Ann Mozey
Name: Ann Mozey
Public Office Sought: Minnesota State House of Representatives - District 39A
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-644-1000
Campaign website: https://www.mozeyinthehouse.info
Twitter handle: @mozeyforhouse
Facebook page: Mozey in the House
Candidate Bio
I am a second-time candidate, twice DFL-endorsed, running against a Climate Change Denier in House District 39A comprised of 9 cities including three precincts in Stillwater and the cities of Forest Lake, Scandia, Stillwater TWP., May TWP., Marine on St. Croix, Franconia, Shafer and the township. Between door-knocking and working within my community as a family law lawyer for over two decades I have a deep appreciation of what we all deal with in our lives.
Always an advocate and attorney, I am an environmentalist, a small business owner and practicing attorney with offices in Stillwater. For over 20 years I have worked with individuals in difficult situations, giving voice and support to people-centered sustainable solutions.
I am a small hobby farmer in the Town of May, enjoying simple living, off the grid when possible. I garden, and have horses and chickens. As a person who lived most of my life in Minneapolis, I best describe my family’s life-style choice as living at the cabin, including an attuned appreciation for the simple pleasures.
I believe strongly in the value of turning adversity into strength, or lemons to lemonade. It is the marker of leadership to be able to raise up your community with hope and for better days. Our Constitution professes to value the unalienable rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and yet these last four years have been anything but.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
A policy analysis for me looks at the cost-benefit as well as where the most urgent needs are, creating an inclusive, prosperous and sustainable financial feedback loop. And if one policy also touches on and supports another, that overlap only increases the benefits as an economical shared investment. This philosophy leads to win-win solutions that are both sustainable and affordable.
1. Environment, we have to address our environmental issues as an urgent priority for the planet before it is too late, and 2050 is too late. Without national leadership it is clear that states need to take the lead, and Minnesota has been and should continue to be a leader in this regard. Past republican leadership did much to support our environmental vitality, including Pawlenty, Arne Carlson, and even Nixon who set up the Environmental Protection Act. Caring for our planet was not a partisan issue until recently with credit given to monied interests and their misinformation campaigns. Removing climate change deniers from office is an essential first step, including at the local, state and federal level without exception.
2. Education, Minnesota’s investment in a strong public school system that meets the needs of its students is a long-term investment in our state’s financial viability. Early investments are cheaper and reap the greatest rewards, as the adage goes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Over the past 20 years, school districts have relied on bonds and levies for essential school funding because of reduced state funding. This has driven communities apart, left many behind, attracted compassionless business models, and lead to unforeseen waste like the closures of paid-for school buildings. Zip code funding is also unconstitutional as it is, by definition, not evenly distributed for all throughout the state. Rural communities cannot pass these referendums, and even if they did they do not produce the same revenue as wealthier communities can produce. Further during this same time frame there has been no financial oversight of individual districts’ spending and budgets. I would support robust auditing with an eye on identifying funding shortages.
In the interest of efficiencies and overlapping interests, I would like to see a K-12 Climate Change curriculum added to all courses of study. For example, in English students could read “The Uninhabitable Earth,” in science they could study CO2 and the effect on warming, in history they could unpack the Koch Brother’s war on science, in health they could study the effects of climate change on human health, the mathematics of temperature rise and cloud formation is ground-breaking, and so on. Unfortunately this was one of the items that got cut from the national DFL platform this summer, but there is no reason why Minnesota cannot lead anyway. Surely, an educated youth will lead in creating the jobs innovation that carry us forward with a focus on saving the planet for future generations.
3. Economy, strong economic policies in a changing world need a revisit. Currently success is measured in GDP, but other countries are moving to a Happiness Index that takes into account the value of the internet, services, the wellbeing of our children, living standards, community vitality, environmental resilience, psychological health, and the prosperity of local communities, etc. Focusing on rejuvenating our local Main Street with a local economy that uplifts the community, brings in mixed-use, and vibrant living, this is the measure of happiness that is the American dream, now slowly slipping away before our very eyes. I am an advocate for returning to small family farms, where the milk tastes better and the food is not laced with toxins. Cutting taxes or blaming the tax structure is like chopping down the last fruit bearing tree in a barren desert with no hope for a return on investment.
