“Sorry kids, but we had to mortgage your future.  Here, have a bike helmet.”

Yesterday, the Hennepin County Board on a 6-1 vote, requested federal stimulus funds in the amount of $10,000,000 for a program called “Communities Putting Prevention to Work.” Although we have not been granted these funds yet, there was great optimism that we will receive them based upon the strength of our proposed program and the desire of the federal government to fund projects like this.

The funds would be used throughout suburban Hennepin County “to address obesity, physical activity and nutrition through sustainable, proven approaches such as policy, systems, organizational and environmental changes in communities.”

Included in the request: $2.7 million for “subsidized bicycles, helmets, walking shoes and transit passes.”

County will Count Illegal Immigrants in 2010 Census

Shortly after I took office in January of this year, I had a meeting with a couple of Hennepin County employees who were working on a program to promote the 2010 U. S. Census. Encouraging everyone in the county to fill out the census form was more crucial this year than ever before, I was told, as the population numbers derived from the 2010 Census would determine representation for Minnesota in Congress, and there has been talk that Minnesota could lose one congressional seat after the census numbers come in.

In addition, the census numbers will used to set state legislative boundaries and allocate representation in the Minnesota legislature.