Archive for February 2018
2018 February Forecast: Small Change from November
The 2018 February Budget and Economic Forecast released by Minnesota Management & Budget (MMB) today projects a $329 million surplus in the current fiscal year (FY) 2018-19 biennium, a slight reversal from the small deficit anticipated in the November 2017 forecast. However, after adjusting for the effects of inflation—which are largely omitted from the official…
Read MoreThe Room that Controls your Electric Sockets
The Room that Controls your Electric Sockets Did you know that a giant room in a nondescript building in Eagan, MN controls your electric sockets? Reminiscent of a scene from Dr. Strangelove, a full wall of brightly colored lines and blips and bits represents the sale and flow of electricity from Manitoba to Louisiana. Welcome…
Read MoreMaking Ends Meet: How Many Minnesota Jobs Pay Enough to Meet Basic Needs?
Of the 2.81 million jobs in Minnesota, approximately 1.24 million—or 44 percent—do not pay enough to meet the basic needs of a typical Minnesota family. Jobs with wages insufficient to meet basic needs are prevalent statewide. In each of the state’s thirteen economic development regions (EDRs), over a third of all jobs fail to provide…
Read MoreMinnesota thrives, Rauner fails on jobs
The following is a guest commentary that recently appeared in the The State Journal Register of Springfield, Illinois. The numbers tell a harsh story: since Gov. Bruce Rauner came to office in January 2015, Illinois has been one of only four states nationwide and the only Midwestern state to have lost population. Job growth…
Read MoreSexually Transmitted Infections Plague Minnesotans Across the Age Spectrum
Sexually Transmitted Infections Plague Minnesotans Across the Age Spectrum Minnesotans contracted sexually transmitted infections (STIs) more in 2015 than in any other year in the 21st century. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), incidence rates (the number of new cases) of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have all risen since 2000. Worryingly,…
Read MoreState Revenues: the Real Story
Minnesota conservatives argue that the state general fund grows bigger and bigger, year in and year out. After adjusting for inflation, however, per capita general fund revenue in Minnesota falls short of levels seen at the beginning of the current century. While the 2013 tax increases have buoyed real per capita general fund revenues, they…
Read MoreMinnesota Needs the Provider Tax Renewed
A financial crisis threatens the Health Care Access Fund (HCAF), one of the primary revenue sources for Medical Assistance in Minnesota. Recent federal decisions led to cuts in MinnesotaCare funding, and subsequent lawsuits brought the financial status of MinnesotaCare into the public eye. But Minnesota has a larger problem ahead, as the primary revenue generator…
Read MoreThe Purple Lining in Vikes’ Failure to Make Super Bowl LII
On January 22, Minnesotans awoke to a depressing reality. The night before, the Minnesota Vikings lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in what can only be described as a blowout, ending the Vikes’ playoff run and hopes of being the first team in NFL history to play in a Super Bowl on their home field. As…
Read MoreEnjoy Your Penny While You Can, Homer Simpson
A recent blog post from the Center for the American Experiment (CAE)—Minnesota’s right wing think tank—features an overjoyed Homer Simpson. Homer apparently celebrates the “bonuses and pay hikes” that Minnesota workers are supposedly receiving through recent federal tax cuts. Only Homer—a slow-witted sap that can be duped into any harebrained scheme by a bag of…
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