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Senate District 66 News |
| February 2006 |
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SD 66 News and Extras
by Gloria Zaiger, Affirmative Action Officer
In 2004, the Precinct caucuses were filled to bursting with people wanting to do their part to elect John Kerry as President. So many more people came out to caucus than in previous years that some places had a hard time coping with the unexpected numbers. While the energy was amazing, it unfortunately contributed to a sense of chaos that may have discouraged first-time caucus attendees. If you fall into that category, please give it another chance. This is a critical time for our state and our country, and the results of the 2006 election will have far reaching ramifications. Though this is not a Presidential election year, all efforts must be made to reduce the damage of the Bush Presidency. With his popularity finally plummeting, this is our chance to turn the tide.As they say, “think globally, act locally.” Our actions in all the elections this year will do much to increase DFL momentum on the national level. It starts with electing Democrats to the US House and US Senate. But also, regaining the Governor’s seat for the DFL will not only put Minnesota back on the right track, it will signal the rest of the nation that we are, in fact and in every way, a Blue State — and proud of it. Having DFL majorities in our state legislature will mean better schools, a cleaner environment and a real willingness to deal with the health care crisis. If that’s not enough, hopefully it will also mean fewer of those expensive and irritating visits from a certain Republican President. Now that ought to get you inspired!
All of this starts with showing up at your precinct caucuses on March 7. The caucuses of 2004 revealed how much energy there was for change, and many good things have come out of that. We gained 13 new Democrats in the Minnesota House and many new voters registered and voted for the first time. Much will be done to ensure that this year’s caucuses are organized and prepared for the thousands of people who want to make a difference in our state and country. We’ll be ready for you, so don’t miss it!
by John Sherman
Class, I have an announcement! On March 7 we will be taking a field trip to the SD 66 DFL precinct caucus. Are there any questions? How long will we be there? Well, caucuses start at 7:00 p.m. and generally are done within two hours. You can get there early, starting about 6:30 p.m.Who will be there? Your neighbors will. When you arrive, look for your voting precinct. Don’t worry if you are not certain what your precinct is. There will be someone there to help you find it.
You, there, in the back: what’s your question? Why do we need to go? Good question. Precinct caucuses are the grassroots organizing event of the DFL. Neighbors meet to organize and change the DFL. At a precinct caucus, you can introduce ideas the party should support as policy, work for a candidate that you believe can change government, and select party leaders. And, guess what? It’s all free. (Although a freewill donation wouldn’t be turned down.)
Class, when we get there, you will be asked to fill out a registration sheet with your name, address, phone number and (optional)
At 7:00 p.m., the caucus will start. There will be a convenor to help get things going. The first business will be to elect a caucus chair and appoint a secretary to record the caucus.
The caucus chair runs the meeting. Any voter registered in the precinct can run for chair.
The next item of business is to elect a precinct chair and two
I see a hand over there. What about issues? Well, the next item is often the adoption of resolutions for the party to consider adding to its platform. You can introduce a resolution and offer it for debate and passage to the Senate District Convention. If you plan to introduce a resolution, it is helpful if you bring copies of the text so that people can read it and the secretary can include a legible copy if it is passed.
What’s this Senate District Convention that the resolutions go to? I thought you would never ask. The Senate District Convention is the next level of participation. It’s an event on a Saturday in March where the body endorses state senator and house candidates, elects party officers, passes your resolutions and elects delegates to the Congressional District and State Conventions. With the exception of the endorsement process, we follow the same basic procedure as at precinct caucuses, but on a larger scale.
You are right. I did say that the senate district does everything the precinct caucuses do. What about elections of delegates? Sorry that slipped my mind. At 7:30 p.m., the precinct caucus can elect delegates to the Senate District Convention. How many delegates get elected, you ask? It depends on the precinct and its democratic vote. The registration sheet will tell you how many delegates your precinct will elect.
Some people worry about delegate elections. They think they are confusing. You be the judge. When elections start, the precinct chair will ask for a show of hands of the people who want to be delegates to the Senate District Convention. (By the way, it’s quite alright to nominate yourself.) The chair counts the number of people wanting to be delegates. If the number isn’t greater than the number of delegates available, the election is over. The people who raised their hands are elected. The chair will then ask if anyone else wants to be an alternate. (I will let you in on a secret. Last time around, when a huge number of people showed up for caucuses, over 90 percent of the precincts elected delegates this way.)
