Copyright startribune
Amid historic challenges, we’ve forged new ways to care for each other. We piloted guaranteed income. We eliminated late fines in our libraries and made youth sports free. We start every child born in our city with $50 in a college savings account. We’re erasing $100 million in medical debt owed by our residents. We’re helping low-income families weatherize homes and replace lead water pipes. And we’re fighting so hard for our immigrant and refugee neighbors that the White House filed a federal lawsuit this month, absurdly accusing St. Paul of “discriminating” against ICE agents. My opponents accurately point out that our care-in-action approach far exceeds the typical City Hall playbook. That observation holds both the point and the promise: Our new future cannot be forged with old tools. The same approach we used to reduce gun violence — helping people in crisis while holding rule-breakers accountable — can help us tackle the quality-of-life challenges that surround the fentanyl epidemic. The same spirit that helped us rebuild our roads is already helping us make City Hall work better for the people we serve — clearing the path for more homes, more jobs and more investment. And we can boost our momentum downtown by converting old offices into new housing and renovating the Grand Casino Arena to give our capital city a modern centerpiece venue that reflects our pride and potential. Each of these goals is enormous. But we’ve proven together that big goals don’t scare us. They motivate us. St. Paul is turning a corner. The seeds we planted during our toughest chapters are sprouting all around — safer streets, smoother roads, new homes, thriving small businesses and more hope for our families’ futures.
