We won!

Media coverage this morning:

Maplewood Voices breaks down the numbers, including precinct results (in every precinct, either Will took first and I took second or vice versa).

The Pioneer Press offers a short article, headlined, "Upheaval in Maplewood; voters oust ally of Longrie."

A Star Tribune article surveying yesterday's election results also includes mention of Maplewood.

There are so many people I have to thank for making this possible. My wife, Michelle, has been my #1 supporter -- working so hard and committing her diverse talents to this campaign, and putting up with so much along the way. I can't imagine making it through this election without her love and support. Besides the rest of my family, who have been unwavering, I am so grateful to my campaign donors, volunteers, and mentors who gave me much needed advice to help me develop a practical campaign plan (and prodded me to stick to it), and helped it actually come together. Will Rossbach has been a pleasure to campaign with, and it is an honor that I will serve on the council with him. I barely knew Will when I decided back in February that I would run for city council, but it is now my privilege to call him a friend.

Most of all, I thank the voters of Maplewood, who are putting their faith in me. I will do my best to live up to your high expectations.

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 11/07/2007 08:42:00 AM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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The last of our campaign literature has begun arriving in mailboxes. We received our copy in Saturday's mail, and as I was out talking to voters this weekend I heard from folks from north to south who had also received it.


Throughout this campaign, I've used this guiding principle for my campaign's literature: Don't try to convince voters of something new; remind them of what they already know to be true. The purpose of the literature is not to change anyone's view of the world, but to inspire them to take action, to give them confidence that their vote can fix the problems that are plain for all of us to see.

In my first piece, the door-knocking palm card, I laid out my three campaign themes: fiscal responsibility (anyone who got a property tax bill for 2007, while seeing the elimination of the parks department, can understand this one); good government (anyone who had doubts about this can see Erik Hjelle spending our tax dollars to promote reeelection of his ally, Rebecca Cave, in the latest city newsletter that was rushed out just in time for the election); and pride in Maplewood, which is really the call to action -- persuading voters that we can restore our pride in Maplewood by using the ballot box to choose a better future for our city.

Before the primary, we created "Puzzled" as a metaphor for the divided and fractured city that we all have come to see, and to suggest me as a candidate who can solve it.

In "Shortchanged," we reprinted a number of headlines and quotes about the 2007 budget and reorganization and its fallout, reminding voters of the mess we've all watched unfold over the past two years. "Bad Apple" was a humorous spin on the feelings expressed to me by many voters all over the city, who felt angry and frustrated, even if they had voted for some or all in the council's current majority. We wanted to acknowledge those feelings, but turn them to a positive end of bringing needed change.

Coming into the home stretch, Will and I were again producing joint pieces. "Lightbulbs" further developed the motif of light and darkness from Will's mailer "Dutch Boy" (which compared him to Hans Brinker holding his finger in the dike through a long, cold night to hold back the flood while waiting for help to arrive). This council majority talks a good line about openness, but they have been surrounded by controversy over alleged violations of the open meeting law, and actions such as the 2 AM permanent appointment of Mr. Copeland as city manager "in the dark of night."

And this of course brings us to this last mailer, "New Day." It took a lot of crisp autumn mornings for me to get the right photograph of a beautiful Maplewood sunrise (that long rainy stretch in October wasn't helping!). We wanted something simple, positive, and inspirational -- as we've found throughout this campaign, the voters know what needs to be done. We just want to nudge more of them into the voting booth. (And to bring their neighbors!)

We've worked hard to keep our literature positive. While we have legitimately criticized the official actions and methods of this council majority (which includes one of my opponents), to remind voters why change is needed, we have avoided personal attacks on our opponents, and taken great care to comply with campaign laws. I believe that a victory built upon personal attacks, smears, threats, and lies is no victory for Maplewood; it deepens the divisions in the community, provokes resentment, and makes it hard to govern effectively (as the last two years demonstrate). If winning this race requires the use of such methods, I would rather not win.

