V.L. Freeman wrote (in a way earlier post that I am unable to find, but was compelled to save this paragraph!):
What we need is a person to actually give a damn about this side of the river, just like the other side of the river. In other words a “multitasked individual.” Is this even possible? For the runners of ward three, what are you going to do about the struggles we face here in this hood? How will you balance the needs of both sides of the river? I’ve went to Diane’s site and posed some very well respected questions for her, and this was over a month ago, to date there was no response. I thought I was a constituent too, or is it because you don’t care enough about this side of the river. You can email me off list, to respond, that is if you care enough to respond to this constituent. Vanessa L. Freeman Hawthorne Neighborhood --------------------------- As you all know, there are great challenges facing Minneapolis, including the Northside, that span gangs (drugs), crime and violence, lack of opportunity for young people, and laundry list of environmental concerns, among others. I believe we must get at root issues, offer new solutions, and have a collective vision for long-term livability in all of Minneapolis. Vanessa, you ask "what are you going to do about the struggles we face here in this hood?" We need to address deeper causes of crime and violence that plague our beloved city – primarily rooted in poverty - and set long-term policy and vision to create the most peaceful, sustainable, and just Minneapolis possible. And I'm not talking about an income number when it comes to defining poverty, either. Poverty is making difficult choices. Having to choose between healthy food and rent is poverty. Having to choose between transportation needs or a phone bill is poverty. It is these difficult choices that we aim to reduce through city policy. That's why it is so important to have all voices, like yours and mine, at the seat of the decision-making table. To this aim, we will give a damn and make a difference by advocating for social and economic justice in all of our city policies! For example: Fair and low-cost housing. Homeownership is a fundamental economic engine and builds pride and community, therefore our priority is to make owning a low-cost home as accessible as possible. We must eliminate predatory lending through an ordinance, allow for carriage houses (accessory units) to be available to our communities, and respect tenants' rights as a priority ensuring that all of our fair housing polices our strengthened and enforced. The Northside Home Fund can immediately help, so we must ensure that it is adequately funded and implemented, so that boarded up houses on the Northside can be bought and renovated by working families who rent. Fair and low-cost housing policies make livable neighborhoods and provide for concrete improvements in people's lives. Police Accountably. We must restoring nobility and respect to our police department and the communities that they serve and protect. There is a great tension among police and minority communities. Cops show up fast when you really need them (but not always), and they have for me in the past and I am grateful or their service, but too often there is disconnection and resentment between the police and the heavily policed communities. Ultimately, I believe we need a comprehensive, multi-faceted strategy to ease this tension, and we must demonstrate that we are committed to effective and respectful policing. I believe police accountability is a central component to this strategy. Sensible Drug Policy. We must reform of our nation's draconian and failed drug policy at the municipal level. The time has come for an honest dialog about our nation's failed War on Drugs, its negative effects on our people, and what we can do as a city to reduce the harm that is a direct result of our failed national policy. At first glance, the problem seems too large. African Americans are imprisoned at 20 times the rate of Caucasians, mostly for drug offences. Data from the Uniform Crime Reports and the United States Census Bureau show that in 2000, 44% of all African American Hennepin County men had been arrested and booked. Minneapolis ranks 4th in the greatest disparities in Black and White marijuana possession arrest rates in metropolitan core counties. The drugs laws, disproportionably enforced, have crated a huge underground and decentralized illegal market where the storefronts are in poorer urban neighborhoods like in some neighborhoods on the Northside, and where gangs are willing to kill over the marijuana market - a drug in which no one has ever died from its use. The War on Drugs itself has shattered millions of lives, left many families torn due to harsh incarceration sentences, and has added fuel to the fire in respect to gangs in Minneapolis. It's time for a sensible drug policy, and there’s much we can and must do at the city level. Local Small Business. Thriving small business communities that reflect the diversity of the neighborhoods in which they reside, coupled fair and low-cost housing practices, have consistently and over time reduced crime in neighborhoods. We must pave the way at City Hall for local small businesses on West Broadway – not K-Marts or Wal-Marts, but smaller service and retail businesses owned and operated by a reflection of all members in our community. These are key progressive priorities that that I feel we must move forward in the 21st century. There are other important aspects including modern transportation options and to putting our neighborhoods' needs first above developers, to name a few, but I believe that we must address all these challenges city-wide as if we are addressing them neighborhood-wide - starting with those that often have the least - so that we raise the bar for all and create safe livable neighborhoods for our great-grandchildren to inherit. In peace and cooperation, Aaron Neumann Candidate for Minneapolis City Council (Green) Ward 3 - Northside * Northeast * Southeast Neighbors for Neumann! 1828 Marshall St. NE #18 Minneapolis, MN 55418 612.788.1284 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://VoteNeumann.org Bridging our Diverse Communities with Social, Economic, and Envrionmental Justice - Authentic Progressive Priorities for Minneapolis "Politics isn't about big money or power games; it's about the improvement of people's lives." - Paul Wellstone --------------------------- 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
