We failed Spain and its democracy in the 1930s. We have a chance to save a democracy now.

Let’s put the nail in the coffin of the “students of color are trapped in failing schools” rhetoric. Poverty and poor thinking are the traps students need to be released from.

Take the proposal to raise the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%. This would hurt businesses of all sizes, their employees and consumers.

Many people are not aware that the Park & Recreation Board owns all of the Cedar Lake shoreline. The new master plan should install a pedestrian trail on the park’s land between South Beach and Burnham Road.

After the Vikings lineman’s death from complications of heatstroke, new protocols were adopted by the NFL and its 32 member clubs, including the Vikings, about training procedures, medical treatment, and other health-related matters.

Missteps should be avoided, and legislative energy should be spent wisely.

What is needed more than policy ideas are policymakers willing to challenge corporate power and think creatively about the role state government can play.

By raising taxes on the wealthy and redirecting other public resources, we can meet everyone’s needs and strengthen our economy.

Allowing Enbridge to police itself is not working. Our state agencies need to improve oversight and enforcement of Enbridge’s permits.

The state Legislature passed a law during the most recent session that standardizes the use of absentee ballot drop boxes.

Thanks to Youthprise, we were able to interview 32 of the thousands of these youngsters in an attempt to humanize their experiences, and hopefully, encourage effective action.

During a legislative session where it seemed the two parties couldn’t agree on much, we are proud of the support home care work has received from both DFL and GOP lawmakers.

The fact that Republicans are willing to fire a DFL governor’s Cabinet members for not following Republican directives is genuinely disturbing for the long-term well-being of our state government.

The late Donald Rumsfeld classified possibilities as “known knowns,” “known unknowns” and “unknown unknowns.” Employing these categories helps to define Minnesota’s present political situation.

The last year of living could never have been imagined. The fear, the unknown, the isolation, the loss of routine, the dispensing of regular celebrations, the loss of human life, the anger, the lying, sickness like no one of us had ever really seen.

In the past several years Minnesota has seen several outbreaks of diseases that were preventable via vaccinations, including Rochester’s pertussis outbreak in 2015 and the measles outbreak cases in St. Paul and St. Cloud in 2017.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how access to telecommunications services is critical to citizens’ well-being.

I agree with Gary Norman that substance use disorder (SUD) is a treatable disease and that stigma continues unabated. However, I disagree with his commentary on two points.