March 5-7, 2018
Mar 05 05:19 MNLARS wasn't broken Mar 05 05:44 MPR: Malhotra hire isn't inspiring Mar 05 05:53 St. Cloud schools not in session Mar 05 07:03 Paul Torkelson's scathing op-ed Mar 06 06:26 Dr. Malhotra's legacy Mar 06 13:58 Teachers vs. common sense Mar 07 08:05 Broward County's fascism Mar 07 08:58 DFL hates MNLARS accountability Mar 07 17:14 Jeff Sessions vs. Xavier Becerra
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
MNLARS wasn't broken
Joe Soucheray's column is brilliant in that it highlights the fact that, to the public, the old system was working flawlessly.
In the second paragraph of his column, Soucheray wrote "So far, $93 million has been spent to upgrade the MNLARS software. I never had a problem getting my tabs or securing a new title. Did you? I mean, things were going along swimmingly and getting tabs and titles was just part of the contractual bargain we have with the state, like paying taxes or getting a fishing license." I'm betting that 99% of people would agree with Mr. Soucheray's statement.
Soucheray dropped the hammer in the next paragraph, saying "But then somebody decided we needed to upgrade the system. Maybe some software salesman in a plaid suit and orange shoes blew through town and they went for his pitch. Now there is a delay in getting tabs and titles. This falls under the rubric of fixing something that apparently wasn't broken." Ouch.
A longtime friend once told me when he helped me install my first PC that he preferred "trailing edge technology". Bruce told me that he liked new technology after the inevitable bugs had gotten fixed. Apparently, though, with MNLARS, their problem is that they haven't identified the bugs.
Then Soucheray drops the hammer:
Is this one of those deals where somebody's brother-in-law is getting rich? Probably not. But I cannot think of a boondoggle of this scale that displays so clearly for us the difference in the mindsets between the public and private sectors. Imagine if your private employer told you to upgrade the computer software - you work in your company's information technology department - that governs the loading of finished products from your loading docks into the waiting trucks.
'OK, boss, will do. What's my budget?'
Sheepishly, you go back to the boss in a month and tell her you need more money.
"How much more?"
"Another $43 million might do it, but I need $10 million of that right now or I am going to lose this team of sharpshooters I brought on board."
"You're fired."
"Yes, ma'am."
Yes, incompetence happens in the private sector. That's why companies go out of business. Either that or they quickly get new management that quickly rights the ship. What doesn't happen in the private sector is letting the same failed management continue screwing things up without consequence.
Last Friday night, the DFL 'ladies from La-La-Land', aka Ellen Anderson and Ember Reichgott-Junge, insisted that Republicans would pay a political price this November if they didn't appropriate the $10,000,000 immediately and without question. These ladies apparently aren't bright enough to understand that the people that screwed things up, aka the Dayton administration, get blamed.
[Video no longer available]
This sounds like a reasonable compromise:
Find the old software and reinstall it. That couldn't possibly cost $93 million or require another $43 million of which $10 million is needed immediately.
I'm betting there are tons of frustrated customers out there that'd be fine with this solution.
Finally, the DFL, aka the Party of Big Government, has proven yet again that they're incompetent. I wish that was a surprise.
Posted Monday, March 5, 2018 5:19 AM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 05-Mar-18 05:12 PM
Ha! Former Sen. Ellen Anderson is about as dim of a bulb as they come so expecting her to be bright enough to understand anything would be a challenge let alone blaming her own party for this debacle.
Comment 2 by John Palmer at 05-Mar-18 08:18 PM
Gary at first I thought you were writing about MNLARS but the same thing could be said about good old Minnesota State the higher education system named for a sitcom. Maybe that explains your treatment of Minnesota State's failure to hire a change agent after spending on two national searches ending with the hiring of an insider. Government does best when it does least?
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 06-Mar-18 05:04 AM
At least, they didn't hire Dauber:
MPR: Malhotra hire isn't inspiring
Though MPR's article didn't say it outright, the opening paragraph of the article essentially said that MnSCU didn't get a blue-chip replacement as Chancellor. The opening paragraph said "Two rounds of searches for chancellors over two years have not given the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system board a candidate they've liked, so the board has picked its interim chancellor to fill the role."
