‘Commentary’ Archives
Frank reflection: Renters being exploited
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. [...]
Letter to the community: Don”™t go down the path of ugliness
I am a former 13-year resident of Phillips, during which time I was an activist and sometime-contributor to the Alley. When I saw “The Rand Report” I thought: Another interesting column. On reading further, I was saddened. The piece is a classic rant, full of angry statements backed up by unsubstantiated or non-existent evidence. (Sound familiar these days?) For example: “The Irish, as indentured servants, were worked to death with greater frequency than slaves.” Since at the time, Africans were counted as 4/5 of a person, it would be hard to calculate this even if there were any figures.  I have all good feeling for Irish people and Irish culture, and know they were badly mistreated by people who had immigrated to America before them, but were there any Irish chattel slaves (meaning that they and their offspring were property of the master)? Any Irish-aimed Jim Crow laws? Any laws written to discriminate against the Irish in banking, [...]
