“There was no money from the Koch brothers, no funding from Hubbard Broadcasting or Walmart. But a long-anticipated (yet still-late) report by the pro-business political committee Minnesota Jobs Coalition revealed that its role in the 2017 Minneapolis City Council election was substantial, and that it was financed by prominent business interests, including the Pohlad brothers, Ryan Companies, Sherman Associates, Swervo Management, the downtown building owners and managers and the Minnesota Multi-Housing Association.
[…]
While the two different sets of reporting rules allowed some donors to escape pre-election scrutiny, it also allows opponents to fill the information void with speculation. In the run-up to November, TakeAction Minnesota, a progressive activist group, alleged that national corporations and conservative interests were trying to “buy” the Minneapolis City Council.”… Continue reading »
“It was 16 degrees outside — and three days before the city was to host Super Bowl 52 — but on a recent Thursday night in Minneapolis, two dozen people still battled traffic and packed into a community room in the Temple Israel in Uptown.
The event had nothing to do with football, but it was a pregame of sorts. “Is anybody here training to go to their first caucus ever?” Carin Mrotz, director of Jewish Community Action, asked the group. More than half the hands in the room shot up into the air.
[…]
To help explain the caucus process, organizers of the training, which included Take Action Minnesota, handed out a 10-page packet with answers to frequently asked questions. There are plenty of things caucus-goers need to remember about the process.” Read more… Continue reading »
TakeAction Minnesota released the following statement regarding comments made by Jeff Johnson, the leading GOP gubernatorial candidate, and state Reps. Cindy Pugh and Kathy Lohmer regarding participation by Muslim families in Minnesota’s precinct caucuses.
“Minnesotans know we are strong when we’re united. As we approach precinct caucuses, people from all walks of life are showing up together because they want to contribute to our democracy. Any elected official who lacks respect for Muslim families, or tries to divide us is wrong for our state. We’re not weak and divided.
We stand behind ISAIAH, the Center on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), and the Muslim American Society of Minnesota as they train individuals on our caucus system and strengthen democracy in our state.” Read more.… Continue reading »
The pro-business political committee Minnesota Jobs Coalition dumped $140,000 into a Minneapolis fund set up to elect a more business-friendly City Council, but it did so too late to be included in pre-election campaign finance reports.
The specter of the Minnesota Jobs Coalition — a statewide conservative pro-business PAC — influencing city elections had been raised by activists in the months and weeks leading up to Election Day. But because the funding didn’t show up in pre-election campaign finance reports, the level of its involvement was left open to speculation.
Before the election, the founders of Minneapolis Works had invited donors to give either to the new committee or to Minnesota Jobs Coalition, yet no money from the Jobs Coalition showed up in campaign finance disclosures as of late October. It wasn’t until year-end reports were finally filed this week that the public was able to see that money from the Jobs Coalition did flow into Minneapolis Works, though only after the last reporting deadline of 2017 so as not to become a campaign issue.
[…]
Local progressive organizations, led by TakeAction Minnesota, tried to raise concerns about outside business money coming into the Minneapolis election. Because the Jobs Coalition has in the past received money from national conservative funders the Koch Brothers, TakeAction alleged that they were trying to buy the City Council.… Continue reading »
“The pro-business political committee Minnesota Jobs Coalition dumped $140,000 into a Minneapolis fund set up to elect a more business-friendly City Council, but it did so too late to be included in pre-election campaign finance reports.
[…]
Local progressive organizations, led by TakeAction Minnesota, tried to raise concerns about outside business money coming into the Minneapolis election. Because the Jobs Coalition has in the past received money from national conservative funders the Koch Brothers, TakeAction alleged that they were trying to buy the City Council. The Jobs Coalition is already a target of progressive groups because it was active in helping turn the state Legislature over to the Republicans. Ironically, one of its strategies was to link Democrats from Greater Minnesota to Minneapolis DFLers.” Read More… Continue reading »
“Historically, public-sector unions have focused their attention almost entirely on negotiating for higher wages and better benefits. These days, though, many are showing up at the bargaining table to fight not just for themselves but also for the people they serve — like students, foster children and taxpayers.
‘Unions in past decades were largely in the habit of servicing their members,’ says Dan McGrath, executive director of TakeAction Minnesota, a progressive advocacy group. ‘Now they’re asking themselves to be at the edge of social change.'”
This Sunday is the anniversary of the Women’s March, the largest single-day protest in American history, and in honor of that anniversary, this week, we’re sharing stories about women. Over the last year, we’ve seen the beginning of major cultural shifts, like the #MeToo/#TimesUp movement, but there’s still plenty of work to do.
