A Bluestem Prairie

Rochester page returns home to intern in Walz district office

Earlier today, we posted news that the Walz congressional staff is looking for interns to staff the Washington and two district offices. Now the Post Bulletin tells the story of one intern, and a congressman who looks like he's remains a teacher at heart, rather than a partisan politician.

The Rochester Post Bulletin profiles Mayo High senior Ian Cameron, who spent five months as a House page. The story concludes:

Cameron came home in early June to start work as an intern at the Rochester office of Walz. During his stay in D.C., Cameron and Walz became friends and, although they don't see eye-to-eye on the political spectrum, Cameron will strongly support the efforts of Walz, he said.

The track and football player for the Spartans is looking to pursue education at the U.S. Naval Academy and one day work, to some degree he said, in the political field.

"Politics is a game," Cameron said. "And I think it's fun."

There's more to the story, as we learn from a cutline from the high school's February newsletter:

Jrs. Ian Cameron and Sam Hagedorn with Senator John McCain and lawyer Andrew Johnson at a Republican Party event. Cameron’s attendance and demeanor were noted by Gil Gutknecht’s staff members.

Go check out the picture.  The accompanying article tells the rest of the young man's story:

Many students wait until graduating high school to move out of the house. Jr. Ian Cameron is not one of those students.  Cameron is instead taking classes and working as a Congressional Page in Washington, D.C. for this semester.

Cameron’s interest in politics came at an early age. “I used to sprawl out on the floor and watch the evening news with my dad,” Cameron recalls. About midway through the year, Cameron had a chance to put his interest into action. “I heard an announcement over the intercom about the page program,” Cameron says. “It sounded like something I’d like to do.”

This marked the beginning of Cameron’s long and laborious road to becoming a Congressional Page. After Cameron submitted the large application to Gil Gutknecht, he heard that he had not been accepted. To try and schmooze his way in, Cameron and his friend, jr. Sam Hagedorn tried to make some connections at a Republican event featuring Senator John McCain.“[Cameron] made quite an impression on Gutknecht’s staff,” Hagedorn says. Later, Cameron received a call from the office of Dennis Hastert, who was the Speaker of the House, saying that he had been “unofficially selected.”

“When I asked if the election results would affect the page program I was told ‘no,’” Cameron says. “[After the elections]I found out just the opposite.”

Five term incumbent Gil Gutknecht was unseated by veteran Tim Walz of Mankato.Cameron then made contact with Rep. Walz and stated his predicament. Walz’s staff, along with the congressman himself, worked on submitting another application, this time to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office. “Walz called many times on my behalf, along with John Kline,Andy Welti, Tina Liebling and many other politicians,” Cameron says. “I got a call during school from Tim Walz saying that he had gotten a letter from Mrs.Pelosi. The official invitation came the next day.”

Many of Cameron’s friends believe that the ordeal he went through exemplifies Cameron’s personality. “He’ a very energetic and driven person who is passionate about politics,” close friend and alumnus of our school Adrienne Lobl says. Cameron is also a very personable individual. “People love being around Ian; he is relaxed but intense, respectful, not obnoxious. [He is] a lot of fun to be around,” Hagedorn says.

After going through the roller-coaster ride of applying, Cameron is enjoying his experience as a page. “I’m excited to be in Washington, D.C. and experiencing news as it happens,” Cameron says.

 

Representative Walz's office looking for fall semester interns

This news release of internships came via the in-box.

(Washington, D.C.) - Congressman Tim Walz is now accepting intern applications for the fall of 2007 in his three congressional offices.

"Interns provide essential support in each of my offices," said Walz. "Our internship program offers students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the legislative process, greater familiarity with the way our government functions, and an appreciation of public service."

The Walz internship program offers students and recent graduates valuable educational and professional experience in a fast-paced and exciting environment.  Interns conduct legislative research, help respond to
constituent mail, and work with staff to assist constituents having difficulties with federal agencies.  Interns also help plan and execute events and assist press staff.

Walz internships are open to students and recent graduates over the age of 18.   Interns attending a post-secondary institution may be able to receive educational credit for their work in Congressman Walz's office.   Applicants from Minnesota's First Congressional District receive preference; however, other applicants will be considered as space permits.

Applications are available on Congressman Walz's website.

Although internship applications are accepted at all times, fall candidates who submit their applications by August 1 will receive strong preference, and spaces often fill quickly.  Prospective interns should submit their applications via email to the office in which they wish to work.  The relevant email addresses are as follows:

Washington, D.C. Office
WalzDCInternApplication@mail.house.gov

Mankato Office
WalzMankatoInternApplication@mail.house.gov

Rochester Office
WalzRochesterInternApplication@mail.house.gov

For more information, please call Amanda Frie at 507.388.2149.

Tuesday morning news digest: Biomass, algae and endorsements edition

Biomass, baby!
Another Minnesota company wades into the burgeoning biomass industry, as this Associated Press piece reveals:

It was announced June 27 that Northern Excellence Seed -- a handler of turfgrass seed to the nation and the world -- will be one of the first commercialized applications of smaller-scale biomass energy in the U.S.

