Bluestem Prairie: November 2012

Scary MN: John Rouleau sees first DFL 2012 victory overreach in order issued Nov. 16.....2011

Conservative activist and once-upon-a-time Civis Communications grassroots director John Rouleau is having one heck of a year in Minnesota politics.

Straight from his stint as Field Director for ProtectMyVote, the recent St. Thomas grad sees a really, really scary example of a DFL emboldened by its capture of both houses of the Minnesota legislature in the November 2012 elections.

In Green...It's the New Red?, a November 30, 2012 blog post up at conservative group home True North, Rouleau writes:

Shortly after the DFL took control of the majorities in the legislature, Governor Dayton issued Executive Order 11-32 on November 16 mandating an Environmental Congress be called and forums around the state be hosted. Now, if I was a betting man, I would wager that this is the first hint of overreach that we will see come from the DFL. [emphasis added]

That's pretty scary, especially since Governor Dayton issued Executive Order 11-32 on November 16, 2011.

Update: The wankerific Mr. Rouleau has tweeted that he "used a wrong word." As if his intent were somehow not clear in claiming that EO-11-32 and the Citizen Forum were a consequence of the November 2012 election and "the first hint of overreach," rather than something planned for months--or that the executive order had been issued nearly a year before the election.

This, dear friends, is why we save screenshots. And why we're pleased that the rhetorical brilliance that worked so well at ProtectMyVote is being brought into service in Mr. Rouleau's Holy War Against The Dirty Hippies at the EQB [end update]

Check it out, making sure to scroll to the second page:

EO-11-32

Bluestem was aware that Alida Messinger's money could buy many things, but we had no idea that time travel was on the Dayton shopping list.

Think about it. On November 16, 2011, Tony Sutton had not yet renounced the throne of MNGOP and the horrific financial condition of the party was not yet public. Michael Brodkorb still worked at the Republican Senate Majority and Senator Amy Koch still led the Minnesota Senate; their affair wasn't yet widely known nor publicly.

The second session of the 2011-2012 legislature had yet to happen.

And yet Governor Dayton still knew to get the ball rolling for some world-class overreach. Some way, somehow, the Governor knew what no one else knew in November 2011: that the DFL would gain control of the legislature on November 6, 2012. Too bad John Rouleau wasn't let in on that dirty little secret as he might have found a different job when he graduated from college in the spring of 2012.

Rouleau continues:

While this seems like an innocent enough endeavor to find out what the people of Minnesota have in mind, this was far from a balanced audience. As I do more research, it appears to have been selectively promoted with groups in attendance from The Sierra Club, Environment Minnesota, citizens opposed to the Wolf Hunt and the Minnesota Environmental Partnership.

Why is this important? Given the upcoming Environmental Congress, it is very important for the environmentalists to be able to point back at this data saying “this is what Minnesotan’s want” — while pushing extreme environmental policies to the Environmental Congress and through the legislature following that.

Where have we seen this point before about selective promotion of the Citizen Forums? Why, from Representative Drazkowski, R-ALEC. Bluestem checked that out in Steve Drazkowski sends scary email about extremists hijacking EQB citizen forums and Drazmania: more evidence emerges of Dayton admin pitching citizens forums to farmers. We weren't sure when the Milk Producers, the Cattlemen, the Farmers Union and farm publications became the place to hide information from farmers.

Before we even got to it, however, Post Bulletin political reporter Heather Carlson, had examined the claim in Drazkowski warns of 'extreme environmental advocates' pushing more regulation:

Ellen Anderson, senior adviser to the governor on energy and environment, said Drazkowski's assertion that notification about the meetings has been limited is "completely false." She said the board has sent out hundreds of email invitations to various stakeholders including farm groups, chambers of commerce, mining groups, environmental groups and energy groups — just to name a few.

That was pretty much what we found, and given the membership of the Environmental Quality Board--commissioners from the departments of commerce, transportation, DEED and agricultures, as well as those divisions that might seem "environmental," along with citizen members from pro-industry groups like the Agri-Growth Council--it's hard to believe that there's selective recruitment of the audience.

On November 15, 2012, Bluestem asked Who are these dirty hippies anyway? A look at Minnesota's Environmental Quality Board. Answer: they're not dirty hippies, and yet the conservative blogosphere persists in this malarkey.

Rouleau describes the horrific experience of participating in the forum (for a dirty hippie's counterpoint, check out LeftMN's Aaron Klemz in Citizen environmental forum provides a ray of hope, which suggests, when paired with Rouleau's account, that the Messinger-Dayton alliance can also purchase and install parallel universes).

Curiously, Rouleau notes that citizen participants are quarreling with the information the EBQ is providing:

At what point will people begin to realize that businesses are being forced out of our state, that existing jobs are being eliminated and new jobs are not being created. That is the point though, when radicals (who put the environment above all else), claim that the data provided by the Governors office and the EQB is faulty and express desires to kill jobs and participate in social planning.

Jeepers, John, perhaps at other forums in exotic locales like Worthington and Moorhead.

Or maybe it's just you.

Image: Screenshot of the Rouleau post at True North.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 30, 2012 at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Memo: Senate Majority Leader Bakk, what do we talk about when we talk about marriage freedom

To: Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk

From: Sally Jo Sorensen, Bluestem Prairie

Re: Talking about marriage equality

Tom:

Usually I use the editorial plural "we" here at Bluestem, but I'm stepping out of that convention to speak in a personal voice.

I've been reading about your resistance to repealing the Minnesota state version of the Defense of Marriage Act, and I'm growing a bit weary of your habit of branding calls for marriage freedom as somehow the domain of "real liberal constituencies."

The topic's been taken up by Aaron Rupar at City Pages in Majority Leader-elect Bakk: "Some real liberal constituencies" pushing marriage equality bill. Already, the usual progessive suspects are engaging in celebratory emotional flooding about the article. Boring. I don't see the usual ritual liberal fauxrage as being particularly helpful here.

I'm going to step out of the voice of the poor country blogger and tell you a bit about the conversations I've had since high school about same sex attraction, and why this conversation doesn't mark me as a card-carrying member of a "real liberal constituency" but as a real Minnesotan who understands that failure to engage in the life of one's community, to recognize my neighbors, might mean a genuine death by snowbank.

Early on, members of my family, who got here during territorial times, picked up on the fact that we talk to each other or die. Think blizzards. Think US-Dakota War.

As a kid, I noticed early on that people do better when we talk to each other, know our neighbors and the next town over and the city beyond. Things in Minnesota don't seem to go terribly well when people don't talk, don't listen. Talking leads to Minnesota miracles and dairy co-ops. Not talking and listening builds a mass gallows in Mankato.

You and I don't know each other outside of the generic meet-and-greets, but checking out your biography, I've reason to believe you understand the need for people to talk, to negotiate, to seek the best for everyone, rather than simply languish in custom and practice, where an injury to one is an insult to all. You're a union guy, and in my experience, union people get the part of Minnesota that's about working together.

My conversation began in in my junior year of high school when, in Mr. Smart's Pre-College English class discussion of current events, the subject of "gay liberation" came up. Mr. Smart sneered about the topic and my fellow students picked up on that cue. I raised my hand and said quite innocently (I think) that I felt that there wasn't enough love in this world, and if men loved men, that was fine by me.

That was one battle I fought alone.

Publicly at least. What happened next made me uncomfortable for a couple weeks: as word made it around school, friends came out to me. Way to go from easy and abstract logic to actually having scared teenage boys confiding secrets to a socially awkward girl. I'd like to able to say that I was heroic, brave and compassionate, but to be honest, I was pretty freaked out. It was the mid 1970s, there wasn't a lot of information available, and suddenly, my friends were queer.

Once I calmed down, I realized they were my friends and they had always been gay, though I didn't have that word yet. My knowledge didn't change anything about them, however more interesting my world got.

Since then, the conversation has expanded--in Philadelphia, during the height of the AIDS epidemic, before life-saving meds came; in Springfield, Missouri where John Ashcroft was governor but Christian student clubs and the GLBT student group I advised sat down and talked in large meetings; and, this past year in Minnesota.

The conversation the marriage amendment started isn't about real liberals or constituents, but about the real Minnesota in which we all live. The marriage amendment was defeated because some very smart people managed to engage that conversation with political organizing.

The conversation need to continue. Not because you owe your majority to it. Not because the constituency demands it. Not because of any political calculus.

But because this is the conversation we are having as Minnesotans. It's the conversation that caused conservative Sarah Janezcek to memorialize her family member in The bachelor farmer and the marriage vote.

It's okay by me to put working on the budget first, Tom. Let's do that. It's a priority.

But it borders on offensive to tell me that some sort of "Others," rather than a broad spectrum of Minnesotans, want to go on with the discussion we've had about marriage this year. While most of us knew that same-sex marriage wouldn't be suddenly legal if the amendment were defeated, those working against it took the legislators who voted to put this turkey on the ballot at their word. Let the people decide. We talked about what marriage means, and we said no to freezing one definition in the state constitution. And we talked about what marriage could be.

There's a perfectly non-offensive thing to say if you want to get the budget fixed first without angering those who took part in this conversation.

See if you can say this: "Those who want marriage equality tell me they want to do it right, thoughtfully, and not rush a bill. We'll work on solving the budget, and we'll start the hard work of continuing the conversation about marriage when our solution to this most pressing problem is signed by the Governor."

Think of the grand old tradition of township meetings. Think of the REA annual meetings. Think of the church conventions, the VFW, the Elks and the Moose. Think of the citizens who take time off to come to the state capitol, on their own or with a group, to talk about issues, our communities.

Let's get that budget fixed, Tom. Part of that involves doing something about the way education gets funded.

Then let's all have the courage to continue the conversation about marriage. It might take you a while to get comfortable but being alive isn't a comfort zone, I learned back in Mr. Smart's class.

Let's talk.

Photo: Representative John Kriesel (R-Cottage Grove), announcing the formation of Republicans Against the Minnesota Marriage Amendment in October 2011 — From RAMMA Facebook page,

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 30, 2012 at 04:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Otter Tail County ballots deliver recount victory for Alexandria area incumbent Mary Franson

With the conclusion of the recount in House District 8B, incumbent Republican representative Mary Franson is the victor in the heatedly contested race in Central Minnesota.

Politics in Minnesota staff writer Briana Bierschbach reports in Republican Mary Franson wins House race by 12 votes:

Election officials finished re-tallying votes in the House District 8B race on Thursday, finding one additional vote for Franson in the process and widening her lead over Democratic candidate Bob Cunniff to 12 votes. An automatic recount was required because the margin between the candidates was less than one half of 1 percent. Cunniff conceded the race to Franson late Thursday afternoon. The State Canvasing Board will meet on Dec. 4 to certify the results.

