Michael Dahl (He/Him)
@michaelspheres.bsky.social
Joyfully married to Rebecca. Passionate about justice. Love heirloom gardening, travel, coffee, and dark chocolate. Blog w/ a friend at www.intellectualroundtable.com. (Views expressed are my own.)
Today, the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) released its annual "Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing" report. For 2025, NLIHC notes that a minimum-wage worker would need to work 101 hours to afford a 2-bedroom rental home in Minnesota. #NLIHC #affordablehousing
July 17, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Today, the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) released its annual "Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing" report. For 2025, NLIHC notes that a minimum-wage worker would need to work 101 hours to afford a 2-bedroom rental home in Minnesota. #NLIHC #affordablehousing
Rental assistance helps Minnesotans live near work, care for family, & stay housed. Cuts will push families into crisis. Congress must protect this smart investment in stable homes & strong communities. Even a 1% reduction would displace about 1,000 families. Call Congress now
#mnleg #HousingMatters
#mnleg #HousingMatters
mhponline.org
July 10, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Rental assistance helps Minnesotans live near work, care for family, & stay housed. Cuts will push families into crisis. Congress must protect this smart investment in stable homes & strong communities. Even a 1% reduction would displace about 1,000 families. Call Congress now
#mnleg #HousingMatters
#mnleg #HousingMatters
Tell Congress #HandsOffHousing! Cuts to rental and homelessness assistance hurt those with the greatest
needs in our communities: low-income seniors, veterans, ppl with disabilities, and those experiencing
homelessness. Contact your members of Congress here: p2a.co/nliqghj
needs in our communities: low-income seniors, veterans, ppl with disabilities, and those experiencing
homelessness. Contact your members of Congress here: p2a.co/nliqghj
Urge Congress to Invest in Affordable Homes in Fiscal Year 2026
Urge Congress to Invest in Affordable Homes in Fiscal Year 2026
p2a.co
June 11, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Tell Congress #HandsOffHousing! Cuts to rental and homelessness assistance hurt those with the greatest
needs in our communities: low-income seniors, veterans, ppl with disabilities, and those experiencing
homelessness. Contact your members of Congress here: p2a.co/nliqghj
needs in our communities: low-income seniors, veterans, ppl with disabilities, and those experiencing
homelessness. Contact your members of Congress here: p2a.co/nliqghj
If you know someone who is depressed/anxious and you want to help (or make yourself feel comfortable), do not attempt empathy by saying, ’Yeah, we all have our bad days.’ You will make the depressed or anxious person feel more isolated and, perhaps, less likely to seek help from someone they know.
May 4, 2025 at 4:00 PM
If you know someone who is depressed/anxious and you want to help (or make yourself feel comfortable), do not attempt empathy by saying, ’Yeah, we all have our bad days.’ You will make the depressed or anxious person feel more isolated and, perhaps, less likely to seek help from someone they know.
See HOME Line’s Instagram page (homeline_mn) to see how tenants speak up for their rights. They are great advocates for source of income and just cause protections.
April 15, 2025 at 5:18 PM
See HOME Line’s Instagram page (homeline_mn) to see how tenants speak up for their rights. They are great advocates for source of income and just cause protections.
One of my colleagues, Fadumo, describes why Source of Income Protections are needed in Minnesota immediately. #renting #tenantprotections www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB9n...
Fadumo Source of Income
YouTube video by HOME Line
www.youtube.com
April 14, 2025 at 3:05 PM
One of my colleagues, Fadumo, describes why Source of Income Protections are needed in Minnesota immediately. #renting #tenantprotections www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB9n...
Reposted by Michael Dahl (He/Him)
"Whoever is elected the 48th president won’t be able to easily rebuild what Donald Trump is busy destroying," @jerusalem.bsky.social writes:
There’s No Coming Back From Trump’s Tariff Disaster
America was the world’s economic anchor. Thanks to the president, it may never have that role again.
bit.ly
April 13, 2025 at 4:15 PM
"Whoever is elected the 48th president won’t be able to easily rebuild what Donald Trump is busy destroying," @jerusalem.bsky.social writes:
Reposted by Michael Dahl (He/Him)
Legal experts say states could help married women who have changed their last names by accepting documents like a legal decree or a marriage certificate, but it might not fix the issue for all.
Will the SAVE Act make it harder for married women to vote? We ask legal experts
Legal experts say states could help married women who have changed their last names by accepting documents like a legal decree or a marriage certificate, but it might not fix the issue for all.
www.npr.org
April 13, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Legal experts say states could help married women who have changed their last names by accepting documents like a legal decree or a marriage certificate, but it might not fix the issue for all.
