Bluestem Prairie: news about Tim Walz (MN-1)

Walz and local vets on new G.I. Bill

We're off in a bit to attend the wedding of sergeants: one in the Minnesota Army National Guard and another in the regular Army. Between the two of them, they have three tours in Iraq.  We think about people like Jen and David, and other young friends serving our country when we write about the need to bring veteran programs into the 21st century.

Two articles in today's Post-Bulletin look at the new GI Bill.  In Veterans say GI Bill needs to be updated, we read:

When Mike McLaughlin enlisted for Iraq, he was set on defending his country. He was believed that his entire college expenses would be paid for.

McLaughlin, 23, of Mankato, is now studying at Minnesota State University-Mankato. His wife works two jobs and is looking for a third. Books for class cost $600. He's currently seeking summer employment that can offer 60 hours each week, in order to save money during the school year.

The GI Bill isn't the free ride he expected.

McLaughlin was in Rochester on Thursday with U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, a Democrat from Mankato, who was calling for support of a new bill that would update the benefits of the GI Bill. The new bill would increase the amount of educational benefits offered to veterans. It would also include more reservists and guard members who have recently served in the armed forces. . . .

And there's a companion article,  Walz calls for support of new GI Bill:

Walz, along with representatives from the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, spoke to members of the press on the Rochester Community and Technical College campus.

Walz said the original GI Bill has been labeled as having one of the most positive economic impacts as "anything we've ever done."

"This possesses that ability, too," he said.

The bill is part of the supplemental spending bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Walz said he hopes it will be sitting on the president's desk in early June.

The original GI Bill was passed in 1944.

In Vets concerns get increased focus, at MyWebTimes, the PB's Ed Felker reports:

With Memorial Day on the horizon, lawmakers rushed this week to pass veterans health and education benefits legislation, including a $54 billion expansion of the storied GI Bill.

The GI bill represents a major milestone in the updating of the eduction benefits given to veterans, lawmakers said. It initially was to be financed by a tax increase on those who earn $500,000 or more, but the tax was dropped to avoid a presidential veto.

House lawmakers also passed a package of 10 veterans benefits bills this week, mostly by voice vote, with five of them touching on veterans health issues. Those health bills would, among other purposes, elevate physician assistant services within the VA, expand VA substance abuse programs, build and expand Veterans Administration facilities and provide VA care to children of Vietnam veterans born with spina bifida. . . .

. . .Rep. Tim Walz, a Minnesota Democrat and National Guard veteran who sits on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said the piecemeal approach has come about as lawmakers look for legislation that will not get stuck in partisan debates or run into opposition from the White House. This week he introduced a bill to advance VA research into understanding and treating long-term pain issues.

"It's not a case of drip, drip, drip good news on veterans, because I've got no time for that," he said. "Every day we wait somebody is missing out on this, somebody who deserves to have these benefits."

 

More truthiness: false urban legend still making the rounds

After a kind friend emailed us about a Davis supporter's use of a debunked urban legend making the rounds, we posted Republican commenter pushing urban legend at Post Bulletin.

In The GOP’s Bigotsphere:  Come For The Lies, Stay For The Slanders, posted  at Mercury Rising, Phoenix Woman looked at the same email used in a True North post.

Minnesota's right blogosphere doesn't seem to be able to resist this one (probably because the GOP strategy of blaming high prices on the Democrats is such a perfect match for the false urban legend). Last night, it showed up at Residual Forces. He writes that got it from his mother, a Republican activist who must find such truthiness persuasive.

Once more, the straight skinny on why this one's a stinker. From Factcheck.org:

Did electing a Democratic Congress in 2006 really lead to increased unemployment, higher gas prices and more home foreclosures?

I received this by e-mail and I’ve also seen it posted as a comment on a lot of blogs and news sites. Is there any truth to it?

No, and most of the figures in a widely-circulated e-mail are made up. In fact, the entire premise of the e-mail is a logical fallacy.

Like most of the chain e-mails making the rounds, this one is inaccurate. Some claims are outright false while others are grossly out of context. Overall, the e-mail commits the logical fallacy known as post hoc ergo propter hoc (or after the fact, therefore because of the fact).. .

And from Snopes: Urban Legends Reference site:

Status: False.

This piece is one of the more ludicrous examples of the post hoc ergo propter hoc ("after this, therefore because of this") fallacy we've received in a long time. . . .