Cunniff came in just one vote behind Franson on election night, but last week a judge ruled there were “obvious” balloting errors made in three Alexandria voting precincts. Thirty-two voters in two precincts were mistakenly given Franson-Cunniff ballots instead of ballots for a neighboring House race, and there were three more ballots submitted than names on a sign in sheet in an additional precinct. To remedy the error, the judge ordered officials to randomly pull 35 votes from the total last week, giving Franson an 11-vote edge.

Franson told Bluestem that she feels "Relief that it's all over with" and that "the district knows exactly who there Representative is."

She's looking forward to working on her legislative priorities:

My priorities have always been about growing our economy and making sure we have a vibrant economy so that job creators can expand and employ workers. I want all of my constituents to have the opportunities to be gainfully employed and able to provide for their families.

Franson has alread begun to look forward to the session:

Now that the election is behind me I can now concentrate on the issues facing my district and focus on the 2013 legislative session. I already have meetings set up with various groups and one of those meetings is this Monday with the local manufacturers.

In Alexandria, the Echo Press reports in With recount complete, Franson has 12-vote lead:

A two-day recount put Minnesota State Representative Mary Franson 12 votes ahead of Bob Cunniff, apparently sending her to a second term in the House.

There are not enough ballots in question to give Cunniff the lead. . .

Recounts in the two counties left Franson with the dozen-vote lead. Cunniff’s attorney challenged who should receive five votes, while Franson’s attorney challenged one.

Even if the state board agrees with all of Cunniff’s challenges, he would remain short of Franson, a freshman lawmaker who has been a lightning rod for welfare supporters.

Cunniff has issued a statement about the loss, which he will not challenge in the courts, the paper reports:

"First, I want to thank my family, friends, campaign volunteers, and supporters for everything they've done throughout the course of the election and in these weeks since then. While I am of course disappointed with the final outcome. I am proud of what we have accomplished and am grateful to have had the experience of meeting so many extraordinary people.

"The election proved yet again the importance of voting, and of making sure everyone's votes are counted fairly and accurately. I want to thank Douglas County Auditor Char Rosenow and Otter Tail County Auditor Wayne Stein - and their staff - for their work in administering the election and overseeing the recount process. I am also thankful for volunteers from both campaigns who worked hard to make sure the recount was conducted quickly and fairly.

"Now that the process has come to an end, I would like to congratulate Representative Mary Franson on her victory. I wish her and her family well during this holiday season. I believe the results of this election show that people of our district - and the state - would like to see more cooperation and compromise in St. Paul, and if there is anything I can do to help in that regard, I will be happy to lend a hand."

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Photo: Mary Franson.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 29, 2012 at 06:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Norm Coleman boon companion Jeff Larson at center of unwanted conservative attention

Conservative sites are flaming former Minnesota Republican kingpin Jeff Larson, scorching the reach of his octopi-tentacles into the pockets and the defeat of 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Red State: Incestuous Bleeding

In the ur-article at the center of the fire, The Incestuous Bleeding of the Republican Party, Red State diarist Erick Erickson writes:

If money is the root of all evil, for the Republican Party evil is located on the fifth floor of 66 Canal Center Plaza, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Strip away the candidate and coalition and it is on the fifth floor of 66 Canal Center Plaza where the seeds of Mitt Romney’s ruin and the RNC’s get out the vote (GOTV) effort collapsed — bled to death by charlatan consultants making millions off the party, its donors, and the grassroots.

66 Canal Center Plaza is also why Jeff Larson, the Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee, should not be put in charge of the autopsy of the GOP’s defeat. Multiple sources confirm to me that RNC Chairman Reince Priebus has already put Larson in charge of the so called autopsy. . . .

Down the Rabbit Hole

To understand the problems, we need to go back in time. Michael Beach is a co-founder of Targeted Victory, LLC, as is Zac Moffatt. Before that, he was the National Victory Director for the Republican Party during the 2008 campaign.

Targeted Victory, LLC operates from suite 501 of 66 Canal Center Plaza in Alexandria as a foreign limited liability company. Targeted Victory, LLC is actually a Minnesota limited liability company. In Virginia, its co-founder Michael Beach, is listed as its registered agent by the Virginia Secretary of State. It was formed on February 5, 2009, around the time Michael Beach left the RNC.

Targeted Victory, LLC’s registered office is 7300 Hudson Blvd, Suite 270, St. Paul, MN 55128. It’s manager, who is the person who controls the day to day operations of an LLC on behalf of its members, is Tony Feather.

Drum roll please — Tony Feather happens to also be the F in FLS Connect, LLC, which made millions off both the Romney campaign and the RNC.

The “L” in FLS Connect is Jeff Larson, the present Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee.

Curiously, the Virginia Secretary of State notes that FLS Connect, LLC uses a registered agent in Virginia Beach, VA, but is a foreign limited liability company just like Targeted Victory, LLC. More curious, its principal office is the same office in St. Paul, MN as Targeted Victory, LLC, but FLS Connect is actually an Arizona limited liability company. . . .

Erickson dives into the wreck, emerging with:

FLS Connect continued to get business from the RNC and also got business from Team Romney. But now Targeted Victory enters the picture.

Targeted Victory, LLC’s principal office is the same office in St. Paul, MN that FLS Connect, LLC lists as its own principle office. Targeted Victory’s manager is Tony Feather, who is the F in FLS Connect.

Rich Beeson, who used to work for FLS Connect, is now with Team Romney and Team Romney awards a contract to Targeted Victory, LLC for its digital work with Zac Moffatt as Digital Director of the campaign.

Targeted Victory, LLC and FLS Connect, LLC rake in millions in commissions. The central component to Rich Beeson’s get out the vote operation is Project ORCA, which is headed by Zac Moffatt of Targeted Victory, LLC, whose principal office in Minnesota is shared by FLS Connect, LLC. As of October 26, 2012, Targeted Victory had been paid $64 million by Team Romney and FLS Connect had been paid $16.5 million.

And now the “L” in FLS Connect, Jeff Larson, will perform the autopsy on why Election Day and its related operations collapsed. . . .

The MNGOP Way: Incest Is Best, Or the Party that Pays Together

Bluestem is surprised that anyone in the Republican Party can feign shock, much less surprise at this news, since this sort of collective ingrown toenailhood has marked Larson's business dealing for the party for years.

Two 2011 articles at City Pages by Andy Mannix and Mike Mullen illustrate this point well, though not for the first time. There's their cover article, "RNC Piggy Bank", a fine piece of investigative journalism about Larson's involvement in staging the 2008 RNC convention and his profit from the committee created for the event. Go read it.

And then there's Jeff Larson: Political Landlord:

In mid-2008, it came out that Jeff Larson had been renting a Washington, D.C. apartment to then-Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn), a close friend and political cohort.

As a landlord, Larson -- the subject of last week's feature, "RNC Piggy Bank" -- had been pretty lax on collecting rent. He allowed Coleman to miss several payments, and even admitted to accepting furniture from Coleman instead of a rent payment. This all raised ethical questions with political watchdog groups, leading to a formal complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee.

But records show that Larson's career as a political landlord extends beyond this one incident.
In 2003, Larson was the founding treasurer of Coleman's political action committee, Northstar Leadership. In the years since, Northstar Leadership has paid more than $300,000 to Larson's telemarketing firm, FLS Connect, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Some of this PAC money has gone toward Larson renting an office from FLS. In addition, Coleman for Senate '08, the Senator's official 2008 campaign committee, also rented an office from FLS. As did the 2008 Republican National Convention host committee, of which Larson was the CEO and treasurer.

At one point, FLS was renting an office to Coleman's PAC, Coleman's campaign committee, and the host committee, all at the same time. . . .

Read the rest at City Pages. Or just google "Jeff Larson Landlord Coleman" and plenty of gems will emerge, like Wonkette's 2008 minor masterpieice, Senator Norm Coleman Sleeps In A Drawer.

Coleman and Larson: Twin Brothers of Different Mothers?

Nor have former one-term wonder Coleman and Larson parted compaign when it comes to conservative campaign bidness. Coleman's American Action Net handed over some checks this year to Targeted Victory as well, according AAN's October Quarterly report of independent expenditures on file at the FEC.

Targeted Victory
P.O. Box 2187 Arlington, Virginia 22202 Expenditure Description: Internet Advertising and Website Date Expended = 09/14/2012 In OPPOSITION to RICHARD MICHAEL NOLAN
Amount Expended = 28999.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = 282738.63

Targeted Victory
P.O. Box 2187 Arlington, Virginia 22202 Expenditure Description: Internet Advertising and Website Date Expended = 09/14/2012 In OPPOSITION to DAVID MICHAEL GILL
Amount Expended = 28999.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = 183747.80

Targeted Victory
P.O. Box 2187 Arlington, Virginia 22202 Expenditure Description: Digital Advertising and Website Date Expended = 09/14/2012 In OPPOSITION to RICHARD MICHAEL NOLAN
Amount Expended = 28999.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = 311737.63

Targeted Victory
P.O. Box 2187 Arlington, Virginia 22202 Expenditure Description: Digital Advertising and Website Date Expended = 09/14/2012 In OPPOSITION to JOSE M HERNANDEZ
Amount Expended = 28999.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = 504183.40

Targeted Victory
P.O. Box 2187 Arlington, Virginia 22202 Expenditure Description: Digital Media Advertising and Website Date Expended = 09/14/2012 In OPPOSITION to DAVID L CROOKS
Amount Expended = 28999.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = 43935.74

As lame duck one-term congressman Chip Cravaack can attest, that $57,998 was money well spent on digital advertising and a website.

Photos: Jeff Larson, top; Norm Coleman, bottom.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 29, 2012 at 04:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

DFL Representative Gene Pelowski to MNSCU $97 million new budget request: drop dead

Republican daydreams that they'd be able to take back the Minnesota House on account of overreach in higher education funding may find their hopes dashed upon reading St. Cloud Times' Mark Sommerhausers' article, DFL legislators question MnSCU funding requests:

DFL legislators set to oversee Minnesota state colleges and universities says the school system’s request for a boost in state funding may be unrealistic. . . .

In a budget request to state lawmakers approved earlier this month, the MnSCU Board of Trustees asked for $97 million in additional state funding in the budget cycle that begins next summer. MnSCU leaders also proposed in the request to increase tuition by about 3 percent and to provide a wage and benefit increase of about 3 percent to MnSCU faculty and staff.
But Pelowski, DFL-Winona, says he’s skeptical about the request. Pelowski was named chair of the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee after DFLers reclaimed control of the chamber in the Nov. 6 elections.
Pelowski says state government is still in a fiscal crisis, facing a projected two-year deficit of about $1.1 billion. He says his goal is to avoid further cuts to state funding for colleges and universities next year, after those institutions sustained historic levels of cuts in the previous budget.

“Anybody who says they want to spend new, they’re living in a fantasy world,” Pelowski said.

Sommerhauser notes:

The MnSCU system enters 2013 after absorbing an epic hit to its state support during the last budget cycle. State funding for MnSCU was cut by more than 10 percent in the two-year budget approved in 2011, the second-largest funding cut in the system’s history.

