Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/tag/election/page/6/)
Wearing a peace sign t-shirt and a gray blazer, Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson spoke to a half-filled ballroom at Macalester College Friday about foreign policy, jobs, marriage equ
Quinn works as a barista at Espresso Royale, a swim instructor at the YWCA, and studies biology and youth studies at the University of Minnesota. She is from Winnipeg Manitoba currently living in downtown Minneapolis. She can’t vote because she’s Canadian, but she still has opinions about what’s important here.Quinn: I could not vote for a president who doesn’t support gay rights openly. I could not support a president who does not champion reproductive rights for women.Fiona: Can you be more specific about what you mean by reproductive rights for women?Quinn: Making abortion illegal, funding cuts to Planned Parenthood, making Plan B illegal, not allowing biology based sex-ed – It’s a whole narrow mind-set. I don’t like that.Fiona: Can you be more specific about your first issue, “gay rights?”Quinn: You should be able to marry whom you choose, that’s common sense. Continue Reading
The League of Women Voters does not take voting lightly. In fact, the nonpartisan political organization was founded in 1920 during the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, just six months before ratification of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Ratification came after 70-plus years of struggle.Gwen Myers, a former history and government teacher who serves as a board member and volunteer lobbyist for the state organization, spoke on behalf of the League of Women Voters Minneapolis to a group gathered at Cause Spirits & Soundbar for a Get Connected! event on August 22nd.Myers, who has been an election judge for the past ten years, warned that the voter ID amendment being put to Minnesota voters this November is “definitely a threat to people’s voting.” She said that the process of acquiring an acceptable form of photo ID with a current permanent address is a burdensome and costly process for many state residents.Amendment would create unnecessary hurdles The League of Women Voters has come out strongly against photo ID requirements for voters, saying they create hurdles for otherwise eligible voters, are unnecessary for election integrity because no one in Minnesota has ever been convicted of voter impersonation, and would add significant costs to the whole election process.Gwen Myers Among other consequences, Myers observed that the proposed requirements would effectively end election day registration as we know it, something that half-a-million Minnesotans typically take advantage of in presidential elections. Furthermore, those voters would be required to vote provisionally, making it uncertain whether their votes would be counted. Absentee voting as we know it would likely come to an end, too, as would the use of passports, military IDs and student IDs as proof of identity. Continue Reading
Payne Phalen resident Shadina McClendon was hit by a car in April and almost died. Still suffering a severe leg injury, McClendon is no longer employed and her doctors won’t allow her to return to work. Randy McClendon, her husband, is fully employed, but in order to keep his job, he was forced to take a significant reduction in pay by the company he has worked for the past 20 years. His income is not sufficient to pay the monthly house payment.The McClendons, who shared their story at a Twin Cities Daily Planet election circle on July 30, worry they may lose their home, and say that banks have not been helpful. Nor has the city of St. Continue Reading
Seed biodiversity, farming methods, and food distribution were main topics as TC Daily Planet’s election circle met at Common Roots Café May 3. The result was a lively exchange that branched out into other areas, including corporate power, expectations around political leadership, and the United States’ role in the world.Marita Bujold, a regular participant, was invited to facilitate this month’s discussion. Bujold opened with a presentation based on research she had done for her Master of Arts in Leadership degree from Augsburg College. She focused on Mixtec farmers in Mexico, highlighting the diversity of seeds produced by organic peasant farming methods—approximately 1.9 million varieties since 1960, versus fewer than 7,000 developed through industrial agriculture. Bujold described how the North America Free Trade Act (NAFTA) has resulted in the erosion of land, depletion of genetic diversity, and departure of two million farmers from Mexico.Tying these issues to the election, Bujold noted: “We have a USDA that promotes big agriculture and genetically modified crops. Continue Reading
Last month the Twin Cities Daily Planet embarked on a new experiment.
It takes very little political savvy to see the discontent that roams the right in the American political scene. A conservative House of Representatives is dysfunctional – with Speaker Boehner unable to coalesce his troops. The popularity of GOP presidential candidates changes monthly, with half already dropping from the race. The voices of the Tea Party are surprisingly quiet. Continue Reading
Who’s up? Who’s down? Who’s expected to win the next contest? If this or that candidate wins (or loses), what are the implications for the race going forward? These are the types of questions that mainstream media reporters and analysts are fixated on as another presidential race ramps up.As entertaining as all of this speculation may be, the Twin Cities Daily Planet wants to steer clear of treating the election like a sports competition. Continue Reading
To quote the 40th president’s own words: “There you go again!” And indeed we do, as we enter the 2012 presidential election year. Virtually every “certified” conservative candidate, at every opportunity, now kneels in front of his or her base, and reverently says the magic words…“Ronald Reagan”. The applause never fails. Free Speech ZoneThe Free Speech Zone offers a space for contributions from readers, without editing by the TC Daily Planet. This is an open forum for articles that otherwise might not find a place for publication, including news articles, opinion columns, announcements and even a few press releases. While Reagan may appear as an iconic figure to those Republicans who solemnly invoke his name, the reality of his presidency was far different than portrayed by his avid admirers. Continue Reading
The Macalester-Groveland Community Council is having their Annual Neighborhood Gathering and Board Elections on Thursday, April 14 from 6:30-8:30 pm.