McFarlane Ford Reader
Measuring candidates
by our interests
I
n an effort to motivate greater
numbers of Insight News readers
toward caucus attendance, and
informed and early participation in
the political process, Insight News
invited all gubernatorial candidates
competing for DFL endorsement to
respond to 10 questions which
focus on how they will address the
concerns of Minnesota’s
January 25, 2010
communities of color in their
campaigns and should they be
elected governor.
Here are the responses to all 10
questions, listed in alphabetical
order. At time of publication the
Mark Dayton and Susan Gaertner
campaigns had not responded to
the questionnaire.
Margaret Anderson Kelliher
www.margaretforgovernor.com
How do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparate
outcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any in
particular that are of special concern to you? What is your
plan to address them?
e know, from years of research across
W our country, that disparities in income,
education, health care and other issues
exist for people of color, and while it’s hard to
single out just one issue, I believe that
improving access to health care is an important
step forward.
Minnesota has prioritized improving outcomes
in health care for people of color through the
Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative. As
governor, I will continue to focus on changes to
our health care system that truly prioritize a
commitment to quality of care for all people
regardless of their income level or insurance
coverage. We have to make sure that in 2015,
and 2020 and beyond, our state’s health care
delivery system will look very different.
How will you support
partnerships and systems
integration to eliminate the
education Achievement Gap?
I am concerned that recent studies by the
University of Minnesota’s Institute on Race and
Poverty show a dramatic increase in school
segregation in our region. As Governor I will
continue to pursue a New Minnesota Miracle, a
comprehensive education funding reform
system that will provide stable, equitable
investments to all schools in our state. The New
Minnesota Miracle will also fully fund the state
share of kindergarten and special education.
As governor, I also will direct the Metropolitan
Council to work with the Department of
Education to address issues of housing and
racial isolation that will help to close the
achievement gap.
We know that a focus on early childhood
development, from birth to five, help our
children succeed academically as they grow, and
I am a strong believer in funding and improving
those programs.
I also think there are ways to work with schools
to narrow the achievement gap, by looking at
initiatives that cultivate achievement in their
students who live in challenging socio-
economic backgrounds.
Page2
What will you do to increase
hiring and contracting of
people of color by Minnesota
government units?
I am very supportive of the HIRE Minnesota
coalition’s efforts to hold MN Department of
Transportation (DOT) accountable for reaching
Federal goals for hiring people of color. DOT
has fallen far short of these goals, and this is
especially problematic with hundreds of
millions of Recovery Act monies coming into
the state for new construction projects. I will
ensure that all state agencies live up to their
commitments and obligations for hiring people
of color.
What will you do, through
policy and practice, to make
best use of public resources
for Justice and Public Safety
system reform?
Everyone deserves to live in a safe
neighborhood, and I support law enforcement
efforts to provide that safety and security to all
of Minnesota’s families. However, it’s important
to speak out against practices that
disproportionally single out one group and to
address any imbalance in the justice system. As
governor, I would take the initiative to really
look at whether penalties are handed down
fairly, and also look at ways to reach out to
youth to focus on crime prevention and
education.
What are your key
immigration related
concerns, and how will you
go about addressing them as
governor? How will you
ensure that our systems
solutions meet the needs of
new Americans?
I am concerned that immigration continues to be
used as a wedge issue. We cannot allow our
society to be divided where immigrants are
falsely blamed and demonized for a variety of
issues, including our economic crisis. I will
ensure that immigrants’ human rights are
protected, and that New American’s needs are
addressed particularly in education and higher
education opportunities
Please reflect on your key
concerns regarding the rights
and responsibilities of tribal
governments, and upon the
directions you will pursue in
this area as governor.
I have a history of working with tribal
governments, and honor the relationships we
have with tribes across the state. As Governor, I
will respect Tribal Sovereignty. As Speaker of
the House, I have, for the last three years,
offered an Indian Law 101 seminar to educate
policymakers on interactions between tribal and
state government. I also believe we have to
honor the gaming compacts with our tribes.
How will you make certain
that the Central Corridor LRT
project serves and advances
the needs of residents,
businesses and
neighborhoods in closest
proximity to the line?
As Speaker, I worked hard during the 2008
legislative session to organize a diverse
coalition of people to successfully override the
governor’s veto of a transportation bill. Not only
was this bill one of the largest job-creating bills
in decades, it also helped fund new transit
projects such as the Central Corridor Light Rail
Transit system.

I support the efforts of neighborhood residents
involved in the Stops for Us Coalition to include
stations at Western, Victoria, and Hamline
Avenues. As governor, I will direct the
Metropolitan Council to better engage with
communities to ensure that future transit
projects meet the needs of local residents. I also
support Representative Champion’s legislation
to compensate small businesses for losses
incurred during the construction process.
What is your plan to ensure
inclusive staffing and
appointments as governor, in
key positions and throughout
your cabinet and
administration?
State government must reflect the diversity of
Minnesota. People of color are underrepresented
in state government leadership and cabinet
positions. My administration will change this
reality, and will seek advice from and include
people of color from throughout the state.
As governor, I will continue to engage people in
all communities of color, and work with
people like Rep. Jeff Hayden who has been
successful in bringing people into the party and
into electoral politics.
How will you use your
campaign as a tool for
leadership development and
long-term capacity building
in communities of color?
My professional background is in community
organizing and because of that, I understand and
place a premium on leadership development.
My record as a public official and our
campaign’s message of building partnerships
Tom Bakk
www.bakk2010.com
How do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparate
outcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any in
particular that are of special concern to you? What is your
plan to address them?
believe strongly that with hard work and
I determination, everybody should have the
opportunity to succeed, regardless of their race,
ethnicity or national origin. I am troubled when
confronted with statistics showing the disparate
outcomes we have for people of color in our state. It
is clear evidence that we are not, in fact, at a place
where all people, regardless of race, ethnicity or
Page3
with diverse coalitions says that we will
prioritize empowering communities of color,
and hold public institutions accountable for
protecting civil and human rights, access to jobs,
transportation equity, and education.
Please describe your plan
and strategy to win the 2010
Governor’s race
It’s really important to me that Minnesotans
from all over the state, all communities, all
walks of life, and all backgrounds are involved
in my campaign for governor.
From the very beginning of my campaign, I’ve
sought and received support from a variety of
groups. I’ve been endorsed by the International
Union of Operating Engineers Local 49, the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers,
the Minnesota Association of Professional
Employees, the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees,
womenwinning, and Emily’s List.
We have mounted an aggressive fundraising
campaign, and I am proud to have raised more
than $250,000 in the four and one-half months
since I kicked off my campaign. I have hired a
great staff and consulting team to help guide me
through the process.
I also am actively working to earn the
endorsement of the Minnesota DFL party, and
have assembled a strong team of field staff who
are helping me reach out to precinct caucus
goers and potential delegates across Minnesota.
With DFL endorsement, I will set out across the
state and share my message of how to make
Minnesota work again.
As the DFL endorsed candidate, I fully expect to
run in a Primary against Mark Dayton and Matt
Entenza. Both have significant personal wealth
and my campaign is prepared for the potential of
a negative campaign.
national origin, have an equal chance to succeed.
Of particular concern to me are disparities in
education and incarceration. I see these as closely
linked. I have built my campaign around a message
of “jobs, jobs, jobs.” When people are working and
are able to provide for their families, it can ease
many of the stresses that are linked to some social
In midterm years, Minnesota’s Primary
electorate is more female, much older, and has
higher levels of education than the General
Electorate. In 2006, the Primary voters were
58% women, 53% were over 55 years of age,
and 43% were college graduates. I believe my
personal narrative, leadership style and
accomplishments will take on greater
importance than the minor differences in policy
positions between the candidates. Running to
be the first woman Governor of Minnesota may
be a key asset as well.
I believe the biggest challenge in the general
election will be the dynamics of the race rather
than any particular candidate. Midterms are
typically referendums on the party in power.
Job approval ratings of the Obama
administration and Congressional Democrats
will have an impact on the race for governor in
Minnesota. Additionally, the Republican
Gubernatorial candidate will be able argue that
the governor’s office is the only remaining
check on total DFL dominance in the state.
Finally, the Independence Party has proven itself
to be a spoiler in close statewide elections.
There are many qualities swing and independent
voters will look for when deciding which
candidate to support. Among others, they will
look for strong leadership skills, experience in
the job, and personal integrity. I have all of
those qualities and they are strengths in my
campaign. My biggest advantage in this
campaign will be my ability to connect with and
earn the trust of voters throughout Minnesota.
I am the only candidate running for Governor
who has lived as much of my life in rural
Minnesota as I have in urban Minnesota. My
campaign will take full advantage of a strong
narrative crafted around my personal biography
that underscores my experience, leadership
ability, legislative accomplishments, and vision
for Minnesota’s future.
problems, including crime. One barrier to people
finding good-paying jobs is a lack of education.
Minnesota has traditionally had very strong schools,
but there are too many times when people are not
entering the job market with the skills needed. I talk
on the campaign trail about a renewed focus on
investing in our human infrastructure and I mean to
do this at all levels, in every community and in all
parts of the state.
How will you support
partnerships and systems
integration to eliminate the
education Achievement Gap?
When I am governor, I will work closely with and
provide the resources to those groups working to
eliminate the achievement gap. As I state above, a
renewed focus on investing in our human
infrastructure is a necessity for Minnesota. An
education can solve so many problems and a lack of
education in a community correlates to every other
social problem. This problem is not an easy one to
tackle, but doing so is crucial. For this reason, I
pledge real support to those who are doing important
work in this area.
What will you do to increase
hiring and contracting of people
of color by Minnesota
government units?
The state has effective affirmative action policies
that I support. Beyond that, the governor sets the
tone throughout all government units. My
administration will be inclusive and I will surround
myself with people from different backgrounds and
experiences and encourage all government units to
do likewise.
What will you do, through policy
and practice, to make best use
of public resources for Justice
and Public Safety system
reform?
As governor, I will use public resources as efficiently
and effectively as possible in all areas. Our justice
and public safety systems are large and complex.
There has long been debate about where to prioritize
and how to minimize waste. There are definitely
places where we can streamline or combine services
to maximize efficiency both in urban and rural parts
of the state.
What are your key immigration
related concerns, and how will
you go about addressing them
as governor? How will you
ensure that our systems
solutions meet the needs of
Page4
New Americans?
America, and Minnesota, was built by immigrants.
Our state must continue to be a welcoming
destination for new Americans. As governor I will
work with immigrant communities to create a two-
way dialogue on how the state can work on easing
the transition for new Americans and providing an
environment where immigrant communities can
thrive.
Please reflect on your key
concerns regarding the rights
and responsibilities of tribal
governments, and upon the
directions you will pursue in this
area as governor.
