A Fargo man was arrested after police say he broke into car wash and church early Sunday morning and burned pages from a Bible to stay warm.
Chance Zahn, 21, faces two counts of burglary and one count of arson after the incidents.
Fargo Police Sgt. Mike Bernier said police were called to Don's Car Wash at 2500 52nd Ave. S. around 4:20 a.m. for an alarm.
When they got to the business, they found a window had been broken and, after investigation inside, police found a pile of wet clothing and evidence that led them to the roof of the building.
Video surveillance at Don's Car Wash suggests that the roof door closed and locked behind Zahn, forcing him to slide to the ground without his wet clothes.
Police say Zahn ran across the street to Sts. Anne & Joachim Church at 5202 25th St. S.
Officers found broken glass from a window at the church and called for a police dog and perimeter to be set up. A short time later, Zahn came around the corner and was arrested, police said.
A police report suggests Zahn was intoxicated and possibly trying to get shelter from the cold.
Inside the church, police say Zahn had ripped pages out of a Bible and started them on fire.
We suspect that Jesus would have something kind to say about clothing the naked and from the looks of the mug shot, Chance received an orange jumpsuit at the Cass County Jail.
Photo: Chance Zain's mugshot, via the Fargo Forum.
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Minnesotans will caucus at their local precinct meeting places on Tuesday, and another loud voice joins that of Governor Chris Christie and robocalls from a SuperPAC related to the white supremacist American Freedom Party in urging us to caucus for Donald Trump.
Remember. You don’t need to be a registered Republican to vote next week on super Tuesday. Don’t take the easy way out and assume everyone else will be voting for your guy. Find your local caucus at this location and then go vote for TRUMP! http://caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us/ Trumps funding his own campaign so he’s not bought and paid for, like all the rest of them.
Other Tea Party and Tea Party Patriot chapters in Minnesota haven't endorsed any single candidate, but the guys who think stealth "Islamic refugees" are sneaking in Morrison County are down with The Donald. (Bluestem has been assured that no one of any race, color or creed is sneaking into Morrison County, and having visited it, we fully understand.)
We do urge Minnesotans to be good citizens and caucus for the candidate of their choice.
Photo: Little Falls.
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The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced Wednesday it would stop work on the Zip Rail project, pending a vote by the Olmsted County Regional Rail Authority on Tuesday. A resolution before the county board would suspend work on the Zip Rail project "for the indefinite future," citing the private-sector efforts. MnDOT also revealed it had approved miscellaneous work permits for the North American High Speed Rail Group, allowing the private company to move ahead with a feasibility study along the proposed high-speed rail corridor.
Here are the documents, obtained by a reader via a Data Practice Request:
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To at least some rather sketchy Donald Trump backers, the fact that two Cuban-American conservatives are seriously figuring in the run for the White House is apparently nothing to celebrate.
A couple of Trump supporters with what critics say are racist backgrounds are putting out calls to their followers not to vote for the billionaire’s main rivals for the GOP presidential nomination, Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, because they are Cuban-American.
Yes, they went there.
“Don’t vote for a Cuban,” warns a new robocall that was going out to Minnesota and Vermont voters in support of Trump, the Daily Beast reported earlier this week. Behind the call is a super PAC tied to a white nationalist party. Trump has previously disavowed past calls by the super PAC in Iowa, and there is no evidence linking his campaign and the PAC.
Hibbing resident Roberta Maki, a registered DFLer, said she was shocked by the rhetoric when she played it back on her voice mail.
"It was just sort of surprising, because it's very brazen," said Maki, who thinks she was accidentally added to a GOP mailing list. "It was unbelievable. Somebody had to write this down, and it's not just a rant." . . .
State Rep. Carly Melin, DFL-Hibbing, took to Twitter to inform her followers that she'd also received the call, and recorded the message on her phone. Rochester residents also reported on social media that they'd also been targeted by the group. . . .
As a point of fact, Minnesota does not ask voters to register along partisan lines. Instead, voters motivated to caucus pick one party; primaries are open, but a voter must vote only for candidates in one party.
That being said, we're curious if any caucusing Republicans are getting these calls. As KEYC-TV reported last night, both Rubio and Cruz enjoy support among party activists and elected leaders. [end update]
I got a white supremacist robocall tonight. I don't mean they alluded to things that lead me to believe they were white supremacist, I mean it was literally a message about the supremacy of the white race and why I should caucus for Donald Trump. I know Mr. Trump is not paying for them but he certainly isn't distancing or toning down his rhetoric in response. Something to think about when these views are being seen as "main stream".
I want to thank the community for your support of the Women’s Works program in October. As the girls from the county group home left newly inspired I knew our work would have been worth it, even if they had been the only guests. For those who missed the show there will be an encore performance at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 22, at the Little Theatre in New London, free tickets available at Eventbrite.
Women’s Works was the culmination of an idea that started a few years ago with the movie “Captain Phillips.” A Minnesota Somali actor was nominated for an Oscar. This was exciting, especially for the Somali community.
When I saw the film I noticed Somali families and their children in attendance. I thought great but, in the film all the Muslim Somali characters are the bad guys and every single one dies in the end.
This reminded me of my Native American friends who told me as kids they used to go see cowboy and Indian movies just so they could see someone like them. They did this despite the fact that they were always portrayed as the bad guys. They went because it feels better as a human to be included, even if it isn’t positive.
I promised if I ever had a chance I would find a way to show a fuller and more positive way to represent my Muslim friends and neighbors. Then I saw the award-winning dance ensemble Al Taw’am. They are twin sisters who choreograph and perform original pieces wearing the hijab. They believe their abilities are a gift to be used to inspire others.
From this spark a show was created that included original work from local artists including dance, storytelling and music. The pieces spoke about gratitude, friendship, ability, living and dying as women. We used our individual talents to bring us together.
We came together as the Business and Professional Women’s Association, Empower of United Way, League of Women Voters, Polka Dot Powerhouse, Willmar Area Community Foundation, and Vision 20/40 and it was a success.
Justice 4 All, a Twin Cities-based organization, promotes giving the thousands of Minnesotans with criminal records a second chance at becoming productive members of society.
Justin Terrell, program manager for Justice 4 All, gave a presentation Monday at Bethel Lutheran Church on behalf of his campaign.
“We want to make sure people are stepping out, rather than stepping back into their old ways,” Terrell said during Monday’s presentation during a League of Women Voters meeting.
A total of nearly 60,000 people were turned away from polls in the 2014 election due to felony convictions, according to a New York University study.
Unclear voting laws prevent even more felons from voting in Minnesota, said Jessica Rohloff, leader of League of Women Voters.
“I imagine there are people who are afraid and don’t want to get their second felony,” Rohloff said. “We need to make this simpler.”
Minnesota law requires felons to complete incarceration time, along with any probation and parole time, before they can vote.
Justice 4 All’s mission is to allow those with a criminal record the right to vote as soon as they are released from prison or jail, as is the case in several other states.
A disproportionate number of those not allowed to vote in Minnesota are also African-American, Terrell said.
While only 5.7 percent of Minnesota’s population is African-American, 34.6 percent of Minnesota’s prison population is African-American, according to data from the U.S. Census and Minnesota Department of Corrections.
“This is insane. Systems are at play creating these kinds of dynamics,” Terrell said. “If it’s a problem people made, it’s a problem people can solve.”
Mayor Marv Calvin attended Monday’s presentation and agreed that felons should have the right to vote once they are out in the community.
“I think people should look at this issue and get involved by contacting representatives,” Calvin said. “I think it is an important issue. If you are not incarcerated, you should be able to vote.” . . .
Somehow we get the distinct impression that the racists aren't being particular about who they call in the Willmar area. Rohloff is one of the many people working to make the city a friendly and welcoming place for everyone, the sort of engaged citizen praised in Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton's recent letter praising the regional center, Kudos on defending Willmar immigrants:
I read with interest the West Central Tribune’s Jan. 21 editorial defending Willmar’s immigrant community. I commend the editorial board for speaking out against hateful speech that demeans Willmar’s East-African residents. I thank you for celebrating the invaluable economic and cultural contributions of these hard-working Minnesotans.
Minnesota was built by immigrants and pioneers. Today’s immigrants may look and sound different than the Germans and Scandinavians of generations past. But their hard work, and the dreams and aspirations they hold for their children, themselves, and our communities are no different.
Willmar is stronger because of our immigrant neighbors. So is Minnesota.
Willmar and the West Central Tribune have taken an important stand. I applaud your courage. And I stand with you as a partner as we resolve to make our state a welcoming place for all Minnesotans.
Mark Dayton
Governor
Moroever, four years ago, Rohloff unsuccessfully sought the DFL endorsement for the local legislative seat. Since Minnesota doesn't have a system of party registration, we have conclude that the white nationalists aren't from around here.
