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10.10.13 23:34		26 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY - MAYORAL CANDIDATE #25: JACKIE CHERRYHOMES (DEMOCRATIC FARMER LABOR) Cherryhomes (59, Willard-Hay, filed 8/12) may have the coolest last name in the field, but that's my editorial opinion. She was right to keep her name - who would have ever elected Jackie Tyler? Although...on her website, she does self-identify at least once as "Jackie Cherryhomes-Tyler," so who knows - also her daughter Emma is just a Tyler. (She's 15 or 16 - did Cherryhomes really have a kid at 43? Whoa.) (Hmm, Jackie's parents are Parkers and so is her sister. So where'd she GET that cool name, anyway?) As a DFLer AND former councilwoman (12 years, 8 as president), she easily qualified for "favored nation" status amongst the field and has been in a lot of "big" debates where I can't remember a single thing she's said. Fortunately, Naomi took care of this back in August when she pointed out a rather glaring (and glaringly omitted by Cherryhomes) conflict of interest which could have explained her lack of opposition to increasing the garbage burning at HERC (Hennepin Energy Recovery Center) - namely, her previous life as a lobbyist for the energy concern running HERC. In fact, her entire career post losing her council seat by 72 votes has pretty much been as a lobbyist. Now, I'm sure lobbyists are seen as necessary folks in this day and age - at least as much as lawyers (her husband is an attorney) - I'm sure you won't be surprised that "Lobbyist" isn't the first profession that comes to mind when I think of nobility and necessity; in fact, as much as I hate money and partisanship as a corrupting influence in our current political climate, lobbyists (by virtue of their ties to money and/or partisanship) are right up there in earning my scorn. I know...rage on, right? Let me break from that rant to give you another one: For the record, it's been asked a few times and I am all set to disappoint you by stating that I don't yet have a decent answer about the HERC's continuing role. I don't know what my exact position is on it, whether we should be burning more or less garbage or none at all, putting it in a landfill to mess up the ground water instead of burning it to mess up the air, but I CAN tell you that I still recycle all my aluminum cans and get about 60¢ a pound at Metro Metals and our recent single-sort recycling has been a real godsend, and perhaps we might be better off working on education and trying to continue to raise our overall recycling rates beyond what I believe are some pretty pitiful levels. Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton (aka "the one before Rybak") has endorsed her, which...is this a good thing? She's probably the only person to have more fingerprints left on the spectacular, colossal failure known as Block E than Cherryhomes. Actually, given their partnership back in the good ol' days, it might have been more of a story if she HADN'T secured that endorsement. I honestly can't tell you if I'd be a better mayor than this lady or not, but as with all of the "big" candidates, and especially given her earlier track record in Minneapolis government, I tend to think I might be! Am I right or wrong? It's YOUR vote! NEXT: Another favored candidate - they all registered so LATE in the filing period!
10.10.13 22:32		Mayor Rybak/ Love your rhyming tweets/ But not so much/ Wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on a new Vikings stadium #MPLS13
10.10.13 17:20		Yet another person who's making me look bad by getting through all 35 candidates before I did...but thanks for the thumbs up, Kirsten Johnson! I think you have managed to encapsulate my ideology with a precision and conciseness that I seem to have lost since becoming a "politician." ;-) (And I promise I will shave off the beard as soon as Movember starts, but the hair stays!) (Link to Kirsten Johnson's status: MPLS mayor candidates)
9.10.13 22:55		Remember that shot of Virgil all alone at the wrestling convention? This should not evoke that, but I had this photo taken long after almost everybody had left. (Photo)
