Media Panel Week 1 - Kathryn Herzog, KFAI-FM

(Coordinator’s Note: Kathryn Herzog, who wrote the following media-panel critique of this week’s gubernatorial debate, is a politics and community-news reporter for KFAI-FM’s Fresh Air Radio.)

As a community radio journalist I am always looking for how today’s issues and events affect the common woman and man. I speak to the large part of the public who are often most affected by public policy, yet are left out of the debate and mainstream media. This is the angle from which I approach the E-Debates.

While most candidates approved of alternatives to today’s public school system to increase educational quality and better insure student success, most failed to comment on the growing gap between inner city and suburban and wealthier school districts. I would like to see more candidates comment on how to bridge the gap between school districts and how to provide equal opportunities to all students.

Candidates favored charter schools and the majority disapproved of taking money away from public schools for private schools. Dayton and Freeman both touched on cutting class size to give students more personal attention. Dayton and Freeman also suggested increasing teacher salaries. But overall it seemed teachers were left out of many candidates’ ideas of how to improve public education. Teachers have the most important job in society. I would like to see candidates discuss how they plan to better equip underpaid teachers to work in ethnically diverse classrooms . And that means more than Borrell’s idea to give teachers the right to chose their own students.

While all candidates were supportive of private sector investment in the public school system, they did not discuss the influence factor these corporate investments can have on school policy, curriculum structure and student subject matter. Marty suggested banning commercial advertisements in schools. I would like more candidates to discuss how they can assure parents, students and the public that corporate investors will only provide schools with the technology and other equipment they have, and not ideological or commercial influence.

All candidates offered useful ideas on how to strengthen what they see as an already strong Minnesota economy . I was disappointed to read that only one candidate addressed the fact that while the wealthy in Minnesota are in good condition, there are so many families in this state that are unable to put enough food on the table. If candidates are going to reach all areas of the Minnesota public, they will have to get away from the soundbite that the economy is strong, and touch base with the people who have been left behind. I was surprised that more candidates didn’t comment on agriculture. It has been and will be a major backbone of Minnesota. Many family farmers in Minnesota struggle to make ends meet. They work to feed us, yet many believe we have turned our backs on them. Freeman touched briefly on investing in the family farm system. Quiest, with direct connections to farmers, failed to discuss the issue. Why did the majority of candidates dismiss Minnesota farmers when discussing the state economy?

Everyone agrees the state transportation system must change. The focus was on repairing and maintaining our highway system. Everyone likes light rail. Everyone suggests either a study, demo-project or a plan. No candidate was very convincing in their argument. Minnesotans are tired of traffic congestion, urban sprawl and environmental pollution. Which candidate can stand up and say they want light-rail, they have a plan and they will work to implement that plan as a top priority? Which candidate can do more than easily say they want to protect the environment? Yes, mass transit is a major artery to a strong economy. But so is a clean environment. More highways, means less green. People are tired of hearing about studies, they want results. They want the chance to try light rail themselves. They want a governor who will take a stand and work to provide the state with clean, efficient mass transit technology. Few candidates were able to show they would do just that.