PRESS RELEASE ** PRESS RELEASE *** PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more info: Pauline Thomas
October 2, 2002
612-827-4158
Last Monday, September 23, 2002, the
Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission voted
17-0-2 for FEDERAL mediation in the City
of Minneapolis. The MCRC of which 7 members
are appointed by the Mayor and 14 by the
City Council joined the growing
groundswell supporting FEDERAL
mediation.
We applaud the Civil Rights Commission for
its courageous stand in the face of ploys by
certain City Council members to delay or kill
this powerful solution.
The Civil Rights Commission voted for
FEDERAL mediation, despite a recently-authored "plan" by Councilmember Lilligren,
designed to kill FEDERAL mediation and allow
the City to control all aspects of any
discussions.
The FEDERAL mediators have a protocol to
ensure that the affected communities and their
chosen representatives sit on one side of
the table. But the Lilligren Plan proposes
to plant its chosen representatives of the
City on both sides of the table. That's
not mediation, that's just another committee
meeting.
Why the elaborate bait and switch? "It's
beginning to be more and more obvious that
the City does have something to hide," said
Pauline Thomas. "Otherwise, why is all this
effort being expended to keep citizens in
the affected communities from having a
voice?"
In the same meeting that the Minneapolis Civil
Rights Commissioners learned that the Lilligren
Plan had these city officials sitting on
the "community" side of the table, it voted
17-0-2 for FEDERAL mediation.
The choice is clear.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
FEDERAL MEDIATION NOW is a grassroots
organization of individuals and organizations, including: Somali Justice Advocacy
Center,
Somali Student Union, Eritrean Community,
Ethiopian Community Center, Confederation of
Somali Communities, Somali Community of
Minnesota, Oromo Community Center, Community Collaborative, Communities United Against
Police Brutality, North Country Co-op,
Anti-War Committee, National Lawyers
Guild, Minnesota Coalition for Black Civic
Participation.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL MEMBER ROBERT LILLIGREN
FROM COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
Robert Lilligren, as Minneapolis City Council
member for the 8th Ward, represents one of the
most diverse wards in this City. We believe
that Mr. Lilligren is fully aware of the fact
that things are not all that great in
Minneapolis for communities of color.
But who does Lilligren represent when he votes?
See Article I
(Schiff v. Lilligren; both councilmembers
say they are moving federal mediation on
police-community relations forward.
http://www.citypages.com/databank/23/1138/article10727.asp
MINNEAPOLIS: Council defers mediation
decision Residents who want a federal
mediator to step into Minneapolis'
troubled neighborhoods were handed a setback
Friday. By an 8-5 vote, the Minneapolis
City Council rejected a proposal by Council
Member Gary Schiff that would have directed
city staff to begin work with federal
mediator Patricia Campbell Glenn on easing
conflict between the police and segments
of the community.
See Article II
The full article will be available on the
Web for a limited time:
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/local/4071065.htm
The Community is deeply concerned about the
voting record of Council Member Robert Lilligren.
In our community, we need leadership that
believes in the people that they serve and
is willing to help create positive change
for all members of the community.
We believe that Mr. Lilligren needs to begin
to work towards racial fairness and
stop representing only a small segment of
his constituents.
In the meantime, we would like
Council member Lilligren to answer
these questions:
1.Prior to voting on an issue, what
process do you use to make sure that
you know the needs and concerns of all
of your constituents?
POLICE AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS
2.What specific actions have you taken
since taking office to learn more about
possible civil rights abuses committed
by Minneapolis police officers?
3.Clearly, many constituents of color and
others want to address community/police
relations through Federal mediation.
Why are you undermining this effort?
4.True or False - Residents of the 8th
Ward and throughout the City have had
their civil rights violated by Minneapolis
police officers?
5.What specific actions have you taken
to address incidents of civil rights abuses
by the police against residents of the 8th Ward
and throughout the City?
6.What specific actions will you take to
ensure that the Minneapolis Department of
Civil Rights will adequately and fairly review
the conduct of Minneapolis police officers?
Can we really trust an internal
Minneapolis Department to tell
the very powerful Police Department
that it has violated the law?
7.Who in your office is assigned to
address constituent complaints about the
Minneapolis police?
DISPARITIES IN ECONOMIC GROWTH
8.Are you aware that there are a
number of businesses owned by people of
color that are being denied access to
contracts for city work because of
discrimination?
9.Do you support a large public hearing
to discuss whether companies given city
money are abiding by the minority business
hiring requirements?
10.What specific actions have you taken to
ensure that the Minneapolis Department of
Civil Rights is adequately monitoring
whether companies given City money are
abiding by the minority business hiring
requirements?
11.What specific mechanisms are in place
to monitor and ensure that companies
given city money are abiding by the minority business hiring requirements?
Thank you in advance for your prompt
response to these important questions.
Please use the same numbering system
when you respond, so that we can be sure
that we know exactly what question you
are responding to.
Pauline Thomas
"Community Collaborative"
Posted per her request.
Shawn Lewis, Field Neighborhood
--
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