Native American Indian Labor Union # 12: July 2009

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Monday, July 27, 2009 2:01 PM

From:

"greg paquin"

To:

mmiron@bemidjipioneer.com

Cc:

bswenson@bemidjipioneer.com

I am submitting this exclusively for publication in the Bemidji Pioneer to be run as either a “Letter to the Editor” or as an “Opinion” piece.

I wish to respond to the article, “ACLU-MN Greater Minnesota Racial Justice Project: Community dialogue focuses on solutions,“ Bemidji Pioneer (August 24, 2009).

First, let me make one thing very clear; racial justice goes well beyond the issue of police/criminal justice system community relations and I don’t think the article begins to cite “solutions.”

Poverty, overwhelming poverty, is at the center of each and every issue plaguing Indian Reservations and Native American communities which have unemployment rates rapidly exceeding 50%.

There is no doubt problems of racism do arise between the police and Native Americans because we have serious problems of racism in our society. However, in order to get to the root cause of these racial problems we need to tackle the employment question as the primary issue and not allow this police/community issue to be used as a cover for not coming to grips with the fact that the poverty associated with this horrendous unemployment is responsible for bringing Native Americans into contact with the police departments and the criminal justice systems in the first place.

In many ways during this conference reported on, people tried to tell Mr. Ken Bergeron, the acting director of the United States Department of Justice who maintains that President Barack Obama is his boss, that poverty was the main issue needing to be addressed; yet, Mr. Bergeron refused to listen or respond--- instead, he kept focusing and steering the discussion with a focus on racism in police/community relations which causes me to ask this very fundamental question:

Why hasn’t Mr. Bergeron directed federal law enforcement officials to prosecute those in law enforcement and the criminal justice system for violating the civil rights of Native Americans; this would be the very best educational experience for all involved--- after all, isn’t this the reason given for charging people with any other crimes, putting them through the criminal justice system and incarcerating people?

I find it very interesting that Mr. Bergeron has not directed his law enforcement division of the United States Department of Justice to investigate with intent to prosecute in finding out why federal and state affirmative action legislated guidelines are not being adhered to on projects receiving state and federal funding.

How can there possibly be this huge discrepancy in unemployment between the rest of the population and the Native American population if affirmative action programs are being enforced? We must conclude affirmative action guidelines--- when it comes to Native Americans--- are not being enforced; and this is the real racial injustice we must come to grips with if we want to get a handle on all other problems.

I have talked to the Beltrami County Sheriff Phil Hodapp and it is quite apparent to me the Sheriff is taking all the appropriate measures that are required to see to it that racial injustices do not occur in Beltrami County. All is not by any means perfect; but, we need to be asking why so many Native Americans are coming into contact with law enforcement and the criminal justice system to begin with.

Again, this brings us back to the issue of poverty. Enforce affirmative action laws and provide people with life-long skills at jobs paying real living wages and common sense tells us that we automatically reduce Native American contact with law enforcement and the criminal justice system to levels of the rest of society--- and many of the problems involving the rest of society arise from the systemic problems of poverty, too.

So, in my opinion, enforcement of affirmative action policies in hiring should be Mr. Bergeron’s first order of business; he can arrest those law enforcement officials and those in the criminal justice system for violating people’s civil rights at the same time.

In my opinion, the reason Native Americans are suffering unemployment rates far beyond the general population is that Native Americans do not have elected representatives advocating for them in the political process.

Not one single Native American sits among the more than 200 Minnesota State Legislators; none are among Minnesota’s Congressional delegation. In the City of Bemidji, 25% Native American population, not one single Native American elected to public office on the city council.

I, and many Native Americans, want to know when Mr. Bergeron and the United States Department of Justice is going to investigate why no Native Americans have had the opportunity to represent and advocate on behalf of Native Americans in the Minnesota state legislature? There has to be something that is going on where politicians and the powers that be are acting in collusion to deny Native Americans fair representation in the political process and thereby being excluded from the real decision-making process.

This is what we are really talking about when it comes to ending racial injustices against Native Americans--- our fundamental and basic human rights to participate as equals in the political process. If we had this full equality with full and equal participation in the political decision-making process we would not have to worry about finding solutions to being mistreated by racist cops, racist judges or racist employers who are causing the majority of these problems in the first place because as we all know, people without jobs are naturally very poor and when you have entire communities plagued by 50% and up joblessness you are going to have criminal activity resulting.

