August 17-24, 2016
Aug 17 08:59 Feingold's messaging dishonesty Aug 17 15:27 Pro-Dayton Propaganda Aug 18 07:26 Education Cartel's agenda Aug 19 06:53 DFL to farmers, vets: Go to hell Aug 21 08:28 DFL's bad faith negotiations Aug 22 11:46 How environmentalists kill jobs Aug 22 18:17 Today's DFL activists: thugs Aug 24 10:01 Fact-checking Reality Check Aug 24 12:28 Chris Coleman's property tax hike explained
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Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Feingold's messaging dishonesty
Democrats don't hesitate in lying if they think it helps win elections. It isn't debatable whether the Democratic Party is a reprehensible, morally repugnant political party. The Democratic Party of Hillary Clinton and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz doesn't bear a striking resemblance to JFK's Profiles in Courage Democratic Party.
Russ Feingold is a frequent practitioner of dishonest messaging, deploying fearmongering frequently to scare people into voting for him. Lately, his fearmongering vocabulary has included the term creative destruction. Kevin Binversie's article slaps Feingold around pretty good, starting with Binversie saying "Once all that done, they'll kindly tell Feingold he's got the definition of 'Creative Destruction' all wrong; which is something I'm fairly certain he and his campaign know very well. He clearly loves the talking point because it sounds spooky and makes Johnson look uncaring; even a former Rhodes scholar like Russ Feingold couldn't get something like that wrong time and time again. He's just banking on an economically ignorant public and media to never call him out on it."
Feingold is deploying what I'd call the 'Jonathan Gruber economic illiteracy strategy.' Gruber, it's important to remember, frequently talked down about the American people in terms of their understanding of the economy.
This might be Binversie's hardest slap against Feingold:
The best example showcasing "Creative Destruction" at work is how we've changed the way we listen to music. For years, we bought vinyl records, then 8-tracks. After 8-tracks came cassette tapes, followed by compact discs, until they too were replaced with digital music files like mp3s.
Are jobs lost as a result of "Creative Destruction?" Yes, but they often are replaced by jobs in the industries connected to the newer technologies. This tends to be a good thing, unless Feingold and his staff mourn to end of the buggy whip industry.
Perhaps an uppity reporter, if such people still exist, should ask Feingold how he'd prevent creative destruction from happening. After he finished stammering through that, I'd personally ask him if it's wise to stand in the way of creating the jobs of the future.
Posted Wednesday, August 17, 2016 8:59 AM
No comments.
Pro-Dayton Propaganda
This editorial isn't worth the bandwidth it's printed on. If it was printed on paper, it would be best suited for outhouses of 50-75 years ago. But I digress. Let's dissect this worthless collection of words and determine their value to improving life in Minnesota.
Let's start where the editorialist (s?) insist that "Every time a three-car light rail train is loaded, 600 cars are taken off the highways, according to the Metropolitan Council research." Let's question the veracity of that statement. Let's question it because I don't know the seating capacity of a "three-car light rail train." Let's question it because it isn't known how many of these trains are filled to capacity.
This is a red herring argument anyway. If you build a light rail line, it's fixed in place no matter what developments happen a mile or two from the rail. That LRT line simply isn't flexible. It's good at staying right where it was built. Bus lines, however, can move and adjust to emerging traffic patterns. This paragraph is telling:
Even the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, a longtime supporter of GOP ideas, has said there needs to be a transit solution in the metro area, whether that be light rail or more fast track buses.
First, the thought that the Minnesota CoC is a staunch supporter of Republicans is BS. They're an equal opportunity political body. It's fair to say that they support some GOP initiatives but it's equally true that they support DFL initiatives, too. Further, it's irrelevant whether this or that group supports an initiative. What's important is whether that initiative will make life better for the people it's supposed to support. If it doesn't meet that criteria, then it's worth scrapping.
Most important, though, is the part where the Minnesota Chamber supports transit, including "fast track buses." Question: isn't it important that our transportation system have the greatest combination of flexibility and capacity? What good is capacity if it isn't where the people want it to go?
We urge Speaker Daudt to drop his party's objections to the metro funding of the southwest light rail line and get on to providing tax relief and bonding and road funding to the rest of Minnesota that his party represents.
I urge Gov. Dayton to stop insisting on getting everything he wants before calling a special session. It's time to provide tax relief to Minnesotans, tax relief Gov. Dayton vetoed. Gov. Dayton's temper tantrums are fun copy but they're counterproductive.