I believe voters appreciate the difference. Take a look at the literature of my campaign and Will's, put it next to the literature that has come from the other candidates and their supporters (including those anonymous attacks and the use of our taxpayer-funded city newsletter for campaigning). Which campaigns have displayed the methods, attitude, and regard for the law that you would like to see speaking for you and your community in City Hall?

The answer should be as clear as day.

Labels: campaign 2007, process

Posted by John Nephew on 11/05/2007 09:12:00 AM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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Here's another example of a joint piece of campaign literature for Will Rossbach and me. We printed 10,000 copies, and most of them were distributed to Maplewood doors by volunteers last weekend. (The remainder have been done throughout the week and this weekend.)



We wanted to do a piece that talked about our shared vision about how political leadership should be exercised in our city. While neighbors have different goals and wishes about individual projects and policy decisions, and those disagreements are part of a healthy "marketplace of ideas," we think there really is common ground that unites most of us all across the political spectrum, in terms of how we want decisions to be reached in our government. Unfortunately, what we've seen in the past couple of years has not lived up to our civic expectations. Tuesday gives us all as voters a chance to fix that.

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 11/04/2007 10:46:00 AM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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In my project to post all the campaign lit we've produced, I probably should have started with this one. It's a "palm card" -- designed for handing out in person while knocking on doors, or leaving behind if no one is home. We produced it before the primary in September, and designed it for use in both the primary and general campaigns.

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 11/03/2007 08:36:00 AM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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Today I have another example of campaign literature to share. I'm pleased with all of the literature we've produced for this campaign, but "Bad Apple" is my favorite.


Even before I decided to run for city council, I met a lot of Maplewood residents who would admit to me, sometimes rather sheepishly, that they had voted for one or more of our present council majority. When I began door-knocking, I met a lot more. To say these folks had "buyer's remorse" is an understatement; feelings ranged from disappointment to anger and feelings of betrayal, of being deceived and used for other agendas than these voters had thought they were supporting. People who had felt some dissatisfaction with the old order had thought it might be good to shake things up a little bit -- but what has happened is not at all what they bargained for.

I wanted a campaign mailer that would tap into this sentiment, but I also felt it needed a light and whimsical touch, to transform feelings of anger and bitterness into laughter and hope for a better future through this year's election. We needed something that acknowledged voters' negative feelings about Maplewood's situation, but did not wallow in it, and humor seemed like the best approach.

Michelle and I talked about a few different visual concepts. The right image can communicate an idea much more quickly and effectively than a lot of text -- and candidates can't rely on getting a long attention span between the mailbox and the recycling bin. I proposed that we use a little girl with a grossed-out expression, and Michelle's idea of the wormy apple as the source of the grossness was visually perfect and also inspired fun turns of phrase. Our friends' daughter Zoe turned out to be the perfect model for the image as well, I think.

When we showed early drafts of the mailer to people and they reacted by instantly laughing out loud, we knew we were on the right track.

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 11/01/2007 10:06:00 AM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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Last night the League of Women Voters hosted a candidate forum at the Maplewood Community Center, with all four candidates for Maplewood City Council in attendance. The debate was broadcast live, and also recorded for later rebroadcast.

Each candidate was given the two minutes each for opening and closing statements, and in between answered questions submitted by the audience, with 1 1/2 minutes for each question. Here are the remarks I prepared for my opening and closing statements.

Opening Statement

Good evening. My name is John Nephew, and I'm running for Maplewood City Council. I'd like to thank all of you for attending this forum, and the League of Women Voters for hosting it.

Since you may not know me, I should begin with a quick biography. I grew up in Duluth, and graduated from Carleton College in 1991. I majored in Philosophy with a Concentration in Medieval Studies. I started writing professionally in high school, and used my freelance writing and editing to pay my way through college. Before graduating college I began my publishing company, Atlas Games, which I still run today. Michelle and I were married in 2000, and we moved to our home in Maplewood in 2001.

Creating and running my own business has given me a diverse range of skills. In particular, I would highlight my experience with communication, negotiation, customer service, and finance. These skills directly apply to the responsibilities of a city councilperson.

Most importantly, running my company has honed my ability to acquire new skills, to absorb and analyze information quickly, and react to changing circumstances. I believe that these traits are what best suit me to serve on the city council.

