Wedge LIVE!
182 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 34 ratingsA show about Minneapolis politics from the maker of Wedge LIVE, the award winning local news website.
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Episodes
What's next for the Minneapolis 2040 Plan lawsuit?
June 28, 2022 09:00 - 43 minutes - 80.5 MBFollowing the City of Minneapolis' recent loss in Hennepin County District Court, John is joined by Matthew Melewski -- a lawyer with experience in Minnesota land use and environmental law -- for a conversation about the ongoing four year legal battle over the Minneapolis 2040 Plan. We review the arguments, the law, the fake environmentalists behind this lawsuit, and anticipate the next 18 months of appeals. That's right, there could still be 18 more months of this. John takes issue with the...
On Location in Uptown
June 21, 2022 09:04 - 1 hour - 118 MBJohn is joined by Melody Hoffmann (@MelodySWV from https://southwestvoices.news) for a Saturday night special report on location from the streets of Uptown. All with a goal of answering the question: what is the relative aliveness of Uptown these days? We start in LynLake and move west towards Uptown proper. We visit local art such as the Uptown Trolley Ball, assess the 29th Street "shared street," climb a local parking garage for a bird's eye view of Hennepin Avenue, endure an extended c...
Pedal Pod: Mike Norton, Minneapolis DFL Vice Chair
June 16, 2022 08:28 - 44 minutes - 81.9 MBOn the series finale of the Pedal Pod: There's an empty seat in the pod-mobile. John faces the prospect of podcasting without a partner in conversation. Increasingly desperate, he picks up Mike Norton, logistics tycoon and Lakewood cemetery tour guide. As we pedal up and down Lyndale Avenue, we talk about the disgruntled reaction to Mike taking on his new role as vice chair of the Minneapolis DFL, his 2021 attempt to unseat Ward 13 Council Member Linea Palmisano, and we disagree on how likel...
Pedal Pod: Marion Greene, Hennepin County Commissioner
June 14, 2022 08:14 - 50 minutes - 91.9 MB"Pedal-Powered Podcast Week" does something we never intended: stretch into a second and final week (we promise). That's what happens when you record six hours of conversations at Open Streets on Lyndale Avenue. Today's guest is Commissioner Marion Green, who represents district 3 (which includes the Wedge, Southwest Minneapolis, Downtown, and St. Louis Park) on the Hennepin County Board. Some of our topics: Lyndale Avenue safety improvements that have been years in the making, the county's ...
Pedal Pod: J.D. Duggan replaces Brian Mitchell
June 10, 2022 09:30 - 32 minutes - 60 MBThe pedal-pod rolls on. Before we have a chance to really get to know our first guest Brian Mitchell (@BrianMitchL), John decides he's found a better guest in J.D. Duggan (@JDugganMN). J.D. is a journalist with Finance & Commerce who bears a striking resemblance to Bill Lindeke. We talk about the state of local journalism, why it seems that the only jobs remaining are with local business magazines, whether J.D.'s friends think he's gone corporate, Mayor Frey's job performance and where he go...
Pedal-Pod: Aisha Chughtai, Minneapolis City Council Member in Ward 10
June 09, 2022 09:00 - 44 minutes - 81.1 MBWe continue the Pedal-Pod series, recorded on location at Open Streets on Lyndale Avenue -- everyone's favorite summer street festival in Minneapolis. John boots failed Ward 13 candidate Mike Norton out of the pod-mobile so he can pick up a winner: Aisha Chughtai, who represents Ward 10 on the City Council. We talk about bike earrings, Aisha's status as "the bus lady," whether she's able to summon optimism about the future, the debate over Mayor Frey's pick to be city coordinator, fru...
Pedal Pod: Aisha Chughtai, Minneapolis City Council Member in Ward 10
June 09, 2022 09:00 - 44 minutes - 81.1 MBWe continue the Pedal-Pod series, recorded on location at Open Streets on Lyndale Avenue -- everyone's favorite summer street festival in Minneapolis. John boots failed Ward 13 candidate Mike Norton out of the pod-mobile so he can pick up a winner: Aisha Chughtai, who represents Ward 10 on the City Council. We talk about bike earrings, Aisha's status as "the bus lady," whether she's able to summon optimism about the future, the debate over Mayor Frey's pick to be city coordinator, fru...
