Michael Jordan won’t be reappointed as civil rights director for Minneapolis. Are we suppose to like Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak now?
This video tells the “whole” story!
“The Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights has not been a community player since 1998. The investigators have a high sense of “southern stratification” and frown on serving the poor and misrepresented in Minneapolis.”
From the murder of Fong Lee to the taser death of Quincy Smith by the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights “leadership” and “investigators” barley lifted a finger until R.T. Rybak and Betsy Hodge’s proposed cut of the MDCR Investigative unit. Cases that automatically should have been on the radar of the MDCR went ignored.
“LEADERSHIP.”
On Tuesday, February 2, 2010 as reported by Steve Brandt, Michael Jordan won’t be reappointed as civil rights director for Minneapolis.
Under Michael Jordan’s “leadership,” the department has seen a rise in inner-office relationships; promotions for the least qualified – but most cooperative, and a long series of “oversights” by the departments lack of wanting to assist the community.
“Most of the time I walk in there, they (the investigators) look at me like I’m a germ. They treat me like I’m stupid and have always made it very hard for me to file my case,” says Terry Drakes of Minneapolis.
Mr. Drakes was one of the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights cases that IBNN alleges was mishandled, under handled and for the most part given to someone to work on with no experience – like the Fong Lee case.
Terry, who was an employee at the Rainbow Foods on 26th and Lake Street in Minneapolis who’s job was to push the shopping carts from the parking lot back into the store was injured on the job. During his tenure at Rainbow Foods it became evident to Mr. Drake that the company wanted him out. A long time Rainbow Foods shopper reported to the manager that Terry cut her off in the parking lot with his row of carts. The shopper spit in Mr. Drakes face and called him a Nigger. Terry reported this incident to management and things got worse.
Co-workers accused Drakes of waiting in his car with a gun planning to shoot a co-worker. The fact is – Mr. Drakes hasn’t owned a car or driven for over 20 years.
Rainbow released Mr. Drakes.
Mr. Drakes filed a claim over 4 years ago with the MDCR – he’s been hit with “by the book tactics” and a less than cooperative investigation staff.
58-year-old Terry Drakes is a disabled man. On one visit to the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights, Drakes was escorted by City Hall security to the civil rights office and then escorted out. The next morning, Minneapolis Police arrived at Mr. Drakes house and arrested him for “terroristic threats” against the MDCR investigators.
Mr. Drakes was released from the Hennepin County Jail with no charges. Mr. Drakes was set up by MDCR Investigative employees – remember, Drakes was escorted by security in and out of the building, there was no threats made.
Drakes said, “I asked the guard: did I threaten anyone?” Drakes said the guard told him “no.”
Sources tell IBNN that Michael Jordan made the call to have him arrested to “get rid of him” from bothering the investigators.
Terry says, “It’s been real hard for me. I’ve been trying to get someone to listen to me for more than 4-years. I have been eating oatmeal everyday for the last month and I’m getting ready to lose my apartment. What Michael Jordan and those ladies did to me was wrong. All I wanted to do was work and they made my life a living shit hell.”
This is just one of many examples of the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights Investigative Units intended over-sights under the leadership of Michael Jordan and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak.
For Terry Drakes: His case was found to have “no probable cause.”
Google News Alert for Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights: FBI looking into Minneapolis Police Department after beating
… Civil rights laws. In addition, Dolan has referred the case to the department’s internal affairs and training units for a review of arrest procedures…
Al Flowers, DFL Mayoral candidate, has been on the front line talking about police brutality and misconduct for years. This time is no exception. In a statement from the Al Flowers for Mayor campaign, Mr. Flowers makes the following statement:
“Whether it is the case of Fong Lee, or Minneapolis police officers accused of raping 17 year-old girl, or Daryl Jenkins, we need reform now in the Minneapolis Police Department and we need a new administration to show leadership in that reform.”
Flowers criticizes the current mayor to being “too busy running for Governor” to be addressing this issue. The current mayor is rumored to be a potential DFL Gubernatorial Candidate. Flowers states, “I am asking that all citizens to ask for healing and pray for Mr. Jenkins and his family.”
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North Minneapolis Businessman and Ward 5 Candidate, Lennie Chism states, “The attacks on Black men in north Minneapolis have to be addressed with Chief Dolan. We must have intelligent dialog with the Minneapolis Police Department, the community and local agencies to stop the unnecessary killing and beatings of African-American men in our community.
Furthermore, the current Ward 5 City Councilman has not sealed cohesion between the groups, rather being in favor of stating statistics of crime being “lower.” If you live or work in north Minneapolis, you know that’s not the case.”
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This brings into question another City of Minneapolis department.