Last week, Bluestem had noted a hopeful Republican's letter to the editor of the Morris Sun in "Overreach" making rounds: elections pave way for Social Democrat liberal arts university utopia:

Republicans interviewed for the article seemed to favor different odds, but nobody quite reached around for the benchmark put forth by Morris Sun reader Steve Fults of Donnelly, Minnesota. In his letter to the editor, Congratulations Democrats, Fults writes:

You got rid of most of the conservative Republicans in the state. Now you liberals will be free to raise the state budget billions of dollars. Our schools and teachers will have unlimited funding, there will be plenty of money for state programs and universities. There might even be free funding for students to go to liberal arts universities where learning the evils of capitalism and how to become a social Democrat is a top priority. The best part is it will all be funded by taxing those evil job creating corporations. I'm sure we will all get the promised tax cuts and finally have utopia.

Perhaps they'll just have to focus on bashing the University, instead of the post-secondary education system that houses technical and community colleges along with those dirty-hippie generating liberal arts degrees.

Meanwhile, Forum Communications political reporter Don Davis writes in Policies and politics quiet ahead of the new session that Senator Majority Leader Tom Bakk is so planning to block Scott Newman's fantasy legislature when it comes to marriage freedom:

Given an expected state deficit and the federal questions, Bakk says he wants to limit debate on items that do not involve the budget.

One issue he is fighting is eliminating a law that bans gay marriage.

“We are getting some calls from some real liberal constituencies on the gay marriage issue and repealing the language in statute,” Bakk said.

"Real liberal constituencies, " Tom? Perhaps he's more comfortable with the fake ones.

Bluestem has a hard time seeing how marriage equality will cost taxpayers a dime (having to buy wedding presents is just a private initiative that will spur consumer spending), but maybe it's that liberal arts education clouding our math.

Photo: Republican utopian fantasy projections might not provide a path to retaking the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 29, 2012 at 08:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Franson eleven-vote lead holds as recount moves to Otter Tail County precincts

The Alexandria Echo Press reports in Franson keeps 11-vote edge after recount in Douglas County:

The race in Minnesota House District 8B is still razor thin following a state-ordered recount in Douglas County Wednesday morning.

After ballots from all 17 precincts were recounted, Republican incumbent Mary Franson and DFL challenger Bob Cunniff each picked up one additional vote.

The recount will now switch to the other county in the district, Otter Tail, where ballots will be scrutinized tomorrow. . . .

Only two ballots were challenged. Cunniff challenged a ballot in Carlos Township and Franson questioned a ballot in Alexandria Ward 3. Those challenges will be sent on the State Canvassing Board to consider at its meeting on December 4.

In past recounts, a number of ballots were the subject of arguments about voter intent. Such ballots could determine the outcome of races as close as in House District 8B.

Challenged ballots will be posted on the secretary of state’s Web site (www.sos.state.mn.us) when available.

According to data on the Secretary of State's HD8B recount page, Franson received 4798 votes in Otter Tail County, while 3790 people voted for Cunniff. It's unlikely that the recount will change the winner

The Star Tribune's Jennifer Brooks provides "color" reporting in Every vote counts, and recounts, in House District 8B race, closing with a parting thought by Franson:

"Mr. Cunniff is very well known here in Alexandria. He's kind of an icon in the area," Franson said. "I didn't spend nearly as much time as I should have campaigning in Alexandria. ... I've learned a lot of lessons, from being first elected to being re-elected. (I think I'm) growing up with the job."

The most important lesson? Franson, who made headlines and sparked protests at the Capitol after her food stamp comments, said she's learned that "explanation is everything. If you're going to say something big, you'd better soften the blow first."

It's unlikely that that the results will change with tomorrow's count. Representative Franson was confident enough to tweet that she had bought two Powerball tickets for tonight's enormo $550 million+ jackpot. Who can blame her?

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 28, 2012 at 09:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Entitlement reform plus higher taxes doesn't equal a grand bargain for Greater Minnesota

Congressman Tim Walz might support "entitlement reform" if congressional Republicans would entertaining a bigger tax bite on high wage earners, the Post Bulletin reports in Walz says he'd consider entitlement reform if GOP considers high earner tax boost.

Bluestem isn't sure that's a grand bargain for Greater Minnesota.

PB Political reporter Heather Carlson writes:

The fiscal cliff refers to a double whammy of tax increases and hefty spending cuts that automatically take effect on Jan. 1 unless Congress and President Barack Obama take action to stop it. The Congressional Budget Office has warned that those cuts could drive the country back into a recession.

Republicans have been making the case that entitlement reform needs to be part of any fiscal cliff solution. But Walz said before he is willing to consider changes to those programs, he wants Republicans to be open to raising tax rates on higher-income individuals. He said he can make the case that the lowered tax rates passed during President George W. Bush's tenure played a role in driving up the national debt.

He asked "So they are going to ask us to take a look at Social Security but they are unwilling to look at part of it that was part of the problem in the first place?"

Is this "grand bargain" such a great idea? Earlier this month Michael Lind addressed the big picture at Salon in The case against a “grand bargain”:

According to news reports, President Obama wants a “grand bargain” with the Republicans, who retain a majority in the House of Representatives even though in this year’s election more Americans voted for Democrats than for Republicans for Congress. The details of various “bipartisan” grand bargains vary, but most proposals, like the one proposed by the right-wing Republican Alan Simpson and the conservative Southern Democrat Erskine Bowles, the heads of the president’s failed deficit reduction commission, would trade modest Republican concessions on higher taxes on the rich for Democratic support for major cuts in Social Security, Medicare and other entitlements.

Any such grand bargain would be a bad deal for mainstream Americans.

Social Security and Medicare have absolutely nothing to do with the short-term U.S. fiscal problem. Middle-class entitlements do have long-term problems, like inadequate payroll tax revenue for Social Security in the 2030s, and excessive medical prices in the U.S., which affect private healthcare as well as Medicare and Medicaid. But these are unrelated problems that deserve to be discussed in unrelated debates according to unrelated timelines. . . .

Closer to home, the picture gets much worse. From a press release from the Minnesota AFL CIO:

According to a new report released by the AFL-CIO yesterday:882,408 Minnesotans could be negatively impacted if Congress attempts cuts to Social Security, including 115,780 people with disabilities and 59,076 children. Of the 879,145 Minnesotans who get their health care coverage from Medicaid, 422,219 children and 96,039 seniors could be affected if the lame duck Congress makes cuts to Medicaid benefits. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid combined deliver $26 billion per year into Minnesota’s economy.

As the so-called “fiscal cliff” approaches, members of Congress have suggested cuts to benefits for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid even while calling for renewing tax cuts for the richest 2%. If those tax cuts are renewed, the richest 2% in Minnesota would receive an average of $29,690 in tax cuts, while the rest of Minnesotans would receive an average of $1,370. The 2012 House Republican budget plan would cut federal support to Minnesota’s Medicaid program by at least $16.9 billion over 10 years.

Here's a pdf that accompanied the press release:

MN-3

How does that breakdown for rural Minnesota, with its older populations and lower incomes for working families? A report issued by Social Security Works, a broad progressive partnership, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, Work for Minnesota includes helpful data that illustrates the potential impact.

Social Security Works for Minnesota’s Rural Communities

• Social Security is more important to rural Minnesotans than to other Minnesotans. One out of 5 (21.9 percent) rural Minnesotans received Social Security compared with 1 out of 7 (14.7 percent) non-rural Minnesotans in 2010.

• Social Security is more important to the local economies of Minnesota’s rural counties than to its non-rural counties. Total personal income in Minnesota’s 66 rural counties was $51 billion in 2010 of which $3.9 billion, or 7.6 percent, was from Social Security. By comparison, total personal income in the state’s 21 non-rural counties was $176 billion, of which $7.8 billion, or 4.5 percent, was from Social Security.

Broken down on the congressional district level, here's what that looks like:

To look at the county-by-county data, check out the report here:

Minnesota Final 2012

Photo: The Grand Bargain looks like Garden Troll Zombies to Bluestem. Or that might be too much Netflix.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 28, 2012 at 04:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Emo Senator Mike Parry auditions for role on Waseca's EDA; city council picks some other guy

At its November 5, 2012 meeting, Waseca's City Council passed on state senator Mike Parry's application to fill an empty seat on the Southern Minnesota's small town's Economic Development Authority board. The council members picked Bird's Eye plant manager Phillip Brewer with a 5-0 vote.

Bluestem isn't surprised with the choice, given Parry's sharp criticism of the city after he failed to carry it in the August 14, 2012 primary.

Multiple sources confirmed that the other applicant unnamed in the November 5 city council meeting minutes is Parry:

8a Appointment to Economic Development Authority (EDA)

The City has received the attached applications from two individuals interested in serving on the Economic Development Authority (EDA). There has been one vacancy on the EDA since January 2012, when Bob Mickelson did not apply for re-appointment.

It was moved by Clemons, seconded by Christiansen, to appoint Phillip Brewer to the EDA; the motion carried 5-0.

Brewer is a friend of Parry who supported his bid for Congress, according to primary night coverage by Minnesota Public Radio.

Bluestem's sources were entertained that Parry had applied for the opening after trash talking the town following his primary defeat. Republican voters had favored Quist in Waseca. The Owatonna People's Press reported in District 26 state Sen. Mike Parry discusses election loss, his future:

Mike Parry has no plans to ride off into the political sunset. . . .

During the primary, Parry carried Steele County, but lost two other counties that he has represented since 2010: Rice and his home county of Waseca. While he would have loved to carry Waseca County, he knew it was unlikely.

“I never did think I would do well (in Waseca County). You never win your hometown, knowing the people of Waseca, and the people that vote in Waseca,” Parry said. “You have some strong liberals. Even the independents like Mayor Roy Srp lean to the left. It is what it is. It would have been nice to win Waseca, but it didn’t happen. “

In September the OPP revisited Parry's career once more in Parry proud of work he did for Steele County:

“In Waseca, there is still an intergovernmental power struggle going on, not the cooperation there should be,” he said. “Waseca appears to have a lot of individuals that want to make a name for themselves. There are certain pockets of teamwork, but nobody wants to come together and have a plan. That’s everything from trying to bring an event into town to trying to bring a business into town.”

He added that Waseca officials refuse to listen to cost-saving proposals. Parry would like Waseca to consider eliminating its police department, like the city of Jackson did last year. Parry said Jackson saved $500,000 by deciding to only use county and state officers to police the town of 3,300.

“Do we really need a police department in Waseca, Minnesota?” Parry asked. “I was in law enforcement, and I think the sheriff’s department could handle it just they are doing it in Jackson, Minnesota. Here we have a city council in Waseca that flatly won’t talk about something like this. To me that is being close-minded.”

