In May of 1991, David Morris was featured in Minnesota Public Television’s (TPT) Portrait series on prominent Minnesotans. During the 25 minute interview David discussed the founding of ILSR, how he came to Minnesota, his work on building a homegrown economy and his vision for the future. … Read More
David Morris talks with Christopher Mitchell, Director of ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks initiative about why the message of local self-reliance is as relevant today as it was when ILSR opened its doors in 1974. This wide-ranging conversation examines the rising concentration of economic power and cities’ responses. … Read More
John Farrell, Director of ILSR’s Energy Democracy Initiative, Stacy Mitchell, Director of Community-Scaled Economies, and David Morris join host Christopher Mitchell to reflect on the role and nature of local policies and politics and the innovative economic structures communities are building.… Read More
On March 18, 2015, President Obama addressed the Cleveland Club. After his speech a 7th grader asked him, “If you could go back to the first day of your first term what advice would you give yourself?” Better that she would have inquired, “Given that the country was lost on your watch, what would you have done differently?” … Read More
In 1995, David Morris spoke at the Riverside Church about localism and globalism. In his 15-minute speech David maintains that globalization and gigantism and absentee ownership were not inevitable but the result of public policies. We make the rules, and the rules make us. And the rules we’ve made, especially over the last 50 years, have enabled and encouraged an economic and political system where those who make the rules are separated from those who feel the impact of those rules. … Read More
The free lending public library is a uniquely American invention. Neighborhood based, locally financed, open to all, the public library is a treasure that finds itself too often on the periphery of public policy and attention. Given the remarkable past and present of the public library that should change.… Read More
America’s leaders are right. America is exceptional. But not in the way they assert. History has blessed America with unprecedented advantages, but we have not used them wisely. We are indeed number 1 among nations in many areas, but these are areas where being number 1 is a sign of failure, not success. … Read More
