North Star Liberty

Kashkari testimony holds key to improving schools, but it's not a constitutional amendment

2020-05-16T15:08:00.002-05:00

Source: Kashkari testimony, E-12 Finance and Policy, Minnesota Senate, March 6, 2020

Author's note: This blog post was queued up to publish in March, then the COVID-19 pandemic hit us full force, disrupting the Minnesota Legislature and the rest of the world. I am publishing it today for the record and in the name of academic freedom.

In his testimony before the Minnesota Senate E-12 Finance and Policy Committee on March 6, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari asserted that the current education clause in our state constitution was written in 1857 to “educate the children of white land owners... It is working for well-to-do children. It is not working for low-income kids, and not working for children of color. And I don't think that is a coincidence.”

So our constitution was written by wealthy white people, for wealthy white people. There is no denying Minnesota's persistent achievement gap between whites and most (if not all) racial minority groups, but is this because of the Constitution?

Change is possible, however, said Kashkari. He showed a bar chart that shows that since 2003, education reforms in Florida schools have enabled student performance to rocket past schools in Minnesota and in almost every other state in the nation.

Kashkari was quick to clarify, “We're not just saying, do what Florida did.” But aren't you at all curious about what Florida is doing differently than Minnesota? Since Kashkari raised Florida as an example of what's possible, let's take a peek at the reforms that are improving Florida educational outcomes:

High expectations through rigorous academic standards
Holding schools accountable by linking rewards and consequences to an annual A-F letter grade
Flexibility in how school districts can spend money
Ending social promotion
A comprehensive reading program called Just Read, Florida! to ensure every child reads at or above grade level
Expanding school choice options
Improving teacher quality

While Florida schools are racing to the top, Minnesota schools are still stuck in neutral at the starting line.

Lowering standards for teachers and students, integrated math, killing phonics, reducing accountability, and basing discipline on racial quotas instead of behavior have somehow not made Minnesota schools the envy of the nation.

Could local control, accountability, truly independent school districts, school choice, and funding that follows the child, instead of ever changing and proliferating state and federal mandates and lawsuits, lower expectations, and restricted parental choice, help shrink the achievement gap in Minnesota?

If the Florida Formula has produced such dramatic results since 2003, and other states are considering it, why isn't Minnesota considering the Florida Formula instead of a constitutional amendment? Kashkari challenged amendment opponents to propose a better idea. Education reforms like those in the Florida Formula would be a great place to start. Minnesota should consider what works, and listen to parents and teachers, instead of turning to the courts to “fix” our schools.

Background information:

Florida–A Model of Successful Education Reform

Evidence on the "Florida Formula" for Education Reform

Florida Department of Education: Accountability

Closing the racial achievement gap: learning from Florida's reforms

Florida's progressive education reform a model for the nation – and Obama

Column: Florida's education reform model can unite us

New Orleans’s education success story: A model worth following

The DFL is eroding Minnesota schools

Education: a right?

2020-03-05T20:07:00.001-06:00

Photo by Santi Vedrí on Unsplash

You may have heard about a proposed amendment to the Minnesota constitution that would establish that “all children have a fundamental right to a quality public education.” (HF 3658/SF 3977) The amendment made headlines largely thanks to its prominent proponents, Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page and Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari.

I do not believe that this amendment would result in better schools for the citizens of the state of Minnesota. This amendment is unnecessary at best, and at worst, an assault on the self-determination of the people of the state of Minnesota, and on parents' rights to choose the education (public, private, or homeschool) that they see best for their children.

I am troubled by the language that this bill would delete from our constitution:

Section 1. The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it is the duty of the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools. The legislature shall make such provisions by taxation or otherwise as will secure a thorough and efficient system of public schools throughout the state.

Why would this amendment strike the protection of our republican form of government, the intelligence of the people, from our constitution?

The amendment would install uniform achievement standards “set forth by the state” instead of established by the people (through their representatives in the legislature). In the recent past, we have seen how bureaucrats used administrative rule to enact academic standards like the Profile of Learning without consent of the people through regular order in the legislature (public hearings, debate, vote).

The amendment is widely opposed by members of the homeschool community, who fear a government school monopoly or worse, imposition of United Nations mandates on the sovereignty of our state and country. Katherine Kersten of the Center of the American Experiment says in her excellent critique, “the amendment mandates an outcome we don’t know how to achieve and doesn’t specify how we are to accomplish it.”

Ironically, the amendment is also opposed by Education Minnesota, which seems to see something quite different: private school vouchers.

Education Minnesota, the teachers union, opposes the amendment stating, “the strategy paves the way for taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools, which may discriminate against certain students.” —KSTP.com, “Proposed constitutional amendment aims to eliminate Minnesota achievement gap, gains prominent supporters,” January 8, 2020

So who is supporting the amendment, besides Page and Kashkari?

The Senate bill SF 3977 has two co-authors, Jeff Howe and Eric Pratt, both Republicans. The House bill HF 3658 has thirty-three co-authors. As reported in February by the Pioneer Press on TwinCities.com, several prominent Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka are at least not opposed to the idea. Attorney General Keith Ellison and at least two members of the legislative People of Color and Indigenous Caucus also support the amendment.

The amendment has the strangest bedfellows I have ever seen. If the amendment passes the Minnesota House and Senate by a simple majority, it will appear on the November ballot. If the amendment is approved by at least 51% of those voting (a blank vote counts as no), it becomes the law of the land. Since 2006, Minnesota voters adopted three constitutional amendments and rejected two.

Jury duty: summation

2018-12-15T19:48:00.004-06:00

The words I would use to describe jury duty are interesting, intense, and gratifying.

The court system, of which jury service is a part, is interesting. Everyone is entitled to equal protection under the law: the right to have the same access to and to be treated equally by the law and courts. It was interesting to experience and gain a juror's perspective of how the court works in Hennepin County. We found that everyone from the security screeners to the jury office to the officers of the court to the deputy sheriff bailiffs to the people running the cafeteria conducted themselves with professionalism and courtesy.

