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V for Vilsack!

BROWN HQ (Nov. 30, 2006) -- Today outgoing Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack announces his bid for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination. I note with amusement that his website features a logo that is an obvious play on"V for Vendetta." Normally, that would be a really cool thing for a presidential candidate, if only Tom Vilsack didn't look exactly like your college roommate's dad on parent's weekend. (And, for my northern Minnesota friends, Vilsack bears a striking resemblance to State Sen. Tom Saxhaug, which is interesting because you never see them in the same place at the same time).

By next summer, we'll have a pool of about five or six strong Democrats, Vilsack being on the very fringe of that group. Hillary Clinton is still listed as the front runner, but recent speculation has her concerned about a potential run from Sen. Barack Obama. My gut tells me that Obama can make at least as much of a dent on Clinton's frontrunner status as John McCain did to "W" on the Republican side in 2000. Obama's a media darling with few negatives, other than his relative inexperience in the U.S. Senate. Fact is, people like him and want to hear him speak, which is something that Vilsack, Chris Dodd, Wes Clark, Joe Biden, John Kerry, and even Hillary Clinton just don't have going for them yet. Obama and Clinton are the only two Democrats who I see winning the early primaries, other than "V for Vilsack's" slim chance of winning his own state's caucus. Clinton or Obama, maybe both, will be on the national ticket in 2008.

On the Republican side, Sen. Bill Frist just announced this week he isn't running, which leaves McCain and Rudy Giuliani as the two highest profile potential candidates. Normally, I'd expect the Republicans to line up early behind McCain. He has the profile and popularity to be a strong national candidate, but he is not beloved by the conservative base. Neither is Giuliani, who is pro-choice and has personal baggage. That leaves an unexpected and alarmingly large gap for a conservative candiate. Some say it's Mike Huckabee from Arkansas or Sam Brownback from Kansas. This is a 1964 moment for the Republican party. Do they nominate the ideologically "pure" candidate who is not as competative (like Barry Goldwater in '64) or someone who would likely win despite being known as a centrist. (McCain or Giuliani would easily win based on what I see now). I love the idea of a Huckabee vs. Obama battle in '08. It sounds like a downticket fight at Madison Square Garden. It will be an interesting ride for the political junkies over the next year, and unfortunately for America the result could likely be ordained months to a year before the political conventions. If you REALLY want your vote to count, attend your caucus or vote in your primary.

UPDATE: I neglected to mention Gov. Mitt Romney from Massachusetts on the Republican side. He's a traditional conservative with some crossover appeal after his state's health care program expanded to cover uninsured children. Some say his Morman faith could be a problem, but I doubt that. A Romney-Clinton or Romney-Obama battle would be wide open because the South would be in play.

Brown on the Air - Monday, Dec. 4

BROWN HQ (Nov. 30, 2006) -- I'll be hosting a special segment of the KAXE morning show on Monday, Dec. 4, broadcasting live from the Hibbing Community College commons. We'll be on from 8-9 a.m. with me on location and Scott Hall in the studio. My scheduled guests are:
As always, you can listen online at www.kaxe.org.

Buck nakedness of emporor revealed

BROWN HQ (Nov. 27, 2006) -- Have I mentioned that I support job growth on the Iron Range? Because I do, and just as much as anyone else. That said, I've also been raising questions about the proposed Excelsior Energy power plant in Itasca County for years. It does us no good to build a power plant that is not competitive in the market place. It also does no good to invest in clean coal technology like what they've proposed for this Mesaba Energy Project but then openly declare that you're not going to complete the critical "clean" process by sequestering the carbon dioxide. The media finally gets it. Than Tibbetts of the Grand Rapids Herald-Review has now written two balanced stories, one on problems with the site of the project and another this past weekend on the economic questions (No link available; check out the Herald-Review or Hibbing Daily Tribune for this story). Where was the media two years ago? Where was our local leadership two years ago? We the People are in this project for millions of dollars. Now the competing power companies, Minnesota Power and Xcel, are now lowering the boom on what appears to be a poorly conceived idea.

