Homeowners Facing Foreclosure Can Delay Sheriff’s Sale for Five Months

A little known Minnesota law allows homeowners facing foreclosure to petition for a five-month delay of the sheriff’s sale — a period of time during which they have more leverage than after the sale. The Minnesota legislature passed this law two years ago, but it is not widely known, and banks rarely notify embattled homeowners of this right.

 

On May 7, Twin Cities faith leaders gathered in front of US Bank headquarters in Minneapolis to speak about how practices by Wall Street and major banks violate their shared faith values. Meanwhile, a coalition of community activists announced an educational anti-foreclosure campaign. Following the rally, organizers from Neighborhoods Organizing for Change and Jewish Community Action trained over 30 volunteers to educate homeowners about the law that allows them to delay a sheriff’s sale. The volunteers contacted 300 homeowners in the Twin Cites who are battling US Bank and Wells Fargo in an attempt to avoid foreclosure. … Continue Reading

Minneapolis May Day March Energized And Disciplined

About 2,000 people marched down Lake Street in Minneapolis to to join with the hundreds of thousands around the world to celebrate International Workers’ Day, May 1, 2012.

It was a high energy crowd, but well disciplined. It was a kaleidoscope of colorful banners, signs and costumes. May Day celebrations in many other cities around the world were marked with conflict and turmoil, in Minneapolis there were no conflicts or police incidents.

The march started at Lake and Nicollet and proceeded through the immigrant community on Lake Street and ended with a rally in Powderhorn Park. Participating groups represented a broad cross section of public issues: Worker’s rights were foremost, but there were also banners for immigrant concerns, working conditions, FBI actions, Peace, Mexican policies, Native Americans, Socialist Workers and many other issues.

May Day has very American roots … Continue Reading

Protesters Offer Evidence That Minneapolis Racial Profiling Still Exists

“We think we’ve arrived when our pools are no longer segregated, because we have a brother as a President, because George Zimmerman will be going to trial, let me tell you something, even though we have made much progress, this freedom cake is barely cut into” said a protestor at the rally in front of Hennepin County Jail. The rally marched down Hennepin from 10th St, around the City Hall and stopped at Hennepin County Public Safety Facility – the jail.
The march was to express support of Travon Martin, the teen in Florida who was shot and killed by a community watch coordinator.

Watch the video and hear first hand accounts of racial profiling and discrimination by the Minneapolis police and others.

The marchers were urged to keep up the street actions and be present, but also to gear up for the upcoming election to elect the right people.

Marcus Harcus described his treatment by Minneapolis Police and announced his candidacy for the Minnesota Legislature, House District 59A in north Minneapolis.

Peavey Plaza Home For Occupy And Free Bradley Manning Protest

Occupy Minneapolis is now camped firmly on the patch of grass on the west side of Peavey Plaza. Toni: “About 15 or 20 are here every night.” Minimum interference from Police, but the camera on the trailer keeps a watchful eye on them. The occupants go about the business of living.

On the 11th street side of the Plaza, a group of peace activists pleaded for the release of PFC Bradley Manning, a United States Army soldier who was arrested in May 2010 in Iraq on suspicion of having passed classified material to the whistleblower website, WikiLeaks. He was charged over the following months with a number of offenses, including communicating national defense information to an unauthorized source, and aiding the enemy, a capital offense, though prosecutors said they would not seek the death penalty. Motions for dismissal of one or more of the charges were denied by the judge on April 26. … Continue Reading

Woman Nominated To Head Minneapolis Police

Janeé Harteau will become the first woman ever to serve as Minneapolis police chief should her appointment be confirmed by the city council.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak today announced his intention to nominate Harteau to serve as Minneapolis’ next chief of police beginning in 2013, following the retirement of Chief Tim Dolan at the end of 2012.

She is currently the Assistant Chief.

“She is a smart cop, a savvy administrator and a natural leader. She is the logical next chief, and will be an exceptional one,” Mayor Rybak said in a press release.

Janeé Harteau joined the Minneapolis Police Department as an officer in 1987, at age 22. She has worked on the street in north, south and downtown Minneapolis, and has served in the narcotics, organized crime and license investigation units, among others.

She is of French Canadian and Native American background,

Press release from Mayor R.T. Rybak’s office … Continue Reading

Workers Exploited In Minnesota Retail Cleaning Industry

Work seven days a week, eight hours a day and no overtime. That plus other abuses of the workers are summed up in a report Stephen Phillon, Associate Professor of Sociology, St. Cloud State University wrote of a study done by the Center for Workers United in Struggle (CTUL) was released April 24, 2012, titled, “Dirty Business: Worker Exploitation in the Retail Janitorial Industry.”

A lawsuit has been filed against Diversified Industries, the cleaning subcontractor for Kmart, Target, Best Buy and other retail establishments. This report was presented at a rally in front of one of the Kmart stores that is cleaned by Diversified. The report was released and the rally organized by CTUL (Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha/the Center for Workers United in Struggle) a worker’s organization.

