Issues

There are so many important issues that our communities face, that it is difficult to pick a few to talk about.  There is an intersectionality to many issues which gets lost when we speak about them individually but it is necessary to start the conversation.

Climate change is real and Minnesotans are already seeing the effects.  Action needs to be taken at all levels – city, county, state, and national to reduce carbon emissions and pollution and protect our natural resources.

 

We have a housing crisis in Minnesota, in Hennepin County, and in Minnetonka.  We want our community to grow and thrive and yet we have people that work in Minnetonka but can’t afford to live here, young families that can’t afford to move here, and older residents that can’t stay in their homes and neighborhoods.  

In 2020, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners and    the MN House declared racism a public health crises and the CDC Director called racism a “serious public health threat”.

 

We can see, in areas where statistics are maintained, that there are disparities within our criminal justice system based on ethnicity.  We have all witnessed the devastating results that can occur from the way black and brown people are policed.

If we truly want Minnetonka to be a place where everyone is welcome, and all have access to the resources necessary for success, then we need to acknowlege the existance of systemic and institutional racism and intentionally work to dismantle those systems.