Abu Nayeem
Name: Abu Nayeem
Public Office Sought: St. Paul Mayor
Campaign Phone: 718-926-7888
Campaign Website: abunayeem.com
Twitter Handle:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Abu-Nayeem-Saint-Paul-Mayor-Candidate-140822454823530
Candidate Bio
I’m a programmer, data scientist, community organizer, public servant, and local superhero (more on this later!). I have a masters of science degree in Agricultural & Resource Economics from UC Berkeley. I’m the former Education Data Analyst for South Washington County Schools, and founder/programmer of the Saint Paul Open Data Initiative, in which I take open source data and create community data reports. In 2019, I ran for Saint Paul City Council for Ward 1, and received over 500 votes in a competitive race.
I’ve become a full-fledged grassroots community organizer leading several initiatives including lead organizer for the Frogtown Cleanup Squad, Midway Cleanup Squad, and Frogtown Fireworks Response Squad. I’ve done some political organizing in addressing the rising catalytic converters thefts throughout the city. I have created a petition that received 1600 signatures that led to a virtual town hall meeting bringing citizens and state legislators together. In summary, public service is my passion and I’m well educated to be the mayor of Saint Paul.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Public Safety, Citizen Agency, Community Organizing
How would you characterize the business climate in St. Paul and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Businesses are still recovering from the pandemic; Each neighborhood brings a different culture. Businesses play a major role in vitalizing and engaging the community. Hiring local and businesses giving back to the community builds a positive relationship for all parties involved
What role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, St. Paul?
The city has a major role to facilitate economic growth. One of my policies, is to incentivize to hire locally (such as city pays 50 cents to a dollar for wage) and encourage local entrepreneurs to set businesses in Saint Paul (low-interest funding loan)
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in St. Paul (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in St. Paul and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I believe that happy employees will benefit businesses. For policies such as minimum wage, I first would take the time to listen to business owners, and would implement a policy that would transition. Most of the bigger businesses are transitioning to $15 minimum wage, so small businesses would need to naturally compete.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
For public safety, we need to fund the police. There has been a rise in gun violence, and without insufficient There are safety concerns associated with the light rail that impact both commuters and regular citizens. Come up with a safety plan with MET council.
For housing, work with Ramsey county that are having housing issues
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities are
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
Increased economic development is the best way to increase the tax base. There are many empty lots throughout the city, mixed commercial and residential development produce high value per acre. We could increase property tax for big box stores.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Local internships and summer jobs are good methods for students to connect with local businesses. A career fair can be a good opportunity to connect
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
The College Bound Saint Paul Program should be discontinued because it has not provided much financial education to citizens and will be a long-term liability
What is the role of the Mayor in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in St. Paul?
The mayor can support program that provide minority and women-owned businesses by providing access to low-interest loans to start a business/
What further policies can St. Paul adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
A portion of the $166 million of the American Rescue Plan can be used to either jump start businesses, and/or provide support to those that struggled through the pandemic
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I’m anti-authoritarian and will not enforce a vaccine mandate in the city of Saint Paul and will not require businesses to serve citizens that only have a vaccination. Read the keytoNYC program. If Minneapolis does a similar program to NYC, then Mayor Carter will follow…..
Public Office Sought: St. Paul Mayor
Campaign Phone: 718-926-7888
Campaign Website: abunayeem.com
Twitter Handle:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Abu-Nayeem-Saint-Paul-Mayor-Candidate-140822454823530
Candidate Bio
I’m a programmer, data scientist, community organizer, public servant, and local superhero (more on this later!). I have a masters of science degree in Agricultural & Resource Economics from UC Berkeley. I’m the former Education Data Analyst for South Washington County Schools, and founder/programmer of the Saint Paul Open Data Initiative, in which I take open source data and create community data reports. In 2019, I ran for Saint Paul City Council for Ward 1, and received over 500 votes in a competitive race.
I’ve become a full-fledged grassroots community organizer leading several initiatives including lead organizer for the Frogtown Cleanup Squad, Midway Cleanup Squad, and Frogtown Fireworks Response Squad. I’ve done some political organizing in addressing the rising catalytic converters thefts throughout the city. I have created a petition that received 1600 signatures that led to a virtual town hall meeting bringing citizens and state legislators together. In summary, public service is my passion and I’m well educated to be the mayor of Saint Paul.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Public Safety, Citizen Agency, Community Organizing
How would you characterize the business climate in St. Paul and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Businesses are still recovering from the pandemic; Each neighborhood brings a different culture. Businesses play a major role in vitalizing and engaging the community. Hiring local and businesses giving back to the community builds a positive relationship for all parties involved
What role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, St. Paul?
The city has a major role to facilitate economic growth. One of my policies, is to incentivize to hire locally (such as city pays 50 cents to a dollar for wage) and encourage local entrepreneurs to set businesses in Saint Paul (low-interest funding loan)
Do you support any other specific employment-related proposals in St. Paul (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in St. Paul and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I believe that happy employees will benefit businesses. For policies such as minimum wage, I first would take the time to listen to business owners, and would implement a policy that would transition. Most of the bigger businesses are transitioning to $15 minimum wage, so small businesses would need to naturally compete.
What are your strategies to address public safety, housing, and transportation issues facing your community?
For public safety, we need to fund the police. There has been a rise in gun violence, and without insufficient There are safety concerns associated with the light rail that impact both commuters and regular citizens. Come up with a safety plan with MET council.
For housing, work with Ramsey county that are having housing issues
What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My priorities are
- Build digital infrastructure to make Saint Paul, a smart city
- Fund citizen-led initiatives
- reform district council systems to encourage citizen engagement
- Provide adequate funding for law enforcement
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
Increased economic development is the best way to increase the tax base. There are many empty lots throughout the city, mixed commercial and residential development produce high value per acre. We could increase property tax for big box stores.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Local internships and summer jobs are good methods for students to connect with local businesses. A career fair can be a good opportunity to connect
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
The College Bound Saint Paul Program should be discontinued because it has not provided much financial education to citizens and will be a long-term liability
What is the role of the Mayor in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in St. Paul?
The mayor can support program that provide minority and women-owned businesses by providing access to low-interest loans to start a business/
What further policies can St. Paul adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
A portion of the $166 million of the American Rescue Plan can be used to either jump start businesses, and/or provide support to those that struggled through the pandemic
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I’m anti-authoritarian and will not enforce a vaccine mandate in the city of Saint Paul and will not require businesses to serve citizens that only have a vaccination. Read the keytoNYC program. If Minneapolis does a similar program to NYC, then Mayor Carter will follow…..