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Alabama woman works to help returning citizens rebuild their lives; Marist polls: Harris leads Trump in Michigan, Wisconsin; they're tied in Pennsylvania; UAW contract negotiations at VW focus on healthcare, safety, wages; NC dentists warn of crisis due to low Medicaid reimbursement rates.

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The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

A Minnesota Take on the “State of Nation”

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Tuesday, January 29, 2008   

St. Paul, MN – President Bush delivered his final "State of the Union" address last night, calling for quick approval of an economic stimulus plan, elimination of wasteful federal programs and a crackdown on pork-barrel spending.

Donald McFarland with Americans United for Change in Minnesota is skeptical of the president's take on the state of the nation. He says working Minnesotans are worried about job loss, foreclosures and rising numbers of people without health insurance.

"We want to be sure that what's being heard is the real 'state of the union' in Minnesota, and not what the president refers to as an economy, for instance, that's structurally 'sound.' The economy is not inherently good in Minnesota."

McFarland believes the president should focus his final year on securing the well-being of working Americans, seniors and children. He cites statistics showing that the state of working Americans, who are vital to the nation's economy, is declining.

"Over the last six and a half years, the number of job openings in the state has gone down by about 58 percent. Meanwhile, the number of job seekers has shifted even more dramatically, going up by 64 percent. What that means is job seekers are outnumbering the jobs by more than two-to-one here in Minnesota."

A lot of jobs have gone overseas, he says, and many of the new ones pay low wages and don't offer the security and benefits enjoyed by workers a generation ago.

McFarland also points out that the cost of energy should be a top national priority because high energy costs in Minnesota will blunt the impact of economic stimulus efforts.

"There's a proposal for an economic stimulus package that offers a $300 tax rebate for the lowest-income Minnesotans. This won't even cover average past-due electric and gas bills they currently have."

He charged the President with missing opportunities to cut dependence on foreign oil and to develop homegrown renewable energy sources. McFarland urged that any economic stimulus package include energy assistance for those hardest-hit by energy-cost increases.

More information is available online at www.americansunitedforchange.org.


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