JOHNNY NORTHSIDE EXCLUSIVE: Possible Ward 3 City Council Candidate

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There is a possible candidate to run for the Ward 3 City Council seat. First of all...

...let me make it clear the possible candidate is NOT ME. I have been asked to make a kind of announcement on my blog, soliciting feedback for somebody who is in an exploratory phase and may consider running in Ward 3. Any feedback can be mailed to hoffx106@umn.edu and I will forward it or, if appropriate, publish it. You can also use the comment threads, not just to this post but to posts discussing relevant issues impacting city politics.

I know this candidate. He is a natural leader. He has the ability to read people, see your needs and speak to those needs. He doesn't just deal with the surface, but wants to tackle the real issues that matter to you and me. (So tell me what those issues are in Ward 3! I have some ideas, and I've passed those thoughts on to the possible candidate, but it's time to hear from all of you by comments or email)

This man focuses on what you're struggling with right now. He does not have his head up in the clouds but rather he's down in the street where the people are.

I know a man, he can talk to anyone about anything. But he doesn't just talk, he listens. This guy is not like the politicians, he's one of you. He hears what you are saying.

This guy has had to put groceries on a credit card before, and it wasn't to earn airline miles. He's been more among the "have nots" than the "haves."

This is a man who is not afraid to confront wrong doing no matter who is guilty. He's had to chase "solicitors of uncouth ilk" from his very doorstep and lived to pay the price. But he rises up, every day, refusing to give in.

This guy looks out for children, Minneapolis' most precious asset. He says, "If we don't invest in the children, we have no city in which to invest."

He says, "Our great city is starting to change for the better. Will the leadership of Minneapolis be able to handle the change?"

Is there room for a man like this among the leadership of Minneapolis? When you look for a city council member, what do you look for:

Honesty. Integrity. Determination. Straightforwardness. Proper representation. Hope. Inspiration.

So that's the deal.

Some may think, "Whoah! Didn't we just finish a big election cycle?"

But guess what? Election cycles never end. In a democracy, we are in a perpetual campaign to determine who will lead, what are the relevant issues, and how will those issues be handled.

Democracy never rests.