FAQ: What you meant by “finding a non-referendum method of improving our Community Center”? What ideas do you have for funding these improvements?

By on September 15, 2011 in Brad Tabke for Mayor, FAQ, Vote November 8

Question: What you meant by “finding a non-referendum method of improving our Community Center”?  What ideas do you have for funding these improvements? -Annette

Answer: Thank you for the question, Annette! A large group of folks and I worked very hard last year to pass a referendum that would have funded additions to our Community Center. It would have added a Senior Center, expanded the Fitness Center and built a 2nd Sheet of Ice.

Referendums have tried and failed many times for improving our community center. Our opponent was a great supporter of the referendum. However, he refused to take a public stance, put up a lawn sign or write a letter to the editor. He even went as far as to tell me that he is

an elected official and can’t take a public stance.

I vehemently disagree. We need a mayor who will lead, stand up for what they believe in and state their views publicly so everyone know the vision and direction of the city’s leadership.

There are many other ways of improving our Community Center. Here are my top 3:

  1. Contrary to common belief, Shakopee is in a very good financial position. With leadership, we could pay cash for improvements at the Community Center without impacting our reserves.
  2. Now is the time to look to the future. A turf bubble and a sheet of ice will generate revenue that can be used to fund other non-revenue-generating – but necessary – projects like a Senior Center. I will fight and make the case that these can be built as a great business decision for the future of Shakopee. It will bring jobs, keep money in Shakopee and promote sports tourism with tournaments and events.
  3. Currently, we do not actively seek a significant number of grants, donations and sponsors that could be used to help fund Community Center improvements of all kinds. To do this, I will push for Park and Recreation to be fully staffed along with opening dialogue with business and government partners to get more done for Shakopee.
Our opponent has been talking about building a Senior Center and a sheet of ice since he came to office 8 years ago. To date, he has not gotten it done or even worked hard to get it done. We need new leadership in Shakopee and I hope you will tell your friends to vote Tabke for Mayor November 8.
What do you think?
Thank you and check out more of our FAQs here!
- Brad
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New, innovative business needed in Shakopee

By on September 8, 2011 in Brad Tabke for Mayor, Vote November 8

Happy Thursday!

Many people in Shakopee saw something weird on Labor Day. The owner of the famous Pedal Pub is bringing one of their leg-powered movable bars to Shakopee. This is phenomenal!

A group of friends and I had the great opportunity to try it out Monday and pedaled the rig from Downtown Shakopee to Arizonas and back having a wonderful time.

How does a business like this – or any business – come to Shakopee, you ask? Hard work.

Paul Youngs (Edward Jones Advisor, Shakopee Chamber Board Member, and many other accolades) knows the owner of the Pedal Pubs through a class he helps teach and had heard they were looking for places to expand. Paul took the initiative to talk with Eric (owner) about the great things we’ve got going on in Shakopee and why this would be the perfect place for a Pedal Pub route. Well done, Paul!

This example is wonderful for the future of Shakopee. This is something that is fresh, innovative and fun coming to Shakopee. We need to work to bring more businesses like this to Shakopee to better serve our residents, keep money in Shakopee and improve our downtown.

How do we do this? Many ways, but one of the best is just like Paul did. Shakopee needs to get involved in the business community throughout the metro and let everyone know we are open for business and a great place to open up and relocate. Advertise in trade journals, be present at real estate events throughout the state and country. Don’t be afraid to tell everyone the potential that exists here in Shakopee.

We need to bring in new business and support our existing businesses. Utilize our locally-owned businesses, support our Chamber members, go to them for coffee, hair cuts and tools. It means a lot.

Who do you know in your business network that could be the next big thing for Shakopee?

Have a great day!

Brad

Also – check out more pictures of Pedal Pub in today’s Shakopee Valley News!

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Community

By on September 6, 2011 in Brad Tabke for Mayor

I’m not exactly sure how to write this.

Tonight, we were door knocking in the neighborhood just north of the junior high (10th x Fuller/Lewis/Holmes). Katy had Ila strapped to her and Jean was ringing doorbells and handing out lit for me. We stopped around 630 at the park by Muenchow Fields to have a picnic supper.

The girls went home for baths and bedtime, I continued listening.

Knocked on a thick wooden door in a home built in the early 1900′s. A frail woman I would guess in her 80s with curly gray hair, glasses and a slow walk opened the heavy door. She seemed a little confused and and I started in with a smile and ‘Hello, I’m Brad Tabke and I’m running for Shakopee mayor.’ She kind of acknowledged I was there then looked off into space for a bit and came back to reality and said ‘I’m sorry, I lost track.’ followed by ‘My nephew was at his first day of college today and was killed in a car accident and I don’t know what to do.’