Posted Wednesday, August 17, 2016 3:27 PM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 17-Aug-16 06:50 PM
The ONLY time the cars on an LRT are full is during a Vikings home game and that's only 8 times a year. definitely not worth the $3 billion + tax dollars dumped into to LRT so far or the additional $2 billion + Gov. Goofy and the DFL want for SWLRT.
Trains on tracks that can only go from point A to B are not the solution to our traffic problems. More lane miles (and not MNPass either) along with busses will move more people and goods than LRT or heavy rail transit could ever dream of moving.
Comment 2 by Rex Newman at 17-Aug-16 09:42 PM
First, each car seats 68, more like 60 full size adults for the new Siemans cars because of the numerous obstructed seats when I have to sit side saddle. That's still less than 200 for a 3 car train, and maybe you can jam another 200 standing room only, but probably more like 150. (50/car)
Now, let's say the average car averages around 1.5 people, we're talking maybe 100 cars or so, not 600. That's a lie, just like the Northstar = 1.5 lanes of Hwy 10.
Further, since light rail's TOTAL carbon footprint is comparable, probably higher than those cars, forget that argument as well. Cost to drive vs train? Billions of dollars to build, 100's of millions to operate and maintain (including added police), maybe 10's of millions in fare revenues - not even close, cars are cheaper.
Notice that once built, supporters then say it really was more about city development, not transportation.
Besides, doesn't everybody just love trains?
Comment 3 by Rex Newman at 17-Aug-16 09:50 PM
Typo - 300 cars not 100. But to Chad's point, this only happens during major sporting events. I ride enough trains to know the typically passengers/car is more like 25, 75 for a three car train. SRO is almost never without the Twins or Vikings. Notice too, that for those events they hold up the trains until packed 100% meaning they actually run fewer trains during those peak events.
Comment 4 by eric z at 18-Aug-16 06:26 AM
Dayton's the elected Governor. He governs.
You want what? Roll over to the likes of Kurt Daudt, who even had a primary challenger? Why in the world would he not govern?
You want Pawlenty redux? Remember, Pawlenty was big on keeping Northstar on life support back then. What's the problem, besides Kurt Daudt?
Response 4.1 by Gary Gross at 18-Aug-16 07:38 AM
Dayton's the elected governor but he throws hissy fits each week. He hasn't governed. He's acted like the spoiled rich brat that he is. As for Trump, that isn't news. In case you haven't noticed (& you haven't), I'm not paying much attention to the presidential race. I'll write about it once-in-a-while but that's about it.
Response 4.2 by Gary Gross at 18-Aug-16 07:40 AM
FACT: the vast majority of people agree with Kurt Daudt on SWLRT funding. It's been that way for almost 2 years. Fixing roads & bridges is the priority, not SWLRT.
Comment 5 by eric z at 18-Aug-16 06:30 AM
What about your guy, Trump? He changes staff and it goes without a post? Is the thinking that slinging mud at Dayton has a better chance of packing the legisiature with GOP types than touting Trump? If you aimed for a cut of quality above Peggy Scott and Abigale Whelan, part of the Eric Lucero crowd, you'd better your chances.
Education Cartel's agenda
The truth is finally starting to trickle out about why the ISD 742 School Board wants to build a new Tech High School. The truth is that the ISD 742 School Board is planning on renovating Tech . According to the article, the "St. Cloud school district plans to renovate portions of Technical High School to house the district's administrative offices and welcome center if a school construction bond question passes in November."
What?
The district, from Superintendent Jett to the School Cartel, insisted that Tech was a mess than couldn't be renovated. The St. Cloud Education Cartel insists that we have to build a new Tech High School at a cost of $104,500,000 and renovate Apollo at an additional cost of $38,750,000.
What's insulting is that the Education Cartel insists it's speaking with the voice of the people. Specifically, Superintendent Willie Jett said "One of the general things (we heard) was 'we need to know what you're doing with Tech High School, the future of that." I've gotten dozens of phone calls from people throughout the district. The most frequently asked question I've received have asked why we can't renovate Tech rather than build a new school. The most frequently stated statements have said that they won't vote for that big of a property tax increase without the District first seriously considering renovating Tech.
