Cabal of Councilmembers Compromise Principles

A trio of of our Councilmembers—perhaps the three goofiest—have been caught selling out their principles:

A preemptive effort by several Minneapolis City Council members to state a preferred route for a new Xcel high-voltage power line through south Minneapolis blew up Friday when their colleagues cried foul.

The trio of council members -- Gary Schiff, Robert Lilligren and Cam Gordon -- wanted the utility to delay its application to the state for the line and two related substations until it provides a more thorough analysis of the need and alternatives.

This was a political maneuver to force burial of the proposed power line. In this aspect, the trio attempted to uphold their green values. Buried lines are environmentally and aesthetically preferred. But at significantly higher cost.

2007’s Community Engagement Task Force (CETF) was chaired by Liilligren, and Gordon was a non-voting but vocal member of CETF. These outspoken proponents of community involvement in City decision-making sacrificied the engagement process by attempting to sneak their resolution through the Council.