Will the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights get involved with these cases? The MDCR Investigative Unit has sat quiet – the current beating of a Black man is a violation of his civil rights, yet no official statement from the City’s guardians of civil rights…
Read more information about this topic: Read more
Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights Director Michael Jordan, Delayed, Stopped and Re-Buffed with a vote of No Confidence!
On Monday (7/6/09), at Minneapolis City Hall, the Health, Energy and Environment Committee, standing committee of the Minneapolis City Council, met to discuss 6 line items, which included the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights budget and the report back on the Task Force’s analysis.
While Council members Hofstede, Ostrow and Goodman sat uninterested and bland, Council members Lilligren, Benson, Gordon engaged in healthy dialog about the direction of MDCR Task Force and the proposed analysis that was to be presented today.
With the concerns of many community members and true stakeholders the MDCR director Michael Jordan’s “analysis” was put on hold until July 20, 2009, as if to site a vote of “no confidence” for Jordan. The Civil Rights Commission’s Ken Brown, Acting Chairman told IBNN that the report or analysis was one of Mr. Jordan’s own doing and did not represent the community or “true stakeholders,” “It was fussy, incomplete and lacked qualitative and quantitative information that should be a part of any financial or procedural analysis.”
As IBNN reported in an earlier story, director Jordan’s Civil Rights Task Force was comprised of City of Minneapolis employees, and others Jordan had personally invited to be on the task force, like Community Actions Bill Davis, who we allege is one of the players in the fall of the NAACP. Mr. Davis who had a confrontation with Mayoral candidate Al Flowers last year was on the ground in Sabathani Community Center’s parking lot when calling police to report he’d been struck, the dispatcher asked, “Did a car hit you?” (LOL!)
This Task Force was mandated to seek options, but was merely a “smoke screen” created by the suggestion of Minneapolis City Council person Elizabeth Glidden, who “waffled” when informed that Director Jordan had removed several community members from the first meeting by saying, “The is a private meeting.” Glidden did not come down to the meeting after she personally called IBNN and invited us to the meeting.
Council member Lilligren brought up a great point, “Have we investigated other funding options, like contract compliance in the MARQ2 project? Could we find funding by assigning the MDCR to monitor and develop compliance reports on projects like that?
Jordan remained mute…uninterested and stubborn.
Protesters lined the chambers of Minneapolis City Council meetings with signs protesting the Mayors cutting of the Investigative Unit.
Also on hand was Ward 5 City Council candidate Kenya McKnight, who by the way, tore the City Council a “new one” with her comments on the importance of having the MDCR investigators stay put.
Commentary
When will someone come forward and address the systemic failures in our city government? The Minneapolis City Council has failed to take any corrective action in contract compliance; Investigative discrepancies and inter-office “trusts.”
Michael Jordan has failed the minority-ethnic community of Minneapolis through a “tainted” process of checks and balance that have left the community with no accountability from the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights, investigative and contract compliance.
The Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights is contracted to do the compliance report for the new baseball stadium…where is it? (Not done!) What about all the contractors not in compliance as it pertains to the MDCR Ordinances? Where are the fines?
If Michael Jordan and his team of Contract Compliance folks had been on top of their game, we estimate a total of over $300,000+ in fines and a few disbarments of contractors that have repeatedly not been in compliance – but out of compliance contractors continue to receive City of Minneapolis Contracts.
Furthermore, where is the Council on Black Minnesotans? (Silent) Who is doing public policy and addressing these disparities in the MDCR; where is the voice of Ward 5 Council member Don Samuels?; the Mayor’s office?; and (surprise) Minneapolis Television Network (MTN), where over 90% of programming minority ethnic but the Board is a who’s whom of the White community.
I see a heinous “process” all over!
Back to the MDCR….”How can we trust the judgment of Michael Jordan?”
Michael Jordan has not come up with any alternative funding steams to assist in keeping the MDCR investigators in place. As I type this story, I can think of several alternative funding streams that will allow the MDCR keep its investigative unit in Minneapolis and not transfer to the State – but again, I do business.
These funding streams would not interfere with any project, budget or City of Minneapolis planned or current engagement – but would provide Minneapolis the opportunity to keep the MDCR Investigators right downtown where they belong.
One thing that has to be gone from the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights is director Michael Jordan.
The people of Minneapolis deserve a better Civil Right’s director, not R.T.’s “yes man.”
In closing, we should think about moving out Mayor Rybak too!
