BY TOM ABELES Prior to the recent resolution of Council member Jason Chavez, a community advisory group had input to the city’s planning for the area. Because of the intersection’s critical importance, over the years, a half-dozen efforts have been held to fully develop the site through community listening sessions.…
BY CAM GORDON Another city election year is here. Campaigning has already started, and at least two independent political committees are already raising money to influence the results. Since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010 – which enabled unlimited expenditures by special interest groups – wealthy donors have been…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Neighborhoods of Minneapolis What makes a home? What makes it feel right for you? In the real estate industry, the cliche is “Location, location, location.” In an urban setting, this can be shortened to “Neighborhood.” Neighborhoods have identities, and they may or may not fit with…
BY ED FELIEN From the Manifesto of Luigi Mangione: “A reminder: the US has the #1 most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet we rank roughly #42 in life expectancy. United is the [indecipherable] largest company in the US by market cap, behind only Apple, Google, Walmart. It has…
BY STEVE BRANDT I was pleased to see Cam Gordon’s column in the December issue of Southside Pride, and its focus on the potential advantages that an income-based tax might bring to Minneapolis city finances. As an elected member of the Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation, I’ve been advocating…
BY BILL MARSHALL Well, now that the election is over, hopefully we can come to some type of agreements in certain areas to make this a better place! And I’m thinking locally, not nationally, and I have two ideas that I think could be incorporated to make this a better…
BY STEPHANIE FOX The number of people around the country, and in Minnesota, who find the need to seek out foods shelves has grown every year. In 2023, more than seven million Minnesotans visited local food shelves, up two million the year before. Last year, the numbers were up again.…
BY ED FELIEN It’s beginning to look like an interesting race for mayor this year. First, Frey vetoed the Council’s Budget. He objected to the cuts in downtown personnel in favor of funding “pet projects” in the Council members’ wards. The Council voted to override the mayor’s veto, and Emily Koski,…
Southside Pride sent this Questionnaire to all the candidates running for mayor of Minneapolis. Last month we published a response from DeWayne Davis. We have not received responses to our questions from Omar Fateh, Emily Koski or Jacob Frey. Why are you running for Mayor? A: During my 2021 election, I opposed granting…
BY CLINT COMBS The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Twin Cities have notched significant victories on the Minneapolis City Council, pushing forward city ordinances like a ceasefire resolution, a ride-share wage increase ordinance, a labor standards board, and a resolution calling for all charges to be dropped against pro-Palestinian activists…
BY KATHRYN KELLY Why was Lake Hiawatha at risk for flooding again this year? And why did Minneapolis Park Board Commissioner Musich make a special trip to Hiawatha Golf Course to warn the staff? Maybe it is because the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) is using a 45-year-old plan for…
BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE Openings and closings of note In late November, openings included a second location of Francis Burger Joint, a popular NE vegan food outlet. This is on East Lake Street, in the former Peppers & Fries. Two others were new ventures: at 656 Grand Avenue in St.…
BY ED FELIEN What happened? Why did the Democrats do so badly? Was it that white male privilege was threatened by a Black, South Asian woman becoming President? Or was it the Democrat’s refusal to condemn the Israeli genocide of Palestinians? Or was it a general mood of “Throw the…
BY CLINT COMBS On Nov. 21, 2024, Whitney Wildman and George W. Crocker were among the speakers at a protest outside Xcel Energy’s offices at 401 Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis. The protest was organized by a coalition of groups including Women Against Military Madness, Indigenous Earth Protectors, Nukewatch, and the…
BY CAM GORDON This fall, many Southside homeowners received their truth-in-taxation estimated property tax notices for 2025 and discovered they are going up again. The 2025 city budget is set to be approved on Dec. 10, and council members are looking at ways to cut costs and find new funding…
