Let’s put a stake in the heart of “High taxes kill states”
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As the legislature moves toward the start of the session, we can count on a reawakening of the argument that high taxes kill state economies. Here’s an example from St. Continue Reading
Check out “Soul of the Community” to see how Minnesotans love their amenities, aesthetics and public stuff
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It’s sometimes hard to get top business executives to locate to Minnesota — what with the cold weather and progressive income taxes — but once they’ve lived here a while, it’s even harder to get them to leave. I’ve heard some version of that story many times in business quarters, most recently at a BioBusiness event in Rochester.
Michael O’Keefe with budget wisdom
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Michael O’Keefe was one of the standouts in a highly respected state cabinet that came together to help neophyte Gov. Jesse Ventura in 1999, and O’Keefe served ably as commissioner of the Department of Human Services, one of the state’s largest and most complex agencies. Continue Reading
Tax cuts, jobs, and the difficulty of all things being equal
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GOP gubernatorial nominee Rep. Tom Emmer released a revenue-cutting slice of his budget on Monday, calling it a jobs plan to revitalize Minnesota’s economy. Continue Reading
Emmer likes tax reforms to fit theory and ideology — but reality?
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In a forum for gubernatorial candidates early this week, I heard GOP candidate Tom Emmer extol tax reform efforts in Rhode Island as a possible model for encouraging economic development under an Emmer administration. Continue Reading
Whose problem? Fewer high school degrees in Minnesota
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Minnesota is threatened by drastic disparities between white residents and Minnesotans of color. (See The “Coloring” of Minnesota). Interestingly, this is usually presented as a problem for the state’s communities of color but it’s far more than that. Continue Reading
The “coloring” of Minnesota
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As we prepare to chose our state leaders this fall, it’s time we reflect on an issue that seems to be non-existent in Minnesota’s political discussions: Racial inequalities.
As Minnesota’s communities of color become a larger part of the working age population – and the nonworking population of aging retirees remains very white – the need to address these inequalities is vital to ensuri Continue Reading
Round-up of good news and commentary for practical progressives
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Here’s a round-up of some particularly good fodder for practical progressives in the news recently:
- Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus is continuing to develop as a thoughtful centrist heir to David Broder and she really hit the mark with her Continue Reading
Post-ACA situation for Minnesota still fuzzy, but getting clearer
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Some day, the acronym “ACA” will be as commonly understood in everyday conversations as the FBI or MnDOT or FEMA. Continue Reading