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Duluth MN 55803
Catch Progressive Action’s 7B Forum on PACT-TV Aug 18, 19 and 28
Progressive Action’s August 13 forum in the chambers of the Duluth City Council was a great success! All seven candidates for Minnesota Legislature 7B participated, answering questions posed by Progressive Action and the public, before a full chambers and in front of a full complement of local television and newspaper media.
More 7B Minnesota Legislative Forums to Come! Answering the Question: Who Will Follow Jaros?
You can see the candidates vying for the Legislative District 7B seat being vacated by the retiring Mike Jaros, at a number of forums scheduled through Sep 4.
From Jaros’s 1972 Election to Today: The Importance of the Progressive Action 7B Legislative Forum
By Barb Olsen
Back in 1972, Mike Jaros cut up pieces of plywood and painted “Jaros” in big red letters on them. Before the signs had a chance to dry, the first-time candidate for the Minnesota Legislature began putting up his homemade campaign signs in yards around Duluth. The red letters ran, and today Jaros speculates with a chuckle that he won that election in part because his signs got a lot of attention—they were simply the homeliest yard signs anyone had ever seen.
Progressive Action Endorses Meg Bye in Minnesota Legislative House District 4B
Meg Bye of Loon Lake Township has received the endorsement of Progressive Action in her candidacy for Minnesota’s House District 4B legislative race. The 4B District includes the southern half of Cass County, half of Hubbard County, and the northern part of Crow Wing County.
Press release here
Progressive Action Endorses Nick Milroy for Wisconsin’s 73rd Assembly District
Progressive Action of Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin has endorsed Nick Milroy in his candidacy for Wisconsin’s 73rd Assembly District. The seat is open, following Assemblyman Frank Boyle’s announcement that he is retiring after 22 years in the office. Progressive Action extended the endorsement to Milroy following a written screening process.
Press release here
Milroy's Answers to Progressive Action's Screening Questions here
Good Food, Good Music, Good Politics… Who Could Ask for More?!
Progressive Action’s “Extravaganza!” a huge success
The Progressive Action Steering Committee has been lying in the weeds a bit, after April’s wildly successful “Spaghetti Dinner Extravaganza and Political Rally.” But we want to fill everyone in on what was an enjoyable night and a financially successful one as well...
an event that brought us together and that will help Progressive Action support future progressive candidates and future Progressive Action activities.
It was standing-room-only, with great speeches by U.S. Senate candidate Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer and 
St. Louis County Attorney Melanie Ford, fabulous food, stupendous music by the duo Mad About Jane, a jam-packed silent auction, a fun kids' activity table, and a great opportunity to hobnob with new and old friends. That night, we had the chance to hear as well from some friends who've been elected to office and who have been endorsed in the past by PA: Tony Cuneo, Steve O'Neil, Sharla Gardner, and Nancy Nielsen.
Progressive Action Endorses U.S. Senate Candidate
Jack Nelson-PallmeyerAt its most recent membership meeting, Progressive Action members voted to endorse Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer for the U.S. Senate.
Pallmeyer is one of four candidates running for the DFL endorsement for the Senate seat now held by Republican Norm Coleman. They are Nelson-Pallmeyer, Mike Ciresi, Jim Cohen, and Al Franken.
“Progressive Action’s mission is to help carry on the legacy of the late Senator Paul Wellstone,” Progressive Action President Barb Olsen commented. “Progressive Action members voted to support Jack because they believe he’s the candidate who can best carry on that legacy and because Jack is right on the issues. Issues like ending the war in Iraq, pressing for universal single-payer health care, and finding alternatives to our country’s dependence on oil, all of which Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is far stronger on than any other DFL candidate. And Jack is an incredibly effective campaigner, as anyone knows who saw him handily take the recent debate at St. Scholastica in Duluth.”
Among those speaking in favor of the Progressive Action endorsement at the Progressive Action membership meeting were Joel Sipress, a former Minnesota Senate candidate and professor of history at the University of Wisconsin, Superior. “Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is the kind of candidate who can inspire us to work together to make a better future for our families, our communities, and our children,” Sipress commented. “And that’s in great part because Jack has been active his entire life in peace and justice issues around the state of Minnesota and the world.”
