Last summer, we set out on the Make Minnesota Thrive Drive, a tour of the state to find out what makes our state great, and how those things are in jeopardy because of irresponsible budget cuts. One of the things we discovered was the importance of local government aid (LGA) to cities across the state. When LGA is cut, local property taxes increase in order to maintain the same level of service and/or basic services are cut or eliminated.
The Burnsville City Police Department is hoping to stave off cuts to public safety in an unconventional way. The cost of a K-9 police dog for the Burnsville police department is $22,000 to purchase, train and maintain two police dogs. Because their two current dogs will be retiring in the next two years, the department is asking for public donations on the city’s website to raise the money to keep the dogs.
These dogs are an important part of the police force—they can track people, search buildings, and find weapons. One of the Burnsville police dog handlers even admitted that the majority of people give up evading the police when they see a police dog.
With such a large state deficit, spending cuts are going to have to be a part of the solution, but at some point enough is enough. Cities need to be able to function and keep their residents safe, happy, and healthy. They simply should not have to rely on the charity of their residents in order to function.
A new study from the National Wildlife Federation came out today, which emphasizes the fact that oil spill aren’t just limited to the Gulf of Mexico. While the Gulf Coast is still dealing with the worst environmental disaster in the history of the US, Michigan now has to deal with one of the worst spills in Midwest history.
The EPA estimates that more than 1 million gallons of oil may have spilled into the Kalamazoo River since Monday morning. Just how much oil is that? According to the AP:
An 800,000 gallon spill would be enough to fill 1-gallon jugs lined side by side for nearly 70 miles. It also could fill a walled-in football field, including the end zones, with just under 2 feet of oil.
According to the EPA, oil is no longer leaking, but the spill is still wrecking the river’s ecology, killing fish, and coating wildlife. Not to mention the tragedy if the oil reaches Lake Michigan.
Enbridge Energy, the same firm behind the Michigan spill, has had leaks in Minnesota 11 times since 2002. Our state definitely isn’t immune to oil spills, and not just because our loons migrate to the Gulf. From 2000 to 2009, Minnesota has had an average of one pipeline spill every other month for ten years.
We’ve been dependent on oil for a long time—the United States currently accounts for about 23 percent of global consumption. Last year, as a nation, we consumed more than 286 billion gallons. With oil spills happening all over the country, including Minnesota, the time is now to really invest in a clean energy economy. We can make our state healthier while protecting the environment and the wildfire in it.
If you want to see how much your Senators take from dirty energy corporations, and how to demand that they stand with us and create jobs through clean energy initiatives, head over here.
Pothole. They’re always an annoyance, but this year it’s become something of a dirty word in Minnesota. Potholes are the bane of drivers everywhere, until you’re helpless and frustrated and the only thing to do is make a game of avoiding them on Kenwood Parkway, like me.
This last year has been characterized as the worst pothole season in Minnesota in recent memory, something the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis confirms. While overall road quality in the ninth federal reserve district (which includes Minnesota) declined, Minnesota suffered the worst falloff in ride quality from 2002 to 2007, according to the report. With the same data, MN 2020
found that Minnesota’s national rank in road conditions fell from 8th in 2002 to 27th in 2007.
Even though this data doesn’t include the impact of the 2008 gas tax increase, it (and the potholes) shows the very real impact of decreased investment in public works. The simple truth is that our roads are worse than ever, and lack of funding, like decreased local government aid, has put a lot of construction and maintenance work on hold—which means more potholes.
Walking is great. It’s a healthier form of transportation for you and the environment, but every time I talk about how awesome walking and biking are compared to driving your car, I’m reminded that not everyone lives somewhere where alternate forms of transportation are a viable option. Have you ever wondered how easily you could switch from driving to walking?
Lucky for you, there’s a tool to help you. Walk Score rates your address from 0 (car-dependent) to 100 (walker’s paradise) based on your proximity to schools, stores, parks, libraries, and transit stops. My house near Macalester, for example, rated 77 (very walkable).
This may seem like a fun, silly tool, but a 2009 study shows that each one-point increase in Walk Score is associated with $500-$3,000 in increased home value. It seems like a lot of folks are using Walk Score in order to determine how walkable homes are while they’re looking to buy. Walkable cities also translate into huge energy and money savings:
Cortright earlier showed that anti-sprawl land use policies in Portland, Ore., led to per-capita vehicle miles traveled about 20 percent below the nation's metropolitan average. For Portland's 2 million residents, that adds up — every day — to 8 million fewer miles of driving, 400,000 fewer gallons of fuel burned and 7.8 million fewer pounds of greenhouse gases emitted. Every year, that yields $1.1 billion in lower direct transportation costs, as well as $1.5 billion in time savings.
