Social Media Experiment - August 12th Primary Day

On Tuesday, August 12th, Minnesotans will be going to the polls to vote in primaries. I live in Minnesota District 47A where there will be two GOP candidates facing off in a primary and one DFL candidate in that primary. Unsure what the ballot for the Independent looks like at this point. Here is my experiment for social media - granted I am not utilizing social media to the fullest as I will only be posting here on blogger.com, Facebook and Linked In - to see how many write in primary votes I can garner for Minnesota District 47A. If you live in Minnesota District 47A please write my name in. And if you don't live in Minnesota District 47A please share this with someone that does so they may write in my name as well.

I look forward to seeing how this social media experiment will play out and the ripple effect it may have in future primary and elections.

Thanksgiving Day

Many of us will embark on a journey today to meet with friends and families and gorge on the bounty of the fall harvest. Others will find that comfortable recliner and doze off and on with whistles and pads hitting each other in the background. Then there will be a segment of our population that won't participate in any of this for one reason or another. No matter the location, the activity, the abundance of food and people one surrounds themselves with today - Just be thankful that we all go to sleep at night and then wake up in the morning in a country that allows us freedom to pursue the path in life we wish.

I am thankful and blessed that my family has the freedom to pursue any path in life they desire. I am also thankful and blessed for the conversations I have on a daily basis ranging from mundane weather to the complex economy. A recent conversation surrounded around the topic that received a lot of press from the Left based off an interview that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl.) gave to GQ magazine.

In case you missed the article or don't tune into the Left wing media outlets, the interviewer asked Sen. Rubio on how old he thought the Earth is. To which Sen. Rubio responded, "I'm not a scientist, man. I tell you what recorded history says, I can tell you what the Bible says, but I think that's a dispute amongst theologians and I think it has nothing to do with the gross domestic product or economic growth of the United States."

Sen. Rubio expanded his thoughts, "I think parents should be able to teach their kids what faith says, what science says. Whether the Earth was created in 7 days, or 7 actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that. It's one of the great mysteries."

Based on this interview, and there is more to the GQ interview on this topic,Sen. Rubio is being branded by the Left as "Anti-Science" or pandering to the "Religious Right of the GOP party". Let's stop for a second and reflect on the conversation of Creationism and Evolution. Simply put the Creationism camp believes that God, or a higher power, essentially created the Universe and all that we see and interact with. The Evolution camp believe that Man has evolved from a subspecies and has become what we are today.

Now, why must we talk in terms of two camps - perhaps it is because we are so conditioned to Right vs. Wrong, GOP vs. DFL, White vs. Black, Straight vs. Gay,etc...Why can't these two theories of life and the Universe coexist as one larger theory?

Something created the Universe, Solar System and everything within it. Our world, our person, our everything is made of tiny molecules. Decades ago a great medical cure all was discovered - Penicillin - yet today some are allergic to it, some respond well to it while in some cases it has no effect anymore. Why might Penicillin have a reaction differently for some? Because organism adapt or evolve in order to stay in existence.

God, or the One, it is taught in religious circles, created the Universe in 7 days but days as we know it is very defined yet days may have an entirely different meaning. At the end of those 7 days we finally had Man - Adam. Yet the story of the Garden of Eden doesn't come alive or I should say Adam and Eve are not aware of their nakedness until they eat from the Forbidden Tree.

The awareness of their nakedness is a sexier story to tell then to say that Man became aware after years of evolution from being a chimp to the discovery of fire. God created the Universe and within the Universe established globes of laboratories to track the progress of his creation. The progress that God watches over are the forces in play from the creation thus elements within these globes will adapt, change or evolve over time. Within these globes of laboratories, God waited until a creature - Man - evolved to the point of being able to speak, procreate and develop a social strata. At this point God injected Man with the Spirit or the Essence of Man.

The Essence of Man is created to give Man uniqueness from the rest of world within Man operates. Over time God sent messengers to help guide the evolution of Man in hopes of creating a more perfect image or creature. The messengers have taken several forms - Noah, Moses, Abraham, Jesus, Allah, Budha - and these messengers where to influence what God created and direct the evolution of the physical surroundings of the Essence of Man.