In response to a request for a reaction, the Trump campaign issued a brief statement that alluded to the robocalls but did not address the Duke comment: “Mr. Trump nor the campaign have knowledge of this group or the calls being made. We have disavowed all super PACs and any related activities.”
It’s well known that Trump’s candidacy has attracted open support from avowed white supremacists and anti-immigration groups. The campaign is not known to have courted any directly, but Trump’s critics say his calls for a wall on the Mexican border, the ejection of millions of undocumented immigrants and a ban on Muslim immigrants have rallied enthusiastic support from racist groups and individuals.
A copy of the robocall
As we finished up this post, another friend in the Willmar area sent us an audio file of the robocall he received. We'll post it after we authenticate it.
Bluestem has called Rohloff for a comment; we'll post her response when she gets back to us.
Update: In addition to voters in Hibbing, Rochester and Willmar, a least one reader in Waseca received a call. Robert Hunter writes:
I think I got the robo call you wrote about last night. I heard the first 30 seconds and hung up.
One can certainly understand that.
Photo: Jessica Rohloff's America. Justice 4 All speaker Justin Terrill is at the left in the photo; Rohloff is the woman in the blue top. Via Facebook.
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Will this be the year the Legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton agree on a large, long-term funding package to upgrade the state’s transportation system?
Will a comprehensive tax bill be agreed upon? How about a hundreds-of-millions of dollars capital investment bill? Unemployment assistance for laid-off Iron Range miners? Real ID compliance?
To get the work done, lawmakers and the governor have just under 11 weeks from the March 8 start date of the Legislative session to May 23, the day they must constitutionally adjourn for the biennium. At an often-combative preview, legislative leaders from both sides of the aisle and the governor struggled to express confidence Thursday that much agreement can be reached on key issues in a relatively short time span. The event was sponsored by Forum News Service.
Deep, partisan disagreements remain on transportation funding and tax cuts. But they all want quick action on an extension of unemployment benefits for laid-off Iron Range workers.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, and House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, said they plan to take up bills in the first week of session. But Daudt said he also wants to see some economic development for the area.
“We obviously, I think, all care about what’s going on on the Iron Range and want to make sure we’re helping those folks out,” Daudt said. “Not just the short-term with unemployment benefits, but long-term. I think we all know that what people want on the Iron Range isn’t just an unemployment check. They want a paycheck.”
Daudt also pledged quick House action on a bill to begin moving the state into compliance with the federal Real ID law. . . .
Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders are picking up old disagreements over transportation funding and tax cuts.
Top lawmakers from both parties and the Democratic governor met in a forum to discuss the upcoming legislative session near the Capitol on Thursday. The Legislature is set to resume unfinished work from last year when it returns on March 8.
Dayton and Republican House Speaker Kurt Daudt clashed over how to fund a major road and bridge repair package. Republicans say the state should tap a $1.2 billion budget surplus, while Dayton and Democrats are pushing for a gas tax increase. Those disagreements kept an agreement out of reach last year.
And the Legislature won't have much time. Ongoing renovations at the Capitol have truncated the session to just 10 weeks.
. . . While lawmakers agree transportation funding is a necessity, Republicans and Democrats differ on how best to fund it — Republicans want to set aside money from the state's general fund and other departments, while Democrats are pushing a gas tax as part of what lawmakers hope will be a comprehensive funding plan for the state's infrastructure for the next decade.
Dayton said he was pessimistic a transportation package could be put together if Republicans stuck to their position on shifting money from existing resources.
"There's no free lunch," he said. "It's going to come from somewhere. You can shift money from here to there, or whatever, but the question is to Minnesotans, 'Are you willing to pay, one way or the other, for what we need to get done, or are you just willing to live in a state where our highway infrastructure, roads and bridges continue to get worse?'"
House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, said a transportation package is much more likely to succeed if both parties can pass legislation for areas they agree on, specifically funding for road and bridge maintenance and construction.
"We have the resources to pay for this," he said. "If we focus on what matters — roads and bridges — the funds are there."
At issue is whether lawmakers can agree on funding for at least $6 billion over the next 10 years, which the state estimates would be enough to maintain Minnesota's current transportation infrastructure.
In 2015, Republicans suggested allocating $7 billion toward transportation, while Dayton proposed a $11 billion package, which ran aground after lawmakers pushed back on the aforementioned gas tax.
Dayton suggested a potential cap on the gas tax could be set so Minnesotans wouldn't have to pay extra if gas returned to costing $3 or $4 per gallon.
Yet he urged lawmakers to act on more transportation funding, pointing out how projects can adversely affect businesses with few travel options like last year's Highway 14 detour in south-central Minnesota.
"You go to places like New Ulm, and businesses there, including trucking businesses, can't get onto Hwy 14 to get their products to market," he said. . . .
Here's the video of the entire meeting with the press corps; it was jumpy at times while we watched it, but that may be our Greater Minnesota bandwidth choking--and be patient while it loads:
Photo: The five horsemen of Minnesota's coming legislative apocalypse, via MPR. We're being civil here.
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Toward the end of the meeting, Drazkowski had an exchange with former longtime DFL legislator Don Samuelson, who was sitting in the audience. Samuelson had a cautionary tale from when he was in the Minnesota Senate during the administration of Gov. Jesse Ventura. When Ventura pushed lowered rates for high-value homes and businesses, the lower-value homes saw their tax rates increase as the burden shifted, Samuelson said.
Bluestem wonders how much of the "reforms" touted by Drazkowski will only speed the emergence of the Greater Minnesota Gulag that some in both parties seem hellbent on creating in outstate Minnesota. Some of the property tax cut "relief" could be better named Kill The Rural Schools Bill.
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But the Glencoe Republican doubles down about individual "homosexual" and transgender people--as well as their political allies in the new letter:
. . . Finally, what the governor and many liberal DFLers want us to believe is that sexual orientation cannot be changed (even though thousands of individuals have left the homosexual lifestyle) but that gender can be changed, which is biologically impossible!
Transgenders need professional counseling and our help to clarify their confused feelings, not our misguided sympathies.
Please speak to your local school district about this issue as training programs have already started in Minnesota to indoctrinate educators with the false narrative of “gender fluidity.” . . .
We'll look forward to more denial as the session ripens while keeping an eye out for more coverage in The Column.
Photo: state Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe.
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After looking at a least one of the people listed in Elizabeth Dunbar's report Tuesday on Minnesota Public Radio, Dayton names 8 to new MPCA advisory committee,we can't help but suspect some activists are hoping for a strategic rewind.
Nathaniel Hultgren is the Agronomy Director for Meadow Star Dairy, where he serves as a liaison between the dairy development and local farmers. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Hultgren Farms, a 5,000 acre specialty crop farm, and previously was the Chief Financial Officer of the Bird Island Bean Company. He is a member of the Heritage Bank Community Advisory Committee and a past member of the Hawk Creek Country Club Board of Directors and the Willmar Airport Planning Commission.
Not released by the Governor's Office? That Meadow Star Dairy is part of Riverview Dairy; the denial of a permit for Riverview's proposed Baker Dairy in late summer 2014 by the original Citizens Board is what led to the successful effort to axe the real board with real (if seldom exercised) power.
If getting Hultgren on this board isn't regulatory capture, we're not sure what is.
By the end of the special session, the real board was abolished, but environmental leaders held out hope for the new board. In August, the Star Tribune reported:
Steve Morse, executive director of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, applauded Dayton for moving quickly to temper what groups like his saw as a blow to transparency and accountability.
"We hope we can come back at a later date, maybe 2017, and actually re-establish it in statute," Morse said. "This was a big mistake by the Legislature. They blew it and the governor is fixing what he can."
Despite the new group's lack of authority, those who fought the Citizens' Board's abolition said Dayton's move is a good first step.
"Really if we don't keep the infrastructure and keep it moving, we won't be able to reinstate it, so I think he did exactly the right thing," said Bobby King, an organizer at the Land Stewardship Project.
Oops. But the irony doesn't stop there.
Irony--or complete corn?
Yes: there's more. For practical purposes, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association has been one of the greatest adversaries for Governor Dayton's drive to establish vegetative buffers. The current head of the Corn Growers is Noah Hultgren.
Noah Hultgren is a family farmer in Raymond, Minn.
SHAKOPEE, Minn. (Oct. 6, 2015) – The Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) state board of directors recently elected Noah Hultgren as its new president for 2015-16. Hultgren grows corn, soybeans, sugar beets, edible beans and canning vegetables on his family farm near Raymond, Minn., in Kandiyohi County.
Hultgren is a fourth-generation family farmer and was elected to the MCGA board in 2011. He replaces Bruce Peterson from Northfield, whose one-year term as president ended on Sept. 30.
