The Star Tribune had a nice interview and video of Jim Oberstar’s last day at his Congressional Office in Washington, D.C., from Tuesday. Check it out.
It occurs to me that Oberstar’s defeat remains so surprising that I haven’t known what to write about it or what comes next for Democrats in MN-08. In truth the whole “State of Superior” (MN-08, WI-07, MI-01) now faces a remarkably similar Republican-leaning political climate, though to be fair Minnesota’s Fightin’ Eighth is now more influenced by the conservative exurban southern part of the district, not the Lake Superior watershed which remains fairly Democratic by comparison.
I haven’t heard a single serious sniff from a DFL challenger to incoming Rep.-elect Chip Cravaack yet. We’ll be exploring that universe very deeply in 2011. Meantime I get the sense that people are taking a wait-and-see approach to Cravaack. This district promises nothing but excitement for political junkies over the next two or three cycles, if not longer. Republicans better hope that new, young, conservative-leaning independents don’t sour on GOP political promises. Democrats better hope that Duluth grows and holds its progressive core. A big boost like Google Fiber would help. Democrats will need new voters to compete long term.
If he has good constituent services, that will be in his favor. Otherwise, those who aren’t in his corner politically need to make sure our voices are heard by his office. Often.
I am longing to hear the voice of a conservative that is thoughtful, not just parroting the party line, and who can explain the positions in a positive way, who actually has something positive to contribute, not just the voice of NO. I’d like to hear someone who would actually make me consider their positions. I’m not a reactionary; I’ll listen.
I love reading well written editorials for that reason: I don’t have to just listen to one sided of the arguments.
Prediction: Cravaack will be an empty suit in DC for the next two years, just a headcount on the GOP side. We’ll see a few photo-ops like his recent appearance in Duluth, combined with some non-specific “small government is good” talk (without any specific cuts to suggest). Maybe a token bill relating to veterans.
I don’t think Mr. Brown is the only one who was so surprised to Oberstar’s defeat as to not know how to react. Rep-elect Cravaack may also be in that category.
Sertich or Ness has a pretty clear path to that seat, if they want it.
Draft Bob Dylan!
(Hey, if Franken can move back to the state to run for office…)
Bob Dylan would make it interesting. He’d probably run as a Whig, but who knows?
Sertich and Ness have the easiest access to an organization and funding, but both are smart enough to know what Congress does to young families. Possible, but only 50/50 on either of them. I’ll have to put a post together on what might happen here. I need to get through the holidays, though.
If you guys would only move away from “Red-Finn” land, you might be able to understand the values of conservatives. We believe in limited government. We don’t like to be told what to do- don’t like too many regulations, especially those that get in the way of our ideas. We’re willing to work hard if in the end, we get something in return. It’s called “productivity”. We believe that life is important, that immigrants should come here legally, that gay sexual positions have no place in our elementary classrooms, that Muslim prayer should not be allowed in schools (like Bloomington Roosevelt) when our kids can’t even sing God Bless America. We believe that those “evil” guys who make more money than we do, also provide us with a job that feeds and clothes our kids, and if we don’t like our pay, we can get a different job not protest on a picket line and increase the price of the product we’re trying to produce. We believe that the U.S. needs to be strong defensively because we need to be able to take care of ourselves if things get bad. We want a border fence built. We want to keep the 2nd amendment, keep our guns, continue our right to hunt and protect ourselves. We don’t believe, as our President does, that babies born of botched abortions should be left to die in a room. We believe that the people can run the country better than the politicians- because most politicians are corrupt and those who are not, will eventually be. Oberstar is now a millionaire…how? On an average salary of about $70,000 over the years?
We believe in the United States, not a one-world government, as the liberals are pushing for. We don’t believe that CO2 is a “known pollutant” and don’t believe that the earth is melting- a fact proven by the scandal found at East Anglia University. The hockey stick graph was also proven to be a hoax, as was the Himalayan icecaps melting, etc….
We believe that this country was founded on Judeo Christian values and stripping the country of those values will destroy the fabric of society.
Any of that help you understand? We don’t believe in collectivism- volunteerism, yes. Charity, yes. Helping each other, yes. But NOT by the barrel of a gun. Or the threat of jail.
Please start to enlighten yourselves. You guys have been brainwashed with only one side of the equation- I know. I lived up there. My husband was a huge democrat until he saw the light. Others are starting to change because of the internet, a new form of education.