I ask again, Why do we speak of Creationism and Evolution as mortal enemies and bitter rivals when it is feasible that they coexist in a larger theory or grand plan? As you go about your day today think about this and be thankful that you live in a country that protects your freedom to the ability to discuss such a topic.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Bonding Bill pull back gives “Pause” but will it give Intelligence.

Minnesotans call your DFL representative or any DFLer if you are not represented by one and thank them for holding back the bonding bill. Right now Minnesota faces a $1.2B budget deficit and adding another $1B to the books just does not make sense. To make matters worse the projects listed in the bonding bill do very little to improve the state or create permanent jobs. House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher explained the reason for pulling back the bonding bill as, "It's a pause, it's a second chance, and I think it's the right thing to do right now" (Star Tribune, February 24, 2010). I agree with the House Speaker but I don't share her reasoning. The hope of the DFL Party was to ram through the bonding bill then watch Governor Pawlenty red line, through the line-item veto, some of the projects on the list. Well Gov. Pawlenty sent a letter to the Legislature warning that the current bonding bill will be met with an outright veto.

Granted part of Pawlenty's plan is to show America and the Republican Party that he is fiscally conservative. Plus, I see the bonding bill becoming a bargaining chip as the Legislature deals with GMAC and other unallotment by Pawlenty. Let's put the politics aside for a moment and take a realistic look at the purpose of the bonding bill. The purpose of this bonding bill is to reward members of the Legislature for their vote with pet projects in their home region. I agree it would be great to have a sports complex in Western Carver County or a hockey rink in Hamburg but when already are facing a $1.2 B deficit this go around and a possible $5-8B next biennium red does it make sense? When you sit down to at your own budget and realize that the household income is falling short do you honestly think the best move is to put a pool in the backyard, buy a new SUV or take a 2-week all-inclusive cruise? Most responsible adults will say no.

Unfortunately that is not the mentality we are getting from our elected officials in Minnesota or Washington D.C. The Government cannot spend our way out of current economic situation, especially through pet projects like we see in the bonding bill. Now, if we must spend money and I mean must, and then spend it on projects that improve the communities that lay the ground work for future expansion and sustainable economic booms. Do we want to wait for another bridge to fall before replacing it? Do we want to wait for another town to be flooded before taking preventative measures? No. If we must spend a billion dollars then spend it on projects that improve the infrastructure of Minnesota. Community Centers, ice rinks, trails, parks, and sports complexes are great but if the sewer lines, bridges, roads, or levies give way all we end up doing is spending more money to clean up the Community Centers, ice rinks, trails, parks, and sport complexes.

In my small town of Hamburg money has been raised through fundraising activities to improve our park, erect an electronic sign, and other projects. Hamburg's population is only 550 residents. Why cannot a city like Rochester, that has a population of 100,413 (http://www.city-data.com/city/Rochester-Minnesota.html) people, find a way for citizens to raise funds for a new volleyball court? Rochester is about 183 times larger than Hamburg. According to Hamburg's City Clerk Jeremy Gruenhagen, at last night's city council meeting, the improvements made to Hamburg over the past eight was about $100,000. The $100,000 was not given to Hamburg for improvements made via the Legislature or Government; it was raised by the citizens that live in and around Hamburg. Now, I'd like to think that Rochester could raise more per capita but for argument sake let's say they raise the same as Hamburg. That would be $18,300,000. The proposed volleyball court, in the bonding bill, is only $5,000,000.

We have seen the power of donating through the incredible amount of money raised during the last Presidential election to the money amassed to help Haiti. When it comes to these extra frills for the community, the citizens need to take ownership and action not relying on a pet project to win a vote from their representative. Allow the money the state takes in to go to keeping up safe, assisting with education our youth and sustaining an infrastructure for continual growth. So, pick up the phone and thank the DFL Party for pulling back the bonding bill and implore them to rescind it in order to craft a new bonding bill that moves Minnesota forward.

