Secrets of the City

The AP tells the story: The lawsuit filed Thursday in Ramsey County District Court names the Republican governor and three of his cabinet members. It seeks class-action status for everyone who will lose state aid for medically prescribed diets or get smaller property tax refunds for renters.

MinnPost interviews one of the people affected: Deanna Brayton, 49, is disabled by multiple health problems: autoimmune disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative disc disease, osteoporosis, underactive thyroid, irritable bowel syndrome, traumatic brain injury. She has undergone 47 surgeries since being involved in a severe car accident — not her fault, she says — more than a decade ago. She also suffers from migraine headaches, anxiety and a host of other problems.

From the Associated Press: A nurse who authorities say got his kicks by visiting Internet suicide chat rooms and encouraging depressed people to kill themselves is under investigation in at least two deaths and could face criminal charges that could test the limits of the First Amendment.

Casey Selix at MinnPost takes a look at the cuts Pawlenty made to healthcare for the poor, and how organizations that provide those services are scrambling to get people taken care of: “It was one of the most stark and heart-wrenching debates I’d ever seen,” Ness recalls of the floor debate over the veto override. “Veteran lawmakers were breaking down in tears about what this says about Minnesota.”

Pawlenty offered up his suggestion for health care reform Tuesday. From the Strib: Tim Pawlenty Tuesday proposed changes that would allow Minnesotans to purchase out-of-state health policies and let for-profit insurers into the Minnesota market.

The plan would also use co-pays and higher deductibles to steer lower-income people on Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare toward state-approved clinics — a move Pawlenty said could trim state costs by $100 million a year.

His plan is not without critics. One example, from MPR: “If Governor Pawlenty had been paying attention to the health care debate, he’d know that Democratic plans already include major improvements in health care technology to lower costs and improve care, as well as insurance portability.”

[AP via Salon.com][T}he city crammed five years of sidewalk and bike trail construction into a year to make exercise easier for its 18,000 residents. Restaurants added healthier menu options and grocery stores showcased wholesome foods ... Schools stopped celebrating birthdays with sugary treats and started setting up "walking buses" that allowed kids to walk to and from school together with adult supervision.

The key for Albert Lea was getting the community behind a goal that was not just about weight loss, but also about fostering family relationships, a sense of purpose and healthy living habits …

Upton Sinclair’s landmark book, “The Jungle,” exposed Americans to the horrors and unsanitary conditions of the nation’s slaughterhouses. The New York Times, in a Michael Moss article dated 3 Oct, investigates the causes and consequences of a 2007 outbreak of E. coli in Minnesota, and elsewhere, due to contaminated ground beef marketed by Minnesota ag giant Cargill. The victim interviewed in the article, whose life was forever and tragically altered, is Minnesota resident Stephanie Smith.

[FTA:] The ingredients came from slaughterhouses in Nebraska, Texas and Uruguay, and from a South Dakota company that processes fatty trimmings and treats them with ammonia to kill bacteria. Using a combination of sources — a practice followed by most large producers of fresh and packaged hamburger — allowed Cargill to spend about 25 percent less than it would have for cuts of whole meat.

There are few details available, but local media today are reporting the H1N1-related death of an otherwise healthy child somewhere in Hennepin County. This is seventh Minnesotan to die since the Swine Flu pandemic began. KARE-11 offers tips on what to do if you think you have H1N1. Child-care centers are preparing, as are workplaces and even the county jail.

Have any of you made changes to avoid getting H1N1, MNSpeakers?

Eyeteeth points out a report that Minnesota artists are more than twice as likely to be ininsured (from Springbpard for the Arts), and then introduces us to Dr. Sam, who is doing what he can to make healthcare affordable for artists, among others: Doctor Sam’s patients are from communities who are often out priced by the health care system — transgender people, the self-employed and artists. Folks with ongoing health concerns can become members of the practice for just $60 a month, and pay $36 per visit. Compare that to workers with comprehensive insurance who pay on average $400 to $600 a month.

To paraphrase a line from “Young Frankenstien,” a smoking ban thread is an ugly thing, unt it’s just about time that we had one! Armed with a new survey that shows that more than three-fourths of the public housing residents in three northern Minnesota counties would prefer living in a smokefree building, the mayor of Duluth and my organization are calling for some changes. In related news, when a privately owned housing complex in Eau Claire, Wisc. recently announced it was going smokefree, the comment section went crazy. What do you think, MNSpeakers? Slippery slope to Nannyville, or simply some folks looking for a healthier, smokefree place to live?

According to a new report on childhood obesity and overweight children, Minnesota has the lowest rates in the nation for the problem. In these case, the Lake Wobegon kids are below average, and that’s a good thang. Whatya think?