Like so many people across the city, I spent last summer organizing my neighborhood, building community-led systems of safety and mutual aid. I spent most of my days at the Pimento Relief Services mutual aid effort, where we gathered supplies to distribute to families who had lost their sources of income or the stores at which they shopped for essentials, and where we organized with our neighbors to protect one another. I also spent many nights at Powderhorn Park, providing support and security for our houseless neighbors who sought refuge there during the peak of a citywide housing crisis during a global pandemic.

I love this ward and this city because people show up for one another when systems fail us, and I am so proud to have been a part of building new, just systems of community support last summer and since.

Public Safety

How will you keep young Black and brown kids safe — those who are simultaneously the most at risk from gun violence but also most at risk during interactions with the police? What do you believe are best practices for solving these issues in tandem, and how will you involve the communities most affected in problem solving and determining next steps?

Communities are safe when people have safe, affordable, and dignified homes, can move freely in their neighborhoods, and work without fear of harassment or intimidation. In the short-term, I’d like to see us create a comprehensive strategy for 911 dispatch that people feel safe calling to ensure appropriate frontline responders show up when people need help, because armed officers often are not what is needed in a situation and can even escalate it further. Other large cities have implemented approaches like this to reduce violent interactions between officers and community members.

I also support fully funding the Office of Violence Prevention, and investing in community-led programs like the Community Safety Specialists pilot program on the Northside. Finally, I am an advocate for participatory budgeting, and look to examples like the LiberateMKE campaign in Milwaukee which has won huge cuts to the police budget that were reallocated with community input to sorely-needed housing and public health programs, building safety by ensuring that the existing needs in a community are met.

People of color in Minneapolis are killed or otherwise harmed by law enforcement at disproportionately high rates, despite many attempts at reform over several election cycles. How do you intend to reshape a policing system that has been
resistant to change, and slow to show meaningful strides toward equitable community outcomes?

We cannot achieve safety for all under a system that continues to perpetuate injustices onto our most marginalized community members. I support the ongoing community-led Yes 4 Minneapolis campaign to change our charter and replace MPD with a new Department of Public Safety. This is the first step to approaching safety from a holistic, public health-centered perspective.

I believe we can live in a community where we achieve public safety without police. I know we’re not going to get there overnight — we need to recognize and address people’s concerns, do our research, and go about achieving this vision in a compassionate and evidence-based way.

While we build a system of public safety that honors self-determination for Minneapolis residents through community control, we must immediately demilitarize MPD methods and training. We must also take a public health approach to youth violence and end the over-criminalization of young people. Finally, we must invest in social services and city programs that address the root causes of crime, making sure people have a safe and affordable home, an accessible way to get to and from work, and strong worker protections.

What are your stances on memorializing public spaces when our community is grieving, and/or demanding action through constitutionally-protected protests? What policies would you put in place or what organizations would you engage to ensure residents can do these things safely?

When we don’t give community members the space they need to mourn instances of state violence, we exacerbate the lack of trust between our communities and the City’s government. The reopening of George Floyd Square and the brutal suppression of activists at the Wince Marie Peace Garden were done with little meaningful consultation with the community, and without any substantive action by the City to address the concerns of residents.

I support the right to protest and hold space as a form of healing, and I believe that these protesters have a right to safety from police brutality and from violence like that which killed Deona Marie. City resources should be used to keep protestors and other community members safe. We should not be using chemical weapons and less-lethal projectiles on people engaging in civil disobedience, and we should not be calling in backup from other law enforcement agencies to suppress protest.

Housing

Rental assistance from the federal government has helped keep people in their homes through the pandemic. This funding is not permanent, however, and inability to pay is the leading cause of evictions. What is your stance on more permanent rental assistance, rent stabilization, and/or rent control measures in Minneapolis?

I know from watching loved ones and community members experience them that an eviction is not only destabilising in the short-term, but can be the cause of a lifetime of housing instability and poverty. Because the eviction moratorium will be lifted before we have built the structures that allow us to guarantee housing for all, I’ll immediately get to work building up renter protections like pay or quit, and ensuring that all renters know of and can easily access city-funded legal services for tenants. I also support the creation and maintenance of an accessible and permanent city fund to support residents in need of rental assistance.

We know that the visceral fear of eviction is being felt across the city. People are feeling hopeless about being unable to pay their rent, but this is not a personal failure, it is a refusal from leaders at all levels of government to make the needed investments to protect and support working people. I will be a champion for the policies like tenant protections and rent stabilization measures that will allow renters to find economic stability today, and to weather the possibility of eviction tomorrow without being displaced or losing their homes.

Gentrification results in cultural loss for communities and major economic impacts for those priced out of their longtime neighborhoods. As our city grows, what plans do you have to combat gentrification and increase the amount of affordable housing available in Minneapolis?

Our approach to development should be to increase affordable housing while limiting displacement. We must ensure there’s enough affordable housing for people who choose to make this community their home, and for the people who have called their neighborhoods home for a long time. Increasing development hoping for more naturally occurring affordable housing over time is one piece, but we cannot rely solely on private markets.

Inclusionary zoning, including allowing for more density through multi-family housing and other solutions like ADUs, is necessary to allow for the increased density our
growing city requires. However, it’s not possible for developers alone to produce enough deeply affordable housing units to serve the existing need. We must also invest in public housing, fight to build more public housing units, and oppose privatization efforts.

We should invest in creative solutions to combat gentrification like housing cooperatives, land trusts, and using city-owned land to develop mixed-income social/municipal housing similar to the Viennese model. With mixed-income developments we can cross-subsidize our social housing by including market rate rental units in the buildings, which would allow us to begin exploring this model of housing even before we secure state or federal funding, and would make it more sustainable.

In the last few years, Minneapolis has experienced a spike in encampments of unhoused people on public land — a high percentage of whom are Black and/or Indigenous. Many of our unhoused neighbors see this as their best housing option over shelters (for reasons of personal safety, pet ownership, or having to abandon property). What will you do to protect these neighbors and connect them with safe and stable housing?

The encampments of unhoused people seeking shelter together in our parks and other public land have laid bare the depth of the housing crisis facing our city. While people have always experienced homelessness in Minneapolis, it has escalated as rent increases continue to outstrip wage increases. The pandemic has further emphasized the cruelty of our current system. Leaving people unhoused is a choice, and it’s one the city continues to make every time resources are spent evicting an encampment instead of addressing the root causes of homelessness.

If elected, I will work to immediately halt the use of any city resources in the eviction and destruction of encampments. Instead, city resources should be devoted to funding hotel rooms and transitional and permanent housing at a level that meets the need of housing insecurity in the city, and providing comprehensive public health response to encampments (including making sure residents have access to hand washing stations and portable bathrooms). In both the short and long term, we also need to work in partnership with County and State leaders to find the resources to house all of our neighbors and provide them with the mental health support and casework they need.

