Terry White

"Minneapolis is at an inflection point. To resuscitate this city, residents, elected officials, and business leaders must reckon with what the numbers are telling us." ~ Terry White @bttrmpls: open.substack.com/pub/betterminn…

The Minneapolis City Council is navigating internal tension, characterized by a failed veto override on eviction policy alongside the approval of substantial funding for rental and small business assistance. betterminneapolis.com/p/minneapolis-… #minneapolis

@jacob_mauren @sam_schulie_1 I am planning to write about it for Wednesday. #60 on tomorrow’s Committee of the Whole agenda is about normalizing relations with Cuba.

A notable absence from the SD 61 and 62 conventions is Aisha Chughtai, who evidently is in Cuba right now as it is experiencing nationwide blackouts. A pretty strange but compelling storyline that seemingly no local outlet is picking up.

Kevin and others spoke about community walks when Uptown United held a meeting last Thursday.

The Southwest LRT Green Line Extension was supposed to open in 2018. Now it’s delayed to 2027, nine years late, and more than $1.5 billion over budget. Constituents deserve transparency and accountability for a project this far off track.

It increasingly feels like, instead of working together on city priorities, our elected officials are creating Instagram content about their positions. #Minneapolis betterminneapolis.com/p/minneapolis-…

In this interview with Kevin Norman, we discuss the changes in Uptown over the past decade and his effort to organize community action through Uptown United. #Minneapolis betterminneapolis.com/p/a-conversati…

The CEO of a $380 billion AI company raised his hand and said something no tech executive has ever said before. Tax us. Dario Amodei runs Claude, one of the most powerful AI systems on the planet. He told Axios his technology will wipe out half of all entry level white collar jobs in the next few years. Marketers, coders, lawyers, accountants, call center workers and all of them in the blast zone. Then he proposed something that stunned Washington. A token tax on every single AI transaction his company processes. Three percent of revenue, sent straight to the government. Andrew Yang went on CNBC today and took it further. He said the entire American tax system is now broken. We tax companies for hiring people. Payroll taxes, income taxes, all of it penalizes human employment. But when an AI agent does that same job, the government collects nothing. Yang's proposal is simple and radical. Stop taxing labor and start taxing the machines that replace it. The host asked him directly. Tax the AI agents instead? Yang didn't flinch. "Yes, exactly." He pointed out that Amodei is not asking to be taxed out of generosity. He sees the backlash coming. He knows that when millions of Americans lose their paychecks to software, the anger won't be directed at Washington. It will be directed at Silicon Valley. "Since when does a CEO of a major company raise his hand and say tax me and mine?" Yang said. "He sees the writing on the wall." The numbers behind this are staggering. US employers announced more than 1.1 million job cuts in 2025 alone. A February 2026 poll found 63 percent of Americans already believe AI will reduce the number of available jobs. And Yang estimates that 20 to 50 percent of the 70 million white collar workers in the country could be displaced in the coming years. The people building the most powerful technology in human history are now publicly warning that it could break the economy that funds the entire American middle class. And one of them is literally begging the government to take his money before the public does something far worse.

A recent Minneapolis speech highlights a growing tension inside progressive politics: how to build coalitions without dividing them. #Minneapolis betterminneapolis.com/p/when-solidar…

I wrote a piece about trust and why making big changes in Minneapolis and Minnesota will be difficult if residents don’t believe their local government can deliver results. #Minneapolis betterminneapolis.com/p/trust-taxes-…

"Trust, Taxes, and Results Residents are asked to fund government programs. What they want in return is competence, accountability, and a clear plan for Minneapolis’ future." By @bttrmpls: open.substack.com/pub/betterminn…?

Public safety concerns in Hennepin County must focus on faster emergency response, stronger mental‑health crisis teams, reducing repeat offenses, expanding youth programs, and full transparency. Residents want coordinated systems that ensure both safety and accountability.

Summary of House Fraud hearing with #Walz and #Ellison. Republicans: Why didn't you do more to stop the fraud? Democrats: ICE invaded the city for retribution and did not make us safer. Neither side has a convincing response. #Minneapolis

Minnesota has a $3.7B surplus, but with city revenue losses, layoffs, small business closures, and long-term budget gaps ahead, Minneapolis still feels economically unsettled. #Minneapolis open.substack.com/pub/betterminn…

We swung by Once Upon a Crime and @creamandamber earlier today to support two great causes. It’s Authors for Minnesota Day, and writers from across our state partnered with independent book stores to raise money for the @ILCM_MN. Love seeing the creative ways businesses continue stepping up to help their neighbors. The kids and I did not leave empty handed!

I sat down with Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner Todd Barnette to find out how Operation Metro Surge has impacted the city's police, fire, 911, and neighborhood safety departments — and what comes next. ow.ly/6AfR50YmHLh

Good governance still matters: Minnesota Democrats may have the edge, but if they cannot fix school deficits, healthcare shortfalls, fraud, and infrastructure delays, voters will eventually look for leaders who can deliver results. #minneapolis ow.ly/3bgC50Yl61Z

@forwardpartymn He added to the conversation but I respect his decision.

Over the weekend, Mike Newcome suspended his campaign for Governor. That's a loss for Minnesota voters who were hoping for an alternative they could feel proud of in November. Mike ran the kind of campaign people say they want but rarely see. He answered questions directly and offered detailed solutions to the challenges facing our state. He pledged not to take Super PAC money so he couldn't be bought by big donors. He campaigned with civility, treated opponents with respect, and conducted himself like an adult focused on governing rather than scoring partisan points. Ultimately Newcome wasn't in this race to “make a showing.” He was in it to win and to enact meaningful change for Minnesotans. In recent months, as Operation Metro Surge intensified and the political environment hardened, many voters retreated into partisan corners. Campaign contributions slowed. Media invitations dried up. In fact, Mike received more national coverage than local coverage. We're grateful for the integrity, seriousness, and courage Mike brought to this race. The need for independent leadership in Minnesota has not gone away. Forward Independence will continue working to build a political home for the growing number of Minnesotans who want solutions, accountability, and leaders who answer to voters, not party bosses or Super PACs.

This dog 🐕 🥰🥰 This is Officer Brian Santos and his K9 partner Kyra from Cocoa PD in Florida. They’ve been a team since 2018. Impressive!

Minneapolis City Council is split 7–6 on whether to renew liquor license for hotels that housed ICE agents, with members divided over safety concerns, business impacts, and whether using power this way sets a risky political precedent. #minneapolis ow.ly/uApY50YhLus