Minnesota Coalition of Civil Rights Organizations Oppose Rybak Budget Proposal Cutting Complaints Investigation Unit
"Yellow, Red, Black or White R.T. wants to ignore the plight"
Submitted by: A Coalition of Civil Rights Organizations
A coalition of prominent Civil Rights Organizations announces their opposition to Rybak’s budget proposal which cuts the entire Complaint Investigation Unit at the City of Minneapolis Civil Rights Department. Rybak is calling it a “transfer” but this proposal is to cut five full time minority attorney investigators, two contract minority attorney investigators and one supervisor, minority law school graduate of Thurgood Marshall Law School, who has been in the unit for over eight years.
Protection of civil rights within the City of Minneapolis can be traced back to an executive order issued by Mayor Hubert M. Humphrey. In 1967 the Minneapolis Civil Rights Ordinance was passed. In 1974 the investigative powers were strengthened with subpoena power, less than 10 cities have this power with such power in the nation. In 1991 a new section was added to provide for Domestic Partner registration at City Clerk.
“Cutting this unit is discarding decades of civil rights history and ignores the growing need to service Minneapolis’ increasingly diverse population,” said George Brandon, from the Council of Black Minnesotans. “We cannot stay quiet; citizens of Minneapolis must rally to have their voices heard by contacting the Mayor’s office and City Council Persons, because cutting this unit means that it will never come back.”
For the first time in the department’s history, they have an all minority attorney staff doing this legal work and have closed 100% more cases in 2008 than in 2007. The Complaint Investigations Unit has seen a backlog of cases from its inception, which is a sign of the amount of discrimination complaints that make it through its doors.
There are over 450 open and active cases and it is highly unlikely that the Minnesota State Department of Human Rights can absorb all of these cases as they face cuts also. Additionally, there are jurisdictional and time limits issues which may make transfer of these cases impossible.
“I truly believe the Department’s role in investigating and adjudicating complaints affords access to justice for people who otherwise feel they have none, “explains Amy Johnson, Executive Directory of OutFront Minnesota who served as an attorney Civil Rights Commissioner.
“Investigators can come and go but at the end of the day, it is the people of Minneapolis who will be disenfranchised and their voices will not be heard because Saint Paul is just not as accessible to citizens of Minneapolis like this department is,” said Toni Newborn, former President of the Black Law Students Association – William Mitchell College of Law chapter.
The Ways and Means Committee Meeting is on March 2, 2009 at 1:30 PM and full City Council meeting is on March 6, 2009 at 9:30 AM.
Civil Rights Coalition includes: Council on Black Minnesotans, Council on American-Islamic Relations – MN Chapter, Jewish Community Action, MN Dakota Conference NAACP, OutFront Minnesota, and the Minneapolis Urban League.
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Contact: Taneeza Islam 651.587.4712 taneeza@yahoo.com; Toni Newborn 205.919.7895 tdnewborn@gmail.com
The “Re-Planting” of North Minneapolis: The City of Minneapolis sends a clear message, “Affirmative Action…who cares?”
The slow death of Black business and organizations in north Minneapolis.
While Black “self-appointed” leaders who have been fighting between one and another over dollars the City of Minneapolis received from the State to address the foreclosure crisis and jocking for position as the “group” or “program” that can take north Minneapolis to the next level, the City of Minneapolis has quietly “removed” the Affirmative-Action requirements from the current round of dollars (demolition contracts) to ensure that while these Negros are fighting between themselves they also will not directly receive any of the dollars tagged for 55411 and 55405 (areas hit the hardest by the housing crisis). Furthermore, the money has already been tagged and the useless uproar by the city’s premiere poverty pimps falls on deaf ears. With the City of Minneapolis setting the goals for Affirmative Action to ZERO (See letter from the City Attorney’s office below), what’s the next move to “re-plant” north Minneapolis with new people that don’t look like us? Secondly, how will “self-appointed” Black leaders “stop, look and listen” – but furthermore, “understand process?” (Chasing “green jobs” will not create wealth for the community.”)
And again we ask, “Where is Congressman Keith Ellison?” If there’s an Israeli flag to burn on the Minnesota State Capitol steps, he’s there! Rep. Ellison, who quietly signed off on $70 Million in earmarks in 2008 with other elected representatives overlooked the fact that no dollars went directly to Black organizations. What about taking care of business in your own back yard? (More to come soon with shocking photos!)
The following email was sent to Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak from Springboard Development Foundation’s founder in regards to the City of Minneapolis’ receipt of the $1.7 million dollars and the City’s lack of inclusion as it pertains to the Affirmative Action goals being removed:
Mayor Rybak,
Per information provided by city officials and the Star Tribune, the Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation (GMHC) has been sanctioned as the distributor of millions of dollars provided by the city, state, and federal government to address housing and/or the foreclosure crisis in the city of Minneapolis.
