(defunct) Policy Blog

Peter Bell on the Citizens League and the Metropolitan Council

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 11:04:14 -0600

More than 2 million residents of Minnesota in more than 100 communities enjoy regional efficiencies and shared services like metropolitan transit, regional parks and cleaner water because the Citizens League made the case for the Metropolitan Council.

If you think citizenship, not partisanship, is what Minnesota needs more of today, we're asking for your support as we launch our membership drive.

Help us reach our goal of securing at least 60 contributions each month for the rest of the year. Members and supporters like you make the Citizens League's work possible!

Need an incentive? September prizes include tickets to Twins games and to a private reception with Ron Johnson, jcpenney CEO, before our Civic Celebration.

A wholly different approach: An intern's perspective

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 13:22:43 -0600

The following guest blog post is from Ashley Menzel, a Citizens League summer intern from St. Olaf College.

This November, I will be voting in my first presidential election. Lately, I have been bothered by the extreme partisanship in politics. Political parties' election goals leave no room for compromise or discussion. Candidates are nominated and endorsed based not for their ideas in addressing social issues and problems, but how well they represent their parties' interests.

In my summer internship with the Citizens League, I experienced a wholly different approach to policy making; one that begins policy conversations at the community level, and builds solutions through collaborative efforts involving people from across party lines.

In August, I attended a Citizens League Summer Policy Series on health insurance exchanges. I'll admit I was intimidated by the idea of talking about health care policy at 8 in the morning. Health care policy is big, scary and extremely confusing.

The 50-plus people who attended this event participated in a nonpartisan, factual discussion on health insurance exchanges, something we don't often get from candidates or their respective parties.

In order for us to begin to solve big problems we must first understand them and then work together to define them. Trying to tackle "health care" or "hunger" or "taxes" as an abstract, politicized concept isn't going to get you anywhere.

This is the unique and highly attractive quality of the Citizens League: involving ordinary citizens to be active in identifying, defining and creating solutions to policy problems. Minnesotans want to be active in changing the policy landscape. The Citizens League's 60 years of success is a testament to that.

As I move on from this experience, I hope that I continue to see people from two vantage points: theirs and mine. I hope I will continue to understand that there may be someone else standing at an equally valid, yet possibly opposite point from me on every issue. And that together, we can find common ground in creating solutions for the common good.

Energy and engagement: An intern's perspective

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 15:52:03 -0600

The following guest blog post is from Zoey Slater, a Citizens League summer intern from St. Olaf College.

When I decided to work as a communications and marketing intern at the Citizens League this summer, energy policy was the last thing I thought I'd learn about. As an English major at St. Olaf College in Northfield, I rarely considered my relationship with energy, despite daily consumption. Like most Americans, I think of energy as instant and reliable. Working at the Citizens League undoubtedly complicated my interaction with energy and the other policies that influence my life.

Along with the daily office work, I often attended Citizens League events. In early June, I attended a tour of District Energy in St. Paul. District Energy uses renewable energy sources to sustainably heat and cool hundreds of buildings around St. Paul. After a presentation, the group donned hard hats and walked through the plant's core. We peered into the energy-producing wood incinerator that works to heat water across the city, saw the control room that operates the plant, and stood next to the towering cold water tanks. Seeing a utility in action and hearing their goals towards sustainability moved energy from a peripheral topic to a forefront issue.

The following Thursday, I worked at one of the Summer Policy Series events. I had read through the League's values and guiding principles. However, this event allowed me to see the Citizens League in action. The room was filled with professors, people who had worked with energy for decades, and people just curious about energy policy. We listened to what is and isn't working in energy today. Then, we talked in small groups about how we would change the way Minnesota deals with energy. That was the first time that I ever had to think about how I would change a policy.

The diverse group produced a variety of solutions. Instead of arguing over policy options, however, the event created a constructive conversation that allowed people to both contribute to and learn from the discussion. Attending the event allowed me to see the League's values play out in reality.

Learning more about policy issues was an unexpected side effect of my communications and marketing internship. While I consider myself a regular information consumer, working with the League prompted me to re-evaluate my citizen engagement. Before, I considered politics disconnected from my life. However, attending the events helped me realize that almost every aspect of my life is touched by public policy, prompting me to want to get more involved.

