Family
My wife Erin and I live along Chester Park with our dog Merlin and two cats. We are working on our first child; Erin is about 5 months pregnant. We are very excited.
Educational background
I graduated from UMD with a degree in Psychology.
Employment background
Most of my professional background has been in community or electoral organizing. I started with MPIRG, an organization dedicated to teaching college students how to get involved civically and work towards good policy. During my time there we were instrumental in opposing the golf course at Spirit Mountain, and we created the Free Democracy Summit, two of the accomplishments many of the students were most proud of.
After MPIRG I ran the Duluth office of the Young Voter Project during the ’04 presidential elections, and the NE MN office of America Votes during the ’06 midterm elections. In ’04 Duluth set national records for voter turn-out. And in ’06 it was my job to bring progressive organizations together in ways that had never been done before.
I have also spent time over the past years as a trainer with Wellstone Action. As part of the Campus Camp training team we have traveled to multiple college campuses around the country. The training has focused on running effective campaigns and making a positive difference in their communities.
In between campaign seasons I work as a Realtor and have started an investment property management business. I serve as Co-President of that management business.
Volunteer background
I serve on a student housing (rental housing) task force, the mayor appointed Charrette Stewardship group, the leadership council of the Duluth Young Professionals, and have volunteered for many local campaigns. I have also participated in the Blandin Community Leadership training.
Hobbies
I enjoy writing music, hiking or running in our city parks with the family, playing Ultimate, and reading. Some day I would like to spend more time learning to sail.
Your address and contact information.
827 Grand View Ave
Duluth MN, 55812
724-3417, tony AT tonycuneo DOT com
The Hillside and the Lincoln Park neighborhoods are some of the most ethnically diverse areas in the city of Duluth. How do you see this ethnic diversity as an asset to Duluth?
Diversity of people, ideas, and beliefs is what makes humanity interesting. I am inspired, motivated, and called to action through new ideas and through meeting new people and cultures. No doubt diversity can be challenging, finding ways to connect on common values and come together is sometimes difficult. But that is exactly why we must recognize our diversity as an asset to build on. A city becomes stagnant without a fresh point of view. Those cities that welcome new ideas, that are open to new cultures and people will be the successful cities of the future. We are entering a time of ideas and creativity. I want to help Duluth embrace that approach. We will not be a successful city if we don’t.
Some people blame the increase in neighborhood problems, such as crime, on immigrants from Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis.
Do you think it's true?
If so, what do we do about it?
Duluth is a city on the edge of opportunity. We have begun to recognize that we are not Anyplace, USA and that we can be a very special, vibrant, thriving city. However, all the opportunity in the world is worthless if people don’t feel safe in their neighborhoods. Unfortunately there seems to be some truth to the idea that some higher level crime is coming from outside our community. The city seems to be trying to determine how extensive this issue is, but it is clear that drugs can earn a higher price here than in other markets. This fact alone will bring in a criminal element from outside of Duluth.
Duluth, in all areas, needs to become forward thinking and build its policy through community involvement. With this issue in particular, we start by supporting our community police officers program. Our community officers will have a better understanding of our neighborhoods and can work to not just react to crime, but to stop it before it occurs. We also go to neighborhood leaders and ask them what policies and strategies will help us keep our neighborhoods safe. Building community is not always an easy task, and it is done differently from one neighborhood to another, but it usually starts with meeting each other, talking, and finding common values on which to build relationships.
If not, why not?
It is estimated that 15 percent of Duluthians are living below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65. What are some of your ideas to bring Duluthians out of poverty?
Low wages combined with average or above average housing costs put many families in a real struggle to get by in this community. There are 2 major steps to be taken: create better policy, and support the efforts of community organizations working to reduce poverty and increase wages. Economic development can be streamlined through new zone and code implementation; this is something I will be pushing very hard for. There is no reason business shouldn’t thrive in Duluth, we must make the business atmosphere clear, simple, and fair. Secondly, we have many amazing organizations working to help families gain prosperity; we must do what we can as a city to support them. Investing in our families is not just the right thing to do; it is the prosperous path for Duluth. Successful families in Duluth means greater economic vitality, greater tax base, and safer neighborhoods.
