Bly & Pie in the Park
Jun 27, 2004 News
Northfield’s Ward 1
Join me in Central Park
Wednesday, June 30th @ 7 p.m.
Neighbors, Pie and Political Conversation
You’ve heard about it, you’ve read about it!
Sviggum: Bly’s pie called into question. (Northfield News):
Find out for yourself what it’s all about!
SHADOWLANDS
Jun 27, 2004 News
There’s a wonderful film Shadowlands (’93) about a portion of the life of British author C.S. Lewis, in which he falls in love and loses his love to terminal cancer. Drawn to Lewis’s depth of imagination, Joy Gresham teaches him about the beauty of reality. I thought of this film the other day as I drove the Union Hill road into Belle Plaine. The green valley below was half lit by the afternoon sun as long clouds cast grazing shadows over the low hills. It reminded me of a scene in the film where Joy admires a painting on Lewis’s study wall of the D’Or valley in Herefordshire. She asks, “Is it a real place?” “Yes,” he answers, and then adds, “I thought it was a bit of heaven . . . the promised land. I thought one day I would find it ’round the bend in the road, over the crest of hill.” Later in the film, as she is dying, she insists they go find the golden valley, and they do. He realizes how important it is to be able to imagine that place, the Shadowland, where the sun is shining just beyond our reach, over the next hill, but also to find it and live there. She helps him to see that this beauty is enhanced, not diminished, by loss and strife. Her death is part of their life, and losing her is part of his loving her. In her own way, helping him go beyond the world of his imagination and face the real world.
Seeing the bright valley below me on County Rd. 7 made me realize that this is what we all long for, that little bit of heaven. But the reality is that close up there is a struggle to make it real. We need that imagination Lewis had to see it in that distant view, to hold that belief to keep us moving forward, but we need each other, challenging and inspiring, sharing and shoving, to make it a reality. Down on the ground, mired in reality, is where we struggle together, love and lose each other, pool our resources and our energy to make the world around us work, so that it may be for our children and grandchildren that place of which we dream.
It will never be a golden valley if only a few can find it and fewer can enter, while the rest toil and suffer in the shadows. This is at the core of what I believe — that the challenge before us is a broader vision beyond ourselves – “Can we create a world where all have the opportunity to make it?” We must foster that opportunity – not guarantees, but possibilities — the sun shining just over the hill.
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Friday, I attended the annual Chamber of Commerce Cookout in Belle Plaine, a community celebration one month before Belle Plaine celebrates ‘Barbecue Days’. My campaign set up a booth on Main Street and shared pie and campaign literature. 
Here I am with two of my helpers Corazon Noyes and her son. They live in Cedar Lake township. 
Several merchants served up barbecued sandwiches or deserts. The historical society announced that Belle Plaine had reached the 150 year mark. The streets were closed off and filled with people sampling the treats, looking at the fancy cars, or jumping on the various giant inflatables set up on Main and Meridian. Community pride and spirit was evident in the numbers of visitors and hosts, from the senior citizen polka dancers to clowns, and to moms and kids. 
Sharing the Pie
Jun 24, 2004 News
When I read Ray’s June 18, 2004 blog posting, “Politics get(sic) ugly for some folks,” I wondered why he would be concerned about a DFLer’s problems with campaign finance. I even wondered if Ray was concerned about some of his own campaign practices. After receiving a letter of the same date from his close friend House Speaker Steve Sviggum, his blog about ‘ugly politics’ may make more sense. As one of my campaign workers says, ‘Negativity happens!’
It’s not everyday you get a letter from the Speaker of the House. Was Rep. Steve Sviggum’s letter meant to be threatening? Is it the ‘ugly politics’ Ray referred to? Judge for yourself – here’s the letter:
Here’s my Manager/Attorney’s response:
Doesn’t the Speaker of the House have better things to do than to accuse me of the horrific ‘crime’ of talking to constituents in the park and offering pie and ice cream? Doesn’t the Speaker of the House, who in essence writes many laws, have legal counsel that can advise him about the exception that clearly allows serving refreshments at a public meeting? Doesn’t the Speaker of the House know that negative tactics don’t work in Northfield?
This is more of the same, from the Republicans, remember Doug Jones letter to the Northfield News, with its erroneous accusations about my campaign.
