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>> what do you do for a professional career and can you tell us a little bit about your
life outside the Legislature? >> when I was first elected I was a middle
school social studies teacher so I got to move from how bill becomes law to allow bill
really becomes law. That got pretty demanding with the legislative sessions and at I have
retired but I've left teaching for the time being in the Kate 12 setting but I work for
a major social service agency in the state as a personal finance teacher for them. For
that agency I allowed to community groups I go to business settings who want to bring
me and homeless shelters kind of a wide variety of settings and teach about personal finance.
It is a good fit for me because it allows me to take those years of experience in the
classroom and the skills I have there but with the work I've done here as a consumer
advocate and kind of put them together right in that sweet spot. I enjoy it the opportunity
to opt engage people on personal finance and hopefully strengthen their skills and give
them a little note new knowledge and help them out.
>> can you describe the District you represent entellus what your constituents? care constituents
>> I represent part of South Minneapolis along the river, from Franklin Avenue on the north
and which is of very dynamic rich multicultural area of a large Somali population particularly
in that specific part of the district. Also lots of other folks it's always been a gateway
neighborhood for Minneapolis. Although all the way down to Minnehaha falls which some
dealers may know was actually the first state park in Minnesota. It is reverted back to
Minneapolis park system but it's a major regional park there and then some of the surrounding
neighborhoods there on the Minneapolis side of the river. A very long progressive political
traditions there high-level of home ownership not exclusively of course but still a high
level of home ownership, they care about this summary of the quality of life in Minnesota.
There's a lot of commitment to the environmental values in the a community you have the Mississippi
River right there at the edge of the District and that is a touchstone for a lot of people
in terms of water quality and other environmental issues. They care passionately about their
schools and their kids, so a lot of the work I've done in education is driven not only
by my personal experience but representing the community there. Transportation is important
and how we're going to get around and how we develop job opportunities and living opportunities
for folks in a way that works in a thriving urban core. Those tend to be the high level
issues but it's a very engaged an active committee with a long tradition of activist neighborhoods,
union membership when activism, so I get to hear about a lot of issues.
>> what you see as the biggest challenge the state will face? in the next seven face
>> early were still coming out of the great recession, and how we develop opportunities
for everyone educational opportunities and economic opportunities whether you're the
employer starting a new business or the employee looking for that job I think that's going
to be a real area we need to focus on. Importantly you heard me say crating opportunities for
everyone integrating about increasingly diverse committee that we have in Minnesota the Minnesota
that I grew up in that I was born in the one my parents were born and raised in was a very
different from where we are now. That is wonderful it's great fun for a run, to rub up with the
next folks who are different from Moss in our schools and workplaces in our communities.
How we learn from each other how we make sure that opportunity is available for everybody
and every one skiffs can come forward to the table and enrich the communities cultural
as well as economic ways. >> what area or areas of legislation to you
feel you are best equipped to work on? >> certainly education. I was teacher for
a long time, I have two kids who are thriving in the Minneapolis public schools, so I have
and I'm an active volunteer in the schools the legislative process session is tough for
volunteering but the general legislative schedule allows me some flexibility and I'm pretty
involved in my own kids schools. I Kmit education issues from a couple of different perspectives
and I think I have some expertise there I've had pleasure and privilege of serving on the
tax committee for a number of years and I now chair a property and local tax division
so I feel I've developed a fair amount of experience and knowledge in the tax area.
Is complex I don't claim to be an expert, but I think I have some good credibility with
my colleagues there. And then those consumer issues that I touched on earlier I've done
a lot of work on mortgage lending, payday landing, things like that real meat and potatoes
sort of personal economic issues for Minnesotans and I believe I've developed " credibility
and reputation with my colleagues there of someone who is willing to roll up his sleeves
and learn about these issues and then work with everybody from the table to make progress
to help Minnesotans protect themselves financially. >> what are your hidden talents or hobbies?
>> I'm not sure if I had been the hidden talents I tend to live a public life. Beyond planning
with the kids in getting them outdoors and camping and visiting state parks and going
skiing in the winter whenever it might be, my big thing is eating and cooking so I like
to cook actually out of high school was a professional cook for a number of years so
cooking and baking are interesting things at and going out to eat and getting some good
things made by other people so would be cooking is my thing. . .