David Wilson is correct in more than one way in his post. The rental video industry had killed the porn movie theater business. Ferris kept the theaters open to create real estate opportunities and to have motivated buyers in the form of the City of Minneapolis. Same with his dirty book stores with peep shows. Ferris would sell the City both his building and his "stock". Later he would buy his "stock" back at an auction for pennies on the dollar and do it again. Ferris himself documented this in the StarTribune and openly bragged about it. The "Market" was ending Ferris's business before the Feds got him. The Ferris owned US Video probably did in the Ferris owned porno-theaters business more than any other factor. I also neither do nor remember anyone named Mr. Mork being involved in those demonstrations at Franklin and on Lake, but then I do not know what he looks like and could be wrong.
While we, in my neighborhood, have had problems with some negligent landlords, some of the worst have been houses that were controlled or owned by drug dealers. Those whose business is rental property are much easier to bring into compliance. The threat of using the "Disorderly House" statute is usually enough to insure compliance. Those in the rental business landlords fear losing their houses and buildings and spending time in jail. The profits for those who do drug business as well as own the building are probably great enough to cause them to risk the light enforcement with Minneapolis' understaffed police force and prosecution in friendly Hennepin County Drug Courts. That is just as long as they don't commit that most heinous of crimes (dare I whisper it), peeling paint! David is also correct about the "hot potatoes" theory. We in the "Impacted Neighborhoods" have fought the City at every step on both the concentration issue and the crime issue. We have gone so far as to challenge the City of Minneapolis in State and Federal Court. We have asked to be declared "National Disaster Area" because of crime and blight and the City's unwillingness to address it. We have received National and Inter-National news coverage in the Washington Post, the London Times, New York Times, the Dallas Morning News, etc. We have also held loud demonstrations in the City Council Chambers. Yet the City continues to concentrate poverty, continues to concentrate crime in "containment zones", and continues to violate its own ordinances and Federal Fairhousing Law by concentrating "Supportive Housing". Of course we do NOT have the same "influence" as those from "Fortress Neighborhoods". So perhaps a little heat from the residents of "Good Neighborhoods'" making it a "hot Potato" might get done what we have been screaming about and being ignored. Maybe Don Samuels has something in appealing to that constituency. Those entire "Fortress" neighborhoods have to do is say no. Or their CM say no, and bang the Supportive Housing project is dead. Even if it does not break City ordinances it is dead in good "fortress Neighborhoods" and it is then moved to the "Concentration Neighborhoods where hell nor high-water can stop it. "Impacted Neighborhoods" have to go to Federal and State Court to have any hope for justice from their own City. Sad, don't you think? Some one at City Hall should feel some shame! But clearly that is a foreign emotion for most of our City "leaders". Jim Graham, Ventura Village >"Do not so firmly follow any belief that it blinds you to justice." ----- Original Message ----- From: David Wilson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Jim Mork <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 9:59 AM Subject: Re: [Mpls] Samuels and Violence;Current Ordinance Defines LandlordResponsibilit > > " We closed the saunas because they ddint have the kind of business we > wanted. We don't have any of the porn theaters anymore because Ferris > Alexander was NOT our model of a "good businessman". > > > Jim you take too much credit for something that the marketplace and > consumer preferences took care of by themselves. I'm not arguing that > public pressure, shame, and unfavorable publicity didn't contribute > positively to running these businesses "out of town." But the home video > market and the 900 phone call business pretty much cleaned the streets. > And wasn't Ferris Alexander subjected to an Al Capone prosecution? Didn't > they get him for tax-evasion? > > If it only took outrage and playing "hot potato" then we wouldn't still > have the drug problem on the streets of our neighborhoods, or the > overconcentration of group homes and supportive housing in select > neighborhoods. > > David Wilson > Loring Park 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