It isn't that the second round of interviews didn't include some impressive candidates. Here's what was written about Ricardo Azziz:
Ricardo Azziz has served the State University of New York (SUNY) System Administration since 2016 as chief officer, academic health and hospital affairs. He also serves as a senior fellow at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education Pullias Center for Higher Education, a position he has held since 2015. Previously, he was the founding president of Georgia Regents University (now Augusta University) from 2012 to 2015; president of Georgia Health Sciences University from 2010 to 2012; and founding chief executive officer of the Georgia Regents Health System from 2010 to 2015. At the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine from 2007 to 2010, he served as assistant dean for Clinical and Translational Sciences (CTS) and deputy director of the UCLA CTS Institute. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, two master's degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and an MD from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine.
Here's what was written about Neal Cohen:
Neal Cohen served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of ATK (NYSE: ATK) from 2012 to 2015. Previously, he was president and chief operating officer for Laureate Education from 2008 to 2011. He served Northwest Airlines between 1991 and 2008 in several capacities, including executive vice president of strategy and international; chief executive officer of regional operations; and executive vice president and chief financial officer. He also served US Airways as executive vice president and chief financial officer from 2002 to 2004. He holds a bachelor's degree and a master's from the University of Chicago.
These are distinguished men of accomplishments. It would have required a major salary increase to get either gentleman to accept the job as MnSCU's Chancellor. I'm betting that isn't why the Trustees didn't hire either of these candidates. I'm betting that both of these potential chancellors would've arrived, figured out what a mess they'd inherited and started scrapping the entire system almost immediately.
The last thing that the Trustees can afford is a reformer with leadership abilities in their midst. That's why they picked Devinder Malhotra.
The IFO is thrilled with the hire:
To write that glowingly, the IFO must think he'll be a pushover at negotiations. I wouldn't be surprised if they're right. The other reason to think that this isn't a strong hire is because Malhotra's initial contract is shorter than the initial contract for his 2 predecessors:
Devinder Malhotra, the interim chancellor for the Minnesota State since last fall, will be offered a three-year contract to be chancellor.
James McCormick and Steven Rosenstone both got 7-year contracts at the start of their first terms.
Posted Monday, March 5, 2018 5:49 AM
Comment 1 by Reader4 at 05-Mar-18 09:10 AM
Let's be clear that in both of the search processes that the current MnSCU board rejected all applicants and decided to appoint an internal staff person. This blatantly disregards having a transparent, public process and effectively wastes thousands of dollars, time and public input. If they wanted to select an internal candidate they should have done so from the start and justified why Dr. Malhotra was the right person to do the job.
Instead they choose to capture a list of 2nd rate applicants as 'finalists' in the 2nd round to illustrate why the unspoken alternative (Malhotra) was the right option. Under Vekich the Central Office and the Board have been increasingly controlling and resistant to real public input. I think Minnesota is worse off for this.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 05-Mar-18 09:31 AM
Unfortunately, the odds of Chancellor Malhotra picking a do-nothing crony to be St. Cloud State's next president is fairly high. I hope I'm wrong but I'm not confident.
St. Cloud schools not in session
Yesterday, ISD 742 announced that schools won't be open today:
WEATHER ALERT: St. Cloud Area School District will be closed tomorrow, Monday, March 5. All school meetings, activities and events are cancelled, as well as after-school events, McKinley ALC evening classes, Community Education, Adult Basic Education and Early Childhood.
— St.CloudAreaSchools (@ISD742) March 5, 2018
Here are the details:
WEATHER ALERT: St. Cloud Area School District will be closed tomorrow, Monday, March 5. All school meetings, activities and events are cancelled, as well as after-school events, McKinley ALC evening classes, Community Education, Adult Basic Education and Early Childhood.UPDATE: These schools are closed Monday:
KIDSTOP sites and Boys & Girls Clubs, Albany, Becker, Foley, Holdingford, Milaca, Monticello, Paynesville, Rasmussen College, ROCORI, Sartell, Sauk Rapids-Rice, St. Cloud Area Schools and St. John's Prep
Posted Monday, March 5, 2018 6:24 AM
No comments.
Paul Torkelson's scathing op-ed
Saying that Rep. Paul Torkelson's op-ed is scathing is understatement. Chairman Torkelson's op-ed is a line-in-the-sand statement op-ed.
First, Chairman Torkelson wrote "The Minnesota House Transportation Finance Committee held hearings to find out what was going wrong. We've dedicated thousands of hours between legislators and staff responding to and fielding complaints from Minnesotans about the troubles they're seeing. We've held several hearings to demand answers from Gov. Mark Dayton's administration officials. We were told the problems were fixable and that the issue was not money-related."