Criminal trials are intellectually and emotionally intense. If a case goes to trial, the defendant has pleaded innocent, and is presumed innocent until the state proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt — to the jury, not to the judge or prosecutor. In spite of all of the law degrees and titles in the room, the outcome hinges on the decision based on the experience and judgment of twelve everyday residents of Hennepin County. Every day when we entered the courtroom, the jury was seated last. The jury has the final word. With that power comes the ability to change the lives of those involved in the case: defendants, victims, and their friends, family, and acquaintances. At times we were overwhelmed by the gravity and tragedy of the case.

It was gratifying for us as a jury to play a role in the justice system. Jury duty required us to interrupt our regular lives, but we gained a real appreciation for how important a responsibility it is to keep the courts running for the people. It was a privilege to meet and do important work with a group of honest, hard-working, kind, generous, intelligent, decent women and men — on the jury, but also the judge, clerk, court reporter, and the attorneys on both sides. Even though now we are free to discuss the case with anyone, there are still only twelve people in the world who experienced the case as we did, from jury selection through the verdict. This experience renewed my faith in the admittedly flawed but fundamentally good people of our state and country, and taught me that keeping our society free and just is up to all of us.

Jury duty: the verdict

2018-12-14T22:56:00.000-06:00

After less than an hour, the judge, clerk, court reporter, defendants, and the attorneys returned to the courtroom, and the bailiff opened the door to the jury room. We assembled in the anteroom, and the bailiff let us into the courtroom. We filed into our assigned seats in the jury box for the last time, but now empty handed, without our pens and stacks of legal notepads.

The scene was at once familiar and foreign. The officers of the court, defendants, the judge's bench and witness stand, tables and chairs, jury box, gallery, seal of the Great State of Minnesota and the clock on the wall, and the American flag were all arranged as they were during trial and seared into our memories. For the first time, the defense and prosecution tables were bare of notepads and three-ring binders of evidence. Same courtroom, but this was a very different day.

The judge read each charge and asked us to confirm verbally in unison the verdict indicated on the verdict forms that our foreperson signed just minutes before. The defense accepted the option of having the jurors polled individually to confirm the unanimous verdicts. So the charges were read again and this time we were asked, one by one, whether we agreed with the verdicts as read. In those long minutes, we felt the full terrible weight and responsibility of our decision. We were unanimous in our verdicts and felt that justice was served, but that did not make it easy to face the accused.

The judge thanked us for our service, and the bailiff led us back into the jury room.

Some jurors later remarked about the reactions of the defendants and attorneys, but I found it too difficult to look in their direction during the reading of the verdicts. One juror remarked that she could feel her heart pounding so hard that she was afraid she was going to have a heart attack.

Eleven days after jury selection began, our jury service was over.

Jury duty: deliberation

2018-12-13T16:35:00.000-06:00

Day 1 of deliberation was a flood of repressed questions and thoughts. We were finally able to discuss and opine (as the attorneys would say!) about what was on our minds (and in some cases, in our dreams) for the past couple of weeks.

After the two alternates were dismissed, a bailiff, who was a uniformed Hennepin County deputy sheriff, was assigned to us to prevent inappropriate contact with the outside world, and to ensure that all twelve of us deliberated, ate lunch, and generally spent the whole day within sight of each other. The deliberation room is equipped with a tiny private bathroom, and we were provided with some snacks, so the room, barely larger than its conference table, was to be our world for the duration.

During the trial, we were permitted to have our cell phones with us in the courtroom, but they had to be powered off. During deliberations, the bailiff took custody of our cell phones and laptop computers and sat with them in the small jury anteroom.

The jury foreperson's primary responsibility was to check the verdict boxes on the verdict forms, and sign the form (with the date and time) on behalf of the jury.

All of us on the jury very much wanted to deliver a true and just verdict. We took our responsibility and the possible consequences to all involved very seriously, some to the point of losing sleep, most thinking about the trial even during recess. We represented a cross-section of livelihoods and ages, but these intense subjects and proceedings were foreign to us outside John Grisham or Law & Order. It was an entirely different experience to be part of the legal process for real than watching it on TV.

Day 2

On day 2 of deliberation, we reviewed the testimony of key witnesses and recorded salient points on large flip chart sheets attached to the walls of the deliberation room. I think that differences of opinion were expressed respectfully, and thought processes evolved in good faith.

After lunch, we voted on each charge for each defendant, our foreperson signed the verdict forms, and we informed the bailiff that we reached our verdicts. The judge, clerk, court reporter, attorneys, and defendants were called back to the courtroom.

Jury duty: the trial

2018-12-06T12:53:00.001-06:00

If you are a fan of courtroom dramas on TV or in the movies, you are probably familiar with the basic format of a trial: opening statements from the prosecution and defense, presentation of the prosecution case with witnesses and evidence (including defense cross-examination and prosecution redirect of the witnesses), presentation of the defense case with witnesses and evidence (including prosecution cross-examination and defense redirects), closing arguments, jury instructions from the judge, deliberation, and delivery of the verdict(s).

Defendants are presumed innocent under the law until proven guilty by the prosecution (in this case, the State of Minnesota). Defendants are not required to prove innocence, only introduce reasonable doubt in the prosecution's case. Our verdicts, guilty or not guilty, were required to be unanimous.

The rules of the court

After the fourteen of us were selected as the jury and the trial began, we always entered and exited the courtroom through a side door that led to a jury deliberation room. For the duration of the trial, this was our home base in the mornings, on breaks, and during deliberation.

We the jury were not allowed to directly speak to any officer of the court (judge and attorneys) except through the judge's clerk, a recent law school graduate. If we had a question, we would ask the clerk, who would relay the question and answer. We were not to have contact with the defendants or witnesses at all.

Although the proceedings were recorded by a court reporter and audio recorder, the jury would not have access to either record. We took copious handwritten notes and were to told to rely on them, our memory, and our own experience and common sense during deliberations.

Our life during the trial

Until the trial began and we took our assigned seats every day in the jury box, we the jury were strangers to each other. Over the course of the trial, we had lunch together in small groups, took sudden breaks for scheduling and legal maneuvering to play out (sometimes for half a day). We could talk about anything except the case. We discovered common interests and personalities, gradually learned each other's first names (we were always Mister or Miss whomever in the courtroom). Some jurors pretty much kept to themselves, until the alternates were excused and deliberations began.

