St. Paul-- Today Matt Entenza issued a statement on tomorrow's anniversary of the I-35W bridge collapse:

"Tomorrow marks the three-year anniversary of the I-35W bridge collapse that killed thirteen people. The collapse is an example of government that failed. Warnings were ignored, dollars were taken away, and Minnesota suffered. On this day, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones, and our commitment to ensuring that our state is run with competence is renewed. Together we rebuilt the bridge and together we will rebuild our state."

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St Paul - Today Matt Entenza announced the formation of his leadership team. The team, made up of a diverse group of Minnesotans, will advise the campaign and the future administration on the issues and policies critical to making Minnesota great again.
 
The leadership team consists of over 20 leaders and policy makers from across the state and from across cultural boundaries including Republicans and Democrats as well as non-partisan public policy thinkers and advocates. The full list along with a brief biography of each member of the team can be found at http://entenza.com/news_and_events/press_kit.
 
Discussing his leadership team at a state Capitol press conference, Entenza said, "Minnesota faces significant challenges including a massive deficit, a struggling economy and deteriorating schools. But our capacity for greatness remains strong and my leadership team will help advance our strategy tomove Minnesota forward. The coalition we are building across the state will not only be important for winning on November 2nd, but will be invaluable when it comes to governing in January."
 
Robyne Robinson, candidate for lieutenant governor, said, "I am so energized by the terrific support we are gaining around Minnesota. Our leadership team reflects the broad coalition we're going to need to make our education system remarkable again."
 
Speaking on her role in the leadership team, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner said, "I am so proud to work with this remarkable group of people. The leadership team offers a window into the broad coalition Matt is building across the state. I am supporting Matt because he is the candidate most capable of uniting our state around a common vision, with plans to make us a leader in the clean energy economy and to ditch No Child Left Behind so our teachers can teach to every child's potential."

Former Transportation Commissioner Elwyn Tinklenberg said, "Matt's leadership team is made up of some of the brightest and most innovative thinkers in their respective fields. Matt will work with them to tackle our state's challenges and make Minnesota great again. I am honored to work alongside these great minds and dedicated public servants."

Matt Entenza's campaign for governor of Minnesota is about growing the economy, creating jobs all over Minnesota by focusing on the potential of clean energy, and refocusing on education as the engine of future job creation and economic competitiveness. Entenza was a white-collar crime prosecutor prior to representing St. Paul in the Minnesota legislature for 12 years, including four years during which he also served as House Minority Leader and led the DFL to significant gains. In 2007, Entenza founded Minnesota 2020, a think tank that has been an important voice for progressive policy positions and which he chaired until April 2009. Entenza is a graduate of Worthington High School in Worthington, Minn., Macalester College in St. Paul, and the University of Minnesota Law School.
 
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Matt Entenza’s campaign for governor released a new online video titled “Legacy Ticket – Hip Hop Action Day.” The video features Minnesota hip hop artists, including Maria Isa, Slug, Desdamona, Mr. Peter Parker, James Everett, P.O.S. and St. Paul Slim, encouraging their fans to vote for Matt Entenza and to get active with the campaign’s Hip Hop Action Day. The video can be viewed by visiting www.entenza.com/legacy.

The Friday before the August 10th DFL Primary the Entenza Campaign will host a Hip Hop Action Day in collaboration with the artists. The action day falls on the 45th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act taking effect and will feature a sizeable canvass aimed at getting out the vote for Matt Entenza and Robyne Robinson. Participants will have the opportunity to canvass with their favorite local arts.

What: Hip Hop Action Day
When Friday, August 6, 3:00 p.m.
Where: Entenza Campaign Headquarters, 1919 University Ave, Suite 112, St. Paul

If you plan to attend the event or would like to talk to Matt prior to or following his visit, contact Jake Levy-Pollans at 651-314-9822 or jake@entenza.com.
Matt Entenza's campaign for governor of Minnesota is about growing the economy, creating jobs all over Minnesota by focusing on the potential of clean energy, and refocusing on education as the engine of future job creation and economic competitiveness. Entenza was a white-collar crime prosecutor prior to representing St. Paul in the Minnesota legislature for 12 years, including four years during which he also served as House Minority Leader and led the DFL to significant gains. In 2007, Entenza founded Minnesota 2020, a think tank that has been an important voice for progressive policy positions and which he chaired until April 2009. Entenza is a graduate of Worthington High School in Worthington, Minn., Macalester College in St. Paul, and the University of Minnesota Law School.
More information is available at www.entenza.com.

