A Bluestem Prairie

Waseca County News: New CSA in Ellendale

Via an article in the Waseca County News, New Richland woman hopes to grow community supported farming plan, we've learned of another Community Supported Agriculture project in Southern Minnesota with i name we find irresistible: Prairie Harvest Farm.

From the Waseca County News:

Last year Amy Holmgren grew heirloom vegetables and started a farmers’ market in New Richland. Now she and her farming partner, Jeff Dobberstein, are offering Community Supported Agriculture at Prairie Harvest Farm south of Ellendale. They will grow 75 varieties of vegetables and fruit on one and one-half acres of farm land.

“It’s what I love,” Holmgren said about planting, growing and harvesting her crop, which is “essentially organic.”

But a CSA is about more than purchasing fresh produce. It’s also about maintaining the land, promoting sustainable agriculture and supporting the local economy.

“It’s community,” she said. “CSAs reconnect people to the land that sustains them.”

They are looking for 10 to 20 shareholders to join them in the CSA, which is a partnership and shared risk between the farmer and member families. . . .

Readers in the area who can't grow their own gardens should check out the article and farm website. CSAs are not only a great way to get fresh, locally grown food, but also a way to keep food dollars circulating in a community. It's economic development as well as earth-friendly.

Photo: Yummy, beets. Let that local toad handle pest control instead of chemicals. Photo from the Prairie Harvest Farm website.

PB's Political Party: Walz can see for miles and miles...

 Today marks the end of the FEC's first quarter reporting period.  Here's one good reason to thank Congressman Walz and contribute to his campaign committee.

From the Post Bulletin political reporter Heather Carlson:

Walz stands out for his bailout stance

With taxpayers still seething over the massive AIG bonuses, First District Rep. Tim Walz's steady opposition to the Wall Street bailouts due to a lack of oversight may have him feeling vindicated.

Last fall, the Democrat voted against the bailout plan twice, voicing concern about a lack of oversight to make taxpayers recouped their money. He defied newly-elected Democratic President Barack Obama, voting against releasing the second $350 billion installment of the bailout funds.

Last week, Walz voted in favor of a bill aimed at strengthening oversight of the bailout plan, also known as the Troubled Assets Relief Program. The measure would allow the Special Inspector General to audit or investigate any action taken under the financial rescue law. It also mandates the investigator to report to Congress in September how those taxpayer dollars were spent.

"This increased transparency should have been in the original Wall Street bailout," Walz said.

The Winona Daily News' Mark Sommerhauser also observed that Walz can say he saw it coming.

Who knew:

Monday digest: free ranging community-supported edition

Along with Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota, Congressman Walz pushed for beginning farmer and rancher programs in the latest Farm Bill. A wide-range of farm organizations--from the Land Stewardship Project to the Farm Bureau--supported the legislation.

The Owatonna People's Press reports about one operation working with the Land Stewardship's Farm Beginnings program in Local organic farms partner to offer eggs:

Last year around this time Katie Felland didn’t know much about community supported farming.

But then she got to know John Ostgarden and Lowell Gordon, owners of Clinton Falls Farm, a certified organic farm located in Clinton Falls.

As a Community Supported Agriculture farm, Clinton Falls Farm sells crop shares to clients who share in the risks and benefits of farming in exchange for a locally-grown variety of fresh produce and flowers.

“People are really receptive to local sustainable farming,” Ostgarden said, “and I believe mentoring a beginning farmer is really important for our community. I think there’s a real growing interest for beginning farmers in organic.”

Felland bought into the shares and volunteered on the farm to learn more. She also enrolled in the Farm Beginnings Class, sponsored through the Land Stewardship Project which is led by farmers for those who are starting their own farm for the first time or returning to farming after leaving the business.

This year, her farm, “O-Wata-Farm!, will share its organic fresh eggs with shareholders of Clinton Falls Farm. She will also grow fresh sweet corn, strawberries and raspberries on her 10-acre farm north of Owatonna.

The paper also revisits the Clinton Falls CSA farm in Community supported farm gains in popularity:

— When staff at the Gainey Conference Center heard about a chance to partner with a local organic farm for fresh produce and flowers, they jumped at the opportunity.

Executive chef Jason Hudock changes the center’s menus and entrees daily. When he heard he could get fresh produce locally from Clinton Falls Farm, a certified organic Community Supported Agriculture farm, he thought it was the perfect chance to bring organic foods to the center.

“The opportunity to use local, organically grown produce is a fantastic opportunity for us, and our chef has been wanting to build that level of partnership for many, many years,” said Marlene Levine, director of the Gainey Conference Center. “It’s certainly a treat for our guests who more and more appreciate the health benefits of organically grown foods.”

Last week, the Washington Post profiled Iowan Dave Murphy [who] Is Challenging the Corporate Farming Of America.  One paragraph stuck up for us:

Equally important, Murphy says, is to recast the debate about good food from a moral battle to an economic one. Take the school lunch program, which Congress will review this year. Food activists have long argued that more fruits and vegetables from local producers should be included to help improve childhood nutrition. But Murphy says the better way to sell the idea to legislators is as a new economic engine to sustain small farmers and rural America as a whole. Talk about nutrition and you get a legislator's attention, he said. "But you get his vote when you talk about economic development."

Indeed. Even Collin Peterson, thought by many foodies to be a foe of locally-grown food, has hosted conferences in his district since 2007, touting the economic sense of local food systems. His third annual meeting will be held in four different locations across the sprawling Seventh on April 17; video conferencing will tie together those gathered in Bemidji, Crookston, Marshall and Morris.

Farmers were part of the old progressive coalition in a 1930s Minnesota; another piece was labor. The president of the Mankato Area Labor Assembly writes in Employee Free Choice Act lets workers have say:

. . .Workers should be able to band together with their co-workers to fight for a livable wage, a respectful work environment, and health care benefits and a pension plan they can count on in the future. We need a process that allows workers to have a say in their workplace rather than the employer controlling the whole process.

That’s why the Employee Free Choice Act earned solid congressional support with 40 senators and 223 representatives co-sponsoring the bill.

I want to thank Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Tim Walz for being champions on working families issues by being a part of that coalition.

Snow is predicted for today, as good a day for finishing up our own garden plan as any.

Photo: A First District rooster. Photo by Rachael Spiegel.

Come on and on and on on on: a tale of two birthdays

 We took a break from a birding excursion to the Minnesota River Valley-Swan Lake area area yesterday to drop by a brunch for Congressman Walz's 45th birthday.

 Actually, Walz's birthday isn't until April 6th, a date he shares with Congresswoman Bachmann, a fact that caused us to firmly reject astrology.

