Politics Posts

Fierce Alleycat Road Race for Reproductive Justice — Friday at Leif Erickson Park

Sep 02, 2010 6 Comments

Brought to you by your local HOTDISH militia*

Deets:
Friday, Sept. 3
4pm Registration
5-7PM Race
Meet at Leif Erickson Park
$5 minimum donation to ride
Prizes for all sorts of fun reasons

An alleycat is a bike race and a scavenger hunt combined – come find out more! Be sure to bring a bike, helmet, backpack and your best costume.

*HOTDISH stands for Hand Over The Decision It Should Be Hers.  We are a small grassroots organization mostly made-up of badass feminists who spend our time advocating for reproductive justice in the Northland while educating ourselves and others.  We have a small fund that we maintain through our fund-raising efforts to ensure that women of the Northland with lower incomes have access to abortion and other reproductive health care services.


Events, Politics ,

Lorrie Janatopoulos for County Commission

Sep 01, 2010 1 Comment

Join in to support Lorrie’s run for St. Louis County Commission.

5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1
Carmody Irish Pub – 308 E Superior Street, Duluth, MN

Lorrie is running for Commission in District 5 (Virginia/Eveleth) but that official makes decisions for Duluth, too. We need new, sensible people on our County Commission, so come to the party, meet and talk with Lorrie, and give what you can.

Lorrie Janatopoulos for County Commissioner


Politics

Sixth District Candidate Forum

Aug 30, 2010 No Comments

Sixth District House and Senate Candidate Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters Duluth in cooperation with the Citizens Federation.

Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 6:30pm
Lakewood Town Hall, 3110 Strand Road, Duluth

Candidates scheduled to appear at the forum are: Senator Tom Bakk, Jennifer Havlick, Rep.Mary Murphy, and Keith MacDonald.

The candidates will respond to prepared questions. Each candidate will be given equal time. The forum will last about one hour. It will be open to the public at no charge.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influenced public policy through education and advocacy.

For more information contact LWV Voter Services co-chairs:
Gay Trachsel (218-728-5478) or Elizabeth Olson(218-343-4281).


Events, Politics

There’s something about this book cover that makes me want to spend all day making alterations to it in Photoshop

Aug 25, 2010 66 Comments

I think I’d start with putting a Superman outfit on him. It’s a good thing I don’t have any Photoshop skills.


Politics

A superficial — and less superficial — look at the candidates for Minnesota governor

Aug 24, 2010 15 Comments

Setting aside the issues and personal party affiliations for a moment, which candidate for Minnesota Governor has the best website in terms of appearance and functionality?

Farheen Hakeem (Green)
Tom Horner (Independence)
Tom Emmer (Republican)
Mark Dayton (Democratic Farmer Labor)
Ken Pentel (Ecology Democracy)
Linda S. Eno (Resource)
Chris Wright (Grassroots)

As for substance, all the candidates seem to like to provide an “issues” section with a few paragraphs of philosophy about a handful of topics. So far, I’ve only seen two somewhat detailed position papers on the state budget:

Minnesota Works: Horner-Mulder Budget Outline
Mark Dayton’s Deficit Solution


News and Current Affairs, Politics

Primary Election Sample Ballot for Douglas County, Wisconsin — Sept. 14, 2010

Aug 23, 2010 No Comments

Wisconsin is keeping it old school, with a traditional September primary. Here’s what’s on the ballot:

Read More


News and Current Affairs, Politics

Negative Coverage?

Aug 11, 2010 19 Comments

Does any photo published in the DNT even exist on celluloid? I would have thought not, but this suggests otherwise. Or read in your own perceptions of bias. From the home page this morning.


News and Current Affairs, Politics ,

Duluth 2010 Primary Election Results

Aug 10, 2010 6 Comments

With 4,136 of 4,136 precincts reporting:

FEDERAL OFFICE


United States Representative, Minnesota District 8 Independence Party
Timothy Olson — 2,515 | 100%

United States Representative, Minnesota District 8
Republican Party
Chip Cravaack — 26,602 | 100%

United States Representative, Minnesota District 8
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party
James L. Oberstar — 56,369 | 80%
W.D. (Bill) Hamm — 13,836 | 20%

Read More


News and Current Affairs, Politics

A special primary election day message from the guy in Cotton who reminds us we’re all a bunch of toys

Aug 10, 2010 8 Comments

Yeah, this sign is from the 2008 election — and has been posted on PDD before — but it’s still up, and the “I told you so” has been added since then.

