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 this page generated 27.4.24 03:48 CDT (@408 .beats) Follow @CRZ |
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| 4.9.13 00:29 | | MAYORAL CANDIDATE #6: DOUG MANN (GREEN PARTY) Doug Mann, 56, has run for school board at least eight times and has also run for city council in 2005. (He didn't win any of those elections.) Sometimes he gets a Green Party endorsement and sometimes he doesn't - he didn't this time. On his personal Facebook page, he self-identifies as "Green Party / socialist" and I reckon using the SMALL "s" is a nuanced distinction much as how some people will confess to being small L "libertarian" but bristle at being identified with the BIG L. (I am fine with both cases...not that you asked. Let's more on.) Interestingly, that third word "socialist" didn't make it into his "up to three word party or principle" which will appear on the ballot - probably a wise political choice, even if it's selling out. (Don't worry, we have at least one BIG "s" Socialist in this race too - keep an eye out for later episodes!) He lives in Shingle Creek and was the final mayoral candidate to file on the opening day of the filing period (#18 filer overall). He has 300 more likes than I do - so I may need to start begging you guys to share this and see if I can get some more likes. He's a licensed practical nurse (which Wikipedia tells me is like an RN but with less schoolin') but spent a few recent years as a hack - as in taxi driver. He also has had enough training as a paralegal to argue pro se in his efforts to seek a writ of mandamus against the upcoming Vikings stadium, making him I believe the ONLY man in Minneapolis to actually take some action against the stadium boondoggle in an attempt to let the people vote and be heard on this issue. That alone should get him some points but a current, sad lack of coverage by folks more interested in the stadium getting built means he's not getting the coverage he deserves. Judge Bush's ruling may change that - or it may lead to continued non-coverage, depending on if he rules against Mann and the stadium plans proceed as planned. This isn't the first stadium Mann has gone quixotic against, by the way - a big plank in his 2005 council platform was the idea that the city council shouldn't allow Target Field to get built if IT wasn't first subject to a vote. He was right then as well; however, Hennepin County commissioners went ahead and authorized the sales tax increase with a 4-3 vote. Can't remember if we managed to vote out those four bums or not...which just goes to show that you probably really CAN get away with just about anything without reprecussion...although I'm not too sure how many of the 7 council members who allowed the Vikings stadium to go through will still be on the job in 2014! Anyway, Doug Mann. Good guy. Absolutely not a telegenic man. Fighting the good fight. Has a lot of opinions about stuff the mayor can't control, but I guess you gotta put SOMETHING on your Facebook wall. Me...I talk about mayor candidates. I honestly can't tell you if I'd be a better mayor than this guy or not. I think it may be a tossup, but I'm probably the only one. Minneapolis would DEFINITELY be more interesting if he somehow won. Am I right or wrong? It's YOUR vote! |