HometownSource Blogs

In the past I’ve read plenty about pet sterilization.

That I know of, nothing is currently going on in terms of legally forcing sterilization around here, but nearly 40 other cities around the country are pushing to enact laws. Read more »

It might come as a surprise that someone traditionally framed as unfriendly to media would start a blog, complete with comment section. But that is exactly what Michele Bachmann has done.

The state has released its findings regarding the TIZA school, and the result is essentially vindication for Star Tribune columnist Katherine Kersten, who Rep. Mindy Greiling called a “thug” for her reporting. Greiling has yet to respond to requests for clarification made by Power Line.

In other news, a KSTP team went looking for reaction to the report at TIZA and was attacked by school personnel. While TIZA’s physical reaction to a news crew is certainly of concern, Greiling’s attempt to strong-arm a free press remains the story here, and continues to go unchallenged by the media and unanswered by Greiling.

One can only speculate why a politician with Greiling’s power continues to get a free pass from Twin Cities news outlets, which are otherwise obsessed with abuses of power.

Being the foodie that I am I must bring to your attention the oxymoron that occurs every year in May.

Ok, many might not know this, but May is National Hamburger Month. But from May 19th to May 25th it’s also World Vegetarian Week. Read more »

Barack Obama blasted the Tennessee GOP today for making an issue of his wife’s previous statement that, because of her husband’s run for office, “for the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country.”

Obama praised his wife’s patriotism and said that for Republicans “to try to distort or to play snippets of her remarks in ways that are unflattering to her I think is just low class … and especially for people who purport to be promoters of family values, who claim that they are protectors of the values and ideals and the decency of the American people to start attacking my wife in a political campaign I think is detestable.”

Let’s see if I understand this correctly. Barack Obama has made his wife a central character in his run for the presidency. However, any criticism of the things she says in that capacity is “low class” and “detestable?”

Barack. Dude. Seriously. You can’t have it both ways. If your wife is campaigning for you than the things she says are wide open for scrutiny. Whining over that fact is unbecoming of the candidate of McHope-n-change.

At long last, Katherine Kersten enters the fray over her column on TIZA, by poking fun at a petition to have her ousted:

…I see with horror that Greiling’s letter seems to have ignited a public campaign for my ouster! An online petition drive is now demanding that I be fired. Folks have signed in droves — from Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey across the globe to Turkey, where “Can Atik” signed. Dozens of Minnesotans, including Coleen Rowley, have added their monikers.

If you go to the petition, you’ll note that it has no more evidence there Kersten has done anything other than report on a legitimate issue than provided by the suddenly silent Rep. Mindy Greiling, who has yet to give a single example of Kersten’s “gross” distortion of facts.

Not to be outdone, Ryan Rhodes has launched a petition to have Nick Coleman fired:

Read more »

It’s officially spring, and with warmer weather finally here we can safely make the switch from “climate change” back to “global warming” for another six months. John McCain certainly has:

“The facts of global warming demand our urgent attention, especially in Washington.”

Yes, even as the temperature cools in direct contrast to all the climate models used to generate this ridiculous hoax, global climate warming change gets another convert.

Someday I just know a candidate will emerge that won’t feel compelled to genuflect before the altar of the warmenists. In the meantime, all we can do is point and laugh at those who do.

A spate of ugly crimes in our Dakota County communities has me thinking about the criticism we always get at the paper: All you write about is the bad news. I’ve been in this business for almost 40 years and the accusation is a constant wherever I happen to be plying the craft of telling the stories of my community.

Years ago, I came to understand that the complaint has to do with the fact that people remember the bad-news stories more than they remember the heart-warming stories of people living life properly. At least 90 percent of what we put into our papers is good news or at least neutral facts about community life. But it’s the bad and the ugly, not the good, that sticks in readers’ minds. Read more »

I feel I must comment on the primary seat belt law addition to the transportation bill recently passed by the Senate.

If this law were to go through, officers would be able to pull someone over and ticket them, solely for not wearing a seat belt.

Read more »

Our Forest Lake Times editor Cliff Buchan is not blogging quite yet but passed on a piece from one of our Times readers that is surely a blog item.

It is penned by Derek Rushlow of Columbus, now a city and not a township. Derek tells about his involvement in a TV show. He was an extra on One Tree Hill.

I am not familiar with the show but all of us can wish that we could relate to an opportunity to be on our favorite TV show. Here’s what Derek has to say.

Read more »

Here’s a band I really didn’t care for until I went and saw them live last week. A bunch of my friends kept telling me over and over again how great they were. I tried a couple of times to get into them, but it never really sunk in. Most of the descriptions I heard of their style were along the lines of “Eastern European” or “Gypsy Music” and from looking at their name that’s what you’d expect as well. When I’d listen I’d hear subtle hints of it, but I wouldn’t really consider their music Eastern European.

Read more »

In regard to recent posts on Rep. Mindy Greiling’s strong-arm tactics against Katherine Kersten, dwp4401 writes:

At the present time, the Department of Education is investigating the allegations against this school. Greiling has now issued a not so veiled threat. Her committee controls the Department’s budget and they are now on notice that the Chair will brook no change of the status quo at this school.

Greiling herself seemed to confirm that view in an interview with Minnesota Monitor:

Read more »

Scott Johnson is, and the journalism community should be, very concerned with Rep. Mindy Greiling’s irresponsible letter to the Star Tribune, in which she accused columnist Katherine Kersten of being “reckless,” and for writing a “gross distortion of the facts” that put children’s lives at risk. Based on those assertions, Greiling encouraged the Strib to ask for Kersten’s resignation.

Johnson lays out a list of 19 disturbing facts reported by Kersten, as well as observations of TIZA by a substitute teacher through Kersten, none of which were disputed by Greiling. He concludes by saying, “Under the circumstances, her letter is an abuse of her legislative position. Rep. Greiling should demonstrate Kersten’s “gross distortion of facts” or should resign herself.”

These clear cut cases of abusing one’s position have become “politics as usual,” and will therefore likely pass with little note. But voters, and journalists, should take note that Greiling has no problem calling for someone to lose their very livelihood based on nothing more than her dissatisfaction with the subject matter.

Read more »

I just don’t see the point.

I mean, I know we’re talking about swords here, but kicking two kids out of school for the rest of the year for purchasing a couple of souvenir swords on a choir trip in England seems like overkill.

The District 196 School Board can’t elaborate publicly on the expulsions, but their hands aren’t exactly tied on the matter. They could have chosen to make their expulsion decision based on common sense and a little compassionate leniency instead of following the district’s policy so strictly. Read more »

According to the Tax Foundation, Minnesota has the third-highest corporate tax burden in the known universe, 41.4 percent. That’s higher than all but Pennsylvania and Iowa in the U.S., and significantly higher than more socialist nations like Germany, France, and Canada.

It’s an outrage! Call your representative today and insist that Minnesota’s corporate “citizens” start doing their fair share!