Mayor Srp replied to Parry's criticisms in In Mayor refutes senator's comments about Waseca:

In response to the Owatonna People’s Press article, “Parry proud of the work he did for Steele County,” I find it difficult to understand how Sen. Parry could hold, let alone express, such a poor opinion of his community.

As mayor of Waseca for nearly eight years, I must respond and defend our community. It is a pleasure to let folks know that Waseca City Staff and City Council work hard to address the needs of our community. When citizens wish to speak to a council member, many times they simply walk across the street or talk over the backyard fence. In Waseca, all seven of us live and work in Waseca. There is no need to travel to St. Paul or Washington, D.C., to see your local representative.

Despite the fact that the state of Minnesota has cut local government aid to Waseca by more than 1.7 million dollars since 2008, the staff and council have kept city taxes flat. Our levy has not increased in the last five years. This is because again, we too, live in this community and see citizens every day and know the daily struggles they endure. Waseca continues to learn to live within its means. We have evaluated city services and implemented service reductions that hopefully have the least negative impact on our citizens’ quality of life. The lights go on when the switch is flipped, the toilets flush, and the police and fire personnel continue to protect and serve, heroically, I might add.

In particular, Mayor Srp objects to Parry's proposal to eliminate the town's police department (and apparently, so do Waseca's citizens):

We have been told by our citizens that public safety is a top priority and that the Waseca Police Department is essential to the safety and wellbeing of our community.

This year the police will respond to over 8,000 calls for service, these will include public nuisances, assaults, traffic drug and alcohol enforcement, criminal damage, accident investigation, burglaries, thefts, and near drownings. So to answer Sen. Parry’s question, “Do we need a Police Department in Waseca?” Does he need a Police Department in Waseca? Absolutely!

The good citizens of Waseca will soon elect a new senator. Be she/he a Republican, Democrat, or independent, left right or middle, is not as important as a fair and impartial representative. Waseca will accept and work with the person the people choose just as we always have.

Parry had served on the Waseca EDA before being elected to the Minnesota Senate. In Former councilman Parry named to EDA, the Waseca County News reported:

Former Waseca City Council member Mike Parry will return to the city’s Economic Development Authority following a 6-1 vote at Tuesday’s council meeting.

Parry will represent the Chamber of Commerce on the EDA, replacing Cindy Hawkins who resigned the position. Chamber president Kim Foels said the chamber board of directors recommended Parry as her replacement.

When he was asked if he was interested in the position, Parry said he could be if no one else wanted to fill it.

“I know the make-up and everyone knows I’m pro-Waseca, even in my travels,” Parry said.

He previously served on the EDA as a city council representative from 2007 to 2008 when he lost a re-election bid in Ward 3.

The lone vote against Parry’s appointment came from former EDA chair and current council member Mark Christiansen who defeated Parry for his council seat in November 2008.

Christiansen motion not to approve Parry’s appointment was defeated by a 1-6 vote after council member John Clemons said he was “so appalled” by the motion that he cut off discussion by calling the question.

Christiansen said he opposed Parry’s appointment for several reasons, including his attendance record during the 21 months he served on the EDA.

“His attendance was awful,” said Christiansen. Records indicate Parry attended 40 percent of meetings in 2007 and 50 percent in 2008. Christiansen said the goal for commission members is 75 percent attendance.

In addition, he said, the EDA already had three members who also serve on the Waseca Development Corporation, as Parry does.

“I thought we should have a different voice, a different view point.”

Council member Cindy Coy said, however, that the chamber selected Parry and the council has a responsibility to support the group’s choice.

“I’m willing to give him a second chance,” said Mayor Roy Srp about Parry’s previous absences on the EDA.

Parry’s appointment was approved with the comment from council member Les Tlougan that Parry should be made aware of the concerns about his prior attendance.

The motion to appoint him passed 6-1, with Christiansen voting against it.

Apparently the City Council and Mayor learned their lesson and passed this time on Parry.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Photo: Phillip Brewer and Mike Parry at Parry's primary night party in Waseca, via Minnesota Public Radio.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 27, 2012 at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Drazmania: more evidence emerges of Dayton admin pitching citizens forums to farmers

Yesterday in Steve Drazkowski sends scary email about extremists hijacking EQB citizen forums, Bluestem Prairie noted that Representative Steve Drazkowski suspected that citizens forums that began today had not been pitched to farmers and other small business owners. The Draz told elist subscribers:

As far as I can tell, the efforts by our state government to notify farmers and other business owners throughout the state, about these meetings, has been extremely limited. This may have been by design. I encourage you to attend one or more of these sessions to represent common sense in the discussions. Please notify your friends and neighbors in other parts of the state, as well. [emphasis added]

This claim ran counter to our experience reading our local paper and as a Minnesota Farmers Union member.

We weren't alone in posting about Draz's peculiar claim. Earlier in the day, Rochester Post Bulletin political reporter Heather Carlson wrotes in Drazkowski warns of 'extreme environmental advocates' pushing more regulation:

Ellen Anderson, senior adviser to the governor on energy and environment, said Drazkowski's assertion that notification about the meetings has been limited is "completely false." She said the board has sent out hundreds of email invitations to various stakeholders including farm groups, chambers of commerce, mining groups, environmental groups and energy groups — just to name a few.

Other evidence of outreach to farm audiences and ag commodity groups is emerging. Notice of the meetings across the state was published in the November 16, 2012 The Land, an ag producer-directer tabloid published by the Mankato Free Press. Flip to the calendar on page 10 in the embedded copy below:

Open publication - Free publishing - More ag

A friend active in farm policy discussions sent Bluestem an e-newsletter from the Minnesota State Cattleman's Association that was sent out early on Sunday afternoon, about nine hours before Draz's communique hit our mailbox, along with that of the Minnesota Milk Producers, emailed November 21, 2012.

The membership of both groups is composed overwhelmingly of farmers.

We're beginning to wonder just how in touch Representative Drazkowski is with farmers and farm groups or if he just doesn't read the emails they send him.

Here's a pdf of the notices clipped from the livestock and dairy groups' e-newsletters:

Commodity Groups

Up next in Drazmania: about that legislation...

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Photo: Steve Drazkowski, via the Hastings Gazette.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 27, 2012 at 04:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kim Norton doesn't want to see dead people

On November 7, City Pages' blogger Aaron Rupar observed in Rochester voters elect dead guy as City Council president:

But, as evidenced by the comments on the Post Bulletin's story, some aren't happy about Hanson's sentimental victory, as it means taxpayers will be on the hook for at least one more special election this spring, and perhaps multiple elections if more than two candidates file and a primary is needed.

Representative Kim Norton (DFL-Rochester) was listening to the complaints. Last week, PB staff writer Heather Carlson reported in Rochester election may lead to election-law change:

Rochester DFL Rep. Kim Norton is considering drafting legislation aimed at addressing a problem uncovered by this year's Rochester City Council election.

Longtime Rochester City Council President Dennis Hanson's name remained on the November ballot even though he passed away on June 27. The issue is that state law does not allow a candidate's name to be removed from the ballot in a nonpartisan race — even if the candidate has died since filling to run. State law also did not allow for a re-opening of the filing period. . . .
A special election is expected to be held in early April to fill the seat, which is expected to cost between $50,000 to $60,000. But the price tag could climb to $120,000 if a primary election is needed.
Norton said she wants to see if a change could be made to help avoid this type of situation in the future.

"We shouldn't have to spend this kind of money to do this. There should be a process in place," she said.

Photo: If Kim Norton has her way, voters won't be stuck with the tab for future encounters.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 27, 2012 at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Steve Drazkowski sends scary email about extremists hijacking EQB citizen forums

In an announcement sent to sunscribers to his email lists, Representative Steve Drazkowski claims that citizen forums across the state and an Environmental Congress are intended to send a message friendly to "extreme environmental advocates" and that "efforts by our state government to notify farmers and other business owners throughout the state, about these meetings, has been extremely limited."

These statements run counter to Bluestem's own experience in learning about the Citizen Forums and the Environmental Congress.

What we read & when we read it

Back at the begun of November, Bluestem first read about a series of citizen forums to take place in advance of a larger meeting in 2013. The Hutchinson Leader reported in Minnesotans are urged to speak up about the environment at Citizen Forums:

What do clean water, the economy, energy and the health of our environment all have in common?

These topics will be discussed by Minnesotans this month and next at six Citizen Forums around the state. The forums, free and open to the public, will afford Minnesotans an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns. State leaders will consider the citizen input next March at a Minnesota Environmental Congress summit, where they will begin to plan a blueprint for Minnesota’s environmental and economic future. (For more information about the Minnesota Environmental Congress, visit http://mn.gov/EnvironmentalCongress">http://mn.gov/EnvironmentalCongress.)

The Minnesota Environmental Congress and the Citizens Forums leading up to it are the result of Governor Dayton’s Executive Order 11-32. To assess Minnesota’s progress toward clean air, water and energy, the Environmental Quality Board is convening the Citizen Forums around the state to engage citizens in constructive dialogue, identify environmental challenges, and define a vision for Minnesota’s environmental future.

Here are the locations, dates and times for the six regional Citizens Forums:

Rochester: Nov. 27, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, at Wood Lake Meeting Center

Bloomington: Nov. 27, 6:30 to 9 p.m., at Normandale Community College

Duluth: Nov. 28, 5:30 to 8 p.m., at Lake Superior College

Worthington: Dec. 10, 3:30 to 6 p.m., at Worthington High School

St. Cloud: Dec. 12, 5:30 to 8 p.m., at Stearns County Service Center

Moorhead: Dec. 14, 3 to 5:30 p.m., at Minnesota State University

Minnesotans are encouraged to come out and be heard at the Citizens Forums. This is our state and our future, and every voice matters

For more information about the Citizens Forums and to indicate your intention to attend, visit: http://mn.gov/EnvironmentalCongress/">http://mn.gov/EnvironmentalCongress/. If you have questions, call Anna Sherman at 651-201-6607 or send a message to anna.sherman@state.mn.us.

That was the first notice, but the news brief published on the website of the largest circulation newspaper in largely agricultural McLeod County was not the last time we saw it in rural newspapers. (McLeod County is also quite conservative; we're represented by Senator Scott Newman in the Minnesota Senate, and Glenn Gruenhagen and Dean Urdahl in the state House).