Maybe we all need to tell them to stick to the issues, and to get to work! Speaker Sviggum can be reached at (651) 296-2273 or (507) 789-4673; by mail at 42490 – 60th Ave., Kenyon, MN 55946; and rep.steve.sviggum@house.mn .
I’m running for House because I want to get things done – I’m ready to get to work, to make Minnesota better. I want to share the pie.
JOIN US!!
Jun 21, 2004 News
Bly & Pie in the Park
Northfield’s Ward 4 Gathering
Wednesday, June 23 @ 7:00 p.m.
Odd Fellows Park at the shelter on Forest St. near Madison St.
Neighbors, pie and conversation
Topic: All About Health Care – and of course any other concerns!
And in Lonsdale:
Bly & Pie in the Park
Wednesday, June 26 @ 1:00 p.m.
Municipal park, at the shelter, South on Co. Rd. 4
CRANE AND TOFTE
Jun 19, 2004 News
School Administrators said a final farewell to retiring Superintendent Terry Tofte and Business Manager Doug Crane at a gathering at Denise Griffith’s house. Along with reminiscing and enjoying refreshments, tributes and gifts were given to both. A short skit reminded Doug of how indebted we all were to his knowledge of school finance and to his commitment and dedication to educational excellence and the people and programs that made that happen. 
Doug will be sorely missed. There were many times when I struggled with how to make new initiatives work to help struggling students and Doug helped me make them a reality.
Dr. Tofte was thanked for the leadership he provided us in bringing us successfully through the recent levy referendum and challenging us to improve learning and instruction in a hostile political climate and shrinking resources.
Tofte received a Tom Maakestad reproduction, which he admired as an excellent example of the serenity of rural life. After remarks to those attending, he extended a hand to me and said with a confident knowing smile, “. . . and here is our next Representative, David Bly.”
Dr. Tofte was among the first to encourage me to run two years ago and once again he has offered his support. Over the years of his service to Northfield Schools, I had numerous discussions with Dr. Tofte about topics as varied as motivating the unmotivated in an age of paradox, Thorstein Veblen, wind power, educational leadership, poetry, diversity, and serving the needs of underserved populations. I will miss his openness and intellect.
One of the books I shared with Tofte was Charles Handy‘s 
The Hungry Spirit. It ends with Handy’s recollection of his favorite painting, Piero Della Francesca‘s 
Resurrection.
I find his comment moving and it will continue to remind me of discussions I had with Terry:
For me the Resurrection carries a metaphorical meaning rather than a conventional religious one. I am free, goes that message, to break from my past and to recreate myself. If I do so, I will be stronger and more sure. Even if my life up to now is counted a failure by many, as was the life of the man in that painting, the best is yet to come. I do not have to stay slumped and sleeping like those soldiers, waiting for my orders. It may be that I shall not see the full results of my efforts, but I should so strive that others may profit, even if it be after my death. That is the sort of immortality that I can understand. It is a message that applies to all people, and to all businesses and institutions. The best is always yet to come if we can rise from our past.
It is that hope which sustains me, that and the certainty that we are most fully ourselves when we lose ourselves in our concern for others, or in a cause that is greater than we are.
JOIN US!!
Jun 18, 2004 News
Faribault Heritage Days Parade
Saturday, June 19th
Line up No.56, 5:30 p.m. at the Rainbow Car Wash behind Lampert’s Lumber Yard. We’ll be marching with Patti Fritz (26B) and Teresa Daly (2nd CD).
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Bly & Pie in the Park
Northfield’s Ward 4 Gathering
Wednesday, June 23 @ 7:00 p.m.
Odd Fellows Park at the shelter on Forest St. near Madison St.
Neighbors, pie and conversation
Topic: All About Health Care – and of course any other concerns!
FISH STORY
Jun 18, 2004 Environment, News
After a challenging school year and a campaign season that began in January, I was thrilled to take a four day break with a few of my friends from the Minnesota alternative programs association (MAAP) . 
Dan Daly of Liberty High Charter School in Blaine was the MAAP President just preceding me, and he suggested I join him, Gene Johnson and Mark Anderson for quick fishing trip to Bemidji. 
