Just when Bluestem was getting over the defamation of Alexandria's Big Ole and settling into the notion of a Kale Art show reception tonight in Fergus Falls, the Minnesota House DFL Communications tossed this press release in our inbox:
Rep. Atkins challenges Republicans to “Paul Bunyan sized” wager over the release of MNsure rate
Saint Paul, Minnesota - This Friday, September 6th, the Minnesota Department of Commerce will release information on rates for health insurance that will be sold on the MNsure health insurance exchange. State Rep. Joe Atkins (DFL- Inver Grove Heights) is proposing a friendly wager to Republicans like Rep. Kurt Zellers and Sen. Dave Thompson who have said they would scrap the health insurance exchange, largely due to the skyrocketing premiums they have predicted.
“Governor Dayton has said setting up the MNsure insurance marketplace was a ‘gamble’ and I happen to believe it is one that will pay off. The Governor's leadership and the legislature’s efforts will help Minnesota families and businesses find high quality health insurance they can afford,” said Atkins. “Republicans have a different opinion and I am inviting them to join me in a friendly wager over whose prediction is accurate.”
Since the legislature passed the legislation to set up MNsure, the rates of insurance sold on the exchange have been a hotly debated subject with Republican legislators predicting massive premium increases across the state. At a recent forum, Rep. Kurt Zellers and Sen. Dave Thompson said they would scrap the exchange entirely, because as Rep. Zellers said, “it isn’t going to work.”
State Rep. Joe Atkins, chief author of health exchange legislation, is inviting Rep. Zellers and Sen. Thompson to raise the stakes with a “Paul Bunyan (shirt) sized” wager.
“I think we’re going to find out on Friday that this new, competitive MNsure marketplace is going to make Minnesota a nationwide leader in affordable health insurance and if I am wrong, I’ll wear a Paul Bunyan flannel shirt to the Capitol during the special legislative session next Monday,” said Atkins. “But if Rep. Zellers and Sen. Thompson’s predictions of skyrocketing health insurance premiums are wrong, then they get to don Paul Bunyan’s trademark ‘red-and-black’ flannel..”
Atkins said he expected Rep. Zellers and Sen. Thompson would take him up on his friendly wager.
“Republicans have boasted for months about the colossal failure they expect from MNsure,” said Atkins. “Given their Blue Ox-sized confidence, I would guess they would jump at the opportunity to prove who is telling ‘tall tales’ about MNsure's rates."
Bluestem believes that the challenge would be more newsworthy if Atkins had asked the loser to wear a Paul Bunyan shirt while singing the Monty Python lumberjack song. The members of the state patrol who supply security at the capitol could take the place of the singing Mounties, and either Carly Melin or Peggy Scott could play the admiring "girlie" depending on whose side lost.
Such a show would definitely raise awareness of MNSure, although Bluestem is at a loss about how it might help farmers with the new equipment tax.
The famous Lumberjack Song:
Image: video still from the MnSure public awareness campaign.
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