Mark
Knapp
10th Ward Council
1.
Please tell us a little about your past experience and how it might qualify you
to be a Green Party candidate for the office for which you are now seeking
endorsement.
On
February 20, 1986, I attended a public meeting in downtown Portland, Maine
about a proposal to site a high-level nuclear waste dump near Sebago Lake – the
drinking water supply of the city. Five weeks earlier, the U. S.
Department of Energy had picked the Sebago Lake area as one of 12 possible
sites for a national "repository" in the eastern half of the
country. Their proposal was to bury 70,000 tons of extremely radioactive
waste from nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons factories. The goal
of the DOE was to isolate this waste for at least 10,000 years – a period
longer than human recorded history.
Filling
all the seats of the auditorium, over 2000 people showed up to the
meeting. On the stage, there were DOE officials and the entire Maine
congressional delegation. The DOE had planned to use the meeting to
educate the public about the proposal. Instead, we gave the DOE a lesson
in grassroots democracy. Just as they tried to begin the meeting,
everyone sang all four verses of "America the Beautiful". There
were few dry eyes in the audience, and the DOE officials looked a little
stunned. From that moment forward, we controlled the substance of the
meeting. When the period for public input ensued, so many people
requested time, that we kept those officials there until the early morning.
Speaker
after speaker came forward to tell the history of the nuclear industry.
For the first time, I learned about leaking dumps, atomic tests on 250,000
soldiers, reactor disasters, cover-ups, and the complete corruption of
democracy. Hours later, as I sat in the balcony and listened to the
litany of betrayal, I realized that my life had changed forever.
The
next day, I joined Citizens Against Nuclear Trash and poured my energy into the
anti-nuclear struggle. Thousands of other people did too. Despite
our lack of experience, we organized forums, pestered the news media, lobbied
Congress, gathered research, collected thousands of signatures, and raised
$350,000 in only six weeks – primarily from small town council donations.
In short, we revived the spirit of Paul Revere.
The
impact of our efforts was national. Four months after the DOE came to
Maine (and one month after the Chernobyl explosion), the Secretary of Energy
announced the cancellation of the entire "Crystalline Repository
Project". We had won.
More
than any other candidate you will screen this year, I have participated in the
full power of grassroots democracy. I was part of a citizen uprising that
faced down the full power of the United States government and the
military/industrial complex. Even after they made a strategic retreat to
nip our momentum in the bud, we went on to launch a referendum to close Maine’s
only nuclear power plant, and we lobbied the state legislature into making
Maine the first state to ban food irradiation. With a diverse movement
that gathered strength from all political persuasions and walks of life, we
showed that there is still hope for democracy in America.
This
grassroots experience does not necessarily qualify me to be a member of the
City Council. But it makes me extremely qualified to serve as a
representative of the Green Party.
After
my days in Maine, I worked on energy issues in Washington for Public Citizen
and the Union of Concerned Scientists. I also studied radiological
science at Colorado State University, and I worked on the cleanup of the Rocky
Flats nuclear weapons plant.
My
experience at Rocky Flats taught me not to view political opponents in absolute
terms. Despite my intense disagreement with them, I saw the good in my
co-workers. What I had formerly perceived in black and white now appeared
in shades of gray. I learned to hate the act but not the person. I
think this perspective is an important part of nonviolence.
2.
What do you hope to accomplish by running for this office?
My
campaign will have three overall goals:
o Publicly discuss issues and ideas that would otherwise be
ignored by the existing candidates. o Increase the
size and visibility of the Green Party. o Win the
election and bring Green values into the City Council.
3.
What are the main three or four issues of your campaign, and which, if elected,
would you focus your efforts on when in office?
I
intend to focus on all four of these issues:
Housing
The
skyrocketing cost of rents and mortgages in Minneapolis is an economic and
moral crisis. The lack of affordable housing is a scandal. What
does it say about our city when we allow some landlords to effectively rob our
poorest neighbors? What does it say about our city when we allow people
to go homeless in the shadow of subsidized skyscrapers?
Housing
is a basic human need that should not be left to the whims of capitalism.
I will work to reclaim our housing system from the free market and set
reasonable controls on rent. As with many other issues, my approach will
be to borrow lessons from other cities.
Transportation
I
intend to vigorously challenge the misguided notion that the internal
combustion engine should rule the way we live. The excesses of the car
culture are destroying our environment, isolating our neighbors, and breaking
down our communities.
