Candidate Responses

8/8/2019 Candidate Responses

1/19

Measuring candidates

by our interests

McFarlane Ford Reader January 25, 20

In 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 Minnesotas

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.


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We know, from years of research acrossour country, that disparities in income,education, health care and other issues

exist for people of color, and while its hard tosingle out just one issue, I believe thatimproving access to health care is an importantstep forward.

Minnesota has prioritized improving outcomesin health care for people of color through the

Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative. Asgovernor, I will continue to focus on changes toour health care system that truly prioritize acommitment to quality of care for all peopleregardless of their income level or insurancecoverage. We have to make sure that in 2015,and 2020 and beyond, our states health caredelivery system will look very different.

How will you support

partnerships and systemsintegration to eliminate theeducation Achievement Gap?

I am concerned that recent studies by theUniversity of Minnesotas Institute on Race andPoverty show a dramatic increase in schoolsegregation in our region. As Governor I willcontinue to pursue a New Minnesota Miracle, acomprehensive education funding reformsystem that will provide stable, equitableinvestments to all schools in our state. The NewMinnesota Miracle will also fully fund the stateshare of kindergarten and special education.

As governor, I also will direct the MetropolitanCouncil to work with the Department ofEducation to address issues of housing andracial isolation that will help to close the

achievement gap.

We know that a focus on early childhooddevelopment, from birth to five, help ourchildren succeed academically as they grow, andI am a strong believer in funding and improvingthose programs.

I also think there are ways to work with schoolsto narrow the achievement gap, by looking atinitiatives that cultivate achievement in theirstudents who live in challenging socio-economic backgrounds.

What will you do to increasehiring and contracting ofpeople of color by Minnesota

government units?

I am very supportive of the HIRE Minnesotacoalitions efforts to hold MN Department ofTransportation (DOT) accountable for reaching

Federal goals for hiring people of color. DOThas fallen far short of these goals, and this isespecially problematic with hundreds ofmillions of Recovery Act monies coming intothe state for new construction projects. I willensure that all state agencies live up to theircommitments and obligations for hiring peopleof color.

What will you do, throughpolicy and practice, to makebest use of public resourcesfor Justice and Public Safety

system reform?Everyone deserves to live in a safeneighborhood, and I support law enforcementefforts to provide that safety and security to allof Minnesotas families. However, its importantto speak out against practices thatdisproportionally single out one group and toaddress any imbalance in the justice system. Asgovernor, I would take the initiative to reallylook at whether penalties are handed downfairly, and also look at ways to reach out toyouth to focus on crime prevention andeducation.

What are your keyimmigration related

concerns, and how will yougo about addressing them asgovernor? How will youensure that our systemssolutions meet the needs ofnew Americans?

I am concerned that immigration continues to be

used as a wedge issue. We cannot allow oursociety to be divided where immigrants arefalsely blamed and demonized for a variety ofissues, including our economic crisis. I will

ensure that immigrants human rights areprotected, and that New Americans needs areaddressed particularly in education and highereducation opportunities

Please reflect on your keyconcerns regarding the rightsand responsibilities of tribalgovernments, and upon thedirections you will pursue in

this area as governor.

I have a history of working with tribalgovernments, and honor the relationships wehave with tribes across the state. As Governor, Iwill respect Tribal Sovereignty. As Speaker ofthe House, I have, for the last three years,offered an Indian Law 101 seminar to educatepolicymakers on interactions between tribal andstate government. I also believe we have tohonor the gaming compacts with our tribes.

How will you make certain

that the Central Corridor LRTproject serves and advancesthe needs of residents,

businesses andneighborhoods in closestproximity to the line?

As Speaker, I worked hard during the 2008legislative session to organize a diversecoalition of people to successfully override thegovernors veto of a transportation bill. Not onlywas this bill one of the largest job-creating billsin decades, it also helped fund new transitprojects such as the Central Corridor Light RailTransit system.

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How do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparateoutcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any in

particular that are of special concern to you? What is yourplan to address them?

Margaret Anderson Kelliher

www.margaretforgovernor.com


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problems, including crime. One barrier to peoplefinding good-paying jobs is a lack of education.Minnesota has traditionally had very strong schools,but there are too many times when people are notentering the job market with the skills needed. I talkon the campaign trail about a renewed focus oninvesting in our human infrastructure and I mean todo this at all levels, in every community and in allparts of the state.



When I am governor, I will work closely with andprovide the resources to those groups working toeliminate the achievement gap. As I state above, arenewed focus on investing in our humaninfrastructure is a necessity for Minnesota. Aneducation can solve so many problems and a lack ofeducation in a community correlates to every othersocial problem. This problem is not an easy one totackle, but doing so is crucial. For this reason, Ipledge real support to those who are doing important

work in this area.

What will you do to increasehiring and contracting of peopleof color by Minnesota

government units?

The state has effective affirmative action policiesthat I support. Beyond that, the governor sets thetone throughout all government units. Myadministration will be inclusive and I will surroundmyself with people from different backgrounds andexperiences and encourage all government units todo likewise.

What will you do, through policyand practice, to make best useof public resources for Justiceand Public Safety system

reform?

As governor, I will use public resources as efficientlyand effectively as possible in all areas. Our justiceand public safety systems are large and complex.There has long been debate about where to prioritizeand how to minimize waste. There are definitelyplaces where we can streamline or combine services

to maximize efficiency both in urban and rural partsof the state.

What are your key immigrationrelated concerns, and how willyou go about addressing themas governor? How will youensure that our systems

solutions meet the needs of

New Americans?

America, and Minnesota, was built by immigrants.Our state must continue to be a welcomingdestination for new Americans. As governor I willwork with immigrant communities to create a two-way dialogue on how the state can work on easingthe transition for new Americans and providing anenvironment where immigrant communities canthrive.

Please reflect on your keyconcerns regarding the rights

and responsibilities of tribalgovernments, and upon thedirections you will pursue in thisarea as governor.

As a state senator from the Arrowhead region of thestate, I have a long history of working with tribalgovernments. I have demonstrated a commitment toworking with and honoring the governmentalrelationships with tribes. I regularly sit down withtribal leaders and their representatives to establish

the kind of relationships I believe are important ingovernment. I have listened to their concerns andviews on issues close to their tribal governments andhave expressed my own opinions on ways to worktogether. I plan to continue this type of relationshipas governor with the tribal governments.

How will you make certain thatthe Central Corridor LRT projectserves and advances the needsof residents, businesses and

neighborhoods in closestproximity to the line?

There is a concern that those closest to the LRTproject will suffer during construction of the CentralCorridor. In the long-turn I think the CentralCorridor will bring new life to the businesses andneighborhoods nearby. Certainly the state needs toreally consider these concerns and work to ease anynegative impact.

What is your plan to ensureinclusive staffing andappointments as governor, in

key positions and throughout

your cabinet andadministration?

The governor sets the tone throughout the stategovernment. I will work to create an inclusiveatmosphere as far as staffing and otherwise. I plan tobe very hands-on in the creation of my staff. I willsurround myself with people who will reflect thediversity of our state and demand that others in myadministration do so as well.

How will you use yourCampaign as a tool forleadership development and

long-term capacity building incommunities of color?

As I travel the state I have been meeting withMinnesotans from all walks of life. Its been afascinating experience. Ive met with leaders from

many different communities and learned much fromthem and I hope from meeting with me they havelearned a little about the Iron Range. I want to hearfrom Minnesotas communities of color and I wantto know how we can improve Minnesota from theirperspective. On the campaign trail I speak oworking together as one community, where we allhave to pitch in to solve problems. The more theleaders of the state reflect and understand our diversecommunities, the better equipped Minnesota will beto more forward as one community. But to do thiswe all must approach this with the common goal ofimproving Minnesota for everyone, from everycorner of the state and from every background.

Please describe your plan andstrategy to win the 2010Governors Race.

Im the best DFL candidate to win in Novemberbecause I am the one candidate who understandshow to talk to Minnesotans about how to fix thisstates financial problems. There are many seriousissues facing this state, issues ranging fromeducation to health care to infrastructure and ondown the list. But until we get our financial house inorder, there simply are no resources to address theseproblems.

