May 1-3, 2014
May 01 17:19 Victory lap inflation May 01 23:52 Bret Baier vs. Tommy Vietor: new information, new questions May 02 02:23 Questioning Chancellor Rosenstone May 02 03:15 FEC corruption exposed May 03 11:04 Where's Gov. Dayton? May 03 12:54 Where's Gov. Dayton, Part II?
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Victory lap inflation
Between the Obamacare enrollment deadline and Easter, President Obama took quite the victory lap, at one point saying that the subject shouldn't be up for discussion. At another point, President Obama said that 8.1 million people had enrolled. That assertion was disputed from across the political spectrum. Thanks to congressional testimony , people's questioning President Obama is justified:
Data provided to the committee by every insurance provider in the health care law's Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) shows that, as of April 15, 2014, only 67 percent of individuals and families that had selected a health plan in the federally facilitated marketplace had paid their first month's premium and therefore completed the enrollment process. Nationwide, only 25 percent of paid enrollees are ages 18 to 34.
It isn't a stretch to think that President Obama just couldn't resist the opportunity to brag, even if it meant telling a whopper. Further, it isn't wrong to conclude that insurance premiums will be higher this fall because only sicker, less healthy people signed up this time.
That means President Obama was either willfully lying or he was totally ignorant of the concept of adverse selection when he said Obamacare "is working." For what it's worth, I don't think he's totally ignorant. If networks shrink, premiums go up and patients can't see the doctor they've been seeing for years, that's the opposite of working.
Based on consistent polling data, most people define that as failure. That polling data hasn't wavered since the bill was signed into law.
According to testimony given to the subcommittee, young people didn't purchase plans at the rate the administration needed them to purchase plans in sufficient numbers. That means the insurance companies didn't get the revenue they'll need to pay the benefits to older, less healthy patients. That's why insurance companies will have to charge more for their premiums.
Posted Thursday, May 1, 2014 5:19 PM
Comment 1 by J. Ewing at 01-May-14 08:27 PM
Obama doesn't lie. He simply believes that the truth is whatever it is he is saying at the moment or, if not, that he is saying it will cause it to become true. He's fully delusional.
Comment 2 by Sean at 01-May-14 08:58 PM
What matters regarding premiums is not what the Administration projected, but rather what the insurance companies projected. It's more likely that insurance companies used the Romneycare experience to set premiums. And, in fact, the ACA has achieved the same level of signups (28%) as Massachusetts did, which is why premiums are expected to go up in the 7-10% range, which would be consistent with recent pre-ACA history.
Comment 3 by Sean at 01-May-14 08:59 PM
Same level of signups (28%) in the 18-34 age range, that is.
Bret Baier vs. Tommy Vietor: new information, new questions
Bret Baier's interview with Tommy Vietor, the former spokesman for the NSA, is feisty but it's more informative than feisty. Here's a brief clip of the interview:
This sentence jumps off the page:
VIETOR: He told Tom Donnilon and his joint chiefs and his SecDef to begin moving all military assets into the region.
This is significant because of what was happening throughout northern Africa, which Andy McCarthy highlights beautifully in this article :
As we have covered here before (see, e.g., here ), the release and return to Egypt of the Blind Sheik, Omar Abdel Rahman (whom I prosecuted in the Nineties), has been a cause celebre in Egypt for many years. On September 10, 2012, the day before rioting at the U.S. embassy in Cairo, an Egyptian weekly, El Fagr, reported that several jihadist organizations, including the Blind Sheik's group (Gamaat al-Islamia, or the Islamic Group) and al-Qaeda emir Ayman al-Zawahiri's group (Egyptian Islamic Jihad), were threatening to burn the American embassy in Cairo to the ground. The promised action against the embassy was an effort to extort the release of Abdel Rahman and other jihadists jailed by the United States.
Apparently, the administration didn't take the Blind Sheikh's son's threat seriously. That's apparent because, according to Mr. Vietor, more than 24 hours later, President Obama still hadn't moved military assets into the region.
That's incredible for multiple reasons. First, it's the anniversary of 9/11. That alone is reason to preposition troops and put them on high alert. Second, the Blind Sheikh's sone threatened to raid the Cairo embassy and take hostages in an attempt to free his terrorist father. Third, the riots at the Cairo Embassy happened as predicted, with the hostage-taking the only thing that didn't happen. Fourth, the distance between Cairo and Benghazi is only 400 miles by air. A flight that distance takes less than an hour in the Navy's and Air Force's fastest jets.