At TakeAction Minnesota, we can’t help but imagine what our political system will be like—and what else will be possible—when more women and femmes are in public office.
Here’s what we’ve been reading this week:
1. A record number of women are running for office this yearIn the 2015-2016 election year, 900 women contacted Emily’s List about running for office. Since Trump was elected, more than 26,000 women contacted them. Read more about women running for office here.
2. Women of Color face some different obstacles around saying #MeTooDifferent stereotypes, cultural expectations, and power-dynamics are contributing factors into harassment and assault perpetrated against Women of Color as well as cultural pressures on speaking up and how their voices are received if they do. Read about ten Women of Color as they share their experiences.… Continue reading »
In late November, U.S. House republicans passed their tax reform bill, and yesterday, the Senate passed their version of the bill out of committee on a party line vote. The president and congressional republicans have said they hope that they will have a bill signed by Christmas.
My guiding principal is: “We all do better when we all do better,” and I believe that a government by and for the people helps us get there. I know I believe that health care for all, affordable higher education and a level playing field so that we all have the best possible chance to succeed. I also know that the money for programs that help advance those goals doesn’t come out of thin air.
So we ask ourselves: What are some of the things the GOP tax bill does, what does it tell us about their priorities, and what does this bill tell us about who congressional republicans feel they represent?
What are some of the things that the GOP tax bill does?
“Minnesota’s biggest public health insurance program will take on a new shape after next year, when about 500,000 enrollees will be encouraged to develop a close relationship with a primary care clinic, while doctors, clinics and HMOs will be held more accountable for patient care outcomes.
[…]
“In general there is a lot to like here and a lot to build on,” said David Zaffrann, health care program manager at TakeAction Minnesota. “Folks are much more likely to have a preference for their doctor or clinic based on where they live or based on past experience than they are to have a strong preference between big HMOs,” he said.” Read more… Continue reading »
“Jacob Frey soundly defeated Mayor Betsy Hodges and 14 other candidates Tuesday after presenting himself as a mayor who will be visible, willing to compromise and relentlessly enthusiastic about the city.
A 36-year-old native of Virginia who was drawn to Minneapolis after running a marathon here, Frey is a lawyer and first-term City Council member representing parts of downtown and northeast Minneapolis.
[…]
“For Betsy, what we saw in this race was challenges from the left and challenges from the right,” McGrath said. “She was pinched between the two.”
McGrath said Frey found a way during the campaign to hold together “disparate constituencies,” such as downtown business and people in neighborhoods, while projecting a persona that’s palatable to some progressives. But holding that coalition together will be more difficult in office, as Hodges well knows, McGrath said.
“How does he now govern with those disparate constituencies expecting different things?” McGrath said.” Read the article here… Continue reading »
“The bedrock of Minnesota’s Democratic voter base will head to the polls next week. As voters in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth prepare to cast ballots in their local elections, we’ve seen a progressive arms race break out.
Candidates with all sorts of different policy positions and political ideologies are vying to be “the progressive.” Even Minneapolis Works, a right-wing political action committee of downtown business leaders, promotes its candidates as progressive. The silly season has arrived.” Read more… Continue reading »
“No political candidate wants to learn that an apparently well-funded independent political committee has decided to help your opponent … and hurt you.
But the Minneapolis city council candidates who are in the crosshairs of a business-oriented committee called Minneapolis Works! are making the best of it, using the still-mysterious committee to motivate donors and volunteers against what they’re portraying as right-wing attack funded by big money, out-of-town interests.” Read more… Continue reading »
We believe in a government by and for the people. Changing politics takes all of us, and it starts at the city level. This is hard work, but it’s worth it. The possibilities for our future are endless, when we take action together. I’m excited and I hope you are too. … Continue reading »
When I’m on the doors, I hear a lot of people who don’t believe their voices have a place in our political process. This is wrong. Our government, and our economy, should be by us and for us. This election season, we have the opportunity to do politics differently. But we can’t do it without you.
This is Amity Foster, the co-chair of our Political Committee, and Londel French, a candidate running for Minneapolis Park Board. This is co-governing: grassroots leaders from Justice 4 All running for office—and winning—to work with the community to carry out the vision and values we share.
Co-governing happens when people from our base—leaders like Londel —play big, to represent our community, while building authentic relationships with people in the community. This is how we go beyond, and do politics differently.