When there is a glaring discrepancy of 50% Native American unemployment while the rest of the population is suffering a 10% unemployment rate there is a problem of racial injustice at work here.

One very glaring example of the incorrect approach Mr. Ken Bergeron of the United States Department of Justice is taking as he moderates and facilitates these forums sponsored by the Minnesota branch of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Racial Justice Task Force is very apparent.

It was pointed out during this forum, that Native American youth are driving without driver’s licenses which lead confrontations with police and to many other problems for the youths directly involved, their families and the communities they live in--- especially these youths coming into contact with the police and the criminal justice system as a result--- many for the first time. And if President Obama’s university professor friend, Mr. Gates, has a right to fly off the handle when police invaded his privacy and his home, one can expect that Native American youth are just as likely to become engaged with the police in at least a similar manner when stopped and caught without drivers’ licenses. The reason for this problem was cited by state legislators at this Forum on Racial Justice as being Native American youth raised by families living in poverty who can’t afford the cost of Driver’s Training Classes offered by the public schools. Yet, no solution was offered by Mr. Bergeron or these legislators when such a simple solution is at hand.

Ken Bergeron pooh-poohed the solution to this problem which is so elemental one has to wonder why the state legislators have not acted: Provide state legislation permitting those with family incomes under $25,000.00 a year (a living annual income in Minnesota) to take Driver’s Training for free. But, as we see, without Native Americans sitting in the Minnesota State legislature such problems can not be resolved.

I have done my own surveys among Native Americans and I would challenge the United States Department of Justice, the American Civil Liberties Union or anyone else to refute my findings. Among Native Americans this is the list of our priorities:

Poverty and unemployment; people want decent, real living wage jobs.

Hunger and nutrition; poor people can’t afford to eat and they can’t afford to eat properly.

Housing--- poor quality and shortage.

Health care--- lack of access to health care in an underfunded Indian Health Service

Education--- lack of quality public schools.

Police/community relations does not top the list of problems in my polling but is related to all the other problems once we begin to understand the central role of poverty which brings impoverished people into greater contact with law enforcement.

Though the racial conflicts and racial injustices involving law enforcement and the criminal justice system remain an important problem creating a great deal of agony, additional hardships and problems for Native American families--- is it coincidental that the Native American incarceration rate of 50% in the Beltrami County Jail is about the same as our unemployment rate--- 50% and rising? I don’t think so. Provide people with decent real living wage jobs through strict enforcement of affirmative action in hiring and we will be well on our way to solving our police/community relations problems.

There is something terribly wrong when public officials will come to Native Americans for our votes and the money generated through gambling revenues but then they ignore the horrendous poverty and unemployment in our community… all solutions should be directed in a way that aims to eliminate poverty. Focusing solely on racism in law enforcement and the criminal justice system evades the real issues and provides an easy out to Minnesota politicians.

If Mr. Bergeron knows of specific cases of law enforcement officers and those employed in the criminal justice system engaging in racist conduct rising to the level of violating the civil rights of Native American people, I want to know why those criminals have not been prosecuted. Mr. Bergeron not prosecuting those engaged in violating the civil rights of Native Americans he and his Department of Justice along with is boss should be facing justice for failure to equally enforce the laws of our land.

In this day and age there isn’t one single law enforcement officer or anyone working in the criminal justice system who doesn’t understand what racism and racial injustices are all about--- these people don’t need to be treated with kid gloves and educated; they need to be prosecuted just like any kid driving without a license--- the difference between the two criminals is one group can claim poverty as their excuse for the crime; the other group is being paid to treat every citizen equally and chooses to violate people’s rights based upon racial prejudices. For justice to take place, this distinction needs to be made. Poverty, and its elimination, needs to be our primary focal point and point of reference.

I do think an intentional effort is being made by the MN-ACLU Racial Justice Task Force and Minnesota politicians to make this issue more complex than it really is in order to hide the reason we have poverty and to cover-up the fact the issue of poverty is going without being addressed. We are back to strict enforcement of affirmative action in hiring.

Gregory Paquin

Minnesota Senate District 4 candidate

Gregory W. Paquin

Candidate for Minnesota Senate
District: 4

1511 Roosevelt Road SE.
Bemidji, Minnesota , 56601
218-209-3157 h
651-503-9493 c
check out my blog:http://nativeamericanindianlaborunion12.blogspot.com/

Sunday, July 19, 2009

We Will Get Answers

Campaign Finance Board Legislative Candidates

Friday, July 17, 2009

Wall Street Journal

http://davos.wsj.com/quote/0cz94UP9uE6TB?q=U.S.+Democratic+Party

Olson faces DFL challenge

Sen. Mary Olson, Bemidji's freshman Democrat state senator, picked up an opponent for her 2010 re-election bid -- and it's another Democrat.