According to the report, department stores and supermarkets contract out their janitorial work seemingly to cut costs and avoid responsibility. There is fierce competition among the janitorial companies for these contracts, with each company trying to underbid the other.

Since labor is by far the largest and most costly expense in a cleaning contract, the company with the lowest labor costs tends to win the contract.

Two low-wage jobs not enough to feed a family … Continue Reading

Vikings Put MN On Map In ‘Flyover Country’

A Vikings stadium proposal had more amendments tacked onto it in the Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Committee and then was sent by an unanimous voice vote to the Senate Finance Committee. Before the vote Senator Geoff Michel (R-Edina) said that the Vikings were “part of our brand. This is part of Minnesota.” Michel said Minnesota needs the Vikings because Minnesota is “a little challenged. We don’t have an ocean. We’re in flyover country.”

Minneapolis Police Chief To Step Down

Press release from the Minneapolis Police Department:

April 25, 2012 (MINNEAPOLIS) In an internal memo to the Minneapolis Police Department and the Minneapolis City Council sent earlier this morning Chief Tim Dolan announced that he will not seek a third term as Chief of the Minneapolis Police Department.

Chief Dolan made his intentions known earlier this week to Mayor R.T Rybak.

In his message this morning Chief Dolan said:

I have given notice to Mayor R.T. Rybak that I will not be seeking a third term when my current term as Chief expires in January of next year.

I started in law enforcement as a Hennepin County Sheriff’s Deputy in 1978 and came to the Minneapolis Police Department in 1983. After serving the people of Minnesota for over 34 years I feel it is time to move on to the next stage of life. It has been a great honor to have served here as both acting Chief and Chief since 2006.

I have lived and/or worked in the City of Minneapolis my entire life. Every day that I put on the uniform, I consider myself fortunate and honored to work with the finest team I have known. Thank you all for making that possible.

I will continue my duties as Chief until I retire late this year. I will provide public comment about my career, tenure as chief and future plans at that time.

The Chief is not available as he is attending the Police Executive Research Forum Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. As stated above he does intend to provide an opportunity to address the media as his retirement nears.

Police Corruption, Brutality Still Problems Says Former Minneapolis Police Chief Bouza

Ask any of the Occupy Minnesota protesters who had their face pushed into the pavement by police if police brutality is still a problem and they’ll say yes. Retired Minneapolis Police Chief Tony Bouza also agrees that police brutality is a problem as it has been for centuries.
“The behavior of the cops has not altered. The big problems are corruption and brutality.”

“The police world has remained amazingly constant since the Praetorian Guard,” says Bouza referring to the police of the Roman empire. He’s a critic of current police actions around the country but he says, “a loving critic.”

He doesn’t see much hope for substantial change until police chiefs dedicated to reform are appointed. Currently the main regress against police misconduct is to sue the city. This penalizes the city and its citizens but no effect on the police. He says, “The police are basically the instrument by which the overclass controls the underclass. That’s what they do.”

He faults the current Occupy movements for lack of clarity in objective. The Vietnam war protests were clear that in addition to opposing the war, they demanded that it end and to bring the troops home now. He’s not pessimistic about the future of Occupy, but cautious. “Until the giant’s attention is captured, not much will get done.”

Minneapolis Mayor, Occupy To Discuss Police “Ambush” And Arrests

Occupy Minnesota protesters showed their wounds and vented their anger Monday over what they say was a police “ambush” of a peaceful Easter eve protest. They are asking Minneapolis Mayor R.T Rybak to order police to stand down. The Mayor has agreed to meet with them Tuesday at 1pm.

Saturday night, police arrested 12 activists and detained them until 4 a.m. The arrest happened after the occupiers left downtown Peavey Plaza with their tents in tow. This video released by Occupy MN shows the police using horses to tame the crowd and pinning demonstrators to the sidewalk. During the arrests, a KSTP cameraman was assaulted by an officer. The Occupy activists had chosen April 7 to set up a presence in Loring Park and Peavey Plaza because that was the six-month anniversary of their encampment in front of City Hall.

“The attack was completely uncalled for and unnecessary, and I think Mayor Rybak needs to order his police to stand down and let us have our constitutional rights,” said Occupy activist Sam Richards, who was among the dozen arrested.

The group is calling attention to how the economic cards are now stacked against most of us because a record amount of wealth is now concentrated the hands of just one percent of the population.

About 100 protestors, including those arrested, met at City Hall Monday to demonstrate in opposition to the arrests before moving to Rybak’s office. The group demanded a meeting with the mayor, who they were informed was not in the office. The Mayor’s staff threatened to remove them with security forces, but the presence of six media video camera may have acted as a restraining influence. Finally, a representative of the mayor allowed two activists to meet with his staff. About 15 minutes later the representatives returned with an agreement that the mayor would meet with them today at 1 p.m. … Continue Reading