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Also this month
There are meet-the-candidate opportunities on the calendar.
GOP Reps. Bachmann and Kline both voted against the recent Temporary Tax Relief Act.
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Rep. Maria Ruud
House District 42A
Rep.
Ruud has returned to her work as a nurse practitioner until the 2008
session starts, but please feel free to call or write her with your
questions or concerns.
Contacting Rep. Ruud
BY PHONE -
(651) 296-3964.
BY EMAIL -
Go here.
BY U.S. MAIL -
515 State Office Bldg., 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Saint Paul, MN 55155.
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The basics about our state DFL party
This month: DFL Conventions
What happens at senate district, congressional district and state DFL conventions? Go here and click on the link to the article.
Previous months:- DFL caucus (go here)
- DFL party structure
(go here)
- SD 42's leadership and
functions (go here).
Feb. 5th caucus
Did you know...
the
caucus night presidential preference ballot, unlike a straw poll, is
required by Minnesota statute? It is a binding vote that sets the
allocation for Democratic National Convention delegates.
Meet-the-candidate events
Go here to our Events page, the right hand column, for more information on these listed events:
- Ashwin Madia for
Congress, Dec. 4, 6,
16
- CD3 Candidate Forum
on Iraq and Related
Issues, Dec. 11.
Check the Events page for other activities that might interest you.
Website links Have you ever wished you had refuted what a coworker said at lunch? Go here to link to some great fact-checking sites listed on our website.
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February 2008
caucus night
 What do you want to take aim at?
Would
you like better environment protection policies? A more equitable
income tax structure? More adults and children with health insurance
coverage? All of the above, or perhaps other changes?
Use the
power you have to make change. Start by attending the Feb. 5 caucus.
Make your voice heard and your wishes known. For more information on
how you can do that on caucus night, go here.
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SENATE DISTRICT 42 NEWS AND NOTES
 A gift that keeps on giving: your participation in the Feb. 5, 2008, caucus
The
February 5th caucus process at Eden Prairie High School is the first
step toward electing the right local and national leaders this next
November. You can help make a better future for your family, neighbors,
state and country by participating in your precinct's caucus.
It's easy to participate in the February caucus. Everything will be ready at the high school.
We
have a great team of SD 42 DFLers who are working hard to make caucus
night a positive experience for you. Here are some of the things you
will be able to do as a participant in your precinct's caucus meeting:
- Vote to determine whom Minnesota will support as
the Democratic nominee for president of the United
States in a binding presidential preference ballot.
- Help select delegates who will choose our Democratic
nominees for U.S. Senate and U.S. House of
Representatives. (Could you be one of those
delegates?)
- Discuss and vote on proposed Democratic platform
resolutions to be advanced to the SD 42 convention
held on March 1.
Would you like more information?
To learn more about caucus night, go here. If you are not sure which precinct you are in, go here.
Speaking of caucus night...
There are opportunities to help before the precinct caucuses convene at 7 p.m. Please contact Deb
if you can volunteer for any of the following: helping people find
which precinct they are in, directing people to their precinct's
meeting room, helping with beverages, and entering data on computers
(laptops with wifi cards are also needed). Thank you!
Keeping up with Democratic candidates
Are you trying to keep track of who has declared for which race? Check out our website's candidate list here. The list also provides links to candidates' websites to learn more about them.
Here is another link you may be interested in -- glassbooth.org
-- that contains a short quiz to help you find out which presidential
candidate best represents your beliefs and views. Will you be surprised
by the result?
A change in this month's central committee meeting
This month's
meeting, a holiday party following a short business meeting, will be on
Thursday, December 13, at Carol Bomben's home at 9260 Talus Circle,
Eden Prairie, starting at 7 p.m. Please bring something to share (hors
d' oeuvre or holiday sweet). Please RSVP if you will be attending.
Norb Gernes, DFL Senate District 42 Chair
Deb Pitzrick, Associate Chair
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GET INFORMED!
Democratic Visions TV programs air Sundays and Wednesdays on local cable stations.
 Democratic Visions is a cable-access TV show produced
by DFL Senate District 42 volunteers. The show airs on Channel 15 at 9
p.m. Sundays and 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays in Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins,
Minnetonka and Richfield. For more information or to volunteer, call
952-944-2861. To view some previous shows, go here. Check out this news on our website:
- Read
about what has happened with state school funding and levies during
Governor Pawlenty's terms (the news is not good). Scroll down to the
article under Minnesota News.
- Learn
who benefits from Representatives Michele Bachmann's and John Kline's
votes against the Temporary Tax Relief Act, federal legislation
designed to slow the growth of the Alternative Minimum Tax. Scroll down
to the Middle Class Tax Relief article under National News.
