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The Star Tribune recently published commentaries on what has gone wrong in Minneapolis. Norm Coleman identifies a lack of leadership (Defund and disband City Hall leadership, June 17). Joseph Anthony attacks the ward-based system of representation (Yes, Minneapolis government is dysfunctional, June 26). I share both concerns. In fact, last year, I was part of a group that brought a proposal to elect more council members citywide. We didnt even get a hearing.

Yet both commentaries miss an important piece. Minneapolis has been touted as one of the most progressive cities in America. It also has some of the worst racial disparities in the county. These two facts are inextricably linked.

When I talk about progressive, I mean a very specific set of policies that define urban progressivism today. One touchstone is density. We must build more housing, goes the refrain, at almost any cost. Yet homeownership is the single most effective way American families build wealth.

In a city where Black homeownership is one-third that of white, over 90% of new housing approved by the city over the last six years has been rental. On top of that, the city stood by as corporations like Havebrook bought up single-family homes in north Minneapolis and converted them to rentals. All new housing subsidized by the city over the last six years has been rental.

It should be no surprise that Black families cannot build wealth through homeownership urban progressive policies havent produced any homes to own.

Families of color are twice as likely than white families to be multigenerational, to have four children or more and to have a nonfamily member living with them. Yet 70% of new housing units built in Minneapolis over the last six years has been one bedroom or smaller. No wonder the affordable housing crisis is so much worse for families of color. Urban progressivism has created it. In fact, it incentivized the destruction of homeownership opportunities and celebrated when Minneapolis became a majority-rental city.

Rental in Minneapolis is a $1.6 billion transfer of wealth from individuals to the pockets of corporations every year. Think how much wealth could be built with different policies.

Urban progressives ignored, then gutted, policies that shaped development, allowing developers to go where they would make the most money, not where we needed it. Uptown and Northeast have thousands of new housing units and jobs, yet Broadway never seems to change. This didnt just happen. It was chosen by urban progressives.

The citys 2040 Plan, the bible of urban progressives, says we must cut automobile travel by 40% in the next 20 years. Yet they never talk about how people will get to jobs. Minneapolis has 15% of the jobs in the region. There is no bigger indicator of a family leaving poverty than availability of a car. Yet Minneapolis didnt even plan for automobiles. At the same time, Black commuters use bikes at one-third the rate of white commuters. How are people of color supposed to get to jobs?

Children under the age of 18 make up 20% of the population of Minneapolis. Two-thirds of children in Minneapolis Public Schools are children of color. Some 26% of children grow up in deep poverty. Yet there is no planning for where they will live, how they will get to school or how their lives will get better.

This isnt just a moment for recognition of the killing of a Black man. It is a moment of reckoning for urban progressive policies that keep people of color poor. We need a complete reorientation, not just of our police department, but of the whole urban progressive agenda. People of color deserve no less.

But it isnt going to happen. In Minneapolis, urban progressivism is driven by a tiny number of activists, mostly online and mostly paid. Anyone who strays from their orthodoxy is immediately harassed and humiliated, until they are driven out of the policy discussion. That is what instantly shut down the discussion of a different structure for the City Council.

And it isnt going to change until we elect leaders who listen to all voices in Minneapolis, not just paid, online activists.

We have an election next year. We are looking for candidates.

Carol Becker lives in Minneapolis.

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OPINION EXCHANGE | Counterpoint: Minneapolis is 'progressive' and has terrible racial disparities - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Democrats unveiled a sweeping climate proposal this week. While the progressive plan will not pass this year, it does provide a road map for next year. Democrats should take the time to reconsider because it is an insensible climate policy under normal economic conditions and even worse as the country faces massive constraints. Conservatives should respond constructively with critical reforms that fuel economic growth, improve the fiscal outlook, and reduce global emissions.

