August 9-16, 2016
Aug 09 16:06 Return to blogging Aug 10 02:39 Lewis wins primary, DCCC spinning Aug 11 05:16 Emmer hasn't fought for security Aug 12 12:27 Thissen's latest diatribe Aug 15 04:21 Daudt vs. DFL: SWLRT funding Aug 15 05:12 School board arrogance Aug 16 10:22 Zach Dorholt, entrepreneur? Aug 16 16:12 DFL, Martin, hates all mining
Prior Months: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Return to blogging
It feels good to finally be home again. Posting has been essentially been nonexistent on LFR because I had a heart attack last Monday. As in Monday, August 1, 2016. The cardiologists say I got lucky because the heart attack was caused by a major blockage of the left descending artery. The cardiologists that I spoke with said that that particular type of blockage is often nick-named widow-maker because it often results in the person suffering the heart attack dying.
There but for the grace of God go I.
The good news is that my heart is better than ever thanks to the fact that the fix was relatively simple. First, they did an angioplasty to remove the blockage, then they placed a stent at the point of the attack. The entire procedure took less than 45 minutes. The angioplasty was done Monday morning. This afternoon, I'm home pecking at my keyboard.
There are some people to thank. First among them is the Lady Logician. She sent out an email to my blogging colleagues, then started praying for me. The Bible says that the "prayers of a righteous man availeth much." I'm proof of that.
If the Lady Logician needs to be thanked, as she deserves it, my pastor, Art Cotant, deserves that thanks, too. Art visited me twice, praying with me both times, all while empathizing with my situation. In fact, my church family deserves many thanks, including my friend Andrea from the singles group when I first joined First B.
The list of people that deserve my thanks is lengthy. Suffice it to say that I appreciate everyone that prayed for me or called me while I was in the hospital.
Posted Tuesday, August 9, 2016 4:06 PM
Comment 1 by Patrick-M at 10-Aug-16 12:56 PM
glad to hear you are OK, said a few prayers for your speedy and full recovery.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 11-Aug-16 05:36 AM
Thanks Pat. You're a true patriot.
Comment 2 by Rex Newman at 10-Aug-16 02:52 PM
OMG, we had just talked the night before! But as a fellow member of the Stent of the Month club, I wish you the same success I've had since my Dec 2010 event. I'm getting my annual EKG tomorrow morning, again with no further symptoms to report. About the only real change has been that I'm not allowed to shovel snow anymore.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 11-Aug-16 05:37 AM
It's like deja vu all over again. Call me Saturday if you have the time.
Comment 3 by Crimson Trace at 10-Aug-16 09:17 PM
Glad you are back in the saddle, Gary. God was watching over you and it is great to see such a good report. He is good all the time!
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 11-Aug-16 05:36 AM
He was indeed, CT. He was indeed.
Comment 4 by eric z at 11-Aug-16 08:30 AM
After wondering about days passing without your posting, it is good news that stent surgery fixed things. I have a relative who has had stent surgery. Open heart surgery was avoided in both instances. They did not have to chop open your chest, and you are back writing of it. You are fortunate to have had the effective procedure; unfortunate to have needed it. All readers are happy for your surviving the hardship. May continued good luck prevail. You are still relatively young with much to experience.
Response 4.1 by Gary Gross at 11-Aug-16 08:52 AM
Thanks Eric. Like I said in the post, I got lucky. Lots of people don't live long enough to make it to surgery.
Comment 5 by Bob J. at 12-Aug-16 01:09 PM
Note to self: read blog from bottom to top next time. Glad to see you are recovering, and God bless.
Response 5.1 by Gary Gross at 12-Aug-16 01:28 PM
Thanks Bob. Your prayers, & everyone's prayers, are definitely appreciated more than I'm able to express with words.
Lewis wins primary, DCCC spinning
Tuesday night, Jason Lewis won his primary against Darlene Miller and John Howe. Saying that this was expected is understatement. Lewis now heads into the general election against the DFL's Angie Craig. The DCCC is already spinning Lewis as a rigid ideologue from hell .
Whatever.
Craig's only hope of winning this election is to make the focus on Jason Lewis. The minute that this becomes a fight between Angie Craig's progressive agenda and Lewis' ideas for creating jobs and protecting us from terrorists, this race is over.
