StarTribune.comA law that should have been passed back when NAFTA was first implemented.
How much is a noble idea worth? A new state law prohibits cities, counties, the state and other "public employers" from buying uniforms or safety equipment made outside the United States. The idea, said the man behind the measure, Rep. Tom Rukavina, is to send a message about protecting American jobs and revenue. An admirable goal, say city officials and the League of Minnesota Cities, but the problem is that cash-strapped local governments have never been in a worse position to devote scarce resources to a philosophical ideal, even if they agree with it.
Recently in Minnesota Category
I have never been a fan of public financing of stadiums. The money should be spent on schools and other worthy social programs. So, I have to say I like what Joe Repya said:
As your next governor, I would agree to public financing of a new Viking stadium only if Ziggy Wilf and the NFL agree to sell a 51% equity of the Vikings to the State of Minnesota with a never to relocate iron clad clause.Now, do not mistake this post as an endorsement of Joe Repya for Governor. I just like his idea about the Vikes and a new stadium.
(KSTP TV) Former Senator Norm Coleman told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Chief Political Reporter Tom Hauser late Sunday he will not be running for governor in 2010.Well, I guess we will not have Norm to kick around anymore. Of course, there is still a federal pen with an open cell waiting for him.He will make the official announcement on his Facebook page. He released the following statement to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS ahead of the announcement.
"I love Minnesota and I love public service, but this is not the right time for me and my family to conduct a campaign for Governor.
Jeff is on a tear. He has written several outstanding posts about the Governor's race here in Minnesota. His latest is about the need for a Primary contest for politicians.
Oh, and about the whole "What ______ Said." Yeah, Mr. Duncan can......., well, I'm sure you know.
Oh, and about the whole "What ______ Said." Yeah, Mr. Duncan can......., well, I'm sure you know.
Some of you may disagree with me. Oh, hell, most of you may disagree with me. But, as God (or to whomever HP you profess faith) is my witness, this is the sign of decline of conservatism for the next 30 to 40 years.
It brought tears to my eyes at the same time as I chuckled in happiness.
It brought tears to my eyes at the same time as I chuckled in happiness.
I think this grandstanding by Pawlenty has sealed the fate of the MN GOP. At a time when the GOP nationally is losing ground, to stand tight with a failed ideology, after having already lost ground in the state congress, is only going to hasten the decline of the MN GOP.
At this point, if he should run, I doubt TPaw could win another term.
Update: Dave Mindeman is right, of course, in pointing out that Pawlenty now owns the MN Budget and all its fallout.
At this point, if he should run, I doubt TPaw could win another term.
Update: Dave Mindeman is right, of course, in pointing out that Pawlenty now owns the MN Budget and all its fallout.
The GirlFriend™ cut in line and made use of the bathroom before I got a chance to hop into the shower. As a result, I've a few minutes to fill. What better way to pass the time then to complain about my Governor. Well, not really my governor, since I didn't vote for him. However, I have to accept he is the governor because he managed to squeak out an electoral win. Anyway, Mr. Pawlenty is current engaged in old GOP behavior that, quite frankly, lost them power on the national level in both 2006 and 2008, as well as at the local level in both chambers of the state congress in both years.
See, the whole purpose of being an educated, intelligent adult is to pay attention to when you fail, so that you may learn from your mistakes. But the not so fine governor of Minnesota seems intent on closing his eyes, holding his breath, and throwing a tantrum until he gets his way. In the process, he will take health care away from Minnesotans, continue to starve our government, and generally behave exactly like the former POTUS. As a result, our state will be weaker, as the former POTUS left our country weaker.
Seriously; merge the Health Care Access fund with the General fund? Hello! Any one reminded of the move to privatize social security? This seems along the same order. It's just another attempt by a Republican to steal money from those less fortunate.
On a side note; has anyone looked into whether our not so fine governor dodged a bullet with his connections to the telecommunication industry because of the politicizing of the Justice Department? I am just wondering.
See, the whole purpose of being an educated, intelligent adult is to pay attention to when you fail, so that you may learn from your mistakes. But the not so fine governor of Minnesota seems intent on closing his eyes, holding his breath, and throwing a tantrum until he gets his way. In the process, he will take health care away from Minnesotans, continue to starve our government, and generally behave exactly like the former POTUS. As a result, our state will be weaker, as the former POTUS left our country weaker.
Seriously; merge the Health Care Access fund with the General fund? Hello! Any one reminded of the move to privatize social security? This seems along the same order. It's just another attempt by a Republican to steal money from those less fortunate.
On a side note; has anyone looked into whether our not so fine governor dodged a bullet with his connections to the telecommunication industry because of the politicizing of the Justice Department? I am just wondering.
PoliticoIt's all they know how to do. We already have seen their inability to actually govern.
