May 17, 2012
May 17 02:32 Which Minnesota do the people want? May 17 04:19 Thugs strike again in Wisconsin May 17 07:35 Gov. Dayton, what about the miners? May 17 08:35 Obama-Mitt fundraising match sounds like a referendum to me May 17 23:24 Paulers for Pat Anderson
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Which Minnesota do the people want?
One of the few things that I've ever agreed with Chris Matthews about was his questioning GOP presidential candidates in 2000 what type of America they wanted to live in. It's a great question which is scalable to state and local levels, too.
The DFL's special interest allies started their barrage of lies against the GOP legislature by accusing the GOP legislature of being a do-nothing legislature. Those attacks took another hit thanks to Mark Sommerhauser's article :
Rep. King Banaian, R-St. Cloud, sponsored a provision included in a broader colleges and universities act, which he says should help students shop for textbooks. The provision requires the price of textbooks and other key information be posted online with a college or university course schedule, and requires that information be available to students longer before the start of an academic term.
This is a great first step in reducing costs for students. This legislation alone won't reduce book prices but it'll make it impossible for professors to hide the cost of books.
This legislation will be popular on Minnesota's campuses, though not necessarily with all of the professors.
Rep. Steve Gottwalt, R-St. Cloud, took a lead role, along with Rep. Jim Abeler and Sen. David Hann, in crafting an omnibus health and human services act described by Gov. Mark Dayton's office as 'a remarkable example of bipartisan negotiation.'
Thanks to the work of these gentlemen, the rate of increase in the HHS budget went from 16% per biennium during the DFL's control of the legislature to 5% per biennium with a GOP legislature. When you're dealing with a budget pushing $10,000,000,000, that's a $1,100,000,000 per biennium savings.
Of all the budget items from the 2011 budget session, that's the biggest costsaver by far. The HHS savings either shrink the 2014-15 deficit by $1,100,000,000 or add $1,100,000,000 to the surplus. Thanks to the reforms included in other GOP HHS bills, these are genuine cost savings, not cuts to programs.
By comparison, Gov. Dayton proposed spending $37,000,000,000, which is $3,000,000,000 more than the budget he signed into law. Gov. Dayton's budget, which the DFL enthusiastically supported, didn't cut costs. It didn't impose fiscal discipline on state or local government. It would've raised taxes without requiring government to rethink their priorities and spending habits.
The question facing Minnesotans this election cycle is straightforward. Do Minnesotans want a legislature that's in love with their special interest allies? Or would they prefer a legislature that insists on accountability, fiscal responsibility and that'll listen to all of their constituents?
Right now, the DFL is the party that's all about listening to special interest organizations that want government to do more and more and more. The GOP is the part whose young leaders want government to do the basics well but that don't want government to do everything on lobbyists' wish lists.
The bottom line is that the GOP legislature passed lots of reforms since taking over control of the legislature, reforms that Gov. Dayton vetoed because he owed the special interests too many favors.
If people want government of, by and for the public employee unions, then they'll vote for DFL legislators. If they want a legislature that'll limit the influence of government out of people's lives, they'll vote for GOP legislators.
Tags: Higher Education , King Banaian , Steve Gottwalt , HHS , David Hann , Jim Abeler , Surpluses , Accountability , Fiscal Restraint , Accountability , Reform 2.0 , Fiscal Restraint , MNGOP , Special Interests , Mark Dayton , Unions , DFL , Election 2012
Posted Thursday, May 17, 2012 2:32 AM
No comments.
Thugs strike again in Wisconsin
If there was any doubt that Wisconsin Democrats were thugs, this video shows who they are:
With the recall election closing in fast, Democrats are resorting to arson in venting their frustration. TMJ4 issued this report:
Vandals are torching pro-Walker yard signs, and now homeowners and neighbors are worried the crimes could escalate. Someone set fire to at least five Walker campaign signs here in Fox Point.
Jamie Schumaker came out of his Fox Point home to get the paper Sunday morning to find his small Governor Walker campaign sign reduced to ashes, a sign he put up just the day before.
'You'd like to disagree agreeably and not have to resort to something like this,' said Schumaker to TODAY'S TMJ4.
