Letter to the Editor: Ilhan Omar has not forgotten veterans

Being a veteran can be a solitary experience and existence, especially as a Veteran who served under the discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Too often we experience trauma, sustain injuries — both visible and invisible — and have to navigate how to fit back into society while also trying to navigate through patchworks of services and overwhelmed and underfunded agencies. It is representatives like Ilhan Omar that help us get the resources we need that gives me hope.

Since her first day in Congress, Ilhan Omar has had the backs of our veterans. In 2019, we launched our End the Forever War campaign, urging Congress to end the disastrous and immoral U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. Ilhan was one of the first members to join us in signing our End the Forever War Pledge and was a key voice in making our campaign a success. She understands that these endless wars destabilize countries and are unjust occupations that impact climate change, take funding away from our own communities and put the lives of those serving at risk. Ilhan is committed to a more peaceful and just foreign policy that supports communities across the US and the world. It has been an honor to work with her on ending the war in Afghanistan and in demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.

When we return from our duties, we are often forgotten. The care and support for those serving has a stark line once we come home and complete our service — and for too many of our LGBTQ+ veterans who were unjustly discharged under 18 years of DADT, they are locked out of these critical resources altogether. Trillions are spent on war and funding genocide, but we can’t find the funding to ensure our veterans get the mental healthcare they need to work through their traumas of war, to find a job that provides a livable wage and find affordable safe housing after service. 

Ilhan does not forget about us - she has brought in $750,000 for the Renovation of Snelling Motel to Affordable Housing for Veterans and has pushed to expand the HUD-VASH program and Supportive Services for Veterans Families to eliminate homelessness among Veterans. She has fought for Medicare for All to increase access to mental health programs and opposed the privatization of the Veterans Affairs healthcare system, something that Trump and Project 2025 is giddy to do. She also supports expanding funding for physical and mental healthcare for veterans. She wants to make sure that when we hang up our uniform, we are taken care of. 

So when we look ahead to this November, we need to think about who has our backs as Veterans and human beings. We need to vote for the representatives and candidates that understand our needs and what our communities deserve. Ilhan Omar understands true patriotism. She fights for a better future for all of our communities — she is tirelessly working to ensure our children don’t go hungry, that our future generations have a cleaner, safer environment, and that everyone has access to basic human rights like housing and healthcare.

I am excited to vote for Ilhan Omar and to send her back to Congress this November. Ilhan’s endless advocacy for funding our communities, including our veterans, and commitment to peaceful and just foreign policies instead of funding wars, is the community care and responsibility we need from our politicians. I urge you to join me in voting for Ilhan Omar and our DFL candidates up and down the ballot.

Jacob Thomas, Minneapolis

Samuels Over Omar for Congress

By David Tinjum

On Tuesday, August 13th, Don Samuels and Rep. Ilhan Omar face off in a highly anticipated rematch in the Democratic primary for the Congressional seat in District 5.

Rep. Ilhan Omar has represented this diverse district that covers Minneapolis and many of the first-ring suburbs for three terms, and she is vying for a fourth against former Minneapolis City Council Member Don Samuels. After carefully reviewing both candidates, Mill City Times has decided to support challenger Don Samuels in this rematch.

Like many, we supported Rep. Omar's rise to Congress in 2018. Minneapolis is home to the largest Somali-American population in the country, and it was inspiring to see a member of that community reach the highest levels of the U.S. government.

Minneapolis and its suburbs are a Democratic stronghold; thus, being represented by a self-proclaimed progressive champion made sense. Rep. Omar quickly rose to national prominence. She was featured on the front page of Time Magazine, gained more than a million Twitter followers, and regularly participated in national political talk shows. She has been an inspiration to immigrants from Africa and beyond, especially to youth wondering if they can set their sights high in America.

Pragmatism and collaboration are the cornerstones of Minnesota’s unique progressive style of our most successful leaders like Amy Klobuchar, Tim Walz, Hubert Humphrey, and Walter Mondale. Working together with those of different factions within the DFL, sometimes even across the aisle to accomplish the common good for Minnesota, has been the hallmark of these leaders. Our most respected leaders routinely set aside ideology and instead vote for the common good.

Unfortunately, Omar has fallen far short of the standard of setting ideology aside and voting for the common good. Her failure in this regard might best be represented by her vote on the MAHSA Act, House Bill Number: H. R. 589. The bills namesake, Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old Iranian whose arrest in Tehran for opposing mandatory hijab and subsequent death in police custody sparked a wave of protests throughout Iran. People and governments around the world reacted widely to her death. In a sign of near universal outrage, the House passed the MASHA Act in rare bipartisan fashion, 410 Yay to 3 Nay. Inexplicably, Omar vote Nay.

Regrettably, Omar has been unwilling to find common ground even with her fellow Democrats, often at the expense of progress. Time and again she has sided with MAGA Republicans and voted against Democratic priorities such as President Biden’s signature piece of legislation, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. She voted against the Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act, the Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provided funding for security at the U.S. Capital following January 6th, and she opposed the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act, which reduced the visa backlogs to allow immigrants to gain permanent residence faster and easier.

After the murder of George Floyd, when our city needed calmer heads to prevail, Rep. Omar led the charge to defund the police. When former President Barack Obama decried “defund the police” as counterproductive to the cause of meaningful police reform, Omar attacked him, saying that it was “not a slogan but a demand.”

Rep. Omar has also failed to stand up for liberalism on the international stage, joining MAGA Republicans in voting against several pieces of legislation meant to hold Russia accountable following its invasion of Ukraine. Omar voted against sanctions on Turkey’s growingly illiberal leadership after they attacked the Kurds, our allies, in Syria, and she voted against legislation aimed at responding to Iran’s brutal repression of women and the press.

As inspirational as Omar was in breaking barriers and achieving the American Dream, her performance in office veered far off course, and away from traditional Minnesota progressive leadership.

Don Samuels is the better choice for those of us looking for a pragmatic progressive like Gov. Walz or Sen. Klobuchar.

Samuels is an immigrant from Jamaica who spent his early career as an executive in the toy industry before moving to North Minneapolis in the 1990s. When gun violence was out of control in his community, Don organized protests and held vigils to mark the deaths of his neighbors. Samuels led a company called Microgrants, which invests in businesses and careers of low-income people. He was instrumental in creating the PEACE Foundation, which would later become the Northside Achievement Zone, widely praised for its success in providing better education for low-income students. He started LightsOn! in response to the police killing of Philando Castile, which aims to improve interactions between the police and the African American community and has been implemented in cities nationwide.

On the City Council, Don collaborated with his colleagues, the mayor, and numerous organizations to help reduce youth violence and gun violence in Minneapolis. He was also instrumental in passing the first Ban the Box statute, which helped rehabilitated convicts attain employment after serving their debt to society.

Samuels and Omar both support the standard Democratic positions – reproductive freedom, creating affordable housing and healthcare, combatting climate change, and confronting economic inequality. However, Samuels is a problem-solver who has repeatedly shown an ability to confront issues in our city and state. Don will probably not be on TV making headlines for the wrong reasons, or going viral online for his comments. If his past performance over a lifetime of service is the best indicator of future actions, Samuels will be working behind the scenes, collaborating, and working to find real solutions to the problems that continue to plague our community and nation.

Samuels’ outcomes-orientated, pragmatic approach to politics is sorely needed in today’s polarized and combative political environment. Minnesota has long served as a haven for this leadership style, and a Samuels’ victory would be a welcome return to a more productive brand of politics.

Samuels and Omar face off in the Democratic primary on August 13th. Find voting information here: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/how-elections-work/primary-election/

Minneapolis Property Values: Alarm Bells Should Be Going Off

"The City is worth about $2 billion dollars less than a year ago."

By Carol Becker

The Minneapolis City Assessor presented the 2025 property value estimates to the City Council and alarm bells should be going off for anyone who cares about this city. The value of property represents our belief in our collective future and the numbers say that belief is declining.

The Assessor estimates the overall value of the City declined about $2.1 billion dollars from 2023 to 2024 or about 3.1% in one year. In 2023, all the property in the City was estimated to be worth $67.5 billion dollars.  In 2024, all the property in the City was estimated to be worth only $65.4 billion dollars. To put it in simply, the City is worth about $2 billion dollars less than a year ago.

