this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2024
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is trying a unique strategy to get remote workers to return downtown: insulting them.

“I don’t know if you saw this study the other day,” Frey told an audience of 1,000 at Minneapolis Downtown Council’s annual meeting on Wednesday. “What this study clearly showed … is that when people who have the ability to come downtown to an office don’t — when they stay home sitting on their couch, with their nasty cat blanket, diddling on their laptop — if they do that for a few months, you become a loser!”

The comment was a “complete joke” and the study was made-up, the Minneapolis mayor’s office told Fortune, but there are serious facts to back up Frey’s worry about the impact of remote work on Minneapolis’ downtown economy.

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[–] DigitalTraveler42@lemmy.world 222 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

The comment was a “complete joke” and the study was made-up, the Minneapolis mayor’s office told Fortune

Ah yes the typical "what? It was just a joke, why's everyone mad at me?" reaction to saying something only an asshole would say, fuck this guy. So sorry rich people are going to make less money off of their real estate investments, boo fucking hoo, how about adapting to technological and cultural changes better? 🤷‍♂️

[–] thisisnotgoingwell@programming.dev 19 points 9 months ago

He went with the "it was just a prank bro" strategy, which has in the last decade been very successful

[–] punkwalrus@lemmy.world 18 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Disclosure: I work from home and enjoy it immensely. I never want to work in an office again.

So sorry rich people are going to make less money off of their real estate investments, boo fucking hoo, how about adapting to technological and cultural changes better?

There is that, and some rich people need to be boiled in their own pudding. But this affects all downtown businesses, even mom and pop shops. People will just flee like urban flight did when people went to the suburbs. What's left? I hear about "well, turn office buildings into residential space," but the logistics of that with fire codes, building codes, and urban planning are not drop in replacements. They can be done, but at great cost.

We're looking at an urban decay beyond what we've planned for. Minneapolis is terrified to become another Detroit or Gary Indiana.

[–] running_ragged@lemmy.world 53 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It doesn’t have to all be bad. If the city could get the head out of their ass, they could sort out the codes and get it done. Let people who work downtown live downtown. Shrink the driving and parking infrastructure, turn it into a walkable, bikeable area.

Rents/leases could go way down for the mom and pop shops that can survive in the new design.

Other businesses can move further out where the people are, so the suburbs can become more walkable.

If we made the focus on reducing waste, and making things easy for everyone, rather than how to make rich people richer, theres lots of solutions.

[–] vividspecter@lemm.ee 19 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

In addition, increase housing density by removing single family only zoning and adding more missing middle and affordable housing. Make the city a place people want to live (and can afford to live) rather than just a place people commute in and out from in their noisy, polluting cars.

[–] Mac@mander.xyz 29 points 9 months ago

Demand has changed in the market? Bummer. Anyway,

[–] archomrade@midwest.social 19 points 9 months ago (1 children)

but the logistics of that with fire codes, building codes, and urban planning are not drop in replacements. They can be done, but at great cost.

Most of the buildings were talking about are made to accommodate stricter codes already. The problem isn't really at all the cost of retrofitting them, so much as it is the lower rent/sf price they can charge for it.

Everything else you mentioned is fair, but the only reason people would rather leave urban centers if they don't need to be there is the cost of living there. No matter how you slice it, the biggest obstacle to dense residential city centers is the established expectation of higher ROI on the space and the over-leveraged building owners who can't afford to charge less for risk of defaulting on their properties.

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[–] thesystemisdown@lemmy.world 119 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Insulting a key demographic of your constituency in a ranked choice system is an interesting strategy.

[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 41 points 9 months ago

Yeah but businesses are probably paying him more.

[–] winterayars@sh.itjust.works 105 points 9 months ago (7 children)

What the fuck is wrong with this guy.

[–] finkrat@lemmy.world 37 points 9 months ago

This is what happens when your education is CEO-pandering articles on Forbes and Fortune shoving "the workers are the problem and work-from-home is lazy and will kill your business" agenda so they get more views

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[–] TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.world 102 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Oh no, my feelings are so hurt ... Hearing a politician teach me about work is like hearing a priest teach me about sex with an adult.

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[–] Thrillhouse@lemmy.world 70 points 9 months ago

People just don’t want to spend what little time we have on this earth commuting, paying $10 for a shitty Subway sandwich for lunch, and listening to Elderly Manager Brian talk about his glory days to a captive audience.

[–] Clent@lemmy.world 67 points 9 months ago (3 children)

What the fuck is a "nasty cat blanket"

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 47 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] loutr@sh.itjust.works 51 points 9 months ago

Nah, it's class contempt. All of us rubes working from our slums, when we should be content to bask in the glory of the Corporate Office...

[–] SendMePhotos@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (11 children)

A blanket that is 10% cat hair/pee/scratched and 100% nasty

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[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 60 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Yeah.... No. The real losers are the asshats that have to get up, shower, get lunch together, drive to a factory, inhale shit all day, fantasize about unrealistic things like unicorns, homeownership, and retirement, and then drive home.

Source: Me. Am loser, driving, breathing shit, and all with no cat blanket...

