MPR: Sayles Belton Announces Re-election Bid

Sayles Belton Announces Re-election Bid
By Art Hughes
February 15, 2001

Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton kicked off her re-election campaign with a bus tour designed to highlight the successes of her administration and her plans for a third term.

Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton. See her campaign Web site.

MAYOR SAYLES BELTON'S first stop was Lake Nokomis in south Minneapolis where she emphasized her administration's ongoing effort to clean up the lake and prevent underground construction at the nearby airport from potentially lowering the lake's water level. Sayles Belton also used the stop to answer critics who say the city isn't doing enough to offset the dire need for housing within reach of average working citizens.

"They want us to spend more and we want to spend more, but the money - the resources - have to come from other sources," she said. "We were able to take our $10 million and leverage that in the private sector and put $44 million on the table. "Forty-four million won't solve the problem. More work has to be done. And rhetoric, simple rhetoric is not going to solve the problem. All the good words are not going to do anything about it. You've got to be able to work."

Sayles Belton says she's better at the unglamorous, behind-the-scenes details of government than showy political events. Nevertheless, the stop in Nokomis was a political move aimed squarely at one of her announced opponents, DFLer R.T. Rybak. Years ago, Rybak rallied his neighbors into an airport watchdog group. The group known as Residents Opposed to Airport Racket or ROAR has played a significant role in pressuring airport officials for noise study and abatement.

Sayles Belton made another housing reference in front of an apartment building still under construction in the Phillips neighborhood. When she campaigned four years ago, this spot and the blocks surrounding it were known as some of the worst areas in the city for drug crimes and violence. Sayles Belton now takes credit for a citywide drop in crime to the lowest level since 1966.

Sayles Belton says the Phillips neighborhood has been transformed by corporate involvement with the city to build apartments and create jobs.

"We're transforming rental units, good quality rental units for the citizens of this community. All up and down the street. On Portland, on Oakland. We're bringing, loans and resources to homeowners to families so they can fix up their homes so they can take pride in their community just like we take pride in them," she said.

THE CHALLENGERS

R.T. Ryback. See the candidate's Web site.

Lisa McDonald

Flanked by Allina Health Systems CEO Gordon Springer, Sayles Belton promised to turn a nearby area into a medical industry corridor where Phillips residents can get both training and access to higher-paying jobs.

Sayles Belton enters the race for a third term with momentum from two sources. She was just endorsed by the AFL-CIO and she was just named one of the nation's 10 most powerful black women by Ebony magazine.

She shares the list with National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, Kraft Foods Vice President Ann Fudge, and Oprah Winfrey.

While such endorsements help propel Sayles Belton into the perceived front-runner spot, the fact she has strong challenges from within her party is a sign they see her as vulnerable.

Sarah Janacek, Minneapolis resident and Republican co-editor of the newsletter Politics in Minnesota, says most people like Sayles Belton as mayor, but cracks are beginning to show in her popularity.

"There's a general feeling among Democrats I've talked to who supported Sharon very strongly last time, that she's a weaker candidate this time; that the taxes in the city are too high. It's demonstrated in little things like having to close one side of the streets in Minneapolis because the snow's piled too high. People are wondering, 'Aren't we paying to have the snow plowed in Minneapolis?'" says Janacek.

Janacek says Democratic opponent Lisa McDonald, who is married to attorney and Republican activist George Soule, should be able to lure some conservative voters. McDonald, a City Council member from the 10 ward, is a frequent critic of the mayor on fiscal matters including subsidies for downtown corporate projects.

Meanwhile, Janacek says R.T. Rybak is expected to seek votes from those who feel Sayles Belton has foresaken her liberal roots.

Sayles Belton, McDonald and Rybak along with Dick Franson, a retired Army sergeant and former City Council member from the mid-'60s, will next test their political strengths when the city DFL endorsement process begins next month.

Art Hughes covers Minneapolis for Minnesota Public Radio. Reach him via e-mail at ahughes@mpr.org.

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