You are voting us into communism. Do some research and you’ll see that it’s true.
If you guys would only move away from “Red-Finn” land, you might be able to understand the values of conservatives. We believe in limited government. We don’t like to be told what to do- don’t like too many regulations, especially those that get in the way of our ideas. We’re willing to work hard if in the end, we get something in return. It’s called “productivity”. We believe that life is important, that immigrants should come here legally, that gay sexual positions have no place in our elementary classrooms, that Muslim prayer should not be allowed in schools (like Bloomington Roosevelt) when our kids can’t even sing God Bless America. We believe that those “evil” guys who make more money than we do, also provide us with a job that feeds and clothes our kids, and if we don’t like our pay, we can get a different job not protest on a picket line and increase the price of the product we’re trying to produce. We believe that the U.S. needs to be strong defensively because we need to be able to take care of ourselves if things get bad. We want a border fence built. We want to keep the 2nd amendment, keep our guns, continue our right to hunt and protect ourselves. We don’t believe, as our President does, that babies born of botched abortions should be left to die in a room. We believe that the people can run the country better than the politicians- because most politicians are corrupt and those who are not, will eventually be. Oberstar is now a millionaire…how? On an average salary of about $70,000 over the years?
Sorry if my comment appeared twice. The website said it was too large to print so I tried to make it smaller.
From one Anonymous to another…nice summation.
I think it’s “thoughtful”, “not just parroting the party line”, and “explains the positions in a positive way”.
Thanks
Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion and there is ample opinion on the spit here. I do take issue with a few items. “Gay sex positions” is a red herring. They don’t teach any sex positions in elementary and suggesting what you have is a very old assumption that gays are dangerous to children. Not true and wrong to infer. So much else here is an overreaction, in my opinion. The most communist things in the US system are the VA and Medicare, things that are political untouchable. Everything else of note in the last two decades has leaned toward more privatization and deference to powerful private interests. Spending is up, way up, and that’s legit, but you’ll see that most of that is pentagon and Medicare. Other spending might be outrageous if you disagree politically, but not the reason we are up a national crick.
Oberstar’s wife, who he married as a widower, is independently wealthy. At 78, he’s been working for more than 50 years and any upper middle class pay grade will lead to a million dollar portfolio over that amount of time. Compounding interest. Something only possible in this, the present and future capital of capitalism. I resent any implication otherwise. Jim Oberstar is an honest man.
Anyway, I don’t know why we have to litigate 15-22 issues that anonymous conservative readers are mad about on the end of every one of my posts. What is that about? Cravaack gets a chance. Then we will have a discussion. Not everyone agrees with you guys.
Aaron,
You want discussion or you want to just read about your own ideas? In that case, just write a journal. Gay sex positions is legit when we have a safe school czar named Kevin Jennings at the helm. Want to read what he stands for? Google Fistgate and look at the website labeled massresistance.org. and you’ll read things you can’t believe that this man pushes.
I’m not mad about my conservative issues, simply trying to state my case for conservatism. I have much more, if you guys would like, and also would be happy to tell you about the policies I AM mad about- like Oberstar’s clean water Act, which will control the beaver dam at my husband’s deer camp. It could also potentially control my private well- I called Oberstar’s office and they affirmed as much.
How can you say that things are heading toward privatization when you see the health care bill, the bank bailout, the takeover of student loans, the auto bailout, a proposed school DINNER program, etc… ? How many times are we to give unemployment benefits to those without jobs before we finally just put them on welfare and write them off as lost causes? How many regulations can we put on businesses before they can no longer thrive? I assume you’ve never run a small business and have no idea what it’s like to operate in this political and economic atmosphere.
You want a blog, you may just get some comments that challenge your thinking.
I am not going to google “Fistgate.” This is also nonsense. Online discussion is difficult because people can be anonymous if they want to be. You are anonymous. Tell me why. Because I think you’re anonymous because you like to barf out talking points and garbage because you’re angry and motivated to attack visible people and ideas. So many problems with what you’ve said. The bank bailout is to private industry’s benefit. The health care bill is based on private providers, even Nixon’s reform was more public. The economy is bad. Our country is in rough shape, especially with such vileness in our debate.
