The new City Pages has an article which, assuming the quotations are
accurate, demonstrates that 9th Ward Council Member Gary Schiff - who
made a big part of his political rise on opposing any public funding for
the stadium has clearly sold out on the issue.
http://www.citypages.com/databank/23/1111/article10244.asp
Some of Gary's quotes about his former political allies, colleagues and
supporters are disappointingly vindictive and childish, and probably
intended to create a smoke-screen in front of his own about-face. I can
also supplement my own personal experience to refute some of his
comments.
Examples:
- The CP article discusses how Gary used to work as an organizer for
Progressive Minnesota (PM) where he was dedicated to opposing staudim
funding and instrumental in initiating the Charter amendment to require
a referendum for funding of sports facilities. CP then quotes Gary as
follows:
> The situation now is totally different than it was in '97," Schiff claims. "Back
>then, if we had had the Twins
> putting in $150 million, the mayor proposing a tax-increment financing district
>[around the proposed ballpark
> site] that would also be used for affordable housing, and most of the other stadium
>funds coming from
> user-based fees, corporate sponsorships, and other private money, we would have
>declared victory and
> walked away."
>
> Another difference, Schiff says, is the "complete turnover" in PM's staff since
>those days. "Now you've got
> people who hate professional sports and hate billionaires and would stand there
>cheering if the Twins moved
> out of town tomorrow. It has poisoned the debate to some degree."
Personal experience #1 - I encountered Gary in 1997 at the Juneteenth
festival when he was collecting Petition signatures for PM on the
anti-stadium Charter amendment. I remember the conversation because it
was the first time that I had heard of the referendum, and it was the
first time that I spoken extensively with Gary since we were both
activists at the U of M in the early 90s. Gary was stridently against
ANY public funding for stadiums. I also asked him whether he and PM
were concerned about the Twins leaving town (this was my first real
examination of the issue), and Gary response was, "we'll pay for the
tickets." He was one of the "haters" of professional sports whom he
has now come to ridicule.
Personal experience #2 - I observed Gary at two candidate endorsement
screenings of PM in 2001 (and supported his endorsement at the first
one). At both screening, Gary clearly stated both in his questionnaires
and in oral responses to questioning that he could be counted on as an
unwavering opponent of public funding for a professional sports
stadium. (I wonder if anyone at PM has saved the questionnaires?).
After the second screending, Gary did get the PM endorsement which
obvioulsy would not have happened if people knew he would sell out on
the stadium issue.
- Gary has a particularly vitriolic quote regarding the Green Party:
> He adds that similar changes have
> occurred within the local Green Party, which he describes as
>containing "a bunch of angry white boys who
> are happy to be spoilers."
Gary was previously a member of the Green Party and discussed his
intention to seek the Green Party endorsement until he saw a real chance
to get the DFL endorsement after the incumbent Kathy Thurber dropped
out. Even after Gary got the DFL endorsement, he informed me that he
was making regular monetary donations to the Green Party directly out of
his paycheck. I am not sure what Gary is thinking (or if he is
thinking) by making such statements.
Gary is not only on the brink of really selling out on an issue that was
a critical part of his political rise, but he also seems to be on the
brink of thorougly alienating a political base that was his own
identity. He is particular young - both in age and political career to
be so rapidly selling out his purported ideals and loyalties.
Hopefully, Gary will quickly try to regain his perspective and his
politicial footing.
Jordan Kushner
Powderhorn (next to Ward 9)
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