Read other articles on our website, too.
GOP Senator Norm Coleman shows he is no friend of veterans.
Senator
Coleman has consistently put corporate and moneyed interests ahead of
the health and well-being of veterans. To check out his voting record
on veterans' issues, go here.
Minn. House, Senate offer free magazines.
A
great way to be informed about Minnesota politics is to read the
non-partisan magazines of the House and Senate. The House publication, Session Weekly, can be found online here. You can also sign up here to have a free hard copy delivered to your home once next year's session starts. For the Senate publication, Senate Briefly, go here.
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GET CONNECTED!
Next DFL meetings
Dec. 13: note place change above for our monthly Senate District 42 meeting
(senate district central committee)
Time/Place: 7 p.m. every second Thursday of each month; Glen Lake Community Center, 14350 Excelsior Blvd., Minnetonka.
Who Attends:
Senate District 42 Central Committee members, including the Executive
Committee, local state central committee members, all precinct chairs
and associate chairs. You are also welcome to attend. Your input is
valuable and you will be able to participate fully except for voting.
Dec 19: note place change here for monthly 3rd Congressional District meeting (congressional district central committee)
Time/Place: 7 p.m., every third Wednesday of each month; Minnetonka City Hall, 14600 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka.
Who Attends:
3rd Congressional District Central Committee members, including
congressional district senate district chairs, directors, state central
committee members, others. You are also welcome to attend. Your input
is valuable, and you will be able to participate fully except for
voting. No meeting this month: monthly Progressives on the Prairie (POP) DFL Links meeting
Time/Place:
6:30 p.m. meal, 7:00 p.m. meeting, every fourth Tuesday of each month;
Davanni's Pizza and Hoagies, 8061 Flying Cloud Dr., Eden Prairie.
Who Attends: everyone interested in gathering with fellow progressives.
Next school board meetings
Eden Prairie School Board: Dec 4 and 11 (Tuesdays this month)
Time/Place: 7 p.m. on scheduled Mondays; 8100 School Road, Eden Prairie. Go here for more information on the School Board, its meeting schedule and cable broadcasts of meetings.
Hopkins School Board: Dec. 6 and 20
Time/Place: 7 p.m. on scheduled Thursdays; Eisenhower Community Center, 1001 Highway 7, Hopkins. Go here for more information on the School Board and its meeting schedule. Go here for information on cable broadcasts of meetings. Minnetonka School Board: Dec. 6 and 20
Time/Place: 7 p.m. on scheduled Thursdays; Minnetonka District Service Center, 5621 County Road 101, Minnetonka. Go here for more information on the School Board, its meeting schedule and information on cable broadcasts of its meetings.
Next city council meetings
Eden Prairie City Council: Dec. 4 and 18
Time/Place: 7 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month; Eden Prairie City Hall, 8080 Mitchell Road. Go here for more information on the Council, guidelines for speaking at meetings and cable broadcasts of meetings.
Minnetonka City Council: Dec. 17 and Jan. 7
Time/Place: 6:30 p.m.; Minnetonka City Hall, 14600 Minnetonka Boulevard. The Minnetonka City Council meets twice a month. Go here for more information on Council members, the meeting schedule and meeting procedures. Go here for information on cable broadcasts of meetings. |
GET ACTIVE!
Are you ready to vote?
Go here
for great information on absentee voting, finding your legislative
district, finding your polling place, how to register for voting, and
what kinds of IDs are acceptable for registering to vote.
Volunteer on a committee.
 We have many opportunities that can fit your talents
and schedules. You'll have fun, meet other DFL supporters in your
community and feel good about helping a great cause. Our committees
include: affirmative action and outreach; candidate support and
development; communications and technology; events; fundraising;
precinct organization; and strategic planning and research. Go here for more information and to sign up. Write a letter to the editor.
Writing letters to the editors of our local papers is an important way
we can support our DFL elected officials and promote progressive issues. Go here for more information. Make a contribution.
It's
easy to make a contribution to DFL Senate District 42 and it will only
cost you five minutes of your time and a postage stamp. If this is your
first contribution of 2007 to a state candidate or DFL organization,
you can take advantage of the Minnesota Political Contribution Refund Program
and receive a refund of $50 per individual or $100 per couple. That's
right, a refund. There is no catch or fine print. Think of it as a
"loan" to help Democrats win because you'll get your money back from
the state in 2 - 4 weeks. You can write your check to Senate District
42 DFL and mail it to 9322 Overlook Trail, Eden Prairie, MN,
55347-2931. We'll provide you a receipt and easy-to-complete form to send to the state. Go here for more information.
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