Aaron, I posted a long comment that I thought was mostly positive. Did you delete it or did it get lost in cyber-neverneverLand? To summarize what I tried to say: I’ve traveled to places with low taxes and almost no services, which has made me appreciative of what we have and very GLAD to pay taxes and very happy to be an American.
I’ve not deleted a comment in a long time. It was probably lost to a slow upload on rural internet service. 🙂
If I were in the business of deleting comments I’d have plenty of business. I’ve been pretty tolerant of all manner of comments, if I do say so.
Thanks for replying. Actually, I sent it last evening about 11:00 pm from my ATT (non-I)Phone. An email I sent also went astray. I’m down to 42.6 kbps on the dial up, but at least THAT is reliable.
I am NOT anonymous, at least not to you, and not to many of my readers either. I started out that way, but when a relative reads something and knows who you are right away, it blows your cover.
Indeed, I understand. I don’t need people’s names and social security numbers. I just tire of the pot shots with no accountability for what is said. I am FAR more upfront about my name, identity and location than most bloggers. I take a lot of risk in attaching all of my opinions to my day to day life. Perhaps that’s why I am so frustrated with anonymous comments. I’m almost to the point of disallowing them, but not yet.
Sorry, Aaron, but this bothered me:
Mrs. Anonymous Conservative:
I guess I live in “Red Finn” land, and I don’t want to move or understand your values. If you still lived here you might be able to understand the values of an Iron Ranger. “I used to live up there” doesn’t make you an expert on anything about us.
I don’t talk for others, just for myself.
I don’t give up. I don’t blame anything on anyone. I choose to stay in a place I was born in and I love to live in, even if it means that sometimes things are tough. Staying here means my kids know and see their grandparents, and I think family is important. I’ve had a job since I was 14 years old. I have more work ethic than most people who don’t live here. I mostly believe in “Judeo Christian values”, but I believe in God more. I sure don’t believe he wants people to act hateful towards others or that he wants us to stock-pile material goods and money. I generally don’t talk about my religious beliefs. I don’t want or need to be rich, and I do have the right to criticize those who are who got there by harming others. I have a nice house, my kids have plenty of “stuff” and I am way better off than most people. I’m not angry or worried about my kids learning that some people are homosexual – or even learning that some of these people actually serve our country in the military. I support my family and friends who are in the military, but I don’t believe blindly that they are always deployed in the best interest of all the country. That doesn’t make me unpatriotic, and it’s lame if you think it does. I’d pay anything to ensure that veterans are treated well when they return. I don’t hate immigrants. I understand that we live in the best country in the world, and I don’t fault anyone from trying to better themselves here. I am sure enough in my job skills and personality, that no one, not an immigrant or anyone, can take my job from me – and if they do – I’ll just find a new one or make my own. I think building a big wall is stupid. I don’t care that some people have a different religion than me, and I don’t care if my kids actually learn about those religions – I am sure enough in my beliefs that I don’t need to hide my kids from anything. I know that no one really thinks abortion is a good choice and that the president doesn’t want babies left on the floor to die, even if it says so on the internet. But I also know how hard it can be to have and raise a baby, especially if you’re young and on your own. I don’t pretend to think I’m better than others, and I don’t judge or fault anyone for making a personal choice that they will live with forever. I also know God understands and values not only the unborn, but also the born who are going through trouble. I wish every kid in American schools had at least one good meal a day, and I’m not afraid to put my money on that. I am educated enough to know that just because the internet says something, it doesn’t mean it’s true. I think it’s OK for people to own guns and go hunting, as long as they eat what they shoot. My family owns a small business and I understand all the good and bad that can bring. I don’t blame taxes or the government, or anyone else for how that goes. I know that once people start running the government, they are the politicians, and that we don’t live in some silly fairy-tale land where no-one runs the government and where we don’t need the government. I know that firemen, and roads, and hospitals, and schools operate on money – and money comes from taxes – and I’m not afraid to pay some. I still have money left over to do most things I want to do. I hear that my generation may not own as much material things as my parents’ generation did, but I wonder if that’s because many of us just don’t care to. I’m far from brainwashed. Any of that help you understand?
Amy, that is one of the best essays on American values that I have ever read. We are all in this life together, so lets work for the common good rather than spending time and energy working against each other.