We caught the congressman and his family leaving the brunch and snapped this family photo of three generations of the Walzes.

Seizing the moment, we asked if Congressman Walz was going to permanently move his birthday back into March rather than share the honors with his media-hound colleague from the Sixth.

Smiling as impishly as a former  National Guard command sergeant major and football coach can, Walz said, "Oh no. I always say it's karma."

He paused.

"This keeps the universe balanced," he said, taking his leave with his family.

Reading some of the things Congresswoman Bachmann is saying of late, we suspect he's on to something with that theory, though the god of winning margins has certainly favored Walz in his rural district more in the 2006 and 2008 elections than it smiled on Bachmann's numbers among the more suburban population of the Sixth. 

That being the case, we want to wish both representatives a happy birthday and dedicate this tune to Congresswoman Bachmann:

Photo: (left to right) Darlene Walz, Gwen Walz, Gus Walz, Hope Walz and Tim Walz.

Saturday digest: up, up, and away edition

It's a chilly but sunny morning, so we're going to head to the Minnesota River Valley for some birding today.

KEYC-TV reports in Stimulus Bill Included One-time Payment for 55 Million:

The U.S. Government is hoping to stimulate the economy with the help of nearly 55 million Americans...Fox Mankato's Carly Aplin explains how funds from the Stimulus plan could be coming straight to your mailbox.Michael Carey says, "It'll be a little bit of help..."Michael Carey is one of nearly 55 million Americans who will receive a check for 250 dollars from the government... but Mike says although he's grateful for money... it won't go very far...Michael Carey says, "It'll be a grocery bill for a week."

Lawmakers say the Stimulus Plan provides for the one-time payment of 250 dollars to individuals who get Supplemental Security Income, Social Security, or veteran's disability benefits.Meredith Salsbery says, "Those are people least able to go out and maybe get a second job in the economy where the prices are going up and folks are hurting and they're less likely to get the extra income."Mike says the extra income will help him and his wife buy things they've put off purchasing because of the economy... adding it only makes sense to give taxpayer dollars back to the people.Michael Carey says, "The economy is people having jobs, getting money, spending it buying things manufacturers make... it's just a revolving cycle..."

And that's exactly what Congressman Tim Walz's District Director Meredith Salsbery says they are hoping to see happen once the checks come in the mail...

Meredith Salsbery says, "They say that for every dollar that does into the economy that dollar gets used seven times, it goes to pay an employee, and turns around and use it at a car dealership and so it goes right into our local economy here."In Mankato, Carly Aplin, the Fox Mankato News at Nine.Those eligible are already prequalified for the payment and will receive it by late May or mid June.

The Albert Lea Tribune reports Walz announces additional airport grants. the article notes:

First District Congressman Tim Walz on Friday announced Albert Lea will receive more than $3 million in federal economic stimulus funds to relocate the main runway at the Albert Lea Municipal Airport.

The announcement follows a grant of $550,000 in stimulus funds awarded last week to rehabilitate the airport’s crosswind runway.

“The city of Albert Lea is pleased to receive this grant, which will expedite work on our airport’s runway expansion,” Albert Lea Mayor Mike Murtaugh said in a release from Walz’s office. “We’re also hoping this may give us the flexibility to consider a concrete surface rather than asphalt, which will result in a longer life cycle and reduced maintenance in future years.”

City Engineer Steven Jahnke said in an interview earlier this month that the city already had $2.1 million in federal funds for projects at the airport, while the total cost to relocate the runway and overlay the cross runway is estimated to be between $6 and $9 million, Jahnke said. . .

Photo: Albert Lea's Airport

Friday digest: Walz saw it coming edition

Winona Daily News political reporter and blogger Mark Sommerhauser notes in Walz can say he saw it coming:

Rep. Tim Walz, DFL-Minn., might have been privately crowing during the recent uproar over lavish bonuses for employees of U.S. banking behemoth AIG. . . .

. . . Here’s what I wrote back in October, when Walz was in the minority among Democrats by opposing the biggest of the bailouts, the $700 billion TARP plan:

"Walz told the Daily News on Monday afternoon that the bill must do more ... to limit compensation for executives of failing banks and lending companies."

I double-checked my notes from that interview just to be sure; Walz said the TARP provisions regulating executive compensation were "way too nebulous" and cited a "need to stop golden parachutes" for bank CEOs.

Looks like Walz can justly claim he foresaw this mess before it was made.

Read the whole post at the WDN blog.

Bicycle advocates met with Congressman Walz in Washington:

We were fortunate to actually get to meet with congressmen Eric Paulson and Tim Walz and Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann. Since he represents southeast Minnesota, members of the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota extended a personal invitation to Congressman Walz to speak at the LAB National Rally/Twin Cities Bicycling Club Weekend on Wheels in Winona July 31 to August 2 in Winona. The added bonus is that he serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and will be on the front lines as the next version of the federal transportation bill is authorized.

We only ask that Congressman Walz leave the spandex bike pants to Jim Oberstar.

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota - Campus Notes thanks Congressman Walz, Senator Klobuchar and former Senator Coleman for an earmark:

With $418,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Education, Saint Mary’s University plans to assist and mentor K-12 educators in targeted Minnesota school districts.

The “Teachers Teaching Teachers” program received a $228,000 grant for professional development for teachers from the DOE’s Fund for the Improvement of Education Programs of National Significance, and a grant of $190,000 for technology upgrades from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. Sponsors of the grants included Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.).

The “Teachers Teaching Teachers” project will enhance educators’ professional development through technology, and enable K-12 teachers from high-need Minnesota school districts to engage in meaningful collaboration with each other and with content specialists from Saint Mary’s University, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). . . .

Congratulations to the Caledonia Girls Basketball Team. The Argus reports State champs! Warriors finish off perfect 31-0 season with 54-50 win.

A readers writes to the Mankato Free Press to say Prevailing wage law promotes safety. AFSCME leader Frank Hawthorne tells the Rochester Post Bulletin that the Employee Free Choice Act levels playing field.

The St. Peter Herald reports, Council approves Hwy 169 layout, for a project funded by the Recovery Act. In Waseca, the paper says Sheriff’s Office seeks stimulus funds for staffing costs.

Walz and Kind disagreed about the Farm Bill while it was being written, and nothing's changes. The WDN notes in Congressmen split on farm subsidy payments:

Kind, who represents western Wisconsin, doesn’t endorse all of Obama’s agriculture-reform proposals but says farm policy must be overhauled in a larger effort to control the federal deficit. U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, DFL-Minn., balks at an Obama proposal to eliminate direct payments to certain farms, and says cutting agricultural subsidies will do little to rein in the red ink. 

“This is the only program in the government that comes in under budget,” Walz said.

