BY CAM GORDON Is it possible that the city’s new Executive Mayor – Legislative Council charter change is making it harder for our city government to function well? That certainly appeared to be the case in October, when Mayor Jacob Frey, the council majority, city attorney and other department leaders…
BY CAM GORDON Power struggles over how to respond to encampments came to a head in September, following two fatal shootings near southside encampments. “We need to put a stop to these,” said Mayor Jacob Frey, referring to the encampments, following the second shooting death on Sept. 18. Outdoor camping…
BY CAM GORDON [Please see Editor’s Note at end of Cam’s Corner.] The Green Party of the United States held their convention in August and selected former Southsider, Rudolph “Butch” Ware III, to be their candidate for vice president in 2024. Jill Stein, the Green Party’s presidential candidate, announced Ware…
By Cam Gordon Minneapolis is falling behind in addressing its racist past. In October of 2020, following the police killing of George Floyd that previous May, the City Council and Mayor unanimously approved establishing a truth and reconciliation process. Then, the focus was clear. The staff report, presented by Joy…
BY CAM GORDON Linda Tirado is dying. On May 29, 2020, author, journalist and photographer Linda Tirado was injured by a police officer while covering the civil unrest in south Minneapolis. In a lawsuit she filed later, she said that a police officer shot her in the face with a…
BY CAM GORDON Many people are celebrating the recent rideshare legislation that was signed into law in May. Elected officials are congratulating themselves and others for the new law that is expected to give drivers a 20% raise in pay, protection from unjust deactivations, and stronger insurance provisions. “The drivers…
BY CAM GORDON This November, Minneapolis voters may have to decide whether to move the city elections to coincide with state and federal elections. On April 17, a Minneapolis Charter Commission workgroup voted to recommend holding public hearings on a charter amendment to move city elections from odd-numbered years, when…
BY CAM GORDON Do you know the name of your Metropolitan Council member? Do you know their priorities? Do you see them at community meetings or reaching out in other ways to talk to you and your neighbors? Chances are, you don’t. Some people have been trying to change that.…
BY CAM GORDON The new term of the Minneapolis City Council is off to an ambitious start. They have hit the ground running with a new meeting space, new leadership, and a long list of new legislation that a few months ago would have looked impossible to get passed. They…
BY CAM GORDON Part 2 (continued from “Mr. Smith goes to City Hall,” Southside Pride, January 2024) On July 7, 2023, just a few weeks after Brian K. Smith retired from his position working in City Hall, I met and talked with him about his experiences. Last month in this…
BY CAM GORDON Part 1 – The Rise Last year, the city of Minneapolis saw an exodus of staff in two of its smaller and newer departments: Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and Performance Management and Innovation. Both lost all their staff in 2023. One of those who left was…
BY CAM GORDON The 2023 election is over. On the Southside, the races in Wards 8 and 12 were the most hotly contested, with some of the highest numbers of people voting. Aurin Chowdhury won Ward 12 with 6,525 votes on the first round over Nancy Ford and Luther Ranheim.…
BY CAM GORDON For over a decade, green insects called emerald ash borers (EAB) have been killing ash trees throughout Minneapolis. This fall the City Council appears ready to shift its policy in favor of using pesticides to combat the tree infestations – and it is mostly for financial reasons.…
BY CAM GORDON A new report released this spring by the Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization Global Rights for Women confirms that the city’s response to domestic violence calls continues to fall short. The report, “An Institutional Analysis of the Minneapolis Police Response to Domestic Violence,” was presented to the Community Commission on…
BY CAM GORDON Hopes are high for a new report that centers on strengthening safety beyond policing efforts with attention to prevention and restorative as well as alternative responses to crime and violence. Released on July 13 following a city press conference called by Mayor Jacob Frey, the “Minneapolis Safe…
