by Dave DeMars
news@thenewsleaders.com
On March 1, several hundred friends and neighbors gathered at the Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School to begin the process of building democracy from the ground up.
They didn’t bring hammers, saws, shovels or even a tape measure. Instead, they brought themselves and their ideas carried on sheets of paper, and sometimes on an iPhone. It was caucus night – the event that arrives every two years and allows the man and woman in the street the chance to make their voices heard. Unlike some countries in the world, all this democracy was accomplished without threats or the brandishing of a weapon.
This being the year of presidential politics, the folks from Sauk Rapids DFL Caucus, Precinct 3 gathered to cast their ballots in the first of what will be several ballotings during the coming months. This night they conveyed their preference – Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders – as to who should challenge the eventual Republican candidate for president.
They also gathered to select their precinct leaders for the coming two years and to select delegates to carry their ideas and selections upward to the next level. They gathered together to share ideas on what’s important in creating a good standard of living and preserving what they have helped create so far. They brought their resolutions of what they wanted their government to do. They discussed and explained their resolutions, and then they voted on them to see which ones would be carried forward to the next level.
Precinct 3 resolutions
Marlene Haider presented a resolution dealing with early voting. Some people simply cannot get to the polls because of work schedules. Why not make it possible to vote early at the county seat in the immediate days prior to an election, she proposed. The county administrator or the registrar could oversee the ballot box or voting machine in a secure place.
Sexual violence is a real problem in our society with both men and women suffering instances of rape, intimidation, forced prostitution and abductions for sexual enslavement. There are some programs available to deal with the issue, but they are woefully underfunded and understaffed, many have claimed. It didn’t take much discussion to convince caucus attendees a resolution calling for better funding for sexual assault and sexual-violence education and prevention programs was a worthy endeavor.
Coal power for generating electricity comes with its share of problems. Fifty years ago, coal-fired plants provided the power needed in the nation, but the smoke, ash and pollution of our air and water has made it necessary to look for ways to generate power with clean technologies. Caucus goers in Precinct 3 agreed it’s time to clean up our water and air through the use of clean power. It’s good for our economy, and it’s good for our health, they noted. Bill Haider carried the resolution to the caucus, answered questions and secured support for his resolution.
Everyone realizes how important jobs are on the Iron Range and what a role mining plays in providing those jobs, but there needs to be some balance to protect the ecology in northern Minnesota, caucus-goers decided. Marlene Haider presented a resolution calling for stricter regulation of the copper- and nickel-mining operations being contemplated in northern Minnesota. The sulfite waste product of such mining raises havoc with the soil and water quality. She asked for and received support for a clean-water resolution so northern Minnesota does not suffer the fate of the highly polluted Sudbury, Canada.
Charles Miller presented a resolution calling on the state to extend the Northstar commuter rail service to be extended to St. Cloud.
With the conclusion of resolution presentations, the precinct attendees learned of their preference of Democratic presidential candidates. In this stance, the majority of attendees preferred Bernie Sanders to Hillary Clinton.
In a scant two hours, 61 constituents of precinct 3 had made choices about candidates and voiced opinions about how they wanted to be governed. Not everything they desire will come to pass; there will be compromise and amendments to their ideas. But the genesis of democracy in Minnesota started in a middle-school classroom on a blustery night in March when citizens gathered to voice their ideas.
Caucus attendees raise their hands in approval of a resolution that was presented.
Rebecca Kotz reads her resolution detailing the need for greater support of sexual-assault centers and the need for more education for prevention of abuse and assault.
