MFarr

MFarr

Hello! I am Senator M. Farr from Minnesota, and I am a Democrat. The congressperson I most agree with on issues from Minnesota is Senator Al Frankin. His website is- http://franken.senate.gov/

1.) Minnesota's state bird is the common loon, which is also featured on the state coin. **
 * __Five Interesting Facts about Minnesota__
 * 2.)** Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, while in reality there are around 15,000 lakes, including Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes.
 * 3.)** The state motto of Minnesota is "L'etoile du nord", which is French. In English, its means "Star of the North".
 * 4.)** As of 2004, Minnesota has no death row prisoners, and from 1977-2004, there were no executions, which I find very interesting.
 * 5.)** Minnesota has gotten much national attention for their 38th governor Jesse Ventura, a former Navy Seal, actor, and professional wrestler.

__**Five Interesting Facts about Minnesota that Relate to my Issues**__
 * 1.)** 10% of Minnesota's population is living below poverty level.
 * 2.)** Minnesota has 6 endangered species.
 * 3.)** 9% of Minnesotan children ages 5-17 are living below poverty level.
 * 4.)** Minnesota has no laws on prayer in public schools, meaning they abide by the Supreme Court decision that it is unconstitutional.
 * 5.)** Minnesota has 66 state parks, and 7 national parks, including Superior National Forest and Voyageurs National Park.

I believe that homelessness and poverty is a huge issue in America. It is also a very misunderstood issue. Many people think that all homeless people are lazy, and just "don't want to work". This is a wrong stereotype. The majority of America's homeless are mentally ill, born into lower income families, veterans, or made bad decisions early on in life. In any case, no one DESERVES to be homeless. I believe that we should start by changing America's attitude towards the homeless. Then, it will be better recognized as a huge issue. Once the public is educated on how terrible it is, they WILL want to help. To help stop homelessness, I think we should get the homeless into houses first. Once families have a permanent residence, the adults can begin to look for jobs. I think we should also create more jobs. And finally, more programs to help people who are/were homeless and are looking for jobs. Nobody will hire them if they don't look presentable and confident. These are my solutions to the growing problem of homelessness. Poverty is also a huge issue facing us today. Around one in six Americans are living in poverty. This is unacceptable. We need to help these people. Many people in poverty are on the brink of being homeless. If we provide them with help now, we can begin to slow the growth of homelessness in America. **
 * __Three Issues Very Important to Me__**
 * 1.) Homelessness and Poverty-
 * 2.) Environmental Conservation-**
 * I believe that environmental conservation should be one of the nation's top priorities. Our environment is so beautiful here in America, and if we keep going on the path we are, it could eventually be gone. I believe that no-littering policies should be better enforced. Also, we should set up more recycling centers. I remember in my old neighborhood, the garbage trucks would not take recycling. This is unacceptable. If recycling could be picked up on your lawn just like trash, like it is here in Aurora, I'll bet AT LEAST twice as many people would recycle as they do now. Also, more areas should be protected by the national or state governments. This way, we can protect our environment for generations to come. **
 * 3.) Separation of Church and State Upheld in Public Schools-**
 * I believe that the separation of church and state should be upheld in public schools. This means that I do not think teachers should be able to lead students in prayer. Doing so, I believe, would not be promoting religious diversity. ** I believe that unless it is a strict religious rule to pray at certain times of the day, you don't NEED to pray at school. You can pray after-school, or go to a private school. I do believe that after-school activities that are religious should be allowed, as long as they are voluntary. However, I do not think that public schools should be allowed to have any religious activity during the school day, even if it IS voluntary. It may leave students feeling very alone, and very left out. Do we really want to leave our country in the hands of people like that? Therefore, I believe religion and public schools should be kept totally separate.

The bill that my co-sponsor, MSalzano, and I are proposing is called __Soil for the Toil__, and it is about building community gardens in areas of poverty. As I said before, poverty is a huge issue. Around one in six Americans are in poverty. These people live in very bad conditions, and are often not connected as a community. Community gardens would increase a sense of community in the areas they are built in. Also, many people living in poor areas do not have access to many things we take for granted, such as fresh, healthy food. In a community garden, they would be able to grow fresh, organic, and healthy fruits and vegetables. Another benefit our bill would have is that it will increase the quality of life for the gardeners. Gardening is proven to be good for your mental and physical health. With all the problems the poor are already facing, a community garden could be the outlet that many need. Vote for our bill because it will be helping people in poverty, along with the environment.
 * __My Co-Sponsor's and my Bill, SB37__**

__**Ten Important Sources I Used**__ **1.) Weissman, Evan. "community gardens." //Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society//. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. Spring 2010. . **
 * 2.)** Marr, Matthew. "Homelessness: Overview." //Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society//. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. Spring 2010. .
 * 3.)** Lamison-White, Leatha. "Poverty Areas." //Census Bureau Home Page//. June 1995. Web. Spring 2010. .
 * 4.)** Fleischman, Paul. //Seedfolks//. New York, N.Y.: Harper Trophy, 2004. Print.
 * 5.)** //US Environmental Protection Agency//. Web. Spring 2010. .
 * 6.)** //American Community Gardening Association//. Web. Spring 2010. .
 * 7.)** Savio, Yvonne. "University of California - Cooperative Extension - Welcome." //Los Angeles County - Extension Office Home Page//. Web. Spring 2010. .
 * 8.)** Schukoske, Jane E. "COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH GARDENING: STATE AND LOCAL POLICIES TRANSFORMING URBAN OPEN SPACE." Web. Spring 2010. .
 * 9.)** "Cost of a Dumpster - Get Prices and Estimates." //CostHelper.com//. Jan. 2009. Web. Spring 2010. [].
 * 10.)** "Measuring Poverty." //The Urban Institute | Research of Record//. Web. Spring 2010. .