This begs a totally new set of questions that haven't been asked yet.
First, why didn't President Obama and Secretary Clinton take threats seriously enough to preposition troops in the eastern Mediterranean Sea? Second, why didn't President Obama order military assets be moved into the Mediterranean when the Cairo attacks happened as predicted? They started 4 hours before the initial attack on Benghazi. Third, why didn't President Obama head to the Situation Room the minute the first reports of the Cairo riots happened? According to Mr. Vietor, President Obama never went to the Situation Room.
President Obama and his administration spent an entire convention bragging about what a great national security president he was. Vice President Biden said that "bin Laden is dead and Detroit is alive." Then-Sen. Kerry said "Ask Osama bin Laden if he's better off now than he was 4 years ago."
The reality is that President Obama, Secretary of Defense Panetta and Secretary Clinton didn't position military assets in the Mediterranean. Thanks to their inaction and inattentiveness, 4 American patriots were murdered by an emboldened group of terrorists. Those terrorists still haven't been brought to justice.
It's time we got a real commander-in-chief who worries more about Las Vegas fundraisers than he worried about 4 American patriots who were murdered.
Posted Thursday, May 1, 2014 11:52 PM
Comment 1 by robert white at 02-May-14 09:07 AM
Bret, Look at the video again. Tommy when pushed about was the President in the situation room, he was replying when? or what time?
Questioning Chancellor Rosenstone
Greg Jarrett, the manager of Riverpoint Capital Partners, recently wrote this email to Steven Rosenstone, the Chancellor of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities:
Mr. Rosenstone
My reply to your answer follows.
There are only two 4-year aviation degree programs in Minnesota. Mankato and SCSU. The following schools you list are not 4-year schools: Lake Superior College, Duluth, Northland Community and Technical College, Thief River Falls, and Minneapolis Community and Technical College. Seems to me you have too many 2 year programs. This makes no sense at all
There were no public hearings with the community of St. Cloud on the closure of aviation. Why not?
You gave me professional flight numbers (2 in 2010) for the aviation program. Thank you. Why didn't you also give me numbers for the larger tracks like the aviation management, operations, and air traffic control tracks for the department? This would represent the total number of graduates in 2010. Please share the information you were provided.
I came across this story and posted video of Mr. Potter changing his story about the aviation closure. Looks like it may be with city leaders and also on the campus. Something really stinks here. Mr. Potter seems to be at war with himself. This is a PR nightmare for potential students. You must agree.
You mentioned a $500,000 investment into the program. I understood that SCSU does not own airplanes. I was under the impression that a private vendor is used. I am confused. What part of the program Is $500,000 supposed to be invested into ? New desks? There are enough empty ones at the 40+ million near empty Science center. Another PR Nightmare
As I look at SCSU, I see there are classes on campus in some departments that have 7 or less students. If memory serves, aviation was pretty big when Potter closed it. Mr. Rosenstone, I have a 40 year Business background, and investor. It does not take much quick review to sense when something is not right. This is an even shorter journey.
I am herby requesting a copy of YOUR review. Your office should be well equipped to handle a simple request for myself and other business and community leaders in St. Cloud for our review. I am not convinced that all guidelines and policies were followed in closing the aviation program. With all the media coverage about a pilot shortage this should be a natural to develop and maintain programs that put people to work and bolster enrollment.
I remain friends with fellow pilots at US Air / Mesa Air feeder who sent me this recent news.
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/24657960/2014/02/06/mesa-air-group-plans-to-hire-over-1000-people-in-expansion
I have also seen the Channel 5 news report on the empty science building and the transcript video of one of your former administrators telling a department on how to scrub grades. Why would I hire graduates from SCSU with transcripts that have been scrubbed? The Coborn's apartments are losing millions of dollars. As a businessman and investor, I am not impressed. I am hearing that university enrollments have now dropped by over 2,000 students in a few years has been unchecked which now affects my neighborhood and property values.
What are you doing about this mess Mr. Rosenstone?
This is simply not making any sense.