Walz -- along with leading U.S. House and Senate lawmakers -- appears reluctant to revisit debate on the 2008 Farm Bill, which eliminated some subsidies to megafarms but did little to shift its focus from subsidizing commodity crops.

In the 2010 federal budget, Obama has proposed a $250,000-a-year cap on U.S. Department of Agriculture payments to farmers, a move that Kind supports. Just one farm in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District collected more than $250,000 in USDA subsidies in 2006, while none in Wisconsin’s 3rd District topped that threshold, according to the Environmental Working Group.

There are 22,163 farms in Minnesota’s 1st District and 29,905 in Wisconsin’s 3rd District, according to USDA statistics.

Walz has criticized an Obama proposal to eliminate direct payments to farms with annual sales of $500,000 or more. That approach doesn’t account for volatile input costs and could even hurt large dairy operations in Winona County, Walz suggested. Kind backs a different proposal by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., which would eliminate all subsidies to farms that top $250,000 a year in gross income; the current income threshold is $750,000 a year.

“If you’re an individual that makes $250,000 of profit in a given year, you really shouldn’t be receiving subsidies,” Kind said.

Walz and Kind’s ag-policy differences may derive from their districts-- southwest and south-central Minnesota farmers depend heavily on corn and soybean subsidies, while western Wisconsin leans more on dairy and conservation-reserve payments. Agricultural subsidies are big business in both areas: Walz’s district ranks 11th out of 435 U.S. House districts in the total amount of USDA payments from 1995 to 2006, while Kind’s district ranked 30th.

The Worthington Globe reports that polar explorer and environmentalist Will Steger scheduled to speak at conference on biosciences. The Globe also reports that Steven Burrill, the venture capitalist who will invest $1 billion in Pine Island's Elk Run biotech park, will be speaking at the conference.

Walz joins majority in voting to expand wilderness protection

The Star Tribune reports that Congress passes long-stalled bill to expand wilderness protection in 9 states:

Congress has voted to set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness — from California's Sierra Nevada mountains to the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia.

The legislation, which opponents, mostly Republicans, called a "land grab" that would block energy development on vast swaths of federal land, is on its way to President Barack Obama for his likely signature.

The House passed the bill, 285-140, Wednesday, the final step in a long legislative road that began last year.

Among the Minnesota delegation, Democrats Keith Ellison, Betty McCollum, James Oberstar and Tim Walz and Republican Erik Paulsen backed the bill. Republican Michele Bachmann and Democrat Collin Peterson voted against it. . . .

Read the whole thing in the Strib.

Photo: Scene from the Jefferson National Forest via Greenpeace.

Walz votes for greater oversight of TARP

The Wall Street journal reports that  thUS House Passes Legislation To Boost TARP Oversight:

U.S. lawmakers voted Wednesday to expand oversight over the government's $700 billion financial rescue plan, with anger over executive compensation issues and a move by the Treasury Department to broaden its powers serving as a backdrop.

The House of Representatives voted 423-0 to give Special Inspector General Neil Barofsky broader authority to oversee the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The measure would allow agents of the TARP watchdog to carry firearms, allows the office to hire retired U.S. government workers without them losing their pensions, and would give Barofsky the ability to more quickly hire new employees for the relatively new office.

With the $700 billion financial rescue a source of constant scrutiny, lawmakers have pushed to give Barofsky and other TARP oversight bodies more ability to keep track of the changing program. The legislation passed by the House on Wednesday would require Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to address any problems identified by Barofsky's office, or explain to Congress why the suggestions are being ignored.

SIGTARP spokeswoman Kristine Belisle said in an email that the legislation "will help us staff up quickly with the qualified auditors and investigators that we need to fulfill our vital mission of protecting the American taxpayer."

From the Walz congressional office:

Walz Votes to Strengthen Oversight of Wall Street Bailout

Calls for Investigation into AIG Using Taxpayer Money to Pay Goldman Sachs

(Washington, DC) – Yesterday, Congressman Tim Walz voted to strengthen oversight and accountability of the Wall Street bailout, officially known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) by broadening the authority of the Special Inspector General (SIG). Separately, Walz joined his colleagues today in requesting that the SIG investigate counterparty payments made by AIG to investment firms such as Goldman Sachs.

“This increased transparency should have been in the original Wall Street bailout,” said Walz, who voted three times against the Wall Street bailout partly because it lacked tough transparency and accountability measures. “The responsible thing to do at this point is to provide for as much transparency as possible in how taxpayer’s money is being spent in this program via increased oversight by the Inspector General.”

“Strengthening oversight of the Wall Street Bailout is critical at this point to making sure that taxpayers’ funds are being protected,” said Walz. “Americans have the right to know how their money is being spent. Financial firms like AIG who received Wall Street bailout funds must be accountable to the American people on how they’re using our tax money to get credit flowing to businesses and families, and to strengthen our economy. Giving the Inspector General more authority will help accelerate the transparency process.”

The bill significantly broadens the authority of the Special Inspector General (SIG) to oversee the financial rescue program enacted last fall by the Bush Administration by

· allowing the SIG to audit or investigate any action taken under the financial rescue law;

· giving the SIG authority to hire more auditors and investigators quickly;

· requiring Treasury to explain why any recommendations by the SIG are not followed; and

· mandating the SIG to report to Congress by September 2009 on how recipients of TARP funds are spending American taxpayer dollars.

Walz also joined his colleagues in signing on to a letter today that requests the SIG to investigate how AIG used taxpayer money to make counterparty payments to investment firms. On March 15, 2009 AIG announced it had made counterparty payments to firms including foreign companies and Goldman Sachs, which had previously stated it had no material exposure to AIG. “If Goldman Sachs said that they had no material exposure to AIG, then why did AIG give them $13 billion of our tax money?” Walz asked. Walz and his colleagues believe it is imperative that the Inspector General investigate how taxpayers’ funds were used by AIG’s and whether these counterparty payments were in the best interest of the taxpayers and long-term economic stability.

Legistorm: FY 2008 house staff salaries now online

Some of our loyal readers may recall that LegiStorm [was] used to dispute Bachmann's no-earmark declaration. Our transparency fellow travelers today announced that LegiStorm Completes 2008 Salary Data from House.

The watchdog organization's blog notes:

The salaries are in. The pay figures for staff members from the House of Representatives' fourth quarter of 2008 are now available on LegiStorm, having been entered from the thick disbursement records released by the House of Representatives.

This data period is critical because it is the time when Santa Claus brings goodies to dedicated staff in the way of annual bonuses. Bonuses are not a universal perquisite on the Hill but they are a common way for members to reward staff who have merited them. This assumes that members have budgeted well and have sufficient funds available in their annual allotment, known as the Member's Representational Allowance.

