Caption Needed

Let's have a couple of laughs. Try your hand at writing a caption for this picture and send it via comments. Here's mine:

Donkey Party Loses Traction

Because of Excessive Tax Load

Added Caption

Hey Rudolph!
Quit trying to play Santa Claus with my money!

Press Release for the Reagan Day Dinner

The press release below was sent to several local papers. Both the Chisago County Press and Post Review published it with slight modifications.

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Reagan Day Dinner a huge success

President Ronald Reagan once said, "To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last - but eat you he will." Chisago County Republicans gathered at Wild Mountain on Sept. 14 for the first annual Reagan Day Dinner, to begin the effort of taking back state government from tax and spend Democrats who never seem to get enough to eat.


The sold out crowd was treated to an inspiring speech from keynote speaker and KTLK talk show host Jason Lewis. And who better to talk about government spending and the economy? Lewis has a Masters degree in political science and a Bachelors degree in business. An editorial writer who has been published in newspapers from coast to coast, Lewis is an advocate of small, efficient government, and is the founder of Minnesota's Tax Cut Coalition.

Lewis described attempts to raise taxes in the last legislative session as some of the most brazen in memory. A $2 billion surplus apparently wasn't enough, and the Democrat majority supported another $5 billion in tax increases.

State spending over the long haul has resulted in Minnesota being one of the highest taxed states in the country, with one of the worst small business climates anywhere. In 2008 voters have a chance to turn the tide on wasteful spending and high taxes, and begin the process of making their state government responsible and accountable.

Also present were State Republican Party Chairman Ron Carey, Representative Rob Eastlund, House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, representatives of both Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Senator Norm Coleman. Having attended similar events around the state lately, Carey was greatly impressed by the Chisago County turnout. He told those in attendance that their presence was an inspirational message he would spread around the state. Likewise, Seifert and Eastlund were also overwhelmed with the enthusiasm of the large crowd.


Former Representative Pete Nelson emceed the sold out event, which was hosted by the Taylors Falls Republicans. Jim Stein had the honor of presenting Pastor George Cable of Lindstrom with the Distinguished Service Award, which was a very touching moment.

Another very important topic of discussion was the need to replace the tax and spend liberal Representative Jeremy Kalin, who, in his short tenure has voted in support of the public funding of abortion, in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, as well as income tax and gas tax increases.

The Reagan Day Dinner marks the kick off of the 2008 campaign for Chisago County Republicans. Not only was enthusiasm high by the end of the program, Chisago County GOP coffers were well replenished for the upcoming campaign.

To find out more about the event, the Chisago County GOP, or Representative Jeremy Kalin's voting record, go to http://www.chisagogop.blogspot.com/. Local authors will keep you apprised of what is going on in state government and provide you with the facts you need to know heading into 2008.

It's time to stop feeding the crocodile.

More Democrat Rhetoric

Molnau should leave MnDOT post, legislator urges governor

Pawlenty says he won't fire MnDOT commissioner Carol Molnau in response to charges by the chair of the Senate Transportation Committee that she is incompetent.
Article by Mark Brunswick

"In an escalating war of words, the chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday said Gov. Tim Pawlenty should fire Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau -- who is also lieutenant governor -- for what he said were numerous examples of incompetence.

A Pawlenty spokesman said the governor's office would not fire Molnau, who has faced criticism and renewed calls for her ouster since the collapse of the Interstate-35W bridge in Minneapolis on Aug. 1.

While he did not directly blame Molnau's stewardship for the collapse of the bridge, Sen. Steve Murphy, D-Red Wing, criticized Molnau and other MnDOT leaders for their actions following the collapse. He pointed to MnDOT's choice of the highest bidder for the replacement bridge, lawsuits and complaints filed by losing bidders, and the agency's emergency manager failing to return from a business trip to the East Coast for 10 days after the collapse as evidence of a need for change.

"The public has completely lost confidence in the leadership at MnDOT and so has the Legislature," Murphy said, standing near the LaFayette Bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Paul. The bridge is one of about 100 in the state with nonredundant, fracture-critical components like the I-35W bridge, and which are rated "structurally deficient."We have a serious problem in the state of Minnesota and we need serious people with serious answers. We need someone in there who is a professional, that knows engineering, that knows transportation and that is not Carol Molnau," said Murphy, with several other legislators standing nearby.

Murphy said the full Senate would likely consider refusing to confirm Molnau as transportation commissioner as one of its first duties when the legislature convenes in February and that the Senate has the votes to reject her confirmation. A commissioner may serve without confirmation, but if rejected, Molnau could be forced from the MnDOT post but she would retain her elected position as lieutenant governor.

The request for Molnau's termination comes in the midst of a larger debate over transportation funding and questions about a cash flow problem in the department, with the possibility raised of postponed projects to fund the I-35W bridge reconstruction.

Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung dismissed Murphy's remarks as personal name calling and said the governor is interested in moving ahead on a comprehensive transportation plan when the Legislature convenes in February. McClung said Molnau has been working through significant issues in a department that has historically generated controversy.

"From our perspective, Senator Murphy has been holding out this confirmation issue. We hope that legislators are going to take a fair approach to looking at her confirmation. We believe she should be confirmed," McClung said.

McClung said Pawlenty continues to express support for Molnau and that Pawlenty has had no reservations about Molnau serving a dual role as lieutenant governor and transportation commissioner."

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Senator Murphy’s call for Molnau’s termination is obviously the voice that Rep. Kalin (17B) wants. Kalin’s press releases (links previously noted) demonstrate the itch to be rid of her.

Rather than pull together to overcome the crisis caused by the bridge collapse, the Dems play political games. Someone must be blamed. That is especially convenient when the other party is in administration. You can bet your last dollar that the libs would not be making this call if they were holding administrative power.

Why is the Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee now faulting Molnau for "...about 100 [bridges] in the state with nonredundant, fracture-critical components like the I-35W bridge..." when that is his jurisdiction as well? How is it that the sudden collapse of one bridge brings all these other bridges on his radar screen? Doesn’t he read Mn/DOT reports? Isn’t it his specific job to keep tabs on the condition of bridges and the schedule for repair or replacement? The very fact that he can identify bridges with "...nonredundant, fracture-critical components..." implies he has read reports. Did he just now read the reports? If he read them earlier, where was his and his committee’s plan for repair or replacement? After all, the average citizen has known for years that the backlog of bridge repair/replacement has been growing. It doesn’t require being a senator to know this. And the Dems could have been in power when this bridge collapsed. Oh wait! He is in power.

While pointing out Molnau’s failures, he points out his own. If Molnau should go, then so should he. If there can be no confidence in Molnau, then how can we have confidence in Chair Murphy? He must accept responsibility for all bridges in Minnesota as part of the Transportation Committee.

Blaming is a childish game that the Dems have mastered. It diverts attention from one’s own failures to another. It appears to address the problem, satisfying the party base, but does little or nothing to correct the problem. It disheartens the very team that must solve the problem, while the jackals gnaw their political bones and the hyenas laugh with glee over the sacked teammate. Blamers don’t remember that what goes around, comes around.

Suddenly all the backlog of potential calamity is hyped because of one crisis. Dems make a crisis of a crisis in order to dig deeper into the taxpayer’s pockets. The next months will be filled with Democrats moaning about the need for billions in transportation dollars to get voters convinced to open their pocketbooks. Talk about creating a culture of fear!

We voters get disgusted that so many of our elected leaders are so childish and such fear-mongers. Quit pointing fingers. Get back to work. Do the job. Solve the problems and get the bridge replaced as a team. The new bridge will not be a Democrat bridge if it falls down. You can be sure of that!

Oh the Liberal Finger-pointing!
Another Kalin Press Release

Rep. Jeremy Kalin (D-17B) has posted his latest accusatory piece.

"OP/ED COLUMN
LEADERSHIP AND HONESTY ARE SORELY NEEDED

When the 35W bridge collapsed, taking 13 lives with it, Governor Pawlenty sounded like the leader we all wanted him to be. He assured us that he would do what it takes to ensure that all of Minnesota's roads and bridges are safe, even it if meant raising taxes.

When legislators questioned Lt. Gov. Molnau and her staff on August 15 and 22, MnDOT assured us that they would have no cash problems. Other projects would not suffer, the Lt. Gov. reassured us.

Since then, we've learned of excessive bonuses going to the losing bidders of the 35W bridge contract – to the tune of $600,000 total. We've learned that MnDOT's director of Emergency Management, Sonia Morphew Pitt, couldn't be bothered to come home for 10 days after the bridge collapsed, and that up to $26,000 of her taxpayer-paid travel was for personal pleasure. And, we've learned that MnDOT management, when made aware of Ms. Pitt's excesses, failed to alert the Legislative Auditor as required by law.

To top it all off, Lt. Gov. Molnau has since admitted that she didn't tell the legislature the truth. She has asked the legislature to give her an unprecedented cash advance of almost $200 million. If she doesn't get her way, projects in the works will be delayed or halted altogether.

What's the Governor's response to Minnesotans? Don't worry. Be happy.

It's a cute slogan. But it doesn't exactly inspire confidence in MnDOT, or in Minnesota's infrastructure. The Governor and the Lieutenant Governor need to come clean regarding MnDOT's ongoing financial troubles. Only then can the legislature, and every Minnesotan, be confident that increased investment will be responsibly managed by the Pawlenty/Molnau administration. And only then will we be certain that our state is on the responsible path to better roads, safer bridges, and adequate transit options.