All along the way, everyone from the county dog catcher up to the governor has accepted the word of Excelsior Energy when it comes to this project's merits. It's time for everyone to calm down and make a simple statement to those who have pushed this proposal so hard: Prove it. Prove to us why you can't build on a brownsite as originally promised. Prove you have enough private money. Prove to us that the technology will work as advertised. Prove that you can produce power at a competitive price. I'd publicly support Excelsior Energy if these statements could be proven true. I'll just keep waiting for that proof to come. If it doesn't come soon, the public sector should invest elsewhere.

Range finally stays off the bad list

(NOTE: This is my weekly Sunday column for the Nov. 26, 2006 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune.)

Good news: There was a book released recently entitled “The Absolutely Worst Places to Live in America” and none of our Iron Range towns were listed. Not even Buhl. (Way to pick it up, Buhl!*).

This is a pleasant development, since so many national media outlets like to come to northern Minnesota to describe us as gritty and decaying. Remember when all those actors were promoting “North Country?” To hear them describe our area, you’d think we were cooking cats on a spit and speaking an ancient dialect developed in underground mines. Invariably, these kinds of articles charge up the local chambers of commerce and we have to go through the “Look at our growing medical sector and new mining technology!” letter volleys.

So it’s nice to dodge the bullet on this “Worst Places” book. The same good luck did not, however, reach our friends to the south and slightly west. Dave Gilmartin’s recent book includes the city of St. Cloud, in addition to Detroit, Tulsa, Okla., and Los Angeles’ “Skid Row.” I picked this story out of a Star Tribune article by Joe Tevlin, though it was also detailed in the St. Cloud Times and in AP wire reports.

I haven’t read the book, but Tevlin’s story caught my interest, especially when he quoted Gilmartin’s thoughts on St. Cloud: “Just about the most joyless and depressing university town imaginable. If the endless below-zero weather doesn't kill you, its soul-killing culture of sheer hopelessness surely will. “Basically, people just eat bad food at buffet-style restaurants and watch themselves get fat.”

I’ve been to St. Cloud twice. To be fair, I’d describe the ratio of fat people to non-fat people as “normal.” My main impression was that, for a mid-sized regional center, it was very easy to get lost in St. Cloud. I know it’s a river town but it’s more confusing than St. Paul – which is hard to imagine. I’ve also noticed that, anecdotally, many of the people I knew who attended college in St. Cloud (home of St. Cloud State, St. Ben’s, St. Joe’s and others) end up drinking a lot of alcohol after going there. Heck, my first beer – consumed at age 18** – was in St. Cloud. Maybe that’s not the town’s fault, but it’s an awfully big coincidence.

Lastly, I do recall that the town had an extended suburban feel to it. A number of St. Cloud residents work in or near the Twin Cities now, and as such the town has begun to show a homogenized “just off the Interstate” look.

I hope this serves as a lesson for our local towns. I’ve noticed how excited people have been getting about the retail development in Hibbing, Virginia and Grand Rapids. It’s nice to have chain restaurants and home improvement stores. They provide jobs and economic growth. But suburban-style retail sprawl at the edge of your town doesn’t necessarily make it a good place to live. You’ve got to have a spark of originality and culture … something I think we’ve got here on the Iron Range. Don’t throw that all away so you can get a TJ Maxx. Trust me. TJ Maxx isn’t that great.

Meantime, keep your chins up, St. Cloud. Remember what made you great and get back to it. We’ve been there and we’re pulling for you.

* Buhl, of course, is a fine city with a proud history. Because of my loutish use of the town’s good name in an attempt at humor I will sing Buhl’s praises in this disclaimer: “Buhl: We got great drinking water and a curling club … also some other things, like streets and a post office. The bike trail goes through here. Did we mention the water?”

** Teen drinking is wrong.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

BROWN HQ (Nov. 22, 2006) -- Thanksgiving doesn't get a lot of credit as a holiday. Sandwiched between the commercialized Halloween and the uber-commercialized Christmas, it's often overlooked. I love it. Thanksgiving has no airs about it. Eat. Be merry. Join with family and friends and be thankful for what's good in your life. Nothing to buy. No hoops to jump through. Just an old school holiday.