Jobs and Economy

Black, Indigenous, and Minneapolis residents of color pay local taxes and contribute to our local economy, but often do not receive the same shared economic benefits as their white counterparts. Through generations of oppression via policy and unequal systems, wealth has been chronically and systematically extracted from BIPOC communities—how do you envision addressing this legacy of economic harm, in both the short term and the long term?

Black, brown, and Indigenous residents are disproportionately low-wage workers and are more likely to experience exploitation at the hands of bosses and landlords, especially undocumented immigrants. In the short term, we must expand and improve worker protections by ensuring that all workers in Minneapolis are paid a living wage, are treated fairly by their employers, have access to a union, and are given the benefits and time off they need to live full and joyful lives. In terms of equity, this includes adequately enforcing wage theft policies, and requiring that all employers operating in the city publicly post statistics about pay and advancement equity.

In the long term, we must address inequity not only in wages, but in wealth accumulation. Decades of disinvestment by the government and banks have led to a staggering racial wealth gap, much of it related to home and business ownership. If elected, I will work to create and support existing community and commercial land trusts, with the specific goal of starting to close this wealth gap. With city programs to support first time business and homeowners, we can finally begin the long-term investment outside of big banks in these communities that they deserve.

The power dynamics of work are heavily tilted against low-wage workers, especially immigrant workers. What actions have you taken or what plans do you have to protect and support these workers?

I work as a labor organizer for a union representing many of Minneapolis’ lowest-wage workers, and this work is foundational to the framework with which I show up in the world. I am proud to be endorsed by several unions representing low-wage workers, including Unite HERE Local 17, SEIU Minnesota State Council, and Teamsters Local 120.

Working class people are the foundation of our society. All workers deserve access to well-paying, safe jobs with benefits and paid time off, and union representation without intimidation or coercion from management.

I will be a champion for fair scheduling so that corporations don’t force workers to maintain inconsistent schedules that make it hard to attain childcare or prioritize personal wellness, and will fight to increase funding for enforcement of wage theft and earned sick and safe time violations. We must also implement harsher penalties, greater enforcement, and dedicated staff to investigate labor trafficking violations, and enforce the new law preventing employers from paying workers with disabilities a subminimum wage.

Racial Justice

Explain your understanding of systemic racism, and how—or whether—you believe it affects Minneapolis’s education systems & outcomes, our housing market, our environment, public safety, healthcare, or other major systems.

The insidiousness of white supremacy, and the way it is upheld by all of the structures of our society, means that it is so much more than one program, or one structure, that will begin to dismantle it. It is embedded in our system of public safety, in our housing policies, and even the disproportionately polluted air that we breathe. We must dismantle systems designed to perpetuate racism, and empower marginalized community members to find and fund solutions to problems that most impact them.

Minneapolis has some of the most significant outcome disparities in the country. Our systems are designed to perpetuate racism, and we must tear them down and build back up systems of care and justice, meaningful structures of community safety and power. Racial justice must be at the root of everything we do. I know that when we are committed to one another’s wellbeing, when we are responsible for one another’s flourishing, we can build systems that keep each and every one of us safe and allow for all of us to thrive together. This moment calls for us to recommit to one another, and to commit to tearing down anything rooted in capitalism and white supremacy.

Our community suffers from some of the greatest racial disparities in the country across many social, educational, and economic metrics—and has for some time. If you’re in government now, what have you done to address this, and do you feel your efforts have been enough despite the lack of change? And if you’re seeking office for the first time, what ideas are you going to put forward that haven’t already failed?

Truly addressing our city’s deep and persistent racial disparities requires substantial investment in improving the material conditions of poor and working-class people without means testing. Investments in and support of housing justice, public health, and workers’ rights in this city are only a first step in alleviating these deep disparities, but they are critical to achieving this vision. In order to give affected communities agency over these investments I will push for a participatory budgeting process. The people of this city, especially those facing inequity, know best what is needed to build a more just city. Participatory budgeting will allow our budget to reflect the priorities and needs of our communities.

Because disparities in housing and policing are some of the most significant drivers of racial injustice in Minneapolis, those two issues need to be at the forefront of any plan to address systemic racism. We need to decommodify housing, better protect tenants, and put homeownership in reach in disinvested communities. And we need to rebuild our system of public safety into one that is rooted in the community. Until we do these things, we cannot achieve racial justice in Minneapolis.

Climate

Climate change is already upon us, and its causes are on such a large scale that we can’t expect everyday Minneapolitans to recycle or LED bulb our way to a solution. How would you encourage businesses in our city to adopt practices to mitigate climate change, and/or hold them accountable for practices that worsen it?

The climate crisis is one of the most immediate threats we face. Minneapolis must be a leader in the fight to adapt to a changing climate and combat environmental injustice. We must take immediate action to reduce emissions and to lead in our environmental planning. Black, brown, and Indigenous communities bear the brunt of the harmful impacts of the climate crisis. In order to fight for justice and equity, we must do more to address climate change, hold businesses accountable for their role in our climate’s future, and protect our most vulnerable communities from its effects.

Businesses in Minneapolis should be incentivized or required, to make changes to their practices that reflect the outsized contribution they have in the climate crisis. Businesses can become more sustainable by shutting off lights outside of business hours or utilizing electric vehicles. It’s also important that all new buildings, including commercial buildings and rental properties, meet strict sustainability and clean energy standards.

Finally, it is our responsibility to oppose large corporations that are harming our environment, from shutting down the Northern Metal facility polluting the Northside, or using the lobbying resources of the city to stop construction on the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline.

Voters’ Rights

What have you done or what will you do to protect and expand voter access in your ward/Minneapolis?

I am extremely proud of the work that I have done to engage with neighbors and bring them into democratic processes, both as a candidate and as an organizer.

While working for progressive candidates like Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and as the Fifth Congressional District’s DFL Vice Chair, I built programs and coalitions that worked on reaching people who are often left out of political outreach work. While in those positions I worked to make the caucus process more accessible to traditionally disenfranchised communities, and to build infrastructure to make sure that our Black, brown, and Indigenous, and immigrant neighbors could vote and caucus safely in the face of voter suppression and intimidation.

As a candidate, too, I am focused on connecting with renters, BIPOC neighbors, folks from immigrant families, and others who are frequently disenfranchised and ignored during elections. But more than asking for votes, my campaign works to bring people into our team and into movement spaces. Building power in our communities is about more than getting people to the ballot box, it’s about building relationships and building collective power.

Governance

Who are the people and/or organizations that would be part of your decision-making process in office?

Minnesota is lucky to have a robust movement infrastructure in which so many organizations fighting for a better world can thrive and support one another. Organizations that I look to and see building collective power and moving the needle on issues that affect working people are labor unions like SEIU and Unite HERE Local 17 and workers centers like CTUL; abolitionist organizations like the Sex Workers’ Outreach Project; housing justice organizations like Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia as well as those on the ground supporting our houseless neighbors in encampments; environmental justice organizations like the Sierra Club; and groups organizing for safer and more just streets like Our Streets Minneapolis.