Unsurprisingly, downtown saw the largest decline, a 13% loss in commercial property value. Valuations of commercial property is based on the rent that property can generate, and foot traffic is only 55% of its pre-pandemic levels.  (https://downtownrecovery.com/charts/rankings) Offices are empty and retail has fled so rents have declined, leading to declines in commercial property values. Employment in Finance, the City’s largest private sector employer, declined 6.8% compared to prior to the pandemic. (DEED QCEW)

Rental property lost 9.5% of its value from 2023 to 2024. All rental property was valued at $14.3 billion in 2023 and only $13.7 billion in 2024, for a loss of over half a billion dollars for property owners in one year.  The most obvious reason is that Minneapolis voters authorized the City Council to enact rent control, which will stifle the rental market. Also, the City has made it harder for landlords to screen out or deal with problem tenants. Many rental property owners are now paying for security due to the lack of police.  Taxes and other costs continue to increase faster than inflation. It makes sense that rental property is less valuable. Minneapolis reduced zoning regulations with its 2040 Plan in an attempt to attract more rental property, but it is hard to see investments continuing when the value of those investments decline.  

Single family homes collectively lost 1.2% of their value.  This isn’t surprising as the population declined 1.1%, the last two years, from 429,985 in 2020, to 425,096 in 2022. (U.S. Census) Many homeowners will most see double digit tax increases next year, even if the City, School Board and County do not increase their levies, due to the decline in commercial and rental property.

The decline in ownership housing is the most disturbing, as it represents a real loss of wealth for regular people. Residents lost about $100 million in wealth in one year. And it is simply a reflection of the belief in the viability and attractiveness of our city. The causes seem obvious. Crime increased compared to prior to the pandemic. Travel in the City is being stifled to accommodate bike lanes, making it harder for both residents and non-residents to access jobs and businesses. Retail employment declined 12.6% since 2019, (DEED QCEW) with Target’s leaving Uptown being the most obvious loss. Homeless encampments make whole neighborhoods crime magnets.

One would think our newly elected City Council would be laser-focused on these issues given billions of dollars and the future of the City is at stake. Coming up with new ways to recruit and retain police. Finding ways to make it easier for people to get to jobs and businesses. Meeting with business owners to understand why they may consider leaving the City. Bringing in new tools to strengthen small businesses. Accelerating the conversion of commercial spaces to housing in downtown. Meeting with landlords about what can be done to reduce their costs. Strategizing now on how to reduce property tax levies, as the City has a growing housing affordability problem and property taxes make housing less affordable. 

Instead, the priorities of our new City Council, so far, have been a divisive vote on Gaza, and driving Uber and Lyft from the region.  But they have a year and a half in this term, plenty of time to change their agenda to focus on the real issues of the City. And I hope they do. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people depend on it.

Uber/Lyft: Driver Compensation

“one of my questions was could you help us understand why you felt the state's consideration of financing costs is inadequate, and I think you in part just said so, but for example um the state accounts for $870 a month for financing a vehicle which seems pretty generous to me, um, but we're contemplating compensation for someone to pick up a $1,200 a month car payment, with this as a job that's being calculated on minimum wage, and that just seems like a lot.” Watch the entire statement...(1 min 28 sec)

May 9: Meet and Greet for 5th District Congressional Candidate Don Samuels

Closing Argument: A Safer Ward 5 Minneapolis

By Victor Martinez

Editors Note: Democrat Victor Martinez is running for the Minneapolis Ward 5 City Council seat

My name is Victor Martinez, and I am running for the Minneapolis Ward 5 City Council seat. The following is why I am running to represent you.

"Creo que ya no puedemos vivir aquí, se está poniendo muy peligrosos", ( “I don't think we can live here anymore. It's getting too dangerous.”) These were the words of one of our mothers at SoyNGChurch who had raised all her children on the Northside. Her husband was beaten up when his cell phone was stolen. Her daughter’s face was grazed by a bullet while riding in a car. 

We spoke in 2021, in the middle of the debate to defund the police. She also said to me, "Esto de aquitar la policía está loco!" (“This defund the police thing is crazy!”) See, people who are victims of crime in Ward 5 in North Minneapolis understand how valuable and important the police are. It also may be that the poorest and those most discriminated against better understand that police are imperfect human beings, just like the rest of us.  

In the following months, I asked for counsel from pastors, Imams, local leaders and everyday people about how we could improve public safety. What came through clearly was that our residents in Minneapolis Ward 5 don't want to defund the police - they want to trust the police. And that they see the police as an important part of keeping them safe. The question is how do we create a sense of community and trust between police and residents? I know that we won’t rebuild trust by continuing to pit law enforcement against the very citizens they are supposed to protect. 

The challenge of building community and trust is not just between the police and residents. The murder of George Floyd and the pandemic eroded our sense of trust with each other too. We need to build connections among residents too. 

I am a Ward 5 City Council candidate as well as a minister at SoyNGChurch in North Minneapolis and I understand that community happens because we deliberately make it happen. For example, we can create strategic places in business, churches, and schools for officers to take a break, eat their lunch or simply use the restroom. We can actively bring residents to roll call and speak with police. We can create other ways for police and citizens to naturally build connections and relationships.   

For our broader community, we need to deliberately build reasons to bring people together. We know that small nonprofits can bring people together at a grass-roots level to effect change. We know programs for children like youth employment, tutoring programs, after-school programs, athletic leagues, open park buildings, and similar things bring children together and help them form healthy relationships. We know outreach workers can build supportive relationships with our most vulnerable, connecting them with resources and working to shift them towards non-violence. We know that behavioral therapy, coupled with short-term financial assistance, can shift persons in hardship away from crime and violence. 

How do we know these kinds of programs work to reduce crime? They have been tested and proven. You can read more about them at the John Jay’s College of Criminal Justice piece, “Reducing Violence Without Police: A Review of Research Evidence” at https://johnjayrec.nyc/2020/11/09/av2020/ or Patrick Sharkey’s book, “Uneasy Peace: The Great Crime Decline, the Renewal of City Life, and the Next War on Violence”.  https://wwnorton.com/books/Uneasy-Peace/ 

I also want to challenge the suburbs. A lot of crime in North Minneapolis Ward 5 is because young people are coming in from the suburbs to Minneapolis and getting into trouble. What can the suburbs do to create a sense of place and belonging for their young people so they don’t have to come to Minneapolis to find it?

We can only truly flourish when we feel safe from violence from our government and our fellow citizens. We need to restore and build bonds, fellowship, and trust both with our police and within our community. Community doesn’t happen by itself - it happens because we choose it. I have been working to build community my whole life. I hope I can help heal the wounds over the last three years and rebuild the trust that we need to be a healthy and vibrant City. Please support my campaign, remember to vote Victor Martinez for City Council Ward 5 here in Minneapolis.

News from the Mill District Neighborhood Safety Walkers

The Mill District Neighborhood Safety Walkers meet every Wednesday evening at 5:30 pm on the steps of the Guthrie across from the Mill City Farmer’s Market and walk out from there. 

As a special new feature, each walk this summer will begin with a special appearance and remarks by a municipal department head, an elected or appointed official, or another important civic figure. 

This Wednesday, June 7th, Commissioner Damon Chaplin of the Minneapolis Health Department will join the safety walkers at 5:30 pm to make special remarks.

Prior to joining the Minneapolis Health Department earlier this year, Commissioner Chaplin served as the Health Director for the New Bedford Health Department where he fostered community partnerships to address pertinent local health issues and developed model executive orders to protect employees working at companies with poor workplace conditions. He is a leader in his field, having served on the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ (NACCHO) Board of Directors. As NACCHO’s Director of Region 1, Commissioner Chaplin represented local health departments in CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, and VT and worked to advance their public health priorities on a national scale.  He also worked as the Director of Local Public Health initiatives at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. There, he provided statewide leadership and direction to health departments interested in creating public health districts.

Commissioner Chaplin also led the Department’s 13 Largest Cities Project Initiative to build sustainable practices, improve health equity, and drive community engagement within vulnerable populations. Through his work, Commissioner Chaplin has been dedicated to fighting the opioid epidemic. He served as co-chair for the Greater New Bedford Opioid Task Force, which acquired $4.5M in federal funding to help reduce opioid use in marginalized communities. He also served as a member of the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund Advisory Council to the Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services.

The Minneapolis Health Department works to ensure that Minneapolis is a city that is a healthy place to live, work and play.  Some of the programs within the Commissioner's department that we may learn more about could include:

        • Community violence prevention and opioid response
        • Emergency preparedness
        • Energy efficiency and environmental sustainability
        • Healthy living and food security
        • Lead hazard control and healthy homes
        • Maternal and child heath and school-based clinics

Please join us on the steps of the Guthrie this Wednesday, June 7th at 5:30 pm to meet and hear from Commissioner Chaplin.