On November 12, 2012, we recieved an emailed copy of Minnesota Farmers Union Director of Government Relations Thom Petersen's Notes From the Farmers Union that included the following information:

Minnesota Environmental Congress

The Minnesota Environmental Congress will be a gathering of many Minnesotans, individuals, state leaders, and agencies working to help guide Minnesota's state leaders in shaping our environmental and economic health, and creating a long term vision for clean air, clean water and clean energy in our state. Nine state agencies, environmental policy experts, business leaders, local governments, and a diverse group of citizen leaders will convene an Environmental Congress to engage Minnesotans in constructive public dialogue about our state's environmental and economic health. The actual Congress will be next year and there is more info on their website here: http://mn.gov/EnvironmentalCongress/about.html

In the meantime, MFU encourages members to attend the citizen forums that will lead up to Congress with Minnesota’s top environmental experts:

Nov. 27: Wood Lake Meeting Center, Rochester, 9:30 a.m.-12 noon
Nov. 27: Normandale Community College, Bloomington, 6:30-9 p.m.
Nov. 28: Lake Superior College, Duluth, 5:30-8 p.m.
Dec. 10: Worthington High School, 3:30-6 p.m.
Dec. 12: Stearns County Service Center, Saint Cloud, 5:30-8 p.m.
Dec. 14: Minnesota State University, Mankato, 3-5:30 p.m.

In addition to being sent to Farmers Union members, the Notes are posted to the MFU website. Petersen included news of the Congress in his November 19, 2012 Notes as well.

What Drazkowski sent us

Having read about the Citizen Forums in Greater Minnesota newspapers as well as the farm organization to which our editor belongs, Bluestem was perplexed to receive this emailed message from Representative Drazkowski:

Dear friends,

Please consider attending one of more of the forums outlined in this note (at bottom) from a handful of Governor Dayton's commissioners.

A bit of background: Last session, under Republican control, the legislature entertained legislation that would have ended the Environmental Quality Board, as it's usefulness as and agency, has been almost non-existent. Ultimately, that bill was not adopted.

With a change in control in each House of the Legislature, the government itself, accompanied by the governor and his staff, is attempting to find ways to legitimize the growing of this agency. Undoubtedly, these meetings and the March 2013 "Environmental Congress" will be used by these same government officials and extreme environmental advocates to bring forward a message to the legislature and to Minnesota that says "Minnesotans don't believe that their government is big enough or that environmental laws are stringent enough to adequately protect our resources from the people of our state."

If enacted into law, the resulting effect of these efforts will undoubtedly include the killing of even more Minnesota jobs than our high taxes and regulation in this state have already provided. The threat to property rights is very great.

As far as I can tell, the efforts by our state government to notify farmers and other business owners throughout the state, about these meetings, has been extremely limited. This may have been by design. I encourage you to attend one or more of these sessions to represent common sense in the discussions. Please notify your friends and neighbors in other parts of the state, as well.

Have a great week!

Steve.

Steve Drazkowski
State Representative
District 28B

The headnote was accompanied by this forwarded "Dear Colleague" email:

Steve Drazkowski
State Representative
District 28B
Room 401 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155-1298
Office: 651-296-2273
Fax: 651-297-7523
Sign up for email updates at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/join.asp?id=15286
>>> "Anderson, Ellen (MDA)" 11/21/12 3:30 PM >>>

November 21, 2012

Dear Rep. Steve Drazkowski,

In response to Governor Dayton's Executive Order 11-32, the Environmental Quality Board will be convening a series of Citizen Forums as part of the Minnesota Environmental Congress. We would like to welcome and encourage the participation of you and your colleagues at the local Citizen Forum events on the dates listed below.

Together, we will engage in a dialogue with Minnesotans about the current state of Minnesota's environment and the quality of life in Minnesota. We will evaluate Minnesota's performance and progress on protecting our valuable air, water, land, and energy resources. The Citizen Forums are free and open to everyone, and our goal is reach as many Minnesotans as possible. This is our state and our future - every voice matters.

Minnesota Environmental Congress - Key Dates

* Citizen Forums
* Rochester: Wood Lake Meeting Center, November 27 - 9:30am - 12:00pm
* Bloomington: Normandale Community College, November 27 - 6:30pm - 9:00pm
* Duluth: Lake Superior College, November 28 - 5:30pm - 8:00pm
* Worthington: Worthington High School, December 10 - 3:30pm - 6:00pm
* St. Cloud: Stearns County Service Center, December 12 - 5:30pm - 8:00pm
* Moorhead: Minnesota State University, December 14 - 3:00pm - 5:30pm
* Statewide Environmental Congress Coming March 2013 (date and location TBD)

The Statewide Environmental Congress event in March will gather state leaders for a one-day summit to discuss public feedback received at these six regional Citizen Forums and begin planning a blueprint for Minnesota's environmental and economic future.

For more information or to RSVP, visit: http://mn.gov/EnvironmentalCongress/ . Contact Anna Sherman with questions at 651-201-6607 or Anna.Sherman@state.mn.us.

We look forward to seeing you at a Citizen Forum event soon!

Sincerely,

David J. Frederickson, Chair
Environmental Quality Board
Commissioner, Department of Ag.

Spencer Cronk, Commissioner
Department of Administration

Brian Napstad, Chair
Board of Water and Soil Resources

Mike Rothman, Commissioner
Department of Commerce

Katie Clark, Commissioner
Department of Employment and
Economic Development

Edward P. Ehlinger, Commissioner
Department of Health

Tom Landwehr, Commissioner
Department of Natural Resources

John Linc Stine, Commissioner
Pollution Control Agency

Thomas K. Sorel, Commissioner
Department of Transportation

What the Tea Party newsletter said

Surely, rural newspapers and the Minnesota Farmers Union didn't have exclusives. Indeed,even the Rochester Tea Party Patriots' latest newsletter included notice of tomorrow's meeting in their latest newsletter:

Environmental Congress

An Environmental Congress Citizen Forum will be held at the Woodland Center in Rochester on Tuesday, Nov 27 starting at 9:30 am. The purpose is to collect citizen input on Minnesota Environmental issues and to give citizens the chance to talk with Minnesota State employees. This will likely be a put up job with a predetermined outcome, but if you can attend, it would be helpful. For details, click here.

What the Citizen Forum planners said

Seeking to reconcile Representative Drazkowski's dark vision of the motives of the Dayton administration and those scary, scary extreme environmental advocates with the wide distribution and publication of press releases and notice of the Citizen Forums and Congress, Bluestem called the EQB to ask about who had been let in on the secret.

Kate Frantz, the harried but extremely professional staffer (the EQB has exactly two people on its payroll) was packing materials for tomorrow's meeting in Rochester in her vehicle, but took time to note that the press release had been sent to news media across the state, to chambers of commerce for cities in the regions where the meetings taking place and to stakeholder email lists kept by each of the commissioners who serve on the EQB.

She directed Bluestem to Pamela McCurdy at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), who had been helping with getting the word out; McCurdy had also been monitoring social media chatter about the Citizen Forums.

McCurdy had not seen the Drazkowski email, although she did know about Thom Petersen's tweets and the Rochester Tea Party Patriot's attention to tomorrow's meeting. She noted that the MPCA's email distribution lists include farmers, since many need permits from the MPCA or have worked on watershed and water quality issues.

"Everybody's invited," McCurdy said. "We're happy the word is getting out," noting that having everyone from local soil and water boards to the Rochester Tea Party Patriots tell constituents and members to show up was what those planning the forums had in mind.

Update 11/27: Rochester Post Bulletin political reporter Heather Carlson writes in Drazkowski warns of 'extreme environmental advocates' pushing more regulation:

Ellen Anderson, senior adviser to the governor on energy and environment, said Drazkowski's assertion that notification about the meetings has been limited is "completely false." She said the board has sent out hundreds of email invitations to various stakeholders including farm groups, chambers of commerce, mining groups, environmental groups and energy groups — just to name a few.

It doesn't appear that registration is required--though it is encouraged, and the Environmental Congress page notes that the discussion will continue online:

The Citizens Forum will continue with an online forum which will be open for your follow up comments.
All of the input gathered at the Forums will be compiled and presented to the Dayton Administration at the statewide Environmental Congress. Your ideas will be used to inform the Administration’s vision and to help set their top priorities in an environment and energy blueprint for Minnesota.

If you want to know what Minnesotans have to say, we will send you the report from the citizen forums (just give us your email address) or check our website for updates. It will be delivered to state legislators and other state leaders as well.

One of the concerns was that the spaces the EQB had been able to secure for the forums would be big enough. McCurdy noted that over 100 people had RSVPed for both the morning meeting in Rochester and the evening forum in Bloomington.

Bluestem had questions about the legislation Drazkowski mentioned, but since he did not provide a House file number, it's not entirely clear what language he was refering to in his email. That mystery may be the subject of another post.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Photo: Steve Drazkowski, via the Hastings Gazette.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 26, 2012 at 11:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bluestem Prairie's winter drive: please donate

Twice each year--Bluestem asks readers who enjoy reading the blog to make a contribution if they are able. It's that time of year again. (This page will remain at the top of the blog until the "bleg" ends--those looking for new content should scroll down, or better yet, "like" our Facebook page or subscribe).

Why support an independent blog? Along with picking up rural news from Greater Minnesota newspapers, Bluestem often breaks material before more traditional media finds the story.

We started carrying round-ups from Greater Minnesota of news, editorials and letters critical of the voter restriction amendment when other Twin Cities media, blogs and tweeps still thought that rural Minnesota loved photo ID.

We were the first Minnesota blog to consistently cover the growing sandstorm over silica mining.

While other blogs still wrote under the impression that last week's random ballot pull was a break for Mary Franson's opponent, we dug into the data and calculated that the odds were in favor of her margin widening. Her margin increased by ten votes.

In the national press? Just last week, Mother Jones' Tim Murphy shared material in our Edwatch Delphi Technique post.

Our round-up on the drain of ALEC members in the Minnesota legislature was used by PRWatch's ALEC Exposed project article about ALEC losses nationwide--and appeared in online publications like TruthOut.

Just this morning, our look at Cindy Pugh's assessment of voters as " illiterate, disengaged & lazy" was picked up by the City Pages.

You get the picture--and there's more in the works--but it doesn't happen for free. That's why we depend on readers (we'd take conventional advertising--just ask) to throw a little coin this way.

Where else can you read investigative blogging--and telenovelas like Emo Senator as well?

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 26, 2012 at 02:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

P2B Strategies thanks Kurt Daudt for their time together and looks forward to working with him

Recently, Minnesota House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt told Forum Communications political reporter Don Davis that he prefers the phrase "working with" to the word "compromise":

“I don’t like to use the word ‘compromise’ because I think it is misused,” Daudt said. “I like to use words like willing to work together, and I am someone who is willing to take what I can get.”

Daudt added: “I have yet to see someone compromise here in St. Paul.”

Thus, Bluestem believes that the following email from Gregg Peppin of PSB Strategies has nothing to do with Daudt making a compromise and everything to do with working together.

Hi Ms. Sorensen,

It was brought to my attention that in a recent post you commented on Rep. Kurt Daudt's employment status with P2B Strategies. We have been very pleased to have had Kurt as part of our team. However, due to his elevation to the position of House Republican Leader, Kurt will be serving the people of Minnesota and his legislative district in this new full-time role and is no longer on the payroll of P2B Strategies. We look forward to working with Kurt to help House Republicans regain the majority in 2014.