U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, made the announcement. The $230,000 grant will go to the Giziibii Resource Conservation & Development Council in Bemidji, which channels the money to Northern Excellence to fund the equipment. It is one of a set of annual Conservation Innovation Grants issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service.

The project will use some of the 2 million pounds of screenings at Northern Excellence, as well as perennial grass seed straw from two specific producers in the Giziibii and Pembina Trail economic development areas. The biomass will be burned in a "low-water use gasification system" to produce "syngas," or synthetic gas, to generate electricity for the plant.

The gasifier for the Northern Excellence Seed plant will produce 100 kilowatt hours -- enough to take care of the electricity needs for the plant itself and perhaps a little extra that could be sold on the grid. The electricity would displace the seed company's electric bill, which typically runs in the $50,000-per-year range. If successful, it would eliminate the $10,000 to $15,000 annual bill for burning the company's waste screenings.

We ardent spirits here in the provinces will some day re-read the canon of Victorian literature by light generated by biomass.  Only an Philadelphia economist would narrowly frame the world as biofuels v. George Eliot.

The Post Bulletin also carries a column that touts the Campaign for a Renewed Rural Development, led by Blue Earth County commissioner Colleen Landkamer.  Our friends at the League of Rural Voters and the Center for Rural Affairs are members. We'll be checking it out. 

In other biofuels news, the Worthington Daily Globe editorializes about a WIRED grants for a community and tech college that's a player in the renewable energy game.

Rochester Post Bulletin: Pfeilsticker and Drazkowski endorsed for 28B special election
The Post-Bulletin reports on the endorsing conventions:

Republicans tonight endorsed Steve Drazkowski of Wabasha, and Democrats endorsed Linda Pfeilsticker to run for the state House of Representatives District 28B seat soon to be vacated by Rep. Steve Sviggum of Kenyon.

At the Republican endorsement convention, Drazkowski was chosen after the second round of balloting, getting 54 votes. Jennifer Berquam of Wanamingo got 25 votes. Berquam then moved to have her votes shifted to Drazkowski to make the endorsement unanimous.

The special election will be on Aug. 7.

At the Democratic convention, Pfeilsticker was chosen on the first ballot. She received more than 60 percent of the votes, the minimum required to win the endorsement.

Pfeilsticker is a teacher at Winona Senior High School. Drazkowski is a cable contractor.

No coverage yet from the Winona Daily News, though some will probably show up during the day.

Mankato Free Press editorial: Lake quality and Farm Bill connected
Blue Earth County's Lake Crystal is enjoying a bumper crop of algae this year, and the Free Press suggests ways to deal with it, from making sure septic systems work to better manure runoff control. 

One thing the editorial board suggests is more money for conservation in the Farm Bill and less for commodity payments. The editorial concludes:

But maximizing solutions on a broad scale requires state and federal commitments. That’s why the current debate in Congress over renewal of the Farm Bill is so important. Past Farm Bills have focused too heavily on subsidies for crops and too little on providing financial incentives for farm conservation.

There is, this year, a considerable push for more money for conservation efforts in the Farm Bill.

The issue is important for anyone who has wondered why lakes often look so disgusting.

As we have said before, not a bad idea. However, one would want to know that the money is well-spent, especially following the EPA's February audit of grants to an organization charged with on-farm assessments of environmental programs.  That mismanaged (and possibly embezzled) $24 million might have cleaned up a bit of algae, no?

Rowley letter in the PiPress
Former FBI agent and 2006 congressional candidate Colleen Rowley had a letter published in last week's PiPress:

Enough study

Thousands of us traveled by bus to rally in Washington, D.C., to restore law and justice on June 26. Since then, 145 congresspersons (including Betty McCollum, James Oberstar, Keith Ellison and Tim Walz) wrote President Bush a letter stating, "Guantanamo is anathema to our values as a nation, governed by the rule of law. Its continued operation undermines our efforts to combat terrorism, providing psychological ammunition for those bent on doing us harm."

Currently, 375 detainees are being held at Guantanamo; many have been there for over five years. Since the facility opened in 2002, only 10 of more than 700 detainees have been charged with a crime. More have committed suicide (four) than have had a hearing before a military commission (three) at Guantanamo.

Bush himself admitted he'd like to close Guantanamo.

The day after our rally, Sen. Amy Klobuchar signed up to co-sponsor the "Habeas Corpus Restoration Act" while Sen. Norm Coleman refused to give his position but said he would have to study it.

COLEEN ROWLEY

Apple Valley

News Talk 1410: "Violence in Iraq continues at an alarming rate"

News Talk 1410 radio station in LaCrosse reports:

"Congress will get a report in September on how the U.S. troop surge is working in Iraq. But many congressmen aren't waiting for that report.. They already feel the strategy has failed. Bruce Marcus spoke to Minnesota Democratic Rep Tim Walz about that. Walz says the surge was meant to buy time for Iraqi leaders to settle their political differences. But the violence in Iraq continues at an alarming rate. And the Iraqi government still hasn't gotten its act together. So many members of Congress now want U. S. forces to begin coming home."

