WHO IS MARCUS HARCUS?
- 30 yr old N/S native, the son of Rita and Andrew Harcus, the oldest of 5 boys. I grew up over North. I went to Kindergarten at Northstar and I graduated from Henry in 1996. As a youth I played at every Northside park. I moved away when I was 18, but I moved back 4 years ago to raise my young family here. My daughter will start Kindergarten this fall at Jenny Lind.
- I’m a writer and community organizer with a background in community development and youth development. My experience includes facilitating community visioning, program and project management, public policy and micro entrepreneurship training and event organizing and hosting. I’m running for City Council to REPRESENT & SERVE the Northside FT.
MY VISION FOR THE NORTHSIDE
The Northside has the worst reputation of any area in MN and I hate that. This is my hometown. I’m a proud Northsider with a bold vision of a better North Minneapolis, a place where people want to move and live long-term, a good place to raise kids, a clean, safe, vibrant and peaceful place with a deep sense of community, a healthy economic environment and enriching opportunities.
WHY I’M RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL
I’m running to be the change I want to see in City Hall. The Northside needs effective political leadership, we painfully lack it and I believe I can provide better representation and service, with the support of the community. I understand many of the complex issues that challenge Northside neighborhoods and I believe things can get much better, if we collectively will it to be! I’m willing to REPRESENT & SERVE this community – are you?
I believe that by positioning myself on the City Council I can successfully advocate for and help organize our community to work together to improve social and economic conditions on the Northside and repair the damaged Northside reputation.
TIME FOR LEADERSHIP CHANGE
The incumbent is way too comfortable in her position because she feels entitled to it. Dynastic politics rely on a largely disengaged community. She didn’t make courtesy remarks in any of the Precinct Caucus meetings, expect her own. I wonder how many doors she knocked on in 2005 when she ran uncontested. This seems to reflect her poor constituent service.
A long-time Webber-Camden resident told me that people in his neighborhood don’t know their Council Member. A long-time Lind-Bohanon resident and business owner told me that our Council Member wouldn’t support him in his efforts to rezone the property to start his business, & it’s a viable one, in the same neighborhood he grew up in, and has never visited even though she knows his family. I’ve repeatedly heard how the incumbent doesn’t return constituent phone calls and some people don’t believe she’ll take their concerns seriously.
I believe in participatory government that is truly, “of, for and by the people,” not 1 family. The incumbent envisions passing the City Council seat to one of her daughters whenever she retires, if the 4th Ward indefinitely re-elects her. I don’t believe in inherited political power. That is not good for Democracy!
WHAT KIND OF COUNCIL MEMBER DO Y’ALL WANT?
This is my central question, the main point I’ll address today: What kind of City Council Member do you want REPRESENTING & SERVING the 4th Ward?
I’m proposing a new model of community engagement from City Hall. During this campaign I’ll begin building a base of support and when I’m elected in November we’ll be poised to establish a Northside Community Coalition – a vast and diverse network of Northsiders committed to (a) increasing civic participation, (b) holding the City government accountable, (c) promoting good neighborliness, and (d) working together cooperatively and proactively to improve social and economic conditions.
The Northside Community Coalition will work with Northside neighborhood groups and the Northside Neighborhood Alliance, not compete or duplicate programs, but increase capacity. Northside community organizations need operational unity and I believe I can help facilitate this from City Hall.
The Northside Community Coalition will mainly be about the business of residents engaging City Hall, presenting a united front to represent and serve our interests in high quality residential living. Every resident interested in joining the Northside Community Coalition will identify issues they want to help the community address. I will genuinely invite you to City Hall to participate in public decision making.
What kind of Council Member do you want REPRESENTING & SERVING the Northside?
I will return your calls. I may not be able to determine the outcome of your interactions with City staff and services, but when I intervene I will work to ensure you get the respect you deserve.
I’ll produce an interactive website for the 4th Ward. I’ll publish a monthly electronic newsletter, convene monthly community meetings, and hold weekly open office hours in the community.
I’ll consistently visit your neighborhoods to make myself accessible and stay in touch with community conditions beyond the parkway.