9.10.13 22:47		There was a "Meet the Candidates" event at the American Legion Post 99 in Nokomis tonight from 5 to 7. It had the misfortune of being scheduled against a KFAI forum AND was scheduled on a beautiful, 77 degree night when nobody had any business being indoors pressing the flesh of candidates. As a result, during much of the time there were more candidates present than non-candidates. I was hung up on Haiawatha Avenue and showed up about 10 minutes late. Mr. Iverson greeted me, got me signed in and directed me to the mayor tables. I sat between Mr. Cohen and Dr. Bruyere. Dr. Bruyere admitted he's visited my campaign page on Facebook, but also revealed that I hadn't sufficiently trolled him into writing any responses there. I helped Mr. Cohen assemble one of his lawn signs to decorate his table. They ended up working the room, along with the later arriving candidates. I hope I remember everyone who was there. Captain Jack Sparrow appeared, but may have remembered the brushoff I gave him at the courthouse and didn't try to offer me any of his literature this time around. I DID have interactions with Mr. Carney, Mr. Savior and Mr. Fine in addition to the previously mentioned Mr. Cohen and Dr. Bruyere. All of them are very interesting folks in their own way. Some of them probably should not be elected mayor. (I'm sure a few of them thought that about me as well!) Special thanks to Ole Savior for collecting several copies of today's Minnesota Daily which had his photo and interview on the back page...right next to my own photo and interview, in a happy coincidence. He kept telling me my photo wasn't me, and I kept telling him I couldn't believe my photo had turned out so well either. I think we found finally found some common ground discussing what turned out to be our shared opinions of one of our common opponents (whom I will leave unnamed). I found out later that Mr. Hartwig had also attended but I missed him. I was sorry to miss him because I was hoping I could get the chance to hear firsthand about his experience "crashing" one of the big debates and I may have missed my best shot. (Come to think of it, I should have asked Mr. Cohen about that as well!) As for the non-candidates, I think my most vibrant and fulfilling exchange went thusly: Me: "Hi, I'm Chris; I'm running for mayor." Him: "You don't have a chance in hell!" He DID shake my hand while he said it, though. I led off subsequent encounters with "Hi, I'm Chris; I'm running for mayor. (stage whisper) I DON'T HAVE A CHANCE." I got to hand out some cards advertising my Facebook space, which unfortunately were based on the exact same "free" Vistaprint template Dr. Bruyere had selected. Awkward! I met some of the Wards 11 & 12 candidates - although I live in Ward 2, I'm happy to put in a good word for any of the folks I talked with tonight, including Matt Steele, Ben Gisselman and Chris Lautenschlager. (Apologies to Andrew Johnson for missing him.) Seeing the three Ward 12 opponents in close proximity, chatting amongst themselves was a cool thing. Actually, I think all the mayoral candidates got along as well. Now I feel bad; I probably should have reached out to Mr. Sparrow. There was also a really nice lady running for an at-large Parks seat ... yes, it was Meg Forney. It was nice meeting you! Things really died off after 6; I think a lot of candidates tried to make both this forum and the other one, and there weren't too many people coming in late. I got to have a nice long chat with Mr. Fine (who remembered me from his door knock encounter at my house!) as well as a good chat with Mr. Iverson. He left me with two pieces of advice: "Don't stop running" (I think he may think I have it in me to be a good future "serial candidate") and "Always look ahead, never look behind - you might find they're catching up to you." And I got my photo with him. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. (attached) Great thanks to Gregg Iverson and everyone at the American Legion Post 99 for setting this up - it was really cool and I met a lot of really nice people I otherwise would not have. I am starting to see why folks leave the house to campaign and MAY regret not having done it earlier. I'm also disappointed that more candidates didn't show up. In a way, I'm relieved that the only "serious" candidates were Mr. Fine and Mr. Cohen as I'm not sure I particularly care for any of the other ones, but it would have been very interesting to have them available to be challenged by some of the rest of us. Anybody want me to come over and deliver a speech?
