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Photo by Robb Long
From left: Joshua Lang, Rich Johnson and Cathy Heying of St. Stephen’s human rights program.
By Cristof Traudes
Videos play key role in swaying lawmakers to consider lowering bus fares for the homeless Last year, two 30-somethings and a few interns and friends scoured the streets and shelters of Minneapolis to talk about bus rides. The Metropolitan Council was in the process of considering a 25-cent fare increase, and the group was concerned about the impact it would have on the city's lower-income and homeless populations.
They were armed with video cameras and three questions:
What's your name?
What do you use the bus for?
How would a fare increase affect your life?
The results are captured on the YouTube channel of St. Stephen's Human Services, an hours-long gallery of stern looks, squinted eyes and angry dimples. No humor here.
Grey-haired, rugged Pat has a tired, exhausted glance. He opposes bus-fare increases. Daniel's eyes, already serious, are cast in a shadow. He opposes bus-fare increases. Mary has the face of a smiler, but she scowls. She opposes bus-fare increases.
As do 406 others. That's how many faces Joshua Lang and Rich Johnson captured: 409 unanimous voices of dissent.
Lawmakers noticed.
Despite increasing the fare by a quarter in October and currently weighing another 50-cent hike, the Metropolitan Council now is considering a different, lower-cost approach for nonprofits that serve the jobless and the homeless. The Legislature is, too — a Senate bill introduced last month with enthusiastic, bipartisan support would allow eligible charities to purchase an unlimited number of half-priced bus tickets.
Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-60), one of the bill's authors, said much of the credit for the recent success belongs to Lang and Johnson. The pair say they've simply figured out how to be democratic in a technological world. * * *
"How many signatures do you think legislators have seen?" a determined Johnson asked in between bites of a late sausage-and-cheese breakfast on a frigid February morning. "How many?"
"Exactly," Lang responded.
It was only 10 a.m., but the two were focused. They were making a point: Four hundred and nine faces tell 409 more stories than a sheet of scribbled names.
"Video testimonies are the modern signatures," Johnson said, taking a sip of coffee.
They said they could have tried sending people to testify at the Capitol, but that would have been much more difficult. It's hard enough sometimes for legislators to make it to hearings. Plus, public speaking is more daunting than looking into a camera.
Lang and Johnson share a basement room in the Whittier-based St. Stephen's, a workspace with outreach pamphlets, a fridge, a coffeemaker, a computer and a printer. They are the bedrock of the church's human rights program, which Lang founded in 2005 after working at several homeless shelters. In years past, the Twin Cities native worked elections in Guatemala and provided aid in India. In the latter country, a mentor told him to focus his energies close to home.
Johnson comes from a different mold. He rat-tat-tats from subject to subject. One moment he's talking about being a Native American, Santee Dakota, Californian Chumash, Santa Ynez Mission Chicano. Next he tells about his years growing up on the streets. The Streets. East Los Angeles.
Still, the men are kindred spirits and passionate about their work.
"I see human rights violations happening around me every day in this country," Lang says in a St. Stephen's biography. "I can't enjoy what I have while this is happening." * * *
Lang and Johnson are happy to be the behind-the-scenes soul of the cause. Dibble is more the public face, although he's not alone. He has four co-authors on the Senate bill, sharing credit with such senators as fellow Minneapolitans Linda Higgins (DFL-58) and Patricia Torres Ray (DFL-62).
Republican Sen. Julianne Orton is another co-author, lending immediate bipartisan support. Her involvement comes as little surprise to Lang and Johnson, who said the issue has little to do with party politics.
"It's just a good idea," Lang said.
That seemed to be evident at the bill's first hearing, which was "extremely successful," Dibble said. When this edition of the Downtown Journal went to press, the bill was slated to appear before the Senate Transportation Committee.
Dibble was careful to say anything is definite, a sentiment echoed by Judd Schetnan, government affairs director with the Met Council. Schetnan said the council is interested in the ideas brought forward, but it's also concerned about its own $45 million operating deficit. Balancing that with the homelessness cause has been the topic of many recent internal conversations, he said.
If a bill ends up passing, it probably would look very different from its current form, Schetnan said — something that hopefully pleases every side.
"The bill is really raw at this point," he said. "It's very early in the process."
Even if nothing comes to pass, this is more than Lang and Johnson said would have happened had they not taken their cameras to the streets. They believe they've figured out a way to get politicians invested.