Schumaker said he's an avid Walker supporter, even a donor, and said this is upsetting. His neighbor's sign ruined the same way. 'I'd hate to see this kind of intimidation and threats creep into certainly this election,' said Schumaker.
The Fox Point Police Department said they've had several complaints of burned Walker signs and in response, they plan to put out extra patrols. 'There's a better way to express your political opinion that to burn someone's sign,' said North Shore Fire Department Chief Robert Whitaker.
There's no question but that Democrats are behind these torchings. Remember the thug tactics of AFSCME Democrats :
Last month, Dawn Bobo, owner of Village Dollar Store in Union Grove, Wis., was asked to display a pro-union sign in her window. Ms. Bobo, a self- described conservative Republican, refused and received a letter from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees asking her to reconsider.
'Failure to do so will leave us no choice but do [sic] a public boycott of your business,' the letter said.
Wisconsin Republicans love Scott Walker for obvious reasons. They aren't the arsonists destroying pro-Scott Walker signs. While it's true that some independents don't agree with Gov. Walker, it isn't likely that independents are torching the pro-Scott Walker signs.
That leaves only one group torching signs. It's the group that's shown a propensity for attacking people they disagree with.
These Democratic activists' actions are hurting Democrats in another way that the thugs probably haven't thought about. The Democrats' thuggish behavior are hurting President Obama's campaign through his association with them.
Tags: Arson , AFSCME , Thugs , Democrats , Dawn Bobo , Scott Walker , GOP , Recall Election
Posted Thursday, May 17, 2012 4:19 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 17-May-12 09:02 AM
Gary, you like the word "thug." You use it frequently.
Walker is a thug. Have you ever thought of that dimension of things?
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 17-May-12 12:19 PM
Here's the definition of thug: "a cruel or vicious ruffian, robber, or murderer".
Consider these facts:
SEIU thugs showed up on a private citizen's doorstep with 500 'activists', thugs fits.SEIU thugs beat up Kenneth Gladney, a black conservative, because he had the audacity to sell flags outside a congressman's townhall meeting.A Wisconsin school teacher emailed a death threat to Scott Fitzgerald, the Senate Majority Leader in Wisconsin.AFSCME workers told Dawn Bobo that she had to post a sign saying she supported the unions or else face a boycott which could potentially run her out of business.I think that justifies my use of the word.
Comment 2 by eric z at 17-May-12 09:53 AM
Aside from terminology and pet words, what's the story with Walker's criminal defense fund? I have seen reporting and questions, but no answers. Is it because the DA in Milwaukee is going through the aides, working his way up to Walker, from when Walker was in a regional position of power there? Any insights or thoughts?
Comment 3 by walter hanson at 17-May-12 09:05 PM
Eric:
Silly question if I went to your house or your neighbors house and burned down Obama for President signs will that mean I'm not a thug?
No then you will be crying foul!
So be consistent. In the United States of America and in this case Wisconsin if you support Walker you should be allowed to display not distrubed your Walker for governor signs or the Wisconsin Democrat for governor sign. Walker supporters who you obviously don't like don't go around destroying the Democrats signs.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Gov. Dayton, what about the miners?
Earlier this week, Gov. Dayton joined DFL lawmakers in Duluth to pretend that building a new Vikings stadium was all that was needed for a great Minnesota economy:
'Thousands of people are going to be working on that stadium, and on the transit center in Duluth. Those aren't just words, those are real jobs,' Dayton said, referring to $6 million included in the state bonding construction bill for the $27 million downtown transit hub supporters say will link bus, taxi and train passengers with hikers and bikers.
Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said Republicans seemed content the past two years with passing little or no legislation to create jobs or move the state forward.
'We saved the Republicans from what would have been the largest do-nothing session in state history,' Bakk said, noting DFLers in the minority put up more votes than Republicans to get the Vikings' stadium bill passed, 22 compared to 16 for Republicans who hold a 37-30 majority in the Senate.
Notice how the DFL was quick to tout the need to go into debt to create jobs that won't help the Iron Range? Apparently, the Executive Council isn't interested in creating good-paying jobs on the range . Prof. Kent Kaiser criticized the State Executive Council for not creating jobs on the Iron Range:
This month, Minnesota's State Executive Council, which includes the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and state auditor, voted to delay 77 leases to explore for copper and nickel on private lands in northern Minnesota.