9.10.13 20:42		While you wait for my writeup of the "Meet the Candidates" event I was at tonight, why not check out my quotes and appearance in the U's paper from early today? (Link to MNDaily: Candidates talk stadium, education)
9.10.13 18:40		Thank you Nokomis! #MPLS13 #MPLSmayor
9.10.13 18:40		Mr. Iverson gave 2pcs of advice: 1. Never stop running 2. Always look ahead, never look back (they may be gaining on you) #MPLS13 #MPLSmayor
9.10.13 18:38		We're breaking early - had a nice chat and got a photo with Mr. Iverson #MPLSmayor #MPLS13
9.10.13 18:21		Had another nice chat with Mr. Fine as well as Ben and Chris running for Ward 12 Council member #MPLS13 #MPLSmayor
9.10.13 18:02		I think Mr. Carney and Capt. Sparrow have also left - no close encounter with the captain for me this time #MPLSmayor #MPLS13
9.10.13 17:58		Dr. Bruyere has left for the @KFAINEWS event without me taking a photo #MPLS13 #MPLSmayor
9.10.13 17:56		Mr. Fine is also here. #MPLSmayor #MPLS13
9.10.13 17:51		GUYS I SHOOK OLE SAVIOR'S HAND (Also, our photos are next to each other in today's MNDaily) #MPLS13 #MPLSmayor
9.10.13 17:47		"Hi, I'm Chris; I'm running for mayor." "You don't have a chance in hell." #MPLSmayor #MPLS13
9.10.13 17:45		I believe we have an Ole Savior sighting #MPLSmayor #MPLS13
9.10.13 17:37		Greeting and meeting @ American Legion Post 99
9.10.13 17:28		Council, Parks and Estimate candidates also here - ah, Mr. Carney and his tux are here #MPLS13 #MPLSmayor
9.10.13 17:27		In addition to myself and host Iverson, in attendance at Post 99 are Bruyere, Cohen and Sparrow #MPLSmayor #MPLS13 @KFAINEWS
9.10.13 17:26		Sure enough, more candidates than non-candidates at the Meet & Greet but it's early going #MPLSmayor #MPLS13 #hereuntil7
9.10.13 02:43		MAYORAL CANDIDATE #24: JAMES "JIMMY" L. STROUD, JR. (THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE) Well, he filed on 8/12 and he lives in Willard-Hay. And THAT'S ALL I GOT. No, just kidding. But he didn't make it easy! Only five of the 35 candidates opted to not fill out a questionnaire for the Star Tribune voters' guide, and Stroud was one of them. (The others include the previously profiled Mr. Everett and Mr. Gould.) He DOES have a campaign page on Facebook and 84 Likes. (If he had had more Likes than me, I probably would have given up on the spot.) His photos include "with glasses" and "without glasses" and a what appear to be some "VOTE JIMMY" sign prototypes, none of which actually say "Vote Jimmy" but are described as such. They ALSO tantalized me with a website domain, but it returned the GoDaddy "parked" page. I guess he's still got four weeks to get it set up? The Facebook page has an extensive bio hidden behind the "About" link - a few decades back, Stroud was a "Stand-up Comedian/Impressionist/Actor and Playwright" and boasts an impressive list of stage-sharing appearances. He's originally from Washington, DC, but we won't hold that against him. I DID find a personal Facebook page, but it's been updated only once in the past year, but what an update! It's a four minute YouTube slide show video which will probably not affect you to vote for or against him in any way but it comes with a pretty funky groove (which YouTube tells me is "We the People" by Soul Searchers) as well as a lot of handshakes and the occasional outstanding outfit. It had only been viewed 13 times before I watched it. You should go watch it! Go ahead...http://youtu.be/SME6VHbiQP8. I'll still be here when you get back and you can help me figure out WHY wasn't this linked from his campaign's Facebook page. He also says he was in the class of 1976 in high school, which would probably make him 55. He's also on LinkedIn! Over THERE they have a Wordpress link which DOES work, but only has one entry with most of the same photos and a link back to the Facebook page. (I may now have done more work promoting Jimmy online than he has.) Also via LinkedIn, he currently lists two careers in addition to candidate: Career Transition Specialist at Hubert Humphrey Job Corps and Investigator at Legal Rights Center. He also has a few bylines at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder ("the voice of the Twin Cities African-American Community") which get crossposted at the Twin Cities Daily Planet. On the Facebook page of MSR, they list The Original 7ven (the latest incarnation of The Time) as one of their Likes. Common ground! He doesn't come out and say what "The People's Choice" means, so I'll leave the speculation to you. I honestly can't tell you if I'd be a better mayor than this guy or not, but I feel like I might be! Am I right or wrong? It's YOUR vote! NEXT: One of the favored candidates - but not by Naomi!
9.10.13 01:13		27 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY - MAYORAL CANDIDATE #23: NEAL BAXTER (INDEPENDENT) Thirteen of the 35 candidates in the race filed on the final two days of the 15 day filing period. Here's the first one from 8/12. Neal Baxter is 58 and lives on the Bancroft side of the Bancroft/Powderhorn Park border. He didn't list a website, which is weird, because he's behind a really cool one which purports to host a complete archive of Minnesota election results going back to 1855, yet has no campaign site. I did a search and he didn't come up, so I believe this is his first run. He did make enough of an impression on one person to cause them to write a very glowing (yet backhanded) endorsement of him. Despite the lack of a campaign site, he HAS filled out a few questionnaires. Turns out it's easier to research these folks the closer you get to Election Day - I was right to procrastinate! He's on the Bancroft Neighborhood board, the City's Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the Capital Long-Range Improvement Committee. I spend a lot of time on Facebook. His KFAI interview has A LOT of race talk - like, enough that I felt I had to mention it. He also basically says people should vote for Betsy Hodges or Don Samuels, which really makes me skeptical about his "Independent" party or principle. I honestly can't tell you if I'd be a better mayor than this guy or not, but I feel like I might be! Am I right or wrong? It's YOUR vote! NEXT: Another challenge!