___________________________________________

It’s all Lt. Governor Molnau’s fault according to Kalin, and Pawlenty’s. He does not acknowledge that the financial crunch Mn/DOT is experiencing is due to a potential veto of the transportation bill by President Bush. The bill provides $195 million to the state for the start of the I-35 bridge. But President Bush has threatened to veto it because of the “irresponsible and excessive level of spending” in it.

Because the $195 million federal money may not arrive in time, Mn/DOT may need to delay some other projects, for example see here and here to free up money for starting the construction of the I-35 bridge.

Mn/DOT has asked the Legislative Advisory Commission (LAC) for the possible approval of $195 million of state money to start the project.

The LAC is reluctant to approve this large sum because the commission deals with smaller figures. And if this would be approved, there are concerns that the federal money may not come through.

This is indeed a problem for state officials, but it would not exist if the federal dollars were there, something Kalin does not acknowledge.

Of course the Dems blame Pawlenty for not allowing transportation funding in the special session. Governor Pawlenty wisely prevented a feeding frenzy by the Dems who saw the bridge tragedy as an opportunity to spend money like drunken sailors.

Ironically, a similar feeding frenzy is occurring at the federal level as Congress (Dems and Republicans) loaded up the transportation bill with excessive pork which the President has threatened to veto.

Kalin wants leadership out of Minnesota Republicans. When will he demand leadership out of his fellow liberals who gorge at the public trough? The porkers get so greedy that they are willing to jeopardize the funding of a collapsed bridge. If the federal transportation bill were fair, Bush would sign it and Minnesota’s bridge funding problem would be solved. But liberals sense they can take advantage of a tragedy and federal funding failure to open the state floodgates for even more funding. The Governor alone holds back that flood. Keep it up Governor. You have our support.

Kalin wants honesty from the Governor. How about a wee bit of honesty from Kalin? Liberal greed at the federal level is creating a funding problem here. We’re sick of the dishonesty of liberal politicians.

It’s time for our local Representative to demonstrate leadership by actually working harmoniously toward a solution together with Republicans. “People before politics” is only a slogan; now let’s see you put it into action.

Kalin Press Release

After Rep. Jeremy Kalin (D-17B) pandered to the media about the bridge stipends, he followed with a letter to Lt. Governor and Commissioner of Transportation, Carol Molnau, on September 20, 2007. His press release can be viewed here.

In it, he adds six more issues to the petty one above. (See our previous post.) He should be given a 15 yard penalty for "piling on." This is unsportsmanlike conduct. Molnau is trying to restore Minnesota to normality after the collapse of the most used bridge in the state. She’s as busy as a cat on a hot tin roof with work, but Kalin has to badger her. Kalin is more interested in politicizing a tragedy than creating a climate for the Transportation Department to get the job done timely and properly.

Ignoring the fact that he had already admitted that as a legislator he knew of the $300k stipend for each of the three losing bridge bidders, now he condemns the $1.5 million in stipends as frivolous spending. He ratchets up his rhetoric from the $900,000 expected stipend to $1.5 million. He should have expected the extra $600,000 in stipends when liberals pushed for light rail in the bridge design.

Whatever waste is discovered after investigating the "absence" of a Mn/DOT employee during the bridge collapse will not go very far toward repairing one of the "...endangered bridges..." he is so concerned about. The employee review will tell if discipline is needed, but any potentially wasted dollars are less than minuscule compared to the cost of repairing one deficient bridge. Where is his sense of proportion? Political opportunists make voters cynical.

Why does a liberal suddenly become concerned about frivolous spending when he voted for frivolous tax increases a few months ago? What is $600,000 compared to $5,000,000,000 proposed in bills by the Dems? It’s frivolous when he says it’s frivolous and he ignores the fact that light rail was included in the bridge design by a Republican administration on the insistence of libs.

Kalin does not have a sense of proportion. What is the importance of starting the Rush Line Commuter Bus service compared to the replacement of the failed I-35 bridge? The commuter delay caused by the congested North Branch TH 95 bridge is nothing compared to no bridge over the Mississippi River. Like a petulant kid, Kalin has to have answers to his petty questions now. It would be good for Molnau to ignore him; answers will be forth coming after the crisis is handled.

Economic Commentary

Tax-Happy Dems Jeopardize U.S. Economy
Now is not the time for tax hikes.
By Deroy Murdock

"Now that recession-warning lights have begun to blink, Democrats should give tax hikes a rest."

Minnesota Democrats, please read more... Thank you!

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French Revolution
Sarkozy takes on the welfare state.

"Unveiling his domestic reform agenda in Paris Tuesday, Nicolas Sarkozy called for "a new social contract" for France. His proposed revision of French socialist tradition going back to Jean-Jacques Rousseau is nothing short of revolutionary. His ability to deliver will make or break his presidency."

