St Paul candidates for mayor debate the future of the city
Five of the leading candidates running to be mayor of St Paul meet for a two-hour debate on their vision for the city with MPR News host Tom Weber. Comment here on the live blog or use #stpaulmayor on Twitter to join the conversation.
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Snapshot: Who's running for mayor in St. Paul and why
Ten candidates are on the ballot for St. Paul mayor. Here's a look at five of the people in the running. -
What you need to know ahead of the St. Paul mayoral debate
Good morning. We're about to get started with our St. Paul mayoral debate. Candidates Melvin Carter, Elizabeth Dickinson, Tom Goldstein, Pat Harris and Dai Thao are here for a conversation-style debate with MPR News host Tom Weber.
We'll cover a lot of ground in the next two hours. Here are some of the bigger news items of the race so far:
• Gun violence has become a prominent issue in the race. After a violent weekend last month, the leading candidates outlined their plans for stopping the gunfire.
• Most of the candidates are running as DFLers, but the party didn't officially endorse any of them.
• Dai Thao, a City Council member running for mayor, had bribery allegations leveled against his campaign. Authorities investigated whether his campaign solicited an improper campaign contribution from a lobbyist, but no charges were ultimately filed.
• The latest flap in the race was over a political mailer that focused on guns stolen from candidate Melvin Carter's home. The police union head slammed Carter, saying he wasn't cooperating with officers investigating the burglary. In an extensive back and forth, Mayor Chris Coleman and candidate Pat Harris called for the union leadership to resign, which they declined to do. -
Opening statements are wrapped up now. Here the main themes from each candidate:
Carter: City needs to tackle racial disparities
Dickinson: Green candidate, good at connecting people
Goldstein: Not a "status quo" candidate, has management experience
Harris: Cites budget, nonprofit experience, and touts jobs plan
Thao: Says he has a track record of reforming systems, wants to unite city -
Weber is opening up discussion on the flap over a controversial mailer from the police union. The union criticized Melvin Carter after two guns were stolen from his home. The union also endorses Pat Harris. Background here:
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Harris says the police union's actions were "appalling," and called Carter a friend.Notes that he's called for the resignation of police union's leadership, but says he's still proud to have its endorsement.
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After the mailer went out, Carter says his daughter came home from school and asked if the police "don't like us."This isn't about a feud between Carter and the police union, he says. Carter notes that the criticism comes after he called for major reform in policing in St. Paul.
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Carter says he's worked with investigators of the burglary, and that he called police immediately upon realizing the guns had been stolen.It's unacceptable to "re-traumatize" his family, Carter says, noting that they were victims of a crime.
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Dickinson and Thao echoed Harris and Carter sentiments on the police union mailer issue.Goldstein is bringing up the gun safety issue, saying that public discussion should focus on whether the guns were properly secured and that this incident could be a "lesson."
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Goldstein and Thao both say it's unsurprising the police union would toss a political attack on a candidate. Thao says he's been called out by the union before for his work on the city council.
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Next question: What will you do to reduce gun violence in St. Paul?
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Dickinson wants to "put the community back into community policing." She says officers need to have the right deescalation, cultural competency and bias training.
Bringing the community together is how to reduce gun violence, she says, and a small chunk of the city is to blame for shootings. -
Goldstein: City "bears some responsibility" for how it's used resources to help kids early on, which is vital to stopping gun violence. Lack of programs like after-school activities can lead kids to fall into violence.He says we need officers working behind the desk to get on the streets and engage in community policing. Short term: Deploy police resources, walk beats. Long term: Tackle structural issues, like focusing on education, mental health, poverty, etc.
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Harris agrees with the police chief that gun violence is a "public health crisis." He has a 5-point plan for addressing the issue, which he notes includes adding more police officers. If we want effective officers, he says, we need more of them.His plan also includes more positions in city hall focused on gun violence. How to pay for more cops? There are "numerous ways" to fund them, again cites his budgeting experience.
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We've heard a lot about the candidates' accomplishments and strengths. What do the candidates think their weaknesses are, and how would they compensate for them in office?
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Thao says he wants to use technology to build on the city's emergency-alert system, use ShotSpotter technology to triangulate gunshots.
He also says kids need to be taught better ways to resolve disputes, and that the city needs to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. -
Carter says so many problems in St. Paul are cyclical because we don't address long-term issues. Public safety shouldn't be about hiring more cops, it should be about building better neighborhoods. More cops, tougher prosecutors aren't a solution, he says, it's "destabilizing" our communities.Hiring more officers would keep money from building communities, rec centers, libraries, etc., Carter says. Trust has been broken in police force, he says, and use-of-force policy needs to be revised so community will trust cops again. Also wants mental-health response teams, a more visible civilian review panel.
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We're talking homelessness, poverty and housing issues in St. Paul. Here's some background on the issue from the Pioneer Press:
Months in motels: a pricey last resort to surging Ramsey County homelessness
Twin CitiesIt’s Alicia May’s third week in a motel. A single room with four kids. “You microwave food, fast food all the time. I can’t cook anything; you just stay in the motel all day,” she said. -
Goldstein says the city has not been openly addressing homelessness, likely because St. Paul wants to tell positive stories about itself.
He wants more density and affordable housing. The new pro soccer stadium site in Midway, he says, would've been a good site for affordable housing due to its proximity to public transit, he says. Also wants to boost tax base so the city has more money to subsidize housing. -
Harris notes he's worked on homelessness issues for years, citing experience with Catholic Charities. As mayor, he wants to change income brackets for affordable housing so there are more options for people.
He wants to consider new options like single-room occupancy housing models. -
Thao says he has a "proven record" on City Council fighting for affordable housing, and that he's working on an anti-discrimination housing measure. Working on low-interest loan program for property owners to renovate without raising rent.
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Carter says city may have a "housing crisis" on the horizon, due in part to increasing rents. Wants "smart" density and developer incentives. He says current city policy isn't making ideal neighborhoods.
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Dickinson wants 20% of new developments to be affordable housing. Fast-tracked permitting should happen for affordable housing developments, she says, and city should support tiny houses and modular homes. Calls current homelessness rates "unacceptable."
She wants to pilot a program in which homeless youth could move in with elderly people who want to stay in their homes and have extra space. -
We have one more hour of the debate left. It will resume at 12:06 p.m. Thanks for joining. Tell us about who you support or what questions you want answered about this election.
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Who would your second and third choices be on the ranked-choice ballot?
Harris: I haven't decided
Thao: You pick, but I want to see a woman in office, so my second choice is Dickinson.
Carter: No specific choice, but voters should use their options.
Dickinson: Voters should use their conscience.
Goldstein: Dickinson and I are most closely aligned. -
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We're talking transit now, following a listener question regarding a proposed streetcar from downtown to the airport.
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Harris says he'd discuss a "modern streetcar" plan, rejects a light rail down West 7th Street.