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Measuring success
The Mesabi Daily News editorial page has a decent idea about how to objectively compare the House, Senate and Governor’s budget plans. Related posts: No related posts.
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Party all the time (before 5 p.m.)
A new city ordinance means no blaring music in the Iron Range city of Keewatin after 5 p.m. (Story from Anna Kurth at the Hibbing Daily Tribune). That means music that can be heard plainly from outside a house or more than 50 feet from the source. Violations could mean jail time. Knowing what I…
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Strong elected to LCP board
A friend of this blog, Donovan Strong, was just elected to the Lake Country Power Board of Directors. Congratulations, Donovan! Other results listed in today’s Mesabi Daily News. Related posts: No related posts.
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‘Pirates of Penzance’ in Hibbing
If you’re looking for a great piece of escapist art I strongly recommend Hibbing Community College Theater’s production of “The Pirates of Penzance” playing this weekend and next. We caught the show last night. Though the show relies on a much more benign perception of pirates than seen in the news lately, it’s a great…
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Divide and compare
Nate Silver over at Fivethirtyeight.com explores some alternative universe concepts today. You’re probably familiar with Gov. Rick Perry (R-Texas) and his threat to lead his state into secession over … federal spending I guess. Well, secession is an unlikely prospect, but Nate explores the very real constitutional right that Texas enjoys to subdivide into several…
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Entenza has access to Clinton’s donor list?
Back during the 2008 presidential primaries, when Hillary Clinton’s campaign was on its last legs, my mother in law angrily demanded use of my wife’s e-mail address so she could donate to Hillary’s campaign. Since then she’s received an amusing amount of Hillary Clinton fundraising solicitations as Clinton seeks to retire her large debt from…
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Mark Dayton: The MinnesotaBrown interview
On Wednesday, April 22, I sat down for about 45 minutes with former Sen. Mark Dayton, one of several DFL candidates for the 2010 Minnesota gubernatorial nomination. I’ve been interviewing candidates infrequently (Tom Bakk last summer, Paul Thissen in the fall) with the hope of talking to all of them as the 2010 campaign heats…
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Dayton interview story up tonight
My interview with former U.S. Sen. and DFL gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton was yesterday. I’ll be posting a synopsis of the interview and some analysis this evening. Related posts: No related posts.
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The third rail is the one with the juice
Those who follow Minnesota politics already know the basics of the state’s budget debate. We’ve got an historic, crushing budget deficit amid an economic downturn. All three “legs of the stool” — the GOP Governor, DFL State Senate and DFL House — have kicked in their budget proposals for consideration now and there isn’t a…
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Dayton and Entenza interviews on the way
I’ll have a couple exciting interview posts coming over the next week or so. Tomorrow I’ll be sitting down with former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, an early DFL candidate for Minnesota governor. Next week I’ll be meeting with former State Rep. and Minnesota 2020 leader Matt Entenza, another candidate. I’ve interviewed other DFL candidates like…
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MPR: complex potential for nonferrous mining in Northern Minnesota
Bob Kelleher of Minnesota Public Radio has a fascinating look at the potential minerals future of northern Minnesota, which brings with it environmental concerns. The PolyMet project will be the bellwether for all sorts of nonferrous mining in this region. UPDATE: corrected spelling on Bob’s name. Every time you misspell a reporter’s name, an angel…
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Shameful protests … no, wait, these ones are OK
Add the Mesabi Daily News editorial page to the Sean Hannity school of situational outrage. “Tea Party” protests over a tax increase for the wealthy (along with an unmentioned tax cut for 95 percent of the population) are equated to tyranny and fascism during an economic crisis: OK. And screw you, MSNBC, for not taking…
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The tax shell game shows up in numbers
Minnesota 2020 has a fascinating analysis of a Minnesota Department of Revenue tax study. When you factor in local taxes with state taxes, high income Minnesotans pay less as a percentage of their income than low income Minnesotans. Local property taxes are taxes. Tuition is a tax. Fees are a tax. Minnesota has abandoned its…
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Group warns utilities about proposed Range coal gas plant risks
An Iron Range citizen group is cautioning public utilities in Minnesota against any power purchase deal with the startup company Excelsior Energy, the proponent of the coal gasification Mesaba Energy Project. Mike Jennings posts a story for the Hibbing Daily Tribune: The message, which a leader of CAMP says was sent by e-mail last week…
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Range paper: Arrrr-Qaida?
I missed this gem of an editorial from the Mesabi Daily News last week. Those weren’t pirates, those were “Somali Muslim Terrorists!” This one comes complete with an unsubstantiated suggested al Qaida link, a la spring ’03. Can’t beat the classics. Using this new definition of terrorism we should all be on Red Alert. Any…