BY ORMN VOLUNTEER LILY KEIRE
Our Revolution has endorsed Alondra Cano for council member of the 9th Ward. We are proud of Alondra’s accomplishments, Alondra’s progressive stance, and Alondra’s adherence to principles shared by Our Revolution MN. We stand together for fundamental transformation through popular power. We seek to overcome a system rigged by the political, social and economic establishment to realize the promise of a just, equitable, sustainable and democratic society.
Letter to Delegates
As the daughter of undocumented immigrants and low-wage workers, Alondra Cano has unflinchingly advanced our $15 per hour minimum wage ordinance efforts. Cano was the first council member to publicly come out for a $15 per hour minimum wage policy and against any tip penalties that exclude any segment of our workforce. Cano also recruited the only research group that submitted a proposal to complete our minimum wage study thereby putting our city on a clear path to raise the wage. Cano was one of two votes in support of the community on the $15 Now charter amendment and firmly voted in support of our paid sick and safe time policy. Together, we have built a powerful voice for workers.
As the mother of three young boys growing up in East Phillips, she has fiercely defended the community’s Green Zones vision to create pollution-free neighborhoods for the most low-income and most diverse areas of our city. Cano has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with others to undo the previous Council-approved plans to concentrate industrial polluters in our neighborhoods by pushing back against the city’s water yard and reclaiming our transit oriented development future. She led the resolution in support of Standing Rock and water protectors. She served as the lead author of our unanimously approved staff direction to divest from banking institutions that have money in the Dakota Access pipeline. Through Cano’s leadership, we secured $3.5 million in resources for our 9th Ward parks. Together, we have built a powerful voice for the Earth and our children.
Looking forward, as we govern under the new Trump administration, we will need to be bolder and more courageous to end the inequities that still exist in our neighborhoods and ones that may get worse over the next four years. Locally, our work on the Council has been like the thunder before the rain and brighter days are coming. Thanks to our organizing and movement building efforts we are now seeing a cadre of motivated and more diverse leaders who align with our radical vision of love. These candidates are stepping up to lead and change the face of politics in the same way we have. Together, we have built a powerful voice for social and economic justice across our city and nation.
Alondra Cano
BY DAVE TILSEN
Alondra Cano, the council member representing the 9th Ward is reaching the end of her first term. She is facing a stiff challenge from her predecessor and another candidate. I believe that in spite of stiff opposition and many challenges, she has represented us well in her first term. Here is a list of some of her accomplishments so far:
-Steadfast advocate for $15 minimum wage in Minneapolis with no tip penalty;
-Authored the staff direction that commissioned the Minimum Wage study;
-Supported the minimum wage ballot amendment;
-Supported the return of $10 million in frozen NRP funds including more than $600,000 for 9th Ward neighborhood organizations;
-Supported the police insurance charter amendment;
-Voted to decriminalize cannabis and supports full legalization (currently
disallowed by state law);
-Convenes monthly cross-jurisdictional meetings on sex trafficking, anchored by our Native community;
-Helped develop pre-charge diversion program for women involved in commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking;
-Advocated for increased beat officers on East Lake Street. Police presence
has more than doubled as a result;
-Secured funding to invest in outreach workers to work with women in commercial sexual exploitation on East Lake Street;
-Chief author of staff direction exploring divestment from Wells Fargo and other
institutions invested in the Dakota Access Pipeline and other dirty fossil
fuel infrastructure.