Sincerely,

Gregg Peppin

Bluestem is happy that's resolved. No one, save perhaps Pine County GOP chair and Daudt archenemy Rudy Takala, wants Daudt to be found in a compromising position.

In Will Minority Leader Kurt Daudt remain as a senior political adviser at P2B Strategies?, Bluestem had noted that MNGOP House candidates had paid P2B Strategies nearly $250,000 for campaign-related goods and services like signs and advertising in 2012, according to reports filed with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board just before the general election.

P2B Strategies also provides clients "public affairs" services, which are not subject to disclosure or transparency laws. Peppin conducted limited lobbying of the Republican House Caucus in 2011 in order to persuade them to vote for the amendment to restrict the freedom to marry; apparently, Daudt's lobbying fell below state threshholds for registering as a lobbyist and reporting expeses.

Voters rejected the amendment, along with Republican majorities in both chambers of the Minnesota legislature, in the November 6 election.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Photos: Kurt Daudt (top); Gregg Peppin (bottom). Credits: Twin Cities Daily Planet and PIM.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 26, 2012 at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Update from Max Hailperin: just how thankful should state rep Mary Franson be for her luck?

On Thanksgiving, Bluestem posted Holiday post: just how thankful should Representative Mary Franson be for her luck?, which Gustavus math and computer science prof Max Hailperin calculated the odds of the shift to an eleven-vote margin for Representative Mary Franson (R-Douglas County) following a random pull of thirty-five ballots cast in three precincts in Douglas County.

Hailperin was concerned about the quality of his data because of frequent statistical differences between absentee and non-absentee ballots. As it turns out, the difference matters. Here's his update:

I got the data from Douglas County regarding the non-absentee ballots that were involved in the court-ordered ballot reduction process. As is quite typical, the non-absentee ballots were statistically rather different from the absentee ballots. Also, the total pool of ballots subject the the random selection was smaller than I had assumed in my preliminary numbers, because the absentee ballots weren't included. Putting those together, the net result is that Rep. Franson wasn't quite so lucky as I had initially given her credit for being, but still was lucky.

Where I had previously said 17%, the correct number is 24%.

Where I previously said 4.2, the correct number is 5.5.

Where I previously said 74%, the correct number is 81%.

Each of the two places I previously said 5%, the correct number is 4%.

Where I previously said 21%, the correct number is 15%.

Finally, where I said 16%, the correct number is 11%.

All of these numbers are cross-checked using both my original simulation approach (one million trials) and the more exact sum-of-hypergeometrics approach.

Whatever the odds, Bluestem is certain that Franson is thankful for the widened margin. It's unlikely that the recount will reverse the winner in the race, though not impossible.

The original post:

Bluestem hopes all readers are enjoying the holiday rituals of their choice. We're grateful readers, especially ones like Max Hailperin, who has calculated the odds for the new margin in yesterday's Franson-Cunniff ballot pull.

He concludes: " In my simulations, a change at least this favorable to her occurred 17% of the time. That's a small enough percentage that she should definitely be thankful for good luck, but not so small as to cast any doubt on the proceedings."

That's about 1 in 6 odds that the change in the margin would have been at least this favorable to Representative Franson.

Hailperin writes:

Programming a computer simulation of the random ballot withdrawal is a comparatively simple matte.

For each of the three precincts in question, I made a list of simulated ballots with the appropriate mixture of them marked for Cunniff, Franson, and neither. I then had my computer repeat one million times the same procedure the Douglas County Canvassing Board used. That is, it randomly selected 26 ballots from W1P1, 3 from W3, and 6 from W5P2.

In each of these million simulated cases, I had the computer total up what the positive or negative change to Franson's vote margin was, which was the number of withdrawn Cunniff ballots minus the number of withdrawn Franson ballots. (Withdrawn ballots marked for neither of the two candidates didn't affect the answer.)

My simulation assumed that all the ballots recorded for a particular precinct were eligible for random selection, independent of whether they were cast at the polling place or by absentee ballot. In reality, I would assume the canvassing board would have just drawn the 26, 3, or 6 ballots from those cast at the polling place. I don't currently have any way to rectify this error in my simulation because I don't have access to the vote counts for just the non-absentee ballots. These are a matter of public record -- in fact, a copy of the machine tapes showing these numbers is taped to the outside door of each polling place at the completion of the poll-closing activities. However, they are not so easily available. The Secretary of State's web site shows the votes after the separately-counted absentee ballots are added in.

As you know, the actual change in Franson's favor was 10 votes. In my simulations, a change at least this favorable to her occurred 17% of the time. That's a small enough percentage that she should definitely be thankful for good luck, but not so small as to cast any doubt on the proceedings.

For additional context, the average change over the million simulations was about 4.2 votes in her favor. She increased her margin by at least 1 vote in 74% of the simulations and broke even in 5%. Thus, there was about a 21% chance that Cunniff might have been the net winner of this ballot reduction process.

However, had this happened, his gain would almost surely not have been so large -- less than 1% of the time did he gain by 10 or more votes.

In fact, if he were to come out ahead at all, the most likely case would be to just counteract Franson's original 1 vote margin; that happened in about 5% of the simulations. That leaves only about a 16% chance that Cunniff would have headed into the recount in the lead.

The ballots now head to an automatic recount.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Photo: Representative Mary Franson.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 26, 2012 at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

That was then, this is now: Mn House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt on "compromise"

If there's one thing Republicans will tell you about themselves, it's that they never waver on principles and so don't want anyone redefining words.

Witness "marriage" in the recent constitutional amendment on the ballot.

Voters didn't so much buy that, rejecting two Republican-sponsored amendment and enough of those principled denotative types that the DFL now controls both houses of the Minnesota legislature--lost to the left in 2010--as well as the Governor's office, which Mark Dayton captured that year.

One of the hazards of this new fortune? Sophomore state representative Kurt Daudt (R-Crown), an assistant minority leader in his freshman term, is now Minority Leader.

Daudtful of "compromise"

Daudt recently told Forum Communications political reporter Kurt Daudt that he knows his place--and given the size of their majority, House Democrats won't have much use for his caucus until bonding time, when approval requires more votes than the number of Democrats in the lower chamber.

And "compromise"? In Minnesota Political Notebook: GOP leader in Minn. House understands his place, Daudt tells Davis he doesn't use that word much, since he's never seen a person compromise in St. Paul:

After that 2010 election, some Minnesota Republican lawmakers thought “compromise” was a dirty word, citing voters’ support of their economic policies as a reason not to compromise with liberal Gov. Mark Dayton on tax and spending policies.

The incoming GOP House leader avoids the word “compromise” for a different reason.

“I don’t like to use the word ‘compromise’ because I think it is misused,” Daudt said. “I like to use words like willing to work together, and I am someone who is willing to take what I can get.”

Daudt added: “I have yet to see someone compromise here in St. Paul.”

How nice.

2011: Daudt "learned what compromise is"

Daudt seems to have compromised his definition of the word since a July 15, 2011 interview with Tom Crann on Minnesota Public Radio. MPR interview Daudt and veteran DFL state senator Sandy Pappas throughout the 2011 session.

In Q & A: Budget deal lawmakers Kurt Daudt and Sandra Pappas, we hear this exchange (transcription by Bluestem):

Crann: On the start of the third week of Minnesota's government shutdown, it looks like there's an end in sight. Legislators are working with Governor Dayton's administration to hammer out details of the budget outline agreement announced yesterday.

They're working with a ten o'clock deadline tonight to hammer those details out. Republican leaders say it could take days to finish writing those bills but once they're done, the Governor is expected to call a special session to get them passed.

Throughout the regular session, we've been checking in with a couple of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. We're checking back in with them now that there is a budget deal announced, on the table and now that the shutdown could end. First, freshman Republican state representative Kurt Daudt joins me in the studio. He's an Assistant Majority Leader from Isanti [County]. Good to have you to here. . . .

Crann: So, a lot of disappointment. It seems like yesterday's announcment of this--it was not a joyous toned event, so I'm wondering first what do you both think of the deal? And I'll start with Representative Daudt.

Daudt: Well, you know, this is obviously all new for me as a freshman, and I've learned what compromise is. It's not certainly the deal that I would have, if I could have dictated this from the beginning, it's not the deal I would have chosen.

ButI think the one thing we can all agree upon now is everybody wants to end the shutdown as soon as possible, so if this is the deal that gets us there, it certainly the direction we have to move.

Crann: Senator Pappas?

Pappas: I'm sorry, I don't know what the representative is talking about in terms of compromise because it seems to me the Republican leaders just kept saying the same thing over and over and calling it a compromise. That's not a compromise. Compromise is when you make an offer, when you respond to the other side's offers, and I felt like Governor Dayton kept trying to get an offer and in the end was just negotiating with himself.

Crann: But in the end, how do you feel about the deal?

Pappas: I think it's a terrible deal. I think it's terrible for the future of Minnesota. It's a terrible idea to borrow against the future, both from the schools and from the tobacco endowment. I don't think there's any--as we talk about long-term reform, I don't think there's any in it. I think a lot of people are going to be hurt.

We had short-term pain with the shutdown and now we're going to have longterm pain as people get laid-off permanently from their jobs.

Crann: Representative Daudt, what do you make of that charge that the Governor here and the Democrats compromised more than Republicans. Where was the compromise for Republicans?

Daudt: Well, Tom, as I've learned as I gotten down here, there's two sides to every story, and we see that much differently. Obviously, the compromise for us, we don't like the education shift, it's not something that is responsible, the Governor proposed a 50-50 shift, we thought that was very irresponsible. The compromise was, currently we're at 70-30, he proposed 50-50, we met him in the middle at a compromise of 60-40 and you know, I received hundreds of emails asking me to compromise and when we do it . . .

Here's the audio, where Daudt uses the word "compromise":

Daudt introduced the word, and defended its use.

Nor is this the only example of where Daudt talks about compromises. In response to a constituent's letter, Daudt wrote:

Brett,

I have participated directly in compromise and negotiations that have helped move us extremely close to agreement on our budget, and I remain willing to get together and continue the process toward a budget agreement. However, Governor Dayton has not given his commissioners permission to resume negotiations, and I am not sure when we will have the next opportunity. There needs to be a greater sense of urgency to get this done!

I encourage you to read the St. Paul Pioneer Press editorial from Saturday. It contains important facts about our compromise and proposal: http://www.twincities.com/opinion/ci_18442599. It is hard to argue we have not met the Governor half way — at a time when Minnesota’s financial and economic condition makes that extremely difficult. . . .

Bluestem suspects that a communications staffer or consultant has recommended that Daudt avoid the word "compromise" and instead blither on about "working together with" the Democratic majorities.

Having learned the meaning and value of compromise in his first term, he does seem to have stricken the word as his second begins.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Photo: Kurt Daudt via Peter Bartz-Gallagher at PIM.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 25, 2012 at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Cindy Pugh warns Tea Party about threat of illiterate, disengaged & lazy voters--and Muslims

In a “Where Do We Go From Here?” panel on November 19, state representative-elect Cindy Pugh (R-33B) shared her thoughts with the SW Metro Tea Party, a group she co-founded.

