August 25-28, 2016
Aug 25 09:33 Betsy Hodges, liberal airhead? Aug 25 10:58 Dahms-Weber op-ed a winner Aug 25 11:39 SWLRT: let's get that in writing Aug 25 15:45 Paul Thissen's dishonest attack Aug 26 07:45 Jett: more listening to do Aug 26 08:27 Dayton-Duininck SWLRT bombshells Aug 28 22:31 Zach Dorholt, far left lefty
Prior Months: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Betsy Hodges, liberal airhead?
Is it possible that Betsy Hodges is the biggest airhead liberal big city mayor in the United States? It appears so. After the violent protests at last Friday's Trump fundraiser, Keith Downey sent Mayor Hodges a letter, which I wrote about here. In response, Mayor Hodges replied "I expect everyone in Minneapolis to behave with civility and respect. Minneapolis has a long history of effectively balancing public safety with First Amendment rights. I continue to be confident in the ability of the Minneapolis Police Department to manage protests in accordance with these principles."
What planet is she from? Expecting people in the Twin Cities to "behave with civility and respect" weeks after BlackLivesMatter threw concrete blocks and construction rebar at police officers on I-94 in St. Paul is like throwing a piece of meat between 2 hungry Dobermans and expecting them to behave with civility. Anyone with a brain knows that's a foolish expectation. Anyone with common sense knows that expecting civility from thugs is as foolish as expecting Bonnie and Clyde to not rob banks that advertise that their vaults are open 24-7.
Let's rewrite Ms. Hodges' statement for honesty. Here's what I'd write:
I expect most of the people in Minneapolis to behave with civility and respect. Unfortunately, there are thugs, in both Minneapolis and St. Paul, who have shown a propensity towards anarchy and violence. Minneapolis has had a lengthy history of effectively balancing public safety with citizens' First Amendment rights. These anarchists and thugs threaten that reputation. Their acts of violence won't be tolerated. We will do everything we can to apprehend these thugs and bring them to justice.
It's time for DFL politicians to announce a zero-tolerance policy towards acts of violence and anarchy.
Posted Thursday, August 25, 2016 9:33 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 26-Aug-16 09:39 AM
Dobermans need proper vetting, but when they are at war is it possible?
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 26-Aug-16 11:18 AM
So you're saying the Minneapolis PD is at war with Republicans? I thought their responsibility was to enforce existing laws.
Comment 2 by Chad Q at 27-Aug-16 07:58 AM
I have 2 Doberman's and know a lot of people who have them and they do not deserve the reputation they have been given. Two labs would do the same thing. I know you were just using them as an example but it does frustrate me at times when I know the breed doesn't deserve the rap they get. But I digress.
Bicycle Lane Betsy and her lesbian police chief (I only put lesbian in there because Minneapolis made sure we knew and always know about that part of her life) are two of the most incompetent people to ever run a major city.
It is not a first amendment right to punch, spray paint, mug, etc. people when they are trying to attend a political function.
I laugh that Shillary is trying to pin KKK support to Trump meanwhile progressive thugs are actually beating people up in Minneapolis and not a word is said.
Dahms-Weber op-ed a winner
This op-ed, co-written by Sen. Gary Dahms and Sen. Bill Weber, should be published throughout Minnesota. It should be published throughout Minnesota because it exposes the DFL's plan for victory this November.
This isn't surprising. The DFL is led by Gov. Dayton, who frequently acts like a spoiled rich brat, and Rep. Thissen, who consistently acts like the world stops a mile beyond the Twin Cities city limits. For instance, every rural voter should know that "when the DFL majority presented their first bonding and cash bill in the State Senate in early May with a combined expenditure of $1.8 billion, not a single dollar was included for light rail -- yet every DFL Senator voted for the bill" and that "they add a light rail amendment to the compromise bonding bill just before deadline. Every DFL senator voted for that and now don't want a bonding bill without it, effectively derailing the whole bonding bill."
