A conversation with Council Member Jamison Whiting about the Minneapolis City Council's vote to eliminate the Office of Community Safety. OCS was created in 2022 in the wake of an election where the city's voters rejected one charter amendment calling for the creation of a Department of Public Safety and approved another amendment giving Jacob Frey strong mayor powers. Whiting says getting rid of OCS would short-circuit the city's efforts at providing alternative responses to police, and would concentrate too much control of public safety in a mayor's office that doesn't have the bandwidth to manage it. Critics of OCS say it's too costly (over $2 million annually), confusing, and adds an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy. The council's 9-4 vote, if it held, would be veto-proof and includes members from both ideological wings of the body. As of the recording of this episode the mayor had not yet signed or vetoed the council's action.

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Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

A conversation with Abdihakim Ibrahim, former school board member in St. Louis Park, now running for the district 3 seat on the Hennepin County Board.

You can scroll back in the feed for our July 14 episode with incumbent Commissioner Marion Greene.

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Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee

We are walking across the Mississippi River for groceries with Scott from Prospect Park. Along the way we learn what it's like to shop for loose carrots and loose powders at the Seward Co-op.

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Support the show: https://patreon.com/wedgelive

Wedge LIVE theme song by Anthony Kasper x LaFontsee