Change is about more than what happens at City Hall. Change is based in community, and I will always maintain my relationships with people and movement organizations. As part of this, I commit to democratizing the work of local government by establishing community councils on various issues to guide policy and action. I will also meet regularly with representatives of community and neighborhood organizations, issue and movement groups, labor unions and worker centers, and business associations to ensure that local concerns are addressed.

Last Word

What’s one thing you think Minneapolis does well that you’d like to build upon if elected?

Minneapolis regularly leads the state—and often the country—in passing pro-labor, pro-worker policies. When Minneapolis passes policies like a minimum wage increase or earned sick and safe time other municipalities have often followed, and we are among the most progressive cities in the country for workers’ rights. There is always more to do to protect and support the workers of this city, though, and I will keep championing pro-worker policy to build on our strong foundation.

When I first moved to the Wedge neighborhood, in 2016, a new neighbor told me they had discovered high lead levels in her house where she had a child under 2 (who had tested with very high exposure rates). She was having difficulty navigating her rights and responsibilities. I helped research the issue for her, wrote a letter of advocacy on her behalf, and stayed in touch with her as she applied for and received benefits to help her with the lead mitigation. I was raised by a single dad who was a social worker and these are the acts of service I was raised to believe are my responsibility as a caring community member.

Public Safety

How will you keep young Black and brown kids safe — those who are simultaneously the most at risk from gun violence but also most at risk during interactions with the police? What do you believe are best practices for solving these issues in tandem, and how will you involve the communities most affected in problem solving and determining next steps?

There are two truths about public safety in Minneapolis: we need police and we need transformations in policing. First, we must follow the roadmap for reform laid out by Attorney General Ellison and Public Safety Commissioner Harrington in their Feb 2020 report and action steps from the working group on deadly encounters with police. This roadmap details a comprehensive series of reforms from that reflect the realties of living in a policing system with multiple levels operating at all times in Minneapolis: federal, state, tribal, county, and municipal. Second we must remove the road block that is the MPD contract. We do this by suing the department on a pattern and practice of discrimination argument and forcing the union into negotiated settlement agreement. This was a successful strategy in Cincinnati, OH where it resulted in a 70% reduction in the use of force. Third, we must restore community by adopting restorative justice principles system-wide. This includes subsidizing restorative facilitation training for every person in Minneapolis who wants to take the training, and creating neighborhood restorative justice centers committed to training and facilitating alternative accountability systems that work alongside, not in opposition to, current models.

People of color in Minneapolis are killed or otherwise harmed by law enforcement at disproportionately high rates, despite many attempts at reform over several election cycles. How do you intend to reshape a policing system that has been resistant to change, and slow to show meaningful strides toward equitable community outcomes?

It is one thing to support the advancement of people of color with the relevant expertise into positions of power. It is another thing to let them lead. I will reshape policing following the roadmap led by two Black men — AG Keith Ellison and MN Public Safety Commissioner John Harringon — and signed on by Chief Arradondo. Next we will remove the roadblock that is the Federation union contract by suing the police department with a pattern and practice of discrimination case to force the union into a negotiated settment. This was successful in Cincinnati where there was a racialized gap in policing, and there was a successful reduction of the police use of force by 70%. Finally, we have to take responsibility as a city among the residents ourselves for our role in perpetuating systems of racial inequity by implementing economic justice measures, and by creating inclusive, citywide public reckonings of police officers as well as from generalized community violence. This work will not be easy, but it is necessary to transform the underlying conditions.

What are your stances on memorializing public spaces when our community is grieving, and/or demanding action through constitutionally-protected protests? What policies would you put in place or what organizations would you engage to ensure residents can do these things safely?

Our community members must be allowed to create public memorial spaces within the confines of the constitution, which allow for limitations on time, manner, and place to ensure the safety of protesters as well as for the general public. Our city codes and court law reflect decades of work in this area. I would lean heavily on our city attorneys to ensure the city is upholding its dual responsibilities of free expression and of public safety.

Housing

Rental assistance from the federal government has helped keep people in their homes through the pandemic. This funding is not permanent, however, and inability to pay is the leading cause of evictions. What is your stance on more permanent rental assistance, rent stabilization, and/or rent control measures in Minneapolis?

As someone who grew up with housing instability — bouncing between apartments and trailers, with extended family, and having family homes foreclosed on — this is a deeply personal issue for me. I support the graduated approach to lifting eviction moratoriums. Rent stabilization is something that our Planning Commission must be allowed to study, and must be granted the authority to convene all the relevant stakeholders together to determine if and what a rent stabilization program might look like with a well-defined mission of finding the right balance between stabilization and long-term affordability. As of yet, there is no city that has achieved rent stabilization without negatively impacting affordability so we want to proceed cautiously and in partnership with our affordable housing developers.

Gentrification results in cultural loss for communities and major economic impacts for those priced out of their longtime neighborhoods. As our city grows, what plans do you have to combat gentrification and increase the amount of affordable housing available in Minneapolis?

For several years there has been a “build baby build” mentality despite the warnings from many of us that we were overheating the market and creating the conditions of a crash. The current rental crash is stabilizing rent, but it has taken years of “churn” (aka gentrification) in the market to get here. I propose that first, we get serious about partnership with our federal, state, and regional partners because housing is a regional issue and there are large pockets of money for affordable housing that we are not tapping into for lack of collaboration. Next, I have a novel idea to sandbank affordable housing by using our neighborhood finance system. We can create pots of money for neighborhoods to purchase naturally occurring affordably housing. Our non-profit affordable housing experts tell me that funding is there but it takes time to pull it all together. By the time they do the sale has long been closed on. With a one-time infusion of a fund at the neighborhood level, communities could even the playing field by purchasing the affordable housing, land banking it permanently, then transferring management to the non-profit partner who refills the pot when their funding comes through.

In the last few years, Minneapolis has experienced a spike in encampments of unhoused people on public land — a high percentage of whom are Black and/or Indigenous. Many of our unhoused neighbors see this as their best housing option over shelters (for reasons of personal safety, pet ownership, or having to abandon property). What will you do to protect these neighbors and connect them with safe and stable housing?

The issues surrounding encampments of unhoused people are regional — our parks, and our city do not have the resources to properly address it on our own. We must rely on our direct service experts, particularly at the county level, to lead the way in addressing this crisis. We also need to create more of the kind of housing that Council Member Goodman has championed with the “tiny home” model that gives every resident a private space, and creates communities of cultural relevance by addressing the needs of indigenous and LGBTQ+ unhoused neighbors. We can also do more to transition some of our naturally occurring housing to group homes where its members earn equity they can take with them when and if they move on from the group home setting to use in purchasing their own

Jobs and Economy

Black, Indigenous, and Minneapolis residents of color pay local taxes and contribute to our local economy, but often do not receive the same shared economic benefits as their white counterparts. Through generations of oppression via policy and unequal systems, wealth has been chronically and systematically extracted from BIPOC communities—how do you envision addressing this legacy of economic harm, in both the short term and the long term?