9.10.13 00:35		You can now register to vote online! Check out the Secretary of State's new (kinda) streamlined website! http://mnvotes.org
9.10.13 00:31		FOUR WEEKS UNTIL ELECTION DAY - MAYORAL CANDIDATE #22: KURTIS W. HANNA (PIRATE PARTY) Kurtis Wayne Hanna (28, Whittier, filed on 8/9) has a variety of interesting opinions, almost all of which I totally agree with, so there probably won't be too much fun in this profile and you may want to wait for the next one. His filing's website, captainkurtis.com, redirects to the MN Pirate Party website - they formed earlier this year, I believe, but haven't gotten national (and/or Wikipedia) recognition yet (the national site links to a dormant Facebook page which hasn't seen activity for a year - OK, they formed LAST year, but the effort faded away and some new folks tried again earlier this year). The first bullet on his resume is "Former Executive Director of Minnesota NORML" which for some folks would probably end the discussion right there. The MN Pirate Party's website wasn't updated a single time in September. Kurt will probably be by later, so maybe he could tell me if he holds an office in the party or not...I couldn't find any of that info on their website, either. (Usually in the Pirate Party the title of "Captain" signifies the leader of the party, but I'm not sure if that's the case here with "Captain Kurtis.") (The Party's Facebook page, by the way, should not to be confused with either of the Party's Facebook GROUPS page, one of which is empty and one of which consists of very little call to political action and a whole lot of links to illegal streams, requests for movies and software serial numbers.) Whereas the Pirates are more concerned with technological issues such as fair use and net neutrality, Hanna is much more in your face about decriminilazing marijuana - a position I don't disagree with, by the way, but not in the "post pictures of leaves on my Facebook wall" kinda way. One thing about NORML folks I've found is they're always convinced that the silent majority of weed smokers will show up on Election Day and shock the world by voting for the candidate who's posted the most leaves on his Facebook wall. I've always been convinced that the silent majority of weed smokers don't bother showing up to vote. But I'm cynical. He also really hates the NSA and the Surveillance State. He has ties to Restore the Fourth, a privacy rights advocacy group who needs more members (only 16 likes for the MN Facebook group). Again, I have no problem with any of these stances. Finally, he's got 91 more Likes than me. Damn! I honestly can't tell you if I'd be a better mayor than this guy or not, but I feel like I might be...but it'd be close! Am I right or wrong? It's YOUR vote! NEXT: A challenge!
8.10.13 17:42		New stadium illegal RT @MayorRTRybak: Minneapolis-StPaul, and new stadium, finalist for Super Bowl 2018. Big boost for hospitality workers
8.10.13 11:07		RT @OpenTwinCities: #mpls13 & #stpaul13 #opendata questionnaire results are available! View them at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnxjauG_7LHqdGtzTzd4MmRwdmctY19USHdrSzJCdVE&usp=sharing #cfabrigade
6.10.13 22:03		MAYORAL CANDIDATE #21: CHRISTOPHER CLARK (LIBERTARIAN PARTY) Clark, 40, lives in Downtown West (although he answered Downtown East on his Star Tribune questionnaire - but in his defense, they ARE right next to each other). The impeccable handwriting on his filing of 8/9 specified "Libertarian Party" as his party or principle - I've gone on about the nonsense of specifying the actual word "Party" and how I didn't a few times as well as the grief that that's caused me with Elections, but I'll spare you this time around. He's such a dedicated Libertarian that he listed lp.org as his campaign website. Back in June, he sought out the state party on Facebook to inquire about an endorsement - but said that he couldn't make it to their meeting in Eden Prairie unless someone gave him a ride. He failed to get a ride OR secure the endorsement. (Full disclosure: I also failed to secure the endorsement, probably because I also didn't drive to any of their meetings.) He ran for mayor in 2009, finishing fifth out of 11 with 3% (1,337 votes). Hell, I probably voted for him as he was the only declared Libertarian on the ballot. I expect he won't do as well this time around and although I'd love to do as well THIS time around...I remain pessimistic. Clark also ran for City Council in 2005, receiving a protest vote of 15% (935 votes) against the incumbent. There's been at least one run for school board in there as well. He HAS been filling out questionnaires and his favorite thing to talk about is cutting. There's...worse stuff to talk about? He also mentions a bunch of things the mayor doesn't really have the power to do, but there are a lot of candidates who seem to be doing that. I thought I'd have more given that we're the two declared Libertarians on the ballot, but this appears to be it! I'm not sure if I'm pulling punches out of solidarity or there really isn't all that much out there despite multiple campaigns. I honestly can't tell you if I'd be a better mayor than this guy or not, but I feel like I might be! Am I right or wrong? It's YOUR vote! NEXT: The guy who DID get the LP endorsement!