“MCGA has accomplished a lot in recent years on behalf of corn farmers, especially in the areas of research, environmental stewardship and ethanol,” Hultgren said. “The next step is to build on those achievements and leverage them in a way that connects with non-farming consumers. Corn farmers have an amazing story to tell. We need to make sure we’re telling it and making our voices heard outside of the farm community.” ...
Hultgren Farms also developed the concept and obtained the state permit in 2008-2009, we reported in Fehr factor? Strib story reports battle--that simply wasn't there--"ignited" over Willmar dairy, but dropped plans when the dairy industry crashed, selling the site to Riverview. Regardless of ownership, the Kandiyohi County Meadow Star site met with no significant opposition from neighbors, unlike the Baker Dairy.
Insiders Out?
Bluestem's readers may remember Noah Hultgren from the Pioneer Press article about this coming Saturday's Governor's Water Summit, Can we save Minnesota’s water? These 800 are going to try. The Raymond-area man decried how farmers were going to be outnumbered at that gathering:
. . .“My guess is farmers will be outnumbered at the summit, and if we have a lack of majority, we might feel on the defensive. But I know a lot of farmers look forward to the conversation about water quality. . . .
Poor baby. We're not sure how much more access to the Governor the Hultgren family could get at this point other than dog sitting or marrying an executive-level staff member. We can think of any number of Minnesotans who'd love to be this outnumbered as far as having Mark Dayton's attention.
Land Use Policy and Control
We doubt it's going to come up much at the Water Summit, but one of the battles suggested back at the 2014 gatherings of the Senate Rural Task force was the development of state control of permitting, including land use.
As Minnesota state law now stands, townships are able to drawn up land use ordinances; our vegetable garden in nearby Wang Township, Renville County, is able to be tended without the use of a gas mask because the township board enacted a restriction in number of animal units per feedlot back during the Hog Wars in the 1990s. The farmsteads in the township--and nearby Hawk Creek Township--are still mostly peopled. The area is close enough to regional centers like Marshall and Willmar--and the country air is still sweet--for the farmsteads to be desirable.
But Minnesota--with its publicly owned water and absence of water rights--is once again attracting attention as the giant livestock operations and dairies in the west grow less sustainable. That local control? A stumbling block for the meat and dairy industry.
As the screengrab from the On-Site Proceedings of the Minnesota Milk Producers' Dairy Management Workshops (above this section) illustrates, the Minnesota Milk Producers Association, having gotten rid of the board, now looks for "consistency" at every level. Heaven help those inconsistent townships (see the resolution on pages 2-3 of this pdf), but we doubt anyone will be encouraged to address land use zoning in St. Paul this Saturday.
A final thought
It's not for nothing that Bluestem is more grateful each day for our training at the Ozarks Famous Writers School. If we didn't understand the concept of irony we'd probably just shut down and sell insurance.
Photo: Aerial view of the Meadow Star Dairy, prior to when the cows came home, Via West Central Tribune.
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Once again, a Minnesota Tea Party chapter is hosting a program of John Birch Society content. The Central Minnesota Tea Party, based in St. Cloud, invites readers of its events page to the following:
You're invited to attend "Support Your Local Police and keep them independent" as presented by former police officer James Fitzgerald. We support our peace officers who answer the call to serve local communities, but forces are working to turn them into a national police force. March 31, 2016 – 7:00 PM The Falls Ballroom 15879 Highway 27 Little Falls, MN 56345. Advance purchase: $10.00/At the Door: $15.00 For information, contact: 612-990-5600Email: [email protected]
The phone number and email are those of Mark Griffin, an Andover, MN, realtor who serves as the Minnesota and Wisconsin field coordinator for the John Birch Society.
While a decades-old program of the JBS, "Support Your Local Police and keep them independent" has rammed up by the right-wing conspiracist group since the election of President Barack Obama--and while some of the criticisms of law enforcement offered by the Birchers are shared by the American left and the Black Lives Matters movement, Bluestem doesn't think they'll find common ground in the Little Falls Ballroom at the end of March.
While both sides share fears of militarized police forces and command enclaves called "fusion centers," the two sides part company on those "local" and "independent" adjectives. In the meantime, the headline and some of the copy in the 2014 JBS New American magazine article, When Local Police Become a “Standing Army” would feel comfortable for those on the left struggling against lethal policing in communities of color:
As civil unrest engulfs Ferguson, Missouri, and police patrol the streets in armored personnel vehicles and confront unarmed citizens while wearing riot gear like something out of Robocop, headlines from around the country relate similar stories of cops training like, dressing like, and acting like soldiers. . . .
As the number of U.S. troop-heavy foreign interventions decreases, the warcraft and weaponry used in battle are now being deployed in American neighborhoods as the members, machines, and methods of law enforcement become increasingly indistinguishable from those of the military . . .
But the John Birch Society has never supported review of local policing. Buried in the article, there's this historical nugget:
To this end, for more than 50 years The John Birch Society has been committed to stopping and reversing the dangerous trend toward nationalizing our police forces. In 1963, the society launched its “Support Your Local Police and Keep Them Independent!” campaign and formed local Support Your Local Police committees. The effort was successful in stopping Police Civilian Review Boards in the 1960s and ’70s and in getting the federal government’s Law Enforcement Assistance Administration abolished in 1982. Today, as the federal government subtly subordinates local police and sheriffs through grants of money and materiel, Americans need to participate in this sort of grassroots activism to work to keep local law enforcement under the supervision of local elected officials and free from state and federal control or influence.
Oh What A Lovely War: JBS and the War on Police That Wasn't
None of that for the Birchers. While they fear a nationalized police force, the group appears to have completely bought into the 2015 rhetoric that Black Lives Matter and other grassroots movements questioning law enforcement were simply fueling a "War on Police."
In this week's Analysis Behind the News video, JBS Director of Communications Bill Hahn discusses how the recent execution of a Texas sheriff’s deputy has focused national attention on an ongoing war on police; how the John Birch Society produced a 1966 documentary, “Anarchy, USA,” which exposed a 5-step plan by far-left and communist groups to create a semblance of revolution in our streets; how the 4th step was “precipitate mob violence,” which involved creating violent confrontations between demonstrators and local police forces; how this deliberate war on police is now being used as part of a pressure from above/pressure from below strategy to nationalize our local police forces; how a national police force is the hallmark of tyranny; how sheriffs and local police help protect citizens from a tyrannical federal government; how the John Birch Society has sponsored “Support Your Local Police & Keep Them Independent! committees for 50 years now; how we encourage you to start a local Support Your Local Police committee in your area (more information at http://www.jbs.org/issues-pages/suppo... ); and how the entire next issue of The New American magazine will consist of articles on the war on police and what you can do about it (watch for the articles on http://www.TheNewAmerican.com).
But that "War on Police"? Never happened, as reviews of the year later demonstrated. We turn again to a conservative naysayer to the likes of the JBS and other conspiracy floggers. In Reason magazine's blog, Scott Shackford observes in That ‘War on Police’ in 2015 Sure Was a Miserable Failure, Wasn’t It? that "As 2015 nears end, the numbers simply don't match the panic:"
Like every other "War on X" America embarks on, this year's War on Police was a complete disaster. Can't we do anything right? This alleged war resulted in the second-safest year for police officers in U.S. history. Former Reason Editor Radley Balko takes note over at The Washington Post that as 2015 comes to an end, there's been no real War on Police and there's been no real nationwide crime wave either. Balko explains the difference between comparing just this year's stats to last year's and the overall trend:
It's true that some cities like Baltimore, St. Louis and Detroit saw a significant and troubling rise in homicides this year. But those are isolated cases. In other cities, homicide were up, but only after long and historic drops.
Here in Nashville, for example, we saw 67 murders in 2015, up from 41 last year. (The figures are for all of Davidson County). At first blush, that seems like an alarming increase. And it has caused much consternation among politicians, the media and community leaders, with lots of calls for "action," whatever that means.
But last year was a historic low for the city and represented the floor of an overall 10-year decline. This year's total of 67 murders only takes the city back where it was in 2009, and is right at about the 10-year average of 66. For comparison, between 1971 and 1989, annual murders in Davidson County usually numbered in the 80 and 90s, and never dipped below 67 — and that was with 20 to 25 percent less population than the county has today.
And these are just raw numbers. The ten-year drop since there were more than 90 murders in 2005 has taken place in one of the fastest-growing counties in the country. Raw crime figures can drop only so low, particularly in a city that's growing by the day. And once they are at historic lows, even small increases look large when expressed as percentages.
