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2020 Democratic Presidential Nominees

Strickland33 said:
and approach to housing policy:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/henrygomez/mayor-pete-buttigieg-south-bend-gentrification

Ouch.
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Strickland33 said:
This is one way to spin community-based redevelopment. Pete comes across as a typical technocrat. I suppose that there is nothing wrong with that when it’s Pete vs. aspiring slum lords and flippers, but there are a lot more critics of his crowning achievement than the press coverage is letting on.
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How the Media Is Getting Mayor Pete’s Gentrification Story Wrong

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2019/...-petes-south-bend-gentrification-story-wrong/

Both the Buzzfeed and CNN stories lean heavily on two sources: Stacey Odom and Regina Williams-Preston, two African American women who had purchased blighted properties. Odom purchased one, which she hoped to fix up and make her own home, without knowing that the initiative had already slated it for demolition. Williams-Preston had purchased three vacant homes “with plans to refurbish them and either sell them for a profit or create a business, like a day care for local kids,” CNN reported. Sadly, her husband fell seriously ill and money that would’ve gone toward their investment went toward health care instead.

Both stories strike a decidedly oppositional tone. Buzzfeed seemed particularly intent on framing the story as a conflict between a robotic, white, impersonal politician and a black community. (The word “data,” and the mayor’s abiding interest in it, somehow became grounds for opprobrium.)

Ironically, both stories show Buttigieg to have been an exceptional leader. Odom struggled to get her property off the demo list, but then, as CNN reports, she had a chance encounter with Buttigieg. What happened next was governance par excellence:

Odom was surprised that Buttigieg listened for 10 minutes, even though he was on his way to a meeting. His staff was anxious to get Buttigieg to move on, but the mayor handed her his card and the two struck up an ongoing conversation. Buttigieg later held a series of meeting with Odom and others to talk about the plan. She credits the mayor with getting her home off the demolition list — and because of pressure from the community, 40% of other residents’ homes were taken off too. “When I saw that he was willing to help, that’s what turned me,” said Odom. “That’s what said to me, this is a man that has the potential to be president.”

Williams-Preston’s properties were ultimately demolished, and her anger about it has fueled her own campaign for mayor of South Bend. But even then, the incumbent mayor has been admirably responsive to William-Preston’s criticisms. According to Buzzfeed:

Buttigieg launched South Bend Repair, an initiative composed of three programs and more than $1 million in investment at the city and federal level, according to the South Bend Tribune. The effort is aimed at helping homeowners make renovations small and large. One of programs, Love Your Block, includes a $25,000 grant from the national Cities of Service nonprofit, matched by $25,000 from the city. … [Williams-Preston] has developed a working relationship with Buttigieg.
 
PhDeac said:
How the Media Is Getting Mayor Pete’s Gentrification Story Wrong

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2019/...-petes-south-bend-gentrification-story-wrong/

Both the Buzzfeed and CNN stories lean heavily on two sources: Stacey Odom and Regina Williams-Preston, two African American women who had purchased blighted properties. Odom purchased one, which she hoped to fix up and make her own home, without knowing that the initiative had already slated it for demolition. Williams-Preston had purchased three vacant homes “with plans to refurbish them and either sell them for a profit or create a business, like a day care for local kids,” CNN reported. Sadly, her husband fell seriously ill and money that would’ve gone toward their investment went toward health care instead.

Both stories strike a decidedly oppositional tone. Buzzfeed seemed particularly intent on framing the story as a conflict between a robotic, white, impersonal politician and a black community. (The word “data,” and the mayor’s abiding interest in it, somehow became grounds for opprobrium.)

Ironically, both stories show Buttigieg to have been an exceptional leader. Odom struggled to get her property off the demo list, but then, as CNN reports, she had a chance encounter with Buttigieg. What happened next was governance par excellence:

Odom was surprised that Buttigieg listened for 10 minutes, even though he was on his way to a meeting. His staff was anxious to get Buttigieg to move on, but the mayor handed her his card and the two struck up an ongoing conversation. Buttigieg later held a series of meeting with Odom and others to talk about the plan. She credits the mayor with getting her home off the demolition list — and because of pressure from the community, 40% of other residents’ homes were taken off too. “When I saw that he was willing to help, that’s what turned me,” said Odom. “That’s what said to me, this is a man that has the potential to be president.”

