ReCAST Minneapolis is a federally funded program intended to promote “healing from the damage done by a history of policymaking that has devastated African Americans, American Indians, and immigrants including Latinos, SE Asians, and Somalis.” Here’s more background from the ReCAST Community Strategic Plan:
The shooting of Jamar Clark, an unarmed African American male, by police officers is the impetus behind the creation of ReCAST Minneapolis. In our city, African Americans and American Indians are disproportionately discriminated against by the police which also echoes other indicators of wellbeing where there are greater disparities between our African American and American Indian population and the rest of the populace.
If you’re a terrible person, you might be thinking, “Why doesn’t this program intended to heal the damage of a long history of racist policymaking do more for white people?” Fortunately for terrible people, they have a champion in City Council President Barb Johnson.
Council President Barb Johnson:
“Ms. Stephens, you know, one of the things that I find somewhat frustrating about work that we do around neighborhoods that are experiencing stress and trauma is that there are – and of course I’m thinking about the neighborhood that I represent in North Minneapolis – there are people who aren’t necessarily people of color but they’re long-lived neighbors in communities that are as much affected by some of the violence that’s going on in the community. And so how do we get to those people? I said the same thing with the – I’m trying to think, we’ve got an initiative at the police department that I can’t remember the name of – but the same thing. You know, what do you do about the people who aren’t necessarily perhaps the victims but they’re the ones that get knocked out of their houses at 3:00 in the morning because somebody’s bashed into the gas meter with a stolen car, or get awakened at 3:00 in the morning when they have to work the next day because somebody’s shooting a gun in their alley. Those people are affected as much as anyone in the neighborhood. And so I just am curious what the thought is about the broader population that lives in the neighborhoods that are affected by violence. And I particularly think this grant, we were a recipient of the grant because we had this incident – part of it – is because we had this incident in the Fourth Precinct. But that didn’t just affect people of color, it affected everybody that lived in the community. So, what’s the thought about the rest of the community?”
Joy Marsh Stephens:
“One of the reasons we’re really intentional about shaping who we’re talking about with the grant as geographical is that we understand that it’s everybody who lives in those neighborhoods. We talk about Camden, for instance, which is one of our neighborhoods for ReCAST, it’s everybody that lives in Camden, not just people of color who live in Camden, or Native populations who live in Camden, it’s everybody who lives there. So the trauma that those communities are facing is, to your point, affecting everybody that’s there.”
One of the themes of Lisa Goodman’s campaign this year is that Donald Trump is a bad man, and Lisa Goodman will protect you.
It’s not a crazy message. There’s an anti-Trump undercurrent running through many Minneapolis campaigns this year. But for arguably the second-most conservative member of the City Council, Goodman has used “Trump” as a way to distract from the real differences she has with her opponent, Janne Flisrand. (I won’t go into those differences, but there’s no denying Ward 7 has two very distinct choices this year.)
Another theme that’s emerging: Lisa Goodman is clearly unaccustomed to the hassle of having to run for re-election. She hasn’t had a serious challenger since first winning her seat in 1997. But she has built up a large campaign fund ($133,000 at the end of 2016), and acquired enough power to have convinced Senator Al Franken to endorse her just days before the DFL caucuses on April 4.
With Goodman’s serious advantages, it was big news when Saturday’s Ward 7 Convention ended without a DFL endorsement for either candidate. Moments after the convention was adjourned, the Goodman campaign put out a strangely bitter Facebook post confirming the impression they were the day’s big losers. I have to print the whole statement because it’s amazing (it was deleted the next morning):
I had hoped to earn your endorsement today but I think and hope I understand why that didn’t happen. The truth is that we’re scared. All of us are. All progressives are, and frankly, so are most of the people in the world.
We live in an age of incredible upheaval. The pace of change has accelerated way beyond anything we’ve experienced before and the direction of too much of that change is frightening.
For progressives, we now live in a country ruled by a dangerous deranged, demagogue who is surrounded by a crazy mix of right-wing ideologues, princes of venture capital and an endless parade of recently retired generals who presided over the longest, least successful and still ongoing wars in our nation’s history!
And here we sit in Minneapolis. A truly wonderful progressive city surrounded by a state that almost voted for that President.
These times aren’t interesting, they’re terrifying.