The Washington Post reports that Gates Defers Travel Plans To Help With Iraq Report, and that a growing chorus of Republican lawmakers are questioning the war:

The move comes amid growing pressure on the Bush administration to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. The political climate for the war in Washington has grown markedly worse in recent days, with a group of senior Republicans changing their stance on Iraq and now leaning toward a withdrawal of troops.

On Thursday, Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.) became the latest to announce his break with President Bush, joining Republican Sens. Richard G. Lugar, (Ind.), George V. Voinovich (Ohio), John W. Warner (Va.) and Chuck Hagel (Neb.) in voicing some level of pessimism about the current U.S. course.

Congress has given the Bush administration two deadlines to report on the situation in Iraq and assess whether it is improving. The first of those deadlines is Sunday, and the Pentagonsaid in a statement yesterday that Gates's participation is needed in policy meetings.

Senior administration officials have already concluded that the Iraqi government is unlikely to meet any of the benchmarks that Bush set for it earlier this year, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

Closer to home, KEYC-TV in Mankato last night broadcast Violence Escalates in Iraq. In today's paper, the Washington Post reports Attack Kills Nearly Two Dozen Iraqi Army Recruits.  For Iraqi civilians,  'A Funeral Service In Every House', the WaPo reports, while for some American soldiers, Unit's Mission: Survive 4 Miles To Remember Fallen Comrade.

Ag policy as if rural people mattered

Not much direct Walz news so far today, though Sean wraps up some recent coverage and puts a bow on it over at MnPublius in a post called Tim Walz Continues to Be Awesome. In addition to the 22 public meetings Walz has conducted since being sworn in (news accounts mention that there were 18 before the 4 additional meetings held on Thursday and Friday), we like to remind our readers about Walz's work in DC, especially that on veterans' issues.

Congratulations to one of our favorite pesky people: 2007 WSU grad  and blogger Jason Bauman passed his nursing boards. We look forward to reading what he has to write about health care issues and everything else.

Farm Bill
[Update]  The Center for Rural Affairs' Dan Owens sends a letter to the Bemidji paper urging Coleman to support the Grassley-Dorgan bill in the Senate [/end update].

The Mankato Free Press reports that the corn in Southern Minnesota is "towering" at ten feet, one inches tall, so we'll look at the Farm Bill again today.  We've been searching for articles that expand on CFRA staffer Dan Owens' analysis of one "reform" proposal. Still looking, but the search yields some interesting reads.

Like the CFRA, we favor legislation containing strong agricultural market competition and rural development language, as well as payment limitations, rather than outright elimination of all subsidies. Those who have been swayed by the notion that eliminating all payments are the way to go should check out the Center For Rural Affairs' arguments. We'd also like to see adequate funding for conservation programs like wetlands and grassland reserves, conservation reserves and the Conservation Security program, which rewards farmers for practicing sound conservation methods on land that's still in production.

The CFRA argues policy far more than it looks at the political alliances forming during the drafting of the Farm Bill. For that, we found some other instructive links.  Grist magazine's farm writer, Tom Philpott takes a look at one Farm Bill player at Victual Reality, then extends his point in a Gristmill post, Ag policy as if people mattered.  in the latter, Philpott suggests that farmers be given the tools to manage supply.  He notes the alliance behind eliminating subsidies:

The terms of debate around the 2007 farm bill's controversial commodity title have gotten rather narrow.

On the one hand, you've got the House subcommittee on ag commodities, which essentially cut and pasted commodity language from the subsidy-heavy 2002 farm bill into the 2007 version now being drafted.

On the other hand, you've got a chorus of critics, ranging from Oxfam to the Cato Institute to the Environmental Working Group, demanding an end to ag subsidies. This group would like to see an unfettered market work its magic on agriculture.

Straddling in between we find the Bush administration, which chastised the House subcommittee for failing to reform subsidies. Last winter, USDA chief Mike Johanns floated his proposal, which wouldn't abolish subsidies but rather tweak the program a bit to give it a "more market-oriented approach." Language in the proposal hinted strongly that subsidies would eventually be phased out.

Forced to choose, the Oxfams, Catos, and EWGs of the world throw their lot with the Bush Administration. If they can't get the subsidy-free bill they want, they'll take the Bushies' slow-motion reforms.

In last week's Victual Reality, I weighed in on the debate by rebuking the Oxfam/Cato/EWG aproach. I argued that "abandoning farmers to the clutches of a highly consolidated food-processing market ... won't solve our enormous social, public-health, and environmental troubles related to food."

Due diligence is never easy in looking at the Farm Bill. Progressives should look before they jump on a sweet-sounding band wagon created by correct-sounding organizations, probing the details and history of Farm Bill programs. There are some curious bedfellows, there.