DFL Education Foundation

Annual Meeting recap: Manna from Heaven or Finger in the Dike?

Yesterday's annual meeting provided insightful perspective on the federal stimulus, and its potential to save Minnesota from its budget and economic woes.  Christina Wessel, Deputy Director of the Minnesota Budget Project, critiqued the governor's budget proposal for gimmicks and bonding for operating expenses, and also outlined several alternatives.

Paul Anton, chief economist at the Wilder Foundation, gave his personal view on the economic impact of the federal stimulus on the state.  Both panelists participated in a lively question and answer session.

Feel left out?  You can listen and watch the event right now:

Podcast: Listen to Christina Wessel

Video: Watch Christina Wessel

Podcast: Listen to Paul Anton

Video: Watch Paul Anton

NEW: Audio from the Q&A Session now available!

Thanks to the city of St. Louis Park and Reg Dunlap for the recording of this program.

Upcoming event: Stone Arch Discussion hosts Nan Madden

Nan Madden, director of the Minnesota Budget Project, will lead discussion of Minnesota's budget shortfall and equitable solutions.  Someone from Growth & Justice may also present.

For more information, check out the Budget Project's MN Budget Bites blog.

Progressive Majority and what they do

Long ago and far away Conservatives in America founded an organization called GOPAC to facilitate the election of conservative people to public office. In the early 2000s, liberals and progressives founded a counter organization called Progressive Majority. In March, Stone Arch hosted their Minnesota Director, Matthew Filner. Listen to the conversation by clicking play or download the full file.

Download Matthew Filner podcast

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

Lois Quam in Alternative Energy investments

In February the Stone Arch group was happy to Lois Quam of Piper Jaffray to discuss alternative investments and what kind of energy technology venture capital firms are seeking out. Listen in by clicking here.

Download Lois Quam podcast

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

Minnesota's black kids doing worse than southern ones

Academic achievement of minority students has been one of the lagging figures in Minnesota's otherwise noteworthy educational system. 

"On state assessments in reading, about 80 percent of your white fourth-graders meet the state standards. For black fourth-graders, it's more like 44 percent, for Latinos, about 33 percent, and somewhere in the mid-50s for both Asian and Native American students,'' Haycock said, according to a news release from the [Minneapolis] Foundation.

Read more of the article here, and check out what the DFL Education Foundation is doing about it, thank to its Achievement Gap Committee, led by former Minneapolis mayor and Congressman Don Fraser is doing here.

New Thinking on the Economy

Is a government program the only way to intervene in the economy?  No, says Dean Baker, noting that there are many ways government could act in the economy without using taxpayer dollars and instead using rules.  For example:

• Patent protections for prescription drugs cost Americans $300 billion a year
• CEO compensation could be changed from a game of mutual back scratching - you raise my salary, and I'll raise yours - to regular approval by shareholders in a vote where unreturned proxies do not count.

What other ways are there to change the rules to support the middle class and a sustainable economy?

Upcoming event: Achievement Gap meets Way to Grow (3/27)

Carolyn Smallwood, Executive Director of Way to Grow will describe its work.  In 1989 Way to Grow began as a program of the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board.  Its founders envisioned an organization that would strive to eliminate the daily barriers affecting families so parents could prepare their children for success in kindergarten and life.

Read more about the event here or check out our full event calendar.

Addressing the economic crisis: an interview with Ben Fayot of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers Party (LSAP)

Ben Fayot is the chair of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers Party (LSAP) caucus in the Luxembourg Parliament.  He served as LSAP president and has been a member of the European Parliament.  The LSAP is currently in a coalition government with the conservative Christian  Social People’s Party (CSV).  By profession, Mr. Fayot is a political historian specializing in the history of socialism in Luxembourg.  Mr. Fayot agreed to comment on the French influence on Luxembourg progressive politics, the financial crisis, and European expectations towards the Obama administration.  The interview was conducted in Luxembourg City and translated into English by Stephan Peter of Twin Cities DSA earlier this year.

Preview (3/14): Stone Arch discussion group hosts Matt Filner of Progressive Majority

***NEW LOCATION***

Saturday, March 14
8:00-9:30 AM
Gardens of Salonica
19 N.E. 5th Street, Minneapolis*
Google map

A Progressive Majority
Matt Filner, Minnesota State Director of
Progressive Majority will lead the discussion.

Progressive Majority is a national organization that recruits candidates to run for office at state and local levels with the aim of developing a progressive leadership pipeline. 

As usual, invite anyone interested, buy your coffee and join the discussion.

Why did we move?  Read here.

Thank you to Jitters
We deeply regret that Jitters and The Times have closed, as you may have read in the StarTribune or MinnPost.  We are deeply grateful to Dan Lessard for his many years of hosting Stone Arch. 

*Gardens of Salonica is about 3 blocks north of our former location at Jitters

Live chat with economist Ray Robertson!

Free over the lunch hour on Tuesday the 10th?  Then join the DFL Education Foundation in our first live chat event!  Macalester College economist Ray Robertson will take your questions, starting with this topic: Penny Wise, Pound Foolish or None of the Above?  Deficit Spending in a Down Economy.

Sign up below to get an email notification when the chat begins.  Once we're live, just type in your question to talk with Ray.

The conversation will happen right here, so sign up for a reminder and bookmark this page!