Here's Chancellor Rosenstone's initial email that Mr. Jarrett responded to:
Thank you for your email regarding the aviation program at St. Cloud State University. It may be helpful to provide you with additional background information related to the aviation program closure at SCSU.
A steep decline in state financial support (a 48% reduction between 1999 and 2011) for Minnesota's public colleges and universities, necessitated significant budget reductions for fiscal year 2012 at SCSU and Minnesota's other public colleges and universities. To help address the budget situation at its campus, SCSU undertook an extensive review of all of its academic programs, which included consultation with various internal and external constituents. As part of the review of the aviation program, this included meetings with several aviation industry representatives.
As a result of its review process, SCSU identified 32 programs for closure or suspension, including aviation. One factor in the aviation decision was a 60% decline in the number of aviation program degrees awarded (from 52 in 2002 to 21 in 2010), which included an 89% decline in aviation majors with a concentration in professional flight (from 18 in 2002 to 2 in 2010). The cost structure of the aviation program was also a concern. Budget calculations indicated that in FY2010, expenditures for the program exceeded revenue by approximately $250,000. Feedback from industry representatives and the accrediting body for the aviation program indicated that an additional investment of approximately $500,000 would be required to provide the degree program in the future. The continued availability of aviation education programs at other higher education institutions in the region, including Minnesota State University, Mankato, Lake Superior College, Duluth, Northland Community and Technical College, Thief River Falls, and Minneapolis Community and Technical College, was also a key consideration.
In the fall of 2011, the u?niversity's decision was appealed to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system office. Under the leadership of our Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, the office reviewed SCSU's decision and the process used in making the decision. This review found that the university conducted required and appropriate consultations and assessments that informed its decisions, and found no grounds upon which to question or overturn the university's decision.
The university is committed to maintaining accreditation of the aviation program through the end of the 2013-2014 academic year and serving the remaining students with the highest-quality program.
I understand and appreciate your input regarding the aviation program at SCSU. I want you to know that decisions to close or suspend programs, while necessary, are never easy and are taken seriously by me, our Board of Trustees and by the presidents of our colleges and universities.
Best,
Steven J. Rosenstone
Chancellor, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
30 7th St. E. | Suite 350 | St. Paul, MN 55101
First things first. AABI couldn't have known that the Aviation program doesn't own the planes. The planes are owned by a private company located at the St. Cloud Regional Airport. Also, SCSU doesn't pay for the flight training for the students. Students pay for their own flight training. Finally, SCSU didn't use money from its general fund budget to purchase a new flight simulator in the summer of 2010. Student fees were used to purchase the new simulator.
It's interesting that Chancellor Rosenstone only talked about graduates from "professional flight." At the time, SCSU's Aviation program included tracks for Professional Flight, Operations, Operations with Air Traffic Control and Management. It's interesting that Chancellor Rosenstone ignored those statistics in his explanation.
The reality is that Aviation was the 10th biggest program at SCSU.
Chancellor Rosenstone can put lipstick on this pig but it's still a pig:
Under the leadership of our Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs, the office reviewed SCSU's decision and the process used in making the decision. This review found that the university conducted required and appropriate consultations and assessments that informed its decisions, and found no grounds upon which to question or overturn the university's decision.
Notice that Chancellor Rosenstone didn't say they followed the procedure that was established by MnSCU for shutting academic programs down. That's because they didn't document the 9 items that are required. In fact, Larry Litecky, then the Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, didn't even pretend to investigate the issue :
My staff and I remain persuaded that the university conducted required and appropriate consultations and assessments that informed its decisions.
This isn't complicated. Either Mr. Litecky saw the documentation that followed the MnSCU procedure or he didn't. The procedure isn't worried if people are persuaded or if they're skeptical. Most importantly, SCSU shut the Aviation program down without considering if there was an alternative to closing the program.
That's because David DeGroote, the dean of the College of Science and Engineering at the time, didn't think of aviation as a college-worthy program.
Most importantly, President Potter is running SCSU into the ground. As a result of President Potter's mismanagement of SCSU, property values just west of campus have been dropping. It isn't a stretch to say that SCSU's declining enrollment has played a significant role in dropping property values in the neighborhoods just west of the SCSU campus.
Thanks to Chancellor Rosenstone's unwillingness to solve SCSU's President Potter problem, the mess just keeps getting bigger by the day.
