Voter ID, Referenda and the Election: Feedback Friday

Each week, Patch users contribute numerous insights, opinions and observations. The following is a collection of the most thoughtful, moving, controversial or just plain funny comments that appeared on Patch sites in Eden Prairie, Edina, Golden Valley, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Richfield, Shakopee, Plymouth, St. Louis Park and St. Michael. Click on the headline to read the full story and join in the conversation.

(The comments below are not meant to reflect the opinions of Patch or its staff.)

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Minnesota Voter ID Amendment: This Is Why I'm Voting 'No'

Readers weighed in on the issue before they voted on Nov. 6.

Doug Lind planned to vote "no" for several reasons:

The GOP attorney representing Mr Emmer in the voter recount said, "No fraud." Recently I read an article claiming there are thousands of phony IDs around the state. Phony ID production is a mini-industry; ask any bar owner. Another "concern" is that felons may have vote in a recent election. Maybe so; felons can produce a legitimate ID just like the rest of us. It wouldn't say, "FELON" on it, so how is an election judge supposed to keep a felon from voting, or how is the judge suppposed to spot phony IDs? This Amendment won't solve the "problem" and it will cost local governments a lot of needed cash. Fiscally irresponsible and it won't solve the "problem" it's designed to fix. VOTE NO

Golden Valley Man Charged with Robbing Man at Light-Rail Station

Deshaun Marcel Martin, of Golden Valley, was charged with snatching a wallet from a man at a Minneapolis light-rail station, then punching the victim in the head when he tried to get his property back.

B_Schiff hopes that Martin will seek help and stop offending:

Deshaun Marcel Martin...

3/7/12: Driving w/o insurance
5/9/12: Driving w/o a license
7/9/12: DWI and failure to obey a traffic control device
7/16/12: Careless driving, open container violation
7/23/12: Driving after license revocation

Nothing violent until now, and a spree of driving offenses; what's going on with this guy? Hopefully, he'll get some help.

Richfield Passes Both Referendum Measures

After a painful failure in 2011, the Richfield School board and referendum advocates were without a doubt happy about Tuesday night's outcome.

Voters not only passed a measure to renew the soon-to-expire levy, but also approved a small increase.

Many readers expressed their happiness following the news. One reader, only identifying himself as Will, said:

I am proud to be a Richfield Citizen. Thanks to all for stepping up even if it took a year longer than hoped.

Franzen Defeats Downey in Senate District 49 Race

DFL candidate Melisa Franzen, who was in a hard-fought race for Senate District 49 against former Republican State Rep. Keith Downey, managed to pull it out by more than five percentage points, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State's Office.

Senate District 49 actually shifted from entirely Republican representation in the Legislature to entirely DFL legislators, with voters electing Ron Erhardt to House District 49A and Paul Rosenthal to House District 49B.

Patch reader David F said Edina's swing to DFL legislators was not much of a surprise to him:

Certainly politics is full of too much money and too much negative campaigns but I think the other story is MN is tired of right wing politics. The saddest thing I have ever seen in MN was the state shutdown 2 years ago when I went into closed state parks that were deserted during the peak summer season. All the families and children that did not get enjoy the state parks came back to haunt the GOP.

Meanwhile, commenter James was simply excited to have cast his vote for Ron Erhardt:

Like many other democrats, I voted for him when he was a Republican, and now when he is a Democrat. I voted for Ron Erhardt, not his label. How many modern-day Republicans do that? Precious few -- which is why Ron is now a Democrat.

The bank is tripling its office space at I-394 and Hwy. 169, according to news reports.

Guy Davidson wrote:

Probably one of the top ten ugliest buildings in the Twin Cities... just sayin.

Kids Voting Shakopee Releases Results of Student Vote for 2012 Election

There were 2,423 students who submitted their ballots at locations through Shakopee and some surrounding areas. Students voted largely for Republican candidates.

Lola Minneapolis was surprised at the students' pick for President.

I can't believe kids voted for Romney!

OPINION: Southwest LRT Process is ‘Anti-democratic and Unaccountable’

Senate District 46 candidate Paul Scofield slammed the freight rail reroute portion of the Southwest Light Rail Transit project in a guest column—saying “St. Louis Park is being governed and represented by ‘DINOs’—Democrats in Name Only.”

Matthew Kilanowski wondered whether Scofield would be as forceful on behalf of homeowners affected by other transportation projects:

For one, this issue could be solved by rerouting the line up Nicollet Avenue. It would negate the need to reroute the freight line as well as put it in a higher density area where this large investment can serve more people.

For another, I would be interested to know if Mr. Scofield's concern is directed by opposition to mass transit investment in general. I would like to hear his opinion of the Shady Oak Road project where the widening of the road is recognized to be so harmful to the businesses there that the City of Hopkins is spending $3 million on top of the construction costs to help them. Mr. Scofield, will you lead the charge to oppose the lowering of property values and disenfranchisement of local small businesses for a road project as earnestly as you are opposing this rail project, too?