Counterpoint: 600 Main Street SE a Tale of Competing Needs and Visions….

By Steve Minn

In her April 24 commentary, Cordelia Pierson offered her perspective on a privately held piece of land near the river that my partners and I have owned for the last 21 years. Ms. Pierson suggest that this small parcel is critical to implementing the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park (“CMRRP”) Master Plan, adopted by the Park Board in 2016. We have a different vision – providing 80 units of affordable family housing that the city desperately needs.  We are in the middle of the most confounding housing crisis of a generation, and action must be taken.  Can these two competing plans co-exist?  We believe they can.

The CMRRP Master Plan does not prohibit commercial or residential uses within the area it designates as “regional park.” In fact, as Ms. Pierson was a member of the same rulemaking working groups that I participated in, I know she is aware that the plan encompasses a number of permissive development zones, including residential.

The very same 2040 Comprehensive Plan that guides our parcel as future park also sounds a clarion call for affordable housing. 2040 Plan Policy # 33 directs the city to embrace opportunities to create affordable housing – particularly affordable family housing.  Production of 80 units of affordable family housing at this location, comports with Policy 33 - Action Items: a, b, e, h & k.

Here are the links to reports guiding action on affordable housing:

https://minneapolis2040.com/goals/affordable-and-accessible-housing/

https://www2.minneapolismn.gov/media/content-assets/www2-documents/departments/The-Way-Home-Progress-Report.pdf

https://itascaproject.org/wp-content/uploads/Itasca-Housing_Affordability_Report_September_2020.pdf

It is true that the MPRB and others opposed the rezoning of 600 Main in 2009 when we proposed luxury housing. At the time, there was no housing crisis, no Unified City Housing Plan, no “The Way Home” Progress report, no Inclusionary Zoning Policy and no 2040 Comprehensive Plan with a complete Affordable Housing program. The Metropolitan Council had not yet called for the creation of 180,000 units of housing in the Metropolitan region by 2030, and Minneapolis had not yet committed $50 MM in its Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) to expedite affordable housing production. Welcome 2023.

Ms. Pierson suggests that our parcel is one of the few selected for regional park protection.  That is not quite the whole story, either.  An objective reading of the CMRRP Master Plan is that our parcel is one of many private inholdings the Park Board might like to acquire from a willing seller, but by no means the critical piece. 600 Main Street is not riverfront property and has no riparian access to the river. It sits behind the University Steam plant and has only been identified as “additional gathering” space to the existing Father Hennepin Bluffs Park in the CMRRP. There are several other large commercial properties on the river side of Main Street within the CMRRP boundary that are called out for acquisition in the CMRRP Master Plan.  And what pray tell are these other parcels?  Why none other than:  De LaSalle High School, Xcel Energy St. Anthony Falls Hydroelectric Plant, and the University of Minnesota Steam Plant. It is highly doubtful the MPRB will be acquiring those other private properties any time in the next century. 

Nor is our parcel intended to be trail property. The CMRRP Master Plan instead identified the University Steam Plant Coal Haul Road as the most logical route connecting the East River Road to Main Street. Our parcel would not facilitate either trail or riverfront lands.

The Park Board offers they “…will continue… policy of negotiating with willing sellers for acquisition of land within the regional park boundary… where it is not possible to acquire land, the MPRB will work to create partnerships with landowners with the goal of obtaining easements as necessary to promote trail connectivity throughout the park and along the riverfront…”

We emphatically state that we are NOT willing sellers.  The parcel provides critical resident and visitor parking for our existing 221-unit apartment complex at 601-701 Main Street SE. If not for the ability to include supplemental parking below grade as part of our proposed new project, we could not otherwise develop or part with this land or devalue our huge residential investment. This has been our position for the 21 years.  

Consistent with other stated MPRB policies, we are not opposed to cooperating on easements to facilitate trails or other public uses in conjunction with housing development. It is important to point out that we have partnered with the MPRB on two other sites to provide: “…users with unencumbered and protected access to park spaces…” (page 8-4). We therefore believe the MPRB’s goals can be achieved by means other than blocking affordable housing called for in the city’s 2040 Plan.    As noted in the recent Greater MSP Partnership/Itasca Project Housing Innovation Report, Innovation 1L is to: “…unlock land supply by selling or leasing strategically-located public or private land for affordable housing development...”  Releasing this parcel from future park guidance meets that criterion.

Fourteen Years is a long time and circumstances are certainly different than 2009. However, let me point out that in those 14 years, the Park Board has never once made an offer to purchase this property, never once set aside a single dollar for acquisition in any Capital Improvement Plan and did not program any acquisition dollars in their 2020 budgeting for the Father Hennepin Bluffs Park renovation now in progress.

Actions speak louder than words. Weighing the ambiguous against the specific, and the possible against the improbable – our housing project is a realistic, near and long-term achievement.  Given how unlikely it is that the University or Xcel will give up their power generation properties on the riverfront – the “inholdings” that are truly key to expanding the regional park – that improbable vision should not be allowed to stand in the way of creating 80 new, affordable homes for families in the near term. If an easement is needed to help make a trail… we are ready to cooperate.

Sincerely,

Steven M. Minn, on behalf of

Bluff Street Development, Llc

Time to Speak Up for a Strong Plan and Great Idea: Protect Our City’s Riverfront Vision for Healthy Growth, and Reject the 600 Main Street SE Development

By Cordelia Pierson

Bad ideas can be like bad dreams: even after you calmly address and dismiss them, surprise – they come back.  The City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board thoughtfully plan so that good ideas provide clear guidelines, encouraging proposals that create a better city for us all.  This clarity ensures that we are not distracted by ideas that conflict with our vision for healthy growth.  And when bad ideas do come forward, our city leaders should act quickly to stop them.

For our nationally significant Mississippi riverfront, the City and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board approved clear plans for growth, encouraging residential development adjacent to riverfront parks while identifying specific properties to protect as parkland to support those new residents.  The Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan was built with extensive community engagement and approved by the Metropolitan Council, and the 2040 Plan for Minneapolis honored that riverfront development pattern as well. 

One of the few properties selected for regional park protection and guided for park is 600 Main Street SE. A triangular one-acre parcel, it lies between Main Street SE and the riverfront, with Sixth Avenue SE bordering one side, and on the other, the Stone Arch Bridge’s former rail alignment, which connected Minneapolis with St. Paul.   People walking on the Stone Arch Bridge from the Mill District to the East Bank see this property – now used as a parking lot – before even glimpsing Father Hennepin Bluffs Park on the left. 

And so – here we go again, with a new development proposal in the works for 600 Main Street Southeast, after city leaders denied a similar project in 2009.  This time, the developer is asking to amend the 2040 Comp Plan to change the future land use from park to urban neighborhood, and amend the built form guidance from park to Corridor 6.  There is absolutely no question now that leaders have a clear plan to follow: defend the long-term vision of protecting this land, and deny this bad idea, once again.  

We can remind our leaders:

Honor official plans for growth and quality of life: The City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan encouraged growth that protects our environment and health, including the Mississippi River and parks, and was approved by many jurisdictions following substantial public engagement. This plan clearly identified areas to increase development and the parkland needed to serve that development, referencing Metropolitan Council-approved regional parks such as the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park Plan.  This parcel - 600 Main Street SE – is one of the precious few sites that was clearly selected for future park use in MPRB and regional plans.  It would be an addition to the Regional Park System, within the Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area and Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service. The developer’s proposed 2040 Plan amendments and land use are inconsistent with the city's Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area ordinance and the regional park plan.

Find no grounds for amending the comprehensive plan for one parcel: Since the 2040 Comprehensive Plan was approved, nothing about this site has changed to warrant the extensive reviews by Minneapolis, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Metropolitan Council Parks and Open Space Commission and other affected jurisdictions that are required for comprehensive plan amendment.  This proposed amendment would impede protection of the regional park, and would not conform, or be consistent or compatible with the 2040 Plan.

Honor the long-standing, well-recognized boundary of Main Street SE between residential development and protected riverfront: Protection of 600 Main Street SE respects long-standing city design of protecting land next to our river and lakes with a clear boundary: a parkway or street, like SE Main Street, West River Parkway, and the Grand Rounds.  That city design in the Central Riverfront was reflected in city, park, and neighborhood plans before the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.  Since 1999, MHNA’s policy has been that any land south of Main Street along the river should be reserved only for river-related recreation.  

