Work & Economy

Cheers for the underground economy!

By Erik Hare, Barataria

“Since we decided to adopt the leaf as legal tender, we have all of course become immensely rich. But we have run into a small inflation problem owing to high leaf availability. That means the current rate is something like three major deciduous forests buy one ship’s peanut. In order to obviate this problem and revalue the leaf, we’ve decided on an extensive campaign of defoliation and burn down all the forests. I think that’s a sensible move, don’t you?”
- The Management Consultant to Fintlewoodlewix (later called Earth) – “Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”

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Barataria

Minneapolis aims to bridge language, safety gap in restaurants

By Kelsey Shirriff, The Minnesota Daily

Afro Deli employees prepare the restaurant for lunch Monday, April 29, 2013 in Cedar-Riverside. Afro Deli manager Abdirahman Kahin said the restaurantís staff speaks four different languages. (Photo by Jaak Jensen)

Afro Deli and Coffee on the West Bank is known for its diverse food selection, but customers may not be aware of the extent of the diversity behind the counter.

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Open veins of Big Stone County, Minnesota; or, the idea of order in Ortonville

By Sally Jo Sorensen, Bluestem Prairie

In a recent radio interview broadcast by KDIO, Ortonville mayor Steve Berkner inveighed against "intimidation tactics" that had supposedly by used by "special interest" opponents of the Strata Mining Corporation's plan to open a granite quarry in a cow pasture that contains some of Big Stone County's namesake granite outcroppings.

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Bluestem Prairie

Go Clean’s record with customers far from spotless

By Dan Hendrickson, Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) is issuing an alert regarding Go Clean, a St. Louis Park-based carpet cleaning service which advertises heavily through Groupon. The company has a rating of “F” with the BBB due to a pattern of complaints and failing to respond to a recent BBB advertising challenge. Currently, 28 complaints are closed as unanswered. Many customers allege they were billed at a rate far higher than the advertised price, with others saying they were double-billed by the company.

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Better Business Bureau

Why I’m proud to be "offended" by the judgmental map of Minneapolis

By Chris Iverson, Streets.MN

I’m sure the frequent readers of streets.mn have already viewed last week’s buzz map of Minneapolis. It depicts Minnesota’s largest city with a solid touch of satire and preconceived notion poking-fun-of. If you haven’t seen it, here it is below:

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Streets.MN

Minneapolis summit promotes bike safety

By Brian Arola, The Minnesota Daily

Midwest Regional Bicycle Safety Summit attendees set out on a bicycle tour around Minneapolis on Monday, April 29, 2013, outside the Commons Hotel. (Photo by Emily Dunker)

Minneapolis bike leaders gathered Monday at the Commons Hotel near the University of Minnesota to show off strides the city has taken to promote bicycling, as well as to hear from representatives from across the nation on ways to improve safety.

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Living wage amendment stirs up more debate

By Susan Hegarty, Session Weekly/Session Daily

Rep. Jenifer Loon listens to a response from Rep. Ryan Winkler, left, to her question during debate in the House Ways and Means Committee April 29 on his bill, HF92, which would raise the state’s minimum wage. (Photo by Paul Battaglia)

An amendment adopted by the House Ways and Means Committee stirred up new debate to the already controversial minimum wage bill, giving House Republicans more reasons for opposing it as the bill heads to the House Floor.

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House committee amends workers' comp bill

By Susan Hegarty, Session Weekly/Session Daily

Injured workers receiving workers’ compensation have had unlimited job development and placement services to help them return to work after being rehabilitated and cleared for employment. A bill amended by a House committee proposes to put a six-month limit on worker access to covered services.

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Light rail vehicle test on Greenline

By Teresa Boardman, Teresa Boardman on TCDP

An LRV is a light rail vehicle. I like to call them trains. On Sunday there was a test of the new Greenline in St. Paul. Apparently it is the first of many. They have to make sure that the trains actually run on the tracks without hitting anything or to "verify clearance for LRV's."

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Teresa Boardman on TCDP
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