Hi,
There was a 1,000 character limit per answer to each of the questions on the League of Women Voters Voter’s Guide candidate questionnaire. It will be posted on their website - vote.lwvmn.org. I struggled to limit my characters in answering this question, followed by my original answer:
What issues do you think the city will be facing in the next 4 years?
Many issues will always be major.
Poverty: this is perhaps the most critical issue facing people in Minneapolis and throughout the planet Earth because it significantly contributes to a wide variety of social challenges, including, but not limited to: lack opportunities, dependence on unlivable wage employment that prevents individuals and families from being able to afford the cost of living, hunger, substandard housing, homelessness, lack of health care, health disparities, ‘relative deprivation,’ depression, crime and violence. The more people who are unable to afford to the cost of living, the more unstable our society becomes. Ideologies aside, I want to live in a society that doesn’t tolerate masses of people - an underclass - living without their basic needs for survival, health and wellness met. If this is the land of OPPORTUNITY then our society should be committed to fostering opportunities for the poor and disenfranchised, as well as the working and lower middle class masses.
Housing: I’d love to contribute to the development of a comprehensive system that aggressively helps people keep their homes; increase homeownership (habitable vacancies occupied); protect equity; improve rental conditions; work to prevent homelessness and foster sustainable housing for the chronically homeless; and establish fair property taxation.
Academic achievement gap: Our city is in grave danger as long as the academic achievement gap, including high drop-out rates, persists in our schools. This is a school board, not a city council issue, but it deeply affects most city residents, directly or indirectly. Different strategies and methods need to be implemented to foster academic achievement and life success for the most vulnerable segments of our youth populations. A Northside Achievement Zone, a collaborative initiative to replicate the successful Harmlem Children’s Zone model (www.hcz.org), is being planned for North Minneapolis and I highly support such a local movement.
Employment: In 2010, 2 of every 3 jobs will require a college degree. Most of the 1/3rd of the jobs not requiring one will more than likely pay unlivable wages, because many of the degree required jobs are too! Partnering with schools to strengthen the education system is important. Effective and accessible job training programs are vitally important, therefore our city must partner with and invest in viable ones. Retaining and attracting industrial manufacturing jobs would help, preferrably green and bio-technology employers.