To fix our financial problems, we must get

Minnesotans to work. Our current deficit is almosentirely the result of reduced income tax collectionWe cannot fix this problem by cutting services orraises taxes alone. We can only fix this problem bygetting Minnesotans back to work. There is nothingmore important than getting a paycheck on FridayWhen people lose jobs, it puts the security of theirfamilies at risk. I know this, because Ive been thereDuring the last bad recession in Minnesota, in theearly 1980s, I ran out of unemployment and couldnot afford health insurance for my family. It wassomething Ive never forgotten and I am passionateabout putting people to work.

As I travel the state and talk about my plans for

Minnesota, I know that this is the issue on peoplesminds. As chair of the Senate Taxes Committee, Ican talk about these issues with credibility. When Italk about my experiences, I can connect witheveryday Minnesotans, all of whom knowsomebody without a job. For these reasons I believemy campaign is in a great position to win the DFLendorsement and ultimately be successful inNovember.

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Across nearly every key indicator ofhealth and prosperity there are alarmingdisparities that threaten the future of our

state. These disparities are not only morallyegregious, but they also undermine our greatestasset: our people. As Minnesotas populationcontinues to age and retire, people of color areincreasingly replacing the demographic statusquo. If these disparities continue at their currentrates then the ability of our state to competeeconomically will be significantly challenged.

We need someone in the governors office who

will welcome communities of color as partnersand give them their deserved seat at the table, sothat the implications of state policy on thosecommunities are recognized and addressed. Thisis why I carried and passed legislation to savethe Councils of Color from being abolished. Fortoo long the voices of too many communitieshave been absent from policy-making in St.Paul, and when I am governor they will beheard.Though it is critical that we address all of thesedisparities education and poverty arefundamental. While these are all bound togetherin an inseparable link of cause and effect, Ibelieve the next governor must bring both a

strong strategy that recognizes this link as wellas specific proposals to address eachindividually.

Education (Addressing the Achievement Gap):Growing up in a single-parent household inWorthington, I was fortunate to be raised in astate that believed even a poor child with a lastname like Entenza deserved a great educationand opportunity for success. That state isslipping away from us, and my candidacy isabout taking on this problem and turning itaround, because EVERY child in Minnesota hasa right to a world-class education.

Right now while 94 percent of white high schoolstudents graduate, only 89 percent of Asian-Pacific Islanders, 73 percent of Blacks and 70percent of American Indians and Latinos do, andthese numbers are much worse in somecommunities. This differential rate ofachievement perpetuates itself across the keyeducation indicators as well, including collegegraduation. This is unacceptable to me. Untilevery child has an opportunity for success ourwork will not be done.

There are several things we need to do. First off

we need to let teachers teach but still holdschool districts accountable for studentprogress. The best way to this is to use a growthmodel to track the achievement of our students.We also have recognize special issues and usedifferent types of curriculum for differentsituations, including using targeted resources forELL and adult education. Another serious issueconfronting us is the hyper-mobility of students,and we must employ transportation and housingstrategies to keep it to a minimum.Additionally, closing the achievement gap willrequire us to recruit the best the and brightest

into the classroom, and to that end we need toprovide better support for new teachersincluding mentorship assistance. I will alsowork to ensure that every child gets a viableearly child education (UPK). Studies show thatoutcomes improve dramatically when educationgets to children early, and we need to workharder and commit to investing early in ourchildrens future.

But if we are truly to address and rectify theachievement gap we cannot stop just at the highschool level. The demands of the global marketand the new green energy economy I envisionfor our state require we send more of children on

to higher education. What we need to do iscreate service-for-scholarship programs, betterprepare our graduates for higher-paying jobs,particularly in the new clean energy economy,and focus on all of our higher educationaloptions such as vocational and communitycolleges.

Throughout my career in the legislature I havefought to give our children the education theydeserve. I have always been an advocate forincreased education investment and reducedclass sizes. I also vigorously opposedConservative Curriculum Reform that wouldhave required teaching the views of evolution

skeptics in science classes and characterizingthe descendants of slaves as immigrants to theUnited States.

Poverty:

Nearly 7 percent of white Minnesotans arefacing poverty. However, 20 percent ofLatinos; 17 percent of Asian-Pacific Islanders;30 percent of American Indians; and one-third(33 percent) of Blacks are facing poverty. Thistrend has frightening implications for the futureof our state. We need to reverse economic courseby changing from a culture of scarcity to one of

prosperity. My vision of the a new green energyeconomy for Minnesota seeks to address thisproblem, however in the meantime we must actnow to help people struggling today.

Throughout my career I have fought for servicesand programs to combat the issue of poverty. Asa legislator I successively passed a bill toincrease protection against housingdiscrimination, authored legislation foremployment assistance and was chief author ofthe Adult Basic Education Act. I am proudthat as DFL House leader in 2005 we passed thefirst minimum wage increase in over a decadeThat same year when Tim Pawlenty and theRepublicans tried to eliminate MinnesotaCareand hurt our schools, I led the House DFL andforced the governor to concede, keepingthousands of Minnesotans on health care andresources flowing to our schools.

To tackle the issue of poverty long-term requiressignificant investment in education and job-training, but in the interim we cannot wait whilethose programs take effect. As Governor I willdo what I did in the legislature and fight to keeppeople on health care and make sure that theservices upon which they rely continue to befunded. I will also work in partnership with job-training programs like Summit Academy to helpprepare our people for good, family-supporting

jobs.

As governor I will also work to solve the creditproblem many face. In our state there is a dual-

credit system, where often times the racialcomposition of neighborhoods is related toaccess to good, affordable credit. In low incomecommunities of color, high cost loans both inthe home mortgage market and small consumerloan marketare much more common than theyare in white and middle-class communitiesPoor people of color pay more for loansanextra cost that many families can ill-afford. Thisinequality in the credit system exacerbates otherdisparities, and is directly related to thepredatory lending that has led to the mass offoreclosures. Long-term we need to work to fix

Matt Entenzaentenza.com

How do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparateoutcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any inparticular that are of special concern to you? What is your

plan to address them?


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this system, but short-term we need to establishprograms to keep people in their homes.

How will you supportpartnerships and systemsintegration to eliminate theeducation Achievement Gap?

In addition to the outline provided above there aremore innovative collaborations such as the oneGeoffrey Canada has made between his Harlem

Childrens Zone and the City of New York, inwhich his project tracks the progress of childrenthroughout their education, and is a model thatdepends on sustained monitoring rather thandiscrete interventions. Such a model ultimatelyprovides a better investment for the state. Similarprograms can be replicated here.

What will you do to increasehiring and contracting ofpeople of color by Minnesotagovernment units?

Our current system of state contracting is broken.The state has abdicated its responsibility toprovide fair contracting for ALL Minnesotans, andthis failure of responsibility is taking its toll on ourcommunities. As Governor I will guaranteeincreased transparency and diversity throughoutthe administration. I will appoint individuals witha proven track record of fairness and who arerepresentative of the growing diversity of thisstate.

What will you do, throughpolicy and practice, to makebest use of public resources

for Justice and Public Safetysystem reform?

In the last eight years our judicial system has beenhit hard by Pawlentys budget cuts, which has ledto a de facto privatization of our legal system. Theincreased fees have made it difficult fordefendants and their public defenders to make tothe court-room and move the judicial processforward. As governor I will work to ensure our

judicial system is fair and equal to everyone,regardless of race, ethnicity or economic-status. Itmight be of interest to you to know that I amhosting 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 keyimmigration related concerns,and how will you go about

addressing them as governor?How will you ensure that oursystems solutions meet theneeds of New Americans?

I have a proven record of standing up for NewAmericans. In the state House I opposed puttingimmigration status on licenses, supportedimmigration Sanctuary Ordinances, opposedrequiring English proficiency to drive, sponsoreda bill to decriminalize burkas, and worked toincrease increased enforcement of anti-discrimination laws.

As governor I will continue to work to ensure thatNew Americans are welcomed and respected fortheir commitment to Minnesota by making sure

our New Americans get the ELL and continuingeducation they need to succeed. I will alsocontinue to advocate for the passage of theDREAM Act.

Please reflect on your keyconcerns regarding the rightsand responsibilities of tribalgovernments, and upon thedirections you will pursue inthis area as governor.

I understand that the starting point for all of the

discussions with tribes is sovereignty. I respectthat tribal governments are sovereign and equalpartners and must be treated with the respect thatcomes from their sovereign status. As part of thisis should be made clear that we need to honor theagreements we have made.