What's clear is that the DFL isn't interested in governing. It's clear that the DFL prefers the campaign talking point over doing what's right for Minnesotans. How can you vote for a $1.8 billion bonding bill that doesn't mention SWLRT, then insist that they won't agree to a special session because funding SWLRT is a high priority -- which they forgot about in a bill almost twice the size of the bonding bill they sabotaged. And, yes, sabotaged is the right word, especially in light of this information:
With lawsuits still going on over routing of Southwest Light Rail etc., there was no immediate rush to fund this. The feds have indicated they want the lawsuits settled before funding is committed.
In other words, Gov. Stomp-His-Feet-And-Hold-His-Breath sabotaged the bonding bill and the Tax Relief Bill over a provision that was, at best, an afterthought to the DFL in their bonding bill.
This is good advice:
We ask all voters in Greater Minnesota to keep this in mind in the 2016 elections.
I'll go a step further. All voters should ask themselves if they want to turn power over to a bunch of morally bankrupt politicians whose allegiances are to an endless parade of special interest organizations and to the goal of doing whatever it takes to regain the levers of power. If that doesn't sound like a bunch of trustworthy politicians, it's because they aren't trustworthy politicians.
It's time to vote for politicians that will do what's best for your families, not do what the special interests tell them to do. If you aspire to voting for citizen representatives who care what's best for you, then you can't vote DFL this cycle. This cycle, the DFL are nothing but dishonest politicians who have an ideological agenda that's counterproductive to what Minnesotans want.
Posted Thursday, August 25, 2016 10:58 AM
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SWLRT: let's get that in writing
After reading this article , the first thing I thought was 'can we get that in writing'? Specifically, I'm referring to this statement, which reads "About 20 rail transit projects in development across the country are in a queue for Federal Transit Administration grants through the agency's New Starts program, and a delay in securing local funding commitments could cause SWLRT to lose its place in line , the Met Council has repeatedly warned."
Starting from scratch on SWLRT would be a dream come true. It's a project whose time will never come, at least not in Minnesota. What can SWLRT do that multiple bus lines can't do better? Bus lines can adapt to changing transportation needs. Bus lines aren't expensive, either. Installing new bus lines wouldn't require settling ongoing litigation that SWLRT is tied up with, either. Then there's the overall cost of SWLRT, which is orders of magnitude more expensive than buses.
Why does the DFL think this project is such a high priority? Is it because it'll improve the lives of the masses? Not likely. Is it because it'll play well with the special interests and big government types? BINGO! We've got a winner.
The statement noted about 45 staffers would be laid-off if the project office shut down. The project office runs out of cash to continue operations Sept. 30, and the cost of delays beyond that date is estimated at $1 million per week.
If the project is scrapped, I don't care if costs pile up. The government shouldn't have made such a foolish decision. Further, I don't care if companies lose money because they trusted crooked politicians. That's their fault. Let them pay the price for their decision-making. Nobody put a gun to their head and said 'build the SWLRT.'
Capitalism isn't about guaranteeing profits. Capitalism is about guaranteeing opportunities to make profits. Guaranteeing profits has a different name -- public-private partnerships, aka socialism, aka crony capitalism.
Posted Thursday, August 25, 2016 11:39 AM
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Paul Thissen's dishonest attack
This morning, I wrote this post to highlight Betsy Hodges' bizarre quote. Specifically, Ms. Hodges said "I expect everyone in Minneapolis to behave with civility and respect." Most people who aren't afflicted with an onslaught of progressivism would agree with me when I said "Expecting people in the Twin Cities to 'behave with civility and respect' weeks after BlackLivesMatter threw concrete blocks and construction rebar at police officers on I-94 in St. Paul is like throwing a piece of meat between 2 hungry Dobermans and expecting them to behave with civility."
