To the editor:
Just this month Minnesota had the opportunity to host hundreds of lawmakers from across the Midwest and Canada for the Council of State Governments. It gave us a chance to show off our fantastic metro area and give leaders from across the country a look into what we have to offer. .
Democrats and Republicans from Minnesota also got to interact with Democrats and Republicans from other states on issues ranging from education to jobs and the economy. We weren’t members of certain parties. We were just people looking to find solutions to key issues in our states and provinces.
One of the interesting speakers at the conference was Jonathan Haidt, who studies the things that cause people to disagree and he provides suggestions on what we can do to repair the divisions that are causing friction in our society and our legislative bodies.
Instead of spending time on the things that divide us, we should be spending time figuring out solutions to problems that keep cropping up in our communities. Some issues are so important that everyone agrees they need to be addressed. We all want quality schools for our children. We all want a strong economy. We all want a budget that is balanced and stable.
This year, we started working towards addressing those issues. We invested in education ranging from age 3 all the way up to 2 year and 4 year colleges and universities. We tripled our investment in job creation and lowered unemployment insurance by $346 million for Minnesota companies so they can do business more easily. We balanced our budget and lowered property taxes.
As we move forward, I hope we keep our focus on these important issues and how we can work together to find solutions. That is what lawmaking should be all about.
Sandra Masin