The success I have enjoyed in life also has been motivation for public service. As a small business owner who built a company from scratch into something that can support my family, I take pride in the success of my company. But I also realize that I can't claim all the credit. I wouldn't be where I am without the support of family, teachers, mentors, and many more – even competitors, who challenge us always to do better. And I couldn't be here without the opportunity that America gives each of us to achieve our own potential.

I am at a point in my life where I want to give something back, to ensure that the opportunities that I have enjoyed are available to others now and in the future. That's why I offer myself as a candidate for city council, and ask for your vote so that I have the chance to use my talents for our common good.

Closing Statement

My campaign has had three central themes.

The first is fiscal responsibility. As a business owner, I am well acquainted with financial planning and analysis, and I think it's important that we take a long-term view for the city's budget, rather than swinging from one extreme to another year to year.

My second theme is good government. We need to approach policy decisions by defining a problem, exploring the possible solutions, and building consensus as we make policy decisions. We need to respect and value the professional staff of the city and the talented and diverse volunteers who serve on citizen boards and commissions.

My third theme is pride in Maplewood. We've been in the news a lot over the past 18 months, and most of the coverage hasn't been flattering. While there have been unpleasant truths behind the headlines, we Maplewood residents understand a deeper truth about our community: that Maplewood really is a great place to live. Let's come together to fix our problems and reclaim the pride Maplewood so well deserves.

This is a very important year for our city. I urge all residents to go to the polls on November 6th, and I ask that you give me your vote and the opportunity to serve.

Labels: campaign 2007, events

Posted by John Nephew on 10/31/2007 10:17:00 PM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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Here's another example of our campaign literature. This is a joint piece from my campaign and Will Rossbach's, highlighting our mutual concerns about last year's budget/reorganization and its fallout.

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 10/30/2007 11:00:00 AM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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I wanted to post a quick "thank you" to the dozens of volunteers who turned out this past Saturday to help with the Rossbach/Nephew joint city-wide lit drop. The event surpassed our expectations -- I think something near 8,000 pieces of literature went out to Maplewood doorways, to judge from how little we had left at the end of the day. I had numerous positive conversations with voters along my South Leg routes, and similar reports came back from volunteers all over the city. Many thanks to Scott and Julie for letting us base operations in their home, and being so hospitable!

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 10/29/2007 08:21:00 PM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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This coming Tuesday, October 30th, the League of Women Voters is sponsoring a candidate forum at 7 PM. It appears from a blurb in the Pioneer Press that the venue has been changed to be the Maplewood Community Center, 2100 White Bear Ave.

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 10/27/2007 09:02:00 AM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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Michelle and I have had fun designing campaign literature for this election. Here's the first full-color mailer we did, before the primary. (Click on the images for enlarged views.)

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 10/26/2007 11:45:00 AM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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The Maplewood Review's voters' guide for the general election is now online. Besides giving candidates an opportunity to update or correct their biographical information, the Review also asked us three new questions.

Labels: biography, campaign 2007, media

Posted by John Nephew on 10/25/2007 02:36:00 PM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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This coming weekend, we are planning a joint Nephew/Rossbach "lit drop," delivering campaign literature to voters. If you're interested in helping Will and me get elected, and getting out for some crisp autumn air and exercise at the same time, send me an e-mail!

Speaking of crisp autumn air -- I was up early this morning, and took the opportunity for some autumn sunrise photography. It was chilly, but beautiful.

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 10/23/2007 09:21:00 AM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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In each neighborhood of Maplewood, it appears that candidates Rokke and Cave are distributing a customized joint flyer that identifies a nearby park or neighborhood preserve as needing "saving."

The flyers say that the "#1 issue of concern" from meeting with homeowners in that neighborhood was how to save public parks and open space. (This is funny to me, because after talking to people in every neighborhood of Maplewood, I'm pretty confident in saying that the #1 issue of concern to residents is, "When can we get rid of that mayor?")

It says the problem is "how to stop developers from smooth talking your city council into selling your Parks and Open Spaces for building condos or apartments." The flyer also says "The crucial thing that our opponents want to 'Preserve' - is the ability to sell to developers at the simple will of the city council!"

