Dai Thao
Name: Dai Thao
Email: DThaoWard1@gmail.com
Campaign Phone: 651-485-7077 (Yingya Vang, Campaign Coordinator & Scheduler)
Campaign Website: www.daithao.org
Twitter handle: @DaiThao1
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/daithaoformayor
Email: DThaoWard1@gmail.com
Campaign Phone: 651-485-7077 (Yingya Vang, Campaign Coordinator & Scheduler)
Campaign Website: www.daithao.org
Twitter handle: @DaiThao1
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/daithaoformayor
1. Please provide a brief bio highlighting experience and accomplishments that qualify you to be the next Mayor of Saint Paul.
N/A
Business climate
2. How would you characterize the business climate in Saint Paul?
The business climate is not the most forgiving for small businesses, especially newer ones. The city needs to do more to support small businesses, like expanding the “Open for Business” initiative to make sure small businesses are able to thrive and grow their communities.
3. What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and how would your administration actively solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Saint Paul?
We will partner venture capitalists to create to create small business incubator spaces. This will assist businesses with operations and capital cost, guiding organizations to stable growth. When a business is ready to move out of the incubated space, they pledge to move into a neighborhood enterprise zones. These businesses must hire people from the community to build its wealth. We will also commit at least one designated staffer’s time to cultivating and expanding business development in our city.
4. Will you commit to hiring a business advocate as a member of your senior staff, to concentrate on business retention and expansion; new business recruitment; and business impact of proposed regulations on the business climate in Saint Paul?
In addition to my response from the previous question, I will create the Mayor's Committee of Business Partners (including East Metro Fortune 500 CEOs and small business owners) to evaluate economic strategy and recruit new businesses and jobs to Saint Paul.
5. Do you support an increase to the minimum wage in Saint Paul? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Saint Paul and do you support proposals to mitigate the effects on businesses like a tip credit, a youth wage, a training wage, and/or a phase-in?
I support the proper implementation of a $15 minimum wage. I will work with businesses to find workable, agreeable solutions, and to find room in the budget to assist small businesses in the transition since a raise in the minimum wage impacts small businesses the most. An increase in the minimum wage must be phased in, but we also must begin laying the groundwork now so that we can develop a plan that works for everyone.
I do not support a tip fee, as earnings from tips are not as reliable or consistent for those working in the service industry as a wage is. I am willing to support a youth wage if Saint Paul raises the minimum wage at a city level, but the amount should not not be below the current state minimum wage for workers under the age of 18. Many high school kids work jobs after school to help their families make ends meet, and to pay someone far less for their labor simply because they are under the age of 18 does not seem just.
The most ideal solution to raising the minimum wage is a statewide effort. If elected Mayor, I will be at the Capitol advocating for a statewide raise to the minimum wage because I know that some business owners feel that a city-wide approach is not the best solution.
Public safety
6. What is your strategy to address public safety concerns in the downtown core, including safety concerns in the skyway system and police force presence?
Our city has a serious lack of homeless shelters, particularly in and around Downtown. When compared to what Minneapolis offers as far as homeless services go, this need becomes even clearer. We need to create more partnerships to address the lack of homeless shelters, while we need to find room in the budget to grow existing partnerships and efforts that exist to combat homelessness. We also need to work with the county to find ways to better fund drop-in centers that offer counseling, medical care, clothing, education/training, and housing services. Currently, many of these programs rely on sources of revenue from the state or county but are not really being addressed adequately by the city. If we do more to provide services to those that are homeless, which includes employment training that can increase self-reliance, many of these public safety concerns can be decreased dramatically.
7. What is your vision for these key downtown development opportunities?
Whatever is developed on the Central State lot needs to meet the Low Impact Design principles, be pedestrian and bicycle friendly (either through or around the lot), somehow incorporate local art into its modern design, and will hopefully create more parking in the area. Ideally, whatever is built on the space will provide more employment opportunities for the people of St. Paul. I believe we need to create more affordable housing close to the light rail, but it does not seem that housing in this area that would be affordable to working families.
Like other development projects in our city, I believe a mixed-use approach to the former Ramsey County jail site is the best approach. If part of the development includes creating more housing, it needs to be more affordable than the majority of new housing projects we are seeing built. Our city has 15 different colleges and universities, yet the majority of people receiving degrees or certifications from these schools move on to different cities once they graduate (often just right across the river). If we’re going to attract young graduates to stay, the majority of new housing needs to be affordable.
The city would benefit from having another hotel in the area, more office space, and more parking, while it would be great to see whatever is built be connected with the River Balcony project.
