July 25-28, 2017
Jul 25 07:30 Nothing's changed with Dems Jul 26 00:39 James Freeman vs. Nancy Pelosi Jul 26 01:43 Throw the bums out Jul 26 16:35 Klobuchar votes against competition Jul 27 03:25 DFL wants to kill PolyMet project Jul 27 15:10 Another day, another DFL defeat! Jul 27 23:04 Are these St. Cloud's village idiots? Jul 28 07:16 MNsure still rewarding failure Jul 28 08:04 Franken, Klobuchar & the ACA
Prior Months: Jan Feb ~ May Jun
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Nothing's changed with Dems
This article highlights a new ad campaign paid for by the Congressional Leadership Fund. We're told that the ad campaign features a "33-second ad that includes images of window-smashing and other protester-driven violence surrounding the inauguration. The ad isn't that imaginative, saying "Radical extremists who destroy buildings, burn cars and divide America. Hollywood celebrities who are blinded by their hatred of the president. Nancy Pelosi and the Washington Democrats answer to them."
While I don't have a problem with the ad, I'd take a different direction. I'd show Sen. Schumer saying that Democrats are changing their ways, then asking 'When did Democrats become fans of increased fracking and oil exploration? When did Democrats become big fans of building pipelines? When did Democrats stop protesting major pipeline projects?'
The point is to highlight the fact that Democrats haven't changed. They still take orders from the same special interests that's hurt America's drive for energy independence. Highlight the fact that Republicans, not Democrats, have championed blue collar mining jobs that help rural America. I'd find a way to use the first part of this video:
I'd highlight the fact that we're creating good-paying construction jobs under the Trump administration. I'd highlight the fact that the Democrats' hatred of President Trump won't let them tell the truth. This op-ed highlights that:
Not a day goes by without another allegation or reckless tweet fueling the dysfunction of a deeply divided Republican Congress that fails to govern while hardworking families across the country are left behind. Mired in controversy, Washington Republicans are unable to uphold the basic bargain they made with the American people when they were elected: to fight to create new good-paying jobs and support sustained economic growth.
Thus far, we've had 5 monthly jobs reports during the Trump administration. Thus far, more than 900,000 jobs have been created and the unemployment rate is less than 4.5%. If the economy keeps creating jobs at this pace, the economy will create more than 17,000,000 jobs during President Trump's time in office.
If Republicans cut taxes and regulations, the economy will create significantly more than 17,000,000 jobs in 8 years.
Let's not forget that Democrats are the party that loves raising taxes and imposing onerous regulations. In their announcement, Democrats said that they'll continue to push for a $15/hr. minimum wage. That isn't how to create jobs.
Democrats haven't learned anything. Democrats apparently still think that government knows best. Democrats still apparently think that government creates jobs.
Posted Tuesday, July 25, 2017 7:30 AM
No comments.
James Freeman vs. Nancy Pelosi
Saying that Democrats are doing their utmost to portray themselves as the champions of the nation's blue collar workers is understatement. Unfortunately for them, the WSJ's James Freeman exposed Democrats as hypocrites in this column .
Freeman starts by quoting Ms. Pelosi as saying "Too many Americans are struggling with a rigged economy", before noting that the unveiling of the Democrats' "Better Deal" con job was held in "Virginia's 10th congressional district." Freeman then notes that "If an economist had to pick the one place in America that has benefitted most from a rigged economy, it would probably be Virginia's 10th congressional district. It includes both a significant number of government employees and a heavy concentration of the lobbyists who are paid to influence them."
If the Democrats hope to appeal to the blue collar workers that President Trump won over in sweeping Pennsylvania's, Ohio's, Michigan's and Wisconsin's electoral votes, this won't work. Nothing says con job like telling blue collar workers that you're their champion while campaigning in white collar northern Virginia. Nothing says blue collar appeal like Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.
Freeman ties things together nicely in this paragraph:
This is perhaps instructive as voters in other parts of the country contemplate whether there is anything new in the latest effort to rebrand a party that has for years been at war with the private economy. The Democrats have chosen to take their case today to a community that has witnessed explosive growth in recent decades along with that of the federal budget, regardless of how most of blue-collar America was doing.
Democrats are kidding themselves if they think they're fooling anyone with this con job. Democrats have a steep uphill fight. Sen. Schumer said this at the kickoff event:
Americans from every corner of this country know that the economy isn't working for them the way that it should, and they wonder if it ever will again. One party says the answer is that special interests should continue to write the rules and that government ought to make things easier for an already-favored few.
