Detroit Mayor Offers Cops Abandoned Homes For $1000

Recently, I wrote about encouraging the Mayor and City Council to take some drastic measures to fill the empty homes in NoMi by offering them up for $1, perhaps by starting with city employees.

Today, I saw this news headline of something similar taking place in Detroit.  Detroit Mayor Dave Bing is offering abandoned homes to police officers for only $1000.


I'm super excited to see this happening there because I think it will strengthen the likelihood that we will get some action like this here in Minneapolis.

Go ahead and take a few minutes to write to all the council members and the Mayor and encourage them to follow Mayor Bing's lead and let's get it started! We're already half a decade into this housing crisis!

mayor@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
kevin.reich@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
cam.gordon@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
diane.hofstede@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
barbara.johnson@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
don.samuels@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
robert.lilligren@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
lisa.goodman@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
elizabeth.glidden@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
gary.schiff@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
meg.tuthill@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
john.quincy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
sandra.colvin.roy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
betsy.hodges@ci.minneapolis.mn.us

An Open Letter to Don Allen of IBNN News (And Other Blogs)

Stock photo of dead carolina poisonous snake seems appropriate here

Normally, I reserve this space for all that is good in north Minneapolis. We have an endless calendar of social events and fun times that make for some half way decent photo blogging, but today calls for something more dark and serious here. Sorry in advance.

Dear Don Allen,

Give it up. Your anonymous JHG schtick is up. You are the only one left believing that there is a single person reading your crap that can't put two and two together and easily realize who is behind the controls at JHG.  Yeah, sure, tomorrow you are gonna blog about another wild crazy accusation that is wrong, so wrong. You are nothing if not predictable.

I'm sure you've had some help from your malcontent misfit friends.  It was even pretty clever what you tried to do yesterday with your stock quote thingy.  Too bad it was so transparent.  Too bad you were out of the court building by 2:15pm.  {I saw ya, in the red Jeep with Terry, I waved. You didn't wave back :( }

Don, no one is left pondering who is the anonymous hate blogger.  You aren't fooling anyone. Just like I told you last July, it's pretty obvious and your fingerprints are all over it.

I'm sorry you are suffering from mental illness.  I feel kinda bad for you.  But things don't have to be this way Don, just take your meds every day like the doctors told you and I'm sure you'll be feeling better again soon.

You've written some pretty slanderous stuff, Don.  Now it can all be traced back to you.  How is that going to affect your life, Don? How are people going to be expected to do business with you when it's common knowledge you've been doing this "anonymous" hate blogging for these many months now? And how about Bad Mpls? Another slanderous blog attacking folks with lies.  Yeah, pretty cute how the other day "Bad Mpls" was even a guest writer on your IBNN site.

Don, don't you realize you aren't producing the effect you desire? Nobody is believing your crap.  The only reason anyone even goes there is to watch the virtual train wreck that is taking place.  Don, don't you realize you are like the equivalent of a kid at the bus stop having a seizure and pissing on himself? That's why everyone is staring at you Don.  You are virtually pissing your pants and trying to claim you are not. Despite your wet pants and the puddle on the ground.

Oh, and before I leave out your friend Jim Watkins, I gotta ask him something.

Jim, how does it feel to be conned by Don Allen? Yeah, conned. Remember, a few months ago, you were bragging about how JHG was so connected and so powerful. How JHG was gonna lay the smack down and the NoMi activists weren't going to know what hit them?  That JHG had all kinds of access to city information and so much leverage to throw around?  Ummmm, yeah. Turns out it's just Don Allen.  LOL.  Sorry,Jim, nice try though.

So in closing, Don, you can carry on your pretenses if you must.  But just know that no one, no one, is fooled. And no one is changing up their game because of you and JHG.

And since you say you are suing me, then I guess I'll see you in court.  Let me know the date.  I'll bring copies of this letter.  It'll be like de ja vu from when Ben tried to sue me. Good times.

-MG

NoMi Entertainment - CC and WangWang Harmonize

The NoMi lifestyle isn't all hardcore politics,activism, outreach and anti-slumlord battles.  Sometimes we just get together and find ways to entertain ourselves using our children or our pets.  Or our pets and children together.

Here's a little Christmas Eve entertainment on the Jordan Pond.  CC and her dog WangWang (pronounced "wong wong," Chinese for little prince) have learned piano together. CC's fingers gliding the keys and WangWang on the vocals.

CC is well known for having awesome birthday parties and being one of the most uniquely bilingual children most adults know. She speaks and reads Mandarin Chinese just as well as she speaks and reads English.

She recently had her own table at the Indoor Farmer's Market held at Local D'lish where she drew Chinese characters with sentimental meaning picked out by the customers who had the option of leaving her a tip.

And as you can see from this video, she has learned to play piano like a pro.  And WangWang loves to  help.

Life in NoMi is highly enjoyable, never a dull moment, and quite normal.

Enough of the Empty Houses Already! Editorial Series: 2011 Agenda Part 1

Fine Farview Victorian

Magnetic McKinley Mini-Mansion

Handsome Hawthorne House

I *almost* bought this house in 2002

Parkway Charmer

One of my most favs in all of NoMi

Front yard of 2700 Block of Penn

Happy 2011 and let's jump right into it. Everyone knows the holiday season and the beginning of a new year is a natural time for reflection of the past and looking to the future. Planning and shaping and taking action.  Here at the NoMi Passenger blog a new year is no different.  Let's reflect and plan and shape and take action together; after all we are all passengers on the same voyage through NoMi.