I have a history working with the tribes datingback to the late 1980s/early 1990s, when Iorganized the legal community here to help threebands in Wisconsin defend their treaty rights,which were being attacked by some far-right localresidents. I helped members of these tribesdocument how their rights were being violatedand how law enforcement was allowing them tobe harassed. Ultimately, the rule of law prevailed,and the tribes rights were upheld.Also, in 2004-2005, as House DFL leader, I madestopping the expansion of non-Indian gaming oneof my biggest focuses; I continues to oppose it.And I vehemently opposes the notion that taxesshould increase on Indian gaming receipts.

How will you make certainthat the Central Corridor LRTproject serves and advancesthe needs of residents,

businesses and

neighborhoods in closestproximity to the line?

As governor I will make sure that the CentralCorridor LRT project will not bypass, bothliterally and figuratively, the communities it goesthrough. We cannot let this project becomeanother I94 that split the Rondo neighborhood intwo. I will collaborate with local leaders to ensurethat the LRT meets the needs of the entirecommunity.

What is your plan to ensure

inclusive staffing andappointments as governor, inkey positions and throughoutyour cabinet andadministration?

As governor I will make the commitment that mycabinet will reflect the diversity of this state. Thisalso applies to every department. I believe it is

critical to us moving forward as a state to haveeveryone represented in the policy-makingportion of government. As governor the open-appointment process will be transparent andreflect the growing diversity of our state.

How will you use your

Campaign as a tool forleadership development andlong-term capacity building incommunities of color?

This campaign has already begun the process of

working to include under-represented populationsinto the DFL political process. We are conductingcaucus trainings state-wide, but with particularemphasis in communities of color, and look toincrease delegate participation as much aspossible leading up to the convention. Mycampaign already has organizers in manycommunities of color (organizers from thosecommunities) and by the end of the campaign wilbe represented everywhere. A significant part ofour strategy depends on pumping out turnout inthese communities and engaging them in thepolitical process, and for the DFL to win inNovember we will need everyone active.

My campaigns commitment to communities of

color has been recognized by many leaders inthose communities, and is why so many of themendorse my candidacy including CongressmanKeith Ellison, Rep. Bobby Jo Champion, Rep. CyThao, Sadiq Abdirahman, former St. Paul PoliceChief Bill Finney, Reginaldo Haslett-MarroquinMohamed Jibrell, Batala McFarlane, Dr. NealThao, former Rep. Gregory Gray, Ibrahim AbikarAbdikadir Ahmed and Hashi Shafi.

Please describe your plan andstrategy to win the 2010Governors Race.

We will win the governors seat back this year byrunning on a positive message of innovative re-investment in our state and our people. Througheducation and the new green energy economy wecan once again make Minnesota not just a nationalleader, but a global standard. Ours is a grass-rootscampaign that will harness the power of thepeople to change our society of scarcity into oneof prosperity, and grow the pie big enough so thateveryone has a fair share.


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Steve Kelley

www.stevekelley.orgHow do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparate

outcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any in


Its important to recognize that racism is morethan just a collection of individual actions ofprejudice. Our institutions and systems are

set up in a way that provides unequal access andunequal outcomes. People of color areoverrepresented in our criminal justice systemand are often living in poverty. Past and currentracism have contributed to poverty, as well asunequal educational attainment.

Three key inequalities that must be addressed

are the racial achievement gap in our educationsystem, the health care gap, and racialdisparities in the criminal justice system.

The achievement gap in education is profoundlydevastating because quality education is criticalto obtaining a good job and living a successfullife. I propose that we can combat theachievement gap by creating a MinnesotaChildrens Zone that wraps our children incoordinated community outreach services frombirth to their graduation from some form of post-secondary education.

Im also extremely concerned about the gap in

access and quality of health care between whiteand African-American Minnesotans. Researchindicates that African-Americans are more likelyto lack health coverage and less likely to receiveaccurate diagnosis and treatments. It isabsolutely unacceptable that African Americansin Minnesota lose their lives and suffer as aresult of institutional racism in our health caresystem. The health gap can be combatedsystematically by initially using the Wisconsinmodel of collecting county-by-county healthdata that tracks racial inequities. We will thenbe able to target problem areas and improve theoverall health of our communities.

Finally, I am extremely concerned about thatAfrican-Americans, especially men, aredisproportionately involved in our criminal

justice system and incarcerated. It is time for acomprehensive examination and reform of ourcriminal justice system that involves lawenforcement, members of the current courtsystem, as well as reform activists and civilrights leaders to create a truly just justicesystem.

Its critical that all Minnesotans recognize that

racism eats away at the foundations of our state.We all have the responsibility to counteract bothindividual and institutional racism to build thekind of state that we are proud to leave ourchildren and grandchildren.

How will you supportpartnerships and systemsintegration to eliminate the

education Achievement Gap?The achievement gap is one of the greatestmoral challenges we face as Minnesotans in the21st century. Schools and teachers cannot solvethis on their own. We need a far morecomprehensive approach to closing theachievement gap that recognizes that racial,cultural, social, and economic issues whichchildren in Minnesota schools face.

I propose that Minnesota create a ChildrensZone based on the Harlem Childrens Zone runby Geoffery Canada. If Minnesota adopted thisapproach, we would wrap all of our children in ablanket of care that begins at birth. All services

in Minnesota from a baby college for expectantparents, to public health, housing to mentalhealth support would all be aligned with onesingle goal: that all Minnesota children graduatefrom some form of post-secondary education.

The Minnesota Childrens Zone would be thefirst time that we address eliminating theachievement gap holistically. Providing stablehousing would reduce the challenge of childrenmoving from school to school. Prenatal careand baby college would take care of ouryoungest and most vulnerable infants to helpthem have a healthy start in life. Access toearly childhood and family education would

make sure that the huge percentage of ourchildren who are not currently ready to startkindergarten get the support they need to hit theground running when they start school.

Some communities inMinnesota, with the help offoundations, are starting towork on similar approaches.These initiatives are

important but raise the

question of where the

boundary lines for the newchildrens zones should bedrawn. How much ofMinneapolis or St. Paul orsome other community

should be in the zone wherewe want all children tosucceed and graduate fromcollege?

The right answer is that the whole state shouldbe the Minnesota Childrens Zone. No less thanin 100 blocks of Harlem, the goal for all childrenin Minnesota should be that they will allgraduate from college. This goal wouldsupersede complying with the failed No ChildLeft Behind Act. We would set a clear missionfor every community, not just every school, inour state.

I am passionate about ensuring the ability forMinnesota children to have their chance atprosperity.

What will you do to increase hiring andcontracting of people of color by Minnesotagovernment units?

Equal opportunity employment is not only amoral obligation, but it also ensures that wehave the best people working for the state ofMinnesota. As governor, I would advocate toall levels of government state, county, andlocal that hiring a diverse workforce isimperative. I would immediately ask my newstate commissioners to review the hiringpractices of their agency to ensure that everyeffort is being made to recruit, hire, and retain


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people of color.

Second, I would work with local governmentsand school districts to review their hiringpractices with the goal of creating a morediverse local workforce.

Finally, I would encourage the development of amore diverse workforce in the private sector bystrictly enforcing Minnesota law and contractterms with private companies that do work for

the state. For example, state constructioncontracts should have provisions encouragingthat a diverse workforce is used on any statebuilding project. As Governor, I would ensurethis happens.

We can and will ensure that Minnesotas workforce represents the diverse communities thatmake up our state.

What will you do, throughpolicy and practice, to makebest use of public resources

for Justice and Public Safety

system reform?

The criminal justice system in Minnesota needsreform. I would consult with law enforcementagencies, people who work in the criminal

justice system, and reform and civil rightsadvocates to comprehensively examine thecurrent system and generate ideas for reformthat improve safety and protect civil rights.

Additionally, the irresponsible budgeting of thePawlenty Administration has had a ripple effectacross a number of essential state functions,including our public safety and criminal justicesystem. Cuts in Local Government Aid have

strapped our law enforcement agencies, takenpolice off the streets, slashed importantprevention and after-school programs, andcurtailed civil rights. The idea that we can cutour budget without consequence is ridiculous.Another step to creating a fair criminal system isto restore responsible budgeting so that we takeinto consideration both short-term savings andlong term costs of our actions.

