Dear Neighbors,
I hope you and your family have a terrific Thanksgiving to look forward to. This is a time we can gather to share a meal and celebrate with loved ones. As your state representative, this gives me an opportunity to reflect on the values that are important to our community and what makes Minnesota such a special place to live.
We live in a wonderful state with plenty to be thankful for, but let’s also look toward the work left to do. We must strive to increase incomes, because too many people are working two or three jobs and are still struggling to make ends meet. Many families have to choose between a paycheck and caring for a loved one because they don’t have paid leave. Too many teachers are forced to spend money out of their own pockets on supplies for their classrooms. The heroes who provide services to people with disabilities, seniors, and other vulnerable Minnesotans are underpaid and many can’t afford to continue their important work. College and job training remains out of reach for many due to soaring costs. It is clear we have a lot of unfinished business to ensure that all families have a fair shot at prosperity, but I’m confident that by working together, we can solve these challenges for our state.
One challenge locally is safety on some of our local roads. Specifically, I’m startled by the increasing number of accidents on University Ave. over by Northtown Mall, roughly between Highway 10 and Osborne Rd. Some of these have tragically resulted in death; there have been two in the last two weeks.
It’s time to pinpoint trouble spots on this stretch of road and identify possible fixes to reduce this alarming trend. I’m committed to working with MnDOT and local leaders to address this and keep our residents safe.
If you’re planning to do any post-Thanksgiving shopping, please consider shopping locally at small businesses. These unique shops make our neighborhoods thrive and help the owners and workers share in the American Dream. Money spent at small businesses, on products made locally, or even on meals from local restaurants stays in our economy longer and is a bigger boost to Minnesota than dollars spent elsewhere. Please keep this in mind as we head into the holiday season.
Wishing you and your loved ones a very happy Thanksgiving.
Sincerely,
Erin Koegel
State Representative