Molecast audio: BTM’s Alex Stenback says local real estate troubles are “still early on in the game”
To get a handle on the deluge of real estate horror stories choking the news wire every day, we phoned local mortgage banker and Behind the Mortgage blogger Alex Stenback with a couple of basic questions: How’s the local housing market faring compared to those in other US metro areas? And how much further does he think the slide will go?
On the first count, Stenback says it’s difficult to tell, though he adds that housing inflation here was never as dramatic as in the most at-risk markets. On the second count, don’t hold your breath: “I still think we’re fairly early on in the game here. It would not surprise me to see values and the other metrics we use to measure the health of our real estate market decline for another 18 months.”
Molecast audio: Alex Stenback talks about the Twin Cities real estate slump (9:56)
Below the jump: excerpts of Alex Stenback’s remarks
Molecast audio: David Schultz on “the Oprah factor” and new media in ‘08 campaign
In the latest Tuesday politics Molecast with David Schultz, we discuss the role of celebrity, pop culture, and new media in the 2008 presidential campaign.
Besides offering his thoughts on Oprah and Barack Obama’s recent joint appearances, Schultz says to expect to see more candidates embracing online and alternative media venues. “There’s a great statistic,” he says. “In 1968, the average face-time that the national evening news gave to a presidential candidate was about 60 seconds. The average face-time now is about nine seconds.
“So candidates are now going to places where voters are and where young people are.”
Molecast: David Schultz talks about Oprah and Obama and the ways candidates use the pop-culture machine (8:37)
Below the jump: excerpts of Schultz’s remarks
Molecast: NBA analyst Britt Robson on the back-to-square-one Timberwolves
This morning I spoke with local journalist, critic, and Rake magazine sports blogger Britt Robson about the new-look, KG-free Minnesota Timberwolves, who have opened their season with a pair of losses.
His verdict?
- Build around Al Jefferson and Ryan Gomes (if he’ll stay) and some combination of Rashad McCants, Randy Foye, and Corey Brewer.
- 23 wins this year; playoffs in 2-4 years.
Molecast: Steve Perry interviews Rake sports blogger and Timberwolves guru Britt Robson (7:33)
Molecast: Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher defends DFL’s approach after bridge collapse
Yesterday afternoon I caught up with Speaker of the Minnesota House Margaret Anderson Kelliher to discuss the DFL’s transportation-related plans for the next legislative session, and to ask her about the DFL’s choice to avoid any public confrontation with Gov. Tim Pawlenty in the days after the 35W bridge collapse, which occurred three months ago yesterday.
There are transcribed excerpts of the interview below the jump.
Molecast: Steve Perry talks about the bridge collapse aftermath with Speak of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher (9:40)
Police/Community Relations Council co-chair Edwards: Morale among MPD’s black cops “the lowest I’ve ever seen it”
We spoke recently with Ron Edwards, the longtime local activist-commentator-gadfly who serves as co-chair of Minneapolis’s federally mandated Police/Community Relations Council. Back in August, Edwards wrote a column in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder recapitulating a series of management shakeups involving African-American officers at the MPD after Tim Dolan became chief in September 2006. (That column is here.)
A year-plus since Dolan took the helm, Edwards tells the Mole, “[Morale among black officers] is the lowest that I’ve ever seen it, and I have been involved with this part of social action and advocacy since 1959. It was a condition similar to this in 1977/78 when we had a much smaller contingent of black officers, that led the United Black Front to file a federal lawsuit…. Given what has happened and what continues to happen, we [at the PCRC] just don’t see how the federal government can lift this [federal mediation] agreement on December 31, 2008. In fact, we are now moving toward asking for a three-year extension, as well as asking for sanctions. Those sanctions include, but are not limited to, federal receivership of this department.” You can hear the rest of his comments below.
Molecast: Steve Perry talks with Ron Edwards about the morale of black cops at the MPD (6:47).