The plan aims for prosperity that is prepared to meet the challenges of climate change. But the tools selected, such as mandates and subsidy programs, reduce economic productivity. This would fuel an expensive subsidy war when federal coffers can least support it. Mounting costs, public debt, and private investment in political favorites have minimal effects and will also not leave future generations better off.

There is scant evidence that domestic net zero emissions by 2050 is even feasible, let alone a pathway toward increased prosperity with meaningful environmental benefit. Researchers think we are a half century away from zero emissions in the industrial sector, without considering this economic downturn. Electric utilities with zero carbon goals admit they are not sure they will meet the 2050 target, but they know it will cost a bundle. Yet the plan calls for decarbonization of the sector 10 years earlier.

There is another critical zero to consider, which is the number of cost analyses in the plan. Quality analyses take time, however, comparable references set the price tag in the trillions. American businesses and consumers will suffer by paying more money for less options. Such a burden is completely tone deaf in this economic downturn.

The hard truth is that zero emissions in the country alone accomplishes relatively modest climate benefit, a far cry from the claim of solving the climate crisis. Carbon dioxide is mixed in the air, accumulates over time, and the United States is responsible for a small fraction of all emissions. Instead of reducing emissions at high costs, lawmakers should pursue a policy that benefits domestic interests as well as the climate.

The key is making it cheap to reduce emissions at home in a way that can be done around the world. This requires a no regrets innovation agenda that includes a more effective national laboratory system and institutional reforms to let private capital flow to productive uses. Indeed, businesses have shown an expanding appetite for clean investment. Companies with ambitious carbon targets want more free market reforms for procurement choice and electricity industry access. This would mean liberating supply chains, fostering competition, enabling increased consumer choice, and using trade as catalysts for growth and global emissions cuts.

Regulatory reforms should remove barriers to capital stock turnover. The irony is that some environmental mandates penalize the funding for clean manufacturing. Clean investors want speed to market and yet regulatory obstacles like approvals under the National Environmental Policy Act take more than half a decade to finish. Permits under the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act also deter these clean investors.

Regulatory reforms have to enhance competition by updating the rules over the electricity industry and stimulate competition where mandates prohibit this by replacing monopoly utilities with competitive platforms. Electric transmission investment, an integral part of renewable energy expansion, requires a regulatory overhaul to increase competition and prudent capital management decisions to flourish in the sector.

Progressives cannot be faulted for a lack of ambition. But core elements of their plan are not practical and not in the best interests of individuals, businesses, or environmental outcomes. It is easy to set lofty goals that reward stylish models now and raise costs in future election cycles. It is harder to challenge entrenched interests now with regulatory reforms to unleash lasting economic productivity and emissions reductions. Now is the time to become braver than the symbol of zero emissions.

Devin Hartman is the director of energy and environmental policy with R Street Institute in Washington. Nicolas Loris is the deputy director of the Thomas Roe Institute for Economic Policy with the Heritage Foundation.

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The progressive climate plan is heavy on symbols and burdens | TheHill - The Hill

It is the most recognisable symbol of Brazilian identity: the iconic canary yellow jersey in which footballing giants such as Pel and Rivaldo have helped the nation win a record five World Cups.

But the world-famous shirt has also become the emblem of President Jair Bolsonaros radical right, and a group of sport lovers are now demanding it be abolished and replaced with a less partisan kit.

Were in a ghastly situation with a horrendous government that has stolen our flag, said Joo Carlos Assumpo, the writer and filmmaker leading the campaign.

Assumpo, the author of a history of Brazils storied seleo called Deuses da Bola (Gods of the Ball), is calling for his country to re-embrace the white and blue shirt it used until 1950, when a devastating World Cup final defeat to Uruguay paved the way for the adoption of the canarinho.

That loss was a national tragedy and people started to believe the white shirt brought bad luck, Assumpo said, adding that now was the perfect time to bring it back.

Disillusionment with Brazils national colours has been building among progressives for several years, with many on the left shunning the yellow shirt after its adoption by demonstrators supporting Dilma Rousseffs highly controversial 2016 impeachment.