This Board has insisted on killing Clark Field, one of the most charming football fields in the state, and killing Tech High School. I wrote this post last fall to highlight the Education Cartel's arrogance:
Finally, it's time that Ms. Starling understood that lots of citizens voted against the referendum because the School Board didn't even have the decency of telling the taxpayers what the new Tech High School would look like. They couldn't because, according to Barclay Carriar, 80% of the building wouldn't be designed until after the referendum vote .
That sounds like what a political machine would do. It doesn't sound like something a citizen-oriented board would do. A citizen-oriented board would start the process over rather than seek input on the plan they're trying to shove down people's throats.
The Cartel is scrambling in its attempt to get what it wants after voters emphatically rejected their initial proposal. This proposal is virtually the same proposal, just a little smaller. (The first proposal would've cost $167,000,000. This would cost $143,250,000.) Like last year's referendum, this year's proposal should be rejected until all options are seriously considered.
Posted Thursday, August 18, 2016 7:26 AM
Comment 1 by Dave steckling at 18-Aug-16 09:31 PM
Time to brush the dust off my VOTE NO 742 NO NEW TAXES sign.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 19-Aug-16 05:04 AM
I'd say so, Dave. Spread them around, too.
Comment 2 by Crimson Trace at 20-Aug-16 09:29 PM
I plan on voting for John Palmer for school board this fall. A man of integrity.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 21-Aug-16 04:54 PM
I'm voting for him, too. He's a man of integrity & he'd be the smartest member of the board. Plus, & this is huge, he'll actually listen.
Comment 3 by John W. Palmer at 21-Aug-16 10:58 PM
Thanks for the votes of confidence! In examining the materials regarding the referendum take two I could not find a cost estimate for a renovation of Tech and I have not seen enrollment information. Last year the HS enrollment at both schools did not warrant two large HS. Perhaps Tech's renovation should be for a true tech school for students who are not planning on going on to post secondary and in the renovation of Apollo it can be configured to handle the rest of the HS students. Under this plan the district offices could be relocated to Tech thus opening more space for instructional space at Apollo. It would also be possible to down size the sports program to just have one set of teams which would save some dollars. My guess is renovation at both sites would be about half the cost of the new referendum. jwp
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 22-Aug-16 07:09 AM
John, that type of thinking is simply discouraged. Don't you know that you're supposed to rubber stamp whatever Superintendent Jett & the Cartel tells you to rubber stamp? Didn't you know that offering ideas that save money & make sense is strictly forbidden?
Comment 4 by John W. Palmer at 22-Aug-16 08:00 AM
I never got that memo and my ink pad is dry so even if I could find that rubber stamp it would do me no good.
DFL to farmers, vets: Go to hell
The upshot of this article is that the DFL has finally admitted what I've said from the start. The DFL is finally admitting that they don't care about veterans, students with student loan debt, parents trying to save for their kids' college education or farmers.
By insisting that Republicans agree to funding SWLRT, the DFL is insisting that the GOP fund a low-priority item. It ain't happening. Light rail is a terrible investment. It doesn't take hundreds of cars off the street, as the Met Council insists. It doesn't increase flexibility for people. It's extremely expensive. Bus lines are much more efficient and flexible.
Essentially, the DFL wants SWLRT funding because they want their pork.
Gov. Dayton admitted he doesn't give a shit about the middle class when he said "I've concluded ... I am not going to call a special session." What a shock. The spoiled rich brat threw another hissy fit because he didn't get everything he wanted. While he threw that hissy fit, he vetoed $800,000,000 worth of middle class tax relief. Gov. Dayton did that after promising that he wouldn't use the tax cuts as leverage for getting everything he wanted in the bonding bill. Specifically, Gov. Dayton said no to $800,000,000 of tax relief for farmers and other blue collar workers because the GOP wouldn't cave on hundreds of millions of dollars worth of spending on a light rail system that shouldn't be a priority to anyone.
The DFL apparently doesn't want these tax cuts either. If they did, they'd stand up to the spoiled rich brat in St. Paul, something that they haven't done. Rep. Thissen and Sen. Bakk haven't challenged Gov. Dayton on this. Locally, Dan Wolgamott and Zach Dorholt haven't insisted that Gov. Dayton call a special session. Neither has fought for middle class tax relief. Wolgamott's about Dan page says this:
Dan understand how to build relationships to pass tough legislation to support students, fix our roads and bridges, and reform state government.
That's BS. Wolgamott hasn't lifted a finger for any of these things. He's sided with Gov. Dayton 100% of the time. This is BS, too:
Dan is innovative and forward-thinking and will create opportunities to grow an economy that works for everyone that works for everyone by supporting policies that help our local businesses, workers, students, and families.