Now, here is the part people think is confusing. If more people want to be delegates than there are delegate slots available, the chair will ask how many people want “proportional voting.” It takes just a few people to ask for proportional voting. This means
Why does the party maintain this ‘confusing’ process? A very good question! Unlike the Republicans, where majority takes all, DFLers value all opinions, majority or minority. Democrats want to make sure that your voice is heard and represented. This process goes one step further to make sure you are represented in what the party does.
Finally, class, before we go home for the evening, those of you who were elected delegates and alternates will select members to sit on convention committees for the Senate District Convention. This is very important because our convention is organized by us. We are all volunteers, and we need many hands to make it work smoothly.
So, class, if you have questions, you can call
by Cory Tennison
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| Cory Tennison |
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As many of you know, I am currently a unionized Assistant County Attorney doing felony criminal prosecution in Scott County. I am married and own a small home in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul. My wife, Becky, is a 6th grade public school teacher at Wellstone Elementary. We are expecting our first child in May.
I am often asked why I am running for Ramsey County Attorney. The answer is simple. When I was a law student at the University of Wisconsin Law School, I worked for the Innocence Project. I assisted in the DNA exoneration of a man who spent 12 years in a Texas prison for a crime he did not commit. This is an experience I take with me to work every day as a prosecutor. It serves as a personal reminder that we must always be working to improve the criminal justice system. Improvement not only includes aggressively prosecuting the guilty, but also implementing new procedures to protect the innocent.
There is room to improve in Ramsey County. The crime rate in St. Paul is rising. Homicides were up 24 percent in 2005 and violent crime was up 9 percent.
In 2004, out of 77 referrals to civilly commit dangerous sex offenders, the current Ramsey County Attorney administration only filed 1 petition to remove the offender from society. As the St. Paul Pioneer Press pointed out in a March 2005 article, this was a much lower rate than either Hennepin or Dakota Counties. When I am Ramsey County Attorney, I will work with the Legislature and assistant prosecutors to stiffen and utilize appropriate penalties for violent offenders. I will also be more aggressive in pursuing the criminal and civil prosecution of dangerous sex offenders.
We are not going to get where we need to be with only “tough on crime” policies, however. There are important concepts that we should consider for Ramsey County, such as the principle of restorative justice. Community service, chemical dependency treatment, victim/offender conferencing all are appropriate solutions for nonviolent and juvenile crime. My opponent has debated against restorative justice. These and other issues highlight the need for new priorities and policies to better provide for and protect our communities.
Finally, I will work to improve relationships with community leaders and police agencies. This effort will include the implementation of new interrogation and lineup procedures to make sure we are prosecuting the guilty while protecting the innocent.
I am honored to have earned the support of Senator Mee Moua, Senator Becky Lourey, Former Senator Roger Moe, Former Chief of Police Bill Finney, Representative Mindy Greiling, Representative Sheldon Johnson, Representative John Lesch, Representative Carlos Mariani, Representative Cy Thao, City Council Member Lee Helgen, School Board Member Anne Carroll, and School Board Member Al Oertwig, and hundreds of other DFL activists and past convention delegates. We have raised thousands of dollars and have just hired our first paid staff member. Our momentum is growing. With your support and our continued hard work and determination, we will earn the DFL endorsement in April and win in November.
For more information, please join us at http://www.tennison2006.org.
by Gloria Zaiger
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| Rep. Alice Hausman |
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It’s going to be a busy and fun year for the DFL. We have so many talented and inspiring DFL candidates at all levels of Government, from Ramsey County Attorney to US Senate, sometimes it’s hard to pick among them. But here in 66B, we’re lucky that one choice is easy. Alice Hausman has been an experienced, effective and dedicated representative for our district, and we hope you’ll help her continue with those efforts. Though she has been successful running for
However, we need to do more than ensure that Alice wins
by Saint Paul Councilmember Lee Helgen - Ward 5
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| Councilmember Lee Helgen |
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In 2005, the City of Saint Paul faced a number of significant budget challenges and a growing concern about public safety. While I disagreed with Mayor Kelly on how to best meet the needs of the community, the City Council and the Mayor were able to reach an agreement that balanced the budget. We set in motion the process of hiring of 25 additional police officers and 9 firefighters to address a significant gap in our public safety system. We also were able to provide additional support for the Community Prosecution unit in the City Attorney’s Office to help resolve problems at the neighborhood level. 2006 will remain challenging as we contend with a projected budget gap of over $14 million. I continue to hope that the State of Minnesota’s budget forecast will show a surplus and that the Governor and the Legislature will allocate funds to local governments and schools as a means to provide property tax relief.