But under Bolsonaro whose loyalists wear the canarinho to rallies and hang yellow and green Brazil flags from their balconies to show devotion those frustrations have reached new heights.

I always thought our flag and our colours were so beautiful but for me they now symbolise intolerance, political ignorance, fascism even, said Lucas Justiniano, 36, a So Paulo filmmaker who also wants the bright yellow shirt to be ditched.

Assumpo said he had been disgusted to see Bolsonarista hardliners wear the jersey to anti-democratic and anti-social distancing protests during the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 65,000 Brazilians.

Bolsonaristas support a series of insane and anti-democratic issues. They want to close congress, theyve attacked health professionals and journalists. And I think weve reached a point where this can no longer be allowed to go on, he said. For me this is a fascist movement and they are using the Brazilian flag and Brazils colours.

Not all progressive Brazilians back the idea, despite their outrage at Bolsonaros attacks on the environment, human rights, democracy and, most recently, his internationally condemned response to Covid-19.

Juca Kfouri, a leading sports writer and leftwing voice, said he understood anger at the canarinhos usurping but could not abandon it. You cannot let the crooks steal your most personal things, said Kfouri, 70, noting that he had not renounced Brazils colours when the military dictatorship appropriated them in 1970, and would not do so now.

Angst over the appropriation is leading some progressives to try to reclaim yellow, rather than retire it. In recent weeks several new pro-democracy groups and one top newspaper, the Folha de So Paulo, have championed moves to wrestle the colour back from the far right.

Theres an attempt to reframe the colour yellow, so its no longer a colour linked just to Bolsonarismo or conservatism but rather to the democratic movements, said Srgio Dvila, Folhas editor-in-chief.

Last month the newspaper urged readers to wear yellow as part of a pro-democracy campaign it launched against a backdrop of attacks on the supreme court and congress by Bolsonaro fanatics. We thought the Folha should also do its bit to help rescue this colour, Dvila said.

Another campaign #DevolvamNossaBandeira (#GiveBackOurFlag) has received support from prominent progressives including the politician Flvio Dino, the musician Tico Santa Cruz and the influencer Felipe Neto.

Surrendering our flag to the fascists means giving up one of the most important symbols of our fight, Neto tweeted. Its the only flag we have and we must recover it, even if it hurts our ego.

Many on the left reject the push to reclaim yellow, however, arguing it plays into Bolsonaros hands. I think wearing yellow means shooting yourself in the foot right now because yellow is identified with Bolsonaros bunch. Theres no escaping that fact, Assumpo insisted. We need to wear white and blue in order to contrast ourselves with Bolsonaro.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said it did not want to emit any opinion with respect to calls for the yellow jerseys abolition.

Assumpo said he was preparing to petition the organisation and would continue fighting for his idea. Weve already changed our shirt once, in 1950, he said. Seventy years later we can change it again.

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Replace or reclaim: progressive Brazil divided on fate of famous yellow shirts - The Guardian

Roslyn Ogburns effort to defeat state Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-Detroit) appears to be gaining steam. The housing activist, block club president and mother of five is one of several candidates looking to unseat the first-term Democrat.

As the Aug. 4 Democratic primary draws closer, key issues in the campaign for the seat that covers a portion of Detroits west and a slice of Dearborn center on Whitsetts voting record and support for GOP efforts; her friendly relationship with President Donald Trump; and who can best bring resources to the district to fight the COVID-19 crisis that has particularly rocked Detroit.

Ogburn has racked up endorsements from a slew of Michigan heavyweights, including the AFL-CIO and UAW, as well as two progressive former Democratic presidential candidates, U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who both campaigned in Detroit this year. After former Vice President Joe Bidens 17-point Michigan primary win, progressive activists are eager for a high-profile win.

Warren said Ogburn would be a powerful advocate for all working families, while Sanders noted she is up against a Democratic incumbent who has been widely denounced for pandering to the Trump administration.

