I’m a moderate Democrat who has seen many candidates come and go. This year, our candidate for state representative is truly outstanding.
Donzel Leggett went to Purdue University and excelled as a student of engineering and a defensive end. He married Tracy, who is his campaign manager and a force of nature. He became vice president at General Mills. He is an inspiring speaker. This letter is about why he can and should win.
Joe Hoppe has served eight terms and flies under the radar as a nice guy while getting 100 percent ratings from right-wing groups and near zero from the rest.
To my knowledge, he has neither contributed to nor (as I would wish) objected to President Donald Trump’s bullying and scandals, holding immigrants in solitary without being charged, and calling Mexicans rapists while calling Muslims (and no white supremacists) terrorists. This is a passive approach when we need a leader.
I took a U.S. history course this spring that included the history of slavery and genocide of Native Americans that gets glossed over in high school. The instructor taught me two things about elections:
1. Elections get reported without reference to the percentage of eligible voters who actually voted, which is usually less than 50 percent. If there were 200 eligible voters and 100 voted, the result might be reported as 60 percent to 40 percent. As a percentage of eligible voters, though, that is a victory of 30 percent to 20 percent. People who support Democrats have more difficulty getting to the polls and could be the lion’s share of 50 percent of non-voters. We have enough people to win.
2. What actually happens in legislation is often a result of “triangulation” between conservative thought, progressive thought and business interests. Corporations are citizens according to recent law. Their money is “free speech,” and lobbying and PACs are considered fine, just fine.
The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board provides details of the Hoppe Volunteer Committee for the year 2017 that show the following: Individual contributions, $750 (one contribution was listed); lobbyist contributions, $3,500 (28 listed); PAC and political group contributions, $8,750 (37 listed); miscellaneous income (payments to reimburse about $10,000 Hoppe improperly spent), $4,500; total receipts, $17,500.
Hoppe is beholden to lobbyists and PACs, not grassroots supporters. You can’t vote the same way and expect better results.
Please support Donzel Leggett.
Doug Schanzenbach, Chaska
Chaska Herald, May 25, 2018