VIDEO: “Minnesota … a foreign graduate unfriendly place”
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This election year, seven individuals are learning more about what it means to do their civic duty, and they’re sharing their stories on video.
VIDEO: “I never had the opportunity to vote back home”
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This election year, seven individuals are learning more about what it means to do their civic duty, and they’re sharing their stories on video. The Center for Asian and Pacific Islanders (CAPI) started a pilot program to provide training and education for individuals who are either new to the voting process or simply wish to become involved in their communities through civic engagement. The program, which began back in September, is part of CAPI’s larger Voter Education Campaign, which provides resources like free translation and rides to polling places to increase voting participation in communities with typically low turnout. “We need to have less about quantity, but more about quality,” said Sandy Ci Moua, who runs the program. “Because a lot of people that get to the polls … they don’t necessarily feel confident. Continue Reading
Not enough time: Following up on school board candidate forums
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The November election is less than two weeks away, and for the four at-large candidates for the Minneapolis school board, it’s candidate forum time.This past week, on Oct. 20 and Oct. 24, candidates Iris Altimarno, Rebecca Gagnon, Ira Jourdain, and Don Samuels appeared at forums where all of the questions asked came directly from the audience, on the spot, and were not pre-determined.The Oct. 20 forum was sponsored by a handful of southwest Minneapolis neighborhood associations, such as Fulton, Kingfield, and Lyndale, and held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. Minneapolis City Council member Elizabeth Glidden hosted the Oct. Continue Reading
Hamline’s MPIRG rocks the vote
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Hamline Chapter of the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) wants to make voting less intimidating for those who have never voted before. The non-partisan organization works on informing and registering college students for Election Day.“In reality, all elections are important. It seems that people think that if we aren’t electing the president that means whatever is on the ballot isn’t going to affect them. That isn’t true at all!” said Lizy Busta, a second year at Hamline University and MPIRG co-chair.This election season, the state of Minnesota is voting for Governor, State House Representative, U.S. House Representative, U.S. Senator, Attorney General and school board members.“All of these people on the ballot have a huge impact on our state, so it’s important to go and vote for who you think will benefit Minnesota,” said Busta. “The President of the United States isn’t the only person that works in the government and it’s important for people to realize that.”In order to help inform college students MPIRG is hosting Voter Awareness Series, with several of this year’s candidates. Continue Reading
Rethinking homelessness and following Utah’s lead
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Despite Minnesota’s improving economy, many are still struggling. There are 14,000 homeless people in Minnesota, including 4000 children. Many homeless people were doing okay, until losing their job, developing health problems, facing domestic violence, or battling mental illness or addiction.
Minnesota House candidate Yolandita Colón hopes to bridge party divide
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Yolandita Colón is a bit of an anomaly. On the one hand, she seems to stand for progressive causes like educational equality, meaningful immigration reform, improved housing for all, and human rights and social justice. On the other, she favors lowering taxes for businesses and business owners, and has very conservative stances on social issues such as abortion and same sex marriage.An evangelical minister, Colón isn’t following the typical trajectory for Latina candidates by seeking DFL endorsement. Instead, the 62A State Representative hopeful is running against incumbent Karen Clark as a candidate of the Independence Party. She said her platform will unify her constituents and find common ground between both major parties.“I want to bring unity,” Colón said. Continue Reading
VIDEO: Perske attacks Emmer for “Threatening” divisive record, Emmer has no response
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During Monday’s 6th Congressional District debate in St. Cloud, Minnesota DFL candidate Joe Perske chose to spend his final remarks calling GOP runner Tom Emmer bullying, divisive and uncooperative. When Emmer was asked to rebuttal, he declined to answer. The candidate elected will take over Michele Bachmann’s seat.Related article: 6th Congressional District candidates debate – Emmer, Perske and Denney“This is difficult for me to say because I’ve always been taught to be a nice polite person,” Perske starts off. “Tom has been very dividing. Continue Reading
Four reasons why “liberal” conspiracy theories about ed reform (and Don Samuels) sound so much like Fox News
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Sarah Lahm’s conspiracy piece about “billionaire and TFA” money flooding in to support Don Samuels in the Minneapolis School Board race went national last week. Washington Post columnist Valerie Strauss (a staunch opponent of ed reform) reprinted Lahm’s original piece from “In These Times.” This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet.A few days later, some Minneapolis voters woke up to find Lahm’s article tucked inside their screen doors with this helpful note, “I noticed a Don Samuels lawn sign in your yard. This may be information you need to make a more informed decision.”Key word here is “informed.”Which is sort of funny because Lahm’s piece is so loaded with factual errors, omissions and conspiracy theories, I scarcely know where to begin. It mirrors the stuff we progressives roll our eyes about when we hear it coming from Fox News.Related story: Don Samuels calls cops over hotdog giveawayHere are four things wrong with the piece:1) Lahm says that a California “billionaire” gave the Don Samuels campaign $10,000. This is false because: a) the individual legal limit for an at-large school board candidate is $1,000 per person, so no one can give $10,000 to anyone’s campaign; b) the alleged billionaire didn’t give any money to the Samuels campaign period.2) Lahm seems to be confused about personal contributions to a candidate’s individual campaign and contributions and in-kind services given by political groups.The big money tends to be in this latter category. And since Sarah Lahm is focussing on the latter……… Continue Reading
Don Samuels calls cops over hotdog giveaway
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With less than three weeks to go until the Nov. 4 election, Minneapolis school board candidate Don Samuels may have gotten himself in some hot water with a local Northside philanthropic nonprofit.According to a YouTube video and sources from the North Minneapolis-based group NOC (Neighborhoods Organizing for Change), Samuels called the Minneapolis police on Thursday, Oct. 16, asking them to investigate “hot dog sales” in front of NOC’s offices on West Broadway Avenue.Read more of our election coverage here.In the video, a Minneapolis police officer can be seen questioning NOC representatives Mike Griffin and Wintana Melekin, who were stationed in front of NOC’s front door. When the officer asks whether NOC is selling the hot dogs in an attempt to “elicit votes,” Griffin insists they were simply handing out hot dogs for free and asking people to pledge to vote on Nov. 4. Continue Reading
Gutierrez calls for Latino voter turnout in Minnesota
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The nation’s top Latino elected official joined local leaders last week to encourage Minnesota’s Latinos to vote on Election Day.