November 30, 2011
Nov 30 00:29 Dayton administration blaming union vote on TPaw administration? Nov 30 08:01 Mitt Romney: Arrogant SOB Nov 30 14:55 Media Alert Nov 30 15:55 Ken Martin's legislative redistricting map is a hatchet job
Prior Months: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Dayton administration blaming union vote on TPaw administration?
There's spin, then there's professional spin and then there's championship level spin that Katie Tinucci practices. Check this spin out:
Dayton spokeswoman Katharine Tinucci in a statement responded to the filing of the lawsuit. 'The debate around unionization of family childcare providers started years before Governor Dayton was elected to office,' she said.
'By refusing to call for an election, his predecessors denied licensed, registered family child care providers the chance to decide for themselves whether or not they want to form a union. Governor Dayton believes they should have the right to make that decision.'
It's worth noting that Gov. Pawlenty knew the legal definition of a public employee. More importantly, he didn't disregard Minnesota state statutes on the matter. It's apparent that Ms. Tinucci is doing everything except admitting that Gov. Dayton cares more about paying off his political allies than obeying the law.
Everyone who's followed this law knows that this isn't anything except Gov. Dayton's paying off the people that got him elected.
Minnesota state statutes say that child care providers can't be considered government employees. Eventually, we'll find out whether Minnesota's courts read the laws as written or whether they favor defining the law as they see fit.
The list of professions that qualify as public employees is exhaustive and straightforward. The law is tightly written. There isn't any wiggle room in the definition. Still, AFSCME and SEIU thugs continue to argue otherwise:
Eric Lehto, organizing director for AFSCME Minnesota Council 5, called the lawsuit 'frivolous.'
'Governor Dayton has legal authority to direct the Bureau of Mediation Services to conduct a union election and to determine appropriate bargaining units of child care providers. Voters in this election include only licensed, subsidized providers who have a direct financial relationship with the state of Minnesota,' Lehto said in a statement.
'If a majority of providers come together in a democratic process, Gov. Dayton will recognize their professional voice. Union membership will be voluntary and all providers will retain their constitutional right to participate in the policy making process.'
Mr. Lehto isn't telling the whole truth. If telling the whole truth was important to Mr. Lehto, he would've mentioned that the child care providers that don't get to vote on unionization will have to pay Fair Share fees to either AFSCME or the SEIU.
If Mr. Lehto put a priority on telling the truth, he would've mentioned that AFSCME and SEIU intend to negotiate regulations for child safety, educational materials and other things. He didn't mention that these issues financially affect the child care providers's that don't get to vote on unionization but who will pay union dues.
If Gov. Dayton wants to blame anyone for the unionization vote, he needn't look further than the mirror. If Gov. Dayton wasn't the unions' puppet, this vote wouldn't be happening. If Gov. Dayton respected settled Minnesota law, this vote wouldn't be happening.
Gov. Dayton's letter to Speaker Zellers and Majority Leader Dean is the rant of an unhinged person. Check it out yourself:
Dayton Letter
Yes, Gov. Dayton, we think that the SEIU and AFSCME won't hesitate to do anything if they think it'll help them accumulate more political power. In fact, we have proof that they will.
When the Fleebagger 14 left Wisconsin rather than do what they were elected to do, AFSCME threatened businesses . They had the choice of either displaying the union sign in their window or have the unions boycott their store.
I've read about SEIU stormtroopers attempted to threaten a bank official :
Last Sunday, on a peaceful, sun-crisp afternoon, our toddler finally napping upstairs, my front yard exploded with 500 screaming, placard-waving strangers on a mission to intimidate my neighbor, Greg Baer. Baer is deputy general counsel for corporate law at Bank of America, a senior executive based in Washington, D.C. And that, in the minds of the organizers at the politically influential Service Employees International Union and a Chicago outfit called National Political Action, makes his family fair game.
Gov. Dayton, there's substantial proof that PEUs do nefarious things in their quest to accumulate political power.
Posted Wednesday, November 30, 2011 12:29 AM
No comments.
Mitt Romney: Arrogant SOB
Mitt Romney's always had a higher opinion of himself as a politician than his political record warrants. That's why I'm not surprised by Mitt's statements during his interview with Special Report's Bret Baier aren't that surprising:
Asked by Fox News's Bret Baier in an interview Tuesday whether Gingrich could beat President Obama, Romney said: 'I think to get President Obama out of office, you're going to have to bring something to the race that's different than what he brings.'
'He's a lifelong politician. I think you have to have the credibility of understanding how the economy works. And I do. And that's one reason I'm in this race.'