Balanced budget
8. What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My biggest budget priority is investing in education programs related to youth job skills and employment. When it comes to where our resources are spent, we need to view future projects and programs through a lens that emphasizes equity and inclusion. This means more affordable housing, greater access to public transportation, and making sure our schools and community centers are meeting the needs of all our neighborhoods. As a member of the St. Paul Port Authority, I have supported development projects near Downtown, but we absolutely need to make sure we are investing in all our neighborhoods.
9. How do you view the relationship between commercial and residential property taxes?
There are too many properties in our city that we are not collecting property taxes from, which includes some major commercial properties along with schools and nonprofits (among others). There is no way around the reality that the more properties we have not paying property taxes, the more residential property owners are asked to foot the bill. We need to figure out a better way to do this without creating barriers for businesses on commercial properties to succeed, but this inevitably means we need more properties on the taxable rolls.
10. What changes need to happen to the City’s budget to avoid an increasing tax burden on businesses and residents, particularly to replace the City’s longstanding Right of Way assessment program?
As stated previously, addressing our City’s budget issues revolves around addressing the fact that around 30% of the properties in our city are not being taxed. We need more properties on the tax roll without making it hard to do business in our City.
Workforce development
11. How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Saint Paul has more universities and businesses than other cities in the region. The city should incentivize work skills and job opportunities for our students.
12. What do you see as the mayor’s role with regard to Saint Paul Public Schools?
The Mayor’s role is to work with the Board of Education, our teachers, and the community to assist the Superintendent in doing the best job they can. My budgetary role as Mayor will also impact Saint Paul Public Schools. I will advocate and budget for All Day Pre-K and early learning programs in fulfilling my role.
Other
13. What is the biggest challenge facing the city and how would you address it?
The largest challenge the city faces presently is inequity. We are at an influx point in the city when we can refocus our efforts and investments to uplift communities we have traditionally left behind. This will be addressed by prioritizing equity criteria in decision-making, both in legislation and the budget.
14. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
15. What do you think should be the city’s top transportation related priority?
We should invest in small storefront businesses along the Green Line and other ways that we can draw people to use the Green Line and drive less.
16. Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Or, are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
Any time we can split costs with partners, such as the county, it is a win for our city as long as the program or project is worthy of our people. That being said, the solutions to our budget problems are not going to come by hacking apart the services our city offers. A budget solution that is good for our city will likely come from getting more properties on the tax roll.
17. Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Our city needs to do more to help prop up small businesses, which means including small business owners in more conversations. We cannot have a situation like we did before when the Green Line was built and many small business owners along the Green Line on University felt the city didn’t consult with them much prior to construction. Many businesses went under during the construction, and we can never let something like that happen again.
N/A
Business climate
2. How would you characterize the business climate in Saint Paul?
The business climate is not the most forgiving for small businesses, especially newer ones. The city needs to do more to support small businesses, like expanding the “Open for Business” initiative to make sure small businesses are able to thrive and grow their communities.
3. What role do you think the City should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and how would your administration actively solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Saint Paul?
We will partner venture capitalists to create to create small business incubator spaces. This will assist businesses with operations and capital cost, guiding organizations to stable growth. When a business is ready to move out of the incubated space, they pledge to move into a neighborhood enterprise zones. These businesses must hire people from the community to build its wealth. We will also commit at least one designated staffer’s time to cultivating and expanding business development in our city.
4. Will you commit to hiring a business advocate as a member of your senior staff, to concentrate on business retention and expansion; new business recruitment; and business impact of proposed regulations on the business climate in Saint Paul?
In addition to my response from the previous question, I will create the Mayor's Committee of Business Partners (including East Metro Fortune 500 CEOs and small business owners) to evaluate economic strategy and recruit new businesses and jobs to Saint Paul.
5. Do you support an increase to the minimum wage in Saint Paul? If so, what specific steps would you take to understand the impact of an increase on the many types of businesses in Saint Paul and do you support proposals to mitigate the effects on businesses like a tip credit, a youth wage, a training wage, and/or a phase-in?
I support the proper implementation of a $15 minimum wage. I will work with businesses to find workable, agreeable solutions, and to find room in the budget to assist small businesses in the transition since a raise in the minimum wage impacts small businesses the most. An increase in the minimum wage must be phased in, but we also must begin laying the groundwork now so that we can develop a plan that works for everyone.
I do not support a tip fee, as earnings from tips are not as reliable or consistent for those working in the service industry as a wage is. I am willing to support a youth wage if Saint Paul raises the minimum wage at a city level, but the amount should not not be below the current state minimum wage for workers under the age of 18. Many high school kids work jobs after school to help their families make ends meet, and to pay someone far less for their labor simply because they are under the age of 18 does not seem just.
The most ideal solution to raising the minimum wage is a statewide effort. If elected Mayor, I will be at the Capitol advocating for a statewide raise to the minimum wage because I know that some business owners feel that a city-wide approach is not the best solution.