I propose a new Neighborhood Revitalization Plan that focuses on equity. First, there would be neighborhood funds for acquiring naturally occurring affordable housing, land-banking it, then transferring ownership to a non-profit affordable housing partner who refills the neighborhood pot. Second, I hope to directly address our long and shameful history of housing discrimination by creating $10,000 deposit loans via our neighborhoods finance system that enables African Americans and Native people to close the home ownership gap. Third, I will prioritize our POC small businesses, will include showing up for community as often as we can.

The power dynamics of work are heavily tilted against low-wage workers, especially immigrant workers. What actions have you taken or what plans do you have to protect and support these workers?

I support the $15 minimum wage that is on the cusp of being fully implemented. I also support our “sanctuary city” law that requires city employees to completely disregard citizenship unless required by law. I also support AG Ellison’s vigorous prosecution of wage theft. Finally, one of the primary reasons why I am running is to create and implement better public engagement processes that INCLUDE our immigrant communities in the decision-making processes, regardless of whether or not they can vote. I aim to do this by creating a definition of “engagement” with steps that require more than surveys, and metrics that must be met before moving forward. I also support us becoming a pilot city for Universal Basic Income (or Guaranteed Basic Income). So far, the research shows the recipients of guaranteed basic income do the best with the extra income to improve their life conditions such that they no longer need the service.

Racial Justice

Explain your understanding of systemic racism, and how—or whether—you believe it affects Minneapolis’s education systems & outcomes, our housing market, our environment, public safety, healthcare, or other major systems.

Systemic racism is the enviable product of communities built on white bodied supremacy. It means that no one even need hold bigoted opinions in order to unwittingly serve systemic racism because it written into our codes and into our communication patterns. It means one-way engagement patterns, and top-down decision making. I have studied and worked on systemic racism since the 1990s when I went to college to understand the global white supremacist colonial system. I confronted the harsher realities of this even more narrowly in law school studying Federal Indian Law, and have been witnessing the rapid escalation of the black hole that is public engagement and outreach in the city of Minneapolis. This black hole of engagement is significant because equity in practice and not merely as veneer means equitable processes by which those who are the most impacted by city decision-making are brought to the table as partners.

Our community suffers from some of the greatest racial disparities in the country across many social, educational, and economic metrics—and has for some time. If you’re in government now, what have you done to address this, and do you feel your efforts have been enough despite the lack of change? And if you’re seeking office for the first time, what ideas are you going to put forward that haven’t already failed?

One of the keystones of our system of racial disparities is the racial disparities in home ownership. Home ownership is crucial because it enables generational wealth building, as well as the stability needed to close education gaps (among other gaps). I propose the creation of home loan categories through the neighborhood home financing systems that provide $10,000 or less down payment assistance to African American and Native first time home buyers whose families have suffered generations of housing and land injustice.

Climate

Climate change is already upon us, and its causes are on such a large scale that we can’t expect everyday Minneapolitans to recycle or LED bulb our way to a solution. How would you encourage businesses in our city to adopt practices to mitigate climate change, and/or hold them accountable for practices that worsen it?

We need to create inclusive financing structures that enable businesses to invest in climate solutions and that adhere to the property for transfer upon sale. These capital improvement “loans” enable businesses to take on larger scale carbon footprint reduction projects in a scaled-out and affordable way. Second, I am calling for a Civilian Climate Corps that will pay stipends to neighborhood teams trained in understanding the many and varied options for renters, homeowners, and businesses. Data shows that education and relationship building are the most successful ways to encourage people and to adopt climate change solutions. By creating relationships and giving information on how energy bills can be lowered, neighborhood teams developer the credibility needed to make a difference. The time for mass mobilization on climate issues is here and we can and must find ways to make everyone becomes agents of positive change.

Voters’ Rights

What have you done or what will you do to protect and expand voter access in your ward/Minneapolis?

I have participated in community-funded GOTV efforts through my neighborhood association, including strong advocacy for funding this work when I served as president of my neighborhood association. I would like to undo the defunding of our neighborhood associations where work like this occurs in a granular and micro-local way.

Governance

Who are the people and/or organizations that would be part of your decision-making process in office?

I will continue my strong partnerships with neighborhood and business associations. Additionally, I will create strong partnerships with our community groups that work with immigrant and refugee populations because these groups are often targeted by the federal government for deportation and need support and targeted outreach in ways that include them while making them feel safe. I also always turn first to whoever is the most relevant in getting the work under discussion actually accomplished. Our unions are especially important in this category. As a Japanese American it is also very important to me to always be learning from elders about the history of the city and the history of previous city programs to understand what was successful and what failed.

Last Word

What’s one thing you think Minneapolis does well that you’d like to build upon if elected?

Minneapolis has historically high levels of civic participation and I believe that is directly related to the unique neighborhoods system we have, as well as our citizen commissions that marshal the expertise of volunteers. I have lived in many other cities in our country that do not have these features, and also do not have the culture of civic participation that Minneapolis has. I would like to refund these vital communities groups, strengthen our commission system so that their advisory opinions carry more weight, while providing better guidance to our volunteer systems — and concrete resources — for how to be more inclusive and how to undo the racial discrimination that has been woven into our social systems.

In my role as president of the state’s largest professional firefighters association I have been lucky enough to work on many issues I care deeply about, and first-responder and healthcare worker health and wellness is is at the top of that list. In the March of 2020, at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, I lead a coalition of labor groups representing first-responders, nurses, and home healthcare workers in successfully lobbying the Minnesota Legislature to pass enhanced COVID-19 worker’s compensation protection benefits for these workers. Had the bill not been passed, over 3,000 of these vital workers could have been denied pay and healthcare coverage after contracting COVID-19.

Public Safety

How will you keep young Black and brown kids safe — those who are simultaneously the most at risk from gun violence but also most at risk during interactions with the police? What do you believe are best practices for solving these issues in tandem, and how will you involve the communities most affected in problem solving and determining next steps?

Unfortunately, many of our elected officials are selling us the false argument that to support the need for law enforcement in a nation of laws is to support the status quo of oppression. This is not true. We need to change the culture of the Minneapolis police department, but we also need police to help keep our communities safer. Our communities of color are not a monolith and shouldn’t be treat as such. There are a wide variety of voices that have ideas when it comes to policing and they should all be heard.

People of color in Minneapolis are killed or otherwise harmed by law enforcement at disproportionately high rates, despite many attempts at reform over several election cycles. How do you intend to reshape a policing system that has been resistant to change, and slow to show meaningful strides toward equitable community outcomes?

The culture of MPD must change from the top, bottom, and middle out. We will be hiring over 250 brand new police officers in the next 3 years and we can put a premium on hiring officers with diverse backgrounds and experience. We need people with roots in Minneapolis and who share our city’s values. We can also provide an employment pathway for our youth into the police department so that we hire officers that are invested in our community. I support Chief Arradondo and his efforts to change how we police. The Chief has promoted a diverse cadre of leaders from within that will be training our new hires. This is going to take investment from us, not a reduction in resources.