Posted Friday, May 2, 2014 2:23 AM
Comment 1 by Keith Wolfe at 03-May-14 10:19 AM
I am an Alumni and a businessman. I find this entire conversation unbelievable. Like the government, the University system is letting us all down. As an Alumni of the University, I am embarrassed. People making these decisions are educated people.
Like government, procedures must be followed. (They were not.) Paper documentation for all decisions. There is not. Follow the paper trail and follow the $$$$$ with an outside intensive investigation. (The truth will come out). It will cost a lot, but much less than SCSU is losing now. The cost of continuing down this road is much higher with loss of reputation, loss of students, grade tampering, millions being lost on the Miller bldg, Millions being lost on the new science lab. Millions being lost due to programs (I.E._Aviation) being lost with no proper procedures. I live in the area, my kids are reaching college age. It would have been in my best interest to recommend them go to SCSU. At this time, unless there are major changes, they'll be spending my hard money at another university.
Comment 2 by Overseas Student at 03-May-14 05:25 PM
I graduated from SCSU in aviation last spring and I can personally attest there were no public meetings with students prior to the closure. There was only one meeting where Dean DeGroote showed up to tell us the decision had been made. The students were clearly angry. Several aviation students met with Potter and were treated harshly. This article simply provides more evidence that procedures weren't followed. For Chancellor Rosenstone to provide only the lowest track...professional flight numbers...and not the rest of the tracks is very deceptive. Why didn't the chancellor explain that over the years professional flight students switch to the operations track when they run out of money for flight training so they can finish their aviation degree and graduate? This is why the professional flight student numbers were low but the total aviation student numbers were still very strong. You don't get rid of the whole department when one track gets low.
It was also known the dean did not like aviation. I heard one professor say he showed up for 2 or 3 meetings with the department in 10 years. This is the same dean who retired last year due to the ISELF building mess. People may not know that aviation was the only department on campus that was closed.
Until aviation is reopened, SCSU won't get one penny from me as an alumni.
Comment 3 by Patrick-M at 03-May-14 06:43 PM
What I have come to find out is that the Aviation program was targeted for closure by the Dean, Provost and President under the ruse that 'retrenchments were needed to save $14 million'. All three should immediately tender their resignation for being so incompetent but, alas, each has been rewarded!
In my opinion the real reason the Aviation Department was closed: the Dean was hell-bent on not dealing with a messy personnel issue. For this, he got rewarded with a cushy do-nothing job at a six figure salary plus benefits and the Provost was rewarded with a new job at a different MNSCU university. Good luck to Metro State with this guy!
SCSU used to be a Great Place To Work.
Comment 4 by Crimson Trace at 04-May-14 12:30 AM
If this email exchange between Jarrett and Rosenstone was actually a boxing match televised from Vegas, it would have been over in 12 seconds flat. Mr. Jarrett would have been crowned the champion without breaking a sweat.
According to Rosenstone's email to Jarrett, "To help address the budget situation at its campus, SCSU undertook an extensive review of all of its academic programs, which included consultation with various internal and external constituents. As part of the review of the aviation program, this included meetings with several aviation industry representatives." Consultation with external constituents is questionable. When and where did these meetings take place? The "several aviation industry representatives" were industry friends of the aviation program who were asked by the aviation department chair to meet with university officials in order to convince them of the importance of the aviation program.
http://www.letfreedomringblog.com/?p=15146
According to SCSU data from this article, Aviation lost $197,924 in FY07 and $136,384 in FY08 while other programs in the College of Science and Engineering lost over 5 times the money aviation lost.
http://www.letfreedomringblog.com/?p=15773
If there was a serious attempt to save $14 million dollars, why wouldn't you look at cutting programs that approach a million dollars a year of losses or cut non academic programs like the Confucius Institute, Coborn's Apartments lease, and all that international administrative travel? Plus, aviation was the 10th largest program on campus and with SCSU's enrollment slide over several years, closing this program was unwise to say the least however all those SCSU "Think, do, make a difference" billboards trying to get more students must be expensive while downsizing to an unknown projection target.
