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Dan Gordon, Writer
Dan Gordon (upagainstthewalrus@riseup.net) is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities.
Empowerment Zone series in PDF format
Click on PDF for series of four articles on Empowerment Zones. MORE »
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GreenStar shines in Seward remodel
New state certification program guides sustainable home construction MORE »
All power to what people? Community charges cronyism
Minneapolis chose to run its EZ program as a function of the city government, rather than through a local non-profit as some other cities have done. That sometimes has meant allowing city priorities to eclipse those of the neighborhoods. MORE »
The color of funding
“Economic disparity by race is perhaps the most significant problem facing Minneapolis today,” the city’s 1998 Empowerment Zone application warns. “People of color living in Minneapolis are impoverished at rates higher than any other city in the country.” MORE »
Falling short—business development, housing, and job creation in Empowerment Zones
With no clear benchmarks by which to judge its success, it’s hard to find evidence that the EZ made a dent in poverty in Minneapolis, or has even gotten a few licks in. Job creation is a tangible goal. Project proposals aiming for job creation specify the number of jobs to be created for EZ residents, and reports say how many jobs have been created. Despite its importance, job creation has been an elusive goal. The EZ “Success Stories” brochure showed that Minneapolis ranked dead last in job creation among the 15 cities awarded the program the same year, losing out to cities like Knoxville, Tennessee that received fewer EZ dollars. MORE »