Also speaking in favor of the Nelson-Pallmeyer endorsement was St. Louis County Commissioner Steve O’Neil, who first met Jack in the late 1970s and has watched his continued work throughout the years. Nelson-Pallmeyer, O’Neil said, is one of those rare candidates who brings “magic and charisma” to a political campaign. “I’m afraid, as popular as he is as an individual,” O’Neil remarked, “Al Franken might not be a strong enough candidate to defeat Norm Coleman. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is that candidate.”
Nelson-Pallmeyer, who was Paul Wellstone’s foreign policy adviser and advised Wellstone in his vote against the initial invasion of Iraq, joins the ranks of a growing list of candidates who have been endorsed over the years by Progressive Action. These include St. Louis County Commissioner Melanie Ford, County Commissioner Steve O’Neil, Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, and newly elected Duluth City Councilors Jeff Anderson, Sharla Gardner, and Tony Cuneo.
For more information about U.S. Senate candidate Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, see www.jackforsenate.org
Presidential race increases Duluthians' interest in caucuses
Eric Ludy, Duluth News Tribune
Published Monday, January 28, 2008
Voters uncertain or confused about the precinct caucuses on Feb. 5 had an opportunity Sunday night to learn how they work, over coffee, fruit salad and tortillas.
More than 30 people crammed into the living room of the Aspenwood Club House for a question-and-answer meeting organized by Progressive Action Duluth.
The gathering was led by Jeannette Martimo, the DuluthDemocratic-Farmer-Labor party’s associate chairwoman and longtime caucus-goer. It focused on common questions about the precinct caucuses, such as who can participate, how delegates are selected and how the presidential preference ballot works.
“Some people are totally unaware of what a caucus even is,” Martimo said.
When asked who had been to a caucus, only a few people raised their hands. One who kept her hand down was Sandra Holcomb of Duluth. She said she had never thought of caucuses as an important part of the political process.
“I always thought it didn’t make a difference,” Holcomb said.
This year, though, a friend, Siegrun Horst, also of Duluth, persuaded her to become more involved. Issues such as jobs, health care, alternative energy and the war in Iraq make this year’s caucuses especially important, they said.
“We have to have change,” Holcomb said.
Mark Fink also had never been to a caucus. He and his wife, Maggie, recently moved back to Duluth from Idaho. Fink said his desire to get more involved in local politics and the excitement surrounding this year’s elections are what inspired him to learn more about the precinct caucuses.
“I’d like to be able to participate the best way I can,” Fink said.
After the meeting, Dan Bonhiver said that while he knows more now about how the caucuses work, he’s still a bit confused, especially about how delegates are selected. He said that he’ll participate regardless, because he wants to be involved in an election year that he says is going to draw a lot of interest.
“I think it’s going to show nationally,” he said.
On the state level, the DFL and Republican parties have announced that they will work together to promote participation in the Feb. 5 precinct caucuses. Both parties will be involved in opinion articles and events to promote the caucuses.
Both parties have said they expect larger turnouts this year because of the wide-open nature of the presidential race, as well as the potential for Minnesota to have a much greater voice than in previous years in the presidential nomination. Minnesota’s caucuses were moved to “Super Tuesday” this year, when 24 states will hold primary elections or caucuses for one or both parties. State caucuses in 2006 were held on March 7.
Local Duluth DFL official Bill Cortes talked about the importance of creating change on the precinct level.
“Some of us have a vision for what this party lacks, and changing it all goes back to the grass roots,” he said.
Wondering How a Precinct Caucus Works?
If, like many of us, you find the precinct caucuses a bit confusing, here's a good description of how they work and what you can expect when you attend on Tuesday, February 5:
"Caucuses" from the DFL Website
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Jeff Anderson |
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Tony Cuneo |
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Sharla Gardner |
Progressive Action Congratulates Its Endorses Candidates in the November Election
Progressive Action extends its congratulations to its endorsed candidates for their wins in the November election!
The Progressive Action-endorsed candidates for At-Large City Council—Jeff Anderson and Tony Cuneo—both won in their races against incumbent Tim Little and conservative challenger Becky Hall.