Nowhere on Ms. Craig's issue page , which has a heading of "My Priorities", does it talk about protecting against terrorist attacks, though it mentions "Slowing the Pace of Climate Change."
When Ms. Craig talks about veterans care, she's all about describing the problem:
We owe so much to the brave men and women who volunteer to serve our country in the armed forces. When they come home from their service, they deserve access to every benefit and opportunity they've earned. However, so often our veterans are faced with long wait times at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and service-related health problems that aren't fairly compensated.
A 2014 internal audit by the VA found that more than 120,000 veterans waited at least 90 days for healthcare appointments or never received appointments at all. And as of January 2016, over 82,000 veterans were still waiting for the VA to evaluate their claims for service-connected disability compensation more than 125 days after filing.
Nowhere in that word soup is an identifiable solution. I'm not interested in another cookie-cutter politician that can identify problems but can't identify solutions.
Jason Lewis is into solving problems. He's also a principled Constitution-first citizen. It's time to elect Jason Lewis.
Posted Wednesday, August 10, 2016 2:39 AM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 10-Aug-16 07:21 PM
Ah yes, the DFL has put up another rich white liberal woman who talks a lot, says nothing, and wants to tell the plebeians how they should run their lives.
Her endorsement list is a who's who of baby killers and communist party members.
Comment 2 by eric z at 11-Aug-16 08:21 AM
Do you guys see much difference between Jason Lewis and Rod Grams? Has Lewis tried to distinguish himself from the Grams legacy? Would either want to privatize TSA, as Bob Barr has suggested:
http://townhall.com/columnists/bobbarr/2016/06/01/high-time-to-privatize-tsa-n2171776
It seems like an issue position I'd expect from Lewis.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 11-Aug-16 08:49 AM
Personally, I don't have a problem with privatizing the TSA because it's ineffective & doesn't protect people. If something doesn't solve a problem, get rid of it.
Comment 3 by Bob J. at 12-Aug-16 01:08 PM
Lewis has too much Libertarian in him for my tastes but clearly is a better option than Craig.
Emmer hasn't fought for security
In 2010, I supported Tom Emmer's campaign against Mark Dayton for governor. Had Emmer won that election, I'm convinced that Minnesota would be far better off than it is today. Back then, Tom Emmer was a staunch conservative. Unfortunately, Tom Emmer isn't the full-time conservative today that he was then.
That's why he just received the lowest GOP primary vote percentage in a generation. That's why he "won the primary ... with 68.7 percent of the vote."
Eric Ostermeier, who founded the blog Smart Politics, wrote that "Emmer's win was the fifth-lowest out of 49 contested primaries since 1964. The only members of Minnesota's U.S. House delegation to receive less support were DFLers Jim Oberstar in 1980 and 1984, Martin Sabo in 1992 and Gerry Sikorski in 1992."
A quick look at Emmer's issues page on national security shows that he isn't listening to his constituents. Emmer started wrong by teaming with Keith Ellison to form the Somalia Caucus. It went downhill fast after that.
During a July 1, 2015 townhall meeting, Emmer laid the foundation for this primary fight by blowing off constituents who wanted a moratorium on Syrian refugees being resettled in St. Cloud, saying that he'd checked with the State Department and that there weren't any refugees coming to St. Cloud. Clearly, Emmer was either badly misinformed or dishonest .
The reason why AJ Kern got 26.5% of the vote in this primary is because she fought for US national security. Emmer hasn't. Here's hoping that Rep. Emmer's last day in Congress is January 3, 2019. Central Minnesota doesn't need a squish who collaborates with Keith Ellison representing the Sixth District.
Posted Thursday, August 11, 2016 5:16 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 11-Aug-16 08:15 AM
Stan Hubbard does not fit your liking? Do you suppose Emmer crosses the street without Hubbard's permission?
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 11-Aug-16 08:47 AM
Not this time.
Comment 2 by Bob J. at 12-Aug-16 01:06 PM
Congratulations, Gary, on a clear-eyed look at Tom Emmer. Didn't take long for him to catch Potomac Fever, did it?
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 12-Aug-16 01:27 PM
Sadly, Potomac Fever seemed to set in before he got there.
