tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-176297902024-03-16T20:35:23.468-06:00twin city sidewalks...the view from the sidewalks of Minneapolis and Saint Paul...Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.comBlogger2371125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-38065229284513517152024-02-26T10:02:00.005-06:002024-02-26T10:02:50.923-06:00On Wisconsin Public Radio's Morning Show talking about Minneapolis 2040<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnpY3qs1XtAa0tRs1dS_QVGmrMxnRjHAMsIwotPQfOsJGKu1adjkliRk_Fk4Lgd3Ih1joqLunMYzhRhywhL_vr60yqEppnMSgZP5SuBG78SXAL6lTcTT6ucQtsb3Yczhn_UEtLr6BbTm_YlkOhjyNr4jAnCZ7bIeFDvy0zk1uOhgOuWwH8TaXqg/s4000/Wisconsin_State_Capitol_Aerial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="4000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnpY3qs1XtAa0tRs1dS_QVGmrMxnRjHAMsIwotPQfOsJGKu1adjkliRk_Fk4Lgd3Ih1joqLunMYzhRhywhL_vr60yqEppnMSgZP5SuBG78SXAL6lTcTT6ucQtsb3Yczhn_UEtLr6BbTm_YlkOhjyNr4jAnCZ7bIeFDvy0zk1uOhgOuWwH8TaXqg/w640-h360/Wisconsin_State_Capitol_Aerial.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>I had the honor of being a guest with Kate Archer Kent on <a href="https://www.wpr.org/shows/morning-show">WPR's Morning Show</a> last week, talking about the Minneapolis 2040 plan with the good people of Wisconsin. It was pretty basic stuff about what the plan was, what it did and din't do, and the political and legal fallout that followed its adoption in 2019.</p><p><a href="https://www.wpr.org/shows/morning-show/war-in-ukraine-single-family-zoning-seeking-show-ideas">Here's the link</a> (the second segment in the clip). Enjoy!</p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-50903993940980674622024-01-11T10:48:00.006-06:002024-01-11T10:48:40.602-06:00Twin City Doorways #69<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSR32l4EnrA1NdrqwZW7Kuqc_LTsnuaq5bX3jGjZaJN6YpYRYIlZkfaf9xO8wXmEqR4zOuYMFDpw0IPGyqb10fIksD_1e86b1oaBokx7EbWPHlk3NSJ7zennOMXJyKc_Jd1_zf22A-ztZxQtlw3ZNRc8opPimRqzxYmQEx82IBUOwQd88_u-YLUg/s4032/doorways582.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSR32l4EnrA1NdrqwZW7Kuqc_LTsnuaq5bX3jGjZaJN6YpYRYIlZkfaf9xO8wXmEqR4zOuYMFDpw0IPGyqb10fIksD_1e86b1oaBokx7EbWPHlk3NSJ7zennOMXJyKc_Jd1_zf22A-ztZxQtlw3ZNRc8opPimRqzxYmQEx82IBUOwQd88_u-YLUg/w480-h640/doorways582.HEIC" width="480" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Boston, MA.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgySGTguGqdAHUtaMj5OaL0znhUNS6MCDK3Za95D5rqEO80CRjz_w8tvd5dVx30W8r-kwOWDpfnsfvcivC9WXVmRGitXc9mqaQaib8CntrKyszgmRtqMMa7tZwspwC_9PnmM4RWLVRPec5SW74BemZgvgTsicrD8RYREurnNG_nFp28Q_Ru5_0w/s4032/doorways581.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgySGTguGqdAHUtaMj5OaL0znhUNS6MCDK3Za95D5rqEO80CRjz_w8tvd5dVx30W8r-kwOWDpfnsfvcivC9WXVmRGitXc9mqaQaib8CntrKyszgmRtqMMa7tZwspwC_9PnmM4RWLVRPec5SW74BemZgvgTsicrD8RYREurnNG_nFp28Q_Ru5_0w/w480-h640/doorways581.HEIC" width="480" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Boston, MA.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2G-bLw6d3LvRtwPVeuDfvkHW4mf0Og-YX7i6u1lKtBu_0drQra-6XStRHdgwGYFfxEfTaWFHvTPKqHj4HSqslo3zjwPAGgKZTO3oj_8EcObxOgagGGV6sxrqunLl-AdNVDttk4u8MLBom19yGyQBmxk0KgoWo9UAdpNIINk46ImoMiuf9JQcYgA/s4032/doorways580.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2G-bLw6d3LvRtwPVeuDfvkHW4mf0Og-YX7i6u1lKtBu_0drQra-6XStRHdgwGYFfxEfTaWFHvTPKqHj4HSqslo3zjwPAGgKZTO3oj_8EcObxOgagGGV6sxrqunLl-AdNVDttk4u8MLBom19yGyQBmxk0KgoWo9UAdpNIINk46ImoMiuf9JQcYgA/w640-h480/doorways580.HEIC" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[West 7th, St. Paul.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3z2oY1mFlTwzFcOjoDHfKt0FcjG-dZHnUDelYmYdDfB3t0E80dfGVvjfrfoAfiDxcxPU0kDSUYzR3GsuCtn8Hmpah7cq8xJ-OYTly5PQKO7piUlQeCy8TZ6cy9L22zvIoShU7hTm5246w-K6bO1iUJ7uzAPEh8e_SamUue2emHcOVl9eoxq-vQ/s4032/doorways579.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3z2oY1mFlTwzFcOjoDHfKt0FcjG-dZHnUDelYmYdDfB3t0E80dfGVvjfrfoAfiDxcxPU0kDSUYzR3GsuCtn8Hmpah7cq8xJ-OYTly5PQKO7piUlQeCy8TZ6cy9L22zvIoShU7hTm5246w-K6bO1iUJ7uzAPEh8e_SamUue2emHcOVl9eoxq-vQ/w640-h480/doorways579.HEIC" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Downtown, Minneapolis.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NX3pSX0HzBuOttzKF7SQjEpvNdjD9-0LXb57Fi52rgfriTgUVNtV2n7lAcI-Lx9ZjKHl16ljawAjY2_QqLDduoYtBJRS6GdYV-4xacMfW0e4NyhOJN0EGB3qKNfdF5LsN-qtNZRJuZqqUqtlHygc4N8vHO3kWKak1ZPZYk5SCyrm3QlCCVi73g/s4032/doorways578.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NX3pSX0HzBuOttzKF7SQjEpvNdjD9-0LXb57Fi52rgfriTgUVNtV2n7lAcI-Lx9ZjKHl16ljawAjY2_QqLDduoYtBJRS6GdYV-4xacMfW0e4NyhOJN0EGB3qKNfdF5LsN-qtNZRJuZqqUqtlHygc4N8vHO3kWKak1ZPZYk5SCyrm3QlCCVi73g/w480-h640/doorways578.HEIC" width="480" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Grand Avenue, St. Paul.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeYbXwGDytFkAN5iYidUAUA4__OPIt5nXLCU-Td0EHtUVk69hnnTZqnZoYZW3XUa6ddtcZFg5rWRdi2s6YWyCCCA2gkdcOdR5vgrkOdRNx5PjgITQqfVZvxiY1pJGhqpI7QoM02kcIL1qCUAEj6EC2j80rQZHKorh4hqC8FVYuC8UO7r2lUzMPA/s4032/doorways577.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeYbXwGDytFkAN5iYidUAUA4__OPIt5nXLCU-Td0EHtUVk69hnnTZqnZoYZW3XUa6ddtcZFg5rWRdi2s6YWyCCCA2gkdcOdR5vgrkOdRNx5PjgITQqfVZvxiY1pJGhqpI7QoM02kcIL1qCUAEj6EC2j80rQZHKorh4hqC8FVYuC8UO7r2lUzMPA/w480-h640/doorways577.HEIC" width="480" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Mac-Groveland, St. Paul.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKK_t5zRUFLsbdC83R0r2ll1oJ-hjNp33WSQnn2A5dWV6MzXUD7EtOkrF_U23RmNh_ewRni1iP1RMkPXWbp1IM5hyoV9Z5HDuoEGBUCfCX1lpzhyz2hPUKoFGLRwx6VW8FHfKxTFA5AXkr6n9yBPAVekfLg0Y0hIzT80U016NCsDNYWLlghpAHaA/s4032/doorways576.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKK_t5zRUFLsbdC83R0r2ll1oJ-hjNp33WSQnn2A5dWV6MzXUD7EtOkrF_U23RmNh_ewRni1iP1RMkPXWbp1IM5hyoV9Z5HDuoEGBUCfCX1lpzhyz2hPUKoFGLRwx6VW8FHfKxTFA5AXkr6n9yBPAVekfLg0Y0hIzT80U016NCsDNYWLlghpAHaA/w480-h640/doorways576.HEIC" width="480" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Pepin, WI.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uIZnwtXQPW7kZPTBe4GYwZhtJbNbQFxc6vtfx-TbMS6LC0R7__OTrnvL64SFX63Mtf4jAGTROPWHYGk7B4h4KFGgxMRtgVdHf-xo7oYppwrY-lZ-UA_9IfmOuMQvukrvDVMGbXosEBhNZcr0CeUD7DoSNTHZuazRrwfflP-OyBrPfLVotrzlmg/s4032/doorways575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uIZnwtXQPW7kZPTBe4GYwZhtJbNbQFxc6vtfx-TbMS6LC0R7__OTrnvL64SFX63Mtf4jAGTROPWHYGk7B4h4KFGgxMRtgVdHf-xo7oYppwrY-lZ-UA_9IfmOuMQvukrvDVMGbXosEBhNZcr0CeUD7DoSNTHZuazRrwfflP-OyBrPfLVotrzlmg/w640-h480/doorways575.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Location forgotten.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQk1Wbxjoj48QEfQVcvBQfwXW6zqL1eXoVqbT_liYmVdrcyOfm4aUSduitrjqqn2fLz3T8CyOz_r1QW6rl0GO59l44_RQP5xnTfu-kkZqqLP2BD8ZLzfdT7vIZ9FOjsU4VA8WTVkG7oxBAWEyq2uxsIEPx8Q0yeG5LHIJ3doCsfLMJvFI3fhxeQ/s3499/doorways574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3499" data-original-width="2772" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQk1Wbxjoj48QEfQVcvBQfwXW6zqL1eXoVqbT_liYmVdrcyOfm4aUSduitrjqqn2fLz3T8CyOz_r1QW6rl0GO59l44_RQP5xnTfu-kkZqqLP2BD8ZLzfdT7vIZ9FOjsU4VA8WTVkG7oxBAWEyq2uxsIEPx8Q0yeG5LHIJ3doCsfLMJvFI3fhxeQ/w508-h640/doorways574.JPG" width="508" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYPeXTQLXxNqQx-EUmiJ8qKtG92qvIgnCm5mM3KKb43CSBCFnXL-sVgPnfNinzBRpc7zmkRuEf0cddrmYo0E8O23qoAg3dDhg_UbYSXycBgYr3OTFV5sFy5OSWxydzpfKJzWJsXa2cWkDAYzD89q9BtIFBh41UnivZKwGTHHuHtfXgDk4Jc1G2w/s3412/doorways573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2793" data-original-width="3412" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYPeXTQLXxNqQx-EUmiJ8qKtG92qvIgnCm5mM3KKb43CSBCFnXL-sVgPnfNinzBRpc7zmkRuEf0cddrmYo0E8O23qoAg3dDhg_UbYSXycBgYr3OTFV5sFy5OSWxydzpfKJzWJsXa2cWkDAYzD89q9BtIFBh41UnivZKwGTHHuHtfXgDk4Jc1G2w/w640-h524/doorways573.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></p><i><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1Q26nS1YTIpCysYhUP3lL-bLtI49I61menZcsM-UV4P0lJcoW2tEjHcTtFxTpWblr54TMde2sviPK4VQ4XuaObjHNqzX4h_byEP8ShPfWedis3qat3_A7b3vEFdQkmvpOcSCdB_YnzvFF0277h-4dkE2u-WK4A6dkne3CcGiy7xBy-ZVGIsqdw/s3126/doorways572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3126" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn1Q26nS1YTIpCysYhUP3lL-bLtI49I61menZcsM-UV4P0lJcoW2tEjHcTtFxTpWblr54TMde2sviPK4VQ4XuaObjHNqzX4h_byEP8ShPfWedis3qat3_A7b3vEFdQkmvpOcSCdB_YnzvFF0277h-4dkE2u-WK4A6dkne3CcGiy7xBy-ZVGIsqdw/w640-h504/doorways572.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLFp1G_JCpl3vNY-pu597GDcNVuDaQZe25VP5a4nVcV7lDQVK70iqgZSpBH7sVW0lPzsOHMRz3J-J452jfSMsysNx0IrVS2cVl25pnj-bn9Mo9wjMBldpA8zvTwHdQHNUSxIwXLWut9umc94Ux49L6_ux2P9hgbJ_kgJa6Ky6-c4dScYmSC_WkA/s3417/doorways571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2322" data-original-width="3417" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLFp1G_JCpl3vNY-pu597GDcNVuDaQZe25VP5a4nVcV7lDQVK70iqgZSpBH7sVW0lPzsOHMRz3J-J452jfSMsysNx0IrVS2cVl25pnj-bn9Mo9wjMBldpA8zvTwHdQHNUSxIwXLWut9umc94Ux49L6_ux2P9hgbJ_kgJa6Ky6-c4dScYmSC_WkA/w640-h436/doorways571.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></p><div><br /></div>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-58342093862156461022024-01-08T10:37:00.003-06:002024-01-08T10:39:47.233-06:00Signs of the Times #187<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vo1W7p7h6PMc6zTvkkmLFUIh5wzULN0MDuRCB_O87-3S2bdWwP6qnFH7d35kzY2cC1qmlE_avs30OnqlqHWnvvqAxmNSrpljD0XkGsvSKSqb8OHkSJ60dycgQadGtKEVj0fclr5qs2nD6LgjUwvXooL3P7UlxDCvBNh5CphxJdUJiHWfHaS7Lw/s4032/signs1682.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vo1W7p7h6PMc6zTvkkmLFUIh5wzULN0MDuRCB_O87-3S2bdWwP6qnFH7d35kzY2cC1qmlE_avs30OnqlqHWnvvqAxmNSrpljD0XkGsvSKSqb8OHkSJ60dycgQadGtKEVj0fclr5qs2nD6LgjUwvXooL3P7UlxDCvBNh5CphxJdUJiHWfHaS7Lw/w480-h640/signs1682.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Eat the Rich</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Doorway wall. Denver CO.]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhMfk37bhKqd6SFYYOPFoCuwoFlfEWIk57oVxjZ_gmADz7QnVsZ1z-Vce3pXAdBar70107AWa6AEza7NYOWu8BQ5_xyLo840cHnQbbYbnTWoOaGHeL3gIdSijAme3t7bEr90x6w3fxxPLFaYZIf7qfwS1BYq5UKdZjO6_I2akLVjB1vzjyFLTow/s4032/signs1681.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhMfk37bhKqd6SFYYOPFoCuwoFlfEWIk57oVxjZ_gmADz7QnVsZ1z-Vce3pXAdBar70107AWa6AEza7NYOWu8BQ5_xyLo840cHnQbbYbnTWoOaGHeL3gIdSijAme3t7bEr90x6w3fxxPLFaYZIf7qfwS1BYq5UKdZjO6_I2akLVjB1vzjyFLTow/w480-h640/signs1681.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Her mother told her she could grow up</div><div style="text-align: center;">to be anything she wanted to be, </div><div style="text-align: center;">so she grew up to become</div><div style="text-align: center;">the strongest of the strong,</div><div style="text-align: center;">the strangest of the strange,</div><div style="text-align: center;">the wildest of the wild</div><div style="text-align: center;">the wolf leading wolves.</div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Sidewalk. Denver CO.]</i></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAEAd086w9uMGmFS7b0DIV-osnMK9RV0evYmEN68yxAnPqz8T5h-6UXKNgmpHamhqPJyBs_ciTIP7ACk5tjBbtjaGwIqjuVgqb-Q7IgMhnj-stqPdIw6dkjDA89WnwKHjeNErZuWUl8caPb1a8Zh_H3CKsE3OKQv-6VimVlJTZtcYbF4beLfWxQ/s4032/signs1680.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAEAd086w9uMGmFS7b0DIV-osnMK9RV0evYmEN68yxAnPqz8T5h-6UXKNgmpHamhqPJyBs_ciTIP7ACk5tjBbtjaGwIqjuVgqb-Q7IgMhnj-stqPdIw6dkjDA89WnwKHjeNErZuWUl8caPb1a8Zh_H3CKsE3OKQv-6VimVlJTZtcYbF4beLfWxQ/w480-h640/signs1680.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">River's Dream House</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">WHAT HELPS YOU</div><div style="text-align: center;">FEEL SAFE</div><div style="text-align: center;">WITH OTHERS?</div></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Telephone pole. Denver, CO.]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3M98DhLLdwL1G7vGgbpNF0dSZVzJ5NzwyqUUdo8p9_d2Z8Ufbdq5xRVPhrAk4Quv0rQUYOhx05vHR-G5tadBTJH27y-0TnqCLH9A-7QH7fDSG-c8hyguk1nyVGWfAiy2W1QPWKmcLrEQ75cevgHRzpyhS9DHwEYbPyWujKBXTYwfp2EnKfD1Plg/s4032/signs1679.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3M98DhLLdwL1G7vGgbpNF0dSZVzJ5NzwyqUUdo8p9_d2Z8Ufbdq5xRVPhrAk4Quv0rQUYOhx05vHR-G5tadBTJH27y-0TnqCLH9A-7QH7fDSG-c8hyguk1nyVGWfAiy2W1QPWKmcLrEQ75cevgHRzpyhS9DHwEYbPyWujKBXTYwfp2EnKfD1Plg/w640-h480/signs1679.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Please help yourself to</div><div style="text-align: center;">some of our leftover candy</div><div style="text-align: center;">from Trick or Treating last night.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Happy Halloween!</div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Bowl. Somewhere in St. Paul.]</i></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzPZHnRCLqJDquOiwDDx8AhFfOppyGU12dfM7c7jWR3VcASoUT3kcPR1Dk38tAB7-M8UFsHvTkgg4CaejPlCVDcY-uYE5SqlyEzC5-TP2ZJP-Ut2GmC_8jjWAImUeqxE4ZP42_NH6o4oDudd8hUtj5ku7LrdVa94ztnZopyALGEbdgNdb6KSiQQ/s4032/signs1678.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzPZHnRCLqJDquOiwDDx8AhFfOppyGU12dfM7c7jWR3VcASoUT3kcPR1Dk38tAB7-M8UFsHvTkgg4CaejPlCVDcY-uYE5SqlyEzC5-TP2ZJP-Ut2GmC_8jjWAImUeqxE4ZP42_NH6o4oDudd8hUtj5ku7LrdVa94ztnZopyALGEbdgNdb6KSiQQ/w480-h640/signs1678.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">There he met with a group of African-American recent</div><div style="text-align: center;">retirees, and he said to them:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">'You are God's instrument, that</div><div style="text-align: center;">you should not be played and</div><div style="text-align: center;">put down for not making the</div><div style="text-align: center;">sound that pleases everybody...'</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">George</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Table. University Avenue, St. Paul.]</i></div></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIFTupDXF09QYjtv-uhtE7RgxzwBRYoElb9zoZYaVQKCRPaQEYqmVRGQv6kVZFVMGjIvE3nEDZ8ltELcDedQziYQ4tMnoAcG8T8bSESg56Z5wz5ZTSFcWK6dLY0o7dA0v5gHphEv79JoGu01EdhsnBjpBoeYEqeCzeSLLmF_MEb1x4Mx1Wk9gRw/s4032/signs1677.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIFTupDXF09QYjtv-uhtE7RgxzwBRYoElb9zoZYaVQKCRPaQEYqmVRGQv6kVZFVMGjIvE3nEDZ8ltELcDedQziYQ4tMnoAcG8T8bSESg56Z5wz5ZTSFcWK6dLY0o7dA0v5gHphEv79JoGu01EdhsnBjpBoeYEqeCzeSLLmF_MEb1x4Mx1Wk9gRw/w640-h480/signs1677.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dear beloved customers,</div><div style="text-align: center;">Pat the owner (me), is </div><div style="text-align: center;">building a house and racing</div><div style="text-align: center;">to get roof on before bad</div><div style="text-align: center;">weather sets in, Hence, I'll</div><div style="text-align: center;">be temporarily closing on Wed's</div><div style="text-align: center;">for 4-5 weeks. Everything is</div><div style="text-align: center;">going great in Wienie World, it's</div><div><div style="text-align: center;">difficult to find workers though, sorry.</div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Door. Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis.]</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyL4GDzsgEzIyZ5M7K8YmREbq6xkneDeDxt2Yvd4-r7ygNkHzrj3Q8KiwyEaEj3yLPNIHEi1zQlxTK6gSQSLQnw-ylYQQkVtb8nwwF9G7ae6sDZF-OhtlfxsIIHEKP7dqtDfnUvKME3Sm3ogOERZy0Zn0YqdpRrw-l5Yjvu_ojNmhbKXplNi29w/s4032/signs1676.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyL4GDzsgEzIyZ5M7K8YmREbq6xkneDeDxt2Yvd4-r7ygNkHzrj3Q8KiwyEaEj3yLPNIHEi1zQlxTK6gSQSLQnw-ylYQQkVtb8nwwF9G7ae6sDZF-OhtlfxsIIHEKP7dqtDfnUvKME3Sm3ogOERZy0Zn0YqdpRrw-l5Yjvu_ojNmhbKXplNi29w/s320/signs1676.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Dogs Welcome in Line</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Basket. Lex-Ham, Saint Paul.]</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwH9xwI5R1ihjSh6C1l0pX4tnyy8NfKaHZr0PN6c0rg93Q9bDH5le8vs92LlU0FoipiMCs5NTLKHJzyVnrmZXRHn1W91EskOpnt3CIxA2rctUJ991dZMjUlnNwBVpB7ddQvVXdWQB8Rq8kMaGxhm87cw_LP5SRc3hjZNxFfp4iefvfRihIOa4a_Q/s4032/signs1675.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwH9xwI5R1ihjSh6C1l0pX4tnyy8NfKaHZr0PN6c0rg93Q9bDH5le8vs92LlU0FoipiMCs5NTLKHJzyVnrmZXRHn1W91EskOpnt3CIxA2rctUJ991dZMjUlnNwBVpB7ddQvVXdWQB8Rq8kMaGxhm87cw_LP5SRc3hjZNxFfp4iefvfRihIOa4a_Q/w480-h640/signs1675.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">NO GUEST AFTER 10PM</div><div style="text-align: center;">YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED</div><div style="text-align: center;">IT'S DOESN'T MAKE SINCE</div><div style="text-align: center;">WHAT I SAT AND HEARD</div><div style="text-align: center;">LAST NIGHT COMING FROM</div><div style="text-align: center;">THIS BUILDING!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">NO MORE WARNING!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Door. University Avenue, Saint Paul.]</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcOCkrpMua14wf5wHtiniwwNN9SrKi9Mya-UENtpkQYPVwhv6IzanC3Nh_cRxv8Fh9KzExZDpY_K0XSvTnffzc8ORi2afkKESRrS6qP357aD1hFKg1jAOd6MkErFoLAHijHsOiAqzJTefnogGKP8BrLdadk9uPrXev0xBUw1Cqatoep4K4HQG-Q/s4032/signs1674.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcOCkrpMua14wf5wHtiniwwNN9SrKi9Mya-UENtpkQYPVwhv6IzanC3Nh_cRxv8Fh9KzExZDpY_K0XSvTnffzc8ORi2afkKESRrS6qP357aD1hFKg1jAOd6MkErFoLAHijHsOiAqzJTefnogGKP8BrLdadk9uPrXev0xBUw1Cqatoep4K4HQG-Q/w640-h480/signs1674.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Stay</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Positive</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Wood thing. Seward, Minneapolis.]</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxj31Dk438ejb4M3MmxNNCWusObfGlLxrVR34OHhasFMlOmjH6lc2sF8uyL4iqyxXc_GRKrrZnDluA_uNFpPpJfz-VjfGzybJqzK7EaueS7GJfx8xs044hFlH4ZobYuR9eL8pNmFkXxs3ormTZBx8UvugBVCIrMHeLBVocNI8e6-ER_CPAmQoPw/s4032/signs1673.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxj31Dk438ejb4M3MmxNNCWusObfGlLxrVR34OHhasFMlOmjH6lc2sF8uyL4iqyxXc_GRKrrZnDluA_uNFpPpJfz-VjfGzybJqzK7EaueS7GJfx8xs044hFlH4ZobYuR9eL8pNmFkXxs3ormTZBx8UvugBVCIrMHeLBVocNI8e6-ER_CPAmQoPw/w480-h640/signs1673.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Due to</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Staffing Shortages</div><div style="text-align: center;">We will be closing</div><div style="text-align: center;">at 3X2 pm today</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Door. Skyway system. Downtown, Minneapolis.]</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuVtRp74XQj_cr0d7TVw8VceWfUf9lVjBIDkHZkSeXKJBhwYi5TCBHwEtcbKAk-TcoYsH-C0qxOlGktI9zWNRqZ0vDFHwMj_oFrm8Qk_0c-L7l6pxfJcgu1orI1-V7rEn6uG5nZjuh2vPWYEYnjV_YSCnRl4riUmACqJeVjMpqEov08-jMcoIoQ/s4032/signs1672.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuVtRp74XQj_cr0d7TVw8VceWfUf9lVjBIDkHZkSeXKJBhwYi5TCBHwEtcbKAk-TcoYsH-C0qxOlGktI9zWNRqZ0vDFHwMj_oFrm8Qk_0c-L7l6pxfJcgu1orI1-V7rEn6uG5nZjuh2vPWYEYnjV_YSCnRl4riUmACqJeVjMpqEov08-jMcoIoQ/w640-h480/signs1672.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">NO TRESPASSING</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">ON STONE WALL</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Grand Avenue, Saint Paul.]</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3tX54etNIHGZqWbR2OTMAbDuKInRHJp1WLA4ez6MPJl7aEhIu3xEMJC02rPYfHwQI6HN8qD3bOaKtvJhRKUjZF9jRIah4ib8WzH_UUOSWPDMmcPSFRagEy7yNYoL4oENqnN659bMmA46HgiFxMWuuUQ9cNlA-jb0bH3lXLiCgFdcZ3oFG__8tg/s4032/signs1671.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3tX54etNIHGZqWbR2OTMAbDuKInRHJp1WLA4ez6MPJl7aEhIu3xEMJC02rPYfHwQI6HN8qD3bOaKtvJhRKUjZF9jRIah4ib8WzH_UUOSWPDMmcPSFRagEy7yNYoL4oENqnN659bMmA46HgiFxMWuuUQ9cNlA-jb0bH3lXLiCgFdcZ3oFG__8tg/w640-h480/signs1671.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">NOTICE</div><p></p></div><div style="text-align: center;">WE OPENS THE RESTAURANT</div><div style="text-align: center;">FROM 2pm TO 9pm</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">SORRY FOR THE</div><div style="text-align: center;">INCONVENIENCE</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Door. Midway, Saint Paul.]</i></div></div>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-92060505183201974272024-01-05T10:23:00.008-06:002024-01-05T10:24:10.081-06:00Sidewalk Dogs #17<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFOXR9SV9lKvy0cn1bK1g-qcRqvRll8UVpHzFtGY5yC12FP3l6A9ZLXcI4TaR8Xn0DZ1zqUInRFZt_J-bxTDUY1kH2fB5UtjY1EuHW9oae_f7xcJk040gKAEdMG-6YBPyLg_ioK9tEWh5Z96Hl3WfL2NwFF9QcfyfwDIARn3pzSHZ6uTXjMfWOA/s4032/sidewalksog169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFOXR9SV9lKvy0cn1bK1g-qcRqvRll8UVpHzFtGY5yC12FP3l6A9ZLXcI4TaR8Xn0DZ1zqUInRFZt_J-bxTDUY1kH2fB5UtjY1EuHW9oae_f7xcJk040gKAEdMG-6YBPyLg_ioK9tEWh5Z96Hl3WfL2NwFF9QcfyfwDIARn3pzSHZ6uTXjMfWOA/w640-h480/sidewalksog169.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Downtown St. Paul.]</i></div></i><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISNR3hTjy46zFA3tdgJwNFtINzcuqmWP1XVgNr-Y8pqmgoA-nqI0fNZoSROEtS8e4n8HfmXI69CMAaOPtCUeFQksH-idGWF4cODXWYUZfSXgUkcY3g_uebb-wIhiwLHPOT8WPgSnBvZMAwLUs-h-rRPETlDXLHWP15t2kt_mW6hXkW5Zb7pH9Bg/s4032/sidewalkdog178.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISNR3hTjy46zFA3tdgJwNFtINzcuqmWP1XVgNr-Y8pqmgoA-nqI0fNZoSROEtS8e4n8HfmXI69CMAaOPtCUeFQksH-idGWF4cODXWYUZfSXgUkcY3g_uebb-wIhiwLHPOT8WPgSnBvZMAwLUs-h-rRPETlDXLHWP15t2kt_mW6hXkW5Zb7pH9Bg/w640-h480/sidewalkdog178.HEIC" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Salt Lake City, Utah.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguV34U0XMsWLfxR6etsJzUeIhNvG62HrE_I3xg4Sl8xmFwUMty5vXsCkzyUi5QJQbvI_EiqQ9DGcZRWFxr0cEKyhpOk4N9EUSfmWrxzEHxS3a1ipRnzkKhMeertu-wtaNex1auDBAoiKmHKO5-wiRlnbA6ba-rf-x9OqXDZQcJLSKO_j6bNiK28Q/s4032/sidewalkdog177.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguV34U0XMsWLfxR6etsJzUeIhNvG62HrE_I3xg4Sl8xmFwUMty5vXsCkzyUi5QJQbvI_EiqQ9DGcZRWFxr0cEKyhpOk4N9EUSfmWrxzEHxS3a1ipRnzkKhMeertu-wtaNex1auDBAoiKmHKO5-wiRlnbA6ba-rf-x9OqXDZQcJLSKO_j6bNiK28Q/w640-h480/sidewalkdog177.HEIC" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Uptown, Minneapolis.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JRaDeGlcMIMRQGaka4KTgKen1IDNQE07Z98MTFleyv6PkzzZUxamBjRjM9SaIasrpIw9HOAylFqRAAT304djxG9NzKJbXvLCDzHEf9vfJcIZvTdG9G3MKpd3zPMa5bqebr5Nf4olPJvm3Kffu06rAaCwcAOjQWxmP7RxovqY2Kwa7m_3TtdpMA/s4032/sidewalkdog176.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JRaDeGlcMIMRQGaka4KTgKen1IDNQE07Z98MTFleyv6PkzzZUxamBjRjM9SaIasrpIw9HOAylFqRAAT304djxG9NzKJbXvLCDzHEf9vfJcIZvTdG9G3MKpd3zPMa5bqebr5Nf4olPJvm3Kffu06rAaCwcAOjQWxmP7RxovqY2Kwa7m_3TtdpMA/w640-h480/sidewalkdog176.HEIC" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Loring Park, Minneapolis.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTr_xHysXw2i7HnX5phfPajqxEWyPOB234-UPiwBDP8lfeAwdNjLJiOb4wDcC3SmuFoyn9zQOlikbG6GQqcfp-2Q1iT1SX9im2ykKotSNJ9acQU2xCkw4skpMfJoymv8w1A1B6Glawvx26tCuHhEtAk4K74MC6xtN7L-a5KMREQT9ZbCyhqm-k7g/s4032/sidewalkdog175.