Leaders like Londel French remind me what progressive politics can be, and what we can do together. We can’t do it without you. Election Day is just around the corner. Take a few minutes to visit our website, and find out which progressive candidates TakeAction Minnesota endorsed in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Duluth. Make the decision now to vote early.… Continue reading »
“The Duluth City Council may have opted not to receive a report Monday night from a specially appointed task force that was to make some recommendations regarding a prospective earned-sick-and-safe-time policy, but the topic dominated much of the evening’s meeting nevertheless.” Read more.… Continue reading »
[…]
“They are funneling money from Minnesota to Wisconsin at the same time they were going to the Legislature saying we need money for reinsurance to keep premiums down,” said Kenza Hadj-Moussa, communications director for TakeAction Minnesota, which opposed the legislative changes that allowed for the transfer.
The reinsurance program, which was passed by the Legislature and recently approved by the federal government, will allow the state’s health plans to moderate premiums in the individual market.
“We are entrusting these insurance companies to do the right thing, considering the reinsurance package came with no strings attached,” said Hadj-Moussa.” Read more.… Continue reading »
October 9, 2017
State Rep. Matt Dean counts himself among those who believe there is voter fraud in Minnesota. There is no evidence of any widespread problem, but Dean still favors tighter voting rules, including voter ID.
“They can say ‘well, there’s never been as case of voter fraud found in Minnesota.’ How would you ever know?” asked Dean, R-Dellwood, who’s competing for the 2018 Republican nomination for governor.
Similar claims were made in 2012 when Minnesotans rejected a constitutional amendment that would have required people who wanted to vote to show a photo ID. Only 46 percent backed the ballot question. Read more.… Continue reading »
October 6, 2017
Dai Thao doesn’t like being underestimated.
“As early as elementary school, he spotted inequalities. He challenged the teacher of his English as a Second Language class: Why weren’t they learning what other students learned? Why were the expectations lower?
“She told me I could leave,” said Thao, a St. Paul City Council member who came to the United States from Thailand with his family as a boy. “So I just got up, and I left.”
It would be a recurring theme in the years to come: Thao, frustrated by inequity and injustice, trying to do something about it.” Read more.… Continue reading »
“For at least a decade now, the far right has exploited its near-total domination of state government to clamp down on the mere possibility that progressive change could take root in the small specks of blue—the defiant, often Democratic cities—that hover in their midst. From Arkansas and Texas to Alabama and Missouri, reactionary legislatures and governors have used their power to roll back promising local legislation: minimum-wage ordinances, sanctuary-city laws, LGBTQ anti-discrimination regulations, and other achievements meant to better the lives of immigrants, people of color, the working class, and the queer community, among others.
[…]
LESSON 1: BE AWARE OF THE PREEMPTION PROPOSALS IN YOUR STATE LEGISLATURE, AND STOP THEM FROM BECOMING LAW WHENEVER POSSIBLE. PREVENTION IS THE BEST REMEDY.
[…]
“A coalition came together to fight it,” says Chris Conry, the strategic campaigns director at TakeAction Minnesota, a statewide network that fights for racial and economic justice. “It was many of the same groups that had been active fighting for sick time in the first place: labor organizations, community-organizing groups, and faith-based organizations.”
Conry says the coalition’s key goal was to publicize the preemption bill as widely as possible, using slogans like “protect local control” and “stop corporate interference” to ensure that Minnesotans knew about the state legislature’s attempt to overturn the will of the people.… Continue reading »
Thank you to everyone who participated in the March for Medicaid and Caregiving.
[<a href=”//storify.com/TakeActionMN/5-things-to-know-about-the-caring-majority” target=”_blank”>View the story “5 Things to Know about the Caring Economy” on Storify</a>]… Continue reading »A group of about 20 protesters showed up at U.S. Rep. Jason Lewis’ (R) house in Woodbury on Wednesday. They coursed up his driveway bearing signs, crowded around his front step, and chanted about healthcare loudly enough for his neighbors to hear. Lewis had supported the Republican health care bill, which included deep cuts to Medicaid.
Lewis wasn’t at home, but when he heard about the “invasion” later, he was incensed, calling the protest a “wanton disregard of civility,” and a “dangerous ramping up of rhetoric that already has one of my House colleagues in rehab from a vicious attack.”
Lewis’ office didn’t respond to our calls, but the congressman appears to be refering to U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), who is in rehabilitation after a Bernie Sanders supporter shot him during practice for the Congressional Baseball Game in June.
A video of the protest accompanied Lewis’ post as evidence, though instead of threatening mobsters, protesters are elderly ladies, a senior gentleman in a wheelchair, homecare workers, and a handful of young activists with TakeAction Minnesota. The group led a set of chants for a few minutes, before reading aloud from a letter, which was then propped against Lewis’ door.
Their “dangerous” rhetoric included a short speech by senior citizen Debra Francis: “My PCA would have to juggle even more work to keep up with the cost of living.… Continue reading »
Chris and I are back from vacation which means the TakeAction Digest is back. Wow, what a summer. The events that have unfolded in these past several weeks continue to remind us the importance of taking care of one another – we’re in this for the long haul.
