don samuels
Post on 14-Apr-2018
226 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
-
7/30/2019 Don Samuels
1/3
B y M c l l B u c
Fifth Ward City Council
Member Don Samuels
doesnt scare easily.
When he arrived in
North Minneapolis Jordan
neighborhood in 1998, he
said his street included
two prostitution houses,
three drug-sellers and lots
of slum properties.
To deal with one
chaotic party house
on the street, Samuels
and 15 other neighbors
knocked on the front
door. To deal with a
West Broadway business
allegedly allowing drug
activity, Samuels pick-
eted the owners home in
Medicine Lake, leaving
fliers at neighboring
doorsteps and picket
signs on the lawn.
In an October Star
Tribune editorial,
Samuels said he pulled
over his car to chastise
a young man urinating
on West Broadway, only
to be threatened and
julServing Downtown & ortheast MinneapoisMa 20jne 2, 2012
Sames ampaign fosedon reding ineqaities
// Mayoral candidate profle //c i t y e l e c t i o n
2 0 1 3
S SMulSP 14P h o t o b y S t b b
City Council Member Don Samuels.
B y S M c K z
Gov. Mark Dayton signed
the same-sex marriage bill
into law on the south steps
of the state Capitol on May
14 one day after the
Minnesota Senate voted to
approve the measure.
The legislation will go into
effect Aug. 1.
Minnesota is the 12th
state in the nation to legalize
gay marriage. The vote
comes six months after
Minnesota voters defeated
a proposed amendment to
the state Constitution that
would have banned same-
sex marriage. The debate
over allowing gay and
lesbian couples to marry has
been a deeply emotional and
divisive issue in the state.
The Senate passed the
same-sex marriage bill
37-30 a few days after the
Minnepiswmkers edthe wy nsme-sex mrrige//Scott Dibble, Karen Clark shepherd
passage of historic legislation//
S MP 8
SM D S
Vikings reveal new sadi and an Cs. releases sadi area revializain planP 10
Doubl balreas carnis friends plis a cllege
exk and an nline series
P 4
SScalS
tw recipes fr e seasn
P 16
S u b m t t m S
-
7/30/2019 Don Samuels
2/3
14 // My 20Jun 2, 2013 // junlmpls.cm
// Mayoral candidate profile //c i t y e l e c t i o n2 0 1 3
have his iPhone stolen.
In response, Samuels
worked with police toimmediately track down
the suspect and gave him
a lecture and a hug.
My wife and I moved
into North Minneapolis
to make a difference. We
could live in Linden Hills.
It was a deliberate move,
with an intent to be very
deliberately intrusive,
Samuels said. One thing
that Ive learned over
the course of my life, if
youre willing to walk
into the most dangerous,
most unacceptable situ-
ation, that you automati-cally become a powerful
person. You can take
the prerogative of your
nations expectations and
your expectations as a
human being with you, and
that is power. You have the
right on your side.
Top priorities
If Samuels became
mayor, he said his biggest
priority would involve
closing regional gaps in
academics, income and
employment.Being the council
member I am from the
area that I am, I would
No. 1 be carrying those
burdens in my heart,
Samuels said. We have
already made a lot of
promises. One of the chal-lenges is how we stay the
course on them.
The theme of balancing
inequality crops up in many
of Samuels positions on
city issues. On potential
streetcar and light rail proj-
ects, he wants equitablehiring and equal access
to new infrastructure. On
bike infrastructure, he said
he wants every neighbor-
hood to have a share in city
amenities and receive extra
eyes on the street. On the
Vikings stadium, he wantedthe city to take an early
seat at the table and dictate
terms that the project
should reach 32 percent
minority participation.
Large, dense develop-
ment projects should be
concentrated in the citystransit corridors, Samuels
said, but the details should
always be negotiated with
the neighborhood.
As for property taxes,
Samuels said increases
should naturally end as
the economy improves.
Property values will rise,
he said, and a more city-
friendly state government
will end cuts to local
government aid.
I dont foresee any
increase in taxes at
all, Samuels said. And
frankly, anybody thatbecomes mayor is going to
benefit from R.T.s making
very tough decisions and
allowing us to have a free
ride on that one.
A mayoral priority
for Samuels would be
tracking Results Minne-
apolis, which features
data-driven progress
reports and five-year
business plans designed
to meet city goals. He said
he advocated for that kind
of analysis during his first
City Hall speech in 2003,
endorsing BaltimoresCitiStat program.
I was in business for
myself for 15 years and
I worked with corporate
America for another 15,
Samuels said. You have
to get the job done, other-
wise you dont have a job.I want to take that kind of
approach to government.
From smallbusiness owner toCity Council member
Samuels immigrated to
the U.S. from Jamaica
in 1970 to study indus-
trial design. He worked
at Playskool as senior
director of research &
development, and left the
company to start his own
small business designing
toys for major toy manu-facturers. He said his
creative work experience
aids him today at City
Hall. He described a stan-
dard example:
There are 30 million
Barbies in America, and
youve got to come up with
a new doll thats different.
