Minneapolis has been misgoverned for decades, like most Dem-run larger cities. That kind of misgovernance will eventually result in the destruction of civic life. Business, large and small, has fled the city. Downtown office towers are being given away. Crime is completely out of control in the city–gangs routinely go on car-window-smashing jags, with no accountability. Residents don’t even bother to report bike thefts and garage break-ins. The infrastructure is failing–roads and sidewalks are terrible, snow removal basically doesn’t happen, the parks are deteriorating. And while the service level and quality of life is in decline, one thing isn’t–property and other taxes and fees, which have soared at double-digit rates. And then we get the mythology about George Floyd, a scumbag career criminal, who pretty much ended up where his behavior was always going to take him, and about Minneapolis’ “heroic” resistance to removing criminal illegal immigrants. The city was desperate to keep those people because no one else will live there.
But here is the unbelievable topper. Our city council is full of complete whackos–socialist lunatics with absolutely no clue how an economy works or how to manage anything efficiently. The Mayor is a lightweight nut job just slightly less crazy than the city council. They don’t get along well. So they are wasting at least $1.4 million of the taxpayers’ hard earned money on a consultant to help them work together in harmony and peace. I simply don’t know what to say. Your city is drowning in debt and excessive taxes and spending and you are going to waste money on this. But then this is Minnesota, and the abuse of the taxpayer is paramount, have to make sure all the fraudsters get theirs first. I am guessing the consultant is a far left group that will in turn make good donations to help keep the whackos in power.
How bad will things have to get before residents finally rise up.
The reality is most people will simply move leaving a vicious spiral downward. See Portland for reference. (Portland’s economy has underperformed historically strong benchmarks, with recession-like conditions in key metrics (employment, housing pipeline) since 2023. Leaders are calling for decisive policy actions on business climate, zoning, and housing.)
“But then this is Minnesota, and the abuse of the taxpayer is paramount….” That’s a perfect descriptor.
Get out of there, Kevin. Come down to Iowa and you can always drive up to that hell hole to visit.
FWIW – in the 1970s and 1980’s, I was frequent visitor to one of the western suburbs of Minneapolis during the winter. It was extremely rare if the streets werent plowed before 8am, with almost always by 7am. The video from the Renee good shooting showed the streets had not been plowed from the previous day.