Mark and Gene
Gene Johnson is a retired Dept. of Education official who helped many state alternative programs get off the ground, and he helped schools to develop programs that worked for students. If a program struggled with rules or regulations, he viewed it as his responsibility to help them become a better school, and would not cast aspersions and threaten as we see so often now with the ‘No Child Left Behind’ initiative – his work epitomizes education reform. Mark Anderson is a program director in Cass Lake and he works with expeditionary learning, which is a method of teaching that involves hands on and discovery techniques, he’s working on a nature guide curriculum. He was also our guide on the fishing trip. Cass Lake ALC has been a strong proponent of such hands on programs as Youthbuild.
We started fishing on Lake Plantagenet 
where this Northern didn’t get away – at least long enough for this photo!
We were fishing for walleye, and we let this monster go. Between us, we caught ten walleye and had a great meal prepared by Chef Mark. Mark lives on an old lumber camp a ways into the woods west of Bemidji. His retriever pup Thor 
is addicted to ‘fetch’ and would bring back any thing any one threw, which is why he couldn’t go fishing. Mark knew he’d try to fetch every cast and would take up any excuse to jump in the water. 
The next day we tried Lake Bemidji, where I caught a 20 inch Walleye. It was great to get away for a few days, but Bemidji wasn’t quite far enough. I couldn’t help but notice disparaging comments by Rep. Eric Paulson, who on recent trip to Bemidji tried to blame the DFL Senate for the impasse on the special session. Dan, who is fiercely independent when it comes to politics and challenges me often, said, “It’s ridiculous for House Republicans to argue that they want to negotiate when they keep bringing up these divisive social issues that get in the way of doing the people’s business. If they really wanted to get things done they would get down to business.”
When I got home I was pleased to find a copy of Sen. Dean Johnson’s letter to the Bemidji paper responding to Rep. Paulson’s accusations and eloquently making the same observations. It’s an excellent letter, here it is:
Senate Democrats stand ready to negotiate
Thursday, June 17, 2004
By Dean Johnson
Majority leader Minnesota Senate
House Republican Majority Leader Erik Paulsen of Eden Prairie recently visited Bemidji to call into question my leadership of the Minnesota Senate.It is unfortunate that Rep. Paulsen finds his time best spent in this manner. If House Republicans spent as much time working on legislation in public meetings as they do on the “blame game,” we would have the state’s problems eliminated in short order.
I have had the privilege of serving the citizens of west and central Minnesota for 24 years, while Rep. Paulsen has been at the Capitol for 10. During my service, I have yet to travel to another city to criticize the leadership qualities of a House majority leader. More often than not, positive results are achieved for Minnesota when people work in a bipartisan fashion and focus on the good of the state- not engage in personal attacks.
To set the record straight for the good people of the Bemidji area, Senate Democrats passed legislation that would have balanced the budget by cutting high-level political appointees. We passed tougher sentences for sexual predators. We protected funding for our rural hospitals and nursing homes.
Unlike House Republicans, Senate Democrats passed legislation calling for tax fairness by closing loopholes for big businesses that are dodging their responsibilities. We passed legislation that eliminated the outsourcing of state jobs. We passed an incremental increase to the state’s minimum wage.
House Republicans wanted nothing to do with these policies.
In regards to the bonding bill, 100 percent of Senate Democrats supported a comprehensive and aggressive package. Our caucus has 35 members, and all 35 voted in favor of the bonding bill.
We can’t do better than that.
As President Reagan once said, “Facts are stubborn things.” The fact is the bonding bill failed in the Senate because the governor insisted Senate Republicans vote “no.” They placed party politics over sound policy.
In 1998, seven Republicans voted for a bonding bill of $999 million. In 2002, the bonding bill was $879 million and 15 Republicans voted for it. This year, the bonding bill was $880 million, yet Republicans voted against it, saying it was too large. It is obvious partisanship took precedence over people in the Senate Republican caucus this year.
As a result, needed investments to higher education, the environment and our transportation system will go unfunded. For example, the Senate bill included funding for the Heartland DNR project and Bridgeman Hall at Bemidji State. Yet Republicans, such as Carrie Rudd, voted no. When Rep. Paulsen requests a bonding bill, perhaps he should speak with Sen. Rudd before he attacks Democrats.
The true root of the current legislative stalemate does not lie in the Senate, but in House Republicans unwillingness to meet in public forums for debate.
When the Senate passed its budget balancing bill, the House was required to set up a conference committee to compromise the differences. The speaker of the House was the only legislator who could do this. Rather than working the differences out in public, as the process dictates, the speaker ignored his responsibility and chose not to appoint negotiators.
