When are taxes good or bad?
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Taxes can be many things. Most people think of them as a way to raise money, which is easy to understand. However, they also have a large role in deciding “equity” or fairness, within the marketplace.
Is it easier to occupy Wall Street than to have a calm policy conversation?
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It’s been almost a month into the Occupy Wall Street protests, and all people can really agree on is that a lot of people are pissed for a wide variety of reasons, all of which loosely coalesce around ideas of economic justice and general fairness. Also, many of them can’t find work.
Something to chew on: You can fix the government’s budget — don’t be “sheepish!”
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In a discussion of the severe budget problems facing many states and, of course, the federal government, its hard not to think of the NFL.
Something to chew on: Can you pass the American test?
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Today’s headlines highlight the opening of Rep. Continue Reading
Something to chew on: Is oil the biggest “stealth tax” in our economy?
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Oil is nothing new to most Americans – after all, we’ve been drilling the stuff out of the ground for about a century now. Oil even did pretty well at the Oscars a few years back, in a story covering its early days here in the US. Continue Reading
Something to Chew On: BTW, what is Medicaid, and how do we stop if from costing an arm and a leg?
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As many, many people have mentioned before, our Federal Government is running a deficit; i.e., it’s borrowing some money on an ongoing basis to pay the bills, as the revenue coming in from taxes isn’t enough to cover everything. Both the Obama Administration and now the Republican-controlled House of Representatives have put forth budgets to address the nation’s fiscal pictu Continue Reading
Riverside Plaza — history in the (re)making
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Of all the landmarks in Minneapolis—from the Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture to Minnehaha Falls, the Stone Arch Bridge or the Basilica of St. Mary—few are as poorly understood or generate as much debate as Riverside Plaza. Encompassing several city blocks in the Cedar-Riverside area, Riverside Plaza is a set of high-rise residential towers, built in the early 1970s, that has created its own distinct micro-community of several thousand residents within its walls. Many know the area to be the center of the Somali and East African community in Minnesota, but what is often lost is an understanding of that community—and this place—within the broader history of Minneapolis.
Uff-da! A personal journey through Minnesota State Fair food
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For most Minnesotans, the Minnesota State Fair means tradition. Who you go with, what day (or time of day, for that matter) you go, and what kind of activities you participate in (Counting mullets? Livestock judging? Trips to the Alpaca booth?) all become an annual ritual—one to savor for a few weeks, and then rehash amongst your friends again and again for the rest of the year. There is, however, one tradition that trumps all others: eating.
Getting ready to reconstruct Riverside Avenue
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Beginning In 2011, Riverside Avenue — one of the main arteries serving the Cedar-Riverside, Seward, and University communities — will be getting a dramatic overhaul, as a $12 million construction project gets underway to completely redesign the road, lanes, and sidewalks.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK | Riverside Plaza community
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Are you in any way a part of the Riverside Plaza or Seward Towers communities? If so, we need your help!The Twin Cities Daily Planet is working on a large, multi-story reporting project on the Riverside Plaza and Seward Towers apartments, located in the heart of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. The project will include stories from several writers, focusing on the following topics:Tenant Life & Photo Essays — Karen Hollish – khollish@gmail.comBusiness Community — Sheila Regan – sheilacecilia@gmail.comCrime Reporting — Nekessa Opoti – nekessa@tcdailyplanet.netReligion & Cultural Life — Ramla Bile – ramlabile@gmail.comProfile, History, and Government Involvement — Justin Elston justin.elston@gmail.comDo you live or work in the Cedar-Riverside or Seward neighborhood? Do you have any experience working with immigrant populations in these neighborhoods? Are you a part of the religious or cultural life of the area? Continue Reading