When I’m elected I’ll make City Hall more accessible to Northsiders than ever before.
What kind of Council Member do you want REPRESENTING & SERVING the Northside?
I believe we need a Council Member who will REPRESENT & SERVE the entire 4th Ward, not just a small segment. We need an engaging Council Member who knows how to organize the community!
I believe we need a Council Member who effectively champions economic development on the Northside, not just downtown.
We need a visionary Council Member with an open-mind, deep intellect & creativity.
We need a Council Member who understands and champions equity.
I don’t think Minneapolis should have any Council Members who are so socially conservative that they work against social justice.
Northsiders, please stand up if you’re ready for change! If you voted for national change 4 months ago, then vote for local change today. Feel free to join my campaign and elect local change in 8 months.
MY POLITICAL VALUES & ISSUE PRIORITIES
Values
- Humane, wise government with honest & effective politicians
- Freedom, justice and equality
- Less bureaucracy, less mess
- Organized and effective communities
- Inclusive public decision making
- Equitable community development
- Social and economic justice
- Racial equity
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- Regional equity
- Environmental protection
- Fair taxation –residential & commercial
- Sustainable infrastructure investments
- Multi-sector partnerships for effective human services
- Accountability –government, business and citizens
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Priorities
PUBLIC POLICY AND COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT for the NORTHSIDE INCLUDE:
1. Overcoming the foreclosure crisis
2. Economic development
3. Fair property taxation
4. Educational, economic and recreational opportunities for:
- Youth development
- Family stability
- Senior services
5. Crime prevention for community safety
WHY I’M GOING TO WIN THIS RACE
I’m participating in this DFL endorsement process as a gesture of respect for all of you. I’m not your typical, risk-averse politician, so I’ll tell y’all the truth and I’ll be myself. While I always vote Democrat, except once (lack of options), I’m really non-partisan. I am not prioritizing endorsements for my campaign because it is the 4th Ward voters who will elect me, and the Northside that I’ll REPRESENT & SERVE, not special interest groups outside of the community.
We may disagree at times, but you’ll always know where I stand and I’ll always remain open to considering differing views and changing my mind when I’m wrong or when better ideas are offered.
If I win the DFL endorsement today you all can convert me to a DFLer, but if this group of 196 delegates makes a poor decision, I’m probably going to run Non-Partisan until the end of this race, on November 3rd. What is at stake is bigger than partisan politics, and I understand the value of and need for organizational strength and that’s why I envision the Northside Community Coalition challenging me and supporting me once I’m in the Council office. The Coalition will be non-partisan and sustainable beyond me term(s) in office.
Regardless of the outcome today I am confident that I’m going to win this campaign. I respect both of my opponents and acknowledge that all 3 of us want to REPRESENT & SERVE the Northside for the benefit of the community, but knowing all the downtown insiders isn’t enough, and neither is being passionate about the community.
I’m going to win this race not only because I’m younger, faster and more energetic, but because my field plan is superior and because I’ll work both smarter and harder than my competition. I’m going to win based on the #’s, my will power to win this campaign for the community and the ripe times for CHANGE. 4,500 4th Ward residents voted for the first time ever 4 months ago, including more than half of all my 30 year old peers. I have the contact information of the thousands of the people the incumbent depends on not showing up at the polls in November. I’ve got a list of 13,550 names, my campaign will knock on every occupied door on all 420 4th Ward blocks and we’re going to find 5,000 Northsiders ready for change and ready for community action. The incumbents’ disconnect with most of the Ward and the connections I’ll make this summer and fall will decide this race, not today’s endorsement, so I encourage you all to vote for me if you want the winning 4th Ward City Council candidate to represent the DFL.
My name is Marcus Harcus. I’m a Northside native son campaigning to REPRESENT & SERVE the Northside and I want all of you to REPRESENT & SERVE the community with me.
My name is easy to remember and hard to forget, so when you cast your ballots today and your City election ballot on November 3rd, check my name. A vote for me is a vote for you, a vote for a Northside Community Coalition, and a vote for a bold vision of a better North Minneapolis. Vote for CHANGE Camden!
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