Water cooler talk
In case you missed it… and what to watch for.
‘Think about it’
That’s the key phrase in a statewide radio and digital ad campaign that Center of the American Experiment launched in February, urging Minnesotans to challenge Gov. TIM WALZ’s policies. Here’s a sample:
Think about it.
In just 10 years, the Minnesota state budget grew from $14 billion to $26 billion. That’s almost double! Did your income double in the last 10 years?
And now Gov. Tim Walz wants to raise taxes AGAIN so government can grow even more — instead of eliminating wasteful spending.
Think about it. It’s time to stop the wasteful spending.
Shining a light on America’s blackouts
Policy Fellow ISAAC ORR was not surprised when February’s cold snap left more than four million Texans shivering in the dark for several days. And his insights ended up in The Hill, National Review, New York Post and TheWall Street Journal.
This comes after two million people in California lost power during a heat wave last August, all because of state government policies that mandate more wind and solar resources.
You can get more on Isaac’s takes in his Q&A with Austin-based author ROBERT BRYCE (p. 34).
A cure worse than the disease
More than 600 people registered for a February webinar to hear American Experiment President JOHN HINDERAKER probe U.S. Rep. TOM EMMER, R-Minn., for his insider perspective of the Biden administration, which led to lots of COVID discussion.
Emmer, who in three terms has earned the chairmanship of the National Republican Congressional Committee, expressed support for medical professionals but questioned Walz’s leadership for looking at just the viral side of the situation instead of also understanding lockdown effects such as depression, domestic abuse, drug addiction and suicide (p. 19).
Watch the entire webinar, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xx-OXD7DOQ.
Education and the Rochester Chapter
Policy Fellow CATRIN WIGFALL shared the shortcomings of a top-down education system in coordination with American Experiment’s Rochester Chapter during a winter webinar. COVID has exacerbated disparities and has prompted parents to explore other education options, such as homeschooling, charter schools and private schools.
Wigfall also led another webinar in February in which she shared the fact that Mississippi’s black and Hispanic students perform better in reading than their counterparts in Minnesota despite the southern state spending less per student.
DAVE ZIFFER, whose after-school reading program boosted scores in the Chicago suburbs, joined Wigfall to highlight how parents can teach their kids to become phonetic readers.
Annual claim to fame
Fox News host LAURA INGRAHAM will be the keynote speaker for the Center’s 2021 Annual Dinner at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 1.
We’re livestreaming the event. Go to www.AmericanExperiment.org for more details.
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