Politics
Meet Rick Nolan
Rick Nolan is running against Chip Cravaack in the 8th Congressional District.
Lot of hoo-haw fer nuthin
No change in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, except that it now includes more of Betrami County.
McNair Event at St. Scholastica
There’s been a lot of heat on PDD, on the DNT, and apparently, even on NPR, about the “Unfair” campaign to raise consciousness about the existence of structures that result in white privilege. As a result, questions of race and class and gender are flaring to the foreground.
Just for a brief counterpoint, I want today to take a look at a program that “does it right” — that recognizes that race is one variable, an important one, but only one in a matrix of privilege and works to destabilize that matrix. (more…)
Minnesota Republicans love Santorum
Considering the definition of “santorum,” there are a lot of opportunities for headline writers tonight. Your suggestions are welcome in the comments.
SOPA/PIPA Info
Welcome back to your regularly scheduled Perfect Duluth Day programming. For roughly 24 hours, PDD was blacked out to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Protect IP Act in the U.S. Senate, co-sponsored by senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar.
Now that the silence is over, rant and rave all you want in the comments.
Here are some news links:
Fox 21: “Websites Black-Out in Protest of Possible Internet Censorship”
MPR: Delegation responds to Internet piracy bills
AP: Wikipedia editors question site’s SOPA blackout
Cravaack New Hampshire Dodgeball
Of all the obvious jabs at Minnesota 8th District Congressman Raymond “Chip” Cravaack for moving to New Hampshire — which reached a fever pitch today for the New Hampshire primary — this is definitely the funniest. (Note to moderators, it’s blatantly partisan, certain to test the new commenting policy).
Not sure if the movie clips are fair-use or not so I suppose it could get yanked at any time.
Monday, January 9 – City Inauguration Festivities
In the past, the swearing in ceremonies were a very small part of the State of the City activities. This year we’ve decided to try something different in order to give City Councilors their own event, allowing the newly elected councilors to be the focus of that event. So, next Monday, I will have a very short outdoor inauguration at noon at City Hall. That evening, the council inauguration will be held at 6 p.m. at Clyde Iron Works, the ceremony starting at 6:30. As a reminder, the councilors being sworn in include Jay Folse, Sharla Gardner, Jennifer Julsrud, Garry Krause, Linda Krug and Emily Larson.
At 7 p.m. there will be a reception featuring live music by Teague Alexy and the Boomchucks. All these events are free and open to the public — we’d love to see you there!
Occupy Duluth snafu
The recent post on this site promoting Occupy Duluth appears to not be from anyone representing the actual persons organizing on the ground/in-person as Occupy Duluth. (I say it in such a convoluted fashion because I don’t like giving the impression there is a membership, whoever wants to be part of Occupy Duluth is).
The link given for Facebook is to a group run by a random guy that doesn’t so much as come to our general assembly meetings (so far as I know, no-one I know has even met him in-person). (more…)
Developer has new student housing/retail plan for Woodland Middle School site
The DNT ran a story today detailing a new mixed-use residential/commercial plan for the site of the former Woodland Middle School. The developer bought the site from the school district in September. You may be familiar with the developer’s other projects like Boulder Ridge and Campus Park. (more…)
Out-of-town anarchist identified!
Out-of-town element and notorious volunteer, Diane Emerson, reacts to Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay’s reference to her at yesterday’s press conference about Occupy Duluth. She was so stunned she almost spilled her herbal tea on her Nonviolent Communication handbook! (more…)
Barack Obama vs. Dennis Kucinich and Michael Moore on Libya
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vetZKGrDYeI
This dramatizes the pie fight on the left that erupted over Libya.
If you view it on its YouTube page here, the brief title sequence plays too but you get the idea.
She Gets Things Done
On Tuesday, November 15, after a long day of working on my unfinished, but indisputably kick-ass, novel, I cracked an adult beverage and logged onto the Internet to make my usual rounds.