This short-sighted action was initiated by Gov. Mark Dayton and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. It was unfortunate for the job situation in the Northland, and I know many Minnesotans are terribly disappointed.
After all, the people of Minnesota own the rights to minerals in the state, including those under private land. Anyone from Northeastern Minnesota knows this; I remember learning this fact in elementary school.
Dayton and Ritchie said they were responding to the complaints of a handful of Isabella-area landowners who supposedly didn't know about the state's century-old mineral laws. Yet most of the people testifying against the leases actually live in the Twin Cities area or are only transplants to the Northland. I think most Northlanders would agree: It's inconceivable that someone from the Twin Cities or elsewhere would buy property in Northeastern Minnesota without being astute enough to learn the laws relevant to that land. If they didn't: well, tough.
Gov. Dayton and the other DFL politicians on the Council caved to the militant environmentalists rather than doing what's right for the mining families that live on the Iron Range.
That's becoming typical thinking for anti-industry progressives. Think President Obama shafting the construction unions in not approving the Keystone XL Pipeline project.
In fact, it's becoming apparent that the GOP cares more about getting construction workers employed than does the DFL, the party that continuously talks about putting construction workers to work.
Prior to his becoming the Senate Minority Leader, I thought that Sen. Bakk was a semi-intelligent man. I even held out hope he might resemble a capitalist. Now that he's in a position of leadership, his true colors shine through. He's just like the other DFL politicians who think that jobs come from creating debt.
When HF1 was signed into law, it streamlined the permitting process, which made it easier to expand businesses and create jobs. Apparently, Sen. Bakk doesn't think that making it easier to expand companies creates jobs.
When Rep. Abeler, Rep. Gottwalt and Sen. Hann reformed HHS, they shrunk the HHS per biennium spending increases from 16% to a mere 5%. That's a per biennium savings of $1,100,000,000.
That politicians think of saving the taxpayers $1,100,000,000 per biennium as not being a major accomplishment is stunning. That the DFL didn't figure out how to save the taxpayers $1.1 billion per biennium should be enough to seal their fate of being the minority party for the next decade.
Bakk noted that the governor was sent only 245 bills over the two years of the biennial legislative session, the fewest of any Minnesota Legislature since 1869 when lawmakers met only every other year.
'They just didn't think anything was important. They didn't care if they passed any bills,' Bakk said of Republicans who control the state House as well as the Senate.
The first thing that came to mind when I read that was that Sen. Bakk said he didn't see the need for the DFL to propose a budget. Let's remember that the DFL didn't put a set of redistricting maps together, either.
Think about that because it's stunning. Redistricting is a once-in-a-decade responsibility. Sen. Bakk and Rep. Thissen thought it was so unimportant that they didn't put a set of redistricting maps together even though it's required by law to do so.
Think about the DFL hiring some redistricting specialists at the cost of $66,000 per specialist , then not putting a set of redistricting maps together.
If that's got you furious, think about this: One of the people that the DFL hired was Jaime Tincher. If Ms. Tincher's name rings a bell, it's possible you remember that she ran then-Speaker Kelliher's gubernatorial campaign.
Not only did the DFL think putting a set of redistricting maps wasn't important. Not only didn't they think it was important to not piss away $188,000 of the taxpayers' money. No, it's that the DFL pissed away that amount of money one political cronies that didn't do a damn thing.
And Sen. Bakk has the chutzpah to say the GOP didn't think anything was important? Sen. Bakk is a joke. To put it politely, he's full of the stuff that makes plants grow.
Tags: Minnesota Executive Council , Mark Ritchie , Lori Swanson , Rebecca Otto , Mark Dayton , Tom Bakk , President Obama , Keystone XL Pipeline , Mining , Stimulus , Debt , DFL , Steve Gottwalt , Jim Abeler , David Hann , HHS , Unions , MNGOP , Election 2012
Posted Thursday, May 17, 2012 7:38 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 17-May-12 09:00 AM
There's little question that miners should have a shot at jobs they can do in an environmentally responsible way. However the miners are not in authority to impose a requirement of environmentally responsible conduct. Government must do that since mining companies are notorious for exploitative practices, maximizing yield by ignoring environmentally good housekeeping, then closing the mine, moving out the capital equipment, and saying, "Your problem. Or sue the shell company."