Pedal Pod: Ash Narayanan and Elissa Schufman
June 07, 2022 10:14 - 52 minutes - 95.3 MBThe first installment of a many part series recorded during the Lyndale Avenue edition of Open Streets Minneapolis on June 5, 2022. We haven't Open Streets on Lyndale in June since 2019. To mark the occasion, John has borrowed a four-wheeled recumbent bicycle with side-by-side seating, and transformed it into what he's calling "the world's first pedal-powered podcast." Our first two guests are Ash Narayanan, executive director of Our Streets Minneapolis, and Elissa Schufman, a transportation...
Pedal-Pod Part 1: Ash Narayanan and Elissa Schufman
June 07, 2022 10:14 - 52 minutes - 95.3 MBThe first installment of a many part series recorded during the Lyndale Avenue edition of Open Streets Minneapolis on June 5, 2022. We haven't Open Streets on Lyndale in June since 2019. To mark the occasion, John has borrowed a four-wheeled recumbent bicycle with side-by-side seating, and transformed it into what he's calling "the world's first pedal-powered podcast." Our first two guests are Ash Narayanan, executive director of Our Streets Minneapolis, and Elissa Schufman, a transportation...
Pedal-Pod: Ash Narayanan and Elissa Schufman
June 07, 2022 10:14 - 52 minutes - 95.3 MBThe first installment of a many part series recorded during the Lyndale Avenue edition of Open Streets Minneapolis on June 5, 2022. We haven't Open Streets on Lyndale in June since 2019. To mark the occasion, John has borrowed a four-wheeled recumbent bicycle with side-by-side seating, and transformed it into what he's calling "the world's first pedal-powered podcast." Our first two guests are Ash Narayanan, executive director of Our Streets Minneapolis, and Elissa Schufman, a transportation...
Monthly with Melody
June 02, 2022 08:54 - 58 minutes - 108 MBJohn is joined by Melody Hoffman (@MelodySWV) for the first in a series of monthly appearances called "Monthly with Melody" (note: the monthly nature of Melody's appearances is currently probationary). Melody gets John up to speed on all the news he missed while away. John spent last week visiting Chicago, enjoying their transit system and sampling the original Uptown. John explains why commemorating the second anniversary of George Floyd's murder feels off. We talk about last week's remarka...
Reproductive Justice in Minnesota with Shayla Walker
May 18, 2022 11:44 - 37 minutes - 68.1 MBA conversation about the struggle for reproductive justice in Minnesota with Shayla Walker, executive director of Our Justice, an organization providing support and resources to people seeking access to abortion. With the US Supreme Court indicating their intention to overturn the right to an abortion, Shayla says the demand for those services in Minnesota is going to increase several times over. Shayla talks about the legal effort to overturn restrictive anti-abortion laws in Minnesota thro...
Lyndale Avenue Median Episode
May 16, 2022 11:02 - 37 minutes - 68.3 MBJohn is joined by Melody Hoffmann (@MelodySWV) for an episode recorded smack in the middle of four lanes of traffic on Lyndale Avenue (27th Street intersection) in south Minneapolis. Did we capture any usable audio? Listen to find out. This episode is best experienced on YouTube. Special thanks to Conrad Zbikowski (@ConradZbikowski) for his behind the camera work. This episode would not have been possible without his technical wizardry. Watch: https://youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conver...
Lessons for Hennepin Ave: A History of Dedicated Transit Lanes on Minneapolis Streets
May 12, 2022 11:15 - 1 hour - 115 MBJohn is joined by Peter Wagenius, legislative director for the Sierra Club Northstar Chapter, for a conversation about the history of dedicated transit space on Minneapolis streets and similarities with today's debate over bus lanes on Hennepin Avenue. We talk about what makes our transportation planning decisions so key to combating climate change. Peter recalls his experience, while policy director under former Mayors Rybak and Hodges, of the planning process for a series of bus lanes (mos...
"Abortion Restrictions Are Functionally Racist"
May 11, 2022 09:49 - 30 minutes - 56.6 MBJohn has a conversation with reproductive health researcher Asha Hassan, MPH, about the public health and equity impacts of eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion, as a draft opinion has signaled is the intention of the US Supreme Court. What is Minnesota's role in restricting or expanding access? Does this open the floodgates to further attacks on bodily autonomy? With the potential for abortion rights to become more relevant to local politics, what should we be asking of our e...
LIVE Episode!