Preaching despair is difficult, like Sen. Schumer tried when compared with what's written in this article :
A four-month high in U.S. consumer confidence reflects Americans' sunnier views on both their current situation and outlook, a positive sign for the economy, data from the New York-based Conference Board showed Tuesday.
Democrats are selling doom-and-gloom at a time when Americans are feeling optimistic. That's like trying to sell snow tires to Arizona families in August. What's most alarming is that Democrats haven't noticed that the people don't agree with their message.
All this time, Democrats have insisted that they lost because people didn't know what Democrats stood for. The reality is that they lost because the people didn't relate to the Democrats' message. That's arrogance, not words.
Posted Wednesday, July 26, 2017 12:39 AM
No comments.
Throw the bums out
After reading this article , I'm almost mad enough to throw the entire ISD742 school board through a brick wall. They've proven beyond all doubt that they aren't trustworthy. That means they shouldn't be given the authority to handle large-scale financial matters.
Last winter and spring, I frequently said that the School Board's Advisory Board was a PR scheme. This article proves that I was right. I'll return to that theme in a little bit. First, here's what touched off the firestorm. According Ms. Berg's reporting, "Several high-profile leaders are urging St. Cloud school board to reconsider a plan to purchase the former Minnesota School of Business building for the district offices and welcome center. The leaders were part of an advisory group created by Superintendent Willie Jett charged with finding solutions for the fate of Technical High School if a referendum to build a new high school passed last November."
Jett's plan all along was to win over a higher percentage of voters who live within walking distance of Tech HS. Those living near Tech HS raised serious objections to abandoning the neighborhood. The easiest way to get past that sticking point was to appoint an advisory council that could be ignored once the votes were counted. That's what appears to have happened:
Kleis said Tuesday the plan to purchase the Waite Park building instead of repurpose Tech surprised him. "All the discussion from the neighborhood and the district was that the administration would be in that historic Tech building," he said. "Having that commitment was something I knew was positively received by the neighborhood and I think influenced the outcome of the referendum." Kleis said the advisory committee was formed after a referendum failed in 2015, and members spent hours at listening sessions trying to gather input and find solutions.
Check out the School Board's double-talk:
Jerry Von Korff, school board vice chair, responded to the letter by stating the plan to move administration to Tech proved "unworkable" because the rehabilitation cost estimates are out of line with the district's means and no one else has stepped forward with a viable plan to develop the rest of the building or land. Meanwhile, the district could purchase the former Minnesota School of Business building at about half the cost of moving to Tech, he stated.
"We sit on the board as fiduciaries to fulfill the constitutional obligation to educate the children of our respective communities. As much as we respect your recommendation to make the move to Tech work, it has become clear that the plan is unworkable," Von Korff stated. "We're not looking at the (Minnesota School of Business) alternative because we don't care about you, the (mayor), or the neighborhood, or the (city). The plan to move into Tech is unworkable, and if we were to spend more than ($12 million) to execute this plan, we would be justly crucified for wasting education.
Von Korff is the school board's vice chair. Here's what Al Dahlgren, the school board's chair, said:
Board Chair Al Dahlgren said the superintendent and school board never promised the district would move into a repurposed Tech. "The recommendation of the committee was taken under advisement and was presented as one possible option," he stated in a response to the advisory group's letter. "No action was ever taken by the board and no person has the authority to make decisions or promises on behalf of the board. It would take an action by the majority of the board to do so. That did not occur here and if there is any misunderstanding within the committee, it is certainly that - a misunderstanding."
Let's be clear about something. While there wasn't a formal contract signing, the people on that advisory committee considered that a formality. To hear von Korff and Dahlgren say that repurposing Tech wouldn't work or that they never committed to it is the epitome of slipperiness.
It's time to throw these bums out. That's what's supposed to happen to people you can't trust.
Posted Wednesday, July 26, 2017 1:43 AM
Comment 1 by Crimson Trace at 26-Jul-17 02:27 AM
Waite Park, huh? Talk about utter betrayal to the core neighborhood residents in St. Cloud. Maybe Sauk Rapids will build their administrative headquarters in St. Cloud. Not.
Klobuchar votes against competition
Minnesota's senators voted against a proposal that would've increased competition on health insurance when they voted against the Cruz Amendment to the Senate health care bill. Only a pair of idiots would've voted against the provision, which would've let "insurers to sell stripped-down health plans, without maternity care or other benefits required by the Affordable Care Act, if they also sold plans that included such benefits."
