HometownSource Blogs

Sometimes life not only goes on after politics but moos if ignored.
While Rep. Ken Tschumper, DFL-LaCrescent, lost reelection, it did settle the question of his dairy herd.

Tschumper, a dairy farmer, found it difficult to attend to business in St. Paul while tending to the cows.
Last session the legislator spoke of perhaps selling the herd — something he was reluctant to do.
“I had told my wife that if I won reelection I would sell my cows, but I didn’t get reelected so I still have them,” said Tschumper in an email.
“I had to let my hired guy go so I am back to milking twice each day myself and am enjoying it,” he said.

Ha-ha. Get the headline pun?

Anyways. A fellow ECM writer alerted me to the fact that New York City Governor David Paterson has proposed an “obsesity” tax. Read more »

Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, and Sen. Jim Metzen, DFL-South St. Paul, with delight announced today (Dec. 22) that the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has indicated that it will begin construction on the Lafayette Bridge in 2011.

The bridge spans the Mississippi River and provides access to downtown St. Paul for commuters from Dakota County.

In recent months, lawmakers have held press conferences near the base of the bridge, citing it as an example of long overdue maintenance on state infrastructure.

According to the lawmakers, the new bridge span over the river will include a bike/pedestrian lane, a dedicated bus lane, and footings for the addition of a light rail line in the future.

“We’ve been waiting a long time to get this done, but the good news today is that it’s going to be done right,” said Metzen of the new bridge.

“This news really is like a holiday gift to those working folks who rely on the Lafayette Bridge to get to work and get home every day,” concluded Hansen.

Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, announced today (Dec. 22) that he is forming an exploratory campaign for governor.

Marty, chairman of the Senate Health, Housing and Family Security Committee, challenged Gov. Arne Carlson in 1994 for governor and was thrashed by the popular Republican, winning just 35 percent of the vote.

“This is a true exploratory campaign to connect with Minnesotans and hear about their vision for a better Minnesota,” Marty explained in a press release of his announcement.
“People want a government that works for them instead of special interests. They want living-wage jobs and quality schools, not large taxpayer subsidies for private businesses. They want cost-saving investments in children, positive steps to prevent domestic abuse and violence, and health care that’s affordable for their families in good times and bad,” he said.

“I am confident that working together, we can meet these challenges,” he said.

Although Gov. Tim Pawlenty is assuming the U.S. Senate race will resolve itself, the governor said today (Dec. 19) the administration is studying the laws concerning the appointment of a U.S. Senator.

“We’re just looking at the law, how we can do it if we had to do it. So we don’t get caught flat footed,” said Pawlenty.
“But again, I believe the likelihood of us ever using that is remote,” he concluded.

The last Minnesota U.S. Senator appointed by a governor was Dean Barkley, appointed to the U.S. Senate after the death of Sen. Paul Wellstone.

The ongoing contest between Sen. Norm Coleman and Al Franken promises to push the time limit — new U.S. Senators will be sworn into office the first week of January.

The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled today (Dec. 18) that rejected absentee ballots can be opened and the votes counted, but only if local elections officials and the two U.S. Senate campaigns agree the ballots were rejected in error.

Local elections officials cannot open any previously rejected absentee ballots in the U.S. Senate recount, the court ruled, unless following the conditions set down by the court.

All amended election reports from the local elections officials must be transmitted to the State Canvassing Board by Dec. 31, the ruling states.

Read more »

Former Burnsville football, basketball and track and field star James Ruffin can add collegiate Defensive Player of the Year to his accolades.

The junior defensive tackle for the University of Northern Iowa was named Missouri Conference Defensive Player of the Year Thursday.

He was also named an American Football Coaches Association Football Championship Subdivision first team All-American and a second-team Associated Press FCS All-American also on Thursday.

In 2008, Ruffin, a 6-foot-4-inch, 265-pound lineman, had a team-high 18 tackles for losses and 10 sacks, with 69 solo tackles.