Obviously a walkable lifestyle just isn’t possible in some places, where accessibility to grocery stores and other shops depends on driving. The movement to cut down fuel dependence and mitigate global warming by transitioning to a less motorized lifestyle, however, is growing exponentially.
Tomorrow marks three months since the BP oil spill. It’s a harsh reminder that the key to our energy future lies with a clean energy economy. Now more than ever we’re reminded clean energy saves money and makes us healthier.
Whether you’re committed to building a more energy-efficient house or looking for ways to reduce your current energy use, there’s always something, no matter how big or small, you can do to contribute to the clean energy economy.
If you’re looking for ways to save energy and money without uprooting your entire lifestyle, try cutting down your phantom load (the small amount of electricity consumed by electronics while they’re in standby or sleep mode).
If you’re like me, you turn off fans and lights in your house when you leave, but most of us don’t think about the electronics in our homes that use energy all day just because they’re plugged in. 75 percent of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while products are turned off.
The quick, simple fix to saving money and energy is to pull the plug on your electronics when they aren’t in use. But, if you’ve got a more significant amount of time and money on your hands, you could build a home that produces almost all the heat and power it needs.
This German design, called the Passive House, “represents today’s highest energy standard with the promise of slashing the heating energy consumption of buildings by an amazing 90%.” The basic concept is an extremely well insulated, airtight building heated primarily by passive solar gain.
One of the dozen Passive Houses in the nation is just across the border in Hudson, WI. These homes represent a new approach and commitment to our clean energy future, asnearly one-fourth of the energy used in the United States is used in our homes.
In the wake of the oil spill disaster, it’s more serious than ever that we commit to kick-starting our future by investing in a clean economy.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (by which I mean last week at the Eagle Street Grille), Emmer claimed that there are servers in the state who take home over $100,000 a year including tips. He also proposed implementing a tip credit.
Bloggers, reporters, and average Minnesotans all began to wonder the same thing: do servers really make $100,000 and where can I apply? Well, don’t get too excited, because Emmer’s claims were quickly proved false. Unsurprisingly, our waiters and waitresses make significantly less than that on average, which would make a wage cut even more devastating.
When Emmer tried to put out a fact sheet backing off from his initial statement and claiming he doesn’t want to lower wages, we fact checked him right back. And if that isn’t enough false claims from Tom Emmer for you, he told servers at his town hall yesterday that he didn’t want to see their wages go down. But the facts tell a different story: not only did Emmer propose an amendment to abolish the minimum wage, he also said this week that he would cut the minimum wage if the Legislature approves.
"If somebody is going to pass that through the Legislature, we would absolutely sign it," [Emmer] said.
The waiters and waitresses who came to Emmer’s town hall passionately told their stories, each explaining how they depend on their wages to get by. One waitress, Colleen Klink, explained to Emmer how unpredictable tips can be:
“I just don't think you understand that not every establishment out there tips the way that some people think they do…There are still a lot of people out there who don't believe in tipping."
Instead of standing up for workers in our state by demanding a livable wage, Tom Emmer is talking about cutting wages with a tip credit. If there’s anything that the past ten days has proved, it’s that Tom Emmer is simply out of touch with the values and priorities of hard-working Minnesotans.
Just two months after NASA reported it was the hottest April, and hottest January-April, in temperature record comes the news that the first six months of 2010 “breaks the thermometer.” Yes, these last six months have been the hottest January to June on record. If that’s not enough for you, the 12-month running mean global temperature has reached a new record this year.
While these findings are significant, they become more important when you factor in that these record-breaking high temperatures occurred with a minimum of solar irradiance. For NASA, this reinforces the powerful evidence of human-caused global warming, as temperatures are rising while a minimum of sunlight is reaching the Earth.
If you can believe it, there are still people who think that climate change is a myth. You might remember that these climate deniers went crazy over the winter, raging against climate change research because of harsh winter temperatures and snowstorms.
It must be tough being a climate denier. You’ve got to be able to 100% ignore the well-respected scientific community telling you that no matter how loudly you yell about snowstorms and cold days, the last twelve months have been the warmest twelve months. Ever.