What are your stances on memorializing public spaces when our community is grieving, and/or demanding action through constitutionally-protected protests? What policies would you put in place or what organizations would you engage to ensure residents can do these things safely?

I believe in the community grieving process and that protest is one of our most sacred rights as Americans. There needs to be balance, though between protest and respect for others rights under the law. No one has the right to withhold the rights of others and when that occurs protest is no longer constitutionally protected. That’s where compromise comes in. What can we do to allow people to be heard while keeping others from harm? It’s the role of our leaders to step in and work to find those solutions.

Housing

Rental assistance from the federal government has helped keep people in their homes through the pandemic. This funding is not permanent, however, and inability to pay is the leading cause of evictions. What is your stance on more permanent rental assistance, rent stabilization, and/or rent control measures in Minneapolis?

Housing is a right. It is up to government to do all in its means to assist people into stable and affordable housing. City government has a role to play but cannot be the only player. County, state, federal government and non-profits must work together to reduce homelessness. Those who need assistance should be able to access well funded programs. We need to empower families by assisting them on a path to homeownership so that they can build wealth for themselves, not just wealthy out of state corporations as has been the effort being pushed in recent years from City Hall. I will work to keep our wealth right here in Minneapolis where it is needed. I do not support rent control. It only works for a few and ultimately benefits those who wish to be slumlords. It’s a bad policy. The city should stop promoting zoning policies that lead to rampant speculation and gentrification. We need to make our city safer so that we can attract businesses that will employ our residents and pay them livable wages. The best tool to help people afford their home is a good paying job.

Gentrification results in cultural loss for communities and major economic impacts for those priced out of their longtime neighborhoods. As our city grows, what plans do you have to combat gentrification and increase the amount of affordable housing available in Minneapolis?

As I stated earlier we need to stop zoning practices hand out variances to developers like candy at Halloween. I’m not saying all variances are unnecessary, but at the rate the city gives them away developers have been falling all over themselves to drive up the cost of housing to squeeze every last nickel out new housing projects. You cannot build new housing projects that are affordable without large subsidies. Conservation and preservation of our already built and existing affordable housing is a sound practice to control the rising cost of housing.

In the last few years, Minneapolis has experienced a spike in encampments of unhoused people on public land — a high percentage of whom are Black and/or Indigenous. Many of our unhoused neighbors see this as their best housing option over shelters (for reasons of personal safety, pet ownership, or having to abandon property). What will you do to protect these neighbors and connect them with safe and stable housing?

As a public servant, I respond regularly to encampments. They are not a safe option and many of the people there are chemically dependent or have acute mental health needs, or have been pushed there for economic reasons. We need more shelters that offer a housing first approach to chemical dependency treatment. We also need more housing options that the unhoused can more easily afford such as single room occupancy options. This will all require us to leverage the powers of our governmental partners at all levels.

Jobs and Economy

Black, Indigenous, and Minneapolis residents of color pay local taxes and contribute to our local economy, but often do not receive the same shared economic benefits as their white counterparts. Through generations of oppression via policy and unequal systems, wealth has been chronically and systematically extracted from BIPOC communities—how do you envision addressing this legacy of economic harm, in both the short term and the long term?

We need to stop promoting practices that increase the wealth gap in our city which is among the worst in the nation. We don’t build enough housing for large families which are disproportionally people of color and immigrant. We allow for the harvesting of our affordable homeownership options, and replace them with strictly unaffordable rentals. That’s our current policy and its failing our people. Ask your city leaders why do they promote policies that do not empower families and keep exacerbating the wealth gap? I will promote policies that do not lead to speculation and gentrification. That promote a strong economy and good paying jobs. Enough of these handouts to the rich and the corporatization of our housing. I want to help our communities of color build wealth and close the wealth gap.

The power dynamics of work are heavily tilted against low-wage workers, especially immigrant workers. What actions have you taken or what plans do you have to protect and support these workers?

The COVID-19 enhanced workers compensation benefits I helped win last year protected over 40,000 low paid home healthcare workers. I was raised in a home by a union laborer and a union janitor. I have devoted my adult life to fighting to raise the floor for workers in our community. I am the Labor-endorsed candidate in the raise because of my commitment and results in fighting to better the lives of all workers.

Racial Justice

Explain your understanding of systemic racism, and how—or whether—you believe it affects Minneapolis’s education systems & outcomes, our housing market, our environment, public safety, healthcare, or other major systems.

I am mixed-race and was raised by a Black man in Minneapolis. I am a product of our chronically underfunded Minneapolis Public School System. I was almost a casualty of that underfunding because my high school, which was overcrowded and underresourced lost me in the shuffle. My grades suffered as a result. I completed my last 2 years at better funded high school in the Minneapolis suburbs where the difference in practices and outcomes could not have been more stark. I went from a failing student who often skipped school to an honor roll student in the span of a semester. I work in public safety in an economically challenged part of St Paul. I see the higher hurdles everyday our communities of color face. I have been a believe my entire life that our various systems in this country are stacked against people of color and the poor, because I have lived it.

Our community suffers from some of the greatest racial disparities in the country across many social, educational, and economic metrics—and has for some time. If you’re in government now, what have you done to address this, and do you feel your efforts have been enough despite the lack of change? And if you’re seeking office for the first time, what ideas are you going to put forward that haven’t already failed?

I will refer you to my previous answers on ending policies that strip the wealth from people of color instead of empowering them. We don’t build enough housing for large families which are disproportionally people of color and immigrant. We allow for the harvesting of our affordable homeownership options, and replace them with strictly unaffordable rentals. That’s our current policy and its failing our people. Ask your city leaders why do they promote policies that do not empower families and keep exacerbating the wealth gap? I will promote policies that do not lead to speculation and gentrification. That promote a strong economy and good paying jobs. Enough of these handouts to the rich and the corporatization of our housing. I want to help our communities of color build wealth and close the wealth gap

Climate

Climate change is already upon us, and its causes are on such a large scale that we can’t expect everyday Minneapolitans to recycle or LED bulb our way to a solution. How would you encourage businesses in our city to adopt practices to mitigate climate change, and/or hold them accountable for practices that worsen it?

Enforcement of our laws protecting the environment is key. Also tax incentives and access low cost loans for businesses that invest in green technology are also tools the city can continue to promote.

Voters’ Rights

What have you done or what will you do to protect and expand voter access in your ward/Minneapolis?

Minnesota has some of the best access to voting found anywhere in the country. This access needs to be protected from roll-back. I will use my voice and office to keep our best in the nation access.

Governance

Who are the people and/or organizations that would be part of your decision-making process in office?

The role of a council member is to represent the broader constituency within their Ward. Thats what I will do. My door will be open to all voices in our ward. We may not agree on everything but I will listen and make the best decision that represents the wishes and values of Ward 10.