In honor of Thanksgiving, I'll try to stay off the computer for 24 hours. Is it possible? We'll see. Meantime have a great Thanksgiving and stay tuned for this weekend for my new column and news of my next radio show.

House chairs announced

BROWN HQ (Nov. 22, 2006) -- Speaker Kelliher announced the Minnesota House of Representatives committee chairs yesterday. Here is an excerpt from a Don Davis story in the Duluth News-Tribune:

Area chairmen of the House budget and rules committees include:

* Rules and Legislative Administration: Majority Leader Tony Sertich of Chisholm

* Ways and Means: Loren Solberg of Grand Rapids

* Energy Finance and Policy: Bill Hilty of Finlayson

* Education Finance and Economic Competitiveness: Mary Murphy of Hermantown

* Higher Education and Workforce Development Policy/Finance: Tom Rukavina of Virginia

* Health Care and Human Services Finance: Tom Huntley of Duluth

* Minnesota Heritage Finance: Mike Jaros of Duluth

The only northern chairman in the Policy Committee is David Dill of Crane Lake, who leads the Game, Fish and Forestry Division.

The Motley Backlash

BROWN HQ (Nov. 21, 2006) -- I've been writing for one newspaper or another for about 10 years. This isn't a tremendously long time, but long enough to gain a little bit of perspective. As a columnist and hack writer, I enjoy striving for a unique theme and tone in a column -- especially when I'm trying my hand at humor writing. I wrote one column that was a fictional New Yorker interview with the Easter Bunny. Another column was written as a short drama involving squirrels zapping themselves in a power substation. These were not hard-hitting Pulitzer Prize-winning columns, but they were a little different. Last week I tried to write a hard edged satire involving the "Motley Cruise."

Well, some got the joke and some didn't. That's fine; I know how that goes. Most who were upset cited the fact that the Motley Cruise was a charity event, specifically to raise money for a childhood cancer foundation. I knew this. It's important to note that I wasn't making fun of the charity or it's important purpose. Here's the thing. I know this cruise is going to be a financial success, raising lots and lots of money for charity. I know that Motley Crue is very popular and financially successful. What I do or say won't change that. If anything, I generated a tiny, tiny bit of publicity that only serves to bring more Motley Crue fans to this event.

Personally, I found the notion of the "Motley Cruise" to be a little silly, and I'd be shocked if the organizers who came up with the itinerary didn't chuckle a little when they came up with the pun-filled activities. What I wrote was intended as a satire. (Its title was a spoof of "Sink the Bismarck!" and, yes, I realize that the Whigs and Tories are not current political parties)  If this was not clear, I apologize. I do remind the faction angered by my column that any public figure who sponsors an event featuring the Hooters "Girls Girls Girls" bikini contest does not get to claim moral superiority. We're all against cancer. We've all lost someone dear to this terrible disease. Let's deal with it in our own ways. Bon Voyage and safe travels to all who sail the ocean blue.
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Sink the Motley Cruise!

(NOTE: This is my weekly Sunday column for the Nov. 19, 2006 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune.)

While we focused on the recent midterm elections, something terrible happened that now requires bipartisan action.

Vince Neil, member of ‘80s rock band Motley Crue, chartered and is now taking reservations for a nostalgic entertainment voyage he is calling “Motley Cruise.” The Carnival Cruise-sponsored voyage features an “intimate” concert with Vince Neil, a no-limit Texas Hold-Em Tournament, and a Hooters “Girls Girls Girls” Bikini contest. Passengers may also sip samples of wine from Vince’s private vineyard.

I think I speak for a majority of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, Greens, Whigs and Tories when I say that this ship must not leave port. If it does, it must be sunk to the bottom of the ocean with a hail of firepower unseen since the invention of gunpowder. Survivors must not receive quarter. 