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTr_xHysXw2i7HnX5phfPajqxEWyPOB234-UPiwBDP8lfeAwdNjLJiOb4wDcC3SmuFoyn9zQOlikbG6GQqcfp-2Q1iT1SX9im2ykKotSNJ9acQU2xCkw4skpMfJoymv8w1A1B6Glawvx26tCuHhEtAk4K74MC6xtN7L-a5KMREQT9ZbCyhqm-k7g/w640-h480/sidewalkdog175.HEIC" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, Oregon.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYi-npLHisqEMG4UiaRIn0SOQ4L1m4RA4CYclefSbZLI6Oneo4b0_cManOrxh7d9Fu9S3sdkcJTa99BCg_g8X-70ajSN0p-S6x26grPLkMrZTsga3DceQt0L-Kne0XNoS69swDnCnopJGNWf6pvtCFWOvToHyWwXiJ1d9s1q6hdD7YxCz3y7ilqQ/s4032/sidewalkdog173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYi-npLHisqEMG4UiaRIn0SOQ4L1m4RA4CYclefSbZLI6Oneo4b0_cManOrxh7d9Fu9S3sdkcJTa99BCg_g8X-70ajSN0p-S6x26grPLkMrZTsga3DceQt0L-Kne0XNoS69swDnCnopJGNWf6pvtCFWOvToHyWwXiJ1d9s1q6hdD7YxCz3y7ilqQ/w640-h480/sidewalkdog173.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Selby Avenue, St. Paul.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg_lzCkFSKTnLEggTnJqw3RI_4cSgKJ9F4AWHFTUT7lMMGUewop1rbQOLVbBreRVhdtPG7r6Cw1ze7qIvqUeDJkyYnFPQr7CbMX0MEbMYC4_nQJIScd5gVNRZhhf4eRwaVmhM3woRocmp8YchFsszDQOsOPO7SP35FCMQey21NhynUnX_rLagfQ/s2958/sidewalkdog172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2505" data-original-width="2958" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg_lzCkFSKTnLEggTnJqw3RI_4cSgKJ9F4AWHFTUT7lMMGUewop1rbQOLVbBreRVhdtPG7r6Cw1ze7qIvqUeDJkyYnFPQr7CbMX0MEbMYC4_nQJIScd5gVNRZhhf4eRwaVmhM3woRocmp8YchFsszDQOsOPO7SP35FCMQey21NhynUnX_rLagfQ/w640-h544/sidewalkdog172.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Uptown, Minneapolis.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhagfB8de1IxO_O8hbpUNVQ-MoYTwGFVbWk2omyXuwNVFLEe94vxyw4Y7Nvou7vmVzFtHIf4LBQdPRg1u4rqqoQlBs1hVa1OOHxKhVtYuPshIjc3TuxiqZsXDOnJ-bDw8F98FP4wZOm4p2xE3H9UWifLxkQiYDKr3aFbNqITaYNgDPo0cr1OodmQ/s4032/sidewalkdog171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhagfB8de1IxO_O8hbpUNVQ-MoYTwGFVbWk2omyXuwNVFLEe94vxyw4Y7Nvou7vmVzFtHIf4LBQdPRg1u4rqqoQlBs1hVa1OOHxKhVtYuPshIjc3TuxiqZsXDOnJ-bDw8F98FP4wZOm4p2xE3H9UWifLxkQiYDKr3aFbNqITaYNgDPo0cr1OodmQ/w640-h480/sidewalkdog171.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[St. Anthony Park, St. Paul.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHVPZRM5tVvZhHVpxgSUJjgYzCwcPp1TSSX4pgDOaANfPNJPCn08Vq-oyL2aVSfdmpFSmMVhd-NlWNoPBFi2tk0QrS5B0MRbvqGInaCRzRkJ93AYXrnh2og44hJVMEd3cy-_tEov0AeguqgqXtfgFGVuYIlDnNG-zSWsnpWGzOSBsiZhqAGIvww/s1826/sidewalkdog168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="1826" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwHVPZRM5tVvZhHVpxgSUJjgYzCwcPp1TSSX4pgDOaANfPNJPCn08Vq-oyL2aVSfdmpFSmMVhd-NlWNoPBFi2tk0QrS5B0MRbvqGInaCRzRkJ93AYXrnh2og44hJVMEd3cy-_tEov0AeguqgqXtfgFGVuYIlDnNG-zSWsnpWGzOSBsiZhqAGIvww/w640-h464/sidewalkdog168.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Grand Avenue, St. Paul.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnC1XDCyqNSCVEPOYxI_23hd84CSo1WI1eyu-7OgRUGFw5JTr-EZCrFUYJqWPhyphenhyphenByCBmmKeMf9XPxhStWfZn1bbuSmSpkLqENUDvNJAE29tLpVadAwkKprDPSKXOTtoCSkZeFbwQA8CKZJNRTWN1jxHzq-dWXhixiK7HEs_CCBrznr3OUR4CFXfg/s1400/sidewalkdog167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1400" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnC1XDCyqNSCVEPOYxI_23hd84CSo1WI1eyu-7OgRUGFw5JTr-EZCrFUYJqWPhyphenhyphenByCBmmKeMf9XPxhStWfZn1bbuSmSpkLqENUDvNJAE29tLpVadAwkKprDPSKXOTtoCSkZeFbwQA8CKZJNRTWN1jxHzq-dWXhixiK7HEs_CCBrznr3OUR4CFXfg/w640-h480/sidewalkdog167.jpg" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Location forgotten.]</i></div></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyZ02rFg1Qis21MkieSqT5txkVS0TI8sHHKIFWOirBDmFd8LxUqyzvYQOAVUZnGPDcDyHSfTGsyF3wP5SK5LmWhysLnCUoyQt-LkToomrkdFBD2a8Zt2VxPwExnZTqjGqXTtxTyU6sbAr4erXieA5CoRwesr7JZ4NuFNRz59KpyAcBR021KZTZw/s1944/sidewalkdog166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="1458" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWyZ02rFg1Qis21MkieSqT5txkVS0TI8sHHKIFWOirBDmFd8LxUqyzvYQOAVUZnGPDcDyHSfTGsyF3wP5SK5LmWhysLnCUoyQt-LkToomrkdFBD2a8Zt2VxPwExnZTqjGqXTtxTyU6sbAr4erXieA5CoRwesr7JZ4NuFNRz59KpyAcBR021KZTZw/w480-h640/sidewalkdog166.jpg" width="480" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Location forgotten.]</i></div></i><p></p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-34483017422228270272023-08-11T15:27:00.010-06:002023-08-11T15:28:04.823-06:00Signs of the Times #186<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Ixs69n6k74uKsmq9pW-ut7fYoi1_jV_N4bY1k13ohcsqplAO78j--HGH3dIzS8n15SKjMsfAZmgySsoxgNWVEqRSNrWN1V7JbSXTSEMES9-RNLOmQPYpb7K1oB3iaqwH2GjFxI2Lf56Sj22NKyz3jI58hPvOYshK3Obn-7I6rGif46v1uFWj3A/s4032/signs1670.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Ixs69n6k74uKsmq9pW-ut7fYoi1_jV_N4bY1k13ohcsqplAO78j--HGH3dIzS8n15SKjMsfAZmgySsoxgNWVEqRSNrWN1V7JbSXTSEMES9-RNLOmQPYpb7K1oB3iaqwH2GjFxI2Lf56Sj22NKyz3jI58hPvOYshK3Obn-7I6rGif46v1uFWj3A/w640-h480/signs1670.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">SMILE</div><div style="text-align: center;">your on </div><div style="text-align: center;">CAMERA</div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Porch. Location forgotten, probably Frogtown.]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyeMeeT_S7xTtcZnCJMNM8h4Wi1LFUqCbyXzbaesC3avie904tCFBu1TV0omfj2ssA9frEEzrUsMWAu6D7xqeSZPi_bjoTIq8a-zoxO0e4lzYl1w_zAujVwgcNBmeE-Gw1dP6joUXPDAtKKQcScoYXH3mumJUCqlqhjHnrM6R_zytP9bWbzDcqng/s4032/signs1669.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyeMeeT_S7xTtcZnCJMNM8h4Wi1LFUqCbyXzbaesC3avie904tCFBu1TV0omfj2ssA9frEEzrUsMWAu6D7xqeSZPi_bjoTIq8a-zoxO0e4lzYl1w_zAujVwgcNBmeE-Gw1dP6joUXPDAtKKQcScoYXH3mumJUCqlqhjHnrM6R_zytP9bWbzDcqng/w640-h480/signs1669.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">WOAH</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Roadside. Pepin County, WI.]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSOGtIwvTM2G8ZxUfKvtWuETqyJcEzmIf-DfIhdRoV0l10Ue1NIQSg8XGHHtNBeURQr44fv9-7f-aOECHZxg0h0zO8e1tuIClOHp5P_b7M2GtHXjM8oHuHPL3A5sArTuMw3emnffWCPUnNnBv2NqxdbPuqPzngW0HORqNksnGboPLl3Wx9tlVBQ/s4032/signs1668.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSOGtIwvTM2G8ZxUfKvtWuETqyJcEzmIf-DfIhdRoV0l10Ue1NIQSg8XGHHtNBeURQr44fv9-7f-aOECHZxg0h0zO8e1tuIClOHp5P_b7M2GtHXjM8oHuHPL3A5sArTuMw3emnffWCPUnNnBv2NqxdbPuqPzngW0HORqNksnGboPLl3Wx9tlVBQ/w640-h480/signs1668.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[finger pointing]</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Chain. Pepin, WI.]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYv8yiuSnF_mQtoJ0bwkSAbZs3BbbrkexM5Ldl7ZKu80ioLftA6KlwHCZOjPrscywDzChDeuW54ESQ9NYjI-RPUVBRLeQTlj7ZtNY5prM6ymrCQX6c9Rtv21RoYNSizPbjjR5O6-r6XqbY_a53_9rgCXrVgyBPq9Vkqk82wIZskfQRL63KBvSrHw/s4032/signs1667.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYv8yiuSnF_mQtoJ0bwkSAbZs3BbbrkexM5Ldl7ZKu80ioLftA6KlwHCZOjPrscywDzChDeuW54ESQ9NYjI-RPUVBRLeQTlj7ZtNY5prM6ymrCQX6c9Rtv21RoYNSizPbjjR5O6-r6XqbY_a53_9rgCXrVgyBPq9Vkqk82wIZskfQRL63KBvSrHw/w640-h480/signs1667.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Chicken</div><div style="text-align: center;">or Rose</div><div style="text-align: center;">40-</div><div style="text-align: center;">TURTLE or</div><div style="text-align: center;">FROG</div><div style="text-align: center;">35-</div><div style="text-align: center;">More in Ally</div><div style="text-align: center;"><-</div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Boulevard. Pepin, WI.]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzISRWMEOdgOfi8PDmrFz4jOht1Xkn9Ob7Ghjq8KLWIW2iUO-xzsT37dzBzw8N7jWBN5T5fCHbzq8Q0z5yAPMdxT6i04SK_3Njki7wrX6wnogJHM9Ux7X9MjWn-Maz3PInjyhgQxryRtav4O7DSp11pMZZpq4aspU-IRYakD5IJOBdSLAUAY4v6w/s4032/signs1666.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzISRWMEOdgOfi8PDmrFz4jOht1Xkn9Ob7Ghjq8KLWIW2iUO-xzsT37dzBzw8N7jWBN5T5fCHbzq8Q0z5yAPMdxT6i04SK_3Njki7wrX6wnogJHM9Ux7X9MjWn-Maz3PInjyhgQxryRtav4O7DSp11pMZZpq4aspU-IRYakD5IJOBdSLAUAY4v6w/w640-h480/signs1666.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">PEPIN COUNTY</div><div style="text-align: center;">league</div><div style="text-align: center;">of</div><div style="text-align: center;">Norweigian</div><div style="text-align: center;">Cowboy</div><div style="text-align: center;">Mexican-Americans</div><div style="text-align: center;">Artist/Poet</div><div style="text-align: center;">mystics</div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Window. Pepin, WI.]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa8bTWEhAxYXOkd0TfzpEc8Ox5Z9V3RbWwY00Js_cEhHQrooCsHwh2Wie_XxUmxMqSCD0TWakLYO2_WAxs4WqLUJ6LyCjOEx3_a3oHrDrkiWN3fmOB1K6olONe-cV_7VDL7c_xytLCGd4NY4ypmE9swBmm8V6iHNtqKpaaWParGzyHwntaJs84A/s4032/signs1665.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa8bTWEhAxYXOkd0TfzpEc8Ox5Z9V3RbWwY00Js_cEhHQrooCsHwh2Wie_XxUmxMqSCD0TWakLYO2_WAxs4WqLUJ6LyCjOEx3_a3oHrDrkiWN3fmOB1K6olONe-cV_7VDL7c_xytLCGd4NY4ypmE9swBmm8V6iHNtqKpaaWParGzyHwntaJs84A/w640-h480/signs1665.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">JUSTICE</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">FOR GEORG</p><p style="text-align: center;">FLOYD</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Boulevard. Summit-University, St. Paul.]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20XXvvzfzP3kLjZZrDIfFH_yaCXddALjQ3DUzOhwmfbUETn-6vORpz0DlvSrd1jYNLz0gkamSzmVQxfHzBxC4dObcTYPbG5ftsfJgBbysxGfI3hYWVswFqVDcusyzyvXu9vD9tebKrAd_AQkiMcczh9Tfo_ZqlD6TjGG-gF1XpxYdcmnSEi-1ug/s4032/signs1664.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20XXvvzfzP3kLjZZrDIfFH_yaCXddALjQ3DUzOhwmfbUETn-6vORpz0DlvSrd1jYNLz0gkamSzmVQxfHzBxC4dObcTYPbG5ftsfJgBbysxGfI3hYWVswFqVDcusyzyvXu9vD9tebKrAd_AQkiMcczh9Tfo_ZqlD6TjGG-gF1XpxYdcmnSEi-1ug/w640-h480/signs1664.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">GLEN</div><div style="text-align: center;">MEATS</div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Contraption. Glen.]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEn3HjQ2aCvPkU3HOCmRy8_A1xwqiaXexgbr_xwuiyoFqWElqXyxXMqyR7yHy-iTAu1585qyTWiozdVIyRitQidfH2qjaEi0MZBfRu7iyy588-0vpghUJZK2TcGmUrc_LYOYCkT3qj9ylgeJf4qYGnf9OB6EIj2PMzgawTNbxw6G-WhwGoGBqjw/s4032/signs1663.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEn3HjQ2aCvPkU3HOCmRy8_A1xwqiaXexgbr_xwuiyoFqWElqXyxXMqyR7yHy-iTAu1585qyTWiozdVIyRitQidfH2qjaEi0MZBfRu7iyy588-0vpghUJZK2TcGmUrc_LYOYCkT3qj9ylgeJf4qYGnf9OB6EIj2PMzgawTNbxw6G-WhwGoGBqjw/w640-h480/signs1663.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">LIFE IS MOSTLY</div><div style="text-align: center;">froth and BUBBLES</div><div style="text-align: center;">Two THINGS STAND</div><div style="text-align: center;">LIKE STONE</div><div style="text-align: center;">KINDNESS</div><div style="text-align: center;">IN ANOTHER'S TROUBLE</div><div style="text-align: center;">COURAGE</div><div style="text-align: center;">IN OUR OWN</div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Tree. East Side, St. Paul, I think...]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSD6tJxPXkJUv3XU1iq81NEqZ0JHzyXXv4Vikf_w_hBD4QF_h-2seVTO-a5tJZDJxNKFoR_u1WbYmwyljAau5XzLfuVf7KcoVIFYcNpCeNG4UyarRelEOGCr8B2hE8ERRdNUehQvP9IuczudTGAw5DnUU97jl_sOW-yErMIdH5d1PvWENnnc9gUA/s4032/signs1662.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSD6tJxPXkJUv3XU1iq81NEqZ0JHzyXXv4Vikf_w_hBD4QF_h-2seVTO-a5tJZDJxNKFoR_u1WbYmwyljAau5XzLfuVf7KcoVIFYcNpCeNG4UyarRelEOGCr8B2hE8ERRdNUehQvP9IuczudTGAw5DnUU97jl_sOW-yErMIdH5d1PvWENnnc9gUA/w640-h480/signs1662.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">Have a good</div><div style="text-align: center;">Day</div><div style="text-align: center;">Dog</div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Either Frogtown or Hamline-Midway, St. Paul.]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaR8GKswdKYY-RHdBcE9mi9Sz4D0330gmcC7HrtKLBdz0ZZxWX7jl8CTAaacDQqwCHS1FangoCMVvTF51Jjnuxpw8ImSn4onkCF5zHsLTozCo0lc1yqa_Wu9K67XR8ix9IHu8ToZjIaf_two5q2eB1mBVXr6U9VDW3TlbYH59UM_-m8tTiv8IJ0Q/s1020/signs1643.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="828" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaR8GKswdKYY-RHdBcE9mi9Sz4D0330gmcC7HrtKLBdz0ZZxWX7jl8CTAaacDQqwCHS1FangoCMVvTF51Jjnuxpw8ImSn4onkCF5zHsLTozCo0lc1yqa_Wu9K67XR8ix9IHu8ToZjIaf_two5q2eB1mBVXr6U9VDW3TlbYH59UM_-m8tTiv8IJ0Q/w520-h640/signs1643.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">FREE</div><div style="text-align: center;">please take</div><div style="text-align: center;">an aloe!</div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Boulevard box. Hamline-Midway, St. Paul.]</i></p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-22137399498448517862023-06-21T10:15:00.002-06:002023-06-21T10:25:36.000-06:00Noteworthy Railyards of Minneapolis and Saint Paul Bike Tour, next Thursday <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOffq08XHtIBsdDxvTV0l_MW-Zh0R032KEfHLaUIPhhFC15b1Vuc5x3tRqS7p3OsLrzCf_e2ccJu9MN9SIUOOr3ZvyWaw5QsOA_b6a0PZsWaj9wM8tixzAArO7T_NklY7BXU1DudwLqXCNIvQryqZD3pJx-X9tlrqJ3GU_8N0RaZNoq0ymhgRg8w/s4032/IMG_8630.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOffq08XHtIBsdDxvTV0l_MW-Zh0R032KEfHLaUIPhhFC15b1Vuc5x3tRqS7p3OsLrzCf_e2ccJu9MN9SIUOOr3ZvyWaw5QsOA_b6a0PZsWaj9wM8tixzAArO7T_NklY7BXU1DudwLqXCNIvQryqZD3pJx-X9tlrqJ3GU_8N0RaZNoq0ymhgRg8w/w640-h480/IMG_8630.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Railroad siding in Northeast Minneapolis.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Hey! It's been a while since the last bike tour, around about two years. (By funny coincidence, I now have a two-year-old.) AS you might imagine, this one has been cooking in my mind of ra while. We're going to bike around and look at some past and present rail yards, ,certainly a negative / blank space in many people's imaginations of the city. And yet rail yards are all around us, and there used to be twice as many, huge swathes of urban land given over to nothing but railroad tracks and 24/7 industrial activity. They're quite interesting and with the help of a local railroad expert, I'll do my best to explain what they are, how they work, and how they've defined the urban geography of Minneapolis and St. Paul. </p><p>You'll learn fun things, such as the existence of "East Minneapolis" (a real thing) and what "humping" really is... I hope to see you there!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/24567923969531165/?ref=newsfeed">Facebook invite here</a>.]</i></p><div><b>Who: </b>Anyone who wants to ride bikes and learn about history<br /><b>What</b>: 2+ hour, 15-mile relaxing bike ride around St. Paul and Minneapolis<br /><b>When</b>: Thursday, June 29th, leaving at 7pm<br /><b>Where:</b> We will meet at <a href="https://www.insightbrewing.com">Insight Brewing</a> and end at <a href="https://www.bangbrewing.com">Bang Brewing</a> (about a mile away)<br /><b>Why:</b> Because some of them are still there, and trains are cool</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00oyRICRRb_qY7haifKwBtNDbdBLwtP1SnuoAOXU52K54GqnmO6ir88OKzwCa9YeqGoXtgv1vnqNPaCebsM2f5PN73SKP0aSTYyYzTb6zixkfApdu9zfCvkrfxobncw4V0p_F9zGPgMU4Ixdw6eTPqgTO_s5VTFPUxYg1gougNn46r8-AzA5rEA/s1500/railyard%20st%20paul.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="1500" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00oyRICRRb_qY7haifKwBtNDbdBLwtP1SnuoAOXU52K54GqnmO6ir88OKzwCa9YeqGoXtgv1vnqNPaCebsM2f5PN73SKP0aSTYyYzTb6zixkfApdu9zfCvkrfxobncw4V0p_F9zGPgMU4Ixdw6eTPqgTO_s5VTFPUxYg1gougNn46r8-AzA5rEA/w640-h370/railyard%20st%20paul.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Railyard in Saint Paul.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhWA-l6TPwuq4oaGObiWic8zSfo2DjH15Fi7Qujz04P4FZeitacPin3qPWjlyXtWoN_PJ10hKMWPma-K0bApyoDzTlAkJVYUcBBHMH_ALiP74Nz2is3mNUTeVxDRIkiCLNPRgrBFak9hk-yY-wHx7QGaL4GZHNYdHgji0592Qh-qwfKS7t1uWjA/s1200/railyard%20landscape.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="859" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhWA-l6TPwuq4oaGObiWic8zSfo2DjH15Fi7Qujz04P4FZeitacPin3qPWjlyXtWoN_PJ10hKMWPma-K0bApyoDzTlAkJVYUcBBHMH_ALiP74Nz2is3mNUTeVxDRIkiCLNPRgrBFak9hk-yY-wHx7QGaL4GZHNYdHgji0592Qh-qwfKS7t1uWjA/w458-h640/railyard%20landscape.jpeg" width="458" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Railyard artwork by <span face="system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); color: #050505; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;"><a href="https://www.aydinbuyuktas.com">Aydin Büyüktas</a>.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-76914705584731119872023-06-14T11:23:00.008-06:002023-06-14T11:31:03.503-06:00St. Paul Loses a Link to its Past as Alary's Rebrands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">One of the weirdest dive bars in downtown St. Paul (sadly a too-short list) <a href="https://kstp.com/kstp-news/local-news/alarys-bar-in-st-paul-to-close-on-sunday/">is closing down</a>. Alary's Bar on 7th Street announced it was closing, and possibly rebranding. It wasn't my favorite place, but it was unique! Their odd parking-lot patio alone made it a must-see stop on any downtown St. Paul bar crawl.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYnYSa54zsc0dBL9Y1CFv00g1m26sm2UvfQkGZfsDUHDadiisEuUdtwxPKtEXuEjHUXCWAzzhw34AYbzwf1_c9t7s1CJcyfXVuMnmJKqjBP-Cvqg6y_Tmk0HpyS5OYqP69Z4TlyP97rUrLuWmXFYrK95STdF3dbHUyc68NNmHuGL_LqjhAy0/s3264/IMG_0295.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYnYSa54zsc0dBL9Y1CFv00g1m26sm2UvfQkGZfsDUHDadiisEuUdtwxPKtEXuEjHUXCWAzzhw34AYbzwf1_c9t7s1CJcyfXVuMnmJKqjBP-Cvqg6y_Tmk0HpyS5OYqP69Z4TlyP97rUrLuWmXFYrK95STdF3dbHUyc68NNmHuGL_LqjhAy0/w480-h640/IMG_0295.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alary's grand entrance.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Alary's has a great, sordid, St. Paul history, and is the last real link to the city's burlesque past, when downtown was seedy and catered to the debauched, as it did since its days as Pig's Eye. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">Along with the Har-Mar Mall, Alary's has the best amalgamated moniker in the East Metro. It's a mashup of Al Baisi and his partner Larry [something]. Baisi was born in West Virginia and became a lineman for the Chicago Bears int he 1940s, playing in '41, '41, and '46. Alary's has been a local Bears bar ever since. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZd2Vu-Ww9f4ThVPQl_xYgwu7IpyGYYJXPYkiVHJ_8oASowqJ3UsveHhVu65miqwmLtOIJ8R6_wdb1Y4U2FFS8wsB2npuyj26nkWNwKigtGDwcnhrsw6x1IzRkWe5OJ49ZTq1mUQ6LP3jQPBq4yEhUVrw1hSMJzEsHZZoZMo-vUuVER9WKNg/s800/alarys-wabasha.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="800" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZd2Vu-Ww9f4ThVPQl_xYgwu7IpyGYYJXPYkiVHJ_8oASowqJ3UsveHhVu65miqwmLtOIJ8R6_wdb1Y4U2FFS8wsB2npuyj26nkWNwKigtGDwcnhrsw6x1IzRkWe5OJ49ZTq1mUQ6LP3jQPBq4yEhUVrw1hSMJzEsHZZoZMo-vUuVER9WKNg/w640-h524/alarys-wabasha.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[The original Wabasha location. after a fire.]<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YkYr_1_kqz97mhSZhZ1fDd9DPuEAsGd-VSaIvYfM97R9N97bOGUbXwbQTDm3lJ3UI5R6YmsjUrvhftzUI7aYyVphkqk4atNn7TSwNkbsWVrVNXub9W9grjjDTEstJojzVpAqouXuipdbUDvN-9bQLFeaSU1orCbWt4kxibWB-jIBL5drfaU/s546/alarys%201956.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="431" data-original-width="546" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YkYr_1_kqz97mhSZhZ1fDd9DPuEAsGd-VSaIvYfM97R9N97bOGUbXwbQTDm3lJ3UI5R6YmsjUrvhftzUI7aYyVphkqk4atNn7TSwNkbsWVrVNXub9W9grjjDTEstJojzVpAqouXuipdbUDvN-9bQLFeaSU1orCbWt4kxibWB-jIBL5drfaU/s320/alarys%201956.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alary's c. 1956.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">It all started with Larry and Al took over a Wasbasha club called the Drum Bar in 1949 and rebranded it, adding a burlesque strip show. This was back in the day when such things were commonplace in both downtowns, and St. Paul needed something to compete with the likes of the Persian Palms in Minneapolis' Gateway. It was located about where the Children's Museum is today.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQRkr2dy2ulOqz16B5DzwtsW001z9lGA8HExs2wBOV5zEPlV8jOd3xGOPDCctfZXHBg01enyKBvdGWTsDaSo9tVshJ-Tv-FKUo4Ri0-cq1IfHXC7WbwzwsgVa-aNfoHVY1J_Uk7RvcoXl9eriIM-gt0BDTkpWIY7h2_fYKKhMY8xHm2h0tas/s759/alarys-bar-ad.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="759" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQRkr2dy2ulOqz16B5DzwtsW001z9lGA8HExs2wBOV5zEPlV8jOd3xGOPDCctfZXHBg01enyKBvdGWTsDaSo9tVshJ-Tv-FKUo4Ri0-cq1IfHXC7WbwzwsgVa-aNfoHVY1J_Uk7RvcoXl9eriIM-gt0BDTkpWIY7h2_fYKKhMY8xHm2h0tas/s320/alarys-bar-ad.jpg" width="320" /></a>Here's a review of the place from 1979, penned by now-legendary food critic Jeremy Iggers, then writing for the Minneapolis Star:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote>“The only strip joint that hasn’t lost its charm… a dark and dingy, almost seamy looking place. The two-story white walls are bare except for few vintage photographs of 40s football teams. Many Alary’s customers look like survivors from another era, middle aged men with slicked-back hair and weather faces. Drifters with week-old beards who walk with a limp. Dozens of single men all slip in to watch severely overweight women jiggle their flesh. There are no glass-enclosed cages at Alary’s, but then the dancers never take it all off, a real burlesque. One stripper wears a towering red bouffant and the kind of feathers and fans that make Gypsy Rose Lee famous. Her legs are wrinkled. You can count the rolls in her stomach, but boy, she sure knows how to twirl her tassles one at a time and strut her stuff with class.”</blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">(See also the press clipping below of a brief political run by a former Alary's stripper.) </p><p style="text-align: left;">The great irony of the strip shows was that, by the end of his life, Baisi was blind. He lost his sight in an East Side shotgun attack (!) in 1970, but he had a special stool at the back of the bar where he held court and listened to the strip tease. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEfwA1PU4jCNe0ywPuj8G30G9IMTKWPHmox1fzZwmQBVGDBfstd1tWyPcp6T6Ez60ZWodwSqhOcDMrAjYLUH4DKPPuR06ABsyFRKr0-ENQA6uPPxc9olCAUC5f-u3g90XkIIK5g65CwiC1wYvqO-ceDBCPYzzt6cDBUkHqAs8PwMfOtnyGas/s554/elvgren.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="554" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNEfwA1PU4jCNe0ywPuj8G30G9IMTKWPHmox1fzZwmQBVGDBfstd1tWyPcp6T6Ez60ZWodwSqhOcDMrAjYLUH4DKPPuR06ABsyFRKr0-ENQA6uPPxc9olCAUC5f-u3g90XkIIK5g65CwiC1wYvqO-ceDBCPYzzt6cDBUkHqAs8PwMfOtnyGas/s320/elvgren.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Elvgren.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">Urban Renewal marked the end of the old Wabasha bars. Mayor Latimer wanted to take down the old buildings and replace them with the new World Trade Center that still stands at Wabasha and (new) 7th. Like any good lineman, Baisi stood his ground, and simply moved the place up the street to an old paint shop that also has an interesting history. The current Alary's which moved in 1998, is in an old paint supply shop that was run by the parents of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Elvgren">Gil Elvgren</a>. You've probably seen Elvgren's work, because he was one of the most famous pinup artists in US history. A MIA art graduate, he painted scantily clad women throughout World War II for Brown and Bigelow, the local calendar company. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Perhaps channeling Elvgren's lewd spirit, Alary's moved into the old downtown paint shop, and used the high ceilings. Al Baisi's kid took over the place, and retained the sexploitation vibe. Not too long ago, the evening bartenders were all scantily clad women, and there was a live video feed. Then there was the infamous Vulcan groping incident of '05, which is horrible. </p><p style="text-align: left;">It was also a cop bar, and there was a nightstick proudly displayed on the wall, along with other cop paraphernalia. Not my politics, that's for sure! It makes it all the more ironic that, in 2015, a drunk Forest Lake hockey dad jumped into the Alary's hockey game shuttle and drove it a mile without realizing someone was inside the whole time.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Farewell Alary's! It was a real link to St. Paul's less upstanding history.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ucdXWtFXAMLz3mENMOIs1nqxbwaRsi2fp5CqMjIzbX7lZ1WmfwBTDOGsiUvcCqILGnh16fdyqWX6rWhEMJ_AyVRtHfalxYgnSi93luTWwOn7X6NO1X3TLwoStJA2uDlcW6D_-wTkP04a_a27duyTva9fPFYQWiqMgsRF4xRjKvjsADIFUtI/s1200/alarys1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ucdXWtFXAMLz3mENMOIs1nqxbwaRsi2fp5CqMjIzbX7lZ1WmfwBTDOGsiUvcCqILGnh16fdyqWX6rWhEMJ_AyVRtHfalxYgnSi93luTWwOn7X6NO1X3TLwoStJA2uDlcW6D_-wTkP04a_a27duyTva9fPFYQWiqMgsRF4xRjKvjsADIFUtI/w480-h640/alarys1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool, something to beat people up with.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYU6g1gBrligq1enMQ_77frz-hqcgdvKKfe8E07lRXzNttLKsX9x3vPpkVpwik76Ve-5bILujjUkaAWNm74ZHuazmvrGxz2buj_CNsKZC0FMZJ4267q-wsUKqivSUXrQlV_GdBtnBKDmNgQzPFu6NcHVF7XVT-r9v8nnehwMZ35kCWPyDXz3k/s3264/alarys%20paint%20store.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYU6g1gBrligq1enMQ_77frz-hqcgdvKKfe8E07lRXzNttLKsX9x3vPpkVpwik76Ve-5bILujjUkaAWNm74ZHuazmvrGxz2buj_CNsKZC0FMZJ4267q-wsUKqivSUXrQlV_GdBtnBKDmNgQzPFu6NcHVF7XVT-r9v8nnehwMZ35kCWPyDXz3k/w480-h640/alarys%20paint%20store.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvgren's Art Deco paint shop.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJj9ZcvAhdnfalNCUCJKxqVxidVbhN94QkhkqZNq9rls4iodbLFxYmHhFFH_yIGqTxHHygJeyFt5n58WQk85ZNrfVhwIYFqeuni-EEUj0lK7rojcAzOLsAkl8wCYTjziH0sfQymtdNO_zZQSiYqg41pJZKv88wNlH9FCyyongoEC_HM3Nd1qE/s800/alarys-shuttle-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJj9ZcvAhdnfalNCUCJKxqVxidVbhN94QkhkqZNq9rls4iodbLFxYmHhFFH_yIGqTxHHygJeyFt5n58WQk85ZNrfVhwIYFqeuni-EEUj0lK7rojcAzOLsAkl8wCYTjziH0sfQymtdNO_zZQSiYqg41pJZKv88wNlH9FCyyongoEC_HM3Nd1qE/w640-h480/alarys-shuttle-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dreaded Alary's shuttles.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzdw4X09pdrwf2_ijxl8Hc_pkz-0S3rJbPlxUppOZes_Srauazvmpy7CzEU9-Jm1J9_hWxvc6rQ4mirp8R_6iTVZeqyaEYmdqAGSFFVebKPdbr8e2jX-oaxhDogd1VPJZd1renZKJ4HaxDInFFWqIuUe19qjM-hQpaN4ojkCQ1PRMBu5_Xng/s3264/IMG_0296.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbzdw4X09pdrwf2_ijxl8Hc_pkz-0S3rJbPlxUppOZes_Srauazvmpy7CzEU9-Jm1J9_hWxvc6rQ4mirp8R_6iTVZeqyaEYmdqAGSFFVebKPdbr8e2jX-oaxhDogd1VPJZd1renZKJ4HaxDInFFWqIuUe19qjM-hQpaN4ojkCQ1PRMBu5_Xng/w480-h640/IMG_0296.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cop and Vulcan stuff.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZT4Ioe-NPxQ1W-Z4HVeCBb3cpiqCZWArUH-RxMbg3XEA3tytGBT3DptE1z72oh4ILxCbtQUqREX9DWp5uBsOwzPP2FOTbOT0lTUolP9qpkm2E2NEIPhKKAeGh475CcV48rniw5T80koNMAThm1j8O_UquOyjtlInvlFGPmiyo_bWBq6ULN4/s3454/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-14%20at%2012.13.33%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1846" data-original-width="3454" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZT4Ioe-NPxQ1W-Z4HVeCBb3cpiqCZWArUH-RxMbg3XEA3tytGBT3DptE1z72oh4ILxCbtQUqREX9DWp5uBsOwzPP2FOTbOT0lTUolP9qpkm2E2NEIPhKKAeGh475CcV48rniw5T80koNMAThm1j8O_UquOyjtlInvlFGPmiyo_bWBq6ULN4/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-14%20at%2012.13.33%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhjHENlmXkXhg9If9OrMLZrJwOwMk8SpInyDljOkXKEJfD2dJwlk2zvliT-oDqkHGTPFR1QhKRkQ3fvaAOX3Y1XPAeDrgGErQmshWdhtiqpKLBezsHT0lmgye8mDYVGMWqukRLpxnF7QxRB8YGAXFQxK1rPvmVuBQ_ciWu1PWB4WBLCA1FyQ/s3264/IMG_0298.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFhjHENlmXkXhg9If9OrMLZrJwOwMk8SpInyDljOkXKEJfD2dJwlk2zvliT-oDqkHGTPFR1QhKRkQ3fvaAOX3Y1XPAeDrgGErQmshWdhtiqpKLBezsHT0lmgye8mDYVGMWqukRLpxnF7QxRB8YGAXFQxK1rPvmVuBQ_ciWu1PWB4WBLCA1FyQ/w480-h640/IMG_0298.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Royal Defillibrator certificate.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62WAWpDPSC9wV6UXi-UhEMSG2YPwkyD0rtyfTnGMBajQG6EcAHdj3uOn27Oy4GHYKmfHEvuP-GALteYDYtj0JrH4oAq1PjxJVlZqhZYJzDn2LMU5VbxRK1P4gymxfasjnsN1lbVrjqP8YPBW2IaBWoVCreb_yniQ2ZdUp3Xq8s6qs15VBnNM/s3264/IMG_0299.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62WAWpDPSC9wV6UXi-UhEMSG2YPwkyD0rtyfTnGMBajQG6EcAHdj3uOn27Oy4GHYKmfHEvuP-GALteYDYtj0JrH4oAq1PjxJVlZqhZYJzDn2LMU5VbxRK1P4gymxfasjnsN1lbVrjqP8YPBW2IaBWoVCreb_yniQ2ZdUp3Xq8s6qs15VBnNM/w480-h640/IMG_0299.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How it felt to go to Alary's.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsA20nJoDBGR-7keA9V0dOdjBRmRPBNGp1RxHZ6x9bUq0rCGW99s-j-TWgs6xAa0-RDkPilhGuqzNJjXeHALkA7RKao01ZejCBEuoHF86YVSXJa6cC_EM-YWECm02Bm9x9nHHmpFa8o1Um1rdVaRd9k9nDE04jBd3kLkZdmpKxEBMn_jpwzw/s3264/IMG_0300.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsA20nJoDBGR-7keA9V0dOdjBRmRPBNGp1RxHZ6x9bUq0rCGW99s-j-TWgs6xAa0-RDkPilhGuqzNJjXeHALkA7RKao01ZejCBEuoHF86YVSXJa6cC_EM-YWECm02Bm9x9nHHmpFa8o1Um1rdVaRd9k9nDE04jBd3kLkZdmpKxEBMn_jpwzw/w640-h480/IMG_0300.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved the history wall: lost St. Paul.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7daLyE3l-BrtU6u0xPskwfSu8AHlWADW7SGo_UBI3aDbnzm0elPbUvriEJTR8u4TuSwTFMsfdqdX_ne1mM-S1-Jf7G4hqll1rbio7tJHY5jdV5MgTspCBrauWa-M6ET7vr_nLZfo_dZ_IJDrol6n3XS1oiUzSszUH77evhud6XcZvEDhDMPo/s3454/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-14%20at%2012.13.33%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1846" data-original-width="3454" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7daLyE3l-BrtU6u0xPskwfSu8AHlWADW7SGo_UBI3aDbnzm0elPbUvriEJTR8u4TuSwTFMsfdqdX_ne1mM-S1-Jf7G4hqll1rbio7tJHY5jdV5MgTspCBrauWa-M6ET7vr_nLZfo_dZ_IJDrol6n3XS1oiUzSszUH77evhud6XcZvEDhDMPo/w640-h344/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-14%20at%2012.13.33%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard out there for an arthritic stripper.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-16094919512256549042023-05-09T11:00:00.001-06:002023-05-09T11:00:07.669-06:00Twin City Lamppposts #30<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVk74l_KikElkt0Nytu2DjgmokTXLbMJtHli_c23PNYKOZbR6A-Bd1-IuFDdfNohaZVWJPQK0i0rLI8iUfHdVUeY-6mRa-QDBnAFdTrs0wPmmd3NArI8dV1fFdtNWeVzKb-yTDrHJeKPa5Ilb7_iXPOtXkj5xrpotfzsAROnDftHIzo5nmP0I/s4032/lamppost249.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVk74l_KikElkt0Nytu2DjgmokTXLbMJtHli_c23PNYKOZbR6A-Bd1-IuFDdfNohaZVWJPQK0i0rLI8iUfHdVUeY-6mRa-QDBnAFdTrs0wPmmd3NArI8dV1fFdtNWeVzKb-yTDrHJeKPa5Ilb7_iXPOtXkj5xrpotfzsAROnDftHIzo5nmP0I/w480-h640/lamppost249.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Grand Avenue, Saint Paul.]</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9s-WjPB0XLpXuSJAZWoc7N4XXtrn1kXePBxA5R28qEe4NXB1Iy2j6oQykfhJElf90vgAZPmYpF65r_uoSj_G6vxqaC3AHbbXyIzavOCb8wtq_T3M9JjpmJOgXD3y9C32VoVnzNtVEKXx4jmHrDzT7VomMozyOpt4pvn-5EUZWCbRdJIUb8k/s4032/lamppost248.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9s-WjPB0XLpXuSJAZWoc7N4XXtrn1kXePBxA5R28qEe4NXB1Iy2j6oQykfhJElf90vgAZPmYpF65r_uoSj_G6vxqaC3AHbbXyIzavOCb8wtq_T3M9JjpmJOgXD3y9C32VoVnzNtVEKXx4jmHrDzT7VomMozyOpt4pvn-5EUZWCbRdJIUb8k/w480-h640/lamppost248.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Location forgotten... maybe Richfield?]</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqVHMB6rhE-cFhBXapXsb0YOwJRgNElYxqppf1H1O6v3_Kl5cNy7a5f0y_GFShXKUz2PErfBPfGObhu_V_x1InhafODrxYts1Ww86Rom9dstg3PaUlR_D-CJMN_xR6su3qQ4FqICBLGnM5If643ISa5_I8sVXDplC65d4ajrstev8HxfmReQ/s1884/lamppost247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1884" data-original-width="1156" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkqVHMB6rhE-cFhBXapXsb0YOwJRgNElYxqppf1H1O6v3_Kl5cNy7a5f0y_GFShXKUz2PErfBPfGObhu_V_x1InhafODrxYts1Ww86Rom9dstg3PaUlR_D-CJMN_xR6su3qQ4FqICBLGnM5If643ISa5_I8sVXDplC65d4ajrstev8HxfmReQ/w392-h640/lamppost247.JPG" width="392" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Portland, OR.]</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUMxO5ZsdIsBxwJyEaLB-FJNC3TcbuKnEZJwEDXFl6i21qzGEofVvWXdJZ8sNzVVRqf1lPK7X237AWn-aMM04X8zHj1fZKB9-7WMQ4kgCVHt1umLk8ZKgOZcN7kzQmRQx80O-4FLtHZMmB_VODs2o89h-Fmh8yCLWhq-in4p9QKjVD8DixF0/s3413/lamppost246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3413" data-original-width="2096" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUMxO5ZsdIsBxwJyEaLB-FJNC3TcbuKnEZJwEDXFl6i21qzGEofVvWXdJZ8sNzVVRqf1lPK7X237AWn-aMM04X8zHj1fZKB9-7WMQ4kgCVHt1umLk8ZKgOZcN7kzQmRQx80O-4FLtHZMmB_VODs2o89h-Fmh8yCLWhq-in4p9QKjVD8DixF0/w396-h640/lamppost246.JPG" width="396" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Portland, OR.]</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2xLGaH-NOT-HhvZz1o4v05b8Mo63356GshHWRsfKL4P-5XwvBsYXr2NeVoWb-nbf-QBmdlUPFG435S-jCZeTcWNFbgBM-2gGHq1J2XhQrm85Jnb7UkAU6BwTPrYPPjYmsfLlfYjAVBqY8A8lpcxsyGyDb_Kfgtio4JHo2yC09dm2AIIUsg4/s3512/lamppost245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3512" data-original-width="1892" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2xLGaH-NOT-HhvZz1o4v05b8Mo63356GshHWRsfKL4P-5XwvBsYXr2NeVoWb-nbf-QBmdlUPFG435S-jCZeTcWNFbgBM-2gGHq1J2XhQrm85Jnb7UkAU6BwTPrYPPjYmsfLlfYjAVBqY8A8lpcxsyGyDb_Kfgtio4JHo2yC09dm2AIIUsg4/w346-h640/lamppost245.JPG" width="346" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">[Portland, OR.]</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyd44vAjOKnZ4CBqyYfPOYRm-msmAPzEbdkzPcVdh6tOQyLjBIPn1KwDfM7OzJfczS7FvgKhVDMgX4woFKTA9BDCVpMc_eQuW3PH-A7GVS5WiIJA-x6E7cNl2NKgwdOZVEm8IlIHaWHNl3xWCdwPHvdZFGL1s-LGl9735QrvXmDJlhLnhbvcI/s3271/lamppost244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3271" data-original-width="2144" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyd44vAjOKnZ4CBqyYfPOYRm-msmAPzEbdkzPcVdh6tOQyLjBIPn1KwDfM7OzJfczS7FvgKhVDMgX4woFKTA9BDCVpMc_eQuW3PH-A7GVS5WiIJA-x6E7cNl2NKgwdOZVEm8IlIHaWHNl3xWCdwPHvdZFGL1s-LGl9735QrvXmDJlhLnhbvcI/w422-h640/lamppost244.JPG" width="422" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Edina.]</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7cViNMqgVYnbB84Ewne9R-da4z3m4KE5lso9vhTz4oGk4Cf0YOdw4iqoCEc-1z_pTKrJjPqTPRdgAafSbhiGdMqNM1UKXRTwxUTYsFNz0J3XUJ-BhRlBWBe29XOCCj1WU2KCzxHiuTt35ljKzt1lLQV0ogf9XjmxEpEkSTyiGrIgiDouQ7I/s2090/lamppost243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1714" data-original-width="2090" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7cViNMqgVYnbB84Ewne9R-da4z3m4KE5lso9vhTz4oGk4Cf0YOdw4iqoCEc-1z_pTKrJjPqTPRdgAafSbhiGdMqNM1UKXRTwxUTYsFNz0J3XUJ-BhRlBWBe29XOCCj1WU2KCzxHiuTt35ljKzt1lLQV0ogf9XjmxEpEkSTyiGrIgiDouQ7I/w640-h524/lamppost243.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Kansas City, MO.]</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIgXSgVr1tK0dhKpekH47dNPQwLq1PfT54gk8TQq1afIGxF7hGdgCtDOr60NQXPWoNEMWi70rMxOsbIUHQZa33u4iYuoqptBrAnQlQa4TcGAusM00OjJnsBo-AdyfWSlru8DvJGs2GTYl1sRFEMCDYJy0hYZYp5GCUgnGtkzHMGo13t3hPpE/s3503/lamppost242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3503" data-original-width="2356" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIgXSgVr1tK0dhKpekH47dNPQwLq1PfT54gk8TQq1afIGxF7hGdgCtDOr60NQXPWoNEMWi70rMxOsbIUHQZa33u4iYuoqptBrAnQlQa4TcGAusM00OjJnsBo-AdyfWSlru8DvJGs2GTYl1sRFEMCDYJy0hYZYp5GCUgnGtkzHMGo13t3hPpE/w430-h640/lamppost242.JPG" width="430" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Kansas City, MO.]</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjavPjqcyXAKjWEENzzAQIg6MedQNGTnGvDb6dCG_BvARFSo0rLQQzo9pBEm4Gw4ObqWSNVpdXd8pINjvDhfNWa3trljjDElWnUSPm9TkiZqGfRQFMQGzgSy2Z69FjF_ptLQv-H_yuAsYwHA3vrRgmeWuM3PFHSOBAW-K49EvkKnkf14lxQUT8/s3881/lamppost241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3881" data-original-width="2536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjavPjqcyXAKjWEENzzAQIg6MedQNGTnGvDb6dCG_BvARFSo0rLQQzo9pBEm4Gw4ObqWSNVpdXd8pINjvDhfNWa3trljjDElWnUSPm9TkiZqGfRQFMQGzgSy2Z69FjF_ptLQv-H_yuAsYwHA3vrRgmeWuM3PFHSOBAW-K49EvkKnkf14lxQUT8/w418-h640/lamppost241.JPG" width="418" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Kansas City, MO.]</div><p></p></div>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-34181339364274377352023-02-13T12:04:00.004-06:002023-02-13T12:04:27.951-06:00Twin City Doorways #68<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ywrck3SxjlyUZqdbBSvATl8nkPTy_cJUutUEtDfHrs9HtV9RVcAC04-SbfpgM7s0KP-2EiCfaBhncN_d-wjeDMghRsV3U9_6kXI7fBV-kayObvwDKF-lj0SqrGGyPfTc0Cb5cZ66HgvgKWuVkSQU_zLNCiPhDjTqW_t7PTY4zb9vH6BLBWs/s3927/doorways570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3927" data-original-width="2904" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ywrck3SxjlyUZqdbBSvATl8nkPTy_cJUutUEtDfHrs9HtV9RVcAC04-SbfpgM7s0KP-2EiCfaBhncN_d-wjeDMghRsV3U9_6kXI7fBV-kayObvwDKF-lj0SqrGGyPfTc0Cb5cZ66HgvgKWuVkSQU_zLNCiPhDjTqW_t7PTY4zb9vH6BLBWs/w476-h640/doorways570.JPG" width="476" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsI2HSh8bm1-Kdtfqptdplqp0aZEsN8E5jj_oFd0bKVyb1hhQonvoDS_sBqOgdV8-mH0BnpUat8PTtUk_vVUZ9zsDWGSWTUMnD2CwfbiqUdDaYaptR1cL0brxb9BS_IFc-GysQmA1utgjlPNGAb_80nBK8H8Lf_8MTP4tAy6vfEZnMXmNE1c/s3651/doorways569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3651" data-original-width="2556" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAsI2HSh8bm1-Kdtfqptdplqp0aZEsN8E5jj_oFd0bKVyb1hhQonvoDS_sBqOgdV8-mH0BnpUat8PTtUk_vVUZ9zsDWGSWTUMnD2CwfbiqUdDaYaptR1cL0brxb9BS_IFc-GysQmA1utgjlPNGAb_80nBK8H8Lf_8MTP4tAy6vfEZnMXmNE1c/w450-h640/doorways569.JPG" width="450" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAsITBhXaxPfeHfEKjs-hLGOUWv15Q3DJiZNHnWs5p3866zBBaoinDvSYt5wCzaXQiAWaZbFwrODW8Vyt53zlbyM5Git2tQe5b245_H0PpSQty290z-mho2pHNZXeGT9dPuljZWNowOsVrqag6lBYugu-J4qtFxk7VDi4MyL47YOuTKdrSSc/s3998/doorways568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3998" data-original-width="2784" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAAsITBhXaxPfeHfEKjs-hLGOUWv15Q3DJiZNHnWs5p3866zBBaoinDvSYt5wCzaXQiAWaZbFwrODW8Vyt53zlbyM5Git2tQe5b245_H0PpSQty290z-mho2pHNZXeGT9dPuljZWNowOsVrqag6lBYugu-J4qtFxk7VDi4MyL47YOuTKdrSSc/w446-h640/doorways568.JPG" width="446" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpUUKCk4wMIKmMvYfFLCHSZkU00B3RbThCa5U83VjPTTP24jdnIpBruqv9TK4BQ7VO0wtqwUUMSPBlQk3eNyz2Mhrjxks22ZrlBt4_2VOm-GGIw_dHr_sIojRWVx4JcN_cUx7KslonBLh-6bdlgMysakVJL8veLPUpLuE9IDMgn9QSOSwRhg/s3471/doorways567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3471" data-original-width="2716" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpUUKCk4wMIKmMvYfFLCHSZkU00B3RbThCa5U83VjPTTP24jdnIpBruqv9TK4BQ7VO0wtqwUUMSPBlQk3eNyz2Mhrjxks22ZrlBt4_2VOm-GGIw_dHr_sIojRWVx4JcN_cUx7KslonBLh-6bdlgMysakVJL8veLPUpLuE9IDMgn9QSOSwRhg/w502-h640/doorways567.JPG" width="502" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3j2FuvYCTOv2-PVmToPKgR4h6kgrs9xqjGSH9lPV6BY5JRyVdcKCyrISnaKcJF_dEQOw2noDLhM2dwSyBUPIZWUuu_qaKlWSus_Ubf4lwmb1cpSWz88bi3HeahKY5EhLBfcfjcrmS3DDlTyPDtZ16gM2gjfgFq3bIbr8rrLjfSLhJY-rf300/s3908/doorways561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3908" data-original-width="2836" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3j2FuvYCTOv2-PVmToPKgR4h6kgrs9xqjGSH9lPV6BY5JRyVdcKCyrISnaKcJF_dEQOw2noDLhM2dwSyBUPIZWUuu_qaKlWSus_Ubf4lwmb1cpSWz88bi3HeahKY5EhLBfcfjcrmS3DDlTyPDtZ16gM2gjfgFq3bIbr8rrLjfSLhJY-rf300/w466-h640/doorways561.JPG" width="466" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLQNwEzYvjSnePoh84XlHi2QJBa56DXm8g3RRac36xPYBh_C7GSkrEIE87D-n5a-ldIQCIRBg6sN7X4y9lDJixWX56fVzarDHMq9kzHpZN6EMPRtwWOQmF2ZRuZKWGrDCTecRCZ2BEUzns39a2aN8DPZbeXmeDpx5xeAMuX4Zo_1Y6ag8Di0/s3436/doorways562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2520" data-original-width="3436" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLQNwEzYvjSnePoh84XlHi2QJBa56DXm8g3RRac36xPYBh_C7GSkrEIE87D-n5a-ldIQCIRBg6sN7X4y9lDJixWX56fVzarDHMq9kzHpZN6EMPRtwWOQmF2ZRuZKWGrDCTecRCZ2BEUzns39a2aN8DPZbeXmeDpx5xeAMuX4Zo_1Y6ag8Di0/w640-h470/doorways562.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Northeast, Minneapolis.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfMGn5oA2c1db0oF5uwHJLe_PG4VA7VlnezASXL5MhFFOM35uliMbYEqBNoYn-CUg1m3xOwys6bxfazUhf7dgoJa2be_6Awz3y3pKBtMCF36Qu0xXJi9x4ejcD3K1b0bmuEVufwQeI2dRemDvZqF6yZ3kHwcvuwrqNnfIN1GqQVcj6QAnbfk/s4032/doorways563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfMGn5oA2c1db0oF5uwHJLe_PG4VA7VlnezASXL5MhFFOM35uliMbYEqBNoYn-CUg1m3xOwys6bxfazUhf7dgoJa2be_6Awz3y3pKBtMCF36Qu0xXJi9x4ejcD3K1b0bmuEVufwQeI2dRemDvZqF6yZ3kHwcvuwrqNnfIN1GqQVcj6QAnbfk/w480-h640/doorways563.JPG" width="480" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDou1OC5kJe1vPuclF2utsnNjdnLjO9AWrssNE8_jCGTjJ56YiwQtrOr2cH1TnKmHc1vb2hlYqpxWRhCtnjVIjTuDF-35jNQB3s6cKP9pt3JUbuAZPZLPYrAPkzoyz2j2_qLqJRCFaiySP-ewyal-ZgF1ErY55bNJP_y2A685TMYYPf-IVPew/s3717/doorways564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2994" data-original-width="3717" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDou1OC5kJe1vPuclF2utsnNjdnLjO9AWrssNE8_jCGTjJ56YiwQtrOr2cH1TnKmHc1vb2hlYqpxWRhCtnjVIjTuDF-35jNQB3s6cKP9pt3JUbuAZPZLPYrAPkzoyz2j2_qLqJRCFaiySP-ewyal-ZgF1ErY55bNJP_y2A685TMYYPf-IVPew/w640-h518/doorways564.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGH8GVOvu9cKuhdlZzyptzrbKZMOqb5C3P1CJXiZXKzs5-NEjiph2B16wAJp-d4HyN5mJn8CF7ZRW0-rvda4Gh51uDP7vb-8NRNfUSto50iuTj95nrd_eBm6ve3nTSc84z9iTBDel54YbPx1BrWl59Z9ZbhNLCws5kmw5LJIH9Sc6tBIRt7R8/s3274/doorways565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2601" data-original-width="3274" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGH8GVOvu9cKuhdlZzyptzrbKZMOqb5C3P1CJXiZXKzs5-NEjiph2B16wAJp-d4HyN5mJn8CF7ZRW0-rvda4Gh51uDP7vb-8NRNfUSto50iuTj95nrd_eBm6ve3nTSc84z9iTBDel54YbPx1BrWl59Z9ZbhNLCws5kmw5LJIH9Sc6tBIRt7R8/w640-h508/doorways565.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></div></i><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9r183O2NhI9-BK-WQma-fmQeumIZt1Nsi_ctQF3QD2kJdb21lYyiVblYs_J8t0x3SavyrC60w6uOZK8uKIrE-d2nbWeP7O--_K8yj39Jp9LbNpOBoHBsuVtQNJsIgnqegg3fItFS8tfsBXOCKHoh_kiDt1l7sQ1hHxYquqYsnWTL6Zd1dRQ/s2266/doorways566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1599" data-original-width="2266" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9r183O2NhI9-BK-WQma-fmQeumIZt1Nsi_ctQF3QD2kJdb21lYyiVblYs_J8t0x3SavyrC60w6uOZK8uKIrE-d2nbWeP7O--_K8yj39Jp9LbNpOBoHBsuVtQNJsIgnqegg3fItFS8tfsBXOCKHoh_kiDt1l7sQ1hHxYquqYsnWTL6Zd1dRQ/w640-h452/doorways566.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Portland, OR.]</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div></i><p></p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-16314834465383164332023-02-08T11:37:00.000-06:002023-02-08T11:37:02.616-06:00Signs of the Times #185<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDI1w_AFiwqGSc2SPIolH-HcO_cMHj1fvUc2uwuIbWqZZ9b9IuQhE_EkeITtC6MpBeeQFnIVTllWVr7eNKvcOYx6L16sjoiZvcQ9aDAExd34uLaZRkn9wjym9i1BU0t03s5NtaVmRb6Va-HICLNf91BZLsyeZ2CuU3_blmIV35bD631-jbNgY/s2048/signs1661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDI1w_AFiwqGSc2SPIolH-HcO_cMHj1fvUc2uwuIbWqZZ9b9IuQhE_EkeITtC6MpBeeQFnIVTllWVr7eNKvcOYx6L16sjoiZvcQ9aDAExd34uLaZRkn9wjym9i1BU0t03s5NtaVmRb6Va-HICLNf91BZLsyeZ2CuU3_blmIV35bD631-jbNgY/w640-h480/signs1661.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>LAKE</p><p>CHIPOTLE</p><p>1.1 miles</p><p>[Pole. Greenway, Minneapolis.]</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLimCYav7-0uWnqi4xk003L7mEcBD29tk5tpy7Izk4z4Ts2OD4B1vrwec5iX_vX1VTQTt9lR0kpXRQ9mD-0E5goL1lnoauHTY8q5qOditfYkO6Hndox_qLtjFlvriefEODXh3qERJZAdNOfx0OEYKXBqvt6eVP8zIw2FT30XZIP6qlIiVW0c/s4032/signs1660.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLimCYav7-0uWnqi4xk003L7mEcBD29tk5tpy7Izk4z4Ts2OD4B1vrwec5iX_vX1VTQTt9lR0kpXRQ9mD-0E5goL1lnoauHTY8q5qOditfYkO6Hndox_qLtjFlvriefEODXh3qERJZAdNOfx0OEYKXBqvt6eVP8zIw2FT30XZIP6qlIiVW0c/w640-h480/signs1660.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div>MEET ME<p></p><p>HALFWAY</p><p>[Tree. Longfellow, Minneapolis.]</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3Y3DPefUf5THUDYnJlLysH9eRQC9gh2ZlYA_omhyn-wtHoSo7EoXLX4mO-8RN0kjZeg8FrAt6T9fmPicD4_62sSiyi-occWVFxUss5BOzzKtfjiIrC8k2guIA0_ooZGWSaYwZBA-1d1zaghZ-g7xdee-cmZwoRTAzPdwZ22244p3iIP5psU/s4032/signs1659.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3Y3DPefUf5THUDYnJlLysH9eRQC9gh2ZlYA_omhyn-wtHoSo7EoXLX4mO-8RN0kjZeg8FrAt6T9fmPicD4_62sSiyi-occWVFxUss5BOzzKtfjiIrC8k2guIA0_ooZGWSaYwZBA-1d1zaghZ-g7xdee-cmZwoRTAzPdwZ22244p3iIP5psU/w640-h480/signs1659.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div>[light switch]<p></p><p>[Tree. Longfellow, Minneapolis.]</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvynvYhnpF2-NLa9aJ0x9svBrLnr8GdN1W5tk1uk0_nLL1eVG5MTbDVyU-y0ij7eDXnddTVfo2e7oDR-9RNLmGllgWEL8gwrY6c7u9lovqPkDnwxKSDadxHlBwtRMaHe10NT84TRRbFxCDtsZ_AJcp3tnetvEJmwQyaHROLxUikYT9qTFB3gc/s4032/signs1658.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvynvYhnpF2-NLa9aJ0x9svBrLnr8GdN1W5tk1uk0_nLL1eVG5MTbDVyU-y0ij7eDXnddTVfo2e7oDR-9RNLmGllgWEL8gwrY6c7u9lovqPkDnwxKSDadxHlBwtRMaHe10NT84TRRbFxCDtsZ_AJcp3tnetvEJmwQyaHROLxUikYT9qTFB3gc/w640-h480/signs1658.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div>Season's<p></p><p>Greetings</p><p>[Pole in summer. Longfellow, Minneapolis.]</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2_LaRGFRqtnHzbNxrXu18XQz8lVW2WbUVOnka8B6df2OKcfzDoBtLiCLUXHK9oCQ7X85OhbeShtpcJVl03Xs3t-syCqLkGB0kzrT_-vTz46Y6UkalB4oEWzoN6dn3FENjU9q4A2vp13QeRwNINzmEQMqfAeXBqBMqfQTNnr2I8DXvRlOHZo/s4032/signs1657.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD2_LaRGFRqtnHzbNxrXu18XQz8lVW2WbUVOnka8B6df2OKcfzDoBtLiCLUXHK9oCQ7X85OhbeShtpcJVl03Xs3t-syCqLkGB0kzrT_-vTz46Y6UkalB4oEWzoN6dn3FENjU9q4A2vp13QeRwNINzmEQMqfAeXBqBMqfQTNnr2I8DXvRlOHZo/w640-h480/signs1657.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>[SENT IN FROM A FRIEND in San Francisco I think.]</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7Esb5WmY0RC7szOA-jM_U6x7oegXZpDKnPl2Ijq-1RV4ThK8Gtgl-qHJ9hpSroG4zvibUm-u75yS_h6bkBSQBjXQ3WEMSHbMOpYG0plXmPuiS04rDpf6lpFyB918nqeXaju9Vmz83_5--XdByKxU1xsZPaygwD3-cPwgDvxgbIRvuS6WBao/s4032/signs1656.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu7Esb5WmY0RC7szOA-jM_U6x7oegXZpDKnPl2Ijq-1RV4ThK8Gtgl-qHJ9hpSroG4zvibUm-u75yS_h6bkBSQBjXQ3WEMSHbMOpYG0plXmPuiS04rDpf6lpFyB918nqeXaju9Vmz83_5--XdByKxU1xsZPaygwD3-cPwgDvxgbIRvuS6WBao/w640-h480/signs1656.