The latest collection of salary data is a window into one of the fiercest fought elections in modern times. Elections can affect how congressional staffers are paid, both in legal and not-so-legal ways. For example, staff members often take leave to work on campaigns, whether their bosses' or those of others. The pay records can reflect those absences.

And sometimes, staffers receive compensation from the campaigns but volunteers on a campaign usually vastly outnumber the paid staff. Therefore, campaign work is often a volunteer or grossly underpaid activity. Occasionally, members of Congress reward aides with bonuses, even if unconsciously, for their special dedication to the campaign. Since federal law prohibits the use of tax dollars to subsidize campaigns, such a use of bonuses would be improper.

Also controversial is the payment of large bonuses by members of Congress who are departing. With no more concern about getting re-elected, members can be quite generous with taxpayer money toward their staff.

The organization promises to blog more about the data.  What's in the database for Minnesota?  Starting with the First, here's what we found:

• 07/01/2008 - 09/30/2008 | $193,125
• 04/01/2008 - 06/30/2008 | $196,189
• 01/01/2008 - 03/31/2008 | $184,982
• 10/01/2007 - 12/31/2007 | $202,862
• Fiscal Year: 2008 $777,158

For Representative John Kline in the Second:

• 07/01/2008 - 09/30/2008 | $212,611
• 04/01/2008 - 06/30/2008 | $207,138
• 01/01/2008 - 03/31/2008 | $205,013
• 10/01/2007 - 12/31/2007 | $211,893
• Fiscal Year: 2008 $836,655

For former Representative Jim Ramstad in the Third:

• 07/01/2008 - 09/30/2008 | $201,699
• 04/01/2008 - 06/30/2008 | $197,024
• 01/01/2008 - 03/31/2008 | $192,514
• 10/01/2007 - 12/31/2007 | $270,134
• Fiscal Year: 2008 $861,371

For Representative McCollum in the Fourth:

• 07/01/2008 - 09/30/2008 | $294,750
• 04/01/2008 - 06/30/2008 | $226,402
• 01/01/2008 - 03/31/2008 | $211,660
• 10/01/2007 - 12/31/2007 | $271,468
• Fiscal Year: 2008 $1,004,280

On to Keith Ellison for the Fifth District:

• 07/01/2008 - 09/30/2008 | $210,435
• 04/01/2008 - 06/30/2008 | $218,720
• 01/01/2008 - 03/31/2008 | $211,428
• 10/01/2007 - 12/31/2007 | $238,209
• Fiscal Year: 2008 $878,792

For Congresswoman Bachmann in the Sixth:

• 07/01/2008 - 09/30/2008 | $191,645
• 04/01/2008 - 06/30/2008 | $184,522
• 01/01/2008 - 03/31/2008 | $171,938
• 10/01/2007 - 12/31/2007 | $206,824
• Fiscal Year: 2008 $754,929

And Representative Peterson in the Seventh:

• 07/01/2008 - 09/30/2008 | $242,072
• 04/01/2008 - 06/30/2008 | $236,521
• 01/01/2008 - 03/31/2008 | $242,343
• 10/01/2007 - 12/31/2007 | $285,004
• Fiscal Year: 2008 $1,005,940

Finally, for Congressman Jim Oberstar in the Eighth:

• 07/01/2008 - 09/30/2008 | $262,680
• 04/01/2008 - 06/30/2008 | $280,782
• 01/01/2008 - 03/31/2008 | $318,577
• 10/01/2007 - 12/31/2007 | $291,872
• Fiscal Year: 2008 $1,153,911

Have fun with the data, kids. We'll be looking closer at the data in the coming days ourselves.

Wednesday digest: Walz's birthday brunch and much, much more!

Gwen Walz wrote to the Rochester Democrat and others to tell supporters that Tim Walz's 45th birthday is coming up and there will be a birthday brunch on Saturday, March 28, for him in Mankato:

In just a few weeks, Tim will turn 45 (yes, I’m sure he will be 45) – and I would like to invite you to celebrate with our family.

On Saturday, March 28 Bea and Joe Moosally will host a birthday party brunch for Tim. And, since changing our country and our community is at the heart of our lives, we are organizing this celebration with the hope of raising money for our campaign for Congress.

Thanks to your support we just finished another successful campaign. However, Tim and I never take anything for granted. Our country is experiencing dramatic change. There are so many things to do, so much change to take place. Our opponents have made it clear – they do not share our vision for this country. In fact, they want us to fail.

Your presence and financial support will help us celebrate Tim’s birthday and provide our campaign with financial resources to get our message out to southern Minnesota. Please click here to contribute to this worthy cause (changing our country) even if you cannot attend....

Congressman Walz's birthday is April 6, but who can blame his supporters picking another day to celebrate--after all, April 6 is also Congresswoman Bachmann's birthday as well. Things like this cause us to have no faith in astrology.

The Austin Herald reports in Location of new Vets Clinic still unknown:

Prospects for a community-based outreach clinic for veterans to be located in Austin remain in limbo.

According to Norman Hecimovich, ESGR region chairman for District No. 6, he has personally petitioned First District Congressman Tim Walz (Democrat-Minnesota) for his assistance.

In return, Walz informed Hecimovich Monday, the decision where to locate the clinic is only in the “preliminary process.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs will make that decision.

Walz, a 24-year member of the Army National Guard, is a member of the House veterans’ affairs committee.

“I was very pleased,” he told Hecimovich in a letter, “when the VA announced it will be placing a new community-based outpatient clinic in what it calls the ‘south central border region’ of Minnesota.”

“The new CBOC in southern Minnesota will certainly improve many of our veterans’ access to health care,” Walz said.

According to Walz, the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis has informed him the decision where to located the clinic is still in the “preliminary stages.”

The congressman promised he would continue to “advocate” for veterans and for locating the clinic in “southern Minnesota,” but did not specify a location.

“Ultimately,” Walz said, “it is up to VA to decide where the CBOC will be located.”

The Owatonna People's Press has also reported interest in having the clinic in that town, though the Steele County city does seem less likely given the description of the proposed location as the " ‘south central border region’ of Minnesota.”

The Albert Lea Tribune reports Albert Lea receives federal assistance for cross runway at Albert Lea airport:

First District Congressman Tim Walz on Monday announced Albert Lea will receive $550,000 in federal economic stimulus funds to rehabilitate the Albert Lea Municipal Airport crosswind runway.

Airport Manager Jim Hanson said the project will go out for bids in the next month with construction expected in June or July. There have already been contractors from a testing company at the airport collecting soil and asphalt borings from 10-feet deep. The airport is built on sand, so base construction will be minimal.