Progressive Action-endorsed Sharla Gardner won in the Third District. She takes the seat held for two terms by Councilor Russ Stewart, who did not run for re-election.
Also successful in the November election was our endorsed candidate for At-Large School Board, Gary Glass.
Progressive Action would also like to extend our congratulations for excellent races to our other endorsed candidate for School Board, Deb Anderson. Deb ran a fine race and would have made an excellent addition to the School Board. She came close but was not able to unseat two-time incumbent Tim Grover.
And our thanks as well to Progressive Action-endorsed Laurie Johnson, who lost her bid for re-election for the City Council’s First District and will be replaced by conservative challenger Todd Fedora. Johnson will be missed as not only the only woman on the Duluth City Council the last four years but also a courageous supporter of Duluth’s workers, the lakeshore, the local business community, and the environment.
If good policy amounts to a
‘special interest,’ count us in
Barb Olsen, Duluth News Tribune
Published Thursday, November 01, 2007
Any time I see the words, “there’s a simple answer,” I anticipate trouble — especially when they’re used to describe a complex issue. It’s that kind of wishful simplicity, paired with a plaid shirt, that gave the country George W. Bush, the Iraq war and a skyrocketing national debt.
The words, “there’s a simple answer,” appeared in Bob Hansen’s Oct. 17 Local View (“Duluth needs leaders who are not shackled by special interests”). In the commentary, Hansen pointed at the grass-roots group Progressive Action as one of the “special interests” that is contributing to what he sees as the city’s failure to resolve its retiree health-care debt, budget shortfalls and limited job market. Special-interest groups — Hansen also mentioned the environmentally minded Green Party and working folks belonging to unions — supposedly care nothing about addressing city finances and routinely endorse candidates whodon’t care about it as well.
That’s simply not the case.
Progressive Action Elects Two New Steering Committee Members
At its most recent membership meeting, Progressive Action members elected Patrick Boyle as the Steering Committee’s Youth Representative, representing the area’s young adults and students, and Peter Johnson as its Labor Representative, representing the area’s working families.
Progressive Action Elects New President
At a recent membership meeting, Progressive Action of Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin elected Barb Olsen as its new President. Ms. Olsen has served on the Progressive Action Steering Committee since the organization was formed in 2002 and acts as the organization’s Communications Chair.
Since 1999, Barb Olsen has been the author of the column, “Out of Order! A Voter’s Field Guide to the Duluth City Council,” in the Reader Weekly newspaper. She is also a member of the League of Women Voters, Million Mom March, Skyline Planning and Preservation Alliance, and a number of other local political and environmental organizations.
“Progressive Action has successfully taken on many challenges these past few years,” Ms. Olsen commented. “We’ve endorsed local progressive candidates. We’ve volunteered on local campaigns and helped candidates win their races. And we’ve created an active online discussion group that brings together the voices of progressives throughout our region so that when an important issue emerges, we’re ready to make our voices heard. One goal I’ve enjoyed pursuing most with Progressive Action has been helping to bring the public into the political discussion and get involved.”
Progressive Action’s most recent endeavor was to host the first Duluth mayoral forum of the election season, which was broadcast live on KUMD-FM radio and rebroadcast on PACT-TV.
Barb Olsen replaces outgoing Progressive Action President, Tim Musick, who served in the capacity for two years. Musick is also an elected Supervisor in Lakewood Township, Northeastern Minnesota’s Regional Director for the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE), and an employee of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in Duluth.
Progressive Action is a group of volunteers in Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin, formed after the death of Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone to continue his work on issues such as affordable housing, living wages, and electing progressives to local office.
Twin Ports Joins the Nation in Rallying for Peace
More than 250 people marched through downtown Duluth, Minnesota on Sunday, March 18, calling on Congress to stop funding the war in Iraq and bring the troops home now. Several speakers addressed the crowd, including Iraqi-American Dr. Sabah Alwan, who outlined the damage that has been done to Iraq and spoke about how significantly the U.S. occupation of Iraq has contributed to recruitment of anti-American fighters throughout the Islamic world.
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