As a result, the session stalled to an end and the budget deficit remained unsolved. The speaker would prefer to turn the clock back 50 years and return to the days of back room, secret meetings that are free from public scrutiny. Senate Democrats find this unacceptable.
Last week, Senate Democrats offered a compromise framework in which a special session could be organized. The offer focused on the most pressing needs of the state and called for public negotiations on the budget, taxes and a bonding bill. The speaker said this common-sense offer was not worth considering. His response makes me question the sincerity of his willingness to do the people’s business.
Senate Democrats stand ready to negotiate the business of the people in public meetings as our democracy calls for. If the governor calls a special session, and we have encouraged him to do so, we will respectfully continue to negotiate the positions we feel are best for the future of our state. We will do so until we have an acceptable compromise and a positive outcome.
Citizens of Minnesota expect and deserve nothing less.
If Republican legislators spent as much of their time focusing on job development, tax fairness, education, public safety and the environment as they did on their radical social agenda, or telling people how to live their private lives, Minnesota would be an even better state in which to live.
Dean E. Johnson, DFL-Willmar, is majority leader of the Minnesota Senate.Content © 2004 Pioneer
THE REAGAN TAX LEGACY BEGAT. . .
Jun 11, 2004 News
. . . THE BUSH TAX CUTS WHICH BRINGS US WHERE WE ARE TODAY – BUT IS THAT WHERE WE WANT TO BE?
Following former President Reagan’s death, there have been a few interesting articles about his tax policies.
After huge ’81 tax cut, Reagan got pragmatic
Paul Krugman
New York Times
Published June 10, 2004
Much of what we’re hearing this week about Ronald Reagan is false. A number of news sources have proclaimed Reagan the most popular president of modern times. In fact, though very popular in 1984 and 1985, he spent the latter part of his presidency under the shadow of the Iran-contra scandal. Bill Clinton had a slightly higher average Gallup approval rating, and a much higher rating in his last two years in office.
We’re also sure to hear that Reagan presided over an unmatched economic boom. Again, not true: The economy grew slightly faster under Clinton, and, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates, the after-tax income of a typical family, adjusted for inflation, rose more than twice as much from 1992 to 2000 as it did from 1980 to 1988.
But Reagan does hold a special place in the annals of tax policy, and not just as the patron saint of tax cuts. To his credit, he was more pragmatic and responsible than that; he followed his huge 1981 tax cut with two large tax increases. In fact, no peacetime president has raised taxes so much on so many people. This is not a criticism: The tale of those increases tells you a lot about what was right with Reagan’s leadership, and what’s wrong with the leadership of George W. Bush.(click on the title to read the whole article)
Editorial: Reaganomics/The myth vs. the reality
Published June 10, 2004
In 1981 President Ronald Reagan signed the biggest tax cut in American history, introducing the nation to a theory known as “supply-side economics” and arguing that smaller government would produce a more prosperous nation. Of all the themes that defined the Reagan presidency and that his mourners will review this week — his devout patriotism, his fierce anti-communism — few survived his retirement with such staying power, few continue to influence politicians so profoundly and few deserve so completely to be laid to rest along with their patron.
The popular history of Reaganomics runs this way: In 1981 he signed a massive supply-side tax cut and put billions of dollars back in the hands of taxpayers. By unleashing the forces of free enterprise, he triggered the strongest economic recovery since the 1960s, launched an expansion that lasted from 1982 until 1990 and lifted the United States out of a period of economic stagnation and self-doubt. To this day, you can hear that history recounted by leaders ranging from President Bush to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to Sen. Norm Coleman.
Here’s the chapter of Reaganomics that voters often forget. By 1982 the federal budget deficit had nearly doubled in size and, at the behest of Republican leaders in Congress, Reagan signed what was then the biggest tax increase in American history, the $98 billion Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act. One year later, with the Social Security system facing a solvency crisis, Reagan signed a second huge tax increase, a $120 billion increase in the federal payroll tax.
Minnesota has some of the most productive and hardest working employees you’ll find anywhere. They have a strong work ethic and believe in working hard for what they get. Minnesota workers need to be reassured that the taxes on their hard earned money goes to pay for things we truly need and go to build a better Minnesota for all of us. It is up to the politicians who tax them to make sure they see the benefits of what they are paying for and, on top of that, they are not being taxed unfairly while others duck their societal responsibility.