While the group has yet to post video of the event, it has posted minutes. From those minutes, here's the introduction along with the summary of what Pugh had to say:

Tonight’s program, “Where Do We Go From Here?” featured a panel discussion with Mary Amlaw, Paul Carlson, David Fitzsimmons and Cindy Pugh. There was an individual presentation from each panel member and then questions were taken from the audience. .

. . .Cindy Pugh has optimism despite the election. Cindy listed the threats we face: (1) An illiterate, disengaged and lazy electorate. (2) The physical size and scope of our government. (3) The media. (4) The progressive movement – on both sides of the aisle. (5) The infiltration of the Muslim brotherhood.

Cindy encouraged us to bounce right back, be proud of 2010, to wake up as many people as possible. What we can do: (1) Set sights on 2014 with confidence. (2) Focus locally. The campaign starts now. Promote freedom and liberty. (3) Arm ourselves with knowledge … definition of terms, the treaties in which the Senate may vote away our sovereignty, Agenda 21. (4) Look into the other side’s narrative – what their talking points are. (5) Look into the Social Studies Standards at Education Liberty Watch and how our history is being rewritten in textbooks. (6) Pay attention to what the coalition of 57 Muslim nations is doing to promote law through the UN.

That's quite the agenda, contrasting sharply with the summary of what Dave Fitzsimmons, the other representative-elect on the panel had to say:

David Fitzsimmons described the Left’s way of operating and recommends that the Right has to set long-term goals and make a plan to achieve them.

Since the minutes were posted on a group Pugh leads, Bluestem will assume that Pugh is comfortable with the representation of her remarks. We look forward to watching the video.

Will she be as unbridled in her observations when she takes to the floor of the Minnesota House? Bloggers of all stripes can only hope. There's nothing like a good round of a politician calling voters illiterate and lazy to build traffic.

On the other hand, when out in public during the campaign, Pugh was careful to only attack unions and other less controversial targets, as she did it this "Meet Your Candidates" appearance on LMCC Community TV with host Randy Gilbert.

This isn't the first time Pugh has focused on Muslims. The City Pages' Gregory Pratt looked at her personal Facebook page early last summer and saw an interesting visual. Pugh has since upped her privacy settings.

The Chanhassen Tea Party Republican beat moderate state representative Steve Smith for endorsement in the newly configured district, then won a decisive primary win over Smith in August. She defeated DFL opponent Denise Bader in all but 5 of 21 precincts in traditionally deep-red western Hennepin County and Carver County's Chanhassen. Other than Amy Klobuchar, no Democrat won in a partisan race in the state house district, though Pugh's opponent slightly outperformed the Obama-Biden ticket.

It's movie night tomorrow when Pugh's Tea Party chapter will gather at the Chanhassen Rec Center to view “The Determinators” and Bill Whittle’s “Firewall: What We Believe." Bluestem is especially fond of a segment from the latter on immigration, when Whittle recommends posting the addresses of SB1070 critics Jessica Alba and Lady Gaga, so he can go raid their refrigerators (beginning 4:30 in). We recommend getting your paws on the meat-dress leftovers, you little monsters!

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Photo: Cindy Pugh, America's Anti-Muslim Sweetheart and so much the shield against Agenda 21 paving your bike paths.

Cindy Pugh's Tea Party: Agenda 21 presentation by Bircher on July 16 at Chanhassen Rec Center

What's so extreme about Cindy Pugh? Curtis Bowers in SWM Tea Party's latest video, for one

Curtis Bowers update: "Agenda" shown at tonight's SW Metro Tea Party movie night; Bowers speaks July 11 in Chanhassen

Missing in Minnpost: Are Quistian soldiers training at Tea Party Agenda 21 bootcamps yet?

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 25, 2012 at 01:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

"Overreach" making rounds: elections pave way for Social Democrat liberal arts university utopia

One of the emerging narratives about the coming legislative session is that Minnesota's DFLers better not do too much with their mandate.

The Star Tribune editorial board jumped right in on November 7 with New DFL majorities shouldn't overreach:

...DFLers would do well to learn from the GOP's missteps. Like the Republicans two years ago, they too will experience pressure from their supporters to advance an agenda that only one party backs. Higher-income taxes on the rich would be on such an agenda. So would a move toward a single-payer approach to health care....

And yesterday, the Associated Press's Patrick Condon wrote in Minnesota DFL leaders must guard against overreach:

After a full two decades of divided state government in St. Paul, the three Democrats setting the agenda at Minnesota's Capitol starting in January must prove the party can take advantage of what may be a once-in-a-generation opportunity....

When the 2013 Legislature convenes in January, Minnesota Republicans will be totally locked out of power the first time since 1990. At the forefront of the debate among Democrats will be the need to eliminate another projected state budget deficit, likely through a mix of spending cuts and new sources of revenue. Dayton is expected to push for an income tax increase on the state's wealthiest citizens, the goal that defined his 2010 candidacy and his first year in office.

Democrats will be under pressure to spend more on public schools and provide property tax relief after making it a goal for the last decade. Liberal Democrats in the new Legislature could push left-leaning causes, from unionizing home child care workers to legalizing gay marriage....

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk promises he won't reach for too much:

"Voters rolled the dice on one-party control because they were tired of the gridlock and the fighting and nothing getting done," said Bakk, whose sprawling Senate district covers a large portion of northeastern Minnesota. "There are a lot of people who think we will overreach. Those people don't know me."

Republicans interviewed for the article seemed to favor differnt odds, but nobody quite reached around for the benchmark put forth by Morris Sun reader Steve Fults of Donnelly, Minnesota. In his letter to the editor, Congratulations Democrats, Fults writes:

You got rid of most of the conservative Republicans in the state. Now you liberals will be free to raise the state budget billions of dollars. Our schools and teachers will have unlimited funding, there will be plenty of money for state programs and universities. There might even be free funding for students to go to liberal arts universities where learning the evils of capitalism and how to become a social Democrat is a top priority. The best part is it will all be funded by taxing those evil job creating corporations. I'm sure we will all get the promised tax cuts and finally have utopia.

Morris is home the University of Minnesota's liberal arts college.

Photo: A new plan for the Morris campus, now that Democrats are here invest in some infrastructure.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 24, 2012 at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

PB Answer Man: Rochester-based Americans Against Agenda 21 freak out about zoning

The defeat of Allen Quist and a whole pot of teabags in this month's election hasn't ended anti-Agenda 21 phobes from carrying on.

Witness a recent "Answer Man" column in the Rochester Post Bulletin.

In Answer Man: Local group concerned about Agenda 21, the columnist writes:

Dear Answer Man, who put up the billboard near the Post-Bulletin that says, "Imaging Vision Plans are wrong for our neighborhoods"?

The web address on the sign is for Americans Against Agenda 21, a local website and organization that's concerned about a lot of things having to do with property rights, zoning and government planning. The common denominator seems to be "Agenda 21," one of the bogeymen of far-right conservatives who, in a nutshell, fear the United Nations is going to take over the world.

I've written previously about local agitation about Agenda 21, but this website, with long blog posts by people such as Mike LaPlante, president of the Eastside Pioneers Neighborhood Association, helps to explain where they're coming from. The billboard refers to the "imagining" and "visioning" programs in Rochester neighborhoods, which are grassroots-oriented, citizen-led efforts to prepare for future growth by getting input, making recommendations and getting plans in place.

Read the rest there. Answer Man concludes:

There's nothing sinister or New World Order-ish about urban planning issues, zoning decisions and historic preservation ordinances. But you're welcome to check out the website and form your own opinion.

After reviewing the site, Bluestem concludes that for some Americans, fear of Blue Helmets readily prompts the donning of tinfoil. We just can't wait until they discover John Birch write-ups sounding the alarm about the Delphi Technique.

Photo: from the Americans Against Agenda 21 website.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 24, 2012 at 10:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hacks & flacks: reports reveal Sutton stiffed Thompson along with other MNGOP creditors

Over at LeftMN, Steve Timmer writes about the decision of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board on a complaint Common Cause of Minnesota filed against the Republican Party and state senator Dave Thompson. From LeftMN:

This is, of course, a problem, not only for regulators and law enforcement, but also for members and contributors to the MNGOP. Well, and to anybody else concerned about what the MNGOP was buying with its money — if, indeed, anything. Among those who might be concerned are probably the fifteen counties, four law firms, a printing company and a couple of PR firms that the MNGOP stiffed in 2010 (scroll down to the very last page of the fourth restatement of the 2010 report to the CFB dated July 25, 2012).
But Tony Sutton was able to find the money to pay Dave. [emphasis added]

Sadly, no. Thompson's fees are listed as debts on federal reports at the close of 2010 and beyond, though not state reports to which Timmer directs his readers (which was rather one of the points of the Common Cause complaint after all).

The Republican Party of Minnesota stiffed Dave in 2010 too, as Bluestem first noted back in June 2011 in From the fascinating FEC reports of the Republican Party of Minnesota: of counties, committees, and candidates.

Since Timmer doesn't link to the FEC reports, Bluestem will review the case, lest the other Sutton era unpaid creditors feel Thompson got ahead in line for that red money.

As we shall see, the counties have been paid (with the exception of Cook) and with two exceptions, the other creditors are Republican law firms and flacks.

In short, they're a lot like Thompson.

Like Thompson, they're creditors at the end of 2010--and party hacks. Not necessarily the sort of victims that should raise your outrage because somehow Thompson got the better deal from Sutton, whatever professional sympathy Timmer may feel for his fellow members of the bar.

Let's review.

Sutton stiffs Thompson in 2010

According to the debts listed in party's end of year FEC filing:

David Thompson

P.O. Box 1201
Lakeville, Minnesota 55044

10

7500.00

General Party Media Consulting

As the state investigation notes, Thompson got another contract. Sutton paid the 2010 debt in April, 2011, but not the new, as we reported in June 2011:

In the next amended report for the RPM(Febuary 2011), also filed on April 25, 2011, Dave Thompson was owed $18750.00 during the month of January. Thus, one might infer that the Republican Party of Minnesota retained Senator Thompson for $11,250 worth of additional services for "General Party Media Consulting." Thompson was not paid in January 2011 though March 2011 for any of the 2010 debt.

This changes in the May report, which details financial activity during April 2011. Thompson received two equal payments during April for the $7500 owed for 2010, when he was a candidate and consultant, while the $11,250 of consulting work from January 2011 remains charged as a debt.

Tony Sutton never did manage to pay off the entire debt to Thompson. Sutton resigned from the chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota in early December, and current party chair Pat Shortage took over On December 31, 2011.