The 9th state House District has nearly 70,000 residents, about 91% of whom are African American. Its neighborhoods are a mix of middle-class residents, as well as those who fall below federal government poverty guidelines.

The other Democratic candidates vying to replace Whitsett are Marc Cummings and Nicole Elcock. Republican James Stephens has no primary challenger. The district is heavily Democratic, so the primary winner is virtually assured to be elected in November.

Like this years presidential election, the race looks to be a referendum on the incumbent.

Whitsett has been caught up in a firestorm of controversy in recent months. She told the Advance late last month that the Democratic Party establishment has moved away from her because she visited the White House and thanked Trump in telling her story about having coronavirus, which made her a hero in right-wing media.

Ive been crucified by the Democratic Party, Whitsett said. I went to the White House as a citizen to fight COVID. I went there to be with other survivors. Not as a state representative.

She said she contracted coronavirus in March and took hydroxychloroquine, which has been linked in multiple studies to heart problems and even death in some patients. Trump made his advocacy of the drug central to his initial response to COVID-19.

Why did a Detroit Democrat refuse to condemn protesters racism, join GOP slapdown of Whitmers powers?

Whitsett has credited Trump for its availability, saying that the anti-malaria drug saved her life. Along with other virus survivors, Whitsett on April 14 visited the White House and met with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. She also attended a meeting with Trump and African Americans when the president visited Southeast Michigan on May 21.

Also in April, Whitsett chose not to sign an April letter endorsed by 35 of the 51-member House Democratic caucus. She was the only Detroit House member not to do so. The letter called for state House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) to condemn the April 15 actions of armed right-wing protesters at the Capitol, which he declined to do. The rally was promoted by conservative organizations with ties to the GOP and the billionaire DeVos family.

In May, Whitsett sided with Republicans on a bill, SB 858, which aimed to cap Gov. Gretchen Whitmers emergency powers to respond to COVID-19 and would have allowed restaurants, bars, theaters, gyms and other public venues to open by May 15. Whitmer vetoed the bill.

In addition, some Democrats are concerned about her alliances. Several weeks ago, Whitsett endorsed state Rep. Lynn Afendoulis (R-Grand Rapids) who is running for the 3rd Congressional District seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Justin Amash (L-Cascade Twp.). A strong Democrat, immigration attorney Hillary Scholten, also is vying for the seat that the party is targeting.

I know she can do this. Ive seen her at work. And I know she supports the president for all the right reasons not just because hes a Republican, but because she respects a leader who gets things done, Whitsett said in an Afendoulis press release. She had a long and successful career in business before this, and she doesnt need to run for office. But I have watched her use her experience to guide Tax Policy and make important decisions, and I know the people of West Michigan will be well-served by sending her to office.

After peaceful demonstrations against police brutality of African Americans evolved into window breaking, fires and looting in Grand Rapids on May 30 and May 31, following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Afendoulis introduced HB 5901 to increase penalties for those who demonstrate publicly.

We want prosecutors to be able to charge them as terrorists, Afendoulis said. As social terrorists. Because thats what they are doing. They are terrorizing the social fabric of our communities.

Jonathan Kinloch chairs the 13th Congressional District Democratic Organization, which includes the 9th state House District. He said hes troubled by Whitsetts political actions. The group voted to censure Whitsett and back Ogburn.

[Ogburn] is the right person to address the concern raised by residents in the 9th District of electing a Democrat who really is a Republican, Kinloch said.

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit), a member of the progressive group of four freshman congresswoman of color known as The Squad, also has endorsed Ogburn.

Roslyn Ogburn has always fought for community, especially on housing and environmental justice issues, Tlaib said. You do not have to question where Roslyn stands because it is always with the people and rooted in community.

Marc Cummings, another candidate for the seat, grew up in the area and attended Barton Elementary, Charles Drew Junior High School and Mackenzie High School. He also believes that Whitsett has been ineffective and argues Ogburn doesnt have name recognition.

