for ISD#833 residents
Putting together the puzzle pieces of quality education is dependent on electing quality candidates.
I’m a visual person, so I like to see all the candidates and the maps laid out in front of me … easy to access as needed. The maps included here are taken from official SOS (Secretary of State) data maps, which were redrawn based on the 2020 census, just in time for this 2022 Election. These maps are significant to us, the people, because they are the boundaries in which the leaders of our government are designing us to be organized by. These maps not only represent election boundaries, but they also illustrate human living conditions in terms of population density and demographics. This is, after all, what drives redistricting in the first place.
Good and Bad
Whether the organization of people by census and redistricting is a good or a bad thing is a topic I am not ready to talk about quite yet. It is the reality of our governed society and most societies throughout history, and yet the Bible cautioned against the census. After all, only God has all the answers.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
~Proverbs 3:5-6
Where Government and the State is concerned, nothing is random or left to chance though. To study these maps is to recognize that people are NOT just thrown together without purpose. Every house that is built, and each person inside every house, the government has defined by it’s value, it’s demographic and it’s position on the map. Elected officials and Government of all types are meticulously and carefully carved out by the information we give to the US Census. City Council, Metro Transit, School Boards, County Commissioners, Congress men and women, Governors, Senators, House Representatives – They ALL are pieces of the puzzle that voters have to put together. If we choose good politicians with strong family values and good moral ethics, we WILL see health grow throughout our communities and excellence flourish among our school children.
Puzzle of Maps
I actually find it fascinating to overlay the many individual maps on top of each other because of the recognizable patterns that emerge. State, County, and District maps are normally viewed separate because the data is scattered across a multitude of different websites. I liken this separation of maps to a 5,000 piece puzzle with it’s pieces scattered around the entire house. It takes so much effort to find each and every puzzle piece and put it in it’s place with the WHOLE. Only when the picture is complete are you able to draw meaningful conclusions.
A Comparison of ISD#833 Minnesota District Maps
Map 1. Washington County Commissioner Districts
https://www.co.washington.mn.us/3367/Redistricting
The ideal for each district is 53,514 residents. The current districts are all a little bit over, at about 54,000 residents.
Map 2. Minnesota State Senate and Congressional Districts
https://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/data-maps/congressional-maps/
Designed by Republicans and Democrats and driven by US Census data.
Map 3. City Council Residential Planning
The cities in ISD#833 are planning a quick pace of residential building over the next 10-20 years. This includes Woodbury, Cottage Grove, and Newport (although Newport was unrecognized by 833’s map above). Metro Transit is sprinkling high rises throughout the land, on both highways and among communities with established single family homes. The multi-million dollar Gold Bus Line is being fast tracked from Saint Paul into Woodbury next year. Meanwhile, the school district is planning a half billion dollar Building Facility plan to meet the “anticipated” city-wide growth.
Demand … Does design come before demand or demand come before design? This is the question…
Map 4. Minnesota Department of Health
https://3msettlement.state.mn.us/investing-east-metro-drinking-water
Our district has a water contamination issue, and the solution to this problem is something most City-Council candidates are campaigning on. The question becomes not one of residential housing DEMAND, but one of residential housing health OBLIGATIONS.
Should we be growing so fast?
Map 5. ISD#833 School District
https://www.sowashco.org/enroll#Maps
School boundaries line up pretty close with the State Senate districts. That is interesting.
Follow by Blog.
Many of the candidate races SoWashCo residents will be voting on in the Mid-Term Election this November 8th are listed below. Not all candidates are represented here since each city has it’s own unique ballot. I have not listed City Council candidates, for instance, but their names and websites can be viewed at the Secretary of State website below. All Elected Offices will ultimately impact the direction of public education (and the stability of non-public) in ISD# 833 and Minnesota.
View a sample ballot specific to your address at the Secretary of State website https://candidates.sos.state.mn.us/
State Offices
District Maps were also obtained off the Secretary of State website at https://www.sos.state.mn.us/election-administration-campaigns/data-maps/congressional-maps/
The following information can also be viewed in the Menu tab under “VOTE.”
Governor & Lt Governor
Scott Jensen & Matt Birk (R)
Tim Walz & Peggy Flanagan (DFL)
Secretary of State
Kim Crockett (R)
Steve Simon (DFL)
State Auditor
Ryan Wilson (R)
Julie Blaha (DFL)
Attorney General
Jim Schultz (R)
Keith Ellison (DFL)
Congressional District
Second Congressional District
Tyler Kistner (R)
Angie Craig (DFL)
Fourth Congressional District
May Lor Xiong (R)
Betty McCollum (DFL)
The SWCTC website is a well organized location for viewing recordings of all candidates in South Washington County. Watch Candidate Profiles, Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forums and League of Women Voters Candidate Forums between all the candidates listed below. Link to SWCTC 2022 Election Page HERE.
State Senate Offices
Senate District 41
Tom Dippel (R)
Tony Jurgens (R)
Judy Seeberger (DFL)
Senate District 47
Dwight Dorau (R)
Nicole Mitchell (DFL)
Senate District 53
Chris Rausch (R)
Matt Klein (DFL)
State Representative Offices
MN House District 41A
Mark Wiens (R)
Pat Driscoll (DFL)
MN House District 41B
Shane Hudella (R)
Tina Folch (DFL)
MN House District 47A
Bob Lawrence (R)
Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger (DFL)
MN House District 47B
Kelly Fenton (R)
Ethan Cha (DFL)
MN House District 53B
Steven Swoboda (R)
Rick Hansen (DFL)
Washington County Commissioner
County Commissioner District 2
Stan Karwaski (incumbent) bit.ly/voteforstan
Julie Ohs (no website listed on SOS)
County Commissioner District 4
Karla Bigham karlabigham.com
Keith Franke keithfranke.org
County Commissioner District 5
Michelle Clasen michelleclasen.com
Andrea Date andreadate.com
The Big Picture
This layering of district maps illustrates how the fate of our public school children are in the hands of a very complex and very large system. The chain of command goes so much higher than that of the school board and the Superintendent. This is why questions asked by public school parents many times cannot be answered by the teacher alone. The public school principal does not have ultimate control over his or her school either. Disciplinary measures, academic standards, and the licensing of teachers (as we are currently witnessing) are decided by legislators and state officials who may never step foot in your child’s school.
Having only a couple pieces of the puzzle leads to misunderstanding, futility and frustration. We need all the pieces.
Please research the candidates on your ballot and then PLEASE VOTE.