Now, as I think about what my future holds after I graduate, I hope to pursue a career that allows me to continue my involvement in policy work. The Citizens League pushed me to develop opinions on a variety of topics such as health reform and tax expenditures - subjects I would have previously found daunting. Participating at the Citizens League encouraged me to want to actually involve myself in the process.

Would you shift your commute for a prize?

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:41:00 -0600

The Citizens League has long sought transportation solutions that offer commuters flexibility and options to reduce congestion, and we're also working on incorporating prize-linked savings as a way to move families from poverty to prosperity.

So what happens when you mix the two ideas together? You get Balaji Prabakhar's innovative proposal to offer prize incentives for commuters to shift their commute times off of peak rush hours in order to reduce congestion.

In this Ars Technica article, the Stanford professor of electrical engineering and computer science lays out the idea, which pivots off of the "congestion pricing" scheme of penalizing drivers for using the roads at certain times of the day or in certain places, and instead rewards them for moving their commute slightly earlier or later than the heaviest congestion periods.

"The most important thing about congestion that's worth knowing is that it's a 10 percent phenomenon," he told Ars this month. "That means if you shift 10 percent of the load from peak to off-peak, congestion will come down significantly for everyone. The reason is that as load approaches capacity, the rise in congestion is very severe at the high end. You don’t have to shift everybody. In fact, it's not worthwhile to shift everybody."

What do you think about Prabakhar's idea?

Family Independence: Bringing results to Minnesota

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 14:31:26 -0600

What is the Citizens League is doing to support prosperity? Over the past three years, the Citizens League's Pathways to Prosperity Project has explored ways in which Minnesota can develop a new approach that does more than react to the symptoms of poverty.

In August 2011, workshops around the state investigated the idea of a system focused on building human capacity and family networks, using conditional cash transfers based on goal-setting rather than the traditional service-delivery model. This led us to focus on an approach that has been piloted in Oakland, San Francisco, Oahu and Boston: Family Independence Initiative (FII).

With FII, groups of families assist each other in becoming better goal-setters and decision-makers. A form of conditional cash transfer is used that is based on goal-setting and reporting to peers. Rather than relying on advice from professionals, families become greater problem solvers as they look to other families who have been successful in a particular area as their resource.

Currently, the Citizens League is working with five community partners to launch Family Independence Demonstrations in Minnesota.

Data from the onset show results. Families in the Oakland Demonstration had an average income increase of 23 percent, 17 percent became homeowners, and 33 percent of families expanded or became business owners. Additionally, 70 percent of the children in participating families improved their grades.

To find out more, join us on Wednesday, Aug. 8 for the latest event in our Summer Policy Series, Pathways to Prosperity: Family Independence.

Joining us in the discussion are Tamara Pacheco, program director at the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center and Pamela Maldonado, director of community engagement at Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties.

Bringing everyone to the table: An intern's reflections

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 09:13:47 -0600

This guest blog post is from Sally Cole, an incoming senior at St. Olaf College who interned with the Citizens League this summer.

Spending my summer as a Pathways to Prosperity intern at the Citizens League, the most profound point of the League's position on policy making that I will take with me is how they not only recruit the experts on an issue but also the typical homeowner, student, and citizen to organize a well-rounded and open discussion on the topic.

After this summer, I really do believe that the League has a crucial idea as they 'bring everyone to the table.' At an electrical energy workshop, I found myself wedged in-between a determined fossil fuel supporter who advocated building more coal plants and my fellow intern, an enthusiastic renewable energy activist. Being caught in the middle of their debate better informed me about the subject then any other meeting I could have attended.

This experience has also shown me the importance of community education. A perfect example of the Citizens League's education strategy lies in the recent event on tax expenditures. On an early summer morning, citizens gathered to learn about, discuss and debate ideas they had never even thought to question, like why you don't pay sales tax on a candy bar containing flour, like a Twix, but do pay it on a Hershey's chocolate bar.