A lot of people that I know havent even heard of this Ogburn lady, Cummings said. Who is this woman?

Ogburns supporters point out that she has been Warwick block club president for the last seven years and is a precinct delegate. She co-founded Nexus Detroit, a food pantry that provides meals to thousands of families in Detroit each week.

The 43-year-old also is a housing organizer for Detroit Action, a nonprofit that fights for housing and economic justice. If elected in November, Ogburn has pledged to help her district rise from the coronavirus crisis that ripped through Detroit and help to make the district safer.

District 9 deserves better leadership, one who will work to ensure homeowners and renters are protected, with access to PPE [personal protection equipment] and doctors to survive, Ogburn said. We must ensure access to affordable and clean quality water.

Ogburns other big endorsements include: AFSCME, SEIU, Sierra Club, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights and the Progressive Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party.

Whitsett, for her part, said she is not worried about the endorsements that Ogburn has received. After the coronavirus rocked Detroit and her district, Whitsett said she distributed 180 iPad tablets for students who were homebound due to the statewide school closure due to the pandemic.

We have been able to disperse more than 600,000 meals, Whitsett added. I literally received 20 tons of potatoes. Ive given out more than 200 mini refrigerators, toasters, air fryers and microwaves because weve had far too many people who have not been prepared for this COVID situation.

Whitsett continues to have strong political backing from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a powerful Democrat with deep ties to the Biden presidential campaign. His leadership fund has given at least $6,700 to her campaign effort, according to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that tracks money in politics. Ogburn has not yet filed a campaign finance report. Whitsett has banked $8,726 last year, the most current filing recorded.

Whitsett shares COVID-19 story at White House, Trump says he doesnt think shell vote for Sleepy Joe Biden

Karen Whitsett is an excellent state rep. who was suffering from COVID-19 and feels that hydroxychloroquine helped her, and she expressed that, Duggan said last month. There is room in the Democratic Party for a whole range of opinions. We need to be friends and stop fighting with each other and pull together right now. We need all Democrats pulling together.

However, some residents in her district view her as suspect. Patricia Butler, who has lived in the area for 22 years, described Whitsett as a ghost.

We dont know her, Butler said. I dont know what she looks like. She doesnt participate in anything. I dont know how she got in. Maybe she had more money than the opponent. I dont know her.

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Is this Michigan House seat held by a Trump-friendly Dem the next big pickup for progressives? - Michigan Advance

This spring, when COVID-19 began spreading and the country largely shut down, many auto insurers boasted about the money they were giving back to consumers.

The refunds to those who insured with them typically were about 15% to 20% of a monthly premium and were for two months.

In TV commercials, car insurance companies said it was the right thing to do during a difficult time.

But how much of a sacrifice were they really making? Consumer advocates dont think it was enough, given that people werent driving as much, so accidents and accident claims that had to be paid out were sharply down.

Insurers dont want to talk about how much theyve still profited during the coronavirus pandemic. But government filings made by one of them, Progressive, indicate they might still have come out ahead despite the givebacks thanks to the steep plunge in traffic that began in mid-March.

In a filing with the Michigan Department of Insurance which was one of three states that ordered insurers to make refunds Progressive reported a 28.7% drop in accident claims in March compared to a year earlier. It also said claims were down 31.9% this year in March compared to February.

Progressive didnt supply data for April the month that most automobile insurance companies saw their biggest drop in claims.

After expenses, the companys own actuary indicated that a 22.8% refund was warranted.

But Progressive instead chose to refund consumers 20% for April and May, calling it our best estimate of all associated effects.

At the same time, Progressive was reporting net income for April and May of $1.3 billion. Thats more than double the $566.3 million net income it reported for April and May last year, according to the insurers news releases.

Its companywide loss ratios plunged in April and May compared to those same months in 2019 again signaling more money coming in than going out.

Progressive didnt respond to requests for comment.

Insurance industry groups say the refund calculations took into account bad debt, accident severity and other costs.