That's just where this bizarre episode starts. Enter House Minority Leader Paul Thissen, the man with a history of thuggish behavior towards Republican staffers. Rep. Thissen responded to my post by saying "Wow @LFRGary! I thought comparing people to dogs went out of style 50 years ago! I guess it is the age of Trump."
Who in their right mind thinks that I called Ms. Hodges a dog? That isn't the heart of Rep. Thissen's argument. This is :
Not Mayor Hodges. The protesters.
I replied, saying "So it's the DFL way to defend ruthless thugs? Thanks for confirming that." Rep. Thissen is saying that I shouldn't call thugs names. With all due respect, calling out thugs when they spit on people is what I'll do whenever I hear about it and I won't think twice about it.
Here's Rep. Thissen's reply :
So touchy! I'm not defending anyone. I just don't think any Minnesotan should be called a Doberman.
I finished the fight, saying "Those thugs spat on people & you're criticizing me. That's defending thugs. I hate it when politicians defend thugs." Then I said "Don't hear what I didn't say. Again, @paulthissen can't tell the truth to save his soul. So unbecoming."
Rep. Thissen is a reprehensible person. Anyone that thinks people who attack others shouldn't be criticized harshly is a moron. Let's remember that Rep. Thissen sat silent when he knew that Kerry Gauthier had sex with a 17-year-old boy .
Here's a final question: When isn't it appropriate for police officers to enforce society's laws? Based on what happened in Minneapolis Friday night, it's appropriate for police officers to ignore the law if the crimes are committed against Republicans.
Posted Thursday, August 25, 2016 3:45 PM
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Jett: more listening to do
In one of the biggest understatements in St. Cloud School Board history, Superintendent Willie Jett said that "We know we have more listening to do as part of this referendum."
Actually, they need to start listening. I'm not proposing doing nothing. What I've consistently said was that the School Board consistently planned to overbuild. The original plan called for twin schools that each held 1,800 students. Student enrollment as of a year ago was 2,800. I'm not a rocket scientist, just like I'm not a demographer. Still, it doesn't require a rocket scientist or a demographer to figure out that an aging school that's getting surrounded by growing schools won't grow 25-30% in enrollment over the next 25-30 years.
It's far more likely that Sartell and Sauk Rapids will see significant enrollment growth over the next quarter-century than it is to expect significant enrollment growth for Apollo and Tech HS. The truth is that Jett and the School Board haven't done any significant listening thus far. They've listened to people that they've wanted to hear from but they haven't listened to the average voter. They've avoided those voters. Without them, the referendum fails.
If Jett and the School Board don't learn from last year's defeat, which appears like they haven't, they'll wind up with a defeated referendum and major turnover on the Board. The board needs a shakeup. They've become arrogant, which means they've stopped listening. It's time for them to go.
Posted Friday, August 26, 2016 7:45 AM
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Dayton-Duininck SWLRT bombshells
Just like Speaker Daudt predicted, the Met Council has announced that they'll "come up with the final piece of the state and local funding" for the SWLRT project. That's the mini-bombshell about the SWLRT project.
The major bombshell this week happened "when House Speaker Kurt Daudt revealed the existence of an email from Met Council Chairman Adam Duininck to Governor Dayton stating that the federal government has no plans to execute a funding agreement until sometime in 2017 because of ongoing litigation regarding the project. He's (Dayton) hid that from the public and from the Legislature and from the press since January of this year. We know the federal government is not going to fund it for a year and a half. There is no deadline. There is no reason that we have to take action now on Southwest light rail," said Daudt."
It's connect-the-dots time. First, the Senate DFL bonding bill that was defeated was the biggest bonding bill proposed in state history by orders of magnitude. It was for $1,800,000,000. Next, every DFL senator voted for that bill. Third, that $1,800,000,000 bonding bill didn't contain a penny of funding for SWLRT. The state's share would have been $135,000,000. In a pork-filled bill of almost $2,000,000,000, the DFL didn't include $135,000,000 on a project that they insist today is Minnesota's highest bonding priority? What idiot DFL senator omitted that funding from a monster bill like that?