Greg Paquin, a Bemidji pipe fitter and American Indian, chose the blogosphere last week to announce that he wants the Senate 4 post now held by Olson and that he will seek it as a Democrat. He says he has nothing personal against Olson, but that an American Indian should have the Senate 4 seat, as well as both House seats and the two House seats and Senate seat in the Senate 2 district. And he says so in a letter he wrote to Brian Melendez, Minnesota DFL Party chairman and posted on the E-Democracy forum Web site that serves the Bemidji area.

"Native (Anishinabe)Americans are the largest single minority population in the State of Minnesota and we have no representation in the State Legislature; anyone can see that this is unfair. I intend to try to change this with or without the support of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party; I would like to do this with support from the DFL if at all possible, if not, I will use other means. As a long-time union member of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA), I have always been a loyal supporter of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party." he writes Melendez.

"Minnesota Native(Anishinabe) Americans, including myself, have repeatedly sought assistance from the local DFL elected public officials who we helped in every way to elect. We now need their help on a variety of issues of importance to us from jobs to education, housing and health care and environmental concerns, we find ourselves shut out of the political and decision-making process by these same politicians who could not have been elected without the votes of Anishinabe people who are now ignoring our problems and concerns when it comes to doing things by way of finding solutions. Solutions which are often as simple as doing what is right to make sure Anishinabe people get jobs. Often we don’t even hear about jobs until the work is completed. How do others hear about jobs, even in our own communities, before we do? This is not right," he adds.

In talking with Paquin on Thursday, he said he did not receive a response from Melendez but instead from Pam McCrory, the Senate 4 DFL chairwoman, who told him he would have to go through the process, which is the precinct caucuses next winter, the county DFL convention and then having enough delegates to secure the DFL endorsement next spring. “He said just have him go through the process like anybody else does,” Paquin said. “This is the problem — going through the process like anybody else doesn’t take into account the social political factors that have prevented us from getting into the position of getting there in the first place.”

Olson, for her part, has actively engaged the American Indian community and carried legislation for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, including funding for a traditional values substance abuse treatment centerfor reservation youth. This past session, she secured funding for Ojibwe and Dakota language preservation. And she also collaborates with the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. And newly elected Rep. John Persell, DFL-Bemidji, works for the Leech Lake band as an environmental consultant.

Still, Paquin doesn't think either have done enough to ensure that affirmative action policies are followed to employ more American Indians. He'd like to see affirmation action in place at the Bemidji Regional Event Center construction site, as well as allowing Indians to organize in unions on the Red Lake Reservation. In fact, Paquin started his own union, Native American Labor Union No. 121, which neither the Red Lake Tribal Council nor the AFL-CIO will officially recognize.

Paquin is also critical of tribal governments locally, saying they are selling out to the wealthier Twin Cities-area tribes which are heavily invested in new casino operations at Leech Lake and in casino construction at Red Lake.

Paquin says he's been sober for 13 years and wants jobs for young American Indians, to show them there are ways out of poverty and substance abuse. "I went through pure hell in my years of alcohol abuse," he says, "an d I don't want to see other people turn to that, and make that political correct to live that kind of a life,because there's nothing more horrible than the waste of a person's spirit than to be stuck in those places. There are a lot of native stuck in that place, and it's sad to say, there's a lot of white people stuck in that place as well."

He says he has "no ill will toward that woman (Olson) or anybody else, it's just that I refuse to stand by and let affirmative action rules ... got totally unmentioned."

Paquin, a virtual unknown politically, will find a tough time getting DFL endorsement over a popular incumbent in Olson. He hosted the "We Shall Remain" conferences in January at Bemidji State's American Indian Resource Center. They were designed to gain input from Indian folks on their issues and concerns and generate discussion. No elected official attended, Paquin lamented.