Minnesota Democrats might learn something from the French. Please read more...

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Uncle Sam: Subprime Lender
An ill-conceived plan to place taxpayers atop the housing bubble.

"This week the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a plan to erase billions of dollars of subprime loan defaults in the private mortgage industry. How? By making taxpayers responsible for future losses."

Read more...

New York Times Admits Guilt

The Public Editor
Betraying Its Own Best Interests
By CLARK HOYT

FOR nearly two weeks, The New York Times has been defending a political advertisement that critics say was an unfair shot at the American commander in Iraq.

But I think the ad violated The Times’s own written standards, and the paper now says that the advertiser got a price break it was not entitled to.

Read the rest of the New York Times’s admission of guilt.

Here is a commentary on the admission by the Times.

When does a Liberal Complain

about Spending Money?

Late afternoon on Wednesday, Rep. Jeremy Kalin (D-17B) called WCCO radio (and others) to say the three companies with the losing bids for the I-35 bridge would be receiving $500,000 each instead of the $300,000 stipend he knew would be granted. WDFL Don Shelby eagerly asked pandering Kalin to inform him about his investigation into the matter so that he could report on it.

This article had reported on the $500,000 stipend on September 14 (5 days before bid award), explaining the rationale for offering stipends to the losing bidders.

Mn/DOT did not design the bridge project and put it out for bid. Rather, each bidding company used the design-build method. The stipend covers at least some of the design costs of the bidding company. An article, in which Kalin’s complaint is registered, also explained the rationale of the stipend.

A bid-losing company can choose to turn down the stipend. If it accepts the stipend, the state gets the right to use any ideas submitted in its design and bid. Thus the state may benefit from information that it can use on this or any other project in the future. Of course that benefit is not known in advance.

On September 14, the above article explained the increase from $300k to $500k:

"Department spokesman Kevin Gutknecht said the stipend increase reflects heightened expectations, including a requirement that the bridge be reinforced to accommodate a future light-rail line."

After the bidding companies had already done work on the design-build project, they were asked to modify it to accommodate light-rail. Kalin’s liberal friends pushed hard for light-rail inclusion on the bridge. In a liberal’s mind, such a demand is not the driving force for an increased stipend; a Republican administration that believes in paying for a requested product must be blamed. Kalin doesn’t live in a real world of cost and benefit. Despite his "people before politics" mantra, he lives in the mud-slinging world of jacking himself up by wacking Republicans and pandering for votes.

Kalin balked at the $600,000 extra stipend expense, but said nothing about the $50 million extra cost of the bid accepted by the state which has been protested by two losing bidders. Kalin missed the big money and choked on the small potatoes. That does not bode well for Chisago County taxpayers who will be expected to keep forking out the dough for his projects.

Illegal Immigration

A friend passed along the link to this web site which shows how extensively a trail is used for illegal entrance into the USA. The vast amount of clothes and litter that is left behind shows this.

Securing our borders is more than a Republican issue. Many Democrats know too that it is essential to our national security, among other things. A trail this well used, points to a lack of enforcement in this particular area. Where is our government? Apparently it’s too busy dishing out pork.

There are many reasons why illegal immigration must be stopped. The points below (and others) can be found in a paper located here, but several of the links in that paper have expired. I have updated them below. Use the "Find" feature to search for key words in these large files.

• Each year, $11 billion to $22 billion dollars are spent on welfare to illegal aliens.
• Billions are spent each year on food assistance programs.
• $2.5 billion dollars a year are spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens.
• $17 billion dollars a year are spent educating American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
• 30% of all federal prisoners are aliens, costing $3 million dollars a day.
• $90 billion dollars a year are spent on illegal aliens for education, welfare and social services by the American taxpayers.
• $200 billion dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by aliens, legal and illegal.
• Hispanics in the United States have a crime rate that is two and a half times that of whites.
• Billions of dollars are sent back to Mexico by illegal immigrants who work in the USA.
• Besides the millions of illegal aliens that cross our southern border, millions of pounds of cocaine, meth, heroine and marijuana come north.

Read the report of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

The National Policy Institute "estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period." This paper can be downloaded here, but you need to enter your e-mail address.

Deporting illegal aliens and securing our southern border will be costly, however, it is costing billions to allow them to stay.

Americans are not opposed to legal immigration and assimilation. But illegal immigration will destroy our country. These links provide many hours of educational reading. Meanwhile, politicians do little or nothing.

More "Transportation" Pork

Funding for bridges served with side of pork
Senate set aside $1 billion for worn spans -- and $2.5 billion for "earmarks."
By Kevin Diaz

Bridges are aging and rusting all over the country, but if Congress has its way, Las Vegas will get a history museum out of the Senate-approved transportation and housing bill soon headed to President Bush.