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St. Paul - The Entenza Campaign released a new ad that began airing this last weekend, titled "Rip." The ad features students and teachers, fed up with George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy, ripping standardized tests. The ad goes on to highlight Tom Emmer's support of the policy and Matt Entenza's plan to get rid of NCLB so teachers can teach to every child's potential.

The ad and script as recorded can be found here: http://entenza.com/news_and_events/press_kit

Entenza is the only candidate in the race pledging to scrap NCLB.

Matt Entenza's campaign for governor of Minnesota is about growing the economy, creating jobs all over Minnesota by focusing on the potential of clean energy, and refocusing on education as the engine of future job creation and economic competitiveness. Entenza was a white-collar crime prosecutor prior to representing St. Paul in the Minnesota legislature for 12 years, including four years during which he also served as House Minority Leader and led the DFL to significant gains. In 2007, Entenza founded Minnesota 2020, a think tank that has been an important voice for progressive policy positions and which he chaired until April 2009. Entenza is a graduate of Worthington High School in Worthington, Minn., Macalester College in St. Paul, and the University of Minnesota Law School.

More information is available at www.entenza.com.
 
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Post-Bulletin, 7/22/2010

School districts like Pelican Rapids and Moorhead shouldn’t have to go to four-day weeks or repeatedly ask voters for money, Matt Entenza said on Wednesday.

While at Horizon Middle School in Moorhead, the DFL gubernatorial candidate pledged that, if elected, money would be infused into education.

“We need a governor who understands that Minnesota’s economy is not going to move ahead unless we make sure all Minnesota students are ready to learn,” he said, adding that schools need a governor “that’s got their back.”

Now he has to convince teachers like Carla Smith that he’ll do that.

She moved from Fargo to Moorhead, where she teaches, so her kids could attend Minnesota schools. But she said the cash-strapped district is forced to have large classes and go without basic supplies.

“We keep squeezing the dollar more and more and what it equals is the kids suffering,” she said, adding about governor candidates: “They better be able to put their money where their mouth is.”

If elected, Entenza said small schools won’t see this “two-tiered school system” that leaves districts without taxpayer support suffering while wealthy ones thrive.

He said he’d also scrap the state’s participation in No Child Left Behind and increase teacher mentoring programs.

Moorhead was one of Entenza’s many stops statewide – via the plane he pilots – before the Aug. 10 primary, which pits him against House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton.

KEYC - FOX 12 - Mankato

Traveling around the state touting his new plan for education, DFL Candidate for Governor Matt Entenza stops by Mankato today.He's calling it the Great Schools, Great Minnesota Tour, and it features a component-developed right here in Mankato.

News 12's Ryan Gustafson has the story.

If Matt Entenza has his way as governor, he'll toss out the federal government's education plan.Matt Entenza says, "The education plan we've released does not require new funding. Scrapping No Child Left Behind will free up teacher time, free up resources and actually save us substantial amount of state money. The mentorship program pioneered by MSU-M actually saves money over time."That mentorship program gets high grades from MSU, of course, with officials saying it is the best way to train teachers.Jean Haar says, "They have one year to help a student grow academically - you can't expect the new teacher to stop in and know the same as a person who has been teaching for 20 years.

It's silly that we've been operating that way as a profession. "Other aspects of Entenza's plan include requiring an application to an post-secondary institution to earn a high school diploma, and creating what he calls a clearinghouse of best practices to help teachers share lesson plans and get feedback.

Entenza also took a shot at one of his fellow DFL candidates... criticizing Margaret Anderson Kelliher's plan to shift school funding from property taxes onto the state.

Matt Entenza says, "The proposal that I've seen from Representative Kelliher is a promise of up to 3.5 billion dollars. We have a six billion dollar deficit. Unless we have a plan to raise taxes beyond anything we have seen in the state or cuts that would be devastating in other areas, I don't believe that you can promise that new spending and that's why I'm not making promises we can't keep."The primary election between Entenza, Anderson-Kelliher and Mark Dayton is August tenth.

In Mankato, Ryan Gustafson, News 12.

The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN, 7/22/2010

DFL gubernatorial candidate Matt Entenza stood outside a Rochester elementary school on Thursday and vowed that if elected, he will get rid of the No Child Left Behind program in Minnesota.

"No Child Left Behind has been a disaster for Minnesota education," Entenza said while joined by supporters in front of Bamber Valley Elementary School in southwest Rochester.

He said the federal program fails to adequately measure student progress and has put too much emphasis on simply teaching students to pass. This was just one of several education proposals Entenza outlined during his visit, part of a statewide "Great Schools, Great Minnesota Tour."