Still, Douglas Heller, an insurance expert for the Consumer Federation of America, an advocacy group, calls Progressives profits beyond extraordinary.

Other automobile insurers reported accident claims dropping 60% or more this spring in their Michigan filings.

Even figuring in higher costs associated with the pandemic for instance, with more people out of work, more were unable to pay their premiums the insurance companies still are likely to have come out ahead even after giving refunds, according to Heller.

The givebacks have been relatively meager compared to the change in risk, says Heller, who calls it a coronavirus windfall for insurers.

The consumer federation estimates the springtime refunds from car insurers should have been closer to 30%. And its urging that refunds be continued this summer as many Americans are still working from home, driving less and getting into fewer accidents that insurers have to pay claims for.

The organization and another not-for-profit advocacy group, the Center for Economic Justice, sent letters to each states insurance department on June 25, asking for more relief for policyholders.

California, New Jersey and Michigan are the only states that ordered auto insurers to refund money for April and May. California recently extended that to cover June and any period after June as conditions warrant.

Illinois and most other states did not mandate refunds, choosing only to encourage some relief for consumers.

The insurance industry says figuring out the right amount to give back, while keeping enough money to pay future claims, is trickier than it appears. When they collected premiums months earlier, the companies didnt know a once-in-a-century pandemic was about to strike. And no one knows what fall or winter will bring.

Bob Passmore, vice president at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, says insurance is perhaps the only product where you do not know the final cost of providing it until much later.

Passmore says that, though accident claims are down, people are driving faster on emptier roadways, and thats leading to more severe and costlier crashes.

The industry saw other unexpected costs. In some states, insurers were required to keep policies active during the shutdowns even if policyholders couldnt pay.

Insurers also were buying equipment so employees could work from home. And theres concern the pandemic could affect global auto parts supplies, leading to higher costs for repairs.

Traffic plummeted nationwide beginning in mid-March, when many states ordered schools and businesses to close.

In the Chicago area, traffic fell about 37% from normal levels in March, 43% in April, 22% in May and 12% in June, according to data and analytics firm INRIX.

The Michigan refund filings reveal how much the shutdowns lowered accident claims.

For instance, Allstate told Michigan regulators its accident frequency dropped 25% in March and 60% in April. The company did not respond to a Sun-Times request for May and June figures, though in its Michigan filing it estimated a 40% decrease in May.

After factoring in its costs, Allstate offered a 15% refund to its car insurance customers in April and May and later extended that to June. In its statement to regulators, the company said the giveback reflected our best insights and techniques to estimate the expected value of future costs.

Two smaller companies Selective Insurance and Electric Insurance reported even larger drops in claims. Selective saw a 67% drop by early April, and Electric reported a 73% decrease. Both gave refunds of 15%.

Unlike rate filings, which are based on years of data, the coronavirus refunds were calculated quickly, using less precise numbers.

For example, in its Michigan filing Geico justified giving a 15% credit on customers six-month renewals by saying that given the uncertainties, 15% is a number that would likely average out over six months and be fair. Geico didnt respond to requests for comment.

State Farm told Michigan its average daily claims in April dropped 50% below normal. After factoring in its costs, the company decided to refund customers an average of 30% in Michigan and 27.5% in Illinois for premiums from March 20 through May 31, appearing on Julys bills. State Farm also has announced future rate cuts, including a 13.7% cut in Illinois.

As driving behaviors continue to evolve, we are monitoring and responding accordingly, State Farm spokesman Chris Pilcic said.

Michigan insurance director Anita G. Fox said her department will review all of the refunds this month and determine whether consumers deserve more. Were going to be looking at that, Fox said. Were also looking at whether it should be more sustained.

Fox said each refund should be not just a number that they pick out of the air.

Policyholders whose driving has changed substantially should talk to their insurer about additional discounts or shop around, Fox said.

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Car insurers touted COVID-19 refunds; Progressives filings show coronavirus windfall - Chicago Sun-Times