Now as for deaths caused by police officers, The Washington Post (and The Guardian as well) launched a database this year tracking fatal police shootings, because federal statistics are extremely incomplete. As of today, the Post records 959 people killed in police shootings. They note that more than 700 of them were in connection with a range of violent crimes like hostage situations and carjackings. Independent site KilledByPolice.net has a higher number, 1,168. If their numbers are accurate (note that this site documents killing by police, not just fatal shootings), this would be an increase over last year's estimate of 1,108.
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Rep. Franson said she's working with DFL Rep. Phyllis Kahn on a bipartisan bill that would allow farmers to grow industrial hemp.
She said because hemp is associated with cannabis, which is considered a controlled substance, they're running into some difficulties and it's doubtful the bill will be approved this session.
Industrial hemp has a wide variety of uses in making rope, clothing, food, even concrete, Franson said.
She added that industrial hemp could also be grown as part of the new requirements for buffer strips. "I'm really excited about this," she said.
We suspect the goldfinches would probably get excited as well, though the ones we see in the field tweet loudest when they find catnip going to seed--though feral hemp is a treat for finches and pheasants alike.
Like the political alliance over hemp between Franson and Kahn, catnip seed-loving birds is just one of those things.
Photo: A goldfinch on a catnip plant. Since industrial hemp isn't legal yet, may we suggest building Minnesota's catnip industry along buffers? The perennial grows well here
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Appleton has a message for the state of Minnesota, and will tell it first to a home audience.
It is hosting a community meeting on the proposal to reopen the Prairie Correctional Facility at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Appleton Armory, 25 North Munsterman Street.
Organizers are encouraging residents, elected officials and interested people from throughout the region to attend.
The first goal is to let people know what the reopening of the facility would mean for the region’s economy, said Gary Hendrickx, a member of the Swift County Board of Commissioners and Appleton business owner.
Organizers hope that getting the message to more people will help state decision makers see the importance and benefits of the proposal, he explained.
If you plan to attend, please be respectful.
Photo: The Walking Dead prison guards. What would The Governor say?
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An email from a public community college instructor in far northwestern Minnesota hipped us to the story of Dave Berger, a sociology professor at Inver Hills Community College whose story is told in Maura Lerner's report in the Strib, Inver Hills Community College instructor active in union banned from campus:
A month after a no-confidence vote against its president, Inver Hills Community College is facing another uproar, this time over the decision to ban a popular sociology instructor and union activist from campus.
Dave Berger, who has taught at Inver Hills since 1991, said he was notified last week that he was being placed on indefinite “investigatory leave” and told not to return to campus.
Berger, 52, who is the grievance representative for the faculty union, said that he was given no reason for the action and that he was told not to discuss the case with students or co-workers. “I have no idea what the reason is, and it’s just freaking me out,” he said.
Buried in the story is this gem:
The ban also means he can’t appear in a campus play that makes its debut next week. “This is what you call poetic justice,” he said with a laugh. He noted that the play, “Enemy of the People,” is about a whistleblower who is persecuted for exposing a town’s dirty secret. “I was the bad guy in that. Now somehow I switched roles.”
Inver Hills Community College isn't the only unit in the Minnesota State College and University (MnSCU) system experiencing tension between college presidents and faculty. KXRA's Voice of Alexandria reported in MnSCU Chair Defends System’s Presidents:
The chairman of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees says the board is fully supportive of the system’s presidents. Michael Vekich made the announcement in response to recent challenges to two college presidents from the Minnesota State College Faculty union. The MnSCU chair says, “True leaders, by definition, are called to make hard decisions; decisions that can sometimes be unpopular.” The faculty union at Inver Hills Community College has scheduled a no-confidence vote against President Tim Wynes. The faculty union at Ridgewater College has asked MnSCU to intervene in their long-running dispute with President Douglas Allen. Former Rochester Community and Technical College president Leslie McClellan stepped down in December after a backlash over her spending and hiring decisions.
Photo: Still from a movie version of Ibsen's play, "Enemy of the People" Steve McQueen and Eric Christmas,1977. Via IMDB.
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MDA has released its Livestock study that was part of a bill authored by Rep. Tim Miller and Sen. Lyle Koenen this past session and signed by Governor Dayton. The report outlines the state of the livestock industry in Minnesota and lays out some suggestions for the livestock industry. The report is pretty lengthy but has a good executive summary. . .
The authors of the report recommend:
Minnesota should continue its regulatory efforts to protect the environment and natural resources. Crop and livestock producers should be encouraged to continue to follow recommended guidelines and standards and Best Management Practices (BMPs) that provide optimum health and growth of their livestock and crops. The environmental review process should seek a balance that includes public input and involvement. Projects that meet these standards should be encouraged to proceed. The following recommendations are presented:
Ensure the success of Minnesota’s livestock industry by encouraging processors to modernize and/or expand their operations to meet the growing market needs of the industry.
Support the dairy processing infrastructure by stimulating investments in cheese processing capacity and boosting demand for fluid/soft dairy products. This would help to address the impending oversupply of milk in Minnesota.
Fund programs that provide capital, low-interest loans and grants to young and beginning farmers or those considering an intergenerational transition of their farm.
Fund educational programs that train and teach tomorrow’s agricultural professionals, in particular large animal veterinarians who provide critical services to livestock farmers.
Explore how state and federal agencies could allow the use of more conservation acres as “working lands” and combine protection for wildlife and habitat with a source of feedstuffs for livestock using proper grazing management practices.
Support local ordinances that are fair, reasonable, recognize landowner property rights, and that seek solutions which allow for both livestock production and protection of the environment.
Continue to fund Minnesota Department of Agriculture programs that provide beneficial financial and technical resources to both producers and processers.
Increase the permitting process assistance provided to livestock producers, a service that has been successful in the other five states
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie's posts and analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button below:
If nothing else, the entrance of Barb Haley as a candidate seeking the Republican endorsement in the open seat created by the retirement of Tim Kelly, R-Red Wing, makes us happy we studied prosody with a bunch of rhyming Southern poets.
Haley's presumptive DFL opponent, Red Wing City Council Member Lisa Bayley, offers an exact rhyme.
But reading the Red Wing Republican Eagle report by Anne Jacobson, Haley announces run for MN House, suggests that this race will be less about poetry and money about lots of spending by parties and PACs:
The Red Wing native and businesswoman’s latest endeavor is as executive director of Red Wing WORKS, a project of manufacturers, three area high schools and Minnesota State College - Southeast Technical to create an employment and training pipeline to drive the local economy.
“I know what it takes to create good-paying jobs, sustainable and healthy rural economies, and how to improve education for all Minnesota kids,” Haley said in a statement. “I have a long track record of collaboration and working with a wide variety of people and issues.”
Haley served on the Fairview Red Wing Health Services Board from 2007-2012 and as chair led the acquisition of the medical center by Mayo Clinic Health System in July 2012.
“We are extremely lucky to have world-class health care in a community of 16,000,” she said.
“Now I want to have a bigger impact at the state level. There is more we can do,” Haley added.
She also wants to address education funding that puts rural districts on the same footing at metro districts.
In 2013, Haley helped the Jones Family Foundation launch Every Hand Joined, a cradle-to-career education initiative. Before that she was executive director of SteppsUp, which trained leaders to make nonprofits more sustainable and which brought GiveMN to Red Wing.
Prior to her executive roles with nonprofit work, Haley was national director of sales force effectiveness with AT&T.
Haley is involved in a number of community groups. She serves on the Red Wing Family YMCA Board; a board member for WomenCents, a nonprofit that raises awareness and support for organizations that serve women, children, and families in the area. She founded Haley’s Hope Charity Golf Tournament, which has raised over $650,000 in net proceeds for Children’s Hospital.
The seat has been held by a DFLer in the past and voted for President Obama.
Bayley said she hopes to bring a stronger voice to greater Minnesota — particularly rural areas — to the state Capitol.
A Red Wing resident of 10 years, Bayley operates a private law practice specializing in family law, criminal defense and environmental litigation. With regular court appearances in Goodhue, Wabasha and Dakota counties, Bayley said she has worked with a broad range of citizens throughout the district.
“As a former prosecutor, I worked with law enforcement and social services on cases involving those in need,” Bayley said. “I’ve seen the need for better funding for our police, courts and social services. At the same time, I also understand the need to budget, prioritize and set limits.”
Images: Screengab of Haley video at the Red Wing Republican Eagle (above); Bayley's website photo (below).
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie's posts and analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button below:
Far from being dismissed as "NIMBYs," the grassroots group, Citizens Concerned About Rail Line (CCARL) is garnering coverage of its efforts in opposition to a shortline high-speed rail line from the Twin Cities to Rochester.
