Speed Gibson

Tomorrow, the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy sales tax takes effect, adding 0.375% to the sales tax rates in Minnesota. I said rates, not rate, because of course, there are many. In Wright County, home of the Albertville Outlets, you will pay 6.875% starting tomorrow. In Minneapolis, you will pay 7.775% for the same purchases, 0.9% percentage points higher. For every $10,000 in eligible expenses, a Minneapolis resident pays $90 more sales tax than someone in Albertville.

Why? Well, Minneapolis adds a local 0.5%, Hennepin County opted for the 0.25% transit tax, and of course, we have the 0.15% Opat-Pawlenty stadium tax. But wait, there's more!

If you have a brew at a downtown Minneapolis bar with live entertainment, you also pay a 2.5% liquor gross receipts tax, another 3.0% liquor tax, and a 3.0% entertainment tax. That brings the total to 16.025%, often more than a dollar a beer.

And the DFL wanted to tax that beer even more.

People my age and beyond may remember Chester E. Riley saying "What a revoltin' development this is!" That might be said of the Superintendent situation in the St. Paul Public Schools.

You may remember that Superintendent Meria Carstarphen resigned to head the Austin, Texas school district. Sometimes, a new Superintendent can be hired in time to take over when the incumbent leaves, as in the Robbinsdale Area Schools. If not, standard procedure is to name an interim Superintendent to run the District until a new Superintendent is selected, signed, and takes the oath. Sometimes, that interim choice becomes the final choice, as in District 11, Anoka-Hennepin.

In St. Paul, the School Board named Suzanne Kelly its interim Superintendent, effective tomorrow, July 1. But there's a problem, as reported in the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

[The] Minnesota Board of School Administrators, which is in charge of licensing superintendents, refused to give Kelly the necessary clearance, saying she lacked proper credentials. The district appealed, and the matter is set to be decided at the board's Aug. 20 meeting.

Until then, neither the School Administrators Board nor the Minnesota Department of Education believes it can take action, they said Monday.

Some of us believe that this particular School Board isn't exactly known for making great decisions. But it's still their decision to make, nonetheless, and they've made one, passing over the usual suspects to put someone familiar with the District in charge during the interim, not some outsider who will necessarily do little more than notarize day to day documents. What's wrong with this?

Well, she's not a member of the Lodge. Kelly has relevant experience in three Districts, including St. Paul, where she has the full faith of the Board. She is not seeking the permanent position. But she lacks credentials, don't you know?

"She is not licensed, so there would be a question of the legality of any legal document she signed," said Judith Lamp, executive director of the School Administrators Board.

[...]

"I can't recall one [case] where the variance was denied and they continued on," Lamp added. "In my two and a half years here I do not know a district that has gone without a superintendent."

And that's the danger, isn't it? We might find that all those high-falutin' licensing requirements aren't quite as necessary or valuable after all. What a revoltin' development that would be!

The St. Paul Board has more faith in Kelly's demonstrated experience, dare I say results than in some pedigreed stranger's unknown potential. The State agencies have ruled, but St. Paul is standing firm behind their choice. Bravo!

It was a scrapbook kind of day for me. My walking hobby said it was time to walk around Lake Harriet and I can't imagine a better day for it. Warm and windy and not the least bit uncomfortable, and no bugs either.

After that, I did another couple of miles in Linden Hills, including lunch at the Turtle bakery and a really good homemade ice cream cone.

I also happened upon the historic Como Harriet trolley ride, so I took rides on both the 1948 and 1908 cars. Talking to the smartly uniformed operators, I learned some new details of what was once a remarkable system that provided over 600,000 rides daily when the metro area was only about 1 million people.

Also along the way was the Rose Garden, still not quite blossomed out, but still featuring lots of vibrant color. A nice day, and now I have some Turtle bread at home that tasted great just with a little butter.

Again I ask, how can a city with such wonderful geography and heritage accept second world government and third world schools?

Looking at the brain trust assembled in Washington DC to decide the fate of American capitalism, perhaps today, I was asking myself, how could this happen? How could such incredibly stupid people rise to the top. Granted, the world of politics has always been about the acquisition of power and wealth without merit. Even within this magical realm, why does stunningly less merit seem to result in astoundingly more success?