Next, Chairman Torkelson wrote "The problem is, the Dayton administration cannot guarantee the massive amount of funding they're asking for will make MNLARS fully functional in the next year. We are committed to working with the Dayton administration to fix the problem, as Minnesotans deserve hassle-free trips to the DMV, but we will not give Governor Dayton a blank check . Until we receive some specific answers, assurances that those responsible for this mess are being held accountable, and a new direction that will likely involve outside technology experts, the legislature has no plans to throw good money after bad. Minnesota taxpayers deserve nothing less."
Before he became governor, Dayton was the worst of 100 U.S. senators. During Gov. Dayton's watch, we've had to endure the MNsure and MNLARS fiascoes. What's to trust about Gov. Dayton? After reading this, I don't trust Gov. Dayton:
A recent KMSP-TV investigative report found that three years ago a MNLARS analyst told the Governor's Office directly that the program was "headed for a cliff," and in a secret recording the Governor's Chief of Staff told this analyst she was going to look into it.
That chief of staff is now employed in the private sector. Isn't that a coincidence?
It's obvious that the DFL, aka the Party of Big Government, is incompetent. Electing another DFL governor just means 4 more years of stunning incompetence.
Posted Monday, March 5, 2018 7:03 AM
No comments.
Dr. Malhotra's legacy
This editorial raises a good point when it says "When one executive search exercise ends with none of the finalists getting the top job, higher-education observers generally shrug and say 'these things happen.' When back-to-back searches produce the same result, alarm bells sound. They signal that something may be amiss in the way Minnesota State's sprawling 54-campus system is viewed in the nation's higher-education marketplace, or in the way in which it approaches executive recruitment."
The Strib editorial board is right that that's how people should react. I doubt that that's how Mr. Vekich and Co. reacted, though. I suspect that the Trustees were frightened by the quality of the second group of candidates. Ricardo Azziz and Neal Cohen were men of accomplishments . They were leaders, too. That's the last thing the Trustees wanted. Hiring a man with accomplishments and leadership abilities carried with it a substantial risk.
In the Trustees' minds, they worried that Cohen or Azziz might blow up Minnesota State, aka MnSCU, because it's a dysfunctional system. These candidates came from outside their system. That's why they turned to Dr. Malhotra. He's a system insider, a don't-rock-the-boat type. Most importantly, he isn't a change agent. That's why the Trustees can relax. The system is preserved.
The editorial board insists that these questions need to be asked:
Why were the candidates identified by the search committees and their hired consultants not better suited to Minnesota State's leadership needs? Was the $270,000 cost of the two searches warranted? Is the search process too unwieldy? Is faculty influence too great over a decision that is ultimately a governing board responsibility? What made the chancellor's position insufficiently attractive to top higher-education talent from around the country? Is the scale and complexity of the nation's fourth-largest higher-education system seen negatively in the marketplace? Does the propensity of state politicians to meddle in the system's management make candidates wary?
Those aren't the questions that need to be asked. Further, the Trustees shouldn't ask questions about the search because they shouldn't exist.
What's required is for Minnesota's parents, students and politicians to ask whether a system that ill-advised when it was created in the 1990s is the right system for the 21st Century. Why haven't Minnesota State's universities produced the high-tech workforce Minnesota industries will need for the next generation? Why are Minnesota-born students who attend 4-year institutions choosing universities in North Dakota, Wisconsin and other states instead of Minnesota?
It might be that Minnesota State is dysfunctional. It's time to examine what Minnesota needs in terms of education, in terms of skills and in terms of economic policies to be competitive in the 21st Century. Dr. Malhotra won't ask those questions. The Trustees haven't asked those questions.
Finally, will Dr. Malhotra pick a president for St. Cloud State that will turn the University around? Or will he pick another steady-as-she-goes candidate that will preside over the University's ultimate demise? I'm fearful that he'll pick the latter, not the former.
Posted Tuesday, March 6, 2018 6:26 AM
Comment 1 by Rexnewman at 06-Mar-18 07:40 PM
Capable leaders by definition know that they would have no real power unless the GOP holds Gov. House and Senate. And even then our own 'deep state' and shallow media still would make the job difficult. Wait until after fall election to see what kind of leader we can get. An Alice Seagren or a Cheri Yecke.
Teachers vs. common sense
This tweet from Sarah Jo Johnson highlights the battle between gun control advocates and gun rights advocates. The tweet says "I wish the @mnhousegop listened to students and teachers. Most don't want guns in schools. But we'd love some school counselors."