Probably the most essential green infrastructure of this century is the internet. And like the United States Postal Service that delivers economically to all corners of our communities, so too must the internet to be able to bring financial vitality to each and every person, student, home and business in suburban and rural Minnesota. No one should be left behind. We absolutely have the technology and the ability to do this work; but for the lack of political will, Minnesota could have been prepared for the economic downturn we now face.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro and what role do businesses play in supporting quality of life issues in East Metro communities?
Small businesses make up approximately 86% of Minnesota’s economy, and our area is no exception. We also are home to a wide range of economic diversity, including those who struggle with daily scarcity all the way up to the most privileged 1%. The GDP measures averages, the secret is that we have poverty in all our communities, young adults living at home, and many on various forms of financial assistance. Currently non-profits make up much of the local safety net including the generosity of churches and community members, and while an overall benevolence is to be admired, governments surely could do more with our public dollars if their priorities included support for the wellbeing of all of us. While many in my area advocate for an open and free economy, it is a myth that this alone would give everyone a viable opportunity to participate fully. The range of programming that supports our esteemed veterans demonstrates that we absolutely do know how to help our neighbor, if we would want to invest in equitable social systems for others too.
What role do you think the State should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to and retain existing businesses in the East Metro?
The idea behind including more voices at the table is that balanced and equitable gender and racial representation would create a greater and more balanced opportunity for more of us. As a small business owner in Stillwater I have watched many local large and small businesses shutter over this last decade. High rents and lack of gender representation in local government have made it difficult for start-ups to thrive. Only recently has the Washington County judiciary become gender-balanced, including its first judge of color appointed in 2018. The struggle in Forest Lake is also very real; many of our smaller cities no longer have vibrant Main Street business sectors.
It is a myth that tax cuts generate jobs. It is also not true that tax cuts mean that there would a greater flow of goods and services. Tax cuts, especially tax cuts for the wealthy, mean that more money is invested and thereby pulled out of the cash-flow economy into capital that does not produce anything for anyone else. As with the game of Monopoly, when one person has all of the money and property - the game is over.
State (and local) support for small businesses might include a health insurance pool, Family Medical Leave funding, simplified tax regulations and incentives for start-ups, and for our youth.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in the east metro and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
Corporate welfare wages are bailed out already on the public tax dollar, so let’s not pretend that raising the standard of living for everyone is an unreasonable ask.
Unions have gone a long way to ensure that American workers have a higher quality of life, even the weekend, and protections for our children.
Last session our bipartisan legislators passed great bills to support a robust, quality business economy that benefits both business and labor, with higher retention rates and placing quality of life and health in the forefront reflecting Minnesota’s values. I would also have voted “yes.”
As a family lawyer, I would describe the service I provide as door-knocking on steroids. I have seen and heard the deepest fears and traumas in the worst situations. I believe that this people-centered perspective would inform my advocacy in building a better and inclusive Minnesota that we can all be proud of for generations.
What is your strategy to address public safety, transportation, and housing issues?
Funding the bonding bill on a regular bi-annual basis would go a long way to boosting Minnesota’s infrastructure and economy. My opponent is hostile to this effort and is currently opposing the bill for 2020, one of six legislators to play partisan politics in the Minnesota House. This is a travesty for Minnesota for two reasons, first it is an investment that has no net out-of-pocket, the money that is borrowed is paid back in the course of the wages that are taxed, a sustainable system that maintains our roads and bridges, safe and clean water infrastructure, and so much more. The second reason obstructionist politics is a travesty is it is a waste and more expensive in the long run. For every neglected project the cost of maintenance and repair goes up, and while it is remains in disrepair harms abound. Roads that are unsafe have more accidents and deaths, and potholes lead to large car repair bills. In this way, tax payers pay exponentially more.