Without knowing for sure, I guess that the ages of our fellow jurors fell into every decade between 20s and 60s. With a couple of exceptions, the women on the jury seemed to quickly find interesting things to talk about in the mornings and during the breaks: shopping, vacations, happy hour bars, restaurants, food, children, mobile phone games. The five men generally did more listening than talking, not even broaching reliable “guy” topics like sports with each other.

Testimony and evidence

Witnesses were admonished to answer verbally with words, for accuracy and since the court reporter would not be able to transcribe head nods or non-verbal responses like “uh-huh.” We would often hear an attorney ask a witness to clarify a non-verbal response with, “Is that a ‘yes?’”

When the attorneys approached the judge to confer, a white noise generator would prevent any chance of the jury (or court reporter or audio recorder) overhearing the conversation.

Some audio and video evidence was introduced, but we would not receive the printed transcripts during deliberation. Replay of recording excerpts would only be permitted by asking the judge.

Witness testimony was intense. We took as many notes as we could, not knowing what small fact or observation would be critical in forming a verdict. We heard from alleged victims, family acquaintances, expert witnesses, law enforcement, Child Protection Services, family members, and finally the defendants.

During morning, lunch, and afternoon breaks, I often fled to the skyways, jury assembly room, or just climbed the stairways up and down for a complete change of scenery and to recover mentally and emotionally until we were called back into court. Checking email and doing some work remotely was possible, but on some days the length of the breaks was unpredictable.

After the prosecution and defense presented their closing arguments, the judge provided us written copies of the charges and the law, gave us instructions, and dismissed us to the deliberation room with our stacks of legal notepads.

Jury duty: jury selection

2018-11-27T12:46:00.001-06:00

Not us, but this is what the jury box looks like. Photo: Hennepin County

After my name was called in the jury assembly room, I joined a group of thirty prospective jurors in a group called a “jury panel.” The criminal case to which we were assigned required a jury of twelve plus two alternates. There were two defendants, each charged with three felony crimes.

The jury therefore would be asked to return three verdicts for each of the two defendants. Because the defendants were charged separately, they each had their own defense attorney, despite the fact that they were husband and wife.

To reduce the panel to the final jury size, we underwent jury selection, known legally as voir dire. The court administers a jury questionnaire. The judge and attorneys for the prosecution and defense are then allowed to ask each juror follow-up questions based on the responses to the questionnaire. The judge and attorneys try to ask probing questions to expose possible bias.

To understand how surprisingly intense this process was for the members of the jury, most of whom including I were first-timers, consider the rules we were required to follow until the end of the trial, to ensure a fair trail for both sides:

We were placed under oath to do our due diligence and render a true verdict only according to the law and the evidence presented during trial.
We were admonished by the judge to refrain from discussing the case with anyone, including family members, friends, and even our fellow members of the jury (until deliberation), and from consuming any media reports of the case.
We were prohibited from publishing anything about the case in email, social media, or any online or written medium.
We were required to power off our cell phones, and were prohibited from eating or reading newspapers, magazines, or anything except court documents while in the courtroom.

In short, we were subjected to a very rare (these days) experience of having to listen to the interviews for each of the thirty members of the jury panel, and later trial testimony, for up to 90 minutes at a time, without any distractions. When was the last time you had a meal, rode the bus, or went almost anywhere without seeing just about everyone using their cell phones, or not being able to check your own?

Jury selection took about a day-and-a-half as I recall, after which time sixteen members of the jury panel were dismissed back to the jury assembly room, to await assignment to a different trial. Immediately after that, the trial began.

Jury duty: summons

2018-11-22T22:54:00.001-06:00

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.
— Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America

Trial by jury is a Constitutional protection that most citizens take for granted as a theoretical factoid from ninth grade civics class. The day I received a summons to jury duty by the Hennepin County District Court was the day that I started getting up close and personal with the Sixth Amendment.

Jury duty is an important civic responsibility. Hundreds of prospective jurors are needed weekly to be on call to fill juries for civil and criminal trials in Hennepin County.

My employer pays my regular salary for time off for jury duty, and our kids are adults who are living on their own. I had no reason to seek an exemption from the two week stint, other than inconvenience, so I responded as instructed by the summons.

During the first week of my service, I chose to call a recorded telephone line to hear whether my group would be called to appear in person to the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. During that first week, my number never came up. So far, so good!

Sunday evening of the second week, my number came up to report in person to the court at 8:15 a.m. on Monday.

Purgatory

I took mass transit into downtown Minneapolis, made my way through the Government Center airport-style security checkpoint, and up to the top floor to the Jury Assembly room, which I affectionately ended up calling “purgatory.” The assembly “room” is a suite with a waiting area that seats over 100, a business center with laptop carrels, and a small break room with vending machines, microwave ovens, refrigerator, and sink.

The county has a refined process for efficiently moving dozens of first-time juror candidates through orientation into “purgatory.” The experience is like waiting to renew your driver's license, except you can't go home until dismissed. The one thing people want more than food, water, or restrooms — free WiFi — is provided. Our orientation trainer warned us that we would have so much time to use our phones and laptop computers that we would eventually not want to even see them! The county also provides magazines, board games, TVs tuned to the news, the Weather Channel, and Friends, and a spectacular view of US Bank Stadium, East Town, and the downtown Saint Paul skyline on the horizon.

Every so often, the TV screens would display an attention message and staff would read the names of individuals to report to a courtroom for jury selection. My name was called shortly after lunch break.

One nation, under God

2017-02-02T13:10:00.002-06:00

The people in this room come from many, many backgrounds. You represent so many religions and so many views. But we are all united by our faith in our creator and our firm knowledge that we are all equal in His eyes. We are not just flesh and bone and blood, we are human beings with souls. Our republic was formed on the basis that freedom is not a gift from government, but that freedom is a gift from God.

It was the great Thomas Jefferson who said, "The God who gave us life, gave us liberty." Jefferson asked, "Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?" Among those freedoms is the right to worship according to our own beliefs.

We have seen peace-loving Muslims brutalized, victimized, murdered and oppressed by ISIS killers. We have seen threats of extermination against the Jewish people. We have seen a campaign of ISIS and genocide against Christians, where they cut off heads. Not since the Middle Ages have we seen that.