Erickson, the Coleman campaign spokesman, said Monday that the senator has raised $25 million -- only a small portion of which came from online contributions -- since Nov. 4 to pay for his bills during the hand recount. That should be enough to keep the lawyers paid and the litigation brewing.
"I want to do all I can to help him," said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who said he had maxed out his donations to Coleman.
Hat tip: Minnesota Independent.
Red To Blue MN
Every single Republican in Minnesota's congressional delegation is up for reelection this cycle and each seat is a prime pick-up opportunity for the DFL. With a lot of hard work, we can send a delegation to Washington in 2009 that is 100% committed to bringing Minnesotans the change they deserve.
Help us to clean the House and Senate of corruption, greed and incompetence. The four candidates are: Al Franken, Ashwin Madia, Steve Sarvi, Elwyn Tinklenberg.
Update: Look's like the target amount was reached quite quickly and so it's been doubled. Hence the move back to the top.
Update: Look's like the target amount was reached quite quickly and so it's been doubled. Hence the move back to the top.
The Minnesota IndependentWhat's the big fuss? It's obvious she is simply looking to keep her career options open after politics. I am sure she will make a nice household primate pet to some deserving family. Are baboons good household pets?
The Humane Society, the largest animal welfare organization in the world, slammed Rep. Michele Bachmann for her vote last week against a bill outlawing the sale of apes, monkeys and other non-human primates in the exotic pet trade. The group took Bachmann to task for the primate vote as well as votes to allow trophy hunting of endangered polar bears and to allow the slaughter of wild horses for human consumption. The Captive Primate Safety Act, H.R. 2964, prohibits the sale of apes, monkeys and other primates as pets.
And OH. MY. GOD! it burns.
What is even more embarrassing, this incredibly stupid woman comes from Minnesota.
What is even more embarrassing, this incredibly stupid woman comes from Minnesota.
Coffee klatch? Meeting ground? Christ on horseback, she is a fucking dumb-ass. She makes Dana Carvey's Church Lady look absolutely progressive."Some suggestions are that perhaps we would see an enhancement of wildlife expansion because of the warmth of the pipeline," she said during her Wednesday appearance on WCCO-Radio's "Jack Rice Show."
Bachmann noted a caribou population increase, from 2,700 to 30,000, since the Trans Alaska Pipeline System from Prudhoe Bay was built in 1977.
The pipeline has now become a meeting ground and "coffee klatch" for the caribou, she said.
By way of MNPublius:
Technorati Tags: Carol Molnau, Minnesota News, Minnesota GOP,
Molnau sold farm near road she pushedLooks like the Minnesota GOP is a carbon copy of the National GOP; corrupt to its very core. Though, just to be fair, it looks like sex was left out of this scandal. Damn, just won't sell nationally.
Molnau, as chairwoman of the powerful House Transportation Finance Committee, guided the bill to passage. But she did not disclose Hwy. 212's proximity to the land she owned in Chaska or that she was negotiating to sell the property to a national housing developer, state and local records show.
The transportation bill provided for rapid construction of what Molnau called "mega-projects." One that fit the bill's criteria was Hwy. 212, which would run less than a mile from her farm.
"If you're interested in highways, like Hwy. 14, Hwy. 23, 52, 53, 169, 371, Hwy. 60, Hwy. 212, or Hwy. 94 in Greater Minnesota, this is a good bill for you," she told the Minnesota House on March 21, 2000.
Eight days after the bill was signed by then-Gov. Jesse Ventura, Molnau and her husband, Steve, sold their 40 acres to the developer, Pulte Homes of Minnesota, for $3.3 million -- six times its estimated market value, records show. [highlighted by Rook]
Technorati Tags: Carol Molnau, Minnesota News, Minnesota GOP,
Star TribuneOh joy. Ring one of the Three Ring Election 2008 Circus is coming to town.
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will rally his supporters in the Twin Cities on Saturday, three days before Minnesota's precinct caucuses.
Daily Kos
Good news, good news, good, very good, news! It has to be for me to link to the Big Orange.
Good news, good news, good, very good, news! It has to be for me to link to the Big Orange.
Minnesota Monitor
Members of Minnesota's Congressional delegation sent a strongly worded letter Monday to Gov. Tim Pawlenty urging his administration to apply for emergency funds for the 35W bridge collapse -- funds that could quickly disappear.Reps. Jim Oberstar, Collin Peterson, Betty McCollum, Tim Walz, and Keith Ellison criticized the Pawlenty administration's slow response in applying for several streams of funding for disaster relief, reimbursements for the Metropolitan Council, and the rebuilding of the bridge.
It would seem sitting on your ass is a standard Republican characteristic, no matter what level of government they are leading.