Williams-Preston’s properties were ultimately demolished, and her anger about it has fueled her own campaign for mayor of South Bend. But even then, the incumbent mayor has been admirably responsive to William-Preston’s criticisms. According to Buzzfeed:

Buttigieg launched South Bend Repair, an initiative composed of three programs and more than $1 million in investment at the city and federal level, according to the South Bend Tribune. The effort is aimed at helping homeowners make renovations small and large. One of programs, Love Your Block, includes a $25,000 grant from the national Cities of Service nonprofit, matched by $25,000 from the city. … [Williams-Preston] has developed a working relationship with Buttigieg.
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1) What on earth is Washington Monthly?

2a) The authors' editorializing aside, the upshot of these stories is that under the guise of data (and, as technocrats do, without community input), Buttigieg was a bit too bullish on an urban renewal initiative, the community pushed back, and he compromised in time to "save" 639 homes. He messed up, the community called him on it, and he did the right thing. That's more a sign of a competent leader than a great one, but sure. In an era of low expectations, I guess halting a process that's colloquially called "N*gro Removal" is indicative of "governance par excellence."
2b) Do you still consider Odom and Williams-Preston to be aspiring slumlords? Or, only when their comments are spun as criticizing Mayor Pete?

3) It seems like he learned from this experience and used it as a springboard to launch two programs that are actually addressing the issues that put the community in his crosshairs initially. That, in my opinion, is far more commendable than "he listened to his constituents before using the power of the state to repossess and tear down their houses! swoon!"
 
Impressive how you can put negative spin on Pete learning from his mistakes to improve his policies to benefit underserved communities.
 
PhDeac said:
Impressive how you can put negative spin on Pete learning from his mistakes to improve his policies to benefit underserved communities.
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Did you read my last point? I'm not going to lavish praise on any politician running for president. His technocratic streak concerns me, but his response to this misstep is seemingly admirable. I don't live in South Bend and I don't know anybody in South Bend, so I'm not going to claim either measure as a success, but it's an impressive response to the underlying causes of blight and slum housing conditions in the US. I wrote as much in my last point.

Do you have a response to 2b yet, though? Are we supposed to now celebrate the perspectives of two "aspiring slumlords?"
 
I merely pointed out that one person around whom these critiques are centered thinks he would be a good president. I think turning enemies into fans is a valuable skill.

Also the fact remains an entire misleading narrative has been build around two people who represent a small number of the “1000 houses.”
 
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PhDeac said:
Yep. Most of the current field would have beaten Hillary and Bernie and Trump.

Of course the Clintons scared away candidates in 2008 and Obama stepped up and won.

It’s pretty amazing how obsession with the Clintons has hurt both parties.
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Just make stuff up next time.
 
PhDeac said:
Impressive how you can put negative spin on Pete learning from his mistakes to improve his policies to benefit underserved communities.
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It amazes you how Buzzfeed will negatively spin non hyper progressive candidates?
 
No. Strick.
 
 
For those of us who had to pay off student debt, I demand reparations!
 
Warren is on fire. Wow. And that Medium analysis draws on an article published by sociologists.
 
PhDeac said:
No. Strick.
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You’re accusing me of negative spin while standing by your characterization of the two South Bend residents as “aspiring slumlords.” There’s a difference between healthy skepticism - we are, after all, talking about the Dem that will face Trump - and being utterly in the tank for the guy.
 
I was planning on paying mine off in the next year or so, perhaps I should wait
 
AsesinoDeTortugas said:
Sorry, you boomers that paid $1.50 per credit hour can suck it
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Not quite that cheap, but the per capita income in 1971 was about $10,000 and Wake cost about $3000. Today, per capita income is about $53,000 with Wake costing about $70,000.

Sounds like dramatic cost gouging by Wake.
 
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