Twin Cities' 'Shameful Little Secret' Exposed (Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Spokesman-Recorder's take on Minnesota's unacceptable racial unemployment disparities, including a recap of HIRE Minnesota's work to close the racial gap in umemployment.
430 Acres of Tarnished Opportunity in Arden Hills (Star Tribune)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
More uncertainty about what to do with the Twin Cities' largest developable tract of land. Meanwhile, nearby manufactured home park residents are still hoping to save their homes if the project goes forward.
HIRE Minnesota Leads Protest Against Ames Construction (Pioneer Press)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
After the recent announcement that the Twin Cities lead the nation in employment disparities, HIRE Minnesota took action. We organized a protest against Ames Construction, one of the state's poorest performers when it comes to hiring people of color on construction projects.
Twin Cities Has Widest Jobless Gap By Race (StarTribune)
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
"Blacks are more than three times as likely to be unemployed as whites in the Twin Cities, giving the area the worst racial disparity in unemployment among the country's largest cities, according to a new study released this week.
Central Corridor Finds an Ally in Washington - MPR
Friday, March 12, 2010
MPR reported today on the work of community groups to secure the Federal government's support for the missing three stations on Central Corridor. The head of the Federal Transportation Administration tells the story of being convinced of the injustice of the missing stations by Stops for Uc coalition members - while in line for coffee at a conference in DC!
$6 Billion Proposed for Home Energy Efficiency (Reuters)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
This morning President Obama proposed a $6 billion investment in increasing home energy efficiency and associated job creation.
Insight News: Transit Options Energize Northside Civic Engagement
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Metric Giles, the St. Paul-based environmentalist and community organizer, beamed with pride. “This is awesome,” he said, addressing a standing room only audience of North Minneapolis residents, business and agency leaders, and politicians who responded to State Rep. Bobby Joe Champion’s (DFL-58B) call to consider Light Rail Transit options for North Minneapolis.
Over 250 people overflowed a first space, then a larger space at the University Research and Outreach/Engagement Center (UROC) at 2100 Plymouth Avenue North. “I expected to see a lot of white people here, but to find, instead, a room full of Black people, Asian people and Latino people is awesome. That’s what this is all about….all the people being on board,” said Giles.
TCDP: Minnesota Stimulus Dollars Bypass Blacks, Other Communities of Color
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (AARA) called for $50 billion to build and repair the nation's roads, bridges, railways and ports "to preserve and create jobs" and "to assist those most impacted by the recession." It explicitly states that investments should prioritize those hit hardest by the recession - those in distressed communities who have a high percentage of low-income households or high unemployment rates.
According to U.S. Department of Transportation records, nearly 2,000 contractors have been awarded stimulus money for highway and bridge projects. However, the Federal Procurement Data System reports that only one federal transportation contract has gone to a Black-owned business (in Nevada).
MPR: MnDOT Remains Short of Goal for Hiring Minority Contractors
Monday, February 8, 2010
There's more disappointing news both locally and nationally for minority and women-owned construction companies. Federal stimulus spending on transportation projects has not been as much of a payday as hoped for.
USDOT: Minnesota Hosts Reauthorization Listening Tour Stop
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood blogs about his recent trip to Minnesota, which featured the announcement that all three missing Central Corridor stops would be built.
MinnPost: 11 Gubernatorial Make Their Pitches to Large Activist Crowd
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Alliance was one of the sponsors of the Governor Candidate Forum on Transportation, Land Use and the Environment, covered by Doug Grow at MinnPost.
Pioneer Press: University Avenue Wins 3 More Train Stations
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The neighborhood needs were always there. The political will was there, too, and growing rapidly over the past several weeks. Now, the money's there, and it's official: The proposed Central Corridor light-rail line will stop three more times along its 11-mile route between St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Star Tribune: Three More Train Stations Coming to St. Paul
Monday, January 25, 2010
St. Paul will be getting all three of the additional light-rail stations it has long sought, the nation's top transportation official is expected to announce Monday afternoon.
Star Tribune: Odds Improve for 3 St. Paul LRT Stops
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Three additional stations along the Central Corridor light-rail line are a big step closer to being built, planners said Wednesday. But money remains uncertain, and the new stops may not be enough to resolve a lawsuit brought against the project this week.
Star Tribune: Federal Shift Could Benefit Light Rail Here
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Alliance Executive Director Russ Adams on recent federal rule changes that could mean more equitable transit investment in the Twin Cities region and beyond.
Star Tribune: Central Corridor -- Next Stops St. Paul?
Thursday, January 14, 2010
An abrupt change in federal rules offered some hope Wednesday that the problems snagging the Central Corridor light-rail line could soon be ironed out, bringing peace to the negotiators and maybe even three new rail stations to St. Paul.
MPR: New FTA Rule May Affect Central Corridor
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Obama administration is changing a decision-making rule that has long rankled transit advocates. The rule change would allow the FTA to factor in livability as it awards federal money for a project and it could affect the Central Corridor light rail project.
Star Tribune: Hennepin County's plans to buy land in Harrison neighborhood draw fire
Friday, January 8, 2010
The Alliance is supporting the Harrison Neighborhood Association in the battle to redevelop the Bassett Creek Valley.
Smart Growth America: What We Learned from the Stimulus
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The latest data on stimulus spending show that funds spent on public transportation were a more effective job creator than stimulus funds spent on highways.
Twin Cities Daily Planet Profiles Stops for Us Leader Metric Giles
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Community Stabilization Project Organizer and Stops for Us Leader Metric Giles was profiled by the Twin Cities Daily Planet about the values that drive his work for racial justice.