In the coming months, we will be inundated with all kinds of predictions and numbers that attempt to back up the opposing points of view on our states future. I read a blog from Rep. Cox not long ago in which he cites some articles he has been reading.
From the NAIOP website Ray cited, I found a couple of interesting articles, that he did not refer to, talking about the financial hardships that states will continue to face as they try to work out of the “worst financial crisis since World War II.” I found this admission interesting, as I have been citing the efforts Minnesotans made more than 50 years ago to improve our state’s economic outlook as examples of a reasonable course for us in this economically similar time. The article also mentions the struggle states have in cutting services and ‘raising taxes’ when services can’t be cut without doing serious damage and raising taxes is the right thing, the only reasonable thing, to do.
Ray does quote a Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis’ statement that “the region’s state budget problems are directly related to the public’s demands that government, at every level, deliver services of dubious value to most taxpayers.” Yet evidence shows that tax cuts, a population increase, increasing health care costs and funding shifts provided the major contributing factors to the 2003 budget deficit. Public demands for services of dubious value aren’t a factor in the deficit.
We are told that after September 11th, we all have to do our part to get us through these rough times, but rather than pitching in, our state government decided we needed to ask schools, the elderly, the poor and the middle class to bear the burden. Again, we are told to have faith in business enterprises to pull us out of this economic quagmire. The governor argues for “job creation” tax giveaways to business and the wealthy, but the record of these giveaways on job creation is at best questionable. Even the JOBZ zones fashioned after Colorado’s economic development zones promise inconclusive results, according to the Denver Post.
On the other hand based on information from the Minnesota Budget Project , Minnesota House Research and the Children’s Defense Fund, we should consider many impacts and contributing factors to the state budget problems:
From 1997 through the 2001 legislative sessions, over $13 billion in surpluses were allocated in a variety of ways.
53% went to permanent tax cuts and rebates – half in permanent tax cuts and half in one-time rebates. The tax cuts decreased the state’s revenue permanently by about 26%
The state population increased causing the need for basic services to be expanded, which drove costs up.
Healthcare costs skyrocketed, which had an impact on the state’s budget, just as it did everyone else’s.
The state shifted education funding from the local level to the state level adding $1 billion to state’s expenses.
This last contributing factor is regularly overlooked by the Republicans, and this $1 billion cost isn’t fairly factored in when they claim that even with all the cuts, the cost of government went up. Wouldn’t your budget look different with the additional $1 billion expense they took on?
If we look at the big picture, the cost of government, which measures the percentage that state and local governments are collecting in all taxes and fees, has actually decreased from 17.7% in 1994 to 15.9% in 2001. It looks like the “cost of government” really isn’t the issue.
The wealthy in Minnesota received 53% of the $13 billion surplus when it was given and transferred away, and as with the surplus, this financial problem should be apportioned as well. Rep. Cox says he would rather cut what he terms ‘services of dubious value’ and we’re left to wonder which of those services we receive are so dubious. . . Early Childhood Education? Childcare? College assistance to middle and low income students? Nursing homes? Snowplowing? Road construction and maintenance? Maybe put up the state budget reserves on a craps game? errrrrr. . . Racino???
I hope that when we’re dealing with the state budget, we pay attention to what happens to individuals who live beyond their income and don’t/can’t generate the income they need – the state essentially has the same constraints. What is our future if Minnesota is buying groceries on maxxed out credit cards and charging the payment for one card on another, or when we’re walking because we “decided” not to make the car payment and the car’s long gone?
Yet the Republican House Caucus, recognizing there is a need for more money in the budget, recommends, in all seriousness, the Racino as a way out of the crisis. Perhaps they take this position because they believe in an economic system that is based on high-risk behavior? John Maynard Keynes, in his General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, wrote “When the capital development of a country becomes the by-product of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done.”
In order for a democratic society to succeed, the benefits and opportunities should not be concentrated in the hands of a few; nor should the cost be felt more strongly by those who can’t insulate themselves from risks.
There have been a couple of eye opening stories recently on what’s happening with corporate taxes. Which points to a a future blog topic about the affect that corporations are having on traditional rural economies and why policies need to be put into place to protect hard working Minnesotans from the adverse effects of predatory practices.
