Who Am I and My Vision for Minneapolis Times

*Publishers Note: I am thrilled to announce David Schultz has joined us as our first Editor-in-Chief. From his frequent appearances on CNN, BBC and local media, to the dozens of books and legal treatises he’s authored, David has been an important voice helping us understand the impacts of public policy and politics.

We’ve been preparing for this moment for six months: building a team of top tier journalists and commentators, writing every day, building out our tech platform, and forging partnerships with other local media organizations. Adding someone with David’s track record to guide our editorial efforts, especially in public policy and local politics, will help us fulfill our goal: To help create a shared understanding of local issues & build strong communities. With that, I’ll let David introduce himself.

David Tinjum
Publisher

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By David Schultz

I am honored to serve as the first editor-in-chief for the Minneapolis Times.  Many of you may be asking who I am and what is your vision or hope for this publication?

I am from New York—more specifically from Binghamton, NY—a small to medium size city whose legacy was once manufacturing and the original home to IBM.  I come from a working-class family.  My father never went to high school, my mother was a cook at a nursing home.  From them and my hometown I learned about the struggles of average people trying to get by, hoping to live their vision of the American dream.  It was a story of people working hard, playing by the rules, and asking only that they be given a chance to be treated fairly and succeed.

I hit a homerun in life.  I did my undergraduate degree at the State University of New York at Binghamton, a master’s degree at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and came to Minnesota to eventually earn a Ph.D. in political science and a law degree from the University of Minnesota.  While in college I worked on more than fifty political campaigns, enjoying every minute learning about the art of politics and how important it was to listen to people.

I am a former director of planning, zoning, and code enforcement. At one time my life was all about housing, zoning, and building codes. It was about responding to complaints from residents about housing code violations, garbage not being picked up, streets not being plowed, neighbors not mowing their lawns or shoveling their walk, or a variety of other types of local quality of life issues. I also dealt with economic development in that job and set up emergency shelters for the homeless.  On a day-to-day basis my job was responding to complaints and concerns from residents. From this I learned the importance of addressing the basic concerns of average people.

Subsequently, I worked as a housing and economic planner for a community action agency created by the Office of Economic Opportunity. We weatherized homes for low-income households, developed programs for   minority- and women-owned businesses, and distributed surplus government food to those who needed it. At a time when it was not popular, I helped develop programs to set up a shelter for victims of domestic abuse and create a hotline for those with AIDS/HIV.

I also served on the National Civic League model city charter taskforce, helping to draft a blueprint for what good government should look like at the local level. I have served on a charter commission, done training for local governments, and for more than thirty years, I taught local politics, planning, and economic development.

I am an accomplished scholar, experienced in teaching abroad and across several colleges and universities in several states.

At one time I was the board president and executive director for Common Cause Minnesota, advocating for ethics and accountability in government.  I was vice-president for the Minnesota ACLU and have worked with or served on the board of several non-profits.  I once owned a restaurant and have practiced law for more than twenty-five years representing mostly low- to moderate income individuals on a pro bono basis.

I mention all this because these experiences help define who I am and how I view the world.  I see local politics and government as the center of where individuals can make the most difference. To empower individuals, we need to provide them with the information they need to make the important decisions about their government.  It is about delivering to and with the community the facts that are important and which impact their lives.  I learned from my many experiences also that the most important skill is the capacity to engage in active listening.  As a public official, attorney, board member, community activist, and businessperson, listening to the people is our job.

As editor-in-chief I plan to work with a crew of talented individuals to provide the facts and information they and you say are needed to make Minneapolis a better place to live.  As I used to say when working in government, a city is its people.  The people are our partners, customers, and bosses.   Together we can take a city whose potential is great and make it even better.

David Schultz
Editor-in-Chief,
Minneapolis Times
Distinguished University Professor of Political Science
Hamline University