Police reform, including accountability and training is important. We should all come fresh to our jobs every day, and that is often harder to do when the struggles are real. We should include a look at the criminal justice system as well. It does not work for minor offenses, or drug and addiction offenses, and should not be a for-profit system at all. To be soft on crime with an addict may be their death sentence, and conversely to be hard on the same situation is just as misplaced. If our focus were on wellbeing, for both of the criminals and the professionals involved in the process, I think we would come up with different solutions than we currently have in place. Life is not pie; we can and must work together.
What are your priorities for the State’s budget? Are there any services currently provided by the State that you believe should be expanded, cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
If I had one beautiful bill that I could pass first it would be a K-12 funded curriculum to recognize and deal with the climate crisis we have ignored throughout my life-time. Every year we wait is a travesty that our children may never be able to reverse. As the saying goes, better late than never. If the response to COVID-19 has not brought home the urgency, I am not sure what will.
The simplest example of the debacle that is our system of state services in a privatized market is the driver’s license. Did you know that each county office is a franchise? That each provides different services and has different requirements? Did you know that not all counties send in the mandatory draft registration for our 18-year old men required to register in the event of war? Accountability would go a long way
What will you do to expand your district’s tax base?
Implementing universal health care for affordable, quality care for everyone would be the biggest single boost to our state’s economy because it would free up significant funds for the flow of local goods and services. The enormous premiums and out-of-pocket costs, a tax quite literally, are an enormous burden on families who are each potentially one medical disaster away from bankruptcy.
Currently to address the potential down turn in business revenue due to the COVID-19 virus, counties have available state-aid to assist local businesses existing as of March 1, 2020, but none of these funds are by definition available for new ventures. Loans and grants could address this need as well if we had the political will at the state and local level.
I would like to see a revitalization of the local Main Street economy in the cities that I would represent, including internet connectivity, support for our vibrant arts and music community, and mixed-use development. For some examples, supporting our youth, incentivizing new business, and including affordable housing would all go a long way to regenerate a new generation of business owners, reinventing a vibrant business community.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Teaching essentials that lead to skills and innovation must include climate change, bringing back shop class, and other skills classes with relevant and timely topics that matter. I would like to see an environmental curriculum that uplifts Minnesotans to be able to participate in the important and complicated conversations around climate change.
Currently schools are asked to fill the gaps where our state government has left us high and dry, social services and internet being two obvious examples. If we valued our living standard and overall well-being, these important aspects of government would be prioritized, and the money saved in schools would be significant allowing for a renewed focus on teaching and learning.
What is the role of the State in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses?
I never thought of myself as a pioneer, but I suppose I am given that as a woman, I became a lawyer in 1997 and went into solo practice for these past two decades serving people across Minnesota in difficult transitions. As I sit here today, I cannot recall a single program or support that made this possible specifically because of my gender. Student loan forgiveness would have helped, grants would have helped, more support networks and mentoring by female leadership would have had an impact, career planning was not sensitive to the adversities that were and still are present for women. Harassed in my first job as a waitress, I eventually became a Plaintiff’s employment lawyer for ten years, fighting for the rights of wronged employees in various protected classes. Since then the federal courts have shifted to the side of employers and litigation is often just another way to beat someone down. The state could invest in prevention through the Minnesota Human Rights Act, in early mediation, and in incentivizing sustained sensitive changes in the workplace. When it is more profitable to pay damages than to invest in staff members, we will not see the light. This analysis applies equally to corporate pollution as it does to the mistreatment of members of our Minnesota workforce.
Micro aggressions, overt discrimination, ovulation cycles, the demands of child rearing absolutely impact a woman’s life-time earnings. What I took to heart is that as a women you can have it all, just not at the same time. But this is unnecessary if we would focus on the health and wellbeing of our families. Perhaps we can start with an acknowledgment that each of us comes with different strengths and weaknesses.
Raising the minimum wage, providing Family Medical Leave programs, and ranging domestic violence services and protections go a long way to leveling the playing field. Coming up with more innovative and cost-effective solutions will require a change in leadership.