So I want to express clearly today, to the American people, that my administration will do everything in its power to defend and protect religious liberty in our land. America must forever remain a tolerant society where all faiths are respected and where all of our citizens can feel safe and secure.

So in the coming days, we will develop a system to help ensure that those admitted into our country fully embrace our values of religious and personal liberty. And that they reject any form of oppression and discrimination. We want people to come into our nation, but we want people to love us and to love our values, not to hate us and to hate our values.

We will be a safe country, we will be a free country and we will be a country where all citizens can practice their beliefs without fear of hostility or a fear of violence. America will flourish, as long as our liberty, and in particular, our religious liberty is allowed to flourish.

America will succeed, as long as our most vulnerable citizens -- and we have some that are so vulnerable -- have a path to success. And America will thrive, as long as we continue to have faith in each other and faith in God.

That faith in God has inspired men and women to sacrifice for the needy, to deploy to wars overseas and to lock arms at home, to ensure equal rights for every man, woman and child in our land. It's that faith that sent the pilgrims across the oceans, the pioneers across the plains and the young people all across America, to chase their dreams. They are chasing their dreams. We are going to bring those dreams back.

As long as we have God, we are never, ever alone. Whether it's the soldier on the night watch, or the single parent on the night shift, God will always give us solace and strength, and comfort. We need to carry on and to keep carrying on.

For us here in Washington, we must never, ever stop asking God for the wisdom to serve the public, according to His will.

That's why President Eisenhower and Senator Carlson had the wisdom to gather together 64 years ago, to begin this truly great tradition. But that's not all they did together. Let me tell you the rest of the story. Just one year later, Senator Carlson was among the members of Congress to send to the president's desk a joint resolution that added, "Under God," to our Pledge of Allegiance. It's a great thing.

Because that's what we are, and that is what we will always be, and that is what our people want: one beautiful nation, under God.

Thank you, God bless you and God bless America.

—excerpts from remarks by President Donald Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast, February 2, 2017

After Carly

2016-02-19T05:00:00.000-06:00

The Republican Party and this country lost an opportunity to elect the leader that this country needs when Carly Fiorina suspended her campaign for President of the United States. The tipping point was when Fiorina was barred from appearing on the presidential debate stage prior to the New Hampshire primary election and her campaign's loss of momentum from the Iowa caucuses.

Being a part of Team Carly was fun and over way too soon. The CARLY for America Minnesota leadership team was principled and un-cynical without being idealistic or naive. Many of us carry vivid memories of many political campaigns won and lost, from school board to President of the United States. We mourn the loss of the American dream yet believe that it can still be regained. The CARLY for America website thanked the candidate exactly how we would have phrased it:

Thank you for fighting to make ours a citizen government, to restore the character of our country and to bring accountability to our government. You inspired us to believe in the unlimited potential in each and every one of us and you stood strong while others tried to define you, disparage you and dismiss you.

Fiorina's supporters are a loyal bunch. Some of us are still in shock. We were looking ahead to Super Tuesday and beyond. For those candidates looking to appeal to #CaucusForCarly delegates, here are some ideas:

Look for common ground. Fiorina had the potential to reach out to Democrats and independents by being a problem-solver, not an ideologue. While unapologetically pro-life, Fiorina was committed to finding common ground and enacting common-sense abortion reforms.

During primary season, put your Republican rivals in their place without putting them down. When asked to respond to Donald Trump's insult about her "face," Fiorina said, "I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said." She left it at that. Brilliant. We are sick and tired of the mud slinging between Republicans. President Ronald "Eleventh Commandment" Reagan is surely weeping in heaven.

Demonstrate your readiness to lead. Fiorina said that her first two telephone calls as president would be to Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to reassure him that we stand with the state of Israel. She said that the second one would be to the Supreme Leader of Iran to tell him "new president, new deal." Fiorina acknowledged that Khamenei would not take her call, "but he would get the message."

Inspire the voters and our nation with a grand vision for America. Fiorina's "Lady Liberty, Lady Justice" debate-closing statement was positively Reaganesque.

As Fiorina summed up her vision on Facebook and on her campaign website:

We must fix our festering problems by holding our bloated, inept government bureaucracy accountable. Republicans must stand for conservative principles that lift people up and recognize all Americans have the right to fulfill their God-given potential.

It remains to be seen which of the remaining Republican candidates for President can best carry this torch and win the election.

Fiorina worth a second look

2016-01-24T21:50:00.001-06:00

Attending a Carly Fiorina house party this past weekend strengthened my support for the presidential candidate and my conviction that you should give her a second look before Minnesota's caucus night on March 1.

Fourteen conservative activists gathered at a home in Crystal (in the storied SD45 for you activists in the audience) to socialize and sit down in front of the flat screen to take in Citizen Carly, the Carly Fiorina biography produced by the CARLY for America PAC. One couple drove from Stillwater, another activist came from East Bethel. I got to catch up with two old friends who just happen to be on the CARLY for America leadership team: David Strom and Margaret Martin.

We have seen in three debate performances and countless TV interviews that Fiorina has an incredibly detailed and thorough grasp on the issues, from the economy to foreign policy. She debates the issues like a force of nature, without personal attacks. When she is attacked, she knows how to deliver a knockout punch right between the eyes — with class. She can communicate a grand vision unlike few others since Ronald Reagan (listen to her riveting Lady Liberty and Lady Justice allegory from her closing statement at the September CNN debate).

Character matters. Citizen Carly provides insights into Fiorina's character and what makes her so qualified to be our next President and Commander-in-Chief. She is not a politician, but she is a leader, arguably the kind of leader that the United States desperately needs after America's sad decline during the Obama administration. I believe that she could be the president to make America great again. She is a woman of faith, family, and flag.

In her public statements and appearances, Carly Fiorina is not political so much as presidential, in command. She believes, as our Founders did, that all of us are created equal (unlike progressives who believe that government knows best) and that one of the highest callings of leadership is to unlock the potential in others. She is living proof of the American dream. She is the type of leader that you used to think of when "growing up to be President" was actually a positive aspiration.