North Dakota will get $450,000 for its Peace Garden on the Canadian border, while Montana will see funding for a minor-league baseball stadium in Billings. So too will Minnesota get $250,000 in the House version -- for bike trails.

The U.S. Senate bill does contain an extra $1 billion for bridge repair. But the amount set aside for pet transportation and community projects would be more than double that: In all, 843 new congressional "earmarks" totaling $2.5 billion.

Read the rest of the article.
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While federal pork continues to outpace maintenance dollars for bridge repairs, the Governor of Minnesota kept the Dems from filling the special session with pork. The Dems can’t wait for the next half year to fly by before the regular session commences so they can legislate more taxes.

Click here for information on the financial aid package passed in special session for flood relief. Some state money was appropriated to get federal funds for the I-35 bridge.

See this information for a listing of private donations for flood relief, Minnesotans helping Minnesotans. And wonder of wonders, it is voluntary!

Follow up on Chicago Abortion Clinic

The Aurora city council will review the zoning application process of a group that built an abortion clinic under disguise in its application. A judge has ordered occupancy cannot be taken until a review is made.

This is a follow up on a previous article posted here.

Excessive Spending

The Big Easy’s Billion Dollar Boondoggle
Uncle Sam has spent how much on New Orleans and the Gulf since Katrina hit?!?!!#!!
By Larry Kudlow

So, the president and Mrs. Bush went down to New Orleans to commemorate the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Who knows? Maybe over a latté with leading Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards they discussed spending even more money down there. After all, everyone seems to be saying New Orleans needs more cash.

Here’s a pop quiz: How much money has Uncle Sam spent on New Orleans and the Gulf region since Hurricane Katrina ripped the place apart?

I’ll give you the answer because you’ll never guess it. The grand total is $127 billion (including tax relief.

Read the rest of this disturbing article.

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We expect this from the Dems, but far too many of our Republican leaders have lost their way. At one time, fiscal responsibility and Democrat were incompatible terms. Now that is true of so many Republicans.

For more of the same, check out this article by Bob Woodward. Alan Greenspan "...levels unusually harsh criticism at President Bush and the Republican Party in his new book, arguing that Bush abandoned the central conservative principle of fiscal restraint."

This is very disheartening to the Republican base, but conservatives must not throw in the towel because of this. It is time for conservatives to stand up and hold our Republican leaders accountable.

Continuing the Series

'Awakening' musters Iraqi courage against al-Qaida
By Matt Sanchez

Taking a stand is not an easy thing to do for most, especially when the cost of standing out may be your life. Last week, I had the honor of meeting and interviewing Sheik Sattar. This young, vibrant leader was a rising star behind a movement that has brought peace to the area, and hope to a people.

Continue reading the next in the series by embedded reporter Sanchez.

Economic News

Bright spots in employment are in the red states while the blue states are singing the blues. Read Greg Kaza on jobs.

California lawsuit on car greenhouse gases is dismissed.

A Sextuplet on the Democrats’ Military Prowess

Jonah Goldberg on Hillary Clinton’s comments to Gen. David Petraeus.

Charles Krauthammer on the success of Gen. David Petraeus.

Craig R. Smith on the Dems’ prescience regarding Gen. Petraeus’s testimony.

Barbara Simpson on the Dems’ attack on Gen. Petraeus.

Ann Coulter on the Dems’ many excuses why we must fail in Iraq.

Gary Varvel on Congress via a cartoon.

Porker of the Month

For the month of August, Citizens Against Government Waste gave its Porker of the Month Award to US Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN). See our previous comments about him here and here.

Who is Jeremy Kalin?

Someone who made a comment on this blog asked this question. To learn about him, you can keep track of him and his thinking by using at least the following means.

• His own web site.
• His blog which has a link on his web site.
• Also watch his government space as a state representative.
• His postings on the liberal DailyKos number in the hundreds. (This is worth mining. I doubt anyone has had the time to find all his liberal nuggets in these posts.)
• Even if you don’t subscribe to the local papers, you can learn some information about Kalin by clicking on the links to them that are on this blog.
• It is also enlightening to google his name.
• Please read an earlier post that I made on this blog for more information.

The person who asked if Kalin owns land or ever paid taxes in Chisago County should check the public records at the courthouse and report back. All property tax records for the current year can be located on the Chisago County web site here. Just type in his address.

The primary purpose of this blog is education in political matters. The invention of the Internet (yah the Goracle did it!) and blogging is as important in our time as Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press more than five hundreds years ago. Let’s use it!

Knowledge and the dissemination of knowledge will overcome ignorance, which too often has carried the day in politics.

So who is Jeremy Kalin? He is someone who should be former Representative Kalin.

