Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/author/hindsight/page/3/)
A recent study by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education indicated that over a quarter of students at Minnesota colleges and universities have been placed in a remedial course – a class for which they pay but do not receive college credit. At first glance, this appears to be evidence of public schools’ failure. But the story is not that simple. Continue Reading
Despite Minnesota’s strong legislation safeguarding civil rights, discrimination is still a problem. An unsettling amount of Muslim Americans in Minnesota face prejudice from employers, teachers, law enforcement, and peers. Continue Reading
The opening of the Central Corridor provides an opportunity to celebrate the two LRT lines that now provide service between St. Paul, Minneapolis, and the airport. It’s important to remember that ridership for Hiawatha (Blue Line) has blown past projected ridership for 2020. The Blue Line averaged 31,000 weekday riders in the 3rd quarter of 2013, significantly above the 2020 projections of 24,800 riders. It succeeded because it connected major centers of activity and is surrounded by areas of relative density. Continue Reading
The Star Tribune recently reported that there is a new push among the public, school district officials, and government leaders for improving pre-Kindergarten school-readiness programs. The push is bipartisan; there is a growing consensus that pre-K programs represent one of the best means of challenging the achievement gap in K-12 education. Enrollment improves learning capacity and accelerates childhood development. Continue Reading
In my last blog, I discussed the disappointing yet legally sound court decision to strike down part of Minnesota’s Next Generation Energy Act. Most known for setting renewable energy and conservation mandates, this lesser-known piece sought to curb state emissions by restricting the import of electricity from new power plants that would raise Minnesota’s overall emissions. The decision highlighted the barriers states face as individual actors when addressing problems – like pollution – that aren’t confined to political boundaries. Continue Reading
The recent state takeover of a Minneapolis nursing home is an extreme example of mismanagement and neglect, and hopefully an outlier in the type of care our seniors are receiving. Continue Reading
On Monday President Obama announced an unprecedented proposal to cut carbon emissions from power plants by 30% by the year 2030. This is one of the most significant steps the United States has taken so far to combat climate change. Continue Reading
As Minnesota’s population continues to age and diversify, we must strengthen our public services infrastructure. The Metropolitan Council predicts that by 2040 the Twin Cities metro alone will gain 355,000 people from other nations. Communities in greater Minnesota, like St. Cloud, St. James, Willmar, and Worthington, are also experiencing huge influxes of Latinos and Somalis. By 2020 the state will also have more people 65 and older than school-aged children for the first time in Minnesota’s history, according to a January state demographer’s office presentation. Continue Reading
The issue of net neutrality has dominated headlines recently, and the outcome of this ongoing debate could have profound implications for the expansion of high speed internet into rural areas of Minnesota. Monopoly power among internet providers has allowed them to raise prices and offer faster content delivery to select customers, creating an internet “fast lane”. Continue Reading
Today, I’m aiming to address a very narrow question: has the Affordable Care Act’s medical device excise tax had an impact on research and development? The answer is simple: no. Continue Reading