I used to call myself apolitical. What changed me was seeing how my son was treated by various employers he has had, big rich companies, that knew how to get around decency when they chose to let people go. His degree is in human resources and he worked in the human resources department of a couple of large companies. The owner of one is a billionaire. He knew how they treated people they let go, and then it happened to him, as well.
Lots of people are losing their unemployment payments this Christmas. Well, if the company knows how to write certain things on the paper work, you won’t even get any payments.
And how about the company that paid under the table and didn’t provide any safety equipment to him and his fellow workers? This is the same as what we would get will many companies if there were no regulations.
I gather that your faith informs your values. It is the same for me, and I’ve found that the more I’ve read the Bible, the more I’ve seen in there about the way we are to treat people. Its is a radical way to think and behave.
Just remember…we all came into this world bare-naked. And at that moment we owed nothing to anyone, and no one owed us anything.
What we do with the few short years we’re here is our individual choice. If we care to give something we’ve earned to someone, it’s our choice. If someone cares to give something they’ve earned to us, it’s their choice.
When we lose sight of these cold hard facts, cross the line and think that “somebody owes me something”, we’ve opened the gates of hell…
From a God feariing, Bible reading Christian…
There certainly are “bad” companies out there. But I’d contend the “good” ones by far out-weigh the bad.
50 Largest Corporate Foundations by Total Giving
The list below includes the 50 largest corporate foundations ranked by total giving.
All figures are based on the most current audited financial data in the Foundation Center’s database as of October 20, 2010.
Rank Name/(state) Total Giving As of Fiscal Year
1. sanofi-aventis Patient Assistance Foundation (NJ)
$321,376,881 12/31/2009
2. The Wal-Mart Foundation, Inc. (AR)
216,557,131 01/31/2009
3. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc. (NC)
186,149,230 12/31/2009
4. GE Foundation (CT)
97,617,185 12/31/2008
5. The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation, Inc. (NC)
93,233,111 12/31/2008
6. Citi Foundation (NY)
91,937,738 12/31/2008
7. The JPMorgan Chase Foundation (NY)
77,145,399 12/31/2008
8. ExxonMobil Foundation (TX)
73,544,150 12/31/2009
9. Wells Fargo Foundation (CA)
68,367,615 12/31/2009
10. Lucasfilm Foundation (CA) 63,694,178 12/31/2008
11. Verizon Foundation (NJ)
56,953,706 12/31/2008
12. AT&T Foundation (TX)
56,864,091 12/31/2008
13. Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies Contribution Fund (NJ)
54,757,597 12/31/2008
14. The Pfizer Foundation, Inc. (NY)
42,466,604 12/31/2008
15. The UPS Foundation (GA)
41,826,486 12/31/2008
16. MetLife Foundation (NY)
39,465,498 12/31/2009
17. Caterpillar Foundation (IL)
38,496,803 12/31/2008
18. BP Foundation, Inc. (TX)
37,210,977 12/31/2009
19. The Coca-Cola Foundation, Inc. (GA)
36,743,015 12/31/2008
20. Intel Foundation (OR)
36,484,550 12/31/2008
21. The Merck Company Foundation (NJ)
36,002,032 12/31/2008
22. Ford Motor Company Fund (MI)
34,261,532 12/31/2008
23. Eli Lilly and Company Foundation (IN)
30,345,734 12/31/2009
24. Blue Shield of California Foundation (CA)
29,831,775 12/31/2008
25. The PNC Foundation (PA)
29,694,921 12/31/2009
26. Abbott Fund (IL)
28,979,654 12/31/2008
27. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Inc. (NY)
28,305,786 12/31/2008
28. Nationwide Foundation (OH)
27,990,598 12/31/2009
29. The PepsiCo Foundation, Inc. (NY)
27,628,717 12/31/2009
30. The Medtronic Foundation (MN)
26,339,388 04/30/2009
31. The Dow Chemical Company Foundation (MI)
26,267,510 12/31/2008
32. Alcoa Foundation (PA)
26,193,332 12/31/2008
33. Emerson Charitable Trust (MO)
25,082,095 09/30/2008
34. The Prudential Foundation (NJ)
23,234,633 12/31/2008
35. General Motors Foundation, Inc. (MI)
22,803,443 12/31/2008
36. The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation (CA) 22,095,559 06/30/2009
37. 3M Foundation (MN)
22,051,063 12/31/2008
38. State Farm Companies Foundation (IL)
21,565,275 12/31/2009
39. U.S. Bancorp Foundation, Inc. (MN)
20,818,217 12/31/2008
40. The Chrysler Foundation (MI)
20,787,501 12/31/2008
41. The Allstate Foundation (IL)
20,763,015 12/31/2008
42. General Mills Foundation (MN)
20,750,048 05/31/2009
43. Valero Energy Foundation (TX)
20,194,160 12/31/2008
44. NIKE Foundation (OR)
19,922,308 05/31/2009
45. Macy’s Foundation (OH)
19,361,051 01/31/2009
46. Amgen Foundation, Inc. (CA)
19,258,118 12/31/2008
47. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation (WI)
18,980,777 12/31/2008
48. Dominion Foundation (PA)
18,905,725 12/31/2009
49. Fidelity Foundation (MA)
18,594,113 12/31/2008
50. Citizens Charitable Foundation (MA)
18,206,165 12/31/2008
Thanks for, for … all of that.