Comment 3 by eric z at 13-Aug-16 08:19 AM
Financial services committee seat too. Just like Bachmann before him. Setting his feet firmly within reelection funding land, only having to go along to get along. Keeping his mouth shut instead of being a divisive force for stupidity, he is an upgrade, but still, same roots - servicing financiers. And, by the way, what're Guv Tim's cash flows based on these days? Right. Servicing financiers. It seems a GOP trend, and the grassroots only mumbles and fumbles. Where do you guess Hackbarth will end up after losing his district endorsement and then losing his primary challenge to the endorsed candidate, Bahr? Lobbying? That's my bet. Lobbying for mining interests.
Thissen's latest diatribe
If Rep. Thissen's destructive attitude wasn't enough to disqualify him from a leadership position, then Rep. Thissen's persistent whining should tip the scales against him.
Rep. Thissen's latest diatribe is essentially his whining that Democrats didn't get everything they wanted in the last session, mixed with a healthy dose of bragging that essentially says that the DFL would've done better.
For instance, when Rep. Thissen said "After nearly 3 months of indecision, this week is crunch time for a special session decision", what Rep. Thissen doesn't want to say is that Kurt Daudt has done a fantastic job of saying no to the DFL's insistence on funding the SWLRT, a project that the citizens don't want but that the special interests want in the worst way. Here's what the GOP should say loudly to the DFL on this issue: "Shut up, go away or we'll use this issue against you in the upcoming election."
"Behind closed doors negotiations have produced little progress and all of the political obstacles to compromise, including Speaker Daudt's primary, are behind us," said Thissen. "After nearly 3 months of indecision, this week is crunch time for a special session decision. Once we hit the State Fair, it's too late and we need some time for the promised public hearings. I continue to believe we should finish our job, but if agreement is not reached, I pledge that under a House DFL Majority we will bring a robust bonding bill to the House floor for a vote in the first 30 days of the next legislative session."
It's the DFL's fault that a bonding bill wasn't passed. An agreement was reached between the House and Senate. Rep. Thissen didn't like the compromise so he worked with DFL senators to blow the agreement up. Now the saboteur is promising to fix the bill he helped demolish.
That's rich.
Notice that Rep. Thissen doesn't mention any of his sabotage in his statement. Why would he? Rep. Thissen isn't a leader. He couldn't care less about the average person. That's indisputable. While he was Speaker in 2013, Thissen worked with the unions on the forced unionization of in-home child care providers. The in-home child care providers fought against it. Thissen didn't care. He had his marching orders from AFSCME and SEIU. The bill was passed. Gov. Dayton signed it into law.
This spring, the in-home child care providers had the final say, telling Rep. Thissen, AFSCME and the SEIU to shove it :
In the end, in-home child care providers rejected AFSCME's forced unionization plan. In fact, the vote wasn't that close. According to this article, the "vote was 1,014-392 in a Tuesday count by the state Bureau of Mediation Services from ballots mailed to providers last month."
Voters would do well to remember that the DFL did exactly what the special interests wanted while ignoring the in-home child care providers. To Thissen and the DFL, you're a nobody if you aren't a special interest group aligned with the DFL.
Posted Friday, August 12, 2016 12:27 PM
Comment 1 by eric z at 13-Aug-16 08:11 AM
" ... fantastic job of saying no ..."
Explain, please, what's fantastic in polarizing the rural/urban divide, where Daudt's feet are grounded in a rural district?
It seems gutless to me. Shameful pandering.
They get their miles and miles of rural roads between nowhere and the grain elevators. But they have no fairness toward urban situations. Myopic pandering. Ye,s Cargill is satisfied with that (running the elevators), but pandering to Cargill is less than fantastic. Yes, Daudt is better than Miller, Lucero, Whelan, Scott and others in his party, however, being the one-eyed man among the blind is short of fantastic.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 15-Aug-16 04:43 AM
What's fantastic about saying no to SWLRT is that this verifies the fact that the DFL isn't about fixing Minnesota's roads & bridges. It verifies the fact that Republicans are serious about fixing Minnesota's biggest problems & that the DFL is the party that listens to the special interests, not We The People.
Comment 2 by JerryE9 at 14-Aug-16 11:36 AM
SWLRT held up the "top priority" of "roads and bridges" and that's all from the DFL. I will happily take all of the votes of those who want roads and bridges and let the DFL take all the votes of those who want and would benefit from SWLRT. Why the GOP isn't trumpeting this DFL stupidity far and wide is beyond me.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 15-Aug-16 04:39 AM
From what I'm hearing, Jerry, this is something that GOP candidates & incumbents are highlighting.