May 05, 2022 12:46 - 1 hour - 165 MBJohn is joined by Jason Garcia for the first ever Ask Us Anything episode. We take calls from Melody (https://SouthwestVoices.news) regarding Lyndale Avenue safety improvements, and Christin regarding the US Supreme Court's intention to overturn abortion rights. John puts his foot down after superfan Conrad Z makes repeated calls into the show. We talk about the results of the state's investigation into MPD misconduct, the all important Hennepin Avenue reconstruction (which we think is comin...
How to Make Friends in Minneapolis, Stop Being Lonely, and Be Happy Forever
April 21, 2022 08:20 - 1 hour - 145 MBOn this episode, John is joined by his dear friends Ryan Brown, Elissa Schufman, and PeggySue Imihy Bean to explore the importance of friendship. We explore questions such as how to go about trying to make friends as an adult?; is it possible for an outsider to make friends in Minneapolis?; how has your outlook on friendship been transformed during the pandemic?; can you maintain a friendship with someone across long distances, such as after they move from the Wedge to the Kingfield neighbor...
Breaking Down the Race for Hennepin County Attorney: A Progressive Case for Mary Moriarty
April 13, 2022 11:12 - 1 hour - 125 MBJohn has a conversation with Kathleen Cole, an organizer with People Over Prosecution, whose mission is "transforming prosecution in Hennepin County" by electing a prosecutor "whose practices deliver justice, not just punishment." Kathleen explains what's wrong with longtime Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. We delve into questions like: Why are prosecutors, and this office, so important? What kind of change is possible? What experience should we expect them to bring to the job? How sho...
Policing and legislating during a time of transition at Minneapolis City Hall, with Elliott Payne
April 07, 2022 07:25 - 1 hour - 113 MBJohn is joined by Elliott Payne, Minneapolis City Council member in Ward 1. We talk about his plans for a new public safety charter amendment, which he is careful to say isn't a rehash of last year's election; the police killing of Amir Locke, and whether Mayor Frey can start getting MPD policies right after some big failures during his four-plus years on the job; and after hearing big promises for years about the police contract, what should we think about the argument that the police contr...
Hiawatha Golf Course: A Sex Forest Episode
March 31, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 155 MBJohn is joined by PeggySue and Chris Meyer for a conversation about attempts to resolve longstanding environmental issues at a south Minneapolis public golf course, its historical significance to Black golfers, the flooding and trash that plague the adjacent lake and its neighbors, and a longshot plan to replace the course with a sex forest. See the Hiawatha Golf Course master plan, which Chris refers to as the "compromise" plan: https://www.minneapolisparks.org/park_care__improvements/park...
Advertise on the Wedge LIVE podcast!
March 23, 2022 11:00 - 3 minutes - 6.79 MBAfter 60 episodes the Wedge LIVE podcast is taking it to the next level, and we're extending an opportunity to bring your product or service along for the ride. Whether you're a realtor, a local bar/restaurant, or a cat owner looking to have your cat's birthday announced on the air -- we're here to meet your advertising needs. Contact [email protected].
The Minneapolis Charter Commission and the Tyranny of Old White Lawyers
March 21, 2022 04:40 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBJohn is joined by Jason Garcia (@jasoncomix) and Josh Martin (@JoshMartinMpls) for a conversation about the recent history of the Minneapolis Charter Commission, why this volunteer body is important, and our opportunity to fill 11 of the 15 seats with new appointments in 2022 -- APPLY TODAY! Apply for an open seat on the Minneapolis Charter Commission: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/boards-and-commissions/current-openings/ If you still have questions, attend an info session this ...
Replacing I-94 with a Twin Cities Boulevard
March 08, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 73.2 MBJohn and co-host PeggySue Imihy have a conversation with Alex Burns and José Antonio Zayas Cabán -- both from Our Streets Minneapolis -- about their new endeavor to replace a 7-mile stretch of I-94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul with a Twin Cities Boulevard. We go over the environmental and economic harms of an interstate, and the opportunity to heal them. We talk about strategies to overcome the political challenges facing such an ambitious plan. We also devote nearly eight minutes to an ...
Wedge LIVE 4 Kids: A Very Special Minneapolis Public Schools Finance Episode
March 03, 2022 09:10 - 1 hour - 63.3 MBJohn's guests are Melissa Whitler and Sara Spafford Freeman (and Sara's large dog). We talk about the Minneapolis Public Schools, racism and segregation, unfunded mandates for special education and English learners, white parents who don't send their kids to the neighborhood school, why you should "defund your PTA," and how to fill an oncoming budget hole once the federal covid relief money dries up. Call your state legislators: The most important bill currently before the legislature is fr...
