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Public policy gets all the attention, but operations can make or break a policy
A former colleague recently recommended I read “Re-Coding America,” by Jennifer Pahlka. Pahlka is the founder of Code for America, a non-profit that aims to help all levels of government make it easier for people to use government services. Pahlka also spent several years working in California state government and the federal government. As the […]
Solving the long-term care crisis would be a good Boomer legacy
Among the issues tackled by the 2023 Minnesota Legislature was a crisis in long-term care — a workforce crisis. While workforce is an issue across most sectors of the Minnesota economy, long-term care is particularly dependent on people — staff — to provide care. The crisis is real. Without adequate staffing, people suffer, families take […]
Work alone is not enough to lift children out of poverty
The Minnesota Legislature — and let’s hope the U.S. Congress — is considering expanding the child tax credit. The CTC is a proven tool for reducing child poverty; the federal expansion in 2021 reduced child poverty by a third, moving 3.7 million children out of poverty. The debate on CTC expansion will almost certainly feature […]
Medicaid is crucial to the health and well-being of 1.4 million Minnesotans
It is difficult to overstate the importance of Medicaid for low-income people across the country, particularly in states like Minnesota that fully leverage coverage and benefit options under the federal/state program. About a quarter of Minnesotans — 1.4 million people — are enrolled in Medicaid, including over 650,000 children, 125,000 people with disabilities and about […]