What further policies can the State of Minnesota adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Universal health care should be our number one priority, whether at the state or national level. Banking and credit regulations need to be revisited to address the social functions that they serve, rather than just for-profit. If banks are resistant to serving their customers in need, then I would be a fan of a state banking system. Currently only 31 Minnesota banks have stated that they would step up for their customers and help bridge a path to a better day for everyone. Without national leadership, local and state governments are left to put together policies that support their communities. It does not take a rocket scientist to look around and see that in many situations we have chosen to ignore the perils of this medical crisis, now also a social justice crisis as well as an economic crisis.
Vote like your life depends on it, because it literally does. Some in local and state leadership have made it their mission to be available and engaged, both in responding to questions and in offering good information and resources. Notice who these people are and vote accordingly. I believe that a change in leadership is essential to finding a path forward that is built from the rubble we face currently. Without this change, as the certain incumbents have proven repeatedly, nothing truly new is possible.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Protests and riots, including women and POC, across the globe no less, are an indication that government is not fully serving its people. The public dollars belong to all of us, not just the wealthy and powerful. I believe changing our spending priorities to create wellness in our communities would boost the overall economy in a way that would create more opportunities than any other solution. The United States may still have a high GDP, but that is only a measure of the flow of goods and income on average. Policies formed around this information will leave the U.S. behind the world economy in all the ways that matter to each of us at the end of the day. This is not news, in 1968, Bobby Kennedy criticized the GDP because it does not measure “that which makes life worth living.” We do not have the best health care system, we do not have the highest life expectancies, our systems are fraught with corruption, all of which limit our individual and unalienable Constitutional rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Currently we place little or no value on the vitality of our planet, but rather mine it for profits until the surrounding community is sick with cancer, auto-immune conditions, or worse. We do not evaluate or measure a truly good economy in many of the aspects that matter, like pollution mitigation, in carbon sequestration, in wellbeing, in quality of life or job, or in physical health. While this is the intent behind the word “justice,” added to environmental, housing, or income policies, and this is the intent behind the formation of various taskforces to look at injustice where it breeds, so much more could be done if we had the political will and leadership to embrace the intent of the most famous statement in our esteemed Constitution, the unalienable right to pursue “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” not just for some of us, but for all of us.
Public Office Sought: Minnesota State House of Representatives - District 39A
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-644-1000
Campaign website: https://www.mozeyinthehouse.info
Twitter handle: @mozeyforhouse
Facebook page: Mozey in the House
Candidate Bio
I am a second-time candidate, twice DFL-endorsed, running against a Climate Change Denier in House District 39A comprised of 9 cities including three precincts in Stillwater and the cities of Forest Lake, Scandia, Stillwater TWP., May TWP., Marine on St. Croix, Franconia, Shafer and the township. Between door-knocking and working within my community as a family law lawyer for over two decades I have a deep appreciation of what we all deal with in our lives.
Always an advocate and attorney, I am an environmentalist, a small business owner and practicing attorney with offices in Stillwater. For over 20 years I have worked with individuals in difficult situations, giving voice and support to people-centered sustainable solutions.
I am a small hobby farmer in the Town of May, enjoying simple living, off the grid when possible. I garden, and have horses and chickens. As a person who lived most of my life in Minneapolis, I best describe my family’s life-style choice as living at the cabin, including an attuned appreciation for the simple pleasures.
I believe strongly in the value of turning adversity into strength, or lemons to lemonade. It is the marker of leadership to be able to raise up your community with hope and for better days. Our Constitution professes to value the unalienable rights of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and yet these last four years have been anything but.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
A policy analysis for me looks at the cost-benefit as well as where the most urgent needs are, creating an inclusive, prosperous and sustainable financial feedback loop. And if one policy also touches on and supports another, that overlap only increases the benefits as an economical shared investment. This philosophy leads to win-win solutions that are both sustainable and affordable.
1. Environment, we have to address our environmental issues as an urgent priority for the planet before it is too late, and 2050 is too late. Without national leadership it is clear that states need to take the lead, and Minnesota has been and should continue to be a leader in this regard. Past republican leadership did much to support our environmental vitality, including Pawlenty, Arne Carlson, and even Nixon who set up the Environmental Protection Act. Caring for our planet was not a partisan issue until recently with credit given to monied interests and their misinformation campaigns. Removing climate change deniers from office is an essential first step, including at the local, state and federal level without exception.