Fourth, Gov. Dayton vetoed a major tax relief bill, then insisted that he wouldn't call a special session unless Republicans added funding for a project that the DFL refused to fund in a $2,000,000,000 bonding bill.
Connecting these dots tells this indisputable story: Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans won't receive tax relief because the DFL refused to fund SWLRT initially, then insisted on funding it as a condition of holding a special session.
It's time to throw these DFL legislators out of office. It can't happen soon enough. What type of person would omit funding for a project, then deny farmers, veterans, students with student loan debt and small businesses tax relief? The DFL's position is that it'll fight for funding a light rail project but it won't fight for tax relief for students, veterans and farmers.
Minnesota, you'll have a choice this November. Will you vote for politicians that won't fight for students, parents, farmers, veterans and small businesses? Shouldn't you vote for the party that's fought the good fight for students, farmers and veterans? The choice is clear. The DFL needs to get run out of St. Paul ASAP.
They deserve it because they've fought for the special interests, not the people. That's grounds for immediate dismissal.
Posted Friday, August 26, 2016 8:27 AM
Comment 1 by Bob J. at 26-Aug-16 08:52 AM
But ... but ... but ... their television ads say Minnesota Democrats are fighting really hard for good jobs, Gary!
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 26-Aug-16 11:17 AM
There's a simple explanation for that. Like Paul Thissen, the DFL isn't particularly invested in telling the truth.
Comment 2 by JerryE9 at 27-Aug-16 10:50 AM
Well, now that SWLRT funding is being "taken care of" by the Met Council (the fact it is illegal and unconstitutional notwithstanding) it is blindingly obvious that tax relief and roads and bridges were being "held hostage" by DFLer Dayton. The DFL should suffer greatly at the polls for this perfidy, unless the Governor calls a new special session immediately to "release the hostages."
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 27-Aug-16 11:20 AM
Jerry, check back to LFR Monday on the SWLRT. It's miles from the finish line. HINT: This won't end well for Gov. Dayton or the DFL. You'll want to read what I've already written about the details that the Dayton administration isn't talking about & what the MSM isn't writing about. It's explosive stuff.
Zach Dorholt, far left lefty
There wasn't much doubt about whether Zach Dorholt was a far left lefty going into this campaign. He'd voted for the biggest tax increase in Minnesota history. He voted for the biggest spending increase in Minnesota history, too. Of course, Dorholt said he voted for the tax increase to pay for property tax relief. It's worth noting that Dorholt's property tax relief didn't appear. The things that Dorholt voted for that did appear were the tax increases and the Senate Office Building.
Among the other things that appeared were taxes on small businesses and farmers. When Dorholt returned home, he got an ear full from business leaders for his vote on those tax increases. It didn't take him or the DFL long to change their minds on those tax increases. The first order of business when they returned to session in 2014 was to repeal some of the tax increases they'd passed the previous session.
It's become even more clear that Mr. Dorholt is a far left lefty this election. That's because an organization called Our Revolution is officially supporting Dorholt. The Our Revolution About Us page . starts by saying "Our Revolution will revitalize American democracy by unifying the millions of people who got involved over the course of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign in support of progressive causes."
Bernie Sanders' policies are to the left of Barack Obama's -- by a country mile. Others that Our Revolution endorsed include Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva, co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Russ Feingold, the man that tried to limit political speech with the McCain-Feingold legislation.
There isn't a centrist in this bunch. The fact that Our Revolution endorsed Dorholt and Ellison speaks volumes about Dorholt's politics. St. Cloud might not be conservative but it isn't far left socialist, either. That's who Bernie Sanders is. That's who Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva are.
Apparently, that's who Zach Dorholt is, too.
Posted Sunday, August 28, 2016 10:31 PM
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