The city has a mandatory recycling laws yet walking by many people’s homes it is obvious that they do not recycle. Is recycling important? Why do we have a law on the books if it isn’t going to be enforced?
Recycling is incredibly important. Our planet is not an endless resource to be taken advantage of. We have the capability to re-use and recycle and we should all make the effort to do just that. Unfortunately many city departments are understaffed and the recycling laws are probably not the only laws going un-enforced. It is important, however, that we have this law. It not only makes clear that we as a city value the ethic of recycling, but it also reminds us to work towards a system where we can begin enforcing this rule.
Over-flowing garbage cans are a problem in lower East Hillside. Many of the homes where this is a problem are rental units. What kinds of ideas do you have to prompt landlords to encourage their tenants to take better care of their property?
As a property manager I have come to wrestle with this issue first hand. Our company has begun to identify the recycling collectors that make recycling the easiest. We have done trainings with tenants, and we are always encouraging our residents to take advantage of recycling as a way of avoiding over-flowing garbage containers. Enforcing cleanliness rules outside the house, which are written in the lease, concerning scattered garbage has been a last resort. Hopefully it doesn’t get that far, but it is something we and other landlords have done and should be willing to continue to do.
In the last census, Duluth had a dearth of people age 24 to 35? What can be done to attract and keep this population in Duluth?
This has been an issue that is important to me for many years. As a 29 year old in this community I have had to say goodbye to too many friends. We must find ways of integrating young people into our community in a way that is healthy for the city. We can do this through a number of ways.
First, we must recognize what it is that sets us apart, we must recognize our strengths. Those strengths include our amazing natural beauty, our historic architecture, our engaging, active people, and the amazing, unique character of each Duluth neighborhood. We must build on those strengths, and enhance them.
Secondly, we must improve our economic atmosphere. Let’s move to become a city that works together to build, and implement, a common vision. We must try to move away from divisive projects that become political battles. Instead, let’s move towards fair, consistent rules that encourage the kind of development that benefits all of Duluth, respects our unique character, and enhances each of our neighborhoods.
Many of us share a vision of Duluth that offers young people an opportunity to live in the urban cores of our city - to be a greater part of our local music, art, and economic activity. We must be open to ideas that better engage young people in the kind of creative, active lifestyles that will not only draw them to Duluth, but encourage them to invest in this community and call it home.
This city has yet to settle the retiree’s health care budget. What type of action would you take?
The negotiations between the mayoral administration and the unions have to run their course. That is something that as a city councilor I can not be directly involved in.
The recommendations put forth by the retiree health care task force, however, do provide some opportunities for the council to move us forward on this. It is very difficult to say where this issue will be by the time I reach the council, but my approach will be the same regardless. Ascertain which of the task force recommendations have yet to be implemented, figure out why that is, and attempt to move us in that direction.
As addressed in the next question, I hope this issue allows us in Duluth to create a broader discussion about the state of health care throughout Minnesota and the rest of our nation.
Is paying for health care a problem that needs to be addressed on the city, state or national level?
Health care is an issue that affects everyone – we must work on it at all levels. The huge cost of health care is stifling entrepreneurialism, making it excessively difficult for business to offer full time work with benefits, and causing rifts in communities. Our current health care system encourages too many to go without preventative care, causing costs to skyrocket, and costing our communities more money than we can afford.
I hope that we use our current health care situation in Duluth as a place to come together around ideas for creating a better system. This issue in Duluth should not be used to divide our community, one against another. We should be addressing the fact that health care as it is currently organized is slowing our economy, and putting incredible pressure on our public institutions like city government and school districts.
What makes you unique as a candidate for city office?
This campaign is about two things: a positive, successful vision for our future, and a new style of leadership. City decisions should not be political battles, they should be the result of work based on the participation of Duluth’s citizens. Successful government is the work of inclusion, representing people that don’t always have the means to represent themselves. It is about a style of leadership that listens before speaking and recognizes how to build on the best of Duluth.
What makes you unique?
At 29 years old I have a unique wealth of experience – from non-profit community organizing, to running my own business, to having learned from some of the finest training institutions in the region. I look forward to putting these experiences to work for the future of Duluth.