As we head into the 2006 legislative session, all eyes will be on the “bonding bill” which funds capital investment throughout the State of Minnesota. The City of Saint Paul has a number of priority requests up for consideration. The City of Minneapolis, the City of Saint Paul and Ramsey County have agreed that securing funding for the Central Rail Corridor is the top priority for the region.
The City of Saint Paul and Ramsey County are also working with the City of Eagan to secure funding for the Union Depot and to move the Downtown Post Office to support the Depot’s redevelopment as a regional transit hub.
The City of Saint Paul’s requests for this year’s bonding bill include the following:
I am optimistic about the future of Saint Paul. With Chris Coleman as our new Mayor and his excellent cabinet appointees, we can expect a new level of community involvement with city government. In particular, I am excited about the renewed commitment to our youth. I am looking forward to working with Mayor Coleman on environmental issues and sustainability. Additionally, I welcome the opportunity to address the underlying issues of economic disparity as it relates to race and concentrations of poverty. I believe that we will be able to take a more holistic approach to building and growing Saint Paul. As always, please feel to call my office at
by Susan Gaertner, Ramsey County Attorney
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| Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner |
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Some of our most significant and satisfying work in the County Attorney’s Office focuses on the well-being of children. We put a big emphasis on keeping kids safe, healthy and out of trouble. We view this work as a vital investment in the future of our community. I would like to mention just a few of our strategies.
The Truancy Intervention Program (TIP) is one of our most time-tested and successful efforts. TIP has served more than 25,000 students since I initiated the program 10 years ago in collaboration with the school districts, community corrections, juvenile court and private agencies. We were motivated by short-term consequences of truancy such as school failure and daytime juvenile crime — and longterm consequences such as criminal activity, unemployment and welfare dependency.
TIP intervenes early to halt truancy at all grade levels before it becomes a serious problem. Year after year, the vast majority of students in the program improve their attendance. We also are keeping kids out of the juvenile justice system. Filings for truancy petitions in juvenile court have dropped 53 percent since TIP started.
TIP sends a clear message that education, personal responsibility and respect for the law are important values in our community. We think the message is getting across. A U of M researcher concluded: “I have never reviewed or evaluated a program as effective as TIP.”
Five years ago, in partnership with the St. Paul City Attorney’s Office, we launched a special prosecution unit that focuses on domestic assault cases where children are present. Research shows that many children exposed to domestic violence experience behavioral and emotional problems that continue into adulthood.
Often, they become abusers themselves, perpetuating a vicious cycle. Our goal is to break the cycle of violence. We do this by aggressively prosecuting domestic assaults and addressing the needs of adults and child victims. A recent evaluation found “significantly improved prosecution outcomes” and “a significant increase in conviction rates” as a result of the special prosecution unit.
My office also serves children and families as the child support collection agency in Ramsey County. As county attorney, I have dedicated myself to maximizing collections as a way to build self-sufficient families and provide a nurturing environment for children. I am proud to say that collections have increased by 94 percent since I took office.
Besides these initiatives, my office seeks to help children through child protection work, drug education efforts and a recent program to intervene with young runaways, among other strategies.
It’s a cliché to say children are our future, but it’s so true. For the sake of our children and our community, we want that future to be as bright as it can be.
| News for Senate District 66 |
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Links: |
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Chair of Senate District 66: Erica Schumacher |
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District 66 Communications Committee:
Hal Keen, Wanda Lorentzen, |
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Contributing writers: Susan Gaertner, Lee Helgen, John Sherman, Erica Schumacher, Cory Tennison and Gloria Zaiger |
| For updated information, please join the Senate District 66 discussion group on Yahoo! |