
[Original Title of 7/26 article: DFL endorses Rossbach and Nephew|
Editorial comment: As a member of the Maplewood Voters Coalition that endorses local government candidates, and as a delegate to the DFL Maplewood endorsement convention, I wanted to expand on why I think endorsements are a good idea. Here is Partisanship in local politics.
[Update 1: 8/9 9:00 AM]Christeen Stone agrees!
The letters to the editor in the 8/8/2007 4:26:00 PM Lillie Newspapers includes this Letter: "A democracy again?'.
Would you like to see Maplewood become a democracy again? I would! In 2005 a mayor and two new city council members were elected. They came in with their own agenda and have been "the rubber stamp council" ever since. They refuse to let two well qualified and experienced council members be a part of decision making.
We will soon vote in a September Primary with two seats open.
Will Rossbach has my support to retain his seat. He has proven to be a real asset to our city in his four years on the council and fourteen on the Planning Comission, lending his expertise from Rossbach Construction Company and a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.
John Nephew is my other choice. He is a former teacher who established a successful business 17 years ago. He has become very concerned with the dysfunctional city we have.
He was the one citizen still at the hearing at 2 AM when a very unqualified city manager was made permanent by the "Rubber Stamp Council." Copeland's background check had proven he had neither the education, nor the experience to be a city manager.
Will and John can cancel the "Rubber Stamp" and get our city back on track.
It is a privilege to live in a democracy and a duty to study candidates to ensure they will serve well.
Al Bergstrom, former trustee of Maplewood, said, "City Council is not a position of power; it is a service (and responsibility) to the community."
Christeen M. Stone
Maplewood
On July 25, 2007 the Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL) broke its longstanding silence on Maplewood municipal governance by endorsing John Nephew and incumbent Will Rossbach for Maplewood City Council. Over forty voting delegates and an equal number of observers attended the Maplewood Endorsing Convention to evaluate the credentials of the five candidates who sought endorsement. Rossbach and Nephew were endorsed on the first ballot, having received at least 60% of the votes cast. James Moreno Llanas, DelRay (Rocky) Rokke, and James E Meehan also sought endorsement, although in Mr. Meehan's written responses he classified himself as an independent and did not attend the event.
The endorsement convention was the culmination of a lengthy internal DFL process to determine whether the party should exercise its voice in municipal affairs. Party leadership characterized Maplewood as a "city in crisis" in justifying what they termed "an historic moment".
[Ed note: I was a voting delegate to the convention. Stephan] | |