Coverage of last night's meeting in Cannon Falls illustrates the group's growing profile in Southeast Minnesota. In the Red Wing Republican Eagle, Michael Brun reports in MnDOT commissioner tackles questions on high-speed rail:
State Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle fielded a barrage of questions Tuesday night from a packed crowd of southeastern Minnesota residents anxious about proposed high-speed rail projects between the Twin Cities and Rochester.
Zelle and other Minnesota Department of Transportation officials took part in a town hall-style meeting hosted by state Sen. Matt Schmit in Urland Lutheran Church. The meeting was called in response to public concern over the recently shelved Zip Rail project and a separate proposal by a private rail developer.
The Minnesota-based North American High Speed Rail Group contacted MnDOT about a year ago to pitch its idea for rights to study and build a privately funded line connecting the two metropolitan centers, Zelle said Tuesday in his opening remarks. . . .
Both projects drew strong criticism from several audience members who questioned the impact of a new rail line on area farmland and whether eminent domain would be used to construct it.
“We’re not standing here just because we don’t like an idea; we’re standing here in defense of ourselves and in defense of our communities and in defense of our homes,” said Heather Arndt with the grassroots group Citizens Concerned About Rail Line.
Zelle said any high-speed rail line — private or public — would require an environmental review process with opportunities for residents to make comments.
MnDOT also announced Tuesday it will include public comments in the state record alongside a Zip Rail alternatives analysis report released just before the project was suspended. The document, which identifies eight potential routes for Zip Rail, can be revisited in the future if interest in the project returns.
A group of concerned citizens met Tuesday night with MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle to discuss the zip rail project from Rochester to the Twin Cities.
A major concern discussed was whether land owners along the Highway 52 corridor would lose any of their land to eminent domain. Many of the citizens also expressed concern about just how much they'll have to pay in tax dollars should the high speed rail be financially unsuccessful.
"We have to continue to be vigilant to safeguard not just our communities but all of the state of Minnesota. Money that goes into this project will be money that will not be spent other places," says Nora Felton, co-founder of Citizens Concerned About Rail Line, "And even with a private firm, you heard them say that the Minnesota Department of Transportation will still have to be involved in terms of environmental analysis and basically being the third party due diligence." ...
Many people living between the lines of the Rochester to Twin Cities zip rail proposal packed Urland Lutheran Church near Cannon Falls Tuesday evening with one request.
"We'd like to get some good answers, some clear answers, and some solid answers," said Hader resident Heater Arndt, a member of anti-zip rail group Concerned Citizens About Rail Line. "People have concerns and people have technical questions."
Providing the answers to those questions was MnDOT commissioner Charlie Zelle, who touted the plan as the next big thing.
"Rail is going to be a mode that will be in North America and will be in this area," said Zelle. "The question is when, how, and how long in the future?"
"However, many who live within the corridor, including Goodhue County commissioner Dan Rechtzigel, remained worried that the future would result in their way of life being sacrificed.
"This will cripple this county and any other county it goes through for the benefit of a few people," said Rechtzigel.
The zip rail plan finds itself in murky water, as MnDOT gave up development rights to a private company last month. In fact, Zelle said the private plan is still very much in the beginning stages and even he doesn't know which way it will go.
"I would ask all of you to join me in being openly skeptical, but let's just see what it is that we're talking about."
Whichever way the zip rail is headed, the concerned citizens caught in the middle made it known they want to be heard.
The Dodge County Board dealt with a variety of mostly routine issues at last week’s meeting with the most discussion centering on a renewal of the waste hauler license for Skeveland Enterprises in Claremont. The board also met after their regular meeting as the Regional Rail Authority to elect officers for that group and again express their disapproval of the proposed Zip Rail high-speed train connection between the Twin Cities and Rochester.
We'll keep an eye out for additional coverage.
Photo: A still from the KAAL report.
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie's posts and analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button below:
It's not posted online yet, but a reader has sent the text of the lead article and screengrab of the frontpage of the digital subscriber's edition of the Red Wing Republican Eagle with the top-of-the-page headline, Kelly: Eight years in House is enough.
State Rep. Tim Kelly will leave his House District 21A seat at the end of this term.
He intends to issue a statement later this week to the Capitol press corps, he told the Republican Eagle.
“I had actually made the decision not to run the last time around, and then got asked to take one more shot at it,” Kelly said. . .
Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, the Red Wing lawmaker said he planned to make his departure public after the 2016 session, which opens March 8 and must adjourn by May 23.
However, making the announcement now opens to the door for prospective Republican candidates to start raising money and campaign, he said, and gives them the same opportunity as Democrat Lisa Bayley, a Red Wing City Council member who declared her House 21A candidacy in January. The political caucuses will be March 1, followed by the endorsing process.
Here's the DFL challenger, whom we posted about when she filed her committee with the campaign finance board in January.
Jacobson continues:
Timing also is good from a personal standpoint, Kelly said. He and wife Sue’s youngest child will graduate from Red Wing High School this spring. They became grandparents in December 2014 and his daughter, son-in-law and 1-year-old grand- daughter are moving to Red Wing.
Kelly said he also will gain time for his business, Discovery Financial, and finally take a vacation for the first time in eight years.. . .
But first comes the 2016 session.
“We are going to have the best transportation package we’ve ever had — it will have taken two years for us to get it,” Kelly predicted.
We'll post a link when the story goes online so readers can check out the entire story.
Minnesota lawmakers kick-started negotiations Monday for a road-and-bridge-repair funding package, but offered few signs that the large divide between competing plans has narrowed.
It's a struggle more than a year in the making. Despite flagging it as a top priority, the Legislature wrapped up last year's budget without a transportation package, instead leaving close to $1 billion on the state's bottom line to pursue a final deal.
But questions over the scope of the construction backlog remain — state estimates put it at $6 billion over the next decade — as do the partisan differences over how to pay for it. The top lawmakers on either side of the aisle leading negotiations expressed hope after Monday's joint hearing that last year's stalled debate would pave the way for a quick deal when the Legislature returns March 8.
"We certainly have the advantage of where we left off," said Rep. Tim Kelly, a Republican who chairs the House's transportation committee. ...
Read the rest at the Post Bulletin. We wish Representative Kelly the best of luck in the coming session and his life in retirement with his family.
Screengrabs: The front page of the Red Wing Republican Eagle (above); Lisa Bayley's campaign website in January (below).
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie's original posts and analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button below:
Perhaps more importantly, the newly-formed independent expenditure political commitee illustrates how how associations with joint private and public membership work not only to promote policy, but to "elevate" issues to candidates and voters and to spend money to support candidates for offices.
In some ways, the AgriGrowth Council's three-pronged strategic campaign to elect candidates friendly to its policy agenda could be the poster child for the DISCLOSE Act, an effort to put an amendment to the Minnesota state constitution before the voters.
The 2015 History has shown us that state election results directly impact the future of food and agriculture in our state. With all 201 Minnesota legislators up for re-election in 2016, AgriGrowth will work to ensure that the voice of our industry is heard by candidates and voters. We will be involved again with the “A Greater Minnesota” Coalition to elevate issues important to Minnesota’s agriculture and food sector. AgriGrowth will also be forming a new independent expenditure political committee to help amplify our ability to support pro-food and ag candidates for offices (page2).
We look forward to learning which candidates might be considered anti-food, as we have yet to meet one.
Since 1968, AgriGrowth Council has been representing members from all areas of Minnesota’s food systems and agricultural sectors. In its role as an advocate, convener and trusted information source, AgriGrowth brings together its members for the purpose of engaging in safe and solution-oriented conversations, aimed at finding common-ground.
As a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, AgriGrowth often serves as a sounding board, idea generator and asks the tough questions necessary for moving the food and ag sector and Minnesota forward.
The AgriGrowth Council is a registered association with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board; Aasness and Cory Bennett are registered lobbyists for the association. Bennett also serves other registered associations.
We contacted Aasness by phone and email for this post. In addition to serving as executive director and registered lobbyist for the AgriGrowth Council, he's the chair of the new independent expenditure political committee. Here's his emailed response (quotes in original):
"2016 will be an important election year in Minnesota, with all 201 legislative seats up for election. AgriGrowth believes it's important to engage in efforts that help support the competitiveness and growth of Minnesota's diverse agriculture sector. One of the ways we do so is to help elect pro-ag candidates to the state legislature. As we did during the last election, AgriGrowth will be working with other organizations on these efforts. In addition, AgriGrowth has expanded its ability to participate in elections by forming an independent expenditure political committee called the AgFood Alliance. This entity is meant to complement AgriGrowth’s current efforts to help support and elect pro-agriculture legislators."
The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (CFB) also responded to our questions. According responses by CFB director Gary Goldsmith to email queries, the new IE political committee isn't part of the registered association.