Wolgamott has done nothing to show he's anything except a cookie-cutter career politician. He's done what he's been told to do. He hasn't been innovative. He hasn't been forward-thinking. He's done what the DFL told him to do.
That's what puppets do.
Bakk's puppet
Posted Friday, August 19, 2016 6:54 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 21-Aug-16 08:31 AM
Gee, it is bipartisanship. My rep, Abigale Whelan [R] grandstands with a trans bathroom bill, is not in leadership just like the guy you criticize, and she only votes straight party "tell 'em how to vote" on any vote that comes up, that came up.
Totally worthless. Like a legislative chamber furnishing, little else. So I feel your pain.
If we could get such as Whelan, an Eric Lucero sycophant out and replaced with a hard worker, who knows what might be accomplished. Yes, Gary, I truly feel your frustration with mideocrity. That's HD 35A, the lady's smart as a brick.
Abeler, SD 35, likely will be reelected, and is not nearly as bad as Whelan, or her insufficiency clone, Peggy Scott, the do-nothing incumbent in HD 35B.
Get a broom. Clean house.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 21-Aug-16 04:53 PM
Frankly, Whelan is totally acceptable. She's at least fighting for things that are high priorities. Gov. Dayton just told tons of blue collar workers that grandstanding on something worthless was more important than tax relief for students with student loan debt or parents saving for their children's education. If that sounds like representative gov't, then I've got a different definition of representative gov't.
Comment 2 by eric z at 22-Aug-16 08:38 AM
"Whelan is totally acceptable. She's at least fighting for things that are high priorities."
Name one.
She's occupying space and time. Collecting a bigger paycheck than she's seen before in her life, and it's not that much.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 22-Aug-16 11:37 AM
She's fighting for accountable gov't & reasonable spending.
DFL's bad faith negotiations
Now that it's settled that we won't have a special session, it's time to state clearly what happened. What happened is that Gov. Dayton, Sen. Bakk and Rep. Thissen negotiated in bad faith. It's one thing to have a goal of funding SWLRT. As foolish as funding that is, it's still a legitimate goal for the DFL, especially considering who their constituents are.
What Gov. Dayton did, though, was insist that funding for SWLRT be included in a special session agreement. We know this because Speaker Daudt told MPR that Gov. Dayton insisted on it . The direct quote reads "I did ask him in the meeting if he would consider doing a special session, set aside the things we can't agree on and let's be Minnesotan. Let's be Minnesota nice and focus on the things we can agree on. Let's get a session and just work on the things we can agree on. The governor flat out said 'no, we're not going to work on those things without Southwest Light Rail.'"
That's where Gov. Dayton essentially told Minnesotans that he and the DFL only care about the Metro . Don Davis summarized things perfectly in his opening paragraph, saying "Farmers can forget about tax breaks to lighten their burden in funding new schools. Drivers on some of Minnesota's most dangerous highways will not see immediate safety improvements. New state aid cities expected is not coming."
That's how Gov. Dayton and the DFL told outstate Minnesota that they weren't important enough. That's how Gov. Dayton and the DFL said that safe highways weren't a priority for them, that SWLRT funding was their highest priority.
Rural Minnesota voters should send an unmistakable and clear message to Gov. Dayton and the DFL this November. They should defeat every DFL legislator who voted for tax relief but wouldn't fight for that tax relief. That's simple enough because the list of DFL legislators that voted for tax relief and the list of DFL legislators that wouldn't fight for that tax relief are identical.
These DFL politicians showed their true colors. The best way to determine what's important to them isn't by looking at their votes. The best way to determine what's important to them is in seeing what they vote for but won't fight for. That's how you determine their loyalties.
In this instance, the DFL showed their loyalty was with the Twin Cities and with Gov. Dayton, not with their constituents.
Posted Sunday, August 21, 2016 8:28 AM
Comment 1 by JerryE9 at 22-Aug-16 08:40 AM
It isn't that the DFL is so beholden to the Metro, it is the DFL is beholden to the idea of holding power and forcing stupid stuff down the throats of everybody. Compared to the population of the Metro, SWLRT will benefit only a teeny, tiny fraction of Metro people, and commit the rest of us of Minnesotans to pay for this absolute folly. Here's a thought. Let's have the DFL legislature authorize the building of this line as a private enterprise, with no government money. Surely if it is that good of an idea, somebody will jump at the chance, right?