I’m sorry if this seems extreme. You might be sitting back in your comfy, Middle American recliner, sipping a wholesome beverage wondering what is wrong with this angry, angry man. Well, I’m not angry at Vince. This isn’t personal. Heck, this cruise is for charity and that’s great.

But we need to send a message. Celebrities: When you are done being famous please take all your money and leave quietly. You can write songs. You can paint water colors. You can write children’s books about diversity. Just stop clinging to past glory on mainstream television programs. Vince might be doing this for charity, but he’s not totally innocent here. He’s one of the original cast members of VH1’s “The Surreal Life,” the epicenter of a growing insurrection of poorly-aging B-list celebrities.

The world of fame is not unlike a forest. Most seeds don’t get to be mighty sequoias. Frankly, most of them end up in squirrel droppings. It’s the same way for people. Not everyone gets to sing for a popular rock band. Most who try end up playing bar gigs until they meet a girl who has a job. That’s OK. It’s part of the grand circle of celebrity that has gone on since Zog tried to paint antelope pictures on the walls of his cave only to have them look more like dogs, or maybe monkeys.

At the same time, healthy forests have a way of reclaiming tall trees to allow new growth. Sometimes a forest fire does the work; in modern times we have a system of responsible harvesting. Either way, trees shouldn’t stand and rot while good new trees try to reach for the stars. Well, today’s B-list celebrities don’t fade away like 1960s Bond girls; they cling for dear life on any exposure they can get – and we feed their desperation by watching shows like “Hogan Knows Best,” “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Flava of Love.”

It must stop! I certainly hope we don’t have to sink the Motley Cruise, spilling innocent blood. But if that’s what it takes, then so be it! We all thought the Osbornes were cute, but who would have known that every declining celebrity within 10,000 miles would try to follow their lead? Who knew that these decaying icons would take to the sea? What next? The air? Electromagnetic waves that penetrate our brains?

OK, OK. I’m told by a dispassionate panel of outside observers that this column is too harsh. My desire for the scuttling of the Motley Cruise troubles some. Fine. Condone this sad, wicked voyage if you must. But mark my words … “Motley Cruise” today; “Guns and Roses Retirement Community” tomorrow. You heard the warning.

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Iron nugget stumble shows risk

BROWN HQ (Nov. 19, 2006) -- A proposed iron nugget plant in Hoyt Lakes is on hold now after its major backers, Cleveland Cliffs and Steel Dynamics, halted the project. This is one of several potential economic development projects in the works on the Range. I don't want to dive into the details too much, but this shows the risk involved with a "home run" focused economic development strategy. These are huge, expensive projects. If a project isn't ultimately economically viable, it will fail for lack of investor support. The state can kickstart a project, give it a boost at times, even streamline or bypass the environmental permitting; but it cannot carry a project on its back the whole way. This recent news about backers pulling out of the Hoyt Lakes plan gives me two causes for concern.

1) Is Cleveland Cliffs' withdrawal here a sign of upcoming woes in the turbulent steel industry? This company is completely integrated with the health of the U.S. steel sector.

2) This project was, along with Polymet and the Nashwauk steel plant, always touted as one of the more secure Iron Range job creating proposals among the half dozen in the works. This should open the eyes of our local leaders to the fact that some of these projects -- most notably the proposed coal gasification plant near Taconite -- have some serious economic viability questions that have been downplayed. If stockholders and investors won't buy the end product, it will fail. That's Economics 101. The question is do we want taxpayer money tied up in the failure?

I'm not saying this to be negative or oppose big new projects on the Iron Range. As my friend Tom Anzelc said during his recent state representative campaign, we need to be bold AND smart when it comes to economic development. Now is a good time to look at the big picture and put our collective efforts behind projects that will be economically viable upon completion. I think this iron nugget news could shake things up around here. Stay tuned.

Dump Day

BROWN HQ (Nov. 18, 2006) -- Saturday is dump day where we live. You haul your own garbage in the country. One time on a vacation in Michigan we heard a city couple, also on vacation, explain to their daughter that there used to be these things called "dumps" where all the trash went. "Now those are all gone," the mom said.

