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Recently the Star Tribune published two commentaries about living in Minneapolis, one from a longtime resident who decided to leave the city and another from a more recent transplant who loves Minneapolis and intends to stay. I would like to offer a third perspective.

I have lived in Minneapolis for 50 years. I have loved so much about this place I call home. I have spent countless hours walking its parks and lakes, and along Minnehaha Creek and the Mississippi River. I have been astonished at the education my children, and now grandchildren, have received in the Minneapolis Public Schools. I adore our vibrant, quirky and innovative arts community, from the May Day parade in Powderhorn Park to the scores of theaters small and large (Ten Thousand Things is my favorite), to the galleries that challenge and inspire, to the free music in the summer, to our diverse community radio stations like KMOJ, KFAI and KBEM. What a rich cultural fabric we have surrounding us.

I am happy to live in a city with an endless array of great restaurants, many of them owned by immigrants. Every night out can be a treat sampling food from around the world.

I also love our widespread volunteerism that keeps our parks and drains clean, our children connected to tutors and mentors, our unsheltered neighbors cared for and seen and our neighborhoods vibrant with porch fests and "Buy Nothing" groups and farmer's markets. All of it adds up to a great place to live.

Except. Except that in the last several years the city has been on a precipitous decline. Open drug markets set up far too close to our schools, the bickering among City Council members never ends, armed carjackings leave residents fearful and unsettled, and our mayor rarely shows up in the neighborhoods. Meanwhile, our streets are filled with potholes, and the white bollards intended to protect pedestrians, combined with the omnipresent bike lanes (which I support), often make it difficult to travel by car.

Though the vast majority of city residents want both safe neighborhoods and an accountable and anti-racist Police Department, the issue of public safety is often mired in theatrics and ideology, rather than the difficult work of bringing us together to achieve our shared vision. Some elected officials seem more interested in finger-pointing and blame than in solving a problem. Finally, though there are often endless hours of community engagement (four years for George Floyd Square), certain areas like Lake Street, Broadway and the square are still languishing from the city's inattention. It is all extremely frustrating.

I am not going anywhere. My family is here. My neighbors are here. Our diverse and beloved schools are here. But if I am honest, the last few years have given me pause. I'm not going away, but I would love to feel passionate and hopeful about Minneapolis again. Leadership matters.

Pam Costain, of Minneapolis, is a retired nonprofit leader and a former Minneapolis school board member.