As a state senator from the Arrowhead region of the
state, I have a long history of working with tribal
governments. I have demonstrated a commitment to
working with and honoring the governmental
relationships with tribes. I regularly sit down with
tribal leaders and their representatives to establish
the kind of relationships I believe are important in
government. I have listened to their concerns and
views on issues close to their tribal governments and
have expressed my own opinions on ways to work
together. I plan to continue this type of relationship
as governor with the tribal governments.
How will you make certain that
the Central Corridor LRT project
serves and advances the needs
of residents, businesses and
neighborhoods in closest
proximity to the line?
There is a concern that those closest to the LRT
project will suffer during construction of the Central
Corridor. In the long-turn I think the Central
Corridor will bring new life to the businesses and
neighborhoods nearby. Certainly the state needs to
really consider these concerns and work to ease any
negative impact.
What is your plan to ensure
inclusive staffing and
appointments as governor, in
key positions and throughout
your cabinet and
administration?
The governor sets the tone throughout the state
government. I will work to create an inclusive
atmosphere as far as staffing and otherwise. I plan to
be very hands-on in the creation of my staff. I will
surround myself with people who will reflect the
diversity of our state and demand that others in my
administration do so as well.
How will you use your
Campaign as a tool for
leadership development and
long-term capacity building in
communities of color?
As I travel the state I have been meeting with
Minnesotans from all walks of life. It’s been a
fascinating experience. I’ve met with leaders from
many different communities and learned much from
them and I hope from meeting with me they have
learned a little about the Iron Range. I want to hear
from Minnesota’s communities of color and I want
to know how we can improve Minnesota from their
perspective. On the campaign trail I speak of
working together as one community, where we all
have to pitch in to solve problems. The more the
leaders of the state reflect and understand our diverse
communities, the better equipped Minnesota will be
to more forward as one community. But to do this,
we all must approach this with the common goal of
improving Minnesota for everyone, from every
corner of the state and from every background.
Please describe your plan and
strategy to win the 2010
Governor’s Race.
I’m the best DFL candidate to win in November,
because I am the one candidate who understands
how to talk to Minnesotans about how to fix this
state’s financial problems. There are many serious
issues facing this state, issues ranging from
education to health care to infrastructure and on
down the list. But until we get our financial house in
order, there simply are no resources to address these
problems.
To fix our financial problems, we must get
Minnesotans to work. Our current deficit is almost
entirely the result of reduced income tax collection.
We cannot fix this problem by cutting services or
raises taxes alone. We can only fix this problem by
getting Minnesotans back to work. There is nothing
more important than getting a paycheck on Friday.
When people lose jobs, it puts the security of their
families at risk. I know this, because I’ve been there.
During the last bad recession in Minnesota, in the
early 1980s, I ran out of unemployment and could
not afford health insurance for my family. It was
something I’ve never forgotten and I am passionate
about putting people to work.
As I travel the state and talk about my plans for
Minnesota, I know that this is the issue on people’s
minds. As chair of the Senate Taxes Committee, I
can talk about these issues with credibility. When I
talk about my experiences, I can connect with
everyday Minnesotans, all of whom know
somebody without a job. For these reasons I believe
my campaign is in a great position to win the DFL
endorsement and ultimately be successful in
November.
Matt Entenza
entenza.com
How do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparate
outcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any in
particular that are of special concern to you? What is your
plan to address them?
cross nearly every key indicator of
A health and prosperity there are alarming
disparities that threaten the future of our
state. These disparities are not only morally
egregious, but they also undermine our greatest
asset: our people. As Minnesota’s population
continues to age and retire, people of color are
increasingly replacing the demographic status
quo. If these disparities continue at their current
rates then the ability of our state to compete
economically will be significantly challenged.
We need someone in the governor’s office who
will welcome communities of color as partners
and give them their deserved seat at the table, so
that the implications of state policy on those
communities are recognized and addressed. This
is why I carried and passed legislation to save
the Councils of Color from being abolished. For
too long the voices of too many communities
have been absent from policy-making in St.
Paul, and when I am governor they will be
heard.
Though it is critical that we address all of these
disparities education and poverty are
fundamental. While these are all bound together
in an inseparable link of cause and effect, I
believe the next governor must bring both a
strong strategy that recognizes this link as well
as specific proposals to address each
individually.
Education (Addressing the Achievement Gap):
Growing up in a single-parent household in
Worthington, I was fortunate to be raised in a
state that believed even a poor child with a last
name like Entenza deserved a great education
and opportunity for success. That state is
slipping away from us, and my candidacy is
about taking on this problem and turning it
around, because EVERY child in Minnesota has
a right to a world-class education.
Right now while 94 percent of white high school
students graduate, only 89 percent of Asian-
Pacific Islanders, 73 percent of Blacks and 70
percent of American Indians and Latinos do, and
these numbers are much worse in some
communities. This differential rate of
achievement perpetuates itself across the key
education indicators as well, including college
graduation. This is unacceptable to me. Until
every child has an opportunity for success our
work will not be done.
There are several things we need to do. First off
Page5
we need to let teachers teach but still hold
school districts accountable for student
progress. The best way to this is to use a growth
model to track the achievement of our students.
We also have recognize special issues and use
different types of curriculum for different
situations, including using targeted resources for
ELL and adult education. Another serious issue
confronting us is the hyper-mobility of students,
and we must employ transportation and housing
strategies to keep it to a minimum.
Additionally, closing the achievement gap will
require us to recruit the best the and brightest
into the classroom, and to that end we need to
provide better support for new teachers
including mentorship assistance. I will also
work to ensure that every child gets a viable
early child education (UPK). Studies show that
outcomes improve dramatically when education
gets to children early, and we need to work
harder and commit to investing early in our
children’s future.
But if we are truly to address and rectify the
achievement gap we cannot stop just at the high
school level. The demands of the global market
and the new green energy economy I envision
for our state require we send more of children on
to higher education. What we need to do is
create service-for-scholarship programs, better
prepare our graduates for higher-paying jobs,
particularly in the new clean energy economy,
and focus on all of our higher educational
options such as vocational and community
colleges.
Throughout my career in the legislature I have
fought to give our children the education they
deserve. I have always been an advocate for
increased education investment and reduced
class sizes. I also vigorously opposed
Conservative Curriculum Reform that would
have required teaching the views of evolution
skeptics in science classes and characterizing
the descendants of slaves as “immigrants” to the
United States.
Poverty:
Nearly 7 percent of white Minnesotans are
facing poverty. However, 20 percent of
Latinos; 17 percent of Asian-Pacific Islanders;
30 percent of American Indians; and one-third
(33 percent) of Blacks are facing poverty. This
trend has frightening implications for the future
of our state. We need to reverse economic course
by changing from a culture of scarcity to one of
prosperity. My vision of the a new green energy
economy for Minnesota seeks to address this
problem, however in the meantime we must act
now to help people struggling today.
Throughout my career I have fought for services
and programs to combat the issue of poverty. As
a legislator I successively passed a bill to
increase protection against housing
discrimination, authored legislation for
employment assistance and was chief author of
the “Adult Basic Education Act.” I am proud
that as DFL House leader in 2005 we passed the
first minimum wage increase in over a decade.
That same year when Tim Pawlenty and the
Republicans tried to eliminate MinnesotaCare
and hurt our schools, I led the House DFL and
forced the governor to concede, keeping
thousands of Minnesotans on health care and
resources flowing to our schools.
To tackle the issue of poverty long-term requires
significant investment in education and job-
training, but in the interim we cannot wait while
those programs take effect. As Governor I will
do what I did in the legislature and fight to keep
people on health care and make sure that the
services upon which they rely continue to be
funded. I will also work in partnership with job-
training programs like Summit Academy to help
prepare our people for good, family-supporting
jobs.
As governor I will also work to solve the credit
problem many face. In our state there is a dual-
credit system, where often times the racial
composition of neighborhoods is related to
access to good, affordable credit. In low income
communities of color, high cost loans— both in
the home mortgage market and small consumer
loan market—are much more common than they
are in white and middle-class communities.
Poor people of color pay more for loans—an
extra cost that many families can ill-afford. This
inequality in the credit system exacerbates other
disparities, and is directly related to the
predatory lending that has led to the mass of
foreclosures. Long-term we need to work to fix
this system, but short-term we need to establish
programs to keep people in their homes.
How will you support
partnerships and systems
integration to eliminate the
education Achievement Gap?
In addition to the outline provided above there are
more innovative collaborations such as the one
Geoffrey Canada has made between his Harlem
Children’s Zone and the City of New York, in
which his project tracks the progress of children
throughout their education, and is a model that
depends on sustained monitoring rather than
discrete interventions. Such a model ultimately
provides a better investment for the state. Similar
programs can be replicated here.
What will you do to increase
hiring and contracting of
people of color by Minnesota
government units?
Our current system of state contracting is broken.
The state has abdicated its responsibility to
provide fair contracting for ALL Minnesotans, and
this failure of responsibility is taking its toll on our
communities. As Governor I will guarantee
increased transparency and diversity throughout
the administration. I will appoint individuals with
a proven track record of fairness and who are
representative of the growing diversity of this
state.
What will you do, through
policy and practice, to make
best use of public resources
for Justice and Public Safety
system reform?
In the last eight years our judicial system has been
hit hard by Pawlenty’s budget cuts, which has led
to a de facto privatization of our legal system. The
increased fees have made it difficult for
defendants and their public defenders to make to
the court-room and move the judicial process
forward. As governor I will work to ensure our
judicial system is fair and equal to everyone,
regardless of race, ethnicity or economic-status. It
might be of interest to you to know that I am
hosting a meeting regarding the state of the
judiciary and whether it reflects the growing
diversity of the state, and I welcome you to attend.
What are your key
immigration related concerns,
and how will you go about
addressing them as governor?
How will you ensure that our
systems solutions meet the
needs of New Americans?
Page6
I have a proven record of standing up for New
Americans. In the state House I opposed putting
immigration status on licenses, supported
immigration “Sanctuary Ordinances,” opposed
requiring English proficiency to drive, sponsored
a bill to decriminalize burkas, and worked to
increase increased enforcement of anti-
discrimination laws.
As governor I will continue to work to ensure that
New Americans are welcomed and respected for
their commitment to Minnesota by making sure
our New Americans get the ELL and continuing
education they need to succeed. I will also
continue to advocate for the passage of the
DREAM Act.
Please reflect on your key
concerns regarding the rights
and responsibilities of tribal
governments, and upon the
directions you will pursue in
this area as governor.
