Statement from Governor Pawlenty

The Governor issued a statement after the House and Senate passed the education bill, SF3001. Governor Pawlenty has vetoed SF3001. His reasons are stated here.

Senator Rick Olseen (D-17) voted to pass the bill (Senate Journal, page 9770). The bill passed the Senate 45-20.

The bill passed the House 82-49. Jeremy Kalin (D-17B) voted for the bill (House Journal, page 11776).

Brits like Global Warming

The British have kept records of the temperature since 1772, pre-Revolutionary War. A new record of 81.5º F was set recently. They flocked to the beach to enjoy the sun and warmth briefly because a cool spell was returning all too quickly.

Imagine being disappointed once again after waiting since the Revolutionary War for the weather to stay in the low 80s for a few days. Ah, the Brits like global warming, even if it lasted a few hours.

The Al[mighty] Goracle can let it break into the 70s here any day now. That would be an enjoyable improvement.

Food for Thought

You can’t eat ethanol is an editorial at Mankato Free Press.

The Major Document of Freedom

One of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence is available for viewing at the Minnesota History Center. The pertinent information can be found here. This is a rare opportunity to tie ourselves visually and experientially to our roots in history. You can give your children and/or grandchildren a grand lesson in freedom.

Make a day of it. The Minnesota History Center is an impressive building with great architecture. A museum of Minnesota history is located on third floor. There is a gift shop and book store on the first floor. The History Center has a great library on Minnesota and US history. You can get a great view of the Capitol from the lobby of the library. Stop and dine at the eatery on first floor.

You and your family will remember the day with great enjoyment.

Kalin Responds: Part 2

Back on April 23, Rep. Mark Buesgens (Jordan) reminded us at the Post Review that Rep. Jeremy Kalin (D-17B) voted for a 42% increase in the gas tax.

While local writers have not be able to get Kalin to respond, his fellow Representative did. Thank you Mr. Buesgens. Kalin’s writes:

Because of partisan politics in previous years, the only major impediment to building a new bridge in North Branch was lack of state funds. The bipartisan 2008 Transportation Bill changed all that. Design on the new North Branch bridge should begin this year, with construction likely in 2009.

On February 22, 2008, Kalin provided a press release, but did not state any thing about a new I-35 bridge in North Branch as a result of the T bill passage.

In March, Kalin said Mn/DOT had penciled in the bridge replacement for 2012 although he didn't give any documentation for that. He also said the City of North Branch had secured funding from Congress for it.

On April 11, 2008, Kalin stated "Passage of this [HF 2800] bill likely will allow the North Branch Bridge design to begin in 2008 with construction to follow soon after" (my emphasis).

And now, Rep. James Oberstar has announced there is federal money to the tune of "$7,120,745 for the design and construction of a new bridge on Highway 95 in North Branch."

Oberstar has potentially bailed out his buddy, Kalin. These dollars come out of money left over from projects in the 2005 federal transportation bill. Oberstar has pulled the right strings, but the bill still must be signed by President Bush.

So it is stretching the truth to say as Kalin did above, "the only major impediment to building a new bridge in North Branch was lack of state funds." Kalin is just plain lucky that there were left over federal funds and that a Minnesotan is head of the federal Transportation Committee. Without those two factors, the bridge would still not be built before 2012.

So now the question becomes, if the $7 million of federal money actually comes through, how will the state have enough money to pay for the whole project earlier than scheduled? Won’t some other bridge in Minnesota have to wait? Will a local, safe, but functionally inadequate, bridge be bumped ahead of bridges ranked lower in safety?

It’s one thing to pass a bill and authorize the money to build roads and bridges. It’s another thing for the state to collect the money and allocate each year’s resources to all the needs in priority. Projects like the highway 23 bridge in St. Cloud have a way of upsetting well-intentioned schedules. Kalin just might be out of office before anything happens on the North Branch bridge.

Kalin Responds: Part 1

Back on April 23, Rep. Mark Buesgens (Jordan) reminded us at the Post Review that Rep. Jeremy Kalin (D-17B) voted for a 42% increase in the gas tax.

While local writers have not be able to get Kalin to respond, his fellow Representative did. Thank you Mr. Buesgens. Read Kalin’s response.

As is typical, Kalin admits to only a 2¢ gas tax increase, ignoring the increase coming in October and the several cent increase in years to come. It just seems to be impossible for a Dem to tell the whole truth.

Then he proposes a 3 point plan to get the US Congress to reduce gas prices. By the time his proposal might be adopted, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve could be 100% full anyway so it would take care of itself. In the end, even he admits it might not drop the price per gallon any more than he raised our gas tax.