6.10.13 14:21		Hey was I in today's Star Tribune? (Do any of my friends besides my in-laws even get the paper?)
6.10.13 13:25		The anxiously anticipated Star Tribune voters' guide was posted today! (I believe a much shorter version is also available in the Sunday paper?) Thirty candidates returned their questionaire, including me. My profile is linked down there, and you can get to all 30 at http://www.startribune.com/mayorcandidates . (Link to Star Tribune: Christopher Robin Zimmerman)
6.10.13 13:20		30 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY - MAYORAL CANDIDATE #20: TROY BENJEGERDES (LOCAL ENERGY/FOOD) "It is not just good business to vote for an alternative candidate, it is a moral imperative to evict the religion of the money changers from the mayor’s office." Benjegerdes (38, East Phillips, filed 8/9) has a very optimistic domain name for his blog (mayortroy.com) where he doesn't update as much as I'd like and as on point as I like, but the quote above really resonates with me, so I'm sharing it with you. We're actually pretty close politically - Troy is another Ron Paul caucus'er who couldn't stomach the thought of sticking with the Republicans after the deplorable treatment they received from the "small tent" national leadership. His personal facebook lists a political view of "Libertarian Socialist" - so maybe he goes a little further than I do. After giving up on the GOP in the 2012 cycle, he started an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to lobby the Libertarian and Green parties in the 2012 election with... soybean oil. He raised $120, falling just short of his $55,000 goal. He'd also like to see all the streetlights in Minneapolis powered by the wind. No matter WHO the next mayor is...they should try to take him up on that. Hell, it's not too late for Rybak to take him up on it! Also like me, he seems to have a presence on every social network on the Internet (except, oddly enough, Twitter). His YouTube channel isn't mayor-related at all; it's more revolved around what appears to be his real day job as a farmer...as does his three word party or principle, Local Energy/Food. Get this - he wasn't allowed to use the word "Farmer" as the DFL apparently has rights on the word. (Strange that Elections let me get away with saying "Libertarian" without "Party," when you think about it, but there's a lot about the DFL and Elections that I find strange.) He's a proud advocate of locally sourced crops for food AND for energy. The farm he lists on Facebook is in the wonderfully named town of Manly, Iowa (about 123 miles away). Curiously, he seems to be actively campaigning for everyone's #3 ranking. Since I'd prefer your #1 ranking, I guess it would be possible to make both of us happy on Election Day. ;-) Finally, he accepts donations in Bitcoin. That's pretty cool...even if it doesn't seem to completely coexist with his thoughts about money in the system. (Although I should probably say MY thoughts about money in the system - he never actually comes out against all funding so I may be projecting here.) I honestly can't tell you if I'd be a better mayor than this guy or not, but I think either of us as mayor would be very interesting! Am I right or wrong? It's YOUR vote! NEXT: My Libertarian nemesis
3.10.13 23:17		MAYORAL CANDIDATE #19: TONY LANE (SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY) Originally from New Zealand and still has the accent to prove it, Lane lives in St. Anthony East. He has previously run in other states (Lt. Gov. of PA) and also ran last year as a write-in candidate for Keith Ellison's seat, where he received 9 votes. I also found him as a write-in in 1996, again for Minnesota, where I finally found his age - he was 44 then, which would make him 61 now. Although he filed for mayor on 8/8, Lane was running early enough to secure a spot in an eight candidate June "One Minneapolis" debate (which included two folks who later decided not to run) and received very little coverage except on Twitter and on YouTube (thanks to The Uptake, which is how I acquired this screen grab for a photo). It looks like anybody who asked would have been invited - I see Mr. Everett didn't learn about the forum until the day before, and ended up not getting invited. I hadn't decided to run yet in June. Lane has also granted an interview to a writer for the website of examiner.com (an exclusive class of writers that includes any sucker willing to lower themselves to writing for examiner.com) which served as the most significant source of biographical information - and the most significant source