« December 2007 | Main | February 2008 »
January 25, 2008
City Council, District 6 Forum
I attended the District 6 City Council candidates forum last night.
It was good to have a chance to hear from all of the candidates and feel like, for the first time, when I vote for someone I have something to base it on other than name recognition, or what I've seen or heard in the media.
I will say that no one candidate jumped out at me, but I do think I was able to narrow things down and begin to form more of an opinion.
For me, personality goes a long way. I tend to vote from a more emotional level than an intellectual one. If there is a candidate whose personality turns me off or rubs me the wrong way I have a difficult time looking at their "platform" unbiased.
Most of the candidates were very likable people who seem to have our district's best interest at heart.
I would like to see some one who could bring a higher level of professionalism to our city council while at the same time bringing a human and personal approach to the politics in our city. I would like to see someone from District 6 who can represent the wide spectrum of people who live here. I would like to see our councilman/women be someone who isn't afraid of a changing district. We need someone who won't only be fighting for the well established, elderly, white people in our area, but also for the black and hispanic members of the district.
The problem? Knowing who that person is, and if they will be effective in the position.
Posted by Sara at 03:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
WOW
I'm a long way from forming an opinion about who I will vote for in the presidential elections, but I will say I just had a WOW moment.
I have been watching some video clips online of Barak Obama and his wife. I must say he certainly is easy to look at and easy to listen to.
I also had a moment of WOW, what it would mean to have a black couple in the White House. The more I think about it the more I think WOW.
******
By the way...
Can anyone explain how you know if you can or can not vote in a primary? Do you have to be registered as a Republican to vote for the Republican candidates and a Democrat to vote for the Democratic candidates?
And, if that is the case how do you know what you are registered as? It has been about 15 years since I registered and I have no idea. Does it say on my voter registration card? If so, where? I can't seem to find it.
Posted by Sara at 02:36 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
January 22, 2008
District 6 Forum This Thursday
The Brainerd Unity Group is hosting a District 6 Candidates Forum this Thursday, January 24 at 6 p.m.
If you live in District 6 this is a great opportunity for you to meet the candidates.
The forum will be held at Friendship Community Church, located at the corner of Brainerd Road and Tuxedo Avenue (in front of 21st Century Academy).
Joe Lance of TennesseeTicket.com will serve as the moderator.
The forum is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. and run until 7:30 p.m.
Each candidate will be asked 10 questions and given 90 seconds to respond.
The candidates will be available to meet with constituents from 5:15 - 6:00.
Park beside or behind Friendship Community Church and enter behind the building at the entrance to the gym. There will be signs to direct you to the right place.
The six candidates are:
We vote on February 5th! (Actually, I think early voting has already begun)
Friendship Community Church:
Posted by Sara at 11:06 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 17, 2008
SNOW
You would think that after snow like this: (Minnesota Dec. 2007)
We wouldn't get very excited about this: (Chattanooga Jan. 2008)
But we were all crazy excited about our snow last night. Even though some of it is already melting I love looking out of the window at it this morning.
Posted by Sara at 09:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 10, 2008
Let me educate you...
[Sorry for my umpteenth recycling rant - I just can't help myself]
This is for those of you who live in Brainerd and, like myself, have never seen the first cent of the city's $100,000 recycling education program.
Recycling pick up in our area is on Wednesday of the SECOND FULL week of the month.
I guess I'm just really slow, but my learning curve on this once a month pick-up has been pretty sad. (I educated myself by calling 311 yet again)
Because this month began on a Tuesday, my recycling won't be picked up until NEXT Wednesday. Too bad. Now I have to go and drag in five bags of wet stuff so I can drag eight bags out next Wednesday.
I'm almost to the point of just throwing it all in the trash can.
This mother of five just doesn't have time to schedule in recycling pickup. It is WAY TOO much of a frustration. I don't need piles and piles of recycling cluttering up my life.
If a small part of me didn't want to do what is "right" and if I thought there would be room for it all in my once a week garbage pickup I'd just can the whole thing.
(And I'm lucky if I can fit a shower into my day - there is no way I can drag it all to a pick up center unless I ask each of my kids to hold a bag on their lap while we take a special little outing on our way to the library or something.)
Posted by Sara at 08:42 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack