Conrad Zbikowski - Ward 3 Candidate for Minneapolis City Council
Wedge LIVE!
English - March 02, 2023 11:15 - 58 minutes - 106 MB - ★★★★★ - 34 ratingsPolitics News Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
John spends significant portions of this episode unsuccessfully goading Conrad Zbikowski, Ward 3 candidate for Minneapolis City Council, into attacking his opponent, incumbent Michael Rainville. We talk about public safety failures, Conrad's unapologetically pro-housing agenda, rent control, homeless encampment response, zoning for complete neighborhoods where everyone has a grocery store, Conrad's campaign strategy (bring in new people or focus on reliable caucus-goers?), and much more.
Most importantly, here are John's preferred lines of attack on Michael Rainville:
Michael Rainville spent the 1990s building his credentials as a neighborhood leader by tossing the possessions of homeless people into the Mississippi River (as reported in the Star Tribune). After a particularly chaotic and violent July 4 in 2022, Council Member Rainville told a white audience he was going to a Mosque to scold Somali elders about the behavior of their children, without regard for the fact he had no idea whether any of their children were actually involved. He bragged to the same audience about his February vote against funding the Office of Violence Prevention. While emphasizing the need to hold OVP accountable, Rainville has repeatedly cast doubt on the findings of the Minnesota Department of Human rights regarding MPD's racist and abusive policing practices. While serving as the City Council representative to the Minneapolis Planning Commission in 2022, Rainville delayed approval of a Hennepin County affordable housing project and raised crime as a reason to oppose it. Rainville has been described by David Brauer as a "sentient Minneapolis Police Federation door decal." (barely sentient?)
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