He says he will challenge Olson in the DFL primary regardless of the endorsement process, giving Olson potentially a divisive race that she must reunite after the primary to face an as yet unknown Republican. Bemidji insurance agency owner John Carlson had already geared up his would-be 2010 campaign against Olson when he switched gears to face Persell in 2008 for the House 4A seat. He may turn his attention to the Senate race,if convinced by local GOP supporters. Olson defeated Carrie Ruud of Breezy Point, and many don't count her out either. She lost her bid for Minnesota State GOP Party chairwoman, so she may put her sights on a return match with Olson. She has little standing in the north half of the district, but has formidable support in the south half that includes part of Crow Wing County and the Gull Lake,Pequot Lakes, Breezy Point area that tilts the district to the GOP side. She has been an adjunct professor of political science at Bemidji State, so she may be making more inroads in the more tradionally Democrat part of the district.

At any rate, speculation abounds for a race that shouldn't be heating up for a full year yet. There is no doubt, however, that whoever eventually wins, it won't be a cakewalk to get there.

Posted by: bswenson on 7/16/2009 at 9:01 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

AFFirmative Action from The Top Down

http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/

Published July 17 2009

Olson to face DFL challenge in Senate 4

Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, faces opposition next fall, but not from a Republican.

By: Brad Swenson, Bemidji Pioneer

Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, faces opposition next fall, but not from a Republican.

Greg Paquin, a Bemidji pipe fitter, says Olson hasn’t done enough for American Indians and he will seek the seat as a Democrat to push for affirmative action and jobs for Indians.

“One of my platforms is that basically I’ve gotten tired of asking about these types of issues,” Paquin, an American Indian, said Thursday about a lack of jobs for Indians. “I’m going to run for Senate District 4. … I’m not going to stand by any longer and let it continue.”

Paquin said he’s going to “make it very apparent to people what we face here in our communities, not only from the standpoint of being native American but from the standpoint of being in a labor state that should have some of these other issues in mind such as health care …”

He said he’s “not satisfied with the representation,” alleging that current Senate and House members shy away from confronting reservation leaders about issues such as allowing labor unions to be formed on the reservation or in making casino profits accountable to the people.

Paquin started making waves about a week ago in the blogosphere when he posted a letter he sent to Minnesota State DFL Chairman Brian Melendez demanding that the DFL Party endorse him for Olson’s seat, and suggesting that all legislative seats in Senate 2 and 4 should be held by Ojibwe natives.

“I intend to do everything I can do to make sure that Senate seat 4 is held by an Native Tribal Member citizen, because this is what justice requires,” he wrote. “It is my hope that other Native (Anishinabe) Americans will join my efforts to secure the other five seats.”

And, “most Anishinabe, Native Americans are working people, yet you treat us as if only the cash you get from the casino managements counts for anything. This, too, will change once I am elected to the Senate District 4 seat because the people of Minnesota will be hearing the truth about gaming revenues,” Paquin added.

“If these revenues can be used to elect non-Tribal Natives to political office who then turn around and ignore our problems, we can find a way to make sure these gaming revenues remain in our communities being used for meeting the needs of our own people now living in dire straights (sic) as the economy declines. I know many families who need food more than politicians need campaign contributions,” he wrote.

He wrote Melendez that the Minnesota DFL claims to have an affirmative action policy and decries discrimination but “has done not one thing to assure Native (Anishinabe) Americans are elected to state and federal offices.”

Paquin said he has not heard from Melendez, but that the DFL leader forwarded the letter to Pam McCrory of Bemidji, Senate 4 DFL chairwoman.

“He said just have him go through the process like anybody else does,” Paquin said. “This is the problem — going through the process like anybody else doesn’t take into account the social political factors that have prevented us from getting into the position of getting there in the first place.”

The normal political process has delegates elected at Democratic precinct caucuses next winter who then attend county conventions and later a Senate 4 endorsing convention to issue an endorsement in the race. Those who oppose the endorsement can enter the September primary.

Olson, who is in her first four-year term, hasn’t indicated she will seek re-election but that action is most probable. Paquin didn’t seem aware of some of Olson’s work with the American Indian community when a reporter mentioned representation with the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council and her work on securing funding for Ojibwe and Dakota language preservation or funding for a youth substance abuse treatment center on the Leech Lake Reservation.

Paquin admits that his strong language in his letter to Melendez was more of attention-getting than threat.

“Just because I put that down doesn’t mean that I realize that’s what we’re going to get,” he said. “What we really need to do is find that common ground that men of honor and decency irregardless of what our situations are will say this is something we can work on.”

Paquin in January held a series of conferences, “We Shall Remain,” at the American Indian Resource Center to gain input from local American Indians on the issues and concerns they face. He said that he was disappointed that no local legislators attended to gain that input.