Last Word

What’s one thing you think Minneapolis does well that you’d like to build upon if elected?

We have been good at attracting people from all over the world to our community. That has faltered as of late but I would like to work to better our overall quality of life so that we are an attractive place to live, work, and play.

Organizing the Bryant Ave neighborhood around development projects that required multiple variances.

Public Safety

How will you keep young Black and brown kids safe — those who are simultaneously the most at risk from gun violence but also most at risk during interactions with the police? What do you believe are best practices for solving these issues in tandem, and how will you involve the communities most affected in problem solving and determining next steps?

Begin the process with careful listening of communities most affected. Transform the MPD with diverse recruits, violence prevention and removing violent officers. Employ neighborhood groups, non-profits, faith communities, and businesses to address the issue of public safety – a multi-faceted response.

People of color in Minneapolis are killed or otherwise harmed by law enforcement at disproportionately high rates, despite many attempts at reform over several election cycles. How do you intend to reshape a policing system that has been resistant to change, and slow to show meaningful strides toward equitable community outcomes?

Resistance to change is NOT acceptable. End warrior training, removal of resistant officers, work recruit new cadets that reflect community values. Offer incentives for members of the MPD to live in the city, so they will be part of the community and solution.

What are your stances on memorializing public spaces when our community is grieving, and/or demanding action through constitutionally-protected protests? What policies would you put in place or what organizations would you engage to ensure residents can do these things safely?

Having served congregations for more than 30 years I have always values memorialize those who have made important contributions. Peaceful demonstrations are always welcomed and celebrated to transform society. Policies of open communication which means active listening.

Housing

Rental assistance from the federal government has helped keep people in their homes through the pandemic. This funding is not permanent, however, and inability to pay is the leading cause of evictions. What is your stance on more permanent rental assistance, rent stabilization, and/or rent control measures in Minneapolis?

I support more permanents rental assistance. I oppose rent control because it has not worked where tried, and I also favor a comprehensive low income housing approach that is lead by non-profits, faith communities, businesses, and governmental units.

Gentrification results in cultural loss for communities and major economic impacts for those priced out of their longtime neighborhoods. As our city grows, what plans do you have to combat gentrification and increase the amount of affordable housing available in Minneapolis?

We do need to find ways to allow long standing neighborhoods to keep their unique character. Job creation in the disadvantaged neighborhoods with good paying jobs is required to bring stability and home ownership opportunities. Minneapolitans need to able to live in their city.

In the last few years, Minneapolis has experienced a spike in encampments of unhoused people on public land — a high percentage of whom are Black and/or Indigenous. Many of our unhoused neighbors see this as their best housing option over shelters (for reasons of personal safety, pet ownership, or having to abandon property). What will you do to protect these neighbors and connect them with safe and stable housing?

Avivo and other housing organizations have begun to work on homelessness issues. The State, Hennepin Country, the City of Minneapolis, needs to partner with such groups to help provide safe and stable housing.

Jobs and Economy

Black, Indigenous, and Minneapolis residents of color pay local taxes and contribute to our local economy, but often do not receive the same shared economic benefits as their white counterparts. Through generations of oppression via policy and unequal systems, wealth has been chronically and systematically extracted from BIPOC communities—how do you envision addressing this legacy of economic harm, in both the short term and the long term?

The falling percentages of home ownership among black, indigenous, and people of color is appalling and must be reversed. Policies that keep such people from neighborhoods must be abolished. Supporting significant investment in well paying jobs in such communities will be key to a long term solution.

The power dynamics of work are heavily tilted against low-wage workers, especially immigrant workers. What actions have you taken or what plans do you have to protect and support these workers?

The $15/hour minimum wage is a start, but not enough. Hennepin country is moving toward $20/hour which is a good thing. As a manger in retail store, I make less than $20/hour. Low wage worked deserve our support and action.

Racial Justice

Explain your understanding of systemic racism, and how—or whether—you believe it affects Minneapolis’s education systems & outcomes, our housing market, our environment, public safety, healthcare, or other major systems.

Systemic racism is prevalent in Minneapolis in all facets of our life. As the husband of a third generation black Minneapolitan, I have first had exposure to such issues. Racism in all in forms, subtle and not so subtle must be confronted and ended.

Our community suffers from some of the greatest racial disparities in the country across many social, educational, and economic metrics—and has for some time. If you’re in government now, what have you done to address this, and do you feel your efforts have been enough despite the lack of change? And if you’re seeking office for the first time, what ideas are you going to put forward that haven’t already failed?

As President of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, I have had the opportunity to support the 20 year plan to reinvest in our Parks, by first investing in Park in communities of color. We need a comprehensive plan to deal with racial disparities, however this will be more effective if it is more than just one more governmental initiative. Because of experience and background I strongly favor using non-profits and faith communities and partner in these effort. Business also need to do their share to address these issues.

Climate

Climate change is already upon us, and its causes are on such a large scale that we can’t expect everyday Minneapolitans to recycle or LED bulb our way to a solution. How would you encourage businesses in our city to adopt practices to mitigate climate change, and/or hold them accountable for practices that worsen it?

It takes many small steps to make a difference, but out also takes significant will to reduce our carbon footprint. Business have the resources to be part of the solution, and need to be partners in addressing this huge and growing problem.

Voters’ Rights

What have you done or what will you do to protect and expand voter access in your ward/Minneapolis?

I have worked with Steve Simon and others to have early voting and same day registration. I have personally driven elderly people of the polls to vote, and would encourage a more organized effort to increase voter turn-out. I have been a spokesperson for ranked choice voting, and have continue to emphasize its importance.

Governance

Who are the people and/or organizations that would be part of your decision-making process in office?

Neighborhood groups, non-profits, faith communities, small businesses, service clubs, and a network of friends.

Last Word

What’s one thing you think Minneapolis does well that you’d like to build upon if elected?

We have a rich cultural life with great theatre, music, museums. I would like to provide all residents the opportunity to take advantage of these resources through reduced price, and free tickets. Businesses should sponsor such events.

Taking concrete action to address inequity does not always begin with a popular solution. As part of a Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board advisory committee, I was faced with a dilemma in Mueller Park. The history of a half vs full basketball court was contentious. To some, the court was an area where all kinds of people could come together to play. To others, its expansion risked damage to the environment and threatened to bring unwanted behaviors, which was based on racist stereotypes about the type of people the sport attracts. To bring neighbors together around a solution, I hosted Uptown’s first 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. This work brought the community together and showed the importance of publicly shared spaces. In the end, we developed a solution, bringing a full size court to Mueller Park while maintaining all existing trees. It took political courage to bring a contentious group together and craft a more equitable solution, but by listening to the community and taking action to demonstrate areas of need, I was able to stand up and address a divisive issue.

Public Safety

How will you keep young Black and brown kids safe — those who are simultaneously the most at risk from gun violence but also most at risk during interactions with the police? What do you believe are best practices for solving these issues in tandem, and how will you involve the communities most affected in problem solving and determining next steps?