Your previous comment describes Ayn Rand’s version of utopia, which many find to be as pie-in-the-skyish as conservatives find Marx. In a world that’s more connected and becoming more collectivist (see China, India) it’s just plain impossible to ignore the need for a functional society that includes government doing large scale things. No one is going to volunteer to pay to plow someone else’s road or educate someone else’s kid or send a CIA operative into Saudi Arabia to assassinate a terrorist (not that we’d do that, wink-wink). We all pay to see that everyone is educated and all the roads are plowed.
I know we could parse through the federal budget and argue about any number of things. But at this point in the thread, I don’t think we’re accomplishing anything by that.
To summarize, in my reading of the comments, conservatives are upset that their beliefs were ignored or partially ignored during the recent decades of DFL dominance in the 8th CD. OK fine. They run a good candidate, catch a GOP wave, motivate their base and win this one. But a 4,000-vote, 1 percentage point GOP win doesn’t validate Ayn Rand’s approach to government on its own. And I think that’s how many on the DFL side feel when they read comments like some of these here. It’s certainly how I feel.
Now, moving on…
What I think is worth exploring is this; the swings from DFL to Republican in the Republican parts of the district were run-of-the-mill for a mid-term wave. Five, six, seven percent. The swings to the Republican on the Range and in Duluth were of another order of magnitude entirely — potentially realigning, well into the teens. Did Oberstar’s staff just miss this one, or was this a realigning election for former labor Democrats? If these numbers hold, the Range is now two-party territory. Not just a few logging towns. The whole Range.
Ayn Rand…interesting.
She was intriguing but I think you’re taking quite a leap in saying a person who makes the following statments and equating them to Rand’s philosophy:
“I don’t talk for others, just for myself.
I don’t give up
I don’t blame anything on anyone
I mostly believe in “Judeo Christian values”, but I believe in God more
I don’t want or need to be rich
I do have the right to criticize others
I don’t hate immigrants
I don’t fault anyone from trying to better themselves
I am sure enough in my job skills and personality
I am sure enough in my beliefs
I think it’s OK for people to own guns
I’m far from brainwashed
Any of that help you understand?”
To Anonymous #22 (zounds, it’s hard to keep track now) – YES, I had noticed that and am still processing the election numbers. This was a trend-accelerating election. Range precincts have had a “slow bleed” of DFL votes that had been nearly matching the decline in overall votes from 2000 on. I had attributed this to the death of Roosevelt Democrats and departure of their liberal grandkids. Now, however, we’ve seen this trend crack like a whip. Some apathetic indies suddenly pulled away from Oberstar and I really think people my age, in their 30s or so, are now trending GOP, dome for social reasons, but others for lack of economic improvement on the Range. Not pretty for DFLers to hear, but it’s what I see.
I think Oberstar’s DC staff knew there was trouble. His local office staff was nervous. It was the political establishment that reacted slowest and with the least effect. Again, just my opinion.
Amy A.
One question: Why is it greedy for a man who works hard, puts himself through years of schooling, and busts his butt to better himself to want to keep what he earns, BUT it’s not (in the estimation of liberals) greedy for the man who doesn’t work to expect to get a paycheck from the guy who does?
When did America become the land of the freebies instead of the land of opportunity?
BTW, anyone who has read Ayn Rand will not be surprised when Europe, and then America, crashes. It’s happening before our eyes.