Reposted by Michael Dahl (He/Him)
After reading the NYT interview with Tracy Chapman, I wondered if a People's History of the United States course should be taught through a collection of songs. Thoughts?
Tracy Chapman Wants to Speak for Herself
For years, the singer and songwriter has avoided the spotlight. But she is breaking her silence to look back on her self-titled debut and its powerful hit “Fast Car.”
www.nytimes.com
April 10, 2025 at 1:33 PM
After reading the NYT interview with Tracy Chapman, I wondered if a People's History of the United States course should be taught through a collection of songs. Thoughts?
Source of Income Protections ensure that renters using subsidies aren’t denied housing b/c of how they pay rent. Fartun, a Section 8 voucher holder, has repeatedly faced this barrier for yrs—landlords refusing to accept her voucher, limiting her housing options. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jsI...
Fartun S- Source of Income Protections
YouTube video by HOME Line
www.youtube.com
April 9, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Source of Income Protections ensure that renters using subsidies aren’t denied housing b/c of how they pay rent. Fartun, a Section 8 voucher holder, has repeatedly faced this barrier for yrs—landlords refusing to accept her voucher, limiting her housing options. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jsI...
Reposted by Michael Dahl (He/Him)
The 2017 tax law didn’t deliver the promised economic boost — no meaningful gains in growth, investment, or wages. Now, plans to extend it, alongside cuts to #Medicaid & #SNAP and new tariffs, would raise costs for families while giving more to the top 1%. www.cbpp.org/blog/the-201...
April 8, 2025 at 6:21 PM
The 2017 tax law didn’t deliver the promised economic boost — no meaningful gains in growth, investment, or wages. Now, plans to extend it, alongside cuts to #Medicaid & #SNAP and new tariffs, would raise costs for families while giving more to the top 1%. www.cbpp.org/blog/the-201...
Let's start creating coalitions w/o acronyms but w/ meaningful names people want to say. Acronyms create barriers to conversations, w/ the general public &, specifically, people w/ lived experience.
Somewhat related, why did we abandon saying "diversity, equity, & inclusion" & start saying "DEI?"
Somewhat related, why did we abandon saying "diversity, equity, & inclusion" & start saying "DEI?"
February 7, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Let's start creating coalitions w/o acronyms but w/ meaningful names people want to say. Acronyms create barriers to conversations, w/ the general public &, specifically, people w/ lived experience.
Somewhat related, why did we abandon saying "diversity, equity, & inclusion" & start saying "DEI?"
Somewhat related, why did we abandon saying "diversity, equity, & inclusion" & start saying "DEI?"
This is from the Minnesota Reformer today. Despite the anti-immigration rhetoric, these stats show how much undocumented migrants contribute to Minnesota and our nation.
January 27, 2025 at 9:10 PM
This is from the Minnesota Reformer today. Despite the anti-immigration rhetoric, these stats show how much undocumented migrants contribute to Minnesota and our nation.
For FY2024, the Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the mortgage interest deduction will reduce revenues by $25.4 billion. Nearly half of the deduction goes to households earning +$200K. Funding to address #homelessness pales in comparison.
January 18, 2025 at 8:48 PM
For FY2024, the Joint Committee on Taxation estimates the mortgage interest deduction will reduce revenues by $25.4 billion. Nearly half of the deduction goes to households earning +$200K. Funding to address #homelessness pales in comparison.
As of September 2024, there were 801 billionaires based in the U. S. w/ a combined wealth totaling $6.22 trillion. They control significantly more wealth than the bottom half of American families. And wealth disparities are only increasing. Is this okay? intellectualroundtable.com/2025/01/12/s...
Should A Healthy Society Have Billionaires? - Intellectual Roundtable
How do you feel about the wealth and income divide? Should a healthy society have such things as billionaires?
intellectualroundtable.com
January 18, 2025 at 11:49 AM
As of September 2024, there were 801 billionaires based in the U. S. w/ a combined wealth totaling $6.22 trillion. They control significantly more wealth than the bottom half of American families. And wealth disparities are only increasing. Is this okay? intellectualroundtable.com/2025/01/12/s...
What a powerful evening I've witnessed. MN tenants are writing letters and getting videotaped to testimony about the problems they’ve had with source of income discrimination, and wrongful eviction. They want their legislators to pass protections so these issues never happen to renters ever again.
January 10, 2025 at 2:09 AM
What a powerful evening I've witnessed. MN tenants are writing letters and getting videotaped to testimony about the problems they’ve had with source of income discrimination, and wrongful eviction. They want their legislators to pass protections so these issues never happen to renters ever again.