Entenza also called for expanding teacher mentorship programs to make sure that new teachers get the support they need to be successful.

He would also require every Minnesota student to apply to at least one accredited postsecondary institution in order to get their high school diploma. The idea is to make sure students understand the postsecondary education options available to them.

Entenza's visit comes less than three weeks before the Aug. 10 DFL primary. He is running against former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton and DFL-endorsed Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher.

Polls have shown Entenza coming in third, but he told reporters that he has launched an aggressive ground campaign and has focused on southeastern Minnesota. He has also actively reached out to Rochester's Somali community for support.

Abdullah Hared, director of Somali Community Resettlement Services, said he has been impressed with Entenza. He said he appreciates the fact that Entenza is originally from southern Minnesota, having grown up in Worthington.

Hared said he is particularly concerned about the high dropout rate among Somali youths, and supports efforts to improve the public school system.

Winona Daily News, July 23, 2010

Matt Entenza would require all Minnesota students to apply for college before they can earn a high school diploma, the DFL gubernatorial candidate said Thursday in Goodview.
If elected, Entenza would also scrap the state's participation in the federal No Child Left Behind program, and he wants to cut costs at state colleges and universities to help those students who go on to college.
Entenza traveled throughout the state Wednesday and Thursday to highlight his plan for revamping the state's education system - starting with opting out of No Child Left Behind.
"It's been a disaster for our schools," he said.

The withdrawal would cost Minnesota federal funding, but Entenza supporter and fellow DFLer Rep. Gene Pelowski argued the state would save money simply by not paying teachers for class time spent teaching to the tests.
"As an educator, this is not a way to educate anyone," said Pelowski, a veteran Winona Senior High School teacher. "It's the worst way."
Entenza wants Minnesota students to take fewer standardized tests and for their progress to be measured individually over time.

Requiring all high-schoolers to apply to a college or university will benefit the state's employers, Entenza said. The candidate's campaign literature cites an unnamed study that showed 70 percent of Minnesota jobs will require some amount of higher education within eight years.
"There's no question that Minnesota has a high need for students with more than a high-school diploma," he said during a stop at Goodview Elementary School.

But the benefits will extend to students as well, Entenza said, by making even those who aren't going to college think about their future.

He promised relief for college-bound students too, vowing to reduce tuition costs at the state's higher-education institutions.

The candidate criticized the lack of details in his opponents' education plans. Entenza faces DFL party-endorsed candidate Margaret Anderson-Kelliher and former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton in the Aug. 10 primary.
"We think education is going to decide the election," Entenza said.

St. Paul—Today Sean Daley, aka Slug from the hip hop group Atmosphere, officially endorsed the Entenza/Robinson ticket. Citing the historic nature of the ticket and the critical juncture the state is at, Daley filmed and released a voter outreach video to help get out the vote for Entenza. Daley will also be helping to build support for Hip Hop Action Day on August 6th, a voter outreach effort by Twin Cities hip hop artists to increase voter turnout.

In the coming weeks more local artists will be releasing similar videos, including Brother Ali, P.O.S., Heiruspecs, Peter Parker, Desdemona, Maria Isa and St. Paul Slim.

The videos can be found here: http://entenza.com/legacy

Daley is the frontman for Atmosphere, one of the most commercially successful and longest-lasting independent hip-hop groups.   An underground sensation for years, their debut release of Overcast! (1997) brought them more fully into the limelight.  The group now has eight albums under their name, including numerous mix tapes and EPs, and leads a collective of local hip hop artists under the label Rhymesayers. The group has become an international ambassador for the Twin Cities music scene. Atmosphere continues to tour around the world and performs annually at the Soundset Music Festival.

Matt Entenza's campaign for governor of Minnesota is about growing the economy, creating jobs all over Minnesota by focusing on the potential of clean energy, and refocusing on education as the engine of future job creation and economic competitiveness. Entenza was a white-collar crime prosecutor prior to representing St. Paul in the Minnesota legislature for 12 years, including four years during which he also served as House Minority Leader and led the DFL to significant gains. In 2007, Entenza founded Minnesota 2020, a think tank that has been an important voice for progressive policy positions and which he chaired until April 2009. Entenza is a graduate of Worthington High School in Worthington, Minn., Macalester College in St. Paul, and the University of Minnesota Law School.

More information is available at www.entenza.com.

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St. Paul-Minnesota artists rallied behind the Entenza/Robinson campaign as Robinson discussed what she will do as lieutenant governor to promote and assist the arts and the arts community.  We have over 19,000 artists living in Minnesota, art spending is nearly $300 million statewide and the arts industry supports nearly 6,000 full-time equivalent jobs. Boosting the arts community, by connecting them throughout the world and supporting and enriching their efforts here, will also boost our economy.

