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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! |