Minneapolis City Council Endorsement 2017: Phillipe Cunningham, Ward 4


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Ward 4 is home to Minneapolis' highest poverty and unemployment rates (over 10 per cent); 31 percent of its residents aged 18 to 24 live below the poverty line. Over half its citizens spend over 30 per cent of their income on housing. Current city council representation isn't doing much to address these issues; Phillipe Cunningham, running for Minneapolis' Ward 4 council seat, aims to change that.

As recounted in this interview from Twin Cities Daily Planet, Cunningham breaks with those who insist on viewing the North Side as a problem to be solved, hoping instead to "govern from an asset or strength-based perspective". His plan for the ward leans heavily on the concept of community wealth, looking to encourage opportunities for the neighborhood to cultivate its own strengths in order to thrive.

Cunningham is challenging Barbara Johnson, an entrenched longtime inclumbent who also happens to be president of the council. Johnson has exhausted the patience of many North Side residents; her priorities often appear to privilege superficial solutions rather than addressing the deeper needs of the community. In 2014, she vehemently opposed a citywide plan to study and close racial disparities in the city's economic, academic, and health spheres-- claiming (ironically enough) that the plan would drain resources from fighting crime, rather than acknowledging that it could address causes of said crime and other social ills. She also opposed ReCAST Minneapolis and cast the lone vote against repeal of two laws inordinately used against minorities.

While the city appreciates the time Johnson has put in, it's clear that fresh leadership would be welcome in Ward 4. With an emphasis on youth opportunities, community wealth, and 21st century governing, Phillipe Cunningham offers a new vision for the neighborhood. Find out more about Phillipe and volunteer for his Ward 4 campaign:

 Cunningham for Minneapolis web site

Also endorsed by: DFL Environmental Caucus, OutFront Minnesota, Our Revolution, Stonewall DFL

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