Star Tribune: 2010 Getting Down to the Wire on Central Corridor
Sunday, January 3, 2010
This is the year for everyone to get on board with the Central Corridor light-rail project, according to many involved with the nearly $1 billion plan to connect the downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
However, local disagreements -- which are expected in large projects such as the Central Corridor -- must be fixed before any final approval is given.
Viable Futures Network: Equitable Allocation of Stimulus Funds -- Minnesota Leads the Way
Friday, November 20, 2009
HIRE Minnesota was featured in the first-ever Viable Futures Network newsletter, including a quote from Alliance Coalition Organizer Jennifer Jimenez.
Session Daily: Problems Seen in Energy Stimulus Programs
Friday, October 30, 2009
State energy officials need to do a better job of ensuring that minority and low-income workers are included in weatherization and other stimulus projects, one lawmaker argued.
MPR: Groups Pushing for 3 Additional Light Rail Stations
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Community groups pushing for three additional stops along a proposed light-rail transit line are fired up about new federal concerns over when those stations could be built.
Daily Planet: Citizens lobby for more Central Corridor Stops
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
An impassioned group of St. Paul citizens, civic leaders and city officials on Tuesday urged state officials to help fund the construction of three additional light rail stops along University Avenue.
MPR: MnDOT hiring of minority contractors declines again
Monday, October 12, 2009
The flow of stimulus dollars to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, MnDOT, has not resulted in more jobs for women and minority workers.
In fact, new MnDOT statistics show the number of minorities and women on state road and bridge construction projects has declined from last year.
MPR: MnDOT adjusts hiring goal for women and minority contractors
Monday, October 5, 2009
Again this year, construction companies awarded contracts for state road and bridge projects have fallen short of goals for hiring women and minority subcontractors.
Minnesota Department of Transportation officials say the hiring goal is too high and has been scaled back for next year. In addition, MnDOT is revamping its efforts to encourage contractors to hire individual women and minority construction workers.
in/stability on Display in Minneapolis and Online
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The Twin Cities Daily Planet on our in/stability photo contest!
Stimulus Woes: How One Coalition is Working for More Equitable Spending
Friday, September 25, 2009
Smart Growth America recently covered the Alliance's role in HIRE Minnesota on its blog.
Stops for Us Secures One Missing Central Corridor Station
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
On August 26, 2009, the city of St. Paul committed to funding the complete build-out of one of the three missing Central Corridor LRT stops!
KSTP: HIRE Minnesota Protests MnDOT Hiring Practices
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
HIRE Minnesota visited a MnDOT construction site at 46th Street and 35W today to search for missing persons - women and people of color!
Star Tribune: Minority Hiring Report Shows Little Progress on MnDOT Projects
Friday, August 7, 2009
Despite years of diversity hiring goals and decades of growth in Minnesota's minority population, state construction projects remain largely the work of white males.
Advocates from HIRE Minnesota are increasingly pushing the Minnesota Department of Transportation to sanction contractors who don't meet hiring goals on tax-funded projects.
Star Tribune: Cracks Develop in Support for Central Corridor LRT Line
Friday, August 7, 2009
Is being a squeaky wheel the best way to get what you want when it comes to the Central Corridor light-rail line? St. Paul City Council Member Melvin Carter III is starting to think so.
This week he broke from his typical role of unequivocal supporter to write a letter to Metropolitan Council Chairman Peter Bell expressing frustration with how the project is playing out in part of his ward. He even mentioned that he could grow to oppose it if things don't change.
HIRE Minnesota delivers Missing Persons Report to MnDOT
Friday, July 24, 2009
On July 23, HIRE Minnesota delivered a Missing Persons Report to the Minnesota Department of Transportation to highlight the agency's failure to meet its women and minority hiring goals.
Weatherization RFP not acceptable, legislators say RFP omits legislative language ensuring inclusiveness
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Minnesota’s Legislative Black Caucus members say they will encourage Twin Cities area Community Action Programs to reject initial bids for the metro area’s multi-million dollar weatherization initiative because the language in the requests for bids did not mirror language in the authorizing legislation.
Highways or Byways?
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The Alliance and other Twin Cities groups believe Minnesota spent too much of its $600 million in federal stimulus money building new highways and too little fixing the roads it has and adding public transit.
Jump Starting Racial Justice
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court has stirred up another round of debate about race in America. Some recent attempts to promote racial equity include our own work on a Racial Equity Impact Policy in Saint Paul.
How an immigration raid changed a town
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Alliance for Metropolitan Stability is lending technical support to a nationally unique effort to respond to a devastating immigration raid on a meat packing plant in the small town of Postville in northeastern Iowa.
HIRE Minnesota secures $2.5 million for Green Jobs Training
Monday, June 8, 2009
HIRE-MN succeeded in passing a bill that directs $2.5 million for training and outreach in green jobs and infrastructure stimulus spending.
MPR: Economic Stimulus Could Lift Up People of Color
Monday, December 29, 2008
There are very large numbers being tossed around to describe the size of the stimulus package under construction in Washington, D.C. They range from $600 to $850 billion. That amount of money could create millions of jobs. A new Minnesota coalition called H.I.R.E. Minnesota wants to make sure minorities and women are included in the hiring.
Insight News: H.I.R.E. Minnesota Seeks Green Jobs for Our Communities
Friday, December 19, 2008
About 200 people turned out for H.I.R.E. Minnesota's first town hall meeting in north Minneapolis last week. The Alliance is participating in the H.I.R.E. Minnesota coalition, which is being led by Summit Academy OIC. We are seeking green jobs in the health care, infrastructure and renewable energy industries.