James Lewis at The American Thinker is wondering the same thing. Who put idiots like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in charge? What kind of fool can be talked into thinking that carbon dioxide is a pollutant? Lewis gives many examples, like this on health care:

Obama's power-grab over the medical sector of the economy? It's profoundly stupid. We can insure all the uninsured people in the country for a tiny fraction of all that money. We just need to fix the tire on our national car, and this guy tries to sell us a brand-new O-mobile, it can practically fly off the lot, all on credit, long-term payments, no money down. It's gonna be free! So what if you have to mortgage your wife and children? Even if we already have two national lemons in our garage, Medicare and Medicaid, which nobody likes. Now Obee is trying to sell us on a really, really expensive dream mobile that will fix our problems forever, plus it'll be cheaper than what we have now!

Can you believe it?

That sales pitch only works for idiots.

Anyone remember pro wrestler "Classy" Freddie Blasie's "Pencil Neck Geek" novelty hit?

"They say these geeks come a dime a dozen. I'm lookin' for the guy who's supplyin' the dimes."

So am I.

I am continuing seeing cases where people don't seem to understand how air conditioning works. Are you one of those people who turns down the fan speed when the car gets too cool? Then read on.

Air conditioning is just that, the conditioning of air to lower the temperature and lower the humidity. Unlike heating, where only a portion of the air need be heated and distributed, most of the air must pass through the unit. That means: run the #%@& blower!

In your car, that means your highest or second-highest setting, not low or off, even when the car has reached the temperature you want. Use your thermostat to control the temperature, but keep the air moving so that the de-humidification still happens and the equipment under the hood doesn't overload or freeze over.

Conversely, the "Max" is a managed overload for up to the first five minutes or so, to quickly cool the car, not a regular setting for 100 degree days. If you bought a car with an undersized air conditioner, that's your problem.

Proper operation of your car's air conditioning also happens to be exactly what you should do to maximize the system life and your gas mileage.

On an air conditioned bus, this means keep the @*#! windows shut. A few seconds of an open window can completely change out the entire volume of air. Sure, you might get a breeze, but it's hot and humid for the rest of us.

It's the same at home. If you have even one window open, your might as well shut off the air. You're just throwing money in the street. Close the windows, and set the fan to run continuously, to maximize the volume of air processed and reduce temperature variations throughout the home. Modern fan motors are quite efficient, so don't sweat that part of the electric bill. You may save that and more by using your compressor more effectively.

Finally, setting the thermostat at 60 doesn't cool your home any better or faster than 65. If your system maxes out at 70 during a 100 degree day, then that's all there is. Have some iced tea and set the thermostat to a reasonable temperature for the conditions and you won't have icicles hanging in your bedroom in the morning.

This has been a public service for all those hard-working compressors out there. May they ever remain legal and affordable.

Our friends on the left always seem confused about cuts, even when confronted with the dictionary definition. It looks to me like some of us on the right may need some clarification as well this year.

Accounting shifts have been a time-honored, bi-partisan technique for balancing state budgets in Minnesota. Usually, the shifted, "borrowed" funds are restored in a year or two. This time, it's different. The $1.7 billion shift of K-12 funding is not going to be undone anytime soon. For bad as this biennium is, the next one is worse, much worse according to Politics in Minnesota. If the DFL wins the Governor's race, it's hard to see how the Minnesota economy will ever recover to the point where these funds can be made up. Even so, I wouldn't be surprised to see yet another K-12 shift.

So let's be honest here. That $1.7 billion is a cut. The individual districts will absorb the hit via lower fund balances, "stimulus" money, tax increases, or borrowing across the fiscal divide. But it's money they won't likely ever see, and that's the way they should be doing their long range planning. Adding it back four or six years from now doesn't educate today's students.

In my humble opinion, we have finally crossed the line where our state government has become so large that even our once vibrant and creative economy can no longer overcome it. It is lagging national averages for the first time. It's not a lack of "investment" in the public sector as the Democrats say. That has gone up, way up some years, certainly not down. What has gone down, away if you will, is our business climate. Besides the ever increasing taxes, we have also seen a dramatic rise in regulation the past 15 years or so. We are following California's lead, and such folly doesn't work here either.