He’s also concerned that there is no affirmative action guiding construction of the Bemidji Regional Event Center, even though public funding is involved which mandates affirmative action hiring.

While more than a year out from the election, Paquin said he will later this month file his campaign with the state, with his mother as campaign chairwoman.

He’s also started the Native American Indian Labor Union No, 12, but has failed in his effort to gain AFL-CIO sanction for the new union. Also, he’s failed to gain Red Lake Tribal Council approval to allow his union to represent new casino construction workers.

“Traditionally out there, our native people are not being recruited or given opportunities in such a manner that is going to foster a new growth of community for us,” he said. “It’s not that we’re asking for exceptional circumstances — we’re fighting alcoholism, we’re fighting drug addiction, we’re fighting economic disaster.”

If everyone was treated as equal citizens, there would be no need for affirmative action policies, Paquin said.

bswenson@bemidjipioneer.com

Gregory W. Paquin

Candidate for Minnesota Senate
District: 4

1511 Roosevelt Road SE.
Bemidji, Minnesota , 56601
218-209-3157 h
651-503-9493 c
check out my blog:
http://nailu12.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Letter: from Greg Paquin to Brian Melendez

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Brian Melendez, Chair, Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party

Dear Mr. Melendez,

I am writing to inform you that I will be running for the Minnesota State Senate for the District 4 seat.

I would like to run with the endorsement of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party in the Primary Election.

As you are aware, there isn’t one single Native(Anishinabe) American sitting in the Minnesota State Legislature; not in the Senate, not in the House.

This needs to change.

And the change needs to take place now.

Barack Obama promised change. I intend to fight on behalf of Indian(Anishinabe) people to see to it that we get the change that we assumed was coming. Real jobs at real living wages. Our children going to school, not tossed behind bars and forgotten. We lack adequate health care. Native(Anishinabe) American women suffer sexual abuse at rates far higher than the general population.

Our land and our resources, the wealth of our Nations, were stolen out from under us in the most brutal manner and nothing has been done to make things right.

Native (Anishinabe)Americans are the largest single minority population in the State of Minnesota and we have no representation in the State Legislature; anyone can see that this is unfair.

I intend to try to change this with or without the support of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party; I would like to do this with support from the DFL if at all possible, if not, I will use other means.

As a long-time union member of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA), I have always been a loyal supporter of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party.

Should I not hear from you in seven days, I will decide after consulting with my campaign committee and my many friends--- Native and non-Native--- whether to seek the DFL endorsement during the Primary process and Election or run as an independent candidate in the General Election.

Minnesota Native(Anishinabe) Americans, including myself, have repeatedly sought assistance from the local DFL elected public officials who we helped in every way to elect. WE now need their help on a variety of issues of importance to us from jobs to education, housing and health care and environmental concerns, we find ourselves shut out of the political and decision-making process by these same politicians who could not have been elected without the votes of Anishinabe people who are now ignoring our problems and concerns when it comes to doing things by way of finding solutions. Solutions which are often as simple as doing what is right to make sure Anishinabe people get jobs. Often we don’t even hear about jobs until the work is completed. How do others hear about jobs, even in our own communities, before we do? This is not right.

I organized the “We Shall Remain” conference in Bemidji.

Many Native Anishinabe and non-tribal people, from all walks of life showed up at this conference fully expecting to be able to explain and tell elected officials what our problems and concerns are. The only public official who showed up was the Beltrami County Sheriff who informed us that he didn’t know how many Native Americans worked on his staff but he knew the population in the Beltrami County Jail was more than 50% Native American. This was a figure not lost on those in attendance since the current unemployment on most Minnesota Reservations is 50% or more. There is something terribly wrong with this picture and the present DFL State Senator from District 4, Mary Olson, refuses to talk about resolving the injustices creating these problems.

I want to most vigorously point out to you that the MN DFL claims to have a policy that decries discrimination; yet, for all these years the MN DFL has done not one thing to assure Native( Anishinabe) Americans are elected to state and federal offices. There is something wrong with this picture here; you want our money and our votes but you don’t want us sitting as equals with all other Minnesotans in the State Legislature or the halls of Congress.

Certain measures have to be taken in order to ensure that Minnesota Indigenous,Anishinabe people get the seats they are entitled to in the Minnesota State Legislature; those measures have not even been considered, let alone taken.

