Other posts on the Sen. District 67 campaign prompted me to spend my Friday night to do some research to educate you all about your candidates.

Remember that  all are happy to be residents of the east side, and all love and care about those east siders, ok? But here are more info on the Hmong candidates:

1.  http://founghawj.com/index.htm



--Housing
--Jobs
--Quality Education
--Environment

2.  http://www.facebook.com/pages/East-Side-for-Chai-Vote-Chai-Lee-for-Senate-on-August-10/112375808807547
http://chaileeforsenate.com/



- Prioritizing education (early childhood education, strong neighborhood public schools, and college access programs).

- Maintaining our infrastructure, growing businesses and jobs, and investing in greener technology for a sustainable future.

- Improving public safety for all who call the East Side their home and place of business.


3.  http://chaforsenate.com/


--Jobs, Jobs, and More Jobs
--Affordable Healthcare
--Improving K-12 Education
--Higher Education
--Keeping the East Side St. Paul safe
--Protecting Our Environments
--State Deficit
--Lower Property Taxes and Reimbursed Property Tax


4.  http://www.vanglorforsenate.com/



--Provide seniors with affordable housing and access to safe public transit on the Eastside.

--Jobs

--Public Safety

I heard that there will be a Hmong forum soon to decide on one Hmong candidate? It is rumored that VP and his people were spearheading this forum...thus to ask the entire Hmong community to "pick" one Hmong candidate.  What do you all think about this message?  What is it saying to our younger generation?  We are no longer in a non-democratic society anymore where one person dictate who gets to run for political office and who doesn't?  What's to become of us if we decide that the Hmong community is to decide on one person and limit the other three when all are capable of running under his own sweat and guts?  This is not democratic as it is not legal.

Are Hmong people really are going to support this idea knowing that it is undemocratic? 

-Pill

Pill-I think you are a bit radical on your viewpoint, but I see the logic behind your comment. While I am ever so grateful for VP and the elder Hmong leaders, I think it is time to allow others to exercise their rights to be leaders. We will not be able to progress as a community if we are not allowed room to grow. The only way we grow is by making mistakes and, if required, meeting defeat. I don't agree with consolidation, so I am with you on that. But, I think that the Hmong community should be made aware that their votes mean more than ever! The Hmong community is not as ignorant as the "leaders" think we are. The only way to break this cycle of politics is to get someone young elected to prove that young folks can get things done, AND we can do it by not creating a sub-society within America. With this, it leaves Chai Lee and Vang Lor. Which one of these young men have the knowledge and capabilities to make effective change? Any thoughts?

I'm ambivalent. On the one hand, the idea is good so that it might let a Hmong candidate have a better chance of winning the primary on August 10th, and, ultimately, the general election on November 2nd.  On the other hand, VP's group might be discouraging other candidates to run just so VP's person can have a better chance of winning.  

I hope it's not to get the least capable Hmong for the general election just so the nonHmong candidate can win.

I don't live on the east side and I am not going to take a position on this.

I think its a good idea..because it saves money and time on the candidates part..and also I think VP has chosen his candidate the ex police chief...not Hmong.=)

Who cares about the Hmong process; that should not have any relevancy to your vote.  If you are adamant about your candidate, you are still free to vote for him/her on election day. 

i wonder if the canidates have ever come across eachother while doing the door knocking thing....?

So which candidate will get VP's endorsement?

Its about unification not endorsement..i ts about hmong a hmong candidate not the candidate.

What do you mean one who opposes VP's choice?  We have to be careful about this up coming election.  Let's not confuse the East Side as being a property under VP's control; in fact, VP doesn't even live here and does not belong in the district therefore has no right to "select" one person to become "the" Hmong candidate.  District 67 is a section of MN that only one state senator has control over.   VP has no right in this process and is surely not going to decide the next generation of Hmong leaders.  He is not even a citizen of the East Side and surely not one of MN.

Let's be fair, the one likely to win is the one who work the hardest and gets the most vote in the primary and also in the general election.

Best of luck to all the brave souls who will represent the East Side.

East Side Pride!

Seriously, I really don't see how VP can sway this election.  There are other races/ethnics in the East Side, too, besides Hmong.  The pool of voter is still large.  And if any candidate is just targeting the Hmong votes--that's not enough to secure any victory. 

VP can endorse whomever he wishes, but that does not mean that s/he will get the votes by default.  There are still many key endorsements to pursue that will also make a greater difference and speak louder as well. 

Not really.  Whoever wins Sen Moua's seat is representing their district, not just the Hmong communities.  The constituents in East Side need to vote for the candidate (Hmong or not) that can best serve their needs at the capital. 

I was just saying that if HmongHUNTER007 is right that VP is supporting a nonHmong candidate, and that VP is organizing to have the Hmong limit to one Hmong candidate only, then VP's move is simply to find the weakest Hmong candidate so that the nonHmong candidate VP is already supporting will win the race. That's just my analysis from looking at the situation.

But I agree that VP doesn't live on the east side and cannot vote there. He can influence many of his constituents there though. However, I know that young Hmong leaders today know enough of VP's backgrounds and motives and they know how to handle his politics well.

Actually, if I was VP, I would not be concerned about MN or going back home to Laos right now. I would be more concerned about the 12 others in Sacramento.

 

True. If the Hmong come together, it's unification. But then each must give his all since no one knows whom the voters like the most. The candidate that steps out of this and wins the race is incredible. I say that because I know this is a tough race: 4 Hmong competing for the few Hmong votes there that will also be divided among them; they are all democrats and so no one will get any vote from the Republicans--or very few if any--there are nonHmong candidates stepping up to compete for some Hmong votes, too. To make it to the semi-final, they must be the number one and two with the most votes on August 10th! Getting those votes is a big challenge!

anybody going to the TakeAction endorsement thing on Saturaday?