Hanson said the reconstruction of the crosswind runway is a project that was not expected to be completed for six or seven years; however, because the city’s engineering staff had already done their part to make the project “shovel ready,” it was awarded the money.. . .

. . .Albert Lea’s airport project has been in the works for several years. The city originally started talking about it in the 1970s, but in 2000 and 2001, there was a renewed goal of getting the runway rebuilt by 2005. That goal is now closer than ever. . . .

For tonight's lullaby, an old and somewhat neglected tune by CCR.  It's a lovely ditty, if nothing else because the last verse alludes the final one in this mild labor song. A shout out to our union friends:

Pat G's hip hop putdown: will Steele feed Garofalo a slamburger?

A story somewhat removed from today's snow-laced prairie strikes our fancy. In reading mnpACT! analysis, Rep. Garofalo Wants to Can the "Hip-Hop", we find it's clear that the suburban legislator Pat Garofalo doesn't care for the rap music.  From the Pioneer Press:

A Republican state lawmaker wants to scrap integration aid given to some school districts and redirect the funds to other education programs.

Rep. Pat Garofalo of Farmington said given Minnesota's budget deficit, it's more important than ever to reprioritize spending. His proposal would give all districts a 1 percent increase in funding and boost the state's school lunch program by $12 million.

"There is simply no excuse for state government to be spending money on a six-step hip-hop program or a kindness retreat," Garofalo said, criticizing actual programs districts use the money for.

MnpACT! Dave Mindeman points out that Garofalo's own county is experiencing a significant demographic shift:

Even in Garofalo's Dakota county, the minority population (as of 2005) was 13.5%. By 2015, the minority population is projected to hit 19.3%. and by 2020 the number will be 21.7%. One out of five. Significant change.

In short, Dakota County may be an ideal test-ground for the outreach Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele outlined in February to the Washington Times:

Newly elected Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele plans an “off the hook” public relations offensive to attract younger voters, especially blacks and Hispanics, by applying the party's principles to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings.”

The RNC's first black chairman will “surprise everyone” when updating the party's image using the Internet and advertisements on radio, on television and in print, he told The Washington Times.. . .

. . . [Steele] indicated the Republican Party needs to break out of being considered a regional party.

”There was underlying concerns we had become too regionalized and the party needed to reach beyond our comfort” zones, he said, citing defeats in such states as Virginia and North Carolina. “We need messengers to really capture that region - young, Hispanic, black, a cross section ... We want to convey that the modern-day GOP looks like the conservative party that stands on principles. But we want to apply them to urban-surburban hip-hop settings.”

We'll ask the obvious question. Why does Pat Garofalo hate the Republican Party? Why does he want deprive conservative school children of the very tools that will let them rescue the RPM from becoming a regional relic?

Will Steele slam Garofalo, recreating his recent trouncing of Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert?

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Conservative Rap Battle - Michael Steele's Response
comedycentral.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

 Grandmaster Garofalo at the podium, lay it down.

From the SE Minnesota Area Labor Council: Tell leaders to fix MN fairly

Our friends at the Southeast Minnesota Area Labor Council sent us this news.  SEMNLC president Laura Askelin will probably have more to say about it on the Uptake at 5:05.

If Governor Tim Pawlenty has his way, corporations will pay less and working Minnesotans will pay more. President Obama and Congressman Walz are working hard to rebuild our economy and restore the middle class. But Gov. Pawlenty would pass the responsibility onto mayors, city council, and school district rather than make the tough choices.

Minnesota's unemployment rate continued to climb in February, hitting a seasonally adjusted 8.1 percent as the state shed another 13,300 jobs. As we see the employment rate sore, Governor Pawlenty wants to cut $750 million to balance the budget. His cuts will cause more layoffs and more harm to families already hurting by the poor economy. His cuts mean real pain for union members and every family and community across the state.

1. Call Your Elected Officials and Tell Them:

*Save jobs and services Minnesotans count on.

*Families are hurting by the poor economy and need our vital public services to survive.

*Fix the budget by raising revenue, including fair taxes on the wealthy.

Governor Pawlenty: 651-296-3391

House Speaker Kelliher: 651-296-0171

Senate Majority Leader Pogemiller: 651-296-7809

Your Senator & Representative: 651-296-2146 (call for names and numbers)

2. On Thursday, March 26 Take Your Lunch Hour with Us!

The Governor's budget plan puts the services you depend on at risk. Passage will lead to major local government aid (LGA) cuts, reducing funds available for rec. centers and libraries, as well as regulatory services, public safety and public works. Minnesota can't afford the Governor's hit!

Rally on Capitol Steps to Support LGA
Thursday, March 26
Noon to 1:00pm

For more information contact Bree Halverson at 651-222-3787, ext. 20 or [email protected]

*To carpool from the Rochester Labor Temple 3-26-09 at 10AM, contact Liz McLoone [email protected] or 507-254-9249

What the Governor’s Budget Would Do to a Struggling Minnesota:

*Cut health services including those that benefit seniors and the disabled by 35 percent

*Remove 113,000 families from access to affordable health care

*Cut 11,000 private sector jobs

*Place the safety of families at risk by stretching police and firefighters too thin

*Raise property taxes by hundreds of millions of dollars

*Weaken the research capacity of the University of Minnesota by cutting its budget by 10%.

Congressional art competition for high school students

A press release from Walz's congressional office:

Congressman Walz Announces High School Art Competition Encourages All Students to Get Involved

(Mankato, MN) – Today, Representative Walz encouraged students from the First Congressional District of Minnesota to participate in the 28th Annual Congressional Arts Competition. Walz and other members of Congress will promote and celebrate the creative spirit of American high school students across the country by conducting the annual competition.

“As a high school teacher, it’s an honor to participate in a program that emphasizes the creativity of our youth,” Walz said. “This is a great opportunity for Southern Minnesota to showcase some of our native talent on a national stage, and I encourage all students to get involved.”

The winning submission from Minnesota’s First Congressional District will hang in the hallways of the United States Capitol for the next year. The second and third place submissions will hang in the Walz district offices in Rochester and Mankato.

Each high school in the First Congressional District is eligible to submit one piece per grade level. All submissions must be received in the Rochester or Mankato district office by Monday, May 4. Submissions will be accepted during regular business hours (8 am – 5 pm), Monday – Friday.

Entrants who would like their art returned to them after the competition must either pick it up at the Mankato office or include return postage.

If you have any questions or would like a copy of the submission packet including the full rules, please contact the Amanda Frie in the Mankato office at (507) 388-2149 or visit Rep. Walz’s website at http://walz.house.gov/constituentservices/.