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div>edna's<div>park</div><div><br /></div><div>[Pole. Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis.]</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOA3vn0zwgCmlGLA5PMYp2mjdInX3mUUDEvv1pdpUXVBTTfQJmiEF65FYdGRjRXrxcgMlQE4KOVhubHn632k_UkZIkVI0O-iqMubATUgUyVgZDwDF1-zdfSwkyLJRe_ydU6sYH_oUz3OeTOViFKGjyqLEws2qXBLecaM2tyx-roNvU12BuS4/s4032/signs1655.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOA3vn0zwgCmlGLA5PMYp2mjdInX3mUUDEvv1pdpUXVBTTfQJmiEF65FYdGRjRXrxcgMlQE4KOVhubHn632k_UkZIkVI0O-iqMubATUgUyVgZDwDF1-zdfSwkyLJRe_ydU6sYH_oUz3OeTOViFKGjyqLEws2qXBLecaM2tyx-roNvU12BuS4/w640-h480/signs1655.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div>The lottery. State</div><div>promoted greed,</div><div>addiction, and</div><div>dumb investing.</div><div><br /></div><div>[Pole. Cedar-Riverside. Minneapolis.]</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWgaNCzIGPg1yEdtqd6se6JbeFjhIwzm202kKn-l5rvcsUi9a6MsFfwDMlIy0NRzQsRvPjTDA4BzAL9Deu9yoGB2EOdUxiyplNyr33Z8If8S0QIP_DAApN9V9Ja6E0Afjnv1haxPjByQ6UxjyoJ8tk5Sfx8FwdXk7rTReQMlD4_JCjyobdBs/s4032/signs1654.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWgaNCzIGPg1yEdtqd6se6JbeFjhIwzm202kKn-l5rvcsUi9a6MsFfwDMlIy0NRzQsRvPjTDA4BzAL9Deu9yoGB2EOdUxiyplNyr33Z8If8S0QIP_DAApN9V9Ja6E0Afjnv1haxPjByQ6UxjyoJ8tk5Sfx8FwdXk7rTReQMlD4_JCjyobdBs/w640-h480/signs1654.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div>10%</div><div>RAD</div><div><br /></div><div>[Pole. Como Park. St. Paul.]</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Dm2WhqXzLxGS354YT6bGPEPIk8HM-bSdOGH5rtzpqmKHWOn08g75YGb2X0USGjNMihaH6HqVyVV55CB_LNeiUWHYw7p00brZcc14Uzxj7iOtk94x_ztNxXVhveyki2pbE6_ugDjqD5Dgrm-folsO_2-xe-v5VgTDgrBWWZ31SuZjcFCegmg/s4032/signs1653.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Dm2WhqXzLxGS354YT6bGPEPIk8HM-bSdOGH5rtzpqmKHWOn08g75YGb2X0USGjNMihaH6HqVyVV55CB_LNeiUWHYw7p00brZcc14Uzxj7iOtk94x_ztNxXVhveyki2pbE6_ugDjqD5Dgrm-folsO_2-xe-v5VgTDgrBWWZ31SuZjcFCegmg/w640-h480/signs1653.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div>summer 1981 (82? 83?)</div><div>JIMMY FLEISHAKER - BARBER</div><div>ACOUSTIG GUITAR PLAYER</div><div>RIGHT HERE ON THIS VERY LOCATION, LIGHTNING</div><div>CAME DOWN FROM A STORM </div><div>AND ACCENTED EVERY</div><div>WORD I SAID TO HIM</div><div>POOR GUY COULDN'T DEAL</div><div>WITH IT - HE WENT TO ANOKA</div><div>STATE MENTAL HOSPITAL</div><div>2 WEEKS LATER -- WHERE IS JIMMY NOW?</div><div><br /></div><div>[Mickey's Diner railing. Downtown, St. Paul.]</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgedR2IT9asopZIUzzDcs-jAlIskcdWF9qf4YzioNgOZ27ic7J0OUSCSXKM7lC9XLNaCP9uWApKIw3PINYzSlCMjRqaBQHvdgXof_NqeqxkKlZSvAVHhEkFOkbKe9odff6Zi82Ob6yjJajwOG_KsoG6W0hoitoKfmyat0fkhWACqj3QcyT5rA/s4032/signs1652.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgedR2IT9asopZIUzzDcs-jAlIskcdWF9qf4YzioNgOZ27ic7J0OUSCSXKM7lC9XLNaCP9uWApKIw3PINYzSlCMjRqaBQHvdgXof_NqeqxkKlZSvAVHhEkFOkbKe9odff6Zi82Ob6yjJajwOG_KsoG6W0hoitoKfmyat0fkhWACqj3QcyT5rA/w640-h480/signs1652.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div><div>PLANT SALE -></div><div><br /></div><div>[Boulevard. St. Paul.]</div>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-65721008105385821392023-01-06T10:29:00.003-06:002023-01-06T10:29:15.206-06:00Obscure Local History #11: Anti-semitism on Minneapolis' Mt. Curve<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuJePxGMZz0HvYRAOISNLlCTnHTW_P-Q-aV9yMYMpo-YggUW4oF-vfd7WYzAP7MV1DORJwbGR9Y9ybxf1UNgkBuIn8yVl9JnmJiKsCbMeRxoR2eXxhJenqfUDTLT0L49mCEGxvjI5p7IeMe62EN9FXrA-KbaAnic91BUuyBbXW_vbaIVhOi4/s640/mpls%20mt%20curve%20mansion%C2%A01950.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="640" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuJePxGMZz0HvYRAOISNLlCTnHTW_P-Q-aV9yMYMpo-YggUW4oF-vfd7WYzAP7MV1DORJwbGR9Y9ybxf1UNgkBuIn8yVl9JnmJiKsCbMeRxoR2eXxhJenqfUDTLT0L49mCEGxvjI5p7IeMe62EN9FXrA-KbaAnic91BUuyBbXW_vbaIVhOi4/w640-h504/mpls%20mt%20curve%20mansion%C2%A01950.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[<a href="http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/display?irn=10855781&return=collection%5B%5D%3Dmn_mhs-census%252A%252A%252ANOT%252A%252A%252A%26imagesonly%3Dyes%26q%3Dmt%2520curve">Mansion on Mt. Curve Avenue</a>, Minneapolis, 1950.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Here's a quote from the fascinating documentary about Minneapolis' early Jewish community, <a href="https://vimeo.com/642388182">We Knew Who We Were</a>, of man who grew up in Minneapolis then-Jewish Near North neighborhood. </div><div><br /></div><div><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><blockquote><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">My father became restless, he was was always a the kind of guy who liked to move a little bit outside of the lines. I recall that one time I went with him to look at a house on Mt. Curve avenue. This must have been in the early 1910s, and he had the money to pay for it. But after driving around, and after he checked into it, he found out he might not be so comfortable being Jewish there. </p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">So he took his money and he found a house on Washburn Ave N and within about a year or two after we moved in you could tell the movement of the population was going the non-jews were moving out, the Jews were moving in, and building homes. And it became a predominantly jewish neighborhood for a long time….</p></blockquote><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>(Note: At first I thought they were talking about St. Paul's Mt. Curve Avenue, but given the timeline and geography, that makes little sense. That part of Highland was still farmland in 1910, and Minneapolis. Mt. Curve is surely the one he's talking about.)</div>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-73282177775551015902022-11-04T10:44:00.004-06:002022-11-04T10:44:32.980-06:00Obscure Local History #10: Metropolitan Building, c. 1890 and 1961<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXppFNmUnLwXHRuFtS5Bw0tbOpXOoerFOPwCjPassDkeWdBx1ZQfwzyDeBCvS_ZCC3O5aC_9JL1C0i9J0_QszrWuIZtzbPK3diEKVACQmBf9yOMJRPt1tfhXcoOfbYvHiwKwIhsoBRkT4BBfIOopAV3wflOIj2ftcbFcvjUmlyUffsu9bgZ1M/s4275/metropolitan%20building%201960.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4275" data-original-width="3321" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXppFNmUnLwXHRuFtS5Bw0tbOpXOoerFOPwCjPassDkeWdBx1ZQfwzyDeBCvS_ZCC3O5aC_9JL1C0i9J0_QszrWuIZtzbPK3diEKVACQmBf9yOMJRPt1tfhXcoOfbYvHiwKwIhsoBRkT4BBfIOopAV3wflOIj2ftcbFcvjUmlyUffsu9bgZ1M/w499-h640/metropolitan%20building%201960.jpeg" width="499" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[Metropolitan Building, 1960.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I happened across this wonderful film made in 1961 by U of MN students, focusing on the famous and tragic Metropolitan Building in the Gateway District. It includes the speech given at the opening of the Metropolitan Building in 1890...</p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><blockquote>This day in 1890 shows that men of rare business ability are not afraid to place their money in a building investment involving many hundreds of thousands of dollars. All Minneapolis units today to pay tribute to the men who have built in this great structure not only a monument to their own usefulness in the community, but an enduring testimonial to the gigantic progress of the greatest city on the vast valley of the Mississippi. </blockquote><p></p><p>... and then continues to show, to a then-contemporary cool bop soundtrack, the demolition of that same building seventy years later. It's a well made film about one of Minneapolis' huge mistakes. Check it out.</p><p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KEo1atQoJHc" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-63834485467131193042022-10-25T11:29:00.000-06:002022-10-25T11:29:03.383-06:00Obscure Local History #9: William Marvy Eats 14 Coneys in 1926<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrGmoKJSDKhmEcVUUoPC92b26ijfXBe_LtPB-T-ROoUEJBFWIu3fykU31KmL5CQNoNd024f709cRBfzlp5CWqtok1KGwy2heLT30cmILI8_Px6tt3o0NQtz_mqJVG3IEmgXu2UKDZCTI51eqK9c21LA4Ywsktg0JM1s6orGPDEmeBzQAks8U/s1780/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-25%20at%2012.19.17%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1780" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrGmoKJSDKhmEcVUUoPC92b26ijfXBe_LtPB-T-ROoUEJBFWIu3fykU31KmL5CQNoNd024f709cRBfzlp5CWqtok1KGwy2heLT30cmILI8_Px6tt3o0NQtz_mqJVG3IEmgXu2UKDZCTI51eqK9c21LA4Ywsktg0JM1s6orGPDEmeBzQAks8U/w640-h384/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-25%20at%2012.19.17%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[The Marvy Company c. 1984.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>William Marvy is one of the greatest inventors in St. Paul history, and his barber supply factory <a href="http://tcsidewalks.blogspot.com/2018/09/saint-clair-avenue-factory-tour-bike.html">still sits on St. Clair Avenue</a> churning out rotating barber poles. But it's a little known fact that he also liked <a href="https://tcsidewalks.blogspot.com/2021/08/coney-guide-booklet-and-two-more-out-of.html">coney dogs</a>.</p><p>(Crossover alert!)</p><p>Here's an excerpt from the delightful book, The William Marvy Company of St Paul, all about the history of Marvy and his incredibly rotating barber pole, describing Marvy as a young teen with a head full of ideas:</p><p></p><blockquote>Bill had one foot in the adult world of sales but was still a sixteen-year-old kid. On February 2, 1926, he 'bet Mr. Deutsch I could eat 14 Coney Islands in less than 40 minutes. I won the bet by eating 14 in 22 minutes.'</blockquote><p></p><p>That long ago, he probably got them from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OriginalConeyIsland/">the Original Coney Island</a> on St. Peter Street! </p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-68232269579880560722022-10-14T11:48:00.007-06:002022-10-14T11:48:55.623-06:00Twin City Sidewalk Vendors #6<p style="text-align: center;"><i> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvROkJS7DB7t-Zy1PitkR-TypZLMb6rEbSp5IWlskCEit9TKvSQAkN_Sk6ZcCFPV8VArlmYtEkYHlsRNhU21QGYpbkL_k0fECKNJsNolC2Bjh8wiIYb6VXdYSsfTD89-gWWbxbFFpHx4lSg3T_qGoneI1eweK26cC4S21ljMMHOTUia9q8K8/s4032/streetvendor56.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvROkJS7DB7t-Zy1PitkR-TypZLMb6rEbSp5IWlskCEit9TKvSQAkN_Sk6ZcCFPV8VArlmYtEkYHlsRNhU21QGYpbkL_k0fECKNJsNolC2Bjh8wiIYb6VXdYSsfTD89-gWWbxbFFpHx4lSg3T_qGoneI1eweK26cC4S21ljMMHOTUia9q8K8/w640-h480/streetvendor56.JPG" width="640" /></a></i></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[University Avenue, St. Paul.]</i></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsH4vM0-PRNj_gIRCJFCPEc4RDmW0MgwOxNr3OIWToOQyj-vmXwmvvnXe9xnUWIDQSGPbl7b_laaoc5mGEZrP5n7qkp1IvFRcbzrE_TagrZ2iYAvqciUJp5eyNaZtGh7SxdQG5ewO_hMj1-50PdZLgcco3VWRzV3_IGUjgkfSDdQTsOFP05g/s4032/streetvendor55.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsH4vM0-PRNj_gIRCJFCPEc4RDmW0MgwOxNr3OIWToOQyj-vmXwmvvnXe9xnUWIDQSGPbl7b_laaoc5mGEZrP5n7qkp1IvFRcbzrE_TagrZ2iYAvqciUJp5eyNaZtGh7SxdQG5ewO_hMj1-50PdZLgcco3VWRzV3_IGUjgkfSDdQTsOFP05g/w640-h480/streetvendor55.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Mendota Heights. File photo, author at right.]</i></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlaqhA0icZYSQJ_l9d6vgTcBFjRj67vgz7e7MTYrlYAV7_DXHvi9KkodFD2l55Akl7t6quClTA54O-Pje-4DoEHz1K3vnPQuSFDLC-QUpkfCzO__q02e6QYQ1gy--V5U1q3v_V3JIN8bchwS870xxtTRNJ23QUZzJjZ2_XPLcB19s4LSzXzE/s1934/streetvendor54.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1510" data-original-width="1934" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlaqhA0icZYSQJ_l9d6vgTcBFjRj67vgz7e7MTYrlYAV7_DXHvi9KkodFD2l55Akl7t6quClTA54O-Pje-4DoEHz1K3vnPQuSFDLC-QUpkfCzO__q02e6QYQ1gy--V5U1q3v_V3JIN8bchwS870xxtTRNJ23QUZzJjZ2_XPLcB19s4LSzXzE/w640-h502/streetvendor54.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Payne Avenue, St. Paul.]</i></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNnv_sf57UYf3sLekdPwFczliWjSoRJbBP5wYaOG1QNLOwD3qdr8n4sWI6RjIE9FWX8IhDjX_IVJdBlFq-vAzhBN3Jv2ceo1K-wR4bH5E4f0Et7ojyeaHudOdzVMk9LxymFj6WM_kkQQZ6iyN68SpFrN86MpQ0fW58niUrsOabyYlvYh9hfY/s3522/streetvendor53.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2547" data-original-width="3522" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNnv_sf57UYf3sLekdPwFczliWjSoRJbBP5wYaOG1QNLOwD3qdr8n4sWI6RjIE9FWX8IhDjX_IVJdBlFq-vAzhBN3Jv2ceo1K-wR4bH5E4f0Et7ojyeaHudOdzVMk9LxymFj6WM_kkQQZ6iyN68SpFrN86MpQ0fW58niUrsOabyYlvYh9hfY/w640-h464/streetvendor53.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Payne Avenue, St. Paul.]</i></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnKBsCAtjO_QcI_ma8BebkkIife9-cxeRz4cj6C1S8_U5w6XNNoJn2sFtYy3XM8zUw14P37ghcVSD1rPPB5769-sh6xaTg5AcK71orS47BHJmrQlFvbGwHCbbSGQr9O8XD2TpUaLP5ortaNZ6a9RrVNa0Q9m1LggHuRgQa1n-UHNxocWPXfw/s1400/streetvendor52.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1400" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnKBsCAtjO_QcI_ma8BebkkIife9-cxeRz4cj6C1S8_U5w6XNNoJn2sFtYy3XM8zUw14P37ghcVSD1rPPB5769-sh6xaTg5AcK71orS47BHJmrQlFvbGwHCbbSGQr9O8XD2TpUaLP5ortaNZ6a9RrVNa0Q9m1LggHuRgQa1n-UHNxocWPXfw/w640-h480/streetvendor52.jpg" width="640" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Frogtown, St. Paul.]</i></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYUDwJaMvjzTuusEfZhPUB34yYNovJ-o3FVvO_FFAPxZgQ5-bj_feUJTIbTudsw_s0NLZHwVmMGQL45-u3TeXXsgboPpt5XrqxdVyBpqipHSKupr33YSZYPwgazLkhWbqrswmIOx3-ofAXPXgim7aDpxevYQdUMnLMfsveZOEKTOdv4XIQ0s/s1200/streetvendor50.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYUDwJaMvjzTuusEfZhPUB34yYNovJ-o3FVvO_FFAPxZgQ5-bj_feUJTIbTudsw_s0NLZHwVmMGQL45-u3TeXXsgboPpt5XrqxdVyBpqipHSKupr33YSZYPwgazLkhWbqrswmIOx3-ofAXPXgim7aDpxevYQdUMnLMfsveZOEKTOdv4XIQ0s/w640-h480/streetvendor50.jpg" width="640" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Como Avenue, St. Paul.]</i></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrFSAX-zQ4G1gqTHcYCQ951S3m_b0giKpkp9ph_UZXjP56Gpc_yCngaKN2AZbqScT3KAOzB_6BpXzLF66mw7CEfGWD7TT5VPnc1wJWHdeRfjsNH0qee_uv4_eMr-2XbP7wsD2JgPIz8XLo3JNLsXEfgJvdDmi2sakUFIsuwZZcrmyPR1OE9U/s1200/streetvendor49.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1200" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrFSAX-zQ4G1gqTHcYCQ951S3m_b0giKpkp9ph_UZXjP56Gpc_yCngaKN2AZbqScT3KAOzB_6BpXzLF66mw7CEfGWD7TT5VPnc1wJWHdeRfjsNH0qee_uv4_eMr-2XbP7wsD2JgPIz8XLo3JNLsXEfgJvdDmi2sakUFIsuwZZcrmyPR1OE9U/w640-h574/streetvendor49.jpg" width="640" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Concord, OH.]</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJrVPyi5D-xYdpJtJpFehQSlr3Zbl-tvRAomvgZZ_RgJo6REw3z5EABhTiRxkDbM-6htHe34H3s-F3V3HK3VAaP0XcBHDZsuT_YJ2HyL86d4EGIpvvv4H6TCEp2pkI83l7ytce__QDSWR3EnWlJz8GOODzekg8Z3VOs4aM5B6qIK4O6HPpfQ/s1200/streetvendor48.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJrVPyi5D-xYdpJtJpFehQSlr3Zbl-tvRAomvgZZ_RgJo6REw3z5EABhTiRxkDbM-6htHe34H3s-F3V3HK3VAaP0XcBHDZsuT_YJ2HyL86d4EGIpvvv4H6TCEp2pkI83l7ytce__QDSWR3EnWlJz8GOODzekg8Z3VOs4aM5B6qIK4O6HPpfQ/w640-h480/streetvendor48.jpg" width="640" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Location forgotten.]</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pjbprWB6NhWnuDe4YpaAtCFRKhsWCr_QhNj2xFkVg_IcTLGC16UVchYb2c_ojfgOWYYNenhIYksGITx3rSDi_i3bTaSJQnVg2ORgzVZ2bxMpuJOxVDWmadgCjvnduI-EPMhmUd3jw_p5Q_27byoCG15jdw_C5om75Q6uP_Dtfza_wCrYvLs/s2048/streetvendor47.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1801" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7pjbprWB6NhWnuDe4YpaAtCFRKhsWCr_QhNj2xFkVg_IcTLGC16UVchYb2c_ojfgOWYYNenhIYksGITx3rSDi_i3bTaSJQnVg2ORgzVZ2bxMpuJOxVDWmadgCjvnduI-EPMhmUd3jw_p5Q_27byoCG15jdw_C5om75Q6uP_Dtfza_wCrYvLs/w562-h640/streetvendor47.jpg" width="562" /></i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Mendota Heights. File photo, author's sister at center.]</i></div><p></p></div></div>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-73389376322170502602022-09-09T10:18:00.003-06:002022-09-09T10:18:34.805-06:00Twin City Street Musicians #23<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhaB6jcFsdPlebJ5NvgLbcKCzq0-9RPI30S-pjubJg01aiyRxmbFxYKa-yfDdv3sTNFoL9V6Hgty3SCEHg6EZMlHFr9Aybh2X5B9b4SjQFk1HNw4T3Ql_oda0vyNGMRDhEvcGqX7VYh6HbdVKkxjnxFCpOKnCUe21XJCpfsEXw_8wS_e1ZVk/s3312/streetmusicians%20183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2637" data-original-width="3312" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhaB6jcFsdPlebJ5NvgLbcKCzq0-9RPI30S-pjubJg01aiyRxmbFxYKa-yfDdv3sTNFoL9V6Hgty3SCEHg6EZMlHFr9Aybh2X5B9b4SjQFk1HNw4T3Ql_oda0vyNGMRDhEvcGqX7VYh6HbdVKkxjnxFCpOKnCUe21XJCpfsEXw_8wS_e1ZVk/w640-h512/streetmusicians%20183.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Tokyo, Japan.]</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6YMHHDiz_9HZAES94bQl-6BKfntkqT2WZkceTuDv59_E__wzkfNaphuczU_IZ4xh6RbsWgBnxe53pthJCPcIvDnYfNFb0sB0M9Fu1vsRj4Bvzu-37-3Itxv0qPZctjmZx5SqncV-myL7vrC4wyC7g0guEt5lKz6BCj36ZDAhtxxiFM3styk/s4032/streetmusicians188.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6YMHHDiz_9HZAES94bQl-6BKfntkqT2WZkceTuDv59_E__wzkfNaphuczU_IZ4xh6RbsWgBnxe53pthJCPcIvDnYfNFb0sB0M9Fu1vsRj4Bvzu-37-3Itxv0qPZctjmZx5SqncV-myL7vrC4wyC7g0guEt5lKz6BCj36ZDAhtxxiFM3styk/w640-h480/streetmusicians188.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Lowertown, Saint Paul.]</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iJFUhj6jk1k5Dl7z70PzzBh9_S3Nfxjc_6G9qZiQr19ejmutaGDf-oDy_KdMTO-FtCrvYU65Wb2ypOJT4SIVustEbToF9c5swFTpc6L2toNdA_LLZg30UsRg3VwxsdgoaZnrZcu2eUwvCKJUIDcLvp6LmCwx_q3k9pPWrCvAfAyHFZaNIi8/s4032/streetmusicians187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2iJFUhj6jk1k5Dl7z70PzzBh9_S3Nfxjc_6G9qZiQr19ejmutaGDf-oDy_KdMTO-FtCrvYU65Wb2ypOJT4SIVustEbToF9c5swFTpc6L2toNdA_LLZg30UsRg3VwxsdgoaZnrZcu2eUwvCKJUIDcLvp6LmCwx_q3k9pPWrCvAfAyHFZaNIi8/w640-h480/streetmusicians187.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Union Depot, Saint Paul.]</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQICJ9rXMe1jZ2-wnwv3VMSZtWNk3blpeqdUXF-r4GtUd4nvRIFz2gTyvDaiG7EGolt0xyEsBtp5btxM7M-IIXVoDG-vLAMZ2LezsDQcKClG70v8RjexdA-IO0WAOZau8qXPWjOdtaaqGbs7YKJBThEGenRJVrcad_PkmVWrvs9m9Bj9RDMY/s1068/streetmusicians186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1068" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQICJ9rXMe1jZ2-wnwv3VMSZtWNk3blpeqdUXF-r4GtUd4nvRIFz2gTyvDaiG7EGolt0xyEsBtp5btxM7M-IIXVoDG-vLAMZ2LezsDQcKClG70v8RjexdA-IO0WAOZau8qXPWjOdtaaqGbs7YKJBThEGenRJVrcad_PkmVWrvs9m9Bj9RDMY/w640-h526/streetmusicians186.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Summit Avenue, Saint Paul.]</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjdWtc5pxTrEruOS1TLY7_LDjztDTBfUhmPXDfwd4mpNhSl70ZoeiVRQoWioau9WRclvgmr6DDBMhjJgdOUC_tukeiZdphu8_d9smG58f2pnlLbPo5JNGQWn2_NTNvdKlKwIlAEvAVq9Vv0F6TiQ6KC_M37D6dsMKuoGuw147RiseLimJWaE/s3408/streetmusicians185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2454" data-original-width="3408" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjdWtc5pxTrEruOS1TLY7_LDjztDTBfUhmPXDfwd4mpNhSl70ZoeiVRQoWioau9WRclvgmr6DDBMhjJgdOUC_tukeiZdphu8_d9smG58f2pnlLbPo5JNGQWn2_NTNvdKlKwIlAEvAVq9Vv0F6TiQ6KC_M37D6dsMKuoGuw147RiseLimJWaE/w640-h462/streetmusicians185.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Mississippi River, Saint Paul.]</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuiJFMVq8UuXq55_AqIO0w5d2Ig8QCugqlNfO3abXr4VWZtTzoh1y1KqIDHx5P0EG3iyODdwvYscvnLMSUVGhiB7mxXON8Gieje7qtmIK0muxsd4nzo6cySMMo7r3lmF46ju24gOez17sImIk9Ssq-mtPH3aVnMwX4CQDAuKvUD4NVXWuY9U/s3735/streetmusicians184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2748" data-original-width="3735" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuiJFMVq8UuXq55_AqIO0w5d2Ig8QCugqlNfO3abXr4VWZtTzoh1y1KqIDHx5P0EG3iyODdwvYscvnLMSUVGhiB7mxXON8Gieje7qtmIK0muxsd4nzo6cySMMo7r3lmF46ju24gOez17sImIk9Ssq-mtPH3aVnMwX4CQDAuKvUD4NVXWuY9U/w640-h472/streetmusicians184.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[West 7th Street, Saint Paul.]</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsZKBAYG9c6e9Y1cz34AeEdZwVROiYKCb7aDSEv5fd3cSRnO8B1ISl7S9eytb5EHAzEhDaPQXnWZ2UKLiPGGNENmkG3t3ysYK-ucNXygJ4sifsRtvoHBzQjPSxwsaMI2P-8BuMfj897_r-iO3gtP2_M_LII2CTQQq2XfWpmZufOUxEm42ifc/s1500/streetmusicians182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="1500" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsZKBAYG9c6e9Y1cz34AeEdZwVROiYKCb7aDSEv5fd3cSRnO8B1ISl7S9eytb5EHAzEhDaPQXnWZ2UKLiPGGNENmkG3t3ysYK-ucNXygJ4sifsRtvoHBzQjPSxwsaMI2P-8BuMfj897_r-iO3gtP2_M_LII2CTQQq2XfWpmZufOUxEm42ifc/w640-h486/streetmusicians182.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Downtown, Saint Paul.]</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNPizI6gws2kV3O3gvND5MxPxZBS_ePUZWPECP6lmbo_5WDwFQujOXnC_1NI89JaJlcALNYeIl1TL-ZYTN4IQLJ7e8YiPl3deF8jiobfeO1LdibjYr7ZYvFPrgKrtwqLbPP1_5XbDCxzywKGaz6-N1ko-dz84a7vIjBTTDfCP-1Jhdnf6wsU/s1400/streetmusicians181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1400" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNPizI6gws2kV3O3gvND5MxPxZBS_ePUZWPECP6lmbo_5WDwFQujOXnC_1NI89JaJlcALNYeIl1TL-ZYTN4IQLJ7e8YiPl3deF8jiobfeO1LdibjYr7ZYvFPrgKrtwqLbPP1_5XbDCxzywKGaz6-N1ko-dz84a7vIjBTTDfCP-1Jhdnf6wsU/w640-h480/streetmusicians181.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Downtown, Saint Paul.]</div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3mpCJlUohF-fBqgM3r2kZO54R2m5-BrKjfRFHDiFJCJ_qWVa5FOiXiadrQv648Cze88-eJKZsBX3Fvy63LDfCTdr7-87uRd_H-f3KFtQ69Eiunq75pi-lQKaFvi7l2GOuceeaB4eMs5SirpGsurKY4XRpwhl-qJuOL5Y6iBo3ku5VSqNNpE/s1400/streetmusicians180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="1400" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3mpCJlUohF-fBqgM3r2kZO54R2m5-BrKjfRFHDiFJCJ_qWVa5FOiXiadrQv648Cze88-eJKZsBX3Fvy63LDfCTdr7-87uRd_H-f3KFtQ69Eiunq75pi-lQKaFvi7l2GOuceeaB4eMs5SirpGsurKY4XRpwhl-qJuOL5Y6iBo3ku5VSqNNpE/w640-h504/streetmusicians180.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">[Grand Avenue, Saint Paul.]</div><p></p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-29886592161212814372022-08-30T09:39:00.005-06:002022-08-30T17:29:39.664-06:00No, Housing Starts in St. Paul are Not Up Over the Last Year<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2JuJdhRmjEhNFCOz_0JPxEP3JTO2CFmFQbTyg1f3Twk3axHma4GE_euyPiCpESVa84V2igIxQRQcqziFpkthQheDBWsUKriW30wnaQdC7KOzJsOb7-2_aD33PBAbVneT724le-eL4XLFmmmVZSoFqAEbBtP7OFRH4-5j7ODGoDiNdQbetG0/s2608/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-29%20at%209.54.39%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1562" data-original-width="2608" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2JuJdhRmjEhNFCOz_0JPxEP3JTO2CFmFQbTyg1f3Twk3axHma4GE_euyPiCpESVa84V2igIxQRQcqziFpkthQheDBWsUKriW30wnaQdC7KOzJsOb7-2_aD33PBAbVneT724le-eL4XLFmmmVZSoFqAEbBtP7OFRH4-5j7ODGoDiNdQbetG0/w640-h386/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-29%20at%209.54.39%20AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[DSI permit numbers, from the Open Data portal.