Lady, send the magic rainbow truck that picks up YOUR trash to my driveway. I've got a stinky bag of diapers to send to the Kingdom of Oz or wherever you send your garbage. The same lady also said that there are no bears in Europe.* I swear, being a parent gives you such powerful license to make things up. I must use my powers wisely with the young one.

* brown bears are native to the Alps. While hunted nearly to extinction, there are reports that the bears are making a comeback in this region.

One of those stories

BROWN HQ (Nov. 18, 2006) -- Every once in a while I come across a story I'd liketo write a column about but have no idea how I'd make it work in a family newspaper. This is such a story. Apparently, a man was arrested for copulating with a dead deer he "found" on the side of the road. The case boils down to whether anti-bestiality laws apply to dead animals. My favorite quote is from the prosecuting attorney (via a Superior Daily Telegram story of Nov. 16): When a person’s pet dog dies, he told Lucci, the person still refers to the dog as his or her dog, not a carcass.

“It stays a dog for some time,” Boughner said.

 To the offending gentlemen I'd like to say, thank you for being from Wisconsin.

AB is on the air this Saturday morning, Nov. 18

BROWN HQ (Nov. 17, 2006) -- One of my radio essays will be broadcast on KAXE's "Between You and Me" with Heidi Holtan this Saturday, Nov. 18. The show runs from 10 a.m. to noon. You can listen to the station's live online feed here. This week's show is about guns and their place in our northern Minnesota culture. My piece is entitled "Son of a Shooter." I can't say what time the essay will run, but listen in for the whole show. It's a Saturday morning gem.

Another Range committee chair

BROWN HQ (Nov. 17, 2006) -- State Sen. David Tomassoni will chair the Senate Economic Development Budget Division committee this session. Range lawmakers are doing very well earning high positions on the Senate side, but the chatter on the street tells me that our House legislators might not fair as well after Tony Sertich got the coveted Majority Leader slot. Political winds can change quickly, but there is fear that the Range's good sarma (get it ... instead of karma) might wear out soon. Apparently, the suburbanites who carried the DFL to its majority want some geographic parity and the new Speaker-designate may bypass seniority for committee chairmanships in a couple of instances. What, the "Fuddruckers" and "Cracker Barrels" aren't enough for you people? Your shiny glass office buildings with actual tax-paying tenants leave you cold? People where I live get excited when the new dollar store opens ... cut us a break, comrades!

Stay tuned on this one.

T-Paw is all about the health care

BROWN HQ (Nov. 15, 2006) -- Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced yesterday that he hopes to move toward universal health care in Minnesota starting with the coverage of 70,000 uninsured kids using MinnesotaCare. Scroll to "Big Blue is Back" below to see how I called this one. This is a slam dunk for both the new DFL legislature and the wily "just-thankful-Hatch-imploded" Republican governor. Pawlenty is following a script that will either lead to him on a national presidential ticket or with half a dozen suburban schools named after him in 25 years. But as they say, there's the script and then there's what you do with the script.

Hatch remorse

BROWN HQ (Nov. 15, 2006) -- Mike Hatch is trying to explain the loss. Judi Dutcher's E-85 whoopsee is on his list, as is the strength of Peter Hutchinson in the affluent liberal neighborhoods of the metro area and the dirty ads of the last week of the campaign. Well, the dirty ads were a given. No major party lets a "rising star" like Pawlenty go down without some flying poo. The E-85 gaffe was bad, but could have been covered better. Was there a conservative conspiracy to catch Dutcher off guard? Maybe, but you'll never be able to change or explain that with a few days left in the campaign. They should have cut an ethanol ad to run on western Minnesota stations and left the "Republican hack/whore" comments to the bloggers. As for Hutchinson, well, I tend to agree with the Independence Party on this one. You earn the votes. They aren't entitled. Amy Kloubuchar carried her Senate race with 58 percent and choked out support for the IP candidate. Hatch would have been a good governor. It was a DFL year. Pawlenty, though generally popular, was caught with some unpopular positions on key issues. Hatch just didn't earn those Hutchinson votes.

But no one is paying attention any more. Look for the next DFL governor to come from outside the metro area. (But probably no time soon).

Range Rising

BROWN HQ (Nov. 15, 2006) -- DFL legislators from the Iron Range are fairing well thus far as leadership posts are announced. Rep. Tony Sertich (DFL-Chisholm) is the House Majority Leader. This will be Tony's first real test since his election as the "Iron Range Boy Wonder" of 2000. Sen. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) just missed the Senate Majority Leader post, but was granted Chair of the Taxes Committee (the same powerful position his predecessor Doug Johnson wielded so well). We'll see what Mr. Bakk is made of now, too. More chair positions will fall to Range lawmakers in coming days, but who gets what and who gets the short end may lead to some hard feelings, I predict.

A bold new day!

BROWN HQ (Nov. 12, 2006) -- Today marks the start of a new look and purpose for MinnesotaBrown.com. I will now maintain a news and political blog along with my weekly newspaper column. This site will also detail my freelance writing and other media endeavors.

Blogging is no longer new and is usually no longer all that exciting, but I do hope to provide some legitimate analysis and humorous observations of the world around us from a distinctly northern Minnesota perspective. One key difference between me and the "unruly blogger" is that I will now provide some disclaimers so you're aware of my affiliations.

1) I write a weekly column for the Hibbing Daily Tribune, an SPC newspaper.
2) I teach for Hibbing Community College, and as such am a state employee. This website does not reflect any official viewpoint of my employer.
3) I am involved with local politics, namely the Itasca County DFL and the recent Tom Anzelc for State Representative campaign. I am progressive in my political philosophy, but I am not a party line hack and I will try to provide balanced analysis of political news and events. That said, I will often take actual positions on issues and defend them.
4) I am co-chair and spokesperson for Dylan Days in Hibbing. Thus, I will occasionally lapse into mumbled verse that invokes 16th Century poetry. Just roll with it.
5) I am an on-air contributer to KAXE, but am not a member of their staff. Again, my views are my own.

So there you go. Arch-conservative Dylan-hating corporate radio loving web readers can't play the gotcha game because, as the famous punchline goes, "I yam what I yam."

As many of you might know, my family had been using this site to keep in touch with relatives through pictures. We still plan to share pictures with relatives and friends, but will instead use an e-mail newsletter. Those who would like to keep up on Henry's exploits and our family lives can send me an e-mail to get on the list.

What the future holds

(NOTE: This is my weekly Sunday column for the Nov. 12, 2006 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune.)

Recently, I read that a “futurist” was going to be speaking at a local library. At the time, I wondered what it must be like to be a futurist. Was there still enough time for me to switch careers? Do you get to put “futurist” on your tax return? Is filling out a tax return necessary for a futurist? I mean, don’t you know what’s coming? Paying taxes will seem rather silly when the robots come.
 
It seems few people like to consider the way the world will be in 50 years. Maybe it frightens them. Maybe the prospect that there’s more to the world than watching reality TV and drinking vodka coolers is too much for some. (Sorry for the spoiler, folks). Or maybe it’s just that we live in a hectic time and we don’t notice the time passing between when we leave college and when we retire and the doctor tells us that our blood is 40 percent gravy.
 
A recent edition of “Time Magazine” details statistics about the American people, including where they live, how they vote and what they do with their time. The issue doesn’t talk much about the future, but the current trends give any armchair futurist much to think about.
 
For instance, the American people will look much different in the future. According to the “Time” article, the only ethnic group that is reproducing at a rate large enough to replace themselves is Hispanic Americans. As our population grows it becomes more colorful, multi-lingual and less white. This will lead to changes in our collective culture and significant differences between regions of the country.
 