In 2007 he had 20 solo tackles and eight sacks with 3.5 passes knocked down.

He was a 2007 All-Gateway Conference selection, with 47 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 13 games.

He made the 2006 All-Gateway Conference All-Newcomer squad with 26 tackles, three tackles for losses and one sack in 11 games, seven of which he started.

Jason Olson is at sports.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.

The State Canvassing Board has ground through about 420 challenged U.S. Senate ballots — at times today the board worked at a 50-ballot an hour clip, said Secretary of State Mark Ritchie.

“We’re going to get this done Friday night,” said Ritchie of wading through all the challenged ballots.

Late Friday night, he added.

Yesterday, on a partial workday, the board ground through about 160 ballots.

But Ritchie added that the board would not be certifying or signing-off on the election this week.

About 92 percent of the board’s rulings on the challenged ballots have been unanimous, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

One variable that may impact the pace of the board is the Minnesota Supreme Court.

The court heard oral arguments today on a Coleman petition concerning rejected absentee ballots but as of late afternoon has not rendered a decision.

Supreme Court Justice Alan Page suggested that a decision would come quickly.

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday (Dec. 17) afternoon will hear oral arguments pertaining to rejected absentee ballots in the U.S. Senate race.

Today’s (Dec. 15) court order was in response to a petition filed by the Coleman for Senate Campaign with the court in which the campaign asked the court, among other things, to order local election officials to take no additional action relating to rejected absentee ballots until further ordered by the court.

Although setting a date for oral arguments and taking other actions, the court did not order that local election officials stop reexamining the controversial rejected absentee ballots.

Read more »

The House Finance Committee today (Dec. 15) held a long meeting with Democratic lawmakers — and some Republicans, too — trying to pin down Pawlenty Administration officials on the scope of Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s expected unallotment of the state budget.

The first round of unallotments could come later this week.

Pawlenty Press Secretary Brian McClung said the administration has been receiving input for lawmakers and it’s helpful and appreciated.

“They have encouraged the Governor to use unallotment with their input and we are preparing to do so sometime in the near future,” he said in an email. Read more »

Apple Valley native Mike Lundin was put on waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. No other NHL teams picked him up, so he moved to the Norfolk Admirals, AHL roster. The move came after being a healthy scratch as of late and his playing time was drastically cut in December, from 11 to 17 minutes a game to six or seven minutes as of late.

Have you seen the video of an Iraqi TV reporter hurling his shoes at President Bush? What am I talking about, of course you’ve seen it.

I was running on the tread mill at 7 a.m. this morning and I swear it was on every major news morning show on constant repeat. It’s the news networks own “viral” video. I heard Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki wanted to confiscate all the video tapes, but the Americans let the reporters have their tapes. I’m sure Bush aids are feeling a little miffed that the video is getting so much air time. Critics of the mainstream media (MSM) are probably cursing the networks for focusing too much on the bizarre and not enough on the substance of what was a much more substantative presidential visit to the Middle East, but then the video’s popularity with networks shouldn’t come as a surprise. Read more »

Gov. Tim Pawlenty was both playful and serious at the State Board of Investment meeting this morning (Dec. 10) at the Capitol.

At the outset of the meeting, while approving the board meeting minutes, Pawlenty turned to Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and said “I wonder if we should do a recount?”  when noting board attendance.

“We’ll have to get an (legal) opinion,” Ritchie, up to his ears in the U.S. Senate recount, deadpanned back.

Read more »

With the recent bankruptcy filing of the Tribune company, parent company for The Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, etc., the writing on the wall, or perhaps “blog”, seems fairly clear. Newspapers need to change tactics as fast as they can and move to online only operations. Any burdened by substantial debt have even fewer options. Read more »

More health stuff….It seems I’m not the only one all about the health and fitness craze this year. Nope. It’s popping up while I watch the morning news with my oatmeal. And now it’s coming up in newspapers too. Yet it’s not just the “working out is good for you” report, it’s the “here’s some cheap healthy gifts for the holidays.” Read more »