of the writer for examiner.com patting himself on the back for his lot in life. (Ask me what I think about examiner.com sometime!) He's actually not only a Socialist, but a Worker! He works for Olympic Steel in Plymouth. Back in the 1990s he worked at Northwest Airlines, where he tried to turn fellow members of the International Association of Machinists onto his party. He listed the website of The Militant, a "socialist newsweekly," on his filing. He doesn't appear to have an online presence of his own other than the occasional byline for The Militant (almost 200 Google results for "Tony Lane site:themilitant.com" - perhaps I should have said "frequent" instead of "occasional"). Not only a journalist, occasionally he is featured as story subject; he is mentioned often where he describes recently earned bonuses as "blood money" - so he donates them to the Socialist Workers Party Capital Fund. I admit I'm not up on my socialism, but I'm not completely sure that makes things right. I honestly can't tell you if I'd be a better mayor than this lady or not, but based on party affiliation along I believe I would be! Am I right or wrong? It's YOUR vote! NEXT: Mayor Troy
3.10.13 17:41		The stadium agreements have finally been made public. It's expected that they'll get the rubber stamp of approval from the MSFA within hours...despite the fact that the City of Minneapolis still hasn't quite made their case for how $150,000,000 of taxpayer funds can leave the city without a vote in accordance with our City Charter. Interestingly, while two of these three documents are in machine-readable format (which means you can do text searches from your browser), the longest one - the 222 page PDF - isn't. Hopefully it will be made available in a more open format as soon as possible. (Link to "Development Agreement and Stadium Use Agreement by and Between MSFA and Minnesota Vikings MSFA - Minnesota Sports F...")
3.10.13 17:33		Only when they're allowed to. #MPLSmayor #MPLS13 RT @Mike_Zeidler: @CRZ must they profit so obscenely while taking taxpayer money?
3.10.13 17:28		@Mike_Zeidler I don't think anyone is disputing that the Vikings stand to profit greatly from this awful, terrible stadium deal #MPLS13
3.10.13 17:19		How fast can @webster make a 222 page PDF searchable? MT @JohnCroman: Details on stadium agreements: http://www.msfa.com/detail.cfm/page/msfaSite_DWCSLBTH_TNDRHUYF_HTIBIGGT/ @OpenTwinCities
3.10.13 03:44		I'm halfway through the 35 #MPLSmayor candidates! Please check out my page at http://fb.com/CRZforMayor! Justify being up at this hour! #MPLS13
3.10.13 02:21		Have I mentioned I'm running for mayor recently? I am halfway through writing up all 34 of my opponents - check out my profiles and learn more than you'd ever learn from the Star Tribune. (Also, please Like and share and all that jazz) (Link to fb.com/CRZforMayor)
3.10.13 02:00		MAYORAL CANDIDATE #18: STEPHANIE WOODRUFF (DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR) "As your Mayor, I will work everyday to make Minneapolis the smartest city in America, establish sustainable growth for our city, and lead with an open and transparent government." This is the kind of statement you're treated to if you visit the campaign website of Stephanie Woodruff, 48, Whittier. It's even worse if you head over to the Facebook site - the kind of worthless platitudes that server as Exhibit A in the kind of politician that drives me NUTS and inevitably ends up hogging all the mainstream coverage...for reasons I can't really comprehend. Woodruff is one of the favored 6-8 "top" candidates by virtue of ... I really don't know. She didn't show up to the DFL convention to seek the endorsement but popped up after the DFL failed to endorse anybody. I guess it's because she serves on the Audit Committee (which I will also confess to not knowing what the heck THAT is) as a Rybak appointee - and any connection to Mayor Rybak should concern you right off the bat, but that may be just me...anyway, she's an "insider" but running as if she's not (except when affording herself of the coverage the "insiders" get...I'm getting ranty, let's move on) Somehow, she DID secure the endorsement of the *Independence* Party - which on its face seems to make as much sense as the Libertarians endorsing the Pirate Party candidate, yuk yuk. We're so WEIRD here in Minneapolis, aren't we? Perhaps my campaign slogan should have been KEEP MINNEAPOLIS WEIRD. Would I get sued for that one? Anyway, the IP only has Rahn Workcuff (previously profiled) and I have to say I could see why they may not have wanted to endorse him. The first