If There’s A Solution…
By Mitch Berg
…to the crime wave currently sweeping the Twin Cities, it’ll likely be when parts of the state with functional two-party systems start catching slopover.
Which may be happening:
Big Left and Big Media will spin this as racist, naturally – to them, suburbs = racism (says they, from their cozy strongholds in Crocus Hill, Kenwood and Edina).
And when enough exurban soccer moms get robbed at gunpoint, it won’t matter.
November 19th, 2021 at 6:58 am
This will continue at least until the county border is reached, or maybe the congressional district border. It is a political problem caused by the Hennepin county prosecutor’s office and Hennepin county judges. Ditto Ramsey county.
November 19th, 2021 at 7:05 am
Meanwhile, back in Mpls, “Minneapolis Residents Shocked As Some Saw Property Tax Estimates Rise 20% Or Higher”. Or as Bill Glahn put it, “The city raises property taxes by 20 percent, while refusing to protect property”.
Odd how this projected increase didn’t become part of the recent election.
November 19th, 2021 at 7:53 am
That’s what a death spiral looks like, jdm.
It is very difficult to turn around. You can easily end up like Detroit or some of the old East Coast industrial cities. Revenue declines, so you raise property taxes to compensate while providing fewer services. People don’t like paying more and getting less, so those that can sell and leave. This drives revenue down further. Eventually you reach a level of equilibrium at much lower revenue, but you are in a hole and cannot dig out. Any increase in revenue, from, say, an outside entity like the state or the feds, doesn’t actually improve city services in any meaningful way. The city is still obligated to pay the bonds and retirement packages it took on when it was flush.
Minneapolis, BRW, always liked to brag that it got so much money from other income streams like event fees, liquor license fees, and hotel taxes, that it was less dependendent on property taxes than other mid sized cities.
I wonder how that is working out for them?
November 19th, 2021 at 10:03 am
The Strib recently touted that even though a record number of people were moving out, they were being replaced by a record number of people buying those homes so they could be close to the rich, vibrant, and diverse offerings of big city.
More likely, we were in the middle of a warm, “greater fool” bubble where those who can read writing on a wall were able to get out and get fair compensation. The ones now holding the bag, I mean, the investments will eventually be wondering how their dream went sour and looking to blame someone. Class action suits may be in the offing.
November 19th, 2021 at 10:27 am
We are hoping, really, for a new Bernhard Goetz to arise and let people know that this sort of thing is really not normal.
November 19th, 2021 at 10:32 am
The best thing I can say about folks like Lisa Bender and the progressive wing of the city council is that their malgovernance motivated voters to toss out a bad system with confusing lines of authority. A 150 year old mistake was finally rectified by the delusional post-police utopian politics of nine fools. It’s the arc of the universe bending toward progress, I suppose.
November 19th, 2021 at 11:36 am
A 150 year old mistake was finally rectified by the delusional post-police utopian politics of nine fools.
And a post election examination of the ranked choice ballots shows that Frey was the first choice of only 19% of the voters. So, thanks to the Council’s “ranked choice” vision, they now have a “strong mayor” model with a mayor with only a nominal “mandate”.
Be careful what you wish for, I guess.
November 19th, 2021 at 11:36 am