We eagerly await news of alligators thriving in Rochester's sewer systems, large rats mistaken for small dogs, and dating advice that recommends handing out green M & M s.

Walz visits Owatonna flooding site

Both the Owatonna People's Press and KEYC-TV covered a visit Congressman Walz made yesterday to a neighborhood in Owatonna that's been severely flooded several times in the past few years. Walz is seeking federal funding for a flood mitigation project to help them out.

The OPP's article, Walz visits sites damaged by fall floods, recalls the flood and proposed solutions. KEYC-TV reports in Walz Visits Owatonna Flood Site:

Heavy rains brought floods to Owatonna basements not once, but twice last fall and still today, sand bags are still protecting those homes. Congressman Tim Walz spent today touring one particularly hard-hit neighborhood. He's taken a request to Congress for seven point four million dollars in flood mitigation money. Congressman Tim Walz says, ''That hurts our economic growth in the long run, so this just makes good sense to me, and we have to keep pushing for it.'' Hoping that push will result in the funds, Walz says that money would go towards building another retention pond in order to take pressure off the sewer systems.

Video is available.

Image: radar screen shot from last August's flooding.

Walz to New Ulm Journal: The 21st Century GI Bill

Congressman Walz sent a letter to the New Ulm Journal about the 21st Century GI Bill:

I agree wholeheartedly with your recent editorial (“Serving nation’s military veterans”) that more needs to be done to keep faith with our veterans who have courageously served our country. As a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, I have been proud to work on a bipartisan basis to help our veterans and hold the Department of Veterans Affairs accountable for its use of our tax dollars.

As your editorial mentioned, the House of Representatives recently passed a landmark new GI Bill that will bring educational benefits for our veterans into the 21st century.

This new GI Bill is more than just a way of repaying the debt we owe the members of our armed forces. It is also a demonstration of America’s commitment to our young men and women, who will know that if they choose to enlist in the military, we will stand with them - on the battlefield and when they return. That is why I call on President Bush to sign this important bill into law.

However, I want to clarify a point raised in the editorial. The educational assistance under the new GI Bill can be used at colleges as well as universities and is not limited to in-state schools. The amount of tuition assistance a veteran can receive is determined by the highest in-state tuition rate at the most expensive public college or university, but the veteran can use their GI Bill benefits to pay tuition essentially wherever he or she chooses.

The original GI Bill opened the door to higher education and to prosperity for a whole generation of American service members. It was one of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century in America. The legislation the House passed last week has the potential to do the same for a new generation of American veterans. President Bush should drop his veto threat and sign it into law when it reaches his desk.

REP. TIM WALZ

First Dist., Minnesota

The editorial is here. The other argument against the bill are pretty lame as well--that bringing veterans educational benefits up-to-date will somehow rob commitments to older vets. The fact is that veterans groups themselves are among the strongest supporters of the 21st Century 21 Bill.

Liveblogging the New G.I. Bill press conference

We'll post reflections on this later.

1:54 A reporter asks about recruitment.  Mike McLaughlin reiterates how everyone enlists voluntarily, primarily because of patriotism. Getting an education is secondary, and though important. They hear about the GI Bill, though don't know the details. Luke W. says he joined because of a desire to serve, and didn't  look into the details until he was almost ready to leave the service.

Walz talks about how it's not a recruiting problem so much as a information issue. The VA just this month was authorized to advertise its benefits.

Obray notes how hikes in VA benefits were $8 one semester when his tuition went up ten percent.

1:45 A veteran in the room talks about the help he got from displaced veterans programs administered by the state of Minnesota helped him go to school, rather than the GI Bill.  Walz praises that state program and reflects on how non-traditional students sometimes fall through the cracks.

1 41 Walz sums up how helpful the new GI Bill will be. For every dollar invested in veterans under the old GI Bill, there was a seven dollar return.

A question is asked about other, non-war or veterans' funding in the supplemental. Walz explains the possibilities for getting the bill passed.

1:36 David Obray, a reservist and the president of WSU student senate, praises the legislation. He anticipates that veterans won't have to work fulltime if the bill in passed. Steve O'Connor, past VFW state commander, talks about the support of vets groups for the legislation. He has heard the stories of the young soldiers and knows the new GI Bill will help.  Luke W. talks about his experience.  Josh Howe, who works with vets going to school throughout SE Minnesota, talks about how the new bill will not only help vets, but will also have an economic benefit for the larger community. Oberly talks about the American Legion's support

1:27:   Marine veteran Mike McLaughlin is talking about how he understood that his expenses would be paid, but his expenses exceed the benefits. His wife works two jobs and he has to find one as well. His books aren't paid.