We are entitled to at least two seats per tribe. I am quite sure most Minnesotans will find this very reasonable. Democracy requires this.

Anishinabe Native Americans are entitled to District 4, 4a, 4b, 2, 2a, 2b seats in the Minnesota State Legislature as a beginning to right this wrong of no representation.

I intend to do everything I can do to make sure that Senate seat 4 is held by an Native Tribal Member citizen, because this is what justice requires.

It is my hope that other Native(Anishinabe) Americans will join my efforts to secure the other five seats.

Most Anishinabe, Native Americans are working people, yet you treat us as if only the cash you get from the casino managements counts for anything. This, too, will change once I am elected to the Senate District 4 seat because the people of Minnesota will be hearing the truth about gaming revenues. If these revenues can be used to elect non-Tribal Natives to political office who then turn around and ignore our problems we can find a way to make sure these gaming revenues remain in our communities being used for meeting the needs of our own people now living in dire straights as the economy declines. I know many families who need food more than politicians need campaign contributions.

It is my hope you will also broach my concerns, distributing this letter, with the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party’s State Central Committee.

I await your response,

Gregory, W. Paquin

Hotpasstheketchup@yahoo.com

651-503-9493 cell 218-209-3157 home

1511 Roosevelt Rd Se Bemidji, MN 56601

july 10, 2009

Brian Melendez, Chair, MN DFL

Pam McCrory, DFL Chair of Senate District 4

Dear Mr. Brian Melendez and Ms. Pam McCrory:

Apparently you both misunderstand the issue that i am bringing forward:or, it is your intent to allow the injustice I am stating to go without resolution.

There are no Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans at present in the Minnesota State Legislature: a fact of great importance that neither of you are apparently willing or able to acknowledge in writing.

You apparently refuse to acknowledge this finding of fact because to acknowledge that there is not one single Native Indigenous Anishinabe American sitting in the Minnesota State Legislature would require you to proceed to correct this gross injustice by implementing some kind of concrete steps to reverse this inequitable situation and yet to do nothing may constitute the evidence of racially discriminatory practices commonly affirmed as rascism.

Do You have an explanation as to why there is not one single Native Indigenous Anishinabe American sitting in the Minnesota State Legislature? I have asked myself that question and when i look at the magnitude of Gambling Operations, that have extracted such huge amounts from the Minnesota Taxpaying public, i find it unimaginable as to the pitiable level of representation by my State Legislature,and the response to such prima facie proofs of the lack of acknowledgement by this Legislature.

Mr. Melendez, i wrote to you as the head of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer- labor Party, not for you to pass on my letter to a person here who has done nothing to right this wrong and who is a part of a local organization who has been indifferent to this problem, but for you to take appropriate steps to bring this issue before the entire Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor- Party.

Obviously neither Ms. McCrory nor anyone else here in the Senate District 4 DFL organization has any understanding of the importance of what i am raising or the problem would have been resolved by now with Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans filling the Senate District 4 and House Districts 4a and 4b slots:same for Senate District 2 and House Districts 2a and 2b.

The solution is very simple ,there needs to be agreement between these DFL organizations that these districts will be represented by Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans to these slots . Representing an AFFIRMATIVE ACTION policy from the top down.This is the only way Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans are going to get fair representation in the Minnesota Legislature given the way the existing political boundaries are drawn, and the DFL was party to drawing these boundaries as they are.

Of course, the fair thing to have been done when political boundaries were drawn would have been to make each and every Reservation a seperate Senate and House district.

But ,this was not done,and no one from the Minnesota Democratic Farmer - Labor Party said "Stop. This is not right.The way this is being done will not be fair to Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans who will end up with no representation."

At this late date and time we cannot wait for any other solutions to this problem.

There isn't one single Minnesota State Legislator in the House or Senate from these Districts I am referencing who is willing to even take the time to listen to the problems of the nature and scope that affect so adroitly the Native Indigenous Anishinabe American,in this State of Minnesota, that my Candidacy will address.

How else does one explain 50% of the Beltrami County jail population being Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans while over 50% of the people living on Reservations are unemployed ? How does one explain that Native Indigenous Anishinabe American Women are being sexually abused by non-tribal individuals at a rate of 7 times the abuse of Women of other races ,and in many instances the culprits go unpunished while the victimsfind it difficult to get adequate help?

What i am insisting upon is that the DFL only endorse Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans candidates in these six districts i have referenced in order to right a very rascist wrong and injustice of which the Minnesota Democratic Farmer - Labor Party has been part of the problem.