2. Education, Minnesota’s investment in a strong public school system that meets the needs of its students is a long-term investment in our state’s financial viability. Early investments are cheaper and reap the greatest rewards, as the adage goes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Over the past 20 years, school districts have relied on bonds and levies for essential school funding because of reduced state funding. This has driven communities apart, left many behind, attracted compassionless business models, and lead to unforeseen waste like the closures of paid-for school buildings. Zip code funding is also unconstitutional as it is, by definition, not evenly distributed for all throughout the state. Rural communities cannot pass these referendums, and even if they did they do not produce the same revenue as wealthier communities can produce. Further during this same time frame there has been no financial oversight of individual districts’ spending and budgets. I would support robust auditing with an eye on identifying funding shortages.
In the interest of efficiencies and overlapping interests, I would like to see a K-12 Climate Change curriculum added to all courses of study. For example, in English students could read “The Uninhabitable Earth,” in science they could study CO2 and the effect on warming, in history they could unpack the Koch Brother’s war on science, in health they could study the effects of climate change on human health, the mathematics of temperature rise and cloud formation is ground-breaking, and so on. Unfortunately this was one of the items that got cut from the national DFL platform this summer, but there is no reason why Minnesota cannot lead anyway. Surely, an educated youth will lead in creating the jobs innovation that carry us forward with a focus on saving the planet for future generations.
3. Economy, strong economic policies in a changing world need a revisit. Currently success is measured in GDP, but other countries are moving to a Happiness Index that takes into account the value of the internet, services, the wellbeing of our children, living standards, community vitality, environmental resilience, psychological health, and the prosperity of local communities, etc. Focusing on rejuvenating our local Main Street with a local economy that uplifts the community, brings in mixed-use, and vibrant living, this is the measure of happiness that is the American dream, now slowly slipping away before our very eyes. I am an advocate for returning to small family farms, where the milk tastes better and the food is not laced with toxins. Cutting taxes or blaming the tax structure is like chopping down the last fruit bearing tree in a barren desert with no hope for a return on investment.
Probably the most essential green infrastructure of this century is the internet. And like the United States Postal Service that delivers economically to all corners of our communities, so too must the internet to be able to bring financial vitality to each and every person, student, home and business in suburban and rural Minnesota. No one should be left behind. We absolutely have the technology and the ability to do this work; but for the lack of political will, Minnesota could have been prepared for the economic downturn we now face.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro and what role do businesses play in supporting quality of life issues in East Metro communities?
Small businesses make up approximately 86% of Minnesota’s economy, and our area is no exception. We also are home to a wide range of economic diversity, including those who struggle with daily scarcity all the way up to the most privileged 1%. The GDP measures averages, the secret is that we have poverty in all our communities, young adults living at home, and many on various forms of financial assistance. Currently non-profits make up much of the local safety net including the generosity of churches and community members, and while an overall benevolence is to be admired, governments surely could do more with our public dollars if their priorities included support for the wellbeing of all of us. While many in my area advocate for an open and free economy, it is a myth that this alone would give everyone a viable opportunity to participate fully. The range of programming that supports our esteemed veterans demonstrates that we absolutely do know how to help our neighbor, if we would want to invest in equitable social systems for others too.
What role do you think the State should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to and retain existing businesses in the East Metro?
The idea behind including more voices at the table is that balanced and equitable gender and racial representation would create a greater and more balanced opportunity for more of us. As a small business owner in Stillwater I have watched many local large and small businesses shutter over this last decade. High rents and lack of gender representation in local government have made it difficult for start-ups to thrive. Only recently has the Washington County judiciary become gender-balanced, including its first judge of color appointed in 2018. The struggle in Forest Lake is also very real; many of our smaller cities no longer have vibrant Main Street business sectors.
It is a myth that tax cuts generate jobs. It is also not true that tax cuts mean that there would a greater flow of goods and services. Tax cuts, especially tax cuts for the wealthy, mean that more money is invested and thereby pulled out of the cash-flow economy into capital that does not produce anything for anyone else. As with the game of Monopoly, when one person has all of the money and property - the game is over.