What is ironic about this is the fact that, as far as I am aware, only one candidate has suggested the possible desirability of selling public open space -- and that would be Delray Rokke, one of the people producing and distributing this flyer.

Take a look at the candidate profile that Rocky completed for the Lillie News, presumably before he decided to team up with Rebecca, turn 180°, and dump his own positions in favor of her campaign's talking points. In response to the question, "What does the city need to do to preserve Maplewood’s parks and open spaces? Do you think conservation easements should play a role?" Rocky wrote:

We need to let the voters decide again whether they still support the city controlling large quantities of undeveloped, non-park land. We need to let residents know how much this costs in additional taxes per household. We should consider some additional safe, attractive and affordable senior housing so that more young families may move into many neighborhoods to enjoy the parks. Conservation easements should be considered on a case by case basis—not encouraged.

Am I reading this wrong? It sounds like he was saying that some neighborhood preserves (the "large quantities of undeveloped, non-park land") might better be developed with senior housing.

Perhaps he misspoke? Well, at the Chamber of Commerce debate on August 30th, Rocky again suggested that the neighborhood preserves needed "development" to make them more useful and accessible (I think he meant trails and amenities); then he went on to say that some should maybe have parking lots built on them! (I guess that would keep them "open.") Listen for yourself (228 kB MP3).

He also seemed strongly opposed to conservation easements in the candidate profile; this was the impression I had from a conversation I had with Rocky in August, too. Now, he apparently has decided that conservation easements are not only OK, but a centerpiece of his campaign.

I have wondered how Rebecca and Rocky could team up, since on Rebecca's core campaign issue (at least, what she says is the most important issue), Rocky was the one candidate who held the most extreme opposite view. I guess it makes me wonder how important it really is to either of them.

Labels: campaign 2007, development, parks

Posted by John Nephew on 10/15/2007 04:05:00 PM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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Nephew for City Council lawn signs are back in stock! I thought we had printed plenty in August, but it turns out there was more demand than expected -- plus we needed to replace ones that had gone missing.

Speaking of purloined signs, I was pleased that one carload of sign thieves was recently caught by the police. It was a group four 17- and 18-year-olds who had driving around stealing signs, smashing pumpkins, stealing other things from yards and so on. The police found them with 19 lawn signs in all, including ones from all four Maplewood candidates, as well as real estate signs and even some political signs from neighboring communities.

If you would like a lawn sign, please send an e-mail to Michelle, and she'll make the arrangements to get one installed in your yard!

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 10/11/2007 07:19:00 PM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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I'm very pleased to share the news that I have been endorsed by the REALTOR® Issues Fund Committee, the political action committee of the St. Paul Area Association of REALTORS.

In the letter I received today, Government Affairs Director Patrick Ruble wrote, "Your understanding of the issues facing Maplewood, commitment to fiscal responsibility and desire for a transparent city government were critical factors in the committee's decision. We look forward to your success in the November general election."

The letter also noted that answers to the SPAAR's questionnaire are posted on their website, and that they "will be directing our members to this website to learn more about your positions on matters that REALTORS® care about." (If you're only interested in my answers, I have my completed questionnaire archived as a PDF you can download.)

I'm very proud to have this endorsement, and I am also pleased that this is another endorsement that Will Rossbach and I have both received. To me, this further demonstrates how it is apparent to concerned voters and stakeholders all across the political spectrum that both Will and I need to be victorious in November in order to put Maplewood on the right track.

Labels: campaign 2007, endorsements 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 10/06/2007 05:21:00 PM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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It has come to my attention that anonymous postcards have been mailed to some voters, attacking my fellow candidate Will Rossbach. Some of these postcards say "Vote for Democrats John Nephew and Delray Rokke." Some repeat the familiar slogan of another candidate, "Our City is NOT FOR SALE!" (though I'm not aware of any candidate who thinks it is or should be).

I don't know if anyone takes the cards seriously. Just in case there is the slightest doubt, let three facts be clear.

