By FRANK ERICKSON
Let”™s be clear on one thing: the Minneapolis City Council is pro-landlord. The unjust draining of renter”™s bank accounts is the foundation of all these sleek new high-rise apartment buildings being built downtown and the city council has no problem with it.
The city has no problem “throwing renters under the bus,” to get the job done. Investors and developers see the very well coordinated job local landlords have done in banding together and driving rents up and they want in on the action.
The Liberals downtown will give you a sympathetic ear when you talk to them about your rising rents, but they are fully embracing a corrupt “supply and demand” model. They know it is corrupt, but it is getting the job done. Everyone gets richer except renters. Renters are quickly falling on harder and harder times.
“Supply and demand” is an immoral approach when the purchaser has no choice. If a group of individuals had control of all the drinking water and used “supply and demand” selling it, $100 for a glass of water could become the “market rate” for a glass of water.
Building more and more “affordable housing” is not the answer. Elected officials need to address the real problem here which is exploitation ”“ the exploitation of all renters. Renters are not expendable capitalist “roadkill.” Renters are human beings and not capitalist fodder. Renter”™s lives are worth more than just being cash machines for landlords ”“ this is a form of slavery.
I am not opposed to rental cost increases. I am opposed to rapid and repetitive rent increases. Rapidly rising rents are a form of violence and they undermine the health and stability of an entire community.
Local landlords are doing the exact same thing that insulin manufactures are doing; that is, taking something that people need to survive, banding together, and holding people hostage with higher and higher costs. So, why are only the drug companies in trouble?