Local Government Aid

Our Chisago County cities have just completed establishing their proposed budgets for next year. After public review during Truth in Taxation hearings, usually in December, these budgets can be adjusted, but not increased.

A Minnesota city has many sources of revenue, the two largest usually being property taxes and Local Government Aid (LGA).

Rep. Jeremy Kalin (D-17B), as we have noted before here and here, touts that he was "Fighting for Property Tax Relief." He laments that "...property tax hikes will continue another year" because Governor Pawlenty vetoed the bill. Kalin promises to "...deliver real property tax help for our area."

Of course, Kalin is not being honest. Surprise, surprise! "Property tax relief" comes at the expense of sales taxes and income taxes paid by you. The very ones who pay city property taxes, pay sales taxes and income taxes to the state, which gives your tax money to the cities in the form of LGA.

So the state takes money little by little from you throughout the year during each purchase and from your paycheck and gives it to the city. Then when you pay your property taxes twice a year, it doesn’t feel as bad as if you would have to pay all of it to the city on your own. Whatever taxes you pay now would essentially double in May and October if LGA did not exist. It’s called "feel good" taxation and Kalin wants you to "feel good" so you vote for him.

LGA began in 1971. Since 1991, counties have no longer received LGA. LGA payments to townships ceased in 2002. LGA payments to cities have been increasing to the present.

Check out this web site. Select your city to see the LGA payments it received from 2002-2007.

Cities get used to LGA and would not know how to budget without it. How did our parents and grandparents ever fund city property taxes without LGA prior to 1971?

If townships and counties can fund their budgets without LGA, then why can’t cities? If we, as taxpayers, are able to pay township and county taxes on our own, without LGA, then why can’t we pay city property taxes on our own?

If local taxpayers were truly responsible for all that a city expends, without LGA, then our local city budgets would be much lower. We would not be fooling ourselves about the amount of property taxes we actually pay. LGA is a hidden tax that shields city council members from tremendous heat from local taxpayers. LGA destroys council member accountability.

Kalin, forget your kind of "property tax relief" through LGA. I want my kind of property tax relief through making my council members fully accountable for how much of my money they spend. LGA should be abolished for cities. A side benefit would be that Kalin couldn’t crow so loud.

Successful Reagan Day Dinner

The Chisago County Republicans enjoyed a special evening together, being energized to take our county back from leftist, liberal, Democrat representation in the Capitol. We are all visualizing the targets on the backs of the representative and senator.

We wish to acknowledge Ron Carey, our Republican State Party Chair, for his support. He was exuberant over the large number of attendees. Chisago County is on the state party’s map!

Thanks to Rep. Rob Eastlund (R-17A) for his kind words and encouragement. Sean Nienow, representing US Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, charged us with staying on target by adhering to conservative principles. Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman passed along his message through his representatives.

House Minority Leader, Marty Seifert (R-21A), rallied the troops with his economic statistics. Thank you Pete Nelson for being master of ceremonies. You made the event work!

Conservative talk show host, Jason Lewis, was on top of his game, presenting the necessity of jettisoning the leftist, neo-Marxist redistribution of wealth that enthralls so many, but will destroy us. Jason Lewis was well-received by all of us who appreciate him for articulating conservative principles via KTLK 100.3 fm radio. His humor excelled that of the laughable comedian, Al Franken, from air-head radio.

Thanks to the many fellow Republicans from Wisconsin for attending. Also a large group of Talk Spot bloggers, who appreciate Jason Lewis, honored us with their presence. It is good to see so many young conservatives.

It is greatly encouraging to see so many of our Chisago County Republican friends and neighbors rally around a common cause. Thank you for coming and making this evening special. This event was successful because each of you, individually, chose to come and so many of you sold tickets.

Thank you Taylors Falls Republicans for hosting an event that attracted the interest of so many conservatives. Thank you for a job well done. Thanks to those who donated items for door prizes and auction items.

Finally, Wild Mountain deserves thanks for the good accommodations and catering to our every need.

Success builds success. Mr. Right says, “Keep thinking right!”

9/11 Anniversary Senate Buffoons

On this sixth anniversary of the WTC tragedy, the leftist Senators demonstrated buffoonery during the hearings on Iraq. Consider the news accounts here, here, here and here. The full text of the testimony of Gen. Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker is available here. Consider the following commentary.

The left has no shame
David Limbaugh

Has the left no remaining ounce of shame? Its latest target: the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, whom Senate Democrats unanimously confirmed.

Remember Democrats faulting President Bush for being inflexible, not following the advice of the generals and having no strategy in Iraq – never mind that they've never had so much as a paper-napkin sketch of a clue as to what to do in Iraq or the War on Terror? Yet, when he took decisive action that can fairly be said to have addressed all of these criticisms, they reflexively opposed him again, proving once more their allegiance to party over nation.

Read the rest of his commentary.