Merry Christmas, my friend

2015-12-20T09:30:00.000-06:00

North Star Liberty dedicates this poem to all active duty, Reserve, and National Guard soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard who stand upon a wall and say, "Nothing's going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch." You protect our freedom so we don't have to. God bless you all this Christmas season, and always.

by Marine Lance Corporal James M. Schmidt (1986)

Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster and stone.

I had come down the chimney, with presents to give
and to see just who in this home did live.

As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,
no tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand.
On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land.

With medals and badges, awards of all kind,
a sobering thought soon came to my mind.
For this house was different, unlike any I'd seen.
This was the home of a U.S. Marine.

I'd heard stories about them, I had to see more,
so I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one-bedroom home.

He seemed so gentle, his face so serene,
Not how I pictured a U.S. Marine.
Was this the hero, of whom I’d just read?
Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?

His head was clean-shaven, his weathered face tan.
I soon understood, this was more than a man.
For I realized the families that I saw that night,
owed their lives to these men, who were willing to fight.

Soon around the Nation, the children would play,
And grown-ups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom, each month and all year,
because of Marines like this one lying here.

I couldn’t help wonder how many lay alone,
on a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.
Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye.
I dropped to my knees and I started to cry.

He must have awoken, for I heard a rough voice,
"Santa, don't cry, this life is my choice
I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more.
My life is my God, my country, my Corps."

With that he rolled over, drifted off into sleep,
I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.

I watched him for hours, so silent and still.
I noticed he shivered from the cold night's chill.
So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
and covered this Marine from his toes to his head.
Then I put on his T-shirt of scarlet and gold,
with an eagle, globe and anchor emblazoned so bold.
And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
and for one shining moment, I was Marine Corps deep inside.

I didn't want to leave him so quiet in the night,
this guardian of honor so willing to fight.
But half asleep he rolled over, and in a voice clean and pure,
said "Carry on, Santa, it's Christmas Day, all secure."
One look at my watch and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend, Semper Fi and goodnight.

Caucus for Carly

2015-09-25T20:04:00.000-05:00

The fall season brings more than leaf raking, homecoming, and Honeycrisp apples. Senate District gala season is upon us (don't forget to register for the SD44 event on October 8), and a key leadership team that includes several west metro politicos has been announced for the 2016 presidential race.

As reported by Tom Scheck of Minnesota Public Radio, "Twenty-one people across Minnesota have been announced as members of a leadership team supporting Carly Fiorina as she runs for president." The group is co-chaired by state Sen. David Hann (R-Eden Prairie) and conservative activist Molly Corrigan Cronin.

West metro activists will perk up when they read further down the roster, released by the CARLY for America "super PAC." Among the names:

State Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake)
Mike McFadden, U.S. Senate candidate in 2014
Judy Johnson, Plymouth city council member
Randy Gilbert, former mayor of Long Lake and state auditor candidate
David Strom, conservative activist and commentator
Margaret Martin, Taxpayers League of Minnesota, and administrator of the True North blog, of which North Star Liberty is a contributor

The 2016 elections are over a year away, but the political parties will endorse candidates first. The parties endorse candidates through primary elections and, in Minnesota, at the precinct caucuses and conventions at the state Senate district, U.S. Congressional district, and state levels. Minnesota's precinct caucuses will be held on Tuesday, March 1. That leaves only six months for this team, and teams like them for the other candidates, to reach out and touch delegates and activists for their votes. As sure as fall colors and pumpkin pie, campaign season is upon us.

A new hope

2015-08-15T15:08:00.000-05:00

The SD44 Republicans held their annual picnic in Plymouth Thursday evening. Just like at baseball spring training, hope springs eternal before caucus and convention season begins. This year was no exception, but the mood was palpably different this time due to the current large, credible field of Republican presidential candidates vying for the attention of delegates. We cast our straw poll ballots by voting for our top three favorite candidates.

A mixture of campaign veterans and new faces enjoyed a catered barbecue dinner, conversations about kids and grandkids, Gov. Dayton's proposed special legislative session, gas and property tax increases, and of course the two recent presidential candidate debates.

Chris Fields, Deputy Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, reminded everyone of our shared Republican values, thanked his fellow veterans for their service, and gave some encouraging news about the state party's finances.

Janet Beihoffer, National Committeewoman, Minnesota GOP, announced that the state party will conduct its precinct caucuses on March 1, which is shaping up to be a Super Tuesday of caucuses and primary elections that will determine delegates to the party conventions.

Jeff Johnson, Hennepin County Commissioner, assured constituents that the county has plenty of their money, judging by its questionable spending priorities, which Johnson often opposes.

SD33 Sen. Dave Osmek invited everyone to his one and only fundraiser for the biennium, which will feature special guest Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN6).

SD44A Rep. Sarah Anderson promised picnic-goers that the Republican-controlled House will not pass a gas tax increase, period-end-of-story.

Senate District chair Patti Meier announced these upcoming events:

September 26, 2015
Plymouth on Parade

October 8, 2015
SD44 Republicans Gala
Medina Country Club

March 1, 2016 "Super Tuesday"
Precinct Caucuses
Wayzata Central Middle School

July 18-21, 2016
Republican National Convention
Cleveland, Ohio

November 8, 2016
General Election Day

The results of the day's straw poll were posted on the senate district's Facebook page. Participants were asked to vote for their top three candidates.

21% Carly Fiorina
17% Scott Walker
13% Marco Rubio
12% Ben Carson
12% Ted Cruz

All others <10%

The bigotry of Glee

2015-01-19T13:16:00.001-06:00

bigot – a person who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially : one who regards or treats the members of a group with hatred and intolerance. —Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed January 14, 2015.

By definition, the writers of Glee, a comedy that airs on the Fox television network, and many liberal progressives, are bigots.

Glee is about a group of high school misfits from Lima, Ohio who find a home in the school's decidedly un-cool vocal music group, the glee club. The writers have assembled an outrageous mashup of archetypes, including: the diva Rachel, a Jewish American princess with two gay dads; the football star with heart, Finn, who joins the glee club to the chagrin of his teammates; Noah Puckerman ("Puck"), the juvenile delinquent; the wheelchair-bound Artie; the gay teens Kurt and Blaine; the strait-laced cheerleader Quinn; the African-American diva (and Rachel's frequent rival) Mercedes; and lesbian lovers Brittany and Santana.