First, I support Will Rossbach in his bid for re-election. I came to this decision by seeing him in action on the city council, and concluded from observation that he stands up for common sense and the good of Maplewood, even though that too often leaves him in the minority.

Second, while this is a non-partisan race, there are two endorsed Democrats -- I am one, and Will Rossbach is the other -- though we both are proud to have broad-based, bipartisan support. (One reason the postcard sender is anonymous is that it is illegal, under Minnesota statute 211B.02, to falsely imply that a party has endorsed a candidate.)

Third, I had nothing to do with this mailer, and I certainly would never have anything to do with lies and misrepresentations being made about Will's record and his goals.

On the contrary, I am working more closely with Will in the general election campaign. We share a common concern about the direction our city has taken, and we have been endorsed by most of the same organizations and leaders. To fix Maplewood's problems, we both must win, since our opponents have aligned themselves with each other. Voters will have a clear choice between, in effect, two slates of candidates on election day.

Who produced the postcards? I don't know, but I suspect it came from individuals who wish to sow confusion, to keep the choice on election day from being clear. That's what makes sense if you need only one of your two favored candidates to win, and if you would benefit from making voters cynical, discouraged, confused, and unlikely to turn out on election day.

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 10/03/2007 11:58:00 PM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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Today I have another endorsement screening questionnaire to share with readers. This one was for ACORN. While ACORN did not endorse me, I appreciated the opportunity to meet with them, hear their concerns, and respond to their questions.

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 10/01/2007 09:26:00 AM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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The Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS® invited all of the Maplewood city council candidates to complete a questionnaire with issues of concern to their members. I've put my own questionnaire online so that you can download it. Better yet, you can now see the answers of the primary winners (or at least the three of four who returned a completed questionnaire) on the realtors' public policy website, to compare and contrast our responses.

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 9/18/2007 12:44:00 PM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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Before getting back into campaigning mode, I wanted to take a moment to look back at the primary, with some links and some thoughts.

First of all, if you didn't catch it at the time, here are links to some of the media coverage from the primary. Star Tribune reporter Chris Havens wrote up a short piece, with quotes from several candidates on election night. The Star Tribune also has a results page (click on candidate names for their profiles). The Pioneer Press followed up Michael Enright's pre-election survey of the field of candidates and issues with a election results summary piece by Elizabeth Mohr (including other North Metro races as well). The most detailed look at the primary results came from Katy Zillmer in a special online extra for the Maplewood Review (it may also appear in this week's printed edition).

Second, I want to repeat my thanks to so many supporters and volunteers who made the success of last week possible. We had people making phone calls, knocking on doors, persuading their neighbors, and the result was a turnout that surpassed my wildest hopes. Before we get down to working on an even bigger turnout for the general election in November, it's time for the citizens of Maplewood to congratulate themselves for this big step toward taking back our city.

Finally, I want to offer my compliments and best wishes to three candidates who did not make it through the primary, but who impressed me each time I met them, with their passion for positive change, their commitment to our community, and their promise as leaders: Jim Llanas, Jim Meehan, and James Dykes. The primary results were somewhat lopsided, but I don't believe it is any negative reflection on these three; on the contrary, I talked to citizens who told me that they very much liked those candidates, but felt they had to send a strong message of disapproval to the current majority in city hall, and the way to do that was by voting for me and Will Rossbach. I'm sure we will see more of these men, and that's good news for Maplewood's future.

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 9/17/2007 07:49:00 PM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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You can see results on the Ramsey County webpage here: http://www.co.ramsey.mn.us/elections/results3.htm.

As I type this, we are sitting at the Buffalo Wild Wings at County Road D and White Bear (where they have wifi), and 15 of 16 precincts are in. I'll have to think of something eloquent to say later, but for now, I'm just speechless. It sure looks to me like the people have spoken, and they have a strong opinion to express. I am humbled to see this support, and to have the privilege of going into the general election and have the chance to serve all the people of Maplewood.

Edit, 9/12, 7:04 AM: The Maplewood city website includes detailed results by precinct.

Labels: campaign 2007

Posted by John Nephew on 9/11/2007 09:35:00 PM Email to a Friend | Permalink | Comments
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