What
does it say about our society when people think nothing of driving to a gym so
that they can exercise on a stationary bicycle? What does it say about our community priorities when the streets
are bone dry, while the sidewalks are packed with two inches of solid ice?
My
vision for Minneapolis is a city where bicycling to work and walking to the
neighborhood store are safe and very enticing options. I will work for bicycle lanes,
greenways, and selected streets with limited access for cars. I will
implement creative ways to keep winter sidewalks clear. I will support
light rail transit that respects neighborhoods and diversity. I will push
for cleaner and faster alternatives to the belching buses of Schlep Transit.
Energy
There
is a growing energy crisis in our country, and Minneapolis has already begun to
feel its effects. The price of natural gas has forced some people to
choose between heat and food. California has had periodic electricity
blackouts for several weeks.
The
City of Minneapolis needs a comprehensive energy policy to protect the
environment and to protect its economy. The recent experience of Los
Angeles shows that the best way to achieve these goals is through the public
ownership of energy generation and distribution. Like housing, heat and
light are necessities that should not be left in the hands of profiteers.
I
will work for the establishment of a municipal utility district in Minneapolis.
I will support wind farms, solar panels, and new fuel cell technology –
allowing residential communities and small businesses to generate their own
power and unchain themselves from the grid. I will be a strong advocate
for municipal energy efficiency programs – such as compact fluorescent lighting
and high-efficiency refrigeration motors.
Election
Reform
Democracy
is being strangled by the dominance of our two largest political parties.
And in Minneapolis, the general election often seems Stalinist. We need
to find ways to restore electoral choice. I will advocate election changes that open up our system. In
particular, I will support a referendum to amend the City Charter to install
Instant Runoff Voting.
Campaign
financing is destroying democracy in our country. Candidates for city government in Minneapolis routinely spend tens
of thousands of dollars to get elected. Large campaign contributions often
buy influence and undermine the will of the voters. In my campaign, I
will seek individual contributions, and I will not accept money from Political
Action Committees. I will also advocate the public financing of city
elections. I will support a Minneapolis version of the Political
Contribution Refund Program.
4.
The Green Party is based on ten key values: nonviolence, ecological wisdom,
grassroots democracy, social justice, decentralization, community-based
economics, feminism, respect for diversity, personal and global responsibility,
and future focus. Tell us how you will
incorporate each of these values in your positions during your campaign and if
you are elected. Are there any of these values you do not share? If
so, which? Please explain why.
I
share all of the Green Party values I also recognize that they are all
interrelated – like the web of nature. For example, we cannot have
ecological wisdom without a future focus, grassroots democracy without gender
equity and a respect for diversity, or social justice without nonviolence.
I
intend to conduct a grassroots campaign that focuses on individual contact with
voters. My goal is to have a campaign team that is diverse in every
respect.
My
advocacy for affordable housing and livable wages will be a call for economic
justice in the city. My positions on energy and transportation will be grounded
in ecological wisdom, responsibility, decentralization, community-based
economics, and a future focus. My help with the campaign for Instant
Runoff Voting will support grassroots democracy.
Among
others things, I will also campaign for an elected civilian review board of the
Minneapolis Police Department (social justice and nonviolence), civil unions
for GLBT couples (social justice), and widespread community gardens (ecological
wisdom and decentralization). I will advocate the use of zoning and licensing
decisions to build a diverse, community-based economy.
5.
How would your candidacy and, if elected, your service in office, contribute to
the growth of the Green Party of Minnesota?
My
election campaign will educate voters about the Green Party and attract new
members. My quest for office will also serve as a training ground for
active Greens on how to lead and participate in a grassroots campaign.
If
I am fortunate enough to be chosen by the voters of Ward 10, I will give
greater visibility to the Green Party and everything for which it stands.
The responsibility of being one of the first Green Party members to hold
elected office would be immense.
6.
Is there anything in the Green Party state platform with which you disagree?
If so, what?
No.
7.
Explain your positions on the following subjects, and be as specific as
possible:
Election
reform:
(see above)
Affordable
Housing:
(see above)
Rent
Control and Tenants Rights:
In
addition to what I wrote above, I will also advocate the creation of a
Minneapolis registry for tenant screening of landlords.
