Ending Poverty in Minnesota by 2020

The Legislative Commission to End Poverty in Minnesota starting holding meetings after several bridges collapsed, leaving many homeless due to houses being destroyed. The Commission asserts that "all people are [to be] provided those things that protect human dignity and make for healthy life: adequate food and shelter, meaningful work, safe communities, health care, and education." The question is: how are they going to do that? 

Minnesota plans to drastically rebuild their economy that restores work and ends poverty. An economy that invests time in occupational skills, and one that values every single person, regardless of illness, age, race, disability, or crisis. Although this is a long-term goal, the commission is confident in completely its mission by using all sectors of the economy - business, the faith community, government and nonprofits. 

They are taking many steps right now, although they expect it to be a 12-year process, there are necessary steps to take to start. There is an emergency jobs program being created, which uses wage subsides to help bail out businesses and employ the unemployed Minnesotans. They also plan to use federal infrastructure money for transportation, so isolated people can be reached, especially in the rural parts of Minnesota where much affordable transportation is needed. They are also trying to keep the prices down on goods in some broken communities. 

Minnesota wants to establish a federal and state partnership to restore work and bring them out of poverty. They would like to be able to provide more income tax credit to the poor and destitute families to aid them out of poverty, and fully fund child care assistance and early childhood education programs.  Another huge factor to ending poverty is health care, and Minnesota wants to greatly address that along with the government. They want to repair their broken health care system that is putting people farther and farther in debt. Minnesota needs affordable or free health care to all their people (Universal Health Care/Obamacare), so the rates of health care don't continue to rapidly increase. They are tired of the system that leaves many unable to afford health care, when the system should be able to offer full access to medical care for every citizen.

Minnesota's efforts to end poverty in their state have been great and selfless. They are planning to rebuild their economy to make it stable for all, so no one is left behind. If all people contribute to the common good, they believe, then Minnesota will become a stronger and more prosperous state.

How do we apply Minnesota's passionate efforts to the rest of our nation?

http://www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/lcep/LCEP_Final_Report_SinglePgs.pdf