We all know that our children are the future. I mean, how many times have you heard that (somewhat cliché) phrase? It makes sense, then, to both invest in our children, and invest in the future. It’s disturbing, then, that for the past ten years our state has slash funding for child care.
Early in this decade, Minnesota’s child care assistance programs were help up as a national model for how to help parents work and achieve self-sufficiency. But Minnesota lost its title as a national leader after deep cuts to child care assistance programs passed in the 2003 and 2005 Legislative Sessions.
State funding for child care assistance has dropped 26 percent in the last ten years. In Minnesota, costs for accredited child care top college tuition. That’s outrageous, especially since high-quality early childhood education is important in helping to close the achievement gap.
Unsurprisingly, children from higher-income families or who have parents with more education perform better in terms of school readiness. What is surprising is that these differences disappeared among Minnesota kids enrolled in high-quality accredited child care centers.
That’s huge! And it makes the state’s lack of investment in child care even more disturbing. High child care costs leave parents, especially low-income parents, relying on friends and family. This also means they miss more work due to their children’s illnesses and child care problems.
After the 2003 and 2005 cuts to child care funding, 11,000 fewer children received child care assistance. Investing in our children's future just isn't something that should be slashed from the state budget. It's time Minnesota became a national leader again by helping hard-working families afford the quality child care their children deserve.
A new report came out last month on the status of women and girls in Minnesota. It’s been 90 years since women gained the right to vote in the United States, but it’s important to remind ourselves, as the report says, that “we are still on the road to equality.” What that means for us is that women in Minnesota continue to face significant hurdles. We’re still not on a level playing field with men when it comes to our wages, safety and health.
I’m just going to mention a few of the findings that struck me while I was reading the report:
White, African-American and Latina women earn 76 cents, 61 cents and 56 cents on the dollar, respectively, compared to white men
By midlife, 33 percent of Minnesota women have experienced a rape crime
Minnesota has the third highest childcare costs in the country
A majority of uninsured women in Minnesota work full-time
These are by no means the only hurdles we face as women in Minnesota, but the 38th anniversary of Title IX also reminds us of how far we’ve come since 1920. When Title IX was enacted in 1972, it was designed to enforce equal access and quality for women’s athletics and as a result, girls’ participation in sports exploded:
In high school, the number of girl athletes has increased from just 295,000 in 1972 to more than 2.6 million. In college, the number has grown from 30,000 to more than 150,000. In addition, Title IX is credited with decreasing the dropout rate of girls from high school and increasing the number of women who pursue higher education and complete college degrees.
Title IX does more than just allow girls to play sports. In 1972, it offered a venue for girls and women to stay fit, excel in athletics, and feel empowered. It can also serve as a reminder of how far women have traveled on the road to equality, and the hurdles that still need to be overcome.
Speaking for all the soon-to-be and recent college graduates in Minnesota, I’m pretty sure I can safely say that we have one thing on our minds constantly: jobs. It might be a little bit of an exaggeration to say I think about jobs when I eat, sleep, and do homework, but that’s kind of what it feels like.
The good news for me, and other college students who will graduate in the coming years, is that Minnesota will be facing one of the largest demands for educated workers in the nation. A new report predicts that in 2018, 70 percent of the jobs in the state will require post-secondary education.
But while Minnesota will add a whopping 152,000 jobs that require education and training beyond the high school level by 2018, the job prospects for high school graduates and dropouts aren’t so promising. In contrast, jobs for high school graduates and dropouts will grow by 28,000.
Our educational attainment is something Minnesotans have always been proud of, but years of underfunding education makes it that much more difficult to ensure our kids get a quality education. We’ve got make sure that groups with alarming drop out rates—immigrants and minorities—have the best chance possible to succeed in high school and go on to some kind of college. Our economy and job market are changing, making it more difficult to get a job without some post-secondary education. It’s our job to make sure that we’re giving young Minnesotans the best possible tools to succeed in this changing job market.
With the news that May’s global temperature is the warmest on record, it seems like a good time to talk about what we can do to reduce global warming. The Bemidji Pioneer had a great article at the beginning of the month explaining why it’s so important:
As Americans, we pride ourselves on our independence. But when it comes to energy, we are still dependent on other countries — some of which are hostile to our nation and its values. In the weeks ahead, we will be given the opportunity to move toward greater independence, improving our environment, economy and national security in the process.