Walz Mankato Office:

227 E Main St. # 220

Mankato, MN 56001

507-388-2149

Tuesday digest: unapologetically southern Minnesota edition

Once again, Congressman Walz is praised for his prudent choices for earmarks in the district. The Post Bulletin editorial board writes in Regional earmarks are well spent:

. . . the Bolder Options youth mentorship program in the Rochester area will receive $200,000 to expand its services, as will the Rochester Sheriffs Youth program, which provides services for at-risk youths. Rochester also will receive $712,000 for a new bus garage, and the Hormel Institute in Austin will get $323,000 that will help fund biomedical research. Also, Winona State University's National Child Protection Training Center will get a $700,000 cash infusion to help train social workers, teachers and health care providers to detect signs that children are being abused.

Those are just some of the earmarks that First District Rep. Tim Walz, D-Mankato, helped bring to southeastern Minnesota, and we must say that we don't see anything remotely pork-like in any of these projects and programs. Rather, they have the potential to change many lives for the better.

That's not to say that the earmarking process is even modestly efficient. It isn't. The bill Obama signed includes tax breaks for racetrack builders, rum producers in Puerto Rico and manufacturers of wooden arrows meant to be used by children (no, we're not making this up.) Also included is $2 million to promote astronomy in Hawaii, and perhaps most fittingly of all, $1.7 million to study odors from hog farms in Iowa.

Obviously, there's no shortage of waste. Everyone knows it, but the rules in Congress seem to be "I won't raise a fuss about your pet projects if you grant me the same courtesy." We doubt that one lawmaker actually read every earmark in the spending bill, and the same thing almost certainly can be said of President Obama.

That needs to change. We hope Obama follows through on his pledge to do better next time, to weed out the blatant "bridges to nowhere" while funding projects and programs that truly are good investments.

But for now, we're simply glad that southern Minnesota can accept its share of earmarks with no apologies. [emphasis added]

And given Walz's openness in releasing his list of budget requests and posting them online, we're wondering if transparency means never having to say you're sorry. Perhaps more representatives will let the sun shine on their earmarks.

The Worthington Globe reports Jackson Armory receives funding via the Recovery Act, aka the stimulus. KSTP-TV took note of the 2 regional airports awarded $1.5M in Mankato and Albert Lea. The Albert Lea Tribune says Walz announces airport funds for Albert Lea:

Walz speaks to the issue in Couple Copes with a Medical Mistake:

. . .According to the Institute of Medicine, medical mistakes cause between 44 and 98 thousand deaths or injures every year.

Surpassing those who die from aids, breast cancer and car accidents.

"This is part of the health care reform, we can not wave a magic wand. Medical mistakes, they are a 6 billion dollar a year problem and that does not even include the loss of life that may come with it," said Minnesota Congressman Tim Walz.

According to the Institute of Medicine there are currently no federal mandates forcing hospitals to release this information to the public.

“It’s always better to be informed and have those things out there. The goal is to have quality care and a lower cost,” said Walz.

The American Medical Association opposes making every mistakes public because doctors fear discussing them can lead to punishment and numerous lawsuits.

However in 2003 Minnesota was the first state to pass a law requiring all hospitals to report what they call “28 serious adverse events.” . . .

Public Citizen's Watch Dog blog looks at  Walz's work to ban congressional insider trading in  Insider Trading: How Congress Can Make Big Bucks at Our Expense:

Now also would be a good time to put an end to secret spending and insider trading immunity for government officials. 

A recent piece of legislation proposes to do just that.  Introduced by Reps. Brian Baird (D-Wash.), Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-NY) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.), the “Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act” (H.R. 682) would ensure that those with access to privileged "non-public information" gathered through oversight proceedings would not be able to use that information for personal benefit in securities and commodities trading.

Specifically, H.R. 682 would negate a little-known loophole in the law which could allow members of Congress as well as executive staffers and government officials to practice insider trading in order to enrich themselves as well as their associates.  Of course,  this type of insider trading would be wholly illegal for citizens like you and me.

The act would also be effective in combating corrupt lobbying practices, since lobbyists and stock traders ("political intelligence consultants") who haunt the halls of Congress precisely in order to glean insider tips from staff would also be banned from insider trading.

The legislation would require members of Congress and their staff to disclose stock transactions of $1,000 or more within 90 days, and require “political intelligence consultants” to register under the Lobbying Disclosure Act and disclose their financial activities.

The time to pass this legislation is now, before our tax dollars pay for any more lucrative insider investments.

There's an action item here on the group's web site.

More stimulus dollars to Southern Minnesota: $1.5 million for regional airports

A press release from Walz's congressional office:

CONGRESSMAN WALZ ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $1.5 MILLION IN AIRPORT GRANTS FOR SOUTHERN MN

Funding part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

(Mankato, MN) – Today, Congressman Walz announced more than $1.5 million in grant money for regional airports. The Mankato Regional Airport will receive $1 million and the Albert Lea Municipal Airport will receive $550,000. The funds are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will be used to rehabilitate the airports’ runways.

“These projects will put people to work in Mankato and Albert Lea,” said Walz. “Regional airports in southern Minnesota are a vital economic development tool and these projects will expand jobs and future economic opportunity. This funding will be used to rehabilitate the runway in Mankato. In Albert Lea, the funding will rehabilitate the crosswind runway, increasing safety and allowing for the utilization of the airport in all wind conditions.”

Recovery Act funds $326,000 in DOD dollars for S. MN National Guard facilities

More stimulus dollars funded by the Recovery Act are on their way to Southern Minnesota. A press release from Walz's congressional office:

CONGRESSMAN WALZ ANNOUNCES $326,000 IN DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FUNDING FOR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA NATIONAL GUARD FACILITIES

Funding Comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

(Washington, DC) – Today, Congressman Walz and the Department of Defense (DoD) announced $326,000 in funding for improvements to DoD/MN National Guard facilities in southern Minnesota. St. Peter’s National Guard Armory will receive $156,000 and Jackson’s National Guard Armory will receive $170,000 to install backup heating units. The funding is being provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“This modernization of our National Guard facilities in St. Peter and Jackson will put people to work and enhance the quality of life for our troops who regularly train in these facilities,” said Walz. “This is our down-payment on ensuring that our Guard is ready to meet the security challenges of the 21st century.”

DoD Recovery Act funds will be spent at DoD facilities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. The primary purpose of these funds is to create jobs and stimulate economic activity across the country. All projects focus on making much-needed improvements to military installations, including hospitals, child development centers, and housing for troops and their families.