But the way we overcome that fear is not by turning inward and directing all our energy into making sure we only elect people who we agree with 100% of the time. That can’t work.
Even here in progressive Minneapolis we already have to deal with a conservative, Republican state legislature and God forbid, potentially a GOP Governor. And now we’re spending time, energy and money on applying the most stringent progressive policy litmus tests to people in reliably safe DFL districts and Wards in some kind of twisted purification ritual.
We progressives have to get out of our own echo chambers and start working to spread the word and find compromise when we can. Instead of spending all of our time, money and energy beating up each other, let’s direct our energy to helping to recruit and elect reasonable DFL state legislators in Anoka, Washington, Dakota, Scott, Carver and Wright counties so we can take control back NEXT year. That is where local, progressive energy should be focused.
Look, I am disappointed that I did not get your endorsement today, but being part of this larger fight that goes well beyond the border of our ward is something I will not turn away from.
So I will proudly go forward and seek to earn all of your votes in the general election this fall. Because, I will never give up this fight and frankly I know I’m damn good at this job, and so do you! So I look forward to continue working with you to make our Ward and our world a better place.
Lisa Goodman believes your dissatisfaction with her is the irrational product of Trump-based fear.
Lisa Goodman believes elections in Minneapolis are inherently illegitimate. (This isn’t democracy, it’s a “twisted purification ritual.”)
Lisa Goodman wants you to leave her alone and go campaign where it matters: specifically in Anoka, Washington, Dakota, Scott, Carver and Wright counties. (Begging the question: how much campaigning did Lisa Goodman do outside Hennepin County in 2016?)
“I know I’m damn good at this job, and so do you!” (Enough said!)
The jarringly dark third paragraph ending with a swipe against the “endless parade of recently retired generals” shows the wide gap between the reality of this neighborhood-level campaign and what Lisa Goodman is choosing to talk about.
If you disagree with Lisa Goodman on all the important things people care about right here in Minneapolis—from housing to transportation to policing—you’re probably hoping she spends the rest of this campaign arguing (1) that local issues don’t matter and (2) that one of the great tragedies to come from the 2016 election is that she ended up with an opponent.
Goodman Lies About Her Vote on Minimum Wage Study
During a Q&A session at the convention, Goodman lied about her past vote on a study of raising the minimum wage. First she portrayed herself as a longtime proponent of raising the wage. She then claimed that her 2015 vote against studying a $15 minimum wage was because “we already knew the answers.” According to Goodman, she didn’t want to waste money on a study when it was already obvious to her that raising the wage was the right thing to do.
But when you consider her past statements (on video), including her attacks on the credibility of the wage study’s authors when it was published, it’s clear that Lisa Goodman disagreed very much with any answers that indicated raising the wage was the right thing to do.
In 2015, Goodman said conducting study would serve no purpose because a wage increase was something “seven people don’t want to vote for—and the mayor—right now.” It’s not conceivable that Lisa Goodman wasn’t including herself among the seven “no” votes on the issue of a wage increase. As she said just last October: “When you are already paying $6 for a single scoop ice cream cone, how much more are people going to be willing to pay?”
I have been shamelessly teasing a must-see video on Twitter. But there’s a good reason: before we get to the video (do not skip ahead to the video), this story needs unpacking. It would be irresponsible to release this video without context.
First, do the right thing–do the prudent thing–and read this very long blog post describing the multi-year controversy and legal battle involving an old house, a group of zany preservationists called the Healy Project and reality TV star Nicole Curtis.
Then, you’ll want to watch this very long YouTube featuring some of our favorite characters from Linden Hills as they engage in a multi-year legal battle to save a barbecue restaurant and parking lot. Do those things right now!
(waiting for you to come back…)
In the time since that blog post and video were published, local anti-apartment extremists have gotten bolder. They’re using tactics that go beyond lawsuits, and beyond baseless accusations of corruption during their testimony at city hall. Last year, I spoke with a neighbor who saw three people do this bit of vandalism at 2008 Bryant.
Get your message out by stapling campaign finance reports to every available surface.
