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Pulitzer Prize-winning RUINED at Mixed Blood Theatre RUINED by Lynn Nottage, directed by Aditi Kapil October 16–November 22 (Wed–Sat at 7:30pm; Sun at 3pm) Alan Page Auditorium of Mixed Blood’s historic firehouse theatre, 1501 S. Fourth Street on the West Bank in Minneapolis Tickets: (612) 338-6131 or www.mixedblood.com
November 9 - November 15, 2009 • MN Metro Vol. 35 No. 45 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com
Ranked Choice Voting goes smoothly Fair Vote Minnesota last week called Minneapolis’ inaugural use of Ranked Choice Voting a great success, saying it creates “a model for how other Minnesota cities can successfully implement Ranked Choice Voting.” “The City of Minneapolis did a great job preparing for the election in terms of its own processes and in terms of voter education,” said Jeanne Massey, executive director of FairVote Minnesota. “The result appears to have been a smooth, trouble-free election. Most voters came to the polls knowing what to do and – when there were questions – election judges were prepared to help as needed. According to initial reports, we saw very
Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce honors local businesses Annual Awards Ceremony
Barb Johnson
Troy Parker
Don Samuels
Natalie Johnson Lee
few spoiled ballots and we have anecdotal reports indicating voters liked the new voting method. We’ll look forward to the full report of the City Election Department, but it appears that Minneapolis has established a successful model for Saint
Paul and hopefully other Minnesota cities to emulate when implementing Ranked Choice Voting. Last Tuesday, Saint Paul voters also passed a ballot question to allow for the use of Ranked Choice Voting and it will soon join Minneapolis in
using this new voting system for their municipal elections. Massey noted that the pending hand count was a part of the City’s plan for elections. While many of the races resulted in winners according to the initial machine tally of first choice rankings, the City has said that these results are preliminary and will be verified as part of the hand count process. The hand count will provide official results for all races. “This is exactly how the system was designed to work this year, ” Massey said. “The City has a very thorough process in place that will be accurate, thorough and transparent. We expect the next phase of the process to go as smoothly as today’s.” Ranked Choice Voting or RCV (also known as Instant Runoff Voting), is a tested, accepted and implementable system by which voters rank candidates in order of preference, ensuring majority winners in single-winner races where there are more than two
candidates on the ballot. Under RCV, voters cast their vote for their favorite candidate knowing that if no candidate gathers a majority of votes in the first round of counting their votes can count toward their second choice. Votes cast for the less popular candidates are not “wasted”, but rather redistributed to more popular candidates, based on the voters’ second choices, until one candidate emerges with a majority of votes. RCV is already in use in San Francisco and more than a half a dozen other jurisdictions around the United States and in democracies such as Ireland and Australia. FairVote Minnesota was founded in 1996 to work for better democracy through public education and advocating progressive voting systems that lead to greater competitiveness, better representation and more participation.