The loss of $14 million dollars is not well substantiated. "From the data, it is clear that there was no $14,000,000 drop in the state appropriation from FY11 to FY12. The data shows that the state appropriation dropped nearly $5,000,000 and when the factors outlined earlier in this piece the net pre inflation cut needed was about $400,000. Where did the $14 million budget cut need come from?"
http://www.letfreedomringblog.com/?p=16211
As Keith Wolfe said, "people making these decisions are educated people." What's frightening is they don't seem to understand how to manage student and taxpayer money. Perhaps the legislative auditor should rent office space from SCSU and have a permanent presence.
Rosenstone said that decisions to close or suspend programs "are taken seriously" by me, or Board of Trustees, and by the presidents. Really? To watch a video of a President Potter "at war with himself" in his explanation of the aviation closure equates to a clown show.
http://www.letfreedomringblog.com/?p=12549
Comment 5 by SCSU Alum at 04-May-14 12:57 PM
Shortly after my graduation from the aviation program, I was solicited to donate to the SCSU University Foundation. In light of these accusations and the current administration's unwillingness to address them, I am glad I have all but cut ties from my alma mater. Only after the university begins operating with conspicuous integrity will the business community, and the overall community, take this once reputable academic organization seriously. In the meantime, my accomplishments and those of my classmates will be viewed with skepticism because of the lack of professional honor of a few high ranking administrative officials.
Comment 6 by Yeager at 04-May-14 01:36 PM
This is a very telling quote:
"over the years professional flight students switch to the operations track when they run out of money for flight training"
The cost to study aviation at the higher education level far outpaces the starting salary for most professional pilots by an order of magnitude. Isn't it incumbent upon the university to monitor the benefit of a course of study to the students?
Furthermore, most of these charges are spurious, and are self-referential. Crimson's proof is a link back to this blog, and many of those are speculative ruminations in which statements made by the university administration are dismissed out of hand.
Another example - the $14 million cut that is in question. The link Crimson provides is right back to a silence dogood posting on this blog, in which the need for a $14 million reduction is questioned. As proof, silence cites only the reduction in state appropriation, as if this is the only source of revenue, and as if the budget is totally balanced each year.
Another example - Crimson suggests that the administration is mismanaging money, despite evidence to the contrary, from the budget review committee documents that both Crimson and silence sometimes cite to stories in the St. Cloud Times (I can already write the response to this, "but the Times is a liberal rag that is the pawn of the administration!"). Other MnSCU institutions are facing layoffs, but SCSU isn't.
Another example - the supposed grade tampering. A big deal has been made by this blog that there is some scandal around roughly 300 grades that were removed one academic year. As supposed proof that this was some administrative conspiracy, an audio recording of a department meeting with a former interim member of the administration has been shared on this blog. In this recording, the chair (a faculty member, just like the person who made the recording) outlines the proper procedure that must be followed in order for a change (or removal) of a grade to occur. This is no smoking gun, and the only thing that it proves is that this department chair was doing her job well by explaining to the faculty member what she should do in the event that a student requires a grade change.
Comment 7 by Jethro at 04-May-14 02:12 PM
Yeager: A proper procedure for removing a grade? Nice try but do not pass go or collect $200. Sorry, but your opinion doesn't pass the smell test.
Last spring, Tamara Leenay, a chemistry professor at St. Cloud State University, was reviewing grades when she came across the transcript of a student who failed an organic chemistry class she taught a couple of years earlier. "I noticed the course was not even on his transcript," Leenay said. "There was no 'F.' There was no course number ... It was completely gone. And I have [a] record that he was in my class and that I gave him a grade ... and I was never notified of any of these changes."
http://www.mprnews.org/story/2013/06/10/education/scsu-student-transcript-grades
Professors have complained to the administration in recent months that grades they gave students were later removed from transcripts without their knowledge. University policy requires administrators to consult with faculty before changing a transcript.
http://www.mprnews.org/story/2013/07/03/education/saint-cloud-state-university-federal-query-grade-changes
Comment 8 by Patrick-M at 04-May-14 02:19 PM
Yeager
Your comments "The cost to study aviation at the higher education level far outpaces the starting salary for most professional pilots by an order of magnitude. Isn't it incumbent upon the university to monitor the benefit of a course of study to the students?" shows how little you know about this professional career. and I would venture to say that one could make the case for ALL degree programs on any campus.
Aviation was pre-targeted for elimination by a Dean who did not want to deal with a personnel issue; the department was successful (Potter's words) and other departments in that college lost way more money (and continue to lose to this day). The Union sold out the Aviation faculty (and staff/students) in order to appease Earl. Ask your friend Tom H about the FA's lack of support for their dues paying members.
