Policing and legislating during a time of transition at Minneapolis City Hall, with Elliott Payne

04/07/22 • 61 min

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John is joined by Elliott Payne, Minneapolis City Council member in Ward 1. We talk about his plans for a new public safety charter amendment, which he is careful to say isn't a rehash of last year's election; the police killing of Amir Locke, and whether Mayor Frey can start getting MPD policies right after some big failures during his four-plus years on the job; and after hearing big promises for years about the police contract, what should we think about the argument that the police contract isn't the place for disciplinary standards? Did the after action report detailing mismanagement and misconduct of MPD in the summer of 2020 tell us anything we didn't already know? We talk about police "buy back" (the practice of neighborhood organizations or other private entities purchasing extra police patrols from the city) during a police staffing shortage. How has the city's new strong mayor system (shifting power over city departments to the mayor) affected the city council's ability to fulfill its legislative function? Other topics: Elliott's dog, the importance of looking and sounding good during a zoom-based council meeting, and a diversion into a conversation about the smash-hit video game Elden Ring.

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Hiawatha Golf Course: A Sex Forest Episode

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John is joined by PeggySue and Chris Meyer for a conversation about attempts to resolve longstanding environmental issues at a south Minneapolis public golf course, its historical significance to Black golfers, the flooding and trash that plague the adjacent lake and its neighbors, and a longshot plan to replace the course with a sex forest.

See the Hiawatha Golf Course master plan, which Chris refers to as the "compromise" plan: https://www.minneapolisparks.org/park_care__improvements/park_projects/current_projects/hiawatha_golf_course_property_master_plan/

Golf Channel video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWJVzjJIDW0&ab_channel=GolfChannel

Sex Forest plan: https://twitter.com/sex_forest

Next Episode

Breaking Down the Race for Hennepin County Attorney: A Progressive Case for Mary Moriarty

John has a conversation with Kathleen Cole, an organizer with People Over Prosecution, whose mission is "transforming prosecution in Hennepin County" by electing a prosecutor "whose practices deliver justice, not just punishment." Kathleen explains what's wrong with longtime Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. We delve into questions like: Why are prosecutors, and this office, so important? What kind of change is possible? What experience should we expect them to bring to the job? How should they use their discretion in cases that involve low level drug possession or immigration status? Are the candidates' approaches to violent crime really so different? Kathleen doesn't hold back as we talk about all six candidates and why her organization is endorsing Mary Moriarty. The other candidates are Paul Ostrow, Martha Holton Dimick, Ryan Winkler, Simon Trautmann, and Saraswati Singh. You can listen to John's conversations with five of the candidates in episodes published earlier this year.

People Over Prosecution: https://www.peopleoverprosecution.org/about