March 12-16, 2015
Mar 12 07:06 MnSCU reform, Part II Mar 13 05:43 Hillary: I met all requirements Mar 14 07:32 Downtown condo project, Part II Mar 14 08:40 Fighting environmental activists Mar 15 08:30 Dan Marsh lofts: a game changer? Mar 15 09:47 Cutting through Hillary's spin Mar 15 11:35 Gov. Dayton's non-solution solution Mar 16 07:51 The unions' only solution Mar 16 13:29 Student teaches university about First Amendment
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
MnSCU reform, Part II
Whenever you're tackling a reform of a major government institution, like MnSCU's Central Office, you have to weigh the possible against everything that needs to be done. There's no disputing the fact that MnSCU's Central Office is a burden on the MnSCU system.
Over the past 4 years, I've yet to find a professor who thinks the Central Office serves a meaningful function. This sentiment isn't held by a tiny fraction of people or one political belief. It's widespread and it's found across the political spectrum. At the heart of the Central Office's difficulties is the fact that its responsibilities aren't well-defined. That's because MnSCU's chancellors and trustees haven't questioned its responsibilities.
Part of the problem is that the Trustees aren't watchdogs. They're political appointees who are waiting for their next campaign. Based on what they've done, or, more accurately, what they haven't done, they view their position as a caretaker position. They didn't question Dr. Rosenstone's contract with McKinsey. They definitely didn't express their concerns about Dr. Rosenstone's performance when they told Rev. Hightower to negotiate a contract extension with Dr. Rosenstone.
Sen. Miller's legislation is a nice first step. It's something that needs to happen. Still, it's important to change the culture of the Central Office. Right now, there's nobody who's challenging the status quo. There's nobody questioning Central Office spending traits. Signing the contract with McKinsey was the wrong thing to do but that was a symptom, not a root cause.
The root cause was that nobody in the Central Office thought twice about spending $2,000,000 without doing a cost-benefit analysis first.
In that respect, the Trustees and Dr. Rosenstone failed the taxpayers and the students. That's unacceptable. The biggest reason why the Trustees and Dr. Rosenstone failed the taxpayers and the students is because the legislature hasn't told them that one of their primary responsibilities is to make sure the taxpayers' money is spent wisely.
The Trustees' and Dr. Rosenstone's loyalty has been toward the governor that appointed them, not the people they're supposed to serve. Any reform legislation that doesn't change MnSCU's culture isn't doing everything that's necessary. Until that culture changes, taxpayers and students will get cheated.
Posted Thursday, March 12, 2015 7:06 AM
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Hillary: I met all requirements
During her 'Trust Me' news conference, Hillary Clinton insisted that she did everything she was supposed to do in terms of preserving her emails. Last night, the All-Star Panel on Special Report sharply disagreed:
Judge Napolitano opened the panel with this observation:
JUDGE NAPOLITANO: There are two forms that [Hillary] had to sign. She had to sign one on Day One in which she took an oath to preserve in the government's possession the government records. If she signed it and two weeks later, she diverted the government records to her husband's server in Chappaqua, NY, she probably committed perjury. The second one, the one that you've identified that Megyn revealed last night, which you sign on your last day in office in which you say "I have returned to the government already -- it's in the past tense -- the government's records, if she signed that, and she did so under oath, as the document requires you to do, she probably committed perjury. We don't know if she signed this but we do know nobody in the government is authorized to exempt her from [signing] these documents.
BRET BAIER: Congressman Jason Chaffetz is planning a formal investigation into the legal implications of this. So you're saying that there are legal implications?
JUDGE NAPOLITANO: I'm saying there are profound legal implications because you have to swear under oath the second document, the one you just identified, is the basis for the prosecution of Gen. Petraeus, who signed the same document the day he left the CIA and, he says, he forgot he had loose leafs in his drawer in his home, and when the FBI raided his home, they found them there and that's what he's going to plead guilty to -- the possession of documents that belong to the government in his home.