Election results City of Minneapolis: Mayor 1st Choice Precincts reporting 100.0% Candidate Votes Vote% R.T. Rybak 33,220 73.6% Papa John Kolstad 4,949 11.0% Al Flowers 1,783 4.0% Dick Franson 1,569 3.5% Christopher Clark 1,340 3.0% Tom Fiske 655 1.5% Joey Lombard 439 1.0% James R. Everett 354 0.8% Bill McGaughey 230 0.5% Bob Carney, Jr. 229 0.5% Write-In 215 0.5% John Charles Wilson 134 0.3% City of Mpls: Council Member Ward-W-03 1st Choice Precincts reporting 100.0% Candidate Votes Vote% Diane Hofstede 1,458 65.9% Allen Kathir 348 15.7% Jeffrey Cobia 242 10.9% Melissa Hill 112 5.1% Raymond Wilson Rolfe 39 1.8% Write-In 15 0.7%
City of Mpls: Council Member Ward-W-04 1st Choice Precincts reporting 100.0% Candidate Votes Vote% Barbara A. “Barb” Johnson 1,547 46.9% Troy Parker 919 27.9% Marcus Harcus 442 13.4% Grant Cermak 384 11.7% Write-In 5 0.2% City of Mpls: Council Member Ward-W-05 1st Choice Precincts reporting 100.0% Candidate Votes Vote% Don Samuels 1,015 47.0% Natalie Johnson Lee 649 30.1% Kenya McKnight 336 15.6% Roger Smithrud 92 4.3% Lennie Chism 60 2.8% Write-In 8 0.4% City of Mpls: Council Member Ward-W-08 1st Choice Precincts reporting 100.0% Candidate Votes Vote% Elizabeth Glidden 2,393 74.9%
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Benjamin confirmed as Surgeon General
Students scare up 10,000 pound donation for foodshelf
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Lee Daniels’ Precious lives up to the buzz
By Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspapers WASHINGTON (NNPA) - Dr. Regina Benjamin was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 29 as the next U.S. surgeon general, making the Black Alabama physician the nation’s top doctor. “She will be an integral part of our H1N1 response effort, and America can expect to see her very soon communicating important information about how to stay healthy and safe this flu season,” Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a statement. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, (D-NV), had complained that Republicans were holding the surgeon general confirmation over unrelated issues, according to the New York Times. A subsequent voice vote elevated Benjamin to the post. Benjamin has a long history of public service as a family physician. She received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights and a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant, and was the first Black woman to head a state medical society. Benjamin became nationally known for her struggle to keep her Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic on Alabama’s Gulf Coast open to serve approximately 4,000
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NNPA
Sen. Edward Brooke greets audience alongside Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) last week during the ceremony where he received the Congressional Gold Medal.
Dr. Regina Benjamin local residents after the area was devastated by Hurricane Katrina and again by Hurricane Rita. Benjamin is the third African American woman to be U.S. surgeon general. The first African American woman to be appointed surgeon general was Vice Admiral M. Joycelyn Elders, who was confirmed by Congress in 1993. Elders was also the first African American of either sex ever appointed to that position. Benjamin will be the fourth African American to become U.S. surgeon general since 1993, and the 18th U.S. surgeon general since John M. Woodworth was appointed by President Ulysses S. Grant as the first surgeon general in 1871.
Sen. Edward William Brooke
Insuring America’s children a moral responsibility
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receives Congressional Gold Medal By Crystal Cranmore NNPA Special Correspondent Cheers and applause filled the U. S. Capitol Rotunda on October 28. It was an emotional moment as nearly 500 people witnessed “the Obama of the 20th century” receive the highest honor Congress can bestow - the Congressional Gold Medal. The grandson of a slave, former Sen. Edward William Brooke III grew up not too far from the Capitol in a thensegregated Ledroit Park. He faced racism as he fought in a segregated army during World War II as a soldier in the 336th Infantry. But toward the end of
the tumultuous 60s, Brooke would step over the boundaries of segregation and become the first African American elected to the U. S. Senate by popular vote in 1967. At the Gold Medal ceremony, two African American men, President Barack Obama and Senator Edward Brooke, sat on the stage with other leaders of the House and Senate. The crowd’s attention focused on President Obama as he gave his speech. The nation’s first African American president, he reflected the journey this country has taken over the past two centuries. “Ed was unfazed when people pointed out he was Black, Protestant, Republican and a
carpetbagger from the South,” said Obama. “They saw how hard he fought for them [and] just about everyone he encountered.” Brooke, who served as a Republican senator from Massachusetts, also commented on the advances the country has made, delightfully making note of the fact that the Speaker of the House was a lady. The crowd cheered as Brooke said, “Don’t think it’ll be long before a lady is president.” The 90-year-old senator continued to allure the crowd with his sense of humor as he told the story of how he learned he was going to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
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Vikings Mid-Season Report
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