Photo By John HoffNatalie Johnson Lee, one of the "four political midgets" running against veteran Council Member Don Samuels in the Fifth Ward, has volunteers door knocking with campaign literature that is, well, a little TOO informative. A close and careful reading of the flyers is likely to show the voter why NOT to vote for Natalie Johnson Lee.
First of all, the literature says Johnson Lee has a "strong labor voting record." Uh huh. So then...
...why doesn't the campaign literature have a "union bug" from a union print shop? This is a real "amateur hour" bonehead move by Johnson Lee. You'd expect more from a former city council member.
Here's some other things I noticed.
# Messy printing problem on the front of the flyer. Look closely and you'll see how there's one quote mark next to the word "Because" and yet there's no quote mark at the end. Also notice how the letter e's in the phrase "Because we ALL live here" look different than the letter e at the end of the word "here." Clearly, the print shop chopped off a quote mark plus half an e. Unknown where it was printed because, well, NO UNION BUG.
You can't LEAD the people if you don't HIRE the people.
# The flyer says Johnson Lee "showed up and initiated violence as a public health issue." Leaving aside the cringe-worthy awkward phrasing, Johnson Lee is merely trying to ride the coat tales of Don Samuels on this issue of "violence as a public health issue," click here
# The flyer repeatedly uses the phrase "showed up" and then asks for volunteers who are "truly interested in showing up." Though I'd agree "showing up" is about 50 percent of being successful, I guess most people would prefer to have talent and intelligence, too, not merely an ability to "show up" like a student who can pass by earning a C. Of course, Johnson Lee has always been an advocate of lowering standards for North Minneapolis, instead of bringing North Minneapolis up to a higher level.
# The most outrageous claim of all is that Johnson Lee is interested in "supporting livable and safe communities." Well, everybody who was in North Minneapolis during the previous Johnson Lee reign can tell you how livable and safe it was. Or rather, wasn't.
Now, under Don Samuels, crime is down 40 percent in North Minneapolis after a long, hard struggle. Livability is increasing not just daily, but almost HOURLY.
I'm told one Johnson Lee campaign worker used the phrase "your city council member" to describe Natalie Johnson Lee while door knocking with Johnson Lee herself, and was told, point blank, "She's not MY city council member."
How embarrassing.
Johnson Lee's flyer is also slightly vague on this point, saying "Elect Natalie Johnson Lee City Council Member." But, hey, who wouldn't be happy to associate oneself with all the progress North Minnneapolis has made with dropping crime rates WHILE DON SAMUELS WAS IN OFFICE?
It seems like Johnson Lee is coming into this race with too little, too late. But, hey, at least she "showed up."
First of all, the literature says Johnson Lee has a "strong labor voting record." Uh huh. So then...
...why doesn't the campaign literature have a "union bug" from a union print shop? This is a real "amateur hour" bonehead move by Johnson Lee. You'd expect more from a former city council member.
Here's some other things I noticed.
# Messy printing problem on the front of the flyer. Look closely and you'll see how there's one quote mark next to the word "Because" and yet there's no quote mark at the end. Also notice how the letter e's in the phrase "Because we ALL live here" look different than the letter e at the end of the word "here." Clearly, the print shop chopped off a quote mark plus half an e. Unknown where it was printed because, well, NO UNION BUG.
You can't LEAD the people if you don't HIRE the people.
# The flyer says Johnson Lee "showed up and initiated violence as a public health issue." Leaving aside the cringe-worthy awkward phrasing, Johnson Lee is merely trying to ride the coat tales of Don Samuels on this issue of "violence as a public health issue," click here
# The flyer repeatedly uses the phrase "showed up" and then asks for volunteers who are "truly interested in showing up." Though I'd agree "showing up" is about 50 percent of being successful, I guess most people would prefer to have talent and intelligence, too, not merely an ability to "show up" like a student who can pass by earning a C. Of course, Johnson Lee has always been an advocate of lowering standards for North Minneapolis, instead of bringing North Minneapolis up to a higher level.
# The most outrageous claim of all is that Johnson Lee is interested in "supporting livable and safe communities." Well, everybody who was in North Minneapolis during the previous Johnson Lee reign can tell you how livable and safe it was. Or rather, wasn't.
Now, under Don Samuels, crime is down 40 percent in North Minneapolis after a long, hard struggle. Livability is increasing not just daily, but almost HOURLY.