Comment 3 by Chad Q at 14-Aug-16 02:40 PM
Roads, whether they are urban or rural benefit everyone while tin cans on tracks that only go from point A to B only benefit the liberal politicians on their resumes meanwhile the current roads and bridges continue to crumble so the liberals can have their trains. I thought liberals always thought of themselves as forward thinking and yet they still believe trains on tracks are the answer to congestion..
Daudt vs. DFL: SWLRT funding
The more things change, the more the DFL insists on staying the same. It's been months since DFL senators undermined a bonding bill agreement that would have paid for lots of road repairs. They're still insisting on funding for the SWLRT project . Predictably, Gov. Dayton is throwing a temper tantrum, saying "The Legislature won't let us improve the economic and social vitality of the metropolitan area. I think that's really irresponsible."
Gov. Dayton is wrong. Republicans won't sign off on a project that's pure pork. A handful of business leaders want SWLRT. As for improving "the economic and social vitality of the metropolitan area," that won't change one iota if SWLRT is approved.
Kurt Daudt, fresh off impressively winning a primary battle, has the right idea, saying "We're going to lose everything that's on the table right now. I don't think that's very good legislating. I don't think that's very good leadership."
This is what he's talking about:
Daudt warned that the benefits of tax cuts and a package of public works construction projects could be lost if Democrats walk away from the table over light rail.
Gov. Dayton vetoed $800,000,000 worth of middle class tax cuts in his attempt to force Republicans into funding SWLRT. Gov. Dayton's veto stopped the tax cuts but it hasn't rallied support for SWLRT funding. Thanks to Gov. Dayton's idiotic decision, DFL legislators have to defend his veto of tax cuts for veterans, students, farmers and small business owners.
This is a political winner for Republicans. They shouldn't give an inch on this. If the DFL wants to fight this, let them be highlighted as the party that doesn't like outstate Minnesota.
Posted Monday, August 15, 2016 4:21 AM
No comments.
School board arrogance
Barbara Banaian's monthly column highlights the arrogance of the St. Cloud School Board while highlighting the fact that the school board hasn't examined all of the different options available with regard to Tech High School.
If I sound like a broken record on the subject, it's because the School Board hasn't changed its plan much. They haven't explained why a new Tech High School needs to be built. Based on some of the comments by a school board member, it's apparent that they don't think they need to justify their actions.
Mrs. Banaian nails the crux of the problem when she wrote "We can all agree they can't make do with Tech in its current condition. But should we pay to build a new high school? The proposed new Tech is slightly smaller and slightly less expensive than the one rejected in the 2015 vote. The school board and interested parties have invested time and money in a detailed design for a new building. But what have they given for the option to renovate Tech?"
Then Mrs. Banaian drops the hammer:
A scant "cost opinion" based on what contractor R.A. Morton said was "limited information." "A complete facility assessment would be required to accurately assess the mechanical, electrical and structural conditions of the existing building. An educational assessment would be required to assess the flow, function and viability of educational programming of any renovations completed," Morton wrote to the board June 2.
When the contractor indicates that they couldn't do a legitimate estimate because of "limited information", that's proof that the School Board isn't interested in finding out how much a Tech renovation would cost. When the Board cites a "cost opinion", it should be rejected as worthless.
This is the same problem that Claire VanderEyk and Sarah Murphy ran into when they looked into the situation.
There's a two-step solution to this situation. The first step is in voting no against the Tech referendum. The other step is in electing members to the school board that will actually address citizens' questions. The School Board, as currently configured, is nothing more than a rubber stamp for the 'education community'. We need citizen leadership, not vested special interests. This group should be voted out of office ASAP:
Eliminating the Board's institutional arrogance is the only way to fix this problem.
Posted Monday, August 15, 2016 5:12 AM
Comment 1 by Rex Newman at 15-Aug-16 08:41 AM
The whole concept of a School Board is obsolete. School choice doesn't need one. School Superintendent can be a municipal/joint powers appointment, same as a police chief or public works director. This current collection of largely political gadflies isn't a match for the now entrenched bureaucracies.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 15-Aug-16 10:48 AM
This is why Rex is one of the brightest education minds in Minnesota. We need more people like Rex to stir the pot every chance they get. We're so in need of totally new thinking. The entrenched bureaucracies that Rex talks about are hurting students. There's nothing right about that.