I understand that the starting point for all of the
discussions with tribes is sovereignty. I respect
that tribal governments are sovereign and equal
partners and must be treated with the respect that
comes from their sovereign status. As part of this
is should be made clear that we need to honor the
agreements we have made.
I have a history working with the tribes dating
back to the late 1980s/early 1990s, when I
organized the legal community here to help three
bands in Wisconsin defend their treaty rights,
which were being attacked by some far-right local
residents. I helped members of these tribes
document how their rights were being violated
and how law enforcement was allowing them to
be harassed. Ultimately, the rule of law prevailed,
and the tribes’ rights were upheld.
Also, in 2004-2005, as House DFL leader, I made
stopping the expansion of non-Indian gaming one
of my biggest focuses; I continues to oppose it.
And I vehemently opposes the notion that taxes
should increase on Indian gaming receipts.
How will you make certain
that the Central Corridor LRT
project serves and advances
the needs of residents,
businesses and
neighborhoods in closest
proximity to the line?
As governor I will make sure that the Central
Corridor LRT project will not bypass, both
literally and figuratively, the communities it goes
through. We cannot let this project become
another I94 that split the Rondo neighborhood in
two. I will collaborate with local leaders to ensure
that the LRT meets the needs of the entire
community.
What is your plan to ensure
inclusive staffing and
appointments as governor, in
key positions and throughout
your cabinet and
administration?
As governor I will make the commitment that my
cabinet will reflect the diversity of this state. This
also applies to every department. I believe it is
critical to us moving forward as a state to have
everyone represented in the policy-making
portion of government. As governor the open-
appointment process will be transparent and
reflect the growing diversity of our state.
How will you use your
Campaign as a tool for
leadership development and
long-term capacity building in
communities of color?
This campaign has already begun the process of
working to include under-represented populations
into the DFL political process. We are conducting
caucus trainings state-wide, but with particular
emphasis in communities of color, and look to
increase delegate participation as much as
possible leading up to the convention. My
campaign already has organizers in many
communities of color (organizers from those
communities) and by the end of the campaign will
be represented everywhere. A significant part of
our strategy depends on pumping out turnout in
these communities and engaging them in the
political process, and for the DFL to win in
November we will need everyone active.
My campaign’s commitment to communities of
color has been recognized by many leaders in
those communities, and is why so many of them
endorse my candidacy including Congressman
Keith Ellison, Rep. Bobby Jo Champion, Rep. Cy
Thao, Sadiq Abdirahman, former St. Paul Police
Chief Bill Finney, Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin,
Mohamed Jibrell, Batala McFarlane, Dr. Neal
Thao, former Rep. Gregory Gray, Ibrahim Abikar,
Abdikadir Ahmed and Hashi Shafi.
Please describe your plan and
strategy to win the 2010
Governor’s Race.
We will win the governor’s seat back this year by
running on a positive message of innovative re-
investment in our state and our people. Through
education and the new green energy economy we
can once again make Minnesota not just a national
leader, but a global standard. Ours is a grass-roots
campaign that will harness the power of the
people to change our society of scarcity into one
of prosperity, and grow the pie big enough so that
everyone has a fair share.
Steve Kelley
www.stevekelley.org
How do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparate
outcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any in
particular that are of special concern to you? What is your
plan to address them?
t’s important to recognize that racism is more
I than just a collection of individual actions of
prejudice. Our institutions and systems are
set up in a way that provides unequal access and
unequal outcomes. People of color are
overrepresented in our criminal justice system
and are often living in poverty. Past and current
racism have contributed to poverty, as well as
unequal educational attainment.
Three key inequalities that must be addressed
are the racial achievement gap in our education
system, the health care gap, and racial
disparities in the criminal justice system.
The achievement gap in education is profoundly
devastating because quality education is critical
to obtaining a good job and living a successful
life. I propose that we can combat the
achievement gap by creating a Minnesota
Children’s Zone that wraps our children in
coordinated community outreach services from
birth to their graduation from some form of post-
secondary education.
I’m also extremely concerned about the gap in
access and quality of health care between white
and African-American Minnesotans. Research
indicates that African-Americans are more likely
to lack health coverage and less likely to receive
accurate diagnosis and treatments. It is
absolutely unacceptable that African Americans
in Minnesota lose their lives and suffer as a
result of institutional racism in our health care
system. The health gap can be combated
systematically by initially using the Wisconsin
model of collecting county-by-county health
data that tracks racial inequities. We will then
be able to target problem areas and improve the
overall health of our communities.
Finally, I am extremely concerned about that
African-Americans, especially men, are
disproportionately involved in our criminal
justice system and incarcerated. It is time for a
comprehensive examination and reform of our
criminal justice system that involves law
enforcement, members of the current court
system, as well as reform activists and civil
rights leaders to create a truly just justice
system.
It’s critical that all Minnesotans recognize that
Page7
racism eats away at the foundations of our state.
We all have the responsibility to counteract both
individual and institutional racism to build the
kind of state that we are proud to leave our
children and grandchildren.
How will you support
partnerships and systems
integration to eliminate the
education Achievement Gap?
The achievement gap is one of the greatest
moral challenges we face as Minnesotans in the
21st century. Schools and teachers cannot solve
this on their own. We need a far more
comprehensive approach to closing the
achievement gap that recognizes that racial,
cultural, social, and economic issues which
children in Minnesota schools face.
I propose that Minnesota create a Children’s
Zone based on the Harlem Children’s Zone run
by Geoffery Canada. If Minnesota adopted this
approach, we would wrap all of our children in a
blanket of care that begins at birth. All services
in Minnesota from a baby college for expectant
parents, to public health, housing to mental
health support would all be aligned with one
single goal: that all Minnesota children graduate
from some form of post-secondary education.
The Minnesota Children’s Zone would be the
first time that we address eliminating the
achievement gap holistically. Providing stable
housing would reduce the challenge of children
moving from school to school. Prenatal care
and baby college would take care of our
youngest and most vulnerable infants to help
them have a healthy start in life. Access to
early childhood and family education would
make sure that the huge percentage of our
children who are not currently ready to start
kindergarten get the support they need to hit the
ground running when they start school.
Some communities in
Minnesota, with the help of
foundations, are starting to
work on similar approaches.
These initiatives are
important but raise the
question of where the
boundary lines for the new
children’s zones should be
drawn. How much of
Minneapolis or St. Paul or
some other community
should be in the zone where
we want all children to
succeed and graduate from
college?
The right answer is that the whole state should
be the Minnesota Children’s Zone. No less than
in 100 blocks of Harlem, the goal for all children
in Minnesota should be that they will all
graduate from college. This goal would
supersede complying with the failed No Child
Left Behind Act. We would set a clear mission
for every community, not just every school, in
our state.
I am passionate about ensuring the ability for
Minnesota children to have their chance at
prosperity.
What will you do to increase hiring and
contracting of people of color by Minnesota
government units?
Equal opportunity employment is not only a
moral obligation, but it also ensures that we
have the best people working for the state of
Minnesota. As governor, I would advocate to
all levels of government – state, county, and
local – that hiring a diverse workforce is
imperative. I would immediately ask my new
state commissioners to review the hiring
practices of their agency to ensure that every
effort is being made to recruit, hire, and retain
people of color.
Second, I would work with local governments
and school districts to review their hiring
practices with the goal of creating a more
diverse local workforce.
Finally, I would encourage the development of a
more diverse workforce in the private sector by
strictly enforcing Minnesota law and contract
terms with private companies that do work for
the state. For example, state construction
contracts should have provisions encouraging
that a diverse workforce is used on any state
building project. As Governor, I would ensure
this happens.
We can and will ensure that Minnesota’s work
force represents the diverse communities that
make up our state.
What will you do, through
policy and practice, to make
best use of public resources
for Justice and Public Safety
system reform?
The criminal justice system in Minnesota needs
reform. I would consult with law enforcement
agencies, people who work in the criminal
justice system, and reform and civil rights
advocates to comprehensively examine the
current system and generate ideas for reform
that improve safety and protect civil rights.
Additionally, the irresponsible budgeting of the
Pawlenty Administration has had a ripple effect
across a number of essential state functions,
including our public safety and criminal justice
system. Cuts in Local Government Aid have
strapped our law enforcement agencies, taken
police off the streets, slashed important
prevention and after-school programs, and
curtailed civil rights. The idea that we can cut
our budget without consequence is ridiculous.
Another step to creating a fair criminal system is
to restore responsible budgeting so that we take
into consideration both short-term savings and
long term costs of our actions.
What are your key
immigration related
concerns, and how will you
go about addressing them as
governor? How will you
ensure that our systems
solutions meet the needs of
New Americans?
I want to make sure that New Americans have
equal opportunity to have a prosperous life in
Minnesota. I’m concerned about recent federal
raids in places like Worthington that separated
families and disrupted the entire community.
Page8
That’s why I would partner with the
Congressional delegation to get comprehensive
federal immigration reform passed. No matter
how hard Minnesota works, we can only put
band-aids on the challenges faced by immigrants
until federal reforms take place.
However, we can take action in Minnesota to
improve the lives of New Americans. We
should pass the DREAM Act to get Minnesota
children of immigrants access to college. Just
as we need to keep the educational promises that
we make to African-American students, we can
and we must keep that same promise to children
of immigrants.
Another concern is that contractors who are
trying to evade the state’s labor laws not exploit
new immigrants. All Minnesotans deserve to
work for a living wage, including those who
have recently made Minnesota their home. I
would enforce labor laws to ensure that
contractors pay all of their workers, including
immigrant laborers, a fair wage.
Please reflect on your key
concerns regarding the rights
and responsibilities of tribal
governments, and upon the
directions you will pursue in
this area as governor.
Tribal areas are sovereign nations and their
governments should be treated as sovereign.
Sovereignty does not mean, however, that the
state doesn’t have an obligation to American
Indians. As dual residents of both Minnesota
and their tribe, American Indians need to have a
voice in both governments. Though Minnesota
has criminal jurisdiction over tribal areas
(except Red Lake) as a result of PL280, we need
to be a better partner to American Indians.
Partnering means respecting the culture and
tradition of American Indians, not taking the
current top-down, adversarial stance that only
alienates the American Indian communities. I
would work to partner with the Minnesota tribes
to ensure that they have the support and
assistance they need without interfering or
treading on their self-determination.
How will you make certain
that the Central Corridor LRT
project serves and advances
the needs of residents,
businesses and
neighborhoods in closest
proximity to the line?
The key problem with the development of the
Central Corridor line is that the Metropolitan
Council (Met Council) has not been sufficiently
responsive to residents and small business
owners.
One of my strengths as a Legislator was
bringing together stakeholders to make sure that
their interests were represented in decision-
making. In this case, I think it is critical that
community members that are directly affected
by the Central Corridor have a full chance to
participate in the development of the project.