In the party's 2011 year-end report, which covers the month of December 2011, the Republican Party of Minnesota remains $7700.00 in hock to Thompson. According to the Campaign Finance Board, Thompson ended up giving that to the RPM as an in-kind contribution:

He had an outstanding invoice with RPM of $7,700 as of December 2011. He has given that $7,700 to the Party as an in-kind contribution.

And those other 2010 creditors? Did Sutton ever pay? Maybe some, depending how one looks at it. For instance, the Emmer for Governor campaign committee is credited with a $13,038.65 in-kind expenditure for recount fees to all but one of fifteen counties the LeftMN mentions.

Some might consider that as Sutton paying, but from this distance, it looks like the Emmer for Governor committee paid for those Sutton debts to the counties, just as Thompson ended up forgiving a sliver of party debt to him.

Here are the 2010 debts:

The 2011 debts:

Of course, these are just the state-level committee debts.

But let's check those out. AVVR is a live-media service company and Rapit Printing, a locally-owned business.

Those poor. poor lawyers and flacks: victims all (yeah okay)

The other creditors have the sort of political ties that Thompson had--for LeftMN to leave the crony connections out might make Thompson appear to be a greater cad, paid at expense of hard-working lawyers and flacks, but a closer look is more rewarding, as it illustrates in even greater depth the culture of corruption during the Sutton years.

Capitol Direct, one of those poor stiffed victims cited by Timmer, is owned by state senator Chris Gerlach. The Pioneer Press reported in March 2102 that Senator Chris Gerlach to retire amid questions of conflict:

Gerlach's direct-mail business, Capitol Direct, was paid by lobbying firm Freedom [Club] to print a letter sent to Republicans in the Legislature, said Mike Dean, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota. The letter urged support of a state constitutional amendment to ban requiring workers to join and pay dues in unionized workplaces.

Here, as with Thompson, Sutton was stiffing one of his own, a mail house owned by a state senator. And Strother Communications? Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck and Catharine Rockert reported in Chairman's spending decisions on insiders helped lead to GOP debt:

A Republican leader with 25 years of hard-earned respect from the party that prides itself on fiscal discipline, awarded contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to consultants, lawmakers, candidates and party insiders over the course of nearly 30 months as state party chairman, contributing to the financial wreckage the party is trying to fix today.....

Strother Communications earned $221,000 and is owed an additional $52,446....

Strother's work is a good illustration of how the party at times contracted with people who had close ties to Sutton.

After becoming close with Aanestad through party activities, Sutton initially hired him in June 2009 to serve as the party's communications director. But one day later, Sutton said Aanestad was not going to serve in that role because of "business commitments."

Subsequently, Aanestad introduced Sutton to Strother and encouraged him to hire Strother's firm to rebrand the party, Sutton explained. In early October of 2009, Strother Communications got its first check from the party.. . .

The MPR report also goes into the debts owed to the Trimble Law Firmm which like Thompson and Strother was paid in part:

Trimble & Associates, a legal firm owned by Tony Trimble, saw the Republican Party through two election recounts and a redistricting battle. Since 2008, the firm has made more than $1 million from the party, much of it stemming from the eight-month U.S. Senate recount between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken. Franken ultimately won the election.

The Republican Party still owes Trimble's firm $330,000 for work during the 2010 gubernatorial recount between the GOP's Tom Emmer and DFLer Mark Dayton, according to state party leaders. But those leaders are challenging the expense, and questioning Sutton's role in obligating the party to pay it.

In short, it doesn't look like Sutton gave Thompson a privileged position over other political and legal hacks the Republican Party hired. Most were cronies who got a share of the action and like Thompson, remain unpaid or forgiving. With the exception of Cook County, Emmer's committee took care of the outstanding debts to the counties.

An AV firm and a printing company remain unpaid.

The Thompson contract illustrates the culture of cronism that thrived under Sutton, as well as the sloppy bookkeeping. It doesn't demonstrate special treatment for Thompson, beyond that received by the rest of the cronies.

We agree with LeftMN and Joe Repya on one thing: an audit of the Sutton years is probably not forthcoming.

Image: The ever-green Sutton peso bill, by Tild. Everytime we think we've gotten what we can from that investment, something else comes out.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar below. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 24, 2012 at 05:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good luck with that: Bachmann's "pray away the gay" sidekick Janet Boynes urges church unity

While Senator Scott Newman (R-McLeod Cuckooland) and timid Democrats are warning against action on striking down Minnesota's law banning same-sex marriage, Bachmann's "pray away the gay" sidekick Janet Boynes writes in Charisma Magazine that it's already here.

In Should the Church Teach Against Homosexuality?, Boyne writes:

There is strength in numbers, but in the past election the numbers weren't on the side of those who care about Christian values. The lack of unity in the church has caused us to lose ground in the fight to keep the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman.

This election saw residents of Minnesota, Maryland, Maine and Washington all vote their approval of same-sex marriage. Statistics suggest that even many self-identified Christians joined in this approval, while other believers either didn't vote or chose to remain silent on the issue in the run-up to the ballots. Where is the wisdom in all of this? If the Bible says that the “fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111:10), then it is clear that as a nation we have lost the fear of God.

As the presence of Pastor Grant Stevensen, the Lutheran minister who headed Minnesotans United for All Families organizing in the faith communities, might suggest, maybe not.

But more importantly, we Minnesotans weren't voting to allow cute boys and strong women to marry; we were voting to stop folks like Boyne from hijacking our liberities by enshrining marriage inequality in the state constitution. Marriage freedom is next.

Minnesota-based Boyne's solution to the spectre of gay bridal registries? Outreach to suffering LGBTQ folk:

This issue is not about being black, white, Hispanic, Asian, or any other race or ethnicity. This is about winning souls and discipling those who come to Christ. Across the nation our churches are filled with tens of thousand of Christians who are afraid to reach out to those who are caught in the bondage of homosexuality, tell them there is hope and healing in Christ, and then walk that road to wholeness alongside them.

Uh-huh. Bluestem doesn't inquire into the romantic practices of our queer friends, so we simply can't speculate whether bondage is involved or not. While the fetish of observing such things (especially if the boys are ripped) holds a certain amount of intellectual charm, friends know we're not really into spectator sports.

And Boyne suggests that Christians get some unity:

Dear believer, how are we going to deal with this issue in our churches, in our communities and in our nation? Will history say we fought the good fight to push back the forces of darkness? Or will we ultimately be condemned as cowards?

It's time that a united church body across the land stand up for righteousness and align ourselves with God's truth. We are called to love all, and we must never compromise on that command. But in loving the lost we must also not compromise on the rest of Scripture, which makes it clear that while God is merciful, He is also just and will ultimately punish those who are living in sin.

Call it the Disciple and Punish movement, or salvation of docile bodies by the divine panopticon.

Given the massive investments of money, volunteer time and brand reputation that the Catholic Church and its allies in the faith community burned in their failed attempt to pass the amendment, we can only only wonder how Boynes missed the unity of the anti-gay church.

The panopticon: or, eye on Boynes

According to Dump Bachmann, which has been keeping an eye on Boyne for the last 10 million news cycles, the gay whisperer last surfaced during the national media's investigations into Marcus Bachmann's mental health clinic.

DB noted in News Media Feeding Frenzy Continues on the Bachmann Clinic that a report on Anderson Cooper brought up Boynes:

The report mentions Bachmann's ex-lesbian sidekick Janet Boynes. The clinic was apparentlly recommending Boynes as a "mentor".

In a 2009 post, Stop drinking. Get help for traumas. Heck, stop having gay sex. But stop linking these disconnected elements!, Good As You's Jeremy Hooper points out:

If there was even ONE self-declared "ex-gay" who didn't marry their supposed "change" out of homosexuality with their concurrent move away from things like drug abuse, past traumas, promiscuity, and clubbing, then that movement wouldn't come across quite as misguidedly. But that is NEVER the case. The standard "ex-gay" script always details their "conversion" as being not only a move away from simply their attractions to the same gender. Instead, their "godly intervention" is presented as a move away from a whole host of behaviors and traumas that they present as innately connected to homosexuality, full well knowing that such a presentation will much more fully stigmatize LGBT people (the primary goal of a movement that identifies themselves not as what they currently claim to be, but as a 'former' member of the community they are now politically opposing). . . .

. . .. "Ex-gay" is not just a program of "helping" the "poor, immoral, deviant" gay folk. This is a thoroughly political movement that is meant to tell every aspect of society that while heterosexuality is perfectly normal and in-born, homosexuality is a choice/mistake/aberration in need of "changing." Why do you think the anti-gay groups invest so much money in it? It's because they want it need it to be successful in order to justify how they can, in good evangelical conscience, discriminate against queer people. if it's a "choice" to be gay, then they can keep the "love the sinner, hate the sin" nonsense alive. And if they can marriage gay sex and its associated orientation with far more universally relatable concepts like drugs and partying, then they can keep the "gay lifestyle is evil" meme alive in many social conservatives' heads. These folks don't need to meet an actual living, breathing LGBT person: Focus on the Family has already told them all that they think they need to know.

Boyne's personal story fits this pattern--and one thing Bluestem has noticed is that Boyne's ministry deploys the discourse of an abuser.

There's a whole lot from Boyne and her kindred about punishment and control, while the notion of love--like the Catholic preferential option for the poor-- among these communities seems to have fled to shelter in the mysterious Lacunae of the Blessed.

Who would have guessed?

More human sexuality theory from Charisma Magazine

Charisma Magazine, source of Boyne's recent column, also shares some rather curious theories about the origins of affectional orientation. In a recent article, Can You Be Raped by the Devil?, readers learn:

As bizarre as it sounds, those who minister to people in occult bondage say it's more common than you think.

For nearly two decades, Contessa Adams felt as though she had no power against the demonic violators of her body. She felt trapped in secrecy and shame and knew that the demons tormenting her wanted things to stay that way.

But God had another agenda for Adams when she found Christ in 1979. The former stripper has a ministry through which she exposes one of Satan's darkest secrets—sexual demons

. . .The two most identifiable sexual demons are the incubus, which is a male sexual demon that traditionally assaults women, and the succubus, which is a female sexual demon that assaults men. Sometimes they also lure people into homosexual behavior. . . .

Adams says the succubus spirit that used to attack her confused her so much that she contemplated becoming a lesbian.

For ourselves, Bluestem will be sticking to the pleasures of zombie movies on Netflix, while keeping an eye out on the body of believers who read Charisma.

Blog begathon: Bluestem is supported by reader contributions. If you liked this post, consider throwing some coin to the tip jar below. If you don't like using PayPal, email at the address on this page for a snail mail address. We'll be running our twice-yearly "bleg" though Christmas.

Cartoon: Janet Boyne, by Ken Avidor.

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Nov 24, 2012 at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Amount Expended = 28999.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = 282738.63

Amount Expended = 28999.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = 183747.80

Amount Expended = 28999.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = 311737.63

Amount Expended = 28999.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = 504183.40

Amount Expended = 28999.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = 43935.74