Terrier Vs. Gerbil
It's election day in the Twin Cities - and in no city is the choice starker than in Saint Paul, where we have a choice between a mayor who's accomplished much in four years...
...and a vacuous hamster who's accomplished nearly nothing, and whose brain has a "For Rent" sign tacked on, ready to be occupied by whatever interest group or power bloc seems in control at the time.
This time, it's the coalition of special interests that run Saint Paul - the unions, especially teachers and public employees, and government affiliated trades.
And beneath the blandishments about more spending and feelgood bromides about involvement and engagement, Coleman has really only one concrete campaign plank:
In an hourlong debate on Minnesota Public Radio's "Midday" show, Kelly and Coleman took swings at familiar topics: taxes and fees, crime, a "second shift" of programs at libraries and recreation centers, a new stadium for the Minnesota Twins and Kelly's 2004 endorsement of President Bush.
"I respectfully suggest that that endorsement has not much to do with this city, and I would hope that people would take a look at what we've done and what we want to do," Kelly said.
Countered Coleman: "The mayor's relationships with those two individuals [President Bush and Gov. Tim Pawlenty] is an important question for people to ask, and it is a sound reflection where the mayor's priorities and values are."
Yes. Yes they are.
Values like "Shunning political expediency in favor of what's right".
Values like "doing a tough job, damn the political consequences".
Things that are foreign to Chris Coleman, special interest yes-man.
I'm praying for a miracle.
Posted by Mitch at
November 8, 2005 06:57 AM
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Ask not 'what has your mayor done for our city,' but 'who did the mayor endorse for president.'
Posted by: chriss at November 8, 2005 08:59 AMYep, me too. All Coleman's had to do is show up with a clean shirt on. People always talk about Minneapolis being such a left-leaning area - it is - but I'd be willing to bet that, pound-for-pound, our lefties can beat their lefties. Ha ha.
Posted by: PaulC at November 8, 2005 09:47 AMSo this begs the $64,000 question, Mitch:
How bad will it have to get before you throw your hands in the air and say "I'm not going to let this city full of (and run by) complete morons cost me any more money or put my family in any further danger" and get the hell out of there?
I've been a suburban boy since birth and you couldn't pay me enough to live in St Paul or Mpls proper. The farther away (while still staying in "the metro"), the better.
Posted by: FJBil at November 8, 2005 11:24 AMOops...forgot I am going by a new name here.
Posted by: Bill C (formerly FJBill) at November 8, 2005 11:25 AMBill C.,
That's the subject of an upcoming post.
Posted by: mitch at November 8, 2005 11:54 AMWell, it could be worse. Jay Benenov or Andy Dawkins could be running against Kelly.
As for me, I like living in the city, and can't imagine how I'd afford a house in the suburbs.
Posted by: peter at November 8, 2005 06:20 PMI inherited my house. Yeah, I know I got lucky in the most unlucky way you can get.
Peter, someone I know from a motorcycle email list used to live in Highland Park. Sold that house, moved to Eagan for more room. He got a house almost twice as large for roughly the same amount of money. After a year of living in the "soulless suburb" he ran screaming in agony back to the area of 38th/Park Ave in SW Mpls. He paid $287K for a house that was 2/3 the size of his Eagan house.
$287K will buy you plenty of house in a first ring suburb (if you don't have a huge family), or even more house in an outlying suburb.
He says that he regreted ever even considering moving to the suburbs. After seeing how much traffic goes by his house on Park and how little room there is between his house and his neighbors, I just shook my head in wonder and told him I'd have gone screaming back to the suburbs after living in what, to me, felt like an ant colony of contant motion and zero space. He claimed it was wonderful because there were so many restaurants within walking distance, and I replied "I LIKE driving! I DON'T CARE if I have to drive 5-10-15-20 minutes to go get or have dinner. And my car keeps me dry in the rain and warm in the winter. Your shoes and boots do not."
We just had to agree to disagree, and understand that neither would ever understand the other, and continued re-wiring the headlight harness on my bike.
Oh yeah, he had Tim Penny and Nader/LaDuke signs hanging in his garage, and I'm sure he felt Wellstone was deserving of patron saint status as well. Just to give you a comparison of our polar opposite mindsets.
Posted by: Bill C at November 8, 2005 11:39 PMBill C, when we bought in the Midway neighborhood, the same amount of money would have gotten us a townhouse in the second ring suburbs. I like my yard. And no, there are no Nader/LaDuke signs here. And the traffic is nowhere near what's on Park and 38th.
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