Author Archive
Five Smart Money Habits to Teach Kids Now
By AMANDA THEISEN, Communications Manager for Sunrise Banks Summer is almost over, and kids will be heading back to school in a few short weeks. As they dive back into reading, writing, math, science and other subjects, this is also a good time to give them a hands-on lesson in managing money. A University of Cambridge study found that children typically form habits around money and spending by age seven. Additional research shows that parents, not friends, are a child’s biggest influence on their attitudes and behavior with finances. Here are five sustainable money habits you can teach the young people in your life now, so they’re set up for financial success later in life. 1. Save a Portion of All Money Received Age-Appropriate Starting Point: Age 5+Encourage kids to set aside a percentage of all money they receive—whether from allowances, gifts, or part-time jobs. A simple breakdown could be the 50/30/20 rule: put 50% towards spending, 30% [...]
Behind the Decisions: What the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) Does for Minneapolis
by LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS This is the fourth article in the League of Women Voters Minneapolis 2025 Democracy Series. All articles will be available at lwvmpls.org/democracy-series/ In the November election, you will have the opportunity to select members of the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET). What responsibilities do these board members have? How might decisions made by these boards affect you? How can you make an informed decision on who to vote for so your choice of candidate aligns with your values and concerns? Responsibilities of the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) BET may not be on your radar every day, but the decisions it makes affect you greatly. This board decides the maximum cap on the total property tax dollars our city government can collect. This is called a levy. Before setting the levy, the board holds public hearings to listen to Minneapolis residents’ opinions. For 2025, the city’s overall property tax levy [...]
The Sky Is Falling
By SHELIA BLAND The sky is fallingA heart is breakingAlone in a crowdBetween ears emptinessCries in the nightTears falling from the heavens Where is this worldInside a twilight of griefWasteland of desire and wantA touchless world of longing Tunes of anxiety screech across ears All horror, all anxietyAll a prism of science fictionReligions of Religions Religions of objectivityReligions of scienceReligions of statisticsReligions of factsAll is religion—A belief in non-belief Longing to shatter the prison of individualism A prison of me, me, me— I, I, IWinner-take-allSurvival of the fittest Philosophy of annihilationism Dog eat dogFight to the finishOnly one left standing A climax of doom, gloom, and isolationThe real made fantastically unreal Screeching, screaming hollowness between earsOozing the slime of loneliness Transcendental isolation…The “I” as Godhead Shelia Bland lives in Midtown Phillips. She has been writing most of her life [...]