Respect consistent opposition: Opposition to development in 2009 was fierce, and is not likely to have changed.  Many organizations quickly acted to renew their opposition - Friends of the Mississippi River, the Sierra Club – and other reactions are pending.  Opposition in 2009:

·         The University of Minnesota: The U of M does not want incompatible residential expansion next to its industrial steam plant, potentially exacerbating conflicting uses. 

·         The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board: MPRB urged denial of rezoning because the land is within the regional park and would contribute to the regional park if acquired.

·         The National Park Service: Development conflicts with recognized parks and trails goals of creating a gateway to the nationally significant Stone Arch Bridge and completing a continuous trail and open space corridor along both sides of the Mississippi River through the 72-mile length of the national park. 

·         Department of Natural Resources: The DNR opposed it as inconsistent with the Mississippi River Critical Area standards.

·         The Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Organization: MHNA opposes private development in the public realm along the Mississippi River, particularly in this environmentally sensitive, historic area.  

Join me in encouraging our city officials to follow these approved plans, deny this project, and protect our vision for a healthy future for our Mississippi riverfront city.

Cordelia Pierson, former Citizen Advisory Committee member, Central Mississippi Regional Park Master Plan; former Regional Commissioner, Mississippi River Parkway Commission; volunteer leader, Father Hennepin Bluff Stewards, Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association

* * *

Editors Note: Council Member Rainville's office has asked for community feeback on this project, please email him at ward3@minneapolismn.gov 

April Events at Hennepin History Museum

Human Toll:  Unfinished Business

Tuesday, April 11, 7:00 – 8 p.m.

As a follow-up to their long-running exhibit, Human Toll: A Public History of 35W, Hennepin History Museum is hosting an online community-driven conversation to address the topic of the long-term effects of freeway construction, and how we can learn from our experience to imagine a better future for all. Panelists include Dr, Yohuru Williams, founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas; Jose Antionio Zayas Caban, advocacy director of Our Streets Minneapolis, Dr. Ernest Lloyd, adjunct instructor at the University of Minnesota’s Heritage Studies and Public History (HSPH) program; and Dr Greg Donofrio, director of HSPH. Drs. Lloyd and Donofrio, leaders of the Human Toll exhibit development team, will reflect on the success of the exhibit and the future of the Public History of 35W project.

Location: Virtual Event. Preregistration required to receive link.

Cost:  Pay As You Can

*****

The Bond Between Us – Artist Talk  

Saturday, April 15, 11 am – 12:30 p.m.

Local artist Daren Hill and Hennepin History Museum Executive Director John Crippen will discuss Hill’s new exhibit, The Bond Between Us, which opens Thursday, April 13. Hill will share how he developed this exhibit to honor his grandfather and father, who were both photographers before him, as well as create art rooted in his Minneapolis childhood. The audience is invited to join the discussion.

Location: Hennepin History Museum. Space is limited - reservations required.  

Cost:  Pay As You Can

*****

Million Artist Movement (MAM) Quilting Project

Saturday, April 15, 1 – 3 p.m.

MAM is a global vision and movement that believes in the role of art in the campaign to dismantle oppressive racists systems. Local MAM members will host an event for the public to make a quilt square with your message to the community from a place of power, love, and support. Quilting materials will be provided free of charge. All ages welcome.

Location: Hennepin History Museum 

Cost: Pay As You Can 

For further information on all HHM events:  https://hennepinhistory.org/events/

Challenging Inequity With Integrity

Commentary by Alicia Gibson | March 5, 2023
 
Editor’s Note: Alicia Gibson is an Adjunct Professor at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, community advocate, public intellectual, and mom. She ran for the Ward 10 Minneapolis City Council seat in 2021. The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers.
 
Growing up in Oklahoma as the outspoken progressive was risky business. Each time I stood up for reproductive freedom or against hate I knew I would be a target. I also knew my best chance to change minds and also to simply survive would be to outwit, but also to connect as personally and genuinely as I could with those whose politics I vehemently rejected. Perhaps navigating the contours of extreme political disagreement is a particular inheritance of mine. My own grandparent’s relationship was born of political violence: my grandfather was an American GI stationed in Tokyo and my grandmother was a Japanese operator working extra shifts to help her family survive in a city that had been largely destroyed by American firebombing. They were both people of passionate feeling and argued endlessly about the war. Later as a conflict resolution scholar, mentored by a Middle East peace expert, I learned to tell the signs of democracies in crisis: do people have relationships with whom they disagree? How quickly do political differences turn violent? 

One does not have to be a peace scholar to discern the signs that our country is a democracy in crisis. The election of Donald Trump to the presidency marked a dangerous turn; we have watched in horror as violent language and threats from the ideological right turn into real violence. The critical task of the moment is to acknowledge the depth of this political crisis. Violent rhetoric and tactics have become so normalized that it is now also employed by those on the ideological left, even among those who say they prioritize a “politics of care,” who champion “inclusion,” and who see themselves as inheritors of the Civil Rights Movement. 

In Minneapolis the violence bubbled over onto the surface after a city council vote that I myself disagree with. Instead of letting the voices of the community leaders stand on their own (I encourage everyone to read the press release from the Minnesota Urban Indian Directors), and allowing for the political process to unfold peacefully (see Rep. Hodan’s efforts at the state legislature), violent threats were hurled at council members and their families. One council member was trapped on an escalator with a phone shoved in her face while someone screamed profanities at her. 

It’s important to understand the several ways in which this violence fails us. First, it does not further the cause. Instead, it creates noise and distraction away from those we should hear clearly. Second, it pushes those who disagree on the issue further away – the message becomes repugnant as does the cause. Third, it further disincentivizes political participation by anyone other than angry ideologues with axes to grind. In a healthy democracy our representatives look like us; they are not necessarily career politicians but rather come from a variety of professional and life experiences. If we are serious about creating systems of care preferably our political representatives come to us as caregivers and peacemakers, and not as warriors out to burn it all down with shields of dogma in which they encase themselves from disagreement. 

There is no doubt that addressing systemic inequities and the harms they have caused comes with a unique challenge: how do we do this work with integrity? If we are to do anything other than reproduce the same cycle of winners and losers and pain and rage, it is a challenge we must accept and meet.

******************

About Alicia Gibson

Alicia Gibson is an Adjunct Professor at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, community advocate, public intellectual, and mom. She ran for the Ward 10 Minneapolis City Council seat in 2021. She has a BA in International Studies from American University, a JD from the University of CO School of Law, and a PhD in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies from the University of Minneapolis. She has lived in South Africa and studied the Truth and Reconciliation Process, worked in the field of environmental and federal Indian law, served as a district court law clerk, and taught critical thinking and writing at the university level.

Threats, intimidation & violence have no place in Minneapolis politics

Commentary by Latonya Reeves | March 4, 2023

Editor’s Note: Latonya Reeves is the Chair of the Minnesota Civilian Public Safety Commission and Vice-Chair of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission. The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers.

Local politics is a place where communities, especially marginalized communities, can find a place to be heard about the issues that affect them daily. Who will support their children at school? What programs and policies are in place to help them succeed?  How do tax levies affect their property taxes?  How do elected officials advocate for their specific constituents? How do we hold police accountable for their actions?  Everyday people get to be involved in all these decisions if they show up and participate. I have had the pleasure of talking with people all over the Twin Cities regarding the power that they have in their votes.  It is what my ancestors fought and died for.  As a political organizer, I love when the community gets involved in issues that matter to them.

"There are many people in the community who condone such behavior.  This is unacceptable.  Community members, especially Council members who are currently in office and those running for office, should all condemn such behavior."

Unfortunately, there are some in the community, that have taken their right to advocate for what they believe in too far.  Recently, Minneapolis City Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw was accosted after an activist saw her eating lunch.  This stemmed from an earlier vote regarding Roof Depot in the Minneapolis City Council chambers, in which community members acted out in an aggressive manner due to a vote canceling demolition contracts for the Rood Depot being rejected.  The decision failed after not receiving enough votes to proceed (6-6), in which eight votes were needed.  There are people on either side of this issue with valid points about how the city should proceed on this issue, however, this does not give anyone the right to be physically abusive to an elected official because they do not like how they voted.  CM Vetaw defended herself after an activist screamed, shouted, and hurled profanities at her while she was walking away.  She was on an escalator and could have been seriously injured, especially considering how close the activist was to her face.  In the video posted online, you can see how close the phone was to her face.  At what point do we say enough is enough? At what point do we acknowledge that, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, we can disagree without being violently disagreeable?  Black women, who have fought to have a seat at the table,  need to be uplifted in our community, especially those who work in public service.

