February 5, 2007

Last chance to register for Uncivil Discourse or apply for the office manager position

Uncivil Discourse and the Rise of the Outrage Industry
Wednesday, February 7
Registration - 5:30 p.m.
Program - 6:30 p.m.
Reception - 7:30 p.m.

Join Citizens League board member Nate Garvis, vice president for Government Affairs at Target Corporation, for an engaging discussion entitled "Uncivil Discourse and the Rise of the Outrage Industry" at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 7, in the McGuire Theater at the Walker Art Center. Nate will offer his perspective on the forces shaping society today, and examine the ways outrage is becoming an industry in and of itself, intent on keeping us angry. The resulting polarization has become a powerful force with social and economic consequences. Going beyond a statement of the problem, Nate will suggest ways to weave ourselves back together so we can tackle today's complex issues with sustainable results.

Presented in partnership with the Walker Art Center and sponsored by Phillips Distilling Company and U.S. Bank, this event is free. Intended as an opportunity for people to get to know the Citizens League, we ask that members who plan to attend bring a nonmember as your guest. Since space is limited and to aid planning, we ask that you register in advance. Click here to register online, or call (651) 293-0575, extension 16.

Minnesota Anniversary Project update

MAP 150 update: Since the media blitz last fall, Sean and Stacy have continued to speak to many organizations about the MAP 150 message of citizens as co-producers of the public good. Whether they are talking to Rotary Clubs, elected officials, government agencies, nonprofits, or news reporters, the reception is always the same: people connect with great enthusiasm. If you have an organization that you think would like to hear about MAP 150, please email Stacy at stacybecker [at] comcast.net.

Welcome to new Board and Executive Committee members

New members appointed to the 2007 Citizens League Board of Directors include: Laura Bishop, Best Buy; Rev. Al Gallmon, Urban Leadership Academy and Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church; Jennifer Godinez, Minnesota Minority Education Partnership and Minnesota College Access Network; Kevin Goodno, Fredrikson and Byron; Lily Moua, Target Corporation; Kathryn Roberts, Ecumen; and Tom Teigen, Minnesota Business Partnership. Officers elected to leadership positions for 2007 include: Chair Mary Pickard, The St. Paul Travelers Foundation; Vice Chair Kathy Mock, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota; Treasurer Elliot Jaffee, Twin Cities Market at US Bank; and Secretary Steve Dornfeld, Metropolitan Council. The full board roster can be found at www.citizensleague.org/who/board.

Citizens League Office Manager Position Announcement

The Citizens League is looking for an energetic individual with exceptional organizational skills to serve as our office manager and assistant to the executive director. If you're that person, we encourage you to apply. If you're not, you can still help us by identifying strong candidates. Click here for more information and the full position announcement. Applications are due on February 7.

Blog roundup

From Sean's blog: The feature on me in the latest issue of Minnesota Law and Politics (it's not online, and I'm trying to scan the article) is a little embarrassing - what with the life-size picture of my head and all - but I have to admit that it's the best piece I've seen like this. I'm glad that it highlights the challenges we still face in terms of fundraising, membership, policy work and implementation. I'm actually pretty happy with my quotes too..

Read more on Sean's feature in Law and Politics and Sean's reactions to last week's Road Pricing Summit.

From the Policy Blog: We're working on an upcoming issue of the Minnesota on the issue of health care -- in particular, the MAP 150 question on health care: How can we make our health care system more affordable and secure, regardless of a person's work situation?

We'd like to include some thoughts from our readers - and we're looking for someone to write a Perspectives piece about their experiences with the health care system. Send an e-mail to Victoria Ford at vford [at] citizensleague.org if you're interested in contributing.

Posted by Victoria Ford at February 5, 2007 11:29 AM