American Experiment on Governance
Governance Reports
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How the Met Council Misplans the Twin Cities
How the Met Council Misplans the Twin Cities by Randal O’Toole. From the Spring 2017, Issue 7 of Thinking Minnesota....
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The Twin Cities Met Council: A Comparative Assessment
The Twin Cities Met Council: A Comparative Assessment This report is designed to give lawmakers and citizens basic information about how the Met Council compares to other large, metro area bodies bot...
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Governance Articles
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St. Paul should stop using ‘fees’ to fund street maintenance
Minnesota’s Constitution imposes some important limitations on a city’s tax power. For several years, the city of St. Paul has imposed a right-of-way assessment on all property owners to fund road...
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Editorial counterpoint: Why fight over light rail when there’s bus rapid transit?
Why fight over light rail when there's bus rapid transit? BRT is cheaper than LRT. It could actually ease congestion and, if it fails, it's less down the drain....
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Minnesota needs a Brexit from the Met Council and regionalism: Dakota County makes a move
Allow me to juxtapose two news stories. The first is a local story, a small rebellion so obscure you might not have noticed it, which signals an important shift in regional partnerships. The other is ...
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Governance Posts
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Is Minnesota introducing taxation without representation?
Under the proposed Minnesota Health Plan, eight people would be appointed to the new Minnesota Health Board by regional health boards. These eight would then appoint another seven people. Together, t...
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Out of Control Minneapolis City Council Meetings Raise Concerns
Conservatives have long considered the Minneapolis City Council to be out of control. But now, even some liberal city council members find themselves in agreement, according to the Star Tribune. At a ...
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Justice Kavanaugh Sits: What does it mean for Roe v. Wade?
Collins assured the Senate, and her constituents, that Kavanaugh viewed Roe v. Wade as settled law. By leading the call for Kavanaugh’s confirmation, she has insured that the Court will not take up ...
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Federal Agencies Scrutinize Met Council Compliance
The Met Council’s exemption from a federal requirement for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) to have local elected officials, rather than political appointees, in charge of spending and poli...
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“Happy Constitution Day, if You Can Keep It: The long-term survival of the Founders’ design depends on people, not parchment.”
The Center is celebrating the Constitution today by hosting Mark and Rebecca and their legal victory in June (Janus v. Afscme) at a luncheon in Minneapolis; they fought for and won the right of public...
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Governance Media
Howard Root: Five Heart-Stopping Years as a CEO on the Fed’s Hit-List (5.12.17, 50 min.) (50 min.)
Howard Root: Five Heart-Stopping Years as a CEO on the Fed’s Hit-List (5.12.17, 50 min.)...
The Twin Cities Met Council: A Comparative Assessment (Narrated PowerPoint) (09:33)
This presentation is designed to give lawmakers and citizens basic information about how the Met Council compares to other large, metro area bodies both in terms of governance structure and scope of a...