The American Power Act in the Senate right now would give us our country’s first effective national limits on global warming pollution. The bill sets achievable emissions limits for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that would start in 2013 and get tighter every year with a target of 17 percent reduction by 2020 and over 80 percent reduction by 2050.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) analysis of the American Power Act highlights how the bill isn’t just a milestone in national global warming reduction. This legislation benefits all Americans, regardless of age, party affiliation or employment. The EPA found that the American Power Act would have a modest impact on US consumers. The cost to American consumers translates to 22 to 40 cents per household each day. That’s less than the cost of a postage stamp.
We can protect our environment while also protecting the hard-working Americans who, in this tough economic climate, are concerned with the cost of such an ambitious bill. We’ve also got to keep in mind that the EPA cost estimate doesn’t include the benefits of avoiding the harmful long-term effects of climate change.
Last week, the Minnesota Supreme Court, on a 4-3 decision, ruled against Governor Pawlenty's choice to unilaterally cut the state budget. The Star Tribune's Lori Sturdevant explains:
The 2010-11 state budget was never balanced. A $3 billion deficit remains. Only when a budget is lawfully enacted and state spending is "allotted" for the biennium can a governor "unallot," Chief Justice Eric Magnuson's opinion said.
As the regular legislative session winds down, the question on Minnesotans' minds is what now? With Governor Pawlenty's unilateral budget cuts from last summer erased, now is the time for a balanced approach to balancing the state budget.
The legislature obviously agrees--the Minnesota House, on a decisive and bipartisan vote (105-27), decided not to ratify Pawlenty's cuts. Only the most conservative members of the House voted to ratify Pawlenty's cuts, which shows just how little support Pawlenty's approach had.
This morning, the House and Senate put forward a plan to balance the state budget. The plan ratifies most of the Governor's unallotments; however, most of them are temporary cuts, not permanent reductions. More importantly, the legislature's plan includes $435 million in new revenues to solve the budget crisis.
There still seems to be a feeling that the state's budget crisis could be solved before the legislature adjourns on May 17. Hopefully the legislature will recognize, after this past year's unallotment, the need to quickly pass a balanced budget.
Have you ever wondered what the relationship was between your income and your property taxes? The Minnesota Department of Revenue and state legislators wondered, so they created a new research tool called the Voss database, according to Minnesota Budget Bites.
The database helps state leaders better understand and model proposed property tax changes and how they affect people at different income levels. It also shows how the state’s system of property tax refunds and credits – which benefit people from a wide range of incomes – help lower-income homeowners in particular.
The database, named for former state Rep. Gordon Voss, who pushed for the information, can be used to calculate property taxes paid as a percent of income, among other things. One of the great things the database has done already is show how successful property tax credits and refunds are in reducing property tax regressivity.
A recent Department of Revenue analysis of the Voss data shows that without property tax credits and refunds, low-income homeowners (with incomes between $10,000 and $30,000) would pay an average of 7.4 percent of their incomes in property taxes. That’s nearly four times as much as higher-income homeowners.
With tax credits and refunds, low-income homeowners pay 3.7 percent of their incomes in property taxes instead of 7.4 percent.
This new tool highlights just how important property tax credits and refunds like the Market Value Homestead Credit and the Property Tax Refund are. The Voss data shows that these credits work to make our property taxes more progressive.
Today is the day that the IRS created. The deadline for filing income tax provokes a visceral response in most of us. Just feel the stress in your chest, stomach and shoulders.
No wonder Americans hate paying taxes. Our tax code is so horrendously complicated that we have to pay accountants to examine our income, expenses and recordkeeping. Then, along comes the government to take away a chunk of our hard earned money.
But don’t rush to a Tea Party protest. Stop and relax a minute. Take 60 seconds to release some of the negative emotions taxes stir up. Instead, think about the benefits you enjoy that are paid for by your taxes.
My anxiety was swept away by thoughts of things that I’m truly grateful for. I started my day with a warm shower and I’m thankful for clean water and indoor plumbing. For much of the world, that’s a luxury. But not here, where we pay taxes.
I enjoy driving on smooth highways. The lines and lights keep me and other drivers safe. I also like to leave the car in the garage and ride the train to a ballgame.
I’m grateful for the teacher who taught my sons to read “Where the Wild Things Are” and for the bus driver who got them to school safely each day. I appreciate the lunch lady who filled their tummies with broccoli and the coach who boosted their confidence.
