Lots of big news swirling around the race for Minneapolis Mayor.
Carol Becker sues Mayor Hodges. Becker, a member of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, says the budget document the Mayor delivered is insufficient and violates the city's charter. The mayor says she has complied with the charter and will deliver a more robust budget presentation in September.
After routine order from the judge, Carol Becker declares premature victory. The Star Tribune frames the story in misleading way, giving impression judge is siding with Carol Becker on the merits.
Keep in mind, I am arguably less qualified than Carol Becker to dole out legal opinions. But here's one reason why I'm dubious about this lawsuit: Her complaint quotes language that no longer exists in the city charter; the since-deleted section she cites dates to the Rybak-era (which happens to be the last time she made a similar stink over the budget).
Non-Mayoral News: Minneapolis Park Board incumbent Scott Vreeland says fellow incumbent Brad Bourn is soft on pedophiles. This could be frustration related to Vreeland's recent defeat at the DFL City Convention.
The Saga of Hollywood Hodges. It has emerged that Mayor Hodges, in the heat of a re-election campaign, took a trip to Los Angeles for a fundraiser during the week after Justine Damond was killed by a Minneapolis cop.
Jacob Frey wants you to know the Hodges fundraiser happened at a fancy-sounding place called the "Wilshire Country Club."
Jon Tevlin of the Star Tribune wants you to know guests at the fundraiser were served "kale wraps" and "locally sourced tofu."
Mayor Hodges says this story is just now emerging because it was "shopped" to reporters by her better-funded opponents.
As you might imagine, Jacob Frey and Tom Hoch are sitting on enormous piles of cash received from fancy people at fancy fundraisers. I look forward to reading Jon Tevlin's future love letters to mayoral candidate Raymond Dehn, who is so admirably bad at raising money that he was outraised by a socialist city council candidate.
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| Jon Tevlin |
In the third major scandal to rock the Hodges campaign in less than a week, the mayor was caught doing a dance called the "wobble." Jon Tevlin of the Star Tribune shows restraint by not turning this into one of his cracks about "rehab."
More dance news.
The Star Tribune wonders if Jacob Frey has fallen out of favor with the business community, to the benefit of Tom Hoch. The evidence is thin: Trumper LA Nik's campaign treasurer used to be a Frey supporter; and Steve Minn likes to give anguished quotes about not feeling supported. Bottom line: not even the people who would love to elect Tom Hoch are able to take Tom Hoch's campaign seriously.
Yes, Minneapolis' most prominent Trump supporter, LA Nik is now pretending to run for mayor after months of pretending to run for city council.
Here are the results from recent Wedge LIVE polls of the Business Community and the Regular Community.
Upcoming mayoral forum: Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, September 14.