When I learned that a black man had verbally and physically engaged with CM Vetaw, I was even more disturbed. Black men need to support black women, and vice-versa.  This activist did not accost any of the other council members who were there eating lunch, only CM Vetaw.  We have got to take a stand in our community to protect women, especially black women.   This is the same activist who cornered Council President Andrea Jenkins in her vehicle and demanded that she do as he said, or she would not be able to leave.  That is a crime in my book—it is called False Imprisonment.  He and the others who were there should have been arrested for such behavior.  Being an activist fighting for what you believe in does not give anyone the right to infringe on the rights of others.  Everyone deserves to be heard, but not in this way. Expletives, as well as threats of harm to their family members, were hurled at city council members during the meeting.  Is this an effective way to be heard? Absolutely not.  Once you start disrespecting others instead of having critical discourse, no one is listening. Three council members have filed police reports against these activists for the way they behaved. As they should have.

There are many people in the community who condone such behavior.  This is unacceptable.  Community members, especially Council members who are currently in office and those running for office, should all condemn such behavior.  Physical violence, threats, and profanity can very quickly turn into political terrorism. That is how I see such behavior.  Another January 6th, happening right here in Minneapolis.  Our city has gone through so much in the last several years and the world is watching. We need to show up and make significant changes in our community, but not at the expense of our constitutional rights.  Freedom of speech is guaranteed under the First Amendment, but not freedom of terrorism. We are a city of inequalities, injustices, and ideologies. We have a lot of things that need to be addressed, many areas of concern, and almost half a million people to involve in the process.  What we cannot do though, is have physical altercations to be heard on a political issue.  We must respect the rights of people to vote how they wish on any given topic, without being assaulted for it.

Be the change that you want to see, with a voice that is sincere, resounding, and confident in your ideologies. Stand up for what you believe in and be heard in the process. Let’s champion the issues that are important to our city, one vote at a time.

Latonya Reeves

***

About Latonya Reeves

My name is Latonya Reeves. I am the Chair of the Minnesota Civilian Public Safety Commission and Vice-Chair of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission. I work in public safety and am a fierce advocate for community conversations and coalition building to tackle pressing issues in our community.  I sit on the executive board of the Minnesota Corrections Association and am Vice-President of AFSCME Council 5.  I am President of ASFCME Local 552 and a staunch supporter of unions, worker rights, and well-being. I am the DFL-Deputy Outreach and Inclusion Officer for CD5 and sit on the executive board of SD61 and the Minneapolis DFL. I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Sociology of Law, Criminology and Deviance,  a Master of Science in Public Service Leadership in Criminal Justice, and have completed all coursework for my Ph.D. in Criminal Justice.  I am a life-long learner in all things.  I am also a proud black woman who is a voice for my community.

North Loop Neighborhood Safety Club: Updates and Schedule for the Week

By Aileen Johnson

Good Morning and Happy Monday North Loop Neighborhood Safety Friends!  

I hope that everyone enjoyed the warmer weather on Saturday and Sunday but - wow- Friday night was a different weather story altogether!

Friday night was indeed frigid when a small group of us bundled up to attend the MPD Academy Graduation Ceremony.  For those who were unable to venture out, let me put you into the picture.  The ceremony was held at the Convention Center where upon arrival we were greeted by MPD Community Service Officers (CSOs) who made us all feel welcome as they handed out the evening's program. The room was large and quickly it filled up with officers, friends, and family all excited for the ceremony to begin.  Council Member Michael Rainville was there and made a special point of talking with the families of the graduates as everyone was settling in.  All grew quiet as the Academy Class and their Instructors were piped into the room in a procession led by Bill Gilchrist of the MN Police Pipe Band.  Lt. Molly Fisher gave the welcoming remarks and the MPD Color Guard were there to present the colors before Chaplain Joan Austin gave the Invocation.  Next, we heard remarks from Mayor Jacob Frey, Chief Brian O'Hara, and Academy Class Representative Luke Weatherspoon.  Chief O'Hara then administered the Oath of Office and presented each new Officer their badge.  Following this, the new Officers had their badges pinned on them by proud family members.  After Police Chaplain Reverend Charles Graham gave the Benediction, there was plenty of time for visiting and there were cookies to be enjoyed.  It was a warm experience and we have been cordially invited to attend the next graduation.

On Saturday, we distributed 30 of the new North Loop maps to residents and visitors alike.  We did an informal survey of people on the street and in the shops about a new idea we have that may help with awareness on the prevention of auto theft and theft from auto.  More to come on this idea soon but the important thing to understand today is that in just the first month of 2023, Minneapolis has experienced 700 auto thefts and 260 cases of theft from autos. In many cases, the cars were stolen with keys or fobs left in the car by their owners or when they were left running while their owners did a quick errand.  I am attaching a new flyer from our First Precinct Crime Prevention Specialist Renee Allen that outlines this growing issue. Please share this flyer with your friends and families and, if possible, post this in your building. There is no doubt that every bit of help that each one of us gives will make a difference!  

Beginning this Sunday, February 12th we will be changing the time of the Sunday walk to 2:00 pm.  This will allow us to interact with more neighbors and visitors.

This week we have two tours of MECC/911/Dispatch to look forward to!  If you have not yet had the opportunity to spend some time learning about how 911/Dispatch works and to see the operation in action, this is a "can't miss" event.  Here are the details:

Date and Time: Wednesday, February 8 Evening Tour from 6:30 - 8:00 pm 

Event: Evening Tour of MECC/911/Dispatch 
Location: The MECC is located in Minneapolis City Hall at 350 S 5th St.  We will enter the City Hall Building at the 4th St “After Hours” Entrance and gather at the Father of Waters Statue 15 minutes before the tour at 6:15 pm.  The Father of Waters Statue weighs 14,000 pounds so you will be able to spot it easily.   

Date and Time: Thursday, February 9 Morning Tour from 9:00 - 10:30 am

Event: Morning Tour of MECC/911/Dispatch

Location: The MECC is located in Minneapolis City Hall at 350 S 5th St.  We will enter the City Hall Building at the 4th St Entrance and gather at the Father of Waters Statue 15 minutes before the tour at 8:45 am.  The Father of Waters Statue weighs 14,000 pounds so you will be able to spot it easily. 

If you would like to walk to City Hall for the tour together on Wednesday evening, please let me know. We will meet at 5:45 pm in front of the Hewing Hotel.  We will walk everyone home afterwards.  There is no need to walk alone.  If you prefer to drive, there is metered street parking available in the blocks surrounding City Hall. I always have the best luck finding a metered street spot on 3rd St S between 3rd and 5th Aves S.

Here is our walk schedule for the week ahead:

Date: Friday, February 10th from 8:00 - 9:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The Nordic at 729 N Washington Ave 

Date and Time: Saturday, February 11th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm 
Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: 4th Ave Playground on the James Rice Parkway 

Date and Time: Sunday, February 12th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm 
Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: On the sidewalk at 575 N 1st St   

I look forward to seeing you and catching up!

Thanks and best wishes from Aileen

Aileen Johnson 

(612) 516-9705 

******************

UPCOMING WALKS AND EVENTS

Date and Time: Wednesday, February 8 Evening Tour from 6:30 - 8:00 pm 

 Event: Evening Tour of MECC/911/Dispatch 
Location: The MECC is located in Minneapolis City Hall at 350 S 5th St.  We will enter the City Hall Building at the 4th St “After Hours” Entrance and gather at the Father of Waters Statue 15 minutes before the tour at 6:15 pm.  The Father of Waters Statue weighs 14,000 pounds so you will be able to spot it easily.   

Date and Time: Thursday, February 9 Morning Tour from 9:00 - 10:30 am 

Event: Morning Tour of MECC/911/Dispatch 
Location: The MECC is located in Minneapolis City Hall at 350 S 5th St.  We will enter the City Hall Building at the 4th St Entrance and gather at the Father of Waters Statue 15 minutes before the tour at 8:45 am.  The Father of Waters Statue weighs 14,000 pounds so you will be able to spot it easily. 

