Council to have a referendum on the Vikings Stadium. It may or may not prevail
– I’m glad he’s at least making the effort – and John Ferman’s alternate
approach may work.
But let me throw another idea into the hopper: here’s a way for WE THE PEOPLE
to have OUR OWN Vikings Stadium Referendum – on the Minneapolis City Ballot
this fall. And we DON'T need the GOVERNMENT’S PERMISSION to do it.
Key information:
1. Candidates can pay $20 (twenty bucks) and put their name on the Ballot for
City Council.
2. You can put a “political principle” on the ballot by your name -- up to
three words.
Here’s the plan:
WE THE PEOPLE will recruit a bunch of people who agree to plop down $20 (twenty
bucks) and put their name on the ballot for City Council. We want as many to
participate as possible – at least two for each Ward.
We’ll have two groups – Group “NO” candidates will file for City Council with
the principle: “STADIUM REFERENDUM NO.” Group “YES” candidates will file with
the principle “STADIUM REFERENDUM YES”.
We’ll have a rally at People’s Plaza (AKA Government Plaza) on Monday Afternoon
August 12th (the day before filing closes,) to introduce our platoon of Vikings
Stadium Referendum City Council candidates. At the rally, we will declare and
publicize this simple plan: “Everyone’s third ranked choice for City Council
will be our stadium referendum.” It will be UNDERSTOOD (because we all say so)
that ONLY THIRD CHOICE votes will be considered referendum votes – this
prevents people from voting two or three times, for two or three STADIUM
REFERENDUM NO candidates.
The City’s current plan is to count and report all votes, for first choice,
second choice, and third choice, on election night. By simply counting up how
many third choice votes are cast for “STADIUM REFERRENDUM YES” candidates, and
how many third choice council votes are cast for “STADIUM REFERRENDUM NO”
candidates, we will have counted the votes for our Stadium Referendum.
The Ballot is OUR BALLOT. It is not the GOVERNMENT’S BALLOT. In general I'm
promoting this principle: Over time... WE THE PEOPLE have got to shake off the
brainwashing that the GOVERNMENT has a right to tell WE THE PEOPLE how we can
use OUR BALLOT to instruct OUR GOVERNMENT, and to elect people WE WANT TO
ELECT!
Returning to a more practical, one step at a time approach: one reason I'm
suggesting we designate the THIRD CHOICE as the Referendum vote is that
candidate with few FIRST CHOICE votes are eliminated early. The point of this
initiative isn't to elect people -- it's to have a referendum. Consequently,
if you're running to win, please don't run as a Stadium Referendum candidate.
But if you want to help the referendum cause, please do file... you'll
contribute to having a referendum, and there's no further obligation after the
election. Just plop down the $20 (twenty bucks) and file.
By the way again: I’m planning to have “DEMAND TRANSIT REVOLUTION” as my
political principle. I’m finishing up an e-book on Phase RIGHT NOW! of the
TRANSIT REVOLUTION– should have it posted at this site in about a week. I’d be
delighted to have other candidates use “DEMAND TRANSIT REVOLUTION” as their
political principle – more on this to follow. Please note this for now: I'm
asking for FIRST CHOICE votes, but I'll take any vote I can get -- I'm trying
to win, so we can HAVE the proposed TRANSIT REVOLUTION.
So… what does everyone think of Bob Carney Jr’s Pretty Good Vikings Stadium
Referendum Plan?
Bob Carney Jr.,
“candidate-journalist”; Candidate for Mayor of Minneapolis
East Harriet