Later in the segment, Charles Krauthammer chimed in with this perspective :
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: It's not over. It's got legs. It's got long legs. It's got legs because the AP has now sued the State Department to get access to her e-mails, because three committees in the House are going to sue to get access or subpoena her e-mails because we are now in a position where we're arguing over what is the proper meaning of the word is.
I said that a week ago and I did it as a joke. With the Clintons, you can't make this stuff up. We are actually returning to it depends what the meaning of the word is is. And I think what the Judge is explaining, what Shannen Coffin, who used to work at the Justice Department, has raised, is a very serious issue. If she did not sign the document, then what she did, the one on separation, then what she did is to leave without turning over government documents, which I believe is a felony .
I don't see how you could interpret it either way. If she signed it, it's perjury. If she didn't, then she left with government documents, which is illegal. So, now we have the legal issues. I'm sure the Clintons will invent a parsing of the words, it depends what a document means, it depends what is is, but I do want to say one thing about what the Obama people are saying in astonishment. I suspect that what the hell is a loose translation of what they actually said.
Hillary's tortured performance at the hastily-arranged news conference left people with the nauseated feeling that she thinks the laws don't apply to her and that people should trust her because she's the political equivalent of a celebrity.
People have long talked about her as a great politician, that it was only a matter of time until she rose to this nation's highest office. In the minds of many, this was just assumed. That's foolish. She isn't the nimble-footed politician that her husband is. She's wooden, lawyerly, scripted. She's Al Gore in a pant suit.
At some point, this controversy will get old. That's inevitable. The question that's important in all this is whether her credibility will still be intact. I'm betting it won't be. Throughout her public life, Hillary's highest poll results have happened when she's been silent. That isn't coincidental. Think of it from the perspective of this old cliche: Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
The times she's gotten into the biggest trouble have been when she's come out of hiding. During last spring's book tour, which was supposed to be the launch of her presidential campaign, she stumbled badly and repeatedly until it got to the point that she had to leave the stage and cancel most of the book tour stops.
Posted Friday, March 13, 2015 5:43 AM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 13-Mar-15 04:38 PM
Gary:
Did you catch that post on Powerline Blog where they suggested that it was possible Hillary had a team of lawyers who might not have had the proper national security clearances to check her emails.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Downtown condo project, Part II
I wrote this post in December about a proposed condo development in downtown St. Cloud. At the time, I thought it inconceivable that an entrepreneur would propose such a monstrosity. I was wrong. An entrepreneur has proposed this project. Here's something that I wrote in response to the first Times Our View editorial:
The Times editorial board isn't too bright if they think this is worthy of serious consideration. The former Dan Marsh Drugs building is less than 100 yards from 5 major bars (the Red Carpet, the Press Bar & Lounge, DB Searles, The Office and MC's Dugout). There are other restaurants and delis within a stone's throw from where Dan Marsh used to sit. All of these businesses are open well past midnight.
Why would anyone aspire to live that close to businesses that will keep them up well past midnight?
This week, the Times Editorial Board wrote this editorial singing the praises of this project:
First, when the condo project is built, the city will begin to receive property tax payments from the owners of the 46 units. The units range in price from $165,000 to $200,000. Even if it takes time to sell those units, the immediate benefits go far beyond just the tax collection.
Market-rate housing downtown will provide the missing piece of a strong, ongoing rebound for downtown.
With the River's Edge Convention Center expansion has come a boost in downtown bars, restaurants and some retail. On the west end of downtown, the continued success of the Paramount Theatre and Visual Arts Center has been a strong anchor.
The proximity of downtown offices, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud Technical & Community College and St. Cloud Hospital makes the condo project attractive to several demographic groups, including young professionals, retirees and single people.
The downtown bars are still within a stone's throw of the proposed condo. They're still noisy well past midnight. Here's the key phrase:
Even if it takes time to sell those units , the immediate benefits go far beyond just the tax collection.