I’m pretty sure the people responsible are connected with the Healy Project. Why do I think this? Because they painted “This Place Mattered” on a bed sheet and made a sign that said “Bendrification”–these are phrases closely associated with the Healy Project. “Bendrification” is a combination of the name Lisa Bender, who is a city council member, and the word “gentrification.” Using this word pretty much saves you from having to make an actual argument. In the last few weeks “Save Brenda’s House” has become the next big, crazy house story. It’s part of a long tradition of Facebook fan pages devoted to dumpy old houses. Evidence that the house is a cherished landmark includes the fact that the Facebook page was created days before a Zoning and Planning Committee hearing to decide the house’s fate.
(I should briefly mention that Brenda Ueland is a deceased local author who was a pretty big deal in her day, but obviously not as famous and important as the house she lived in. Also, it’s weird how much she looked and dressed like Beetlejuice.)
After the Minneapolis City Council voted to allow demolition, house fans created a profile on a website called “Chuffed” (which is not a location-based dating app for scruffy guys who are a weird combination of chubby and buff). House fans are using Chuffed to raise money for a lawsuit to save the house.
The organization whose name is associated with the fundraising page is the Healy Project. Constance Pepin is listed as the contact person for both “Save Brenda’s House” on Facebook and the Healy Project’s fundraising page on Chuffed.com.
Save Brenda’s House: part of a long tradition of fan pages devoted to houses.
Because there’s a lot going on during caucus season, this story has fallen through the cracks. UNTIL NOW!
About-to-be-released video obtained by Wedge LIVE shows radical House Lives Matter activists engaged in what can only be described as “injurious” activity. I’m referring to Constance Pepin and her presumed getaway driver Anders Christensen–recognized by many as the public face of the Healy Project.
In the video, recorded just outside Brenda’s house, Ms. Pepin is seen leaning down next to a car as she lets the air out of the right-front tire. The car’s owner exits the house and asks Pepin, “Why are you letting the air out of my tires.” Ms. Pepin stands up and says, “Because you’re here illegally.” My sources tell me the car’s owner was legally at the house to remove appliances, an activity that doesn’t require special permission from the city.
Pepin walks halfway down the driveway before turning around, raising her phone, and recording video of the person who is recording her, in a classic move that says I’m not the criminal here, you are!
As this all unfolds, Anders Christensen watches by the car from a distance. It should be noted that Anders Christensen is a bad friend who failed to shout any kind of warning to Ms. Pepin that the owner of the car was approaching her from behind.
John Quincy disappears during Ward 11 candidate forum.
There was a city council candidate forum down in Ward 11 last night. This is one of a handful of pivotal and competitive council races in Minneapolis this year (1, 3, 5, 7 and 11 – and if you think Barb can be beat, add Ward 4 to that list).
Ward 11 doesn’t get a lot of attention and neither does their current council member, John Quincy. He’s affable. He’s inoffensive. He blends in. He finds the safe place to be. He’s not the first person who comes to mind when you think of The Council Members Roadblocking My Favorite Big Idea. But you won’t find him far behind, following the lead of the ones who are.
At the forum, Quincy made a case based on his status and committee assignments, which he attributed to “experience.” How has he used that acquired power to lead on important issues? I didn’t hear much of that.
Quincy has two opponents: Erica Mauter and Jeremy Schroeder. In a three person field you might look around and wonder, which one of these people is the crackpot? Not in Ward 11! Not this year!
In fact, both challengers come off as thoughtful and accomplished. Mauter is a former chemical engineer turned executive director of the Twin Cities Women’s Choir. Schroeder, as part of his experience working for non-profits, led the successful fight to end the death penalty in Illinois.
I appreciated that, without any prompting, both Mauter and Schroeder acknowledged zoning as a factor in housing affordability; that seems like a low bar (and it is) but it shows an openness to new ideas and a willingness to tackle a politically tough issue. Mauter even gave the Wedge a shoutout, saying it was a good thing they turned the former lumberyard adjacent to the Midtown Greenway into apartments (I’m easily impressed).
People might have a hard time remembering who their current council member is, but don’t forget the Ward 11 city council race this year. There are real choices here. Give these candidates a closer look ahead of next Tuesday’s caucuses.
Ward 10 City Council Member Lisa Bender took the the AM radio airwaves recently to talk about the neighborhoods she represents, housing, safe streets, and the 2017 election.
Selected clips below. Listen to the whole show here.