Gun violence prevention does not happen at the scene of the crime; it happens further upstream. Meeting the basic needs of community members through stable employment, housing, healthcare, access to food, and transportation is an important foundation, as gun violence has been shown to be correlated with economic disparities. Engaging community members on solutions through these issues is a critical step.

When we start to think about our public safety systems holistically, we can begin to reduce the need for police interactions while ensuring every time armed officers are dispatched, our BIPOC neighbors aren’t receiving the disproportionately violent outcomes that they currently face from MPD.

For a comprehensive strategy to be effective, it will have to be unified under a singular public safety department. The City charter must be amended to create a Department of Public Safety and allow Minneapolis as a whole to rebuild our systems of public safety in one that serves all residents equitably.

People of color in Minneapolis are killed or otherwise harmed by law enforcement at disproportionately high rates, despite many attempts at reform over several election cycles. How do you intend to reshape a policing system that has been resistant to change, and slow to show meaningful strides toward equitable community outcomes?

Every death of a community member by an officer of the law is unacceptable. Police brutality is a systemic issue that clearly has a disproportionate effect on BIPOC communities. As an engineer, I understand that systemic issues must be addressed by creating a system that can foster real change — it’s time to implement a holistic Department of Public Safety.

Minneapolis has been operating with armed police officers as the one tool for public safety for generations. My strategy will be to expand the tools in the public safety toolbox such that we have the right resources and responders for the right situation. By employing mental health professionals, unarmed community responders, and more violence prevention resources, we can begin to move responsibilities away from armed police and to more appropriate responders. This will reduce the number of calls for help that are met with an escalation of violence and end in deadly outcomes, while focusing police resources on the most dangerous and immediate safety needs in our community. Creating a new public safety department also gives the opportunity to remove officers with problematic histories and negotiate new employment contracts with improved accountability.

What are your stances on memorializing public spaces when our community is grieving, and/or demanding action through constitutionally-protected protests? What policies would you put in place or what organizations would you engage to ensure residents can do these things safely?

I shared my neighbors’ anger and sadness at the murders of George Floyd and Winston Smith. I marched in solidarity for change and justice. I volunteered at George Floyd Memorial Square welcoming and educating visitors about how to approach the square respectfully and to stay COVID safe. I recognize the importance of holding space in our community to grieve and to organize for justice and for preventing future harm. Too often in the past year we’ve been quick to return things “back to normal” and those spaces have been cleared out by force. Minneapolis needs policies which ban law enforcement from using rubber bullets and tear gas against protestors implemented through a Department of Public Safety. Pushing communities away through violence only furthers divides in our city. As leaders, we must be committed to engaging with community.

Housing

Rental assistance from the federal government has helped keep people in their homes through the pandemic. This funding is not permanent, however, and inability to pay is the leading cause of evictions. What is your stance on more permanent rental assistance, rent stabilization, and/or rent control measures in Minneapolis?

Creating a community where everyone knows they belong starts by having a home. We must protect renters, invest in homes for those unhoused, support programs like Stable Homes Stable Schools, and continue to undo the effects of racist policies like redlining. This is why I am in favor of the rent stabilization charter amendment on the November ballot.

Housing affordability is more than just rent; it also involves utilities. While working in City Hall, I worked on the Time of Rent Energy Disclosure ordinance, which requires landlords to share average utility cost information with prospective renters to help them know the full cost of renting a unit. These costs must always be factored in when considering assistance and the price of affordable housing.

Fighting for renters is work I am familiar with. As President of the Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association, I actively engaged renters to make sure their voices were heard in a neighborhood that is 80% renters. By the end of my term we had expanded the renter representation from 2 out of the 11 member board to a majority. I will continue this work to ensure renters have tools they need and a seat at the table.

Gentrification results in cultural loss for communities and major economic impacts for those priced out of their longtime neighborhoods. As our city grows, what plans do you have to combat gentrification and increase the amount of affordable housing available in Minneapolis?

My goal is to make sure we solve the housing crisis we have today, and put the pieces in place so that everyone has access to housing tomorrow and in the future.

In a city with limited land and financial resources, we should maximize city investments to not only increase the amount of available affordable homes, but to keep existing units safe and accessible. To ensure the availability of affordable housing and prevent people from slipping into homelessness, I would prioritize resources for the most vulnerable – those earning less than 30% area median income. I support the city’s recent inclusionary zoning ordinance, which requires new developments set below-market rents on a percentage of new homes. This policy is new and we should monitor how many new affordable units this policy creates, and make adjustments as necessary.

While expanding the number of homes, we must also expand the types of housing being built, from apartments, houses, and condos to boarding house rooms, senior living, ADUs, cooperatives, and triplexes. Continuing to expand housing not only creates physical space for new residents, it also raises additional tax revenue, which is a vital step to ensure affordable housing options for all.

In the last few years, Minneapolis has experienced a spike in encampments of unhoused people on public land — a high percentage of whom are Black and/or Indigenous. Many of our unhoused neighbors see this as their best housing option over shelters (for reasons of personal safety, pet ownership, or having to abandon property). What will you do to protect these neighbors and connect them with safe and stable housing?

We must take a housing-first approach by decriminalizing homelessness. People living outside in tents are not criminals. Unhoused Minneapolis residents are often forced to move a dozen or more times in a year due to police harassment, and many have had their belongings bulldozed. Further, when unhoused people struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues need help, the response should not be police, but professionals who specialize in appropriate crisis response and who can connect these residents with supportive services.

Instead of a reactive approach to helping people on the street, we need to be proactive by providing them a home first and then the services to make sure they can succeed. There are many models of how to do this successfully, and the data is clear that this is the most effective way to counter homelessness and return stability to people’s lives. Locally, I am inspired by the Envision and Avivo Indoor Villages projects, which address issues of security and privacy, provide necessary wrap around services, and expand the number of shelter spaces.

Jobs and Economy

Black, Indigenous, and Minneapolis residents of color pay local taxes and contribute to our local economy, but often do not receive the same shared economic benefits as their white counterparts. Through generations of oppression via policy and unequal systems, wealth has been chronically and systematically extracted from BIPOC communities—how do you envision addressing this legacy of economic harm, in both the short term and the long term?

In the short term, the City must work to address the most pressing needs that have been left by massive inequality in wealth. Neighbors need housing assistance now and people need careers with dignified working conditions now.

In the longer term, the City must be a catalyst for building wealth amongst our BIPOC residents. That means removing barriers for and investing in BIPOC-owned businesses and understanding that redlining made it impossible for BIPOC Minneapolitians to build wealth at the same rate as white Minneapolitians for generations.

Leveraging the Green Zones as places for targeted investment is an important step. Another is tearing down credit and other requirements, which are often barriers for BIPOC residents seeking financing for homes and business. The City serving as the loan loss reserve for financing is an important opportunity as is exploring the creation of a public bank. In speaking with small business owners, access to physical space is another common barrier. To overcome that, the City should hold a targeted contest for free rent for a year for the best business plan.

