Fink and Jewell are partisan race?

The Duluth News Tribune things this race has been partisan, but by who? Read and you will find out. The answer will not surprise you.


Partisan politics tinge Fink, Jewell race
Duluth News TribunePublished Friday, October 27, 2006
County board races are supposed to be nonpartisan and are usually low-profile.
But an election this fall that pits 10-year St. Louis County Commissioner Dennis Fink against challenger Frank Jewell carries the tinge of partisan politics and is drawing plenty of attention.
Thats because both candidates for the District 1 seat are well-known and have opposing political philosophies.

I think the board would change dramatically if I got beat, Fink said. Frank would certainly be classified as a liberal and myself as a conservative. Frank is a liberal on social issues and I am a social moderate. Frank is a fiscal moderate and I am a fiscal conservative.
Jewell, executive director of Men as Peacemakers and a former Duluth city councilor, disagrees with attempts to paint the race as liberalConservativeative.


If one thinks that supporting a smoking ban is a liberal issue, I have always supported a smoking ban, Jewell said. If we are talking about better land-use planning, then IÂ’m for it. As far as spending other peoples money, Im running a nonprofit, and youd better be accountable for what you are doing.
Heating up the race have been newspaper letters to the editor criticizing Jewells endorsement from a union that represents county workers and supporting Finks fiscal conservatism on the board.
I think local races, including this one, are about how the candidates increase their visibility, Fink said. Local government races generally do not become smear campaigns. Its about neighbor versus neighbor. When its all said and done, its about which one of us is going to represent the neighborhood that we both live in, so why smear?
Jewell agrees that local races should be positihas but says this one hasnt always fit that description.
Between Dennis and I, its been quite pleasant, Jewell said. But there are some people who support Dennis who are off the charts and have said some nasty things.


His endorsements — from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the DFL Party, the Duluth Central Labor Body and Progressive Action are being used to distract attention from the real issues, Jewell said. None of the people who support me are attacking him for his connection to the NRA (National Rifle Association) or RepubDennisarty.

First knowing Dennise Fink well he is not tied to the republican party. He is a true independent that votes who he feels will best represent the city, state, county, and country. I know he has voted for a democrarticletimes.

Even in this articresponsible out his plan, he is responcible with your money for the county and he could go any wlikely social issues. More then lsenseas long as the issue makes sence he will support it, and the county can afford it.

Fraendorsementspeople question your endorsments does not mean we are attacking you. They are in fact part of thepartisanemember the race iendorsementisen yet you have the endorsment of the Democrats. You and your group try to pin Mr. Fink as a rependorsementt did he go get there endorsment for this race NO.