Jim Brnstein writes that: >"There is not one shred of evidence that the >city Minneapolis has fostered a "pattern of race-based >discrimination that continues to concentrate black people >and poverty in certain neighborhoods."
Though Mr. Bernstein believes there has NOT been such discrimination on the part of the City of Minneapolis since Hubert Humphrey, he is sadly wrong. There is a great deal more than just "a shred of evidence". There is the bloated body of evidence lying there to be examined. Minneapolis has in fact "concentrated poverty" in certain neighborhoods and those neighborhoods are the ones with high concentrations of Black and minority people. This is not idle supposition, a map of the Minneapolis with red dots depicting Supportive Housing or Affordable multi-unit rental housing fairly bleeds in the "Impacted Neighborhoods". Yet stays very white in "White Neighborhoods". Recognizing that concentrations of poverty and social problems cause harm to both communities and the individuals forced to live in "Supportive Housing", in 1995 the Minneapolis City Council began a process to not allow such concentrations by law. This may have occured because of the Holman Decree, but I chose to believe that the Council took the high road and did it for humanitarian reasons. Soon after this recognition the 1/4 mile spacing ordinance was passed into City Ordinance. The City includes a means to vary an ordinance, and the degree it can be varied, into any ordinances that the City Council intends to have the possibility to be varied. The 1/4-mile spacing rule ordinance has no mechanism for such variance; therefore the ordinance cannot be varied without breaking that same ordinance. Only breaking that law in poor minority neighborhoods creates a "Pattern of Discrimination". History will show that the Council never intended for the ordinance to be used in any but the "Good" white neighborhoods. Time after time when applicants have attempted to place such housing in "better" neighborhoods even the hint of Neighborhood opposition or Council Member concern stopped the project dead. Without public money such projects are dead, so very often MCDA simply said NO money and it died. Other times the Council Member just hinted at the exercise of "Ward Privilege" and the project died. An example is the Prodigal House and the PPL-CVI project. A neighborhood or a CM hints that there will be a problem and MCDA withdraws funding and the project is moved to where the people are perceived not to have the political muscle to fight. The places that are used for such dumping ground without the political muscle are the poor minority communities. The very same neighborhoods that were specifically named in the Hollman Decree as "Impacted Neighborhoods and "Impacted Areas". The City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Council should be held in "Contempt" for their total disregard for that Federal Court order and the agreement that they signed and were a party to. Some may say well the "Supportive Housing" and concentrated poverty rental units just go where there is the opportunity. They are correct; the non-profiteers only go where there is opportunity. Where the City openly allows them to exploit the weakness of the poor and minority communities. I know of NO instance where"Supportive Housing" has faced opposition of any kind in a "Good" neighborhood and been successful (not even one). I also do not know of ANY (not even one), that has asked for permission to build in a "Concentration" or "Impacted" area that has not been granted by the City of Minneapolis even when faced with overwhelming neighborhood opposition. There are two cases in State and Federal Court today where the residents so opposed such projects that they had to sue the City of Minneapolis. A question for readers that I hope some of you will respond to. Why is it that even the whisper of opposition from more affluent white neighborhoods is enough to stop a project and poor neighborhoods have to sue their own City to get that City to uphold its own laws. Poor neighborhoods should not have to sue their own elected officials for justice. This in itself proves such discrimination. Even when law permits such a project, affluent neighborhoods can stop a supportive housing project by just saying NO. Poor neighborhoods must resort to the Courts when law specifically forbids such a project. If that's not a pattern of discrimination then God didn't make little green apples and it don't snow in Minneapolis in the wintertime. Yes, I do expect it to snow this winter! Research has shown that children and families thrive better when surrounded by opportunities. The City by concentrating poverty has removed those chances for opportunity from the people who need it most. And we wonder why Black and Indian children are less likely to get a good education, are more likely to be involved in crime, are more likely to have teen pregnancy, are more likely to be involved with drugs and alcohol. It is no secret; the psychologists even have a name for the syndrome. Its called "failure to thrive". Usually caused by abuse. How better to describe what is happening to those communities and those children. Because of abuse, and no fault of their own (other than being poor and of color) the poor communities and their poor "children" have "Failed to Thrive". For thirty years this discrimination has not only been allowed, but has recently accelerated. In this wonderful world and city we live in the public officials have permitted, condoned, and allowed it. The good liberal people who have looked the other way and pretended it doesn't exist in our midst should hang their heads in shame. Humphrey indeed, if Humphrey were alive today he would not only be a part of the lawsuits against the City of Minneapolis, he would be leading a march on City Hall. That wonderful high voice would be fairly screeching, "The discrimination in this City must STOP! And it must stop TODAY! Jim Graham, Ventura Village >"It is always an utter folly to underestimate the lure and attraction of a great evil. The whitened bones of their victims litter the highways and byways of mankind's history. Stopped only by the few willing to pay the ultimate price and make a stand." - Toe REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
