1. Survival is a challenge when one is homeless, especially for those without an income. Many who do get into a shelter have only overnight accommodations, per city ordinance. Those who get to stay in the overnight shelters have no place to keep their personal possessions, and they are kicked out of the shelter in the early AM. Most of the homelessness industry, e.g., the shelters and soup kitchens are operated by religious organizations. The city council does have the power to change ordinances to allow and promote more round-the-clock shelter spaces and soup kitchen set-ups that are not under church control. The homeless need income supports. The County spends more money on some of the shelter beds than many people with homes spend on rent or house payments.
2. Yes to all of the above. The city's legislative agenda should also include a big hike in the minimum wage. An hour's pay at the federal minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour only has about half the buying power of the federal minimum wage in 1974.
3. I like the idea of using eminent domain to acquire foreclosed homes, and return the title back to the foreclosed homeowners, and in other cases to make unused dwelling units into affordable rental housing or sell them to poor people on affordable terms. The city should not help banks evict foreclosed homeowners. Instead, the city should be applying pressure on lenders to renegotiate loan agreements.
4. Yes.
5. No. I will not seek the MFP endorsement. Nor would I accept an MFP endorsement, given its stances on police accountability measures. I endorse the charter amendment proposed by Communities United Against Police Brutality to require police officers to carry professional liability insurance. I also want an entirely civilian board to review cases of alleged police misconduct, with powers to subpoena witnesses and to discipline police officers. I want police trained to use force appropriately, and to face disciplinary action if they don't. To the degree possible, I want the city of Minneapolis to relax enforcement of drug laws, and push for legalization of marijuana on the same footing as alcohol, and to decriminalize other drugs.
6. I oppose the use of City police resources to aid banks in the eviction of residents from their homes. Instead, the city's resources should be used to pressure banks to renegotiate mortgage agreements.
7. Yes. I will campaign for a yes vote.
8. Wasn't there already a federal investigation of the MPD not many years ago? I am interested in requesting a federal investigation into ongoing racism and acts of brutality against Minneapolis residents and visitors.
9. The MPD has been moving in the wrong direction, acting more like an army of occupation than a civilian police police. The MPD should be looking to hire persons with civilian police training, and require its recruits with military experience to take courses in use of force appropriate for a civilian police role.
10. Yes. The city should pay the basic rate for police officers who take a refresher course on appropriate use of force and have no complaints against them. Police officers required to pay a higher rate for professional liability insurance will have to pay the difference out of their own pockets.
11. I am generally opposed to turning over park land to private developers. Ditto for city-owned properties that are dedicated for public use. I might consider support of a private development project if it involved a land swap that offsets the loss of public land.
12. I can support initiatives to promote urban gardening / farmer, including the above. I would like to see an emphasis on organic gardening.
13. I don't have an opinion about "easing laws" to allow more SRO living spaces and use of space for homeless shelters. What do you have in mind? I endorse the other above-listed housing options.
14. To address racial disparities in access to employment and housing, I advocate empowering the civil rights department to detect and prosecute employers and landlords (and other actors in the housing market) who engage in covert, illegal discrimination. Enforcement action should also cover discrimination on the basis of age, sex / gender, sexual orientation, and disability. I advocate legalization of marijuana for recreational use on the same footing as alcohol, and decriminalization of other drugs. The so-called war on drugs has been very effective in criminalizing, disenfranchising, and marginalizing people of color. I call for steps to eliminate systemic racism from the Minneapolis Public Schools, including the elimination of watered-down curriculum tracks and reducing exposure of students of color to inexperienced teachers that results from arbitrarily firing and replacing newer teachers before they finish their 3 year probationary period. I also oppose the corporate-style reforms, charter-ization, and de-unionization of the public K-12 school system.
15. I have been politically engaged most of my life in struggles for social and economic justice. I am calling for definite actions to end racial disparities in access to education, housing and employment. It won't happen by voting for politicians who make vague promises about closing gaps, but are not committed to doing anything.
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