[–] Moosely@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Would you like a cat blanket in these trying times?

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[–] Desistance@lemmy.world 60 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Shows his desperation. Adapt or die.

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[–] Dkarma@lemmy.world 60 points 9 months ago

This dude just called every c suite exec a loser ...lol

[–] XTornado@lemmy.ml 58 points 9 months ago

Stop man... You had me at cat blanket, no need to say anything else, I will continue from home.

[–] JigglySackles@lemmy.world 54 points 9 months ago

What a fucking tool

[–] SpicyLizards@reddthat.com 53 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I call politicians scumbags that just lie and steal, but whatever

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 21 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I'm pretty sure those studies actually exist though

[–] SpicyLizards@reddthat.com 19 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Studies definitely exist, but they say remote work is vastly more efficient. Buy the lies or do research.

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[–] Brkdncr@lemmy.world 50 points 9 months ago

I guess making his downtown a good place to live and work might take some effort, while insults are free. Good use of economic resources.

I hope this guy gets stuck in traffic enough that his policies don’t get traction, and someone more capable gets elected next.

[–] AlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.works 48 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I can't read this article, but I've seen (and posted) other articles about this. Governor Walz responded with "I guess I'm a nasty cat blanket person then". The DFL isn't a sack of shit, but Mayor Frey sure is. And he got re elected last time because he's about as conservative as can win here and the downtown businesses threw a bunch of money in his campaign.

[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 16 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Maybe they should have used that money to entice workers back into the office...

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 19 points 9 months ago (3 children)

The whole back to the office argument is stupid. Rather than trying to force people back businesses should realize this is an opportunity to decrease their outgoings. Sell the giant waste of space office in an expensive part of town, and just carry on doing what you're already doing.

I made them put that I am a permanent homework in my contract so they can't make me go back into that office. But they still maintain the physical building which is mad. Now they're just getting the worst of both worlds, their employees are removed yet their paying for a building. About a year before the lockdown they replaced the expensive staffed canteen with vending machines, and that pissed everyone off. They still haven't undone that yet so why should I go back?

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[–] thesporkeffect@lemmy.world 48 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Minor nit pick overall, but 'diddling' is a revealing choice of words

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[–] Kushia@lemmy.ml 44 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Being a loser sounds pretty great actually.

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[–] pan_troglodytes@programming.dev 44 points 9 months ago (3 children)

minneapolis mayor can foresee the coming commercial real-estate bubble collapsing - they must get a lot of tax dollars from businesses

[–] RedAggroBest@lemmy.world 25 points 9 months ago

Wouldn't be surprised if he himself or any number of people who fronted the money to get them elected are invested in that business

[–] VampyreOfNazareth@lemm.ee 16 points 9 months ago

He's losing money and is furious.

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[–] LadyAutumn@lemmy.blahaj.zone 43 points 9 months ago (1 children)

but there are serious facts to back up Frey’s worry about the impact of remote work on Minneapolis’ downtown economy.

Yeah idk what I expected from Fortune

[–] bcgm3@lemmy.world 22 points 9 months ago

One study showed that at least 72% of remote workers in the area did in fact own a "nasty cat blanket."

[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 40 points 9 months ago (1 children)

He is from the Democratic Farmer Labor Party which is an affiliate of the Democratic Party. This is not exactly a labor supporting statement.

[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 25 points 9 months ago (14 children)

There is a growing resentment from traditional labor which cannot work remotely against the knowledge labor force which is able to work remotely. If the educational divide between GOP and Dems is fleeting, he's betting on his party's historic strength.

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[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 39 points 9 months ago

Fuck you, dude.

[–] assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world 38 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Lol. Lmao even.

Working remotely has let me support local businesses more than before. I'm helping out a community I want to live in, not one I'm forced to commute to and just work in.

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[–] PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works 29 points 9 months ago

My nasty cat blanket is warm af thank you.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Well I hope he drops a big glass pitcher full of water on his foot.

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[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 22 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You mean happy losers that don't let corporations control their lives?

Maybe the world needs more losers then ...

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[–] Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de 22 points 9 months ago

..and run companies from home, we are nurses, doctors, lawyers, customer service, support techs, and logistics. We work 8, 10, 12+ hours to help build companies we will never benefit from. Jacob, we don't give two fucks about you either. What's your point?

I've been a loser my whole life but so has everyone else. It's time for use to steer the ship. 🚢 ⚓

[–] agent_flounder@lemmy.world 20 points 9 months ago

Oh look another politician that doesn't know what work is.

[–] JIMMERZ@lemm.ee 19 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Frey isn’t going to last long here. Lots of Minnesotans dislike him across the political spectrum, for obvious reasons.

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[–] FabledAepitaph@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago

Ways to get me to support your downtown economy: insulting me? Lol. I live in a red state and recently got a remote job... so glad I can spend less money on the local economy by staying at home. Instead of being forced to spend money at local businesses, I spend it on people/businesses near or far away that share my world views, who I -want- to support. No longer who I -have- to support. Screw the conservative economy.

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