Whether you’re a toy or not, you still have the right to vote and bitch. You even have the right to not vote and still bitch. So take that for what it’s worth.

Sample ballot posted here.


News and Current Affairs, Politics

Oil and Congress Don’t Mix: Campaign Launch

Aug 03, 2010 9 Comments

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
SEPARATE OIL AND CONGRESS NOW
CITIZENS FOR CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY

What:  Campaign launch, presentation, discussion.

When: Wednesday, August 4th at 7:00 p.m.

Where: “Friends Meeting House,” aka “Quaker Church” 1802 East 1st Street, Duluth, MN

Please RSVP by following the link below.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=107013446019531&ref=ts


Politics

It’s time to party and the candidates’ answers

Aug 02, 2010 4 Comments

See the Hillsider electronic newsletter here for links to where the National Night Out parties are located and candidate questionnaires for the upcoming election.

Many people are especially interested in the judicial candidates. At our last board meeting we decided to ask the judicial candidates:

What could you do in your position to prevent the disproportionately high number of children of color that are in the juvenile justice system? Are there alternatives to juvenile detention by focusing on solutions rather than punishment?


News and Current Affairs, Politics

Target Corp Gives $150,000 for Republican Tom Emmer

Jul 27, 2010 61 Comments

Some Minnesotans seem upset about Minneapolis-based Target giving money for Republican Tom Emmer’s campaign for Minnesota Governor, as Target is usually not associated with conservative politics. Minnesota-based BestBuy also gave $100,000. National News has picked up the story.

Read More


News and Current Affairs, Politics

Will Walleye-gate Matter?

Jul 27, 2010 16 Comments

The attempt by St. Louis County Commissioner Dennis Fink and State Senator Satveer Chaudhary to circumvent the standard Department of Natural Resources process for changing fishing regulations on the Fish Lake Resevoir has already cost Senator Chaudhary his DFL endorsement and may likely cost him his job. The question is what impact will the Fish Lake scandal have on Commissioner Fink’s bid for re-election?

Read More


News and Current Affairs, Politics

St. Louis County Primary Election 2010 Sample Ballot

Jul 21, 2010 5 Comments

Some notes on the Aug. 10 Primary Election:

* This is an election in which you have to choose a party. You can’t, for example, vote for a Republican governor and a DFL congressman. On the partisan side of the ballot you have to vote for the same party in all races. That’s how it works, whether you like it or not.

* Your party choices are Republican, Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Independence. Yes, there are some candidates representing other parties — Constitution, Green, Ecology Democracy, Resource and Grassroots — but those candidates do not have any opposition within their parties and therefore move on to the General Election automatically.

* If you live in Duluth, you won’t see the County Commissioner races that are listed on the sample ballot — those are for districts outside of Duluth. Pretty much all of the Duluth-relevant nonpartisan county races have only two or one candidate, so you won’t get to vote on them until November. The exception is the Sixth District Court Judge 11 race, which has eight candidates.

Read More


News and Current Affairs, Politics

Duluth Waits for Shane, Sarah and Josh

Jul 21, 2010 9 Comments

Thursday, July 29 | 10pm | Pizza Lucé

Local musicians perform the music of Tom Waits to benefit the hikers detained in Iran.

The lineup will include Coyote, Bill and Kate Isles, Rachael Kilgour, Tony Bennett, the Tico Three, Dave Mehling, James Moors, Jim Hall, Charity Huot and the Mark Anderson Trio.

Cover charge: $10, which goes to Free the Hikers.

On July 31 it will be a full year that Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal have been detained in Iran with no charges brought against them. Shane and Josh have been sharing a cell in Evin’s Prison, but Sarah has been held in solitary confinement.

Bauer is a Minnesotan. His sister and brother-in-law live in Duluth, and he also has family in Shakopee and Pine City.

A protest walk and benefit will be held on July 31. More info on that in a future post.


Music, Politics