Truth is that the FA has lost all semblance of shared governance and now Earl holds all the "Aces".
FEC corruption exposed
Hans Spakovsky's post at NRO's Corner exposes the left's hypocrisy when it comes to campaign finance reform. This article by the Hill's Alexander Bolton talks about the Democrats' strategy for election success:
Democratic leaders on Wednesday unveiled a plan to vote on a constitutional amendment 'very soon' to overturn the Supreme Court's decisions in Citizens United v. FEC and McCutcheon v. FEC, which have empowered wealthy donors such as Charles and David Koch.
The amendment has virtually no chance of passing this year because it must garner two-thirds support from both chambers of Congress and receive ratification from three-quarters of the states. Democrats believe it will help them preserve their Senate majority, however.
Here's Chuck Schumer explanation for why he's pushing this proposal:
'The constitutional amendment we know requires two-thirds, it's a long hard road. But given the McCutcheon decision we have to begin it,' he said. 'Most Americans don't believe the system works in their favor. We are showing whose side you're on.'
It's amazing how often Democrats whine about the Koch brothers but don't say a word about how Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg spend their billions to elect Democrats. A strong case can be made that the Koch brothers, Steyer and Bloomberg are simply spending their money to express their opinions. The last I looked, the First Amendment protected political speech.
What isn't allowed is what's happening at the FEC. Here's what Spakovsky wrote about the FEC:
The Office of Special Counsel (OSC), which investigates illegal political activity by federal employees, has made news again. This latest case involves an employee of the Federal Election Commission, where I served for two years as a commissioner.
Recent revelations of Hatch Act violations at the IRS shocked no one familiar with that agency's targeting of tea-party and other conservative organizations. But this time, OSC settled a case with an unidentified lawyer at the FEC who agreed to resign and forsake any executive-branch employment for two years.
According to OSC, this lawyer 'posted dozens of partisan political tweets, including many soliciting campaign contributions to President Obama's 2012 reelection campaign,' despite Hatch Act prohibitions on such fundraising. The lawyer also 'participated in a Huffington Post Live internet broadcast via webcam from an FEC facility, criticizing the Republican Party and then-Presidential candidate Mitt Romney.'
In short, a liberal hack violated the Hatch Act, which has been law since 1939 :
The Hatch Act of 1939, officially An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities, is a United States federal law whose main provision prohibits employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the president, vice-president, and certain designated high-level officials of that branch, from engaging in partisan political activity.
This political hack has an interesting history:
Although neither the OSC nor the Public Affairs office of the FEC would reveal the employee's identity, my former colleague at the Justice Department, Christian Adams, has identified the Huffington Post Live broadcast (which can be viewed here) and the name of the employee, a lawyer no less: April Sands.
According to this document from a 2000 FEC case, Sands actually worked for Lois Lerner when Lerner was the associate general counsel of the FEC. Quite a 'coincidence' that an FEC lawyer who was illegally using government facilities to try to get Barack Obama reelected used to work for the lawyer who headed the IRS office that apparently tried to stomp on conservative organizations critical of the same president's policies.
The same Democrats that whine about the Koch brothers for using the rights given them by the First Amendment are shamefully silent when a federal employee breaks a law that's been on the books for 75 years.
It's totally fair to ask Sen. Schumer whose side he's on. Whining about individuals exercising their constitutional rights is bad enough. Ignoring a political hack who broke the Hatch Act to get President Obama re-elected shows whose side Sen. Schumer and most of the Democratic leadership team is on.
Americans have a choice to make. Does they want to elect politicians who want to take away the rights the Constitution gives us? Or would they like to elect people who would enforce existing laws?
Posted Friday, May 2, 2014 3:15 AM
Comment 1 by walter hanson at 02-May-14 04:47 PM
Gary:
I will love if the Republicans start trying to introduce amendments:
* You have the right to say that life begins at conception and no law or regulation can stop you from doing that.
* You have the right to say that you believe marriage should be only between a man and a woman and no law or regulation can stop you from doing that.
* You have the right to say that a person can own a gun and no law or regulation can stop you from doing that.
