Matt Freeman on higher education

Here's the letter Matt Freeman has out on higher education and student debt, with a coda on K-12 schools at the end:

Freeman Higher Ed Letter

With comment period closing, 64B candidates weigh in on copper-nickel mining

There is about 24 hours left to weigh in on the PolyMet proposal to start copper-nickel mining in northeastern Minnesota.

So the candidates in St. Paul are weighing in.

Here are letters from Greta Bergstrom and Beth Fraser on the topic:

Bergstrom PolyMet Letter by Tim Nelson

Fraser PolyMet Letter

Could a lesbian treehugger be the most conservative candidate in this race?

Gloria Zaiger is not happy. The National Organization for Women gave her a C rating when it screened the six candidates running for the DFL endorsement in 64B.

"I was shocked," she said in an interview. "I didn't think they'd hit me this hard."

Zaiger says she's as pro-choice, pro-environment, liberal and Democratic as anybody in the race to succeed Michael Paymar in Minnesota's 64B House seat. She attributes the NOW rating to her answer to several of the questions on the NOW political action committee screening questionnaire:

• There is currently a five-year lifetime limit for a family to receive welfare benefits. Do you think this time limit should be eliminated or extended?
• Do you support eliminating or waiving any of the welfare work requirements?

She says she answered "No." And she says she has good reason. And for the record, Zaiger says she doesn't consider this idea, or herself, conservative in any way. Zaiger says she's a believer in self-empowerment. 

Here's the story she's telling delegates about her own upbringing: 

I was raised in a low income family. My father had an 8th grade education and supported his eight kids by driving a taxi. We didn't have much money before he died, and things were even worse after. My mom used every program she could to keep a roof over our head and food on the table, and, to go to night school. One of my earliest memories is of her teaching herself to type on a manual typewriter, and doing the lessons from her classes, so she could get a job. She said over and over, education is the way out, and that we needed to prepare so we would never end up in the situation she was in. From those beginnings, and with other programs to help, all eight of us went to college.

"I believe in welfare," Zaiger said in an interview. "I do think we need to give people a helping hand. But I think welfare can be a program of dependence. Use it, but then help move people to a place of empowerment. That's what I saw when I was a kid."

She also says that other programs, like housing assistance, job training and employment assistance are good investments and a good alternative to open-ended welfare benefits: "It's not just about cutting people off. It's about finding alternatives."

Zaiger says she's gotten some blowback from the rating. One delegate emailed her in disbelief.

But Zaiger hopes there's an upside: that it separates her from the pack. "I think it shows that I'm not a rubber stamp, that I think for myself -- that and how important I think opportunity is."

Here's Zaiger's response to the NOW rating (adapted from her campaign email):

Zaiger Response by theracefor64b

Here's the NOW questionnaire:

NOW PAC Questionnaire by theracefor64b

Beth Fraser's education letter to convention delegates

Beth Fraser is outlining her education position in a letter to delegates to the March 23 convention. Here's it is:

Fraser Education Letter by theracefor64b

Melanie McMahon's calling card

Here's the postcard Melanie McMahon is walking around as she doorknocks delegates ahead of the March 23 convention.

McMahon Card

Matt Freeman's education letter

Here's a letter from Matt Freeman talking about his education priorities:

Freeman education letter

Beth Fraser's "Endorsements" card

The delegate mail is starting to come in ahead of the March 23th convention. Here's a card from Beth Fraser:

Melanie McMahon's delegate letter

Here's Melanie McMahon's letter to DFL delegates heading to the March 23rd convention at Central High School:

Melanie McMahon delegate letter by theracefor64b

Matt Freeman's delegate letter

Here's Matt Freeman's letter to delegates set to decide on a DFL endorsement on March 23rd:

Freeman Delegate Letter

Gloria Zaiger delegate letter

Sorry to be a little post-holiday on this letter from Gloria Zaiger. She sent it to DFL 64B convention delegates before Valentine's Day:

Zaiger Delegate Letter

Beth Fraser delegate letter

Here's the letter Beth Fraser is sending out to delegates for the March 23 DFL convention, where six candidates will be vying for the party endorsement:

Fraser Letter by theracefor64b

Greta Bergstrom delegate letter

Here's candidate Greta Bergstrom's letter to DFL delegates:

Bergstrom Delegate Letter by theracefor64b

Dave Pinto events ahead of the DFL convention

Dave Pinto is mailing out a schedule of meetings for his campaign, ahead of the March 23 district convention. Here's the card he is sending out:

Pinto Events

Dave Pinto delegate letter

Here's candidate Dave Pinto's letter to District 64B DFL delegates:

Pinto Delegate Letter

Beth Fraser's caucus day appeal

Here's the email Beth Fraser is putting out this morning to get people to the caucuses:

Fraser Caucus Email

A Precinct Caucus Letter from Greta Bergstrom

Greta Bergstrom had a piece of lit in this weekend's mail. It includes a letter making her pitch for the DFL endorsement, and a copy of a Highland Villager letter from former City Council member, one-time mayoral contender and one-time judicial contender Jay Benanav (who won't actually be caucusing for Greta because he doesn't live in the district, by the way.) It also has a handy-dandy Highland Junior High map for caucus goers:

Bergstrom Letter by theracefor64b

Beth Fraser's big pre-caucus post card

The direct mail barrage is starting in earnest in 64B. Here's a postcard from Beth Fraser that came in the mail this weekend, ahead of tomorrow's precinct caucuses.

Fraser Card by theracefor64b

Endorsement: Pinto picks up nods from four St. Paul School Board members

Dave Pinto is rolling out more endorsements ahead of tomorrow's precinct caucuses. Here's the letter he has out from past and present school board members, including chair Mary Doran:

Pinto Letter by theracefor64b

A brief word from Melanie McMahon

Melanie McMahon's letter just arrived in the mail, a sign that she, too, is raising some money.

It hits some very familiar points, although, like other candidates, she's adding the environment to her regular talking points -- just as the state starts its PolyMet hearings and the debate on the Iron Range really starts to heat up.

Like the others, the letter echoes McMahon's elevator speech, which you can see here.

Read on:

McMahon Letter by theracefor64b

Mail Bag: Greta Bergstrom ups her game

Here's a card from Greta Bergstrom that arrived in the mail.

It's mostly what she's been saying from the beginning of the campaign with a couple of new additions: she's talking about indexing the minimum wage for inflation now, above and beyond simply raising it.

She's also talking now about "Protecting our environment and natural resources from being risked for short term financial game" and added talking point to her elevator pitch -- and undoubtedly a familiar argument in the PolyMet mining debate.

Bergstrom is also matching some of the family photos we've seen from the other candidates -- Melanie McMahon and Dave Pinto -- on their websites and lit.

Bergstrom Card by theracefor64b