I'm told one Johnson Lee campaign worker used the phrase "your city council member" to describe Natalie Johnson Lee while door knocking with Johnson Lee herself, and was told, point blank, "She's not MY city council member."
How embarrassing.
Johnson Lee's flyer is also slightly vague on this point, saying "Elect Natalie Johnson Lee City Council Member." But, hey, who wouldn't be happy to associate oneself with all the progress North Minnneapolis has made with dropping crime rates WHILE DON SAMUELS WAS IN OFFICE?
It seems like Johnson Lee is coming into this race with too little, too late. But, hey, at least she "showed up."
14 comments:
wow, FOUR choices for the dedicated nut job vote. way to GO, 5th ward nut jobs! lol
Yes Natalie we ALL live here, black, white, asian, hispanic, indian, rich, poor, and everything in between...get used to it and quit trying to rip our neighborhood apart! Your campaign tactics are dirty and disgusting. I will vote this time around and I will vote for only ONE PERSON and that is Don Samuels.
Nice picture Natalie, did Travis take that for you??
U can't lead the people if U don't get enough votes from the people....
I do have to say...I have a couple of neighbors who STILL have her campaign sign in their home windows. She had a following that is steadfast in support of her. Right or wrong, Don Samuel's and his supporters should take her campaign seriously. As of today...go Samuels...Johnson-Lee not again!
Rank Choice Voting...Samuels will have a hard time getting 51%.
While I agree that IRV is going to present new wrinkles in this year's voting, the chorus I hear especially from challengers of Samuels and Johnson seems to be "All we have to do is be enough of everybody's second choice! Or third!"
With four candidates vying for those second and third slots, I'm not so sure the political calculus adds up to a defeat of an incumbent.
Don Allen said:
Rank Choice Voting...Samuels will have a hard time getting 51%.
The NOMI Squirrel responds:
Actually Don, my long-term experience in NOMI tells me that CM Samuels will have a relatively easy time gathering 51% of the vote.
Why? Because NONE of the other consituents have been able to perform even the rudimentary basics of community building like CM Samuels has and continues to do.
You see Don, just like I try to tell ALL the neighborhood squirrels, it does not good whatsoever to pander to a specfic group within a community. Whether it be squirrels or people. When you do so, as the 4-5 other candidates have done, you end-up alienating yourself from the actual "majority" of voters.
YOu see, most of the residents in NOMI care first and foremost about the basic necessities in life - a safe place to live, and appropriate percentage of rental properties for the housing stock, clean neighborhoods, better schooling for the children, etc...
NONE of the opponents of CM Samuels even mentions these things in their campaigns. And the constituents that vote see through this. That's the reason why CM Samuels was able to beat the DFL endorsed the first time around and CM Johnson the 2nd time.
He'll get 51% (or better), I'd bet my nuts on that.
The NOMI Squirrel
Let's also keep in my that while CM Samuels may not be everyone's FIRST choice, he will be some people's SECOND choice, so that's that.
Can anyone with credibility tell us how that all plays out with IRV?
(Credibility means leave a real name?)
Where is your critique of Mr. Samuels' campaign literature? Crime is down citywide, but up in our ward. On what occassions does Mr. Samuels show up if there is no chance to gain publicity. While the contenders may not be great options, let's not fool ourselves-neither is Mr. Samuels.
Give me more specifics about crime being up in Ward 5. I don't think that is a true statement.
Don Samuels has been an embarrassment to me as a constituent, ever since he said that "the only use for a book is to throw it at a criminal", and when he suggested "burn it down" referring to North High School.
Anybody but Don Samuels.
Not a mention of the Fong Case, NOT from ANY candidates, past or current! Don's been silent, as has all of these candidates who want to replace him! Let's see who walks their talk (if they have one about community justice):
UP IN ARMS: A Night of Hip Hop and Spoken Word to Honor Fong Lee and End Police Brutality
Saturday, October 3rd, 8 p.m. (doors at 7:30)
Kagin Commons at Macalester College
1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105
I'm amused by Don Allen's prediction that Don Samuels wouldn't get 51% and how Don Allen keeps gaming the system through his scheming negativity.(N.F.L., schyyster)
I still love Natalie, though, because of that smile(lame excuse, but true)) and it's Jackie Cherryhomes I am worried about in taking us back to Sayles- Belton Murderapolis days when she sat on the council in DON SAMUELS seat.
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