I love the library workers who help minds soar. They open the doors to a world of information that helps us learn, prosper and have fun. Where else can you get free and equal access to knowledge?
I treasure our state parks for affordable family vacations. Nothing can match a campfire along the North Shore or a hike on a well-groomed nature trail. Rent a canoe, and if you’re lucky, you might even catch a walleye stocked in a lake by your tax dollars.
Whatever you think about the war in Iraq, I’m grateful for our soldiers and a strong military that can fight for peace. I also deeply appreciate the caregivers who heal the veterans who risked everything to serve our country.
I’m grateful that our society provides a safety net, however imperfect, for those less fortunate than me.
Finally, I’m blessed with a good job that I enjoy. Without work, there are no taxes. This year, there are 212,000 unemployed Minnesotans who cannot pay taxes. Those of us who can pay should consider ourselves lucky.
It’s okay to recognize that our tax system isn’t fair. It’s even better to work to change what you see is wrong. Minnesota needs fair, progressive taxes based on a person’s income and ability to pay. If everyone pays their fair share of income taxes, we can fix our state budget and invest in a better future for everyone. That means protecting the essential public services we need most during tough times.
As Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes observed in 1927, “Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society.” This April 15, don’t just pay taxes. See the abundance all around you and say thanks to the soldiers, firefighters, teachers, librarians, nurses, mail carriers, garbage collectors, plow drivers, and all the other workers who make this a better Minnesota.
Eliot Seide is the executive director of AFSCME Council 5, a union of 43,000 workers who advocate for excellence in public service.
Outdoor baseball. These two words are the best thing I’ve heard all year. Until the Twins exhibition games early this month, I had never been to an outdoor baseball game. Yes, the Metrodome gave us a unique “Dome-field advantage,” there’s nothing like the sun on your face as your favorite player hit the long ball.
Now, the stadium itself, Target Field, is beyond gorgeous. New, shiny, with green grass and an awesome tribute to the original Twins mascots, Minnie and Paul (they actually shake hands whenever a Twins player hits a home run!). Even better than all that nifty stuff, however, is Target Field’s greatest feature: it is the most environmentally friendly and energy efficient ball park in the nation!
Target Field officially became the greenest outdoor ballpark in America when it received LEED status. Last year, TCF Bank Stadium became the state’s first LEED silver certified stadium. Now, we have two!
What makes Target Field so green, you ask? Well, besides the beautiful (real!) grass, there are features in the ballpark fans may or may not notice when they come to a game. Energy-efficient field light save $6,000 a year on electricity costs and the stadium sits on soil that was once contaminated but has been treated and replaced.
One of the most talked about green features of the stadium is its ability to be washed down with recycled rainwater. The recycling system, according to the Star Tribune, collects water from the field and drains it into a 100,000-gallon underground cistern. The water is disinfected and treated.
Officials estimate the $200,000 system will save the city of Minneapolis more than 2 million gallons of water annually, about half of what the ballpark will need.
The ballpark boasts a large number of public transportation options to get to the stadium. I took the light rail when I went for an exhibition game, and it delivers you right next to Target Field. The Twins website can advise you on the best way to get to the park by transit, automobile, bike, or on foot.
Minnesotans probably already know that Mankato limestone covers 60 percent of the stadium’s exterior. This is great since using local products like Mankato limestone reduces the stadium’s carbon footprint by reducing transportation costs.
According to the Pioneer Press, the greenest feature of Target Field is the lack of a roof. In 2008, the Dome spent almost $2 million to heat its facilities. Overall, the LEED features of Target Field should save them $38,000 a year on energy costs over standard features.
Twins owner and CEO Jim Pohlad told the Star Tribune how important environmental friendliness was to the organization in building a new stadium:
"Gaining LEED certification has been a longstanding goal for the Twins, Hennepin County and the Minnesota Ballpark Authority as we have collectively shared the responsibility to ensure strong environmental stewardship. It's our sincere hope that the sustainability aspects of Target Field will provide inspiration to other local, regional and national projects of this magnitude.”
Thursday is Tax Day. (It's also four days from Joe Mauer's birthday.) This year, instead of complaining about taxes, I've got a great idea how you can celebrate the services that taxes provide for us: Go see The House That Joe Built. I'm referring of course to Target Field, the most spectacular (and green!) ballpark in the nation. I can't take credit for the nickname--I have to admit that I stole it from a fan's sign I saw while watching the game yesterday.
