Governing with Accountability provides basic principles and overview of problems and opportunities, toward goal of improving public-sector performance

Minnesota’s severe budget shortfall, coupled with mounting evidence that the state may be slipping in its overall quality-of-life and public-sector performance measures, makes it more important than ever for leaders and citizens to get serious about government accountability. With this in mind, Growth & Justice has begun a new initiative, Governing with Accountability, and has issued a report that sets forth basic principles and identifies key problem areas and opportunities for improvement.

Growth & Justice President Dane Smith said that although most citizens don’t use the word “accountability” when talking about whether government works or not, they do hold government  responsible for many of the outcomes they care most about – quality education, good jobs, clean air and water, safe and reliable infrastructure, affordable health care, and high-quality public spaces.

“Governing with Accountability describes a better way to define our expectations in these important areas and the need to hold leaders, managers and organizations accountable for delivering services and other valued public policy outcomes,” Smith said. “It works by improving the links between goals, public investment and results that measure up to those expectations. More accountable government helps us reach the goals we set as a community – and it will save us money in the long run.”

To read Governing with Accountability¸ which outlines six essential principles that capture the essence of accountability in government, and discusses actions that can be taken to achieve better results from the vital public investments made through state and local governments, click here.

Growth & Justice urges government to focus economic development initiatives on sustaining business in short term, spurring growth in long term

Growth & Justice has released a new policy report, Smart Economic Development for Minnesota, which highlights some pressing economic development challenges for the short term, presents smart approaches and policy principles for the long term, explores why the public sector plays a role in economic development, and explains the potential drivers of regional economic growth. 

“The State of Minnesota has both a strong interest and legitimate role to play in economic development efforts aimed at increasing the economy’s capacity to create wealth,” said Matt Kane, the policy report’s author. “Policymakers can tap the approaches and principles found in this new report to judge strategies for influencing economic development and growth in Minnesota.”

The Growth & Justice policy report calls on the State of Minnesota to emphasize economic development approaches in the short term that will help sustain businesses and workers during the economic recession, including:

• Offer businesses advice and technical assistance. With the downturn, assistance will need to move well beyond marketing and planning help and address a broader range of immediate business concerns. 
• Help laid-off workers. Some laid-off Minnesotans will need retraining. Others will benefit from job search assistance, particularly as the economy begins to recover. 
• Encourage entrepreneurs. During this recession, state government should encourage and support entrepreneurs – including laid-off workers who start businesses – as they exploit economic change and emerging opportunities.

Smart Economic Development for Minnesota assesses several current and potential economic development strategies. Among the report’s findings:

• A new sports stadium for the Twin Cities fails the test for smart economic development.
• The state’s Job Opportunity Building Zones (JOBZ) program, which offers state and local tax breaks to selected businesses that locate or expand in 10 designated zones throughout Greater Minnesota, falls short of the mark for smart approaches. 
• The state should invest in education and skills training to better the lives of Minnesotans and improve the skills and knowledge that they bring to their jobs. 
• Public sector investment in transportation, done well, is a smart economic development strategy and one that the State of Minnesota should emphasize, perhaps even more than it does now. 

Read the full report by clicking here and the policy brief by clicking here.

Smart Investments^SM in Minnesota’s Students part of conversation at State Capitol

This legislative session, the work of Smart Investments^SM in Minnesota’s Students, which looks at what works at the best cost to invest in the birth-through-college continuum to increase the number of Minnesotans with post-secondary education, was reflected in bills authored by Rep. Ryan Winker (H.F. 1188) and Sen. Chuck Wiger (S.F. 954).

Growth & Justice Research & Policy Director Angie Eilers, the project leader, testified with Rep. Winkler before the House K-12 Education Policy and Oversight Committee, House K-12 Education Finance Division, and House Early Childhood Finance and Policy Division, and, to date, with Sen. Wiger before the Senate State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Committee.

While negotiations on bills are still taking place, the legislative session is set to adjourn May 18, and Eilers said that Growth & Justice has been viewed as a helpful resource in the legislative framing process.

