August 1-3, 2017
Aug 01 05:29 St. Cloud's usual suspects Aug 01 06:06 Calling for Mueller's resignation Aug 02 09:00 Blue Cross-Blue Shield exits MNsure Aug 03 03:29 McConnell to Schumer: Take a hike Aug 03 10:56 Picking a winning fight Aug 03 18:17 Jeff Flake, constitutional dipstick
Prior Months: Jan Feb ~ May Jun Jul
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
St. Cloud's usual suspects
Each time there's a big project in St. Cloud, the usual suspects tell us that they support the project, then encourage the citizenry to follow suit. That type of thinking has led to one disastrous decision after another. Most recently, the usual suspects (St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce, the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation, aka GSDC, Mayor Kleis all DFL legislative candidates and the ISD 742 School Board) insisted that building a new Tech HS wasn't just the best option. They insisted it was the only viable option for the citizenry. The truth is that the Board's option was the worst option. Even though it was the most expensive option for taxpayers, that didn't matter to the usual suspects.
The usual suspects often act like spoiled brats. They want what they want when they want it. Anyone getting in their way gets steamrolled. As for Tech, the best option might've been refurbishing and expanding Apollo. Enrollment in ISD 742's grade schools is shrinking. Enrollment in Tech and Apollo combined was approximately 2,500 students in the last statistics we had. The point is we didn't need a Taj Mahal-class building for Tech. Simply put, spending $105,000,000 on a school that'd hold 1,800 students is a major waste of money.
Further, it's insulting to think that we need to spend $19,000,000 on refurbishing Eastman Hall on the SCSU campus. The state already spent lots of money on the ISELF Building, remodeling the Brooks Hockey Center and building the Coborn's Plaza apartments. Each time these major projects were proposed, the usual suspects voiced their support for these projects.
Another high priority with the usual suspects supposedly is air service from St. Cloud to Chicago. The usual suspects support the latest study that they hope will cause the county commissioners to sign onto a regional airport authority. One of the Stearns County commissioners is quoted as saying this is the first he's heard of the latest study. Nonetheless, the usual suspects unconditionally support the latest efforts even though they don't have a plan going forward.
Rarely do these players listen to the people. Instead, they spend their time telling people how great their latest big project is. The truth is that St. Cloud isn't the growing city it once was. That's because the usual suspects haven't set the right priorities. They've endorsed crony capitalist projects that are in their self interests, not the public's interests.
Building an apartment complex for the Wedum Foundation hasn't benefitted SCSU. Building an expensive high school won't shrink the achievement gap. Conducting another study of the airport won't bring back daily regional air service. Meanwhile, the citizens' property taxes continue to rise while more cost-effective options are ignored.
Thank the usual suspects the next time you pay your property taxes.
Posted Tuesday, August 1, 2017 5:29 AM
Comment 1 by John Palmer at 01-Aug-17 03:14 PM
It's always easy to spend other people's money.
Calling for Mueller's resignation
According to this article , Rep. Trent Franks, (R-AZ), has called for Robert Mueller's resignation as special counsel. According to the article, "Mueller and former FBI Director James Comey have been longtime allies dating back to 2003 when the men both worked in Washington, Mueller as the FBI Director and Comey as Deputy Attorney General. Franks cited the pair's relationship as a reason for Mueller to be disqualified from the probe. 'Bob Mueller is in clear violation of federal code and must resign to maintain the integrity of the investigation into alleged Russian ties,' Franks said. 'Those who worked under them have attested he and Jim Comey possess a close friendship, and they have delivered on-the-record statements effusing praise of one another.'"
Gregg Jarrett laid it out perfectly, saying that "the special counsel statute says that if you have a personal relationship with any person substantially involved in the investigation or prosecution", you cannot serve. It's mandatory. Jarrett said that the language of the statute says that "you shall disqualify yourself." It doesn't suggest the special counsel should look into possible conflicts of interests. The statute says that the special counsel shall disqualify themselves.
The fact that Mueller hasn't disqualified himself already indicates that Mueller isn't the ethical man Democrats claim he is. That statute isn't a suggestion. It's a command.
Franks continued, saying this:
"Until Mueller resigns, he will be in clear violation of the law, a reality that fundamentally undermines his role as Special Counsel and attending ability to execute the law," Franks said.
Mueller can't stand for law and order if he's selectively enforcing the law. It's time he step aside ASAP.
Posted Tuesday, August 1, 2017 6:06 AM
No comments.
Blue Cross-Blue Shield exits MNsure
Alpha News is reporting that Blue Cross Blue Shield "announced that it would be pulling its small business health insurance plans from the MNsure exchange due to 'low enrollment and high administrative costs.'"
In the opening paragraph of her article, Preya Samsundar wrote "Small businesses will no longer be able to purchase health care plans from the Minnesota Exchange." At this point, Minnesota small businesses don't have any options left because MNsure is a messed up system. The first question that needs answering is why administrative costs are so high. Another question that needs answering is why small businesses aren't enrolling through enrollment. Is enrollment low because prices aren't affordable? Is enrollment low because too few healthy people signed up? Is it a combination of both factors?
What's interesting is that Democrats insist that single-payer health insurance is the way to go. If administrative costs are already high, why would we think they'll shrink single-payer? That's foolish thinking.
Also included in Ms. Samsundar's article is this information:
As reported by Alpha News, rates for health insurance will solely depend on whether the federal government approves the reinsurance plan passed by Minnesota legislators and Gov. Mark Dayton. With the reinsurance plan in place, individuals seeking health insurance could see increases up to 11 percent or a decrease in rates up to 41 percent. If the Fed chooses to deny approval for the reinsurance program, rates could increase anywhere from three percent to 32 percent.
