Link. Without getting into details, Matt Look is the incumbent County Board Commissioner for where I live; and City of Ramsey candidates relate to the town I live in.
Look has a challenger, and there are multiple Ramsey candidates. Perhaps more later.
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At some point the local LWV will have candidate forums. For now, these events are on schedule.
Readers might wish to save the main, homepage link;
https://my.lwv.org/minnesota/anoka-blaine-coon-rapids-area
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This relates to the entire County Board and deserves a full quote. And the process for the Board handling at issue in the content of the item is an example of something else, bigger, which should be said, again, and again, and again, TRANSPARANCY MATTERS, and "sunshine is the best disinfectant." Open meetings at a convenient time with relevant prior citizen input not only allowed, but encouraged and facilitated, should be a bedrock of decent local government. And we don't have it. The specific LTE text:
LETTER: Time to allow meaningful public input
To the editor:
Recently, Anoka County’s Board of Commissioners adopted new commissioner districts in response to the 2020 census. It is unfortunate that there was not a process for public input into the redistricting map before it was developed. These districts will now stand for the next 10 years. While the county did allow comments on draft maps, this opportunity came at the end of the process, in the week before the final decision. More than 50 letters and emails were submitted to the county about the proposed maps at this time, showing that there is interest in public participation in such decision making. This public comment opportunity is less meaningful than it would have been had citizens and other local elected officials been engaged before the drafts were prepared, beginning at the time criteria for redistricting was set.
The League of Women Voters advocates for intentional citizen involvement and engagement in important processes such as redistricting, budget development, infrastructure planning and policy development. Anoka County has an opportunity now to open the doors for greater public involvement in the making of critical decisions like redistricting. We urge our elected commissioners to adopt a policy allowing public comment at or before regular and special board meetings.
Contrary to statements quoted in the May 6 Anoka County Union Herald, LWV ABC did not favor any of the County redistricting maps. Our League submitted alternate draft maps to the county which we supported, and took no organizational position on the four maps proposed by the county. The League of Women Voters will continue to encourage transparency and accountability in all levels of government.
Gretchen Sabel -President, League of Women Voters of Anoka, Blaine, Coon Rapids Area
[italics added] From the specific to the general - keeping things under a hat, disrespect for citizen input, specifically redistricting, generically, "Anoka County has an opportunity now to open the doors for greater public involvement in the making of critical decisions like redistricting. We urge our elected commissioners to adopt a policy allowing public comment at or before regular and special board meetings."
Amen.
Tell yourself, why not? Who benefits by less? What benefit exists if you have to hunt down your Commissioner and beg? Who'd oppose reform if caring what citizens really think?
Perhaps this election cycle is a good time to reflect upon how with the appearance of possibly having moved out of distract while still sitting in the Board seat, Rhonda Sivarajah was kicked upstairs to the bigger paycheck (which came without a residency requirement); and it was a done deal, one council member wondering, then a "job solicitation" fig leaf added afterwards, form over substance; Rhonda getting blessed, being a success. The sovereign wishes, the sovereign acts? Huh?
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You are the sovereign - the public, they are the servants, but they seem to have it ass backwards.
PER THE ADAGE, WHEN IN DOUBT, VOTE THE RASCALS OUT.
It rhymes.