Wellstone's Revenge: How MN progressives are taking their state back

[Miles]

Article.

Its a good read from Mother Jones, so I won't try to quote in a few paragraphs.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I think this article does a great job of describing the long, hard fought process the DFL has engaged in to build a lasting coalition.

What it didn't do was outline the self-destructive behavior of the MNGOP in recent years or the fact that state GOP money to campaigns has been basically 0 because they don't have any money and their own donor base has fallen apart.

There are definitely two sides to this story... and the top MNGOP party officials that helped deliver the legislature to the GOP for the first time ever in 2010 are now paying dearly for it.  The former head of the MNGOP recently filed bankruptcy and is relying on state programs he helped to make major cuts to in order to care for his autistic son.

Meanwhile, the former senate majority leader and the deputy MNGOP chair had their affair exposed, and the latter has lost most everything and recently was in a pretty serious car accident.

I mean.. the MNGOP is so far down in the muck that you almost have to pity them.  People deserve to fail when they do what these guys did... but poetic justice can eventually become a little too poetic.

In any case, I'm more confident that the DFL can hold the majorities in the legislature, that Mark Dayton will sail to re-election (as will the other constitutional state office holders and Al Franken).  We could have a good chance at picking up another house seat (either district 2, 3, or 6)... and there will be a big push next session to increase the minimum wage.

But some of the biggest progressive moves were not highlighted in this:

In 2006 a transportation amendment to the constitution that ties all revenues from the various gas taxes and vehicle taxes to transportation spending.  Furthermore, no more than 60% may be spent on roads and no less than 40% on public transit.

In 2008, the legacy amendment was passed which raised the state sales tax by 0.375% for 25 years to fund outdoors/environmental programs as well as the arts.  One of the biggest pieces of this has been to spend the monies not just on fine arts... which is what the arts community will favor... but also on things like giving grants to hip-hop artists or rock bands... not to mention that every town now seems to have a visual arts program of some kind (be they bike rack sculptures or small art galleries)... and several communities have used legacy funding to help set up "folk schools" which organize many arts and cultural related activities as well as providing links to various CSAs and other organic produce growers.

Art, culture, and outdoors/environmental issues are no longer appropriated only by the legislature or those with enough money to put money into what they like... but by the public at large.  Arts and conservation for the masses, by the masses.

In the past few days I've read statistics that put Minnesota as having the highest eligibility limit in the nation for Medicaid... in addition we have MinnesotaCare, which is much like Medicaid but also includes copays and monthly premiums based on income.  (With a max premium of $100/month for a family)

And the Twin Cities ranked #2 in the nation for housing affordability among large metros (behind Atlanta).  That is, the median income here is actually quite a bit higher than what's needed to afford the median priced home in the metro.

It's affordable.  There are plentiful jobs (unemployment rate of 5.1%), we have higher than average median income, affordable housing, the best medical care in the nation, excellent schools, and a sh**t ton of outdoors, cultural, and arts activities so you never run out of things to do.

Yeah.. the winters are cold.  But you'll be too busy enjoying life to really care one way or the other.

[Mopsus]

Snowguy just convinced me to move to Minnesota.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Snowguy has turned into a PR campaign for Minnesota.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Snowguy has turned into a PR campaign for Minnesota.

Why the heck not?

[ilikeverin]

Snowguy has turned into a PR campaign for Minnesota.

Oh, don't worry, all Minnesotan are IRLz

[Zioneer]

Man Snowguy, you're making us red-staters (er, liberals in conservative states) feel bad about ourselves. Minnesota sounds like a dream. Fricken heck.

I suppose you have good public transit too, to complete the circle of progressive greatness?

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Kentucky needs this.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Man Snowguy, you're making us red-staters (er, liberals in conservative states) feel bad about ourselves. Minnesota sounds like a dream. Fricken heck.

I suppose you have good public transit too, to complete the circle of progressive greatness?

No, not really.  SLC probably has better public transit than the Twin Cities at the moment.

There's actually a lot of angstiness about it and they're building light rail lines and adding commuter rail and bus rapid transit and tons of cycling infrastructure.  But that's an area that needs improvement.  The freeways in the Twin Cities are hopelessly congested and there's not any room to expand them really so transit has been a big issue in recent years.

I read an article not long ago about whether it might be a good idea to dismantle the freeways near downtown Mpls and St. Paul... since "freeways are supposed to take you *to* cities... not churn through their guts"... but don't expect the suburbanites to give up their freeways any time soon.  Socialized medicine and welfare might be Minnesota values.. but so is your well landscaped Cape Cod down in Bloomington complete with family car in the driveway.

[Zioneer]

Man Snowguy, you're making us red-staters (er, liberals in conservative states) feel bad about ourselves. Minnesota sounds like a dream. Fricken heck.

I suppose you have good public transit too, to complete the circle of progressive greatness?

No, not really.  SLC probably has better public transit than the Twin Cities at the moment.

Good to know; I like Utah's public transit a lot. Very helpful.

Though my whining about the lack of progressivism in Utah still stands.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Public transit is great in Minnesota as long as you live in Minneapolis or St. Paul. So I'm happy with it. Although also worth noting it's possible to make it from Minneapolis to ST. CLOUD and vice-versa on only public transit, though not every hour of the day.

[BM]

Meanwhile, the former senate majority leader and the deputy MNGOP chair had their affair exposed, and the latter has lost most everything and recently was in a pretty serious car accident.

Wonderful news!

[Fritz]

Public transit is great in Minnesota as long as you live in Minneapolis or St. Paul. So I'm happy with it. Although also worth noting it's possible to make it from Minneapolis to ST. CLOUD and vice-versa on only public transit, though not every hour of the day.

Are we talking Greyhound?  Or are you seriously telling me the MTC has a bus to St. Cloud?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

You can take the Northstar rail to Big Lakeand then a bus to St. Cloud.

[Ban my account ffs!]

You can take the Northstar rail to Big Lakeand then a bus to St. Cloud.

Yeah it's easier to drive.


http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/interviews-videos/3738/minnesota-minneapolis-saint-paul-the-us-economic-icon.html

Interesting video and short article by the International Business Time highlighting the connection between the Twin Cities and the UK and the generally excellent business climate in the region.