DFL Education Foundation

Preview (7/18): 2009 and 2010 at the Legislature with Larry Pogemiller

 Saturday, July 18 (3rd Saturday)
8 to 9:30 AM
Gardens of Salonica
19 N. E. 5th St., Minneapolis (map)

The Legislature: 2009 and 2010

At this month's Stone Arch discussion, state senator Larry Pogemiller (DFL, SD59) will be joined by Rep. Phyllis Kahn and Diane Loeffler to recap the 2009 session and prognosticate on the 2010 session. 

Saturday, June 13 from 8 to 9:30 AM at our new meeting place--Gardens of Salonica, 19 N. E. 5th St.  Only 3 blocks north up E. Hennepin Avenue (County Road 52) from our old meeting place, and a half block west. 

As usual, invite anyone interested--free and open to the public.  Come, buy your coffee, learn a lot and have your questions ready.

Recap: Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson-Kelliher

June brought Minnesota Representative, and Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives Margaret Anderson-Kelliher to the Downtown Discussion Group.  How often do you get this much time with the Speaker? 

Click play to listen to the conversation.

Download Margaret Anderson-Kelliher

This podcast is brought to you by iDream.tv and the DFL Education Foundation.

Recap: Peter Mclaughlin on the role of County Government

In May the Stone Arch Discussion Group hosted Hennepin County Commissioner Peter Mclaughlin on the topic of how the County will cope with budget cuts from the State.  The Commissioner also spoke concerning Hennepin County Medical Center, the Library system and other components of County Government.  Because Hennepin County is the second largest government body in Minnesota it’s important to understand what they do.

Click play to listen to the conversation.

Download Peter McLaughlin

This podcast is brought to you by iDream.tv and the DFL Education Foundation.

Recap: Art Rolnick on the US Economy and what the Fed is doing

In May the Downtown Discussion Group was happy to host Art Rolnick from the Minneapolis Federal Reserve.  Mr. Rolnick spoke on the Federal Reserve’s perspective on the current US economy, and the rationale behind the Fed’s actions.  It is an “optimistic” take on what we’re going through.

Click play to listen to the conversation.

Download Art Rolnick

This podcast is brought to you by iDream.tv and the DFL Education Foundation.

Preview (7/16): Watching Wall Street

12:00-1:00 PM
Seattle Room, Dorsey and Whitney
50 S. 6th St., Minneapolis (map)

It all started with massive downsizing at AT&T. In the mid-1990s, Karen Ho was studying anthropology as a graduate student at Princeton, searching for the focus of her dissertation. Ho, now an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Minnesota, remembers thinking that 40,000 workers losing their jobs was horrible news. But the stock market applauded it, sending AT&T shares up.

Karen Ho has explored this culture of Wall Street, how it conflicts with Main Street, and what it means for life after the financial crisis. Get a preview from this recent interview with Star Tribune writer Kara McGuire.

This event is free and open to the public. Join us with your brown bag lunch for this fascinating conversation (drinks provided).

Views: Governor Pawlenty's unallotment may be unconstitutional

Minnesota's legislative session ended with the governor refusing to sign the legislature's budget bills and swearing to use unilateral unallotment to balance the budget.  Law professor David Schulz think the governor's on precarious legal footing:

First, it is unlikely that the original intent of the Legislature was to give the governor this broad of a power to unallot. Its original passage was to give the governor power to address small budgetary shortfalls, not make cuts that amount to major programmatic changes. Second, there is a basic rule in law regarding statutory interpretation. One should interpret laws to avoid absurd results and avoid conflicts with other laws. Here, if one accepts the governor's reading of unallotment, it would mean he alone has the power to change fiscal priorities for the state or that he could use this power to negate laws establishing statutory authorized policies. One result is absurd; the other produces a conflict in the laws.

Read more at Minnpost.

Preview (6/17): Equality in Access to Health Care

Inaugural Presentation: 'The Physician's Perspective' (Part of a 7-part series on health care)
June 17, 7:00pm
Jeanne d'Arc Auditorium Saint Catherine University
2004 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105 (map)

Featuring Dr. Oliver Fein, President of Physicians For a National Health Program, and local physician Dr. Elizabeth Frost.

The United States is the richest nation in the world; we spend twice as much as other developed nations on health care, yet our system is in crisis. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane"

This inaugural presentation in the series features Dr. Oliver Fein, the national president of Physicians for National Health Program, and local physician Dr. Elizabeth Frost. Both will speak about their experience working with patients and as advocates of health care reform.

All events are free and open to the public.

Click here for more information on this event and the complete series:

• Business Perspective: July 15, 2009
• Rural Communities and Access: August 26, 2009
• Racial Disparities in Care: September 16, 2009
• Immigrant Perspective: October 14, 2009
• International Perspectives and Solutions: Nov. 18, 2009
• Economics of Health Care and Solutions: December 9, 2009

Can't make it?  Don't miss another event! 
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Preview (6/18): Session Reflection with DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson-Kelliher

Thursday, June 18
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Fredrikson & Byron law firm
200 S. 6th Street, 40th floor, Minneapolis (map)

There's no budget agreement and Governor Pawlenty is going to "unallot" to balance the budget.  The DFL House Speaker will reflect on this session, the unusual outcome, and the future of the state.

This event is free and open to the public.  Join us with your brown bag lunch for this fascinating conversation (drinks provided).

Can't make it?  Don't miss another event! 
Get event updates via email!

Preview (6/13): Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin

 Saturday, June 13
8 to 9:30 AM
Gardens of Salonica
19 N. E. 5th St., Minneapolis (map)

Hennepin County:
The 800-Pound Gorilla Down the Street that Nobody Knows About
(the street is a county road, and nobody knows that either.)

At this month's Stone Arch discussion, Peter McLaughlin, a Hennepin County Commissioner from Minneapolis, will weigh the size and impact of this less-understood but huge government entity we depend on for roads, bikes trails, libraries, parks or social and medical services. 

Saturday, June 13 from 8 to 9:30 AM at our new meeting place--Gardens of Salonica, 19 N. E. 5th St.  Only 3 blocks north up E. Hennepin Avenue (County Road 52) from our old meeting place, and a half block west.  

As usual, invite anyone interested--free and open to the public.  Come, buy your coffee, learn a lot and have your questions ready.

Views: Pup-tent Republican

Wayne Cox of Minnesota Citizens for Tax Justice provides cutting commentary on the end of the Minnesota legislative session.  A taste:

[Sarah] Janacek and [Annette] Meeks say Pawlenty is on his way nationally now.  It may not be a moment too soon for the governor because last week's KSTP poll said 57 percent of Minnesotans do not want him to run for re-election...