Minnesota State Legislative Session is a foot

The Minnesota State Legislature kicked off a new session yesterday. The session will be interesting as the Democrats look to press lame duck Governor Pawlenty on several issues facing the state. The main push by the DFL appears to be, at least early on, for job creation and higher education. Yesterday the DFL party unveiled a $1 billion public works proposal that has many on the other side of the aisle shaking their heads. A claim by the DFL is that the proposal will add 10,000 new jobs while the Republicans contend these jobs will be only temporary. If what the Republicans say is true about the temporary job creation, why would any rational person vote for such a bill when Minnesota is already facing a $1.2 billion deficit?

When I think of job creation my thoughts drift to sustainable and permanent jobs not temporary work. Granted some of the temporary work may lead to permanent employment but let's think wisely before we through around tax payer money. My hope is that the Minnesota State Legislature will learn from the mistakes of the Congress and the Obama Administration that government intervention is not the answer to sustained growth in the economy or the job market. Yesterday there was an article in the Star Tribune that discussed the windmills that dot the metro area and attempted to answer the question: Why are they not spinning?

While I agree that looking for alternative fuel sources is a good thing, we need to be smart about the choices pursued. The trouble with the windmills is that they were not properly outfitted for Minnesota Winters. That lack of thought boggles my mind. If the Minnesota State Legislature is serious about job creations then craft legislation that opens the door for nuclear energy. I understand that the Carter law has put a moratorium on new nuclear plants and the reusing of spent rods to which I say, "So what." We must take care of Minnesotans first and lead the way for other states to have the courage to stand up for their Constitutional rights as states.

I challenge the Minnesota State Legislature to fight for state rights and enact legislation that opens the way for more nuclear power plants in Minnesota. Previously I blogged about the job creation one new plant brings to a community. Not only will it bring new jobs to communities and Minnesota but it will also bring renewable energy as well. A renewable energy source that is cheaper per kilowatt than solar and wind combined. Does that not make sense? We are able to kill two birds with one stone; we create thousands of jobs and establish a green source of energy.

For those that live in Minnesota, please take time to contact your representative and express your concerns. If you do not know who your representative is start here to find out: http://www.leg.state.mn.us/ Also check back to that website to keep tabs on your representative as I will be. A goal of mine this year is to interject more local politics into the blog too.

Flatten the tax

Across the United States many state governments are dealing with fiscal shortfalls. In a knee jerk reaction the decision is overwhelming a raise in taxes. In Minnesota the Senate is looking to create a 4th tax tier while increasing the tax rates of the other three. When people are struggling to make ends meet, housing prices plummeting, unemployment rates raising, and runaway inflation just around the corner, why then are so many governments looking to raise taxes?

The cigarette tax just went up more than $0.50 a pack and discussion at the Minnesota State Capital is to increase it again. Really? We all understand that smoking is not a healthy vice. The purpose of the original tax, which just went into effect, was to raise tax while making it less economical for the youth. The proponents of tax increases, especially on cigarettes, will have diminishing returns. Sure, the state will reap a short term gain. Is the short term gain really the type of tax system we want?

NO!!! The trouble with Congress, both state and nationally, is the focus on short term goals. I agree we need a change and increasing taxes is not the change required. It is time to scrap the current tax code and replace with a flat tax. The reason why more taxes are being sought is due to Government becoming too large.

Minnesota Legislature is going to drive business from the state and discourage the wealthy from staying in Minnesota by implementing a 4th tier tax rate. The focus of the debate will be on partisan politics as Gov. Pawlenty has warned the state legislature that any tax hike would be met with a veto. When will the DFL party wake up and realize that taxing Minnesotans more will only make Minnesota less attractive to future investment while driving our young to other states where they can keep more of their money.

Representatives and Senators of Minnesota do something brave and implement a flat tax that encourages business development and puts Minnesota in the lead of attracting top talent – business and personnel – for years to come.