All politicians have egos. They couldn't survive without them. Still, Mitt's statements smack me as being Grade A BS. Saying that the man who put in place policies that created 11,000,000 new jobs doesn't understand how the economy works simply isn't credible.
It's time for Mitt to stop pretending that he's the economic wizard and his GOP opponents don't understand the economy.
Let's remember that the man Mitt's criticizing also helped create 4 straight surpluses while reforming welfare and training people so they could be productive workers in the private sector. Does that sound like a man who doesn't understand how the economy works?
The reason why Mitt's in this race is because he loves politics. It isn't because he's a great presidential candidate. In fact, he's played at the fringes of politics most of his life.
The only reason why he wasn't a career politician is because he's only won 1 election in his lifetime. Had he defeated Ted Kennedy in 1994, he would've been a career politician by now.
It isn't surprising that Newt didn't let Mitt's comments go unanswered. Here's Newt's reply:
Gingrich fired back in an interview following a town hall meeting tonight at the Newberry, S.C., Opera House.
'You're talking to a guy who was dead in June. I'm now being attacked by the former frontrunner,' he exulted.
He also defended his economic experience. 'I would point out as a matter of fact, having participated in the development of supply-side economics with (former Rep. Jack) Kemp, having campaigned with Reagan on it in 1980, having helped pass it in '81 and having gone thorugh the recovery in the '80s and having 11 million jobs created over four years as speaker, I may have some knowledge of the economy.'
If Mitt wants to talk about who's put together the strongest economic record while in office, he'd best be prepared to get thumped.
It's one thing to balance a state's budget. Most states require that. Balancing the federal budget isn't anything like balancing a state's budget. During Newt's time in office as Speaker, they balanced the budget 4 straight years.
During his time in the private sector, Mitt killed thousands of jobs. That might've been justified but reality is reality.
Mitt's got a bit of a temper when challenged:
Baier peppered Romney with questions about his inconsistencies over the years on key issues like climate change, abortion rights, immigration and gay marriage. Romney rejected the premise altogether.
'Well, Bret, your list is just not accurate,' Romney said. 'So, one, we're going to have to be better informed about my views on issues. My view is you can look at what I've written in my book ['No Apology']. You can look at a person who has devoted his life to his family, to his faith, to his country. And I'm running for president because of the things I believe I think I can do to help this country.'
In trustworthy contests, Bret Baier will trounce Mitt every time. That's why telling Bret Baier that he didn't do his homework isn't the brightest thing Mitt's done lately. Then again, Mitt didn't have any promising options available at that point. Mitt was pinned down.
One thing that's clear is that Mitt gets testy fast when challenged. Mitt lost it when Rick Perry challenged him over hiring an illegal immigrant to do his lawn care. To date, that's the only debate where Mitt hasn't looked placid. It's the only debate he's clearly lost.
Mitt's ego won't allow him to admit that people don't trust him. Mitt undoubtedly will continue making tortured arguments that the archived clips don't really mean what all of America thinks they mean. That's his choice. It's just that his choice will sink him.
Mitt isn't unflappable. In fact, he's quite easily upset. That tendency, coupled with his flip-flops, won't help against Newt.
Posted Wednesday, November 30, 2011 8:01 AM
Comment 1 by eric z. at 30-Nov-11 06:27 PM
With Cain reassessing, and with Bachmann and Santorum at levels where each should reassess; and with Huntsman assessing an independent run [today's John Anderson, an attempt to talk in ways to delude dissatisfied Dems], the field is or soon should narrow.
You see it as Mitt and Newt. Probably right, for now.
Gingrich, worse than a career politician is a revolving door career politician and then career lobbyist [excuse, a "history teacher"] and then back again the other way -- and that's the Tinklenberg double-whammy.
And still -- Ron Paul. The one who may win Iowa, where and when it counts - the caucus voting.
Comment 2 by ann at 18-Aug-12 12:04 PM
ryan is a racist tea party bagger wolf in sheep clothing that wants to gut medicare and his mother does not count eveybody does not hae a sucessuful son to supplement their health care, and romney is hiding behiine ryan like mcain hide behind pallin romney is shady and stupid show your taxes for cheating poor people and getting your at the taxes payer cost romney we know it bad.
Response 2.1 by Gary Gross at 18-Aug-12 12:56 PM
Ann (or whoever you are), Your accusations aren't based on anything other than despicable misinformation. They aren't rooted in fact. Next time you utter this tripe, do your homework rather than buying into this despicable BS.