Date and Time: Thursday, February 9th from 3:30 - 5:30 pm 

Event: Classic Movies in Loring Park 

Details: This is an exciting new weekly series of classic movies hosted by our friends in the Park House. 
Location: The Park House in Loring Park at 1382 Willow St 

Date and Time: Thursday, February 9th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm 

Event: Loring Park Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The Woman’s Club at 410 Oak Grove St 

Date and Time: Thursday, February 9th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm 

Event: Mill District Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The steps at the back of the Guthrie 

Date: Friday, February 10th from 8:00 - 9:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The Nordic at 729 N Washington Ave 

Date and Time: Saturday, February 11th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: 4th Ave Playground on the James Rice Parkway 

Date and Time: Sunday, February 12th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: On the sidewalk at 575 N 1st St   

Date and Time: Sunday, February 12th from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm 

Event: East Isles Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: Meet at the Joanne Levin Triangle Park at 1600 W 26th St 

Date and Time: Thursday, February 16th from 3:30 - 5:30 pm 

Event: Classic Movies in Loring Park 
Details: This is an exciting new weekly series of classic movies hosted by our friends in the Park House. 
Location: The Park House in Loring Park at 1382 Willow St 

Date and Time: Thursday, February 16th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm 

Event: Loring Park Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The Woman’s Club at 410 Oak Grove St 

Date and Time: Thursday, February 16th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm 

Event: Mill District Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The steps at the back of the Guthrie 

Date: Friday, February 17th from 8:00 - 9:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The Nordic at 729 N Washington Ave 

Date and Time: Saturday, February 18th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: 4th Ave Playground on the James Rice Parkway 

Date and Time: Sunday, February 19th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: On the sidewalk at 575 N 1st St   

Date and Time: Thursday, February 23rd from 3:30 - 5:30 pm 

Event: Classic Movies in Loring Park 
Details: This is an exciting new weekly series of classic movies hosted by our friends in the Park House. 
Location: The Park House in Loring Park at 1382 Willow St 

Date and Time: Thursday, February 23rd from 5:30 - 7:00 pm 

Event: Loring Park Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The Woman’s Club at 410 Oak Grove St 

Date and Time: Thursday, February 23rd from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm 

Event: East Isles Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: Meet at the Joanne Levin Triangle Park at 1600 W 26th St 

Date and Time: Thursday, February 23rd from 5:30 - 7:00 pm 

Event: Mill District Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The steps at the back of the Guthrie 

Date: Friday, February 24th from 8:00 - 9:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The Nordic at 729 N Washington Ave 

Date and Time: Saturday, February 25th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: 4th Ave Playground on the James Rice Parkway 

Date and Time: Sunday, February 26th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm  

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: On the sidewalk at 575 N 1st St   

Date and Time: Tuesday, February 28th from 2:00 - 3:30 pm

Event: Narcan Training 
Location: Woman's Club at 410 Oak Grove St 

Date and Time: Thursday, March 2nd from 3:30 - 5:30 pm 

Event: Classic Movies in Loring Park 

Details: This is an exciting new weekly series of classic movies hosted by our friends in the Park House. 
Location: The Park House in Loring Park at 1382 Willow St 

Date and Time: Thursday, March 2nd from 5:30 - 7:00 pm 

Event: Loring Park Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The Woman’s Club at 410 Oak Grove St 

Date and Time: Thursday, March 2nd from 5:30 - 7:00 pm 

Event: Mill District Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The steps at the back of the Guthrie 

Date: Friday, March 3rd from 8:00 - 9:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The Nordic at 729 N Washington Ave 

Date and Time: Saturday, March 4th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: 4th Ave Playground on the James Rice Parkway 

Date and Time: Sunday, March 5th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm  

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: On the sidewalk at 575 N 1st St   

Date and Time: Thursday, March 9th from 3:30 - 5:30 pm 

Event: Classic Movies in Loring Park 
Details: This is an exciting new weekly series of classic movies hosted by our friends in the Park House. 
Location: The Park House in Loring Park at 1382 Willow St 

Date and Time: Thursday, March 9th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm 

Event: Loring Park Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The Woman’s Club at 410 Oak Grove St 

Date and Time: Thursday, March 9th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm 

Event: Mill District Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The steps at the back of the Guthrie 

Date: Friday, March 9th from 8:00 - 9:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The Nordic at 729 N Washington Ave 

Date and Time: Saturday, March 10th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: 4th Ave Playground on the James Rice Parkway 

Date and Time: Sunday, March 11th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: On the sidewalk at 575 N 1st St   

Date and Time: Thursday, March 16th from 3:30 - 5:30 pm 

Event: Classic Movies in Loring Park 
Details: This is an exciting new weekly series of classic movies hosted by our friends in the Park House. 
Location: The Park House in Loring Park at 1382 Willow St 

Date and Time: Thursday, March 16th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm

Event: Narcan Training 
Location: Woman's Club at 410 Oak Grove St 

Date and Time: Thursday, March 16th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm 

Event: Mill District Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The steps at the back of the Guthrie 

Date: Friday, March 17th from 8:00 - 9:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: The Nordic at 729 N Washington Ave 

Date and Time: Saturday, March 18th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm 

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: 4th Ave Playground on the James Rice Parkway 

Date and Time: Sunday, March 19th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm  

Event: North Loop Neighborhood Safety Walk 
Location: On the sidewalk at 575 N 1st St   

The Statistical "Big Lie"

Article by Doug Berdie

Over and over again, when news media report the results of polls, they proudly, yet inaccurately, present the so-called "margin of error" they believe is associated with those results.  So, on the August 22 episode of "Morning Joe", the commentator proudly boasted that the poll results he was reporting, based on 1,000 responses, had a "margin of error" of 3 points.  Lack of knowledge regarding what is technically referred to as "statistical precision" underlies this type of "Big Lie" that continually misleads the public.

Why are these so-called "margins of error" incorrectly reported?  Several key reasons underlie this problem.  Among these are 7 key requirement that are often violated, including  (1) the underlying assumption that a scientifically accurate random sample of people has been surveyed; (2) all (i.e., 100%) of the people selected in that random sample actually responded to the survey; (3) the questions people were asked were so clearly worded that everyone polled understood them in the same way--and in the way in which they were intended to be understood; (4) the questions that were asked were not biased in any way--i.e., did not commit any of the many known wording problems that bias responses; (5) the correct statistical formulae were used to calculate the "margin of error"/"statistical precision"--given that different types of questions require different formulae; (6) the statistical confidence level associated with the reported "margin of error"/"statistical precision" was reported; and (7) the "margin of error"/"statistical precision" value is reported for each question about which people were polled--as the value will vary question by question based on the answers people give the question.  Let's look at each of these critically important issues.  And, moving forward we will refer to the "margin of error" as the more correct "statistical precision."

First, without responses collected from a truly random, representative sample of people, none of the statistical reporting can be considered accurate.  For example, if samples to be polled are drawn from a list of registered Democrats, results obtained can in no way be generalized to all eligible voters, all registered voters, or any other group other than to the group from which the sample was drawn.  Many polls these days are of people who've been recruited to "panels" (either internet or phone), and results from those groups, though inexpensive to obtain, are only reflective of people willing to sign up for such polls--and not the public at large.  It's very expensive to obtain truly representative samples of the general public, and that's why many polling organizations take shortcuts in their selection process.  But, those shortcuts ensure that statistical precision numbers that are presented based on the assumption that the sample is representative are not correct.

Second, the formulae underlying statistical precision estimates evolved within the field of agriculture--assessing plant growth under varying situations.  In those situations, if a plant did not grow, or grew less than another, that result was deemed relevant and the difference reported.  In other words, there was no "nonresponse problem" because every plant behavior was registered.  Data from survey research methodological studies during the past 100 years has documented that nonresponse bias often exists in polls--especially when low percentages of those selected in the original random sample participate in the poll.  The extent of that bias varies from poll to poll--affecting statistical precision estimates in varying, usually unknown, manners.  It is common to "replace" nonrespondents with additional sample to get the desired number of poll responses, but this practice does not guarantee that the final sample is representative.  Only extensive follow-up techniques aimed at the original sample will get to a response rate high enough to give some faith that the statistical precision number generated is a decent estimate of what it would have been with a 100% response rate.

Third, vaguely worded questions abound in polls and that results in respondents interpreting them in varying ways.  I once asked people in a poll if they believe "more cultural opportunities" were needed in their neighborhood.  When about 80% said "yes," we met with them to see what, specifically, they wanted.  It turned out that some of the people had interpreted "cultural opportunities" to mean opportunities to interact with different cultures and people from those cultures, whereas others interpreted the phrase to mean artistic events like concerts in the park, art fairs, and other such "cultural" events.  Hence, we had in that situation no real indication of how people as a whole in that neighborhood felt.  Only by extensive pretesting and wording revisions can poll sponsors reach a state where they can be confident that most respondents are "answering the same question."  And, in these times when poll results are wanted ASAP, this care in wording is often short circuited.

