Hizzoner: Those Are Not My Hands on the Cover of CP
Okay, well, as Jim Anchower sez, it's been a long time since I rapped at ya. And I'm sorry about that, and there's a million reasons for it, but I've been warned by my archnemesis Brad Zellar that any excuses would be "unseemly," so I'll just skip that for now. On to bigger and better things.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak convened a special meeting in the council chambers today to address inevitable cuts to the police and fire departments and to explain to the city council how this would affect the 2003 budget. It was standing-room only in a way not often seen at city hall, since a number of cops and firefighters were there to witness, as one of them called it, "the funeral."
To my surprise, Rybak began his address by referencing City Pages, specifially the cover story from this week, which I happened to write. Mostly, Rybak seemed concerned about explaining to the city's employees that while he thought the cover was "funny," he did not pose for it.
In fact, it's a question that I've encountered more than once over the last 24 hours, and apprently even some of the mayor's staffers thought for a New York minute that the Mayor had actually bundled up in the latest homeless-wear, put on his begging face and shook an empty cup at a CP photog. This is not the case; the cover is a photo illustration.
The mayor later told me that he really liked the cover, and I actually believe him; he didn't seem to be acting tough for my sake. But we both remarked how funny it was that people thought he might have posed for such a picture. But in a way, I think now, it does say a lot about public perception of Rybak. What it says exactly I'll leave up to you--I'm not sure myself.
Anyway, I want to write more about this tomorrow, but Rybak concluded his opening remarks by left-handedly praising the story, but made it clear that he disagreed with its premise. "We are not broke," Rybak told the council and those assembled. I disagree, now more than ever after the meeting, but let's get into that another time.
Finer Point: City Leaders v. Local Media
Rybak took his little swing at CP. He also doubted the veracity of the number of police layoffs cited in the Star Tribune's story from Wednesday. Council Member Dean Zimmermann lamented that police, fire and public works get labeled "basic services in the media, as if everything else in the city's budget is just a frill." Another city staffer wondered aloud in the hallway why camera crews for the local news stations have to be so pushy.
What gives? Why all the anti-media sentiment all of a sudden? Aren't we all in this together? I know I've reached new lows in my popularity at City Hall when the biggest compliment I get about City Pages all day is from a Minneapolis homicide cop. And, no, he didn't get permission from the communications department before we talked. But he did tell me that Rybak showed some police officers the cover this morning and laughed. "But," he said to the cops, "I did not pose for the photo. Those aren't my hands."
Shout-Out: City Hall Stribber
Scoop of the week has to go, unfortunately, to Rochelle Olson, who covers city hall for the daily Star Tribune. She finally put two and two together and got zero as far as funding for the city's new library, a story so damn obvious that I feel stupid for not having seen it myself. Though I'm not above envy, I'm also not beneath offering praise for other folks who cover the same turf as I do. Props to Rochelle.
2:49:21 PM 
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