Peter Bajurny (left) is the man at the center of Post-It-Gate
A coalition of 18 Minneapolis neighborhood organizations has been privately working for months to pressure the City Council and other officials to delete a public comment they disagree with from a draft community engagement report published by the city. This is according to a leaked email provided by a person close to one of the neighborhood organizations involved.
A single sentence critical of neighborhood organizations was included in a draft report put together by the Department of Community Planning and Economic Development. The author of the comment, which said “Abolish City recognition of neighborhood organizations,” has come forward to reveal that his critical feedback was originally submitted on a post-it note.
A draft of the Phase 2 Engagement Report, which compiled all feedback into a 22-page pdf, was released on January 6th. You’ll notice the comment from the post-it note was one of many items included in a long list of themes. (You’ll also notice the very next comment is pretty complimentary of neighborhood groups.)
One of the “Engagement Goals” put forth in the document is that the public should feel “their input has been thoughtfully considered and sees their contributions reflected in the plan.” I’ve been in contact with the author of the controversial comment, Peter Bajurny, and he says he feels especially gratified to see his input thoughtfully considered and reflected in the plan.
Who are the villains trying to deny Bajurny his moment in the sun? A group of 18 Minneapolis neighborhood organizations having a collective freak-out over a post-it note. They’re upset about the inclusion of public feedback in a document intended as an accurate summary of public feedback.
An employee writing on behalf of a group of downtown neighborhood associations sent an 1100-word email to a wider group of Minneapolis neighborhood organizations, detailing months of ongoing effort to have the dissenting comment deleted from the draft report. The group hopes to eventually have a total of 40 organizations sign on to the effort to delete the comment.
The email calls the post-it note a “very big deal” and “not valid statistically.” It also includes the detail that neighborhood organizations are seeking an investigation: “We are also asking Councilmembers to find out how the comment got there.”
The email’s author recounts one particularly dramatic scene where “CPED staff Beth Elliott and NCR staff Christina Kendrick defended for 75 minutes” the inclusion of the sticky-note comment.
This story has all the makings of a big, dumb Minneapolis neighborhood scandal:
The director of the city’s NCR Department, David Rubedor, running scared from neighborhood organizations, feebly explaining the comment as a “computer glitch.” (You’ll remember, I tracked down the actual post-it to its actual author. His name is Peter Bajurny. Mr. Bajurny is not a computer glitch.)
A whistle-blower. Neighborhood groups were tipped off to the offending comment “by a member of an ‘internal work group'” which had discussions about the “appropriateness” of including a public comment in a report summarizing public comment.
The author of the leaked email claims Council Members Jacob Frey and John Quincy have committed in writing to have the comment removed from the final version of the report (update: Frey says this claim isn’t true). That would be a shame because, whether or not you agree with the feedback written on the post-it note, it accurately represents a viewpoint I hear expressed by many: Minneapolis neighborhood associations are highly political, sometimes vicious organizations, that tend to prioritize the concerns of property owners over the interests of diverse neighborhoods, despite being publicly funded. You should either want to reform what currently exists, or end the system entirely and start over with something better. Neither of those ideas is unworthy of discussion.
Despite the problems with these groups, they are politically powerful enough to have recently extracted $9.1 million in funding from the city council during the height of caucus season. Neighborhood groups shouldn’t be given the additional power to delete public feedback from a city report because they don’t like what it says. If these groups are to receive millions from the city, they should at least be subject to all the scrutiny, criticism and reform that you can fit on a post-it.
—————–
Full text of the email sent to a number of Minneapolis neighborhood associations on behalf of a group of downtown neighborhood associations.
Dear Neighborhoods,
Here is where we are at.
We continue to pursue the Removal of ‘Abolish City Recognition of Neighborhood Organizations’ from the Phase II Civic Engagement Report for the Minneapolis Comprehensive Plan 2040. Some at the City believe it is not that big of a thing. We believe it is. We believe that to allow this sub theme under the Theme of Governance in a published City document is a very big deal. Especially when there was only one such comment out of 1,100. It is not valid statistically to elevate one comment to such a level. We are beginning now to reach out to Councilmembers to keep the comment in raw data and remove it from the Document. We are also asking Councilmembers to find out how the comment got there. It was not due to a ‘computer glitch’. There were internal workgroups synthesizing the comments and developing this report. We heard about this in early December from a member of an internal workgroup.