It's unlikely that this condo project will take off quickly. There's a decent chance it won't take off. That being said, if this company wants to build this white elephant, that's their right. They should know, however, that they won't get a bailout from the taxpayers if it fails.
Posted Saturday, March 14, 2015 7:32 AM
Comment 1 by Mystique at 14-Mar-15 08:43 AM
The cards are stacked against the short term success of this project and probably the long term as well. In close proximity, the Coborn's apartments lost close to $8 million since it opened in 2010. The university and taxpayers are already on the hook for that project which President Potter called a success. In the case of this proposed project, why would retirees want to move downtown where parking is a hassle and noise from the bars is problematic? The Times also mentioned being in close proximity to SCSU and the Tech College. Most college students will not be able to afford the purchase of a condo unless owners plan on renting their unit to college students which is another discussion. I didn't make the connection to the draw of the St. Cloud Hospital. Gary, are you aware if a needs analysis study on the viability of this project has been conducted? As an investor myself, this would be the first question I would ask as a prospective partner in this project. Otherwise, the luck rabbit's foot, fuzzy dice, or magic eight ball "signs points to YES" doesn't count in my world.
http://www.letfreedomringblog.com/?p=18220
Comment 2 by Jarrett at 14-Mar-15 08:55 AM
More clueless stupidity that will fail. NATIONWIDE, in MUCH more "vibrant" Cities than St Cloud this concept has failed From Ft Myers to San Diego, to Arlington,VA (Metro DC)
How do I know? I purchased almost 100 of these at 80% off of the HEY DAY appraisals...and they were STILL difficult to market
Whatever Bank underwrites and funds this better get a boatload of cross collateralization...and if I Bank there I will leave.
Comment 3 by Rex Newman at 14-Mar-15 08:48 PM
I spent a few minutes searching for St. Cloud apartments, no shortage, all very affordable. Just what void will this project fill?
Comment 4 by Gary Gross at 15-Mar-15 05:50 AM
Rex, why assume that this project will fill a void? That's being rather charitable. It's definitely a legitimate question. It's just a legitimate question without a satisfactory answer.
Comment 5 by Jarrett at 15-Mar-15 05:55 AM
The only "void" is satisfaction of another dreamer developer with a sweet deal in hand from the City and a clueless newspaper providing traction to the legitimacy thing. This is SO stupid that anyone who supports this, even a little, needs to be viewed with caution.
Comment 6 by Chad Q at 15-Mar-15 09:55 AM
This is just like the City in China where no one lives yet they keep building apartments, roads, and the like all because the government keeps funding it.
Fighting environmental activists
This LTE does a fantastic job of exposing the environmental activists' agenda. One of the tricks they're pulling is to insist that sulfates hurts wild rice growth. Here's the truth:
In 1973, the state of Minnesota adopted a sulfate standard of 10 ppm in all municipal and industrial discharge permits that discharge into bodies of water with wild rice. The standard was adopted using research from the 1940s.
In 2013 the state hired the University of Minnesota to do a scientific study of the effects of sulfates on wild rice and to determine what the standard should be. Also the Minnesota chamber hired an independent laboratory to do the same.
Both studies agree that sulfate is not toxic to wild rice. The studies also found that if sulfates turn to sulfides it does slow the growth of wild rice. However if there is iron present in the water, iron combines with the sulfides and doesn't allow the sulfides to affect the wild rice.
Sulfates and sulfides aren't really a problem. They're just the latest trick the anti-mining activists are using to prevent precious metals mining. Finding high iron concentrations in streams isn't difficult in the Iron Range. It's as difficult as finding a blackjack dealer in Las Vegas.
The extremist environmental groups' real reason for pushing the 10 ppm standard is to stop the nonferrous mining projects in northeastern Minnesota.
The truth is if the state enforces the 10 ppm sulfate standard it could close every iron ore mine in Minnesota and cost millions of dollars in upgrades to municipal wastewater treatment plants. It could cost Minntac alone hundreds of millions of dollars in treatment and millions more in yearly maintenance.
