MinnesotaCare: a Model for Obamacare?

As an advocate of single-payer health coverage, I like MinnesotaCare. It has a few glitches, but once they’re identified and fixed the program could be the model for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. (“Obamacare” is a term I’ve come to embrace. A one-of-a-kind program shouldn’t be known by an acronym, ACA, that is shared by millions of other organizations.)

After being on MinnesotaCare for several months, these are the benefits and challenges I’ve identified:

The benefits

• MinnesotaCare is single payer. One insurance provider covers medical, vision, and dental claims. I’m not crazy about the idea of a health insurance exchange, a central concept of Obamacare. Buying health insurance isn’t the same as window-shopping at the Mall of America for a flirty party dress and pair of peep-toe pumps. Shopping for health insurance isn’t fun – it’s tedious and frustrating.

• Premium payments are based on a sliding scale. No matter how much money you make, you feel you pay too much for health insurance. In the long journey to create Obamacare, details came into focus as policymakers drilled down. Through focus groups and listening sessions, they discovered that $400 a month for health insurance was beyond the reach of many American families. There is no short-form answer for determining MinnesotaCare premiums, as you can see from this schedule. But you can still qualify with an annual income as high as $52,512 – which isn’t that much when you think about it.

The opportunities

• Sweeten the reimbursement rates. Health insurance is useless if medical providers won’t accept it. The MinnesotaCare provider I chose is South Country Health Alliance. While I’ve had no problem using South Country for medical, prescription and vision claims, I have yet to find a dentist in southeast Minnesota who accepts it. (I’m on a couple of waiting lists that stretch several weeks out.) I don’t know if nonparticipation is because of South Country in specific or MinnesotaCare in general. If providers don’t accept Obamacare because of what it is (or who created it), opponents will say, “See, it doesn’t work.” We need to find a way to make sure it does work.

• Make it easier for customers (and providers) to ask questions. When you call the MinnesotaCare information line, you get a recording suggesting that you call on Thursday or Friday because of the high volume of calls. If you have a question on Monday, and need to schedule an appointment now to avoid a long waiting list, you don’t want to wait until Thursday or Friday. And the backlog I’m talking about is just for MinnesotaCare. Can you imagine the questions people will have about Obamacare coverage? Even if there’s an email address where you can leave your question and a representative will get back to you, you feel that you’ve done something.

• Remove income as an eligibility requirement. Awhile back I wrote about how I was too affluent as a Pine County resident to qualify for MinnesotaCare, but became eligible when I moved to Dodge County. Can you imagine if a similar yardstick were used for public school eligibility? “I’m sorry, but you’re too smart to qualify”? Public school is there for all who wish to use it, regardless of means level. You’re not forced to use public schools. You’re mandated to use a school, but it doesn’t have to be a public one. If you’d rather have your kids attend a private school, go forth and God love you.

MinnesotaCare isn’t Cadillac coverage care, as I discovered when I bought my latest pair of glasses. Still, less-than-Cadillac coverage is fine if you didn’t have a car in the first place. As President Obama has frequently said, if you’re happy with your private insurance coverage, you can keep it. But if you need insurance and can’t get it, you have an outlet. And Minnesota’s very own MinnesotaCare could be the model for it.

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Here’s a Way for the Vikings to Give Back

I work as a support person for adults who have developmental disabilities. There’s one guy whose bedroom is basically a shrine to the Minnesota Vikings: pennants, purple and gold bedspread and pillows, a Minnesota Vikings blanket. During my training the facilitator said that many residents, or consumers as they’re called, are huge Vikings fans.

As amendments are traded back and forth in order to get the Vikings their new stadium, I’d like to propose one.

Public service for the Vikings.

Have them work with consumers who have developmental disabilities. Visit a group home, either a public or private residence. Hold an autograph session at the new stadium. Have a day when adults or children with developmental disabilities can watch the game for a reduced price.

One of my responsibilities as a DSP, or Direct Support Professional, is to advocate for consumers when they’re out in the community: making sure they get the respect and service that any other person gets. During my training the facilitator shared a story about an event that happened a few years ago. A Minnesota Vikings star (the name escapes me) had an autograph session at the Mall of America, and a DSP brought a consumer to get an autograph. They waited in the long line. When it was their turn, the consumer was thoroughly excited to meet his idol.

He doesn’t need an autograph. He can’t even read, the Viking star said.

The DSP swiftly, firmly, and politely informed the Viking that his assumption was disrespectful. 

I hope I can be equally effective advocate for developmentally disabled individuals. And I hope the Vikings consider giving back to an audience that unconditionally wants them to stay.


These opinions are my own and are not intended to speak for anyone else.

No Gold Bullion in This Basement, Jim

The afterglow from the buzz of getting health insurance hadn't even worn off yet. The next thing I knew: I had to fill out a survey of our family's means after six months of our son receiving health insurance through Medical Assistance.

Republicans believe that anyone on public assistance is abusing it: spending food support dollars at liquor stores, unemployment dollars for drugs, or riches squirreled away in order to get healthcare. In 2010 Minnesota State Representative Jim Abeler made this observation about people who would qualify for the Medical Assistance (MA) provision:

“I want to remind you who is going to get into this program. And this follows a national plan that was adopted this year with great duress at the federal level. And there is no asset limit. And there is no residency requirement. And so that means the person moves in with a whole basement full of gold bullion or a nice boat or a car and they’re going to get medical assistance and you’re going to pay half of it."

The video from The UpTake is below, which includes a response from DFL Representative Paul Thissen:



"We don't have gold bullion. We don't even have chicken bouillon," said my husband Mike.

This 2010 video is relevant today because Representative Abeler chairs the House Health and Human Services Finance Committee. I am grateful for the health coverage our family is receiving. But I'd also like to point out to Representative Abeler: People who for whatever reason depend on medical support aren't doing it because it's fun. They're not living it up. They're not hiding investments in an offshore root cellar. And they want to be off medical support as soon as possible.

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Give Up My Pharmacist? Never!

Tom Sengupta, owner of Schneider Drug in Minneapolis.

When deciding on a health plan, most people choose the plan that lets them keep their doctor or dentist. My choice was determined by whether I could keep my pharmacist: Tom Sengupta, owner of Schneider Drug in Minneapolis.

In the past 15 years I've lived in Minneapolis, in east central Minnesota, and in southeast Minnesota. I've been a customer of Schneider Drug for the entire time, the last 11 years by mail. Comparatively, I'm a newbie; some of Tom's customers have been coming to his store for over 40 years.

It's been difficult for medical and insurance professionals to understand why I visit a pharmacist who is 70 miles away. A specialist at Olmsted Clinic in Rochester asked if I wanted to switch pharmacists, and was probably surprised at my defiant "No!"

I checked with an insurance specialist about whether Schneider Drug was a participating pharmacy. "You live in Dodge Center?," the person asked.

A cornerstone of Minneapolis's
Prospect Park neighborhood. 

"Yes."

"And Schneider Drug is in Minneapolis?"

"Yes."

"Is it a compound pharmacy?"

"I don't know what that is," I admitted.

"A pharmacy where they make the medications," the insurance specialist explained.

"No. It's just a store where they give excellent customer service."

"Oh."

An Ask-Your-Pharmacist Type of Pharmacist

You won't find toys like these
in a big-box drug store.

I discovered Schneider Drug in 1996, when I worked in the Prospect Park neighborhood of Minneapolis. I was pregnant, needed to buy maternity vitamins, and wanted to find a store within walking distance. Schneider Drug fit the bill, with the added benefit of having a retro 1960s feel. Years later, when I'd come in with my son Wyatt, Tom would give him pennies for the gumball machine or a special price on a small toy. Whenever Mike and I were unsure of which cold medicine to purchase, we'd say, "Let's ask Tom." When the best purchase was no purchase, Tom would say so. He'd remind me of when blood tests were due, or explain when formulary (brand name) drugs could be safely replaced by generic drugs.

The Politics of Healthcare

A young Hubert H. Humphrey helped
out at Schneider Drug before Tom owned it.

If you’re a person whose shopping decisions are guided by progressive values, you probably already know about Schneider Drug -- a store where a young Hubert H. Humphrey sometimes helped out at, according to Liz Riggs in this fascinating article. Tom Sengupta is an advocate for universal health care and regularly holds town hall meetings. Back in the 1990s, visiting politicians would ask U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone about health care in Minnesota. Wellstone would tell them, “Ya gotta talk to Tom.” A Wellstone! sign is still prominent in Tom's store.

In 2004, Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Bradley phoned Sengupta while Tom was waiting on a customer. Sengupta apologized and said he had to put Bradley on hold; the candidate understood. The idea of the less-than-dynamic Bradley on hold makes me chuckle. But it's absolutely indicative of Tom's customer-first work ethic. 

One time back in the 1990s I had forgotten to call in my refill,  and Schneider Drug was closed. So I stopped at the Target pharmacy on Broadway in north Minneapolis, where I lived. I showed the pharmacist the empty bottle so he knew where the prescription had been previously filled.

"Schneider Drug. Are they still open?," the Target pharmacist asked.

Paul Wellstone's politics are alive at Schneider Drug.

The next time I was in Tom's store, I mentioned the exchange at Target. As I left the store with my purchase, Tom called after me, "You tell Target we're still here. And we're going to be here for a long time." It was the only time I saw that gentle man's ire up.

The Broadway Target closed in 2003. Schneider Drug is still going strong.

My Pharmacist? You Bet!
I try to avoid referring to service professionals as "my mechanic" or my this or that because they're not possessions. But with Tom Sengupta, I make an exception. Someday Tom will retire. Someday I will have an emergency and will need a same-day prescription. When that day comes, I'll find a local pharmacy. Until then, Tom Sengupta of Schneider Drug is my pharmacist.

Read Liz Riggs' Bridgeland News article about Schneider Drug here. And listen to an NPR story by Michael May below:



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Tell Cravaack "Chip, Ahoy"

I recently wrote with begrudging admiration about the Tea Party's ability to brand themselves. The symbolism of a tea bag works on multiple levels: it combines history, patriotism (the American Revolution), the modern-day tax anathema, and cost efficiency (it's easy to stick in an envelope and mail to voice your displeasure).

Here's an idea to voice your displeasure with Tea Party Republican Chip Cravaack, who represents Minnesota's U.S. House District.

Chips Ahoy® is a registered trademark of Nabisco®,
which is a brand of Kraft Foods. 

Buy a snack pack of Nabisco® Chips Ahoy!® Chocolate Chip Cookies, available at any convenience store or vending machine. It'll run you a buck and change. Stick the packet in one of those padded mailers for sending audiocassettes. And send to this address:

Congressman Chip Cravaack
508 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

According to answers.com, "ahoy" is a nautical word that sailors use to hail passing ships. It can mean "hey" or "look around you." A package of Chips Ahoy cookies sent to Chip Cravaack would send the message, "Hey, Chip! Look out, because we're not going to be so complacent this year. You're a ship passing through the U.S. House."

Chip Cravaack pulled off the upset of 2008 when he defeated longtime Democratic representative Jim Oberstar. Since then, Cravaack has come under fire for not being responsive to constituents and enjoying union benefits while trying to deny benefits to others. 

The cookies might get thrown away. But if Cravaack's office gets inundated with hundreds or thousands of packets of cookies, Cravaack's people may try to turn a negative into a positive: like donating the cookies to a D.C. daycare center. That's okay, because the kids will get a treat, even if Cravaack gets the credit. But he'll be duly put on notice. Especially if you write on the back of the mailer, "Chip, Ahoy! Watch out for November!"


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What Does Being "Responsible" Mean?

I hate the word “responsible.”

Not because I consider myself an irresponsible person.

But because the word “responsible” is unclear and subjective, without a universal definition.

In a recent weekly address, President Obama used the word "responsible" nine times. Here’s an excerpt from the transcript, provided by The UpTake: (boldface mine)

Right now, there are more than 10 million homeowners in this country who, because of a decline in home prices that is no fault of their own, owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth. Now, it is wrong for anyone to suggest that the only option for struggling, responsible homeowners is to sit and wait for the housing market to hit bottom. I don’t accept that. None of us should.

That’s why we launched a plan a couple years ago that’s helped nearly one million responsible homeowners refinance their mortgages and save an average of $300 on their payments each month. Now, I’ll be the first to admit it didn’t help as many folks as we’d hoped. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying.

That’s why I’m sending Congress a plan that will give every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgages by refinancing at historically low rates. No more red tape. No more endless forms. And a small fee on the largest financial institutions will make sure it doesn’t add a dime to the deficit.

Homeowners are considered irresponsible for refinancing in order to pay off credit card debt. But is it irresponsible when the accumulated debt is to pay for an urgent care visit? A new well pump when the old one gives out? New brakes for the truck?

For many people, the conversation will end right here with the admonishment, “Well, you should have had savings. You should have planned in advance.”

The Star Tribune has a story about a south Minneapolis couple who opened their 875 square-foot house to a succession of relatives who faced job loss, divorce, untenable student debt. The article mentioned conflicts over relatives who drank beer, tenants who were grateful because they were able to have a roof over their heads for their family and dog and cat.

I can just hear the commenters. “If they didn’t drink beer, if they got rid of the dog and cat, they wouldn’t be in that situation.”

Life isn’t always pretty. The solutions to problems aren’t always tidy and the people who need help aren’t always perfect. How much effort, how many blue-ribbon task forces, and how much money will it take to parse out responsible homeowners from irresponsible homeowners? 

Hot Damn. I Have Health Insurance.

A round of binge surgeries for the house, barkeep.

Of course I jest. But former Republican Presidential candidate (and Minnesota Governor) Tim Pawlenty wasn't kidding when he compared healthcare to an open bar. When healthcare, like booze, is free, you imbibe more, Pawlenty says.

My health insurance, which will be provided through MinnesotaCare, isn't free. It costs $59 a month. Currently I am uninsured and pay $50 a month for a maintenance prescription. So to pay nine bucks more a month and have health coverage, has me positively giddy. No binge surgeries are planned, but I'm meeting the dentist and optometrist for Happy Hour.

Children under 18 are covered under MA, but their parents aren't. When health coverage is provided to parents, they are able to better care for their children, but that's just my opinion.

The $10,000 Doughnut Hole
Qualifying for MinnesotaCare came as a total surprise because Mike and I had applied twice when we lived in Pine County. The median income for a family in Pine County is $44,058.  In Dodge County, it's $54,261. Our family was in the $10,000 doughnut hole.

Though health insurance wasn't the reason for our move from Pine County to Dodge County, it's an unintended benefit: our entire family is now covered. A popular meme that's being disputed is people move to Minnesota for the benefits. I guess having health insurance puts our family in that category. We moved from Point A to Point B, and now have a benefit that we didn't have in Point A.

In a me-first society, I move to better myself and my family. Everyone else moves to sponge off others. In a me-first society, I get benefits. Everyone else gets entitlements. Benefits for me, entitlements for thee.

I'm thrilled that our family will have health insurance. But I won't be satisfied until healthcare is available to all -- without having to move from Point A to Point B.

Moments Like These Are What The UpTake Does Best

Livestream video is the process of turning on a video camera, whether operated onsite or offsite, and letting it run, run, run to capture live events as they happen in a stream-of-consciousness way.

Watching, or monitoring, livestream footage has been compared to watching paint dry. But every now and then you come across a moment that’s comparable to someone throwing a pot of spaghetti sauce against that freshly painted wall.

Moments like this.

The UpTake captured this exchange between Minnesota State Representatives Sarah Anderson and Jim Davnie, capturing a geography flub by the head of state redistricting. And the moment has been picked up from progressive blog to progressive blog ever since. 

As an UpTake legislative monitor, you watch (or monitor) livestreamed video so you can tweet a narrative to Twitter followers. When a key moment like the one above occurs, you alert the producers so they can get the video out. 

If you don’t have time to monitor hours of livestreamed video, see the highlights by following @uptakemn. Informed voters count on their coverage, and The UpTake counts on donor support. 


A $25 donation will buy The UpTake almost five hours of tape. And who knows how many spaghetti-sauce-against-the-wall moments will occur in those five hours? 

Yet Another Reason Why Voter ID Is a Bad Idea

Blogger Aaron Klemz does a thorough job listing the concerns, or what Republican State Senator Scott Newman considered “red herrings,” about Voter ID.

But let’s say, for the sake of argument, Voter ID is needed. Voter fraud is rampant, felons are swinging elections, and sticking on Constitutional amendments like so many Post-it notes is a good thing.

How many of us look like our photos on our ID?

• Speaking for myself, my weight goes up and my weight goes down. I wear my hair long and I wear my hair short. What if I, or any other voter for that matter, don’t look identical to the photo on the ID?
• What if the person who verifies voters against their IDs is a person who believes “They all look alike” about population X, Y or Z? How will that person recognize if the voter isn’t the person on the ID?
• What will the legal ramifications be if someone who has legitimate voter ID is denied the opportunity to vote? 

I imagine the response to my photo question would be, anyone who is that undisciplined and erratic shouldn’t be allowed to vote.

It could be the next step, folks.

Follow @aaronklemz and @uptakemn for coverage
of the Minnesota State Legislature.

From Wall Street to Main Street,We're All In This Together

Jeff Rosenberg over at MnPublius always gives me something to think about. He writes, "I still don't know how I feel about the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement itself." I feel the same way. Mainly, because the people who the economy is most affecting -- the unemployed and underemployed -- can't afford to travel to New York. But if there's any unifying message to the protests, it's this: We're all in this together.

For some people, the weakened economy means they can only buy a $2,000 refrigerator instead of a $3,000 one.

As you move down the economic continuum, the weakened economy means making a current refrigerator do for another year or two.

Buying a refrigerator from Craigslist.

Or moving into a refrigerator box.

Whatever rung we inhabit on the economic ladder, we're all in this together. That's the message I hope the OccupyWallStreet movement carries forth.

Since it's Friday, think about following @JeffRosenberg and @OccupyWallSt on Twitter.

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When Health Insurance Is No Health Insurance

I took Wyatt to the Lenscrafters in Rochester, Minnesota for an eye exam and a new pair of glasses, paying in full with my own funds. The Lenscrafters guy seemed surprised to come across a customer with no health insurance in the land of the Mayo Clinic.

But apparently, even people who have health insurance in reality have no health insurance, because it’s too costly to access.

Just for the heck of it, I shopped around for a family health insurance plan. The cheapest I found was $383 a month with a deductible of $15,000.

In other words, pay $400 a month and coverage doesn't kick in until you've had a catastrophic illness.

There was a fast-moving flu at school, a flu that hit Wyatt and then me. For the flu, there’s not much that a doctor can do except say “Rest and drink fluids.” But the idea of kids attending public school who may or may not have private health insurance is a huge disconnect. One solution would be to abolish public school, which is what the far-right element wants to do. Another solution would be public health coverage. I vote for the latter.

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Frosted Off

Thank God for Paula Lee Bright.

When so many people are paying little to minimal attention because they're simply trying to survive (myself included), Paula jumps up and down and implores us, "HEY! Listen to this!! Get angry!!"

I've heard about the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, in which ordinary citizens protest how Wall Street greed has destroyed the economy. Ordinary citizens who have been pepper sprayed by New York cops simply for exercising their First Amendment rights.

Occurring at the same time, closer to home, a purchase of ready-to-eat breakfast food, the typical daily fare we eat until our kitchen is fully functional.

9-11 Pop-Tarts.

Oh, say does that star-spangled Pop-Tart yet bake...

Okay, they're not technically called 9-11 Pop-Tarts. They're called Limited Edition American Summer Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts. But considering they were released in the summer of the tenth anniversary of 9-11, the marketing strategy was obviously 9-11.  They're coated with blue frosting and spangled with crunchy stars of red, white and blue. Patriotism never tasted so good. And it's part of a complete balanced breakfast.

The Wall Street protesters are taking on the mantle of those who protested the Vietnam war. Because to support the protesters means you're against the law enforcers, in this case New York's finest who risked their lives 10 years ago.

But the 9-11 card isn't a permanent Get Out of Jail Free card every time law enforcers become law breakers.

I don't know why red, white and blue Pop-Tarts have me frosted off when banks have made thousands of dollars off me over time.  But every now and then a smaller event is what's needed to make me angry about larger events. Like malfeasance and totalitarianism.

Those things aren't easy to sugar coat. Not with Paula around. Check out her blog.

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Voter ID: There's Not an App for That

Steve Law shared this video on Facebook.  A Wisconsin parent uses her cell phone camera to film the process as her son applies for Voter ID, which is now required in Wisconsin. A couple of thoughts:

• The applicant is required to show a bank statement, which is in dispute for too little activity. What if you have a bank statement with too much activity? Or no bank statement at all? Why is a bank statement even needed?
• Applicants must state that they want the ID for voting. Otherwise, they will be charged $28 for a regular state ID. The clerks aren't required to ask why the person wants the ID.
• If government is too big, fewer workers processing more steps in voter registration is a recipe for trouble.

Voter ID is one of the conditions Minnesota's Republican-majority legislature tied to their budget, and one of the conditions Democratic Governor Mark Dayton vetoed. Was the veto a good idea? You decide:



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Making the Best of Two Bad Choices

Making the Best of Two Bad Choices

One of my favorite movies is Glory. It's based on the true story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the first all African-American unit to serve in the Civil War. Even though I own a director's cut of Glory, which stars Matthew Broderick and Denzel Washington, I watch it whenever it's on TV because I always glean something new from it.

Regiment commander Robert Gould Shaw (Broderick) is the son of wealthy Boston abolitionists. He believes in freedom in theory, but in reality is uncomfortable among his men. How Gould comes to understand, respect and love his men is a compelling component of the story. Gould is determined to show the higher-ups that his men are battle ready, capable of more than digging latrines. The 54th is encouraged when they are assigned to action with another "colored" unit led by Colonel James Montgomery. The action, though, isn't on the battlefield but in a deserted Georgia town, foraging valuables  for a corrupt officer to ship North.

Montgomery sees his untrained soldiers as no more than "little monkey children," and allows the men to pillage freely. When one soldier strikes a white woman, Montgomery shoots him dead. Shaw is aghast. When Montgomery commands Shaw to order the 54th to set fire to the town, Shaw refuses, citing the immorality of the order.

Montgomery tells Shaw he can explain himself when he is court martialed, by which time Shaw's men will be placed under Montgomery's command.

Rather than subject his men to the rule of an irrational tyrant, Shaw dispiritedly obeys the order, and commands the 54th to fire the town.

Here in Minnesota, Governor Mark Dayton faced a similar choice: reject the Republican-led budget offer and temporarily shut down state government, or accept the offer and permanently enshrine damaging cuts and divisive social agenda items.

Dayton made the best of two bad decisions. Time will tell how history sees him.

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Titanic and the Economy: We Sink or Swim Together

I was watching Titanic this weekend, the James Cameron pic about the doomed luxury liner, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. I was struck by how the 1912 class passenger system on Titanic mirrored the class economic system today. By the time the first-class passengers realized that the ship was taking on water, the second- and third-class passengers (also known as steerage) had already perished. And by the time the luxury class was aware of the problem, the problem was too far gone to solve.

We sink or swim together. What affects the lowest class eventually affects the highest class. And the problem, whether it's a sinking ocean liner or a postponed solution to a state budget, will be that much greater to solve.

On a related topic, numerous blogs have quoted Minnesota State Representative Mary Kiffmeyer, who believes the reason for Governor Mark Dayton's push for revenue is because "they want to go after those who've actually worked hard." Apparently, Rep. Kiffmeyer believes the wealthy swim -- and the sinking steerage classes have no bearing on them.

I believe individuals "swim together" every time I walk the wooded trails of the 80-acre vacation property across the road. The cabin there is watched by my husband Mike and me to make sure nothing suspicious or malicious takes place. Mike clears out deadwood to remove fire hazards and removes trees that have fallen during a destructive storm. In return, the owners welcome us to pick berries, gather firewood, and enjoy the scenery. Stepping from a five-acre sliver of farm into an eighty-acre wooded expanse results in my best thinking.

Our two families, mine and my neighbor's, share different economic strata but we bring value to each other. Just like upper-class Rose was saved by steerage-class Jack Dawson -- I know, it's a wildly fictional account from an overwrought date movie -- but the message is worth keeping in mind. We sink or swim together. Even if we're traveling on different levels.

Related reading: 

mnpublius.com  SC Times.com   Outstate Politics

A Liberal Tea Party: Just a Dream?

From a branding standpoint, the Tea Party is a work of genius.

• It has a robust identity that's a mash-up of past history and present culture: the Boston Tea Party of 1773 and the anti-tax sentiment of today, with the acronym Taxed Enough Already?
• It can be instantly identified with a simple and logo-ready symbol, the tea bag.
• It began as a viral communication and developed a life of its own.

I don’t agree with it ideologically. But I’m in awe of it in terms of marketing and branding.

Will Van Jones’s American Dream Movement be the Tea Party movement that liberals have been waiting for? Time will tell, says this Washington Post blog post by Rachel Weiner.

Coffee Party was Weak Kool-Aid

Weiner mentions previous attempts such as the Coffee Party. This iteration didn’t work, in my opinion, because it defined itself in terms of the Tea Party. What exactly is a Coffee Party, anyway? What did it stand for? And can such a movement work when it’s billed as nonpartisan?

The Tea Party embraces its partisanship. I’ve been toying with names for a liberal Tea Party that embrace the terms that are used to deride and silence liberals:

• The Class Warrior Party
• The HellYeah Party (HellYeah we’re liberal. HellYeah we want living-wage jobs. HellYeah we believe in the healthcare public option.)
• The Second Revolution (HellYeah, we’re embracing the French for rising up in revolution.)

But if Van Jones wants to try the American Dream Movement, I'm game.

What It Needs to Succeed

Jones, a former White House environmental official, announced the American Dream Movement at Netroots Nation, an annual conference of progressive political activists. For any type of liberal Tea Party to succeed, it needs to have a life beyond the Internet, beyond the digitally savvy and financially comfortable and politically plugged in.

• People who aren’t political junkies but are recreational users, if even that.
• People who don’t know chapter and verse of Robert’s Rules of Order, or the minutiae of legislative procedure. All they know is they’re frustrated because they’re not being represented by their party.

Going Viral Among the Unplugged

In 2003, Democratic Presidential  candidate Howard Dean was slapped down for saying he wanted to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks. In a clumsy way, he was talking about people who are disinterested in or disengaged from politics. People who don’t have smart phones or RSS feeds or even Internet service. A liberal Tea Party needs to have the momentum to migrate off the grid and go viral among the unplugged masses. The question is, how. Thoughts?

The Myers-Briggs Minnesota Budget?

People who don’t want to agree won’t agree. But for people who want to come to an agreement, knowing what motivates the other person in negotiations is a powerful tool for achieving consensus.

In Minnesota, Democrats say the Republican-controlled Legislature hasn’t compromised on a state budget. The Legislature says they have already compromised, and that Democratic Governor Mark Dayton is being unrealistic.  If a budget isn’t reached soon, state government workers will be laid off as of July 1. Private contractors with state contracts will have their jobs and pay suspended.

Perhaps the legislative leaders and Governor should begin the special session with Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®  exercises.

For people who aren’t familiar with Myers-Briggs, the MBTI® is the most widely used personality assessment in the world. Conflict management, decision making and negotiations are some of the ways the instrument has been used for over 50 years. The guiding principle of the MBTI is that everyone has inborn strengths and blind spots, and that personality is the best predictor of behavior.

When taking the MBTI, the person indicates their preferences for a series of statements across four categories to determine

•      whether their source of energy is inward or outward  (Introversion or Extraversion)
•       how they process information (Sensing or Intuition)
•       how they make decisions (Thinking or Feeling)
•      the degree of structure or organization they prefer (Judging  or Perceiving)

Once a preference has been determined for each category, the four-letter personality type is revealed. There are 16 personality types recognized by the MBTI. Mine is INFP. Famous people who share that personality type include Princess Diana, Mister Rogers, Albert Schweitzer, the poet W.B. Yeats, and, I suspect, Governor Dayton.  


I’m not a certified MBTI trainer. I have, though, spent over 100 hours listening to candidate Dayton during the 2010 gubernatorial debates, rewinding and replaying the audio for video transcription. During those hours I heard these INFP traits:

• fierce devotion (to Rudy Perpich and his “None of us is as smart as all of us” motto)
• awkward verbal communication that turned eloquent when talking about intensely held beliefs (Remember the Cop Killer question at Gamefair?)
• an empathetic personality
• great distress over the inability to preserve values (proposed cuts to education and health care)

There aren’t many INFPs around; according to this chart, 3½ percent of the general population are INFPs, compared to 15% with the profile ESTJ (Extraverted/Sensing/Thinking/Judging) and 14% with the profile ESFJ (Extraverted/Sensing/Feeling/Judging). When you’re part of such a small population, it’s easy for others to think you’re odd or goofy or, God forbid, erratic.

I found out years ago I was an INFP when a supervisor told me that people in meetings felt I wasn’t “getting it.” Thanks to a supportive human resources person who shared this book, I learned that I process information in a roundabout way that doesn’t always make sense to others. I also learned to pinpoint my blind spots to interact more effectively with colleagues of other types. (When I become CEO every employee badge will list the employee's profile in addition their name.)

I have friends who are government employees, and friends who are private consultants with government contracts. I also have a deep appreciation for government services. For all of these reasons, I hope there won’t be a shutdown. Maybe it would help if the leaders learned their colleagues were an INFP, ESTJ, or ENTP. ASAP.

Find meetups with others who share your MBTI profile here.

Join a local chapter of the Association for Psychological Type International (APTi) here. 

Earnie Believed in Overcoming, Not Ignoring

Earnie Larsen died last month. A prolific author, he was known by people in recovery for the books he wrote about recovering from alcohol and other drugs. Larsen wrote a series of programs called the Life Skills Series for Inmates and Parolees. The programs helped inmates end the cycle of violence by recognizing the effects previous traumas had on them—and not passing those harmful behaviors onto others. Larsen didn’t ignore uncomfortable topics like childhood abuse nor did he excuse them. But he offered ways to overcome their legacy.

Earnie Larsen's books weren't always popular in a lock-'em-up-and-throw-away-the-key society. But the popular way isn't always the right way. As he explained in the program Beyond Anger:

“Over the years, I have received many letters from inmates telling me they have taken some saying or sentence from one of my books or videos and placed it somewhere in the cell or pod. They said it was a daily reminder for them on this new road they were trying to travel.”

But treatment doesn’t work in Tim Pawlenty’s world.

Living near the city of Moose Lake, which houses one of Minnesota's sex offender treatment facilities, and having written extensively about Earnie Larsen's books, I am drawn to this issue on more than one level. It’s somehow fitting that the passing of Larsen, and a state report that casts doubt on the effectiveness of sex offender treatment, have intersected.





I also write occasionally for The UpTake. The views expressed here are my views.

It’s a Wonderful Life with MinnPost

If you’re one of the handful of people who hasn’t seen the Frank Capra classic, I’m going to talk about the movie’s ending – so don’t read any further.
But if you read MinnPost, think of how it has enriched your life.
My passion is politics. As a writer/legislative monitor for The UpTake, I relied on MinnPost as a Cliffs Notes of sorts to Minnesota politics, an instant civics lesson that filled in the cracks of what I was supposed to know but didn't.
MinnPost is a one-stop shop of all things Minnesotan: business, arts, sports, health and science, community voices. Think of it as the Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery of Minnesota news: if MinnPost doesn't have it, you probably don't need it.
If you enjoy blogs, you’ll find the best in the state in MinnPost’s Blog Cabin Program—the fact that I’m there still makes me shake my head in amazement.
For readers of serious, high-quality journalism, MinnPost makes it a wonderful life.
And like George Bailey, MinnPost needs help. Their wish is for $30,000 by December 22. Your contribution is also your opportunity to say what you wish to see in MinnPost in 2011. If your comment is among the most clever and incisive, MinnPost will publish it.
So this is the point when we virtual neighbors come together to collect a wicker laundry basket overflowing with money, as did the residents of Bedford Falls.
Whether you can afford to wire a blank check as did tycoon Sam Wainright, bust open the jukebox as did bartender Martini, or part with $17.50 as kind and frugal Miss Davis might, it’s all good. All appreciated. And all for a wonderful cause.
Thank you. And hee-haw!





It's a Wonderful Life photo credits: Visitottawakansas.com

The 12 Days of Recount: Complete!

Twelve days ago I started goofing around with the lyrics to The Twelve Days of Christmas, rewritten for each day of the 2010 Minnesota election recount. The actual recount of ballots ended on December 4, but having gotten the lyrical ball rolling, I couldn't stop it. The song was popular on my Facebook page so I thought I'd share the completed version here.

On the 12th day of recount my true love gave to me,

12 batons a-passing, 

11 Dems a-cheering,

10 pols conceding,

9 bloggers scooping,

8 pundits spinning,

7 lawyers grousing,

6 judges ruling,

FIIIIIVE OVALS FILLLLED...

4 calls at table,

3 stray marks,

2 overvotes

& a challenge made fri-vo-lous-ly.

What to say for the twelfth day required serious mulling over, but the answer came from the title of this video by Craig Stellmacher for The UpTake.