One interesting statistical view of America is our voting trends. We are trained by cable news stations to view the U.S. map in red (Republican) states and blue (Democrat) states. Still others (predominantly Republicans) like to view the country in red counties and blue counties, a map that shows a sea of red. But both of these views don’t take into account that few states or counties are solid red or blue. The “Time” article shows a map where counties are shaded on a red to blue spectrum based on how close the 2004 vote totals were. Looking at this map you see a few red counties out in the plains, a few blue counties near major cities, and hundreds of purple counties … in other words, most counties could switch parties rather easily.
 
Some of these counties did switch in last week’s election and could do so again in two years. Our leaders and their rhetoric may be polarized, but the average citizen is more willing to change their mind and vote than we have been led to believe. The political future of this country is by no means ordained by today’s political landscape. In fact, a complete political realignment could still occur based on frustration with our current dominant political parties. You must keep in mind that political realignment has already taken place several times in our history. Did you see a Whig on your ballot last week? Anyone vote straight ticket Federalist? We haven’t had a competitive new party in 100 years, and I bet I’ll see at least two in my lifetime. (Look, ma! I’m a futurist!)
 
It’s fun to be a futurist. A “New Republic” story by Jonathan Chait argued that the Clinton Administration’s 1990s view that more education and retraining will universally grow the quality of life for Americans is actually running into an almost Marxist clash with the political strength of the ultra-wealthy. College graduates are worse off now than they were 10 years ago. Historically, people haven’t abided these kinds of situations for long. (At last, a year of subscribing to the “New Republic” has given me the opportunity to sound smart in a column! Yee-haw!) Point is, what you see on TV and in the newspapers is just a snapshot. A nice house built on loose ground will eventually be toothpicks.
 
So, will you prepare for and attempt to shape the future? Anyone can be a futurist.

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Big Blue is Back

BROWN HQ (Nov. 12, 2006) -- Last week's election has been analyzed enough, but here are some thoughts. For Democrats, this win is an opportunity to reestablish the party as the commonsense governing party, the party that works on roads and schools while the other guys push flag burning amendments and anti-fornication laws. If the Dems can hold back the traditional in-fighting long enough to establish this basic difference, they can keep their majorities -- especially here in Minnesota -- for a long time. Gov. Tim Pawlenty's re-election should be a sign that people, especially suburbanites, are only giving the DFLers a test run, not a complete mandate. If the DFL does this right we could stem the conservative tide rising in Minnesota and reestablish the progressive culture of our state. If the DFL acts like this is Louisiana 1936, this state goes red in '08 over the tax issue and then the gay marriage amendments and school prayer talk comes back in full.

Here are three good things that I believe can be accomplished with a DFL legislature and a Republican governor:

1) Health care coverage for all uninsured children under the auspices of MinnesotaCare. Something similar was done in Massachusetts with a conservative Republican governor and strongly Democratic House and Senate. It would offer Pawlenty a chance to make good on the compassionate conservatism he espouses without having to fully embrace what conservatives fear will become "socialized medicine." It also gives Democrats a working example to eventually create the universal, if not a single-payer, health care system they talk about every election. Some say this isn't good enough, but it's progress and very, very doable in our current political environment.

2) Restoration of Local Government Aid to hold down property taxes. This issue is why the DFL has done so well in rural Minnesota over the last four years. By now, Republicans have to realize that LGA is not pork, but the key to a fair tax system. Even if they don't believe that, they've got to be sick of getting whipped on this issue.

3) Something palpably good for college students. If they can't stop tuition increases (and they should) legislators and the governor should at least give college students something to ease their cost of living burden in this session (maybe expand the aforementioned MinnesotaCare to include full time college students, or full child care compensation for returning students, or even a Americorps-like program to provide experience and loan forgiveness for those willing to work unappealing public service jobs or in underserved areas). According to a story in the New Republic, today's college graduates make less than they did five years ago. At the same time, they're paying more in student loans. This demographic is becoming increasingly discontent and the party that serves their interests will have an inherent political advantage for the next decade (until today's young adults become "regular" adults who have stock portfolios and/or bills to pay; then the landscape changes again).

I could go on with more issues, especially on K-12 education and transportation, but these three are on my mind today.
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