As Governor, I would also address this issue by
appointing people to the Met Council who
respect civic engagement and are responsive.
In the longer term, I would explore new Met
Council governance options to create a structure
that encourages strong participation in their
decision-making.
Another important challenge to the Central
Corridor project is protecting the interests of
small business owners and balancing the need
for innovation and development with
community concerns. Many of my family
members are small business owners, and I am
keenly aware of the challenges they face. We
need to make sure that we work with the
Metropolitan Council to not only fully hear and
address the concerns from business owners
along the corridor, but also offer redress for lost
business that occurs during construction. We
ought to look at other cities, like Denver and
Portland, who have expanded their rail transit
systems, learn from their mistakes, and also
adopt business saving tactics that were effective
in those communities.
As Governor, I would bring together business
owners, residents, Metro Transit, the
Metropolitan Council, and transit leaders to find
a solution to this challenge. I’ve been
extremely effective at this throughout my career
– doctors and trial lawyers, parents and teachers,
law enforcement and local elected officials –
and coming to the best possible solutions to
problems. I have the experience and ability to
do the same with the stakeholders along the
University corridor.
What is your plan to ensure
inclusive staffing and
appointments as governor, in
key positions and throughout
your cabinet and
administration?
On a broad scale, I am committed to making
sure that the diverse people that represent all of
the communities in Minnesota make the highest
levels of decisions in our state government.
That means appointing African-American,
Latino, Somali, Hmong, American Indian and
members of diverse ethnic and racial
backgrounds to important positions in our state
government.
How will you use your
Campaign as a tool for
leadership development and
long-term capacity building
in communities of color?
Political leaders need to be intentional to include
diverse people and voices so that they make the
best decisions. As opposed to simply talking
about inclusion, I have set out to build a diverse
campaign team. I have 2 African-American
staff members and an Asian intern (out of a staff
of 7) as well as volunteers from the Latino and
Somali communities. I sought out talented,
young people of color to work on my campaign
because I want them to build leadership skills
that they can take back to their community.
I am committed to building capacity in
communities of color, which is why I am
building a grassroots campaign that engages
people in diverse communities and helps
develop community leaders. For example, on
Monday, we’re holding a round table with
community leaders in North Minneapolis. Some
of the young people who are volunteering on the
campaign are attending the meeting to make
connections with African and African-American
community leaders and start to develop the next
generation of activists.
The problems that Minnesota faces are
staggering. There is no way that any Governor
can solve them alone. I believe that some of the
best solutions to our shared challenges will
come from local organizations – like St. Paul’s
District Councils of Minneapolis’ Neighborhood
Associations – where people of color are much
more involved. It will take all of us, working
together, to make Minnesota a better and fairer
home for our children.
Please describe your plan
and strategy to win the 2010
Governor’s Race
I respect all of the candidates in the race and
have worked with many of them, but as
Democrats, we need to win this time. The costs
of employing the same failed strategy in the
governor’s race are simply too high. Our
children are suffering in overcrowded
classrooms with outdated materials and falling
into the achievement gap. Our most vulnerable
residents are being kicked off their health care.
Hard-working Minnesotans cannot find the
dignity that comes with a good paying job.
There is no doubt that I am the strongest
candidate to win the general election on the DFL
side. Not only do I combine a proven ability to
win independent and moderate republican votes,
but I also have the experience on the wide range
of issues that Minnesotans care about in this
election.
Right now, it looks like the Republicans are
racing to the right and having a contest to see
who is the most narrow-minded. Marty Seifert
Page9
has some momentum, but it will be important to
keep an eye on Norm Coleman, who is likely to
enter the race and attempt to run as a
conservative in moderate clothing.
We also need to be aware of the role of the
Independence Party in the governor’s election in
Minnesota. In the past two races, the
Independence Party has skimmed just enough
votes from the DFL to ensure Republican
victory in the Governor’s election. Recent
polling by the Pioneer Press (January, 2010)
shows any Independence Party candidate for
Governor earning ten percent, a disturbingly
high percentage that threatens a DFL victory.
It is critical that the DFL has a candidate who
can compete in all of Minnesota, especially the
suburbs, no matter whether the Republicans
choose Seifert, Coleman, or another candidate.
In the past, the DFL has chosen gubernatorial
candidates who can only appeal to the DFL base
in the core cities and the 8th congressional
district. This has resulted in repeated losses in
the governor’s race.
However, there is a winning model for DFL
candidates for Minnesota, as demonstrated by
Amy Klobuchar and Barack Obama. It’s to
appeal to voters in the entire state, take
Republicans on in the suburbs and exurbs where
they feel they are strong, and win. In 2006,
Klobuchar won 6 of 7 suburban counties and a
majority of the exurbs, while Tim Pawlenty won
the same areas. For example, in Senate District
42, which comprises Minnetonka and Eden
Prairie, there was a 20% drop-off from the DFL
U.S. Senate candidate and the DFL candidate for
governor. In other words, people in the suburbs
are willing to vote for a DFLer, it just has to be
the right DFLer. A 45% strategy is flawed. We
need a candidate who can win a mandate.
In 1992, I won my first seat in the Legislature,
taking it back for the DFL from the Republicans.
Twenty percent of the voters in my district voted
for Ross Perot in that election, and most of them
also voted for me. I’ve won votes in tough
places for Democrats – like Interlachen Park and
Minnetonka – without sacrificing my
progressive values. I will use the winning
Obama model to take back the governor’s office
in 2010.
One of the key components of appealing to all of
Minnesota is having a winning message.
Democrats often talk about programs, not about
people. They also often lose focus and talk
about too many disparate messages or issues.
We need to emphasize the common values that
bind Minnesotans together. Minnesotans have
suffered under short-sighted, political gimmicks
for too long. We need an honest governor who
will confront the challenges we face and solve
them without mortgaging future generations.
My campaign will continually reinforce our core
values, keep a simple message that people can
understand, and stick to it, because that’s a
winning model.
My campaign will also focus on issues that unite
us – like education and fair taxation – not those
that divide us. We need to take on divisive
social issues, answer them, and point out that
they are not the biggest challenges facing our
state. President Obama did this well in 2008
and I will do the same.
Building a coalition of Democrats and
independents will require common sense
positions on issues that move Minnesota
forward. For example, a number of DFL
candidates for governor have embraced John
Marty’s single payer health care bill. While it
would be politically easier in the DFL endorsing
process for me to sign on to the bill, I don’t
believe that it is a common sense solution to
Minnesota’s health care challenges. I believe
that Minnesota should assess the
implementation of federal health care reform
and then fill any gaps in coverage so that all of
our residents are insured. To me, this makes a
lot more sense than attempting to get no less
than 7 waivers from the federal government,
losing out on federal health care dollars, and
spending billions of Minnesota taxpayer money
on a program that is incompatible with the
federal plan. Common sense positions like this
one stand out to independent voters and set me
apart from the crowd.
I am confident that I can win the general election
because I have a proven record of success
against Republicans, a winning strategy, and a
message that will unite Minnesota.
I am also the only candidate on the DFL side
who has experience in a statewide endorsing
campaign. I earned 609 delegate ballots in
2006 – 46.9%. I know how to win delegate
support between precinct caucuses, senate
district and county unit conventions, and the
state convention. In 2006, I very nearly
defeated a presumptive nominee for the DFL
endorsement. I built a statewide network of
supporters who encouraged me to run again in
2010. I will win the DFL endorsement because
I am the only candidate who has a statewide
network of delegate supporters already in place,
an emphasis on field and ground organizing on
my campaign, and experience in a floor fight.
The primary poses a unique challenge because
there are 2 candidates who have pledged to
throw their personal fortunes into the race.
However, I firmly believe that the DFL
Endorsed candidate will win the primary in
2010, as long as they have a primary strategy in
place before they earn the endorsement.
Conventional thinking in the governor’s race has
earned the DFL and working people nothing but
loss in the past 20 years. It is critical that we
take a new, winning strategy in 2010. I am the
best candidate to deliver the governor’s office to
the DFL in 2010.
Senator John Marty
www.johnmarty.org
How do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparate
outcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any in
particular that are of special concern to you? What is your
plan to address them?
am deeply concerned about the difference in
I outcomes between white Minnesotans and
Minnesotans of color. While I’m concerned
and have worked on many issues, one that I feel
cuts to the core of a lot of other issues, such as
educational outcomes, is the racial disparity in
income and wealth. I served as co-chair of the
Legislative Commission to End Poverty by 2010
and know there are things we can do as a society
to address poverty. We can do it and we have to
do it. I am the chief author of legislation that
came out of the Poverty Commission – legislation
that will increase the minimum wage to $9.50 per
hour, to make affordable childcare available to
every worker with young children, and to increase
the earned income credit for low income workers.
How will you support
partnerships and systems
integration to eliminate the
education Achievement Gap?
The achievement gap is a multi-faceted problem
and requires multiple solutions. My
administration will work with community groups,
parents, mental health service providers, and
others to tackle this problem. We need to look at
the whole child — Children who are homeless,
those just learning the language, kids who are
undernourished, children who are lack the support
of adults in the home are not going to thrive in
school even with the best teachers and schools.
What will you do to increase
hiring and contracting of
people of color by Minnesota
government units?
I will use executive orders. MnDOT and other
agencies need to have stronger hiring goals.
They and the contractors they select will be
pressed to live up to those commitments.
What will you do, through
policy and practice, to make
best use of public resources
for Justice and Public Safety
system reform?
My administration will focus on preventing crime
by addressing its root causes. For instance, we
need to treat mental health and chemical
dependency issues as health problems to be
treated, instead of treating them as crimes to be
Page10
punished. While treating these health concerns
up-front may be costly, it is far less expensive – in
both human and economic terms — than ignoring
problems and paying to lock people up for many
years in prisons.
We will reform the system so that when people
leave prison, they are able to start their anew, with
the educational, housing and economic
opportunities available to enable them to fully
engage in the community. Under our current As Senator, I have respected the sovereignty of
system, we deny them those opportunities, leaving tribal governments and have honored the
them trapped where their only option is to re- compacts between the State of Minnesota and
offend. We will put more money into restorative Minnesota’s Indian tribes. As Governor, I will
justice and less into punitive justice. The Marty continue to do so, and look forward to working
administration will work to make sure our laws with tribal governments to address the many needs
are not discriminatory and will aggressively push of Minnesotans. I hope to work with tribal
to ensure that enforcement of those laws is no
longer discriminatory.
governments to explore new avenues for
economic development and developing
opportunities for native youth to get education and
What are your key job training.
immigration related concerns,
How will you make certain
and how will you go about
that the Central Corridor LRT
addressing them as governor?
project serves and advances
How will you ensure that our
the needs of residents,
systems solutions meet the
businesses and
needs of New Americans?
neighborhoods in closest
The federal government must reform immigration proximity to the line?
and allow a pathway to citizenship. As governor
I will advocate for fair immigration reform. One There has not been enough sensitivity to the
of my fundamental beliefs is that all people should impact of the LRT project on local businesses and
be treated with dignity and respect. As Governor, residents. Major projects like this require
I will work with immigrant communities and New
Americans to better understand and address their
significant work on communication and outreach
to protect businesses that would be adversely
needs. In particular, we need to focus on affected. It may add to the cost of the project, but
providing the resources to help people find work
that will allow them support their families and to
that is a necessary cost, and one that will be paid
back in the long run by having a stable business
provide culturally sensitive resources, such as community on University Avenue.
child care and health care, which will allow them
to continue working.