What are your key

immigration relatedconcerns, and how will you

go about addressing them asgovernor? How will youensure that our systemssolutions meet the needs of

New Americans?

I want to make sure that New Americans haveequal opportunity to have a prosperous life inMinnesota. Im concerned about recent federalraids in places like Worthington that separatedfamilies and disrupted the entire community.

Thats why I would partner with theCongressional delegation to get comprehensivefederal immigration reform passed. No matterhow hard Minnesota works, we can only putband-aids on the challenges faced by immigrantsuntil federal reforms take place.

However, we can take action in Minnesota toimprove the lives of New Americans. Weshould pass the DREAM Act to get Minnesotachildren of immigrants access to college. Just

as we need to keep the educational promises thatwe make to African-American students, we canand we must keep that same promise to childrenof immigrants.

Another concern is that contractors who aretrying to evade the states labor laws not exploitnew immigrants. All Minnesotans deserve towork for a living wage, including those whohave recently made Minnesota their home. Iwould enforce labor laws to ensure thatcontractors pay all of their workers, includingimmigrant laborers, a fair wage.

Please reflect on your key

concerns regarding the rightsand responsibilities of tribalgovernments, and upon thedirections you will pursue in

this area as governor.

Tribal areas are sovereign nations and theirgovernments should be treated as sovereign.Sovereignty does not mean, however, that thestate doesnt have an obligation to AmericanIndians. As dual residents of both Minnesotaand their tribe, American Indians need to have avoice in both governments. Though Minnesota

has criminal jurisdiction over tribal areas(except Red Lake) as a result of PL280, we needto be a better partner to American Indians.Partnering means respecting the culture andtradition of American Indians, not taking thecurrent top-down, adversarial stance that onlyalienates the American Indian communities. Iwould work to partner with the Minnesota tribesto ensure that they have the support andassistance they need without interfering ortreading on their self-determination.

How will you make certainthat the Central Corridor LRT

project serves and advancesthe needs of residents,businesses andneighborhoods in closest

proximity to the line?

The key problem with the development of theCentral Corridor line is that the MetropolitanCouncil (Met Council) has not been sufficientlyresponsive to residents and small businessowners.

One of my strengths as a Legislator wasbringing together stakeholders to make sure thatheir interests were represented in decision-making. In this case, I think it is critical thatcommunity members that are directly affectedby the Central Corridor have a full chance toparticipate in the development of the project.

As Governor, I would also address this issue byappointing people to the Met Council who

respect civic engagement and are responsiveIn the longer term, I would explore new MetCouncil governance options to create a structurethat encourages strong participation in theirdecision-making.

Another important challenge to the CentralCorridor project is protecting the interests ofsmall business owners and balancing the needfor innovation and development withcommunity concerns. Many of my familymembers are small business owners, and I amkeenly aware of the challenges they face. Weneed to make sure that we work with theMetropolitan Council to not only fully hear andaddress the concerns from business ownersalong the corridor, but also offer redress for losbusiness that occurs during construction. Weought to look at other cities, like Denver andPortland, who have expanded their rail transitsystems, learn from their mistakes, and alsoadopt business saving tactics that were effectivein those communities.As Governor, I would bring together businessowners, residents, Metro Transit, theMetropolitan Council, and transit leaders to finda solution to this challenge. Ive beenextremely effective at this throughout my career doctors and trial lawyers, parents and teacherslaw enforcement and local elected officials and coming to the best possible solutions to

problems. I have the experience and ability todo the same with the stakeholders along theUniversity corridor.

What is your plan to ensure

inclusive staffing andappointments as governor, inkey positions and throughoutyour cabinet andadministration?

On a broad scale, I am committed to makingsure that the diverse people that represent all ofthe communities in Minnesota make the higheslevels of decisions in our state governmentThat means appointing African-AmericanLatino, Somali, Hmong, American Indian andmembers of diverse ethnic and racialbackgrounds to important positions in our stategovernment.

How will you use yourCampaign as a tool for


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leadership development andlong-term capacity buildingin communities of color?

Political leaders need to be intentional to includediverse people and voices so that they make thebest decisions. As opposed to simply talkingabout inclusion, I have set out to build a diversecampaign team. I have 2 African-Americanstaff members and an Asian intern (out of a staff

of 7) as well as volunteers from the Latino andSomali communities. I sought out talented,young people of color to work on my campaignbecause I want them to build leadership skillsthat they can take back to their community.

I am committed to building capacity incommunities of color, which is why I ambuilding a grassroots campaign that engagespeople in diverse communities and helpsdevelop community leaders. For example, onMonday, were holding a round table withcommunity leaders in North Minneapolis. Someof the young people who are volunteering on thecampaign are attending the meeting to make

connections with African and African-Americancommunity leaders and start to develop the nextgeneration of activists.

The problems that Minnesota faces arestaggering. There is no way that any Governorcan solve them alone. I believe that some of thebest solutions to our shared challenges willcome from local organizations like St. PaulsDistrict Councils of Minneapolis NeighborhoodAssociations where people of color are muchmore involved. It will take all of us, workingtogether, to make Minnesota a better and fairerhome for our children.

Please describe your planand strategy to win the 2010

Governors Race

I respect all of the candidates in the race andhave worked with many of them, but asDemocrats, we need to win this time. The costsof employing the same failed strategy in thegovernors race are simply too high. Ourchildren are suffering in overcrowdedclassrooms with outdated materials and fallinginto the achievement gap. Our most vulnerableresidents are being kicked off their health care.Hard-working Minnesotans cannot find thedignity that comes with a good paying job.

There is no doubt that I am the strongestcandidate to win the general election on the DFLside. Not only do I combine a proven ability towin independent and moderate republican votes,but I also have the experience on the wide rangeof issues that Minnesotans care about in thiselection.

Right now, it looks like the Republicans areracing to the right and having a contest to seewho is the most narrow-minded. Marty Seifert

has some momentum, but it will be important tokeep an eye on Norm Coleman, who is likely toenter the race and attempt to run as aconservative in moderate clothing.

We also need to be aware of the role of theIndependence Party in the governors election inMinnesota. In the past two races, theIndependence Party has skimmed just enoughvotes from the DFL to ensure Republicanvictory in the Governors election. Recent

polling by the Pioneer Press (January, 2010)shows any Independence Party candidate forGovernor earning ten percent, a disturbinglyhigh percentage that threatens a DFL victory.

It is critical that the DFL has a candidate whocan compete in all of Minnesota, especially thesuburbs, no matter whether the Republicanschoose Seifert, Coleman, or another candidate.In the past, the DFL has chosen gubernatorialcandidates who can only appeal to the DFL basein the core cities and the 8th congressionaldistrict. This has resulted in repeated losses inthe governors race.

However, there is a winning model for DFLcandidates for Minnesota, as demonstrated byAmy Klobuchar and Barack Obama. Its toappeal to voters in the entire state, takeRepublicans on in the suburbs and exurbs wherethey feel they are strong, and win. In 2006,Klobuchar won 6 of 7 suburban counties and amajority of the exurbs, while Tim Pawlenty wonthe same areas. For example, in Senate District42, which comprises Minnetonka and EdenPrairie, there was a 20% drop-off from the DFLU.S. Senate candidate and the DFL candidate forgovernor. In other words, people in the suburbsare willing to vote for a DFLer, it just has to bethe right DFLer. A 45% strategy is flawed. Weneed 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 votedfor Ross Perot in that election, and most of themalso voted for me. Ive won votes in toughplaces for Democrats like Interlachen Park andMinnetonka without sacrificing myprogressive values. I will use the winningObama model to take back the governors officein 2010.

One of the key components of appealing to all ofMinnesota is having a winning message.Democrats often talk about programs, not about

people. They also often lose focus and talkabout too many disparate messages or issues.We need to emphasize the common values thatbind Minnesotans together. Minnesotans havesuffered under short-sighted, political gimmicksfor too long. We need an honest governor whowill confront the challenges we face and solvethem without mortgaging future generations.My campaign will continually reinforce our corevalues, keep a simple message that people canunderstand, and stick to it, because thats awinning model.

My campaign will also focus on issues that uniteus like education and fair taxation not thosethat divide us. We need to take on divisivesocial issues, answer them, and point out thatthey are not the biggest challenges facing ourstate. President Obama did this well in 2008and I will do the same.

