“First of all, I think it is incredibly disingenuous to label this proposed resolution as ‘anti-mining.’ If you read the resolution, it clearly is written in opposition to sulfide ore mining and even articulates in the resolved portion that ‘sulfide ore mining’ is significantly different than ‘taconite mining.’ The DFLers that I know in support of this resolution are certainly not opposed to traditional taconite mining; nor are they opposed to the future success of Northeastern Minnesota.
“Establishing a statewide agenda for any partisan political party is an incredible challenge. Minnesota is certainly no stranger to such a test. We face geographical and demographic differences, and certainly we have a wide range of economic drivers throughout our state that present a variety of challenges. I would suggest that a statewide sampling of Democrats will show an 80 percent to 90 percent agreement rate on most issues on the DFL platform. The remaining 10 percent to 20 percent will indicate fairly sharp and distinct divides. “Folks concerned about the future of our environment should not be chastised for arguing or offering their opinion. That is a guiding principle of democracy: to be able to express opinions peacefully, debate the merits, and to support the majority vote at the close. In comparison, and for the very same reasons, we also need to understand and respect the opinions of the opponents to this resolution. “Elected DFL officials should not be trying to influence this consideration. That is simply my personal opinion. I decided when I stepped into partisan office that I would leave the party agenda to the advocates and the delegates. It becomes my job to do my best to support the party platform as an endorsed elected official as best I can while serving my constituency. I sincerely hope that all involved stick to the issue, complete their work, and let us all get back to the business of electing Minnesota Democrats to public offices across our great state.”Sen.-elect Erik Simonson of Duluth in a statement this week to the News Tribune Opinion page“First of all, I think it is incredibly disingenuous to label this proposed resolution as ‘anti-mining.’ If you read the resolution, it clearly is written in opposition to sulfide ore mining and even articulates in the resolved portion that ‘sulfide ore mining’ is significantly different than ‘taconite mining.’ The DFLers that I know in support of this resolution are certainly not opposed to traditional taconite mining; nor are they opposed to the future success of Northeastern Minnesota.
“Establishing a statewide agenda for any partisan political party is an incredible challenge. Minnesota is certainly no stranger to such a test. We face geographical and demographic differences, and certainly we have a wide range of economic drivers throughout our state that present a variety of challenges. I would suggest that a statewide sampling of Democrats will show an 80 percent to 90 percent agreement rate on most issues on the DFL platform. The remaining 10 percent to 20 percent will indicate fairly sharp and distinct divides. “Folks concerned about the future of our environment should not be chastised for arguing or offering their opinion. That is a guiding principle of democracy: to be able to express opinions peacefully, debate the merits, and to support the majority vote at the close. In comparison, and for the very same reasons, we also need to understand and respect the opinions of the opponents to this resolution. “Elected DFL officials should not be trying to influence this consideration. That is simply my personal opinion. I decided when I stepped into partisan office that I would leave the party agenda to the advocates and the delegates. It becomes my job to do my best to support the party platform as an endorsed elected official as best I can while serving my constituency. I sincerely hope that all involved stick to the issue, complete their work, and let us all get back to the business of electing Minnesota Democrats to public offices across our great state.”Sen.-elect Erik Simonson of Duluth in a statement this week to the News Tribune Opinion page
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