Hate like yours is beyond contemptible. Unfortunately, it's what Democrats specialize in.
Comment 3 by Jethro at 18-Aug-12 08:53 PM
Ann's argument is about as strong as her grammatical prose.
Comment 4 by walter hanson at 19-Aug-12 04:06 PM
Ann:
Um since the people on medicare are white, black, hispanic, asian, indian, and others it doesn't seem to be racist if the changes effect everyone the say way.
But to more serious points on your rant:
* It was Obama who cut medicare by over $700 billion so if you want to call somebody a racist it's Obama not Romney.
* By repealing Obamacare as Romney and Ryan want to do it will restore the cuts or is it your arguement that you don't want those cuts restored?
* If you want to leave medicare as it is right now how are you going to pay the $84 trillion dollar deficit that is projected that is needed to balance medicare's future payments?
* How is it racist if Ryan is giving you and me the same health care options that members of Congress currently have?
* You do realize that if you try to seriously answer my comments you realize just how silly your claims are?
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
Media Alert
Tonight, I'll be participating in a special redistricting panel debate with my faithful sidekick Mitch Berg. We'll be fighting the forces of evil, aka Tony Angelo and someone from Common Cause.
I'm teaming with Mitch to expose the DFL's willingness to ignore the purpose of redistricting, namely to redraw Minnesota's congressional and legislative districts in a way that reflects Minnesota's shifting population.
UPDATE: Follow this link to catch the debate on UStream. Call 1-763-412-4631 to talk live with the panelists on air or use #LateDebate to give us your opinions through Twitter.
Posted Wednesday, November 30, 2011 3:01 PM
Comment 1 by #6 at 30-Nov-11 04:23 PM
Could you also put the time that it's on in your post?
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 30-Nov-11 06:07 PM
Late Debate starts at 10:00 pm & ends at midnight. Sorry about excluding that information.
Comment 2 by eric z. at 30-Nov-11 06:28 PM
Tell it to the judge.
Ken Martin's legislative redistricting map is a hatchet job
I've written that DFL Chairman Ken Martin's legislative redistricting map is such a blatant hatchet job that the Special Redistricting Panel likely won't give it serious consideration.
For instance, Chairman Martin's redistricting map for the Greater St. Cloud Area is a naked attempt to defeat John Pederson, Steve Gottwalt and King Banaian. It's obvious because Martin chopped off Haven Township from King's district and the towns of St. Augusta and Rockville from Steve's district.
Haven Township was the place where King did best. Rockville and St. Augusta were the towns where Steve did best.
That alone should get Martin's map tossed.
The thing is that it isn't the only thing that's corrupt about Chairman Martin's map. Martin's map trades Haven Township out of King's district and swaps a liberal section of land on the other side of the Mississippi into King's district.
Meanwhile, Larry Hosch, a vulnerable Democrat legislator from St. Joe is protected from having to face Rockville or St. Augusta. His district somehow gets safer.
Alida is certainly getting her money's worth from Chairman Martin. He's been an obedient little partisan puppet. Let's remember that Alida Messinger installed Martin as DFL Party Chairman :
Most of the criticism of DFL state party chair Brian Melendez in the wake of Election Day has been confined to the liberal blogosphere. The three-term incumbent could likely survive those barbs.
But a much more important DFL supporter, wealthy donor Alida Messinger, is also apparently opposed to Melendez remaining as party chair. According to a reliable DFL source, there won't be any checks arriving in DFL coffers from the Rockefeller heir if Melendez remains in the post.
Of course, Ken Martin, the person most often cited as a potential rival for state party chair, is closely aligned with Messinger. He chaired the Win Minnesota Political Action Fund, which played a key role in the governor's race. The group's largest individual donor: Messinger.
Thanks to Chairman Martin's obedience to Mark Dayton's first ex-wife, the Special Redistricting Panel will have to deal with Chairman Martin's map before essentially ignoring its recommendations.
The DFL legislature didn't put any redistricting maps together, instead apparently choosing to let the state party and their allies do the heavy lifting.
The DFL is a shell of its former self. It's been replaced by the Dayton family's political machine. The Dayton family's political machine is exceptionally far left. When that's exposed, the DFL will take a hard tumble for a decade or more.
Posted Wednesday, November 30, 2011 3:55 PM
Comment 1 by Eric Austin at 30-Nov-11 04:33 PM
This post is absolutely hilarious. You never cease to provide me with humor, Gary. Kudos once again...
Comment 2 by Gary Gross at 30-Nov-11 06:05 PM
So you think the map is fair?