"This is true 'for the people, by the people,'" Johnson said. "Makes me feel good as an American."
Cristof Traudes can be reached at ctraudes@mnpubs.com.
Voices online
After learning that Metro Transit bus fares were set to rise, St. Stephen’s human rights program scoured the city to ask low-income people how they would be affected. Here are a few snippets of what they heard:
“I have no other way to get around. I can no longer afford to drive.”
“How do you itemize a bus fare? If you have a doctor’s appointment, you have to get to your doctor’s appointment.”
— Simone
“Being homeless, I need the bus badder than anything.”
— Dyron
“It’s how they get to work. It’s how they get to their jobs. And it just costs more and more money.”
— Mary Jo Copeland, founder, Sharing and Caring Hands
To see hundreds of testimonials, go to www.youtube.com/user/Ststephensmpls
Senate File 732 Passes, including tokens, for regular route bus service will be offered for sale to nonprofits that meet at least one of the following criteria: 1. The organization administers a job placement program. 2. The organization provides service for homeless persons. There is no limit on the number of passes that an eligible charitable organization may purchase. Track the bill’s status at www.senate.leg.state.mn.us.
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City declares snow emergency
UPDATED February 8, 2010, 1:28pm
By Cristof Traudes
With snow falling almost non stop since Sunday, the City of Minneapolis this afternoon declared a snow emergency.
Starting at 9 p.m. today, cars will not be allowed to be parked on either side of snow emergency route streets. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow, cars should only park on the odd side of non-snow emergency route streets, and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, cars should only park on the even side of non-snow emergency route streets. Cars parked on the wrong sides of streets will be ticketed and towed.
To look up what streets are affected when, click here. More information is at ci.minneapolis.mn.us/snow.
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Development update :: AIA MN kicks off weekend of pro bono design
By Gregory J. Scott
It could be a scene out of some Bravo reality television show. Beginning at about 8 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, teams of student and professional designers will have less than 24 hours to turn nonprofit proposals into graphic realities. The one-day scramble is part of the 23rd annual Search for Shelter Charrette, a weekend of pro-bono design organized by the American Institute of Architects Minnesota’s Housing Advocacy Committee. Nonprofits that lack the funds to hire a professional design firm submit wish-list building proposals — anything from a simple redesign of a lobby space to an inside-out renovation of an entire apartment complex. Then volunteer architects, landscape architects and interior designers collaborate to produce visual tools
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Park Board votes to open search for next superintendent
UPDATED February 4, 2010, 9:05am
By Cristof Traudes
President says Superintendent Jon Gurban has done great work but that moving on 'happens as the natural growth of an organization' The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is set to move beyond Superintendent Jon Gurban, voting 6–3 Wednesday night to begin a search for candidates.
It’s the will of Minneapolis’ residents, said a majority of the board that included all three new commissioners. The campaign trail sealed Southwest’s Brad Bourn and Anita Tabb’s decision, they said, while Northeast’s Liz Wielinski said people brought up the issue repeatedly last fall.
But three of the board’s longest-serving commissioners fought back, stringing along a discussion that dominated the night’s meeting.
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'Beyond Our Differences' screening on Friday
UPDATED February 3, 2010, 5:02pm
By Sarah McKenzie
There will be a special screening of the documentary “Beyond Our Differences,” a film exploring the positive impact of religion and spirituality in the world, at the Mayo Memorial Auditorium at the University of Minnesota campus Friday.
Peter Bisanz, the film’s director, will be on hand after the screening for a Q&A session.
Bisanz of St. Paul is the director and founder of New York-based Entropy Films. He is one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders — a group of people committed to turning their visions for positive change into action on a variety of important social causes.