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I wasn’t there, but according to both <a href="https://www.twincities.com/2022/08/24/city-says-st-paul-building-permits-surge-despite-rent-control-but-hud-figures-dont-align/">Fred Melo at the Pioneer Press</a> and <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2022/08/24/renters-and-developers-press-st-paul-council-for-competing-changes-to-rent-control-policy/">Max Nestarak at the Minnesota Reformer</a>, there was a weird moment at last week's City Council public hearing, where the Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) gave an overview of the rent control measure. Somewhat shockingly, they announced that housing permits had gone up since the ballot measure had taken effect, that city-wide housing construction in 2022 was higher than the year before. As Melo pointed out, this flies in the face of data from <a href="https://socds.huduser.gov/permits/output_monthly.odb?outpref=html&geoval=state&datatype=monthlyP&varlist=1%232%233%234%235%236&yearlist=2022&statelist=27&msalist=+&cbsalist=+&bppllist=+&cntylist=27123&COUNTYSUM=YES&COUNTYALL=+&COUNTYGRP=+&STATESUM=+&STATEALL=+&METROSUM=+&METROALL=+&METRO=+&CBSA=+&PLACEGRP=+&CSUMNAME=&JSUMNAME=+&geo=state&chron=monthlyP&AWSALB=3/K5CC8ATr3Wbi60XjsgfWWhGPZeuQVwPYLhW7enMSdSfQRdqgIVqKTiN2hQfEYsS0s8VNT0n+u6MKD6yojNkUyE7l82COBjghIQ3D7CfclwXrGsSVT5Bukckycd&AWSALBCORS=3/K5CC8ATr3Wbi60XjsgfWWhGPZeuQVwPYLhW7enMSdSfQRdqgIVqKTiN2hQfEYsS0s8VNT0n+u6MKD6yojNkUyE7l82COBjghIQ3D7CfclwXrGsSVT5Bukckycd&__utma=200893484.164413760.1650548263.1650919389.1650991917.5&__utmb=200893484.1.10.1650991917&__utmc=200893484&__utmt=1&__utmz=200893484.1650548263.1.1.utmcsr%3D%28direct%29%7Cutmccn%3D%28direct%29%7Cutmcmd%3D%28none%29">the national HUD database</a> that has long tracked housing starts for every city and county in the nation, <a href="https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2022/03/in-first-months-since-passage-of-st-pauls-rent-control-ordinance-housing-construction-is-way-down/">the data I’ve been</a> using to crunch similar numbers. </p><p>(It's especially weird because HUD gets their data from each city and county, which reports it monthly. The discrepancy probably points to some internal problem at City Hall.)</p><p>Since the meeting, I put in a data request to the City to find out more precise information about the housing starts. So far, the response I've gotten (the same as the ones published by <a href="https://twitter.com/maxnesterak/status/1563288933991034880">Nestarak</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FrederickMelo/status/1563277816946253828">Melo</a>) hasn't been that helpful. DSI cites its already published chart, and referred me to the city's Open Data portal, which has the same DSI data as its source.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcKr8Fg-s1RnjiCNLe8uiZ3HOrxh2oJduJyEhRrC5lfHq3Np1o0-hApLQpfB6bxVXGno8TuQ-5M0hrO2kkDoeNAM9nJjbNAko7tRBL48PwXTpuQ1mnFVOxpMVFQylgs1KpbSS7q_nLeA-1pHrFIJGgtG8Jk4Oq1c5H_ZvCNrZUvGnPz_l4yU/s1792/DSI%20chart.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="828" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcKr8Fg-s1RnjiCNLe8uiZ3HOrxh2oJduJyEhRrC5lfHq3Np1o0-hApLQpfB6bxVXGno8TuQ-5M0hrO2kkDoeNAM9nJjbNAko7tRBL48PwXTpuQ1mnFVOxpMVFQylgs1KpbSS7q_nLeA-1pHrFIJGgtG8Jk4Oq1c5H_ZvCNrZUvGnPz_l4yU/w296-h640/DSI%20chart.jpeg" width="296" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">[Even I know this is bad number crunching.]</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>So what's going on? </p><p>As DSI Director Angie Weise points out, one key distinction here is a difference in data. DSI is using building permit applications (i.e. a developer starts the process of approval) versus HUD, which is using housing starts (i.e. a developer has successfully received an approved permit from the city and is beginning construction). </p><p>This is a key distinction for a few reasons. First, there’s often a significant time lag involved. A permit application might take a few months to half a year to be processed, before it finally goes through, if it ever does. Sometimes projects can be delayed for years, or it might get cancelled for a whole bunch of different reasons, including a loss of financing. For example, years ago on the Planning Commission, I remember approving <a href="https://myvillager.com/2020/06/10/commission-favors-plans-for-six-story-marshall-ave-flats/">a great 97-unit affordable housing building</a> at Marshall and Fry. Today, the site remains a surface parking lot. The way I understand it, that project would show up in the DSI statistics, but the homes don't exist.</p><p>If you want another great example of why permit applications are misleading, look at the controversial Lexington Parkway Alatus mixed-use development, an extreme case of why permits are misleading. It’s <a href="https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2021/04/three-takeaways-from-st-pauls-most-recent-and-very-long-housing-spat/">a long story</a>, but the housing project was first proposed (<a href="https://www.twincities.com/2019/11/18/st-pauls-frogtown-advocates-criticize-lexington-parkway-proposed-apartment-complex-as-too-costly/">i.e. a permit was applied for</a>) back in 2019. It went through the process at least two times, and if I understand correctly what the DSI data shows, the 250-300 units of housing from the Alatus project would have shown up <i>more than once</i> in the DSI official count.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-xHfgeC2nPWtdagl5Wn0MmEApVz0horiqiIOaln-TX2RG4DY9QENZF2XMPU8MK6hA5wQIjPNjNmVnzl1gkfK26wOgADydwQJqkn93TEEFOj193HiRmnk7N9Gkdk8KdaBfxvtkNQaOgdPv7RKD1xoGEgW8cjDilOnedxisFv9A9MGNOJBfus/s2316/lexington%20and%20university.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="2316" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-xHfgeC2nPWtdagl5Wn0MmEApVz0horiqiIOaln-TX2RG4DY9QENZF2XMPU8MK6hA5wQIjPNjNmVnzl1gkfK26wOgADydwQJqkn93TEEFOj193HiRmnk7N9Gkdk8KdaBfxvtkNQaOgdPv7RKD1xoGEgW8cjDilOnedxisFv9A9MGNOJBfus/w400-h228/lexington%20and%20university.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[Hopefully, the final rendering.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table>It’s still a vacant lot today, but <a href="https://twitter.com/Chris_Oz/status/1561835326468915200">one of the developers recently announced</a> they had finalized financing (somehow, yay!) and have officially acquired the site, likely to become a 300-unit apartment building. For the current iteration of the Lexington Parkway / Alatus, the building permit has still not been entered into the permit data, but will be at some point soon. (Maybe in six months?) <p></p><p>At that point it will go into the approval process for what's likely to be a few months. Only after it’s approved will it become a “housing start,” probably a year away. This is why, in general, housing starts are a more accurate tool to measure the housing construction for a city, and why the HUD data more useful, especially for inter-city comparisons.</p>The second big problem with the DSI chart is pretty obvious, even if you stick to their own data. Whoever put the chart together did not use year-long housing permit data, but only compared the first six months of the year. If you glance at the DSI Open Data portal chart, you see why that’s a problem.<p></p><p>For some reasons, probably through a coincidence or fluke, since 2018, the largest housing permit numbers have appeared in the second half of the calendar year. (See chart at the top of this post.) I am not aware of any reason for this, but that’s what happens in the DSI data. </p><p>How you want to measure the effects of rent control depends on when you think it first impacted financing: when it was first put onto the ballot (June 2021), voted on (November 2021), or was officially enacted (May 2022). But even glancing at these data, you can see the decline. I haven't crunched the numbers but I'd guess it's between 25% to 50%.</p><p>Meanwhile, my most recent update from July HUD housing starts shows a YoY decline of 80% for a full year, and 60% since November. By contrast, Minneapolis housing starts are up over 200%.</p><p>Anyway, there’s more to come. I'd still like to split out market-rate versus subsidized housing construction, and get to the bottom of St. Paul's data discrepancies. </p><p>But at the very least, I don’t think DSI did a good job giving the City Council useful information about St. Paul housing trends. Hopefully the city can move past this, and we can get a new construction exemption on the books that will incentivize broad investment in housing in St. Paul.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NIJtGgGR834iR_wnTYE83YcOPNWttmAhker61y0ntKhMNbpconnAODaEgql5blgu4HpxqesaklKNhGkXhaXP-_tNZxDbRljaGrp2nQJ9-99Ch9uDAIMsAN7seCzbuJ2yq2eHj-5w_TS24nR-EEG3m1-616ZmuVaYjYJtavhhUThDbK_EZLo/s1934/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-30%20at%209.53.56%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1214" data-original-width="1934" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NIJtGgGR834iR_wnTYE83YcOPNWttmAhker61y0ntKhMNbpconnAODaEgql5blgu4HpxqesaklKNhGkXhaXP-_tNZxDbRljaGrp2nQJ9-99Ch9uDAIMsAN7seCzbuJ2yq2eHj-5w_TS24nR-EEG3m1-616ZmuVaYjYJtavhhUThDbK_EZLo/w640-h402/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-30%20at%209.53.56%20AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[This remains a more accurate look at housing in Minneapolis and St. Paul.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-88748306135077824292022-08-26T08:47:00.001-06:002022-08-26T09:24:56.847-06:00A Quick Note on the Rent Control Amendment Debate<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrFd2TmeACc5928j4ioE8X2WZl1V1v5wf2_bmvaoiz02ZrxFmzij_0ErUGbS7A1hVdaOuieuvVZSgyeG_eNbEGCshiVzPjAyF2leHoL9UM63Y-GB0zfiUT7wRao8y9kFB-YefQg7_rOsTE_wRBz64hE_Kj9YMKywz6yKaV31aAVqTEEEFq8Q/s2558/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-26%20at%2010.32.08%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="2558" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrFd2TmeACc5928j4ioE8X2WZl1V1v5wf2_bmvaoiz02ZrxFmzij_0ErUGbS7A1hVdaOuieuvVZSgyeG_eNbEGCshiVzPjAyF2leHoL9UM63Y-GB0zfiUT7wRao8y9kFB-YefQg7_rOsTE_wRBz64hE_Kj9YMKywz6yKaV31aAVqTEEEFq8Q/w640-h266/Screen%20Shot%202022-08-26%20at%2010.32.08%20AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[<a href="https://www.rentcafe.com/average-rent-market-trends/us/mn/st-paul/">From here</a>.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Despite the <a href="https://minnesotareformer.com/2022/08/24/renters-and-developers-press-st-paul-council-for-competing-changes-to-rent-control-policy/">apparent fury on display at City Hall this week</a>, my take on the debate over rent control amendments is pretty straightforward. Almost all of the changes are minor and there's not that much disagreement at the City Council level. It seems unfortunate to me that affordable housing advocates have been whipped up into a seeming fury over minor policy changes, most (or all?) of which will end up helping the city’s renters.</p><p>For example:</p><p>There’s unanimous (?) support for a new construction exemption of some length, and for good reason.* I don’t know enough about the inner workings of housing financing to be able to tell you whether 15 or 20 years would be more effective rolling window -- only bankers and developers would know the answer to that -- but I can tell you that difference between a 15- or 20-year window is small potatoes and will not trigger an avalanche of displacement. Given the wide gulf between housing markets in St. Paul and California (where extreme prices make new construction displacement into a problem), I think the concerns of advocates about the new construction exemption are seriously overblown. </p><p>The "rent banking" proposed by Council Member Tolbert is even more of a no brainer, and leaves me seriously scratching my head as to why the Housing Justice Center is opposing it. For one thing, this policy is not vacancy decontrol, and should never have been given that moniker. "Vacancy decontrol" implies that when a tenant moves out, rents would go up past a theoretical 3% annual cap. This policy doesn’t allow that to happen; rents would remain capped at a 3% annual increase. (I.e., rent increases could not exceed 9% over a three-year timeframe, etc.)</p><p>All this does is remove the “use it or lose it” incentive from the current policy, which is a problem with the rules currently on the books. Right now, both anecdotally and in the rental data, many of the city’s landlords are automatically increasing rents at 3% a year for all their units, no matter the context. That’s likely why, for the first time ever, average St. Paul rents have risen faster than those in neighboring, more wealthy Minneapolis.</p><p>Council Member Tolbert's banking provision simply removes that incentive, making it much more likely that landlords will keep rents flat for their existing tenants. If you care about renter stability, that’s a good thing! </p><p>Finally, the debate over whether or not to exempt Federally subsidized and regulated apartments seems weird to me. At first glance, it’s doesn't seem legal? We’re talking about rents that are already regulated and controlled by Federal policy. It will surely end in a lawsuit, so that's good for the lawyers, I guess... At second glance, isn’t it possible this decreases subsidized housing production in St. Paul? </p><p>But basically, all the proposals I've seen, with the notable exception of Council Member Prince’s vacancy decontrol amendment, are benign tweaks that leave the bulk of the city’s rent control policy in place. </p><p>(Personally, I don't think these proposals go far enough, and won’t fix the structural problems with the existing ordinance, but that's a story for another day. <a href="http://tcsidewalks.blogspot.com/2022/06/after-task-force-how-to-fix-saint-pauls.html">I already wrote 4,000 words</a> detailing my prescription for that. I'm glad that Council Member Prince is introducing actual vacancy decontrol, which I believe is the most effective and simplest way to fix the city’s policy.)</p><p>In short, having some sort of new construction exemption in the policy is a must. Given the deep need for the city to attract investment in housing, I would prefer to see the City Council erring on the side of caution and going with 20 years. But in general, it’s good that a Council majority is on board with some sort of exemption! </p><p>The rest of the changes, with the exception of Council Member Prince’s amendment, seem pretty minor. I guess I’m disappointed that these small tweaks have become so politicized, because the Tolbert amendments are benign changes that should be widely embraced by city leaders. </p><p><br /></p><p>* The <a href="https://twitter.com/FrederickMelo/status/1562579627977363470">city housing data</a> on display from Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) at the meeting sure seems fishy, and I’d be willing to bet a good sum of money that it is incorrect. I’m digging into why that table contradicts the numbers from HUD, and will be sure to clarify this when I can. Unless there’s some error in recent reporting from the city, the broad trends in the HUD dataset, which covers every city and county in the country, are likely to be correct, so I’m guessing the problem lies in the city statistics. No offense to the hard-working folks at DSI, but they are not exactly known for their data analysis acumen.</p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-71204117198385670432022-08-19T10:06:00.001-06:002022-08-19T10:06:12.015-06:00Doorways #67<p><i> </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVISQPdXqN-b5GvMvrFUrbMgx7d7_kTJfbMFN9uV8DKhz5lEVhRibmiItlNmhMt0bjln0yOIRRTMZFxHCsEMGksbGn3fvVnvZYtlZ21MZMGgLFZnpu3ivSnclg1SHj_bHc2hpUeA_VT7fpqG1dXqlrEEuUMAyuCae9TS79YEdGUFN1liER_oA/s2787/doorways560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="2787" data-original-width="2252" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVISQPdXqN-b5GvMvrFUrbMgx7d7_kTJfbMFN9uV8DKhz5lEVhRibmiItlNmhMt0bjln0yOIRRTMZFxHCsEMGksbGn3fvVnvZYtlZ21MZMGgLFZnpu3ivSnclg1SHj_bHc2hpUeA_VT7fpqG1dXqlrEEuUMAyuCae9TS79YEdGUFN1liER_oA/w518-h640/doorways560.JPG" width="518" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>[Kansas City, MO.]</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2pe8YDgfEe27K3Qz03-YpKHNbEQpPaVuyzQ7BOsbOLSX4Jg7qTnM2qO1pDnnwzDb5kY61Mp0M93VXiPIEU_SKArzZWjepRIJ2xWjZZhiUxvk59XvMQNBarHbS-B4jeggDe0o1VmzFBTMTqUne1MJgmlAS5IBXqg69A-GHXAzPICQFGRJkpo/s1154/doorways559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="1154" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2pe8YDgfEe27K3Qz03-YpKHNbEQpPaVuyzQ7BOsbOLSX4Jg7qTnM2qO1pDnnwzDb5kY61Mp0M93VXiPIEU_SKArzZWjepRIJ2xWjZZhiUxvk59XvMQNBarHbS-B4jeggDe0o1VmzFBTMTqUne1MJgmlAS5IBXqg69A-GHXAzPICQFGRJkpo/w640-h524/doorways559.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>[Kansas City, MO, probably.]</i></span></div><p></p><p><i><br /></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVd7GfYPPjPE2k_eLlU3oVXTsuKQbbDLLAGNdy3400Obva4ZvS3Rr9OZv7yYFulQDWwf5lUKdwYsFscZ10uVOngBwckYI-MnRRKvBa0L9Nz5LxKj5CDbkOBB-5V9WMK6-fpev8sOxY1sBDdf0L5MaLsIHwSnBnrKhSNmDA6iHznX8E_ZxAeR0/s2332/doorways558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1797" data-original-width="2332" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVd7GfYPPjPE2k_eLlU3oVXTsuKQbbDLLAGNdy3400Obva4ZvS3Rr9OZv7yYFulQDWwf5lUKdwYsFscZ10uVOngBwckYI-MnRRKvBa0L9Nz5LxKj5CDbkOBB-5V9WMK6-fpev8sOxY1sBDdf0L5MaLsIHwSnBnrKhSNmDA6iHznX8E_ZxAeR0/w640-h494/doorways558.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>[Kansas City, MO.]</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfu8myy0dGbRNhMGMqxxHHYUvhqGqeIjdqHjRWS-2uotydYkeJ2zGmDPQi7Yh3lfIr9PCcgd7Ul3dO1ALnNZKo6vdEF9vEWtWGeEIHuKXVD7BAIKLlc4sR_OMAGCuGWMwF99-7TeS9XcnMNM0kRb-bpuScxZAiDN1aLU74IJRF4lY3u3VlvY/s1475/doorways557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1475" data-original-width="1251" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfu8myy0dGbRNhMGMqxxHHYUvhqGqeIjdqHjRWS-2uotydYkeJ2zGmDPQi7Yh3lfIr9PCcgd7Ul3dO1ALnNZKo6vdEF9vEWtWGeEIHuKXVD7BAIKLlc4sR_OMAGCuGWMwF99-7TeS9XcnMNM0kRb-bpuScxZAiDN1aLU74IJRF4lY3u3VlvY/w542-h640/doorways557.JPG" width="542" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>[Kansas City, MO.]</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFac48P7Ol4W-VI2nDccuEoD-rRs6Ra-QmlS4yiTrEG4j5Vm0cQdrw6yh-dkkkOGcL5GL7QZbgYwZF6hLRBsaFxK6o44Utlgt-DrsRk-qfj6Ty-BwhG7VAqK2uvEHliikB0TNXDcwuaWy_fLG8-_7YXlc9ebtYk0lKsjXVyaqqYC6T3_Ty90/s4032/doorways556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFac48P7Ol4W-VI2nDccuEoD-rRs6Ra-QmlS4yiTrEG4j5Vm0cQdrw6yh-dkkkOGcL5GL7QZbgYwZF6hLRBsaFxK6o44Utlgt-DrsRk-qfj6Ty-BwhG7VAqK2uvEHliikB0TNXDcwuaWy_fLG8-_7YXlc9ebtYk0lKsjXVyaqqYC6T3_Ty90/w480-h640/doorways556.JPG" width="480" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>[Kansas City, MO.]</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzjR4n0hdLiBcCRJuLW4p5_zPO5uSM-ba2IyFAlxJ_01y35gcFQFWMntwCtWICeUGrtgLvB8_3QVEvsbDY6TJOCdwICZBWObqWArSFmOm55tqRFTOkx9_cDGV4CSOealoVsIW68kF0sPULZ9oFDZn4CjDhB-GBzcCzVoYVWmM1M0ymwly8rM/s1850/doorways555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1256" data-original-width="1850" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzjR4n0hdLiBcCRJuLW4p5_zPO5uSM-ba2IyFAlxJ_01y35gcFQFWMntwCtWICeUGrtgLvB8_3QVEvsbDY6TJOCdwICZBWObqWArSFmOm55tqRFTOkx9_cDGV4CSOealoVsIW68kF0sPULZ9oFDZn4CjDhB-GBzcCzVoYVWmM1M0ymwly8rM/w640-h434/doorways555.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">[University Avenue, Saint Paul.]</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXSuKVJMF4XyOn5-MMsDTgWk3k3JSfQbRDmS-PIGroZthwiLNDIcLpoFx2VVyAk_xpWGePjQdiBEzl71coAFJH7G6bYHFAFZHO_JHAowLOttWMUgoTemq93dUx4t6u9lupaEwZ2LYwSyxMe_wCbJWpM6c8ENhTXKbG7xUWPT-2Bvcn_CEN-I/s1436/doorways554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="1436" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXSuKVJMF4XyOn5-MMsDTgWk3k3JSfQbRDmS-PIGroZthwiLNDIcLpoFx2VVyAk_xpWGePjQdiBEzl71coAFJH7G6bYHFAFZHO_JHAowLOttWMUgoTemq93dUx4t6u9lupaEwZ2LYwSyxMe_wCbJWpM6c8ENhTXKbG7xUWPT-2Bvcn_CEN-I/w640-h492/doorways554.JPG" width="640" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>[University Avenue, Saint Paul.]</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TjGB_iaxDpXKBv4yrq_6EQcLDwNQ4eOHOYSgJjw_-Ato00X0gwISbsLc555qQ-kxt8lmoQOmJvl_H4jw9yM5FdnwBNCLXYf596NMlw2qgdYBIhqMGq5q7EmR5yQOzDrwo385sYEq4ez77fb8qUPZCIEzHziKdvQQcZpa0NNyaWHhGilrHqk/s1200/doorways553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1200" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TjGB_iaxDpXKBv4yrq_6EQcLDwNQ4eOHOYSgJjw_-Ato00X0gwISbsLc555qQ-kxt8lmoQOmJvl_H4jw9yM5FdnwBNCLXYf596NMlw2qgdYBIhqMGq5q7EmR5yQOzDrwo385sYEq4ez77fb8qUPZCIEzHziKdvQQcZpa0NNyaWHhGilrHqk/w640-h454/doorways553.jpg" width="640" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>[Cedar Avenue, Minneapolis.]</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4oeHR94u7pI9lCIMSj3rSAwMgIraUw3KTOXnUcrlyoMGxmMqY-1YNUvoSdqcfCSLr4VAO6SZx-FQZsCT74nLgo92j2UhxjWiPPJoZrURBsV_GG-eA2Ly3Jtzacqb0d9x-UD925--3rpi62we_PR830cyXZpH87EZFA-RACVOv39429-Lcp4/s3820/doorways552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="3820" data-original-width="2661" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4oeHR94u7pI9lCIMSj3rSAwMgIraUw3KTOXnUcrlyoMGxmMqY-1YNUvoSdqcfCSLr4VAO6SZx-FQZsCT74nLgo92j2UhxjWiPPJoZrURBsV_GG-eA2Ly3Jtzacqb0d9x-UD925--3rpi62we_PR830cyXZpH87EZFA-RACVOv39429-Lcp4/w446-h640/doorways552.jpg" width="446" /></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>[Duluth.]</i></span></div><p></p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-54255859510902173392022-08-11T13:15:00.010-06:002022-08-11T13:16:17.800-06:00Walking Tour of Cathedral Hill History and Housing on August 17<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwlsNWMXUxLLgKNg6GEYt4hP95G0S66Q2ffLTQef7iZohI9vTEsyWUHGHvAO4uT6qrr3r3s8lTBusxqCm9xDG2fistlY0TrDxOh-7b59vkpzkHjmRzsa4VoOPxC8LT4TarCME8KTKtbiyK2gcbmxiq1pYBwPrVPV_blXVjIUgme941YaNOJE/s1920/sustain%20stroll%20image.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwlsNWMXUxLLgKNg6GEYt4hP95G0S66Q2ffLTQef7iZohI9vTEsyWUHGHvAO4uT6qrr3r3s8lTBusxqCm9xDG2fistlY0TrDxOh-7b59vkpzkHjmRzsa4VoOPxC8LT4TarCME8KTKtbiyK2gcbmxiq1pYBwPrVPV_blXVjIUgme941YaNOJE/w640-h360/sustain%20stroll%20image.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Hey! I'm teaming up with <a href="https://www.sustainstpaul.org">Sustain Saint Paul</a>, a great group of urbanism advocates, to walk around one of my favorite parts of the city. We're going explore the past and future of housing in the neighborhood, what's been lost and what the potential holds for having more density and diversity of housing in Saint Paul. Plus, it's Cathedral Hill, so it's full of fun facts, vistas, and oddities. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Who</b>: Anyone, especially fans of Sustain Saint Paul <br /><b>What</b>: Roughly two-mile walk around Saint Paul<br /><b>When</b>: August 17, 5:30 - 7:00 pm<br /><b>Where</b>: Meet at <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=boyd+park+st+paul&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8">Boyd Park</a> on Selby Avenue <br /><b>Why</b>: Because it's there</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1671045769926980?ref=newsfeed">Facebook link is here</a>.]</i></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNz6P0Q5jGS98_h7YhtyxOHTk58OgWMkfJDNOwVSGBS4TA7EdkYVDRZ0jSNTxp2_YXMFw5K2r473bpzugYZVnPjIjDe2ST3jz0o-cAhvYurLyilz4NM-dUgCJmJgAhJBk2eAHRFswDW7fyzDmhE_6KBEPg2iMNn7ao7EZHkLa9bXiMXuaulOk/s3558/stp%20cathedral%20hill%201905.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2070" data-original-width="3558" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNz6P0Q5jGS98_h7YhtyxOHTk58OgWMkfJDNOwVSGBS4TA7EdkYVDRZ0jSNTxp2_YXMFw5K2r473bpzugYZVnPjIjDe2ST3jz0o-cAhvYurLyilz4NM-dUgCJmJgAhJBk2eAHRFswDW7fyzDmhE_6KBEPg2iMNn7ao7EZHkLa9bXiMXuaulOk/w640-h372/stp%20cathedral%20hill%201905.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1N52mmT2T1JqKOQG0rsycpJRo-rPbbua8SUFkf-Paf7PZ0xis-fk4u14X_FhhA6Qqqr5RN98ydVKOTOgY3Bs4Vh-n-3gRSc18MngU5mFuIfmtOlE2h10LxyXHtSlbyKmG-uZ7nvbifGUNo6fU-dckXW2TCfynQ8xqj2JSudAKXNqXnAhth8/s3190/stp%20cathedral%20hill%20new.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1996" data-original-width="3190" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1N52mmT2T1JqKOQG0rsycpJRo-rPbbua8SUFkf-Paf7PZ0xis-fk4u14X_FhhA6Qqqr5RN98ydVKOTOgY3Bs4Vh-n-3gRSc18MngU5mFuIfmtOlE2h10LxyXHtSlbyKmG-uZ7nvbifGUNo6fU-dckXW2TCfynQ8xqj2JSudAKXNqXnAhth8/w640-h400/stp%20cathedral%20hill%20new.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>[Looking at downtown from St. Anthony / Cathedral Hill, 1905 and 2017.] </i></div><p></p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-7225809776374602272022-08-08T09:51:00.005-06:002022-08-08T09:51:32.782-06:00Signs of the Times #184<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFVfT5r3RdsCqwnLaVmGo1Y5mN75QAUnlcRl18wSvAUe8Von_R6GTJ6FJv5n6_7nzJ0vhMbq1ANXVVeJVmIMz7QRzsWdIp_dwqx5Ne_Dk2dssKX3AuWXPdMrUDKsXCt-KIUUR5FhZijcSbKy0tAMNC2EVryJmcZI_D2D5z_K5KY97Gwu8FeI/s2476/signs1651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="2476" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFVfT5r3RdsCqwnLaVmGo1Y5mN75QAUnlcRl18wSvAUe8Von_R6GTJ6FJv5n6_7nzJ0vhMbq1ANXVVeJVmIMz7QRzsWdIp_dwqx5Ne_Dk2dssKX3AuWXPdMrUDKsXCt-KIUUR5FhZijcSbKy0tAMNC2EVryJmcZI_D2D5z_K5KY97Gwu8FeI/w640-h500/signs1651.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">THIS IS NOT PART OF THE BUS STOP!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">NO LOITERING ON THE STEPS!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK THE DOOR.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">THANK YOU!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>[Door. Portland, OR.]</i></span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80AB5-qSC44cEpLS8tnc3gfpu2HLGSyHAguTlijrMdLmZECoqrSx-TUuJLBD_n3cFTMrSqHQFZyK5qaFAXp7HNsv5Hjt_1DcfdLun3cJuuPmrMh29WG-lkU60zIYG6IezAYJaRkyqHTm1ZA1jq7CYyb1OoxFwM2F07f5S3LS_S8SF6uJvIPg/s4032/signs1650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi80AB5-qSC44cEpLS8tnc3gfpu2HLGSyHAguTlijrMdLmZECoqrSx-TUuJLBD_n3cFTMrSqHQFZyK5qaFAXp7HNsv5Hjt_1DcfdLun3cJuuPmrMh29WG-lkU60zIYG6IezAYJaRkyqHTm1ZA1jq7CYyb1OoxFwM2F07f5S3LS_S8SF6uJvIPg/w640-h480/signs1650.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">HANG</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">BILLIONAIRES</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><i>[Statue. Portland, OR.]</i></span></div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7U_unWReGHGtGeP3v7DftjtyPS8hC9iEkd3UvK8nMYSxlRvg2n6sbTJbbyKzPnchwYUUAN4ZuxFkJO1Fgtf2QHPBBIlU_lJhEMaxG8qQKdR4DYj0XBFudkSQDzgCC9mJ-WZ5uQeCi67cszS3xLuHtlRrDzoWHpsI6c2J5nWES26XpmjddZ0/s3423/signs1649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2415" data-original-width="3423" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7U_unWReGHGtGeP3v7DftjtyPS8hC9iEkd3UvK8nMYSxlRvg2n6sbTJbbyKzPnchwYUUAN4ZuxFkJO1Fgtf2QHPBBIlU_lJhEMaxG8qQKdR4DYj0XBFudkSQDzgCC9mJ-WZ5uQeCi67cszS3xLuHtlRrDzoWHpsI6c2J5nWES26XpmjddZ0/w640-h452/signs1649.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Please</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">don't stop on the street or on the parking</p><p style="text-align: center;">don't turn the music on the parking, on the street</p><p style="text-align: center;">don't talk loud in the parking</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[Window. Portland, OR.]</i></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-RMexQ37BpIL7p05PHtqEpAymw6AlV0wvU2a0YG5J9g8FMh91Y1m2WYjX8bfhXC9yFhX0lSQHU035r54Yuibjk8IwkmreF6grYU2ZxuwBh3OhHAeXEejeVkMi4O0ohLMLdrvzyRQ4r6jj7a9Tz20foquRKR5HfvnLiwQyoV0ZGl8yt5gDdY/s3024/signs1648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2860" data-original-width="3024" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-RMexQ37BpIL7p05PHtqEpAymw6AlV0wvU2a0YG5J9g8FMh91Y1m2WYjX8bfhXC9yFhX0lSQHU035r54Yuibjk8IwkmreF6grYU2ZxuwBh3OhHAeXEejeVkMi4O0ohLMLdrvzyRQ4r6jj7a9Tz20foquRKR5HfvnLiwQyoV0ZGl8yt5gDdY/w640-h606/signs1648.JPG" width="640" /></a>Everything</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">$10</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>[Sandwich board. Portland, OR.]</i></div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefBn7TG2CKNam1-uAbzxJliL5q9o2h2hj_6cszn9jPfGp9Nk_2yumI4G1Z_QtRUV8HB2wROb5EfWIkFcYpU5AOtHt86cYNydFbsYlTxVDX89HaGqTZGLaMJ-j9W6YEb1tUrSIfSJhnhK0Xqug_0CBnkgR9RjNiHwBI9vLz-MHkOlYADXfyBY/s3584/signs1647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3584" data-original-width="2856" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefBn7TG2CKNam1-uAbzxJliL5q9o2h2hj_6cszn9jPfGp9Nk_2yumI4G1Z_QtRUV8HB2wROb5EfWIkFcYpU5AOtHt86cYNydFbsYlTxVDX89HaGqTZGLaMJ-j9W6YEb1tUrSIfSJhnhK0Xqug_0CBnkgR9RjNiHwBI9vLz-MHkOlYADXfyBY/w510-h640/signs1647.JPG" width="510" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Free Records</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">please take</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and don't bring back :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>[Record shop window. Portland, OR.]</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIUPUkvgP4UyFJ-dnhPGoWBe60YXlf7jeKaV0HqiC6JdeWRgM6bZ557I-Rw9QUn0xidlM-MMevMkpmNOexZ7e0izMg0w-4R8zzr_CCcrZFT3CIodzf1t_FTxIsJVbvon3QSoGMk0aJeBuZj45PTaFuE1wXsj3zRYsTd8Ax4amyPIxffGKjUM/s2664/signs1646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2259" data-original-width="2664" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIUPUkvgP4UyFJ-dnhPGoWBe60YXlf7jeKaV0HqiC6JdeWRgM6bZ557I-Rw9QUn0xidlM-MMevMkpmNOexZ7e0izMg0w-4R8zzr_CCcrZFT3CIodzf1t_FTxIsJVbvon3QSoGMk0aJeBuZj45PTaFuE1wXsj3zRYsTd8Ax4amyPIxffGKjUM/w640-h542/signs1646.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Look Inside</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Add something if you'd like</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>[Retaining wall. Hamline-midway, St. Paul.]</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRqGuVG8GjN4_8k_ZBZwoErtLMftzaf3WQvJEXTjLZaUVB9-HqqSOPy_6LQd9G-zaUSlnyqeO4PVVqbTTHHtORLlM9PqIvmtB2NbjSnmXvwveksbFRHTWXBRgcub2FgZrwmf96XhHNZj4ODpc8dDd5X3WBkhDqtDEA02oziQXXC5EgKxn_0I/s4032/signs1645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRqGuVG8GjN4_8k_ZBZwoErtLMftzaf3WQvJEXTjLZaUVB9-HqqSOPy_6LQd9G-zaUSlnyqeO4PVVqbTTHHtORLlM9PqIvmtB2NbjSnmXvwveksbFRHTWXBRgcub2FgZrwmf96XhHNZj4ODpc8dDd5X3WBkhDqtDEA02oziQXXC5EgKxn_0I/w480-h640/signs1645.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BROKE</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">NOT</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BROKEN</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>[Cardboard. Kansas City, MO.]</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DEiB7qpWuBuoCrr5W-Or86bpvVwZifrSJRXl7CaPncF1obCi7Ctm7770--VtmAdCRdTez09xPACBKUFsqwNqP4VO9XQAlzihzm7O-y4Lt_d8yg5ZYrhRqg2nBoz6Zl977_oydhPys54HUYlYLSfpcj6xr85aMfypyiXPlol9QGZhNJwuadw/s2394/signs1644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1814" data-original-width="2394" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-DEiB7qpWuBuoCrr5W-Or86bpvVwZifrSJRXl7CaPncF1obCi7Ctm7770--VtmAdCRdTez09xPACBKUFsqwNqP4VO9XQAlzihzm7O-y4Lt_d8yg5ZYrhRqg2nBoz6Zl977_oydhPys54HUYlYLSfpcj6xr85aMfypyiXPlol9QGZhNJwuadw/w640-h484/signs1644.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">THERE </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">ARE SO </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">MANY</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BEAUTIFUL</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">REASONS</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">TO BE</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">HAPPY</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">BE KIND</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>[Telephone pole. Kansas City, MO.]</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRR6WbL-TLZhHhlbpoyII3G7YwOq_jM2CjE9-t7HCazPh59ABgpazOn-pJWYMC2fCAIkWntABiNqsOptaS8k9aG1N3sqtDkwy5-R2OT1_g8stN2aA-0r1XAKCe89g-Xru14rN78tMvWZN-UUdwaGME1b1N0v4tlA06ZgE8W4aR6yqsKCpGCMY/s4032/signs1642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRR6WbL-TLZhHhlbpoyII3G7YwOq_jM2CjE9-t7HCazPh59ABgpazOn-pJWYMC2fCAIkWntABiNqsOptaS8k9aG1N3sqtDkwy5-R2OT1_g8stN2aA-0r1XAKCe89g-Xru14rN78tMvWZN-UUdwaGME1b1N0v4tlA06ZgE8W4aR6yqsKCpGCMY/w640-h480/signs1642.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Please</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">No Dogs on Grass</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thank You</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>[Grand Avenue, St. Paul.]</i></div><p></p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-17676830982075301662022-07-05T09:00:00.001-06:002022-07-05T09:00:00.189-06:00Metaphor #10: Robot Car / Cigarette Filters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58hWmIRQqWSWCaJce2H9t5MkLPEnx3HwUrI1SvOt2fBnR1axff93zyTNZ9F--nW1uFTPzbO-oSa7BBmKOcy3BSPl_txUcrskdzsdIA5alUcNoGUGuUGgp94_rNlPd4flFNY8SRvtn95lK2Bm9ABx2wGpfEb8pCFKoH936ZCv_ZiGYfl1Vnbs/s2499/tesla%20crash.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="2499" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh58hWmIRQqWSWCaJce2H9t5MkLPEnx3HwUrI1SvOt2fBnR1axff93zyTNZ9F--nW1uFTPzbO-oSa7BBmKOcy3BSPl_txUcrskdzsdIA5alUcNoGUGuUGgp94_rNlPd4flFNY8SRvtn95lK2Bm9ABx2wGpfEb8pCFKoH936ZCv_ZiGYfl1Vnbs/w640-h308/tesla%20crash.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p>I'm just finishing up Peter Norton's excellent book, <a href="https://islandpress.org/books/autonorama">Autonorama</a>, and came across this lovely metaphor: </p><p></p><blockquote>The worst news about AVs (automated vehicles) is not that they can't deliver on their promises. In two ways, AVs are not just disappointments by their own standards but actual threats. First, to the extent that they are indeed developed and deployed -- that is, to some fraction of the extent that promoters promise -- AVs are likely to worsen the very aspects of passenger transportation they are supposed to improve. Second, AVs are an attractive but expensive distraction from things we can do today at far less cost that yield affordable, sustainable, equitable, healthful, and efficient mobility. Much as elaborate but ineffectual cigarette filters were an attempt to perpetuate cigaret smoking when it was clear that smoking itself was the problem, AVs are, more than anything else, an attempt to perpetuate car dependency when car dependency itself is the problem. </blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[See also my <a href="https://tcsidewalks.blogspot.com/2013/02/if-cars-are-new-tobacco.html">Cars are the new Tobacco</a> post, or <a href="https://streets.mn/2012/03/13/cars-vs-phones-why-robocars-will-not-save-us/">my post on why robot cars will fail</a>.]</i></p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-41008888910900769432022-06-29T08:00:00.073-06:002022-09-13T18:48:57.984-06:00After the Stakeholders' Group, How to Fix Saint Paul’s Rent Control Ordinance<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinloIW6tSTR_wHkj9rUGOl4CYw2Zm2olJlDzkVIUaZQf4zQBA6Fj4YY6pyr7Eux_jtaKDMwLaGVkg7Ek8PvwvNt_2vRedJsZPiOroG1GtkicGjlgEKJKgnyLRwvaSvGM_u7DIDIbuyJeHFkIALeGjgxbN63ocVkvsfQwr72bNU43-IbloWG_I/s4032/house%20for%20rent%20rondo.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinloIW6tSTR_wHkj9rUGOl4CYw2Zm2olJlDzkVIUaZQf4zQBA6Fj4YY6pyr7Eux_jtaKDMwLaGVkg7Ek8PvwvNt_2vRedJsZPiOroG1GtkicGjlgEKJKgnyLRwvaSvGM_u7DIDIbuyJeHFkIALeGjgxbN63ocVkvsfQwr72bNU43-IbloWG_I/w640-h480/house%20for%20rent%20rondo.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[A house for rent in the Rondo neighborhood.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Well, the <a href="https://www.stpaul.gov/news/mayor-carter-announces-41-member-rent-stabilization-stakeholder-group">Saint Paul Rent Stabilization Stakeholders Group</a> has wrapped up its business, and <a href="https://archive.org/download/sprssg-final-report-with-appendix-optimized/SPRSSG%20Final%20Report%20with%20Appendix%20Optimized.pdf">the 36-page report (with a 250-page appendix!) </a>was submitted to the City by the folks at the the University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). <p></p><p>There’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that, in my opinion, the Task Force was not a success. (Note that I refuse to use the term "stakeholder," and will refer to it as a "task force" from now on.) We didn’t craft a good rent stabilization policy, and I doubt that the process created political consensus that will bring anyone together who disagreed about rent control. Those were probably the main goals going into April.</p><p>But the good news is that the Task Force was not a failure. It did not completely implode, and there is a set of recommendations that can point Saint Paul leaders in the right direction for amending the policy on the books today. </p><p>That’s where we’re at. Despite the bumps along the the way, the Task Force creates a starting point for a conversation, showing broad strokes around which Saint Paul can move forward. With a good discussion, and hopefully input from the Mayor’s office implementing the modified policy, I hope city leaders can work out a good long-term rent stabilization policy. </p><p>Looking back on the Task Force experience, I’m going to share what I think that policy should be and why. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Thirteen Weeks of Impasse</b></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfoyUlJEtCaWSWOIAoEMeE8EAf4eWWiUmxIKWKlD3FzGpZWjge4AyDRpa5XyCmAuwgtYZ8cmoiCvp3zF8m0AiWT2kHUwX0sqVrk5HM-EgG7_GClDY9-fI4nC6Bw5U6FEk5-VcRJjcWKYxdRWzO0I8kQlMiijeDaTl0Frbv2QwyTuqk6V_6Hes/s1376/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2010.11.36%20PM.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1376" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfoyUlJEtCaWSWOIAoEMeE8EAf4eWWiUmxIKWKlD3FzGpZWjge4AyDRpa5XyCmAuwgtYZ8cmoiCvp3zF8m0AiWT2kHUwX0sqVrk5HM-EgG7_GClDY9-fI4nC6Bw5U6FEk5-VcRJjcWKYxdRWzO0I8kQlMiijeDaTl0Frbv2QwyTuqk6V_6Hes/w400-h231/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2010.11.36%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgTLR7kQpnbDQvr51QZDS0w/videos">Watch all the meetings here</a>.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table>From the start, I didn’t have high hopes there’d be much common ground. The election was still fresh in the minds of most of the participants (myself included) and most people had strong opinions. Because it was such a large group, it proved easy for a small number of people to dominate the conversation. There were many people (at least half) that never spoke once to the group as a whole. This isn’t a knock on the two co-chairs, who did a good job, but the overall dynamics were not conducive to building relationships or mutual understanding.<p></p><p>The main problem was that not everyone agreed there was a problem. Of the 41 members, maybe one-third were people who had worked on the rent control ballot campaign. Having spent a year trying to put their policy in place, most of those members were ecstatic about the status quo. It’s not hard to see why folks were not thrilled about a group whose stated purpose was to undo their work. </p><p>That meant that right from the beginning, and almost unwaveringly throughout the proceedings, a large percentage of the Task Force was not on board with its purpose. And I don’t blame them either; I’d have felt the same way. </p><p>It didn’t help matters that, during the weeks of policy discussion, moderators never made a case for why change was necessary. I never sensed that the CURA team leading the eight weeks of policy context viewed the existing ordinance as a problem, and throughout the conversation, there wasn’t any any sense of the stakes to policy choices. It was mostly an overview of policies from around the country — “some cities do it this way, other cities do it this way” — without a sense of what the downsides and tradeoffs might be.</p><p>That’s not necessarily the CURA folks’ fault, either. I doubt most of the CURA staff viewed the status quo as a problem, and Director Ed Goetz had been clear throughout the election campaign that <a href="https://www.startribune.com/counterpoint-on-rent-control-calmly-weigh-benefits-as-well-as-costs/600105988/">he supported St. Paul’s rent stabilization ballot initiative</a>.</p><p>This is a long way of saying that most of the Task Force proceedings were, in my view, a waste of time. (I bet most members feel the same way.) Almost nothing from the weeks of preparation for the policy negotiation changed anyone’s mind. The Task Force could have skipped those eight two-hour meetings, spent more time on the small group negotiation, and the outcome would probably have been just as good, if not better. At the very least, doing so would have saved 41 volunteer members, and every staffer at CURA, 20 hours of prime Tuesday afternoons during a wonderful Minnesota spring and summer.</p><p>(A side note: I've been researching rent control for a while now, and didn’t personally learn much from the various lectures. In fact, I found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/MinneapolisFed/videos">the four-part ULI/Minneapolis FED rent stabilization</a> discussion to be more informational than the Task Force lectures, and for housing policy nerds, <a href="http://tcsidewalks.blogspot.com/2022/05/three-excellent-sources-on-rent-control.html">I recommend those discussions</a>. The only thing that surprised me during the Task Force learnings - mentioned in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkrM5KSSqPU">the talk by Ken Barr</a> - was that the the “reasonable rate of return” provision on the books in Saint Paul is not a simply policy idea, but rather a <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/cya">CYA</a> legal requirement based on existing US case law. In other words, if a city or state passes a rent control policy that does not include a “reasonable rate of return”, it will almost certainly be thrown out in court.)</p><p>The point is that there was a gap at the center of the Task Force meetings: What was the issue here? What was the problem we were trying to solve? What were the downsides about the existing policy? </p><p>Without common ground — the idea that there was a problem that needed a solution — the Task Force was hobbled from the start. </p><p>So today, looking back and looking forward, it begs the question: apart from <a href="http://tcsidewalks.blogspot.com/2022/02/mayor-carters-statement-on-new.html">the new construction exemption provision</a> (which I have <a href="https://tcsidewalks.blogspot.com/search?q=new+construction+exemption">written about at great length</a>), what are the problems that the Task Force was convened to solve? </p><p>Here are the two biggest that I see.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn75VUQ5wRf9Hz2ypB9m9zmDCMyc6WJ9m_-8yVfopx7MtboYGtUYD4V-raris_9xuvTQC8J1OtguyUAl0466lZnw4XI6ThgZwLRtaH7WEY5HSMHd5KEnrHup2eoIfHrm6qN42xPQTMsoDm--rjNH9bs9vs4LZQFvbVg1brVocpBsdUXt5-Nrc/s4032/doorways523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn75VUQ5wRf9Hz2ypB9m9zmDCMyc6WJ9m_-8yVfopx7MtboYGtUYD4V-raris_9xuvTQC8J1OtguyUAl0466lZnw4XI6ThgZwLRtaH7WEY5HSMHd5KEnrHup2eoIfHrm6qN42xPQTMsoDm--rjNH9bs9vs4LZQFvbVg1brVocpBsdUXt5-Nrc/w640-h480/doorways523.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i> [Still-vacant duplex on my block; it was like this for over a year.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Problem #1: Disinvestment</b></p><p>My wife and I bought a small house in Frogtown about three years ago, the first time I’ve owned any property. Right away, we learned that the shoddy looking duplex next-door had some problems. For one thing, twice when we were home, some sort of police gang task force rolled up and strode across our lawn with rifles to knock on the door of the downstairs tenants. They eventually moved out, but the duplex remained pretty in said shape, with lots of people coming and going. Probably the nadir was when we watched EMTs pull a dead body out of the basement, a woman who had either overdosed or died of old age. </p><p>Anyway, that was not great.</p><p>Then one day, I walked out the door and found a guy — let’s call him Dave — who was at that very moment thinking about buying the duplex. I encouraged him, and he did.</p><p>For the next year, Dave worked on the duplex, and had contractors there most days going in and out doing things like laying concrete, gutting the interior, remodeling the kitchen, building a new set of exterior stairs, adding a doorway, fixing the falling-down porch, pretty much everything except for the exterior painting and aesthetic stuff. </p><p>(Speaking of which: It'd be nice, "Dave", if you could get to that one day.)</p><p>I’d chat with him every once in a while, to see how it was going. According to Dave, he’d spent around $100,000 on it (so far), and he’d maybe make his money back in ten years. But he also added that “it was in terrible shape,“ and that if nobody had come in and rehabbed the building, it would have been condemned. Things had gotten that bad.