The capitol police hauled out hecklers from the hearing. I wish they would drag out the heckling Senators. These jerks think they get to report and are above being questioned. They are supposed to ask Gen. Petraeus the tough questions. But they grandstand and recall all their tired arguments. They are a bunch of gas-bags. Who cares what the Senators think? We want to know what the General thinks; we already know what the leftist Senators think.

Yet they all went home tonight thinking they had killed the General with their special bullet(s), not being capable of realizing they had demonstrated why they should not be sitting in the honored chairs. It is disgusting to watch and listen to elected officials who think they are gods.

General Petraeus is a man. The leftist gods? Well they're not even boys and girls yet. And Hillary wants to be his boss. What a tragedy that would be.

Special Legislative Session

DFL leaders seek quick special session
Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller and House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher offer to drop a gas-tax hike from their session agenda.
By Mark Brunswick

"DFL legislative leaders said Tuesday they're ready to abandon a more comprehensive special session to focus on last month's Interstate 35W bridge collapse and the massive floods in southeastern Minnesota. They also suggested a willingness to drop advocacy of a gas-tax increase."

Read more...

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It was obvious many liberals were drooling for pork at the thought of a special session. Governor Pawlenty has wisely refused to allow the pigs access to the public trough in an uncontrolled special session. When will liberals ever learn that "Dems gone (hog)wild" are a menace to society? Perhaps the Democrat leadership is learning a little moderation as noted in this article.

During the recent Minnesota State Fair, 58% of those participating in the 2007 House of Representatives poll support raising the state’s gas tax by a dime. But 58% also supported the medical use of marijuana, which may indicate this poll drew more liberals.

The Taxpayers League of Minnesota also conducted a poll at the state fair. The results may indicate it drew more fiscal conservatives.

• 82% of respondents don’t want a gas tax increase
• 7% would like to see a nickel increase
• 7% would like to see a dime increase
• 4% could not decide

Our own thoroughly scientific poll on Chisago is GOP shows 100% opposition to raising the gas tax! And we are not biased in the least! That must have convinced the Dem leaders.

But seriously, the Governor's more reasonable approach is winning the day.

Reports from Iraq

Awhile back I posted the first account that embedded reporter, Matt Sanchez, wrote. If you are not following his series, his subsequent articles are linked below. One of the principles for successful war is to win over the people. This comes through in his writing. The military is having success. There is hope for the Iraqis.

Article 1 War secret: Iraqis actually like the U.S. military

Article 2 U.S. soldiers befriend Iraqi children

Kids unafraid of gentle giants with body armor, dark glasses, weaponry

Article 3 Secret cause of sectarian violence in Iraq
The reasons are possibly simpler than religious ideology

Additional articles by Sanchez:
'General' public should provide real support
Marines trade bullets for compassion

Listen to What I Say; Don’t Investigate What I Do

Who's the biggest phony of them all?
By Paul Greenberg

John Edwards, the presidential candidate, has been outed by the Wall Street Journal as the kind of investor in subprime real estate that he's been blasting on the campaign trial.

It turns out that the hedge fund Mr. Edwards has a long and profitable connection with — Fortress Investment Group — invests in the kind of "shameful lending practices" that Candidate Edwards denounced when he kicked off his presidential campaign in New Orleans' Ninth Ward last December.

Read more...

This is an example of why people become cynical about elected officials.

God Gets Dragged into Politics by a Dem

God wants Iowa first
By Jason Clayworth

God's will is for Iowa to have the first-in-the-nation caucus, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson told a crowd here Monday.

"Iowa, for good reason, for constitutional reasons, for reasons related to the Lord, should be the first caucus and primary," Richardson, New Mexico's governor, said at the Northwest Iowa Labor Council Picnic. "And I want you to know who was the first candidate to sign a pledge not to campaign anywhere if they got ahead of Iowa. It was Bill Richardson."

Read more...

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Clearly Richardson wants Iowa to hold the limelight it has historically had. But now we know it is also God’s will for that to continue. What is the point of appealing to God to ground his own personal desire? Is the Governor claiming he has been the recipient of divine revelation? Is he using God’s will as a trump card to get everyone in line with his own will? Since he pledged not to campaign in any state that held a vote prior to Iowa, it sounds like he is getting nervous that might happen and wants to head it off at the pass. Well, if it is God’s will, what’s he getting nervous about?

If, for example, Fred Thompson had declared the above, we would not hear the end of the ridicule heaped upon this probable Republican candidate for president. The Dems would mock any Republican man who claims to know God’s will who also aspires to preside over our country. But Governor Bill Richardson will get a pass from the liberal press.

