“It’s become very clear to me that this is a big state and a very diverse state, and one-size-fits-all answers from St. Paul won’t work,” Thissen said. “A lot of the policy work I’ve done over the last year and a half has really been focused on how can we set standards at the state but let local people have a lot more control over how they actually achieve what we all want to achieve.” From the Bemidji Pioneer
Today, MPR reported on implementation of a reform, led by Rep. Thissen, under which the DHS will evaluate and redesign the approach to providing services based on input from the counties.
“Counties are being asked to offer ideas for reducing cost and making programs more effective. . . . . ‘It really is putting it out to the counties and saying, “OK, here’s your opportunity to show us what a redesigned human services system would look like,”‘ said [DHS Ass't Commr. Chuck] Johnson. ‘We will see over the next several years if that produces the kind of change we think is needed, or if we need to look at another way of going about this.”"
In 1886, a time when unwed mothers were largely denied hospital admission, Dr. Martha Ripley established this maternity hospital and opened it to any woman regardless of financial or marital status. Dr. Ripley was also an early president of the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association. She died in 1912, eight years before women won the right to vote.
In 1915, on the 6th floor of the Plymouth Building, Lena Olive Smith opened her office as the first African-American woman realtor in Minnesota. At night, she attended law school one flight up. In 1921, she became the third black woman lawyer in America, and for the next forty years she battled discrimination as a founding member of the Urban League and the first woman president of the Minnesota NAACP. She lived to the age of 81: just long enough to see the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
In 1971, not long after he organized the first Vietnam teach-in at the University of Minnesota, Brian Coyle came out. He spent the next twenty years of his life fighting for civil rights, as a tenants’ rights activist and a tireless advocate throughout the 1980s for a domestic partnership ordinance in Minneapolis.
For more than a century Minnesotans have put themselves on the line to break down discrimination and to deliver on America’s promise of equal opportunity and equal justice. But that fight is far from over.
We can’t rest until every Minnesotan is protected against discrimination. None of our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters, should be treated differently because of a disability, their sexual orientation, their religion, their age, their gender, or their race. I will advocate for marriage equality and will proudly sign legislation that reinforces America’s ideal that all are created equal.
As a young lawyer, I served as a public defender, fighting to make sure that Minnesota lived up to its ideal of equal justice under the law. I founded the organization Access For Persons With Disabilities to break down barriers to understanding and opportunity. And I represented families fleeing violence in their own countries and seeking asylum here in the United States.
But I know that good laws on the books are meaningless without practical results in the community. I will work with you to make sure that we close the achievement gap. I will continue my fight to eliminate disparities in health and in housing. And I will keep working with you to root out youth violence that is tearing communities apart.
The work of Minnesotans like Martha Ripley, Lena Smith, and Brian Coyle is ours to finish. Together, let’s get the job done.
PAUL: I’m looking forward to this. In my seven years at the Capitol I’ve found that most of best ideas don’t start there, but rather come from people around the state sharing thoughts about how we can do things better. This technology opens up the chance to do that much more effectively.
1. WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION IN MINNESOTA?
I’m close to this issue: my Mom and sister are Special Ed teachers. It’s a big challenge in part because the federal government isn’t doing its part. Opportunity for all is a first principle and so special education is critical. Right now we look backward a couple of years to gauge future funding, rather than looking ahead. And we’ve got to look closely at the assessments we’re doing so that we’re helping individual kids at the right level. They may not all need IEPs, but many could use some special services on a continuum.
2. HOW CAN MINNESOTA BETTER LEVERAGE ITS RESOURCES TO HELP PEOPLE TRANSITION OUT OF POVERTY AND STAY OUT OF POVERTY?
That’s the right focus. Getting people out of poverty, not trapping them in, is our core shared principle. Too often we ignore the assets side of the poverty equation and focus only on the income side. We can’t require people to spend themselves into poverty to qualify for help. They need to be able to build up assets to get them through the tough times, otherwise they’re just moving in and out of the system.
Access to affordable health care is critical. So is affordable housing, and it’s achievable. With it, people can look more than a couple of days ahead. Stable housing allows them to look months ahead and rebuild their lives.
3. WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS FOR IMPROVING THE JOB MARKET FOR GRADUATING STUDENTS?
To succeed we have to attract the smartest people in the world to Minnesota and keep them here. As a state we can do some things to jump start the job market, we can work with the private section, and support R&D at universities and in smaller tech firms. We can expand our retraining-type focus to those who are looking to enter the job market for the first time – not just those who have lost jobs. And we can promote Minnesota values. That attracts people here, too.
4. FROM YOUR TRAVELS AROUND THE STATE, WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE PRIMARY THINGS THAT MINNESOTANS WANT?
(1) They want the state to live up to its potential and regain that position as a special and extraordinary place. (2) They want relief from unfair escalating property tax burdens. (3) They’re concerned about access to affordable health care.
5. WHAT’S YOUR VISION FOR THE ROLE OF NURSING HOMES IN MINNESOTA?
This is an issue we have to grapple with as the population ages. Accessible and available nursing homes are a core piece of our long term care infrastructure, particularly for our most frail citizens. The funding pressure is now immense — in some places pay and benefits for nursing home workers badly trails the rest of the community.
We have to give people incentives and support to save for their own retirement. There has to be a private-public partnership on this and we have to be smart about alternatives to nursing homes for those whose needs could be met – and who could still make a contribution to society – with less intensive caregiving in a vibrant community setting.
6. WHAT IS YOUR CAMPAIGN DOING TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG VOTERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS?
Everything we possibly can. We’re out at all campuses, and we’re organized on 10 or 11 of them already. We’re talking about the generational nature of this election. This is about the future. And we’re being transparent and hardworking. I’ve found that the harder you work at getting out to people and listening, the more good ideas you hear and the more people get engaged.
7. WHAT NEW WAYS DO YOU THINK GOVERNMENT SHOULD EMBRACE SOCIAL MEDIA TO REACH OUT TO VOTERS?
We’re learning how effective it is to engage. Government as a whole has not done as good a job as has the private sector or political campaigns. Transparency in government will become more important, and social media and all of the new communications tools will play a role: quicker communication, accessible databases usable for new and helpful purposes, and citizens participating in real time.
8. THE LOWER TURNOUT IN 2010 (VERSUS 2008) MAY INCREASE THE IMPORTANCE OF INDEPENDENT AND SWING VOTERS. WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY TO WIN?
Making sure people understand that the DFL needs to endorse its best general election candidate. That’s me. The independents are not so much interested in ideology. For them it is more what they think about you, your answers, and how straightforward you are. I know this from my district, where I went from getting 52-53% to getting 75% of the vote as people came to know me over six years. It’s also clear that the DFL will do best with a candidate free from baggage and distractions, who has a vision for a new Minnesota. My lack of association with the DFL leadership of the past is a real advantage with independents.
In 14 months we’ve come from nowhere to a position as a leading contender for the DFL endorsement. I’m planning to do the same thing statewide in the next 11 months.
9. HOW WOULD YOU PROVIDE RELIEF TO STUDENTS DEALING WITH TUITION INCREASES AT STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES?
We’ve really gotten out of whack in our funding formula. Private funding used to account for one-third of cost; now it needs to account for one-half. We can get back to where we should be by getting our state budget under control. Again, health care costs are so important. The slope of increase in health care costs over time mirrors the slope of decline in college funding.
Once we do that, investment in Higher Ed is a real priority. We also need to invest on the back end, by giving bright people incentives to return to their home towns. I’m a chief author of Opportunity Minnesota, which involves tax credits against student loan repayments for graduates who stay close to home. And we have to fund research and technology in our universities: there’s a deep connection between that kind of ongoing research and job creation.
10. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE IN MINNESOTA?
I’ve chaired the Health and Human Services Policy Committee for the last three years. The endorsement by the Minnesota Nurses Association is due in large part to the work I’ve done to improve health care. I’m most proud of the Cover All Kids legislation, which has meant health insurance for 40,000 more Minnesota kids. It transforms their lives and their families’ lives. I’ve also worked to improve quality and reduce costs – for example, by improving how we can use medical records.
We have to be paying for the right things. Right now three-quarters of health care dollars relate to chronic conditions. If we pay for people to better manage those things, that’s huge progress.
And in these though times, I’m also moving to extend COBRA coverage for those who’ve lost their jobs. For as long as we’re connecting employment to health care coverage (and we need to move away from that) this will be very important.
11. WHAT ARE YOUR CONCRETE PLANS FOR IMPROVING STATE SERVICES AND PAYING FOR THAT?
This question gets at why I’m running. It’s time for a comprehensive approach to balancing the budget and doing what we need to do. Getting people back to work, stimulating the economy, stopping our unfair over-reliance on property taxes, and then delivering services more effectively. Once more, we must bring down health care costs – if we do nothing, they’ll rise from one-third to two-thirds of our budget and we won’t have the resources for these other things.
I’ll continue my work to redesign how government services are delivered. Technology will play a big role. We’ve got to reengage our public employees on how to make government work better – they do great work but the governor has pushed down their imagination and created a climate of fear. As governor I’ll empower those folks to bring their best ideas to the table.
12. CAN WE REACH A VIKINGS STADIUM RESOLUTION ACCEPTIBLE TO THE TEAM AND THE PEOPLE?
I’m hopeful. There’s a public interest to be served in making sure the team stays. In light of current deficits, significant public funding is a huge challenge. I’d like to explore creative solutions. The Vikings’ owners have great skill and interest in economic redevelopment. We have rights to give. That could be a win-win. It’ll be a call to our creativity to figure a solution.
13. HOW CAN YOU KEEP FARMS THRIVING AND HELP YOUNG MINNESOTANS INTERESTED IN AGRICULTURE?
We have a huge generational issue in greater Minnesota. The average age of farmers is 58-60. My plan involves providing resources, training, and seed money to get beginning farmers into the business. Rising land prices unconnected to agricultural value are getting in the way of older farmers transitioning to the next generation. I’m committed to The Farm Beginnings Program by the Land Stewardship Project.
We’ve got to make sure that the family farm is a sustainable thing. It’s not just a romantic notion – family farms are critically important for rural Minnesota to thrive. We can provide research and economic support for farmer-owned, value-added businesses in the green economy, green chemistry, food processing. And through R&D and marketing we can all work toward making sure that Minnesota quality sets the standard as our products are marketed around the globe.
14. IF YOU ARE THE DFL-ENDORSED CANDIDATE, HOW WILL YOU WIN THE PRIMARY?
Having the endorsement will be very meaningful this year and I’m looking forward to earning it. Primary voters want to pick a winner; they’ll be looking for a strong general election candidate. And the earlier timing this year will change turnout and may reduce the importance of TV advertising. So it’s not the best year to try to buy a win in the primary – and Minnesotans will reject anyone who tries, anyway. We’ll have the resources to compete. Our fundraising has been very strong: we’ve raised more money from more people to date than anyone in the race. My good ideas, hard work, and ability to raise money make me confident we can do it.
15. WILL YOU ACCEPT FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY AND WHAT WILL YOU USE IT FOR?
Yes, and most of it will already be directed at particular things. We can use it to help with health and human services, invest in roads, bridges, transit, and rail, and for our communications infrastructure, where we’re well-positioned to do things like get broadband throughout the state. We’ll also be able to use some for energy efficiency and conservation, and in education. To the extent that we have discretion in how to spend it, the main thing on my mind will be getting people back to work in a way that’s win-win, for them and for Minnesota.
16. WHAT WILL YOU LOOK FOR IN A CANDIDATE FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR?
We’ve thought on this to some extent, and there will be lots of time to continue that discussion. My choice will be someone who shares my values, understands Minnesota, wants to roll up the sleeves and face the challenge of rebuilding our state.
17. WHAT ROLE CAN COLLEGE STUDENTS PLAY IN THE ENDORSEMENT AND CAUCUS PROCESS?
The caucuses are coming up on Feb 2 and there’s lots of work to do before that. Calling, mailing, emailing – getting out information and expanding the base of support. Talking to your friends. Harnessing all of that energy will transform this campaign and this state.
And you can show up on Feb 2 and get engaged in the process. Participate in the straw poll – the preference ballot. Become a delegate. If you step up on Feb 2, you’ll have a leg up on playing a role in the process as it goes forward.
18. CAN THE NATIONAL GOVERNOR’S ASSOCIATION AND THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR’S ASSOCIATION HELP US IN MINNESOTA?
The states are laboratories of our democracy. You see that in federal health care reform – the good stuff has happened in the states first. The associations are crucial to taking and sharing good ideas and influencing the feds. The next governor needs to be more aggressive in working across state boundaries, which can matter less in areas like the global economy, energy, and the environment.
19. WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO PLAY BASKETBALL WITH BARACK OBAMA?
Our paths crossed for a year at the University of Chicago law school. My last year as a student was his first as a professor. We played a few times in the regular pickup games at the gym. He was very good – maybe not great. At the time, he was just one of the guys. In retrospect, it’s a great experience.
20. WHAT DISTINGUISHES YOU FROM THE OTHER DFL CANDIDATES?
On health care, which is the make-or-break issue, I have a record of expanding access while controlling costs. Nobody in the field has the depth of knowledge or experience on the issue that I do. On all the issues connected to economic security for middle class families – not just health care but affordable tuitions, saving for retirement — I have specifics and a record of results. And I’m a fresh face that hasn’t been around politics as long as the others. I’ve kept my job in the private sector all along – I’m not a career politician. People come up to me after these debates and say “you’re the only one who actually answered the question that was asked.” That appeals to independent voters.
We are a very different campaign. And I am a very different candidate.
21. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE ARGUMENT THAT WE SHOULD BE CHOOSING A GOVERNOR WITH PAST EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE?
Lots of qualities and experience matter to this job more than a past executive title does. I’ve been a leader on the team that balanced a $9 billion complex HHS budget. I’m experienced at state-level issues like health care and education, which amount to over two-thirds of our state budget. I have expertise in that state budget, and I have experience getting results in a partisan environment. I’d love to change the tone at the Capitol overnight, but people have strongly held beliefs. We operate in a partisan environment over there; we don’t just work with only one party. I’ve been effective while in the minority as well as the majority, passing bills and working across the aisle. The success of our campaign is more evidence of my ability to move a team and a project forward. I have the experience that this job calls for.
22. DO YOU SUPPORT INCREASED INVESTMENT IN WIND ENERGY IN OUR STATE?
Absolutely — I’ve worked on the issue for a long time. It’s key to our future economically and environmentally. We have to focus on bringing more of the manufacturing back to Minnesota and making sure that the wealth generated from wind energy stays here in our communities. There are further steps to take on that – we haven’t done a good enough job on that yet.
23. WHAT’S THE ROLE OF MINNESOTANS AND MINNESOTA IN THE GLOBAL ISSUE OF ENERGY?
We all have to take responsibility. The state has to set priorities. We have a challenge to meet our global warning reduction targets. But it can’t just be top-down from the state. Individually, we have to change behaviors and take personal responsibility. The state’s role is to provide the incentives and the infrastructure so that when people do decide to step up to the challenge, we’re ready to make it work. Status as a global issue isn’t an excuse to shirk either state or individual responsibilities.
24. WHO DO YOU SEE AS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR THE DFL ENDORSEMENT?
It’s a very strong field and each individual candidate brings different skills and different weaknesses to the table. The challenge we need to meet is to keep working hard and getting out the message that I am the best general election candidate in the field.
25. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CRITICISM OF GOVERNOR PAWLENTY?
His unwillingness to listen to people that disagree with him. It gets in the way of moving our state forward. That’s not the way I operate. It’s very difficult to understand how anyone can serve in role of governor while having such a narrow base that he or she listens to. Fundamentally, that’s got to change.
26. HOW WILL YOU ADDRESS IMMIGRATION REFORM AND AMNESTY?
Who can come into our country remains largely a federal issue. Where the state needs to engage is in bringing people out of shadows so that we don’t have a shadow economy. We need to make every effort not to tear families apart; I’ve heard moving testimonials about the devastation to children in deportations. When people are here, they are living as part of our community. H1N1 doesn’t look at your green card. Public safety and health policy have to recognize that.
27. WHAT WILL BE YOUR FIRST PRIORITY AS GOVERNOR?
Getting people back to work. As we move forward, it will be rebuilding our economy so middle class families regain economic security.
28. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE FUTURE PATH HERE FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO ARE NONCITIZENS OR FROM ABROAD?
We face an aging population and we’ll need every single person to become a productive member of our society and our economy. We want to attract smart people and be a destination state and we want to adopt policies to make that happen. The Dream Act is a step in the right direction toward making college affordable for people who have been here for a long time. In this century places that are welcoming and are destination places will succeed. We need to make sure that Minnesota is one of them.
29. HOW MUCH WOULD YOU EXPAND PUBLIC TRANSPORATION?
We are going to have to do this – building the network of light and heavy rail connections to places like Hastings and St. Cloud and the western suburbs, plus expand high-speed rail all around the state. Again, our aging population and the economic need to keep people in their homes will make this critically important all over the state. It won’t be one-size fits all. The solutions in Aiken will look different from the ones in Minneapolis. But we need to have those options available and make those investments.
My ancestors came to this state in the 1860s, settling in western Minnesota. And my family still owns this farm, which my Dad grew up on and which my grandparents settled years ago, during the Great Depression.
I grew up in Bloomington, a typical suburban kid, and I’ve lived all my life in Minnesota, except for the four years that I spent in college at Harvard, and the three years at the University of Chicago law school, where I met my wife, Karen.
Minnesota is where I’ve always wanted to make a life. Karen and I are now raising our three kids here. And after moving back, I didn’t have a political career in mind. But public service has always been an important part of our lives.
I served as a state public defender, and built a legal career at the law firm of Briggs and Morgan, where I focused on business law, but was also proud to chair our pro bono committee. And I’m really proud that, during my tenure, we doubled the level of free legal services that we provide to nonprofits all across the state, and also to low-income Minnesotans.
Then, eight years ago, I began to feel that I could make a difference in my legislative district, which includes Richfield and parts of South Minneapolis. To win the race in a district that has a strong independent streak and that voted for Jesse Ventura in 1998, I knocked on every door, most of them several times, and I campaigned by listening to what people had to say.
To me, that kind of hard work is the only way to win elections. And listening is the only way to govern effectively.
So I’m a citizen and an elected official and a husband and the father of three kids, but maybe the simplest answer to who I am is that I’m my parents’ son.
My Mom and Dad taught for sixty years between them in Minnesota’s public schools. My Mom in Bloomington and Richfield, and my Dad in St. Paul. And in my legal career, and through my community involvement, and now in government service, I feel as if I’m continuing their life’s work.
My parents dedicated their professional lives to building and strengthening the community institutions that bind us together, and make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. And they raised me to understand that as the highest calling that there is. So that’s really who I am and where I come from.
“It’s become very clear to me that this is a big state and a very diverse state, and one-size-fits-all answers from St. Paul won’t work,” Thissen said. “A lot of the policy work I’ve done over the last year and a half has really been focused on how can we set standards at the state but let local people have a lot more control over how they actually achieve what we all want to achieve.” From the Bemidji Pioneer
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