Every Barbie has been
done. But they want a
new one, he said. You
sit there with your blank
paper, and suddenly you
have to go the bathroom.
And then you come back
from the bathroom, andsuddenly, youve got the
munchies. ... There is this
Samuelsf r oM Pa g e 1
P h o t o b k r i t i e b b e
Don Samuels is one of six mayoral candidates seeking the DFL endorsement.
D Rere Grp DRGMp.m 612-777-8005
ERick PattERsonUrban Realtor
612-220-7673 Erick@DRGMpls.com
CondoErick.com
MaRissa skajaUrban Realtor
612-387-1499 Marissa@DRGMpls.com
MarissaSkaja.com
kEvin MullEnUrban Realtor
612-581-8969 Kevin@DRGMpls.com
IdealCityLiving.com
MikE sEEbinGERUrban Realtor
612-807-4958 Mike@DRGMpls.com
UrbanMinneapolisHomes.com
skyscaPE:$279,900
2BR/2BA corner unit w/panoramic views o DT Mpls. Enjoy the open
oor plan & large balcony! Upgraded throughout! Full amenity building to
include 24hr door person, ftness center, 6th r rootop courtyard.
MaDison lofts:$199,900
Edgy combo o a lot and town home. Tall ceilings, walls o glass and
convenient ground oor walkout. Covered/heated parking connected to
your back door. Popular NE Mpls Arts District.
MaDison lofts:$209,900
Minneapoliss best kept secret! Functional lot space with golden brick
walls, large expansive windows and underground heated parking.
Located in the hot NE Mpls Arts District.
falls anD PinnaclE:$184,900
Fantastic one bedroom condo located at The Falls! Updates
throughout. Walking distance to the River, Restaurants, shops,
entertainment and grocery store! Amenities galore!
You're in charge! Pick all your own fnishes. Only pre-construction
opportunity in all o DT! 5 homes let. Hardwood rs, SS appliances, granite
counters, ceramic tile all included in these unmatched prices DT!
RivER Run townHoMEs:$259,900
Spectacular penthouse w/ gorgeous views. Designer ready vanilla shell
with walls o windows, 3 private balconies plus a media room and den!
Features great entertainment spaces. Price includes buildout.
ZEnitH conDos:$1,100,000
sEcuRity waREHousE lofts:$259,900 citiscaPE:$314,900
Custom & contemporary! Home was renovated in 2004 but still has
charm rom original building. Features include original brickwork and
beams, maple cabinets & huge party room & exercise area!
Close to everything! Brand new gourmet kitchen, unmatched outdoor
space that is great or relaxing or entertaining. Master bedroom with
loted den space. Amazing corner unit and a true must see.
, .
-
7/30/2019 Don Samuels
3/3
journalmpls.com // May 20June 2, 2013 // 15
// Mayoral candidate profile // c i t y e l e c t i o n2 0 1 3
At A Anc: Dn SAuS
Age: 64
neighborhood: Jordan
Family: Wife Sondra, one adult son and two daughters.
Resme sapsho: Former senior director of research
and development at Playskool, former small business
owner of toy design rm, Minneapolis City Council
member since 2003.
daio: Masters of divinity from Luther Seminary, 2001
F fa: Samuels immigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica in
1970 to study industrial design.
twier: @Don_Samuels
Faebook: facebook.com/DonSamuelsForMayor
DtRS nt
The Journals will be
proling the self-declared
candidates for mayor for
the next several issues
leading up to the DFL City
Convention on June 15.
This is the third prole
in our series. We have
proled Mark Andrew and
Jackie Cherryhomes and
will be publishing stories
in coming weeks on Gary
Schiff, Betsy Hodges,
Jim Thomas and Cam
Winton, an Independentcandidate not seeking
the DFL endorsement.
healthy panic that strikes
you, tha ts also stimulating
your crea tive juices. You
have to double down and
do it, because they gave
you a week to ge t backsome rough drawings.
Samuels said he carries
the same attitude to City
Hall.
A blank page is not
acceptable, he said. We
cant say there is nothing
to do; we tried everything.
And we have to say that
what is going on now is
totally unacceptable, that
it has to stop now. ... When
you have that attitude, life
gets pretty simple.
He supported city regu-
lations that repeatedly
doubled fines for viola-tions by property owners.
A fine that might s tart at
$30 could rise over $1,000,
he said, quickly bringing
viola tors into compliance.
He thinks the same sort
of strategy works with
behavior-related crimes.
Twenty-five percent of
the crime downtown is
committed by people from
55411. If you create an
environment where crime
is normalized, then people
go somewhere else and
act that way, he said.
Its one city. We canthave one kind of behavior
in one part, and not in
other the part. Otherwise
downtown is in dange r,
and once downtown is in
danger, then people start
to look for residence all
over the suburbs.