In a recent interview, Bisanz said the concept for “Beyond Our Differences” came about while he was at the Dalai
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Twin Citites janitors vote to authorize strike
UPDATED February 1, 2010, 10:38am
By Gregory J. Scott
A near unanimous vote by over 500 union members has given Downtown janitors the authority to strike. Over 4,000 janitors in the Twin Cities have been working without a contract since Jan. 8. Negotiations with cleaning contractors have made little progress since then, and last Saturday's vote gives the bargaining committee the power to call a strike. Two more negotiation dates have been scheduled over the following weeks, but the affirmative vote means that the janitors who clean the vast majority of Downtown office buildings could walk off the job at any time. One of the major sticking points in talks is the green cleaning agenda proposed by the janitors. SEIU Local 26 has sought a transition to day shift cleaning, which the union argues could reduce
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Northeast spotlight :: Crafty entrepreneurs
By Sarah McKenzie
Stroll into I Like You and you are bound to find something that catches your eye. There are adorably hip outfits for little ones, artwork by notable local artists like Amy Rice and Adam Turman and all kinds of other handmade odds and ends you likely won’t find anywhere else. Owners Sarah Sweet and Angela Lessman recently moved their store to the neighborhood after a couple years in Kingfield in southwest Minneapolis. They plan on offering craft classes this spring to inspire other people in the community to tap into their own creative powers. Sweet recently spoke with the Downtown Journal about the business. DTJ: What do you look for when thinking about items for your store? Sweet: We look for things that you
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Community notebook :: Janitors’ union sets strike vote
By Gregory J. Scott
1 Comment
Janitors’ union sets date for strike voteAfter two full weeks of working without a contract, a union representing more than 4,000 Twin Cities janitors decided last week to set a strike authorization vote over unfair labor practices. The vote was scheduled to take place on Saturday, Jan. 30, at the union’s weekly member meeting. At press time, the outcome was not yet known, but the Downtown Journal has been posting web updates regarding this story at downtownjournal.com. SEIU Local 26 — Minnesota’s Property Services Union, which represents security officers and window cleaners in addition to janitors — had arranged for two additional weeks of negotiations at the end of last year, pushing the final deadline for a new
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Study shows uptick in Downtown skyway traffic
By Gregory J. Scott
If you’ve noticed a bit more jostling during your skyway lunch dashes, you’re not alone. Foot traffic in the elevated corridors jumped 4 percent in 2009, and in some areas pedestrian counts reached a 10-year high. The uptick is the major take-away from a report issued last week from Minneapolis-based Pedestrian Studies, a national consulting firm that analyzes foot-traffic patterns for people whose business depends on that sort of thing — shopping centers, property managers, organizers of public events. Pedestrian Studies founder Peter Bruce has conducted annual skyway counts in Minneapolis since 1991. For this study, Bruce focused on the corridors connected to Downtown’s major buildings, including City Center, Gaviidae Common, Northstar
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Biz buzz :: The Forum
By Gregory J. Scott
New restaurant to open in former Goodfellows spaceA former executive at Cargill is opening a new restaurant in City Center, taking over the space previously occupied by Goodfellows. The new restaurant, called The Forum, will blend comfort-food favorites and traditional chop house fare. It will also offer a “changing destination menu” that every month highlights a different culinary tradition from a region of the United States. Chef Christian Ticarro, executive chef at the Canyon Grille in Coon Rapids, will head the kitchen. The opening is planned for early April. The Forum takes over one of Minneapolis’ most historic spaces, the old Forum Cafeteria, which operated from the 1930s to the 1970s. The space was most recently
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Proposal would double fundraising needs for planetarium
By Cristof Traudes
In a shaky economy, it’s hard enough just to raise money. Try watching thought-to-be-secured dollars fall away. That’s what backers of the Minneapolis Planetarium project have been doing in the weeks since Gov. Tim Pawlenty presented his 2010 bonding proposal, a bill that would delete $22 million that’s been guaranteed to the Minneapolis Planetarium Society since 2005. Without the bonding, the society is looking at more than double the amount of money they need to raise to get the long-planned project up and running. “If the $22 million goes away, I think we have to really reconsider how everything looks,” said Angus Vaughan, president of the Minnesota Planetarium Society. The proposed planetarium would be a $35 million
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A tale of two housing markets
By Gregory J. Scott
// What do the 2009 numbers mean for Downtown? //The number of sales swelled, but median prices plummeted. Affordability reached a record high, but so did foreclosures and short sales. Realtors feel a twinge of optimism, but economists keep a nervous vigil. Since its release two weeks ago, a year-end report on the 2009 Twin Cities housing market has generated mixed emotions and mixed data, matching nearly every encouraging sign of a turn-around with a reason to keep hopes in check. And while real estate watchers metro-wide have chimed in with outlooks for the Twin Cities as a whole, getting an isolated assessment for Downtown has proven more difficult. “We stray from offering specific, neighborhood-level
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