Alright, so if you follow Minneapolis politics then you know Mayor RT did not run again after a decade at the helm. I think RT left Mpls with some very horrible disparity records from education, health, employment to you name it for African Americans which includes Somalis.
As a result, change was needed then came Betsy Hodges whose husband is African American and that is where her diversity plan ends. Hodges was sworn in first week of Jan 2014.
As it is usual for MN DFLr’s, Mayor Hodges rewarded her Caucasian campaign staff to top positions such as John Stiles whom she hired as her Chief of Staff. Hodges also rewarded others such as Grace, Peter and others who worked in her campaign. However, when it came to her Somali campaign staff – her answer “come on really, you were not looking for a job, were you? because you know I only needed your community’s votes”.
It has become customary for many in this state to only hire Somalis for their campaigns and not if they win. Why is that and why do we allow them to treat our young and talented this way?
Osman Cirro was Betsy Hodges’s Somali campaign staff and he did an excellent job. He sold Hodged to our community as if she was holly water. He relentlessly campaigned for her in every corner, went to every event to promote her and endlessly talked how fair and inclusive she was on Somali media.
I for one am not surprised Hodges would do this, Franken, Dayton – many of them did it. They hire Somalis by the dozens during elections to only drop them faster than NY minute when they win. Yet, we selectively forget they did that and flock to their campaigns next election. I really wonder why that is and how we can change that double standard & bias policy.
I hope those that have been dropped ask themselves if they are not good enough to be hired as permanent staff in their office then they should not be good enough to campaign for them.
All politics is local and the nerve and audacity for Hodges to leave Mr. Cirro in the cold is both disappointing and hurtful. I would say he worked for you harder than Stiles, yet you only rewarded selectively. Why Ms. Mayor? Why would you start with such bias hiring policy from the get go?
You endlessly mentioned equity and equality during your campaign. Where are those now in your priorities?
Mayor Hodges – our community will not be stupid forever. We will learn to connect the dots of we campaign for you and you hire us and address our issues. If not, you will no longer have our votes guaranteed.
Fool me once, shame on you – fool me every election cycle, shame on US. Fooling our community during election times is becoming the norm for many MN DFL politicians and that must change. You scratch my back and I scratch yours is the way to politics. Voting for them should NOT be guaranteed. They need to learn that if they don’t hire our people, write legislations to uplift our community and address our needs – we will vote for the other side.
I think if Somalis have an ounce of a backbone, they will demonstrate and protest in-front of the Mayor’s non-Somali staffed office.
Har iyo habeen – in aan u da’daalno dad aan noo da’daalayn waa nacasnimo.
Thanks!
Idil – Somali Autism Mom & Minority Advocate