As lieutenant governor:

* Robinson will serve as a cultural ambassador for Minnesota throughout the world. She will connect the world's greatest artists to Minnesota and connect Minnesota's artists to the world. Working in conjunction with the Minnesota Trade Office she will help the relationships built on cultural exchange and the arts develop into business partnerships. Capital follows ideas, and we're going to make sure that ideas from around the globe are finding their way here.

* Robinson will help develop and launch a public/private foundation called the Minnesota Partnership for the Arts. This foundation will raise $10 million in private capital for Minnesota artists and arts related activity. Its focus will be to coordinate the various arts-oriented efforts of Minnesota's philanthropic community, corporations and government agencies. The Partnership will help fund the arts in schools and help cultivate the creativity and innovative spirit that will help Minnesota's economy thrive in the 21st Century. The Partnership will be a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit modeled after The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City.

* One objective of this Partnership will be to help expand arts opportunities in schools. Those classes help develop the social and emotional skills our kids will need to succeed in a global, innovation-based economy. Too many of those classes have been crowded out by No Child Left Behind.

* Another focus of the partnership will be to expand public programs at our museums and art galleries, including free family days at the Walker Art Center, the Children's Theatre, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

* Robinson will lead the Partnership's launch of a series of arts nights at the governor's mansion, for arts performances and arts open houses.

* The Partnership will work with the Small Business Administration to help it better serve the needs of individual artists. Artists with the skills and resources to successfully market their work will be more likely to build sustainable careers and contribute to our economy.

* Robinson will work to ensure that in the administration of its Percent for Art program, which encourages the use of public art in public buildings, there is a preference for works from Minnesota artists.

* Robinson will work with Entenza to expand stable, affordable health coverage, a critical issue for many independent artists who must purchase their own health insurance. Robinson and Entenza will take advantage of the federal dollars available for an early expansion of Medicaid and will work to expand MinnesotaCare.

Speaking at a press conference in St. Paul's Western Sculpture Garden, Robinson said, "In the 21st century economy, stable and prosperous jobs are going to belong to the states that promote creative thought, innovation and cultural understanding. The arts can play a role in all of this. Cultural connections spur commerce and investment, and my role as cultural ambassador for Minnesota will help make creative energy a hallmark of our state. In addition, my work through the Partnership will ensure that we are supporting our next generation of artists and leaders throughout our diverse communities."

Robinson was joined at the event by:

Nicholas Harper, Owner, Rogue Buddha Gallery
Rob Callahan, Author and Performer
Maritza Ramirez, Fashion Designer and Event Producer
Chris Strouth, Music and Film Producer
Clement Shimizu, Projection and Digital Artist
Kate Iverson, Writer, Photographer and Producer
Kristin Freya, Heartbeat Studios, Vox Medusa
Members of the Youth Dance Troupe Beatsquad
Teqen Zéa Aida of Vision Models

Throughout her time in Minnesota, Robinson has been a leader in the Twin Cities arts community. Robinson served as the first Co-Chair of Mosaic, the city-wide arts and diversity festival in Minneapolis, and was Honorary Curator for Minnesota Youth Art Month at the State Capitol. Robinson founded Exhibit, a non-profit arts collective that helped fund the creation of the Independent Feature Project/Minneapolis Producers' Fellowship, and has raised thousands of dollars for the Lupus Foundation by creating Voce, a series of multimedia art and music events for and by women that enhanced Lupus education and awareness. Robinson was the owner of flatland, a contemporary fine art gallery that's been featured in numerous national publications including Art News and Elle Décor, and has helped further the careers of many local artists whose work has been commissioned by Northwest Airlines and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Robinson's work at flatland led to an award nomination from Ernst and Young, and to her being named Business Woman of the Year by a professional women's organization.

Matt Entenza's campaign for governor of Minnesota is about growing the economy, creating jobs all over Minnesota by focusing on the potential of clean energy, and refocusing on education as the engine of future job creation and economic competitiveness. Entenza was a white-collar crime prosecutor prior to representing St. Paul in the Minnesota legislature for 12 years, including four years during which he also served as House Minority Leader and led the DFL to significant gains. In 2007, Entenza founded Minnesota 2020, a think tank that has been an important voice for progressive policy positions and which he chaired until April 2009. Entenza is a graduate of Worthington High School in Worthington, Minn., Macalester College in St. Paul, and the University of Minnesota Law School.

More information is available at www.entenza.com.
 
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