On October 22nd, the Star Tribune published a commentary about climate change written by 7th Ward Council Member Katie Cashman. In it she notes that wildfire smoke blanketed our city for seven days this summer, making Minneapolis almost unlivable.
She’s right that we’re in a climate crisis and need a laser-like focus on solutions, locally and globally. But there was more than smoke causing livability issues in our city this summer — and unless the City Council focuses on the fundamentals of governance, like public safety and supporting a robust business climate, those problems won’t drift away like the haze.
Cashman means well, and she’s an earnest advocate on many issues. But I read her piece with skepticism because of the persistent gap between what she says and how she votes.
That pattern was on full display at a recent candidates forum, where she claimed that as chair of the council’s Infrastructure Committee, she took “full responsibility” for the two-year Hennepin Avenue reconstruction project and went on to take credit for saving the trees and creating “flex” bus lanes that preserved on-street parking for local businesses.
That’s magical thinking, simply not true.
The trees were saved in early 2023, nearly a year before Cashman took office, through the combined efforts of concerned neighbors, the City’s Public Works Department, and her current opponent, Elizabeth Shaffer, who as a Park Board commissioner was responsible for the city’s tree canopy.
Parking was preserved in June 2022, when Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed a plan for 24/7 dedicated bus lanes, arguing that buses didn’t run 24/7 and that the businesses needed parking during off-peak hours. That decision came at a time when the council had fewer ideologues and not enough votes to override the mayor’s veto.
Anyone can misstate the facts and campaign rhetoric is rarely reflected in every vote. But with Cashman it’s such a persistent pattern that voters should take note.
Cashman describes herself as a moderate, yet her voting record tells a different story. She sides roughly 80% of the time with the City Council’s Democratic Socialist members — Jason Chavez, Robin Wonsley and Aisha Chughtai — routinely opposing policies advanced by the mayor or Police Chief Brian O’Hara aimed at rebuilding and reforming the Minneapolis Police Department. That’s not a “swing” vote; it’s a reliable alignment with the far-left bloc.
And while she hasn’t publicly said whom she supports for mayor — perhaps because many Ward 7 residents are moderate Democrats — she has invited supporters to join her canvassing with mayoral candidate Omar Fateh, one of the DSA’s most outspoken members.
There’s no question that addressing the climate crisis should be a top priority at every level of government. But as Cashman might say, we also need to stay grounded. Smoke-filled skies are one kind of warning. Political smoke screens are another.
My experience with CM Cashman comes from the business side of working with government. She was ineffective and disinterested in helping my team resolve issues for storm water management at our new housing development in Bryn Mawr that had unique and praiseworthy environmental design. Could not be bothered with that level of engagement. When I presented to a committee she sat on (Business Housing Inspection Zoning) on the important issues of the inclusionary zoning ordinance, she moved to limit my presentation to two minutes, because I was presenting a view she did not support or agree with, even though it was a policy change affecting millions of housing dollars. There were no other speakers waiting to speak… why the hurry? She just could not be bothered to hear an opposing view.
Is it me, or does this article open with a hook about climate change, and then never returns to the issue? Regarding the Hennepin avenue reconstruction, which seems to be a flash point for the election in my ward – It had to be done, one way or another. The infrastructure was extremely old, and it was going to start to become dangerous if left untouched. It is truly tragic that it effected businesses (Possibly), but I can not for the life of me imagine a scenario where you have to tear up an entire major street and it does not. Had Shafer, or even Lisa Goodman been in Katies position when this occurred, it seems like there would be a lot less noise about it, at least to me.
I have put this in other comments as well, but the line “She votes with the “DSA” wing of the council 80% of the time is an easily inflated number. Having observed city politics for some time now, much of what the city council votes on is mundane, or bureaucratic in nature. Sometimes it is even just to create a day of remembrance, or to honor an important person. So when I hear that she votes with them 80% of the time, I wonder, what is the substance of that 80%? How much of that is actual policy that “Promotes the DSA Agenda”, as some would say? And how much of it is just regular city business.
I myself have known Katie to be relatively moderate. Her and I disagree on many things, and she has done some things that I personally do not like at all. But for my money, she is a better candidate than her opponent.
Here is a blog post I wrote that, by my calculation, the City Council agrees 97% of the time. https://open.substack.com/pub/catchgroove/p/revisedrepublished-common-ground?r=5hgtj&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Thank you for this well-written piece.
When Katie Cashman first ran for office, her people put one of her signs on our property. We did not ask for a sign. It was the first I had even heard of her. When I emailed to complain, they claimed it was a mistake. Our house numbers are prominent and we’re on a corner, with no other houses very close, and it’s a very simple number. It would take some effort to make a mistake about our address.
As a constituent, I have found Cashman a very poor communicator. Every time I have reached out with a concern, I have gotten rhetoric instead of a response. All she has to offer is regurgitated DSA propaganda. Perhaps due to her youth and lack of experience. That’s not what I want from my City Council rep.