thing you notice from her filing of 8/8 is that Elections must keep color copies of their filings because she must have been the first candidate to have used blue ink on her filing! Her signature (which also appears on her website) is very pretty and well-practiced. Woodruff is either a "business executive" or a "software executive" depending on who's reporting. Her LinkedIn profile says she's "Chief Revenue Officer" at AverQ, a company which develops auditing software, which doesn't sound as exciting as being a Knowledge Engineer for Symantec's NetBackup technical support, but I admit I have a bias there. AverQ headquarters is located in San Jose, California, which Google Maps tells me is 2010 miles from Minneapolis. (That sounds about right - we made a drive from Santa Clara to Shorewood back in 2004.) It feels like she'd be giving up quite a gig were she to be elected mayor...but if she's already on the Audit Committee...she must be living here and not in the Bay Area? Anyway. If you didn't already know she was a lesbian, her company head shot would probably set your gaydar. Finally, her company profile includes the hyphenated "thought-leadership" so that seems like the perfect opportunity to - yes - move on. Her mantra is "People over Politics" and she seems to believe - I mean, REALLY believe that she's the only one of the 35 candidates to actually want to put people over politics. There are PLENTY of folks in this race who put politics very low on their list of things, including me. I honestly can't tell you if I'd be a better mayor than this lady or not, but I think I might be! Am I right or wrong? It's YOUR vote! Oh man, I'm ...only halfway! Crap! NEXT: A third party throwback
3.10.13 00:21		33 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY - MAYORAL CANDIDATE #17: JOHN LESLIE HARTWIG (INDEPENDENT) Hartwig, 76, is another enigma, having no website and no email address, but I can tell you that this isn't his first mayoral run - he also ran for mayor in 2001, again as an independent, where fell juuuuust short in the primary, receiving 107 votes and finishing 16th out of 22 candidates. Perhaps he thinks ranked choice voting will give him a better shot this time around! In 2001, when he decided to run after being robbed, he told MPR he was a 64 year old real estate broker - I reckon this time around he's either a retired real estate broker or a 76 year old real estate broker. And really, those two options can't be that far apart, can they? (BOOOO STOP BEING SO AGE-IST) OK, let's move on. It's actually eerie listening to his 2001 interview - MPR could run it today in 2013 and you wouldn't know it was 12 years old because all his answers probably wouldn't have changed. Sadly, that says something about Minneapolis over the past twelve years and what's REALLY happened during Mayor Rybak's tenure...not a whole hell of a lot. BY THE WAY, I don't see MPR bothering to talk to every candidate THIS time around...wait, I said I was moving on... He lives in East Calhoun two blocks from the lake, as he did back in 2001. He was the only candidate to file on August 7. He made a bit of a scene at one of the "big" debates at the Minneapolis Club and felt compelled to respond to a rather inflammatory statement Cam Winton had made about "non-serious" candidates - in particular, himself and Merrill Anderson, who had also "crashed" the debate, albeit with some help from Mr. Cohen (by the way, you probably didn't hear about ANY of this intrigue in the papers, but it's a good yarn - check out Mr. Carney's report on e-Democracy.org) and was forcibly removed from the front of the room by the Sergeant at Arms. Uh...anything else? His block lettering is very nice and his signature is ... also nice. Sorry, that's all I've got! These challenges are usually the most fun, but I usually get a lot more than I did this time so I feel like I've let you down....I'll get over it. I honestly can't tell you if I'd be a better mayor than this guy or not - I still barely know anything about him! - but I have a suspicion I might be! Am I right or wrong? It's YOUR vote! NEXT: A much higher profile candidate (who will probably be much less fun to research)
2.10.13 22:57		Whoa! I finally made a @pbump story! http://p-bu.mp/sks (PS The other Libertarian will be pissed you left him out!) #MPLS13 (Atlantic Wire: Lauraist Commies, Pirates, and 'The Rock': Minneapolis' Oddest Mayoral Candidates)
2.10.13 01:13		...and here's another one of Sparrow and Gould. Sparrow is outlining his plan to save the dome with the help of the Packers and...Barney? Gould is...I have no idea. (photo)