On Perfect Duluth Day, I found a post by City Councilor-elect Jennifer Julsrud, titled “Duluth’s Plumbing Needs Big Fix,” regarding Duluth’s aging water infrastructure. Accompanied by a short YouTube video (serious people talking seriously about water, serious music playing in the background), the post listed a series of upcoming community meetings that were to be held on the subject.
Naturally, this irritated me greatly. As far as I was concerned, this was just the latest example of Duluth’s tendency to be serious one minute about issues that actually need attention, and the next minute to stampede giddily off in pursuit of unneeded, but very expensive, luxuries that we want RIGHT NOW-as if the money we spend on the luxuries has no relation at all to the money we need for necessities.
Hey Frank Miller: Batman is the 99 percent
Warning: political, intemperate. (more…)
Duluth 2011 General Election Results
Congratulations to new city councilors Jennifer Julsrud (pending recount), Garry Krause (returning to the council after time off), Linda Krug and Emily Larson.
For the School Board, the winners are incumbent Judy Seliga Punyko and newcomers Michael Miernicki and Bill Westholm.
As for the various questions on the ballot, it’s good for parks and bad for schools. (more…)
2012 Candidate Forum … in 2011
The 2012 DFL District 8 Congressional Candidate Forum coordinated and moderated by Minnesota Public Radio has ended, but the full transcript remains. You can read it at perfectduluthday.com/candidate-forum.
The candidates are Jeff Anderson, Tarryl Clark, Daniel Fanning and
Rick Nolan.
Duluth City Council District One Election
PDD is conducting a bit of an experiment in today’s race for the District One Duluth City Council seat between incumbent Todd Fedora and challenger Jennifer Julsrud. UMD journalism students we be poll watching at the seven precincts in District One, and they will be hustling to report the results in record time. (more…)
Northeastern Minnesota DFL 2012 Congressional Candidate Forum … in 2011
The candidates are Jeff Anderson, Tarryl Clark, Daniel Fanning and
Rick Nolan.
Sure, we don’t even know what the boundaries of what is now Minnesota Congressional District 8 will be in 2012, and yeah, the General Election is a full year away, but Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party candidates are lining up to challenge Republican Congressman Chip Cravaack. So let the vetting begin. (more…)
Tim Riley and the Marriage Amendment
An interesting article in today’s Duluth News Tribune about the at-large city council race race. This Tim Riley is a piece of work. He’s apparently a one-issue candidate.
“Riley said he was motivated to run by a desire to make the Duluth City Council more approachable and welcoming to concerned citizens.
He also has strong views on social issues.
“Some people don’t much want to talk about it, but I support the marriage amendment, and that’s an important issue which is sure to be addressed between now and the 2012 election,” he said. “Our very existence depends on preserving the relationship between man and woman and the institution of marriage.”
How welcoming.
Voting Yes
Voting Yes for the Parks Referendum seems the best use of my vote. I spent years on the Parks & Recreation Commission. Budget cuts reduced staff so badly we had more Commissioners than Parks & Rec employees! Voting yes protects our nearly 12,000 acres of parkland and our libraries from future budget cuts.
Legacy Arts Funding to Vikings Stadium?
I have three thoughts as I read the below.
1. Aargh to the idea that arts funds would go to this cause.
2. Aargh to the robohelp aspect of the way they want you to contact your legislator, even if you don’t know who they are.
3. Aargh, just in general.
How about you? –db (more…)
Get Ready to Ruuuumble
So, one of the possible redistricting plans has Michelle Bachmann and Chip Cravaack squaring off against one another in what would become the new District 6.
Occupy Duluth? Who?? Wha?!?
Here is a brief interview with a couple of local personalities, David Ross (head of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce) and Joel Kilgour (activist and member of Loaves & Fishes) re: Change and the Occupy movement.
httpv://youtu.be/DyzGigMPsWI
If you’re interested in what’s going on, locally, check out the Occupy Duluth Facebook Group.
Michele Bachmann at her most coherent
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFB6LQ1-WKU
Democracy is not a spectator sport
YMCA Youth in Government is a youth-led, experiential learning opportunity that involves 1,800 middle school and high school students each year. The Duluth Area Family YMCA Delegation is still accepting participants.
(more…)