This isn't the opinion of a diehard conservative:
I have been a state of Minnesota licensed water and wastewater operator for 35 years and this standard makes no sense. I urge you to get involved or risk the loss of thousands of jobs in northeastern Minnesota.
In other words, Mr. Vreeland is an expert on these issues. The environmental activists who oppose precious metals mining aren't experts. They're dishonest activists who won't hesitate to deploy any tactic to stop precious metals mining.
These anti-mining activists are essentially the scum of the earth.
Posted Saturday, March 14, 2015 8:40 AM
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Dan Marsh lofts: a game changer?
According to the St. Cloud Downtown Council's latest newsletter , the lofts that I highlighted in this post are a "game changer." Here's what the newsletter said:
We're hoping that this proposed loft-style market rate condominium will soon be built on the corner of 523 W. St. Germain St.
Today, Downtown is fast becoming the economic, cultural and social center of a dynamic region. Additional housing assures round-the-clock activity and the businesses to support it. According to the latest studies, the trend is going back to "downtown living" because it is more sustainable and simply more enjoyable. St. Cloud's size, location, and history make it an ideal community to capitalize on these new trends and help pave the way for the future of this city.
We are in a rare position to re-brand our self and capitalize on these emerging trends. The timing is now and together we can continue to create a community that people will be drawn to, not only to visit, but to live. Thank you to all that have been involved in this project along the way for your vision, assistance and support.
The DTC has their fingers crossed; this is a game changer!
That's some interesting spin. Talking about sustainability in terms of economic development sets off tons of red flags. Economic development and the environmental movement don't fit together. Further, what studies show downtown St. Cloud turning into "the economic, cultural and social center of a dynamic region"?
If these studies are legitimate, which I'd doubt, why should I accept as fact that these condominiums are the key to revitalizing downtown St. Cloud? If these condominiums are the key to rebranding downtown St. Cloud, what's the DTC's Plan B if this doesn't work?
Better yet, is revitalization of downtown St. Cloud a higher priority than keeping stores from leaving? That's already happening but we don't have an answer for why it's happening. Lots of projects have been tried in downtown St. Cloud over the last 5 years. Most have failed. The ones that haven't succeeded failed because they tried turning St. Cloud into something it isn't or because they were totally out of character with St. Cloud.
The condo projects that've worked were built in neighborhood settings, not in downtown St. Cloud. Perhaps the Downtown Council should scrap their studies and study that model before supporting this project. (I suspect most of the studies the DTC are more wishful thinking than scholarly studies.)
Posted Sunday, March 15, 2015 8:30 AM
Comment 1 by Mystique at 15-Mar-15 03:20 PM
"I'll take 'what color is the sky in the DTC's world for $500' Alex."
After reading the newsletter, I was left wondering if this actually was written for St. Cloud, Florida. It certainly doesn't accurately describe St. Cloud, Minnesota. Anyone paying attention knows that downtown St. Cloud isn't doing that great. In terms of economic growth, neighboring cities like Sartell, Sauk Rapids, and St. Joseph are the clear winners. It certainly isn't downtown St. Cloud.
Cutting through Hillary's spin
Until Hillary Clinton affirms under oath that she signed form OF-109 and provides forensic proof that she complied with the form's requirements, everything else, like James Carville's op-ed , is irrelevant. Saying 'Trust me' won't suffice.
Here are the first 2 things on the OF-109 form:
1. I have surrendered to responsible officials all classified or administratively controlled documents and material with which I was charged or which I had in my possession, and I am not retaining in my possession, custody, or control, documents or material containing classified or administratively controlled information furnished to me during the course of such employment or developed as a consequence thereof, including any diaries, memorandums of conversation, or other documents of a personal nature that contain classified or administratively controlled information.
2. I have surrendered to responsible officials all unclassified documents and papers relating to the official business of the Government acquired by me while in the employ of the Department or USIA.