My work at the Citizens League focused on Pathways to Prosperity, which is about helping Minnesota families by shifting the focus from reacting to poverty to promoting prosperity. I set up and helped lead workshops, then I analyzed data gathered from votes at them. Doing all of this helped me gain a hands-on idea of what it takes to make policy change.

I also had the chance to sit in on meetings about the project with community leaders, local organizations and government officials. My visits to the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, Islamic Civic Society of America, tour of District Energy and a handful of meetings with state government officials have given me insight into how networking, partnerships and collaborating plays out within a nonprofit citizen-based organization. It was amazing to see all the connections and relationships built through this project over just one summer.

I now realize how immense cultural issues such as poverty can be. This experience has not left me defeated, but rather optimistic as I have realized how many people and organizations are passionate about current issues and are working full time to tackle them. I know there are many supporters in the areas I am interested in working in, including my friends at Citizens League.

One voice from Generation Debt

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:19:07 -0600

The following guest blog post is from Zoey Slater, a Citizens League summer intern from St. Olaf College.

As a member of "generation debt," the last Policy and a Pint event hit close to home. In the fall, I'll start my junior year at a liberal arts school where tuition inches closer to the $50,000 mark every year. Like many students, my financial aid package is a combination of student work, grants, and loans. Even with this help, I often wonder if it'll all be worth is in the end - especially with my student loans hanging over my head. It is terrifying to know that before I even have a steady income, I'll start off tens of thousands of dollars in debt. Based off of the audience at Policy and a Pint, I'm not alone.

Today's students meet a paradox. Society puts an increasing importance on education. According to the U.S. Department of Education, men and women with a high school diploma make on average $32,900 and $25,000, respectively, while men and women with Bachelor's degrees earn $51,000 and $40,100. The gap between degrees only increases with graduate school.

However, many argue that the path higher education is headed down is not sustainable. Student loan debt surpasses credit card debt in the United States, exceeding one trillion dollars. Several frustrated audience members wondered why we don't cap university prices or why there aren't more educational institutions to bring costs down. Special guests Rep. Carlos Mariani and Art Rolnik suggested that instead of focusing on these smaller issues, our entire perception of education needs to shift if the United States is going to keep up with global education trends. Allowing more students to attend college improves our entire society, but if students can't afford their student loans, the future of America's competitive workforce looks dire.

We as citizens need to push this issue to the forefront of state and federal policy. Rep. Mariani argued that student debt 'doesn't dominate the public discourse,' allowing politicians to ignore the problem. However, as the amount of total student loan debt rises, and as Congress wrestles over whether to extend low student loan interest rates, a change seems to be coming. As a person who faces a large amount of student debt, I believe it's crucial to engage our legislators and let them know this is an urgent issue in order to shift our higher education policies to a more sustainable model.

Ties that bind us: Regional tax-base sharing

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:29:02 -0600

How does sharing a regional tax base bind Minnesotans together and make our state different?

"Fiscal Disparities," as it is sometimes known, is Minnesota's unique version of regional tax-base sharing that has been in place since 1971 in the Twin Cities. But that isn't the only Minnesota region that shares its tax base. Fiscal disparities was introduced on the Iron Range in 1995.

Fiscal Disparities is one of the Citizens League's most enduring accomplishments, Our 1969 report, "Breaking the Tyranny of the Local Property Tax"(pdf) led to the debate about tax-base sharing that resulted in the Act.

For an excellent primer on the benefits that the Fiscal Disparities Act has yielded for the Twin Cities metro area, we recommend an explainer we did in conjunction with the Minnesota chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, entitled "Sharing the Wealth" (pdf).

Join the Citizens League Tuesday, July 31 for an exploration and discussion of fiscal disparities - how it works and how it impacts a region.

Featured speakers include:

Ted Kolderie, Citizens League Executive Director, 1967-1980
Kaye Rakow, Director of Public Policy, NAIOP Minnesota

Recreating a culture of savings

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 14:19:52 -0600

Our current approach to poverty is reactionary. Instead of supporting prosperity, the current public assistance system reacts to poverty and then forces people into navigating a system to prove their neediness, rather than building their capacity to be independent.

Over the past three years, the Citizens League's Pathways to Prosperity Project has explored ways in which Minnesota can develop a new approach.

Building off of our 2010 working document (pdf), the Citizens League is currently advancing a plan to establish Family Independence Demonstrations with five partners across Minnesota. Part of the environment we want to create includes increased tools for asset building. Prize-linked savings (PLS) is one part of the comprehensive saving and asset-building strategy that is needed to support prosperity for low- and middle-income Minnesotans.

This is particularly critical when one considers a 2009 study by Harvard Business Professor Peter Tufano, which found that 46 percent of Americans felt they would be unable to come up with $2,000 within 30 days if they had an emergency, and another 7 percent were unsure.

By recreating the entertainment and fun that attracts people to the lottery, PLS encourages regular savings deposits with the chance to win every month. Participants are able to take a chance on winning without the risk of loss that is included in a typical lottery

If you're curious about how Minnesota can reinstitute a culture of savings through innovative products like prize-linked savings, then join us on Friday, July 20 for the latest event in our Summer Policy Series: Savings innovation to support prosperity.

An interactive workshop will be followed by a discussion with Anne Johnson, Financial Services Manager for AccountAbility Minnesota, who will talk about how prize-linked savings could connect with their efforts to provide tax and financial services for those in need.

Help organize education policy forums

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:39:00 -0600

We are currently seeking members to organize a series of education-related events, likely this fall. In the course of their recent work, members of the Tiered Teacher Licensure Review Group found great interest in publicly examining education policy, and recommended hosting a series of informational forums. Join us if you're interested in helping to put this together.

Members will be asked to organize an event series that explains how Minnesota education policy works, inviting outside speakers to cover topics such as:

How is the teaching profession currently structured in Minnesota? What are the advantages and disadvantages? What are similarities and differences between teaching and other professions? What might be learned by such comparisons? What future innovations might better support teachers in supporting student learning?
How is education policy developed, implemented, and evaluated in Minnesota? How does Minnesota's process compare with other states?

The purpose of these events would be primarily informative. If the forums help to highlight issues that should be addressed, that information could be helpful to the Policy Advisory Committee.

This will be a member-organized effort. Members will keep in touch with me and Membership and Engagement Manager Cat Beltmann, but they will be asked to take on the responsibilities of organizing the series. Member-organized groups expand the Citizens League's capacity to be active in many policy areas. This group is open to all members with all kinds of experience with education -- you do not need any particular type of expertise to participate. You do need to be a member to participate. (And you're welcome to join in order to do so!)

Interested in participating? Have questions? Contact me at alevensonfalk[at]citizensleague.org or 651-289-1072. Please get in touch by Friday, June 22.

Own Your Future - A foundation for our Long-Term Care recommendations

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 11:52:19 -0600

The Citizens League is participating in the Own Your Future Advisory Panel convened by Lt. Gov. Yvonne Prettner Solon along with a broad cross-section of 26 other stakeholders who are engaged in the delivery and policy around long-term care planning. The Minnesota Own Your Future campaign will be planned and implemented over the next 12 months.

The objectives of the campaign are to:

Raise awareness among Minnesotans of the importance of planning now so they will have personal and financial options to meet future long-term care needs.
Increase the number of Minnesotans who have taken action to address and provide for their future long-term care.

The advisory panel will meet quarterly over the next 12 months and members will also participate in working groups to meet the following overall charge:

Provide oversight and direction for the implementation of Minnesota’s Own Your Future campaign
Assist with development and review of campaign materials for use by employers, grassroots organizations and stakeholder organizations
Act as a liaison between the Own Your Future campaign and employers, grassroots and stakeholder organizations.

Several members of the advisory panel took part in the work of the Citizens League Long-Term Care Collaborative which issued a report in December 2010 entitled Moving Beyond Medicaid.

Public awareness such as what is envisioned in Own Your Future is an important foundation for further recommendations proposed by the Citizens League.

Build our electrical energy future at an upcoming workshop

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:51:06 -0600

As I mentioned in my blog a couple weeks ago, Phase II of the electrical energy project is kicking off with a series of workshops throughout Minnesota in June and July. Click on the links for more information and to register.

More workshops will be scheduled soon. Keep an eye on the "Upcoming Events" list on the left side of this page, where they will all be posted.

We started with a lunch hour session at the headquarters of Cummins Power Generation, a Citizens League member business.

In these workshops, you will:

Learn about what our future electrical system should achieve (the conclusions of Phase I)
Learn how well Minnesota's electrical system is doing today on these counts
Envision different electrical systems that would meet our future needs
Contribute to the Electrical Energy Project.

If you're interested in hosting a workshop with your organization or employer, please contact me at alevensonfalk[at]citizensleague.org or 651-289-1072. And for complete information about the Electrical Energy project, click here.

Member spotlight: Claudia Dengler

Fri, 25 May 2012 08:46:15 -0600

Citizens League Board member Claudia Dengler recently offered her thoughts on membership and why she supports the Citizens League's work.

What do you do?

"Independent business consultant and Partner in Midwest Growth, LLC a real estate development and commercial property management company."

How did you get involved in the Citizens League?

"I was briefly involved in the early 80's and in 2009 joined the Development Committee at the urging of my friend and colleague, Judy Blaseg, who was chairing the committee.

"I am currently serving on the Finance Committee and am chairing the Development Committee. I am especially interested and active in Minnesota's energy future."

Why do you support the Citizens League?

"The League is an oasis for data driven pragmatists (e.g. me) who believe it's possible to find sensible and affordable solutions to complicated issues.

"My idea of fun is a lively, non-partisan exchange of ideas about 'hot' topics and I have fun at the League.

"I happen to have friends across the political spectrum and the League is one of the rare places where we can be ourselves and not be judged as 'out of step' with our respective political party.

"I am disappointed (understatement) in party politics, the candidates they surface and the narrow band of solutions they propose.

"My parents grew up in Germany during Hitler's rise to power and watched that democracy descend into insanity. They taught me from an early age that a democracy is a fragile thing and that its survival depends on each of us being informed and engaged.

"It's the most fun bunch of wonks you'll ever meet."

What's something people might not know about you?

"I have a 50-ton Masters license from the USCG, better known as a Captain's license and my husband and I are planning to sail around the world.

"I grew up speaking German and learned English in school.

"I went to the Senior Prom with Jay Leno."

Contact Membership and Engagement Manager Cat Beltmann at 651-289-1075 or cbeltmann[at]citizensleague.org to share your membership story or find out how to get more involved.

2012 Legislative session in review

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:06:00 -0600

The Citizens League identified several priorities for reform at the 2012 Minnesota Legislature, most of which were drowned out by the stadium debate this year.

Here is a recap of which reforms we supported and their outcomes from this year's legislative session.

Asset Development

Two measures related to asset development were included in the Omnibus Health and Human Services bill (HF2294).

The Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force, which was set to expire June 1, 2012, was re-constituted as the Asset Development and Financial Literacy Task Force and will continue until June 1, 2014. The Citizens League will continue to work with this task force on asset development.

The Department of Human Services will work with counties to seek uniform asset limit requirements across several programs and produce draft legislation for 2013. This effort could reduce the amount of resources trapped "navigating the lines" of poverty, a main finding from the Pathways to Prosperity Project.

Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota (FAIM)

A bipartisan effort revived FAIM during the 2012 Legislature and appropriated $250,000 in the Omnibus Health and Human Services bill (HF2294). This was after its $250,000 annual appropriation was cut in July 2011 as part of the solution to the budget deficit. Continuing the matched-savings project to help low-wage earners is one piece of the asset development framework that the Citizens League supports as part of the Pathways to Prosperity project.

Since a state appropriation is required for federal matching dollars, participating non-profits have been cobbling together other funding streams to keep the federal match alive and this year's appropriation does not solve that problem. Since the 2012 appropriation is one-time and is a redirection of federal TANF (Temporary Aid for Needy Families) dollars, it still does not trigger the federal match. It does begin the momentum for funding in the 2013-2014 biennium which the Citizens League supports.

Chief authors were Rep. King Banaian and Sen. Michelle Benson (HF2062/SF1720). The Citizens League supports funding for FAIM at $500,000 per year in state funding in order to take full advantage of the federal match.

FAIM is part of the approach that the Citizens League seeks to expand upon as we seek partners to form Family Independence Demonstrations in 2013.

Prize-Linked Savings

Progress was made in identifying interested legislators and vetting a proposal with state agencies to create a savings promotion raffle that helps families build assets. The legislation would enable financial institutions to offer a new savings product that offers drawings for monthly prizes and an annual prize for those who make regular deposits. More organizations were also made aware of the potential of this savings tool. The Citizens League will continue to pursue with partners in 2013. This is another part of the asset development framework in Pathways to Prosperity.

Impartial Justice Act

Despite the plethora of constitutional amendments before the Legislature in 2012, a proposed constitutional amendment providing for judicial retention elections was not heard in either body despite a broad bipartisan coalition of support. Chief authors were Rep. Michael Beard and Sen. Doug Magnus (HF1666/SF1465). The Citizens League will continue to support efforts to get this amendment on the ballot in a future election.

MnPASS expansion

Although MnDOT already has authority to expand MnPASS, the agency sought legislative approval to expand this popular congestion-pricing option to commuters in the east metro as part of an $80 million expansion project north of downtown St. Paul on I-35E. The legislation passed the House as part of the Omnibus Transportation Policy bill (HF1284), but some Senators opposed it, considering it a tax increase and it was not heard on the Senate floor.

The Citizens League supported the expansion of MnPASS and does not consider its expansion a tax increase since it is a market-based traffic management tool and only those who choose to buy the benefit of free flow on a congested highway will pay. Better management of this highway capacity will also benefit those who don't pay, and there is no charge when the highway is not congested. This does not fit the definition of a tax or toll.

Chief authors were Rep. Michael Beard and Sen. Ann Rest (HF1588/SF1297).

Tax Expenditures

The Citizens League supports ongoing legislative review of tax expenditures along the lines of this February 2011 report from the Department of Revenue.

Tax expenditures amount to roughly $24 billion in tax exemptions, deductions and subsidies granted by the state each biennium that do not require legislative approval to continue. Eliminating or reducing a tax expenditure, however, should not automatically mean an overall tax increase. The Citizens League supports the general approach that elimination or reduction of a tax expenditure should automatically reduce the rate of the tax for everyone unless the Legislature decides otherwise. With state government still facing a structural budget deficit, tax expenditures should be on the table for discussion. There was no legislative progress towards this goal in 2012.

Help make our electrical energy vision a reality

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:15:35 -0600

Last year, about 100 Minnesotans came together from across sectors and industries to agree on (pdf) what Minnesota's electrical system should achieve.

Now, we are launching Phase II of the Electrical Energy Project to identify changes that need to happen in order to achieve this vision.

In Phase II, the Citizens League will continue to bring a wide variety of citizens together to work for the common good. First, we will identify key challenges that are appropriate for the Citizens League to take a lead on. We want to make a unique contribution that builds off good work already being done in our state, so we will be identifying policy challenges that Minnesota can impact at the state level, and that other groups are not already leading progress on.

To achieve this, we will:

Host a series of workshops in June and July that will help to identify barriers to achieving the Phase I vision.
Organize work to address a few of these challenges in which we can have a unique contribution. We anticipate this work starting in August and continuing for about 6 months, at which point we will evaluate our progress and the best steps forward.

How you can participate now:

Help to host a workshop at your site or with your business or organization. We are especially looking for sites in Greater Minnesota. Ideally, we would have a 2-hour session with at least 20 people in attendance, but we can be flexible as needed. Contact Annie (alevensonfalk[at]citizensleague.org) if you are interested.
Attend a workshop: A list of dates will be available soon.
Spread the word to others who may be interested in participating.
Contribute resources to help fund the project. See this PDF for more information about sponsorship, and contact me if you are interested.

If you have any questions, ideas, concerns, etc., please don't hesitate to get in touch with me! You can reach me at alevensonfalk[at]citizensleague.org or 651-289-1072.