“I’ve received a lot of great feedback about Smart Investments^SM in Transportation for Minnesota and our approach that uses three key principles to ensure Minnesota is getting the best bang for its education buck: investments are made on proven practices; the proven practices are cost effective; and the investments are made comprehensively, from birth through college,” Eilers said. “In these tough economic times, directing Minnesota’s resourses to the investments that show a high rate of return is an effort that must continue well past this legislative session. Growth & Justice looks forward to continuing to be part of this conversation.”

Invest in Minnesota Campaign ramps up efforts

The Invest in Minnesota Campaign will use videos, e-mail and phone campaigns, and a gathering at the State Capitol in the last weeks of the legislative session to make the case that revenues must be part of the solution to balance the state’s budget.

These plans will be unveiled at a gathering April 6 at 11 a.m. at Christ Lutheran Church, 105 University Ave. W., in St. Paul. The church is located across the street from the State Capitol. The event is free and open to the public. Please come to learn more about the Invest in Minnesota Campaign.

Videos featuring Minnesotans reinforcing the ideas of raising adequate revenues fairly and investing in Minnesota will be released on April 15, 20, and 22. Citizens will be asked to forward these videos to their legislators. The messages of raising revenue fairly and investing in Minnesota will be reinforced by phone calls to legislators on April 21 and 22 and again at an event in the Capitol Rotunda at noon on May 11.

Growth & Justice has been a key player in the Invest in Minnesota Campaign since it was launched last year. We stand firmly behind the Campaign’s principles, which were shaped by our work: that revenue-raising must be a significant part of the solution to resolving the state’s budget deficit; and the overall package of revenue-raising must make the tax system more fair.

The Invest in Minnesota Campaign has updated its website. Click here, or go to www.investinmn.org, to check it out and stay up-to-date on the Campaign’s activities.

Growth & Justice in the news

March

Two Anns offer updated, fairer tax plans for Minnesota, by Growth & Justice President Dane Smith, MinnPost, March 27.

How the state can grow jobs, Minnesota 2020, March 26.

Minnesota’s deficit must be resolved fairly and responsibly, by Growth & Justice President Dane Smith, ThisWeek Newspapers, March 19.

Deficit must be resolved fairly and responsibly, by Growth & Justice President Dane Smith, Winona Daily News, March 16. A link is not available for this article.

Worsening structural deficit magnifies need for fairer revenue and accountability in Minnesota, by Growth & Justice President Dane Smith, St. Paul Legal Ledger/Capitol Report, March 5.

New state budget forecast should spur renewed commitment to jobs, union leaders say Quotes Growth & Justice President Dane Smith, Workday Minnesota, March 3

Capitol conversation with Sen. Tarryl Clark, features an interview with Growth & Justice President Dane Smith, Metro Cable Channel 6, March 3.

Growth & Justice President Dane Smith appears as a guest on Gary Eichten’s MPR broadcast of Middday, March 3.

February

Who’s afraid of bigger, better government? It’s been for force for good and broad prosperity, by Growth & Justice President Dane Smith, MinnPost, Feb. 25.

The impressive scholar that is Angie Eilers, Schools for in Equity Education (SEE) blog, Feb. 19.

Shifting the burden, quotes Growth & Justice President Dane Smith, St. Paul Legal Ledger/Capitol Report, Feb. 16.

Growth & Justice President Dane Smith appeared on Twin Cities Public Television’s “Almanac” on Feb. 13. A link is not available for this segment.

Fairer taxes must be part of the budget solution, by Growth & Justice President Dane Smith and Minnesota Budget Project Director Nan Madden, Mankato Free Press, Feb. 12.

A practical progressive, he belongs to us all, by Growth & Justice President Dane Smith, Pioneer Press, Feb. 12.

Minnesota government can be more accountable, by Charlie Quimby, Growth & Justice communication fellow, St. Paul Legal Ledger/Capitol Report, Feb. 5. This article also appeared in The Villager, a neighborhood newspaper in St. Paul.

Education researcher advocates ‘investment’ in learning, Stillwater Courier, Feb. 4