Second, buying directly from Iraqi oil fields may reduce our cost slightly, but then why should the Iraqis absorb the loss which is our gain? Is that fair? How long can we buy on the closed market? Closed markets are not open and free markets. Closed markets disrupt the economy.

Third, I too would like to see the US get out of the subsidy business. But if Kalin gets the feds to eliminate the $51 billion in subsidies to the oil companies, what do you suppose will happen? Gas prices will rise! It’s as simple as that.

So we can have $3.50 per gallon gasoline plus the hidden cost per gallon that we pay out of the other pocket to cover the $51 billion in subsidies. Or we can have $3.50 per gallon gasoline plus the recognizable cost per gallon that the oil companies will charge to cover the $51 billion in subsidies that they formerly got out of our other pocket.

If we should get rid of subsidies for BIG OIL then let’s get rid of the subsidies for BIG ETHANOL and BIG WIND.

Here in Minnesota, Kalin supports subsidized alternative energies (corn and cellulosic ethanol, wind) to help cut our dependence on foreign oil. With his 3 point plan, we are still as dependent on the foreign market as before and just as costly.

It would be far more effective if Kalin asks the feds to allow drilling in ANWR and off-shore and to create the environment in which new oil refineries can be built. Prices comes down when supply goes up. That is a basic concept in the OPEN market which he would understand if he were a true fiscal conservative.

So far, Kalin’s efforts are to pinch the oil hose to restrict the flow.

Kalin has the audacity to take BIG OIL to the woodshed for making a profit per gallon that is far less than state and federal gas taxes per gallon. He loves BIG GOVERNMENT and hates BIG OIL. His 42% tax increase is fine. BIG OIL's much smaller profit percentage is abhorrent. That’s chutzpah.

See this post.

Kalin’s Shoes

According to Rep. Jeremy Kalin’s website, he "knocked on 10,023 doors in 2006!" And he wore out 5 pair of shoes in that effort. He even has a picture of a pair of shoes he wore out. That looks like a pair of shoes a conservative might hang on to for more wear and tear! Maybe his are subsidized by the working class so he can trade them in whenever.

Our poll had asked if Kalin knocked on your door. Thirteen said yes and 17 respondents said no.

Of course those people may not have been home when he visited their abode. Ten thousand doors sound impressive, but how many people were home?

If our poll (which has a margin of error of + or - 3%!) is representative, Kalin spoke with less than 5,000 householders. My suspicion is a candidate will find a mere 30% of people at home. Even repeated visits will be unsuccessful. I don’t imagine the Representative will divulge that information.

Since Kalin said he told us he would vote for the transportation bill (funded in part by a gas tax increase), we posed the next poll question. Of those who actually talked to Kalin, only 50% said he told them he would vote for a gas tax increase. If that is any indicator, the topic was not all that important to the people or the Representative.

Those I know who have had a visit from Kalin indicate a visit goes like this. Kalin does not identify himself as a Democrat. He is friendly and asks for their vote. Political issues are avoided if possible in order to present a friendly face and an impression to remember his name at the voting booth. It’s more important to make friendly comments about the family dog, the yard flowers or their kids than to talk about political issues.

Franken Update

Speaking of his delinquent taxes, Al Franken asserted, "Our accountant made a mistake, and Franni and I relied on our accountant and he made a mistake. And I am fixing it and making it right."

How did the experienced Franken ever think that explanation would fly when even the "dumb jocks" have to pay taxes in most every state in which they play ball? Even the most inexperienced, tax unaware rookie will pay taxes in most every state in which he plays. They have accountants for that. This accountant at American Thinker explains why it is very likely Franken directed his accountant to file his taxes the way they were as we alluded may be the case. The accountant likely did not make any mistake; it was most likely at Franken’s direction.

Franken’s woes may have only begun. The accountant explains,

Since Franken's [sic] has become a high profile case, some of the nonresident states involved may well look back further than 2003. It is a given among Directors of Revenue that nothing encourages compliance more than a news story about a famous non filer having to pay back taxes, interest and penalties.

Franken may have moved to Minnesota for nothing. That would be great!

Internet Lore...Or Fact? HMMMM

I'm reminded of the time that little Catherine, the daughter of friends, told me that she wanted to be President one day.

Both of her parents, liberal democrats, were standing there with us and I asked Catherine, "If you were President what would be the first thing you would do?"

Catherine replied "I would give houses to all the homeless people."