If the AgriGrowth Council wished to attach its good name directly to a contribution, it would have to have to form a political fund (as would any other registered association). Goldsmith writes:
The new organization is organized as an independent expenditure political committee. Being a political committee means that the association operates as an entity separate from any affiliated or supporting association. Technically, a political committee is a group of people, not part of some other association. . . . some people – maybe closely affiliated with another association, got together and formed a political committee. A political committee is never formed by an association. If an existing association wants to use its money to engage in campaign spending, it would register a political fund account. In that case, the account is part of the overall association and the political fund is formed by the association.
So when the 2015 Annual Report of the Agrigrowth Council states, "AgriGrowth will also be forming a new independent expenditure political committee to help amplify our ability to support pro-food and ag candidates for office," don't believe it.
Or when the executive director writes, "AgriGrowth has expanded its ability to participate in elections by forming an independent expenditure political committee called the AgFood Alliance. This entity is meant to complement AgriGrowth’s current efforts to help support and elect pro-agriculture legislators[,]" don't believe him either.
That's against the rules.
We asked "Under what circumstances can it [the AgFood Alliance' give campaign contributions to elected state officials?" Goldsmith responded:
Since this association is registered as an independent expenditure political committee it may not contribute to candidates, to party units, or to general purpose political committees or funds.
At least we won't have to follow the money, as it's not supposed to go anywhere beyond independent expenditures. But there are other vexing ethical questions here.
The one about AgriGrowth Council's public and foreign members
Membership in the AgriGrowth Council's Board of Directors includes a member of the governor's cabinet and the dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at University of Minnesota.
What is the relationship between public employees, a public agency and centers at public universities and Agri-Growth Council related independent expenditure political committee to support (and possibly oppose) candidates for office?
Will the public centers and public employees recuse themselves from any involvement with the independent expenditure political committee? Will there be a firewall so that no public dollars find their way into the AgFood Alliance coffers? Is there a mean to avoid in-kind contributions of public employees' time?
What will happen if the Agri-Growth Council's independent expenditure political committee supports candidates opposed to the Dayton administration's policy--say the buffer law?
With these sorts of question in mind, asked Goldsmith additional questions via email. Are there any limitations on the government and public higher education members in contributing to the [independent expenditure political committee] ?
Goldsmith: There are no campaign finance limits under Chapter 10A. However, other statutes not under the Board’s jurisdiction may limit the use of government or public education money. Since any such laws would not be under the Board’s jurisdiction, I have never examined whether any exist.
Can a foreign government agency contribute to [an independent expenditure political committee] ?
Goldsmith:No since any political committee or fund is for the purpose of influencing elections, foreign governments and foreign nationals cannot contribute – this is a federal law prohibition
Will that be a problem? Only if that member gives money to the independent expenditure political committee called the AgFood Alliance, which legally was not formed by the AgriGrowth Council, whatever it tells its members in its annual report or to us in emails.
We're still trying to establish if there are laws preventing Minnesota state agencies and centers at public universities from contributing to political committees making independent expenditure to support or oppose legislators who vote on their budgets and shape policy.
While this practice might turn out to be legal, we suspect that it won't pass the average citizen's smell test, just as the legal fiction that independent expenditure political committee wasn't formed by the group that's claiming to form it was part of a three-part strategic plan.
A Greater Minnesota or http://www.farmandfoodmn.org/
Aasness' email alludes to an effort to elect candidates in 2014 that share the AgriGrowth Council's vision of what favoring agriculture and food means:
One of the ways we do so is to help elect pro-ag candidates to the state legislature. As we did during the last election, AgriGrowth will be working with other organizations on these efforts.
As we noted in the beginning of this post, the Annual Report is specific about this endeavor:
AgriGrowth will work to ensure that the voice of our industry is heard by candidates and voters. We will be involved again with the “A Greater Minnesota” Coalition to elevate issues important to Minnesota’s agriculture and food sector.
So what is "A Greater Minnesota"? We live out in it, in sunny Maynard, but on July 28, 2014, AgriNews reported in Minn. farm coalition creates 5-point pledge for state legislators that the AgriGrowth Council, Minnesota Pork Producers Association, the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, the Chicken and Egg Association of Minnesota and the Minnesota Milk Producers Association had a different definition:
A new coalition of Minnesota food and farm groups is asking state legislative candidates to pledge their support for agriculture.
The coalition, known as A Greater Minnesota, developed its five-point Minnesota Farm and Food Pledge. The goal is raising awareness, particularly among legislative candidates, of farming, food production and their economic impact in the state, coalition officials say.
This effort slipped completely under anycampaign finance or lobbying reporting. According to Goldsmith and the records online, "A Greater Minnesota" didn't register as an association nor as any sort of political committee.
In an email, Goldsmith explained the campaign end of the situation:
Since it avoids the “magic words” like vote for, vote against, etc, it’s not an independent expenditure. Even though they got the pledge from the candidates, there is no Board authority on whether that would be the kind of cooperation necessary to make the publication a contribution. With a narrow definition of independent expenditure in Minnesota (and everything that falls outside the definition excluded), it’s easy for organizations to avoid the campaign finance system in Minnesota.
The argument would be that this communication is for the purpose of convincing candidates to support the association’s legislation and to thank those that have pleged to do so, thus ensuring legislative success. That puts it outside the campaign finance system. Sort of like “call Senator ----- and thank her for taking the AGM pledge to protect Minnesota’s family farmers
Short skinny? There's absolutely no transparency for voters or candidates about who is funding this effort. We know who is sponsoring the drive, but there's no disclosure about the source of the money.
While the new independent expenditure political committee maintains the legal illusion that it's not part of the Agri-Growth Council, the AgFood Alliance will eventually disclose its spending, we won't see that from "A Greater Minnesota."
The 2014 pledge
So what are candidates for office supposed to pledge? (And will the independent expenditures--whether direct mail, phone banking, paid media--mention this pledge?)
Under Candidate Spotlight on the A Greater Minnesota website, candidates were asked to agree to this 5 point pledge and voters were asked to pay attention (though never to "vote for" certain candidates):
Meet the candidates running for office and find out if they have taken the pledge to support good Minnesota farms, foods and jobs.
Minnesotans have a stake in supporting all farmers in Minnesota who practice responsible farming methods whether the farms are large or small, traditional farming or organic. Fortunately, nearly every Minnesota farmer farms responsibly.
Good MN farmers are responsible stewards of their land and water. After all, they live on the land and have a vested interest in protecting the environment in and around their farms. Farmers will continue to improve upon best practices as better methods are discovered.
Good MN farmers know that the proper and ethical care of their livestock is not only the right way to treat animals, but also results in better food. Many farmers have adopted animal care policies that far exceed what is required by current standards. In recent years, activist groups have painted a distorted picture of animal care practices. In fact, many activist proposals would actually reduce the protection of farm animals from disease and also result in higher food prices.
Good MN farmers and good MN food companies support food product labeling that helps consumers make informed choices regarding nutritional information and food-allergies. We do not support labeling requirements, however, that are based on pseudo-science or activist agendas such as calling out GMOs (genetically modified organisms). The reality is most foods, even many organics, involve genetic enhancements to improve food quality and reduce the incidence of pests and disease during food production.
Good MN Farms and good MN food companies are intensely focused on ensuring safe food for consumers, often imposing new standards and best practices into their production systems that exceed what is legally required. MN farmers and food producers also support one set of standards for food safety at a federal level. Farmers and food producers across the nation should be required to uphold one uniform set of regulations that make food safety a priority.
You can register to vote, find out election dates and where to vote, monitor candidate filings and find other answers to commonly asked questions at the Secretary of State website. Voting absentee? Get your ballot online here.
Check back here throughout the fall to see what candidates you should be keeping an eye on and which ones have taken the pledge.
Bluestem trusts that our readers can use reason, Mr. Google and critical thinking to evaluate that agenda which encourages voluntary stewardship, resists environmental regulation based on "competitive" economic factors, rejects labeling the new and improved food known as GMOs, and animal welfare concerns that aren't coming from farmers, pet breeders and veterinarians. What a bandwagon.
Therein followed the pledges. They're still there though we anticipate a change is going to come once the candidate filing period closes.
Though these three efforts--lobbying, candidate and voter "education," and independent expenditures-- may be legal, together, they created the sort of tangled web that may cause ordinary citizens to think that while all Americans are equal, some corporations and nonprofits are more equal.
Is the DISCLOSE Act a piece the transparency solution?
Those "issue communications" like A Greater Minnesota could be a thing of the past if Minority Leader Paul Thissen, members of his caucus and good/transparent government advocates get their way. Last week at the Star Tribune, J. Patrick Coolican reported in House DFL proposes constitutional amendment for campaign money disclosure:
House DFLers proposed a state constitutional amendment Thursday that would make it easier to see who is giving money to efforts aiding candidates, the latest twist in an ongoing feud over the disclosure of campaign contributions.