Building a coalition of Democrats andindependents will require common sensepositions on issues that move Minnesota

forward. For example, a number of DFLcandidates for governor have embraced JohnMartys single payer health care bill. While iwould be politically easier in the DFL endorsingprocess for me to sign on to the bill, I dontbelieve that it is a common sense solution toMinnesotas health care challenges. I believethat Minnesota should assess theimplementation of federal health care reformand then fill any gaps in coverage so that all ofour residents are insured. To me, this makes alot more sense than attempting to get no lessthan 7 waivers from the federal government,losing out on federal health care dollars, andspending billions of Minnesota taxpayer moneyon a program that is incompatible with thefederal plan. Common sense positions like thisone stand out to independent voters and set meapart from the crowd.

I am confident that I can win the general electionbecause I have a proven record of successagainst Republicans, a winning strategy, and amessage that will unite Minnesota.

I am also the only candidate on the DFL sidewho has experience in a statewide endorsingcampaign. I earned 609 delegate ballots in2006 46.9%. I know how to win delegatesupport between precinct caucuses, senatedistrict and county unit conventions, and the

state convention. In 2006, I very nearlydefeated a presumptive nominee for the DFLendorsement. I built a statewide network ofsupporters who encouraged me to run again in2010. I will win the DFL endorsement becauseI am the only candidate who has a statewidenetwork of delegate supporters already in placean emphasis on field and ground organizing onmy campaign, and experience in a floor fight.

The primary poses a unique challenge becausethere are 2 candidates who have pledged tothrow their personal fortunes into the raceHowever, I firmly believe that the DFLEndorsed candidate will win the primary in

2010, as long as they have a primary strategy inplace before they earn the endorsement.

Conventional thinking in the governors race hasearned the DFL and working people nothing buloss in the past 20 years. It is critical that wetake a new, winning strategy in 2010. I am thebest candidate to deliver the governors office tothe DFL in 2010.


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Senator John Martywww.johnmarty.orgHow do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparateoutcomes 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?

Iam deeply concerned about the difference inoutcomes between white Minnesotans andMinnesotans of color. While Im concerned

and have worked on many issues, one that I feelcuts to the core of a lot of other issues, such aseducational outcomes, is the racial disparity inincome and wealth. I served as co-chair of theLegislative Commission to End Poverty by 2010and know there are things we can do as a societyto address poverty. We can do it and we have todo it. I am the chief author of legislation thatcame out of the Poverty Commission legislationthat will increase the minimum wage to $9.50 per

hour, to make affordable childcare available toevery worker with young children, and to increasethe earned income credit for low income workers.

How will you supportpartnerships and systems

integration to eliminate theeducation Achievement Gap?

The achievement gap is a multi-faceted problemand requires multiple solutions. Myadministration will work with community groups,parents, mental health service providers, andothers to tackle this problem. We need to look atthe whole child Children who are homeless,those just learning the language, kids who areundernourished, children who are lack the supportof adults in the home are not going to thrive inschool even with the best teachers and schools.

What will you do to increasehiring and contracting of

people of color by Minnesotagovernment units?I will use executive orders. MnDOT and otheragencies 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 makebest use of public resourcesfor Justice and Public Safetysystem reform?

My administration will focus on preventing crimeby addressing its root causes. For instance, weneed to treat mental health and chemicaldependency issues as health problems to betreated, instead of treating them as crimes to be

punished. While treating these health concernsup-front may be costly, it is far less expensive inboth human and economic terms than ignoringproblems and paying to lock people up for manyyears in prisons.

We will reform the system so that when peopleleave prison, they are able to start their anew, withthe educational, housing and economicopportunities available to enable them to fullyengage in the community. Under our currentsystem, we deny them those opportunities, leavingthem trapped where their only option is to re-

offend. We will put more money into restorativejustice and less into punitive justice. The Martyadministration will work to make sure our lawsare not discriminatory and will aggressively pushto ensure that enforcement of those laws is nolonger discriminatory.

What are your key

immigration related concerns,and how will you go aboutaddressing them as governor?How will you ensure that oursystems solutions meet theneeds of New Americans?

The federal government must reform immigrationand allow a pathway to citizenship. As governorI will advocate for fair immigration reform. Oneof my fundamental beliefs is that all people shouldbe treated with dignity and respect. As Governor,I will work with immigrant communities and NewAmericans to better understand and address theirneeds. In particular, we need to focus onproviding the resources to help people find workthat will allow them support their families and toprovide culturally sensitive resources, such aschild care and health care, which will allow themto continue working.

I will speak out against hateful anti-immigrantrhetoric in the community. Unless we respondclearly, such rhetoric creates fear and leads toviolence against immigrants.

Please reflect on your key

concerns regarding the rightsand responsibilities of tribalgovernments, and upon thedirections you will pursue inthis area as governor.

As Senator, I have respected the sovereignty oftribal governments and have honored thecompacts between the State of Minnesota and

Minnesotas Indian tribes. As Governor, I willcontinue to do so, and look forward to workingwith tribal governments to address the many needsof Minnesotans. I hope to work with tribalgovernments to explore new avenues foreconomic development and developingopportunities for native youth to get education and

job training.

How will you make certainthat the Central Corridor LRTproject serves and advancesthe needs of residents,

businesses andneighborhoods in closest


There has not been enough sensitivity to theimpact of the LRT project on local businesses andresidents. Major projects like this requiresignificant work on communication and outreachto protect businesses that would be adverselyaffected. It may add to the cost of the project, buthat is a necessary cost, and one that will be paidback in the long run by having a stable businesscommunity on University Avenue.

What is your plan to ensureinclusive staffing andappointments as governor, inkey positions and throughoutyour cabinet andadministration?

Key appointments will be based on expertise andcommitment to the vision of inclusion and dignityset by my administration. I will look to keyorganizations and leaders in the communities forrecommendations for those people with the


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knowledge, leadership and vision that will bestserve the people of Minnesota. Ultimately, I wantmy cabinet to be accountable not to me but to thepeople most impacted by the policies theyimplement.

How will you use yourCampaign as a tool forleadership development andlong-term capacity building incommunities of color?

We are working to engage people in the politicalprocess by speaking to their concerns and offeringthem a vision for how we can build a better future.My message does that. We are working to getout into communities of color, engaging them withour vision, and bringing them into the campaign.To continue to do this, and to do it well, we needyour help. We have many opportunities for

people to take real leadership roles in thecampaign. With people power we will make itreally happen.

Please describe your plan andstrategy to win the 2010

Governors Race.

The most important thing to winning any electionis having a vision that excites people. Im

running because our state has failed to trulyaddress our social and economic problems; no oneelse has spelled out any vision or plan to do so.My administration will tackle the root causes ofour problems we will get our economy movingagain through job creation, not by cutting andslashing programs and services affecting the mostvulnerable people. We will fix our health caresystem it is fundamentally broken and noamount of tinkering will do the job with myMinnesota Health Plan, a single payer plan that

makes health care a right for every Minnesotan.My administration will invest in the future,investing in our children and our environment. Inaddition, we will clean up the political processtaking special interest money out, so that thevoices of the wealthy and powerful no longercrush the voices of people who lack money andaccess.

It is starting with this vision, a vision that movespeople, and then aggressively organizing around

it, that enables us to win. We will work with, andorganize in every community, especially thosewhere people have been left behind by those inpower. Listening to people, hearing theirconcerns, inspiring them with hope for the futureand helping them get out the vote will help us winWe speak to the good, the hopeful, the generosity,and public spirit in people. With your supportwe can and will win.

Rep. Tom Rukavinarukavinaforgovernor.comHow do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparateoutcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any inparticular that are of special concern to you? What is yourplan to address them?

Graduation rates and incarceration rates aremy highest concerns. As staterepresentative, I have often been one of

the lone voices against the ongoing expansion ofpenalties and probation among all of the

population. Also, I have a record of working hardto provide scholarships and other means forminorities; the goal, of course, is to promotegreater levels of accessible higher education.

How will you supportpartnerships and systemsintegration to eliminate theeducation Achievement Gap?

