Jul 2, 2020
www.commsolutionsmn.com- There’s still a ton of news happening about protesters, tearing down statues, defunding police, autonomous zones headed up by anarchists, etc, etc…. we, however, have made an executive decision to take a week and add our voice to those asking for transformation of our government. Our wish list sounds a little different (ok, radically) from the roving bands of anarchists and socialists, but we’re still lobbying for change.
What would we like to see happen in cities, counties, and school districts? Why? How do we feel about Statutory Cities versus Charter Cities? Are at-large elections better than wards? We discuss how to get the most equal representation. Almost every city in Minnesota has what is called a “weak mayor”. We compare that with the concept of a strong mayor, and how that would work in a smaller city. Do even or odd year elections engage more people? We discuss why special elections are always better than appointments.
The levels of debt that cities are taking on should scare residents. The interest costs you so much more, and when we go into another financial downturn, cities need to be on better financial footing. How do we budget for all of these projects and expenditures ahead of time? Is that even possible?
Minnesota, we have a lot of work to do. The good news is that it’s winnable, but it’s winnable if (and only if) we stand together and actually get some skin in the game. We have to consider voluntarily sacrificing a little of our own freedom and security (by standing for what we believe in, not by giving in to the government) in order to gain freedom and security for our children and grandchildren.
Andrew also tests Jason’s knowledge on electoral history, and we geek out a bit on the Roaring 20’s.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
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