Current law shields certain groups from having to disclose money they raise and spend as long as it is spent on so-called issue-based advertising that does not expressly say “vote for” or “vote against” a candidate.
The DFL says that’s a loophole and the proposed amendment would close it, requiring the groups to disclose where they receive the money and how they spend it.
A constitutional amendment would need to pass both houses of the Legislature to appear on the ballot and then be approved by the voters in November.
“It’s time for politicians to … give Minnesota voters the opportunity to decide for themselves if they have a right to know who is spending money to influence their vote,” said House Minority Leader Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis.
Coolican reported that that Republican lawmakers responded to the proposal as if requiring disclosure for "issue" communications were solely a partisan battle. Both Republican and Democratic candidates signed that pledge, without clear disclosure of who was paying how much for its promotion among voters.
We'll eventually know who is giving money to the AgFood Alliance, but as in 2014, there will be no full transparency about two of the other tines of the AgriGrowth Council's forking out the barn of ag policy. DISCLOSE would at least let us see two-thirds of the effort.
Photos: A modern manure sprayer (above); screengrab of the Candidate Spotlight at "A Greater Minnesota"/www.farmandfoodmn.org.
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie's original reporting and analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button below:
With just weeks to go before Minnesota's March 1 precinct caucuses--where delegates for the endorsement process spring--activists got one last opportunity last Monday night to hear a debate between the Republican candidates running for Minnesota’s only open congressional seat. The Uptake live streamed it and has posted a full transcript here.
One issue that's particular to the district? Plans for high speed rail from the south metro to Rochester. The first plan, recently shelved, was for a publicly funded Zip Rail. Beginning in 2014, supporters of a private rail project started chattering about the possibility; plans were finally announced for a line built by the North American High Speed Rail Group's "Velos" elevated train late last winter.
Standing in the way of this shiny thing? The people who live in between stops (most of the line) and concerns that the short line between a middle-sized metro area and a smaller metropolitan area might not be the most viable place for billions of transportation investments, regardless of who's footing the bill.
Bluestem has been among the critics--though we're supportive of other, more robust HSR projects.
The Republican congressional candidates might learn more about the issue tomorrow night. There will be a meeting about the projects featuring MnDOT Commissioner Charlie Zelle on Tuesday, February 16, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Cannon Falls' Urland Lutheran Church
Via The Uptake, here's the clip of the moment, followed by a transcript and fact-check.
Transcript and fact check:
MOD: Any other? Seeing no other rebut cards we will go on to the next question. This goes to John. Same rules apply. Ah since this is a critical issue in the ah in the district here, I’ll read the full question. Governor Dayton and Olmsted County favor a high-speed Zip rail passenger train between the Twin Cities and Rochester. This train could, if it is at grade level, cut CD2 in two and cause horrendous hardship to the residents in its path. And if it is an elevated bed, the cost will more than double, even triple.
According to proponents, this project is to be funded by private investors – would you believe communist China – ah, that’s part of the question – and no state or local public funds are to be used. However, the FRA will be involved, and if any federal funds are in play, the horrors of eminent domain may apply.
FACT CHECK
That's not really a question but a statement that the candidates are to respond. To our knowledge, we have not seen support for the project from Governor Mark Dayton. We also found a couple of premises about eminent domain to be incorrect.
The Federal Railroad Administration does not determine whether a private railroad has the authority to use eminent domain to acquire property; rather, this determination is under the jurisdiction of the Surface Transportation Board.
As a private entity, what is their process for land acquisition?
We do not know that yet. They can have eminent domain authority if they become a private railroad but they would have to get that authority from the Surface Transportation Board (STB).
Railroad corporations have the power to acquire land by purchase or eminent domain. This applies to any land that is needed for roadways, spur and side tracks, rights-of-way, depot grounds, yards, grounds for gravel pits, machine shops, warehouses, elevators, depots, station houses, and all other structures necessary for the use and operation of the road.
Every foreign and domestic railroad corporation shall have power to acquire, by purchase or condemnation, all necessary roadways, spur and side tracks, rights-of-way, depot grounds, yards, grounds for gravel pits, machine shops, warehouses, elevators, depots, station houses, and all other structures necessary or convenient for the use, operation, or enjoyment of the road, and may make with any other railroad company, such arrangements for the use of any portion of its tracks and roadbeds as it may deem necessary.
According to the North American High Speed Rail Group's business plan for the "Velos" private train, side real estate developments along the line will pay for the train, rather than ticket sales. In short, residents along the line face the distinct possibility that a private corporation with absolutely no track record can force them to sell their land along MnDOT right-of-ways, so that the corporation can use it to underwrite speculative real estate developments.
Remember: the rail group's strategic communications director told the City Pages:
It is the North American High Speed Rail Group's interest to plan, design, build and operate this passenger rail corridor through a private funding approach. In this way a full range of economic development opportunities that complement the passenger rail service can be included in a new financial model. When combined, the economics of a project like this are integrated and amplified in a new business model focused on a larger development landscape.
We'd wondered how Social Wendy would acquire property for that vision if the family farmers now occupying the land weren't willing to quit that imaginary landscape. Perhaps this is why Nora Felton raised these points in her letter to the editor of the Red Wing Republican Leader, ‘Zombie’ Zip Rail project has not stopped its march:
Please know NAHSR has now received permits to do survey work within the right-of-way Highway 52. Information from the Zip Rail Community Advisory Committee discussion reveals that MnDOT does not own all of that right of way. For some parts (Krom stated about 1,000 parcels), the state only has easements.
So, dear readers, if your private property is adjacent to Highway 52, check your property deed. . . .
One suspects that there will be points where the tracks rise above land outside the right of way. Bluestem would think that possibility that that land can be subject to condemnation (eminent domain)--even more than Chinese investors or the use of federal funds--would send the opponents of the project to their barns for pitchforks and torches.
The transcript continues:
MOD cont'd: Ah will you oppose this project, and what can you do to keep the federal funds out of this project? John, one minute.
John Howe: Certainly I would not support the project and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that federal funds aren’t available for that project. Y’know one of the things that you hear from ah people that ah like government solutions to y’know problems is ah we’re gonna get federal dollars for that. Well you maybe get federal dollars for the creation, but not for the operation, for the continued operation. And y’know. I mean to say this off the top here but y’know if you look at the land acquisition or what it would take to build a Zip Rail or high-speed rail, you could probably provide bus service for a few hundred years just ah just in what the acquisition cost is gonna be. So I don’t think there’s a demonstrated need here ah again it’s a y’know it’s a solution in search of a problem and ah I would not support it.
MOD: Jason.
Jason Lewis: Y’know I fought really hard against the AWA Goodhue Wind Power Farm with my column in the Star Tribune, on my radio program, and thanks to the people down here, who actually did the hard work, we stopped that for now. The same is true here. I mean what’s 4.2 billion among friends, right? (laughter) That’s supposedly the cost not to mention the E5 visas where we hand out green cards like candy to anybody who throws in some money, and there’s been a number of scandals there.
In early October we reported in What's up with EB-5 visa center's current project? EdCampus seems dead for years, that we contacted the City of Chaska's planning department, we learned that the developers for the EdCampus project--still actively being offered on the visa center's website--had not communicated with the city for many years.
It's too bad Lewis wasn't informed about those developments, since they underscore his more general suspicions about the EB-5 program.
Lewis continues:
Jason Lewis: Part of the problem is, when it comes to transportation at the federal level, is we’ve adopted this mass transit account in the Highway Trust Fund. And that’s where your federal gas tax dollars are going, being siphoned off for these rail projects. And that’s why we keep they keep saying “We’ve gotta raise taxes” but we don’t build roads.
FACT CHECK
Since the developers of the private train claim that they won't be using federal funds, Lewis' call to direct all High Trust Fund money to roads expands the question into federal funding for transit in general. Would eliminating funding for transit projects--desirable or not--plug the hole in the budget? Such plans have been floated in Washington. In Republican bills would cut mass transit from transportation fund, Scripps Howard Foundation multi-media fellow reported last year:
First established in the 1950s, the trust fund was designed to be a self-sustaining source of federal money for transportation projects. It was based on the premise of user fees: People who need highways (drivers) pay a federal gas tax that would finance their roads.
But in recent years, the gas tax has become an inadequate source of money for several reasons. Among them, people are driving more fuel-efficient vehicles that don’t need as much gas, and Congress hasn’t raised the gas tax to keep up with inflation.
Today, about 20 percent of the $50 billion spent annually by the Highway Trust Fund goes toward mass transit, with more than half of that money going toward urban mass transit, maintenance and repair work. . . .