Actually, that isn't fair; 55 other idiots voted against that provision.
According to this article , "The provision -- a version of the Consumer Freedom Option pushed by Texas Senator Ted Cruz -- would give insurers more flexibility in the plans they offer in the individual market. It would allow those that sell Obamacare policies to also offer plans that don't adhere to all of the law's rules, including those that protect people with pre-existing conditions. In an unusual joint effort, the nation's two major insurer lobbying groups wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic Leader Charles Schumer to say they "strongly oppose" the provision. The amendment was included in a revised version of the plan unveiled on Thursday."
The amendment would've let insurance companies sell policies across state lines, something that insurance company lobbyists passionately oppose. The last thing they want is competition from other companies. Consumers, however, love tons of competition. That's what drives premiums down.
Both Franken and Klobuchar support the public option, which is essentially single-payer health care. I'd love hearing Sen. Franken and Sen. Klobuchar explain why they support single-payer but oppose private insurers selling insurance policies across state lines. It's apparent that Democrats think that government will do right by consumers but that insurance companies will shaft consumers.
The question I haven't heard answered is why they think that. Haven't Democrats seen corrupt VA bureaucrats cook the books in order to 'earn' bonuses? Isn't that just as corrupt as they accuse insurance companies of being?
Democrats don't trust insurance companies but they trust government. That's stupid. I don't trust either the government or the insurance companies. Why should I? This week, Democrats tried telling the American people that Democrats were on their side. Three days later, they voted against a provision that would've helped families by lowering health insurance premiums by increasing competition amongst health insurance companies.
This is something that Republicans should repeat constantly:
The proposed BRCA is a patient-centered, free-market approach that will cut the deficit, lower premiums and increase options. The bill will expand tax-free health savings accounts, give more funding control back to the states, protect pre-existing conditions, and allocate $45 billion to combat the opioid epidemic.
Let the world know that Democrats constantly voted against lower premiums and more options. Let the world know that Democrats voted for less competition, higher premiums and excessive government control. Let the world know that Democrats voted against families, too.
That isn't standing with families. That's standing against them. Shame on Sen. Franken and Sen. Klobuchar. They're shameful frauds.
Posted Wednesday, July 26, 2017 4:35 PM
No comments.
DFL wants to kill PolyMet project
This Duluth News Tribune editorial highlights the fact that another DFL front group is attempting to kill the PolyMet mining project. According to the editorial, "a group calling itself the Duluth for Clean Water Action Team contacted councilors, asking them to sign on to a letter requesting once again that a contested case hearing be ordered by Gov. Mark Dayton and DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr so 'that the claims of both project proponents and opponents (can) be subjected to the highest possible scrutiny.'"
The editorial continues, saying "A reasonable, desirable goal - but it actually already has happened. Over the last 10 years-plus, PolyMet's plans have been studied and analyzed, their every detail considered to assure compliance with state and federal regulations that are some of the most stringent in the world. It was an exhaustive and detailed environmental review that worked. When the company's plans didn't measure up, they were sent back for revisions and wholesale changes. A safer, sounder plan emerged as a result."
Before Gov. Dayton was sworn in as governor, I wrote this post , titled "Attrition, not litigation." During Gov. Dayton's entire term in office, he's been as active as a potted plant when it comes to supporting miners. He's sat still while environmental activists like Duluth for Clean Water Action Team, the Sierra Club, the Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness and Conservation Minnesota did their utmost to kill the PolyMet mining project.
These organizations' favorite tactics are persistent litigation and other stalling tactics. This paragraph pretty much says it all:
It's hard to imagine what new evidence could be brought at a contested case hearing that hasn't already been thoroughly researched, considered, vetted, and, where appropriate, implemented. An administrative law judge hardly would be an environmental expert or an authority on the science or business of mining. Those experts already have weighed in, prompted improvements to the plans, and signed off.
It's time to start building the mine. The region needs it economically. The regulating agencies have said that it will be operated properly.
If the DFL wants to admit that they hate miners, they're welcome to admit that. Otherwise, it's time for them to get the hell out of the way so the Iron Range can prosper again.
Posted Thursday, July 27, 2017 3:25 AM
No comments.
Another day, another DFL defeat!