To this point, Hillary hasn't stated whether she signed this document or whether she complied with this requirement. Those points require all State Department employees to affirm that they've turned over all records (past tense), both classified and unclassified, to the State Department Intelligence Agency before their last day of work with the State Department.
According to the GSA website , Form OF-109 hasn't changed since the Clinton administration:
Form: OF109
Separation Statement Current Revision Date: 09/1994
The last time this form changed was before the Gingrich Revolution. That's more than 20 years ago.
Finally, we don't have verified forensic corroboration that Hillary turned over everything she was required to turn into the State Department because that corroboration is only possible through a thorough search of Hillary's server. That clearly hasn't happened. Until it does, 'trust me' won't cut it.
Posted Sunday, March 15, 2015 9:48 AM
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Gov. Dayton's non-solution solution
Gov. Dayton and the DFL are insisting on spending $330,000,000 on railroad safety to prevent oil car derailments/fires. This article shows how short-sighted the Dayton-DFL plan is:
With a throng of officials from towns dealing with the headaches of heavier train traffic behind him, Dayton called it "totally unacceptable" that railroads would oppose contributing more money to the state's safety efforts. The governor and other fellow DFL lawmakers have proposed a series of tax increases and annual fees on railroads to upgrade railroad crossings and ease congestion across Minnesota.
As usual, Gov. Dayton is removing all doubt that he's a blithering idiot. Railroads are already spending $500,000,000 on safety improvements in Minnesota. Further, the Dayton-DFL plan isn't a solution, though Rep. Paul Marquardt isn't bright enough to figure that out:
"That is the responsibility of the railroad," Rep. Paul Marquart, DFL-Dilworth, said of improvements.
These improvements don't do anything to solve the underlying problem, which is to free up rail capacity to transport agricultural products to market. The only way to do that is to build more pipelines, which the DFL is unwilling to do. Gov. Dayton and the DFL aren't willing to do that because the anti-fossil fuel activists won't tolerate the building of pipelines. That's because they're the dominant wing of the DFL.
The only way to improve railroad safety is to stop shipping oil on trains. I've yet to hear of a grain car derailing and exploding. Oil should be transported via pipelines because it's the safest way to transport oil to the refineries.
I can't emphasize this point enough: Money spent on railway safety won't be efficiently spent if oil is shipped by railroad.
Posted Sunday, March 15, 2015 11:35 AM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 15-Mar-15 07:10 PM
The DFL sees a cash cow in the rail road and they want to tap it, plain and simple as that. If they allow a pipeline, their cash cow goes away.
The rail roads shouldn't have to comply with any tax or requirements as it is the MN roads that are crossing their easements and not the other way around. If Gov. Goofy wants safer crossings, I suggest he find money in his budget to build overpasses for either the road or the train.
Comment 2 by Rex Newman at 16-Mar-15 05:58 PM
Why is it that every new program demands a new revenue source? How much more obvious do "less is more" cuts at the Met Council have to be? Can we not pare back them minimum 20% over-supply in UofM and MnScu? If liberal Oregon can scuttle its "Cover Oregon" failure (blaming someone else of course), where's the shame in dumping MnSure which is still at least two years from completion?
The unions' only solution
This week's Orchids and Onions contains this complaint:
Onions: Of, 'I told you so,' to all the Democrat supporters of Obama and his veto of the Keystone Pipeline. Now we have more than 400 union Steelworkers losing their jobs at Keetac because of the lack of demand for steel products. Democrat Sens. Klobuchar and Franken, along with the biggest Democrat of all, President Barack Obama, have once again thrown union workers to the wolves in order to keep their radical environmental buddies happy. Why, please tell us why, aren't our steelworker union heads not yelling their guts out about this lack of support for union jobs by Obama, Klobuchar, and Franken?
It's frustrating to see valuable blue collar workers thrown under the Obama/Klobuchar/Franken/environmentalist bus. These people don't like fossil fuels. They don't care about the infrastructure that's needed to safely transport that oil to refineries.