I've got a few thoughts and ideas that I'd like to see move forward in 2011 and it will be a group effort to fine tune them and push them forward to action so I'll do that here.  Consider it my 2011 Agenda.


First up, fill the empty houses, already! It's 2011 and empty houses dot every block in NoMi for various reasons.  We've been experiencing the vacant house disease for how many years now? Four? Five? Many of these homes are already owned by the city (or county) or could easily be acquired, sometimes for pennies on the dollar.

For several years now I've been saying out loud, or in emails and internet postings "SELL THE HOUSES FOR A DOLLAR" or "GIVE THEM AWAY TO CITY EMPLOYEES".

We've seen some benefit from the Minneapolis Advantage program which has given a grant to qualified purchasers of a qualified house.  But it hasn't been enough and it hasn't put a dent in the vacant house disease.  It's time for more widespread, drastic action from the city (and county) to get these houses occupied by homesteaders.

The city needs to get taxpayers back in these homes for the tax and utility revenues they would bring.  The neighborhoods and economic engines need more citizens to populate the neighborhoods, spend their money in the near-by businesses, be additional eyes and ears on the streets in the impacted areas.

The city needs to develop a program to sell or give the homes away for as little as one dollar.  I say start with the city employees.  Write a program to grant the deed to them after a 10 year occupancy, verified periodically by a program director.  I think city employees will be less likely to pull some funny shenanigans and do something stupid like, oh gee, rent out the house for income.

I know the city has done some dollar house give-aways in the past, I have met some folks who are still in their home that they purchased for $1.

However, if the city moves forward on something like this, and I urge that they do, they need to first and also do some immediate and drastic changes to the process of bringing a condemned house back into code compliance.  I have been hearing far too many nightmare stories from folks who have been through the process and are adamant that the hellish process is keeping the average joe from taking on such a daunting tasks.

To start revamping the code compliance process I'd recommend start by using an outside survey analyst to conduct and take in feedback.  Believe it or not I've heard people are actually intimidated to give honest feedback for fear of retaliation in the future, or being labeled as one of those crabby disgruntled people or having it affect anything they might do in the future.

Make it more reasonable to rehab a condemned house and start giving those suckers away to qualified people who will commit to owner occupancy for the next decade or more.

Let's get this done in the next six months so summer can bring a new wave of home ownership in NoMi. Let me hear from you in the comments, whaddya think?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas NoMi Homies!

Winter Indoor Farmer's Market - Tomorrow - Local D'Lish

Tomorrow the highly acclaimed Winter Farmer's Market at Local D'lish will take place. This is the second year for the Winter Farmer's Market, which has met the needs of many customers from the Mill City Farmer's Market which closed in October. 

From 10 am to 2 pm local food artisans will be providing samples and selling their specialties at Local D'lish in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis.  Here's some info from the home page of Local D'lish:

For the past two years, Local D’lish has teamed up with the Mill City Farmers Market to bring you the Winter Farmer-in-the-Market event.  This event features about 20-25 vendors, a mix of familiar faces from the Mill City Farmers Market and product vendors here at Local D’lish.

At the Winter Farmer-in-the-Market, customers will find a wide variety of locally grown and produced meats, cheeses, chocolates, breads, sweets, and more!   To nurture a strong local foods economy, our farmers and producers must have a stable income year-round, and this monthly event is meant to help in this arena through the winter months.

The 2010-11 Winter Farmer-in-the-Market will be held on the following dates, from 10am – 2 pm: November 20th, December 18th, January 15th, February 19th, March 19th, April 16th

Local D'lish is owned by Jordan, NoMi neighbor Ann Yin, and her husband Yulin and daughter CC. 

Some of my favorite things I've tried at the Indoor Farmer's Markets are smoked salmon, shepard's way (sheep) cheese, Lucille's Kitchen jams (they always have it paired up with something simple yet delicious for a quick and easy hors d'ouvres), Olsen's Naturals body and skin care products... Now that I think about it, there are so many good things to try at the markets or in the store.

Head out tomorrow for a good time and some great holiday shopping while supporting your local small business vendors.

Happy Holidays! 

Don Samuels' Fall Fundraiser Is The Social Event Of The Season (November 17, Local D'Lish)

Don Samuels enjoys pumpkin soup at Local D'Lish

Next Wednesday, November 17, NoMi folks will have a good excuse to gather and celebrate.

The Don Samuels for City Council Campaign Committee is inviting everyone to a fall fundraiser at Local D'Lish.  If you are looking for a good opportunity to meet some Northside neighbors, some city movers and shakers or the famous Don and Sondra Samuels...this is your perfect opportunity.

Don Samuels fights tirelessly for public safety, quality housing and economic development. His eloquence and vision have changed the way the whole city of Minneapolis looks at itself, increasing understanding and compassion between people and communities.

At this event, revitalizers from around the Northside will gather, mingle, eat, drink and be merry.  Laughs will be shared over fresh local food.  Revitalizing battle stories will be shared of lap dogs being saved from snarling pit bulls, court battles waged and won, and amazing 311 success stories. There might be some friendly one-upmanship in the relating of such tales.  Of course, dry-yet-important topics such as economic development and city projects around NoMi will be touched upon for the benefit of policy geeks.     

You may be asking yourself, "There is no city council election right now, why is the campaign committee having a fundraiser?"  Well, you will just have to come and ask Don yourself!