There's additional proof that there's justice in this world. I got that proof when I received an email that said "The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday upheld a Ramsey County District Court order directing the Dayton administration to turn over an up-to-date list of personal care attendants to a group (MNPCA) opposed to union representation, clearing a legal hurdle to a campaign aimed at decertifying the SEIU Healthcare Minnesota bargaining unit."
This is the second defeat for the SEIU. According to the email, "In order to force the election, MNPCA must garner signatures from 30 percent of a statewide PCA bargaining unit. But the 18-month long campaign has been stymied from the start by the Dayton administration's lack of cooperation in providing accurate and timely lists of PCAs in Minnesota. As a result, MNPCA does not know how many PCAs remain in the program." Further, it quoted MNPCA attorney Doug Seaton as saying "We think we have enough cards now, but want to be sure there are no arguments against the election, so we continue to obtain more. Our next steps are to re-file our decertification election petition and to ask the courts for help restraining or overturning any more Bureau of Mediation Services' decisions to stall, prevent or deny us the election."
The Dayton administration has run interference for the SEIU since Gov. Dayton took office. The joke is that the Dayton BMS is the public employee unions' branch office. The last thing the SEIU wants is to lose some of its influence. That's what's at stake here:
Based on federal filings, SEIU is estimated to be taking in as much as $4.7 million a year in new revenues from the Medicaid program. SEIU is a major political donor to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Dayton championed the legislation passed by the then DFL-dominated legislature that allowed SEIU to "organize" PCAs as "public employees" in Minnesota.Crockett is right. The SEIU wants to rip off PCAs caring for family members, then use that money to get more Democrats elected. SEIU knows that their influence is directly tied to how much money they contribute to the DFL. Their bottom line is simple. If they're decertified, SEIU's influence shrinks mightily.
"The SEIU is not spending millions of dollars on behalf of PCAs in Minnesota." said Kim Crockett, Vice President and Senior Policy Fellow at Center of the American Experiment. "But it does spend a lot on its own executive salaries, stipends for union organizers and millions getting politicians (all Democrats) elected or on grants to outside groups like Planned Parenthood. How does that improve the lives of the disabled?"
That's why they've tried avoiding giving these PCAs an accurate list of active PCAs. SEIU's ultimate goal is to not have an election. They're right in thinking that they'll lose bigtime if there's a decertification vote. With decertification comes the loss of $4.7 million, something that would limit SEIU's political clout.
Posted Thursday, July 27, 2017 3:10 PM
No comments.
Are these St. Cloud's village idiots?
After reading this article , I think it's fair to question whether we've identified St. Cloud's village idiots. We've either done that or we've identified 2 thoroughly dishonest members of the ISD 742 School Board.
According to Jenny Berg's article, "District efforts to determine the feasibility of moving offices to the old Tech uncovered numerous obstacles, according to Board Chair Al Dahlgren and Vice Chair Jerry Von Korff. They estimate the cost of moving to the Tech facility is upwards of $12 million, which is more than $6 million more than moving to the Waite Park facility." That's a bit frightening since Ms. Berg wrote that "At the time, officials estimated the cost to repurpose the 1917 and 1938 buildings to office space would be between $8 million and $12 million."
This stinks to high heaven. First, am I supposed to think that Dahlgren and von Korff didn't know that the Waite Park facility was available or might become available before the referendum? Next, the School Board approved the purchase on a 5-2 vote, with "Board members Shannon Haws and Monica Segura-Schwartz [voting] against the motion." Ms. Haws is quoted as saying "Did we mislead the community and our voters? Absolutely yes."
Ms. Haws is exactly right. The Board misled the community, most likely intentionally. The Board was upset when their 2015 referendum was defeated. They weren't going to be denied 2 consecutive years.
Kat Patton joined the rally to share her frustration with the school board and her worry about the future of Technical High School and the site. "I live in the neighborhood. I don't want to see it be ripped down and sold," she said. "It's a historic site. It belongs to the community."
Patton said the school is part of the city's identity, and doesn't want to see it become condominiums or sold to a private developer. She said she wants the building to become a community center, museum, arts center or historical center. "If we destroy our history, what do we have left?" she asked.
Ms. Patton doesn't have to worry about Tech getting sold and turned into condominiums. The School Board most likely wants to have it turned into an Islamic center. That's been one of the worst-kept secrets in St. Cloud in recent years.
These are the slithering snakes that misled St. Cloud residents:
This is why I'm calling von Korff a slithering snake:
Von Korff said the school district is not in the development business, but that the district has the "moral and ethical commitment" to make sure the site is used in a way that supports the neighborhood, downtown and community at large. "I am really sorry that people heard that we made a promise, and I'm not trying to take that away," he said. "The economic development authority needs to step up to the plate."
