Minnesota Jobs Coalition Wrongly Appears in Minneapolis City Council Election Fundraising

Crazy City Council Race has Minneapolis Businesses Scared

Minneapolis
Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS- The Minnesota Jobs Coalition (MJC) was included in a recent fundraising email sent by Steve Minn in support of Minneapolis Works! The email references both MJC and Minneapolis Works! together, and advocates the support of moderate Democrats in the Minneapolis city council race.

“You are in the crosshairs of the progressive tidal wave. Help us elect a moderate city council we can work with,” the call to action email from Minn reads.

“We all need to come together now, pool our resources and execute on the campaign we have developed,” the email goes on, “Don’t be filled with regret on November 8, 2017 that you did not do enough to ensure the business community had a say in the election.”

The email includes MJC with the plea, “Will you please contribute to this effort through one of our committees Minneapolis Works! or the Minnesota Jobs Coalition Legislative fund, NOW?!”

The Minnesota city council race has become increasingly important to the business community following the passage of a $15 minimum wage and a paid sick leave ordinance in June, as well as the entrance of some openly socialist candidates.

These bold ideas of raising rent control and taxing big developers to pay for affordable housing are in the interests of working-class people,” said ‘proud member of the socialist alternative’ and city council candidate, Ginger Jentzen in an interview with the Star Tribune.

This is strange as during the 2016 election, the MJC Legislative Fund (MJC does not engage in electioneering) had been exclusively involved in supporting MN House GOP candidates. In reaching out to the MJC, they pointed out, however, that the man behind the email for Minnesota Works, Steve Minn, was not “acting on MJCs behest” by including the organization in the fundraising email.

Minnesota Jobs Coalition Legislative Fund is an Independent Expenditure Committee registered with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, that is dedicated to taking action to elect candidates and advance policies that encourage economic growth and job creation for all Minnesotans.Minnesota Jobs Coalition Legislative Fund is not making any expenditures on behalf or in opposition of any candidates in the 2017 Minneapolis municipal elections,” Executive Director of the MJC, John Rouleau said.   

It would seem that the impetus of much of the business community is to support these moderate candidates. Minnesota Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Council, and the Building Owners and Managers Association have sent out fundraising emails calling for support of these moderate candidates.

For the Minneapolis business community, the possibility of a raised rent control, increased taxes, and decreases in police funding seems to have struck a nerve.  

Henry Carras