What is your plan to ensure
I will speak out against hateful anti-immigrant inclusive staffing and
rhetoric in the community. Unless we respond appointments as governor, in
clearly, such rhetoric creates fear and leads to
key positions and throughout
violence against immigrants.
your cabinet and
Please reflect on your key administration?
concerns regarding the rights
Key appointments will be based on expertise and
and responsibilities of tribal commitment to the vision of inclusion and dignity
governments, and upon the set by my administration. I will look to key
directions you will pursue in organizations and leaders in the communities for
recommendations for those people with the
this area as governor.
knowledge, leadership and vision that will best
serve the people of Minnesota. Ultimately, I want
my cabinet to be accountable not to me but to the
people most impacted by the policies they
implement.
How will you use your
Campaign as a tool for
leadership development and
long-term capacity building in
communities of color?
We are working to engage people in the political
process by speaking to their concerns and offering
them a vision for how we can build a better future.
My message does that. We are working to get
out into communities of color, engaging them with
our vision, and bringing them into the campaign.
To continue to do this, and to do it well, we need
your help. We have many opportunities for
Rep. Tom Rukavina
rukavinaforgovernor.com
How do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparate
outcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any in
particular that are of special concern to you? What is your
plan to address them?
raduation rates and incarceration rates are
G my highest concerns. As state
representative, I have often been one of
the lone voices against the ongoing expansion of
penalties and probation among all of the
population. Also, I have a record of working hard
to provide scholarships and other means for
minorities; the goal, of course, is to promote
greater levels of accessible higher education.
How will you support
partnerships and systems
integration to eliminate the
education Achievement Gap?
I will work with all communities of color and
minority groups and use their recommendations
to try and close these gaps. To that end, I have
already been working with members of different
organizations and individuals, such as Hector
Garcia & Rosa Pock at the Chicano Latino
Affairs Council, towards solving this particular
educational problem. I’ve always sought advice
from constituents most affected by policies being
proposed in the legislature and I will continue
that open door policy. As governor, I will
challenge the University of Minnesota and the
MNSCU system to work together to develop
community based partnerships and systems
integration to close the achievement gap.
What will you do to increase
Page11
people to take real leadership roles in the
campaign. With people power we will make it
really happen.
Please describe your plan and
strategy to win the 2010
Governor’s Race.
The most important thing to winning any election
is having a vision that excites people. I’m
running because our state has failed to truly
address our social and economic problems; no one
else has spelled out any vision or plan to do so.
My administration will tackle the root causes of
our problems – we will get our economy moving
again through job creation, not by cutting and
slashing programs and services affecting the most
vulnerable people. We will fix our health care
system — it is fundamentally broken and no
amount of tinkering will do the job — with my
Minnesota Health Plan, a single payer plan that
hiring and contracting of
people of color by Minnesota
government units?
I have always been and will continue to be a
supporter of minority owned businesses. I helped
push legislation that gets minorities involved in
apprenticeships in the Minnesota Building
Trades Council. I feel that as our great state
continues to grow in diversity it is crucial that
the workforce as a whole reflects this diversity as
well. I will ask the Office of Management and
Budget to annually report and make
recommendations to increase the hiring and
contracting of people of color in our state and
request that the State Auditor do the same for
other units of government. Because education
plays such a critical role in the successes of
minorities, I will ask the State Department of
Education to make this a priority as well as
challenging our higher educational institutions to
do the same.
What will you do, through
policy and practice, to make
best use of public resources
for Justice and Public Safety
system reform?
One of my main emphasizes has been to give
makes health care a right for every Minnesotan.
My administration will invest in the future,
investing in our children and our environment. In
addition, we will clean up the political process,
taking special interest money out, so that the
voices of the wealthy and powerful no longer
crush the voices of people who lack money and
access.
It is starting with this vision, a vision that moves
people, and then aggressively organizing around
it, that enables us to win. We will work with, and
organize in every community, especially those
where people have been left behind by those in
power. Listening to people, hearing their
concerns, inspiring them with hope for the future,
and helping them get out the vote will help us win.
We speak to the good, the hopeful, the generosity,
and public spirit in people. With your support,
we can and will win.
everyone a second chance, particularly young
people. My goal is LESS incarceration, LESS
probation, MORE rehabilitation. Quite frankly
we need to quit turning Petty Misdemeanors into
Gross Misdemeanors and Gross Misdemeanors
into Felonies. It is getting out of control at the
state level. I want to place less emphasis on the
militarization of the police forces in Minnesota
and more resources on rehabilitation, the spread
of justice, and community policing.
What are your key
immigration related
concerns, and how will you go
about addressing them as
governor? How will you
ensure that our systems
solutions meet the needs of
New Americans?
My main concern is our ability to offer education
to New Americans in the same manner that my
parents were offered education when they
immigrated to this great state, with the same
basic hopes and dreams of today’s immigrants. I
am particularly concerned with educating our
future workforce and my record shows that I
have worked toward improving accessibility of
education to everyone. This is something that
will continue to be a focus of mine in the
Governor’s Office as well. I will also work to
welcome immigrants to our great state instead of
using them as targets for angry political
purposes.
Please reflect on your key
concerns regarding the rights
and responsibilities of tribal
governments, and upon the
directions you will pursue in
this area as governor.
I highly respect the sovereignty of the Dakota
and Chippewa tribes and will always consult
with them when any matter that could impact
them arises. Additionally, I will have a Native
American Indian on my “kitchen cabinet” to
ensure that I am consistently aware of their needs
and perspectives.
How will you make certain
that the Central Corridor LRT
project serves and advances
the needs of residents,
businesses and
neighborhoods in closest
R. T. Rybak
www.rtrybak.com
How do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparate
outcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any in
particular that are of special concern to you? What is your
plan to address them?
y philosophy of government is that
M where we disproportionate need, we
must invest disproportionate time and
resources. For this reason, as mayor of
Minneapolis I’ve made a priority of investing
in neighborhoods and communities with the
greatest need, and many of those have been
communities of color.
As just one example, four years ago, we
started NorthForce, directing concentrated
resources from the City of Minneapolis and a
Page12
proximity to the line?
I haven’t directly followed this issue, other than
supporting it at the state level, but while on the
campaign trail I have heard that the local impact
was neglected in some of the decisions. I can
assure you that the Open Door Policy I intend to
keep as Governor will keep this type of thing
from happening on future issues. I stand ready to
hear local concerns and work cooperatively to
resolve them.
What is your plan to ensure
inclusive staffing and
appointments as governor, in
key positions and throughout
your cabinet and
administration?
I have a very clear past record on inclusion – for
all people with a limited voice in public matters.
In alignment with that, all appointments to my
cabinet and administration will be fair and
balanced and will reflect the common person and
their real-life experiences. As I mentioned, the
diversity of our state needs to be reflected in all
of the workforce, and my cabinet and
administration would be included in this.
How will you use your
Campaign as a tool for
leadership development and
long-term capacity building in
communities of color?
My campaign has grown in diversity as it has
variety of partners to the Northside and
working in partnership with neighborhood
residents and leaders. Through concentrating
those resources, we have:
• begun revitalizing commercial corridors
like West Broadway and Lowry Avenues;
• invested significantly in single-family
affordable housing and attracted homeowners
to areas especially hurt by foreclosure and
absentee landlords;
• cleaned up thousands of problem
moved forward and as such I have reached out to
all communities looking for input and
suggestions on how they would like to see the
role of the governor and the work of the state
evolve. Throughout this campaign, I will
continue to work with all the communities of
color- Latinos, Hmong, African American,
Native American and others- to gather insight
and input. I believe that by bringing the voices of
all the people to the forefront of this campaign,
the outcome will be a better, stronger Minnesota
for all of us.
Please describe your plan
and strategy to win the 2010
Governor’s Race.
Refreshingly Honest is my campaign slogan and
with 23 years at the capital I have earned that
reputation, as well as the reputation of having an
open door for the public and sticking up for all
the groups and communities that other people
don’t necessarily stick up for. I will continue to
grow this grass roots campaign. People will
support a little guy with honest, broad-minded
values (like Paul Wellstone). People will support
someone who works harder than anyone else, but
is not expected to win (like Rudy Perpich).
People will support someone who looks into
their eyes and tells it like it is (like Jesse
Ventura). None of the three aforementioned
governors were expected to win- and maybe I’m
not either. But I can feel it in my heart that
people are not looking for a Governor that HAS
a million bucks, but they are looking for a
Governor that will treat them like they ARE a
million bucks.
properties through an inspections-focused,
curb-to-alley sweep of the entire
neighborhood;
focused on job-training and job-creation for
Northside residents;
Page13
• closed down dozens of “convenience” stores
that were fronts for crime and community
destabilization;
• created summer jobs and internships for
hundreds of Northside youth through the
Minneapolis Promise;
• made neighborhoods safer by working in
partnership with community to significantly
bring down violent and property crime.
While we have seen promising results on the
Northside, our work is far from done and our
focus there continues undiminished. We will not
rest until residents of North Minneapolis can
expect the same opportunities and outcomes as
residents of any other part of Minneapolis.
NorthForce is not the only example of our
investing disproportionate resources into areas
of disproportionate need. Others include:
• the Great Streets program, which directs
low-interest loans, grants and technical
assistance to small businesses — often owned
by people of color and new Americans — on our
main commercial corridors;
• our Youth Violence Prevention work, a
holistic, public-health approach to reducing
youth violence with scores of community
partners, which has led to great results,
especially among youth of color;
• our job-training and -placement efforts,
which have trained over 10,000 previously hard-
to-employ individuals;
• our Affordable Housing Fund;
our Homelessness Task Force, in cooperation
with Hennepin County.