"Wow - what a worthy goal you have there, Catherine." I told her, "You don't have to wait until you're President to do that. You can come over to my house and clean up all the dog poop in the back yard and I will pay you $5 dollars. Then we can go over to the grocery store where the homeless man hangs out, and you can give him the $5 dollars to use for a new house."

Catherine (who was about 4) thought that over for a second, while her mom looked at me seething, and Catherine replied, "Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and clean up the dog poop and you can pay him the $5 dollars?"

Welcome to the Republican Party, Catherine.

No Need for an Explanation

Source

Olseen—Franken’s Justifier

Al Franken, the Democrat immigrant who wants to be Minnesota’s Senator, has avoided paying workers comp premiums in New York and taxes in 17 states.

T. W. Budig’s article at the HometownSource reports the reactions of many DFL lawmakers to Franken’s fix. Here in Chisago County we are especially interested in Senator Rick Olseen’s comments about Franken’s failure to pay his tax debt. In January, the local DFL hosted the delinquent Franken at Senator Olseen’s house.

Budig writes:

Sen. Rick Olseen, DFL-Harris, reports not hearing many murmurs in his district over Franken’s taxes. "I think people aren’t geared up yet for an election — maybe that’s a plus for him (Franken)," said Olseen. "It’s not really on the radar screens yet," he said.

What a brilliant declaration! Olseen is presumptive, assuming his constituents aren’t in tune to the upcoming election. Where has he been for the last year plus? How could any average working stiff not be aware that something is going down in November? What do you suppose triggered Minnesota’s record attendance at caucus? Free food?

And does he think Franken’s tax delinquency is not on our minds if he does not hear about it? What self-centeredness! If these dumb answers are indicative, we can’t get rid of Olseen soon enough.

Olseen ". . . found it "disappointing" to learn about a $25,000 unpaid workers comp fine Franken faced in New York. . ." Disappointing! Just disappointing? How about wrong? This is a moral issue that speaks about the lack of integrity of a man who wants to represent us. Such a man must be exemplary and above reproach. This is an employer who stiffed his own employees by not paying what he owed on their behalf. I thought the Dems are for the little guy!

For Olseen, it’s just disappointing and a mistake, neither of which bother him for a minute because any Democrat will do in office.

"I just see it as a mistake, and he’s admitted he’s made a mistake," he said of Franken. "I don’t hold that against him," said Olseen.

Olseen excused Franken because, "This stuff is pretty high level, complicated tax stuff." Who cares if it’s complicated. Most of us would expect him to utilize an accountant precisely because it is "complicated tax stuff." Franken’s problem is he selected an incompetent or manipulated accountant and that speaks to his own judgment about his inability to fill an elected position.

At least now we know how Olseen will justify the next Republican who disappoints us by making a mistake because the issue is too complicated! We won't forget.

FACTS OF DFL TAX IMPACTS

"Poor Al Franken" - No, not poor fiscally of course for Al Franken is a rich man who can afford it, but "poor Al" in the sense that one could be brought to feel compassion for him for the hefty taxes and penalties he has had to cough up to pay the government(s) in his most recent "dust up" with the revenue agencies of government that he has experienced with the so-called "mistakes" of his accountant.

That it was a simple accounting error is of course a bit of a stretch, yes, quite a bit of a stretch, for if he wants to be a U. S. Senator the current problems that have arisen do not speak well for his supervisory abilities. On the other hand, just think of the purchases he could have made with the $70,000 dollars taxes and penalties he has had to pay so far and that those purchases would have gone to pay some worker's wages. Instead the greedy government gobbled up the money.

That's the way it is with taxes. Government gobbles up the money!

So, there's an urgent message here that needs to be learned by Al's local friends, Representative Kalin and Senator Olseen who seem not able or free or willing to resist the temptation to tax whatever they can and for as much as they can as in the case of Kalin's and Olseen's votes for the onerous and so-called "transportation bill" and its multiples of taxes.

These taxes, no matter how you dress them up, are horrendous burdens on the backs of the taxpayers of this District most of whom do not have the resources of the Al Frankens of this world. Clearly, even rich Al Franken or his "accountant" must have thought Franken's taxes were too high! Olseen and Kalin are you listening?

FRIENDS FOR THE TOUGH TIMES TOO?

Our State Representative Jeremy Kalen and our State Senator Rick Olseen were joyed by the presence of Al Franken at the DFL party at the Olseens just a few weeks back. Will this dynamic DFL leadership duo now reciprocate for AL FRANKEN by giving him the kindly advice to fire his accountant who "made a mistake" - a mistake that stretches from New York to California and apparently 17 or so places in between? A mistake that involves thousands of dollars of money that was owed to the government!

