Election 2008

Questions Madia

Before thousands of local Democrats head to their DFL senate district conventions during the next few weeks, I hope they will ask Third District Congressional candidate Ashwin Madia and his campaign these questions:

Does he still believe that Social Security will be “broke” by 2013 and “in desperate need of money?”

Does he still consider Social Security and Medicare to be “entitlements” for senior citizens that will have a “devastating” effect on his own generation?

Does he still agree with the quote that “unions are more interested in politics than kids?”

Does he still think that Bob Dole would have made a better president than Bill Clinton?

Ashwin Madia, formerly known as Jigar Madia, wrote all of that and more in an opinion piece he did for the Minnesota Daily, the University of Minnesota student newspaper, on Nov. 4, 1996. Read the article yourself at http://www.mndaily.com/articles/1996/11/04/1935.

Madia will probably say it was the inexperience of his youth and say he has changed, but he made those public comments barely a decade ago. If Madia could be so wrong then on issues critically important to Democrats, how do we know he will be right now?

Reade Bailey

Eden Prairie

Editor’s note: Bailey is a director with the Third Congressional District DFL. 

Views have evolved

I am the son of immigrants, an attorney and a Marine Corps and Iraq War veteran proudly seeking the endorsement of the DFL and the opportunity to serve in Congress on behalf of Minnesota’s Third Congressional District.

Like many people, my views and beliefs have evolved over time. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) volunteered for the Barry Goldwater campaign while in college. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) served in the Reagan administration as Secretary of the Navy. In 1996, as an 18-year-old kid one year out of high school, with more energy and time on my hands than real knowledge and information, I wrote an editorial for a student newspaper endorsing Bob Dole for president. As I look back, I am as embarrassed by my ill-informed views as I am by my awkward prose.

I have grown tremendously over the 12 years that have passed since I wrote that piece. I worked with homeless children in Minneapolis, and battered women in New York. I successfully defended a gay Marine from the military’s bigoted “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and served in Iraq, where I worked with the State and Justice Departments, the United Nations, and Iraqis themselves to help build Iraq’s legal system.

I’ve also witnessed the Republican Party wreak havoc on our nation and the world through its policies. I’ve seen the GOP systematically use fear and lies to rush our country into an unnecessary war, assault our civil liberties, bankrupt our treasury, persecute the LGBT community, deny health care to millions, and burden our public schools with wasteful testing and unfunded mandates. The last straw for me – and many in the Third Congressional District – was when they stampeded the Iraq War resolution through Congress and shamefully attacked Sen. Max Cleland’s patriotism – a man who lost three limbs in Vietnam.

I am a proud and active member of the Democratic Party. I’ve volunteered for many DFL candidates in Minnesota and worked hard to take our country back. Today, I hope to take that effort to Washington where I will work to help our nation live up to its ideals again. My positive campaign for change earned me endorsements from the Teamsters Local 120, the United Auto Workers, eQuality Giving and several DFL legislators.

If rival campaigns and their supporters decide to focus on my teenage past rather than our country’s future, that’s their choice. For my part, I’ll keep my eye on the ball, and work every day to earn your support so that I can represent you in Washington as the person I am – a fiscally responsible, socially tolerant, moderate Democrat with a military background who loves our country and wants every American to live their dreams.

If you have any questions about where I stand on the issues, I encourage you to visit www.madiaforcongress.com or e-mail me at: info@madiaforcongress.com.

J. Ashwin Madia

Plymouth

Editor’s note: Madia is a DFL candidate for the Third District Congressional seat. 

10-year-old backs Huckabee

I think Mike Huckabee would be a good president because I think he would make good laws for our country. Maybe he could tell everybody about Jesus. They should not support abortion. They should pick a good president like Mike Huckabee. That’s who I would vote for. I hope they make a good choice on who should be the president.

Michael Sipprell, 10

Eden Prairie

City budget

Thanks for curbing spending

I have been waiting and waiting for someone to write in to thank the mayor and City Council for finally having the courage and fortitude to look into how we can begin to control the city budget. For whatever reason, that doesn’t seem to be happening. It took Michael Boland’s “cute” letter of half-truths and sophomoric word play (Feb. 7 Eden Prairie News) to motivate me to do it myself.

First of all, the only cut in the budget that I am aware of is the elimination of a half-time employee in a department that duplicates services that Hennepin County is already providing. If he feels his roads and bike trails are being neglected, it isn’t because of cuts in the budget for that department. And since when is looking at an area of service to see if there might be a better way of handling it, “threatening to close it down.” Last time I checked, the Senior Center is doing quite nicely in its present facilities. I volunteer for Meals on Wheels and to my knowledge no city funding has been cut from the program. How many “historical sites” does Mr. Boland feel the city should invest in? From the information I have received, we already far exceed the amount of money spent in that area for cities of our size. And lastly, it is ludicrous to think the city should be able to run a Community Center that has doubled in size with the same staff.

I don’t know Mr. Boland’s situation but, using his figures, an $11 increase in taxes when compared to his admitted $35 average increase over the last three years adds up to a $24 savings in his city tax bill and I think he should be thanking “Phil” and the City Council instead of belittling their efforts to rein in city spending wherever they can. This is the first time in the 31 years I have lived in Eden Prairie that I can recall the City Council putting forth an effort to hold down city spending and I say, “Thank you!” for taking that first step in what I hope will be a long journey to curb city spending.

Al Krause

Eden Prairie

Foundation Ball

Thanks from Foundation Ball

This is to thank the generous community of Eden Prairie for helping to make the 27th annual Eden Prairie Foundation Ball a success. It was held on Feb. 9 at the Southwest Marriott.

So many volunteers were key to the success of the ball. We would like to thank the Eden Prairie Lions and Lioness Clubs, the Women of Today, The Eden Prairie Fire Department, The Eden Prairie News paper and all of the students and individuals that gave of their time, energy and expertise.

Eden Prairie is a great community in which to live and work. No matter what the case or the cause, there is never a shortage of volunteers. We feel lucky to live in such an exceptional place. So, thanks again to everyone for all of your help!

Ann Hansen & Lisa Toomey (ball co-chairs)

Eden Prairie

Thanks Hansen and Toomey

A big thanks to Ann Hansen and Lisa Toomey and the Eden Prairie Foundation Board for a spectacular “That’s Amore” evening. The Eden Prairie 27th Foundation Ball was filled with fun, delicious food, great music and raising money for our community.

They had the Eden Prairie Women of Today, Eden Prairie High School students, college students from St. Ben’s and St. John’s volunteering for this event.

The hundreds of hours during the past year given by the dedicated volunteers were very much appreciated.

Tammy and Ken Brooks

Eden Prairie

Other topics

Saved Valentine’s dinner

Our Valentine’s Day celebration for our family was going to be a candlelight dinner at home with our young children, eating a meal that Mom didn’t have to cook. Valentine’s Day can be a crazy day for families. We had a short timeframe between Dad picking up dinner on his way home from work and bedtime.

 Feb. 14 is also a crazy day for restaurants. We called one steakhouse in Eden Prairie and were told it was going to be an hour or more before our take-out order could be ready. Instead, we chose Outback Steakhouse with a shorter wait-time. Unfortunately, after arriving home, we discovered our order was wrong, and there was no time for us to return to the restaurant and get back home to eat the meal before bedtime. When we called the restaurant about the order, the manager granted us the impossible wish. On a frigid night and one of the busiest days of the year, he drove our meal to our home. Thank you Matt Malmstedt!

Laura and Bill Neuman

Eden Prairie