The Phillips neighborhood is a great example of
a community with a large percentage of
residents of color that has prospered in recent
years because of the partnerships we have built
and the disproportionate amount of resources we
have invested. As a result of this multi-year
work, Phillips has gone from being the
neighborhood with the highest rate of violent
crime in Minnesota to the one with the highest
rate of job creation in Minnesota. As mayor, I
have worked closely with Children’s Hospital,
Abbott Northwestern and Allina, among other
entities that have invested significantly in the
neighborhood, to ensure that Phillips residents
get jobs and build wealth as a result of these
investments. We are making sure that these
corporations are not just in the neighborhood,
they are of the neighborhood, and that
neighborhood people benefit and prosper from
their presence.
The road to closing these disparities is long and
requires sustained long-term effort. Many of the
things we’ve tried in Minneapolis have worked,
but some have not, and when they have not,
we’ve tried again. I am proud of the concrete
efforts that we have made in Minneapolis in
finding, trying and refining solutions to put an
end to disparate outcomes for people of color.
And I’m not done trying.
How will you support
Page14
partnerships and systems
integration to eliminate the
education Achievement Gap?
While the mayor of Minneapolis has no direct
control over the Minneapolis public schools, I
have been deeply involved with parents,
students, teachers, administrators and
communities in efforts to eliminate the
achievement gap and create opportunity for our
young people, especially from communities of
color.
Under my administration and in partnership with
Superintendent Green and the Minneapolis
Public Schools, Minneapolis Community and
Technical College, the University of Minnesota
and scores of private partners, we initiated the
Minneapolis Promise, an initiative that says to
our young people that if they stay in school and
focus on where they want to go, we will get
them there. It has three components:
• access to counseling so young people can
plan a vision for their future;
• help finding a summer job;
assistance getting the funds needed to go to
college.
A large majority of participants in the
Minneapolis Promise are students of color.
Since we began the Minneapolis Promise:
• students have made over 140,000 visits to
comprehensive college and career centers
located in each of the city’s seven public high
schools;
• 10,000 students have received meaningful
summer employment, most notably through the
STEP-UP program that offers not only
placement but ongoing, comprehensive job-
skills training to economically disadvantaged
students;
• more than 1,500 students have benefitted
from free college access at U-M and MCTC.
The Minneapolis Promise is helping to drive
increasing graduation rates for students of color
in Minneapolis Public Schools — and that trend
is driving an overall increase in the citywide
graduation rate. Since 2003, African American
graduation rates have risen from around 50% to
around 70%. In the same period, graduation
rates for American Indian and Latino students
have risen from around 30% to around 50%.
(Graduation rates citywide in this period have
risen from 57% to 73% overall. Graduation rates
for white and Asian students currently exceed
80%.)
Let me be clear: a 50% or 70% graduation rate
may represent progress, but it is far from good
enough. We still have a long way to go, and I
will be satisfied only when 100% of students of
all communities not only graduate from high
school but are prepared to succeed in the post-
secondary education of their choice. To that end,
for the last several years I have made a personal
goal of speaking once a year to every 9th-grade
class in Minneapolis in order to inspire them to
beginning planning for college. My office has
also spearheaded an annual one-day event called
“I Know I Can,” at which hundreds of
volunteers from all walks of life read a book by
the same title, which plants the seed of
imagination about attending college, to every
third-grade class in Minneapolis. (The third
annual “I Know I Can” takes place February 11,
2010.)
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to
eliminating the achievement gap: what works
for students of color in Minneapolis may not
work for Somali students in Rochester, Latino
students in Worthington or Native students in
Bemidji or on the reservation. Nor is the
Minneapolis Promise the only model of success:
culturally-specific charter schools such as
Harvest Prep in North Minneapolis or the
Hmong Academy in Saint Paul, to name just a
couple, are playing an important role in helping
our children succeed and are showing us
additional models of success. Finally, we must
commit to acknowledging failure when we
encounter it: to that end, for example, I have
supported Superintendent Green’s fresh-starting
of schools when it has been necessary.
While we have made progress, we still have a
long way to go. Nevertheless, I believe
Minnesota must make the same commitment to
eliminating the achievement gap that we have
made in Minneapolis. And whatever strategies
we implement, we must agree on them with
students, families and communities of color at
the table in full partnership. As governor, I will
ensure that we do.
What will you do to increase
hiring and contracting of
people of color by Minnesota
government units?
We have had some success in Minneapolis in
increasing hiring and contracting for people of
color, mostly notably on the Allina
Commons/Midtown Global Market project,
which hit record-high standards for inclusionary
hiring and contracting.
However, in eight years as mayor, I’ve learned
that we not only have to pass the laws and
ordinances that provide for hiring and
contracting of people of color on publicly-
funded projects, we have to ensure ongoing
compliance, monitoring and implementation.
Our good intentions are not enough: we must
make sure we have the tools and resources to
hold ourselves accountable. We also need to
make sure that people of color hired on publicly-
funded projects have open pathways to union
membership, benefits and protections.
There are other steps we can take that can have
a positive impact. For example, part of the
reason that we were successful in increasing
participation in contracting on the Midtown
Commons and Central Library projects was that
we unbundled subcontracts into smaller sizes,
which made it easier for subcontractors of color
— whose capacities, especially if they are just
starting out, are often smaller than those of
other, more established, usually white-owned
subcontracting concerns — to bid and
participate.
The next governor should implement changes
like these, reinforce compliance at every level
and support community-specific job-training
initiatives like Summit Academy and Emerge, as
I have done as mayor.
I have said repeatedly that when I am governor,
I will be singularly focused on creating family-
supporting, home-grown, sustainable jobs — but
I will be equally focused on eliminating
economic disparities for people of color. The
two will go hand in hand.
There are no easy answers to these issues and no
quick recipes for success, but for the last eight
years, I’ve been on the ground floor of working
with these challenges and implementing
solutions.
What will you do, through
policy and practice, to make
best use of public resources
for Justice and Public Safety
system reform?
I am exceedingly proud of the success we’ve
had in Minneapolis preventing youth violence.
After a terrible spike in violent crime in 2006,
which was driven by youth participation, we
convened all stakeholders in Minneapolis to
look at what was not working and come up with
innovative new strategies that we hoped would
work.
Out of that effort came the recognition that
youth violence is not a problem merely of crime,
but is in fact a public-health epidemic that
requires the same holistic, multi-faceted
response that we bring to addressing other
epidemics. Drawing on a mix of community-
oriented law enforcement and public-health
strategies to address the root causes of violence
and significantly reduce and prevent youth
violence in Minneapolis, our broad cross-section
of community stakeholders created a Blueprint
for Action.
The Blueprint identifies four goals:
• Connecting every youth with a trusted adult;
• Intervening at the first sign that youth are at
risk for violence;
• Restoring youth who have gone down the
wrong path; and
• Unlearning the culture of violence in our
community.
While all four goals are important, I find the
second and the third especially compelling. We
know from our collaboration with Hennepin
Page15
County that intervening with youth early and
keeping them out of detention and the juvenile-
justice system works: 80% of the young people
who come through our Juvenile Service Center
never come back. This is a victory not only for
these young people and their futures, but for
taxpayers. We need to continue to partner with
community so that there is quick, effective
intervention at the first sign of trouble.
We also know that returning a young person to
heal in the community from which they come,
with effective support services, is the most
effective way to restore him or her to full,
productive citizenship in the broadest sense of
the term. This is difficult work, but it must be
built in. I am concerned, however, that with state
cuts to local governments, effective probation
and other necessary support services continue to
suffer. Until our state’s fiscal situation improves
and we once again have a governor who believes
in honest budgeting, we are going to have to
keeping finding creative ways to partner with
communities to ensure that we have the
resources to restore our young people.
While many factors go into the overall decline in
crime rates that we have seen in Minneapolis,
we believe that our focus on treating youth
violence holistically as a public-health issue has
worked: since 2006, violent crime involving
juveniles has dropped 47%. The decline of youth
involvement in homicides is even more
dramatic: while homicides in Minneapolis
dropped from 54 in 2006 to 19 in 2009, youth
involvement in homicide dropped from 42 (of
the total 54) in 2006 to just 2 (of the total 19) in
2009.
This success is a sign that we should take to the
statewide level the local work being done to
wrap our arms around our youth in community
to steer them away from involvement in the
juvenile-justice system and toward productive
citizenship.
While we celebrate that success, we know we
have more work to do, particularly in the Somali
community: the fact that the two people arrested
in the recent, tragic triple homicide on Franklin
Avenue were both 17-year-old Somali men is a
sign to us that we have fallen short on that front.
We must also look a systemic reform of
sentencing for both youth and adults. The
disparities between whites and people of color
— especially African Americans — in rates of
incarceration has grown shamefully in
Minnesota in the last decade, and we must
eliminate that gap. On the adult front, we must
review disparities in sentencing (for example,
around drug possession) that have led to results
that are racist in their effect. Justice, compassion
and good government together compel us to
rethink our sentencing practices and develop
effective, community-based alternatives for
adults, as we have begun to do for our youth.
Right now, our system is neither compassionate
enough or effective enough. It must be both.
The same principles of justice, compassion and
good government should also drive us as a state
to work harder on effective reintegration and
reenfranchisement once time has been served
and debts have been paid. We must explore all
our options in Minnesota for taking advantage of
the federal Second Chance Act, and look for
areas where we can reform our practices beyond
the steps the federal government has taken.
I am also proud to have advocated for and
instituted the policy in the City of Minneapolis
that eliminated questions about prior arrests and
criminal record from the City’s job application.
I took some heat over that policy but I stood up
for what we know was the right thing to do.
When I can governor, you will have someone
leading our state who has already gone on right-
wing talk radio and fought back on these issues
that others have shied away from. You will have
a governor who has gone to community
meetings, taken tough questions, listened and
won people over. Too often, Democrats and
progressives are timid about defending and
advocating for our views on the criminal justice
system and public-safety reform. I am not.
What are your key
immigration related
concerns, and how will you
go about addressing them as
governor? How will you
ensure that our systems and
solutions meet the needs of
New Americans?
I was elected mayor of Minneapolis right after
the attacks of September 11, 2001, in the midst
of the most anti-immigrant frenzy in recent
history. From the moment I took office, I had to
stand up during the height of the Bush/Pawlenty
attacks on immigrants and defend, for example,
our city’s wise decision to separate basic police
and public-safety functions from the functions
of the immigration system. Minneapolis as a
city, and I as its mayor, have been attacked and
threatened by right-wingers at the State Capitol
and across the country for our City/ICE
separation ordinance. But we have stood firm in
the face of these attacks because we know we
are right.
