MINNEAPOLIS CENTRAL LABOR UNION COUNCIL, AFL-CIO

COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION

 

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CANDIDATES REQUESTING ENDORSEMENT (Please print or type)

 

                                                                                    DATE   February 7, 2001                   

 

NAME  COUNCIL MEMBER LISA MCDONALD                                                             

              McDonald for Minneapolis  P.O. Box 8720,  Minneapolis, MN  55408

ADDRESS  307 City Hall,  350 S. 5th St., Minneapolis, MN  55415                           

 

BUSINESS PHONE 673-2210  (Pat) HOME PHONE                                                        

* (612) 788-3346 or (612) 644-5247 Cell    (*Campaign Manager Jason Amundsen)

POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION:

 

Do you consider yourself to be DFL  X IR         OTHER                                             

 

CANDIDATE FOR WHAT OFFICE    Mayor – City of Minneapolis                         

 

Are you the incumbent in this office?                  YES                  NO  X                                  

 

CAMPAIGN TREASURER NAME AND ADDRESS   Nick Koch                                       

 

            5025 Lyndale Avenue – 55419                                                                        

 

 

HAVE YOU EVER RUN FOR OFFICE BEFORE?               YES     X          NO               

 

If yes, what office(s)?  What year(s)?  1993, 1997 City Council – 10th Ward                

 

                                                                                                                                               

 

HAVE YOU SOUGHT ENDORSEMENT FROM THE CENTRAL LABOR UNION

 

BEFORE?        YES     X         NO                  .  If yes, what office(s)?  What date(s)?

 

            Same as above                                                                                                            

 

HAVE YOU EVER RECEIVED CENTRAL LABOR UNION ENDORSEMENT?

 

YES     X         NO                 .   If yes, what office(s)?  What date(s)?            Same as above

 

                                                                                                                                               


General candidate questionnaire                                                                        Page two

 

 

ARE YOU, OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN, A MEMBER OF AN AFL-CIO UNION?

 

YES                  NO     X         .  If yes, what union(s)?  What year(s)?                                    

 

                                                                                                                                               

 

ARE YOU OFFICIALLY ENDORSED BY:  DFL       -         IR       -           OTHER -       

 

WHAT ENDORSEMENTS (OTHER THAN POLITICAL PARTIES) DO YOU HAVE?

 

            In the past, I have received police, fire, teamsters, Mepa but have not screened yet

 

            with these groups for this race                                                                          

 

WHAT ADDITIONAL ENDORSEMENTS WILL YOU BE SEEKING?      the above        

 

                                                                                                                                               

 

WHO IS YOUR SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON LABOR ISSUES?      labor members              business agents, Gary Thaden                                                                                       

 

 

DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION HAVE A LABOR LIASION PERSON?

 

YES     X         NO                 .  If yes, name               Gary Thaden                                       

 

Please complete the entire questionnaire and return it to the Central Labor Union prior to

February 7, 2001         , to allow time for the screening committee to review your background.

 

If you have any resume or additional background information – please send it to us with this questionnaire.

 

We have scheduled your screening for Wednesday, February 7, 2001, at 4:15 p.m. at the CLUC office, 312 Central Avenue, Room 542, Minneapolis, MN  55414.

 

PLEASE CONFIRM THIS APPOINTMENT.  If this date is not convenient, we will arrange for an alternate time.  Call Linda at (612) 379-4206.  You may fax your questionnaire to (612) 379-1307.

 

IF YOU ARE ENDORSED BY US, WE WILL NEED A HEAD AND SHOULDERS BLACK AND WHITE OR COLOR PHOTO.

Lm.Opeiu #12 afl-cio

2001 COPE CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

Designed for City Council and Mayor Candidates only

 

1.     Would you support continued improvements to the Living Wage policy?

 

Yes, as I have in the past

 

2.     Why are you seeking labor endorsement?

 

I am seeking labor endorsement because I grew up in a labor family; my grandfather was a plumber and a union official with his local plumbers’ union in Akron, OH.  I believe that a policy of paying folks both a fair wage and benefits is essential to keep our economy strong and to keep families strong.  These same families will then be in a position to buy homes, services and products in the city; adding to the greater stability of Minneapolis.

 

3.     Do you support prevailing wage?

 

Yes

 

4.     What is your position on contracting with private entities to provide

public services that are currently provided by public employees?

 

I do not support privatization.

 

5.     What role do you see Local Government as an employer has in

addressing the PERA funding gap?

 

I want to help in anyway which labor thinks I can help.

 

6.     What do you view as the core programs and services of Local

Government?

 

Basic services such as police, fire, public works, including maintaining city infrastructure; inspections and helping provide more affordable housing.

 

7.     Do you support the shift of property tax burdens for school operating referendums from business property to homeowners?

 

No

 

8.     What is the role of the City of Minneapolis in providing for jobs and

economic opportunities for people in the metropolitan area?  Can you point to specific actions?

 

Minneapolis must continue to clean up our polluted industrial land so that we are on a level playing field with the suburbs in providing land for businesses interested in locating in the city.  We have continued to get financial aid from the Met Council and the Legislature with this issue.  We must also lobby at the state level for a designated source of transit funding for the metro area.  Only with this can we continue to expand our bus system, add more rail lines in the city and provide an alternative to congestion and get folks to jobs in the suburbs.  We have to do a better job on job linkage with projects where city money is spent.  We must ensure that these employers are creating jobs that pay a living wage with benefits.  With the changes in the welfare program, we need to work with the county to provide job training for folks as they leave the welfare system.

 

9.     Would you promptly consult the Central Labor Union Council on

issues of interest to our membership?

 

Yes, as I have in the past

 

10.            What do you believe is the appropriate use of Tax Increment

Financing?

 

To provide financial assistance that will add something to the city and that the public supports.  Examples of that include the Grain Belt and Milwaukee Road Depot project that provided historic preservation; Graco that provided jobs; and the old Federal Reserve project that will add a new green park to downtown.  Also, TIF is invaluable in providing affordable housing.  We must be careful to not tie up too much of our downtown in TIF because that is money that doesn’t go into the general fund for as long as twenty years.  For example, the Target Store costs the city $7.7million a year in its general fund.  This is money we can use to support basic services and continue to pay a fair wage and benefits to our employees.

 

11.            Do you support “Buying Union” made products and services with

City dollars?     Yes

 

12.            Do you support a permit code and competency system for the

Trades that welcome input from union contractors and Trades

persons?

 

Yes, and I have worked on this issue with plumbers and pipefitters.  I don’t think government officials should be the only folks with input.

 

13.            Please describe your campaign strategy and how you see labor

assisting in your strategy.

 

I intend to go to the DFL endorsing convention but I will be running regardless of whether or not I am endorsed.  I raised $26,000 in the month of December and I am continuing to raise money.  I have hired a full-time campaign coordinator.  I feel being endorsed by union labor is important to the folks in my community.  I will need the help of the CLU in identifying supporters in the City and helping me lit drop and get out the vote.  In the past, CLU was very supportive in both of my council races and made the difference in my last race where I wasn’t endorsed.