Minneapolis City Council votes 5-4 against rent stabilization while bills authors absent for Eid

[sarisataka]

Minneapolis City Council votes 5-4 against rent stabilization while bills authors absent for Eid

The Minneapolis City Council voted 5-4 on a rent stabilization policy on Wednesday while three Muslim council members, including the policies authors, were absent due to Eid al-Adha

Wednesday’s vote determined whether or not the policy would be sent to committee, where public hearings and testimony would have been heard.

The bill’s authors, Council Members Aisha Chugtai and Jamal Osman, were noticeably gone from the meeting to celebrate Eid with their families, as well as Council Member Jeremiah Ellison.

Council Member Andrew Johnson abstained from the vote.

The three council members who missed the vote issued a statement expressing their frustration with the decision not to move the meeting.

https://kstp.com/kstp-news/local-news/minneapolis-city-council-votes-5-4-against-rent-stabilization-while-bills-authors-absent-for-eid/

That's some dirty pool. The rest of the council would have a fit if a scheduled meeting fell on Christmas or Thanksgiving. They would change the date in half a heartbeat.

[AllaN01Bear]

1. id make it a campain issue .

[jimfields33]

2. They would not schedule on federal holidays.

However, they may on Good Friday rightfully so. We don’t stop business on religious holidays in this country.

[msongs]

3. religionists want special favors for themselves nt

[jimfields33]

4. Sure sounds like it. Thankfully the city council slapped them down.

[sarisataka]

6. This vote kills any rent control

Before the public has a chance to be heard.

But I guess when it comes to choosing between affordable housing and slapping down religionists we should deal with the more important issue. Else we will soon be under sharia law

[TeamProg]

7. Until new federal holidays are created, are members sworn to public duty

or to their religion?

Recognized or the church of “me” can’t rule the day.

We already have too much FUCKING religion.

[NowISeetheLight]

9. Amen to That

We already have too much FUCKING religion.

[iemanja]

10. How principled to shit all over the rights

Of an oppressed minority, along with a city full of renters living under incredibly oppressive rent rates. You must be so proud to align yourself with the right.

[TeamProg]

11. Please, read all of the info.. nt

[iemanja]

12. I read your posts and those that agree with your position.

Some seem to think hatred of religion justifies right wing positions. It does not. It’s still a pro-business, Islamophobic stance.

[TeamProg]

13. No, so I can make up a religion that says that I don't work more than

more than 20 hours a week at full time salary. Would you hire me? If you didn’t hire me, wouldn’t that be religious descrimination?

I’m an atheist, but aren’t Saturday and Sunday supposed to be sabbath days, yet plenty of people who willfully choose to be Xtians and Jews work those days?

[iemanja]

15. Did it ever occur to you

That the conservative interests set the date for the vote on Eid simply to defeat the rent control measure?

Saturday and Sunday are traditionally non-working days precisely because of Judeo-Christian traditions. Do you volunteer to work 7 days a week because of your hatred for religion? I seriously doubt it.

You're an evangelical atheist, and that's a colossal bore. If religion means so little to you, why do you preach your own? Most non-believers simply ignore religion.

Now you can celebrate the increased homeless population that defeat of this measure achieved. That's the side you're agreeing with.

[TeamProg]

16. Just give it a rest.

[progree]

5. Hmm. I thought Christmas was a religious holiday and govt business isn't scheduled

Last edited Thu Jun 29, 2023, 12:36 AM - Edit history (4)

then but I guess I'm wrong.

Seems like since Christians have one of their religious holidays observed, maybe we could make a tiny bit of effort to accomodate other religions particularly when a number of council members are impacted. But I guess that's too "woke". Never mind.

Edited to add

But perhaps the Muslim council members dropped the ball, as I read the article:

https://kstp.com/kstp-news/local-news/minneapolis-city-council-votes-5-4-against-rent-stabilization-while-bills-authors-absent-for-eid/

. . . As the 3 Muslim members of the Minneapolis City Council, we were observing Eid with our families and community when we learned of this news. (Presumably the news that the meeting is/was today, Wednesday. Wow, there sure was a breakdown of communication somewhere -progree)

“City Council meetings are typically held on Thursdays. When the Council’s calendar for this year was voted on in September 2022, this week’s meeting was set for this Wednesday in an effort to accommodate Eid for the City’s Muslim Councilmembers and staff. The precise date of Eid al-Adha is determined by the lunar calendar; early last week, Eid al-Adha was confirmed to be observed Wednesday, June 28, the same day of the Council meeting. Unfortunately, Council leadership decided against using their authority to reschedule this meeting.

. . . In response, City Council Vice President Linea Palmisano confirmed with the clerk that the council’s calendar was voted on twice during 2022 and Thursday was specifically designated for the Muslim holiday of Eid.

City Clerk Casey Carl then spoke, saying, “To the extent that the clerk’s office manages [the calendar], we have always relied upon those council members who represent those traditions of faith to tell us when and if there are changes since we don’t track that after the council adopts the calendar. So to the extent that the clerk’s office failed to check back and recognize that the holiday was actually identified for today versus tomorrow, when it was originally adopted as a part of the adopted calendar, I can apologize but that has not been our practice to expect clerks to check back on those holidays.”

Carl added that the holiday “got missed” and that by the time he was aware of the scheduling conflict, there wasn’t enough time to comply with the state’s law requiring a minimum of three days to change a meeting time.

late edit to add 1126p -- below and I also bolded key parts in the above on the timing

"Early last week"
"minimum of 3 days"

Something isn't adding up. Exactly when did somebody/anybody inform whoevers should be informed about the change in the Eid date?

Anyway, there was the intent to schedule around Eid, and I see nothing at all wrong with that. In fact I think it is commendable. And I'm an atheist. And I'm certainly no fan of Islam. I won't name any religions, but most of them are pre-Zinjanthropus Ooga Booga to me.

But it looks like some kind of cluster-fuck of miscommunication occurred somewhere. Or someones aren't quite telling the truth.

[TeamProg]

8. Wow, if their religion won't let them show up for the people's

business it kind of does sound like Sharia law.

Hell, non Christians celebrate Xmas, right ?

[TeamProg]

14. Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday.

Confusion is a weird thing to start a fight over.