1:20 We're in Rochester liveblogging a press conference on the bi-partisan New GI Bill that Congressman Tim Walz is holding with veterans. Walz is joined by Iraq veteran Mike McLaughlin (Marines , David Obray, an Army Reservist E4 specialist and WSU student senate president, Higher Education Veterans Programs Coordinator, Joshua Howe, County Veterans Service Officer, Neil Doyle, and American Legion Post commander, Reid Oberly and Steve O'Connor, former state commander of the VFW. 

Walz supports funding increase in DoD research for ovarian and prostate cancer

We found an interesting letter online from members of Congress asking for increasing the funding for the DOD ovarian and prostate cancer research program from $10 million to $25 million in the coming fiscal year.  It begins:

On behalf of the millions of Americans touched by ovarian and prostate cancer, we write to express our strong support for increased funding for the Ovarian and Prostate Cancer Research Programs funded through the Department of Defense's (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP).We respectfully request that the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense allocate $25 million for the Ovarian Cancer Research Program (OCRP) and $100 million for the Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) in Fiscal Year 2009.

; These programs support important biomedical research grants that fill gaps in ongoing research and complement initiatives sponsored by other agencies. According to a 2004 Institute of Medicine report, the CDMRP research programs fill a “unique niche” in cancer research and have proven to be promising vehicles for forging new ideas and scientific breakthroughs for numerous diseases.The programs focus on providing funding to researchers who wish to improve current approaches to their areas of investigation – implementing innovative methods of research or developing novel adaptations of existing methods.

We'll be back in the afternoon with more news.

Supporting vets in DC and the district

There a letter of support for the 21st Century GI Bill in today's Free Press from Philip Dennison of Eagle LAke:

Our veterans deserve updated GI Bill

It is an insult to our veterans that the GI Bill of Rights was unable to fully cover the rising and exorbitant costs of college tuition.

I am proud that we have a representative like Tim Walz who is working to help veterans by updating the GI Bill. While I am not a veteran, I have spent around $50,000 going to college to work toward my masters degree for secondary education. Veterans of our armed forces have fought and struggled for this country. There is no reason they should be expected to pay $50,000, and more, to get the necessary education to succeed in the country they fought for. I am pleased that the updated GI Bill made it through Congress. We owe this to our veterans.

Thank you Congressman Walz.

We agree about the updated GI Bill, and thank all representatives and senators who support the legislation. The GI Bill section of the Senate war funding package passed today on a 75-22 vote. Both of Minnesota's Senators voted for the measure.

In the Waseca County News, there's a story about how new vets are stepping up to leadership roles at the town's VFW in The new face of veterans.

With the aging and passing of older generations of veterans, vets clubs risk closing unless the current wave of vets steps up to the plate. It's great to see new leadership.

A presidential premium?: gas price follies at Firedoglake and the Post Bulletin

At Firedoglake, argues Boehner And Buddies Hope The Public Forgets Whose Energy Policy This Is in a review of  the consequences of  7 1/2 years of  Bush administration policies.   In the comments section, Phoenix Woman notes how conservatives are using debunked urban legends to support that notion that it's all somebody else's fault.

In yesterday afternoon's Rochester Post Bulletin, the op-ed pages were graced by energy policy point-counterpoint columns by Second District Representative John Kline Democrats made big promises but haven't delivered solutions and DFL chair Brian Melendez inStuck-in-the-past Republicans remain linked to oil companies.

The headline for Kline's piece echoes the urban legend--quite unintentionally, we're sure. Congressional Republicans have such a hard time messaging these days.

Photo: The Keister derrick. The "Presidential Premium" in the title was suggested by a commenter at FDL.

Farm Bill snafu: one more time until veto override

The Farm Bill fandango will have to be repeated, since the official parchment "enrolled" version of the legislation sent to the President (and vetoed) was missing a title.  According to CQ Politics:

The error in the enrolled version sent to the White House was traced to an electronic printing machine used to print the parchment copy of the bill.

[Steny] Hoyer said the White House did not catch the omission because administration officials looked at the printed conference report, rather than the single copy of the enrolled bill printed on parchment.