I always loved going to visit my grandparents in South Minneapolis, except for one thing: the water. I grew up in St. Louis Park, which has well water. Minneapolis has river water, furnished by large, modern water works facilities in Fridley and Columbia Heights. But as the Minneapolis water official said in the Fox 9 report you may have seen, that distinct "Purity of Essence" still sneaks through from time to time. To be fair, more than one brand of "premium" water has been found to be nothing but tap water.

Actually, tapMpls isn't claiming it tastes great or even OK. They're just saying you're stupid if you buy bottled water because of the monetary and environmental costs. Seriously!

No, what's stupid is spending $180,000 on this so unprofessional campaign. The web site has four sophomoric vignettes that remind me of those skits our 10 year old children had to come up with in the D.A.R.E. program. I also notice that they don't talk up Minneapolis water at all. You would pass their social consciousness tests with Eden Prairie or North Oaks water, too. If you're going to do something like this, at least do it well. Above all, push your customer's brand. Why do I get the idea that somebody hired their friends?

Why do this at all? Against a total annual consumption of 25 billion gallons, this isn't going to generate much incremental revenue. By costing local retailers sales of bottled water, they may even foster a net loss of tax revenue to Minneapolis. It certainly appears fiscally irresponsible in this economy, especially when you claim to be short of money.

Oh but not to worry says Mayor R.T. Rybak. The money comes from a dedicated water capital account, money that can't be spent for police or libraries, for example. But why spend it at all? To push back on the DFL who claims unallotment wasn't intended to be used like Pawlenty is doing, certainly this fund was not intended for such a silly, non-essential use, either. Save it for real needs, like pipes.

The best solution of all of course is the market, which has many alternatives between high cost water in little bottles and low cost blends with natural fish oils like in Minneapolis. There's the 5 gallon bottles like we personally use, home filters, or even the free Glenwood spring along Theodore Wirth Parkway.

Minnesota 2020 has published a jeremiad on Governor Pawlenty's unallotment plan that will "cut services that keep people happy, healthy and alive." That's right, our Governor is too dense to realize how he might actually be killing people by his benign neglect. Or is it worse than that? "Not everyone in Minnesota cares about our elderly," says the author, Elizabeth Rich. Could Tim Pawlenty be one of them?

Of course not. No, this is just another in the series of "get Pawlenty" attacks, just as weak, and decidedly more personal. Since the Governor doesn't care, we "should just put our disenfranchised population on a bus to Wisconsin." "Grandma is on her own." For those needing a special diet, "too bad. Get a job, you slacker." "The poorest of the poor better save their pennies to buy really soft food to go with their lack of teeth." The poor should buy lottery tickets, as Ms. Rich thinks "the odds are about the same that they'll get any quality of care." And finally, "nothing says 'I care about the people of Minnesota' quite like withholding money from the [doctors] that treat them."

We, the million plus in Minnesota who support the Governor's actions, and that includes me, just don't get it. How, pray tell, "can we [bear] our children's ridicule when they mock how we turned the 'Minnesota Miracle' into the 'Minnesota Mortification'?" Billions of dollars will be spent on Health and Human Services, but without that last $200 million, "at some point, it will hurt our quantity of life."

The DFL could have found that $200 million any number of places in a $32 billion budget. We could take that from the Minneapolis and St. Paul City Budgets in fact, and still keep all their police, fire, public works, courts, and parks running at full strength.

So, no, this piece and the DFL complaints in general aren't about the money, not this time anyway. It's about the nerve of an adult to say no to some very spoiled children.

We went to see "The Hangover" tonight. I really enjoyed it, felt it was worth more than just a Tweet. It's a cast of relative unknowns, but they all did great and the script was a delight. My wife said I hadn't laughed like that in years, but then, she wasn't with me when I saw "Dodgeball" with my son.

I put "Flo" on my banner for a reason. The idea of people coming into her "store" to buy various insurance packages is exactly what we should be doing for health care. Technology reached the point a few years ago where health care coverage can be tailored, purchased, paid for, and used, one client at a time.

Even twenty years ago, insurance companies and health care providers could not afford to offer the bureaucracy of a la carte pricing. Instead, demand was channeled into a few comprehensive programs. The rise in legal mandates, like requiring circumspect bachelors to buy maternity coverage cut the options further, built on a now more expensive base set of coverages.

Technology can now make this model obsolete, making a la carte pricing little more difficult than online grocery shopping. But of course, the government doesn't want to go here, for they would have no direct role, just the basic enforcement of the voluntary contracts struck.

The Obama Administration wants just the opposite in fact, total control. Since that cannot possibly function at the individual level, this will be done at the group level, in fact, a layering of groups.

They'll start with some seemingly generous base coverage. Then what I'll call political layers will be added, like for breast cancer and AIDS. By political I mean that the size of the programs will be disproportionate to their medical probabilities, severity and costs, based on public sympathies and special interests that politicians will respond to as always.

The rationing will begin day one of course, so you'll never truly get what you think you are entitled to, especially if you're old, you know, not worth the "investment." That's happening now, in those "civilized" countries the liberals always point to as having superior medical care.

That's not to say there won't be a safety net. The government will no doubt fund some percent of the population. But they need not and should not get into the business of providing the care.

I don't know why this particular occurrence should bother me so. Maybe it's because the facts are so obvious, to anyone except the sheep in our newsrooms around town. But now that Governor Pawlenty has detailed his unallotments to comply with the State Constitution, out comes the DFL with their tales of woe, the reporters nodding along.

Even on the normally more reliable KSTP-TV, yes the sky will be falling from police cutbacks, closed libraries, neglected parks, and of course, unavoidable property tax increases. All from the loss of a very small cuts in Local Government Aid (LGA).

"I don't need any lecture from Tim Pawlenty on how to run a budget," says Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak. Yes, you do, Your Honor. Police protection, your number one obligation, is less than 10 percent of your budget. The Fire Department costs less than half of that. To even hint at cutbacks in these areas solely on the basis of LGA not being what you want is nothing short of a lie. But of course, nobody in the newsrooms will likely call you or any other mayor on this.

I don't get this. It's OK to quote a liar without comment, but somehow wrong to challenge the liar?

Last year, I created and awarded the first ever James Taggart Cup to Michael Brodkorb, who had lashed out at Drew Emmer as a "Man Not in the Arena."

James Taggart was the president of the railroad in Atlas Shrugged. Always clueless in a fog of irrational ideology, he was always claiming that his many failures could not have been foreseen. "Nobody can blame me!" was his refrain.

Michael Brodkorb is now Deputy Chair of the Republican Party in Minnesota. I wish him well, and hope he has learned something about tact since then. It is time to turn to 2009, and the choice seems rather obvious to me.

She's not the only guilty party, but she's been making the most noise about the thankfully completed 2009 Minnesota Legislative Regular Session. She repeatedly has jabbed the Governor for doing his job, a job he must do only because she didn't do her own job. And she takes no responsibility for any of it, for wasting months of session time, for not taking the Governor at his word, for being oblivious to the recession, and most of all I think, for blindly following her equally inept Senate counterpart.

So, I hereby award the second annual James Taggart Cup to Margaret Anderson-Kelliher, Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

A letter from a self-described "lifelong Republican" appears in today's Minneapolis Star Tribune:

"In times of recession the problem is that money does not circulate. Individual people and corporations cannot solve this problem. We are all forced to tighten our belts to survive. However, government at the state and federal levels does have some ability to get things moving."

Now that we've established his credentials as an economist, here's his solution:

"The [vetoed] bill that our Legislature sent to Pawlenty would have taken some money from those who are hoarding it and put it into circulation."

Who needs President Obama? Pawlenty alone can end the recession. But I'm a little puzzled with this "hoarding" concept, as in who and how. Is saving money hoarding? Is paying off debt early hoarding? Is not sending still more LGA money to his small town in central Minnesota hoarding? And if you increase "circulation" into wallet A by deceasing the circulation out of wallet B, how does this solve anything?

As a conservative, I don't really believe in taking from the rich to give to the poor. But an ailing economy sometimes needs a little dose of populist medicine.

He's a conservative, too! This is too funny for words. Publish letters like these in the comics section.

On paper, from what admittedly scant amount I've read and heard, including first hand at the Maple Grove candidates forum, I would normally prefer Tony Sutton for GOP chair. Since I am not a delegate or such, I'll just call this a preference, not an endorsement. But that's on paper.

The times call for expertise and energy, but the times also call for a fresh face at the top. I asked myself, if I were to get involved in the 2010 races, who would I want to work for? Who could I take pride in, and point out to my friends? Sutton has no faults here, but Thompson is better known, clearly conservative, a better speaker, and one who (I believe) will do exactly what he says he will do. The contrast with DFL Chair Brian Melendez will be unmistakable. Melendez you may remember repeated a number of Secretary of State Mark Ritchie's lies even after Richie had confessed.

The GOP is fortunate to have Carrie Ruud in the race as well, and I hope she will remain active regardless of the outcome. Sutton and Thompson could both use her advice on bringing DFL women voters back to their senses.

But at the top, put me down for Dave Thompson.

What's wrong with us? Why won't we watch the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric? From TVNewser:

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams was the #1 evening newscast again last week with a more than 800,000 viewer lead over #2 World News with Charles Gibson. And with an average of 5.18M Total Viewers, the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric had its lowest viewership yet. In fact, it's the lowest viewership since at least the 1991/92 season, as far back as Nielsen records track.

Ms. Couric might reflect on Contessa Brewer's recent flap with filmmaker John Ziegler. "I consider myself a common sense thinker," she said, cutting Ziegler's mike. But the damage had been done. Brewer looked more like a fool than a thinker, pouting that she had been insulted. She was in that Ziegler used her own words to easily trap her in a contradiction her common sense could not explain. She did the insulting, indirectly of herself, directly at those of us who truly are common sense thinkers.

Couric should look at this and ask whose common sense she is insulting. Her competitors have no special edge, but it has to be her because she is also losing to everyone since 1992, including on CBS. CBS should consider putting someone like Ziegler in her chair.

KSTP has a "Job of the Day" on its morning TV News. In a just world, there would be a new opening at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDot) by lunch time. The job is "Construction Traffic Planner" - the person who puts up the signs, cones, and barrels for construction zones.

Going to Grand Old Day yesterday, we got caught in a long rolling parking lot through the I-94 Lowry Hill tunnel. Signage was confusing and too late to take the downtown exit ahead of it. And at the end of it all, it simply detoured onto I-35W and even here, the signage was too late, forcing me on an exit ramp. What should have been maybe 25-30 minutes became 75 minutes. The problem was that the detour (this is Sunday remember, Twins out of town) could have simply been just ahead the I-35W north exit, letting those going south on I-35W and southeast on Hiawatha to pass and not slow the rest of us down.

But we still had a nice afternoon walking the entire length of the festivities, our first ever trip to Grand Old Day. Obviously, we stuck to the side streets going home.

Paraphrasing a favorite quote of mine from the movie As Good As It Gets:

"How do you write about Democrats so well?"

"I picture a Republican, and I take away reason and accountability."

In this sense, there are "good" Democrats, certainly more numerous than unicorns and gyascutuses. There are "bad" Republicans, probably even more numerous. But just as "dog" and "cat" are useful categorizations regardless of breeds, it is accountability that ultimately separates Democrats from Republicans.

And the war is on, the War on Accountability.

Let me illustrate by following up on the Minnesota 2020 hit piece on charter schools in Minnesota. Mitch Berg and his commenters have fisked this thoroughly at Shot in the Dark in two parts. See also this Wall Street Journal opinion piece. What this all boils down to is that the DFL's special interest in government run public schools is "too big to fail" and must be protected. From whom? Charter schools. From what? Accountability.

It's almost laughable how DFL sees the charter schools as the unaccountable entity. Quoting Minnesota 2020:

• "Although charter schools receive taxpayer funds, they are not subject to the same checks and balances taxpayers have the right to expect."


• "Traditional schools are governed by elected school boards. Taxpayers who disagree with the way their money is being spent need only go to the school board meeting and voice their concern. Ultimately, voters can exercise their rights and vote school board members off the body."

Charter schools save the taxpayers money. Charter school customers have the ultimate control: they can leave to find a better one, maybe even a public school. But who could possibly hope to unseat even the worst School Board in the state? (That would be St. Paul in my opinion.) And by the way, were the situation reversed, would Minnesota 2020 demand that the public schools be closed?

Taxation with representation beats taxation without representation, but it's no guarantee of accountability. Look at what Jeff Johnson is finding on the Hennepin County Board. Look at the DFL taxapalooza session of 2008. When their backs are against the wall, the DFL moves the wall.

We had decades of bi-partisan common sense on bonding, holding to an agreed 3% debt service rule. But when the DFL felt it had to bond far more to please its special interests, did it set priorities and continue to be fiscally prudent? No, they simply retired the 3% rule. Anything goes now.

Look at this session. Again, the DFL would not set priorities, even within itself as their large House and Senate majorities bickered until the end over taxes. Even then, they scrapped a session's worth of work to scribble up a new "compromise" that even had their own complaining. But the real problem was accountability.

The DFL refused to let their spending plans be held accountable to the money available, and even that money may not be there if the economy continues to contract. They would not set the priorities needed to live within their - our - means. Instead, they vilify the Governor and put on a Sally Struthers act because they didn't get that last $300 million to expand Minnesota's version of socialized medicine yet again.

Nationally, we see spending unthinkable even a year ago. Again, accountability as in fiscal restraint had to be dispatched to make way for all those programs. Promises for "accountability" for that spending, well, how's that coming along, Sheriff Biden?

Getting back to our schools, accountability isn't just about finance, it's about results, like test scores. When the Minnesota math test proves too hard, what's the answer? Remove the accountabilty. High school graduation rates are appalling in many districts. What's being done? Nothing. A third of our graduates need remedial coursework attending Minnesota public colleges. What's being done? Nothing. These are just statistics.

Minnesota is a terrible place to open a business if the nature of your business doesn't require a local presence. That's why 3M is slowly becoming 3T, why Texas alone is where over half the new jobs are. What's the answer? Raise taxes, to invest in our intellectual infrastructure, of which we demand nothing in return. All that matters are good intentions - and a signed check.

"How do we convince voters that limited government is good for them?" asked Tony Sutton, candidate for the GOP party chair. I don't know how to phrase it convincingly, but in a word it's all about accountability. If it doesn't work, however seemingly wonderful like Head Start, end it. It lowers our standard of living.

And if there are better ways like Charter schools, the Public schools must at least not get in their way.

There are a number of public school districts with union K-12 teacher contracts expiring this month, including my own Robbinsdale Area Schools. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Forest Lake district has just completed their negotiations for the next two years.

In what might be the first of such Twin Cities-area agreements this year, Forest Lake teachers agreed May 27 to a two-year contract that gives them no cost-of-living salary increases for either 2009-2010 or 2010-2011.

...

"It always seems like the first settlement is what the trend becomes," said Mike Roseen, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school board chairman. "If Forest Lake settles for zero-zero, I'm guessing that's going to be closer to the norm than not."

I think the Forest Lake teachers have a pretty smart union. Given the still largely uncertain, still declining economy, no increase beats layoffs and actual pay cuts. You may remember that when in Florida last year, teachers there were facing a 2 percent cut, support staff up to 6 percent. It's good business for the union, and good press, too.

The Robbinsdale Federation of Teachers and all the other locals would do well to follow suit. Murky as school finance always is, I don't see any money available for increases in 281 either.

The City of Minneapolis wants to increase "production" at the Hennepin County garbage burner, the one next to the new Twins outdoor ballpark. It currently processes about 1,000 tons to 1,200 tons. The Minneapolis Star Tribune article suggests that Federal air quality regulations might come into play above that level, but 20% more is no problem.

I'll all for it. I'm sure the Twins will get it shut down during games, or at least televised games.

In my youth, we burned trash and tossed garbage. There's a difference, you know. The latter fit easily in a standard aluminum can with the handles the garbage men would grab to haul them over their shoulder to the truck. No plastic tubs, no hydraulic lifter/dumper arms on those trucks. And like many of you, I miss the fun and aroma of burning leaves in the fall.

I'll stop short of wishing for those days again if I know that trash is burned somewhere.

There's a post now and then calling for GOP unity. You know the kind, that say we have to support candidates no matter what because, after all, they are not Democrats. We are not allowed to criticize a Ramstad, a Bush, a McCain, and certainly not a Pawlenty when they stray - again.

So, when I attended the GOP state officers forum in Maple Grove tonight, I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone there clearly understood (or said they understood) that wandering and pandering does not win elections. As officers, they would be diplomatic about it, but they would also be honest. I can live with that.

After Matt Abe's liveblog of the previous forum, I leaned toward Carrie Reid. Then I read that Craig Westover (who was present tonight) had endorsed Dave Thompson. I respect that opinion, but I came away favoring Tony Sutton. Maybe I was swayed when he came up with the line of the night, which I'll paraphrase:

"How do you convince voters that limited government will make their lives better?

Dave Thompson is right to talk of common sense, but it's not enough. I like how Rush Limbaugh puts it, again paraphrasing: "Why should I feel good if my neighbor's tax went up instead of mine?" That's the big challenge, especially now, to refute the muddled "What's Wrong With Kansas?" thinking.

Anyway, I was above all so pleased to see all the energy on stage, for every office.

We could wish for a third Pawlenty term, but I'm pleased and impressed with Governor Tim Pawlenty's decision not to seek re-election next year. Despite the facts being heavily on his side, he would have been the target of a joint DFL-union-media assault all the way to Election Day 2010. Instead, Pawlenty has once again sawed off the branch Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller had so carefully selected.

This entire Legislative session has had one clear focus throughout: get Pawlenty. It was also clear that some distance has grown between the Senate and House this year, a little more wary after getting burned by Pogemiller's all or nothing ploy, the veto override notwithstanding.

With this splendidly placed finger in his eye, it is now Pogemiller that has to worry about keeping his job.

General Motors aka Government Motors aka Obama Motors is all but dead in any real business sense. Without the full dose of Chapter 11 medicine they would normally have swallowed, and with President Obama standing on their throat with absurd MPG requirements, recovery seems extremely unlikely.

Instead, we will have a shell corporation that will be laundering public money being sent to the United Auto Workers and other unions, which in turn will make its customary donations to the Democratic Party.

So I ask, is there any reason why one should now buy a "General Motors" car or truck? The sooner we put GM out of business permanently, the sooner we'll end the endless subsidies.

Dear Governor Pawlenty:

Raising taxes, living within our means, confronting the Gorgon of socialized medicine, you're spot on and welcome back to the fight. I hope and expect you'll soon see the light on your "green" initiatives, particularly when you get the bills. So for now, all I'd like you to do re-consider is your cap on local property taxes.

As a Republican, I'm sure you prefer that decisions be made at the lowest level feasible. While you're right in assuming that ballot boxes don't frighten some city administrations, even there, the residents still have taxation with representation. They don't need or deserve your well-intentioned protection.

As I'm sure you're aware, there are a number of workarounds old and new for getting around your property tax caps, and the actual increases so indicate. And at the end of the day, no cap ever forces a city to spend its money more wisely. Police and fire is under 20 percent of the Minneapolis budget, yet these the first laid off if LGA is cut.

The truth is, cities vary quite a bit in terms of their fiscal responsibility. To broad brush them all as needing caps on their taxes is unwarranted, a one size fits all that does not fit all at all.

We don't need limits; we need information. Repeal the caps and in their place, publish some data, ranking cities in their fiscal performance. In particular, separate essential services like police from non-essential like economic development. Require that this be presented at the Truth in Taxation meetings.

Leave the rest to us.

I just found out that Joan Alexander, born and raised in St. Paul until age 3 has passed away at age 94. As an Old Time Radio (OTR) buff, I feel entitled to crown her the best radio actress of them all. Only Mercedes McCambridge came close in my opinion, but Alexander had the far more successful radio career.

Her most famous role was that of Lois Lane on "The Adventures of Superman" during the 1940's. She and the wonderful Bud Collyer teamed again in the Filmation Superman cartoons of the late 1960's. You may also remember Collyer from "Beat the Clock" and "To Tell the Truth" on television. It seems odd somehow that I would first learn of them on TV, only later about their radio days.

Alexander had many other roles, like Della Street to radio's Perry Mason. She always had such distinctive, marvelous voice control and yet never became type cast. As I now listen to the latest chapter of Superman on my OTR service ("The Headless Indian") I will again be thankful for her fine work.