God has spoken (his word being recorded in the Bible) about all aspects of life, but he has not said anything about when primaries should be held in Iowa. Bill Richardson should pay attention to what God has said, which we all can review and contemplate because it is recorded. For example, Richardson will find that God has spoken about abortion and it is contrary to what Richardson has declared:

"I am pro-choice and will continue to support abortion rights and medical privacy for women. I am the only candidate explicitly committing to appoint only judges who consider Roe v. Wade settled law."

See his web site.

This issue is major; the timing of primaries is inconsequential. In the first case, Richardson doesn’t want to be bothered with what God has already said. In the second, he puts words in God’s mouth for his own gain. That is called making God in his own image.

A Common Sense Approach

Here is one highlight in a great article from Minnesota Majority on the bridge collapse and a gas tax increase.

"Fact #1: Minnesota already spends more than most other state [sic] on our roads and bridges. In 2006, the state transportation budget exceeded $2.3 billion! There’s simply no evidence to suggest that state engineers have been forced to compromise bridge maintenance due to a lack of funding. We may have an issue with how spending is prioritized, but we sure don't appear to have a lack of adequate funding."

Read more...

Federal Farm Payments

The Government Accounting Office published a report on July 9, 2007, about USDA farm subsidy payments, stating,

"USDA also cannot be assured that it is not making improper payments to deceased individuals. For 1999 through 2005, USDA paid $1.1 billion in farm payments in the names of 172,801 deceased individuals (either as an individual recipient or as a member of an entity). Of this total, 40 percent went to those who had been dead for 3 or more years, and 19 percent to those dead for 7 or more years."

Read the highlights of this report at GAO.

The full report is available here. Be sure and look at the summary link.

Did you know farm subsidy payments are made to farmers in Manhattan? Check it out.

This link will give you access to the subsidy payments distributed throughout the USA. At the bottom of the page on this link, type in a city and state. For example, check out Edina, MN and see how many are getting farm subsidies in this metropolis of farming. Type in Lake Calhoun, MN and be amazed at how much is subsidized in a city. Check out your town.

Farmers receive $20 billion in subsidies each year. One billion went to deceased people between 1999 and 2005. Who says it doesn’t pay to die?

With this Thinking, No Wonder We are in Trouble

Melissa Hortman (DFL, 47B), an assistant majority leader in the Minnesota House, wrote the following:

The tax questions we ought to ask

Of course Minnesotans would opt to pay less in the broadest sense. That might change if their leaders spelled out the consequences.

A poll taken shortly after the bridge collapse shows that most Minnesotans still do not want their gas tax increased. That should surprise no one. Any poll asking Minnesotans whether they would like to pay a higher or a lower price for a key commodity would produce the same result. People prefer lower prices.

Read the rest of her commentary here.

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Hortman draws an analogy between the increasing need to maintain bridges and consequently the need to increase the gas tax with the need to eat and the need to pay higher food prices. She used this analogy because she thinks Minnesotans are too dumb to realize we need to be willing to pay more gas taxes.

Being willing to pay higher food costs does not translate into a willingness to accept legislator-imposed gas tax hikes. The one is our personal choice within our budget; the other is foisted upon us without respect to our budget.

Hortman fails to recognize that a different conclusion can be drawn from her analogy. Since we need to eat within our budget, if some foods cost more, we have choices to switch brands, shop another store, eat less of the higher priced food and more of something less costly.

Government has those same choices regarding roads and bridges. But Hortman limits the options to one–increase the gas tax. Families cannot by fiat increase the budget like government can. And when government increases its budget by fiat, it simultaneously decreases what is available in the budget for the family to buy food. Government must live within its means, which is the collective means of all taxpayers. Government too has choices within its budget.

In other words, whether buying groceries or maintaining bridges, we should prioritize. Hortman knows nothing of prioritizing buying groceries or infrastructure. Throwing money at it is a typical Democrat response. Whether at the local, state or federal level, far too many politicians, who live within their own personal budgets, lose their heads when they get to spend our tax dollars. Priorities fly the coop; just levy more taxes. And then suddenly when a bridge collapse reveals their prior lapses, they put it on top priority where it should have been all along.

The thinking (or lack thereof) Hortman reveals in her piece should scare all Minnesotans because we all will be affected by her legislative ventures. This is the same unthinking person who speculated, "Did the heat put extra strain on the steel?" and said, "You wonder if this bridge was built to withstand the massive heat we have had this summer." She forgot about the summer of '88.

Showing more ignorance, she wrote,

“In the United States, we have a republican democracy. Why is that? Elected officials are supposed to lead as well as listen. Lately, it seems we have been seeing a lot of listening, but now we need to exercise leadership.”

What is a republican democracy? Never heard of it and our founding fathers were terrified of democracy.

She concludes it is time to quit listening and exercise leadership. Apparently the listening is the republican part and exercising leadership is the democracy part. Well, she hasn’t done enough listen’ cuz she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.