With dozens of awards over six seasons (including Emmy and Golden Globe awards), often brilliant rapid-fire comedy, touching story lines, and terrific musical numbers that have spawned large album and digital download sales, a 3D concert movie and a live tour, Glee is as entertaining as it is controversial. Its teen and adult characters are hyper-sexualized, with gay, lesbian, transgender, and transvestite behavior (oh, and I almost forgot: hetero promiscuity) out and celebrated.

The not-unexpected irony of this very Hollywood production (filmed in L.A., not Ohio) is that one group of kids at the fictional McKinley High School is not treated kindly or even tolerated very much: conservatives. Conservative students are portrayed in ridiculous straw-man caricatures in several episodes.

Quinn, president of the Celibacy Club whose Glenn Beck-watching parents get lampooned in Season 1, ironically becomes pregnant. In the current season, the following scene pretty much sums up the liberal agenda of the show (the young adult main cast are all McKinley alumni now in the series storyline):

Puck walks in with Mercedes, Tina, Quinn and Sam to the Tea Party Patriot Club, calling them teabaggers. They put down muffins for them, Quinn explaining about their life in McKinley, saying how the Celibacy Club and the God Squad were popular. Mercedes asks if they're Christians, to which they reply they all are. Quinn once again says she only hung out with people just like her, Tina saying she [Quinn] changed for the better, after getting pregnant by Puck.

A member reveals that the TPPC is the most popular group in McKinley. Tina replies how horrible it is and questions what happens to America. The leader starts to reply, Mercedes listening to him, saying they’ve had the worst economic depression in history, stating that allowing equality in sexes and different ethnicities, has brought it upon them. Mercedes, looking horrified, repulsed by them, states how ignorant, homophobic and discriminating they are, to which the alumni agree. Puck, Tina and Mercedes walk out. Quinn walks up to them, taking away the muffins. Sam states how Quinn had sex with a Latina lesbian, from which he says he learnt [sic] in glee club, bumping into Quinn, causing her to laugh, as the TPPC go into chaos.

—Glee Wiki, accessed January 14, 2015, http://glee.wikia.com/wiki/Homecoming

In classic Revenge of the Nerds fashion, Glee humorously turns the lunchroom tables on the popular cliques at McKinley High School: the jocks, the cheerleaders, the popular kids, but it reserves a special vitriol for conservative Christians. Liberal bigotry starts as a cold slushy to the face on Glee, and graduates to misogynistic, ad hominem attacks on Sarah Palin and Nikki Haley. Rather than telling a story about bringing people together, Glee and its liberal bedfellows just use far-right bigotry to justfy far-left bigotry.

Merry Christmas, my friend

2014-12-22T05:00:00.000-06:00

Majority rules

2014-11-03T05:00:00.000-06:00

Source: Wikimedia.org

As Scott, my old political mentor and impetus for this blog, always used to tell me, "It's all about the gavels." Put another way, "the majority rules."

The partisan split in the 134-seat Minnesota House of Representatives is currently 73 DFL to 61 Republican. This makes the DFL the "majority party" by twelve members. Because an even split would be 67 members each, the Republican Party is seven seats from gaining majority status in the upcoming election.

The majority party gets the better offices, establishes the session rules, appoints the committee chairs, sets the agendas, schedules the hearings, determines which bills get heard in committee and how fast they pass out of committee (if at all), decides which bills are heard on the floor, and generally determines the political realities at the Legislature.

It's much more fun to be in the majority. The majority party gets the gavels. When one party has the majority in the House, Senate, and Governor's office, it's called "single-party rule." The DFL is the single-party ruler now, which has given Minnesota the MNSure debacle, a $77 million Senate Legislative Office Building, the controversial $1.6 billion special-interest Southwest LRT train, crumbling roads and bridges, and a persistent education achievement gap.

When vetting candidates, local parties must weigh "electability" against ideology. Both are important, but if you don't have the gavels, as Scott would say, your caucus gets to spend much of the session keeping its agenda on life support until the next election.

Our candidate for House in District 44B, Ryan Rutzick, is the most "electable" candidate we have endorsed in years. Rutzick is young, energetic, photogenic, and charismatic. He can work a parade crowd and deliver a stump speech like few I have ever seen in my ten-plus years of campaign volunteering.

Ryan Rutzick (source: campaign)

Rutzick is running for a rare open seat, which is being vacated by the retiring four-term Rep. John Benson (DFL). The conservative Republicans on the "B-side" of 44 have been trying to elect a conservative Republican to unseat the incumbent ever since Republican Rep. Ron Abrams, a moderate, left the House for the Hennepin County bench in 2006.

Various political organizations and pundits have included 44B as a competitive and therefore crucial election. If seven seats flip to the "R" side of the aisle, the House Republican caucus will be the majority caucus. (The Senate is not up for election this year, and the governor's race is being called a matter of turnout by both parties.)

Judging by his endorsements, Ryan Rutzick is a moderate Republican, in the mold of moderates like Abrams and others who were swept out of office in the conservative wave of the early 2000s:

Senate District 44 Republicans
Rep. Erik Paulsen, U.S. Congressman (MN-3), who previously represented Eden Prairie in the Minnesota House
Former U.S. Congressman Jim Ramstad
Tom Horner, former Independence Party candidate for governor
Arne Carlson, former Republican Governor of Minnesota
Star Tribune editorial board
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
TwinWest Chamber of Commerce
National Federation of Independent Businesses
Minnesota Medical Association MEDPAC

Rutzick's campaign has also attracted independent expenditures from the state GOP (not a given) and the Minnesota Jobs Coalition.

To put the brakes on the runaway train of liberal one-party rule in Saint Paul, first we have to get elected.

In this district, a pragmatic problem-solver like Rutzick may be what the House Republicans need to get elected, get the majority, get the gavels.

Do something

2014-10-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Wikimedia Commons, By Inqvisitor (Own work) CC-BY-SA-3.0

With about a week-and-a-half to go to Election Day, both parties are hoping to amp up voter enthusiasm and get out the vote. The Democrats are trotting out every prominent member of their party, except for the President, to stump for the DFL. Republicans are also working to increase voter turnout, always a challenge in a non-Presidential election year.