I will work with all communities of color andminority groups and use their recommendationsto try and close these gaps. To that end, I havealready been working with members of different

organizations and individuals, such as HectorGarcia & Rosa Pock at the Chicano LatinoAffairs Council, towards solving this particulareducational problem. Ive always sought advicefrom constituents most affected by policies beingproposed in the legislature and I will continuethat open door policy. As governor, I willchallenge the University of Minnesota and theMNSCU system to work together to developcommunity based partnerships and systemsintegration to close the achievement gap.

What will you do to increase

hiring and contracting ofpeople of color by Minnesotagovernment units?

I have always been and will continue to be asupporter of minority owned businesses. I helpedpush legislation that gets minorities involved inapprenticeships in the Minnesota BuildingTrades Council. I feel that as our great statecontinues to grow in diversity it is crucial thatthe workforce as a whole reflects this diversity aswell. I will ask the Office of Management andBudget to annually report and makerecommendations to increase the hiring andcontracting of people of color in our state andrequest that the State Auditor do the same forother units of government. Because educationplays such a critical role in the successes ofminorities, I will ask the State Department of

Education to make this a priority as well aschallenging our higher educational institutions todo the same.

What will you do, through

policy and practice, to makebest use of public resourcesfor Justice and Public Safetysystem reform?

One of my main emphasizes has been to give

everyone a second chance, particularly youngpeople. My goal is LESS incarceration, LESSprobation, MORE rehabilitation. Quite franklywe need to quit turning Petty Misdemeanors intoGross Misdemeanors and Gross Misdemeanorsinto Felonies. It is getting out of control at thestate level. I want to place less emphasis on themilitarization of the police forces in Minnesotaand more resources on rehabilitation, the spreadof justice, and community policing.

What are your keyimmigration related

concerns, and how will you goabout addressing them asgovernor? How will youensure that our systemssolutions meet the needs ofNew Americans?


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My main concern is our ability to offer educationto New Americans in the same manner that myparents were offered education when theyimmigrated to this great state, with the samebasic hopes and dreams of todays immigrants. Iam particularly concerned with educating ourfuture workforce and my record shows that Ihave worked toward improving accessibility ofeducation to everyone. This is something thatwill continue to be a focus of mine in theGovernors Office as well. I will also work to

welcome immigrants to our great state instead ofusing them as targets for angry politicalpurposes.

Please reflect on your keyconcerns regarding the rightsand responsibilities of tribalgovernments, and upon the

directions you will pursue inthis area as governor.

I highly respect the sovereignty of the Dakotaand Chippewa tribes and will always consult

with them when any matter that could impactthem arises. Additionally, I will have a NativeAmerican Indian on my kitchen cabinet toensure that I am consistently aware of their needsand perspectives.

How will you make certainthat the Central Corridor LRTproject serves and advances

the needs of residents,businesses andneighborhoods in closest


I havent directly followed this issue, other thansupporting it at the state level, but while on thecampaign trail I have heard that the local impactwas neglected in some of the decisions. I canassure you that the Open Door Policy I intend tokeep as Governor will keep this type of thingfrom happening on future issues. I stand ready tohear local concerns and work cooperatively toresolve them.

What is your plan to ensureinclusive staffing andappointments as governor, inkey positions and throughout

your cabinet andadministration?

I have a very clear past record on inclusion forall people with a limited voice in public matters.In alignment with that, all appointments to mycabinet and administration will be fair andbalanced and will reflect the common person and

their real-life experiences. As I mentioned, thediversity of our state needs to be reflected in allof the workforce, and my cabinet andadministration would be included in this.

How will you use yourCampaign as a tool forleadership development andlong-term capacity building incommunities of color?

My campaign has grown in diversity as it has

moved forward and as such I have reached out toall communities looking for input andsuggestions on how they would like to see therole of the governor and the work of the stateevolve. Throughout this campaign, I willcontinue to work with all the communities ofcolor- Latinos, Hmong, African AmericanNative American and others- to gather insightand input. I believe that by bringing the voices ofall 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 2010Governors Race.

Refreshingly Honest is my campaign slogan andwith 23 years at the capital I have earned thatreputation, as well as the reputation of having anopen door for the public and sticking up for allthe groups and communities that other peopledont necessarily stick up for. I will continue togrow this grass roots campaign. People willsupport a little guy with honest, broad-minded

values (like Paul Wellstone). People will supportsomeone who works harder than anyone else, butis not expected to win (like Rudy Perpich)People will support someone who looks intotheir eyes and tells it like it is (like JesseVentura). None of the three aforementionedgovernors were expected to win- and maybe Imnot either. But I can feel it in my heart thatpeople are not looking for a Governor that HASa million bucks, but they are looking for aGovernor that will treat them like they ARE amillion bucks.

My philosophy of government is thatwhere we disproportionate need, wemust invest disproportionate time and

resources. For this reason, as mayor ofMinneapolis Ive made a priority of investingin neighborhoods and communities with thegreatest need, and many of those have beencommunities of color.

As just one example, four years ago, westarted NorthForce, directing concentratedresources from the City of Minneapolis and a

variety of partners to the Northside andworking in partnership with neighborhoodresidents and leaders. Through concentratingthose resources, we have:

begun revitalizing commercial corridorslike West Broadway and Lowry Avenues; invested significantly in single-familyaffordable housing and attracted homeownersto areas especially hurt by foreclosure andabsentee landlords; cleaned up thousands of problem

properties through an inspections-focusedcurb-to-alley sweep of the entireneighborhood;focused on job-training and job-creation forNorthside residents;

R. T. Rybak

www.rtrybak.com

How do you reflect on the general preponderance of disparateoutcomes for people of color in Minnesota? Are there any in



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closed down dozens of convenience storesthat were fronts for crime and communitydestabilization; created summer jobs and internships forhundreds of Northside youth through theMinneapolis Promise; made neighborhoods safer by working inpartnership with community to significantlybring down violent and property crime.

While we have seen promising results on the

Northside, our work is far from done and ourfocus there continues undiminished. We will notrest until residents of North Minneapolis canexpect the same opportunities and outcomes asresidents of any other part of Minneapolis.

NorthForce is not the only example of ourinvesting disproportionate resources into areasof disproportionate need. Others include:

the Great Streets program, which directslow-interest loans, grants and technicalassistance to small businesses often ownedby people of color and new Americans on ourmain commercial corridors; our Youth Violence Prevention work, aholistic, public-health approach to reducingyouth violence with scores of communitypartners, 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 cooperationwith Hennepin County.

The Phillips neighborhood is a great example ofa community with a large percentage ofresidents of color that has prospered in recentyears because of the partnerships we have built

and the disproportionate amount of resources wehave invested. As a result of this multi-yearwork, Phillips has gone from being theneighborhood with the highest rate of violentcrime in Minnesota to the one with the highestrate of job creation in Minnesota. As mayor, Ihave worked closely with Childrens Hospital,Abbott Northwestern and Allina, among otherentities that have invested significantly in theneighborhood, to ensure that Phillips residentsget jobs and build wealth as a result of theseinvestments. We are making sure that thesecorporations are not just in the neighborhood,they are of the neighborhood, and thatneighborhood people benefit and prosper from

their presence.

The road to closing these disparities is long andrequires sustained long-term effort. Many of thethings weve tried in Minneapolis have worked,but some have not, and when they have not,weve tried again. I am proud of the concreteefforts that we have made in Minneapolis infinding, trying and refining solutions to put anend to disparate outcomes for people of color.And Im not done trying.



While the mayor of Minneapolis has no directcontrol over the Minneapolis public schools, Ihave been deeply involved with parents,students, teachers, administrators andcommunities in efforts to eliminate theachievement gap and create opportunity for our

young people, especially from communities ofcolor.

Under my administration and in partnership withSuperintendent Green and the MinneapolisPublic Schools, Minneapolis Community andTechnical College, the University of Minnesotaand scores of private partners, we initiated theMinneapolis Promise, an initiative that says toour young people that if they stay in school andfocus on where they want to go, we will getthem there. It has three components:

access to counseling so young people canplan a vision for their future;

help finding a summer job;assistance getting the funds needed to go tocollege.

A large majority of participants in theMinneapolis Promise are students of color.Since we began the Minneapolis Promise:

students have made over 140,000 visits tocomprehensive college and career centerslocated in each of the citys seven public highschools; 10,000 students have received meaningfulsummer employment, most notably through theSTEP-UP program that offers not onlyplacement but ongoing, comprehensive job-

skills training to economically disadvantagedstudents; more than 1,500 students have benefittedfrom free college access at U-M and MCTC.

