Pam Writes
In Whittier, we have been fighting a similar battle on our block since
1999. Our SAFE officers had told us to keep calling 911, but we
discovered that 911 calls are either recorded or logged, not both, and
that the tape recorded ones are erased after time, so that the paper
trail we were trying to create didn't exist. So, we made our own log
and had about 5 911 calls over a month or so. We sent that list to our
councilman, our CRT, everyone. What finally worked was tracking down
the real owner of the house, who owns several homes and, according to
the police, rents them illegally. Our block club reported the owner to
our councilman, our precinct, the city inspections folks, everyone.
Some of these folks complained to us that we shouldn't have gotten the
councilman involved because he rattled some cages, but can I say,
again, "since 1999"? Then, our block club wrote a letter to the owner
of the house saying that we were working with the city, the police, the
council; that we knew he'd want to know that his tenant was breaking
laws and causing neighborhood troubles, and that we were not going to
drop this until the guy was gone or his act was cleaned up. We can't
point to one cause, but our block club believes that all of these
avenues, working independently, moved the owner to evict the tenant.
Sadly, he is only a few blocks away and is someone else's problem,
which we wouldn't wish on anyone. But right now, there is a lovely "for
sale" sign on the property.
CM
Look how many city employees at somewhere between 80-100k per year in
taxpayer cost are working overtime to not solve a problem. Council member,
council aid CRT, CCPSAFE, Inspectors, "everyone", unpaid helpers, block club
leaders neighbors. They all worked so hard to punish someone who wasn't
breaking the law (owner). The lawbreaker has moved just a couple blocks
away and everyone celebrates. The problem was not solved. The new tenant
can be worse, the new landlord might be worse.
This is what amazes me. After 17-20 years of trying to pin the blame of the
city ills on the landlord, the policy shapers, makers and breakers still
have not seen the error in going down that route.
Got a problem with drug dealers using pay phones?- Blame the big phone
company and remove payphones.
Got a problem with ill people who break laws and sniff paint and glue?
Blame the hardware and craft shops
Got a problem with people vandalizing your blue mail box receptacle? Take
them a way. Inconvenience the elderly or carless.
Got a problem with people stealing the grocery shopping carts? Blame the
grocery stores
Got a problem with people dealing drugs? Blame SUV driving suburbanites
Got a problem with people who just break the law every damn minute of the
night and day and ruin your neighborhood? Blame a guy in Elk River,
protest, and spend umpteen thousands, but never,never, never get serious
with the people who are destroying your neighborhood. Just stick to the
tried and true, blame everybody but your own neighbors.
Pam writes
Maybe you can track down the owner—you can do so from the Mpls. site by
searching by address--and keep in touch with the owner under the name
of your block club. Our owner didn't like the idea that everyone—the
councilman, the inspections dept, the precinct, and the block club—knew
who he was and was not going to leave him alone until he fixed this.
You're right; it's not fair or fun to have to be so vigilant. But it's
also not fair for owners and tenants to bring down the neighborhood.
CM
Thomas Jefferson when asked 'what was the price of freedom?' "Eternal
vigilance" was his answer.
Citizens of Mpls-The landlord does not sell the drugs. The landlord does
not shoot people. The landlord does not smash into your car to get drugs.
As long as you try to pin the tail of your ills on the landlord you will
continue to have worse ills. For those of you who received a classical
political education, try this one on for size. Marx said 'religion was the
opiate of the people'. IF you do not understand what he meant by that, you
will not understand the next statement. If you want to know what he meant,
email me off list, I will not demean or besmirch the inquisitive.
Landlord hating is the opiate of the desperate Minneapolis neighborhood
group.
Craig Miller
Former Fultonite
Former Camdenite
Former Mpls Landlord
Living in Rogers Minnesota and loving it
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