The recent self-endorsement by Peter MacInnes, who recommended himself for selection by the Duluth City Council to fill the City Council seat being vacated by Kerry Gauthier, left me puzzled.
We readers, including council members, were told MacInnes should be selected because apparently he would not be one of those councilors "who seem to care more about the interests of the social and economic elites than of all the citizens." Considering the recent actions of Republicans in Washington, D.C., it would seem a candidate drawn from the ranks of that party would be unlikely to address MacInnes' concerns.
At this writing, Republicans in Congress are adamant about protecting tax reductions for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans; at the same time, they refuse to extend unemployment benefits for approximately 2 million Americans. Their positions on these issues can only be because they care more about the interests of the social and economic elites than the rest of the country. It was with dismay, therefore, that I read, at the end of the endorsement, that MacInnes has strong ties to the Republican Party, including precinct chairman and delegate to the Republican state convention. With his close ties to the Republican Party would he too be guilty of the faults he attributes to the other members of the Duluth City Council, including catering to special interests?
Steve Rowley
Duluth