House Parliamentarian John Sullivan advised lawmakers in both parties that, based on Supreme Court precedents, the flawed enrolled copy of the bill would be regarded as the text of what Bush had vetoed.

“The courts have ruled that the parchment is the statute,” Hoyer said. “That’s what they look at.”

D'oh. In To Fix Error, House to Vote Again on Farm Bill, the New York Times writes that the House was to vote on an extension to keep Agriculture Department programs running until June 6. The White House wants a complete do-over, but that's not going to happen.

Closer to home, the Worthington Globe editorial board says Bush's veto should be overridden:

As expected, President Bush vetoed the Farm Bill on Wednesday, an effort that effectively repudiated years worth of work for legislators in both the Democratic and Republican parties — work that ultimately resulted in overwhelming support for the bill in both the House and Senate.

Fortunately, Congress is expected to override the president’s veto, perhaps as soon as today. There are several reasons why such action should be taken.

“This bill will have a significant impact on Minnesotans — both rural and urban — as it will keep the critical safety net intact, expand the use of renewable fuels, establish a permanent disaster assistance program, invest heavily in nutrition and food assistance programs, and provide for the largest conservation investment in farm bill history,” stated Sen. Norm Coleman in a May 15 press release.

A few of many noteworthy details:

l About two-thirds of the $300 billion farm bill is slated for nutritional programs, such as food stamps and emergency food aid.

l Farmers would be paid for weather losses from a new $3.8 billion disaster relief fund.

l Nearly $30 billion is designated for environmental and conservation programs.

l More money from a per-gallon ethanol tax credit for refiners (which was reduced from 51 cents to 45 cents) will go to cellulosic ethanol.

“(The bill) includes a significant step toward payment reform, makes the improvements in the safety net for sugar and dairy producers that I have advocated for, and invests in landmark renewable energy initiatives, while providing for the critical nutrition and conservation programs we need,” Sen. Any Klobuchar said in a statement Wednesday following Bush’s veto.

“This bill will provide more flexibility for Minnesota’s farmers, who will be able to plant more fruits and vegetables, instead of being locked into planting what the government requires. … This Farm Bill includes a section I added which will make it easier for southeastern Minnesota’s organic producers to participate in the Farm Bill’s conservation programs,” added Rep. Tim Walz, speaking to the media last week.

Our lawmakers see the importance of this new Farm Bill legislation. It’s too bad the president doesn’t.

 

The Hill: national congressional GOP stance on primaries murky

In The Hill's article Boehner, Cole have different views on new Republican primary policy, we learn:

House Republican leaders have changed their policy on getting involved in primaries, but there is confusion over what the new policy is.

Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) suggested Wednesday that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has changed its stance on getting involved in primaries, but the head of the NRCC disputed that characterization.

 

“The conference rules are very clear,” Cole said, explaining that the NRCC only gets involved when asked to on a state level. “When a delegation [has asked the NRCC] to get involved, we have.”

And the races themselves? The article isn't terribly helpful about which way the national GOP will go in the First, though it doesn't sound like the primary is top-tier contender for national support:

More than a dozen competitive primaries are still yet to be decided in some of the GOP’s top-targeted districts, meaning the new strategy could have significant impact on the party’s 2008 prospects. . . .

. . .Republicans have a pair of former members facing contested primaries – Reps. Jeb Bradley (N.H.) and Jim Ryun (Kan.) – but it’s not clear whether those races will be close enough to warrant national party involvement.

In Minnesota, physician Brian Davis has won his state party’s endorsement to face freshman Rep. Tim Walz (D) but still faces a challenge from state Sen. Dick Day.

The biggest races with remaining primaries [emphasis added] include several open seats and the efforts against freshman Reps. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.), Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

Former Maricopa County treasurer David Schweikert and former Secretary of State Sandy Treadwell would likely be the beneficiaries in the latter two races, respectively.

Open seat races that could draw the party’s involvement include retiring Rep. Jim Saxton’s (R-N.J.) district, where Medford Township Mayor Chris Myers would likely receive the support, and Rep. Heather Wilson’s (R-N.M.) district, where Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White has been a party favorite.

Retiring Rep. Jim McCrery’s (R-La.) open seat is also a strong candidate for primary involvement.

Have Minnesota's congressional  Republicans urged the NRCC to get involved the First's GOP primary? We'll be looking carefully at that June report by the committee to see just how big that check to the Davis campaign was.