After all , there are only two political parties who have had a say in the drawing up of political boundaries -- the Democrats and Republicans. We know we can't expect justice from the Republicans.

It should not make any difference to White Democrats that Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans will be representing them since the harder we fight to resolve the problems of our people the better off we will be.

For instance, when elected as the State Senator from district 4, i will work for legislation to provide a free health care system for all Minnesotans based upon the Indian Health Service: with full and complete funding to provide the proper care : not the current underfunded program we have now.

I will work towards a full employment economy where everyone has a job.`

I will work hard towards the goals as established by the Union i Belong to, that everyone has a decent job and a real living wage, just like I do.Obviously those now sitting as Senators and House members in the Minnesota Legislature believe that Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans are not as entitled as others to reap the benefits of this tremendously wealthy society we live in or there would not be such disparities in unemployment rates among these two distinct peoples.

I would note that only a handfull of DFL legislators supported the "Minnesota People's Bailout" as provided for by Senator David Tomassoni which would have been tremendous benefit and assistance to the more than 50% of the native Indigenous Anishinabe American population without work.And i would like to point out that the present State Senator from district 4 did not even bother notifying native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans that a hearing on this legislation was being held so people such as me could have testified and the State senator from district 2 who sits on the committee on business Industry and Jobs along with Senator Tomassoni did nothing to support this legislation when it came time to a vote in committee.

Be cautious with any replies to all this with the time worn statement that Rep. John Percell stated to me recently "I cant get involved with the federal/ tribal issues, they are too Sticky".Yet while collecting votes from Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans whithin his own district i had asked him at the outset of the Bemidji Regional Event Center as to what the affirmative action policies were regarding state or federal funded projects and he did not know nor did the Bemidji city manager or the Construction manager of the Project Kraus-Anderson.I had attended the ground breaking ceremony for the B.R.E.C. and noted a fine youth filled drum group and leech lake tribal elder providing the spiritual invocations for this effort and i told those young men i was there to hear their prayers and also make absolutely positively sure the Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans they are would also be represented on that workforce and thus to this date i have not
recieved one call of opportunity for them?

According to the Minnesota Department of Human rights website i looked up Kraus- Anderson Affirmative Action Compliancy status and it stated it had been "expired" and i called the Bemidji city manager and Kraus - Anderson to make them aware of this and it is my hope to bring the effects of these actions or lack of them that accounts for such high unemployment within our community. When Mary Olsons Hardhat blew off her head at the ground breaking, i picked it up for her and with the same spirit i state these issues.

Only Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans being elected to the Minnesota Legislature is going to turn this situation around: if it were not true, I would not have to be addressing these issues here.

Mr. Melendez, i did not ask you who i should contact regarding this problem nor did i ask you to pass the buck to someone who is part of the problem.

Who is policing the Affirmative Action policies in this State if our State Senators and Representatives do not even take the time to familiarize themselves with affirmative action policies which are in place to assure that minorities get jobs within their districts.A recent discussion with the Minnesota Department of Human rights representative told me that their total staff of 35 was barely even able to keep track of the basics of reporting and intake concerns much less enforcing these so called affirmative action policies.

The DFL claims that "jobs are our number one priority."

For Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans, the right to a good paying ,decent job is much more than a campaign slogan: having a job is a matter between living a decent life and languishing in poverty on or off a Minnesota Reservation.

There is a reason why unemployment among Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans is 50%.The reason is because those who have sought our votes and campaign contributions
and have been elected with our votes and our campaign contributions,don't care enough about affirmative action hiring policies to see to it that Native Indigenous Anishinabe Americans get the jobs we are entitled to based upon these affirmative action policies.

The State of Minnesota has affirmative action policies for a reason: Because there has been a well established rascist pattern ,by employers, when it comes to their hiring practices.

There being no Native Indigenous Anishinabe American sitting in the Minnesota State legislature is YOUR problem .

I insist on answers to my questions from you as the chair of the Minnesota DFL

I insist that you demonstrate leadership in solving this very serious problem.

There simply is no other way to right this wrong.

Suggesting that i need to attend another local meeting is a clear sign that no one in the Minnesota DFL considers the lack of Native Indigenous Anishinabe American representation in the Minnesota State Legislature a valid concern; the serious problems being inflicted upon our communities makes this solution imperative.

Gregory W. Paquin