Livable
Wage:
A
few years ago, I supported a referendum in Denver for a minimum wage of $7.50
per hour. I would support something similar in Minneapolis. I might
consider a lower minimum wage for minors who work for small businesses.
Police/Community
Relations:
I
will work for an elected civilian review board to monitor complaints of police
brutality. I will call for all new police recruits to live in
Minneapolis. I would also do whatever I could to encourage better
dialogue and understanding between police officers and the neighborhoods they
serve.
Transportation/City
Planning:
(see above)
Environmental
Quality:
Minneapolis
needs to shut down its incinerator as soon as possible. Burning garbage creates toxic waste and
discourages recycling. I intend to be a strong advocate for implementing
the Green Party platform in the area of waste management – reduce, reuse and
recycle.
Genetically
engineered crops pose an enormous risk to the environmental health of Minnesota
and the world. I will do whatever I can within the city to oppose this
technology – through the use of clauses in city contracts, labeling
requirements, or any other creative ways to obstruct biotechnology and promote
organic agriculture. If we allow the biotechnology industry to proceed on
its present course, we are playing Russian roulette with our life support
system.
Airport
Issues:
Northwest
Airlines needs to be a better neighbor. I will support the phase-out of
older, louder jet engines. I will support noise reduction measures even
if they increase the cost of airline travel. The environmental cost of noise pollution outweighs the economic benefit
to the airline industry and its affiliates.
Crime:
Illegal
drugs are the principal source of crime in Minneapolis. Rather than continuing a failed supply-side
strategy against drug addiction, I will advocate a demand-side one. I
will call for extensive city programs for rehabilitation from drug addiction.
I will support the legalization of drugs to reduce gang activity and reduce the
amount of crime that is committed to support addiction.
Economic
Development:
I
want the banks of Minneapolis do a better job of supporting minorities and
small businesses. If I cannot persuade them to change their behavior, I
will see what I can do to publicly force all lending institutions to do a
better job. I will also investigate what the city can do to implement
micro lending for small, locally-owned businesses in Minneapolis.
Civil
Rights:
Unfortunately,
racism is alive and well in American. I will work to end racial profiling
in Minneapolis. If the situation does not improve, I will call for the
resignation of the Police Chief. I will also be alert to redlining among
realtors, and I will work against it.
The
assault on sexual preference is an assault on privacy. I feel strongly
that the state has no business in the bedroom. I will advocate the right
of the GLBT population to form civil unions, and I will be open to other
possible ways to end sexual discrimination.
I
will also be on guard against the erosion of civil liberties by law enforcement
agents. Minneapolis residents will have my full support when they
peacefully assemble to air grievances against their government. I will
not tolerate the prodding, corralling or beating of demonstrators. And I
will resist any attempts to invade privacy through advanced technological
means.
8.
If you discovered a significant budget surplus, what would you advocate the
City Council do with the money?
I
would start by assessing unmet needs in the policy areas I outlined above –
particularly housing, transportation, energy and election reform. I would
also consider other programs in keeping with Green values. One idea might
be to increase the budget for smoking prevention programs in high schools and
junior high schools. Another possibility would be to expose the poor
quality of air in Minneapolis – by conducting sensitive, scientific tests and
publicizing the results.
9.
Are there any issues that are specific to your ward, and if so, what is your
position on these?
By
whatever means I have at my disposal, I will oppose the introduction of a new
Starbuck’s Coffee shop (or any other corporate storefront) in the Uptown
area. The speculation is that it would be located near the southeast
corner of Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue. Starbuck’s represents the antithesis of a community-based economy.
Unlike
my predecessor, I will fully support Intermedia Arts. I consider them to
be a jewel in the community.
I
am inclined to oppose the construction of a new interchange for highway
35W. I am not interested in encouraging more driving in our city.
And I am concerned about the community disruption that such a project would
cause.
I
will work for better bicycle route connections between the trails along Lake
Calhoun and bicycle lanes in our streets. I will also work for safer
bicycle routes between Downtown and Uptown.
I
will support the conversion of the Greenway into a light rail corridor. I
will work for better bicycle, wheelchair, and pedestrian access to the
Greenway. I will also advocate the reintroduction of light rail transit
down Hennepin Avenue.
10.
If you are endorsed, what, if any, expectations do you have of the
Minneapolis/5th District Green Party regarding your campaign, and if elected,
your service in office?
If I am endorsed, I expect the Green Party to provide my campaign with volunteer support and data access.