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzmQyaJZaDlVzbPLhecDBGQdr1gjhsQC7LXWE5U_YLOCwKFsoK6aVmgwq2U1we12Bl7I6Jl5s5IyrKcDZIBJuQa1BKLj87u_OGfkkJdOiaV_6Rjd6V1vCzOUGQikSoRsQ_Vb5U7p_E_VPqzOLEAC4Ch855nl2jWIUsBTbfSmQnFxZ71aSjWs/s2782/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2012.13.15%20PM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1391" data-original-width="2782" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzmQyaJZaDlVzbPLhecDBGQdr1gjhsQC7LXWE5U_YLOCwKFsoK6aVmgwq2U1we12Bl7I6Jl5s5IyrKcDZIBJuQa1BKLj87u_OGfkkJdOiaV_6Rjd6V1vCzOUGQikSoRsQ_Vb5U7p_E_VPqzOLEAC4Ch855nl2jWIUsBTbfSmQnFxZ71aSjWs/w640-h320/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2012.13.15%20PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[Newly vacant lot across the street from my house.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The point is that much of Saint Paul's housing stock is in rough shape. It's not unusual to see vacant buildings and lots in many Saint Paul neighborhoods. On my one block in Frogtown, there’s a vacant lot across the street that had a house on it as recently as 2015. Two doors down, another house has sat empty for three years, though someone comes by to mow or shovel once in a while. Three doors down the other direction sits <a href="https://information.stpaul.gov/datasets/vacant-buildings-3/explore?location=44.942915%2C-93.105500%2C13.00&showTable=true">one of the city’s 400 registered vacant buildings</a>. (The above photo of the doorway is a photo of that duplex.) </p><p>Judging by the photos, woodwork, and rooflines, all of these homes were once nice places for people to live, and should still be homes for someone today. My block in Frogtown is one of the nicer in the neighborhood, and if you go to any of the most disinvested parts of Saint Paul you’ll find a similar landscape of homes sitting empty and falling apart. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmLHbN-Gx_UvGOBlvjobVD4nSSnl7HO2caqcFDINcpV844Xctb8SaKpNY7fh2nwyVLtdpVL-AiUBsxvL9uBP0mVgJOuMn-bJc81e7aRFGVDCimH73c2VraI3bCLBMJVWd3_PTp5jWKCqUnF-K4TLwzwePHrX_mMsu1nmNlJBvFka2k9pLlqM/s1858/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2010.38.22%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1690" data-original-width="1858" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmLHbN-Gx_UvGOBlvjobVD4nSSnl7HO2caqcFDINcpV844Xctb8SaKpNY7fh2nwyVLtdpVL-AiUBsxvL9uBP0mVgJOuMn-bJc81e7aRFGVDCimH73c2VraI3bCLBMJVWd3_PTp5jWKCqUnF-K4TLwzwePHrX_mMsu1nmNlJBvFka2k9pLlqM/w640-h582/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2010.38.22%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[Map from <a href="https://www.tptoriginals.org/why-do-saint-pauls-neighborhoods-of-color-have-a-disproportionate-number-of-vacant-properties/">this excellent MPR article</a> on the topic.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Saint Paul already has a disinvestment problem and I worry that the rent control ordinance will make it worse. There’s certainly a fine line to walk when crafting policy that places hard caps on landlord revenue while expenses rise steeply. On one hand, cities don’t want policies that make it easy for flippers or investors, triggering the loss of affordable housing through gentrification. But cities should be cautious about passing policy that makes it far less likely — as is the case with Dave — for people to fix up Saint Paul homes in desperate need of investment. There’s a cost to turning the landlords / renters dynamic into a zero-sum game, and then picking only one side. </p><p>There’s no way to be precise about how the existing policy will affect disinvestment and the housing stock, and figuring out where to draw the line is going to be a challenge. At the very least, it would have been helpful to hear learn from the many (I thought) open-minded property owners on the Task Force. My take, having talked to a lot of folks who work locally on housing, is that the existing policy is not balanced, and will worsen disinvestment in Saint Paul. </p><p>How much worse? I can't say, but I do think city leaders should have a useful conversation about it.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVTbz9NWxtrJb_LizV8G3IhWTGeFGAfoEGnLI9BTFGOw5KoJK8D-XZwFarO43tvN051lL21oFtv8javsHielY88G0mB3V1MTVXgX2gWVQYyPndFtRHdmGLEx8y2YqwZ7c6-RlZO2hO8m_EKY1-kmrRDKarNQNJDSGBGndzwfJHJYDmfg1_J8/s1982/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2010.41.14%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1982" data-original-width="1530" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVTbz9NWxtrJb_LizV8G3IhWTGeFGAfoEGnLI9BTFGOw5KoJK8D-XZwFarO43tvN051lL21oFtv8javsHielY88G0mB3V1MTVXgX2gWVQYyPndFtRHdmGLEx8y2YqwZ7c6-RlZO2hO8m_EKY1-kmrRDKarNQNJDSGBGndzwfJHJYDmfg1_J8/w494-h640/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2010.41.14%20PM.png" width="494" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[One of the many rent stabilization forms.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><b>Problem #2: Opaque Bureaucracy</b></p><p>My second big goal was to minimize opaque city bureaucracy. As much as possible, it’s makes good policy to not have city departments handle things that could otherwise be sorted out through well-crafted regulation. (It's kind of like how you should design streets that make it hard to drive fast, instead of lowering the speed limit on a wide road and relying on enforcement to solve the problem.)</p><p>For the record, the policy on the books does not work that way. Even though the city is implementing the November ordinance with about as light a touch as they can, the policy is not flexible and, especially in a period of high inflation, creates a lot of extra overhead and paperwork. For example, check out <a href="https://www.stpaul.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/Rent%20Stabilization%20Final%20Rules.pdf">the 19-pages of legal rules</a>, or <a href="https://www.stpaul.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/Landlord%20MNOI%20-%20Cap%20Improvement%20Worksheet.pdf">the 22-page form</a> that every landlord has to keep on hand if they increase rent over 3%. Both are only written in English.</p><p>There are open questions about how the audit system or the approval process works, and I don’t know how that will go, but it will likely involve a lot of staff time at City Hall. Then there’s the issue of how rental advocates and their lawyers will challenge rent changes, and how those will be handled. To me, it seems like a lot of overhead just to allow rents to keep pace with inflation.</p><p>Another problem with a bureaucratic system is that it’s opaque. My guess is that the existing rent control ordinance will become a classic “Saint Paul situation” where only insiders or big players know how things work. People who know people in City Hall will easily get their way; meanwhile, anyone new to the the city, for whatever reason, is going to be frustrated. Having sat at public hearings behind the curved table in the City Council chambers and listened to zoning complaints, I know this is the kind of thing that drives folks nuts about Saint Paul. The city should try to avoid unpredictable bureaucratic hoops.</p><p>The final problem with an opaque, sort-it-out-with-staff-time approach is that Saint Paul city departments are understaffed across the board. I’ve been close enough to city workers over the years to know that, especially with an ongoing labor shortage, most people are doing the jobs that two or three folks should be doing. The situation leads to turnover, creating a downward spiral where experience evaporates and services get worse.</p><p>The point here is that, given a choice between an inflexible policy that relies on challenges and audits, or a flexible policy that adapts to changing circumstances, less is more. If Saint Paul can figure out a way to create the same positive outcomes for renters without manufacturing a ton of opaque paperwork, it’s probably a good idea. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>My Suggestion Coming out of the Task Force </b></p><p>Anyway, to keep a long post slightly shorter, here’s the policy that I think would make for a good starting point for the City Council:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Rent cap set to some variable rate based on consumer prices or wage growth</li><li>Exemption for new construction (and conversion to residential) of 15-20 years</li><li>Vacancy decontrol with new renter protections (e.g. just cause eviction)</li><li>(Other details are less important to me, but I can see the case for including other policy provisions.)</li></ul><p></p><div>(Note that this is similar to, but not exactly the same as, the ending recommendation from the Task Force.)</div><p>Here’s a point-by-point case for these policies:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>15-20 Year New Construction Exemption</b></p><p>About a year ago, when I first started digging into rent control literature, the lack of a new construction exemption seemed like the biggest problem with the policy proposal on the ballot. Almost no other US city applies rent control to new construction because, so the housing folks tell us, it will reduce investment and construction.</p><p>A year after signatures for the ballot measure were first submitted to city hall, and seven months after the election, the impact is clearer. My ballpark guess is that the rent control ballot measure has delayed / prevented something like 3,000 new apartments in St. Paul, with that number likely to grow. Unfortunately, the ballot measure coincided with a housing construction boom across the US and the metro.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkCvL6kDW5K_GyrnFomVgkBsh0OenLz5JtJZFVrsftv_zKha1Qlmdyr1yVhb-SqGviHeRUhG9kctK7mfTanhN3cxfHw-5PHTaLNUa-jPOf4l3vuWphXQYVFmdyBmQpKY2H1DRDw6Fs1d7hBoSlunQ2aRsonZXPRFhQ72zo21KuLeqBno9Nvw/s1808/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2010.54.01%20PM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="1808" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkCvL6kDW5K_GyrnFomVgkBsh0OenLz5JtJZFVrsftv_zKha1Qlmdyr1yVhb-SqGviHeRUhG9kctK7mfTanhN3cxfHw-5PHTaLNUa-jPOf4l3vuWphXQYVFmdyBmQpKY2H1DRDw6Fs1d7hBoSlunQ2aRsonZXPRFhQ72zo21KuLeqBno9Nvw/w640-h406/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2010.54.01%20PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[I made this chart based on HUD data; I know it's not the best chart.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>This is why, when the Task Force started, Mayor Carter asked us not to deliberate about a new construction exemption. Mayor Carter said that his mind was already made up, and that we’d be wasting our time discussing that provision. (For the record, we talked about it anyway.) </p><p>The only open question is how long the <a href="http://tcsidewalks.blogspot.com/2022/02/what-critics-get-wrong-about-new.html">rolling exemption window</a> should be, and I certainly don’t know the answer. Something around 15-20 years seems right (what they are doing in Oregon and California), but the real answer is whatever the number is that gets market-rate construction happening in Saint Paul again at a good pace.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Variable Rate / Inflation Adjustment</b></p><p>Another item about which there was early consensus was that a variable rate was preferable to a fixed one. Again, this seems like an obvious change to me. When inflation is over 7%, a 3% rental cap seems like folly.</p><p>This is why it’s a strange thing that, during the deliberations, even when inflation was at a 40-year high, the topic of high inflation barely came up. Nobody really talked about the pros and cons of indexing in this kind of environment. Personally, I see lots of reasons why indexing is a good idea, and few reasons for keeping a fixed cap.</p><p>(Note that a variable rate is not necessarily more permissive: there are lots of situations where CPI would be lower than 3%.)</p><p>Anyway, that should be an easy change for the City Council and Mayor’s Office.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Vacancy Decontrol with Strong Tenant Protections</b></p><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprRO5xxBOUf6KhX7zRqglhSl203WuSLhHjptbhtVP61dDYc7lZyeePkdmS0szWWLjtsGrp_Cu8J-3D5d0ZcmPz1_Gb0V1rJsduOGp6zKIGmcCptf8eBhtjh3eGOBsb22MIobAm4kxUkUl2K0cWmEzIn21-euqoH8ASwlOLEz87w6JCry4PII/s1800/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2010.51.58%20PM.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1438" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprRO5xxBOUf6KhX7zRqglhSl203WuSLhHjptbhtVP61dDYc7lZyeePkdmS0szWWLjtsGrp_Cu8J-3D5d0ZcmPz1_Gb0V1rJsduOGp6zKIGmcCptf8eBhtjh3eGOBsb22MIobAm4kxUkUl2K0cWmEzIn21-euqoH8ASwlOLEz87w6JCry4PII/w320-h400/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2010.51.58%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[Saint Paul could try again.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table>This was a big sticking point for the Task Force, at least theoretically, and I think it's probably the most important piece of the policy puzzle. I really hope that it ends up in any amended ordinance that Saint Paul adopts.<div><br /></div><div>The argument against vacancy decontrol is that it incentivizes landlords to harass and otherwise force their tenants to leave their homes.<p></p><p>The argument for vacancy decontrol is that, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsiWf68RwNU&t=1s">according to David Garcia of the UC Berkeley Terner Center</a>, it's the most effective way to avoid disinvestment. And because it ties rents to individual tenants, rather than the unit, it’s a straightforward way for landlords to understand the policy. This is especially true when compared to its alternatives, which almost always involve a complex series of write-offs and pass-throughs where small details easily become loopholes.</p><p>(This is not to mention an other issue that Matthew Desmond recently mentioned this in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1PaV0KnXb0">his recent Saint Paul talk on housing</a>: dicriminatory screening and “key money” style corruption. According to Desmond, this is an issue in cities like New York and states like California, where there’s a big gap between rent controlled housing and the rest of the housing market.)</p><p>With vacancy decontrol, as long as you can solve the harassment/forced removal problem, vacancy decontrol seamlessly combines renter stability with avoiding disinvestment…</p><p>… which is why I think a tenant protection provision is the key to the puzzle. If you have legal protection for tenants like just cause evictions, worrying about coastal-city shenanigans becomes less of a problem in Saint Paul. </p><p>Amending the rent control ordinance seems like a golden opportunity to revisit the tenant protection push that met an ignominious end in Federal court. Vacancy decontrol would work well if it was tied to tenant protections, and would focus the city policy on the achievable goal of renter stability rather than the unachievable one of keeping city rents below the regional market-rate.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-baKSv8Q_O3Z-VJiwxX9OyyfIh0JUnujNdA-G9WgoxXeCrAynoFvSXgPSqkmz8iLLEf-RqlRhclk8HIuk9sDVhcI4XnKYeNGyOSQZ4LQNH56Hgms5_xQgvO_ehLBhP7_XHu-_1CTg1qNOU0Yk74c_pmT_R7XCGFG9y8-Lb0uvzy5sxFrw-Ck/s1334/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2010.02.17%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="1334" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-baKSv8Q_O3Z-VJiwxX9OyyfIh0JUnujNdA-G9WgoxXeCrAynoFvSXgPSqkmz8iLLEf-RqlRhclk8HIuk9sDVhcI4XnKYeNGyOSQZ4LQNH56Hgms5_xQgvO_ehLBhP7_XHu-_1CTg1qNOU0Yk74c_pmT_R7XCGFG9y8-Lb0uvzy5sxFrw-Ck/w640-h372/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-28%20at%2010.02.17%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[From <a href="https://streets.mn/2022/05/06/minneapolis-rents-drop/">this article on rental trends</a> in Saint Paul and Minneapolis.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><b>Other Things and Next Steps</b></p><p>There are some other policy tweaks that could be good ideas, depending on the kind of fine-grained details into which a 41-member group should never delve. There’s a case to be made for an exception for owner-occupied rental properties, e.g. someone who owns and lives in a duplex. Any policy we have should continue to incentivize the creation of ADUs. I think there's a case for different rules for folks who rent rooms to family members.</p><p>It’ll be interesting to hear what ideas Council Members have about crafting a long-term ordinance that works for the diverse parts of Saint Paul. I think there are likely to be a bunch of ideas that have pros and cons, tradeoffs between ensuring stability and avoiding disinvestment, between opaque detailed regulation and a more flexible policy.</p><p>Wherever Saint Paul moves on this, the sooner the better. Back in the early days of the rent control campaign, CURA head Ed Goetz said <a href="https://sahanjournal.com/housing/rent-control-ballot-amendments-minneapolis-st-paul/">in a Sahan Journal interview</a> that “Saint Paul will act as a sort of test for policymakers in Minneapolis.”</p><p>The early test results are not great. There’s a huge lack of new housing being built which (because housing projects and lawsuits take a long time from start to finish) is likely to drag on for years, even if the policy changes in November. Meanwhile, for the first time in living memory, Saint Paul rents are now higher than those advertised in neighboring Minneapolis. (See above chart.) It would be ironic if the biggest beneficiaries of the Saint Paul rent control proposal were renters living in Minneapolis, but so far, that’s what’s happened. </p><p>The ball is in the City Council’s court. The good news/bad news Rent Stabilization Task Force outcome opens the door to change, but I doubt that the proceedings changed anyone’s mind. It’s likely that, whatever amendments the Mayor and a City Council majority want to make to the existing rent control ordinance, it will be a tooth-and-nail fight. </p><p>It’s too bad, because there are good policy solutions that will solve some big problems for Saint Paul while ensuring renter stability and better quality, more abundant housing. I hope Saint Paul leaders can figure it out.</p></div>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-80922689800919076162022-06-24T10:06:00.000-06:002022-06-24T10:06:02.038-06:00Obscure Local History #8: St. Paul Voters Overturn Gay Rights Protections in 1978<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqfFQkJ20beipvuMzG5o-zFSUz5u2x-KS2SO51qbcSbfbKTtsXyEl9eyjhAYlirXH2N0LZqVzLT5IRZ-z-lBjoN-JQ2_cEtOTTqN7qiVlIt9QDQcG7-fuWZa0-achD5g3-2cmnniB66kDugTMHXbnoAxouJD8g7lg1Sf6QRQAq8GqBmqliiY/s2622/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-24%20at%2010.59.07%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="2622" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqfFQkJ20beipvuMzG5o-zFSUz5u2x-KS2SO51qbcSbfbKTtsXyEl9eyjhAYlirXH2N0LZqVzLT5IRZ-z-lBjoN-JQ2_cEtOTTqN7qiVlIt9QDQcG7-fuWZa0-achD5g3-2cmnniB66kDugTMHXbnoAxouJD8g7lg1Sf6QRQAq8GqBmqliiY/w640-h248/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-24%20at%2010.59.07%20AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[Tribune headline the day after the vote.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I was reading <a href="https://issuu.com/lavendermagazine/docs/lavender705">the 50th Anniversary Pride edition of <i>Lavender</i></a> the other day, a short summary of the history of Twin Cities' pride written by Ashley Berning, and came across a fact I hadn't seen before. St. Paul passed protections for LGBYQ workers, a "nondiscrimination ordinance" in the 1970s. But then conservatives, led apparently by the Catholic Church, organized a referendum to overturn those protections. It passed in 1978. </p><p>Here's the passage:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>By the end of the decade, however, cultural backlash had begun. Conservatives developed strange unjustified concerns that queer men and women were attempting to recruit children into the LGBTQ community thorughteh public school system, and began mcapiangs to protect the children from such abuse. (If this sounds familiar, it's because its the same rhetoric being used currently in Florida, Texas, Ohio, and elsewhere.) St. Paul Minnesota nd Miami-Dade County, Florida both reversed their antidiscrimnation ordinances in response, leaving gay teachers no protection from termination or slander. Twin Cities Pride 1978 was held in Mears Park, St. Paul in retaliation, and that year attendees danced int eh rain.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>It's an interesting and reactionary moment in St. Paul history, and a reminder (as if we need such a reminder these days) that the path toward human rights is not straightforward. </p><p>Sadly, I can't find any photos online of the '78 Mears Park pride, but I did track down a few other sources about the St. Paul campaign and the anti-gay referendum. It sounds horrible!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[<a href="https://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/2012/campaign/amendments/marriage/timeline/home/">MPR article on the "gay marriage debate" that includes a section on the 1978 referendum</a>.]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>[<a href="https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/crabby-old-chapter-mns-march-toward-lgbtq-rights-1978-st-paul-ordinance-vote/">TC Daily Planet column covering the history of the 1978 vote</a>.]</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7s8YMcreoopV3sifZFt6NTZdtFvWNH3Wzrq39kF2c21gn1Qa8rg7w0JRpO4wwA87BEZuLmTjvED5GfO_8jmc7UUCsnuB_aivtxqc1cHV3yLaQAiB3g3b960Y4if5ushiGjXKJd4565mSuP_yTJJkZVxhAmA5u-1NJ1CljyxEMGaJQQGKhbcU/s1870/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-24%20at%2011.00.41%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1870" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7s8YMcreoopV3sifZFt6NTZdtFvWNH3Wzrq39kF2c21gn1Qa8rg7w0JRpO4wwA87BEZuLmTjvED5GfO_8jmc7UUCsnuB_aivtxqc1cHV3yLaQAiB3g3b960Y4if5ushiGjXKJd4565mSuP_yTJJkZVxhAmA5u-1NJ1CljyxEMGaJQQGKhbcU/w640-h376/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-24%20at%2011.00.41%20AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[Sad story from the Star about anti-gay violence in 1970s Twin Cities.]</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i><br /></i></p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-82918434365702964892022-06-20T09:00:00.001-06:002022-06-20T09:00:00.212-06:00Signs of the Times #183<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8djTHVnda5zITpv28sHH9AQTQdJNK9tw3TrrNH1xSSAdqs2AvlrEO-RajMbgVBZb7U0sq-GnjToCSquJtmpmFb8pECoXHUEOrlLc3_riQ9GhWd6t235oHvyEVGwDJDvujLAbBOPJ3kAXCzKUmbXQnS2wbqcKhDdF24BARV3FdsIA2Xz_xnQ4/s3441/signs1641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2937" data-original-width="3441" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8djTHVnda5zITpv28sHH9AQTQdJNK9tw3TrrNH1xSSAdqs2AvlrEO-RajMbgVBZb7U0sq-GnjToCSquJtmpmFb8pECoXHUEOrlLc3_riQ9GhWd6t235oHvyEVGwDJDvujLAbBOPJ3kAXCzKUmbXQnS2wbqcKhDdF24BARV3FdsIA2Xz_xnQ4/w640-h546/signs1641.