Tell state leaders that you believe we can do better and should invest more to keep Minnesota great. Join other Minnesotans from across the state in calling on leaders to raise the money fairly to create prosperity that will strengthen our families and give kids a better start in life.

Write in your own words and speak to issues you care about personally. Use the sample four-part email below as a guide.

1. Investment Message: State your support of investment in Minnesota's future.
2. Problem Statement: Mention a problem or area where Minnesota can do better by investing for the future. Tell how that issue affects you, your family or community, for example:

• fewer children and their families are covered by health insurance
• schools must educate an increasingly diverse student population
• too many kids start school unprepared and never catch up
• we are not doing enough to create more opportunity for all, especially the next generation
• traffic congestion is getting worse, affecting business productivity and quality of life
• colleges must spend valuable resources on remedial classes because high school graduates can't do college work
• rising tuition costs are putting college out of reach
• state cost shifts increase the burden on local government
• we are losing wetlands and wild areas vital to the environment

3. Solution Statement: Describe your support for specific investment-related legislation or method of raising revenue.
4. Conclusion: Reinforce that you support wise investment.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I urge you to support investment to keep Minnesota great. As a state, we can afford to invest more to create prosperity that will strengthen our families and give kids a better start in life. We should raise the additional money fairly - without increasing taxes on middle-income families.

When we invested more, Minnesota did better. Our economy grew faster than the nation's, and other states envied our schools, environment and healthy population. In recent years, Minnesota?s lead in all these measures has been slipping.

I'm concerned that Minnesota is not doing enough to prepare more of today's children to succeed in school, which leads to success in life. Increasing access to pre-school programs for all children would be the best investment we could make in Minnesota's future.

Increased funding is not a substitute for innovation in government or fiscal discipline in all spending. I support a wise investment strategy that is tied to clear goals, expects a return and holds our leaders accountable for effectively managing the public's money.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
March 30, 2007