Today is Election Day. In my precinct, there is a mayoral race and two questions on the ballot to consider. Once again, with just hours before the polls open, I checked with neighbors and friends to get their thoughts on the candidates and issues. As of this posting, two have graciously responded. If I hear from others as the day goes on, I will amend this post accordingly.
Sample Ballot
CITY QUESTION 1 (St. Paul)
Referendum on Ord 25-2 amending the City Charter.
Should Ordinance Ord 25-2, amending Chapter 6.03 of the St. Paul Charter, regarding Administrative Citations take effect? Ordinance Ord 25-2 amends the City Charter to authorize the issuance of Administrative Citations that may result in the imposition of civil fines for violations of City Ordinances. Administrative Citations are not Criminal Citations. A “yes vote is a vote in favor of amending the City Charter to allow the City to issue administrative citations. A “No” vote is a vote against amending the City Charter and against administrative citations.
SCHOOL DISTRICT QUESTION 1 (ISD #625)
Approval of New School District Referendum Revenue Authorization
The board of Independent School District No. 625 (Saint Paul), Minnesota has proposed to increase the School District’s general education revenue by $1,073 per pupil, subject to an annual increase at the rate of inflation. The proposed new referendum revenue authorization would be first levied in 2025 for taxes payable in 2026 and applicable for ten (10) years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.
Comments
Below is what I’ve heard as of this posting. Should I receive more comments, I will add them below.
One trusted neighbor wrote:
Hi Rebekah. I hope you and Brian are well.
I voted for Her but am not as politically active as previously and cannot offer an insider perspective. As my Rep., after redistricting moved me from Dave Pinto territory, Her had the right positions but I find her rather elusive. Compared to Pinto, she is quiet and not strong on outreach. During the mayoral, she seemed to recognize that and emphasize her “get it done,” no show-boating style.
That professed (and maybe real) style served her well in this campaign because more people now realize that Carter is pretty much hot air. His mirco-versions of potential national solutions come as his own city is falling down around him. A quiet yeoman Mayor who will fix the basics sounds pretty good in comparison.
I voted for both ballot questions in spite of my respect for Jane Prince’s warning about limitless administrative citations. I’m assuming there will be penalty guidelines. And I’m in favor of heavy investment in public schools not just for facilities, personnel, and curricula but to fend off the largely right-wing attack on them.
Your newsletter had a welcome section of food shelves. I’ve been delivering groceries from Keystone to homebound individuals in Saint Paul and surrounding territory. Doing a little is alternately satisfying and very troubling for the recognition it affords of how much more is needed. And then there are the fucking Republicans.
Another thoughtful neighbor wrote:
Hi Rebekah,
Two reasons not to vote for Mayor Carter:
- He did not bother, despite multiple requests, to respond to a questionnaire from Neighbors for Responsible and Livable Development about a proposed moratorium on the tear-downs of original homes the the neighborhood and their replacement with barn-like structures to be used as private student dormitories. Like I said when we chatted this morning, I don’t oppose greater housing density, but I do oppose perfectly good century-old homes in the neighborhood being demolished and replaced with cheaply built, hideously ugly structures.
- He is apparently not in favor of requiring bird-safe glass in new zoning rules for the Mississippi River Corridor. We should all know by now that regular glass is deadly to birds. Requiring bird-safe glass for construction in a city in the Mississippi flyway should be a total no-brainer.
So, who gets my vote? I asked a number of my politically savvy friends about their choices for mayor. Most of them favor Her, with Chen in the #2 ranked choice spot. I am probably going with Her as #1.
My Thoughts
As I watched a debate last night, Brian grumbled with every hostile jab between candidates: “Debates are useless.” He’s right. They lack nuance and the time it takes to tease out viable solutions to problems.
What’s with the hostility?
As for the hostility, I’m worn out by the lack of civility in politics. We can disagree and even correct a statement without resorting to making enemies of each other. Please, to every candidate everywhere: Stop it. To be clear, I’m not arguing against passion. We need people to – for example – stand up for the poor with some vigor. But it’s disheartening to watch politicians who should be allies tear each other down with petty complaints. If I were teaching a debate class, I would ask my students to rewrite this one such that candidates were cordial and made their points without the snark. In my view, Rep. Kaohly Her would need the most editing in this regard. Yan Chen seemed to mainly stay above the fray, while Mayor Carter came across as the most likeable. If I based my decision on this debate alone, he would be my first choice.
Unresponsive government
However, Carter’s unresponsiveness to advocacy groups who oppose tearing down single-family homes, as mentioned above, is very concerning. The current Mayor and the City Council seem intent on bulldozing their way to solutions without acknowledging the harm they are doing to our neighborhoods in the process.
It’s hard to see how tearing down blocks and blocks of quality homes that have lasted over a hundred years and replacing them with cheap eyesores can be a serious response to the “climate refuges” we are expecting. Aside from wasting resources, these buildings are not even a solution to affordable housing for the people who already live here. For example, a neighbor recently became homeless (one crisis away from homelessness is real). She lived within blocks of dense new construction but she couldn’t afford the rent. Meanwhile, college students (who – despite the justifications for doing away with parking requirements – do drive) seem to be able to swing it.
Unlike my friend quoted above, I like that Carter is thinking beyond the “nuts & bolts” and is trying to do what he can to address things like gun violence in the face of failure elsewhere in government. It’s a little ironic to fault him for this while complaining about crime. In any case, anyone who is resisting the Trump administration, which Carter has been doing, deserves some credit, even if there are potholes that need to be filled. There will always be potholes.
If Kamala were president…
At the recent No Kings Day protest near St. Kate’s college, I saw a sign that said, “If Kamala were president we’d all be at brunch.” Like a lot of the signs that day (“Clean up in aisle 47,” “No Faux King Way”), it made me laugh. Brunch did sound good. But the sentiment also points to a problem. To believe that electing Democrats means that we can let our government churn along unattended, as if they too aren’t tainted by corporate money that makes things like universal health care – as then presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar put it – “pie in the sky,” is a mistake. Even today, presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg is singing the same song. Anyone who says that universal healthcare is impossible in America should be disqualified from consideration for any office, let alone the presidency. Now is the time to make this clear. Just like last month was the time to start a discussion with my neighbors about an election that is happening today.
Our collective “brunching” is the reason why our democracy is on the verge of collapse. Thank goodness for the advocates who are keeping an eye on things.
I’m inclined to support them.
As for the questions on the ballot, I’m inclined to support my neighbors who are feeling crushed by their property taxes. May I suggest looking into establishing a state bank, as they have in North Dakota, to finance the public good? In the Minnesota House, there used to be a bill with bipartisan support to establish one. That was a while ago, and I’m not sure where the bill stands today. The ultimate solution is to tax the rich appropriately. In the meantime, as a neighbor suggested, we can try to fund our schools with a tax on plastic bags.
No Kings
Here are some pictures from the No Kings rally that Brian and I attended on October 18.