“Is this a Halliburton type relationship?” For example GMHC is the only one deemed qualified so they are awarded contracts without bid.
Does GMHC as a contractor of the city have to follow the same laws as any contractor who does work for the city of Minneapolis?
This relationship appears to be in violation of the R.I.C.O. laws. Government entities are also subject to R.I.C.O.
For example, the demolition contract of $1.7 million was awarded with the stipulations that all city requirements for Affirmative Actions and Sub Contractors were muted. Government entities are also subject to R.I.C.O.
Springboard Economic Development Corporation is asking for inclusion and all funds awarded to GMHC and the demolition contractors for the foreclosure crisis not be taken from the $5.6 million awarded to the city of Minneapolis from the state and or the federal government.” (Email sent by Lennie Chism, Executive Director/Founder of Springboard Development Foundation to Mayor R.T. Rybak, City of Minneapolis)
To further explain the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (commonly referred to as RICO Act or RICO), is described as, a person who is a member of an enterprise that has committed any two of 35 crimes—27 federal crimes and 8 state crimes—within a 10-year period can be charged with racketeering. Those found guilty of racketeering can be fined up to $25,000 and/or sentenced to 20 years in prison per racketeering count. In addition, the racketeer must forfeit all ill-gotten gains and interest in any business gained through a pattern of “racketeering activity.” RICO also permits a private individual harmed by the actions of such an enterprise to file a civil suit; if successful, the individual can collect treble damages.
It is alleged that the City of Minneapolis has violated the RICO Act by the handling process of dollars tagged for the foreclosure demolition projects by removing the Affirmative Action requirements that simply refers to policies that take gender, race, or ethnicity into account in an attempt to promote equal opportunity. This affects not only African American business in Minneapolis, but the City’s action also excludes businesses and organizations run by Woman, Hispanics-Latinos, Asians, Hmong’s, Somali and other minority-ethnic groups.
The email to Mayor Rybak’s office sent a clear signal that was answered by the following response from the City Attorney’s office dated January 23, 2009:
Dear Mr. Chism:
I have been asked to respond to your recent inquiries regarding the awarding of bundled demolition contracts by the City of Minneapolis as part of the ongoing initiative to address the foreclosure crisis. To this end, I have consulted with representatives from the Civil Rights and Finance Departments, as well as the Small and Underutilized Business Program. I can relay to you the following information regarding the altogether appropriate awarding of the referenced demolition contracts:
- Late last year the City of Minneapolis received substantial grant funding through The Neighborhood Stabilization Program administered by the United States
- Department of Housing and Urban Development. This funding is contingent upon a number of factors and requires recipients to act rapidly in its utilization.
- Because of the extraordinary number of rush demolitions required to take place according to expedited schedules and mandatory deadlines tied to the provisionof the grant funding, staff made the business decision to bundle numerous demolitions together for bid in order to take advantage of significant economies of scale.
- The nature of the demolition work associated with this funding is such that very few subcontracting opportunities exist in that residential demolition contractors generally perform the entire scope of the required work.
- In accord with the requirements of the Small and Underutilized Business Enterprise Program (see Minneapolis Code of Ordinances Ch. 423), specific program participation goals for the utilization of small, minority and women-owned businesses are set on a contract-by-contract basis. Such goals are based upon the qualifications and availability of certified businesses as we!! As the potential for participatory opportunities, such as identified subcontracting opportunities associated with a given project.
- Based on the above-referenced factors, and because the city may not require contractors to subcontract work that they normally complete themselves, the program goals for the bundled demolition contracts were set at zero.
- The Greater Minneapolis Housing Corporation (GMHC) was not and is not a party to the bundled demolition contracts.
You may contact the city’s Small and Underutilized Business Program at (612) 673-2272 with any further questions. (This letter was the legal response from the City of Minneapolis sent by Assistant City Attorney Joel M. Fussy to Mr. Chism).
The City of Minneapolis has looked into why this has happened and Minneapolis City Council members have been questioned about why this heinous act of exclusion has taken place – one of the best answers from a City Council member that we feel sums up the whole situation was, “I didn’t know.”
This is not an isolated incident. There are other violations of “equal opportunity” as it pertains to the distribution of wealth, education and housing occurring on a daily basis in the City of Minneapolis.
In 2009, several Minneapolis City Council members come up for re-election. The current Mayor of Minneapolis is up for re-election also. The groups of minority-ethnic people of Minneapolis that have been excluded from these opportunities of economic stimuli just happen to be the “Majority.” This is your opportunity to change the faces of Minneapolis government, to elect individuals that actually represent your concerns, actions and the future of your businesses along with the education of your children.
What will you decide? Will tomorrow include you?
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