The Minneapolis Promise is helping to driveincreasing graduation rates for students of colorin Minneapolis Public Schools and that trendis driving an overall increase in the citywidegraduation rate. Since 2003, African Americangraduation rates have risen from around 50% toaround 70%. In the same period, graduationrates for American Indian and Latino studentshave risen from around 30% to around 50%.(Graduation rates citywide in this period have

risen from 57% to 73% overall. Graduation ratesfor white and Asian students currently exceed80%.)

Let me be clear: a 50% or 70% graduation ratemay represent progress, but it is far from goodenough. We still have a long way to go, and Iwill be satisfied only when 100% of students ofall communities not only graduate from highschool 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 personalgoal of speaking once a year to every 9th-grade

class in Minneapolis in order to inspire them tobeginning planning for college. My office hasalso spearheaded an annual one-day event calledI Know I Can, at which hundreds ofvolunteers from all walks of life read a book bythe same title, which plants the seed ofimagination about attending college, to everythird-grade class in Minneapolis. (The thirdannual I Know I Can takes place February 112010.)

There is no one-size-fits-all approach toeliminating the achievement gap: what worksfor students of color in Minneapolis may notwork for Somali students in Rochester, Latinostudents in Worthington or Native students inBemidji or on the reservation. Nor is theMinneapolis Promise the only model of successculturally-specific charter schools such asHarvest Prep in North Minneapolis or theHmong Academy in Saint Paul, to name just acouple, are playing an important role in helpingour children succeed and are showing usadditional models of success. Finally, we mustcommit to acknowledging failure when weencounter it: to that end, for example, I havesupported Superintendent Greens fresh-startingof schools when it has been necessary.

While we have made progress, we still have along way to go. Nevertheless, I believeMinnesota must make the same commitment toeliminating the achievement gap that we havemade in Minneapolis. And whatever strategieswe implement, we must agree on them withstudents, families and communities of color atthe table in full partnership. As governor, I wilensure that we do.

What will you do to increase

hiring and contracting of

people of color by Minnesotagovernment units?

We have had some success in Minneapolis inincreasing hiring and contracting for people ofcolor, mostly notably on the AllinaCommons/Midtown Global Market projectwhich hit record-high standards for inclusionaryhiring and contracting.

However, in eight years as mayor, Ive learnedthat we not only have to pass the laws andordinances that provide for hiring andcontracting of people of color on publicly-funded projects, we have to ensure ongoingcompliance, monitoring and implementationOur good intentions are not enough: we mustmake sure we have the tools and resources tohold ourselves accountable. We also need tomake sure that people of color hired on publicly-funded projects have open pathways to unionmembership, benefits and protections.

There are other steps we can take that can havea positive impact. For example, part of thereason that we were successful in increasingparticipation in contracting on the MidtownCommons and Central Library projects was that


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we unbundled subcontracts into smaller sizes,which made it easier for subcontractors of color whose capacities, especially if they are juststarting out, are often smaller than those ofother, more established, usually white-ownedsubcontracting concerns to bid andparticipate.

The next governor should implement changeslike these, reinforce compliance at every leveland support community-specific job-training

initiatives like Summit Academy and Emerge, asI 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 butI will be equally focused on eliminatingeconomic disparities for people of color. Thetwo will go hand in hand.

There are no easy answers to these issues and noquick recipes for success, but for the last eightyears, Ive been on the ground floor of workingwith these challenges and implementingsolutions.

What will you do, throughpolicy and practice, to make

best use of public resourcesfor Justice and Public Safetysystem reform?

I am exceedingly proud of the success wevehad in Minneapolis preventing youth violence.After a terrible spike in violent crime in 2006,which was driven by youth participation, weconvened all stakeholders in Minneapolis tolook at what was not working and come up withinnovative new strategies that we hoped would

work.

Out of that effort came the recognition thatyouth violence is not a problem merely of crime,but is in fact a public-health epidemic thatrequires the same holistic, multi-facetedresponse that we bring to addressing otherepidemics. Drawing on a mix of community-oriented law enforcement and public-healthstrategies to address the root causes of violenceand significantly reduce and prevent youthviolence in Minneapolis, our broad cross-sectionof community stakeholders created a Blueprintfor Action.

The Blueprint identifies four goals:

Connecting every youth with a trusted adult; Intervening at the first sign that youth are atrisk for violence; Restoring youth who have gone down thewrong path; and Unlearning the culture of violence in ourcommunity.

While all four goals are important, I find thesecond and the third especially compelling. Weknow from our collaboration with Hennepin

County that intervening with youth early andkeeping them out of detention and the juvenile-

justice system works: 80% of the young peoplewho come through our Juvenile Service Centernever come back. This is a victory not only forthese young people and their futures, but fortaxpayers. We need to continue to partner withcommunity so that there is quick, effectiveintervention 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 mosteffective way to restore him or her to full,productive citizenship in the broadest sense ofthe term. This is difficult work, but it must bebuilt in. I am concerned, however, that with statecuts to local governments, effective probationand other necessary support services continue tosuffer. Until our states fiscal situation improvesand we once again have a governor who believesin honest budgeting, we are going to have tokeeping finding creative ways to partner withcommunities to ensure that we have theresources to restore our young people.

While many factors go into the overall decline incrime rates that we have seen in Minneapolis,we believe that our focus on treating youthviolence holistically as a public-health issue hasworked: since 2006, violent crime involving

juveniles has dropped 47%. The decline of youthinvolvement in homicides is even moredramatic: while homicides in Minneapolisdropped from 54 in 2006 to 19 in 2009, youthinvolvement in homicide dropped from 42 (ofthe total 54) in 2006 to just 2 (of the total 19) in2009.

This success is a sign that we should take to thestatewide level the local work being done towrap our arms around our youth in community

to steer them away from involvement in the juvenile-justice system and toward productivecitizenship.

While we celebrate that success, we know wehave more work to do, particularly in the Somalicommunity: the fact that the two people arrestedin the recent, tragic triple homicide on FranklinAvenue were both 17-year-old Somali men is asign to us that we have fallen short on that front.

We must also look a systemic reform ofsentencing for both youth and adults. Thedisparities between whites and people of color especially African Americans in rates of

incarceration has grown shamefully inMinnesota in the last decade, and we musteliminate that gap. On the adult front, we mustreview disparities in sentencing (for example,around drug possession) that have led to resultsthat are racist in their effect. Justice, compassionand good government together compel us torethink our sentencing practices and developeffective, community-based alternatives foradults, as we have begun to do for our youth.Right now, our system is neither compassionateenough or effective enough. It must be both.

The same principles of justice, compassion andgood government should also drive us as a stateto work harder on effective reintegration andreenfranchisement once time has been servedand debts have been paid. We must explore allour options in Minnesota for taking advantage ofthe federal Second Chance Act, and look forareas where we can reform our practices beyondthe steps the federal government has taken.

I am also proud to have advocated for and

instituted the policy in the City of Minneapolisthat eliminated questions about prior arrests andcriminal record from the Citys job applicationI took some heat over that policy but I stood upfor what we know was the right thing to do.

When I can governor, you will have someoneleading our state who has already gone on right-wing talk radio and fought back on these issuesthat others have shied away from. You will havea governor who has gone to communitymeetings, taken tough questions, listened andwon people over. Too often, Democrats andprogressives are timid about defending andadvocating for our views on the criminal justicesystem and public-safety reform. I am not.

What are your keyimmigration relatedconcerns, and how will yougo about addressing them as

governor? How will youensure that our systems andsolutions meet the needs ofNew Americans?

I was elected mayor of Minneapolis right afterthe attacks of September 11, 2001, in the midstof the most anti-immigrant frenzy in recenthistory. From the moment I took office, I had tostand up during the height of the Bush/Pawlentyattacks on immigrants and defend, for example,our citys wise decision to separate basic policeand public-safety functions from the functionsof the immigration system. Minneapolis as acity, and I as its mayor, have been attacked andthreatened by right-wingers at the State Capitoland across the country for our City/ICEseparation ordinance. But we have stood firm inthe face of these attacks because we know weare right.