To all those enthusiastic party faithful whom I met at our precinct caucus, I have just one last request.

Do something.

There are still many folks who dutifully filled the seats at caucus and convention whom I have not yet seen at a parade or phone bank shift. I have not seen their by-lines in the letters to the editor. I am not seeing them in Facebook photos of candidate events. Granted, I was not able to attend my Senate District gala this year, so maybe they were all there and I just missed them.

If everyone who attended their precinct caucus would just work one get-out-the-vote phone bank shift, stood on a corner waving a candidate sign for one hour on election day, wrote one letter to the editor, posted or shared one party or candidate post on their Facebook page, brought one friend to the polls, if everyone did something, it could tip a close election the "right" way.

#DoSomething

Vote what I say, not what I do

2014-10-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

Source: Wikimedia Commons (John Snape) CC BY-SA 3.0

Republicans face an uphill battle in a state like Minnesota, where words matter more than deeds. As long as the majority of voters like what they hear, that's who gets their vote.

The KSTP/SurveyUSA Poll results announced at the beginning of October revealed an interesting dichotomy among the voters questioned by the survey:

52% of respondents disapprove of the performance of Minnesota's government health insurance exchange, MNSure, which in the wake of scandal and mismanagement has made healthcare less affordable and resulted in less choice for consumers.

66% of respondents disapprove of the new $77 million Senate Legislative Office Building (SLOB), passed by the DFL-controlled legislature in a classic dead-of-night, end-of-session, buried-in-a-tax-bill gambit.

61% of respondents rate Minnesota's roads, highways, and bridges as "Fair" or "Poor," compared to 38% who rate them "Excellent" or "Good." But at least we have trains and bike paths that are useless for commerce or for hauling the fishing boat up to Brainerd.

The survey didn't need to ask whether Minnesotans are satisfied or dissatisfied with the educational achievement gap in the school districts with the highest per-pupil state funding (Minneapolis and Saint Paul).

And now for the bad news for Republicans:

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Mark Dayton is doing as Governor?

53% Approve
37% Disapprove
10% Not Sure

Minnesotans elected a state auditor (twice) without a background in accounting or auditing, a governor who was "unaware" of certain key provisions in major legislation until after he signed them into law, and a United States Senator who votes with his party 97% of the time.

There is a saying, "I hear what you say, but I believe what you do." On Election Day, many Minnesota voters seem to be saying, "Hear no evil," or perhaps they are too enamored with bread and circuses to care.

There was a glimmer of hope for Republican candidate for governor, Jeff Johnson, in a more recent KSTP/SurveyUSA poll. Johnson's support among independent voters has increased, with Gov. Dayton's lead in that demographic now in the single digits. Independents are by definition less ideological than the party faithful, which should favor the more pragmatic, results-oriented candidate. If Republicans can get out the vote, that may be just enough.

Gov. Dayton is taking Minnesota's kids in the wrong direction

2014-10-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

Video: Minnesota Action Network

Education funding vs. education outcomes

2014-10-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

Gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson at Global Academy, Oct. 13

Jeff Johnson needs to steer the focus of the K-12 education conversation away from "cutting funding" to improving outcomes.

The Minneapolis and Saint Paul school districts receive the most money per pupil, thanks to Minnesota's highly political school funding "formula," yet the Gopher State's achievement gap remains among the highest in the country. It doesn't matter much how Representative Johnson voted on this or that education finance bill back in the day. Why? Because Minnesota funds schools, instead of each child.

For decades, the cards at the Capitol have been stacked in favor of the teacher's union and big city school districts. Education Minnesota has the slick TV ads, a huge permanent presence in the Education Building at the State Fair, and a forward operating base across the street from the Capitol. Make no mistake, in spite of the cheerful public relations and your fondness for your child's teacher, the union exists to act in the best interests of its members.

Johnson's visit this week to the Global Academy public charter school in Columbia Heights highlighted how kids can benefit when academics take precedence over politics. Among the school's challenges:

98% of students are immigrants themselves or children of immigrants
92% of students receive free or reduced-price lunches
74% of students are non-white
10 different languages are spoken by student body
In 2008, 88% of students were classified ESL (English as a second language)

In spite of these challenges:

In 2014, just 46% of students are classified ESL, due to its students becoming proficient in English
Global Academy students score higher than the state average (of all students regardless of race or income) on all three subjects tested (reading, math and science)
On average, Global Academy students score 30-40 points higher on state standardized tests than peer students in traditional district public schools
In 2014, Global Academy students ranked #1 in reading on the Star Tribune “Beating the Odds” list (highest proficiency among metro-area schools with at least 85% poverty)
Global Academy ranked #6 in math in the Star Tribune list

Charter schools, even though they are still public schools, are anathema to the education establishment. With outcomes like this, don't you wonder why?

When Republicans focus on excellent education outcomes (or lack thereof in the case of those who put the "L" in the DFL), they can win. In a contest over who can outspend the other on cradle-to-grave government education programs, Republicans don't have a school prayer.

Lowering standards for teachers and academics will not close the achievement gap

2014-10-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

Lowering standards for teachers and academics will not close the nation's widest achievement gap and give Minnesota and our kids a bright future. Put Minnesota's students first, not the teachers' union. Vote Jeff Johnson for Governor and Ryan Rutzick for Representative in Minnesota House District 44B.

Gov. Dayton earns an "F" in EdPolicy 101

2014-09-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

“The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it is the duty of the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools.” —Constitution of the State of Minnesota, Article XIII, Sec. 1

When the DFL puts the interests of the teachers' union above the needs of Minnesota's public school students, we get headlines like this, year after year:

State standardized test scores show little change; achievement gap persists (Star Tribune)
Minnesota student performance on proficiency tests holds steady, with some modest gains (Pioneer Press)
Achievement gap persists in statewide MCA test scores; slight improvement overall (Minnesota Public Radio)

Don't remember hearing about this? It may be because the state Department of Education released their annual report of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments standardized testing on August 26, when Minnesotans were either at the lake or enjoying the unofficial last week of summer at the Minnesota State Fair.