DMNA and CLPC on behalf of the DT Neighborhood Groups brought this item to the January NCEC meeting. We discovered this bullet point from a draft document sent to us out of concern by a member of an ‘internal work group’. There had been discussions by this internal workgroup member since early December – before it was a published draft – on the appropriateness to have this comment in this City draft document – with CPED and NCR staff. At the January NCEC meeting, no one on the Commission was aware of the inclusion of this bullet point in the report. The Commission moved to discuss this at their February meeting and bring City Planning/NCR staff in to explain how and why this occurred. During the Commission meeting, DMNA President Joe Taburino pulls up the City’s website and we find out the this Draft Document is already posted on the City’s website. Director David Rubedor was at this meeting.
The day after the NCEC meeting, even with all the expressed concerns and challenge to validity of this comment, the Draft Document gets sent out to thousands via Gov Delivery.
The Downtown Neighborhood Groups then developed the Resolution and began to circulate it to other neighborhoods they knew and/or worked with.
CM Lisa Goodman’s Policy Aide Patrick Sadler was requested by CLPC to find out how this Bullet Point got into the document. He talked to Director Rubedor who stated that it was a computer glitch, that CPED staff did not catch it, and that it would be taken care of.
The Resolution was presented at the February NCEC Meeting in advance of the discussion with City Planning & NCEC staff. Several neighborhoods and MCTC were present. We find out at the meeting, even though there were concerns expressed in January and even tho NCEC/NCR was to be working with CPED on this community engagement piece, the Draft document in debate had been finalized. CPED staff Beth Elliott and NCR staff Christina Kendrick defended for 75 minutes the inclusion of this statement to ‘Abolish city recognition of neighborhood organizations’ in the document. Beth Elliott stated that she could not remove language from a finalized document. Director David Rubedor was not present. The new Deputy Director was.
Thank you to Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association, Citizens for a Loring Park, Jordan Area Community Council, Midtown Phillips Neighborhood Association, East Phillips improvement Coalition, Waite Park, and Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association for attending the February NCEC Meeting.
The NCEC Commission moved the Resolution for further discussion to their Committee of the Whole meeting, to the March NRP Policy Board meeting, and to a vote at their March meeting.
We plan to be present at the NRP Policy Board meeting. Once a meeting is set up, we will notify everyone.
Then, last week we discovered that CPED is taking the Comp Plan work to date to City Planning /City Council for Interim Approval. We expect that this Civic Engagement report will at that time, be ‘Received and Filed’ with the Bullet point in it.
So, now we are moving to discuss this with Councilmembers and to get this Bullet Point removed from the published city document.
See conversation with CM Jacob Frey below.
DJ Heinle, is a Charter Commissioner and has been active with the North Loop Neighborhood. North Loop Neighborhood is a participant of the Downtown Neighborhood Group which authored the Resolution. The Minneapolis Charter is about the Governance of the City. Charter Commissioner DJ Heinle offered a Resolution to ‘Establish a workgroup to look at the role of neighborhood organizations in the City of Minneapolis.’ This motion passed 7-3. The process and composition of the Workgroup has not yet been established, but as an Official Work group of the Charter Commission, all meetings will be published on the Charter Website and open to the Public. There will be transparency. You can sign up for Charter Commission notices via Gov Delivery.
What needs to be done now:
If your neighborhood has not signed the Resolution yet, take it to your Board for approval, sign it and send me the date of your board approval and a copy of the signed Resolution. We will contine to update the Resolution as Boards approve it.
We presently have 18 Neighborhoods signed on. We would like a minimum of 40 neighborhoods signed by the March NCEC Meeting.
Contact your NCEC Commissioner about the NCEC Committee of the Whole meeting. Ask them to support the Resolution.
Attend the March 27 NCEC Meeting at 5:00 pm at the DT Library when the Resolution will be voted on.
Talk to your Councilmember!! They need to ensure that this bullet point is removed BEFORE this Civic Engagement Report is approved by City Council. So far we have a written commitment from CM Jacob Frey and CM John Quincy to pursue this on our behalf. We need the language removed. This is very important right now. Read the attached correspondance to this email.