Personally, I'm skeptical that Ms. Johnson's tweet represents reality. I suspect that it better represents her ideology than reality. I'm skeptical because I wrote this post , which includes information that conflicts with Ms. Johnson's statement. According to the article I quote, "An Ohio Sheriff is offering free gun training to teachers in response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead. Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones told FOX Business' Liz MacDonald that the response from teachers and school administrators has been overwhelming. 'We thought we'd get 20, 25 signed up. We had 50 within the first hour. We had 100 within two hours, we had three hundred within like five hours. We offered to teachers first, then we start getting calls from a secretary that works in the school, janitors that work in the school,' Jones said."
Frankly, I'm skeptical of anyone attempting to speak on behalf of an entire group of people. A group of people doesn't automatically make them a monolith.
I wish the @mnhousegop listened to students and teachers. Most don't want guns in schools. But we'd love some school counselors. @MnDeptEd
- Sarah Jo Johnson (@sjwteach) March 5, 2018
Later in the article, it said "The Butler County Sheriff said the limit of 300 had been reached for the class." What's interesting is that Ms. Johnson's statement essentially said that they need counselors after an attack but they don't need guns to stop the attacker. I'd love hearing her explain that position to parents.
Posted Tuesday, March 6, 2018 1:58 PM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 06-Mar-18 05:27 PM
Fine, let Ms. Johnson teach in a school where there are no protections from the evils that exist in the world and see how she and her school survive. I'm sure those school counselors will come in handy every day.
Broward County's fascism
Shortly after Nikolas Cruz's deadly rampage at the Marjory Stoneman-Douglas HS, the Broward County School Board decided it was going to tell the rest of the nation how to run their schools . In its arrogance, the Broward County School Board got together to lecture America. It isn't because they're smarter than us. It isn't that they're wiser than the rest of us. It's because they think they're entitled to tell us what's best.
That's what progressives do.
Something that progressives don't do is accept responsibility. (See Sheriff Scott Israel.) Days after the slaughter of 17 innocents, Sheriff Israel told CNN's Jake Tapper that he'd provided "amazing leadership." Unfortunately, 14 students and 3 teachers were unavailable to respond. It isn't just that "dead men tell no tales." It's that they don't issue responses to crackpot sheriffs either. But I digress. Let's return to the geniuses of the Broward County School Board.
After losing 17 students and teachers in a barrage of gunfire, the Broward County school board is livid and demanding an array of nationwide changes. Board members passed a 24-point resolution Tuesday, calling for Congress to ban assault weapons, require universal background checks and broaden the perimeters of school gun-free zones.
How dare these people lecture us on how to protect children in our schools. They don't know our neighborhoods or students. How would they know what's best for people half a nation away?
Let's be straight about something. Let individual school districts determine what's best for their students. They're the local experts. It's time to ignore blowhards like Sen. Bill Nelson:
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If pandering was political gold, Sen. Nelson would be a senator for life. Let's be clear. Sen. Nelson knows that anti-gun rights organizations are paying for the Parkland protests. Why would I listen to Michael Bloomberg or Moms Demand Action?
Rather, I'll choose to contribute to a local conversation on what's needed here in St. Cloud.
Posted Wednesday, March 7, 2018 8:05 AM
Comment 1 by John Palmer at 07-Mar-18 08:51 AM
Gary where will that local conversation take place? I hope it is done out in the open and not behind closed doors where nothing is said on the record. I have written the St. Cloud Chief of Police and ISD 742 District Administrator asking a simple question about school discipline and police involvement. Here is what I asked on March 2nd: Can you provide assurance that the conditions present in Broward County leading up to the recent shooting in Parkland, FL are not present in St. Cloud?
Perhaps your readers should ask a similar question of their community schools and police departments?
Comment 2 by Patrick Mattson at 07-Mar-18 10:06 AM
"...broaden the perimeters of school gun-free zones." So if I had a house inside the perimeter I would be banned from owning a gun. Well it doesn't surprise me that these liberals have no regard for the 2nd Amendment. To them I say go pound sand!
Comment 3 by JerryE9 at 07-Mar-18 10:09 AM
I am wondering how it was possible for the FL shooter to even get INTO the school at all? After all, it WAS a gun-free zone by law, right? He was certainly within the proposed 2000-foot limit, but wasn't he also inside the current 1000-foot limit? How did that work out for us? Idiots.
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 07-Mar-18 12:51 PM
Jerry, how dare you inject logic into this discussions? This is supposed to be exclusively about emotions doing that which makes us feel good. This isn't about doing what makes us better off.
Comment 4 by Chad Q at 07-Mar-18 05:06 PM
People who want to do bad things aren't going to pay attention to the law, no matter how many of them you pass.
Comment 5 by eric z at 09-Mar-18 08:58 AM
So, folks, how do you propose to keep assault weapons out of the schools? What is your secret formula for reaching that success? Also, who hunts with an AR-15? You guys cluck a lot, but bottom line have you any answer worth a pinch of salt?
Response 5.1 by Gary Gross at 09-Mar-18 09:46 AM
Let's rephrase that. I propose keeping scary-looking semi-automatic weapons out of schools the same way we keep non-scary-looking semi-automatic weapons out of school. The most important thing there is getting government to do its job in terms of entering information into the data base. Had the government done that, Parkland (and other shootings) could've been avoided.
DFL hates MNLARS accountability
If the debate and vote in the House Transportation Finance Committee indicates anything, it's proof that the DFL, Gov. Dayton included, isn't interested in accountability for the MNLARS fiasco . Rep. Frank Hornstein's amendments prove that.
Rep. Hornstein insisted that his amendments had to be passed immediately, saying "'We have to act now.' He proposed another version of the bill at the House Transportation Finance Committee meeting that did not include the executive agency budget cuts or progress reports . It was rejected on a party-line vote in the Republican-dominated committee."
Seriously? Rep. Hornstein, what do you have against the people and the legislature getting progress reports? Don't you or the DFL think that accountability is important? Further, cutting the executive budget is important. The Dayton administration screwed things up. Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay to fix the DFL's mistakes.
This article is filled with DFL BS. At first, I didn't know where to start. Then this popped off the page at me:
Dayton initially downplayed the problems and accused critics of playing politics, but he has since taken responsibility.
That's significant when combined with this:
"I've really come to believe that there are some legislators who don't want us to improve MNLARS," Dayton told reporters Tuesday morning. He then accused Republicans of trying to score political points: "I've said all along I'm to blame for this. My administration is to blame. I'm to blame. : As long as they keep bashing this, it's good political fodder."
Let's get this straight. Gov. Dayton initially accused Republicans of grandstanding on MNLARS but he's "said all along I'm to blame for this." It can't be both. Gov. Dayton and the DFL didn't admit that they'd screwed up MNLARS until the outrage by people and businesses got loud and didn't disappear. Why should these people pay for Gov. Dayton's foolishness?
Posted Wednesday, March 7, 2018 8:58 AM
Comment 1 by Chad Q at 07-Mar-18 05:04 PM
The DFL and especially Dayton have always thought of the tax paying citizens merely as peasants who have no right to question what THEY want to do with THEIR money so why would this be any different?
Jeff Sessions vs. Xavier Becerra
Jeff Sessions didn't mince words in announcing his federal lawsuit against California's sanctuary state laws. Gen. Sessions especially lit into Oakland Mayer Libby Schaff, saying "So here's my message to Mayor Schaff. How dare you. How dare you needlessly endanger the lives of our law enforcement officers to promote a radical open borders agenda?"
One of California's laws forbids law enforcement officers of notifying ICE agents when they're about to release illegal aliens getting released from jail or prison. This is in direct violation of the Constitution , which stipulates that "The Congress shall have Power To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization." The Constitution doesn't anticipate a roll for the states in setting immigration policy.
That's why it's disgusting to see Gov. Jerry Brown lashing out at Attorney General Sessions, saying "At a time of unprecedented political turmoil, Jeff Sessions has come to California to further divide and polarize America. Jeff, these political stunts might be the norm in Washington, but they don't work here. SAD!!!"
The truth is that Jeff Sessions has done an outstanding job enforcing immigration laws. Jerry Brown, aka Gov. Moonbeam, has chased Californians to other states like no other governor in California's history. For him to pretend that Jeff Sessions is a buffoon and he's the genius says everything, doesn't it?
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One of the laws that California's legislature passed and that Gov. Moonbeam signed was a bill that told private businesses they couldn't talk with ICE agents that were investigating their business. That thing will get thrown out in a New York minute because of the First Amendment.
For Xavier Becerra and Jerry Brown to act like they're obeying the Constitution is sickening. Becerra and Brown are nothing but a pair of liberal idiots living in the worst state in the nation.
Posted Wednesday, March 7, 2018 5:14 PM
No comments.