Worst of all, they don't really support these industrial unions. Admittedly, they're great at paying lip service to them come election time. Unfortunately for these unions, that stops the day after the election.
Until industrial unions stop supporting Democrats financially, they'll get shafted by Democrats.
Whether it's mining unions in northern Minnesota or construction unions across the nation, their financial support of Democrats keeps putting their jobs at risk. Those contributions help Democrats elect more environmental activists to the legislature, Congress and the White House. It won't change anytime soon if these unions keep supporting these hardline environmentalists.
It isn't surprising that President Obama hasn't done a thing to help build the Keystone XL Pipeline. He never will. That's because he's a hardline environmentalist.
When St. Amy of Hennepin County, aka Sen. Amy Klobuchar, runs for re-election in 2018, it's imperative that these industrial unions question why she hasn't supported them. The union rank-and-file can't hesitate in telling her that she has a choice. She can either support their agenda or support the environmentalists' agenda. They need to tell Sen. Klobuchar that their support hinges solely on whose agenda she votes for.
It's time the industrial unions held the Democrats' feet to the fire. In fact, it's time for them to abandon the Democratic Party until the Democratic Party starts supporting their agenda.
Posted Monday, March 16, 2015 7:51 AM
Comment 1 by J. Ewing at 16-Mar-15 09:58 AM
Unfortunately, you assume that Democrats and liberals are "rational actors." That fact is nowhere in evidence.
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 16-Mar-15 11:53 AM
Jerry, I'm not making that assumption. I'm just making that appeal.
Comment 3 by walter hanson at 16-Mar-15 02:57 PM
Gary:
I'm not sure which of the lesser two evils they will do. One is if somebody runs against Amy in the primary to endorse them and hope they defeat Amy (assuming they aren't a worse environmental wacko than Amy). Two is endorse the Republican running against Amy. The second is likely not to happen because the union leadership wouldn't dare think that way.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Comment 4 by Chad Q at 16-Mar-15 05:14 PM
You are asking a lot from a group of people that continue to vote democrat even though they have been screwed time and time again. I say they are getting what they voted for and elections have consequences. I don't like the democrat rule here in district 4 but at least I vote to try and change it.
Student teaches university about First Amendment
This post on FIRE's blog shows how illiterate universities are concerning the First Amendment. Check this out:
On Tuesday, a pro-life activist displaying a graphic poster depicting an aborted fetus on the University of Oregon (UO) campus attempted to give counter-protesters a lesson in First Amendment law, but video footage of the incident suggests few at the scene understood.
One campus police officer requested that the activist put the poster away, explaining that UO has ' additional rules other than just freedom of speech ,' such as a prohibition on 'offensive or demeaning' expression. It isn't the first time FIRE has seen someone in a position of authority at a public university, legally and morally bound by the First Amendment, suggest that the constitution can be trumped by the university's conduct code - an administrator at Cameron University explicitly argued just that last May.
But the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that freedom of expression applies just as forcefully on public college campuses as anywhere else. This is simply incompatible with the idea that universities can diminish speakers' rights simply by enacting a new conduct code provision. And, as the president and vice president of UO's chapter of Young Americans for Liberty pointed out in an op-ed for the student newspaper the Daily Emerald, this viewpoint-based censorship is inconsistent with UO's Free Speech Policy, which states that the university 'supports free speech with vigor.'
Altogether too often, universities have morphed into places where debate isn't just unwelcome but outright discouraged. The thought that students shouldn't experience contrarian perspectives is frightening.
What's worse is that these supposedly enlightened people don't understand the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. That's justification enough for citizens to insist that universities undergo a major overhaul. The attempted implementation of political correctness on steroids is appalling. It shouldn't be tolerated. Furthermore, this should serve as an indictment against universities as liberal arts learning centers.
Altogether too often, they've become institutions of indoctrination rather than places where this nation's history is taught. That must stop ASAP. In fact, it must be reversed ASAP.
Posted Monday, March 16, 2015 1:29 PM
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