So yeah, stand on the throats of the miscreant ownership, to assure that the jobs are not priced at poisoning the wilderness - that which attracts tourism north in ever growing numbers.
It all hangs together if you think clearly.
Comment 2 by walter hanson at 17-May-12 09:01 PM
Eric:
Government has the responsibility if they are trying to protect the environment of trying to be reasonable with their environmental regulations.
For example even though technology is now so good coal plants now create less damage to the air than a forest fire does Democrats like Obama, Dayton, and you don't care. You just want to stop the mining and not have the miners have jobs.
So Eric what do you personally have against those miners who just want to go to work and earn a paycheck?
They are at least willing to earn unlike Obama saying lets give it away.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Obama-Mitt fundraising match sounds like a referendum to me
Ed's post about the fundraising reports for Team Obama/DNC and Team Mitt/RNC is fascinating on multiple levels. This is the part that most fascinates me:
As I write in my column, it's not just Obama and his team, but also his allies in the media. The more they talk, the more people they alienate from Obama. And the more that happens, the fewer donations they get, and the more in both voters and contributors that Romney and the RNC can attract. This should be a very interesting summer in the fundraising race.
The reason I find this fascinating is because Axelrod and Carney have talked at length about how this would be a choice election. While there's no doubt that President Obama, Axelrod and Carney want it to be a choice election, it appears as though the American people are saying that they're treating it like a referendum on President Obama.
This should frighten the administration because their record isn't popular. The stimulus stinks. O'Care isn't popular, either. The early Obama bailouts are failures. The Solyndra scandal, a biproduct of the stimulus, is a portrait of the worst of DC. Job Growth has been lethargic and inconsistent.
In short, there's nothing for the American people to rally around in terms of President Obama's record. That's hardly the type of thing a campaign wants to hear as we near the home stretch.
I've meant to write about something earlier in the week but I'll include it here. President Obama is criticizing Mitt about his time at Bain Capital. That's fair game. I went after Mitt's record at Bain Capital, too.
The thing is that President Obama played the role of venture capitalist when they shipped billions of dollars to Solyndra, GM, BofA and other multi-national corporations.
Simply put, Mitt's record as a private sector venture capitalist is stronger than President Obama's record as a public sector venture capitalist. In fact, President Obama is a total failure as a venture capitalist.
Tags: President Obama , Fundraising , DNC , Solyndra , Venture Capitalist , GM , Democrats , Mitt Romney , RNC , GOP , Election 2012
Posted Thursday, May 17, 2012 8:35 AM
Comment 1 by eric z at 17-May-12 08:54 AM
To phrase it as "a referendum on Obama" is saying there's really nothing positive you can say about Mitt Romney so go on to the mudslinging.
Or perhaps I misunderstand.
What is there positive to say about Mitt Romney? That he and his people have not let their Veep-choice cat out of the bag? Yet. What else?
Are you not basically saying there's nothing for the American people to rally around in Mitt's record? I can agree with that. He's out of touch with the 99%. Born an exploitative elitist, he's remained true to form.
Comment 2 by J. Ewing at 17-May-12 02:22 PM
I think the only thing that needs to be said about Mitt Romney is that he's not Barack Obama. That alone, with total disregard for Mitt's many positives, is sufficient. It is hard to imagine any President having accomplished so much that is wrong in so short of a time.
Comment 3 by MplsSteve at 17-May-12 05:00 PM
Gary-
I know you look at big picture issues - but will you be posting anything that you see and hear at the State Convention?
A lot happens in the hallways and hospitality suites that a lot of us never hear about.
I'm rather curious about the US Senate endorsement.
Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 18-May-12 06:21 AM
Steve, I'll be on Press Row at the Convention when it starts at 9am. I'll be liveblogging & tweeting from the scene of the crime.
Comment 4 by walter hanson at 17-May-12 08:57 PM
Eric:
Um instead of you mudslinging like calling Walker a disease why don't you try to say positive things about Obama.
You can talk about how the number of jobs have gone up since he took office. Oh wait a minute they have gone down.