Comment 2 by eric z at 22-Aug-16 08:42 AM
It is duplicity of the duopoly. A guv. A House head. A Senate head. Posturing and then posing. And Metro - without it there'd be Cargill, farms, and farm implement sales outlets - only. Not you, not St. Cloud, nothing. Metro drives the train.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 22-Aug-16 11:41 AM
Speaker Daudt isn't posturing. Unlike Gov. Dayton & Sen. Tom Stab-Gov.-Dayton-in-the-Back Bakk, Speaker Daudt has principles that he fights for. Gov. Dayton & Sen. Stab-Him-in-the-Bakk are all over the place on issues.
Comment 3 by eric z at 22-Aug-16 08:46 AM
Jerry - And all roads should be private toll roads; because public goods are a fiction, right? Farmers paying several thousand - five figure fees - for each load of grain to the storage elevator; private toll road owners charging what the market will bear.
Comment 4 by Chad Q at 22-Aug-16 06:47 PM
Farmers and people who drive a vehicle (about 95% of the adult population in MN) already pay a toll when they fill up their cars, equipment, etc. in the form of a fuel tax. They also pay registration taxes, sales taxes, etc. What do public transit riders pay to support their modes of transportation? Zip, nada, nothing and they bitch when MetroTransit wants to raise fares $.25.
Response 4.1 by Gary Gross at 23-Aug-16 07:26 AM
Chad, they shouldn't have to pay anything. We should pay them for saving the planet. I'm kidding.
How environmentalists kill jobs
It's time people understood just how many jobs anti-development environmentalists kill each year. It's time people understood, too, the impact excessive regulations have on Minnesota's state budget. This article helps illustrate the negative and devastating impact overregulation has on economic growth.
This paragraph lays things out perfectly, saying "Enbridge has been trying to build this petroleum pipeline from the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota to its regional terminal in Superior, Wis. The project is common sense. The oil from the Bakken needs to be moved to market. Building Sandpiper would create thousands of well-paying middle-class construction jobs, bring millions of dollars in much-needed business to rural communities and add millions of tax dollars to rural governments. There is also no disagreement that moving the oil in a pipeline is a safer alternative than moving it via rail cars or trucks."
It's indisputable that moving oil through pipelines is safer than other forms of moving product to market. That fight is finished. Further, it's indisputable that building the pipeline would create thousands of high-paying construction jobs. Think about this: If a bonding bill is called a jobs bill by the DFL, why shouldn't building the Sandpiper Pipeline project be called a private sector jobs bill by Republicans?
It's indisputable that the interest that's paid back by taxpayers on bonding bills costs everyone money, frequently in the form of higher taxes. Interest paid off by companies like Enbridge when they build America's infrastructure is a net plus on multiple levels plus it doesn't costs taxpayers a dime in higher taxes. In fact, it's possible to argue that increased economic growth from the private sector will lower taxes while increasing revenues and raising blue collar workers' wages significantly.
Minnesota loses
The result of this uncertainty came home to roost earlier this month. Enbridge announced that it had formed a partnership to purchase a pipeline system that would get the Bakken petroleum to market. One of the pipelines Enbridge will purchase is still under construction, and it runs from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to Illinois. This pipeline was permitted in all four states in a year and a half. One thing the pipelines in this system have in common is that none of them travels through Minnesota.
Enbridge got what it wanted. North and South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois approved the alternate pipeline route in about 18 months, which is about a third of the time Minnesota had muddled through the permitting process thus far. BTW, North Dakota has better air quality than Minnesota.
This is particularly noteworthy:
One of the first things Gov. Mark Dayton did when he took office in 2011 was sign an executive order to streamline decisions on environmental permits. The rhetoric clearly has not been matched by action.
It's noteworthy because Gov. Dayton signed that executive order after Dan Fabian submitted a bill (HF1) to streamline permitting. I wrote then that this was a purely political stunt. There's little doubt but that I got that right.
Minnesota has strong environmental regulations. Unfortunately, it's also got some of the most untrustworthy anti-development environmentalists in the US. These anti-development environmentalists oppose the Sandpiper Pipeline. They oppose all forms of mining in Minnesota. They opposed the building of the Big Stone II power plant , too.
At this rate, the anti-natural resources wing of the DFL, which is the dominant wing of the DFL, won't permit anything that doesn't fit their rigid ideology.