In Minneapolis, we not only defend new
Americans, we celebrate them. Eight years ago
the common way to talk about the kids in
Minneapolis was to say: “They are the most
diverse generation we have ever raised, they
speak 100 languages, they come from all over
the world — and that creates tremendous
challenges.” But today when we talk about our
kids we say: “They are the most diverse
generation we have ever raised, they speak 100
languages, they come from all over the world —
and that makes them the most valuable
generation we have ever raised. In a global
world, where the most important asset is to cross
cultural barriers, the young people coming out
of our schools are the key to our success.” The
Minneapolis promise has played a key role in
bringing about this important transformation.
When it comes to economic development, in
Minneapolis we have focused resources on
building prosperity in immigrant communities.
To name a few examples:
• We have successfully launched and
supported showcases of immigrant
entrepreneurial innovation like the Global
Market and Plaza Verde.
• Our Great Streets program, which I have
championed, directs low-interest loans, grants
and technical assistance to small businesses on
our main commercial corridors, like Lake Street.
These grants and loans have leveraged millions
more in private capital. Through Greet Streets
we have partnered closely with the Latino
Economic Development Center.
• In conjunction with the African
Development Center we have developed
culturally-sensitive loan products and no-
interest financial instruments for entrepreneurs
of the Islamic faith.
On the public-safety front, we have worked hard
for several years to build bridges with the
Hmong and Somali communities. In the
aftermath of the recent triple homicide on
Franklin Avenue, the Somali community and the
Minneapolis Police Department worked in close
partnership and cooperation as never before. I
am gratified to have heard from so many Somali
community members that in their moment of
crisis, they felt they could trust the police and
the City.
When I am governor, we will work on building
trust and prosperity with and for immigrant
communities and new Americans, as we have
done in Minneapolis. New Americans no longer
make their homes only in Saint Paul and
Minneapolis, and Latinos, Asians and Africans
now live in every corner, every city and every
small town of our state.
Our state’s rich cultural diversity is not
tangential to why I am running for governor, it is
central. When I’m governor, the kind of old
politics that has intentionally sought to divide
Minnesotans from one another will come to a
crashing halt. There is an old attitude at the
Capitol that seeks to divide us into groups that
can be scapegoated or pitted against each other.
This has gotten us nowhere, and I have fought
back against it: I have stood with Latino and
Muslim communities when they have come
under attack by those seeking cheap political
gain, and I will take that heat again anytime that
it’s necessary to do so.
Instead, when I am governor we will reconnect
Minnesota and Minnesotans, because the more
we are connected to each other, the more
equality and opportunity we create. My Czech
immigrant ancestors faced challenges in an
earlier time that they met by forging connections
Page16
with each other. I cannot forget that it took four
generations to send my father to college so that
he later could send me to college.
We as a state can and must come together to
forge the connections with each other that create
prosperity, and I am prepared to lead that effort.
Please reflect on your key
concerns regarding the rights
and responsibilities of tribal
governments, and upon the
directions you will pursue in
this area as governor.
When I was a kid, my parents owned a drug
store at Chicago and Franklin Avenues. From an
early age, I had a first-hand look into the
successes and challenges of one of the largest
urban Indian communities in America. It began
a lifelong quest to understand why disparities
exist between Indians and the dominant culture
and how I could play role in reducing or
eliminating them.
As Mayor, I’m proud of the City’s work with the
Little Earth community to lower violent crime.
Little Earth has been a full partner in our Youth
Violence Prevention initiative and that
collaboration has produced results. The benefits
of this work have resonated beyond Little Earth
to reservations across Minnesota.
As governor, I will make a priority of working in
full partnership with tribal communities to
eliminate long-standing disparities for Native
people in criminal justice (including juvenile
justice), public health and economic
development. We have a special responsibility to
bring these shameful disparities to an end, and to
do so in an effective, culturally fluent way.
The broader society also has a lot to learn from
Native American approaches to community,
healing and environment. The principles that
underlie Native models and practices of
holistically reintegrating youth who have
strayed into crime and away from community
have proven their effectiveness. Similarly,
Ramsey County’s successful Wakanheza
approach to nurturing children in community
and preventing abuse before it starts, based on
Dakota principles, can be expanded statewide.
In addition, at a time when we as a state, nation
and planet desperately need to remake our
relationship to our environment, the Indian
community offers us models of true long-term
sustainability that we simply cannot afford to
ignore.
As I work as governor in partnership with tribes
and native communities, I will always act in full
respect of Indian sovereignty. One principle on
which I will hold firm is that we will not reopen
Minnesota’s compact with tribal governments
over Indian gaming. I oppose any further
expansion of gambling in Minnesota and when I
am governor, Minnesota will not venture into
gaming and will leave it as the exclusive right of
the tribes, where it belongs.
I am excited at the prospect of being a governor
who will work with community to eliminate
disparities, help heal past wounds and lead the
broader culture in embracing sustainable Indian
values and celebrating the Indian communities
that are so much a part of who we all are.
How will you make certain
that the Central Corridor LRT
project serves and advances
the needs of residents,
businesses and
neighborhoods in closest
proximity to the line?
The goal of Central Corridor should be
connection: it should connect the people who
live, work and do business in the heart of Saint
Paul with opportunities for employment,
shopping and recreation across the Twin Cities.
Since the beginning of this project, I have
operated from the principle that we must not
replace a bus system that already adequately
serves transit-dependent people with a train that
just passes them by. For this reason, I have
advocated putting the infrastructure in place for
three additional stops at Western, Victoria and
Hamline. I will continue fight for the goal of
fully functioning stations by the time Central
Corridor is ready to open.
But making sure that Central Corridor serves
communities in the heart of Saint Paul is not
limited to ensuring additional stops, as
important as they are. We must also make a
priority of, among other things:
• community stabilization, making sure that
residents who have lived in communities along
University Avenue are able to stay there;
• good jobs and contracts for people who
already live or own businesses in the
neighborhood;
• mitigation and assistance for the small
businesses that have kept University Avenue
prosperous;
• adequate bus service so that people can still
use public transit over short distances.
Although we haven’t yet identified the funding
to meet all our needs, we must start from a
presumption of abundance, not scarcity. We
must also start from a presumption of equality of
power and influence, and not allow more well-
connected concerns to trump the goals of
communities who should benefit most from
improved transit options.
Again, the goal of Central Corridor must be
connection and inclusion for those who will
benefit from it most. Whether I am serving as
governor of Minnesota or mayor of Minneapolis
during this long process, I will stay in constant
contact to make sure that our strategies are on
the right track and getting us to the goal of full
inclusion and full connection for communities
and businesses along University Avenue.
What is your plan to ensure
inclusive staffing and
appointments as governor, in
key positions and throughout
your cabinet and
administration?
As mayor of Minneapolis I’ve worked hard for
inclusion in staffing and appointments. In my
own office, I’m proud of my diverse staff, who
are 40% people of color. I’m also proud that
during my tenure, we have appointed Fire Chief
Alex Jackson, the first African-American to hold
the post in the history of Minneapolis.
It’s also important that under Police Chief Tim
Dolan’s leadership, the Minneapolis Police
Department has become more diverse than at
any point in our history, with the overall force
now 19% officers of color. During Chief Dolan’s
tenure, 29% of new police officers hired have
been people of color, as have 68% of
community-service officers hired. And the trend
continues: our most recent recruit class was one-
half people of color.
Our success in recruiting a more diverse police
force is no accident. It has happened because we
instituted the first-ever comprehensive diversity
plan for the Police Department, established a
Multicultural Community Recruitment Team in
the department and put into place the
department’s first-ever recruitment plan for
people of color. And it has happened because
over the last several years, we have worked hard
on building relationships of trust with
communities of color — and with their help, we
have actively recruited their best young people
to join our police force. We will continue to
make a priority of hiring, retaining and
promoting top-quality officers of color to serve
and represent all our communities.
It’s good but it’s not enough, however, to pledge
to hire racially diverse staff: we need to build
accountability into the system. In Minneapolis,
every City department’s business plan includes
the goal of diversifying staff, and every
department head and manager is held
accountable in their performance review for the
progress they’ve made on that goal. As
governor, I will bring this kind of accountability
to state government.
It’s important not only to appoint people who are
members of various underrepresented
communities around the state, but to make sure
that those people are leaders who are well
connected in those communities, have access
and trust, and can represent them fairly and
sensitively. As governor, I will be particularly
keen to appoint and promote emerging leaders
Page17
from communities of color to key positions in
state government.
How will you use your
Campaign as a tool for
leadership development and
long-term capacity building
in communities of color?
I will do it in the same way I have done it in the
Mayor’s office, by hiring a diverse staff who are
well connected in their communities and have
the trust and access they need to successfully
connect our campaign to the community.
My campaign to win the governor’s office back
for progressives is not a one-man show, nor can
it be the effort of a narrow group of
Minnesotans. It is crucial to have a strong
candidate who can reach out and inspire all
Minnesotans to vote. But strong candidates are
not enough. DFL campaigns that don’t have the
capacity to engage communities of color and
new voters will fail in 2010 no matter how
strong the candidate. There is not enough of the
old guard to carry the day.
On my campaign, engaging the diversity of
communities across Minnesota is our steel
support, not window dressing. It is core of our
strength not only for winning, but governing.
The campaign is the foundation of our
governing coalition that will deliver the change
we need once we win this election together.
Because winning is when the real work starts.
Please describe your plan
and strategy to win the 2010
Governor’s Race.
This election is about jobs and delivering real
results for people. Minnesotans want their
leaders to get past gridlock and get the budget
under control. They want leaders focused on
creating jobs and opportunity.
In Minneapolis we haven’t just talked doing
this, we’ve delivered results — lowering crime,
creating thousands of jobs, starting the
Minneapolis Promise to connect kids to jobs and
opportunity, and delivering honest, balanced,
responsible budgets. We’ve supported small
business and fueled the clean-energy economy.
We’ve done it with tough financial management,
reforming government and focusing on results.
With big vision and firm management we can
get Minnesota moving again, but we can’t keep
doing things the same old way at the Capitol —
the same old politics have failed us. We need
new ideas and a different set of priorities that
put people and jobs first.
It’s been over 20 years since Minnesota elected
a DFL governor, and 2010 will be a tough year,
too. Minnesotans want change. They are
worried that the three pillars of their economic
security —their jobs, their retirements and their
homes — are all at risk. They don’t believe there
is a real economic recovery when
unemployment rates are so high. Trust in
government to solve problems for people is at an
all-time low. We won’t win by offering voters
the same old thing that hasn’t been working for
them.
We will win, however, by offering Minnesotans
a real choice — a strong leader who has
performed under pressure and knows how to run
government so that it delivers real results for
people. This is what I offer. But it will take
something more. We need a candidate who can
galvanize our base progressive voters so that
they get out to vote. No other candidate can
match my energy and enthusiasm for
campaigning. I’ve campaigned all across
Minnesota for years for President Obama,
Howard Dean, and dozens of DFL House and
Senate candidates. I can mobilize young people
and turn out grandparents — and I love to
campaign.