Public safety
6. What is your strategy to address public safety concerns in the downtown core, including safety concerns in the skyway system and police force presence?
Our city has a serious lack of homeless shelters, particularly in and around Downtown. When compared to what Minneapolis offers as far as homeless services go, this need becomes even clearer. We need to create more partnerships to address the lack of homeless shelters, while we need to find room in the budget to grow existing partnerships and efforts that exist to combat homelessness. We also need to work with the county to find ways to better fund drop-in centers that offer counseling, medical care, clothing, education/training, and housing services. Currently, many of these programs rely on sources of revenue from the state or county but are not really being addressed adequately by the city. If we do more to provide services to those that are homeless, which includes employment training that can increase self-reliance, many of these public safety concerns can be decreased dramatically.
7. What is your vision for these key downtown development opportunities?
- The empty lot near the Central Station stop downtown
Whatever is developed on the Central State lot needs to meet the Low Impact Design principles, be pedestrian and bicycle friendly (either through or around the lot), somehow incorporate local art into its modern design, and will hopefully create more parking in the area. Ideally, whatever is built on the space will provide more employment opportunities for the people of St. Paul. I believe we need to create more affordable housing close to the light rail, but it does not seem that housing in this area that would be affordable to working families.
- The former West Publishing / Ramsey County jail site
Like other development projects in our city, I believe a mixed-use approach to the former Ramsey County jail site is the best approach. If part of the development includes creating more housing, it needs to be more affordable than the majority of new housing projects we are seeing built. Our city has 15 different colleges and universities, yet the majority of people receiving degrees or certifications from these schools move on to different cities once they graduate (often just right across the river). If we’re going to attract young graduates to stay, the majority of new housing needs to be affordable.
The city would benefit from having another hotel in the area, more office space, and more parking, while it would be great to see whatever is built be connected with the River Balcony project.
Balanced budget
8. What are your priorities for the City’s budget?
My biggest budget priority is investing in education programs related to youth job skills and employment. When it comes to where our resources are spent, we need to view future projects and programs through a lens that emphasizes equity and inclusion. This means more affordable housing, greater access to public transportation, and making sure our schools and community centers are meeting the needs of all our neighborhoods. As a member of the St. Paul Port Authority, I have supported development projects near Downtown, but we absolutely need to make sure we are investing in all our neighborhoods.
9. How do you view the relationship between commercial and residential property taxes?
There are too many properties in our city that we are not collecting property taxes from, which includes some major commercial properties along with schools and nonprofits (among others). There is no way around the reality that the more properties we have not paying property taxes, the more residential property owners are asked to foot the bill. We need to figure out a better way to do this without creating barriers for businesses on commercial properties to succeed, but this inevitably means we need more properties on the taxable rolls.
10. What changes need to happen to the City’s budget to avoid an increasing tax burden on businesses and residents, particularly to replace the City’s longstanding Right of Way assessment program?
As stated previously, addressing our City’s budget issues revolves around addressing the fact that around 30% of the properties in our city are not being taxed. We need more properties on the tax roll without making it hard to do business in our City.
Workforce development
11. How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Saint Paul has more universities and businesses than other cities in the region. The city should incentivize work skills and job opportunities for our students.
12. What do you see as the mayor’s role with regard to Saint Paul Public Schools?
The Mayor’s role is to work with the Board of Education, our teachers, and the community to assist the Superintendent in doing the best job they can. My budgetary role as Mayor will also impact Saint Paul Public Schools. I will advocate and budget for All Day Pre-K and early learning programs in fulfilling my role.
Other
13. What is the biggest challenge facing the city and how would you address it?
The largest challenge the city faces presently is inequity. We are at an influx point in the city when we can refocus our efforts and investments to uplift communities we have traditionally left behind. This will be addressed by prioritizing equity criteria in decision-making, both in legislation and the budget.
14. What would be your top three priorities if elected?
- Investing in families and safe neighborhoods
- Developing an equitable economy
- Increasing access to housing and government
15. What do you think should be the city’s top transportation related priority?
We should invest in small storefront businesses along the Green Line and other ways that we can draw people to use the Green Line and drive less.
16. Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Or, are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
Any time we can split costs with partners, such as the county, it is a win for our city as long as the program or project is worthy of our people. That being said, the solutions to our budget problems are not going to come by hacking apart the services our city offers. A budget solution that is good for our city will likely come from getting more properties on the tax roll.
17. Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Our city needs to do more to help prop up small businesses, which means including small business owners in more conversations. We cannot have a situation like we did before when the Green Line was built and many small business owners along the Green Line on University felt the city didn’t consult with them much prior to construction. Many businesses went under during the construction, and we can never let something like that happen again.