April 6, 2004 - A bit transportation history... could become a part of the future for the Minneapolis Greenway. There's a plan to bring back STREETCARS that would connect Lake Calhoun with the Mississippi River. Supporters say a route along the Greenway could carry more than 7-thousand passengers a day... and would feed into the Hiawatha Light Rail Line. Joining us on the phone is streetcar supporter... and Minneapolis City Council member Gary Schiff. That is Minneapolis City Council member Gary Schiff.
April 6, 2004 - Clergy, corporate executives and politicians will take part in the 44th annual Minnesota Prayer Breakfast, held in Minneapolis. Governor Tim Pawlenty is expected to attend, along with former vice president Walter Mondale, CEOs, and a diverse set of ministers. This year's meeting occurs as an increasing number of employers are encouraging workplace discussions of religious values and ethics. In some places, that includes office prayer groups or on-site meditation rooms. Marylyn Carlson Nelson, CEO of Carlson Companies and the co-chair of this year's prayer breakfast says the growth of spirituality in the workplace is an outgrowth of several converging factors.
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April 22, 2004 - Governor Pawlenty heads to St. Louis today in the hopes of using the state's shareholder power to force the world's largest drug company to lower prescription drug prices for Americans. The governor intends to speak in support of a shareholder proposal that would limit how much Pfizer can charge for its drugs. Minnesota owns less than one percent of Pfizer's total value but Pawlenty hopes his visit will get the ball rolling on a shareholder initiative to lower prescription drug prices. Pawlenty is optimistic that others will join his cause. But critics say any proposal to change pricing is unlikely to pass because it would harm Pfizer's stock price. Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck reports.... {Governor Pawlenty's main goal is to recruit enough shareholders to force Pfizer officials to cut drug prices in the U.S. and allow drug reimportation from foreign countries where price controls and other market factors force drug companies to charge less. Pawlenty says he's been trying to persuade large pension fund managers from states like New York and California to join his cause. In any case, it won't happen this year. His proposal isn't on the agenda because the state missed the company's deadline. But it probably won't hurt and could help to wait a year because passing a shareholder resolution is a tough challenge. Pfizer shareholders have not approved any proposals in recent memory. Nevertheless, Pawlenty will argue free trade is allowed on everything from toasters to automobiles and it's only fair that the practice be extended to prescription drugs.
April 22, 2004 - (NOTE: DATE REFERENCE IN FIRST GRAPH) Governor Tim Pawlenty is offering a plan to return Minnesota Twins games to television. Nearly two-thirds of the team's games are being televised this year by Victory Sports One, a start-up cable channel owned by the team. But the new channel isn't carried by the state's largest cable and satellite providers. Pawlenty is worried the blackout will sour Minnesotans on a proposed new ballpark for the team. So he's now asking the state Bureau of Mediation Services to help the parties craft a deal that puts the games back on TV. While Victory Sports One is welcoming Pawlenty's involvement, the state's two largest cable companies say the proposal misses the mark. Minnesota Public Radio's Michael Khoo has more.
April 22, 2004 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports Governor Tim Pawlenty was unsuccessful in his efforts to persuade the shareholders of Pfizer, the world's largest drug company, to charge Americans less for prescriptions. In report, Pawlenty speaks on re-importation of drugs.
April 22, 2004 - An interview with Jim Hoolihan, who has been named the new president of The Grand Rapids, Minnesota-based Blandin Foundation. Hoolihan is a business owner and the former mayor of Grand Rapids.
April 23, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports on JOBZ (Job Opportunity Building Zones), a Minnesota jobs program. What Governor Tim Pawlenty calls the "mother of all economic incentives" has landed its first big out-of-state prize for rural Minnesota. A South Dakota company says Minnesota's JOBZ program played an important role in its decision to expand to Luverne…but despite Pawlenty's enthusiasm, officials with Total Card, Inc. say JOBZ was not the most important factor.
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