If ever we've seen an example of racist and classist power-playing it's this collapse of the Simpson Housing plan along the Hiawatha LRT land. Any Minneapolis City Council member opposing that project should bury his or her head in abject shame for this elitist cave-in to NIMBY homeowners and wealthier developers.
Cities, but especially cities with the diversity of Minneapolis and St. Paul, have an obligation to stop this back-door maintenance of all-too-typical isolation from such diversity, especially when low-income people are seen as untouchables � as they altogether are too often. Ninety-eight percent of the time, the unjustified fears of residents who envision hordes of people of color and homeless beggars tramping through their pristine neighborhoods dissipate in no time once the mix has been accomplished and people get to know one another. After reporting on these issues for 40 years, I've never seen it fail. Until then, stereotypes and overblown media images swim around in their panicky heads while those who deserve this housing go without, are kept away like a caste system from the rest of humanity by greed and prejudice and bigotry � attributes city officials are supposed to ignore when they make their decisions. Sandra Colvin Roy, and the ward system in general, represent all that is seriously awry with local governance, single-handedly able to wield a stick of denial to a hard-working nonprofit coalition whose mission is hardly "to put one over" on the Standish-Ericsson residents, but to provide affordable housing throughout all of the city's neighborhoods � not kowtow to those who wish to ghettoize those we fear. The ward system encourages this deferential logrolling in policymaking � you scratch my ward's back and I'll scratch yours � to the detriment of decent urban living and the welfare of a city at-large (which is why at-large seats are so terribly needed, as is the ideal: proportional representation). Such hubris plays on, rather than assuages, fears of the "unknown", and encourages perpetuation of racial, ethnic and income-based bigotry to maintain class and racial divisions throughout the city. Simpson Housing Services has been toiling in the trenches for years, relatively unnoticed, underfunded and, until recently, poorly housed themselves in the dark corners of an old church on 1st Ave South. These are the people who bring dignity and humanity to men, women and children in desperate need for shelter and food and searching for them in the streets of Minneapolis through no fault of their own, most of them working poor who serve the better-heeled city and suburban residents without a residence of their own. And their children attend school even as they have no place to live. This slap in their face is like pouring salt in the this society's gaping, self-inflicted wounds. Shame on this city council, shame on the CPED (where several of my friends work), and shame on the Standish-Ericsson activists breeding distrust for their homeless - or, rather, formerly homeless - neighbors who need real places to live, not damp and dank church basements. Don't tell me progressives run this city. The developers are still getting their way - and their profits � by playing to the bigots. This was the perfect opportunity to ensure a promised balance of development along the Hiawatha line corridor, and it should be reversed - NOW! Andy Driscoll Saint Paul -- The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men: Plato "Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity." - Lord Acton -- Visit our weblog: http://newswired.blogspot.com > From: List manager <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 17:08:38 -0500 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Mpls] City kills affordable housing deal, says CP > > Simpson Housing roject near 42nd Street LRT station had neighborhood > opposition and lacked City Council votes, reports City Pages; city > economic development department reversed plans to give Simpson > exclusive development rights. > > http://www.citypages.com/databank/26/1277/article13314.asp > > David Brauer > List manager REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