Fourth, Stanley Payne's 1951 classic, "The Art of Asking Questions," has served as a guide serious professional survey researchers used to avoid asking questions that will lead to  biased responses.  For example, presenting only one side of an issue in a question can influence response by as much a 40 percentage points--or more.  This bias results from, for example, asking "Do you favor the U.S. response to the war in Ukraine?" as opposed to asking, "Do you favor the U.S. response to war in Ukraine or do you disapprove of that response?"  Again, only by careful pretesting of questions can one discover (and repair) the many wording problems that bias results--and make statistical precision estimates meaningless.

Fifth, many formulae exist to calculate statistical precision--some for questions with only two response options (e.g., "Yes" or "No" questions), some for questions with more than two response options (e.g., "How do you feel about X?" with options, "Strongly Approve," Approve," "Neither Approve Nor Disapprove," "Disapprove," "Strongly Disapprove"), some for questions that require a numeric response when one wishes to present an average (i.e., mean) as the result (e.g., "How many years have you lived in your current residence?"), etc.  And, because varying types of questions require different formulae, the statistical precision estimates vary from question to question.

Sixth, statistical precision estimates are necessarily associated with given "confidence levels."  In other words, one can say (roughly speaking), "I'm 90% confident that the result is within +/- 4 percentage points."  (The word 'confidence' does not refer to psychological comfort but, rather, to the percentage of times a random sample would yield results such as those reported.)  And, because one can state any confidence level one wants (with lower confidence levels yielding smaller "margins of error"), one can state pretty much whatever one wants.  Hence, for honest reporting, it is critical to report the confidence level underlying the statistical precision being reported (most often 90% or 95%).

Seventh, even questions of the same type (e.g., "Yes" - "No" questions) will have varying statistical precision estimates with, in this case, the questions with responses closest to "50% - 50%" having the largest "margins of error."  So, one cannot just give one number for an entire poll and say: "The poll results are within X percentage points"!

With the mid-term elections fast approaching, and news media reporting polling results almost daily, it is critically important that those of us who hear or read these poll results understand the above points that influence how "accurate" the polls are.  After the Trump-Clinton election, I recall hearing people say, "How could the polls have been so wrong?"  And, the answer to that question is that many of the above problems were inherent in those polls.  With the focus on getting speedy results into the media, there is often not time to collect truly reliable poll results.  For example, immediately after results are posted on a Wednesday, a major event may occur that people believe will change opinions of voters.  So, there's a rush to get another poll conducted (without pretesting questions, "grabbing" anyone who agrees to be surveyed--without attention to representativeness, etc.).  So, "Beware!"  Because the underlying factors affecting poll results that are reported are often not presented, it's up to those of us who see such results to critically review them.

Doug Berdie, Ph.D. has been in the marketing research/public opinion business for 40+ years, has taught such courses at universities and for other organizations, and is senior author of the text:  Questionnaires:  Design and Use.

Message From Council Member Rainville: Update on 2nd St. Traffic Calming Barriers

With the removal of the traffic calming barriers, I am asking for your help and advice as we continue to keep the Mill District safe.

1-If the illegal behavior returns, please call 911. You do not have to endure the poor conduct of a few. The police will respond to 911 calls and the documentation of the calls will help the police in understanding the patterns of the livability issues you are facing.

2- Please email my office with suggestions on the future design of 2nd Street South. I will pass them onto Public Works as they prepare for a public meeting on the new design of 2nd Street South. The street will be updated in 2023. I know several residents of Riverwest Condos have suggested a one way for 1st street South….please pass on all ideas for both street improvements to michael.rainville@minneapolismn.gov . The public meeting will be in November and as soon as I confirm the date with Public Works, I will publish it.

3- You are invited help welcome the new Commissioner of Public Safety, Dr. Cedric Alexander on Thursday 10/13 6:00pm at the Depot Hotel. Dr, Alexander will give a brief update on his new dept that oversees Fire, Police, 911, the Office of Emergency Management  and the Office of Neighborhood Safety. His update will be followed by Q&A session for you.

4-On Monday representatives from the Guthrie and Gold Medal Park met with 1st Pct Inspector Billy Peterson and myself to listen to the Inspectors ideas on improved safety for tier areas. We discussed at length his ideas on lighting and cameras. The Inspector offered common sense solutions for increased public safety and the Guthrie, Gold Medal Park and my office will be following up to implement those suggestions.

Thank you, 3rd Ward Council Member Michael Rainville.

Mill City Times Endorses Don Samuels for Congress

When the voters of the 5th Congressional District first elected Ilhan Omar, Donald Trump was well into his presidential term. His very first executive action was the Muslim Ban, and so the election of Ilhan Omar – a Somali refugee and one-term state representative – was a meaningful assertion of our values. Three and a half years later, and well into the first half of Joe Biden’s presidency, it’s time to reassert our values once again. This is why we are endorsing former north Minneapolis Council Member Don Samuels to serve as our next US Representative. 
 
With Democrats controlling the House by a narrow margin, and the Senate by an even more narrow margin, we find it distressing that Ilhan Omar votes so often with her most extreme counterparts in the Republican party and against President Biden’s agenda. From voting against the President's Infrastructure Bill, to voting against crucial bills to support Ukraine in its battle against Russian invasion, to voting against securing our Capital after the Jan 6 Insurrection, Ilhan Omar is increasingly out of step with other Democrats and the majority of her constituents. With democracy imperiled abroad and at home, we need Congressional representation that will collaborate with other Democrats to enact legislation in an increasingly extremist political environment.
 
In contrast to the approach taken by our current representative, Don Samuels led our city through a polarizing debate about whether we would eliminate our police department by arguing instead for a “Both / And” approach. We need to transform policing, he argued, but we also need police. If we are to diffuse the dangerous political moment nationally, we need Samuels’ “Both / And” approach to leadership.
 
Don Samuels has a credible record we trust to provide innovative, practical solutions that will bridge divides. Samuels came to this country as an immigrant from Jamaica with a scholarship to Pratt Institute of Design and very little else. He grew up in an impoverished neighborhood, and made a commitment to continue to live in an impoverished community wherever he found himself. Because of this, Samuels does not speak for  communities he has little connection to: his understanding of the issues remains nuanced and authentic, and he knows what can make a dramatic difference versus what is merely drama.
 
Samuels began his career as a toy inventor, then led the research and design departments of some of the biggest toy companies in the market, and finally he opened his own small design firm. In a district where 80% of us broadly agree, we should select our representative based on who will deliver results. When the City of Minneapolis received $118 million in federal dollars during the 2008 recession, Samuels worked with his city council colleagues to bring $100 million to North Minneapolis. More recently, inspired by the tragic killing of Philando Castille (and as an offshoot of his micro-grant non-profit) he launched Lights On, a first-of-its-kind program that transforms a broken tail light traffic stop into an opportunity for police officers to render aid in the form of vouchers. In contrast, our current Congressional representative has had little success moving bills into law, and can only claim bringing in $17 million in earmark money already set aside for our district, while voting against several hundred million that will come via the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
 
As one of the safest Democratic seats in the country, August 9th is the primary vote that will – in the absence of some extraordinary intervening event – decide the entire election for Minnesota’s 5th District Congressional seat. We encourage our readers to vote for Don Samuels and ensure it is his name that appears on the November ballot. Samuels is someone who will think beyond the easy platitudes, who will work hard to bring federal resources to our region and appeal to much needed voters in neighboring districts, and who will negotiate across differences to heal our fractured nation. A vote for Don Samuels is not only a vote for better representation, it is a vote for less divisive and more productive politics.

Mill City Times Endorses Martha Holton Dimick

By David Tinjum, Publisher, Mill City Times

On August 9th, primary voters will decide which two candidates for the Hennepin County Attorney position will move on to the general election in November. Michael Freeman currently holds the seat and is not seeking reelection. In a crowded field of 7 candidates, there is one stand out candidate who will deliver both safety and sensible reform–Martha Holton Dimick. She is endorsed by downtown council members Michael Rainville and Lisa Goodman, and Mayor Jacob Frey, among others.

Dimick has a unique set of life experiences that make her the most qualified person for this seat. Crucially, she is the candidate with the most relevant professional resume. Dimick has not only worked as a Hennepin County prosecutor and served as a violent crimes judge, she has also actually managed an office of prosecutors as the Deputy City Attorney in Minneapolis. With crime at historic levels across Hennepin County, more than ever we need a County Attorney who requires no introduction to the many facets of the job, and someone who can successfully work with all public safety partners. 

Her ability to collaborate with community partners is another unique qualification she brings to this seat. Dimick was hired to serve as the community prosecutor for North Minneapolis during the Murderapolis years by then Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar. Crime was near record highs and “no one trusted the police or the prosecutors” according to Dimick. By the time she left that job for appointment on the bench, crime had fallen to record lows in North Minneapolis. Dimick says there is no secret to reducing crime given proper resources: you must create partnerships between the community, the police, and county social service providers as a broad coalition, not individual stakeholders pointing fingers at one another. 

