Finding a Green Way to Govern

It has become a tradition in the Ward 2 Office to look back at the end of each year and review our accomplishments.  There is little doubt that 2015 was a challenging year for the City of Minneapolis.  With the death of Jamar Clark in late November and through the protests that followed, we have had to face ongoing impacts of historical and present-day racism and injustice and our City government is struggling to find a way to respond with meaningful changes.      But 2015 also saw the success of many initiatives the Second Ward office has championed.  Here is our list for this year: For Justice : -           I coauthored (with Council Member Blong Yang) the successful repeal of the City’s antiquated and unjust ordinances that criminalized “ lurking ” and spitting -           I coauthored (with Council member Lisa Bender) an ordi...

I am surprised and concerned about the recent media flurry (both mass and social media) resulting from a few limited social media actions taken by one first term Council Member in Minneapolis. I certainly acknowledge that individuals and media outlets of all types have every right to engage in discussions about what should and should not be public and I share concerns about any individual, elected or not, whose family or personal safety is threatened. But I hope we can resist the inclination to let this distract us from the more critical and more complex story about systemic racism in our city, state and county, that we so desperately need to understand and analyze. Our democracy may well depend on it. The future of our society may depend on it. Black lives certainly depend on it. Let me be clear, I share Council Member Cano’s commitment to justice and combating the implicit and explicit racism that plagues our city and larger society. But this is not about me or about any ...

What Should the Ward 2 Priorities be for 2016? I believe that 2016 offers enormous potential for the city to show leadership in addressing some of the most pressing and serious issues of our time, including environmental degradation and climate change; racial disparities in health, education and employment; criminal justice and police reform; the widening income gaps and shrinking middle class and much more.  Below, in alphabetical order, is our working draft of 16 priorities for 2016 .  Please take a moment to read through and think about them.  Then, let me know what you think is missing, what’s there that shouldn’t be and which of the ones remaining you think should be top priorities for next year. Affordable, Fair, Decent Housing for All – Support preservation of existing affordable housing and construction of new affordable housing. Explore ways to better support public housing that serves those most in need. Regulate the inclusion of affordable hous...

I was surprised today when the Public Safety, Civil Rights and Emergency Management Committee voted to take public comment on what is happening at the 4th precinct. While I appreciate that members of the public were able to address a Council Committee on the situation at the 4th precinct today and voted to allow it, I was very concerned and confused about the timing and the motivation. The comment period was added at the last minute (during the Committee meeting) to an agenda that had been set days before. There was no general notice to the general public about the opportunity, although it appeared that a few people knew about it before hand. So, we allowed some members of our community, and the Police Federation president, to address the committee and have their views broadcast, without giving other members of our community any notice that this opportunity would be occurring. I am certain that many people throughout the city would have made time to come and speak on this topic. ...

In August Mayor Hodges gave her budget address, Transforming the Basics of the Twenty-First Century City , and outlined initiatives and priorities for next year’s spending.  I was glad to see the Mayor continue to emphasize equity and  embed  it clearly into the general health of our city, “Our work to grow the city and grow it well into the future is indistinguishable from our work to make sure life outcomes are not determined by zip code, race or current class status. Out brightest future and out best hope to become the city we are meant to be are in doing this work inside the context of that reality.”  I commend the Mayor for clearly identifying climate change, racial and economic injustice, the need for transportation alternatives and preparing for a new kind of economic future as areas demanding our focus. As she put it “We have entered a time when we are being asked to face and meet the changes of the twenty-first century: the warming of our atmospher...