Despite his convic-tion, Samuels strategies
havent won uniform
praise on the North side .
Pastor Jerry McAfee of
New Salem Missionary
Baptist Church said he
thinks the state of North
Minneapolis has grown
worse during Samuels
tenure.
He has failed at pulling
everybody to the table for
a solution in North Minne-
apolis, McAfee said. The
only person he cares much
about is the mayor.
Samuels disagreed andpointed to his efforts to
close the Wafana Food
Market, which generated
1,200 911 calls in its final
year and is located a block
from McAfees church.
To say the [North side]
is no better off than it
was back then is insultingto all of the hard work
my neighbors and I have
done, Samuels said.
McAfee also criticized
Samuels decision to
gut the Civilian Review
Authority, saying that
police brutality incidents
continue to be a problem.
In 2012, Samuels
supported an overhaul
that created a new agency
with both civilian and
sworn investigators to
field allegations of police
misconduct. He said the
CRA had become dysfunc-tional and unproductive.
Samuels is no stranger
to conversations about
racism. He co-founded
the Institute for Authentic
Dialogue with Jon Odell,
the author of books
including The View fromDelphi, which covers
the struggle for equality
in Odells home state of
Mississippi.
Odell said he and
Samuels stunned dinner
parties with their candid
conversations about race.
They founded the Insti-
tute to teach others how
to discuss race, providing
seminars at companies
like General Mills.
You can stumble, make
mistakes and forgive
each other, and not fall
into political correct-ness, Odell said. I still
hear from people who
said [the Institute] began
their ability to talk across
race. They didnt have the
language to do it.
VJ Smi th of MAD DADS
said he and Samuels
spent many conversa-
tions strategizing how
to build community and
improve outreach before
Samuels cofounded the
PEACE Foundation in
2003. Today, under the
leadership of Samuels
wife Sondra, the renamedNorthside Achieve-
ment Zone works to end
poverty in North Minne -
apolis by supporting chil-
dren and preparing them
for college.
Smith said he and
Samuels went on to partnerin response to homicides,
planning vigils and working
to bring peace to the
impacted families.
I think he sees a vision,
and I think he knows the
pain that we suffer in our
community, Smith said.
I think that he would give
it his all.
When Samuels and 15
neighbors approached
the scary people on
their block to improve
safety, he felt security in
numbers the partiers
would have needed to
slash 15 tires, he said,
or beat up 15 people. He
thinks the city should
take that mentality.
We have a hugely domi-
nant number of good-will
people in our c ity. But
we have subordinated
ourselves to one slum
lord who owns 18 proper-
ties, or a gang that has 50
kids, Samuels said. This
is amazing to me. A gang
with 50 teenagers? I have
two in my house and they
cant even control the
bathroom, let alone the
whole neighborhood. This
is what Im talking about.
I want to bring a new
kind of understanding
to the order of society.To sanity, to fairness, to
justice . Its very simple,
once you think about it.
Were putting up with a lot
of stuff and being intimi-
dated by people who are
much weaker than we are.
We just have to walk into
the situation and face it.
Live the Lifestyle Call Downtown Resource Group Today!
joE GRunnEtUrban Realtor
612-244-6613 Joe@DRGMpls.com
DowntownMplsLiving.com
PatRick caRsonLeasing Director
612-325-0482 Patrick@DRGMpls.com
DowntownMplsLiving.com
bj lavEllEUrban Realtor
612-424-2331 BJ@DRGMpls.com
MSPLotsAndCondos.com
solDin
7Days
GRant PaRk:$385,000 luMEn on laGoon:$1,695
Top level pent house in the heart o Uptown. East acing unit w/dramatic
views and a ton o natural light. Customized closets or extra storage, in
unit laundry, 14 t ceilings. Underground heated parking included.
Stunning corner unit with amazing view o the city! Upgrades throughout!
Tons o windows and an open oor plan or entertaining. Has an indoor pool,
ftness room, business center, and community area.
1901 lofts:$1,495
Huge lot style window bringing in tons o light, exposed brick walls and
duct work, hardwood ooring throughout, galley kitchen with stainless
and granite, large balcony with gas grill included, and so much more!
Newly remodeled 2BR + den, corner unit eaturing oor to ceiling
windows and two balconies. Top o the line appliances, cherry cabinetry,
hardwood oors, glass tile backsplash, freplace, balcony, large master!
GRant PaRk:$3,250
For those who love the authenticity o historic lots, SOHO has it all!
Great corner unit w/ big windows, high ceilings, open oor plan, unique
concrete columns and oors, exposed clay tile and brick walls & more.
Live the urban lie at Village Lots! Close to historic St Anthony Main.
Within blocks o Lunds, shopping, restaurants, and trails along
the riverront.
villaGE lofts:$419,900 soHo lofts:$284,000
:
top related