Cam Gordon, Minneapolis City Council Member in Ward 2

John's guest is Cam Gordon, who represents Ward 2 on the Minneapolis City Council. First, we get Cam's reaction to the recent legal back and forth over the public safety charter amendment (this episode was recorded before the Minnesota Supreme Court's decision to allow voters to decide Question 2). John asks how Cam assesses the quality of the advice the City Council receives from the City Attorney's Office. And how should voters assess the effect of the "strong mayor" charter amendment? What's the public safety agenda if a charter change fails this November?What is Cam's reelection pitch to voters when he's knocking on doors (especially in light of the doorbell camera footage that's been sent into the Wedge LIVE tipline)? John asks Cam about his too-nice approach to dealing with mean tweeters? And the times he faced off with right wing media figure John Stossel, and local TV lawyer Joe Tamburino. We talk about the Mayor's PAC, the politicization of the chief, disinformation, and a gullible district court judge. Cam responds to John's constant frustration with conventional wisdom around the state of our failing public safety system: "so many officers left there was no way they the department could possibly spend all the money we've given them..." We talk about housing, the 2040 plan, boarding houses (why limit who can operate them?) -- and the history of ending occupancy limits based on the definition of family in the zoning code. What's Cam learned in his nearly 16 years on the City Council? We talk about the Charter Commission's anonymous interviews with city department heads (which the Commission used to promote their strong mayor amendment -- Question 1 on your ballot) and whether there is a rebellion at City Hall. Cam says the way it should work is that staff answers to actions of the Council as a body, not individuals (John suggests those rules don't apply to Lisa Goodman). John pushes Cam on neighborhood group funding. Cam talks about how a strong mayor system would shift power away from lower voter turnout parts of the city. How have personal relationships at City Hall changed over the course of the pandemic and social distancing? We finish the episode with recommendations and a Cam Gordon beard time-lapse.

Join the conversation: twitter.com/wedgelive

Support the show: patreon.com/wedgelive

Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee