Did the Vikings lose because of Minnesota’s high taxes (revisited)?

More research shows that high state income taxes have a negative impact on the performance of sports teams from those states .

Criminal Justice: A new option for felons seeking redemption

Early mentoring — and a job prospect — can help offenders re-enter society. This op-ed originally appeared in the Star Tribune on February 24, 2020.  [Photo by Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press.] When well-educated and often well-heeled political players, under investigation for one reason or another, are cleared of possible criminal charges (or released from prison if they’ve already been there) chances are pretty good they will find ways of earning a decent living again. If they’re attorneys and haven’t been disbarred, they can practice law. If they have been disbarred, or if they are not lawyers to begin with, it’s...

“Uber for Everything” Is Revolutionizing Africa’s Economy

The digital economy’s transformative presence in Africa illustrates the power of the market to give people what they value.

AMERICAN EXPERIMENT BOOK SHELF

Federal Data Confirms Minnesota Solar Panels Don’t Work Well in Winter

Recently-released data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) confirms what many of us already knew, that solar panels don’t work well in our Minnesota winters. The data is interesting because this is the first time EIA has shown the productivity (or capacity factor) of solar panels on a monthly basis, as you can see in the graph below. While solar panels generated nearly 30 percent of their potential output in July of 2018, electricity generation from Minnesota’s solar fleet dropped to 5.6 percent by December. There are multiple reasons for this. One, the days get a lot shorter in...

Marriott Seeks $2.5 Million in Tax Breaks for Mankato Hotel

Marriott is the biggest hotel company in the world, a fixture on the Fortune 500 list. But whether  the corporation follows through with a proposed $14 million SpringHill Suites hotel in Mankato may hinge on whether the city and county provide the project with a big tax break. That’s the dilemma facing city and county elected officials, according to the Mankato Free Press. The two local governments would surrender a combined $2.5 million in tax revenue generated by the new Marriott-brand hotel over two decades. In return, the 117-room hotel would bring benefits to Mankato Area Public Schools, to downtown...

Should the state’s forecast include inflation?

This morning, our economist, John Phelan, spoke before the House Ways and Means Committee on HF150, which would require that the inflation rate be included in the state economic forecast.

A changing gold standard: The overlooked value of associate degrees and certificates

Middle-skills pathway credentials are becoming more important to meet workforce demands in our expanding non-bachelor's-degree economy. According to a report by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce, certificates and associate degrees can be viable routes to economic opportunity, but they are often overlooked.