The beauty of working for a bad corporation is that you can quit. It’s still America.
“I get the sense that people are taking a wait-and-see approach to Cravaack”.
If local politicians, civic, business, academic and labor leaders take a wait and see approach as you’ve sensed vs. getting on board and helping Cravaack, they’ll get what they deserve, more joblessness…
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=886799
1)Who mentioned greedy? Who is getting a pay check from someone who works? Haven’t heard of that one. Unemployment “insurance” is supposed to be there for the circumstances of unexpected unemployment. It is something paid into by the companies, who get that money because people do work for them. In the times of high unemployment, the money DOES come from the government. Is that what you are referring to? Or maybe you mean the people who get SSI and VA benefits because of disability? Get our of your wheelchair and WORK!
But getting unemployment isn’t that easy. Certain jobs and certain circumstances don’t apply. Certain employers know how to put specific things in the records to make their former employees ineligible for unemployment. The people who get paid under the table get no protection.
Sure there are freeloaders. And there are those who plan on their unemployment checks because their work is seasonal. There are undoubtedly more who would rather work for at job which actually paid a decent amount.
Not to mention people who are self-employed: many of the self-employed people I know barely scrape by.
2) It is very true that in America we can quit a job for any reason and get another job. It is very idealistic to say that someone should quit a job in a bad corporation and get a different job. Unfortunately, too many regular average people who work at regular jobs have become addicted to such things paying for a mortgage and a car. So it is pretty hard to just jump to no income for an idealistic reason.
Read up on some corporate and labor history and find out what some workers chose to go through to try to make those bad corporations better. Maybe we take a lot for granted these days.
Dear Anonymous #25:
Regarding the “man who works hard, puts himself through years of schooling, and busts his butt to better himself” wanting to keep what he earns …
This man likely drives on public roads, likely sends his kids to public schools, likely used student loans, grants, scholarships, or work-study sometime during that schooling, likely has at least one elderly parent who gets medical insurance through the government, likely wants an ambulance to come and get him if he has a heart-attack, likely appreciates our military and the protection they offer, likely eats in restaurants that have been inspected for safety, and likely sometime in his life has camped, hunted, or fished on land that is public.
I believe:
It is wrong for this man to forget all that his taxes pay for that he uses. It is wrong for this man to not be thankful for the ability and opportunity to do all the work he does and to not see all he has in right in front of him. It is wrong for this man to judge others until he has walked in their shoes.
I am that “man” who has worked hard, gone through school, bettered myself, and who still works long hours everyday … I have a very good life. I do not spend my time feeling angry that others do not have my life situation. I do not feel “cheated” or upset that I pay taxes. I am willing to pay for social services even if it errors sometimes and pays for people who take advantage of it. If even only part of my tax dollar pays to help even one kid, one family, one veteran, one person with problems that I can not even imaging living with … I am OK with that.
I don’t want more than I have. I am thankful and more than happy with all that I have. Just a different way of looking at things I guess.
Not to mention that those of us who comment on blogs, whether under our sign in names or anon.( so we can’t tell the happy anons from the disquieted anons) haven’t paid one thin dime for the privilege of doing so.
There’s a real upside to your thinking Amy, in that when you don’t completely understand the hurt that goes on around you and throughout the world, you’re less likely to get depressed. This presents a learing opportunity for you.
However, there is also a downside. In being gullible, you’re easily manipulated and easily used as Range politicians have done to us for years.
That’s the hope a guy like Cravaack brings. He’s less likely to take advantage of you (us) under the guise of helping others….at least during his initial 2-3 terms.
I am hereby issuing a smug alert.
The first indication that you don’t know Range politics is your assumption that Range politicians manipulate the masses. In truth, more often than anything resembling manipulation, they don’t know what the hell they’re doing. It’s not political affiliation, but a lack of economic self-determination that causes Range problems. I don’t know how many times I have to repeat that the solution to our problems aren’t political. Probably forever, with you. It’s an attitude. I’m not saying the DFL has it right, but GOP defensiveness ain’t the solution either.
Dear Anonymous #31:
I’m not sure what you’re meaning that I “don’t completely understand the hurt that goes on around you and throughout the world”.
It would be good if you could clarify that before I respond inappropriately.
I do understand you are calling me “gullible”, and that, too, I will let go until you clarify your previous statement.
Thank you.