It will be interesting to see whether the reinsurance program works. If it works, it might push Democrats into supporting health care reform that isn't single-payer.
This is interesting:
For Minnesota small businesses, they will now have to seek health coverage through the insurance companies.
In other words, BCBS will still health insurance to small businesses. They'll just avoid selling through MNsure. That sounds like a pretty pathetic system.
Posted Wednesday, August 2, 2017 9:00 AM
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McConnell to Schumer: Take a hike
As with most movement conservatives, I haven't been Mitch McConnell's biggest fan. In this post, though, I enthusiastically applaud Sen. McConnell for essentially telling Sen. Schumer to take a hike .
In Steve Benen's post, it says "With this in mind, the Senate Democratic minority acknowledged yesterday that another tax-reform push is poised to get underway, and they released a letter presenting some benchmarks , including a package that doesn't cut taxes for the top 1% and doesn't increase the deficit."
The Washington Post article quoted in Benen's post says "Senate Democrats issued a call Tuesday for bipartisan talks on a sweeping rewrite of the nation's tax code amid growing pressure from the White House for Republicans to implement aggressive tax cuts before year's end. Democrats unveiled their request in a letter calling on the GOP to work with them to update the tax code without reducing federal revenue or cutting taxes on the wealthy." First, it isn't bipartisanship when the minority party tells the majority party what it won't do. Demanding that Republicans not cut taxes on "the wealthy" is Democratspeak for raising taxes on small businesses. That's a non-starter with Republicans.
Still, it's a welcome demand from a political standpoint. If Republicans reform the tax code instead of just cutting taxes, "the wealthiest 1%" will lose virtually all of their deductions but see their marginal rates stay the same under the Democrats' proposal. That's the equivalent of a massive tax increase on the rich. According to Townhall's Guy Benson, the top 20% of wage earners pay 70% of the taxes. How is that smart economics? How will that jumpstart the economy?
I doubt that Sen. Schumer will force vulnerable Democrats into voting for a massive tax increase for "the wealthy". That's his initial bluster but I can't see him telling Joe Donnelly, Heidi Heitkamp, Joe Manchin III, Bob Casey, Tim Kaine, Jeanne Shaheen or Claire McCaskill to end their political careers.
If Sen. Schumer decides to bully vulnerable Democratic senators into voting against tax simplification, he'll be the Senate Minority Leader for at least a decade. I don't think that will happen because I don't see him being that stupid.
Posted Thursday, August 3, 2017 3:29 AM
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Picking a winning fight
Jackie Kucinich and Andrew Desiderio insist that President Trump has picked another losing fight in their latest Daily Beast article .
According to Ms. Kucinich and Mr. Desiderio, "After backing a series of unsuccessful health care repeal efforts and a failed attempt to weaken a congressional effort to slap new sanctions on Russia, Trump has thrown his questionable political weight behind another effort that could already be doomed: The RAISE Act. The bill, authored by Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and David Perdue (R-GA), was unveiled on Wednesday at the White House and touted as a way to ensure that American workers' wages and job security are prioritized, and that legal, skilled immigrants who speak English are sent to the front of the employment line."
There's little question that Democrats won't let the RAISE Act get to a final vote. In that sense, President Trump has picked a losing fight. In the bigger sense, though, President Trump couldn't pick a bigger winner for the Republican Party.
First, before the bill got its first committee hearing, Jim Acosta teed things up perfectly for Republicans in this diatribe:
To the left, Jim Acosta is a hero. In their minds, he stood up to the Trump administration and proved that Republicans were evil. Unfortunately for Democrats, they come across as not caring about blue collar voters in this fight. First, RAISE is an acronym that stands for "Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment." Blue collar voters understand the negative effects that illegal immigration has had on their (stagnant) wages.
The bigger victory for Republicans is that Democrats will filibuster the RAISE Act, which will strengthen the impression with voters in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan that Democrats don't like blue collar voters. Finally, Republicans can use this fight between Acosta and Stephen Miller in ads next year. They'll use these ads to re-inforce the Democrats' elitist image.
Posted Thursday, August 3, 2017 10:56 AM
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Jeff Flake, constitutional dipstick
It's frightening to see how constitutionally ignorant U.S. senators are. In this Hill article , Sen. Jeff Flake, (R-AZ), shows his ignorance to the Constitution. It's a frightening sight.
Quoting the article, Sen. Flake told MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell "I think that if he were to be removed, however it's done by the assistant attorney general or a new one, Congress would assert its prerogatives. That would mean hiring a special prosecutor, and that might even be Bob Mueller."
That's frightening stuff coming from a liberal's mouth. To hear it coming from a Republican is doubly frightening. Hint to Sen. Flake: take a look at a organizational chart of the executive branch. Next, compare that with an organizational chart of the legislative branch. The Justice Department, the FBI and the U.S. attorneys are found on the organizational chart of the executive branch, not the organizational chart of the legislative branch.
The article continues, saying "Flake has become one of Trump's most prominent Republican critics. He recently said that Republicans were in denial about Trump's first few months in office, calling members of Congress to speak out against the president's policies that stray from the conservative agenda." Based on Sen. Flake's limited understanding of the Constitution, it's difficult for me to think of Sen. Flake as a conservative. By contrast, it isn't difficult to picture Sen. Flake as a moron after watching this video:
It isn't possible to be thought of as a principled conservative if you don't have a basic understanding of the U.S. Constitution or principles like separation of powers or the different branches of government. Apparently, Sen. Flake isn't aware of these foundational principles. Apparently, Sen. Flake graduated from the John McCain School of Constitutional Law. (Think McCain-Feingold.)
Posted Thursday, August 3, 2017 6:17 PM
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