MPD Chief:Rybak's Paranoia & Gordon's Betrayal

[Lydia Howell]

Note from Lydia Howell: Irealzie for some Liberator folks this will be a "local issue" (MInneapolis) but, I think it's critical enough to those here in the TC, this analysis nmeeds to be posted. Thgere are plenty of "liberals" and progressive" demcorats who ALSO go with the status quo when it coems to police accountability. If you're in the TC you can go to the public hearing:WED. OCT.18, 9am: PUBLIC HEARING @ Mpls City Council's Public Safety & Regulations Committee. City Hall, 3rd floor Council Chamber.
Once again, we see we cna't rely on elected "representatives" alone. We The People must buidlstronger movements if we want to bring about real jsutice.LH
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RYBAK'S PARANOIA AND GORDON'S BETRAYAL
By Communities United Against Police Brutality
http://www.CUAPB.org

What does it say when the mayor is so afraid of the community that he comes to city council chambers with an armed guard? What is going on when the only Green Party member on the city council casts the deciding vote in favor of the candidate for police chief that the community never had a role in selecting and that many so clearly reject?

The Paranoia
Wednesday was a day of strange bedfellows and even stranger behavior down at City Hall. We had gotten word early on that Rybak had called out the cops to keep the local citizenry in line should any of us get the notion that city hall was a place for democracy. So we weren't necessarily surprised to see the hallways swarming with cops. However, it was a bit disconcerting to see SWAT team members decked out in full gear, ready to pounce if the slightest bit of free speech should leak out of anyone's mouth. They marched down to council chambers in two lines like jack-booted tin soldiers and then lined the council chambers and surrounded both doors. A few minutes later, Rybak entered the council chambers WITH AN ARMED GUARD--WE KID YOU NOT! It is hard to imagine that the simple act of demanding that our mayor meet with us could evoke such a response. Rybak's paranoia and phobic reaction toward the community is reaching Nixon-esque proportions.

The Betrayal
About the time we didn't think things could get weirder, Cam Gordon denounced Dolan but then became the deciding vote in moving his candidacy forward. The rationale he gave had something to do with letting the full council vote. Gordon is either incredibly naive, a complete phony, or he needs the rest of the council to give him political cover. Once he's sure Dolan will pass anyway, that's when we might see a "no" vote out of Gordon--but we can't even be sure about that. Green Party insiders say the real motivation is that Cam Gordon is afraid of pissing off the Democrats, lest he meet the same fate as Natalie Johnson Lee or Dean Zimmermann during the next election. To think a guy like that would sell out the community just to protect his own skin--for shame!

In another of his vapid letters to the masses, Gordon rationalizes his behavior as some kind of "grassroots democracy." Hogwash! Grassroots democracy was large numbers of people showing up at city hall and demanding a meeting with OUR elected representatives BEFORE they voted--which the community never got. Grassroots democracy is actually listening to your constituents--especially the ones who are most affected by the decision you are about to make. Grassroots democracy is NOT advancing a candidate who came out of a patently UNdemocratic process to next level so that an elitist group with a whole host of agendas (other than the needs of the community) can vote to inflict said candidate on the now thoroughly disempowered community. In his missive, Gordon advises the movement to demand more public hearings before the council vote. What a joke--a subset of council members wouldn't even respect the community enough to hear us before they voted. What would make him think this same council--who has carved the community out of this process every step of the way--would suddenly decide to give the community more input. Not bloody likely, and a damned waste of time for the movement to push for.

Note to Cam: This is not just a situation in which people respectfully disagree. This was the wholesale sell out of the community and no amount of rationalizing on your part can change it. It's been sadly amazing to see how short a time it took you to cross over to the other side--first with the CRA stuff and now this. Now that you're there, you might as well just stay there and stop pretending you give a crap about the community. Actions speak louder than words.

We do need to say a few words about Robert Lilligren and Scott Benson, who abstained on the Dolan vote, giving Gordon the deciding vote. Neither of these fellas has been reliable allies to the community on policing issues but we need to give them props for at least walking the walk. "No" votes would have sent a stronger message but at least they addressed their concerns in a somewhat honest manner. Neither of them proffered bull about "grassroots democracy" while stabbing the community in the heart.

What Happens Next?
Well, there is that public hearing on October 18th (9:30 a.m., room 317 of City Hall). However, truth be told, now that Dolan has cleared the executive committee his appointment is nearly all but assured (geez thanks, Cam). Nonetheless, if you have the time, it might be a real hoot to slide on down to city hall to see how the council members on the PS&RS committee handle themselves during the hearing. If it's like we've seen before, they will be talking on cell phones, walking in and out of the room, etc. in a show of complete disrespect for the community. None of the members of that committee--Ostrow, Johnson, Hofstede, Gordon, Samuels, Schiff--have been reliable allies to the community on police accountability issues so don't look for any miracles.

After that, it's on to the full council. The only guy there who the community can consistently count on is Remington (can we put him up for mayor?!). So barring any further gruesome behavior by the MPD, it looks like the community is going to get stuck with Dolan. Our prediction: a huge increase in police lawlessness and a lot more calls to our hotline (which has already significantly ramped up since Dolan took over as interim chief).

That's not to say the community is helpless--not by a long shot. It simply means we'll have to take our struggle in a new direction. The movement and the community are not defeated and key leaders are busy putting together other strategies--to be announced soon--that will advance our cause. Stay tuned.