Any self-respecting Twins fan probably has fond memories of the Metrodome. The knowledge that every game would be 69 degrees and overcast, opposing teams losing the ball in the roof, etc. But anyone who says they miss the Dome is seriously deluded. The point of this? On Thursday I'm going to be thanking taxes for the best MLB stadium in the country, Target Field.
In 2006, the Hennepin County Board voted to levy a 0.15% sales tax within the county to fund Target Field, according to the TC Daily Planet. The money from the sales tax doesn't just find Target Field, however. I'll also be thanking taxes on Thursday for longer hours and more open days at thirteen Hennepin County public libraries and local youth sports programs.
WCCO's Pat Kessler reports that up to $2 million of the stadium sales tax every year must be used to keep public libraries open longer. They're called Ballpark Sundays and Mondays. Thanks to the stadium sales tax, 18 projects to build, repair, renovate, or expand sports facilities have been given the green light. These include Bloomington's Red Haddox Baseball Field Improvement Project, tee-ball fields in Corcoran, and field lights in St. Anthony Village.
So whenever you get a chance to take in the awesome spectacle that is Target Field (you could go tomorrow or Thursday afternoon against the Red Sox), be sure to thank taxes. The same goes for the next time you head to a Hennepin County library or a youth sports facility. When you do, make sure to download your own "Thank Taxes" sign and upload it here.
High-speed internet access is great. Thanks to a high-speed connection, I can search for videos to add to a class presentation and watch the Twins win the 2010 Central Division title this year. I could even multitask and do both at the same time.In rural areas—in Minnesota, in the country, and around the world—high-speed internet means accessible university classes for bright students and state-of-the-art medical care for folks who need it. From MinnPost:
High-speed Internet access is poised to change the countryside as dramatically as did the miles of wires that carried electricity and telephone service to almost every home during the mid-20th century, creating the connectivity for appliances and tools that revolutionized life and work.
But while high-speed internet can, and will, create a culture of broadband, rural Americans have been slower than folks living in the city to adopt high speeds. Roughly one tenth of rural Minnesota businesses are not connected to the internet while another 4 percent only use dial-up.
This may not seem like a big deal, but check out what the small town of Staples has done with high-speed internet: If you suffered congestive heart failure near Staples, Lakewood Health System could send you home from the hospital with a scale and monitoring devices attached to your computer.
The computer, in turn, is linked to monitors at the medical center. If that scale reported a sudden weight gain, your medical team would suspect that your body isn't moving fluids efficiently and either send help or ask you to come back to the hospital.
Think of the advantages in a place where the hospital can be a county or two away from home! You can go home from the hospital earlier. You have a shot at a better outcome because you are monitored closely. You save yourself long drives to the clinic. And you save your health insurer substantial costs.
You could also be see cardiologists at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview, in Minneapolis without leaving your home. Imagine—you are getting high-quality medical care from the comfort of your favorite recliner!
Nurturing this culture of broadband in rural America will ensure that folks who don’t live in the city will get the same educational and medical opportunities that are more readily available to city dwellers. Plus, everyone in Minnesota will want to be able to see with their own eyes when Delmon Young has a career year, leading the Twins into the postseason. He dropped 30 pounds and you could certainly tell he was feelin' good last night! Or is that just wishful thinking on my part?
If you or anyone you know has thought about buying a new car recently, you’ve probably thought about fuel efficiency. You’re not the only one. Last week the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency issued new fuel efficiency standards, setting the first-ever national greenhouse gas emissions standards.
DOT and EPA relied on the opinions of average American folks like you and me in setting the fuel efficiency standards. They received more than 130,000 public comments on the proposed rules, according to a press release from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
This is an important step in moving toward a clean energy economy. The average buyer of a 2016 model year car will save $3,000 over the life of the vehicle. Better than that, our country will conserve about 1.8 billion barrels of oil and reduce nearly a billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the lives of the vehicles, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told the Washington Post.
"These historic new standards set ambitious but achievable fuel economy requirements for the automotive industry that will also encourage new and emerging technologies," LaHood said. "We will be helping American motorists save money at the pump while putting less pollution in the air."