Corporate profits up, tax receipts down; experts ‘stymied’ 
State report: Corporate taxes down
On the National scene:
Why the Right’s Wrong On Taxesby Matthew Miller
April 14, 2004Consider: The top 1 percent of America’s taxpayers earn 17 percent of the income and pay 23 percent of federal taxes; the top 5 percent earn 31 percent of the income and pay 40 percent of the taxes; the bottom 80 percent of the earners make 41 percent of the income and pay 31 percent of the taxes (and those numbers are from 2001, the most recent such data available; President Bush’s tax cuts have since made the burden on top earners lower). In other words, in aggregate, we have a modestly progressive federal tax system.
Which brings us to the obvious question: Why do leading conservatives stress only part of the picture? There seem to be only two options: Either they’re not that smart, or they think the rest of us (especially in the press) aren’t that smart.
I’ll let you make the call. But the conservative advocates I know tend to be very smart people.
Matthew Miller is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.
Editorial: April 15/Who got the tax cuts?
Published April 15, 2004
In a remarkable opinion poll released this week, as Americans were filing their Form 1040s, some two-thirds of respondents told the Associated Press that their federal taxes have gone up or remained the same during the last three years.
Domestic advisers at the White House must be spitting tacks. Three historic tax bills, proposed by President Bush and passed by Congress in 2001, 2002 and 2003, have delivered the biggest federal tax cut since Ronald Reagan took office more than 20 years ago. The federal tax burden today, measured as a share of national income, has sunk to its lowest level since 1950. Don’t taxpayers know what’s good for them?
Actually, they do. For the tax packages passed by Congress these last three years have overwhelmingly handed out tax relief to the rich, with only hit-and-miss benefits for the middle class. (click on title to read the entire editorial)
A good website I found is the Citizens for Tax Justice, I encourage you to check it out.
The Legislative Session’s Over
Jun 8, 2004 News
- but it took too long to get here, because know where we got??? No where!
You may have noticed the Pioneer Press article last week by Jim Ragsdale, “Legislature’s inaction not well received.” In the article was this quote:
“At this time, we need to be more unified than ever before, because of our world situation,” she said. Her husband, Larry, was angry about the legislative non-finish. “People used to have a work ethic,” he said. “These guys, I don’t think they know what work is.”
This is the kind of attitude that could work against House incumbents, particularly in close districts like 25B. Cox, the Republican incumbent, argues that the Democratic-Farmer-Labor-controlled Senate was intransigent. Bly, the DFL challenger, said his party stood up for people hurt by budget cuts last year.”
This article did a good job of presenting the hopes that people have that government can take stock of the problems we face and look at long term solutions that will make Minnesota a better place in the future. The people also understand that it is not a partisan problem – a divorce lawyer suggested that what we need are more divorce lawyers at the legislature, because they more than anyone know that BOTH sides are equally responsible for the impasse. Looking at the Governor’s all-or-nothing posturing over a special session, I doubt that lesson was learned. Both parties, and the entire state, will be hurt by their inability to hammer out a bonding bill. When I am elected, I will work hard to bring people together find the points we have in common and come to an agreement, because whether we are Republicans, Democrats, Independents or Greens our state needs a bonding bill, and our purpose should be about improving the lives of the Minnesotans we represent.
And now there’s talk of a special session, again. It’s encouraging to think some important bills may advance, but it is also scary to think what further damage might result at taxpayer expense. I hope legislators can find common ground and move ahead on those things that will truly benefit people and not just those who usually benefit.
If both sides can openly look at what is best for Minnesotans and put aside political agendas, such as the drive for a constitutional amendment on the ballot to turn out certain voters, there would be lots of room for compromise. But in a hotly contested election season that may, sadly, be beyond reach. As politicians we must be willing to argue for what we believe in, but I hear far too much ducking of issues, circumlocution, waffling, and attacking the character of others – oppositional behavior to force an extreme political agenda. It is trite but true that we are in a defining moment in our political history. As Americans and Minnesotans, we voters must be willing to educate ourselves and discuss, debate and look deliberately at what the future holds for us in our present situation and what we must do to build the future we want for our children and grandchildren. We aren’t going to get there without investing in people and people-focused resources like education, transportation and health care, and by creating a healthy and reliable environment in which people can take advantage of opportunities to better their lives. . .
