By Rep. Paul Anderson
Recently, a constituent wrote and asked about a survey she was told she had to take part in. It was called the American Consumer Survey and it sounded legit.
After checking with staff in St. Paul, I found that the survey was sound, but there may be others that aren’t. Here is some advice from the Census Bureau about calls you may get asking for your participation in surveys on a variety of topics:
First, the Census Bureau will never ask for your full Social Security number. They will not ask for money or donations, nor will they ask anything on behalf of a political party. In addition, they will not ask for your full bank or credit card account numbers. And, finally, the Census Bureau will not ask for your mother’s maiden name.
If you get survey material in the mail, you can call the Regional Office for this state to verify the household survey. That number is (800) 865-6384.
In contrast with the more common census taken by all in this country every 10 years, this particular survey, the American Consumer Survey, continues all year, every year. Addresses are randomly sampled in every state, and answers are collected to form up-to-date statistics used by federal, state, tribal, and local governments. If you are contacted about this survey and you’d like to verify that it’s legitimate, call toll-free to (800) 354-7271.
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With area schools set to open, here is some information on education funding from the state:
The Legislature approved a 2-percent increase in the basic formula, which amounts to $1.35 billion in additional funding, or about $245 more for each student enrolled in a public school in Minnesota. The most recent estimates available show that the Alexandria district will receive $1.76 million in new funding over the next two years. Albany is set to receive $729,000 in new funding, Melrose $723,000, and Minnewaska Area $555,000. Other schools in District 12B are Sauk Centre with $470,000 in new funding, and Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa with $276,000.
A major change is also set to take place in the area of teacher licensure. The Board of Teaching has been replaced by a new Professional Educator License and Standards Board. This restructuring comes after recommendations from the Legislative Auditor and a bipartisan group of legislators who met last year to discuss moving Minnesota toward tiered licensure. It’s hoped this new system will help alleviate the teacher shortage in parts of the state, especially here in Greater Minnesota. We have heard testimony over the years in the Education Committee about the difficulties of teachers from out of state wanting to come here and get their Minnesota license. This new system will still include a stringent set of guidelines for the new teaching tiers.
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Although I like sports and football as much as the next person, I’m not as thrilled this year to watch NFL teams as they get ready to start a new season. This scene with some players not standing during the National Anthem just doesn’t play well with me. These folks are highly paid for what they do, and they probably received a free college education via an athletic scholarship, as well. I get the First Amendment argument that all can express their feelings, but please do it on your own time, not while “working” at your job. Employers have a right to ask for certain types of behavior from their employees while they are on the job. And playing a game of football is what these men are paid to do.
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