What do these new standards mean for our state? MPR says that folks in Minnesota could save $600 million a year and avoid two million metric tons of global warming pollution.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area is the 11th most energy-efficient city in the country. According to Fresh Energy, Minnesota’s efficiency is expected to save us $36.4 million. Just think how much more money we’ll be able to put back in our pockets thanks to these new fuel efficiency standards in the next six years!
The MN Legislature passed the jobs bill today that will put middle class Minnesotans back to work. House Tax Committee Chairwoman Ann Lenczewski estimated that this bill would create jobs for 5,000 to 12,000 Minnesotans, according to the Pioneer Press.
The bill sailed through the House on a 112-20 vote, then the Senate on a 58-3 vote. It offers tax credits to investors for putting their money into small businesses and historic building projects. This “angel investment” credit would allow the Mall of America to go ahead with its planned expansion and the St. Paul Ford plant to continue operating.
The angel provision offers a 25-percent income tax credit for investments in green companies with fewer than 25 employees and allows the Mall of America expansion to be completed in phases, rather than in a single project. Another section of the bill letts cities and counties provide loans to owners of homes and businesses to pay for energy-saving improvements.
The passing of this bill is huge because hard-working middle class Minnesotans who are looking for jobs can soon start working and supporting their families again.
Last night, the House of Representatives made history by passing health care reform for all Americans. This legislation will rein in the power of big insurance companies and guarantee that all Minnesotans will get the same health insurance as Congress.
Despite having her own health care paid for by American taxpayers, Rep. Michele Bachmann voted against historic health care reform legislation. She voted "NO" to a ground-breaking bill that will expand access to 32 million uninsured Americans, lower costs, and end the era when insurance companies could discriminate based on pre-existing conditions.
With this vote, Bachmann has said "NO" to her constituents who will benefit from this landmark health care reform.
Americans United for Change is running an ad targeting Bachmann for voting against giving Minnesotans the health insurance that is as good as her own government plan. Watch the ad here.
A new study from the National Wildlife Federation came out today, which emphasizes the fact that oil spill aren’t just limited to the Gulf of Mexico. While the Gulf Coast is still dealing with the worst environmental disaster in the history of the US, Michigan now has to deal with one of the worst spills in Midwest history.
Pothole. They’re always an annoyance, but this year it’s become something of a dirty word in Minnesota. Potholes are the bane of drivers everywhere, until you’re helpless and frustrated and the only thing to do is make a game of avoiding them on Kenwood Parkway, like me.
Walking is great. It’s a healthier form of transportation for you and the environment, but every time I talk about how awesome walking and biking are compared to driving your car, I’m reminded that not everyone lives somewhere where alternate forms of transportation are a viable option. Have you ever wondered how easily you could switch from driving to walking? 
Tomorrow marks three months since the BP oil spill. It’s a harsh reminder that the key to our energy future lies with a clean energy economy. Now more than ever we’re reminded clean energy saves money and makes us healthier.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (by which I mean last week at the Eagle Street Grille), 
Just two months after NASA reported it was the 
We all know that 
With the news that May’s global temperature is the 
Outdoor baseball. These two words are the best thing I’ve heard all year. Until the Twins exhibition games early this month, I had never been to an outdoor baseball game. Yes, the Metrodome gave us a unique “Dome-field advantage,” there’s nothing like the sun on your face as your favorite player hit the long ball.
Thursday is Tax Day. (It's also four days from Joe Mauer's birthday.) This year, instead of complaining about taxes, I've got a great idea how you can celebrate the services that taxes provide for us: Go see The House That Joe Built. I'm referring of course to Target Field, the most spectacular (and green!) ballpark in the nation. I can't take credit for the nickname--I have to admit that I stole it from a fan's sign I saw while watching the game yesterday.
High-speed internet access is great. Thanks to a high-speed connection, I can search for videos to add to a class presentation and watch the Twins win the 2010 Central Division title this year. I could even multitask and do both at the same time.In rural areas—in Minnesota, in the country, and around the world—high-speed internet means accessible university classes for bright students and state-of-the-art medical care for folks who need it. From 
The MN Legislature passed the jobs bill today that will put middle class Minnesotans back to work. House Tax Committee Chairwoman Ann Lenczewski estimated that this bill would create jobs for 5,000 to 12,000 Minnesotans, according to the 
Last night, the House of Representatives made history by passing health care reform for all Americans. This legislation will rein in the power of big insurance companies and guarantee that all Minnesotans will get the same health insurance as Congress.
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