Property Taxes 101 / more

Capitol stories: Keith Ellison vs. Clarence Thomas in DC and labor at the legislature in St. Paul. Property Taxes 101 By Mary Turck, TC Daily Planet Are your property taxes going up this year? Join the club - that's true across Minnesota. The amount due on the property tax bill is clear. Beyond that bottom line, property taxes are harder to understand, and myths abound. If your home's estimated market value goes down, will your taxes go down, too?MORE » First reading: Identification, please? By Nick Busse, Session Weekly/Session Daily Minnesotans need to have photo identification: to drive a car, order a drink, buy cigarettes or write a check. But should we need a photo ID in order to vote? Those who would answer "yes" are making headway in the Legislature. MORE » Amid barrage of legislation, workers ask 'Where is the focus on jobs?' By Barb Kucera, Workday Minnesota Construction workers in hard hats and safety vests mixed with nurses and professional employees at a packed legislative hearing Thursday on a proposal to freeze wages and undermine public workers' right to collective bargaining. Amid a slew of such anti-worker legislation, union leaders asked, "Where is the focus on jobs?" MORE » Ellison: Clarence Thomas should recuse himself from health care cases By Andy Birkey, Minnesota Independent Rep. Keith Ellison is among 74 members of Congress who called  on United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Friday to recuse himself from hearing any cases that have to do with health care reform after revelations that Thomas' wife makes a living from organizations that oppose the implementation of health care reform.MORE » Two Northeast Middle School students make convincing case for their school By Robin Sauerwein By Robin Sauerwein, TC Daily Planet "Attitude: The difference between winners and losers" is a poster displayed on the wall of Northeast Middle School. For years I passed that sign but it not until I went on a tour of the school in January to find which school my son, Dylan, would attend next year, did I realize the importance of those words.MORE » Inside the Daily Planet, 02/15/11 MOVIES | Talking with Silver Tongues director Simon Arthur and star Lee Tegersen by Jim Brunzell, TC Daily Planet • PARK CITY, UTAH-The idea of going to the Sundance and Slamdance film festivals each January is not only to cram in as many screenings as possible, but to have the opportunity to be the first to discover exciting new talent. As I mentioned in my first Sundance preview, many filmmakers, actors, writers and producers first get noticed at Sundance. But there's another great festival that happens simultaneously: Slamdance. Haute Dish (Minneapolis, MN) by Bruce Schneier and Karen Cooper, The Mix • A new restaurant finally opens to high expectations: much buzz, top talent, a beautiful space, and convivial atmosphere. And we're not reviewing it. We can't be objective, since our son is one of those cooks, and we're down at Haute Dish pretty often. But we can't resist telling you how much we like the Dish. So, Chef Emery and his mom had a serious sit-down meal, and herewith: a meal report. Hungry? Joyce can help - not hungry? You can help by Phyllis Stenerson, Uptown Neighborhood News • The building on the corner of 31st Street and Fremont Avenue looks like many other houses in Uptown but there is something very special about it. It's the Joyce Food Shelf where food is given to an average of 460 families per month who would otherwise go hungry. NEW IN BLOGS ENGAGE MINNESOTA | Is it me or is it the media? Engage Minnesota's manual for journalists by Tamim Saidi • The problem of Muslim misrepresentation in the media is multifold. First, like any normal human, journalists are not immune to personal and societal biases. Second, like most Americans who admit to having little or no knowledge of Islam (about two thirds, according to a recent poll), some journalists (yes, even those covering the Middle East and religion reporters) may suffer from lack of knowledge about the faith and people.  Third, the commercial culture of "sensationalism" forces many journalists, including the copy editors and page designers, to sensationalize the news, the headlines and the coverage to get more viewership or more hits.  Last, the lack of or the unavailability or unwillingness of Muslims to contact or educate the journalists has contributed to misrepresentation of Muslims.  In some cases reluctance by the Muslims to be quoted by name or photographed in an article or video story - creates obstacles for well-intentioned journalists from getting a complete picture of Muslim issues. BARATARIA | Lift every voice and sing by Erik Hare • Our third grade class filed under the concrete breezeways that loosely connected the classrooms of Coral Reef Elementary, past the Seagrape tree at the end of the open courtyard, and into the big cafeteria.  It was the only space large enough to hold all the energy of so many kids, cooled only by tall jalousie windows that caught the breezes off Biscayne Bay.  The air inside was heavy and anxious, and just like nearly everything in Florida it could be oppressive if you let it get to you.  But we kids just took it in and made it exciting.  This was our music class, the time when we could bubble our energy in a new song taught to us on the tired piano by Mr. Michaels. MN PROGRESSIVE PROJECT | Doing the Happy Dance: baseball season is almost here by Joe Bodell • I love baseball, and the time between the World Series' end and the beginning of Spring Training is a time of despair and repeatedly refreshing baseball blogs for any hint of news from around the league -- injuries, Dominican Winter League updates, transactions, arbitration hearings, whatever. PUBLIC POLICY FORUM | Our community can rise to the challenge by Elizabeth Glidden • As most of us know, a proposed dog park at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park has been a catalyst for painful discussions of race and neighborhood history. For neighbors of the Eighth Ward, which includes areas in South Minneapolis bordering I-35W, issues of race, class, and geography often underlie public and private dialogue. TERESA ON TCDP | St. Paul's hidden gem by Teresa Boardman • Much of St. Paul is on the East side of the River but part of it is on the West side . .  which is why it is called the West side.  The pictures were taken in the Prospect Park neighborhood on the West Side.  The area has beautiful historic homes.  Part of the neighborhood is on the river bluff with views of downtown and the Wabasha street bridge.
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