Campaign "experts" often turn aspirational ideas for change into insider-speak, thus creating a divide between them and their potential base. #housingjustice #justice #campaigns michaelspheres.com/acronyms-jar...
January 9, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Campaign "experts" often turn aspirational ideas for change into insider-speak, thus creating a divide between them and their potential base. #housingjustice #justice #campaigns michaelspheres.com/acronyms-jar...
I just posted a new blog entry on Michaelspheres, "Why can’t I just love who I’ve become?" A major bout with #Depression and #Anxiety nearly ten years ago and the meds I take to address them changed me. Why can't I accept who I've become? #mentalhealth michaelspheres.com/why-cant-i-j...
Why can’t I just love who I’ve become? - michaelspheres
A long period of intense Depression and Anxiety and the ensuing treatments from nearly ten years ago made me become a different version of Michael.
michaelspheres.com
December 12, 2024 at 2:18 PM
I just posted a new blog entry on Michaelspheres, "Why can’t I just love who I’ve become?" A major bout with #Depression and #Anxiety nearly ten years ago and the meds I take to address them changed me. Why can't I accept who I've become? #mentalhealth michaelspheres.com/why-cant-i-j...
My #garden photos calm my mind, make me feel grateful, and reduce the #Anxiety I sometimes feel. Follow the link if winter gets you down, or you just want to see some beautiful pictures. #gardentherapy
michaelspheres.com/favorite-gar...
michaelspheres.com/favorite-gar...
Favorite Garden Photos - michaelspheres
My garden photos calm my mind, make me feel grateful, and reduce the Anxiety I sometimes feel.
michaelspheres.com
December 4, 2024 at 3:38 PM
My #garden photos calm my mind, make me feel grateful, and reduce the #Anxiety I sometimes feel. Follow the link if winter gets you down, or you just want to see some beautiful pictures. #gardentherapy
michaelspheres.com/favorite-gar...
michaelspheres.com/favorite-gar...
This practice must end. It's an issue in Minnesota, too.
Breaking: Biden Labor Dept is releasing proposed rule abolishing practice of legally paying people with disabilities a lower "special" wage. Records we obtained show employers paying staff as little as 25¢ an hour to sort clothes, 5¢ to cut rags
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
US Seeks to End Subminimum Wage for Workers With Disabilities
President Joe Biden’s Department of Labor is proposing to abolish below-minimum-wage pay for people with disabilities, targeting a long-controversial program whose fate will now rest with the incoming...
www.bloomberg.com
December 3, 2024 at 4:41 PM
This practice must end. It's an issue in Minnesota, too.
Mr. Bobo, a talented breakdancer, prepares for a head spin while the Gang cheers him on to "Axel F." michaelspheres.com/mr-bobo-is-a...
December 3, 2024 at 11:36 AM
Mr. Bobo, a talented breakdancer, prepares for a head spin while the Gang cheers him on to "Axel F." michaelspheres.com/mr-bobo-is-a...
I may start posting about some of my friends -- Squish, Mr. Fender, and the rest of the gang of #toys -- who hang out in my study. They bring me great joy; and the world needs joy now. michaelspheres.com/squish-and-m...
Squish and Mr. Fender: an introduction - michaelspheres
I befriended Squish and Mr. Fender at the State Fair. From there we created a diverse community of toys in my study.
michaelspheres.com
December 1, 2024 at 8:48 PM
I may start posting about some of my friends -- Squish, Mr. Fender, and the rest of the gang of #toys -- who hang out in my study. They bring me great joy; and the world needs joy now. michaelspheres.com/squish-and-m...
As I'm paging through my seed catalogs, I'm remembering a post I wrote a while back about why we should celebrate non-hybrid (i.e., #heirloom and #open-pollinated) seed diversity. We need to protect our food supply better. michaelspheres.com/why-celebrat...
Why celebrate the wealth of seed diversity? - michaelspheres
I write about the importance of seed diversity, emphasizing its role in food resilience amid a market that makes good choices hard.
michaelspheres.com
December 1, 2024 at 8:26 PM
As I'm paging through my seed catalogs, I'm remembering a post I wrote a while back about why we should celebrate non-hybrid (i.e., #heirloom and #open-pollinated) seed diversity. We need to protect our food supply better. michaelspheres.com/why-celebrat...
Reposted by Michael Dahl (He/Him)
Why do so many Americans live in poverty? Because so many rich people benefit from it, the sociologist Matthew Desmond told Annie Lowrey last year. theatln.tc/oc1NTW54
November 27, 2024 at 7:37 PM
Why do so many Americans live in poverty? Because so many rich people benefit from it, the sociologist Matthew Desmond told Annie Lowrey last year. theatln.tc/oc1NTW54