Precinct caucuses March 3

by Ed Felien
published Feb 2, 09

Precinct caucuses are coming up on the first Tuesday in March—March 3.
Delegates chosen at the precinct caucuses will endorse candidates for City Council, Park Board and Mayor.

At this point it doesn’t look like incumbents Robert Lilligren in the 6th Ward and Elizabeth Glidden in the 8th will have a challenge for endorsement, and it doesn’t seem that a Green Party or Republican candidate is emerging to challenge them in the general election. Three incumbent City Council members are not seeking re-election: Paul Ostrow in the 1st Ward, Ralph Remington in the 10th and Scott Benson in the 11th. None of them are within the borders of the Phillips/Powderhorn community. However, Gary Schiff, whose 9th Ward is half in the Phillips/Powderhorn area and half in the Riverside area, is being challenged by Amy Arcand for the DFL endorsement.

Amy Arcand has been executive director of the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization for seven years and led the organizing to establish the Midtown Farmers’ Market. She helped organize an empowerment group for women trying to leave prostitution in South Minneapolis. She helped organize Latinos en Accion to give new immigrants a voice in community decision-making. She served on the boards of Volunteers of America and the Midtown Greenway Coalition, and she worked as a consultant for the opening of the Global Market. She doesn’t seem to have a quarrel with any of Gary Schiff’s actions as a member of the Council, but she says, “There is a crucial difference between doing a ‘good job’ and a ‘great job.’ ”

Dave Bicking has announced he will run for City Council in the 9th Ward. He is still upset about the Stadium Tax that added a billion dollars to the sales tax that people in Hennepin County will pay to build the baseball stadium for the multi-billionaire Pohlad family. It is not known if Bicking will have a challenge for Green Party endorsement for his run, nor is it known if there will be a Republican or Independent Party challenger.

Gary Schiff is generally considered one of the more progressive members of the City Council. He is thought to be responsive to problems and thoughtful about solutions: “I’ve never supported a stadium subsidy and I never will. In the next four years I will help create new gang prevention programs; continue to welcome immigrants; fight for full funding for neighborhoods in NRP phase III support anti-prostitution legislation that gets tough on johns; and make Minneapolis a model sustainable city.”

The DFL Endorsing Conven-tion for the 9th Ward will be March 14.

The race for Mayor seems to be between R T Rybak and Bob Miller. R T has won two terms, and neither time did he have the DFL endorsement. He was quite active in the Obama campaign, and many seasoned pros thought he would get a job in the new administration. He has been mentioned as a candidate for Governor next year, but he would have to win his mayoral race first to remain viable.

Bob Miller has been head of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program in Minneapolis for many years. He says, “Neighborhoods and residents are being ignored” and “The attitude of our elected City leaders seems to be that our residents are ‘customers’ of the City.” He believes our residents are the City’s “owners.”

The DFL City Endorsing Convention will be May 16. Candidates for Park Board will be endorsed at that time as well.

For information about where and when to caucus contact your political party:
Democratic - Farmer - Labor
651-293-1200
Independence
651-487-9700
Republican
651-222-0022
Green Party
651-288-2820