I'm back...sort of

I've managed to neglect this blog for the past 8 months. Turns out blogging about NE politics can get pretty dicey. I've decided to start writing again though because, well frankly, I miss it. I'm not however going to advertise the blog anywhere, and if people stop to read, great, if not, it's ok by me.

When I started this blog I stated that it would be just my opinions and observations, and that's exactly what I plan on doing. I know some of the things I blog about won't be popular with some of the party elites but that's what makes it so fun. For others that read it, it might be exactly what they've been hoping to see.

I'll state it again, I consider myself a progressive liberal but that doesn't mean that I agree with everything that is said by current members of the DFL. I'm not going to back down anymore from writing what I think about some of our elected officials, or candidate hopefuls.

Game on!

Ward 1 Park Board

Here is the list of candidates that have filed for District 1 Park Board.


7/09/09
Liz Wielinski
3519 2nd St NE
55418-1107
612-788-5688

7/17/09
Bernie Kunza
509 36 ½ Ave NE
55418
612-597-8874

7/21/09
John Malone
641 4th St NE
55413
612-810-6487

Ward 1 CC Candidates

The below list isn't too surprising but I wanted to make sure I posted the candidates who filed for the race this year for CC in Ward 1. All candidates running for city office can be found here. I do have to say that my favorite candidate would have to be Joe Lombard running for Mayor for the 'Is Awesome' party. Thanks Joe for not taking life too seriously.


7/08/09
Kevin Reich
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
1018 22nd Ave NE
55418
612-263-3421

7/13/09
Mark Fox
Equity Advocacy Responsibility
2731 Pierce St NE
55418
612-789-8218

7/16/09
Susan Howitz Hanna
Democratic-Farmer-Labor
2015 19th Ave NE
55418
612-789-7668

7/20/09
Thomas Alessi
Ron Paul Conservative
1706 Pierce St NE
55413
612-216-1913

7/21/09
Larry Ranallo
Independent
2607 Ulysses St NE
55418
612-894-4488

Reich Labor Endorsement Update

Early I posted about Kevin not seeking Labor Endorsements prior to the convention, and my disappointment with this. Some of the commenters were upset that I wasn't posting the truth since he does have labor endorsements now. I'd just like to point out that I actually say in the post that I had heard he had recently sought labor endorsements, and that is indeed the case.

I received a message from Reich after sending him an email with some questions. In the message Reich did say that after the convention he has picked up the endorsements of several labor unions including, AFSCME, SEIU, and the Building Trades. He was very vague in the message on whether he had sought any of these endorsements prior to the convention sighting logistical reasons, and time constraints.

So yes, it's true, Reich does have labor endorsements. I'm not looking to post anything false on here, I just want to make sure everybody is aware of what's going on, and the politics behind situations.

I'm Back

Sorry for the extended hiatus but I've been busy being a grown up at work. Thankfully not a whole lot has happened around the ward over the last several weeks but there are some things that I would like to update people on. I plan on doing separate posts for each of the updates since I think it's only fair to give each of them the attention they deserve. Thanks for coming back and checking for updates. I'll have more posts up very shortly.

Felix Montez Newest Park Board Candidate

Thanks to the stalker-like abilities that Facebook now affords us I was able to find that Felix Montez is planning to enter the District 1 Park Board race. Here is what his Facebook status read:


Our Park and Recreation system needs bold new leadership! Minneapolis needs Commissioners willing to analyze the Park Board’s failed policies, propose new actions, and follow through on some tough new initiatives. Resigning from Lutheran Social Services this week was the most difficult task I have undertaken in years, I will miss my clients and colleagues, but a serious candidate needs time to run a serious campaign.

Most people will remember that Montez was the Republican endorsed candidate that ran against Dianne Loeffler in 2008. This year however, Montez caucused with the Dems. I've shot Montez an email to get his side of the story on all of this. I'm not sure what he's referring to when he says 'failed policies' but I'm interested to hear what he thinks.

I think Wielinski has done a great job of campaigning for her seat thus far so Montez is going to have an uphill battle for this one.

26 New Full Time Police Officers

I actually sat down to watch the news the other night, and quickly remembered why I don't like local news. For some reason the story of Jason Andersen being arrested on 5th degree assault was the top story (over a missing boy in Northern Minnesota). I have no intentions of getting into the whole Fong Lee debate but I did make some observations from the Andersen story.

I was first shocked that he is living in Big Lake, that's quite a drive from Minneapolis. Also, I happened to notice how nice his home was, and that he had a very nice looking boat in the driveway. Now I believe that Police Officers have a very thankless job, and I'm grateful to them for putting their lives on the line ever day. However, the story got me interested in what a police salary is. I did some digging on the Star Tribue website and found this story from 2007 that shows officer's base salaries and overtime pay. It's the policy of the MPD to have their officers work 4 - 10 hour shifts, with 3 consecutive days off. In theory this should have them rested and alert for their 4 days on. However, it is also a policy that they can work unlimited overtime. Apparently this overtime idea is in place to 'make do' with the force we have rather than hiring full time officers to cover the gaps.

I did some very crude math on the numbers from the article and found that in 2007 the MPD, as a whole, doled out $1,556,721 in overtime pay. If you figure an officer's base pay to be right around $60,000 a year, it would mean that the city could have added 26 full time officers. I'm not a criminal justice expert but I have to think that adding 26 officers would certainly serve the purpose of protecting us all better than stretching the current staff to work double their normal hours. If the purpose of 4 - 10 hour shifts is to keep the force fresh then what is the point of allowing them unlimited overtime?

Precinct 2 in Mpls has the least amount of officers patrolling the streets. As a matter of fact, in the year I have been in my home I have seen 1 squad car drive by my house on routine patrol. I think I speak for most people when I say that I'd rather be proactive in policing rather than reactive. If there is a presence of police in the area, crimes are much less likely to happen. Adding 26 officers to the street would be a great start to adding the presence that is needed. Am I totally off on my thinking here?