Originally posted Monday, August 22, 2016, revised 02-Sep 9:35 AM
No comments.
Today's DFL activists: thugs
Let's be clear about something from the start. Today's DFL activists are thugs without character. They're people who should be locked up for years. Last week, there was a fundraiser in Minneapolis for GOP presidential nominee Donald J. Trump. DFL protesters didn't bother trying to act like decent human beings. They acted like thugs. In fact, some of them allegedly committed crimes. That's right. Some DFL thugs allegedly committed crimes.
Betsey Hodges needs to answer for her decisions. Ken Martin needs to be asked why DFL protesters are thugs, not protesters. Minneapolis police need to explain who told them to not protect people attending the Trump fundraiser. At this point, none of those things have happened.
Apparently, Mayor Hodges didn't beef up security for the Trump event. Why she didn't anticipate a violent reception is beyond explanation This is the Twin Cities, after all, the place where Black Lives Matter protesters started the night by blocking traffic on I-94 before escalating that to throwing cement blocks and rebar at police officers.
Even someone as airheaded as Betsey Hodges should've figured it out that violence was imminent. This didn't require a rocket scientist. Betsey Hodges should've figured this out. Check out this video:
There's no need for Keith Downey to demand an apology of anyone. There's no need to halfheartedly criticize Ken Martin. What's required is a chairman who would've told reporters that Ken Martin is the chairman of a political party that's composed mostly of two-bit thugs and lowlifes. What's required is a chairman that will call Betsey Hodges incompetent to run a Kool-Aid stand, much less a large city.
Chairman Downey, there's a time for politeness. This wasn't one of those times. Friday night was a time for you to empty both barrels at Betsey Hodges for not protecting citizens visiting her city. Friday night was a night to expose the DFL as the party that panders to the violent thugs of the Black Lives Matter movement of thugs.
Posted Monday, August 22, 2016 6:17 PM
Comment 1 by J. Ewing at 23-Aug-16 11:37 AM
I see Ken Martin did promptly offer the required apology, but that isn't nearly enough. The mayor should have apologized and announced a zero tolerance policy, promising mass arrests and punishment for another such occurrence. Finally, what is needed is for the Star Tribune to splash this story across multiple headlines for a week, and somehow without all of the weasel-wording they usually use to promote their obnoxious double standard.
Comment 2 by Rex Newman at 23-Aug-16 10:31 PM
The Strib did editorialize against this today, not forcefully, but I liked their closing, that the only protest that truly matters is at the ballot box. But the real story, the real problem is the continuing shrug of almost every DFL'er I know. Whether it's unions, Black Lives Matter, or Phyllis Kahn, hey, what's the big deal? Ditto for voter fraud and unabashed lying. "It's what we do."
Comment 3 by Gary Gross at 24-Aug-16 10:10 AM
Thanks Rex. I'm tired of the phrase where they say that politicians are crooks but "that's baked into the cake." To steal a phrase from Col. Potter, "Mule Muffins!"
I certainly didn't give politicians a pass for lying. I certainly didn't give the media permission to speak for me on whether it's ok for politicians to lie.
As for apologies, I don't want to hear them. Does anyone think that Ken Martin is sincerely upset that the protesters got violent? I don't.
Fact-checking Reality Check
According to Pat Kessler's latest Reality Check segment , most of the claims in Stewart Mills' ad about Syrian refugees are true. According to Kessler, "Here's what the Mills ad said: 'Rick Nolan supports bringing 100,000 unvetted Syrians to America by the end of the year.' He doesn't. But much what the Mills ad says is true, even if some of it is out of context. 100,000 Syrian refugees? True. By the end of 2016? True. 'Unvetted'? False."
Actually, there's some question as to whether the refugees are vetted. The person questioning the Obama administration's vetting abilities is James Comey, the director of the FBI. Further, Nicholas Rasmussen, the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, admitted "the intelligence that we have of this particular conflict zone is not as rich as we would like it to be" during the hearing.
Let's connect these Reality Check dots. We know that Reality Check verified that most of the claims were "true". Further, we now know that the only claim that they said was false shouldn't have been categorized as false because congressional testimony from the Director of the FBI and the head of the National Counterterrorism Center both said that vetting Syrian refugees was especially difficult.
Therefore, LFR rates this Reality Check as Mostly True, with one statement rated 'highly questionable'.
