PRST STD U.S.POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO. 6391
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THE VOICE OF BLACK MINNESOTA SINCE 1934
November 4-10 , 2021
Vol. 88
www.spokesman-recorder.com www.spokesman-recorde
No. 13
MTC reopens Lake Street Station
By Henry Pan Contributing Writer
October 21 marked the opening of Metro Transit’s I-35W and Lake Street Station, restoring the surtransit stop on a freeway rounding neighborhood’s connecthat was once a crum- tions with downtown Minneapolis bling stairway to a lone and the south and southwest subshelter beside a conga urbs, severed when the original stop line of buses during rush closed in 2018. It was built as part hour is now one that is encased in a of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s I-35W reconstruccitadel of concrete and glass.
A
Photo by Henry Pan
tion project completed in September. The station, which cost $41 million to build, was originally scheduled to open on October 18, but it was postponed after a car crashed into the southeastern part of the station two days before. The station was otherwise quiet and desolate when the first bus pulled into the station for the first time that morning, save for the presence of several of Metro Transit’s top brass. Donning a safety vest and holding his bike, Ace Oubaha, who develops tools to test hearing aids in Eden Prairie and lives in South Minneapolis, became the first person to board a bus from the new transit station. As much as he likes the station because it is closer to his home, he is worried what this could mean for people—particularly the un-housed—
who use the station. “[With] a big development like this, Metro Transit Police are usually a lot more present and a lot more militant about how they enforce [rules] and add violence against people, especially like on unhoused folks. So I’m worried that this is going to be a place for police violence, and I really would like to see that not happen,” said Oubaha. Indeed, Metro Transit pledged
fares before they board. The Orange Line will be a freeway rapid bus connecting downtown Minneapolis to Burnsville using I-35W. The new station is different from the old in many ways. It has heating and elevators and protects passengers from the elements and freeway traffic. “You don’t feel like you can get hit by a car when it comes by,” Joanne Camp of Bloomington said as she looked where the old sta-
“I’m worried that this is going to be a place for police violence.” in July to increase police presence throughout the system to address safety concerns. They also stand behind their training curriculum and are discussing how to make their policing more inclusive. On Metro Transit’s Orange Line, which opens December 4, police will ensure passengers pay their
tion used to be. She also appreciates no longer having to climb over snow mounds to board a bus as was sometimes necessary at the old station during the winter. The rebuilt freeway is also much easier for bus drivers to navigate because they can stay on the left ■ See MTC on page 5
Election Day now past, fight for voting rights goes on Right to vote transcends party loyalties By Charles Hallman Contributing Writer
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aTosha Brown is the cofounder of Black Voters Matter, Black Voters Matter Fund, and Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute, all designed to boost Black voter registration and turnout and increase voting power among communities of color and marginalized communities in the U.S. Brown was the featured speaker last month at Westminster Town Hall Forum’s “On Democracy” series. “In 2021,” said Brown in
her 20-minute address at the downtown Minneapolis church, “in the United States of America we’re still grappling with this question: Can we provide equal and fair access to all the citizens of this nation? We’re dealing with this question of democracy.” Brown decried the current political environment in Washington and elsewhere. Prior to her scheduled visit, Brown said in an MSR phone interview that she looked forward to coming to the hometown of Prince. She told the audience she is the late singer’s biggest fan and got to visit
Paisley Park during her time here last week. “We’ve got to call it and say that the Democrats—the majority party in both houses of Congress—actually do have the power. But do they have the political will to do it?” stressed Brown on fighting for voting rights. A voting rights bill has been stalled in the U.S. Senate for months now. “We got to actually see our fight for democracy beyond the constraints of political parties,” she continued. “We’ve got to actually start advocating some different interventions that will hold. The protection
LaTosha Brown addressing the Westminister Town Hall audience on October 26 Photo by Charles Hallman of our rights [should] not be contingent upon who is in power.” Brown’s passion for voting justice is unmistakable and vividly expressive. She acted
Homeless youth exacerbate metro housing crisis
By R. B. King Contributing Writer
The Twin Cities has the worst housing shortage among metropolitan areas of the United States. The shortage started with the housing crisis in 2008, when construction of new homes dropped off sharply. The area has never really recovered. Household growth remains high and construction of new housing remains low. It appears that something more than half-measures is needed to fix the problem.. Recent reports show that
only about one-third of the affordable housing units needed in the past decade have been built. Among the units constructed, only a small number are intended for the lowest income families. In 2020, 2,724 affordable housing units were built. This is double what was built the previous year and more than any other year in the last decade, but still falls short of what is needed by a significant margin. Of these, only about 10% were intended for the lowest income group, those making 30% of the median area income or less.
Governor Walz and the Minnesota Legislature have agreed to address the issue, but it takes time to build truly affordable housing. There is also the question of the allocation of funds: How much is going to staff salaries and shelters and how much into
the actual building of affordable housing? This crisis is only getting worse. The trends of the past decade are continuing, and added to this factor are an increasing number of people needing affordable housing ■ See YOUTH on page 5
like an evangelist who began and ended her Westminster speech with a Gospel song, then used the church pulpit to virtually preach to the “congregation” audience. Everyone,
she said, “could literally create a system, a democratic system that is inclusive, that is reflective of the population.” A 2020-21 American ■ See ELECTION on page 5
State lawmakers deadlocked over pandemic bonus pay Partisan bickering leaves workers in limbo By Ricardo Lopez Minnesota lawmakers voted October 27 to advance two competing plans for distributing $250 million in pandemic bonus pay to essential workers. For weeks, a committee of DFL and GOP legislators and three appointees of Gov. Tim Walz had been deadlocked over how to distribute the aid, specifically over who should receive the back pay.
tiations. Walz has pushed for assurances from the Republicans that they would confirm his health commissioner’s appointment, but they have refused. It’s possible the issue could still be resolved when lawmakers return in regular session in late January. The panel of lawmakers has met in recent weeks to hash out which essential workers would be eligible for checks. Republicans favor limiting the
It’s possible the issue could still be resolved when lawmakers return in regular session in late January.
Top photo, Kahlique Rogers Left photo: Homelessness continues to grow in the Metro as more and more youth find themselves unhoused. MSR file photos
Lawmakers planned to be in special session last month to pass the legislation, but they missed a self-imposed deadline. It’s now unclear when the plans will get full votes because lawmakers are not currently in session. Differences between Walz and Senate Republicans have further complicated nego-
pool of eligible workers to those who sustained an “intimate exposure to COVID-19.” The partisan bickering extended to how both DFL and GOP lawmakers viewed Wednesday’s committee vote, with Democratic lawmakers saying the issue had been punted and Republicans claiming ■See BONUS on page 5