The bills on their own don’t provide a long-term fix for the Highway Trust Fund, which tallies an estimated deficit of $16 billion each year and is scheduled to expire May 31 [2015]. Eliminating the mass transit account would reduce that deficit by about $10 billion annually.
Lewis is trading in hyperbole when he asserts "we don’t build roads." And even without the mass transit account (if removing it were desirable), the fund would be inadequate to fund highway projects at their current level without going into the red.
Back to the debate:
MOD: Darlene.
Darlene Miller: I would definitely ah oppose this Zip line. Again it’s a government oversight, a government deciding what we should do in this community rather than letting the people of the state or the county or the communities decide what’s best for them. Instead of putting that money into a Zip rail, what about our bridges and our roads. And our other infrastructure that needs to be improved. We need to get government to stop deciding in D.C. what needs to happen here.
MOD: Gene, 30 seconds.
Gene Rechtzigel: Ah we need to go ahead with the superhighway system, not a Zip Rail. We need to double the lanes on 494, 694. We need to have a ah superhighway system going from major city to major city across this country. And we better do it quick because time is money, and the people’s money is ah going basically nowhere. And going ah in the negative when you have to sit and sit in ah freeways that aren’t even moving.
MOD: David.
David Gerson: Transportation is inherently local and we need to get the federal government out of transportation, and there’s a conservative bill out there that does just that. It’s called the Transportation Empowerment Act. What it does is it lowers gasoline taxes from 19.3 cents to 2.9 cents over time, and transfers responsibility back to the states where it belongs. We need to get behind these true conservative solutions and move back to local control and ensure that we follow the Tenth Amendment.
MOD: Pam, 30 seconds.
Pam Myrhra: Thank you. Gas taxes are collected on people who drive cars and trucks. And those taxes, those revenues, should be used to build roads and bridges. Not transit.
In short, all of the candidates are against using public funding for high speed rail, but only Lewis tries to address another part of the "question"--those "Chinese investors," some of whom would be trading an investment for a visa. The statement to which they respond does upon examination raise questions about eminent domain.
Images: Heckova morning commute with that zombie train via Global Cool (above) and a Zip Rail Zombie specific cartoon, via CCARL email.
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie's reporting and analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button below:
The passing of Justice Scalia on February 13 brought out some very strange reactions among the GOP. Most notably, GOP leaders were especially quick to politicize their hero’s death. This was surprising, but not necessarily shocking. Most of us probably expected it but were annoyed and found it crass when it actually happened.
Some of us joked that crazy right-wingers would probably try to figure out a way to blame Obama for Justice Scalia’s death…but no one actually could have predicted the insanity of that conspiracy theory as it all went down.
Therein follow a series of tweets along the lines of "Scalia murdered by muslim group at isolated resort in Texas under unbrella of Obama secret police force."
The third comment raised fears about Scalia's death and potential successor:
Mary TuomiYou wonder if it was a natural death... And you wonder if he will replace him with a Muslim...
George SelvestraMary Tuomi, I doubt that Obaqma will get an apointment through the Senate.
Noah Frederick WrightLooks like Sri Srinivasan (born in India) is going to be his pick. The longest appointment up to this point has been just under 150 days with a large scandal around it and Obama has roughly a year. I doubt the GOP would hold it up until the next president because it might make moderate voters lean left in the general elections.
George SelvestraNoah Frederick Wright The Senate Majrity leader has already stated that an Obama pick will likely not be approved.
One of the commenters mentions Sri Srinivasan, widely reported to be on the top of President Obama's short list for nomination to the court Sri Srinivasan was confirmed as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuitby the Senate by a vote of 97–0 on May 23, 2013.
At his formal swearing-in ceremony in September 2013, he took the oath on the Hindu holy book Bhagavad Gita. He was born in India, but moved to Kansas in the last 1960s; his father was a professor of mathematics at the University of Kansas, and his mother taught at the Kansas City Art Institute, according to Wikipedia.
Screengrab: Fear and loathing in the Brainerd Lakes area.
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie's reporting and analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button below:
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources decided Friday not to carry out an environmental review of two permits affecting about 195 acres of former forestland that R.D. Offutt Co. plans to convert to potato fields.
R.D. Offutt Co., based here, planned extensive conversion of forestland into cropland in Cass, Hubbard, Becker and Wadena counties in northwest Minnesota. Initially the company had sought groundwater appropriation permits for 54 wells to irrigate farm fields.
The large proposal prompted concerns from environmental groups led by the Toxic Tater Coalition that last fall petitioned the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to conduct an environmental review of five remaining groundwater permit applications.
R.D. Offutt since has further pared its permit applications and now is seeking approval for two wells covering 195 acres in the vicinity of Park Rapids in Hubbard County and Huntersville in Wadena County.
"We believe at that scale there is limited environmental effects to both water quality and quantity," said Barb Naramore, deputy DNR commissioner. . . .
Representatives of R.D. Offutt Co. and Toxic Taters Coalition have been meeting with DNR officials in recent weeks to try to resolve the concerns.
"We are pleased to arrive at a mutually agreeable and fair outcome," Keith McGovern, R.D. Offutt Co.'s chief executive officer said in a statement. "We will continue to work with MDNR and other state and local agencies as responsible members of the agricultural community."
Amy Mondloch, coordinator of Toxic Taters Coalition, said the group is considering filing an appeal of Friday's DNR action, but hasn't yet decided.
"We're obviously disappointed," she said, adding that the 195-acre footprint of the pending permit applications misses the point.
Read the rest of Springer's article at the Forum. The Toxic Taters Coalition issued a statement about the decision on Saturday:
On Friday afternoon, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) rejected a petition by central Minnesota residents for an environmental assessment on RD Offutt’s proposed expansion into the Pineland Sands Aquifer. The day before DNR issued its decision, RD Offutt (RDO) withdrew two of its remaining four applications for irrigation permits in the Pineland Sands, reducing the company’s request for irrigation permits from 54 requests to three. (One permit has already been issued; two applications are still pending DNR approval.)
“This is definitely a victory,” said Amy Mondloch, coordinator of Toxic Taters. “A year ago RDO was looking for 54 permits and an expansion of thousands of acres. Right now they’ve gotten one permit and are seeking two more. We’ve got more work to do. We still believe an environmental assessment is the right tool to use and we’re concerned that RDO has been clearly working to avoid public oversight.”
Lex Horan, organizer with Pesticide Action Network, said, “RDO seems to be doing everything in its power to avoid an environmental assessment of its expansion, even though the company claimed last year that it would be happy to cooperate in an environmental review. RDO celebrates its agricultural practices at every turn. Why are they so intent on dodging the public process?”
In the wake of DNR’s decision, Toxic Taters and allied groups are considering all their options, including appealing the decision. RDO has reduced its permit requests, but because of the company’s recent land acquisitions and the original 54 permits that the company requested, local residents remain concerned that RDO still intends to clearcut more pine forests in the Pineland Sands to plant potatoes. Petitioning organizations and local residents will continue to call for transparency and public accountability from RDO and its buyers, including McDonald’s.
“Back in April, McDonald’s, one of RDO’s largest buyers, made a commitment to help stop deforestation worldwide. We’re asking that they live up to that commitment here in Minnesota. We want to be clear, our forests are worth more than french fries,” said Mondloch.
We'll continue monitoring the issue.
Following the money
The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board has not yet updated its searchable database of individual and lobbyist contributions in 2015, so it's not easy to update our posts about the RDO family's political contributions.
Representative McNamara chairs the Minnesota House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee. Although he does not accept contributions from lobbyists, he does accept large contributions from corporate executives and upper management. Bluestem examined these contributions in Of the loners at the Center for Responsive Politics & McNamara's campaign finance fables. The Center for Responsive Politics notes that in scrutinizing federal campaign giving:
CRP is the only organization that invests in categorizing campaign contributions by industry in a way that includes individuals' contributions, not just money from political action committees. Here's the logic behind our methodology: Since corporations and other organizations are prohibited from making political contributions from their treasuries, one must look at the contributions from people associated with the institution to gauge its political persuasion and how it might be trying to exert influence . . .We know that not every contribution is made with the donor’s economic or professional interests in mind, nor do we assert that every donor considers their employer’s interests when they make a contribution. But our research over more than 20 years shows enough of a correlation between individuals’ contributions and their employers’ political interests that we feel comfortable with our methodology. We have also observed that the donors who give more than $200, and especially those who contribute at the maximum levels, are more commonly top executives in their companies, not lower-level employees.
Like the Federal Election Commission, the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board requires contributors whose donations are large enough to be itemized to disclose their employer and occupation "which suggests the government is concerned about individuals' economic, or industrial, interests."
Photo: A jack pine forest, via DNR.
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie's reporting and analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button below:
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