State (and local) support for small businesses might include a health insurance pool, Family Medical Leave funding, simplified tax regulations and incentives for start-ups, and for our youth.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in the east metro and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
Corporate welfare wages are bailed out already on the public tax dollar, so let’s not pretend that raising the standard of living for everyone is an unreasonable ask.
Unions have gone a long way to ensure that American workers have a higher quality of life, even the weekend, and protections for our children.
Last session our bipartisan legislators passed great bills to support a robust, quality business economy that benefits both business and labor, with higher retention rates and placing quality of life and health in the forefront reflecting Minnesota’s values. I would also have voted “yes.”
As a family lawyer, I would describe the service I provide as door-knocking on steroids. I have seen and heard the deepest fears and traumas in the worst situations. I believe that this people-centered perspective would inform my advocacy in building a better and inclusive Minnesota that we can all be proud of for generations.
What is your strategy to address public safety, transportation, and housing issues?
Funding the bonding bill on a regular bi-annual basis would go a long way to boosting Minnesota’s infrastructure and economy. My opponent is hostile to this effort and is currently opposing the bill for 2020, one of six legislators to play partisan politics in the Minnesota House. This is a travesty for Minnesota for two reasons, first it is an investment that has no net out-of-pocket, the money that is borrowed is paid back in the course of the wages that are taxed, a sustainable system that maintains our roads and bridges, safe and clean water infrastructure, and so much more. The second reason obstructionist politics is a travesty is it is a waste and more expensive in the long run. For every neglected project the cost of maintenance and repair goes up, and while it is remains in disrepair harms abound. Roads that are unsafe have more accidents and deaths, and potholes lead to large car repair bills. In this way, tax payers pay exponentially more.
Police reform, including accountability and training is important. We should all come fresh to our jobs every day, and that is often harder to do when the struggles are real. We should include a look at the criminal justice system as well. It does not work for minor offenses, or drug and addiction offenses, and should not be a for-profit system at all. To be soft on crime with an addict may be their death sentence, and conversely to be hard on the same situation is just as misplaced. If our focus were on wellbeing, for both of the criminals and the professionals involved in the process, I think we would come up with different solutions than we currently have in place. Life is not pie; we can and must work together.
What are your priorities for the State’s budget? Are there any services currently provided by the State that you believe should be expanded, cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
If I had one beautiful bill that I could pass first it would be a K-12 funded curriculum to recognize and deal with the climate crisis we have ignored throughout my life-time. Every year we wait is a travesty that our children may never be able to reverse. As the saying goes, better late than never. If the response to COVID-19 has not brought home the urgency, I am not sure what will.
The simplest example of the debacle that is our system of state services in a privatized market is the driver’s license. Did you know that each county office is a franchise? That each provides different services and has different requirements? Did you know that not all counties send in the mandatory draft registration for our 18-year old men required to register in the event of war? Accountability would go a long way
What will you do to expand your district’s tax base?
Implementing universal health care for affordable, quality care for everyone would be the biggest single boost to our state’s economy because it would free up significant funds for the flow of local goods and services. The enormous premiums and out-of-pocket costs, a tax quite literally, are an enormous burden on families who are each potentially one medical disaster away from bankruptcy.
Currently to address the potential down turn in business revenue due to the COVID-19 virus, counties have available state-aid to assist local businesses existing as of March 1, 2020, but none of these funds are by definition available for new ventures. Loans and grants could address this need as well if we had the political will at the state and local level.
I would like to see a revitalization of the local Main Street economy in the cities that I would represent, including internet connectivity, support for our vibrant arts and music community, and mixed-use development. For some examples, supporting our youth, incentivizing new business, and including affordable housing would all go a long way to regenerate a new generation of business owners, reinventing a vibrant business community.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Teaching essentials that lead to skills and innovation must include climate change, bringing back shop class, and other skills classes with relevant and timely topics that matter. I would like to see an environmental curriculum that uplifts Minnesotans to be able to participate in the important and complicated conversations around climate change.
Currently schools are asked to fill the gaps where our state government has left us high and dry, social services and internet being two obvious examples. If we valued our living standard and overall well-being, these important aspects of government would be prioritized, and the money saved in schools would be significant allowing for a renewed focus on teaching and learning.
What is the role of the State in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses?
I never thought of myself as a pioneer, but I suppose I am given that as a woman, I became a lawyer in 1997 and went into solo practice for these past two decades serving people across Minnesota in difficult transitions. As I sit here today, I cannot recall a single program or support that made this possible specifically because of my gender. Student loan forgiveness would have helped, grants would have helped, more support networks and mentoring by female leadership would have had an impact, career planning was not sensitive to the adversities that were and still are present for women. Harassed in my first job as a waitress, I eventually became a Plaintiff’s employment lawyer for ten years, fighting for the rights of wronged employees in various protected classes. Since then the federal courts have shifted to the side of employers and litigation is often just another way to beat someone down. The state could invest in prevention through the Minnesota Human Rights Act, in early mediation, and in incentivizing sustained sensitive changes in the workplace. When it is more profitable to pay damages than to invest in staff members, we will not see the light. This analysis applies equally to corporate pollution as it does to the mistreatment of members of our Minnesota workforce.
Micro aggressions, overt discrimination, ovulation cycles, the demands of child rearing absolutely impact a woman’s life-time earnings. What I took to heart is that as a women you can have it all, just not at the same time. But this is unnecessary if we would focus on the health and wellbeing of our families. Perhaps we can start with an acknowledgment that each of us comes with different strengths and weaknesses.
Raising the minimum wage, providing Family Medical Leave programs, and ranging domestic violence services and protections go a long way to leveling the playing field. Coming up with more innovative and cost-effective solutions will require a change in leadership.
What further policies can the State of Minnesota adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Universal health care should be our number one priority, whether at the state or national level. Banking and credit regulations need to be revisited to address the social functions that they serve, rather than just for-profit. If banks are resistant to serving their customers in need, then I would be a fan of a state banking system. Currently only 31 Minnesota banks have stated that they would step up for their customers and help bridge a path to a better day for everyone. Without national leadership, local and state governments are left to put together policies that support their communities. It does not take a rocket scientist to look around and see that in many situations we have chosen to ignore the perils of this medical crisis, now also a social justice crisis as well as an economic crisis.
Vote like your life depends on it, because it literally does. Some in local and state leadership have made it their mission to be available and engaged, both in responding to questions and in offering good information and resources. Notice who these people are and vote accordingly. I believe that a change in leadership is essential to finding a path forward that is built from the rubble we face currently. Without this change, as the certain incumbents have proven repeatedly, nothing truly new is possible.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Protests and riots, including women and POC, across the globe no less, are an indication that government is not fully serving its people. The public dollars belong to all of us, not just the wealthy and powerful. I believe changing our spending priorities to create wellness in our communities would boost the overall economy in a way that would create more opportunities than any other solution. The United States may still have a high GDP, but that is only a measure of the flow of goods and income on average. Policies formed around this information will leave the U.S. behind the world economy in all the ways that matter to each of us at the end of the day. This is not news, in 1968, Bobby Kennedy criticized the GDP because it does not measure “that which makes life worth living.” We do not have the best health care system, we do not have the highest life expectancies, our systems are fraught with corruption, all of which limit our individual and unalienable Constitutional rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Currently we place little or no value on the vitality of our planet, but rather mine it for profits until the surrounding community is sick with cancer, auto-immune conditions, or worse. We do not evaluate or measure a truly good economy in many of the aspects that matter, like pollution mitigation, in carbon sequestration, in wellbeing, in quality of life or job, or in physical health. While this is the intent behind the word “justice,” added to environmental, housing, or income policies, and this is the intent behind the formation of various taskforces to look at injustice where it breeds, so much more could be done if we had the political will and leadership to embrace the intent of the most famous statement in our esteemed Constitution, the unalienable right to pursue “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” not just for some of us, but for all of us.