Not sure how long I stood there staring and not know what to do myself and the only thing that came to me was to ask if she wanted a hug. She said yes and gripped me tighter than I have been hugged in a very long time.

When she let me go, I asked if there was anything I could do and she said no and that she was going to see her family tomorrow. Not exactly sure how I left it, but kicked myself as somehow ‘Have a great night’ was said as my parting response.

I knocked on the next door and the next with no response. Walked around the corner and the family happened to be sitting on their back porch and I went up to see if they knew their frail neighbor two houses down. They vaguely did and said they had just waved at her as she drove down the alley 10 minutes ago. I told them the sad story and they were going to check on her as I continued on my walk.

This is the part I don’t know exactly how to write. If I were more skilled as a writer, I could probably utilize large overarching themes about humanity and our place in society. I’m not that skilled. One thing that did come to mind as I continued on my walk is community. We live in a great place where neighbors will check on neighbors and take care of each other. Community is important and creating connections within communities to be able to help and relate to one another is even more important.

Without knowing my new acquaintance, I know that her neighbor stopping over to check on her in a time of need was a gift. I am humbled that I got the chance to help a great-(great?)-aunt in her time of need. This is our community and I love it.

-Brad

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Southbridge Door Knocking

By on September 6, 2011 in Brad Tabke for Mayor, Vote November 8

Good morning, Shakopee!

I hope you had a great Labor Day weekend! Ours was wonderful – camping, birthday party, Pedal Pub in Shakopee, being lazy and door knocking.

Spent a good portion of Saturday with my first round of door knocking and it was wonderful! People in Shakopee are ready for things to change.

Here are a couple of themes that developed through listening to Southbridge residents:

  • Southbridge does not feel like a part of Shakopee but wants to
  • Highway 21 is too close to the Red Oak Elementary School and they are nervous about the safety of their children
  • Downtown is important for Shakopee but needs to be improved and have better shopping

Southbridge does not feel like a part of Shakopee but wants to

I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but Southbridge is a victim of very poor city planning. The area functions well on its own, but is completely disconnected from the rest of Shakopee. This makes for an area that feels like they have been left out of the city – not only geographically but politically.

We have an opportunity with this election to dramatically shift the makeup of our current city council and we need the Southbridge area to engage in our campaign and run with us to do that. When elected, one of my priorities is to create connections within our community and connecting the Southbridge neighborhood to the rest of Shakopee is big on that list. We need to have Park & Rec events, a parade, signage and representation to make sure residents know what is going on with the rest of town and become active members of our community.

Highway 21 is too close to Red Oak Elementary

I heard this many times throughout my morning of door knocking and is a big concern for the neighborhood. After door knocking, I spoke with a number of people about the issue and it is something that needs to be taken up with the county and the school board. As mayor, we can do this with a group of concerned residents and reduce the danger posed by the highway.

Downtown is important to Southbridge

This was a theme I was very happy to hear from the neighborhood. People in Southbridge don’t want to always go to Savage, Prior Lake and Eden Prairie to spend their money. They want to spend time and money in Shakopee, but we need to improve our Downtown district in order to bring in new, different businesses and customers.

I am a huge supporter of Downtown Shakopee and think we have great potential to make this area amazing! We need to begin advertising Shakopee to the rest of the metro as ‘open or business.’ There is significant vacant space and we need to encourage these to be filled with restaurants, shops and cafes. When we start to add to our wonderful existing businesses, make Downtown look and feel better for customers and become a destination – it will be a benefit to all of Shakopee and make connections between our neighborhoods.

Thank you to everyone who chatted with me on Saturday! I appreciate your time and your knowledge is invaluable. Vote Tabke for Mayor November 8!

Have a wonderful day!

- Brad

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Calendar added to website

By on September 1, 2011 in Brad Tabke for Mayor, Events, Vote November 8

Good morning everyone!

Things are heating up and I wanted to keep you all informed of what is going on in the campaign. A calendar has been added that we will continually update with events, door knocking and garage parties that are happening.

Tabke for Mayor Calendar

We will be door knocking for the first time this weekend in the Southbridge area. Getting people out to vote on November 8 will be key to our success this fall and door knocking and talking to voters is the way to do it. Most people in Shakopee don’t even know there is an election and we have to help them.

We will be meeting at 9:30 am, September 3rd – this Saturday – at Harriet Neighborhood Park to get started. Not sure if we will encounter many people at home or everyone will be out of town. We’ll have to find out together.

Have a great rest of your week!

Brad

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