BY ED FELIEN
The 11th Ward Convention will be May 31 at Washburn High School, but it’s beginning to look more like a Coronation of the Homecoming King than a normally raucous DFL Convention. Jamison Whiting played cornerback for the Washburn Millers before he graduated in 2013. He currently coaches boy’s football at Washburn when he’s not a police reform attorney for the City of Minneapolis. According to informal delegate counts, he’s miles ahead of his only contender for the DFL endorsement, Mariam DeMello.
We asked the candidates the following questions. DeMello did not respond.
Jamison Whiting
Q: Does the City bear responsibility for dumping sand in Lake Hiawatha, reducing the depth from 33 feet to a sandbar in many spots?
A: “Our city lakes are Minneapolis’s greatest asset! Like public safety, housing, and education, our lakes and parks are core functions of a well-run city and must be prioritized. The city, alongside other municipal, state, and federal stakeholders (MPRB, FEMA, Minnesota DNR, and Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, etc.), shares responsibility for addressing the environmental challenges at Lake Hiawatha, including sand dumping. Our campaign is committed to delivering world-class municipal services for Ward 11 residents and all Minneapolitans, and that encompasses sustainable solutions to protect the long-term health of Lake Hiawatha, the golf course, and the surrounding community.”
Q: Funding for neighborhood organizations has been severely cut, while funding for planners and downtown bureaucrats has continued to increase. What would you do about it?
A: “Neighborhood organizations are essential, hyper-local groups that deliver deep community impact. I first experienced this as a 4th grader when my mom received a home improvement grant through NENA (yes, you were right, Mom — I grew up to appreciate those meetings!). As a Minneapolis city attorney, I’ve worked alongside the Neighborhood & Community Relations Department as they support the work of our neighborhood associations. While programs like NRP have sunset, they proved what works: empowering neighbors helps more neighbors. Despite budget challenges, we must fully fund, support, and collaborate with neighborhood organizations as trusted partners in building thriving and vibrant neighborhoods.”
Mariam DeMello
After we had begun production of our May edition, Mariam DeMello contacted me. I asked her about the questionnaire. She said, “I recall filling it out and sending it to one of the college kids working on my campaign to send to you.” We met for coffee at Sift. I asked her how her campaign was going. She said Jamison got a head start on her, but she thinks she might have enough votes to block the endorsement. She thinks Jamison is “a very nice man.” She describes him as more progressive. She thinks of herself as more moderate. At a neighborhood meeting for the candidates, she described his position on what the city should do with the former gas station at 38th and Chicago as supporting some kind of public service and cultural building, while she supports building affordable housing there.
The 11th Ward DFL Endorsing Convention will be Saturday, May 31 at Washburn High School, 201 W. 49th St. Registration opens at 11 a.m. Call to order is 12 p.m.