As Minneapolis teacher strike looms, a conversation with a union leader
February 28, 2022 12:00 - 55 minutes - 51.8 MBWith Minneapolis teachers and support staff set to strike if an agreement isn't reached with the school district by March 8, John has a conversation with Shaun Laden, the president of the Educational Support Professionals chapter of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers. We talk about the state of Minneapolis schools, what the union is asking for, and what Shaun sees as an existential threat to the school district: "If we don't change how we operate in the schools, how we make decisions, ho...
Paul Ostrow, candidate for Hennepin County Attorney
February 22, 2022 11:52 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBJohn has a conversation with Paul Ostrow, candidate for Hennepin County Attorney. Paul is a former Minneapolis City Council member and currently works as an Assistant Anoka County Attorney. Paul Ostrow's campaign website: https://ostrowforhennepin.com Watch this episode and view other clips: youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: twitter.com/wedgelive Support the show: patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee
Maybe Jacob Frey is bad at his job?
February 15, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 57.1 MBJohn and Jason start by reviewing Mayor Jacob Frey's job performance in the wake of Minneapolis police killing Amir Locke in a no-knock raid. Then they move on to a conversation about the state of MPD, the latest on the Hennepin Avenue reconstruction, John's appearance in the faith-based animal magazine All Creatures, and more. Watch this episode and view other clips: youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: twitter.com/wedgelive Support the show: patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE the...
Amir Locke and police accountability with Minneapolis City Council member Aisha Chughtai
February 14, 2022 12:00 - 31 minutes - 29.4 MBJohn is joined by co-host Jason Garcia for a conversation about Amir Locke and police accountability with Minneapolis City Council member Aisha Chughtai. Watch this episode and view other clips: youtube.com/wedgelive Join the conversation: twitter.com/wedgelive Support the show: patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee
Burger King Drive Thru
February 02, 2022 12:00 - 58 minutes - 54 MBJohn has a conversation with Adam Wysopal, a man with zoning concerns about a Burger King drive thru in his backyard (NBKIMBY). If you'd like to join Adam's zoning fight against Burger King, he's written an explainer document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W5u2vnvxVrsXOeGL4eoIbON-umwsDOlyxfLdjSU02nw Thumbnail photo credit: Andrew Hazzard. You can read his 2020 coverage of the drive-thru saga here: https://www.southwestjournal.com/news/biz-buzz/2020/02/return-of-the-burger-king/ Watc...
Ryan Winkler, candidate for Hennepin County Attorney
January 30, 2022 04:40 - 54 minutes - 50 MBJohn has a conversation with Ryan Winkler, MN House Majority Leader and a candidate for Hennepin County Attorney. Ryan Winkler's campaign website: ryanwinkler.com Registration for the February 1 caucus is happening right now. For information on how to participate -- and to access contactless/non-attendee forms -- Hennepin County residents should visit caucus.dfl.org and Minneapolis residents should visit minneapolisdfl.org/2022. Watch this episode and view other clips: youtube.com/wedgeli...
Simon Trautmann, candidate for Hennepin County Attorney
January 28, 2022 04:41 - 55 minutes - 51.7 MBJohn has a conversation with Simon Trautmann, a member of the Richfield City Council and a candidate for Hennepin County Attorney. Simon Trautmann's campaign website: simonforcountyattorney.com Registration for the February 1 caucus is happening right now. For information on how to participate -- and to access contactless/non-attendee forms -- Hennepin County residents should visit caucus.dfl.org and Minneapolis residents should visit minneapolisdfl.org/2022. Watch this episode and view o...
DFL Caucus 2022!
January 26, 2022 18:02 - 34 minutes - 32.4 MBJohn is joined by Senate District 61 Vice Chair Deborah Copperud and Minneapolis DFL digital maestro Conrad Zbikowski for a conversation about the upcoming DFL caucuses (register today!). There's a number of local and state races on the ballot this year: Hennepin County's top prosecutor, sheriff, county commissioner, school board, state house and senate. This year, like last year, is easier than a traditional caucus: take five minutes to fill out a form, check those delegate and alternate bo...
Mary Moriarty, candidate for Hennepin County Attorney
January 24, 2022 14:26 - 1 hour - 56.7 MBJohn has a conversation with Mary Moriarty, former Chief Public Defender in Hennepin County, who is currently running for County Attorney. Mary Moriarty's campaign website: www.maryforhennepin.com Registration for the February 1 caucus is happening right now. For information on how to participate -- and to access contactless/non-attendee forms -- Hennepin County residents should visit caucus.dfl.org and Minneapolis residents should visit minneapolisdfl.org/2022. Watch this episode and vie...