Or will Olseen and Kalen just lay low now for the time being hoping that it will all blow over? We're waiting! Impatiently - because it affects them and says something about them too!

Illegal Immigration, or How to get more Democrats elected

You have to wonder if some of our bleeding heart supporters of the sanctuary cities, illegal immigration and over all watering down of our once strong and vibrant society have had to use any public services lately. Kalin and Olseen should be at an age where they should begin to need some medical care, or take a parent (unless they have "people" to do that) to a doctor visit. As a member of the sandwich generation, I have had both sides, kids and elderly parents needing care in emergency situations from Mpls. to the northern tier hospitals. Would that either of these men could sit through the ordeal, listen to the Dr. and pharmacists venting when you finally get through the immigrants in front of you with no insurance.

Our medical and peace officers are being strained and stressed to pick up the slack that these politicians create. Just in one afternoon spent in the ER, the attending physician lost it, began swearing and slamming things around, as he got the call that another Somali cab driver was coming in for FREE MEDICAL care. He was furious, and asked anyone who would listen why they, and the politicians who support them, thought his services were so cheap. The officer who brought him in was angry, as he commisserated with the Dr. that immigrants do not need to learn the traffic rules, cannot read the signs, and are totally arrogant about their demands for immediate care, arguing that the other driver was at fault when witnesses provided plenty of testimony to the contrary. Insurance? talk to the cab company.

While Kalin and Olseen share the trait of arrogance with these people, let them experience just a month of taking care of a sick family member through our declining medical systems. Wait in line at an in-house pharmacy for three hours for one .75 cent pain killer, while the mass in front of you gets their hundreds of dollars of prescriptions for free. Have the pharmicist apologize and vent on you how they can't handle it anymore, they are soo sorry your loved one had to wait in line, obviously sick, while the party went on in line with the laughter, cell phone conversations and rude behaviours created by democratic largesse. Would an acknowledgement of how incredible America is with this treatment of the poor (Palm cell phones, SUV waiting outside), a tiny show of gratitude instead of arrogance, change my perception? I am naive enough to think maybe, but I won't hold my breath. My ancestors came here, worked the farms as indentured servants, rose through education, and gave my generation a future on their backs. This new wave wants it all now.

The immigrant of the past came with humble expectation, dreams and a burning desire to work to become American. The immigrant of today comes with arrogance, expectations of immediate gratification and the nod and a wink that they do not need to become American, just reap the benefits of the system. You do not need to learn the language, assimilate in the schools, learn our culture, or adopt our civility. A generalization, yes. But one the past months has impressed on me over and over. The strident cry of give me, give me, give me, and get out of my way while I take it. This is not what my great grandparents gave up everything for, and I am angry that Kalin and Olseen can be selfish enough to glibly give it all away. People like them will never see the truth of the situation they are creating.

A STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNOR -- May 1, 2008

~ Governor Pawlenty statement regarding the failure of DFLers in the Minnesota legislature to consider proposals to combat illegal immigration ~

Saint Paul – According to news reports, thousands of immigrants and activists are holding rallies and protests across the country today, including in Saint Paul, demanding immigration reform.

In January, Governor Pawlenty announced executive actions and legislative proposals to counter illegal immigration. Actions taken by the Governor included executive orders to enhance cooperation regarding immigration enforcement between state and federal officials and to require that state employees, contractors doing business with the state and recipients of state grants electronically verify employment eligibility.

The Governor also proposed legislative measures to prohibit city “sanctuary” ordinances that prevent police from inquiring about immigration status, strengthened human trafficking laws, increased penalties for identify theft, enhanced penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants, and establishing the crime of aggravated forgery regarding underlying documents used to obtain identity documents.

Nearly four months into the 2008 session, the DFL-controlled legislature has refused to even hold a hearing regarding the Governor’s immigration reform proposals. The following is a statement from Governor Pawlenty regarding the failure of DFLers in the Minnesota legislature to consider proposals to combat illegal immigration.

“This week’s revelation that police in Lakeville, Minnesota recently stopped a vehicle carrying 15 illegal immigrants who had been traveling for a week highlights the fact that illegal immigration is a real problem and it’s here in our state. It’s time for DFLers to admit that and address this real concern. At a minimum they should hold hearings to debate the common sense immigration reform measures I’ve proposed. It is inconceivable that anyone would oppose measures to combat human trafficking and fight identity theft. I’m hopeful these important issues can be considered before the end of this session.”

Here is one of Senator Olseen's statements on illegal immigration.

Here is a statement from Rep. Kalin on illegal immigration. And Kalin voted to keep some sanctuary cities.