[Mpls] Strib endorses Henry-Blythe, Lee, Miller

[David Brauer]

Mark Anderson writes of Peggy Flanagan:

> My two cents:
> As far as I can tell, Peggy Flanagan was endorsed by the DFL simply
because
> she is an Indian, and apparently talked a good game.  She doesn't seem to
> have any distinctive plan, and very little experience in or knowledge
about
> education.  If the Strib really did endorse her earlier, as someone else
> said, I'm glad to see that they at least fix their most egregious errors.

I wonder if anyone could articulate the "distinctive plan" of the three
folks they are going to vote for. (This would be a far more constructive
exercise than vague attacks.)

Having edited six stories on School Board candidates, I'm not sure I find
any basket of issue positions to be especially distinctive.

David Dayhoff is a more distinctly independent from the unions, but aside
from his party ID his positions are mirrored by at least one of the other
candidates; Sharon Henry-Blythe is the only one who said the district was
right not to close schools last spring; Sandra Miller is more distinctly
pro-neighborhood school and reading-focused.

The differences seem to come down to character, decisiveness, experience - a
lot of personal qualities, and ones quite open to interpretation. I thought
the Strib's endorsement dismissing Flanagan and Dayhoff was dumb because it
was ageist (especially Dayoff; the man is in his 30s for heaven's sake!).
While I can't deny Flanagan's Ojibwe heritage is a plus in the DFL,
dismissing her merely BECAUSE she is Native and "talks a good game" (like
that isn't a prereq for most candidates) seems as superficial as what it's
mean to criticize.

I am a genuinely undecided voter; I have no axe to grind for or against
Flanagan. I just think she's being dismissed here for unconvincing - or at
least un-unique - reasons.

David Brauer
Kingfield