Comment 2 by John W. Palmer at 15-Aug-16 09:19 PM
Rex as long as there is a School Board we need to elect people who are not rubber stamps for the education cartel. I have chosen to run for the Board to take on the entrenched cartels and I would not be running If I did not think it was possible to make a difference.
Comment 3 by Rex Newman at 17-Aug-16 09:27 PM
As I said, "largely" political gadflies, Mr. Palmer that too rare, so needed exception.
Zach Dorholt, entrepreneur?
One of the things we learn about Zach Dorholt is that he's proud of his being a small business owner. One of the things highlighted on Dorholt's Meet Zach Dorholt page is this paragraph, which reads "Following his entrepreneurial instincts, Zach co-founded The Old Capital Tavern in Sauk Rapids with like-minded friends in 2012. The venture was a first step in building unique businesses that support local economics and highlight Central Minnesota culture."
It's understatement to say that the people LFR has talked with from central Minnesota are skeptical of Mr. Dorholt's entrepreneurial enthusiasm. The biggest reason they question Mr. Dorholt's entrepreneurial expertise is because he voted for a ton of tax increases that hit small businesses directly, then voted the next spring to repeal the tax increases he'd voted for in 2013.
Those don't sound like the actions a pro-entrepreneurial politician would make. They sound like the actions of a pro-high taxes politician would make after he's revealed his political leanings and he knows he's gone too far to get re-elected.
As for being a small business person, apparently Mr. Dorholt thinks health regulations are optional:
MN Rule 4626.0225 Use spatulas, tongs, deli tissue or other dispensing equipment to limit direct hand contact with food or ice.
Cook was observed dispensing buns, French fries and other condiments with his bare hands.
The reason for these regulations is so that people don't get sick. A true businessman pays attention to details like that. That wasn't the only violation. Here's another:
MN Rule 4626.0070 Food employees must wash their hands at the hand wash sink in the food preparation area by vigorously rubbing together their soap lathered hands and arms for at least 20 seconds, scrubbing underneath the fingernails with a fingernail brush, and rinsing with clean water.
Cook was observed working with raw fish and rinsing his hands in the sink for approximately 5 seconds.
I'm betting that Dorholt invested a little money in the business so he could say he's a small businessman but doesn't pay attention to things. Then again, I might be wrong. He might be a hands-on owner who thinks regulations are suggestions.
Posted Tuesday, August 16, 2016 10:22 AM
No comments.
DFL, Martin, hates all mining
Thanks to a tip from a loyal reader of LFR, I now have proof that the DFL hates all mining. This article provides that proof in the form of the wording for "Resolution 54".
Specifically, Resolution 54 says "Oppose sulfide ore mining, which is significantly different from taconite mining, poses unacceptable environmental risks, threatens multiple watersheds (Lake Superior, BWCA/VNP, Mississippi) and should not be allowed in the sulfur-bearing rock of Minnesota."
Bill Hanna, the executive editor of the Mesabi Daily News, disagreed with Res. 54's statement that non-ferrous mining "is significantly different" than taconite mining, stating that "all rock mined on the Range is 'sulfur-bearing rock,' including in taconite production." That's a political predicament that Ken Martin, the chair of the DFL, doesn't want to deal with.
Here's why the DFL is in a no-win situation:
Martin, along with Range lawmakers and labor leaders, especially from the building trades, have crafted substitute language for Resolution 54. They are looking for someone who would be more amenable to the anti-mining crowd to introduce the compromise wording.
The substitute language reads: "We support stringent regulations, oversight, and using the best available science when evaluating the proposals for copper nickel mining, which would be a new industry in Minnesota and potentially poses significant risks to Minnesota's waters including, but not limited to: Lake Superior, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Voyageurs National Park, and the Mississippi River."
But the DFL Environmental Caucus is signaling no compromise. The caucus has sent out an email that claims support of more than 65 percent of DFL delegates for Resolution 54.
Simply put, the metro DFL vehemently opposes mining. Period. That's why they aren't willing to compromise on Res. 54.
Here's a hint to the proud, hard-working people of the Iron Range: the metro DFL will never be willing to compromise as long as the Iron Range keeps electing DFL legislators. Why should the DFL move if they get what they want every time?
Posted Tuesday, August 16, 2016 4:12 PM
No comments.