Actually, now that I’ve thought about it for a few minutes …
I apologize, it’s OK Mr/Mrs Anonymous #31, please don’t clarify your slams against me, as I’m not going to respond anyway.
It just hit me – What the heck am I doing – I’m arguing with someone I don’t know on a computer! What am I going to do … Share my life story and tell you that I do know a thing or two about the “hurt that goes on throughout the world”? Probably not, huh? I don’t even know who you are!
Aaron, thanks for providing this discussion – I give you a lot of credit for being honest with who you are and for giving those of us who really do live here something to read and think about!
Someone a while back mentioned how cool it would be if people on the Iron Range with more forward thinking (read: not strictly “DFL” or “GOP” only) ideas were able to get together and make stuff happen … That would be neat.
Happy Sunday!
Amy, good thing you posted quickly. My posting was going to contain a few Gandhi quotations. Its all about the lens through which we view the world, isn’t it? You seem to have a clear lens, a rear view mirror, and a good way of summing up that which makes life worth living. Thank you, too.
Thank you, Amy. You’ve done the right thing. 🙂 These things do go on and on in my experience.
I’ll keep offering the opportunity for discussion here, but more important we need to expand the discussion beyond the confines of the internet to something more fruitful and far-reaching. Another of my long-range projects. Stay tuned.
Oops…sorry Amy, thought you were interested in expanding your horizons..
Thanks to everyone … Even to the anonymous-es. (How does one make that plural?) Maybe I’m gullible, but I even appreciate your efforts to improve my horizons : )
I’m just out of time. This seems to be more of a weekend pastime for me, and, at 3:00 pm on Sunday it seems to be back to the reality of work for me … Maybe catch you next Friday.
Thanks for the support, PS. And I’ll be watching for the new project, Aaron!
Thanks
Amy
And it goes on and on and on and on…
I wonder how many comments I’ll get the next time I make a vague reference to politics. This little blog sure must be important!
But the most important thing is that we always invoke our full philosophies on the role of government into every discussion. The longer the better. Readers love this stuff.
Yes, at some point all good things must end.
Aaron
I’m pleased to see Jane Smith rationally explain her side to Amy.
With that said, it’s disappointing to see you delete my post yesterday when all I did was state some facts regarding state and federal government growth..
I hope this doesn’t cause you to delete Jane’s post as well.
Thanks
I didn’t delete any posts. Haven’t deleted posts on the blog for a long time. I would if I felt the need, but didn’t delete the post in question.
Blogger does block some longer posts, and if you were pasting in a series of statistics such as some of the other comments on this thread it’s possible it got kicked back. But I don’t control that.
I posted on Fri evening and it didn’t go through either. I asked Aaron if he had deleted it and he said No.
Although I’ve allowed myself to be drawn into this conversation more than is perhaps wise, I don’t post anon., so I can always be contacted off the blog. The problems with the Anon postings is that this person (people??) can’t be told apart, could be any of the named posters, posing as anon, just throwing out bait, and they can’t be contacted off the blog.
Aaron is most gracious to allow Anons to post and say what they want to. His choice. But trying to discuss something with unnamed, unnumbered Anons makes for rather scattered and unorganized discussions,
Yes, Aaron, I didn’t keep my word to you. But now I will.
Aaron..You’re too kind. I didn’t think you deleted anything but wasn’t sure.
I respect your wishes for this topic to close so I’ll leave out the rhetoric and just post the factual content. (It took a while to find).
20 years ago Minnesota’s top employers were:
1 Honeywell
2 3M
3 General Mills
4 Pillsbury
5 Control Data
Today Minnesota’s top employers are:
1 State Government
2 Federal Government
3 Target Corporation
4 University of Minnesota
5 Mayo Foundation
Not the best trend in terms of job creation…Amen.
Where’s my post????? Aaron, you are showing yourself to be the socialist I thought you might be. Censorship? What was wrong with my post….was it too honest?
Jane Smith.
Hold your socialist horses, Jane. I didn’t delete your post, either. Obviously other Anon also commented on it and I didn’t delete the response. At this point I’m wondering if my template isn’t gobbling up comments for lack of space. We’re in uncharted territory with this many comments on one post.
I again say, I have not willfully deleted anyone’s posts for any political or diabolical reasons. Jane, I’m familiar with your comment and did not delete it. I honestly don’t know where it went.