I was especially proud to be the first big-city
mayor in America to endorse Barack Obama for
president — even before he started his campaign
— and I am the only candidate in the race for
governor to have done so. I was thrilled to be
part of that historic campaign, which mobilized
voters — including young, first-time and
previously disenfranchised voters — across
Minnesota to turn out in record numbers to
support our first African American president. It’s
one of the proudest experiences of my life.
Another reason DFLers have lost the last several
races for governor is because, in the end, an
independent candidate tells voters that while
they agree with us on lots of issues, we can’t be
trusted to spend your tax dollars wisely. By
Election Day, they have persuaded enough
voters that we lose the race.
They won’t be able to do that with me. I will
stack up my record of accountability, results and
financial responsibility against any Democrat,
Republican or independent. No one in the race
has structurally balanced eight $1-billion
budgets in a row with no tricks or gimmicks,
paid down $117 million in debt, reformed
government, cut costs, and done it all while
making needed investments in public safety and
our infrastructure.
I will not, however, run in a primary against a
DFL-endorsed candidate. Our party must be
unified to win, and that needs to start in April
with the DFL endorsement, not after a primary
when it may be too late.
Ole Savior
Response for all questions: jobs like the MN State Fair which is closed 50
weeks a year - create a new “year round
ebuild the old neighborhoods - New “playland” like a “Disneyland” of four seasons

R schools. More teachers. Jobs, “full”

employment goals in MN at decent pay and
better living conditions. Higher educational
(thousands of new jobs here). MN Immigration
policy will be fair and good welcoming new
citizens. Tribal government needs to represent all
“not” just a few like Mystic family. More LRT
opportunities for advancement of “all” people.
Job creation by building a new Viking Stadium, between cities. Everyone will benefit.
construction etc. and also opening up new areas of

Paul Thissen
www.paulthissen.com
How do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparate
outcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any in
particular that are of special concern to you? What is your
plan to address them?
isparate outcomes in health care, housing, provide intensive assistance to those students to

D education, criminal justice and other areas

are a mark on a state that prides itself on
fairness and progressive values. To begin, we need
to open our eyes to the reality of the injustice in
our communities. I will speak out on racial
injustices and discrimination. But, then we need to
take action. As Chair of the Health and Human
Services Committee, I have been particularly
attentive to health disparity issues and have lead
on efforts to close the gap. I authored and passed
the Cover All Kids bill that now allows 40,000
kids in Minnesota to see a doctor. I also believe
that the best way to address the gap is to improve
socioeconomic status. We need to adopt policies
for not only good paying jobs, but also to create
wealth and assets in families and communities.
How will you support
partnerships and systems
integration to eliminate the
education Achievement Gap?
We cannot address the growing achievement gap
with a quick fix. The causes of the gap are
multiple and complex and the solutions must be
comprehensive. Among other things:
Investment in early care and learning, including
parent education, is critical. Libraries, after-
school and summer school programs must be
funded and widely available since we know that
the achievement gap grows exponentially when
kids are out of the school building.
During school, we should employ technology and
other tools more effectively to focus on the
individual growth of students and identify those
who are not keeping up. We need the resources to
catch them up. We should give educators
financial and other incentives (including lower
class sizes) to work with students and in schools
where the achievement gap is most serious.
Finally we must address inequality more broadly.
We must keep kids healthy, well fed and in stable
housing if we are going to close the gap.
What will you do to increase
hiring and contracting of
people of color by Minnesota
government units?
I believe that closing the achievement gap and
fostering an environment where all students of
color can successfully complete high school and
attend some form of post-secondary education is
essential to building a diverse workforce.
Minnesota will be most prosperous when all of its
citizens, regardless of race, are adequately
prepared for successful careers.
The next governor will also need to lead by
example and promote fair hiring practices at the
state and local level. I will appoint commissioners
who will actively enforce our minority contractor
laws. With a diverse pool of qualified prospective
employees, Minnesota will be a state where all its
citizens can find employment that allows them to
support their families.
What will you do, through
policy and practice, to make
best use of public resources
for Justice and Public Safety
system reform?
The Minnesota judicial branch has suffered
greatly as a result of recent administration failures
to establish a stable and fair system for its
funding. Public defender’s offices do not have the
resources needed to fairly serve their clients and
the courts have had to raise filing fees in order to
offset a decrease in funding. Unfortunately, as
court fees increase low income Minnesotans are
excluded from the judicial system. Unlike recent
administrations I will listen to judicial leaders like
Chief Justice Magnuson and do my best to give
our justice system the resources needed to serve
all Minnesotans.
We also need to have a serious discussion about
equity in our sentencing guidelines, focus on post-
sentence reintegration from the time of
sentencing, and utilize models of restorative
justice in approaching cases. I authored and
passed legislation to adopt a public health
approach to reducing youth violence by focusing
on broader community support.
What are your key
immigration related concerns,
and how will you go about
addressing them as governor?

Page18
How will you ensure that our
systems solutions meet the
needs of New Americans?
As the population of Minnesota ages and our
workforce declines, new Americans will play an
essential role in growing and protecting a
prosperous economy. Therefore, it is not only a
moral imperative, but an economical necessity
that ALL Minnesotans have equal access to
educational and employment opportunities. New
immigrants in Minnesota (legally or not) need a
path to citizenship that helps bring all residents of
Minnesota out of the shadows and helps them
more fully participate in our society. And we need
a sensible policy that does not tear families apart.
We must transform the political discussion when it
comes to issues of immigrants living in our
communities. We need a candidate who will call
upon what is best in Minnesotans — a belief that
this is a special and extraordinary place — and
challenge Minnesotans to turn that belief and hope
into reality.
Please reflect on your key
concerns regarding the rights
and responsibilities of tribal
governments, and upon the
directions you will pursue in
this area as governor.
I will honor the government to government
relationship with the tribes and will respect and
protect the sovereignty of Minnesota’s eleven
tribal nations. As governor, I will honor the
gaming compacts with Minnesota’s tribes under
their current terms. As a legislator, I have
consistently voted against attempts to infringe on
Indian gaming rights and will continue to reject
any proposals that violate our current compact.
Minnesota’s tribes have used the revenue from
their gaming to improve the health, education,
and overall well-being of their tribal members.
For example, my committee visited the Mille
Lacs Band of Ojibwe this fall and learned how
gaming revenue has supported culturally relevant
developments such as an assisted living center for
tribal elders and the Circle of Health program
which assists tribal members with health care
premiums and deductibles. Minnesota’s tribal
nations have a right to use gaming revenue to
better their communities and ensure their
economic security, and as governor I will continue
to honor that right.
How will you make certain
that the Central Corridor LRT
project serves and advances
the needs of residents,
businesses and
neighborhoods in closest
proximity to the line?
Page19
While the long-term benefits of building the
Central Corridor light rail line are phenomenal,
the state and the City of St. Paul must also be
considerate of the impact the construction itself
will have on locally owned businesses. While the
City will assuredly continue to promote local
patronage of the businesses, the State can work to
free up credit and small business loans that will
help many business owners weather the
construction. New investments in real estate can
help community business owners reap the benefits
of any increase in property values following the
completion of construction. Additionally,
foreclosure protections currently used in the
housing market may help business owners who
already own their property to retain ownership
even if their incomes slow during construction.
What is your plan to ensure
inclusive staffing and
appointments as governor, in
key positions and throughout
your cabinet and
administration?
In appointing commissioners to head state level
agencies, I will search for an individual who not
only has on the ground experience and detailed
knowledge of the issues his or her office will deal
with, but also one who shares my vision for
Minnesota. My commissioners will need to be
able to think big about our state and offer
excitement about the possibility of improving life
here for all citizens. I believe strongly that in
order for state agencies to be effective the
commissioners must have the trust of its
constituency. In selecting commissioners I will
discuss candidates and solicit feedback from the
advocacy and citizen groups likely to work with
the agency.
How will you use your
Campaign as a tool for
leadership development and
long-term capacity building in
communities of color?
I think one of the biggest tragedies of the last 20
years of Republican and Independent leadership
in the governor’s office is the increased distrust of
state government. Even as Americans nationally
became skeptical of the federal government,
Minnesotans saw St. Paul as a place for effective
change. Since I began this campaign I have
visited 83 of Minnesota’s 87 counties. As I have
travelled I have taken considerable time to meet
with members and leaders of communities of
color throughout the state. As examples, I sat with
Somali community leaders in St. Cloud as well as
affordable housing advocates for East Africans in
Marshall and Hmong LGBT leaders in St. Paul.
As governor I will continue to reach out to people
of all backgrounds and from all corners of the
state. By listening and engaging people I will
incorporate the concerns of people in a way that
produces real results. Through that kind of
personal outreach I will work to stabilize and
develop all communities in Minnesota and
especially communities of color.
Please describe your plan and
strategy to win the 2010
Governor’s Race.
I believe my greatest strengths walking into the
endorsement, primary and general elections are
my record and leadership at the capitol and the
fresh start I can offer my party and the state of
Minnesota. Health care is a make-or-break, top of
mind issue for voters. I offer expertise, knowledge
and a record of delivering concrete results for
Minnesotans unmatched among the candidates. I
have consistantly delivered on issues of economic
security throughout my legilsative career and will
put those at the top of my agenda as governor.
And, in a time when Minnesotan are looking for a
fresh start and are tired of sharp partisianship, I
am the a candidate that comes free of old political
baggage and battles.
Winning the DFL Endorsement is the first
challenge. I started this campaign early, knowing
it would take time and hard work to build the
support I need to win. For the past year and a half
I have worked harder than anyone. And our
success is clear: moving from an “also running”
candidacy to a leading contender for the DFL
endorsement. We’ve raised more money over the
course of the campaign from more people than
any other candidate and have picked up strong
support statewide. The DFL needs to endorse a
candidate in April who can unify the party going
into the primary and general election. I am the
candidate best suited to do that.
Securing the endorsement is the foundation of our
plan to win the primary election. I believe with a
strong network of support, and a field operation
that can hit the ground running we will overcome
the personal wealth of potential primary
opponents. Minnesotans are looking for smart,
competent and principled leadership.
General election voters are looking for real
solutions to the problems they face - and that is
what I believe I offer as a candidate for governor.
I have always stood strong for DFL values and
fought for the rights of working people in this
state. I have a record as a common sense legislator
with an ability to bring people together to solve
problems. Voters in Minnesota have proven time
and again that they are willing to cross party lines
to support a candidate that shares their values and
offers fresh ideas and an innovative approach to
making things better in this state. And, I can point
to a record of success on delivering on these ideas.