Part of an article From the Star Tribune:
Minneapolis City Council redistricting gets down to the line
Rochelle Olson
Star Tribune
Published Apr 8, 2002
New ward boundaries are expected to be set in Minneapolis this week ...
(SNIP)
The downtown factor
One of the most notable proposed changes would affect downtown, which is now
represented by three council members.
Lisa Goodman, a DFLer who would represent all of downtown under the new
proposal, loves the plan.
Her new Seventh Ward also would include the Kenwood, Bryn Mawr and
Cedar-Isles-Dean neighborhoods. Goodman said the new lines make sense because
downtown residents have common interests: noise, curb cuts, pedestrian rights
and the lack of a grocery store.
"I have 85 percent of the downtown residents now. This is not some huge
change, but symbolically is it a huge change? Yes," Goodman said.
But Green Party Council Member Natalie Johnson Lee had harsh words for the
plan that would move the Fifth Ward she represents farther north and remove
downtown's North Loop and Warehouse District from her ward.
The proposal leaves the Fifth Ward with "dismal demographics," she said.
Instead of a part of downtown, the ward would include the economically
troubled Jordan neighborhood. Johnson Lee said she would prefer the current
economic balance between the northern neighborhoods with more poor and
minority residents and the richer, whiter areas downtown.
"If I'm the only one screaming and hollering about the lack of access and
resources for people of color, then what happens is my voice gets minimized
as a complainer," she said.
Johnson Lee said downtown is a "power base . . . where all the money, the
leverage" is.
<< In a message dated 4/4/02 10:11:22 PM Central Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:<<
Downtown is everyone's neighborhood, and that's a good reason to do more
kids stuff, hopefully at the library and planetarium. As the editor of
Skyway News, I'd also welcome other hidden gems that might be hiding for
families Downtown.
David Brauer
King Field - Ward 10-8-11 depending on who's doing the talkin'
>>
In a message dated 4/4/02 11:42:58 PM Central Daylight Time, PennBroKeith
writes:
Keith says; Downtown IS everyone's' neighborhood, as David B. says. As such
it should be part of as many wards as practicable, for balance. I am very
fearful of making the 5th ward the ghetto/poverty ward by ripping off the DT
piece and adding an impoverished and troubled piece of Hawthorne and Jordan
arbitrarily. Yes, it would be OK for the 5th ward to cross West Broadway, but
how about starting AT the West side of the Big Muddy and proceeding north to
Lowry (or 26th av. as a compromise), then west to City limits Yes, it may be
called a minority opportunity zone, or something. But is it not once again
"concentrating poverty" without DT? >>
Keith Reitman, pay attention, NearNorth
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