Dear Members of the Green Party of the United States,

I enthusiastically support the proposal to host the 2008 National Green Party Convention in Minneapolis. I have been delighted to be part of the group drafting the proposal and am confident that the Green convention is an outstanding match for our Green city.

The Green Party has a long history of success in Minneapolis dating back to the founding convention of our state party held here in 1994. In 1997, 2001 and 2005 we elected endorsed candidates to the Minneapolis City Council and Park and Recreation Board. Those two government bodies have now benefited from Green representation for almost a decade.

Our presence has helped shape future-focused, ecologically wise and socially just public policy in Minneapolis. Some examples include work on increasing police accountability, passing a plan to end homelessness, establishing an affordable housing trust fund, sustainability indicators and targets, more controls on toxic elements, increased bicycle and transit infrastructure, empowering neighborhoods through our Neighborhood Revitalization Program, reforming our ethics code, putting the successful Instant Runoff Voting amendment on the ballot, work on youth violence prevention, and passing resolutions against the occupation of Iraq and supporting a Federal Department of Peace.

I am convinced that the energy, excitement and organizing strength of the Greens in Minnesota and Minneapolis offers the synergy and capacity needed to make the 2008 Green Party of United States convention a huge success, and to help the national party prepare for the important next steps of growth and activism in 2008 and beyond.

I would be deeply personally honored to welcome the Green Party of the United States to Minneapolis for the 2008 National Convention.