Mr. von Korff, don't lecture us about the school district having a "moral and ethical commitment" to make sure the site is used in a way that supports the neighborhood and downtown St. Cloud. You didn't hesitate in selling out the Tech neighborhood. You don't have any credibility left.
Dahlgren and von Korff are career politicians and DFL political hacks. Their trustworthiness is virtually nil. It's time to throw these bums out ASAP.
Posted Thursday, July 27, 2017 11:04 PM
No comments.
MNsure still rewarding failure
It's still shameful that MNsure is still rewarding failure. According to this article , "In early January, enrollment was over 103,000 people, with the enrollment window still open at the time. This is still a far cry from where the program was expected to be however. In 2013, a consultant estimated that more than 400,000 people would be buying private coverage through MNsure by the end of 2016."
In other words, the DFL overpromised and underachieved. Then they rewarded one of their cronies. According to the article, "MNsure CEO Allison O'Toole will receive a slight pay raise of $835. Her new salary will be $150,816 annually, whereas her previous salary sat at $149,981." Then the article said that O'Toole "From 2011 to 2012, she served as the state director for Sen. Amy Klobuchar's office."
What's worst is that "O'Toole received the pay raise, and positive reviews, from the MNsure board of directors as part of a 40-minute long closed door meeting ." Nowhere in the article does it say that Paul Thissen and other DFL legislators criticized the closed-door meeting. Last year, Thissen and a handful of other Democrats criticized Republicans for holding closed-door budget negotiations, complaining about a lack of transparency and the people not getting their input.
Let's return, though, to the part about overpromising and underperforming. Dayton's administration predicted more than 400,000 "people would be buying private coverage through MNsure by the end of 2016." At the end of 2016, though, only 103,000 had bought private insurance through MNsure. Gov. Dayton's administration was off by only the population of Bloomington, Duluth and Rochester. Another way of putting it is that Gov. Dayton's administration was off by the population of St. Paul.
Posted Friday, July 28, 2017 7:16 AM
No comments.
Franken, Klobuchar & the ACA
This article is rich in reporting Sen. Franken's and Sen. Klobuchar's hypocrisy. It quotes Sen. Klobuchar as saying "We can still stop this bill. We can still put aside partisanship and instead work together on bipartisan solutions that will help every American."
When the ACA was passed, Sen. Klobuchar didn't criticize Sen. Reid for his pushing the ACA through with only Democrat votes. In fact, Sen. Klobuchar criticized Republicans for not supporting the ACA. Now that it's a disaster and insurance companies are either pulling out of the exchanges or demanding gigantic premium increases, Sen. Klobuchar insists that senators work together.
Not to be outdone, Sen. Franken is also insisting on bipartisanship, saying "I strongly urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to back off this plan, because there's still time to come to the table and work with Democrats on real solutions that improve people's health care. Let's have an open, bipartisan process under regular order, where we can work together on fixing the Affordable Care Act and do the things the American people actually sent us here to do: expand coverage, lower costs, and improve care."
Sen. Franken voted for this disaster, too. The truth is that Sen. Klobuchar and Sen. Franken voted to create this disaster. Now they want Republicans to vote with them on tinkering around the edges of the ACA so that they can blame Republicans. At this point, Republicans should drop ACA reform. Let Sen. Franken and Sen. Klobuchar explain why Minnesotans' premiums continue going up by thousands of dollars each year.
Republicans should be blamed for not fixing the ACA, though it's worth noting that it's virtually impossible to repeal an entitlement. Democrats, however, should be mocked mercilessly for creating this disaster. They inherited a system most people were satisfied with. Democrats were the ones who took a wrecking ball to that system. Thanks to Democrats, Minnesotans' health insurance premiums have increased by thousands of dollars each year for the past few years.
Sen. Klobuchar, you created this monstrosity that's hurting Minnesota's families. Whenever your name is mentioned, here's hoping you're forever linked with that disaster.
Posted Friday, July 28, 2017 8:04 AM
Comment 1 by JerryE9 at 29-Jul-17 06:49 AM
I suspect they would both quickly change their tune once President Trump rescinds the Obama Executive Order exempting Congress from living under Obamacare themselves. You can't charge hypocrisy because that implies someone violating their own fixed principles. Liberals like our two Senators have none.
