Steve Martin and John Candy made us all laugh in their 1987 comedy classic “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,” an epic tale of transportation frustration, some heroic and hilarious improvising between modes, and eventually succeeding. What is not funny and remains a classic and growing problem for thousands of Minnesotans every day is getting back-and-forth from Points A in St. Cloud and Central Minnesota to Points B in the Twin Citi... Read More
Justin Stofferahn is a policy specialist for the State of Minnesota and is a new Policy Fellow for Growth & Justice. His work focuses on fiscal and economic issues. He also has policy experience from his work in the offices of the Illinois Governor and Lt. Governor. Economic Concentration in Minnesota The biggest story in economic development right now is the bid to secure Amazon’s second headquarters and the estimat... Read More
Putting Things Back Together A Youth Social Entrepreneurship Case Study By Jeanne Walz, Matt Howard and Dane Smith A little more than a year ago, Ethan (last name withheld at his request) was headed in no particular direction, except perhaps toward trouble. He lacked motivation, was not doing particularly well in high school, and his scrapes with authorities worried his mother and teachers. His mom -- before signing him up for a specia... Read More
Brendan Klein is a Growth & Justice Intern and Jackson Fellow at the College of St. Benedicts and St. John’s University Many federal programs, from Social Security to Medicare to the National Park System, have improved and enriched our lives and are seen as great American achievements. Others have failed or been discontinued for various reasons, but few defunct programs are remembered as fondly as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)... Read More
Note from G&J: Guest Blogger John James is a former commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Revenue and one of our state's more knowledgeable tax experts. G&J does not necessarily support all of the tax policy proposals advanced here, but we think it's an insightful analysis and a plausible argument. Widespread recognition that Minnesota needs transportation infrastructure investment guarantees another legislative effort t... Read More