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Lucky</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">[Sandwich board. Location forgotten.]</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89vNGcU6HzufT3X5Yo3TjKzOQcyDQ_OZYdT8IMvaHqjmcP-n9pgVKb1QWNGwp0okFQxuM7w8rh45QtBeZcvIXf9OCRrClJ0oOuPKxxmC7plKQc420uRlJe7MsPJwqWsRFW88AGJnMq9EjRtFwbvG3yty2N3Ebl0P3qwTyzKgFZWjLT3hU-R8/s4032/signs1640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg89vNGcU6HzufT3X5Yo3TjKzOQcyDQ_OZYdT8IMvaHqjmcP-n9pgVKb1QWNGwp0okFQxuM7w8rh45QtBeZcvIXf9OCRrClJ0oOuPKxxmC7plKQc420uRlJe7MsPJwqWsRFW88AGJnMq9EjRtFwbvG3yty2N3Ebl0P3qwTyzKgFZWjLT3hU-R8/w640-h480/signs1640.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wienery -></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">[Sidewalk. West Bank, Minneapolis.]</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kjwyRMjSHPqtSlDafj9n4rWkM_v_d6o39SXwkKIHfFEpMd-dbNmd1dNPQt8BBgeevbbAd4ye8nkBzcEPWatxBjxaUC6kC0eu0hrShFS5GtKjUWE0t4hpGK4K2Z3jIVAqG5zmsrPGBDm9FbAdyNolLgT7lvdrHSviSNQqCoiriK-KkxDXnXw/s2497/signs1639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1557" data-original-width="2497" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kjwyRMjSHPqtSlDafj9n4rWkM_v_d6o39SXwkKIHfFEpMd-dbNmd1dNPQt8BBgeevbbAd4ye8nkBzcEPWatxBjxaUC6kC0eu0hrShFS5GtKjUWE0t4hpGK4K2Z3jIVAqG5zmsrPGBDm9FbAdyNolLgT7lvdrHSviSNQqCoiriK-KkxDXnXw/w640-h400/signs1639.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Cozy</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">COCKTAILS</p><p style="text-align: center;">hygge</p><p style="text-align: center;">just VIBES</p><p style="text-align: center;">[Sidewalk board, Duluth.]</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtnypkKF66DJZE6PioJ5pCOnZddVQSrG4L31pSHj7FpurVL69g71ahdZ9vJj5x2I484suzryijZZeX6KSkSW4ldx__ZSqoywckl3g4rUwXbFTEb3wwGI9O9jEeO-BKZkMeb3DgUCx5Btw8o5ccPN9siFcmpE6jgHjVwhQLW_9kFxYi4LIJvs/s2832/signs1638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="2832" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtnypkKF66DJZE6PioJ5pCOnZddVQSrG4L31pSHj7FpurVL69g71ahdZ9vJj5x2I484suzryijZZeX6KSkSW4ldx__ZSqoywckl3g4rUwXbFTEb3wwGI9O9jEeO-BKZkMeb3DgUCx5Btw8o5ccPN9siFcmpE6jgHjVwhQLW_9kFxYi4LIJvs/w640-h348/signs1638.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">BE</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">VACCINATED</p><p style="text-align: center;">YA DINGDONGS</p><p style="text-align: center;">[Door. West Bank, Minneapolis.]</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06AdhzkPBdwbnrn4Ge95HoZ3u2LXkfp67hbLe-um3_Bm__SMerqyhK8hATxQ1zFLRHmE6IWyktNOuksnfzxzwwyxpDtWnpzHjecLolc1FEJzPfQKiJskxmwbwUA01Aq0RahVPv-RYxpqbk3I-CQxkVQ9fZr_UXnlRT4-udiLmrWv92szlrBE/s970/signs1637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="970" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06AdhzkPBdwbnrn4Ge95HoZ3u2LXkfp67hbLe-um3_Bm__SMerqyhK8hATxQ1zFLRHmE6IWyktNOuksnfzxzwwyxpDtWnpzHjecLolc1FEJzPfQKiJskxmwbwUA01Aq0RahVPv-RYxpqbk3I-CQxkVQ9fZr_UXnlRT4-udiLmrWv92szlrBE/w640-h462/signs1637.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">MASKS ARE</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">NOW MANDATORY</p><p style="text-align: center;"><u>THANK YOU</u>!!!</p><p style="text-align: center;">[Door. Duluth.]</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnh6Z-USts_v9jw_CPwQpZMUqrmrkiVTvkP88SpZCVSsc4-iqlwEksv4mYEfCl0Pz3FfUAyGMUuadoVL2b3FgAvP7ffY5UAhZa7Q6EoYEGnoLCWJ8Ut1rSUvJHZj9ATTJkxqIp9dravolhhk4y0oMijRhTNElHKYwCm5r8d3GWiAHf4UkQaik/s4032/signs1636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnh6Z-USts_v9jw_CPwQpZMUqrmrkiVTvkP88SpZCVSsc4-iqlwEksv4mYEfCl0Pz3FfUAyGMUuadoVL2b3FgAvP7ffY5UAhZa7Q6EoYEGnoLCWJ8Ut1rSUvJHZj9ATTJkxqIp9dravolhhk4y0oMijRhTNElHKYwCm5r8d3GWiAHf4UkQaik/w640-h480/signs1636.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">BLACK</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">LIVES</p><p style="text-align: center;">MATTER</p><p style="text-align: center;">[Window. Duluth.]</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglOq7PKcI08CVew_ZwZERRyLjNdKL4e8RWpUZ3MD8LPpRNUz9YaIRoJ1buJkWiEnHp4f5kny3bzl7ApS46G1_QQEtT7-BubOBNJ1mOYNe70jhI01Ab-XGRvA3PT-3ddqoTh74G-vNjBRFq4WJ9_kUdp97_WCvsdIbQQwP1FNJzC52l_iVZxkU/s4032/signs1635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglOq7PKcI08CVew_ZwZERRyLjNdKL4e8RWpUZ3MD8LPpRNUz9YaIRoJ1buJkWiEnHp4f5kny3bzl7ApS46G1_QQEtT7-BubOBNJ1mOYNe70jhI01Ab-XGRvA3PT-3ddqoTh74G-vNjBRFq4WJ9_kUdp97_WCvsdIbQQwP1FNJzC52l_iVZxkU/w640-h480/signs1635.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">ART IS LIFE</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">[Wall. Lowertown, St. Paul.]</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwrreguYxAR3U9scaSWccfD9sePueWWJXxRhCNzNpTZPJsjKptcbu--lCioV4cPCFh6ws-6qfR9x0mhcpowD3Prp1U5OBl2hCr1_bn0k4IgcKBOrWACYRJrE77tb-bv8Uf4PnDRyB5qjHtaywPR12tyJFB4pGhC8DkBRmxgWGzCDce3myVwk/s4032/signs1634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTwrreguYxAR3U9scaSWccfD9sePueWWJXxRhCNzNpTZPJsjKptcbu--lCioV4cPCFh6ws-6qfR9x0mhcpowD3Prp1U5OBl2hCr1_bn0k4IgcKBOrWACYRJrE77tb-bv8Uf4PnDRyB5qjHtaywPR12tyJFB4pGhC8DkBRmxgWGzCDce3myVwk/w480-h640/signs1634.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">WE ARE ALL</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">VACCINATED HERE</p><p style="text-align: center;">MASKS ARE OPTIONAL</p><p style="text-align: center;">UNLESS YOU AREN'T</p><p style="text-align: center;">VACCINATED (wear it)</p><p style="text-align: center;">Please empty</p><p style="text-align: center;">your pet prior to</p><p style="text-align: center;">drop off!!</p><p style="text-align: center;">[Door. Hamline-Midway, St. Paul.]</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-9J6xxqcm1dT0exZgS1c4V16EinjQo6U_MdD6KHYTbXst6CNVit7DddkzwITLBfKtzwtiy7j-91tlEdRSvakp73JQAq4-0iE5o9RR4ybwA1SaKBRBSHkDa_9IJKi2H0KTnucWveYoEp79U2xgIB-peGpS4N7NnMTg0MmFzXNwk-_wISHQUA/s4032/signs1633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-9J6xxqcm1dT0exZgS1c4V16EinjQo6U_MdD6KHYTbXst6CNVit7DddkzwITLBfKtzwtiy7j-91tlEdRSvakp73JQAq4-0iE5o9RR4ybwA1SaKBRBSHkDa_9IJKi2H0KTnucWveYoEp79U2xgIB-peGpS4N7NnMTg0MmFzXNwk-_wISHQUA/w640-h480/signs1633.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Midway</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;">Cleaners</p><p style="text-align: center;">VAN only</p><p style="text-align: center;">Parking</p><p style="text-align: center;">[Window. Midway, St. Paul.]</p><p><br /></p>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17629790.post-69665116138914958512022-05-19T20:23:00.007-06:002022-05-20T08:56:04.698-06:00Three Excellent Sources on Rent Control and Housing Affordability in St. Paul <div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZEtJOie1y6isp5yJhDvS8HiyXoEkNZEOetDK5h9fH3k5LZF5OYki6dNvvEyB_KgjYHFBcYrZlufXSWDVVWdwn0VDqQFj_S0Oz8j9Gp9q7_mOfEBDUO7XpF0Wi7e3wmcOufFA5dhtCDBZs-er0eAVmdELlBAVznj8gi9d-33mg5hwEXSPXsM/s2316/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-19%20at%208.38.53%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="2316" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZEtJOie1y6isp5yJhDvS8HiyXoEkNZEOetDK5h9fH3k5LZF5OYki6dNvvEyB_KgjYHFBcYrZlufXSWDVVWdwn0VDqQFj_S0Oz8j9Gp9q7_mOfEBDUO7XpF0Wi7e3wmcOufFA5dhtCDBZs-er0eAVmdELlBAVznj8gi9d-33mg5hwEXSPXsM/w640-h294/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-19%20at%208.38.53%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>[Actual St. Paul rental data! -- see link at the bottom.] </i><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>For the last few months, I’ve been one of the 41 members of Mayor Carter’s task force on rent stabilization, and most of that time has been spent in "learning mode." There have been a whole bunch of presentations lectures, and talks covering nearly every angle around these policies. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've heard from folks who have been watching the entire proceedings, but I want to highlight just a few of the talks that I've found the most informative. Check them out for sure if you have any interest in learning more about this complex topic.</div><div><br /></div><div>For example...</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Aeon Expert on the Need for Market-Rate Housing</b></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilR-6wi1QTk&t=6050s" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1128" data-original-width="2204" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsnDmaf8z85yVPO_C6jKxT9BZGdlxiKhULbAZHLQgJm92_eC7R9MZj6vMNm_1PQAQYAuGtRSCoZQEYeOztK0zri-qd_YIuuG62P9Nq_AMYnAadz1GptLrNYPguFiTyBfVdYonUPFIFcHewo9Wfhmo3U1FYD8jRkT07aDdGOK8yU2SjAPFhhA/w400-h208/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-17%20at%2012.10.18%20PM.png" width="400" /></a>I was riveted by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilR-6wi1QTk&t=6049s">this 40-minute presentation</a> on the big picture of St. Paul affordable housing from Sarah Harris, who works at Aeon, the largest housing preservation non-profit in the area. They're the ones that desperately tried to save <a href="https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2016/07/lawsuit-st-anthony-fight-save-lowry-grove/">the St. Anthony Village trailer park</a>, and the folks there spend almost all their time and energy preserving naturally-occuring affordable housing (NOAH). In other words, they're well-versed in the pros and cons of different policies around local housing. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here's what Harris says about the scale of the housing crisis and why government is not going to solve this problem (anytime soon):</div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>It costs about $300,000 [to build a home], probably more given the way construction costs are rising, but let’s just say $300,000. Whether it’s affordable housing or market-rate, it’s the same cost. </div><div><br /></div><div>To acquire and rehab NOAH units, it’s about half that, or $150,000. </div><div><br /></div><div>It takes 2-4 years to build a new unit of housing, and 3-5 years to build new affordable housing (it takes longer because the funding cycles are that much more complicated and competitive). And yet we are losing NOAH properties because it only takes about 3 months for those buildings to be acquired and lost. </div><div><br /></div><div>In Ramsey County, it was stated that 37,000 families live below the 30% AMI level, and they need about 15,000 new units of affordable housing. Well you multiply 15,000 by $300,000 and that’s $4.5 billion that we need right now to serve Ramsey County’s need. </div><div><br /></div><div>The county recently announced <a href="https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2021/12/why-st-paul-and-ramsey-countys-74-million-affordable-housing-fund-is-a-big-deal-and-not-nearly-enough/">a $74 million funding pool</a>. That’s a lot of money, but not even a drop in the bucket relative to the need. And that doesn’t even account for the ongoing and increasing demand, which you can see the chart on the right. It shows that the city of St. Paul has an increasing population every year since 2010, and with the need now and the losses we are experiencing, that does not even account for the fact that our demand is growing because the population is growing. </div><div><br /></div><div>So that’s Ramsey County. Let’s extrapolate it over the entire metro region, and we have a shortage of 45,000 affordable housing units today. At $300,000, that’s $13.5 billion that is needed right now to put those units in place. Plus we need 5,000 homes every year just to account for population growth. 5,000 new units at 300K would be another $1.5 billion per year and that’s not even accounting for the losses of NOAH, which are around 6,300 units per year. </div><div><br /></div><div>So that’s another $9 billion if we were to build our way out of those units we were losing. If we were to preserve them its still $1 billion to keep those units affordable housing. </div><div><br /></div><div>When you start looking at numbers of this magnitude there’s not the political will, and importantly there’s not public funds available, to pull us out of this housing shortage. We are needing, and will always need, private capital to help solve this issue. </div><div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Harris goes on to explain why and how private housing investors make decisions, and the importance of keeping yield high enough to attract investors. The whole talk is great, especially if you want a cogent development and housing 101 explainer. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>I'll also recommend the talks by rent policy researcher Ken Baar (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkrM5KSSqPU&t=6258s">from this meeting</a>) who talked about the intricate history of rent control regulations in the US, and Rasheedah Phillips of Policy Link (immediately preceding Sarah Harris) who gave an overview of the housing affordability crisis in the US. In each case, the experts offered a nuanced, detailed perspective of policies like the one currently on the books in St. Paul.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>The ULI / Fed Talks are Even Better</b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsiWf68RwNU&t=1s" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1246" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71oTKjsfjRMUB8V0_xhGXw4PfLGzVRAmd9afjiEqjsAb1xuvArGQ2o1IPlCNnM-OFNI5Wz-smeX2PoO6MrnDkOvHu54ReXNPrnbo52RCgUHSFP-oizhkQX2yvglGi-l6BreNW4EWrda-UkELJ_7dNU2qPdL6am09jIMNEmQmTUx1ZLylb0VQ/w400-h229/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-19%20at%209.06.05%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>But that's not all. Because the St. Paul policy is so unprecedented, many others are looking at this and doing fresh analysis. </div><div><br /></div><div>For example, there's a great ongoing series on rent stabilization and housing that's being put on by <a href="https://minnesota.uli.org">ULI Minnesota</a> and the <a href="https://www.minneapolisfed.org">Minneapolis Federal Reserve</a>. They've organized an ambitious four-part series on rent stabilization policies, bringing in an impressive group of national experts. For example, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nWDqXnMqMM">Part One</a> included Ed Goetz from CURA, Jenny Schuetz from </div><div>Brookings (<a href="http://tcsidewalks.blogspot.com/2021/10/four-national-housing-experts-on-rent.html">who I spoke with last year</a>), people from the Fuhrman Center (ditto). They all mostly agreed that the issue is complicated and we need a "both/and" solution, though did not explicitly discuss the St. Paul example.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsiWf68RwNU&t=1s">Part Two</a> was even more interesting to me. I especially enjoyed the talk by David Garcia, who is the policy director for the Terner Center at the University of California-Berkeley. He gave a very detailed explanation about how development financing works, and why rent control reduces housing construction. Indeed, it's the most coherent explanation of this difficult issue that I've yet seen (and I've heard a lot of them). </div><div><br /></div><div>Here are the key points, from about 14:00 into the presentations:</div><blockquote><div><div>So how could rent control impact these [development] requirements? </div><div><br /></div><div>So in a rent control regime where new construction might not be exempt from controls, that would create an inability of projects to flexibly meet their annual returns. And from a bank’s perceptive, they’re going to assess that as a risk. And they may require an initial higher debt-service coverage ratio, which may be beyond what the developer can demonstrate they can handle. And in those instances, it’s likely that the project just doesn’t work. </div><div><br /></div><div>And so even if a pro forma, which is how developers calculate their returns, indicates a 3% increase per year, that [seems] pretty conservative and it doesn’t seem like rent control could impact that… </div></div></blockquote><blockquote><div><div>But that’s an average. So if there’s a recession, and there are 2-3 years (or less than that) where they can’t actually meet that 3% goal, but then coming out of a recession they’re not allowed to go higher than that... Well a bank’s going to judge that as too risky. And again they may not provide a loan to that project. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also there could be lower IRR (internal rate of return) expectations from lower sales at the back end of the project itself. So if there is an expectation that rents have to stay constant or at least controlled through a rent stabilization ordinance, that lowers value at the end, it lowers IRR expectations and maybe they’re not as attractive to the investor themselves. </div><div><br /></div><div>So even if a developer can demonstrate that there is strong rent growth, even in the presence of rent control, a private investor may still bake in some of that risk to their IRR calculations. And they decide not to provide financing to that project. </div></div><div></div></blockquote><div>If you're interested in housing and rent policy, I cannot recommend these talks highly enough. It's a great resource, and there are two more yet to come from the ULI/Minneapolis Fed in the next few weeks.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Shane Phillips Discusses Rent Stabilization Tradeoffs </b></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1PaV0KnXb0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1686" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWqsskhsrnaiLEly54QklRv5bjVgh_g9cmGZbxugo5IsrKsthCcn70tip4zLRz1w-Fw49OPjZ0GOv8R4Cj7OFY5JrpCe0TeOfKAIOFurW-o4TuhLq0g-Dn7zFB4JZTVbq4g_Fq12Rb61eMXg62Olt6iCraVoWv1Yx3dZ_KiTO-TRq0zCtHhw/w400-h236/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-19%20at%204.45.44%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>The third and most recent talk was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1PaV0KnXb0">a great webinar</a> put on by the St. Paul Area Realtors (SPAAR), where they brought UCLA's <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneDPhillips?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Shane Phillips</a>, author of the wonderful book <i><a href="https://islandpress.org/books/affordable-city">The Affordable City</a></i>, to discuss the big picture around the housing crisis and policy solutions.</div><div><br /></div><div>He dove into the rent stabilization policy debate around the 35:00 mark, where he discussed the problem with "stability-only" policy approaches. Here Phillips is commenting directly on the existing St. Paul ordinance: </div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>It’s understandable that people assume that, because so many issues in America really do come down to wealth inequality, housing must be the same. But the truth is that we have both a redistribution / inequality problem and we have a quantity / supply problem. And we have to address both. One or the other isn’t going to cut it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some quick examples on how this stuff links together: Let’s say you’re considering rent stabilization, which I hear St. Paul has done recently, and made some bad choices perhaps. If you’re considering this though, how should you design it? </div><div><br /></div><div>If you only care about stability — and [for] the recent ballot initiative, this might describe it pretty well — you could cap rent increases on every unit, including new ones, and keep those caps [in place] even between tenancies. The result, which we’ve seen all across the world when you do these things, is that new development will be much riskier. And rents on existing units will fall relative to the cost of operating them, and you’ll end up with fewer apartments getting built, and more apartments getting converted into condos. </div><div><br /></div><div>So now you’ve got low rents on more units, but you’ve got fewer of those units every year, and the ones that become available probably aren’t going to be going to the people with the greatest need. They’re going to go to family friends. They’re going to go to people willing to pay <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_money">key money</a>. They’re going to go to small households that don’t have kids, because the landlords think that larger households might cause more damage to the unit. </div><div><br /></div><div>In some sense this kind of approach is just trading one kind of decline for another. Instead of prices rising too quickly, which is bad, you have a dwindling stock of poorly maintained homes. </div><div><br /></div><div>And I think we can do better than that. I don’t think it’s inevitable that those outcomes come to pass. Suppose instead you take supply into account when you’re thinking about the stabilizing policy [side] of rent stabilization. You can design the policy to do some very basic things. </div><div><br /></div><div>Exempt new buildings for the first twenty years, for example, and allow apartments to reset to market rates when units turn over. The result from this is [that] tenants in older, more affordable units will still have that security and predictability, but homes continue to get built because developers can still make their profits when it matters. And fewer rentals get converted to owner-occupancy because eventually the tenants move out, and you’ll be able to go back to market rate, and it works fine. </div><div><br /></div><div>This isn’t the maximal approach where every existing tenant gets everything they could possibly want, but it’s balancing short-term and long-term interests, and providing security to the people that need it most, which should be our priority. </div><div></div></blockquote><div>The rest of the talk is good too, especially if you haven't read his book or <a href="https://www.lewis.ucla.edu/programs/housing/ucla-housing-voice-podcast/">listened to his podcast</a> from the UCLA Lewis Center.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>PS. Finally Some Data</b></div><div><br /></div><div>And as a special bonus, Tony Damiano at CURA has compiled actual St. Paul rent history for us (about 20:00 in), something I've been wanting to see for many months. Check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4LKiELe6ag">the presentation here</a>, or <a href="https://archive.org/details/cura-2022-stpl-rental-market-analysis">skim the slides here</a>.</div><div><br /></div>Bill Lindekehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11373780012930618768noreply@blogger.com2