[MAPC-policy] X's input on resolution

[MAPC-policy] X's input on resolution

born-digital

email

yes

no

2001-11-04

Hi X and Policy folks -

My general comments are:

  1 - In addition to drafting this resolution, I'm guessing that you've
thought a lot about strategy for getting it passed.  It WILL set off a
firestorm, promoted by the State Journal and the radio shock-jocks with
their newfound local political power.  You will definitely want to develop a
full-court press on this in conjunction with friendly Alders.  One idea
might be to send folks to the Common Council meeting PREVIOUS to the meeting
at which you intend for this
resolution to be introduced to demand an explanation as why the Common
Council hasn't already acted.  Then you could get Alders to introduce it -
in response - to the requests.

  2 - The following are Progressive Dane Alderpeople.  We have 8 of 20 seats
on the Common Council.  These are your most likely bets for sponsors of such
a resolution.  Three of these are also Greens (Konkel, Powell, Jarrell).
Additionally, two alders used to be Progressive Dane but are not any longer.
Still, they vote with our people most of the time and are generally fairly
decent:

current Pd alders:
6       JUDY    OLSON   Judy Olson <district6@council.ci.madison.wi.us>;
work <jdo_qhi@chorus.net        245-0557        255-9133
4       MICHAEL VERVEER Michael Verveer <district4@council.ci.madison.wi.us>
255-6498
2       Brenda  Konkel  Brenda Konkel <stellablues@geocities.com>
251-2412
257-0143
11      JEAN    MACCUBBIN       Jean MacCubbin
<district11@council.ci.madison.wi.us>    238-4863        266-0955
5       Tom     Powell  Tom Powell <thos.powell@bigfoot.com>    233-1059
261-7989
15      Kent    Palmer          244-7462
13      Matt    Sloan           250-6664        265-4065
8       todd mathew     jarrell todd_jarrell@hotmail.com        259-1976

Two former PD alders - still friendly:
10      KEN     GOLDEN          238-4370
20      Gary    Poulson Gary Poulson <district20@council.ci.madison.wi.us>
233-1469, 233-0914      266-7275, 266-4071, 233-0914


3 - I would come up with another working title for the resolution that is
much shorter - i.e. - "Defense of Victims Resolution" or something like that
- to frame the issue the way you want it framed ahead of time.

4 - The resolution should be changed wherever it read "the United States" to
be Madison-focused.  In other words, for example:

. . . BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the the Madison Common Council calls upon
the federal government to contribute to efforts by the international
community to provide long-term, sustainable reconstruction and development
assistance for the people of Afghanistan, including efforts to protect the
basic human rights of
women and children; and

Also - remove references to the "people of Madison" and replace them with
Madison Common Council.  I'm just thinking about what phrases could be used
as ammo by the rightwing locally.  They will say (1) Madison shouldn't set
foreign policy- so we should say Madison is urging the Feds to change policy
- and they will say (2) How dare the Common Council speak for "the people of
Madison" - so we should just say the "Common Council" is making this
resolution on our behalf.
They will also go nuts about patriotism and everything else, but there's
nothing we can do in the language about that, except perhaps to repeatedly
state that the current U.S. policy is contrary to the best American values.

5 - Add some whereas' about Annan and the UN and even (according to WORT
tonight) Russ Feingold calling for a halt to the bombing so that supplies
can get in - and mention the bombing of the Red Cross warehouses.

Thanks and good luck!




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Sunday, November 04, 2001 10:45 PM

[MAPC-policy] X's input on resolution