Dear Neighbors,
Yesterday was a special day in the Minnesota House as we honored Olympic Gold Medalist Jessie Diggins. Diggins, of Afton, took the gold in Pyeongchang in cross-country skiing, making her the first ever American woman to do so. You make us all proud, Jessie!
Facebook Privacy
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg faced committees in both houses of Congress this week regarding breaches of users’ personal data which may have been used to influence the 2016 election. User data can be used in other nefarious ways, too, and this week City Pages, KARE 11 and Fox 9 highlighted how this has happened to me. On at least two dozen occasions, users have taken photos of me and my family from Facebook – many of them from my National Guard service – claiming to be widowers. These scammers have sought both romance and money from unsuspecting women. Frustratingly, when I reported one of these instances to Facebook, I was initially told it didn’t violate community standards. Other service members and veterans have been subjects of this as well, highlighted here by MPR.
Taking into account all of this, there are a couple of major takeaways. First, Facebook has made clear they have an inability to self-regulate or no interest in doing so, and perhaps both. Second, this means it’s critically important for individuals to be extra vigilant about sharing their personal data via social media. If something seems too good to be true, it is. For instance, you aren’t going to get free airline tickets simply for opting-in to an app and sharing a post. And if someone is coming to you seeking money, no matter how legitimate the request may be or heart-wrenching the story, be extremely skeptical. They are simply interested in mining as much data about people as possible, or worse yet, scamming you for money outright. So be very, very careful with whom you share your information and the apps you allow to access it.
Where’s the Bonding Bill?
There are just over five weeks remaining until the legislative session must adjourn, per the Minnesota Constitution. One of our main objectives this year is to pass a bonding bill, with investments in repair, renovation, and replacement of our public infrastructure across the state.
Prior to session, Governor Dayton proposed a bold, $1.5 billion proposal to address these needs. Unfortunately, neither the House nor Senate Republican majorities have yet to put forth a proposal. A bonding bill presents us with not just a terrific opportunity to improve our communities, but gives a real shot at a bipartisan accomplishment which everyone can be proud of. I hope we can have a legislative proposal on the table soon, or else I’m fearful we may run out of time putting these investments at risk. To allow this would represent a failure of leadership that Minnesota can’t afford.
Equal Pay Day
Tuesday of this week marked Equal Pay Day. Equal Pay Day is the point in the year when the salaries of women finally catch up with men’s salaries from the previous year. In Minnesota, women earn 83 cents for every dollar a man makes, and the gap is much worse for indigenous women and women of color. We have a lot more to do to address this issue.
You can find more information here at the National Women’ s Law Center.
Distracted Driving
From April 9th through the 22nd, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety is stepping up enforcement efforts to stop distracted driving. More than 300 law enforcement agencies statewide will be conducting this extra enforcement to remind Minnesotans of the potentially deadly danger of this activity. Texting, filming video, eating, and wrangling kids in the backseat can all take attention away from where it needs to be: on the road. Citations for texting and driving climbed nearly 23 percent from 2016 to 2017. Distracted driving contributes to one in five crashes in Minnesota and it contributes to an average of 59 deaths and 223 serious injuries a year.
Do your part:
- Cell phones — Put the phone down, turn it off or place it out of reach.
- Music and other controls — Pre-program radio stations and arrange music in an easy-to-access spot. Adjust mirrors and ventilation before traveling.
- Navigation — Map out the destination and enter the GPS route in advance.
- Eating and drinking — Avoid messy foods and secure drinks.
- Children — Teach children the importance of good behavior in a vehicle and model proper driving behavior.
- Passengers — Speak up to stop drivers from distracted driving behavior and offer to help with anything that takes the driver’s attention off the road.
Don’t hesitate to contact me with your viewpoints or if I can ever be of assistance.
Sincerely,
John Lesch
State Representative