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Archive for the 'Local Politics' Category

MtkaDem: Open Letter to Mark Ritchie

Published on December 14, 2008 at 6:08 pm
, filed in Local Politics
. Closed

Dear Secretary Ritchie,
I want to express my appreciation for the professional and fair manner in which you are conducting this election recount.  I also want to advise that under no circumstances should any outside pressures or challenges to your fairness impact your procedures in any way.  Senator Coleman’s campaign has obviously begun a public relations strategythat is meant to pressure you, through media and public perception, to make changes and decisions that will favor their end goal.  Online blogs (i.e. MDE), the Minnesota GOP and even national politicians and conservative tv/radio show hosts are all coordinating to try to influence your process wherever possible.  Please don’t change from what you consider a fair and impartial process to try to appease such attempts; they all know what they ask is biased.  Such screaming is all part of the coordinated strategy to get inside your head and make you believe that changes need to be made to make the process more acceptable.  Ignore all such pressures; I sincerely hope that the appointment of two partisan judges to the canvassing board was not a result of attempts at appeasement.   I have full confidence in your personal and your office’s ability to conduct such a large and nationally important recount in the most accurate, professional, fair and thorough manner.

Sincerely,
 MtkaDem

Jeff Rosenberg: Madia campaign to hold debate viewing party Thursday night

Published on August 20, 2008 at 8:45 am
, filed in CD3 and Local Politics
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Don’t forget: the first CD3 debate of the general election is this Thursday, 8:00 a.m., at One General Mills Boulevard in Golden Valley. Unfortunately, the cost to get in for non-TwinWest Chamber of Commerce members is $35. Too spendy for you? Well don’t worry; thanks to the generosity of the Ashwin Madia campaign, there will be another opportunity to watch the debate.

The Madia campaign will be hosting a free viewing party at their campaign headquarters. Here’s the info:

For those who cannot attend the pre-debate rally or debate, we will be holding a FREE debate watching party at 6:00 p.m. on the evening of August 21st at the office at 10200 73rd Avenue, Ste 116 in Maple Grove. RSVP at lpryor(at)madiaforcongress(dot)com.

Thanks so much to the Madia campaign for arranging this! This is another great example of Ashwin Madia’s generosity and his campaign’s openness.

To thank Ash and his campaign, let’s all be generous with our time as well. The campaign is looking for volunteers to rally outside the debate and hold signs. Here’s the information on what they’re looking for:

At 6:00 a.m., we will be holding a pre-debate rally. Hold signs, welcome Ashwin Madia to the debate, and show your support for Ashwin Madia for Congress.

At 7:00 a.m., there will be registration and a pre-debate continental breakfast. We DEFINITELY need people holding signs outside to greet attendees to the debate at this time. It is vital we have as many people as possible outside.

At 8:00 a.m., the 90 minute debate will begin.

We are asking individuals to hold signs outside the debate from 6:00 - 8:00 a.m., so that we can show all attendees to the debate that the 3rd Congressional District supports Ashwin Madia for Congress. RSVP at lpryor(at)madiaforcongress(dot)com

This is a great way to get involved and thank Ash. Please volunteer today!

Jeff Rosenberg: Precinct by precinct: CD7 (PROMOTED)

Published on July 30, 2008 at 8:50 am
, filed in Local Politics
. Closed

Editor’s Note: This diary has been promoted to the frontpage and any comments should now be posted there.

In this edition of the Daily Liberal Mapping Project, we look at the 7th Congressional District. CD7, home to Democratic Representative Collin Peterson, tends to be quite moderate. Peterson turned the district bluer with his election in 1990, and was a founding member of the Blue Dog Democrats, a moderate group which describes itself as:

a policy-oriented group to give moderate and conservative Democrats in the House of Representatives a common sense, bridge-building voice within the institution.

The district voted largely Democratic in 2006. Approximately half of the precincts voted over 60% Democratic, but about one third voted Republican.

However, nothing is guaranteed in the 7th, where voters are far more likely to split their tickets than the typical Minnesotan. Volatility is a measure of variation across races, and precincts with high volatility are those that see a lot of ticket-splitters.

The volatility map (below, at left) below shows that almost the entire district is full of voters willing to cross party lines. In 2006, the district voted 56% for Amy Klobuchar, but 54% for Tim Pawlenty. This has long been a safe seat for Peterson; the question will be how Al Franken fares with the volatile CD7 voters. In the more socially-conservative 7th, Franken must persuade voters to focus on his fiscal policies. CD7 readers, what do you think: will the 7th swing for Franken or against him?

Turnout in the district is fair; it falls pretty much in the middle of the state’s districts in turnout as well as ideology. The turnout map (above, at right) shows pockets of both heavy and light turnout scattered throughout the district. Of course, when it’s uncertain which Senate candidate the district will vote for, it’s hard to say whether this bodes well for Franken. His best bet would be a good internal polling mechanism to determine which precincts need t

Jeff Rosenberg: Our literally crumbling infrastructure

Published on July 28, 2008 at 6:54 am
, filed in Local Politics
. Closed

I frequently write about how Tim Pawlenty’s budget cuts have left us with what I call “our crumbling infrastructure.” Did you think I was just exaggerating to make a point? Well, check out this story from WCCO:

ST. PAUL (WCCO) ― Drivers heading north on Interstate 35E got a bit of a scare Saturday afternoon. A chunk of concrete fell off the Maryland Avenue Bridge in St. Paul and struck two cars. One car had damage to its hood, the other to its windshield.

That part of I-35E was shut down in both directions at 5 p.m. while the bridge was inspected. Inspectors said the piece of concrete that fell was a 4-foot by 4-foot piece of concrete that was 3 inches thick.

…

Last August, Maryland Avenue bridge was inspected and received a sufficiency rating of 77. If a bridge receives a sufficiency rating less than 80, it is eligible for federal rehabilitation funding. MnDOT said that doesn’t mean the bridge isn’t safe.

Our infrastructure is literally falling apart. And while the Republicans were trying to convince us that we should put all of our transportation fixes on a credit card, courageous DFL legislators authored a solution, with the help of the “Override Six.” The gas tax wasn’t popular, but sometimes hard decisions need to be made, and kudos to them for having the political courage to do what was needed.

The Pawlenty administration, on the other hand, continue to have a horrendous attitude about transportation. A MnDOT spokesperson acted as if the latest news was no big deal by saying “It’s basically the same type of situation as like when your sidewalk starts breaking apart due to weather and the salt and just the elements.” No big deal — 35E is just breaking apart. So here’s a question for all of you: are you willing to pay an extra 5 cents per gallon to stop 1200-pound chunks of our freeways from falling on us? I know I sure am.

Crossposted to the Twin Cities Daily Liberal