Certainly, reform is needed, and Dimick is the person who can do this work without throwing the entire prosecutorial system into chaos. As a Black woman born and raised in Milwaukee during a time of particularly rampant crime and racism, who moved to North Minneapolis where she has lived for over 20 years, Dimick has a credibility others lack. Justice, accountability, safety – none of these things are theoretical or removed from Martha Dimick’s daily life. 

More than that, she has decades of professional experience to know where and how prosecutorial discretion can make a difference. For example, Dimick recently pointed out that keeping lower level felony immigrants from ICE detention and removal can be as simple as charging them for 364 days, rather than the more common default sentence recommendation of 365 days – 365 automatically triggers ICE involvement, 364 days does not. It’s refreshing to have a candidate with simple, practical answers that balance accountability and compassion, rather than someone ready to give up the notion of doing the job of prosecuting entirely to make a point.

Those of us living and working Downtown know that now is not a moment to indulge in experiments that other cities are rejecting. It is not time to elect another politician who will hide when difficult issues arise. Now is the moment to elect Martha Holton Dimick, a woman who can serve all of us who need a reprieve from the violence that is affecting our quality of life and the prospects of a city we love. 

- David Tinjum, Publisher, Mill City Times

Reader Writes: Answers and Changes to Policing Needed to Curb Downtown Mayhem

By Joe Tamburino

The horrific events on the Fourth of July in our wonderful Mill District neighborhood was, sadly, predictable and likely to happen again.  Ever since the riots in the summer of 2020, we’ve sporadically experienced large groups of people causing mayhem in our streets ranging from exhibition driving and drag racing to property destruction and gunfire. Such lawless behavior will likely happen again because rarely is anyone in these crowds arrested or held accountable for their actions.  It is beyond time for the city’s leaders to take control of the situation.  To prepare for and combat future street unrest, the mayor should make three important and immediate changes to city policy: allow police to physically disperse crowds, remove all scooters, and have the National Guard ready to deploy during major downtown events.

First, Mayor Frey signed a “stipulation and order” (Stipulation) regarding Minneapolis Police Dept. (MPD) procedures and officer conduct on June 5, 2020.  Though the agreement addresses some important issues like banning police chokeholds it also unnecessarily hamstrung police in engaging and disbanding large crowds.  MPD officers are prohibited from using physical force and crowd dispersal tools like tear gas to break-up large and often times unlawful crowds unless the chief of police directly authorizes such actions. We need to know whether such authorization was requested by MPD officers on July 4th and what the Chief’s Office did or did not authorize.  No matter what we find out, the terms of that Stipulation must be re-visited to address the situation we are in two years after the mayor signed it. 

Second, scooters in downtown have become unmanageable, especially at the bottom of Portland Avenue near the Stone Arch Bridge. That scooter station has become a late night magnet for people who want to cause trouble.  We see people starting their scooter rentals at 10:00 p.m. at that location and drive all over the Mill District yelling, screaming, blocking traffic, jumping on and off sidewalks until their rental time expires at midnight. On July 4th, that station was filled with people causing all sorts of problems and firing off dangerous fireworks. The mayor should order the scooters removed until downtown returns to some semblance of order, however long that takes.  The fact that some people love the scooters and they are a fun way to get around town can no longer be the dominant concern.  They have to go. 

Lastly, the National Guard should be placed on standby in Minneapolis during major events. We experienced the fallout from communication problems between Mayor Frey and Governor Walz during the 2020 riots concerning National Guard deployments, but there’s no excuse now for not having their troops ready-to-go at a moment’s notice to assist MPD. We have the Aquatennial celebrations in two weeks and we need the Guard to be ready.

Our city leaders see the problems and know that law-abiding residents are in danger. Now let’s see if they have the backbone to stand up against this craziness and do something about it.

Editors note: Joe Tamburino is a resident of Downtown Minneapolis, Defense Attorney with offices Downtown, and Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association Board Member 

April 23: Stand With Ukraine

STAND WITH UKRAINE EVENT

SAT • APR • 23 • 3-7

Ukrainian Center • 301 NE Main St. MPLS

Featuring: The Ukrainian Village Band and Forrest Miller & the Lodge Boys

Please join us as the Ukrainian American Center of NE Minneapolis presents an afternoon of live music, local brews and traditional Ukrainian foods. All proceeds benefiting humanitarian aid for refugees of the war in Ukraine. 

Hosted by the Ukrainian American Center and Michael Rainville - Minneapolis City Council Ward 3

Sponsored by Summit Brewing, Kramarczuk’s Deli and SpeedPro Printing

“As we watch atrocities of the war in Ukraine unfold in real time, it’s heart wrenching to imagine our loved ones in those images. But for the many Ukrainian Americans that I represent in NE Minneapolis and throughout the Twin Cities, the reality is that every video or image may contain a friend or a loved one. Every call or text to a family member back home might be the last. This is why it’s so important that we Stand With Ukraine and support the millions of refugees displaced by this horrible war.”

~ Michael Rainville | MPLS City Council

Relationships with the River: Water is Life - Community Conversation #2

A message from Friends of the Falls:

Join us on March 16 from 5-7pm as we continue the conversation about the future of the Upper Lock at Owámniyomni, St. Anthony Falls.

Friends of the Falls and the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) are partnering with the City of Minneapolis and Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board to consider the future of the Upper Lock at Owámniyomni (meaning “turbulent waters” in the Dakota language), St. Anthony Falls. The lock closed to commercial navigation in 2015 and now presents an opportunity to not only restore public access to the river, but to create a place of healing and celebration that acknowledges the past and advances a more equitable and inclusive future. 

At our second Community Conversation, Native leaders Robert Lilligren, Carrie Day Aspinwall, Sharon Day, and Wakinyan LaPointe will be joined by river experts John Shepard and Whitney Clark. We’ll discuss the river, its role at this place, and its relationship to people through time. We’ll consider the interconnected themes of ecology, history, rights of water, and reciprocity with the river from an Indigenous perspective.

Food & beverage provided for in-person guests at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Masks will be required when not eating or drinking.

Recommended parking: 19th Avenue Parking Ramp, 300 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, 55455

Guests may participate in-person or virtually. Registration required, follow this link…

Can’t attend? Share your voice by completing our online survey…

****

About the panelists:

● Robert Lilligren is President and CEO of the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI), an appointed member of the Metropolitan Council, and Vice Chair of the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors (MUID). Robert served for 12 years as the Vice President of the Minneapolis City Council, the first Tribal member elected to public office in the City of Minneapolis. He is enrolled in the White Earth Ojibwe Nation.

● Carrie Day Aspinwall, CDA Enterprises, facilitates meetings of the Native Partnership Council. Previously Carrie engaged residents, stakeholders and institutions across Minneapolis’ seventy-one neighborhoods in her role with the Neighborhood and Community Relations Department. Carrie is an enrolled citizen of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe/Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

● Sharon M. Day, Ojibwe, is the Executive Director and a founder of the Indigenous Peoples Task Force (IPTF), formerly known as the Minnesota American Indian AIDS Task Force. She is an environmental activist and has led 20+ Water Walks since 2011, walking over 10,000 miles to offer prayers for these rivers. These extended ceremonies have occurred along the banks of the Mississippi, the Ohio, the Missouri, the Cuyahoga and Salt Rivers. 

● Wakinyan Skye LaPointe is Sicangu Lakota, an Indigenous Human Rights advocate, and Co-Convener of the Mni Ki Wakan: Indigenous Water Decade. He centers Lakota knowledge, language, and ways of life in his work across human rights, working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples and youth. Wakinyan is a member of The Falls Initiative Native Partnership Council.

● John Shepard is an Associate Professor in the Hamline University School of Education and Assistant Director of the university’s Center for Global Environmental Education. John’s work as a media producer, writer, and educator is largely focused on the intersection of nature and culture. His public service experience includes board memberships with Project Environment Foundation, The Rivers Council of Minnesota, the YMCA, the International Crane Foundation, and the Trust for Public Land.

● Whitney Clark, Executive Director, Friends of the Mississippi River. During his 24-year tenure, Whitney has led FMR’s growth from a start-up group with one full-time employee to one of Minnesota’s largest and most effective conservation organizations. Whitney has extensive experience in environmental policy, lobbying, advocacy and education campaigns, partnership building around environmental issues and fundraising.