You can talk about how he has done the patriotic thing of getting the deficit reduced in half as promised. Oh we have had a trillion plus dollar deficits every year under Obama.
Unlike you I will say something positive about the Obamas. They have cute daughters and their Mom when she is engaged in her Mom duties works very hard.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Paulers for Pat Anderson
First, I'll start by saying I don't consider Pat Anderson the enemy. There's just an issue where the two of us disagree philosophically. In fact, this post is mostly about philosophical differences. In fact, that's all this is.
At a State Convention gathering, more than a few people were talking about "the Stebbins email." One of the people talking about it forwarded it to me. Here's the text of the email:
From: Marianne Stebbins
To: Marianne Stebbins
Sent: Wed, May 16, 2012 8:52 pm
Subject: Don't forget that State Central immediately follows the convention on Saturday
Up for election are the National Committeeman and National Committeewoman positions. The primary contest there is for Committeewoman, where both Pat Anderson, current Committeewoman is being challenged by Janet Beihoffer.
I take care to not twist arms, but would like you to consider that Pat Anderson has been friendly to us, helpful in many ways. Beihoffer has been engaging in some nasty campaigning against Pat, while Pat has been taking the high road.
Please stay for State Central on Saturday if at all possible. This is an important vote for the future direction of our party.
Marianne Stebbins
I don't have a problem with the RP people who are State Central delegates voting for the candidate of their choice. What I've got a major problem with is hearing anyone say that Janet "has been engaging in some nasty campaigning against Pat." I've read what Janet's said. I'll stipulate that Janet's said some hardhitting things.
Characterizing Janet's communications as "nasty campaigning" just isn't accurate. A number of Janet's supporters have taken issue with some of the things Pat's done. Most of those disputes involve Pat's lobbying for Racino.
Purely from a limited government policy standpoint, I can't support Racino. I can't figure out how a person can be a limited government conservative while supporting giving government another revenue stream to increase the size of government.
That's why I can't understand the Paul supporters supporting another revenue stream to government. They're supposed to be the ultimate believers in limited government conservatism.
I've heard Paul's supporters say that they're defending the principles of free market capitalism. Racino isn't free market capitalism. According to their own website , Racino "would be paid for in full by Canterbury Park and Running Aces Harness Park." That's an awfully limited market. That's the opposite of a free market.
It's time Congressman Paul's supporters admitted that they aren't the pure-hearted free market guy their champion is.
Tags: Ron Paul , Free Markets , Pat Anderson , Limited Government , Racino , Lobbyist , RNC
Posted Thursday, May 17, 2012 11:24 PM
Comment 1 by eric z at 19-May-12 09:38 AM
There is consistency with the position on WAR ON DRUGS.
The libertarian view is that it is not a proper government function. A private sector thing.
But gambling, presently, is very restricted and subject to intense lobbying by interests wanting to keep a status quo, and interests wanting expansion, but not a general drop of regulation, only their special interest advancing.
The tax stream is separate. If you give free license to anybody to run any casino or betting game, the problem is as with banks or sellers of insurance. When the time to pay up arrives, is the money there or a "Sorry Charlie" shell. So, as with banks and insurance, you have to regulate against imprudent practices and outright frauds.
So if you regulate, you tax. And Gary, Grover Norquist is wrong and a royal pain and should go get an honest job and earn his keep as opposed to being kept by whoever it is that bankrolls his mischief. So there.
This limited government stuff is either a hollow slogan, or something many can haggle over when you go beyond the slogan to details.
War on Drugs. Stupid and costly and useless.
War on Islam. Stupid and costly and useless.
Ron Paul gets many things correct, while being difficult on social responsibilities of government and on the liberty of families to make a full range of reproductive choices.
All the talk of "liberty" and that slammed shut door??
There's disingenuousness there, or else it is a basic inconsistency, my guess, or a compromised position taken to advance politically given moods in the GOP. But that latter thing would be disingenuous.
I just think the man's wigged out from delivering too many babies - not because of the cash flow he's gotten from it, as Dr. Ron, but he just loves the little tykes to where he wants to curb family liberty.
It is vexing.
And there is then the entire question of the social responsibilities of government, where you and RP are closer than I am to either of you.
