Mentality versus Policies: Finishing the Job
Policies Will Rot on the Shelf Without the Right Mentality
Minneapolis and the Nation: Diverging Directions
The political dialogue in Minneapolis can be difficult to reconcile with national polls and pundits. Nationwide, perceptions of the Democratic Party have dropped to all-time lows. According to CNN/SSRS polling from March 16:
Among the American public overall, the Democratic Party’s favorability rating stands at just 29% – a record low in CNN’s polling dating back to 1992 and a drop of 20 points since January 2021, when Trump exited his first term under the shadow of the January 6 attack at on Capitol. The Republican Party’s rating currently stands at 36%.
The fact that Democrats are now polling less favorably than Republicans, given the state of national politics, is astounding. It also raises the question: Why are local politicians so eager for the endorsement of Rep. Ilhan Omar, who held a pep rally at Washburn High School on Friday, March 21? It seems like a flawed strategy to assume that her controversial national reputation will translate into additional votes for local candidates. It’s easy to rally a crowd by bashing Trump and Musk, stirring up calls to 'do something about it!' But what’s far more difficult—and what Minneapolis urgently needs—are elected officials who can work together to strengthen a city weakened by crime, high taxes, declining commercial real estate values, and a school system facing a $75 million budget deficit.
Despite the many articles, newsletters, and podcasts analyzing the Democratic Party’s continued slide, the message seems not to have reached Minnesota—Minneapolis in particular. The Minneapolis DFL has become increasingly intertwined with the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America (TCDSA), a group explicitly 'against capitalism.' How should Minneapolis residents vote when candidates like Omar Fateh receive endorsements from both the TCDSA and the DFL? Where does their allegiance lie? And how is a voter supposed to determine whether a candidate backed by the TCDSA will support struggling small businesses that rely on capitalism to survive?
The Benefits of Collective Work
Many aspects of society are best suited to collective or social efforts. Any department or system funded by taxes is, at its core, a form of socialism—this includes the police and fire departments, our parks, streets, and schools. However, there is a significant difference between democratically electing representatives to allocate tax dollars to these services and declaring oneself “against capitalism.” If you buy clothes, you’re participating in capitalism. If you watch a video on TikTok, that’s capitalism too. While capitalism has its downsides, Minneapolis is not converting to socialism, and the Minneapolis DFL must avoid endorsing candidates who claim otherwise.
By allowing candidates who align with both the DFL and the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America (TCDSA) to seek its endorsement, the Minneapolis DFL continues to erode faith in the Democratic Party both locally and nationally. This sends a message to business owners and residents that their livelihoods are secondary to ideological purity. It suggests that what matters most to the party is, ultimately, the party itself.
Fewer and fewer people are interested in Minneapolis being a beacon of ideology without a concrete, actionable plan—one that creates real jobs so residents can afford to feed their families, take a vacation, and pay their medical bills. The Minneapolis DFL-TCDSA alliance may be able to manipulate the city’s archaic election system to spread its message, but in doing so, it is driving businesses away, reducing wages, and strengthening the Republican Party’s resurgence in the state.
We want to reverse that trend. We want to see a strong safety net and effective anti-poverty programs. But to build these systems, Minneapolis must embrace economic growth, prioritize spending, and cut unnecessary services to change its current trajectory.
Getting the Job Done
On March 24, the Uptown Association hosted a forum on safety and business development in the neighborhood. Nearly 200 people attended, reflecting the ongoing concern over businesses leaving and the real—not merely 'perceived'—crime that residents and business owners experience daily.
We recommend reading a recent New York Times opinion piece by Michelle Cottle, “The Democratic Party’s New Recruiter Has a Theory.” Representative Jason Crow of Colorado, tasked with recruiting Democrats for the U.S. House, offers advice and warnings that seem particularly relevant to Minneapolis. He notes that Democrats are facing opposition from “a collection of moderates, independents, and swing voters who see the party as captive to the left.”
Another key takeaway many would agree with:
“We need to stop defending government and instead go back to our roots of government reform. People are frustrated with the examples of government inefficiency and dysfunction they see around them,” Crow said, arguing that Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency is an “outgrowth” of that frustration. “It’s the wrong response, and it’s a farce, but it’s responding to that.”
Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and the Metropolitan Council have work to do. Take, for example, the Southwest Light Rail Transit (SWLRT) project—now the METRO Green Line extension—which began in 2010 and isn’t slated to open until 2027. People are fed up with projects like this, endlessly delayed while consuming taxpayer dollars. It’s this frustration that state and local officials seem to underestimate. Yes, voters may align with your policies, but if you can’t deliver on critical infrastructure projects because you're too focused on promoting national ideologies and hosting Omar rallies that deepen division, you’re missing an opportunity to make a tangible difference in residents’ lives.
Other examples of this lack of urgency are evident at George Floyd Square and the Third Precinct Police Station. The latter remains downtown and won’t move into its new $20 million facility until 2026—years after it should have been resolved.
Any candidate running for office in Minneapolis—whether for mayor, city council, or park board—needs a “get it done” mentality. A range of ideologies and policy ideas is healthy if it leads to the best solutions rising to the top, but this year, the focus must be on accomplishments. The willingness to agree to disagree and move forward must take precedence over ideological battles, especially when it comes to improving the safety and economic vitality of Minneapolis.
Allowing projects and decisions to stall, become bloated with unnecessary additions, or swirl endlessly in debate is exactly how the Minneapolis DFL—and the politicians it supports—erodes voter turnout and fuels resident frustration. And frustration will only sit still for so long. We’re already seeing the consequences on a national scale, and if left unchecked, it can take root in Minneapolis as well.
Thank you Terry for continuing to share your and so many others valid concerns about the wrong direction our city is going. We must start making demands of our elected officials until they get it right.
The heavy burden on residents and business owners is pushing both groups out of our once thriving city. We have some of the highest tax rates and seem to have a significant problem utilizing those tax dollars in a fiduciary and pragmatic way.
Continuing to fund programs like the Violence Interrupter groups without any real data to show the benefits provided is just another example of the tone deaf city council continuing down the same path each day and expecting a different set of outcomes. City council has budgeted another $4,000,000.00 for Violence Interrupter groups for the 2025 cycle, we need trained police officers that can be called to a specific location to handle the violent situations that pop up randomly not well intended groups who are literally guessing where they should be and at what time their services are required. A literal 4,000,000.00 crap shoot.
Please attend your local caucus on April 8th and get out and vote in November. We cannot afford another four years of this kind of leadership.
Thank you Terry, excellent piece, as always.
One of those changes should be to get rid of the caucus system which allows the 2% who show up to choose which candidates will be on the ballot in the fall. In this one-party town, the candidate with the DFL endorsement wins 95% of the time.
Caucuses give a huge advantage to the ideologues who can turn out the fervent few, leaving those who are busy with work or child care or infirmity out of the process.
And instead of having an entire day in which to vote, as in a primary, you have to be there at a specific time and sit through an often confusing process in order to vote for delegates who will go on to another convention and spend a day sitting through another tedious process.
If you are steeped in the arcana of local politics and are an outgoing person, this can be fun. But if you aren't, this caucus stuff might not be for you! That said, go anyway. We're stuck with them for now, and this is a crucial city election. There are good candidates taking on the TC-DSA candidates and their allies, but you likely won't get a chance to vote for them if they don't get the endorsement.