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Keeping tabs on job creation results
I don’t always jive with what happens on the editorial page of the Mesabi Daily News, but the MDN fired off a pretty good editorial last Saturday about the proposed hire of an Iron Range business recruiter for our mining-funded state agency Iron Range Resources. Like the MDN, I’m not against business recruiting, but I…
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Industry insiders sour on technology for Iron Range ‘clean coal’ boondoggle
There hasn’t been much to report about Excelsior Energy’s boondoggle proposed Mesaba Energy Project, a coal gasification power plant that would be situated on the Iron Range. The state PUC has not scheduled a final decision on whether or not to force Xcel Energy to buy the high-priced theoretical electricity that would be produced if…
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The Bus Factor
This story (“Big, yellow and putting schools in the red“) in today’s Star Tribune details the woes of some suburban Minnesota school districts in covering the skyrocketing cost of diesel fuel for their bus fleets. I don’t have the data to compare miles and fuel use between suburban and rural northern Minnesota school districts, but…
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Stenerson officially announces 7B run
Longtime DFL activist and AFSCME Field Representative Marsh Stenersen is running for the House of Representatives in Duluth’s 7B district. We broke that story here on Saturday. Here is Stenersen’s statement that he’s releasing today: PEOPLE NOT POLITICS. That’s what this election is all about. I’m running for those people who have heard too many…
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McCain grooming Pawlenty for VP spot
Today’s appearance on “This Week” cements the conventional wisdom that Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.) is the frontrunner for John McCain’s running mate. Pawlenty is unlikely to be able to deliver Minnesota for McCain, but I don’t think the campaign cares about that. Pawlenty has proven to be an effective surrogate who makes it look like…
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Bergson in exile, for now
Nina Peterson-Perlman of the Duluth News-Tribune writes an interesting profile of former Duluth mayor Herb Bergson in today’s edition. Bergson has tried to stay out of the public eye since leaving office, but notable findings in the story include the fact that he’s writing a memoir due out in the fall and that he isn’t…
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Obama has advantage, not a guarantee; get to work!
For those who are getting ahead of themselves, John Fund from the Wall Street Journal presents a frank, fairly reasonable argument this week showing that, while Barack Obama enjoys an advantage right now, this election is far from over. Both Obama and John McCain have plausible paths to victory depending on the events of the…
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Hibbing’s Mines and Pines Jubilee reaches zenith today
Today is the Hibbing Mines and Pines Jubilee Parade and Street Dance. Come on down (or up) to Hibbing for some good times. I hit it off with my wife Christina at this event 10 years ago. If you attend, you’ll see just how improbable that was. We’ll be in town tonight but we’ve learned…
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House K-12 committee planning hearing on Iron Range
A little birdie tells me that the Minnesota House K-12 Finance committee is scheduling a hearing on the Iron Range this summer. This will be a great opportunity to explain to leaders from around the state the importance of the “Minnesota Miracle” model of education funding. Every student in Minnesota deserves access to a quality…
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OOM PA PA!
It’s the last Polkafest ever on the Iron Range! I can’t believe I forgot to post this yesterday. Today is the headline day for Polkafest at Ironworld in Chisholm. The Iron Range has hosted Polkafest since the 1980s, but this year it was announced that the event would be moving to Carlton next year. Polka…
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Labor leader to file for 7B seat
I got a call last night. You know people are reading the blog when they start using THE PHONE. On Monday, Marsh Stenersen will announce his candidacy for State Representative in House District 7B, which encompasses Duluth’s west side and downtown. This is the seat being vacated by retiring State Rep. Mike Jaros. Stenersen is…
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Who will build the party of the Iron Range?
The legislative elections on the Iron Range are usually only competitive if there is a DFL primary. That’s not to say that the Iron Range is excessively liberal or that there aren’t any Republicans around, it’s just that the DFL party structure dominates state politics around here, and has for half a century. Now, I’m…
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The Carlson Question
Grace Kelly over at MNBlue is discussing the possibility of former moderate Republican Gov. Arne Carlson jumping into Minnesota’s U.S. Senate race either as an independent or as a DFLer. What a world! What a world! The theory is based on some push polling that was done that included Arne’s name as a DFL candidate.…
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Unique candidates, typical election
Jeff Rosenberg at Minnesota Campaign Report wrote what I was thinking this morning. I honestly believed that Obama vs. McCain would be a dramatically different kind of political campaign. But it really isn’t. Part of the blame can be placed on Obama and McCain, but I think a good deal more of it belongs with…
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Gun ruling allows rural Democrats to focus on Democratic issues
One of the challenges of being a Democrat in a rural place is that you are often trying to convince your neighbors to join your cause for economic reasons (Democrats have, historically, reduced the national debt and grown jobs while Republicans have, historically, tightened the job market and driven up the national debt). But, while…