Dear Community,
The courage, discipline and dedication of working class people in Minneapolis is being rightfully celebrated and uplifted across the country. And while we may have won the battle, we know the Trump administration will try to punish us economically through the fallout from this occupation. The City has released a preliminary report which outlines the economic impacts from Operation Metro Surge will likely be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The reality is that every level of government in our state is going to be making difficult choices regarding our path to recovery. One path is austerity. This looks like cutting critical social services and programs that support our most vulnerable residents or allowing mass evictions and small business closures to happen. I want to be very clear that by taking this pathway, elected leaders would be giving Trump what he wants, which is to further destabilize and harm working class communities, especially communities of color. I’m concerned to hear comments from Mayor Frey that indicate he is approaching this recovery by going down the austerity path. That will lead our city into a dark future that will worsen racial inequities and continue to put the cost of this occupation on working people. Just as we did with Operation Metro Surge, we must resist. We cannot let austerity win.
Democratic socialists on the Minneapolis City Council are championing a different path: a path for an equitable recovery. In the past few weeks we have led the City Council to invest millions in programs that serve vulnerable residents and initiated policies to protect our communities. You can read more about that in the newsletter below.
Going forward, the democratic socialists on Council will work hand in hand with the community to protect the services and programs you care about through a thoughtful and transparent process that includes your voices.
The people of Minneapolis have demonstrated what it looks like to love your city and love your neighbor. Loving our city requires action. Residents of Minneapolis have inspired the entire country by refusing to abandon your neighbors and your city, and as the Minority Leader of the democratic socialists on Council, I am proud that our caucus is collectively refusing to abandon residents. We are in this with you. In the next several weeks, I will have more information on ways residents can provide comments on potential budget changes at City Hall.
Apparently, Wonsley advocates spending on “Equity” as her highest priority, and “Austerity” becomes an obstacle. The question is who pays…which is the already overburdened taxpayer.
I think she continues to win the prize of most divisive council member