Saraswati Singh, candidate for Hennepin County Attorney
January 24, 2022 14:12 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MBJohn has a conversation with Saraswati Singh, currently a Ramsey County prosecutor, who is running for Hennepin County Attorney. Saraswati Singh's campaign website: saraswatisingh.com Registration for the February 1 caucus is happening right now. For information on how to participate -- and to access contactless/non-attendee forms -- Hennepin County residents should visit caucus.dfl.org and Minneapolis residents should visit minneapolisdfl.org/2022. Watch this episode and view other clips...
Not Your Grandma's SWV
January 19, 2022 11:47 - 1 hour - 71.7 MBJohn is joined by Melody Hoffman of the local news upstart Southwest Voices (SWV). We kick off the show with an ill-advised detour into parking statistics on Hennepin Avenue. We talk about the history of Wedge LIVE, Melody's deep and extremely well-placed admiration for John's contribution to the local news landscape--and how Melody might live up to that as a founding editor of SWV. How should we cover local crime stories? Is SWV going to fill the gap on school board news? Is Bryn Mawr reall...
Transit Episode
January 04, 2022 12:05 - 1 hour - 82.8 MBJohn is joined by PeggySue Imihy (city planner) and Jonathan Ahn (transit consultant) for a conversation about transit in the Twin Cities. First, we try to answer a philosophical question inspired by Linden Hills: Can trees and bus stations co-exist? We talk about the City of Minneapolis' plan to reallocate space for transit, pedestrians and bikes on Hennepin Avenue -- and the resulting uproar over car parking. As the pandemic persists and a bus driver shortage forces service cuts, Jonathan ...
2021 Post-Moore-tem: "Extra! Extra! Election Jacker Foiled by Taylor Dahlin"
December 29, 2021 15:05 - 1 hour - 68.1 MBA special episode your host hopes you're too busy to listen to, intentionally scheduled for the week between Christmas and New Year's. John is joined by Jason Garcia and Taylor Dahlin for a rehash of the biggest story of 2021 that you didn't want to be reminded of: the bizarre rise and fall of Mickey Moore's campaign for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 9. Join the conversation: twitter.com/wedgelive Support the show: patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFonts...
Holiday Episode
December 21, 2021 11:17 - 1 hour - 85.4 MBJohn is joined by Elissa Schufman and Jason Garcia for a special holiday episode. Elissa takes us through some end of year reflections. Jason gives their naughty and nice list. We name our "persons of the year," make resolutions for 2022, offer book and movie recommendations, and consider the meaning of Chief Arradondo's exit. And much, much more. Join the conversation: twitter.com/wedgelive Support the show: patreon.com/wedgelive Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee
Minneapolis Redistricting and the Power of the Charter Commission
November 22, 2021 15:06 - 56 minutes - 52.7 MBJohn is joined by redistricting enthusiast Josh Martin for a conversation about redrawing political boundaries in Minneapolis. It's a process that happens every ten years, and it's already underway for City Council and Park Board. Based on data from the 2020 census, the ideal City Council ward should have a population of 33,073.38. The city's most populous ward -- Ward 3 -- currently has a population over 43,000. As the map drawing process kicks off, this is creating ripple effects across th...
Surveying the Damage of Election 2021
November 16, 2021 12:43 - 1 hour - 74.4 MBWith two weeks to gather his thoughts and recover from a November 2 gut punch, John is joined by Jason Garcia for a wide ranging conversation about the state of Minneapolis politics heading into 2022. John feels bad. Jason feels less bad. It's unclear if this makes things better or worse: we're less than a year from people ramping up city council campaigns for the 2023 election. 2022 gives us a chance to elect the Hennepin County Attorney, County Sheriff, and County Commissioners. We talk ab...
David Wheeler, candidate for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 10
October 31, 2021 18:05 - 56 minutes - 52.7 MBJohn has a conversation with David Wheeler, who's running for Minneapolis Council in Ward 10. What's David's closing argument in the final days of the election? How does electing David Wheeler help fix our city's problems? What role does he see for himself on the city council with regard to public safety? David is against Question 2 on the ballot (the public safety charter amendment), so John asks what role he could play on police accountability in a world where the city council lacks policy...
