Maryl Skinner held up a sign expressing her strong desire to see Congressman Rick Nolan push legislation to protect the region’s fresh water. Maryl was one of at least 50 people who attended a one-hour question and answer session held by Mark Privratsky, Nolan’s Field & Constituent Service representative. Privratsky heard concerns and gathered information to bring back to the Eighth District representative to review and, according to a vast majority who attended, pass legislation to act upon their concerns.
“Silence is a tacit way of saying you accept things,” said an emotional Pete Cavanaugh to Mark Privratsky, Eighth District Congressman Rick Nolan’s Field and Constituent Service representative.
“Congressman Nolan has to speak out on the congressional floor the way that, excuse me, what is her name? Yes, Senator Elizabeth Warren does. He can’t remain silent on issues that are important to us, issues that are also important to the country.”
Cavanaugh’s statement was met with a roomful of applause on Tuesday, February 14 as more than 50 Democrats gathered snugly into a small room at the Cook County Senior Center.
Privratsky heard a litany of complaints. Chief among them was Congressman Nolan’s push to allow copper and nickel mining near Hoyt Lakes on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA). One lady pointed out that she understood Congressman Nolan had to represent mines and miners, but she added he had an equal responsibility to represent clean air, clean water, and areas where people made their living from “eco-tourism.”
Beth Kennedy caught Mark Privratsky as he was leaving the Cook County Senior Center and asked him one more question after he had addressed a roomful of DFL voters who echoed a long litany of requests for Eighth District Congressman Rick Nolan to carry out.
One gentleman said if Nolan didn’t reverse his stand on the copper-nickel mining proposed within the BWCAW watershed, “We will make this our Dakota Access Pipeline protest.”
Education was a hot button issue, as many railed against President Donald Trump’s pick of Betsy DeVoss as the country’s Education Secretary. “She hasn’t taught one day of school in her life,” exclaimed one woman who asked what Nolan’s stance was on school choice, school vouchers, and charter schools.
There were several who demanded Congressman Nolan call for an investigation into the current administration’s ties to Russia and to answer whether those ties to Vladimir Putin and his regime existed during the presidential campaign.
Vitriol was expressed about President Trump’s views about the border, the building of a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, and President Trump’s current attempt to vet foreigners before allowing immigrants into the country.
Privrastsky was asked to take the message back to Congressman Nolan to fight for clean water, clean air, keeping the internet (net neutrality) open and free, repealing and rolling back of EPA regulations and even strengthening the Endangered Species Act.
Sue Hakes said the “L” in the DFL seemed to be missing from the Democratic platform, and she would like to see the Congressman emphasize “Labor,” in the party.
Before he left the congressman’s aide cautioned members in the audience to keep and fight for their views through policy and peaceful protest but not to turn their points into political/personal attacks against people who didn’t agree with them. As he got ready to head to his next meeting, and he was running late, Privratsky was told by several people that if Congressman Nolan didn’t change his stance on some big issues, Nolan shouldn’t expect their votes in the next election.
All in all the message was made loud and clear, President Trump’s policies didn’t represent the views of northern Minnesota Democrats, and Congressman Nolan was expected to rebuke them, all of them it would seem, at every turn.
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