Plan to Attend the April 1st Community Conndctions Conference. This is supposed to be ‘the time’ that Neighborhoods can give input to the Minneapolis Comprehensive Plan.
Know also that throughout this entire debate over the Civic Engagement Plan, the larger question is ‘Why have Neighborhoods who do and have done planning, not intimately involved with the 2040 Minneapolis Comp Plan development?’. NCR Neighborhood Specialists who have done neighborhood planning thruout 25 years of Neighborhood Revitalization are not involved and the NCR Staff assigned to the Minneapolis Comp Plan to represent all of us in this process is the NCR Access & Outreach Specialist for Senior Citizens.
Think about making these topics for discussion if you are planning any Mayoral or City Council Candidates Forums/Debates.
We will continue to keep you posted.
Jana Metge, CLPC Coordinator On behalf of the DT Neighborhood Group
Snow emergencies are a big deal here in Minneapolis. You hear about it on the TV news. There’s an app–tens of thousands of people have installed it on both iPhone and Android (“avoid the cost and hassle of a ticket and tow…”). People are very interested in not having their cars towed, so people become very interested in moving their cars to designated areas.
The reason the City of Minneapolis makes a big fuss and puts so many residents at risk of serious personal cost, inconvenience and unhappiness is that we’ve collectively decided to make it a priority to keep our streets plowed and safe. Individually, people comply with the rules because their personal interests (money and property) have been aligned with public safety (plowed streets).
Snow emergencies coincide with, but fail to address, another public safety issue: snow and ice-covered sidewalks. In good weather, we brag about walkable neighborhoods and bike lanes and transit investments; when it snows, we fail hard on the the basic thing that is the foundation of all the rest: functioning sidewalks.
Unsurprisingly, the people most reliant on safe sidewalks are often those with the least power and money in our city: people without cars; people who walk a few blocks to the bus stop or the store; people with disabilities or limited mobility. Nobody comes to rescue them in a snow emergency.
Sidewalk users are at the mercy of property owners. In my experience, most are meeting their obligations, but in the days and weeks after a snow emergency, there are at least a handful of dangerously iced over properties on every block in my south Minneapolis neighborhood. Even if a majority of a block is cleared, some portion is still dangerously choked with ice.
I have good boots, legs that are long and strong (I am widely regarded as a hunk), and yet even I have slipped and fallen on icy sidewalks. Older people, those susceptible to falling or injury, people whose long-term health depends on not being shut away in their homes for months at a time–these people can’t afford the risk we put them in year after year.
The system Minneapolis currently uses to resolve sidewalk snow and ice issues relies on citizen reports to 311, followed by multiple letters from the city to the property owner explaining their obligation, and can take up to 21 days to resolve. The ice is likely to melt before it results in the city sending a crew to clear the sidewalk and bill the property owner for the cost. This system isn’t working
Another reason our current 311 reporting system isn’t working: hopelessness. The sheer volume of non-compliance, coupled with the demoralizing ineffectiveness of enforcement (not to mention the frozen-ness of my fingers before I can tap out an address on my phone) creates a loop where it feels pointless to report. Ineffective enforcement leads to less reporting leads to even less enforcement.
The system we have doesn’t work because there is too little incentive to comply. Here’s how we might create a sense of urgency: any property owner who hasn’t shoveled within a reasonable time-frame (24? 48 hours?) should be at risk of immediately having their sidewalk shoveled by a city-hired crew and receiving a bill for the cost. Even if there are logistical barriers to making this a guaranteed outcome for every case, it should at least weigh on people’s minds as a possible consequence of not meeting their obligation.
If Minneapolis is going to continue to rely on individual property owners to clear snow and ice from sidewalks, then the city needs to communicate an Oh no, what if my car gets towed? level of urgency.
In the videos below, City Council Members Lisa Bender and Jacob Frey make some compelling arguments for why we should ease occupancy restrictions for all people living in Minneapolis, and for why we shouldn’t limit housing opportunities to a select few who live in strictly defined “intentional communities.”
Thread of short clips for why this ordinance is terrible. First, the rule against against “transients” (my favorite euphemism for renter) pic.twitter.com/2vTM55IVtb
Most important thing that’s wrong with this ordinance: it’s forcing Jacob Frey into showing how bad he is at coming up with fake names. pic.twitter.com/6gRgdgXSq1
