We don’t have time to be thorough with the endorsement process in St. Paul’s Ward 2. I’m going to quickly check out some websites and make snap judgments. Are you ready? On to the lightning round!
I have looked at Bill Hosko’s website. He posts a lot of videos where he walks into frame casually, says hello, speaks directly into camera — then gives the date, time, and weather. I love the transparency. In the first video I played he talks about his transit priority: light rail transit stations “need to be retrofitted with railings and gates.” He says millions of dollars are lost annually from fare evasion, but he doesn’t account for the cost of fortifying every light rail station. I get the sense I could find even worse ideas if I stayed on this website, but this is the lightning round and I have learned enough to eliminate Bill Hosko from contention.
Sharon Anderson is a perennial candidate who has recently been caught up in legal wrangling with Bill Hosko over the home address she uses on her candidate filings. You don’t have to look further than Sharon’s horrifying blogspot to eliminate her from your ballot.
Lindsay Ferris Martin’s website url is so long it makes me question her decision making process: lindsayferrismartinstpaulcitycouncilward2.com. The first picture on the website makes me worry that her campaign believes the State Capitol is where the city council meets. But I’m giving Lindsey a third chance. The first video I played shows Lindsay flanked by an American flag talking about why she got into the race. And it was a story about real estate. She and her husband have gone through three different realtors in an attempt to sell their house because “my neighbors and I were victimized by a problem property.” I don’t think Lindsay is ready, and I don’t think Ward 2 is ready for Lindsay.
Helen Meyers doesn’t have a website or social media presence that I can find. I can’t endorse someone who doesn’t have a plan to get elected.
Rebecca Noecker is the incumbent. Her website has a message I can understand, and makes her look like a normal person with reasonable judgment. In 2019, Ward 2 should stay the course, and not change horses in midstream. Stand firm. Hang tough. And keep plugging away.