Our city can not thrive until everyone has true opportunity, and City Hall must be a driving force to address the harm

The power dynamics of work are heavily tilted against low-wage workers, especially immigrant workers. What actions have you taken or what plans do you have to protect and support these workers?

There is a long way to go towards improving conditions for all workers and I will continue to support and fight for bargaining rights, fair wages, and safe working conditions, to name just a few. In Minneapolis, there is a large movement among workers fighting to unionize, and they deserve our solidarity and support. The City has an obligation to fully fund oversight of businesses to make sure that any reports of wage theft or worker mistreatment are investigated and any worker harmed receives justice. As well as fund proactive informational campaigns so that every worker in Minneapolis knows their rights and who to contact if they think their rights are being violated.

Especially for our undocumented workers, the City must never cooperate with ICE and workers must be confidant that they will never face threats to their security when reaching out to the City for help.

Racial Justice

Explain your understanding of systemic racism, and how—or whether—you believe it affects Minneapolis’s education systems & outcomes, our housing market, our environment, public safety, healthcare, or other major systems.

Black, Indigenous, and people of color have systematically lost years of life, joy, and opportunity. For generations and to this day, structures, policies, and processes in our city and in our country are routinely built to serve wealthier white residents and leave out BIPOC families, leading to segregated neighborhoods, worse health and safety outcomes, less wealth, and less economic opportunity in BIPOC communities.

Systemic racism undoubtedly affects life quality aspects across the board in Minneapolis from housing and policing to air quality and access to financing. It can not be fixed overnight or simply by talking about the issues, but through investment of City resources to create more equitable outcomes. That means engaging community members and empowering the City’s Division of Race and Equity as we collectively identify and remove concrete barriers. In City Hall, I used the Division’s Race-Equity Matrix tool to deliver better energy programs and policies. We must utilize such tools in all aspects of city planning and service delivery. Moving forward, our goal must be to right these historical wrongs and take an active part in creating opportunity for every Minneapolitan to not only provide for residents, especially BIPOC residents, today but for generations to come.

Our community suffers from some of the greatest racial disparities in the country across many social, educational, and economic metrics—and has for some time. If you’re in government now, what have you done to address this, and do you feel your efforts have been enough despite the lack of change? And if you’re seeking office for the first time, what ideas are you going to put forward that haven’t already failed?

How people move and access their everyday needs has major social, educational, and economic impacts. The annual cost of car ownership is nearly $10,000, and too many people must take long bus rides to access basic needs like groceries. Health outcomes are worse for BIPOC residents due to the vehicle pollution that is more prevalent near the highways that tore through BIPOC neighborhoods.

It’s time we built a 15-minute city where residents can meet their everyday needs within a 15-minute walk, bike, roll, or transit ride and where no one is at a disadvantage because of economic or physical challenges. A 15-minute city is sustainable, safer, and more equitable. We know that every neighborhood has the ability to thrive if given the resources instead of extracting them out.

This can be achieved through creating more affordable housing in every part of our city, using zoning tools and incentives to ensure every neighborhood has basic necessities like childcare and groceries, making walking, biking, and rapid public transit more accessible, and promoting more vibrant street environments.

Climate

Climate change is already upon us, and its causes are on such a large scale that we can’t expect everyday Minneapolitans to recycle or LED bulb our way to a solution. How would you encourage businesses in our city to adopt practices to mitigate climate change, and/or hold them accountable for practices that worsen it?

Over the past decade, I’ve worked extensively on clean energy in cities, including Minneapolis, having developed and implemented multiple energy disclosure, energy audit, and sustainable building policies in the metro. While working in the Sustainability Office in City Hall, I calculated the City’s greenhouse gas inventory and know that our focus must be on decarbonizing the 100,000 buildings in our city and our transportation system. Leveraging the utility franchise fees, we can incentivize beneficial electrification of buildings, reduce natural gas use, and direct funds to the Green Cost Share, which provides energy efficiency grants to businesses with enhanced incentives for those in Green Zones. None of this can happen without increasing skilled clean energy workers. We must join partners with high schools and technical colleges to attract and train new electricians, HVAC technicians, insulators, and solar installers, especially focusing job pipelines and fostering entrepreneurship in BIPOC communities.
The City may not have direct control over all climate solutions, but we hold important influence. For example, we must continue to push with partner cities for stronger State energy codes, and we must withhold municipal consent for any new MNDOT and County projects that do not fit our climate goals.

Voters’ Rights

What have you done or what will you do to protect and expand voter access in your ward/Minneapolis?

For the last three elections, I have been part of major pushes in my neighborhood to register people to vote by going door-to-door and canvassing bus riders at the Uptown Transit Center. Although Minneapolis had one of the highest turnout rates (80+%) in the country last year, that falls dramatically in municipal elections to less than 50%. One issue is that while voter registration forms can be completed online in even years, they must be completed in paper form in odd years, which is a detriment to our municipal elections.
Voting information must continue to be made available in accessible formats and voting technology must be kept up-to-date in every precinct. To expand voter participation, we should take lessons learned from engagement around the 2040 comprehensive plan and post voting information publicly in places like on bus benches and community bulletin boards. As someone who works in the field of behavior change, I know that opt-in systems always lag opt-out ones in participation. For that reason, it’s important that the City support automatic voter registration.

Governance

Who are the people and/or organizations that would be part of your decision-making process in office?

Residents know their communities best, which is why I will seek out and listen to those who are being directly affected by decisions. It’s what I did with the basketball players in Mueller Park, and it’s what I’ve done on the City’s infrastructure committee, having advocated for completing our sidewalk network after learning about difficulties experienced by the blind community. I will also seek out those who hold different opinions and life experiences than me, because I will never claim to have the correct answer on every issue. Coming together with our differences is the best way to find durable solutions. For me, it’s important that those efforts are proactive because when elected officials wait for input to come to them, often only the voices that are most well-connected or historically represented end up getting heard. Our disabled, low-income, BIPOC, and renter communities have been too often left out of discussions that happen at City Hall. I’m running for city council to build a community where everyone knows they belong and that won’t happen until every person knows their perspective matters.

Last Word

What’s one thing you think Minneapolis does well that you’d like to build upon if elected?

I am inspired by the ways I see people in Minneapolis step up to meet the needs of our neighbors, develop mutual care networks, and reduce our climate impact. Our existing systems have produced significant disparities and inequities which can create feelings of despair and fear but Minneapolitans stay committed to their community and inspire hope. State and federal gridlock means that more than ever people are looking to local government to step up and improve their lives. I want to build on the hope and desire for better outcomes to make City Hall a place that all residents know is working to make their lives more fruitful. Powerful interests tell us we shouldn’t try, or it’s not our place, to shape a better future for Minneapolis residents. I reject that. I will bring these community ideals to City Hall, driving change in Ward 10 and for all of Minneapolis.