What happened in Charlottesville, VA – the violent riots led by white supremacists – left us shocked, angry and unsettled. We know many of you are feeling similar. We want you to know that we will continue to stand, fight for justice, and dream alongside you.
We all must lead in bold and creative ways. The work ahead requires us to name and challenge white supremacy, and to build intentionally with one another with a love so fierce that we make the impossible, possible. We’re up for that challenge.
With that, here’s what we have been reading this week.
1. Grassroots Organizing and White SupremacistsWhat happened in Charlottesville is not some isolated event. It’s a part of our country’s legacy of racism and white supremacy. This newest iteration of it is using the grassroots organizing strategies we’ve developed. We need to be clear about this to know how to challenge it.… Continue reading »
August 2, 2017
If you look at the electoral map of Minnesota in 2016, it’s possible to conclude that the DFL no longer is a statewide party.
One little exercise brings that point home: If you subtract all the votes cast in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties in the 2016 election, Donald Trump would have easily carried Minnesota, with 58 percent of the vote.
As it was, Hillary Clinton defeated Trump, with 46.1 percent of the statewide vote. But she carried just nine of the state’s 87 counties. And not only did Trump crush Clinton in Greater Minnesota, but Republicans won control of both houses of the Legislature.
July 27, 2017
The Duluth City Council is working to adopt a sensible paid sick time policy.
Tonight it seems as if some progress has been made.
Duluth’s earn sick and safe time task force plans to present a final draft of the referendum to the Duluth City Council to approve or not approve.
If approved employees that currently don’t receive any paid sick leave would now be able to accumulate hours to help with much needed time off when needed.
“We know that 46% of the population would end up to having access to earn sick and safe time. Tangibly what does that look like, it looks like people and families not having to make a choice about whether they go to work sick or send their kid to school sick because they can’t afford to take a day off work.” Shawnu Ksicinski, Duluth Program Manager, Take Action MN says.
The Duluth City Council is expected to vote on the measure in the fall.
July 5, 2017
U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-6th District, last faced a town hall of his constituents Feb. 22 in Sartell.
At that meeting, Emmer made a promise to the 150 people gathered: If he voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, he would replace it with something better.
On Wednesday, political activists from the 6th District gathered near the Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud to call on Emmer to fulfill that promise and explain his May 4 vote in favor of the American Health Care Act (ACHA).
“It’s very disappointing, there is no human connection with Tom,” Kathryn Tasto, a Becker resident at Wednesday’s protest, said. “That’s why these people are out here — he is avoiding us. He is running away from us.”
July 5, 2017
ST. CLOUD — A group of concerned local citizens held a peaceful rally Wednesday afternoon asking state leaders to pass their message to Congress to vote not to end the Affordable Care Act.
Several residents shared their personal stories on how the current health care system has helped their families.
Kathryn Schwartz Eckhardt says while her family has good health coverage, it took a frightening experience with her son who has a chronic respiratory condition, to realize others may be as lucky without the Affordable Care Act.
“My son is going to be fine because I can afford to take care of him. But millions of children rely on Medicaid and other public assistance to make sure they have access to care,” says Schwartz Eckhardt.
The Senate left for recess without voting on a bill after the Congressional Budget Office estimated it would cause 22 million people to lose coverage.
Jim Magnuson spoke on how his fathers life was taken too early because he couldn’t afford health care coverage.
… Continue reading »“When he came down with pneumonia, because of his pride and fear of recurring more debt than he could pay, he didn’t go to the hospital until it was too late,” says Magnuson.
By Matt Kramer, Operations Assistant
Growing up as a kid with a disability, I felt both the stigma society places on people with disabilities, and the importance of connecting with people to make change.
I had “friends,” which I later learned often meant kids the teacher asked to talk to me. Add society stigma and misunderstanding about disabilities, along with meanness of kids at that age, and you have a pretty lonely, isolated childhood. Adults who weren’t directly taking care of me were either afraid of me, or walking on eggshells trying to say the right thing. I remember people praising me lavishly about being brave, and an inspiration. Although flattered at the time, I look back at this and often ask why.
As for services, most did not exist, and those that did were impossible to find. This was long before the days of e-mail or the internet. We had the Yellow Pages. You had to know someone who knew something. Families like mine who had complex medical issues from birth were on their own figuring out how to pay for the gargantuan medical bills.
My parents served on the first Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. The group analyzes state policy for people with disability, makes recommendations to the governor, and provides research grants to improve the lives of people with disabilities.… Continue reading »