ARRA funds are also being used to support DoD high priority programs such as care for wounded warriors and energy security. Facility improvement projects include many energy conservation measures. $300 million of ARRA funds will be used on military energy research programs so that the DoD can continue to lead the way in the national effort to achieve greater energy independence.

The DoD intends to spend ARRA funds as quickly as possible with full transparency and accountability. To view a complete list of the specific projects announced today, please visit http://www.defenselink.mil/recovery and http://www.recovery.gov. The DoD will continue to use these websites to post future announcements related to ARRA funding.

Monday digest: economic guru down on the link farm edition

The Post Bulletin reports Walz appoints staff member to stimulus questions.  Meredith Salsbery engages in a Q & A with PB political writer Heather Carlson.  Great photograph.

Last night we had to drive into the pelting rain; high winds threatened to blow us into the wrong lane. A testament to the energy waiting to be harvested.

Though buffeted by the economic downturn, Southern Minnesotans still seek a piece of the wind industry. The Jackson county Pilot reports in Wind forum packs 'em in:

It was standing room only at the Lakefield Multi-purpose Center Thursday and, when asked by wind lease legal expert Stan Duran how many in the room had been approached by a wind energy development company, an estimated 80 to 90 percent had hands in the air.

The New York Times looks at how the Energy Secretary Serves Under a Microscope:

As a physicist, Steven Chu has seen atoms suspended in a powerful laser beam and DNA stretched out in a vacuum chamber.

But in his new job as energy secretary, Dr. Chu is observing phenomena he never saw in the science laboratory.

At a recent Senate hearing, for example, he witnessed a junior cabinet member (himself) being systematically dissected by a senior senator (John McCain).

Mr. McCain, Republican of Arizona, was unhappy when Dr. Chu affirmed the Obama administration’s intention to suspend work at a planned nuclear waste site in Nevada. “What’s wrong with Yucca Mountain, Dr. Chu?” he demanded repeatedly as Dr. Chu tried to explain.

“I think we can do a better job,” Dr. Chu finally replied.

For a slight, soft-spoken Nobel laureate, Washington has been an initiation that he has likened to being “dumped in the deep end of the pool.”

Read the rest in the NYTimes. We were shocked to learn in the Washington Post article, Why Righties and Lefties? that the late President Ronald Reagan was a lefty like us. Not surprised, though, to learn that we have the advantage in a fight.

Wellstone Action breaks down the arguments in the war over the Employee Free Choice Act.

House Ag Subcommittees will hold three hearings this week on the USDA's management of conservation programs, tobacco production and obesity.  This item is a bit old, but the House Agriculture Committee Reaches Out on Climate Change. The instructions [pdf] and the biographical information./questionnaire [word doc] are online.

Follow the House Transportation Committee on Twitter.  Sub committee hearings this week on the Coast Guard and the DOT's disadvantaged business enterprise programs.

A Veterans Affairs subcommittee will hold a hearing tomorrow at 1 p.m. our time on The Nexus between Engaged in Combat with the Enemy and PTSD in an Era of Changing Warfare Tactics.

In other news, blogger Amanda Terkel gets stalked and Michele Bachmann thinks she's a foreign correspondent instead of a member of the House of Representatives.  In honor of the rich inner lives of our conservative friends, stalkers and sock puppets, a nice video:

Tim Walz: A bonus for schoolkids

This op-ed from the Mankato Free Press pretty much speaks for itself. In My View: A bonus for our kids, Congressman Walz writes:

On Monday evening, I attended the Mankato Public Schools forum on the upcoming budget adjustments. I observed this meeting as the father of a Roosevelt Elementary second grader. As students, parents, teachers and counselors spoke passionately about what the cuts would mean for the Mankato area and the activities they believe are worth sustaining, I found myself more proud than ever before that I am a part of this community.

When West freshman Michael Maurer spoke, I could not help remembering other young men like Michael who sat in my classroom. He spoke with confidence about the sense of belonging that he felt as part of the academic decathlon team. Countless times my colleagues and I watched as a shy, self-conscious freshman entered that big high school building, only to be transformed from an outsider in awe of the upperclassmen to an integral part of the fabric of the school community. The most common factor in this transformation was the student’s involvement in activities like speech, debate, cheerleading and academic decathlon.

Michael and his teammates spoke out because the hard choices involved in balancing the budget means these programs will likely be cut. Many of these students and parents understood that so much more than a “program” was being cut; rather a way to belong was ending.

The truly tragic thing is that when I came back to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, the news broke that AIG would be doling out bonuses not to the beacons of the financial industry, but rather to the people who invented the exotic financial tools that caused part of the meltdown.

The anger and frustration that I feel is because this was so preventable. Last fall, after I voted against the first Wall Street bailout, my vote was characterized by some as irresponsible. At the time, I publicly cited the failure of the bailout package to address excessive executive compensation as one of the primary reasons I could not vote for it.

Today, we see how fundamentally unfair it is that the Wall Street bailout provides million-dollar bonuses to executives who made bad decisions. In contrast, the leadership of Ed Waltman and the Mankato School Board has made our school district a beacon to which others aspire. But sadly, there are no bonuses for schools. Even beacons like Mankato are facing deep and dramatic cuts this year.

I am saddened for the young people of our community who are seeing their opportunity to gain the sense of belonging and self-confidence that comes with participation in these activities eliminated while we watch fat-cat CEOs and unscrupulous financial brokers walk away with taxpayer dollars for a job poorly done.

As we prepare the fiscal year federal 2010 budget, I will continue to be governed by the conviction that a budget is far more than just a spreadsheet; it is a moral document that reflects our values as a country and rewards those who we believe to be inspirational examples for the rest of the country.

We can and must do better for our children. We must invest in them and the future and in inspiring the country to greater heights. To continue demoralizing our students and parents with programmatic cuts while rewarding failure in our financial system is unacceptable.

Tim Walz is a Democrat from Mankato who represents the 1st Congressional District.

That deserves a good tune:

Photo: West High School teacher Scott Urban welcomed Congressman Tim Walz to his class in 2007. Walz taught at West before getting elected to the U.S. House in 2006 and is on an extended leave of absence. Photo by John Cross of the The Free Press.

Saturday digest: eat your veggies under the sun edition

News of the new White House vegetable garden got us thinking about our own plot. We're pleased to be able to find seeds for some of our favorite veggies, including the White Princess eggplant, a slender Asian variety.

Reader Becky Byrn-Schmid writes to the editors of the Mankato Free Press that Unions are not the problem:

I was taken aback by the Laurie Valentin My View regarding unions and their supposed negative impact on the economy and state budget. I am not sure how she has escaped all the headline news about school and social service budget cuts. There are many factors hurting our economy, and it isn’t public service unions.