An Inside Perspective on Minneapolis Question 2, the Public Safety Charter Amendment - with Andrea Larson
October 29, 2021 10:22 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MBJohn has a conversation with Andrea Larson, former deputy city coordinator with the city of Minneapolis. Andrea spent six years in the city coordinator's office, and has overseen teams working to develop alternatives to traditional police response. This is work that began at City Council direction in the years prior to George Floyd's murder. The planning work is well underway, and includes the 911/MPD work group that analyzed which 911 calls the city could respond to without a police respons...
Naomi Kritzer, Election Profiler and Award-Winning Sci Fi Author
October 28, 2021 11:36 - 1 hour - 94.2 MBJohn is joined by co-host Elissa Schufman for a conversation with Naomi Kritzer, noted local election profiler and award-winning author. We talk about why Naomi got into writing about elections, her most and least favorite candidates over the years, if she has any candidate endorsement regrets, how scam candidate Mickey Moore actually got much weirder than the last time he ran for office. Somehow we got Naomi talking about rural broadband. We try to answer questions like: Who is the Captain ...
Lisa Bender, Minneapolis City Council President
October 27, 2021 09:45 - 1 hour - 62.9 MBJohn is joined by Lisa Bender, President of the Minneapolis City Council, as she enters the twilight of her Council career. We talk about how she feels going into the final week of the city election, public safety, the strong mayor charter amendment, what's next for housing and transportation policy, what it's been like to push department staff to develop a new policy, her hopes and fears for the next council term, her approach to dealing with Mayor Frey, those weird Duluth rumors, and more....
A Case for Strong Mayor with Paul Ostrow
October 25, 2021 11:02 - 1 hour - 67 MBJohn is joined by co-host Josh Martin. We begin the show with breaking news (as of last Friday when this was recorded) of the Star Tribune editorial board withdrawing their Mickey Moore endorsement. Then a conversation about Question 1 (aka mayoral control or "strong mayor") with former Minneapolis City Council President Paul Ostrow. Paul is somewhat unusual among question 1 supporters in that he also supports Question 2 (public safety charter amendment). Regarding the City Council and and i...
What's Wrong with a Strong Mayor? A conversation with David Fey about Minneapolis ballot question 1
October 22, 2021 09:04 - 53 minutes - 49.8 MBJohn's guest is David Fey from Faith in Minnesota. David served as Deputy Mayor during RT Rybak's first term beginning in 2002. Speaking from his experience in Minneapolis City Hall, David explains why he's telling people to vote no on ballot question 1, which would shift control over the city's non-police departments to the mayor. John expresses his ongoing confusion over why the Charter Commission forced us into having this conversation as the police department has imploded in the year and...
How to Rank Your Ballot with Schufman & Schuman
September 30, 2021 09:34 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBJohn and co-host Elissa Schufman (@schufman) have a conversation with ranked choice voting enthusiast Todd Schuman. Is there ever a good reason to not rank every slot on your ballot? Why do we only get three choices for the three Park Board at-large seats (as opposed to three for each seat)? What is a spoiled ballot? How does ranked choice voting work? Why does Todd's last name have an "f" while Elissa's does not? John opens his ballot in front of a live microphone, reveals too much about hi...
Robin Wonsley Worlobah, candidate for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 2
September 28, 2021 10:28 - 1 hour - 88.9 MBJohn begins by scolding co-host Jason Garcia for failing to prevent audio disaster in the previous epside. Then we have an extended conversation with Robin Wonsley Worlobah, who is running for Minneapolis City Council in Ward 2. We talk about public safety, the "strong mayor" proposal, and answer the question: how long is too long for a podcast episode? What is Robin learning in her conversations with the voters of Ward 2? What big revelations has she come to while undertaking this massive p...
Jono Cowgill, Minneapolis Park Board President
September 23, 2021 14:08 - 1 hour - 82.9 MBThis episode took a lot of work to salvage. John screwed up his audio and had to re-record. So you'll be hearing John's voice, as it was recorded on the day of this conversation, as well as some re-recorded voiceover from a week and a half later. Please don't be confused. I apologize to Jono Cowgill, President of the Minneapolis Park Board. You should absolutely vote for Jono, even if you can't endure listening to this episode. Jono has a truly terrible opponent this year. Thank you to Jason...
Cam Gordon, Minneapolis City Council Member in Ward 2
September 21, 2021 09:12 - 1 hour - 76.9 MBJohn'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? Wha...