I can go on, but make every Democrat who wants to go on the record for supporting this amendment cast all of these free votes to show their beliefs.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Where's Gov. Dayton?
After Gov. Dayton's State of the State Address, Rep. Jeff Howe had a simple question : where was Gov. Dayton?
Dayton said in the address that transportation funding must be a priority for lawmakers in 2015. That puzzled Howe, R-Rockville, who sits on a House transportation finance panel. He said Dayton and DFL lawmakers could address the problem this year by spending part of the state budget surplus on roads and bridges.
'If he thinks that's the priority, if he thinks that's an economic engine, where was he?' Howe said.
I've got an easy, honest answer for Rep. Howe's question. Gov. Dayton was nowhere to be found on fixing roads and bridges. Gov. Dayton couldn't be found when it came to filling potholes, either. Instead, he spent most of his time dealing with a light rail system. Whether you agree on LRT or not, there's no denying the fact that filling Minnesota's potholes should've been Gov. Dayton's top transportation priority by a country mile.
It isn't a secret that Minnesota's roads are filled with potholes. (I'd call them craters.) Apparently, Gov. Dayton thinks it's more important to show up at ribbon-cutting ceremonies than fixing urgent problems. Gov. Dayton's rhetoric hasn't matched his actions.
In fact, this is a recurring theme with him. He personally negotiated the tax bill last year, then repealed the B2B sales taxes in that bill this year after signing them into law. That isn't leadership. That's what happens when a person doesn't know what they're doing.
Gov. Dayton signed the MNsure bill into law, then pretty much ignored the implementation of the health insurance exchange until it went live. Governors are required to actually monitor government operation to make sure thing run efficiently.
Saying that governing hasn't been Gov. Dayton's specialty is understatement.
Posted Saturday, May 3, 2014 12:51 PM
No comments.
Where's Gov. Dayton, Part II?
I just published this post where I criticized Gov. Dayton for not establishing the proper urgency on fixing Minnesot'a potholes. Gov. Dayton and the DFL legislature spent its time debating various less-than-important issues. These issues include medical marijuana, whether the Capitol needed new procedures for guns, whether we needed to spend $1,700,000,000 on the Southwest Light Rail project and whether to spend $90,000,000 for a new office building for politicians.
This picture should tell the DFL that they've pissed away tons of time on the wrong things:
Bring Me the News has the story :
FOX 9 spoke with Dustin Duarte, who was treated at a hospital for injuries suffered when his car's airbags deployed as he hit a Minneapolis pothole. You can see the photos of the aftermath above. FOX says Duarte was treated at a hospital for a mild concussion and a scratched cornea and plans followup visits with an eye doctor.
What's disgusting is that Gov. Dayton thinks this is a priority...for 2015:
Dayton said in the address that transportation funding must be a priority for lawmakers in 2015. That puzzled Howe, R-Rockville, who sits on a House transportation finance panel. He said Dayton and DFL lawmakers could address the problem this year by spending part of the state budget surplus on roads and bridges.
It's disgusting that the DFL legislature spent time debating whether to build an office building for politicians when there's tons of vacant office space near the Capitol. Spending $90,000,000 on that instead of on fixing Minnesota's roads bridges and potholes is sinful.
Instead of the DFL legislature talking about spending millions of dollars on bike trails and billions of dollars on light rail boondoggles, Minnesotans would be better served if they spent money on fixing Minnesota's potholes. The potholes are the worst I've seen in almost 40 years of driving. As BMTN's picture shows, they're a major public safety issue.
The chief requirement of a governor is to govern. Gov. Dayton's been AWOL most of the last 4 years on that front. He hasn't governed. He's shut down government because Republicans balanced the budget without raising taxes. In 2013, he raised taxes. In 2014, he repealed $400,000,000 worth of those tax increases. He accused a woman of lying when he told her to buy marijuana from a street dealer. After increasing spending on K-12 Education in 2013, they returned to give them another funding increase this year.
What Gov. Dayton and the DFL haven't done is fix the damn potholes. Instead, people are getting injured. What's worst about this is that this shows how little Gov. Dayton and the DFL cares about the less-than-glamorous parts of governing and prioritizing. Simply put, they've failed Minnesotans on doing the basics.
As a result, people are getting injured and cars are getting damaged. That's totally unacceptable.
Posted Saturday, May 3, 2014 12:54 PM
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