I am offended by the thought that “government workers” are arrogant and that we believe we deserve better benefits than others. I feel fortunate to have good health insurance and a retirement plan (for now, anyway). These costs are figured into our “employment package” and are considered part of our salary. We take these benefits in trade for cash. Some businesses have better benefits than I do, and some do not. It all depends on ownership and organizational goals.

Government workers have not created this economic crisis. School, human service staff and public administrators are some of the most frugal people I know. It seems that when there is an economic downturn, blame is tossed at workers, or consumers, or both. Either workers get too much or consumers want too much. I believe those with power are highly skilled at shifting blame to hard-working Americans, diverting attention to where the real problems lie (corporate greed).

In these times, I believe it is better to shed old prejudices and grievances and positively pull together as people to figure out how to make this country stronger. Our politicians and government administrators have some serious thinking to do about the founding philosophies of our country. There is much to correct, and hopefully, the pendulum of economics will swing towards honesty, loyalty, integrity and sensibility.

The Winona Daily News says in Stimulus plan boosts efforts, spirits for area high-speed rail:

The inclusion of money for commuter rail development in the federal stimulus package has boosted the spirits of train advocates and increased the likelihood of high-speed rail service between Chicago and the Twin Cities.

But it likely will be years before any additional trains roll through La Crosse, Wis., or Winona.
Included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law last month was $8 billion to develop high-speed passenger train systems. Obama’s budget proposal includes $1 billion a year in grants to states for high-speed rail over the next five years.

“That was an important acceleration of this whole years-long quest,” said Jim Hill, executive director of the La Crosse Area Development Corp.

The rail funding comes at a time when ridership — driven largely by Amtrak’s popular Chicago-Milwaukee service — is surging. Wisconsin rail use rose more than 23 percent in 2008. The number of passengers getting on and off the Empire Builder in La Crosse was up 13 percent. . . .

WDN reporter Mark Sommerhauser blogs about the tug-of-war between Winona and Rochester for the service in High-speed rail debate picks up steam:

Fast trains are creating a furious debate in southeast Minnesota, as the Minneapolis Star-Tribune observed yesterday.

High-speed rail boosters across the country are vying for a slice of the $8 billion for high-speed rail that was included in the federal stimulus package. Leaders in St. Paul, Winona and other Minnesota cities want to tap those funds to create a St. Paul-to-Chicago high-speed route along the Mississippi River, with a stop in Winona. That route has been studied for years, though Rochester leaders recently have pushed for a route that connects to their city.

In Monday’s edition, I wrote about a bonding bill in the Minnesota Senate - which may be voted on this week - that would fund a study of routing high-speed trains along the Mississippi River. Another proposal to study routing the trains through Rochester has been sidelined, at least temporarily, in the Senate, said Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, DFL-Winona.

But in yesterday’s Star-Tribune, Rochester advocates made it clear they haven’t given up:

http://tinyurl.com/c52swr

Go visit and comment at the WDN blog. And, since it's such a lovely day, how about a song about summer transportation from Flipsyde:

Friday digest: workers and farmers edition

Shar Knutson, the president of the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, writes in Act would restore labor-management balance, an op-ed piece in today's Pioneer Press:

In Sunday's Pioneer Press, Patrick McIlheran, a Milwaukee writer, railed against the Employee Free Choice Act — a bill restoring American workers' ability to form workplace unions without employer interference.

Despite Mr. McIlheran, the Employee Free Choice Act earned solid congressional support long before it was introduced in the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate last week. Forty senators and 223 U.S. representatives, including the Democrats in Minnesota's delegation, co-sponsored the bill.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Reps. Betty McCollum, Jim Oberstar, Collin Peterson, Keith Ellison and Tim Walz were all co-sponsors, and for good reason: Unions can help rebuild the middle class. For that to happen, workers who want unions need to be able to form them.

The Employee Free Choice Act levels the playing field between workers and employers. And it should come as no surprise that mega-employers that pay minimum wage and offer few benefits, like Wal-Mart, Target and McDonalds, are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into a campaign to influence Congress and kill the bill.

Opponents of the Employee Free Choice Act have suggested that they, not workers or their unions, are champions of workers. Some have gone so far as to suggest that union organizers will abolish "sacred" secret ballot union elections.

Baloney.

Workers want to unionize (or not) freely, fairly and unobstructed by intimidation from co-workers, organizers or employers. . . .

Read the whole thing in the PiPress. 

Our friends at the Land Stewardship Project have sent us the following press release about the USDA's beginning farmers program. Congressman Walz was instrumental in including language for the program in the Farm Bill:

Federal Beginning Farmer Program Launched this Month

USDA Seeking Applications for the Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program

3/19/09

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The USDA announced this month that it is accepting applications for efforts that support new farmer training, education and assistance. Applications will be accepted through May 13 for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). BFRDP, passed in the 2008 Farm Bill with $75 million in dedicated funding, is a competitive grants program aimed at providing resources to community-based organizations and other institutions and groups which offer support to beginning farmers and ranchers.

“The program is a good example of how federal support can provide resources to on-the-ground organizations in communities across the country to stimulate action,” said Bill Gorman, a Land Stewardship Project Federal Farm Policy Committee member and Goodhue County dairy farmer. “This program is geared to those working to help new farmers succeed — new farmers that are needed to grow our food, care for the land and strengthen our rural economy and Main Streets.”

During the 2008 Farm Bill debate, the Land Stewardship Project (LSP) organized widespread grassroots and organizational support for the BFRDP initiative. LSP testified in Congressional hearings and worked closely with policymakers such as House Agriculture Committee chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN), House Agriculture Committee members Tim Walz (D-MN) and Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (D-SD), as well as Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), to win for the first time ever a beginning farmer development policy with dedicated funding.

USDA announced the availability of funds and request for applications on March 13. The initiative will be administered by the Cooperative States Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES), an arm of USDA. This year over $17 million is available in grants to applicant organizations that work with beginning farmers and ranchers.

“Never before have there been these type of resources to support those who work face-to-face and often day-to-day with new farmers,” said Gorman. “This isn’t the only public policy or approach to help new farmers, but it is a piece of the puzzle and an important signal for those interested in starting farming.”

To see the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program‘s “Request For Applications,” as well as additional information on the program, [click here.]

Smart Politics reports Upper Midwest House Members Vote 18-5 in Favor of TARP Bailout Bonus Tax. The MinnPost's Cynthia Dizikes writes Despite party's national split, Minnesota's GOP House members all oppose AIG "bonus tax" a slightly different take on the vote.

We thought a oldie tune from Sinead O'Connor might be in order, and we dedicate it to all those souls who praise wardrobe failures along the lines of those described in a beloved Hans Christian Andersen tale: