March Newsletter
Dear Mom
by Al Brown
Dear Mom,
It looks like you’re going to get a $1,400 check. The American Rescue Plan has passed the House and is on its way to the Senate.
I know. You don’t need rescue, but you do need cash for copays and groceries. President Joe’s plan has that and just about everything else needed to get this country vaccinated and back on its feet.
Individuals making less than $75,000 a year should get $1,400 and married couples making less than $150,000 will get $2,800.
The bill may get to President Joe’s desk as early as the middle of March. It is the cure this country needs for the 2020 pandemic and its crushing impact.
Expanded unemployment insurance and child tax credit to keep a roof over the heads and food on the table for 19 million Americans. It also allows families an opportunity to go back to work knowing their kids have the childcare they need. We go to hockey practice with families who spend more on childcare than they do on their house payments. It’s about time they got a tax break, not just Wall Street bankers.
Coronavirus testing and contact tracing. President Joe is saving lives and putting us on track for the biggest year of growth in modern American history. Nothing gets on track until we deal with COVID-19. We’ve got to get out of the house. Wear a mask, get the vaccine, get moving.
Aid for state and local governments and transit. I just don’t get Republicans’ opposition to this one. Unless they think laying off cops and firefighters is going to win elections. It sure isn’t going to help folks at home.
Schools and childcare block grants. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that schools and teachers are essential. Let’s get kids back to school and keep our teachers safe.
Business relief and retirement security. Duh. Again. Why doesn’t this get 100 votes? We can send $1.4 trillion to corporations in 2019 when Republicans can’t even get businesses to spend the money, and they are worried this is too much after the dumpster fire we’ve just been through. Tells you who butters their bread.
Business relief and retirement security. Greed blinds a lot of folks. I might feel better about shuttered businesses and Social Security going belly up if I had an extra million in loose change, but I don’t. Take care of this stuff and crank up the economy before millions more drain their 401ks and start sleeping in cars.
Health care coverage. I don’t expect Republican support here - ever. They have insurance and simply don’t care enough to ensure others don’t suffer and die because they don’t. Don’t expect a pandemic to change that. Democrats may disagree on the details, but we will always agree Americans have a right to basic health care regardless of how much cash is in their wallet.
Mom, I know you and I disagree about the $15 minimum wage. I don’t expect it will be in the final bill. I don’t know what will be there, but Democrats will find a way to both be fair and find help for the 27 million families trying to survive south of that line.
There is a lot of talk about how this bill is too much. Interest rates and inflation will rise.
They will.
The reason is simple. This country is ready to grow … big time. We have grown-ups in the White House and Treasury to keep their eyes on how much inflation is too much, and what to do to control it. But grow we must if we intend to compete with China at a time that the world is headed to Mars, not the Moon.
This bill begins to lay the foundation for that trip. Infrastructure legislation must follow.
I know. You’re not going to Mars. You’re wearing out the tennis balls on your walker going up and down the hallway.
Your grandson can tell you all about it, though. He may be the kid who brings hockey to the Red Planet.
That’s a big-time deal.
Love you,
Your Democratic son
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION:
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Joe Biden has proven far more popular than his predecessor. His most recent approval rating according to FiveThirtyEight.com was 54%, over ten points higher than Trump had four years ago. His Cabinet picks are gradually being confirmed, though more slowly than usual, with only Neera Tanden’s appointment to run the Office of Management and Budget in doubt. His $1.9 trillion dollar package for fighting the pandemic and providing relief to those affected by the pandemic passed the House 219-212 and will be debated in the Senate soon (though it’s possible the portion that would set a Federal minimum wage of $15 by 2025 can not be considered if the bill is being considered under reconciliation procedures). Biden is taking action wherever possible to reverse the worst of the Trump administration.
The second Trump impeachment did not lead to conviction, even though 57 Senators voted for conviction, as 67 votes (2/3rds of all Senators) were needed to convict. As a result, the Senate could not decide whether to prevent Trump from ever running for Federal office again.
REDISTRICTING UPDATE
We won’t know for sure until the end of April whether Minnesota loses a Congressional district or keeps its current 8 districts, though most insiders think we will lose a district.
The detailed data needed for redistricting may not be sent to the states before September 30. How the Legislature, which is supposed to pass a bill (or bills) that redistrict Congressional and state legislative districts, but must adjourn by May 17, will deal with this is unclear. Though each house of the Legislature has a redistricting committee, which can define its principles for redistricting and take other preliminary steps between now and May 17 and which can work unofficially after that, Governor Walz would have to call a special session before for the committees and then each House can try to pass a redistricting bill. If the House and Senate pass different bills which is extremely likely, the two Houses can try to work out a compromise bill in conference committee. If they do, that bill will go to Walz to sign. It’s not clear if Walz will call that special session.
A case has already been brought asking a court to redistrict. In the past the Minnesota Supreme Court appointed a special redistricting panel to hear testimony and draw district maps. The DFL will be part of the case. It’s not clear how long the courts will wait for the Legislature to act before taking over redistricting.
JIM HAGEDORN’S MISDEEDS
Jim Hagedorn voted against Biden’s pandemic relief bill, the Equality Act, and the Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act just this week. Earlier this month he voted to keep Marjorie Taylor Greene on House committees despite her flagrant misbehavior and against the Budget Committee bills that set up the ability to pass the pandemic relief bill. On the good side, he voted to name or rename some post offices.
SENATE DISTRICT 26 DFL CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETS MARCH 8
The next Central Committee meeting will be Monday, March 8 from 7-8:30 PM. It will be a virtual meeting on Zoom. DFL meetings are public, so if you want to “attend”, contact the Chair at mark.liebow@gmail.com. Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan will be our guest speaker from 7:30-8. We will also hear officer reports, discuss the strategic planning retreat’s results, and discuss whether we will participating in typical summer events if they can occur in 2021.
We are still looking for an Outreach and Inclusion Officer and for three Directors, two of which must be filled by people who live in House District 26B. All Director positions must be filled by someone not identifying as male. Please contact the Chair at mark.liebow@gmail.com if you’re interested.
DONATE TO SENATE DISTRICT 26 DFL
We know this is a tough time economically for many people in Senate District 26 because of the economic effects from the pandemic. Not everyone will be able to donate right now, but if you can, we need your help to make the DFL a bigger presence in Rochester. We have a year-round office, which is expensive, but is crucial in a battleground area like Rochester. While one-time donations are welcome, we especially need monthly donations. We don’t get money from the national Democratic Party. The state DFL only contributes $500 a month, less than 1/3 of our rent. We rely on our local supporters to keep us going and to get the DFL message out. We need the money and you want an active DFL. If you give, there will still be an office for DFL events and meetings when those are possible again, DFL participation in events and parades that require entry fees, technology that makes the DFL work better, and outreach into underrepresented communities. Donate to Senate District 26 DFL and you can get up to $50/person or $100 per married couple back from the state of Minnesota if you are eligible to vote in Minnesota. You can make a refundable donation in 2021 even if you made a contribution and are eligible for (or already received) a refund in 2020. Do it now. Make your donation via ActBlue (https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/senate-district-26-dfl-party-1?refcode=sd2). If you would rather write a check, please make it payable to DFL SD26 and send it to:
P.O. Box 9044
Rochester, MN 55903-9044
Send us a donation and we’ll send you a receipt. Send the receipt and a form
(https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/media/59866) needed to claim the reimbursement to
Minnesota Revenue Political Contribution Refund
St. Paul, MN 55146-1800.
Make a donation, file a claim, and you’ll get a check back soon. If you send a check, please include whether you are retired, self-employed or employed. If employed, include the name of your employer and your job title. The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board requires us to collect that information. If you use Act Blue, the appropriate information is collected.
GIVE DFL CANDIDATES SOME MONEY WITHOUT SPENDING ANY
If you’re doing your 2020 Minnesota taxes soon, you can increase how much our local candidates who participate in the Political Contribution Refund Program will get in 2022 without spending any of your own money, even temporarily.
Partway down the first page of the 2020 Minnesota Individual Income Tax Form (M1) is a section titled State Elections Campaign Fund, where you can designate $5 of your state income taxes to go to a political party. As the form says, “This will not increase your tax or reduce your refund.” Put the code 12 above where it says Your Code to direct the money to the DFL. It will go into a pool to be distributed to your DFL candidates in 2022. If you are filing a joint return, your spouse can also designate 5% for the DFL pool in that section. It’s a great way to help DFL candidates without costing you anything and to keep candidates from having to depend on big money donors.
EMAIL AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA
Please reach out to us! Our email is: SD26mn.dfl@gmail.com
This is a monthly newsletter. However, events often happen on short notice, so we may not be able to include them in the newsletter. Check our website and Facebook pages for the latest news on what is happening.
Official communications come from SD DFL (though the full address is above). Watch for them.
We tweet from @sd26dfl and have a website at www.senatedistrict26dfl.com
We have a closed Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/144866495637545/
We share an open Facebook page with Olmsted-25 DFL and Senate District 25 at
https://www.facebook.com/sd26sd25olm25/?fref=ts
Our Instagram account is at dflsenatedistrict26.
Our office is unstaffed for now because of the safer-at-home order but you can leave a message for us at 507-536-9785. We are monitoring the messages.