2.10.13 01:10		Here's a Star Tribune photo from a recent candidate klatsch. Pictured are candidates (front) Cohen, Savior, Merrill Anderson, Carney, Rahman, Sparrow and (back) Gould (photo)
2.10.13 00:21		34 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY - MAYORAL CANDIDATE #16: MIKE GOULD (DEMOCRATIC-FARMER-LABOR) Although Michael Negus Gould III is the rare candidate to not list a website OR an email - also, a rare DFL candidate to get no coverage from the Star Tribune - he's apparently quite easy to find as he is a frequent performer of art around the Twin Cities. A self-professed "fictional character," he's long been known ALREADY as "Mayor of Minneapolis" in Rice Park...which is in St. Paul. In fact, his filing lists a residence in South St. Paul ... which ALSO isn't a Minneapolis neighborhood! (He's also initialed the "will have lived in Minneapolis 30 days before the election" line so hopefully his move has gone OK.) The University's paper got a hold of him as part of their ongoing "5 of 35" series and asked what his principle would be if he hadn't declared a party - he went with "The Three E's" which are environment, education and equality. (This paper recently had a quick interview with me as well - I am told I can meet up with one of their photographers later this week so I can get the "5 of 35" treatment as well.) While researching, I turned up a 2005 article from the same paper where he admitted he agreed with a previously given diagnosis of "schizoaffective" - I don't know how he feels about it in 2013. This may not even be his first election, as records indicate one write-in vote was recorded in his name in the 2009 election. We have a theory on who may have cast that vote! He was also claiming mayor...ality (while simultaneously "running for mayor") back in 2011 when Twin Cities Sidewalks interviewed him, where a lot of his biographical info can be found - he grew up in Edina and he's a graduate of Blake School, the same school Al Franken went to, and counts The Suburbs' Chandler Polling as a classmate. So...I went to high school with Jeremy Renner, so there. Sadly, this great blog entry only got two comments and they're both spammers. There's no justice on the Internet! If he graduated in 1976, that'd make him around 55 today. Hey, Prince is 55! The 2005 piece confirms a 1958 birthday, and also says he'd been married 15 years (would be 23 now - yeah!) and has three daughters. There's also some fine Mike Gould themed graffiti circa 2011 on Flickr, so he really HAS been running for a long time...or graffiti'ing up the U, at least. I feel like a Facebook page would have had more of an effect on getting actual votes...but that may not have been his point. (Also, maybe not have used the swastika...even if it's the OK backward one) I honestly can't tell you if I'd be a better mayor than this guy or not, but I have a suspicion we're both engaging in some form of performance art! Am I right or wrong? It's YOUR vote! NEXT: Another guy with no email or website - man, I picked a great place in the line to blow this off, but I gotta get crackin'...I'm running out of time
1.10.13 22:58		Dying to hear me talk about Libertarianism for 40'? http://lionsofliberty.com/2013/10/01/lions-of-liberty-podcast-ep-4-crz-for-mayor/ Thanks @MarquesDeeClair for having me on! #MPLSmayor #mpls13
1.10.13 10:15		Anybody voted absentee for me yet? #MPLSmayor
26.9.13 17:40		Still in Oregon for the week, but here's my KFAI interview to tide you over. (Please ignore incredibly unattractive photo accompanying said interview ;-) ) I won't be able to listen to it until later but it will be interesting for me to learn which 7 minutes of the 20-30 minute inteview made the cut. (Link to KFAI | Minneapolis Mayoral Candidate Christopher Robin Zimmerman)
24.9.13 23:20		@StubbleMag And my wife would kill me if I didn't look into the Dunkin Donuts franchisee situation
24.9.13 22:42		@StubbleMag Prefer to bring back 7-Eleven, introduce Wienerschnitzel, In-N-Out... but we could put it on our wish list, sure
22.9.13 17:06		Another version of my virtual stump speech has been published! Hard to believe they didn't get a higher response - or a response from more of the "top" candidates. Maybe the "conventional wisdom" is that Daily Planet readers don't vote? (Link to TC Daily Planet:: Minneapolis mayoral candidates answer your questions here!)
19.9.13 13:55		RT @StubbleMag: Interview with @CRZ, the ONLY #mpls mayoral candidate to commit to bringing @WrestleMania to the metrodome. http://bit.ly/18e9jyM

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