Progressive Movement in Rochester recognized by Take Action Minnesota

The footprint, a sustainable, livable community e-zine, writes in Tim Walz recognizes the footprint: at the Take Action Minnesota Progressive Leadership Awards Dinner last Saturday night:

A section of the program about Rochester: Rochester has a longstanding and politically engaged community of peace activists, a vibrant, powerful labor movement, progressive leadership in the Somali community, a solid history of environmental wins, successful sustainable development advocates and growing organizing in low-income communities.Many individuals and organizations deserve credit for these achievements, including the AFL-CIO SE Area Labor Council, AFSCME Council 5, Coalition for Economic Opportunity, ECCO: Earth Community Coalition of Olmsted County, Livable Rochester, Olmsted County DFL, SEIU Healthcare MN, SE MN Alliance of Peacemakers and UNITE HERE Local 21. Together they are transforming a city that progressives had all but deserted just a few years ago. . . .

The footprint's an interesting site; check it out.  Transit for Living's website posted the entire TAM press release here.  Some excerpts:

In the last six years, politics in Rochester has been undergoing a sea change. After more than 30 years of Republican dominance, in 2004 Rochester elected State Representatives Tina Liebling and Andy Welti. They expanded the Democratic delegation in 2006 with the election of State Representative Kim Norton, State Senator Ann Lynch and, in a surprise win, Congressman Tim Walz.  Expanded margins of victory in 2008 races proved these elections were not a fluke. . . .

. . .“Our recent wins come after years of work” said Abdifatah Abdinur, an organizer and leader Rochester’s Somali Community.  “People knocked on a lot of doors and organized a lot of meetings to get us where we are today.  That people kept pushing, even when the outcome was uncertain, says something about people’s commitment to each other.” . . .

While some observers attribute recent DFL successes in Southern Minnesota to the winsome personalities of the successful candidates, our own interviews of progressive leadership in the district suggests that Abdinur is spot on. There's no "secret weapon" or cult of personality driving the wins; mainly,  hard work and smart planning are fueling Southern Miknnesota's leftward turn, along with some underlying demographic and economic shifts in the region. The service ethic embodied by leaders such as Welti, Liebling and Walz doesn't hurt either.

Rochester area labor leader Laura Askelin has assembled a flickr set of the Progressive Movement in Rochester peeps in action.

Photos from set: Members of Rochester's progressive community at the Take Action Minnesota Progressive Leadership Awards Dinner (above); Union volunteers help contribute supplies as part of flood rebuilding efforts in 2007.

Comments

[Grace Kelly]

Please oh please crosspost, this is great!

Ollie Ox: Sorry, those who want bovine blogging will have to visit the prairie.

Perhaps people at the Minnesota Progressive Project might wish to interview activists in Southern Minnesota and write up posts based on what they learn. or ask for some guest posts or diaries.

Some great stories out there and one heifer can't tell them all.