Baird Helgeson’s story in the Sunday Dec. 15 Star Tribune explores the schism in the Minnesota DFL over the issue of mining copper and rare minerals in northern Minnesota. It’s a good read that highlights what I’ve been talking about here at MinnesotaBrown.
This debate is personal, cultural, even existential for the people involved. GOPers stand ready to pick up the pieces should the DFL coalition rattle apart in 2014. As I said, this issue stands to polarize the parties even more, causing less cooperation and innovation, and more gridlock and ineffectual planning.
Watching this battle play out has become like watching a needless war. Sure, all told there will be a winner on paper, but in some wars there are no true winners. The resentment that will result from this will not dissipate. Only a united purpose and economic stability would accomplish that.
PolyMet or no PolyMet, we have not yet found the path toward this goal.
Speak Your Mind