In Minneapolis, we not only defend new

Americans, we celebrate them. Eight years agothe common way to talk about the kids inMinneapolis was to say: They are the mosdiverse generation we have ever raised, theyspeak 100 languages, they come from all overthe world and that creates tremendouschallenges. But today when we talk about ourkids we say: They are the most diversegeneration we have ever raised, they speak 100languages, they come from all over the world and that makes them the most valuablegeneration we have ever raised. In a globalworld, where the most important asset is to cross


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cultural barriers, the young people coming outof our schools are the key to our success. TheMinneapolis promise has played a key role inbringing about this important transformation.

When it comes to economic development, inMinneapolis we have focused resources onbuilding prosperity in immigrant communities.To name a few examples:

We have successfully launched and

supported showcases of immigrantentrepreneurial innovation like the GlobalMarket and Plaza Verde. Our Great Streets program, which I havechampioned, directs low-interest loans, grantsand technical assistance to small businesses onour main commercial corridors, like Lake Street.These grants and loans have leveraged millionsmore in private capital. Through Greet Streetswe have partnered closely with the LatinoEconomic Development Center. In conjunction with the AfricanDevelopment Center we have developedculturally-sensitive loan products and no-interest financial instruments for entrepreneursof the Islamic faith.

On the public-safety front, we have worked hardfor several years to build bridges with theHmong and Somali communities. In theaftermath of the recent triple homicide onFranklin Avenue, the Somali community and theMinneapolis Police Department worked in closepartnership and cooperation as never before. Iam gratified to have heard from so many Somalicommunity members that in their moment ofcrisis, they felt they could trust the police andthe City.

When I am governor, we will work on buildingtrust and prosperity with and for immigrant

communities and new Americans, as we havedone in Minneapolis. New Americans no longermake their homes only in Saint Paul andMinneapolis, and Latinos, Asians and Africansnow live in every corner, every city and everysmall town of our state.

Our states rich cultural diversity is nottangential to why I am running for governor, it iscentral. When Im governor, the kind of oldpolitics that has intentionally sought to divideMinnesotans from one another will come to acrashing halt. There is an old attitude at theCapitol that seeks to divide us into groups thatcan be scapegoated or pitted against each other.

This has gotten us nowhere, and I have foughtback against it: I have stood with Latino andMuslim communities when they have comeunder attack by those seeking cheap politicalgain, and I will take that heat again anytime thatits necessary to do so.

Instead, when I am governor we will reconnectMinnesota and Minnesotans, because the morewe are connected to each other, the moreequality and opportunity we create. My Czechimmigrant ancestors faced challenges in anearlier time that they met by forging connections

with each other. I cannot forget that it took fourgenerations to send my father to college so thathe later could send me to college.

We as a state can and must come together toforge the connections with each other that createprosperity, and I am prepared to lead that effort.

Please reflect on your keyconcerns regarding the rights

and responsibilities of tribalgovernments, and upon thedirections you will pursue inthis area as governor.

When I was a kid, my parents owned a drugstore at Chicago and Franklin Avenues. From anearly age, I had a first-hand look into thesuccesses and challenges of one of the largesturban Indian communities in America. It begana lifelong quest to understand why disparitiesexist between Indians and the dominant cultureand how I could play role in reducing oreliminating them.

As Mayor, Im proud of the Citys work with theLittle Earth community to lower violent crime.Little Earth has been a full partner in our YouthViolence Prevention initiative and thatcollaboration has produced results. The benefitsof this work have resonated beyond Little Earthto reservations across Minnesota.

As governor, I will make a priority of working infull partnership with tribal communities toeliminate long-standing disparities for Nativepeople in criminal justice (including juvenile

justice), public health and economicdevelopment. We have a special responsibility to

bring these shameful disparities to an end, and todo so in an effective, culturally fluent way.

The broader society also has a lot to learn fromNative American approaches to community,healing and environment. The principles thatunderlie Native models and practices ofholistically reintegrating youth who havestrayed into crime and away from communityhave proven their effectiveness. Similarly,Ramsey Countys successful Wakanhezaapproach to nurturing children in communityand preventing abuse before it starts, based onDakota principles, can be expanded statewide.In addition, at a time when we as a state, nationand planet desperately need to remake ourrelationship to our environment, the Indiancommunity offers us models of true long-termsustainability that we simply cannot afford toignore.

As I work as governor in partnership with tribesand native communities, I will always act in fullrespect of Indian sovereignty. One principle onwhich I will hold firm is that we will not reopenMinnesotas compact with tribal governmentsover Indian gaming. I oppose any furtherexpansion of gambling in Minnesota and when Iam governor, Minnesota will not venture into

gaming and will leave it as the exclusive right ofthe tribes, where it belongs.

I am excited at the prospect of being a governorwho will work with community to eliminatedisparities, help heal past wounds and lead thebroader culture in embracing sustainable Indianvalues and celebrating the Indian communitiesthat are so much a part of who we all are.

How will you make certain

that the Central Corridor LRTproject serves and advancesthe needs of residents,businesses andneighborhoods in closestproximity to the line?

The goal of Central Corridor should beconnection: it should connect the people wholive, work and do business in the heart of SaintPaul with opportunities for employmentshopping and recreation across the Twin CitiesSince the beginning of this project, I have

operated from the principle that we must notreplace a bus system that already adequatelyserves transit-dependent people with a train tha

just passes them by. For this reason, I havadvocated putting the infrastructure in place forthree additional stops at Western, Victoria andHamline. I will continue fight for the goal offully functioning stations by the time CentralCorridor is ready to open.

But making sure that Central Corridor servescommunities in the heart of Saint Paul is notlimited to ensuring additional stops, asimportant as they are. We must also make apriority of, among other things:

community stabilization, making sure tharesidents who have lived in communities alongUniversity Avenue are able to stay there; good jobs and contracts for people whoalready live or own businesses in theneighborhood; mitigation and assistance for the smalbusinesses that have kept University Avenueprosperous; adequate bus service so that people can stilluse public transit over short distances.

Although we havent yet identified the fundingto meet all our needs, we must start from a

presumption of abundance, not scarcity. Wemust also start from a presumption of equality ofpower and influence, and not allow more well-connected concerns to trump the goals ofcommunities who should benefit most fromimproved transit options.

Again, the goal of Central Corridor must beconnection and inclusion for those who willbenefit from it most. Whether I am serving asgovernor of Minnesota or mayor of Minneapolisduring this long process, I will stay in constantcontact to make sure that our strategies are on


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the right track and getting us to the goal of fullinclusion and full connection for communitiesand businesses along University Avenue.

What is your plan to ensureinclusive staffing and

appointments as governor, inkey positions and throughoutyour cabinet and

administration?

As mayor of Minneapolis Ive worked hard forinclusion in staffing and appointments. In myown office, Im proud of my diverse staff, whoare 40% people of color. Im also proud thatduring my tenure, we have appointed Fire ChiefAlex Jackson, the first African-American to holdthe post in the history of Minneapolis.

Its also important that under Police Chief TimDolans leadership, the Minneapolis PoliceDepartment has become more diverse than atany point in our history, with the overall forcenow 19% officers of color. During Chief Dolans

tenure, 29% of new police officers hired havebeen people of color, as have 68% ofcommunity-service officers hired. And the trendcontinues: our most recent recruit class was one-half people of color.

Our success in recruiting a more diverse policeforce is no accident. It has happened because weinstituted the first-ever comprehensive diversityplan for the Police Department, established aMulticultural Community Recruitment Team inthe department and put into place thedepartments first-ever recruitment plan forpeople of color. And it has happened becauseover the last several years, we have worked hard

on building relationships of trust withcommunities of color and with their help, wehave actively recruited their best young peopleto join our police force. We will continue tomake a priority of hiring, retaining andpromoting top-quality officers of color to serveand represent all our communities.

Its good but its not enough, however, to pledgeto hire racially diverse staff: we need to buildaccountability into the system. In Minneapolis,every City departments business plan includesthe goal of diversifying staff, and everydepartment head and manager is heldaccountable in their performance review for theprogress theyve made on that goal. Asgovernor, I will bring this kind of accountabilityto state government.

Its important not only to appoint people who aremembers of various underrepresentedcommunities around the state, but to make surethat those people are leaders who are wellconnected in those communities, have accessand trust, and can represent them fairly andsensitively. As governor, I will be parti

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