Posted Wednesday, August 24, 2016 10:01 AM
Comment 1 by Terry Stone at 24-Aug-16 10:50 AM
One of the first casualties of war is the orderly keeping of records. Properly vetting refugees from a war zone is always challenging or impossible. ISIS has thousands of genuine U.S. passports at their disposal. Sympathy for Islamic Jihadis permeates Muslim countries and their record keeping bureaus. Conflicts of interest and incentives are in place to make safe vetting of Syrian Refugees impossible.
When Rick Nolan encourages immigration with proper vetting he has to know that's nonsense. Nolan has a hard time being direct. It sounds a lot like Nolan's pro-copper mining position "with proper environmental protections".
Chris Coleman's property tax hike explained
St. Paul Chris Coleman is asking for another major property tax increase . This is likely the first in a lengthy list of mayoral sob stories set to be published.
Mayor Coleman, it seems, expected a "$3 million boost in state aid" that isn't coming. The sob story will sound something like this: We passed a budget that expected an increase in LGA but House Republicans killed that. Now we're stuck with a $3,000,000 deficit, which means we're going to have to cut "up to nine police officers."
Actually, the entire paragraph reads "The breakdown of talks over a potential special legislative session means the city isn't going to get an expected $3 million boost in state aid, and simply cutting that money could cost the city up to nine police officers, force one of the city's recreation centers to close and trim the city's racial equity initiatives, Coleman wrote Wednesday in a letter to the St. Paul City Council ."
Start cutting, Mayor Coleman. Forcing "one of the city's recreation centers to close" isn't a tragedy. Losing 9 police officers at a time when BlackLivesMatter activists are throwing cement blocks and rebar at police offices is a tragedy. This paragraph sums it up perfectly:
"This is not acceptable," said council member Dai Thao. "We spend millions of dollars on the Palace Theater. Some of the folks targeted by these cuts would never experience the Palace theater," said Thao, saying the cuts wouldn't be fair for many St. Paul residents.
The first question that isn't being asked is this: why did St. Paul spend "millions of dollars on the Palace Theater"? Here's why they spent millions on it:
Enhancing the vibrant downtown entertainment district is at the core of this project. Expected to attract more than 100,000 people downtown annually, the Palace Theatre will fill a need in the current entertainment venue market by offering a contemporary music venue twice as large as Minneapolis' First Avenue.
In other words, St. Paul just pissed away millions of dollars to compete with Minneapolis? Now they want to raise taxes because they're spending like a bunch of drunk sailors at a strip club. Imagine spending millions of dollars on a building like this:
Posted Wednesday, August 24, 2016 6:07 PM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 24-Aug-16 08:05 PM
I live in Coleman's craphole of a city and the amount of money wasted on stupidity is amazing. Meanwhile streets are falling apart and crime is running rampant. Sadly Coleman and his ilk will continue to run the City into the ground and blame it on those who have no control over how the money is spent.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 25-Aug-16 09:09 AM
Chad, first of all, my condolences on living in St. Paul. Next, I did a study of St. Paul's operating budget in 2008 right before the Republican National Convention. It took me about a week to go through the operating budget. At the time, I figured that, at minimum, 40% of their operating budget was pure waste that couldn't be justified. I suspect that percentage has increased since. It's time for the legislature to tell cities like St. Paul, Minneapolis, Rochester & Duluth that their LGA will be frozen until they get their spending straightened out. It isn't our responsibility as taxpayers to pay for their stupidity.
Comment 2 by Chad Q at 25-Aug-16 07:07 PM
I'm trying to get out and over to Wisconsin our land in as fast as possible. Another 5 years and we are gone.
There's no reason a city like St. Paul that has its own sales tax, should need LGA. LGA is supposed to be for cities that don't have enough of a tax base to allow for BASIC services. Cities like St. Paul, Duluth, Minneapolis, etc. squander tax money that should be spent on police, fire, road repair, etc. and use it for rec centers (i.e. daycare centers) and the like and then when the golden goose doesn't lay the $3 million dollar egg, they cry foul and say they need to raise taxes to make up the money the evil GOP wouldn't give them.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 25-Aug-16 07:25 PM
I'm proposing that Republicans put together a bill that freezes LGA to any city that spends a dime on 'quality of living' initiatives. LGA gets frozen, too, if anyone proposes cutting road & bridge funding or cutting firefighters or police when there's a deficit. If cities that get LGA want to cut police or firefighters, they have to seek permission from the legislature.