By doubling the number of standardized tests that middle and high school students will be required to take, Gov. Dayton and the DFL legislature have ensured that “paralysis by analysis” will preserve Minnesota's achievement gap between white and minority students for another generation.

In contrast, union interests are being well-served by the majority party in Saint Paul:

Democrats prioritize seniority over teaching ability (one doesn't guarantee the other) when they oppose ending the state's last-in/first-out teacher layoff law.
Democrats protect union members when they oppose introducing innovative programs like Teach for America into low-performing public schools.
Gov. Dayton put union interests above high teaching standards when he vetoed a bill that would have required new teachers to pass a basic skills test before teaching in a classroom.

When he was a Minnesota legislator, Republican candidate for governor Jeff Johnson voted to increase K-12 funding, although some would define voting for a smaller increase than was requested as “voting to decrease funding.” Governor Johnson would advocate for genuine education reforms that would make Minnesota's students, especially those who are unfairly stuck in the gap, the top priority again.

Truth, justice, and the American way

2014-09-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

Figures of Soviet soldiers at the base of a Soviet Army monument transformed into superheroes in Sofia, Bulgaria.

“Well, Doctor, what have we got, a Republic or a Monarchy?”
“A Republic, if you can keep it.” —Benjamin Franklin (attributed)

On this thirteenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States — on United Airlines Flight 93, the World Trade Center in New York City, and The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. — we remember those who were murdered by those who hated America. We should also understand that there are still those with a deadly hatred for this country and all for which it stands (see the documentary America: Imagine a World Without Her, and its companion book by Dinesh D'Souza).

But we should also remind ourselves that there are so many of us in the United States and around the world who still believe in and want to preserve all that is good about the U.S.A.

This startling and oddly reassuring image showed up recently in a newsfeed from, of all places, the Moscow Times. I tweeted it almost right away.

Bulgarians believe in American exceptionalism, even if Obama does not. http://t.co/zYabbFiHzK #tcot pic.twitter.com/iSyORc9bDm
— Matt Abe (@mattabe) September 4, 2014

President Obama said, “I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism, and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism.” With all due respect, Mr. President, if every country is exceptional, no country is exceptional. Perhaps that was your point.

That Bulgarian graffiti artists would transform a Soviet military monument into a monument to American superheroes (and Santa Claus and is that Ronald McDonald??) is remarkable on multiple levels. People from other countries often understand American exceptionalism better than U.S. citizens who take their country's freedoms and opportunities for granted.

Photograph by Dorothea Lange, Oakland, California, 3/13/42, for the War Relocation Authority. University of California collection.

Japanese Americans of my parents' generation who happened to live on the West Coast in 1942 suffered terrible racism and were unjustly incarcerated in camps for years. It was illegal for those born in Japan and other Asian nations to become naturalized U.S. citizens until 1952. Yet many of them enlisted in the U.S. military, fought with valor, and remained in the U.S. to help raise the Baby Boom generation.

Why? Around the turn of the twentieth century, their parents immigrated to this country, with no hope for a better future in Japan, many homeless, rising to the middle class in a generation. They believed in American ideals, some dying on the battlefield defending those ideals, even when America sometimes did not live up to them. In short, they were Americans.

Family friends of ours fled Castro's Cuba during the 1960s. They often wonder what would happen if the United States fundamentally changes from its founding principles of freedom. “Where would we go?” they ask.

Fly the flag, petition the government with your grievances, thank a military veteran, say the Pledge of Allegiance, write a letter to the editor, teach your children why they should know the Constitution. Their future, and our country's future, depends on it. It's our country — if we can keep it.

Grand old party in the park

2014-08-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

The Republicans of Minnesota SD44 put on their annual picnic in the park Thursday evening, complete with barbecue, catching up with old friends, and candidates, candidates, candidates — more great candidates than I can remember at a single SD44 picnic. The candidates who will face a primary election next Tuesday asked for the full support of the party faithful in attendance, who endorsed them at the state convention earlier this year in Rochester.

Republican-endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate Mike McFadden was relaxed and smiling after meeting voters at Farmfest this week in Morgan, Minn. McFadden talked about his farm family roots and listening to farmers talk about government over-regulation and high taxes. Unfortunately, I didn't notice McFadden's colorful campaign-graphic decorated pickup truck until it was leaving the parking lot, so I wasn't able to take a photo of it for the blog.

No doubt in spite of trying, the Republican-endorsed candidate for Minnesota Governor, SD44's own Jeff Johnson, failed to be in two places at once. So his top campaign surrogate, Johnson's wife Sondi, conveyed Jeff's greetings and heartfelt thanks for SD44's loyal support of his campaign. (There was no sign of the family bulldog and Jeff's political alter ego, Chester.)

Randy Gilbert, the Republican-endorsed candidate for state auditor and the only candidate who is actually an auditor, was very happy to report receiving positive press and support from regular folks on the Iron Range (including Gilbert, Minn.!), a traditional DFL stronghold.

HD44A Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth) and candidate for House District 44B Ryan Rutzick stressed the need to win back control of the state House (the Senate is not up for reelection this cycle), and how close Republicans are to do just that (a few thousand more votes than in 2012 to flip a handful of seats from DFL to R).

Currently in her fourth term in the House, Anderson among friends is as approachable and humble as any mom in Plymouth, but in off-the-cuff remarks about, well, pick the issue, it's soon clear that she is a principled legislator and formidable adversary on the floor of the House or the campaign trail. Rutzick is an energetic (Anderson called him "Type-A") businessman with early fundraising success (including money in the bank and no debt). Unlike Rutzick, the three unendorsed DFL candidates for HD44B are fighting to survive next week's primary election.

Patti Meier, GOP Senate District 44 chair, urged the well-fed activists at the picnic to sign any one or all of the several sign-up sheets for various campaign activities and fundraisers, including parades, the peripatetic tasks of literature dropping and door knocking, and phone calling. (I described the last of these in my previous post.)

Gala co-chairs Sheri Auclair and Jennifer Rowe were pleased to announce that the SD44 event of the season on October 10 at the Medina Country Club will be hosted by talk radio hosts Jack Tomczack and Benjamin Kruze.