Holly Cairns, MNVoter

Ten of our DFL candidates for Minnesota governor attended the recent December 5, 2009, DFL Latino caucus forum.  While they talked, a packed room of my neighbors and fellow Minnesotans often nodded their heads in agreement and whispered to each other in both Spanish and English.

I read the forum questions and figured it would be the most informational forum of  this entire political season. We were going to hear about family values, living wage jobs, worker rights, discrimination, health care, immigration, education, the housing crisis, and the American Dream.

Here is the audio, separated into sections (5 audio sections and one “my notes” section follow) :

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OPENING STATEMENT (1 minute)

On your phone and can’t get the player to work? Try this direct link to the .mp3

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==> IMMIGRATION  Address immigration policy at the federal level? (2 minutes) Question:  As Governor, what will you do to influence national immigration policy, end help Latinos in Minnesota fully contribute to and benefit from the larger community?

0:15  Paul Thissen
2:40  Matt Entenza
4:55  R.T. Rybak
6:57  Susan Gaertner
9:12  Steve Kelley
11:20  Mark Dayton
13:34  John Marty
15:32 Tom Bakk
17:51  Margaret Anderson Kelliher
20:04  Tom Rukavina

On your phone and can’t get the player to work? Try this direct link to the .mp3

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==> WORKER RIGHTS The Minnesota Department of Labor estimates that almost half of all “minimum wage workers” are paid less than the minimum wage due to wage and hour violations (2 minutes)  Question:  Do you believe all workers deserve equal protection under the law– without exception?  And, if so, how will you work with us to strengthen and enforce labor laws that protect all workers?

0:15  Tom Rukavina
1:27  Margaret Anderson Kelliher
2:44  Tom Bakk
3:54  John Marty
5:05  Mark Dayton
6:15  Steve Kelley
7:22  Susan Gaertner
8:39  R.T. Rybak
9:53  Matt Entenza
11:15  Paul Thissen

On your phone and can’t get the player to work? Try this direct link to the .mp3

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==> EDUCATION Currently only 40% of Minnesota’s Latino students graduate high school within 4 years, compared with 80% of white students. (1 minute)  Question:  As someone who wants to be governor of Minnesota, why does this disparity matter to you and what is the state’s role in ensuring that Latino students receive a quality education in Minnesota?

0:14   Paul Thissen
2:01   Matt Entenza
3:11   R.T. Rybak
4:24   Susan Gaertner
5:46   Steve Kelley
7:06   Mark Dayton
8:18  John Marty
9:32 Tom Bakk
10:43  Margaret Anderson Kelliher
11:54  Tom Rukavina

On your phone and can’t get the player to work? Try this direct link to the .mp3
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==> HOUSING AND CLOSING REMARKS Minneapolis-St. Paul- Bloomington has the second highest racial disparities in the distribution of sub-prime loans of any metro area in the US.   Our metro area is one of only 8 in the country where Latino borrowers are more than twice as likely to receive a sub-prime loan compared to whites. (1 minute) Question:  What will you do to put an end to discriminatory lending practices and help more people of color, including Latinos, purchase and keep homes?

0:10 Tom Rukavina
1:28 Margaret Anderson Kelliher
2:44 Tom Bakk
3:56 John Marty
5:04 Mark Dayton
6:22 Steve Kelley
7:36 Susan Gaertner
8:59 R.T. Rybak
10:17 Matt Entenza
11:43 Paul Thissen

On your phone and can’t get the player to work? Try this direct link to the .mp3
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My Notes:  Historical background to keep in mind

In the 1800’s, at least a third of this current nation went to bed Mexicans, and woke as Americans, due to such events as the  1848 Mexican Cession , the 1853 Gadsden Purchase , and the 1845 Texas Annexation .  Some of today’s DFL caucus Latino attendees could be 5th generation Americans, or more.