MNPublius.comZack, over a MNPublius, has a suggesting; a sex and personality change operation.
Survey USA just released new approval ratings for Minnesota’s Senators and Norm Coleman isn’t looking so hot. Only 46% of Minnesotans approve of his job performance, compared to 45% who disapprove.
All I can say is: eww.
Seriously, our state is starting to show it's own signs of incompetence.
Star TribuneThe long-troubled east metro project might lose another construction season, officials say.
Plagued by a history of delays, design flaws and cost overruns, the Wakota Bridge has now been placed on a possible hit list of projects that may be temporarily shelved to free up funds for reconstruction of the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge.The opening of the east-bound Wakota Bridge, which spans the Mississippi River between South St. Paul and Newport, already had been delayed until 2009 while the project was being rebid.
Washington County Commissioner Myra Peterson, who represents the district around the bridge, said the result of further delay might be the loss "of a whole construction season."
Minnesota MonitorOh, for Christ's sake. We've got bridges to build, bridges to repair, roads to repair, schools to fund, and an economy to manage. But no, instead, our Republican congress critters in the Minnesota State government deem that failed amendment more important.
The social conservatives' buzz over the Iowa court decision striking down that state's Defense of Marriage Act continues in Minnesota as right-wing types ratchet up the push for a constitutional amendment in the next legislative session. The common denominator among them seems to be Star Tribune columnist Katherine Kersten.
When are they going to pull their collective heads out of their asses and see the people of this state have bigger concerns? Ya, I know, never.
Still, enough already. How about our elected officials start doing the business of the people, not sticking their collective noses into the business of the people.
Eric Black Inc.Eric continues to be out in front on this local portion of the Prosecutor Purge affair.
U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison of Minneapolis and House Judiciary Chair John Conyers have moments ago sent a letter to the acting U.S. attorney general demanding all communications from the staff of the Minnesota U.S. attorneys office to the Justice Department about Rachel Paulose's management of the office, documents relating to the evaluations of her predecessor, Tom Heffelfinger that might shed light on why he was on a list of U.S. attorneys to be fired, and all documents reflecting the search for Heffelfinger's replacement, which led to the appointment of Paulose.
One thought I've had is the likely demise of Paulose before her term is up. Indeed, Eric's piece touches on that very issue:
Insiders have speculated the change from Gonzalez to Mukasey could undermine Paulose's chances of lasting that long. The thinking is that if Mukasey wanted to make a statement that the controversies of the Gonzalez era are over, he might try to clear out some of the less-popular, more controversial holdovers.I really do think Mukasey is going to be the person to finally bring all of the Bush administrations corruption and abuse out into the open.
However, I have also made claims in the past that failed to come to fruition, so take my proclamation with a grain of suga....err salt.
Eric Black Inc.With Michael B. Mukasey on the fast track for confirmation, and his apparent lack of partisanship, I suspect Rachel would do herself a world of good and resign. Something tells me Mukasey is not going to put up with this kind of bullshit.
The federal Office of Special Counsel is investigating allegations that Rachel Paulose, U.S. attorney for Minnesota, mishandled classified information, decided to fire the subordinate who called it to her attention, retaliated against others in the office who crossed her, and made racist remarks about one employee.
Color me surprised, but I seriously see change coming to a local Federal government near you.
Honestly. I think this is the start of a backlash purge.
So, I am at the motel, looking through my emails, all that stuff. I see a long-time Republican congressman has called it quits. Too be honest, I would rather see him stay on a few more terms. He's helped my field more than most liberal Democrats. I also see Bush had a love-in at the White House with some "cough" war bloggers "cough.'"
I'd really like to say more about that last sentence, but Froomkin did such a good job, why make the effort at duplication.
Now, I am going to go for a bike ride. You all try not to wreck the place while I am out. You know, do the opposite of Bush.
I'd really like to say more about that last sentence, but Froomkin did such a good job, why make the effort at duplication.
Now, I am going to go for a bike ride. You all try not to wreck the place while I am out. You know, do the opposite of Bush.
startribune.comI hold no illusions about politics moving fast. Yet, in this situation, there are immediate needs, that require immediate attention, where revenue and funding are something to be dealt with after the fact.
Five weeks after a major bridge collapsed and three weeks after floods ravaged southeastern Minnesota, a special session of the Legislature to deal with the dual tragedies remained just out of reach Friday.
The flooding in Southeastern Minnesota needs to be addressed now, without concern for revenue or bonding. It takes precedence over infrastructure for the moment.
I understand the need to rebuild the I35W bridge over the Mississippi is pressing, with an economic cost due to re-routed traffic, it's effect on business, and the extra strain on the environment due to gas consumption. But people in Southeastern Minnesota are without homes, without businesses, without basic supplies. Get them help, and let's not haggle over the costs.
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