Not only is Minnesota’s infrastructure in badly need of repair but so is the system set up to pay for it. But it is not just Minnesota; the entire process for how America pays for roads, bridges, and other forms of infrastructure is vastly outdated, reflecting a carbon-intensive consumptive model of the world. For that reason, whatever the Minnesota legislature likely does this session when it comes to infrastructure and transportation funding, it will be outmoded from the start. Continue Reading
Some holiday time-off-task offers a chance to get back to Poking Around – so where do I start? With a post about FOIA…. Though I’m eager to poke around a broader sphere, I have been intending to share this newish tool for some time. Continue Reading
Looking back on 2014, seven Minnesota education stories strike me as especially encouraging . This isn’t to suggest everything is perfect. But students, families, school faculty, Gov. Mark Dayton, Minnesota Dept of Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius and state legislators deserve credit for some important steps. Continue Reading
Imagine St. Anthony Falls as it looked when Europeans first saw the Mississippi River cascading over limestone rocks four centuries ago in the only natural waterfall on the river.A scene like that could become reality if the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board accepts a proposed update to the board’s master plan for the Central Riverfront Regional Park. The plan is open for public comment for until Jan. 18. MPRB will host a public hearing on the plan on Feb. Continue Reading
Do you want to know which House members will serve on the education committees in the 2015-16 biennium? Who will play roles as members of the agriculture, health and human services or transportation committees?
Over past weekends, leaders of statewide nonprofit La Asamblea de Derechos Civiles have been gathering at local churches, meeting with the community, discussing the impacts of President Obama’s recently announced immigration relief.This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet.President Obama recently announced immigration relief for over five-million undocumented immigrants. The fight continues, however, and so does the work of groups such as ours. Antonia Alvarez, Asamblea co-founder and organizer, explains “The President’s announcement gives with one hand, but it also takes with the other hand. It is a victory, but there are more victories to be had.”Asamblea’s platform is one of Emancipation, the Emancipation of all immigrant peoples. Its tenets are:comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship,access to higher educationjustice for all workersthe right and opportunity to participate in civic societymedia justiceWhile Asamblea leaders and leaders continue to fight for comprehensive immigration reform and pathway to citizenship, its leaders also believe all immigrant communities must have access to the education, jobs, and resources they need to thrive in this state and in this country. Continue Reading
Over a thousand artists and activists gathered in downtown Minneapolis on Dec. 13 to rally and march in solidarity with the national #BlackLivesMatter movement that aims to highlight the lack of equality and accountability in police dealings with the black community in the United States.The march, organized by a group called the Million Artist Movement, began with a rally at the Hennepin County Government Center, where artists, activists and other leaders from the black community spoke to the crowd about taking action by approaching their elected officials to demand change. The crowd also performed a die-in, lying down in honor of fallen black Americans at the hands of police, and by reading off names of black individuals whose lives were taken by police officers.The march headed west down 6th from the Government Center to Nicollet Mall.Recently, activists pressured the Minneapolis City Council to reverse their vote on a city budget that would cut racial equity programs by about $150,000. Protesters also shut down I-35W two weeks ago for a few hours, garnering national attention.Local activists also plan to hold another rally at the Mall of America on Dec. 20.Coverage of issues and events that affect Central Corridor neighborhoods and communities is funded in part by a grant from Central Corridor Funders Collaborative. Continue Reading
With frequency, education policy finds itself at the crossroads of political contention and debate. Last decade, disputes arose over the implementation of federal “No Child Left Behind” requirements. Today, “Common Core” standards have raised similar controversies. Continue Reading
Local activists obtained a rare victory Wednesday evening after the Minneapolis City Council voted to reverse their decision to cut $225,000 from a racial equity program and a clean energy initiative — a cut deemed #Lattelevy.But the contentious and oftentimes emotional city council meeting highlighted a fundamental and ongoing fray between city leadership and local activists, both of whom displayed intense frustration throughout the five-hour meeting.On Dec. 10, Minneapolis City Council members voted to restore funding to the One Minneapolis Fund and the Clean Energy Partnership as well as to decrease the proposed property tax levy to 2.1 percent. In turn, they voted to cut $174,000 allocated to two new communication positions for the city.Hundreds of activists, including some of whom coordinated the headline-making I-35W rally that reduced a portion of the Minneapolis interstate to a standstill earlier this month, flooded Wednesday’s meeting to call fault to pending budget cuts targeting the One Minneapolis Fund and the Clean Energy Partnership.The cuts, which were drafted during a December 1, 2014 city council meeting, would have increased the Minneapolis property tax levy to 2.2 percent, slightly less than the 2.4 percent increase proposed by Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges in her 2015 budget.That difference of about $620,000 would have — on average — decreased property taxes by about $2.50 per resident according to activists. That said, property taxes can shift in either direction depending on changes in the value of a property or neighborhood.Activists deemed that $2.50 fiscal gain “latte levy,” or the cost of a single latte, which they say some homeowners could give up in order to keep affordable housing, clean energy and racial equity programs for all. Some activists even brought paper coffee cups as props during their testimony.“There are many ways to balance a budget but saving $2.50 for homeowners in some of the wealthiest areas of the city will be in lieu of developing leadership in your community,” said one of the over 60 community members who testified during Wednesday’s meeting.“This is not a lot of money,” said Zoe Holloman during the public comment portion. Continue Reading
Fast food workers, home health care workers, airport employees and dozens of supporters blocked traffic outside an Uptown McDonald’s on Dec.4, demanding a $15 minimum wage and union benefits. More than 50 protesters marched into the nearby McDonald’s where several employees walked off the job.Thursday marked two years since fast food workers first walked off the job in New York City to demand a living wage, sparking a movement across the country. Minneapolis first joined the “Fight for $15” in September, when workers went on strike for a day at several fast food locations around the city. Just last week, nearly 500 people took part in a Black Friday protest at two Walmarts in St. Paul and Minneapolis, including dozens of retail janitors who walked off the job. Continue Reading
