Gloom and Doom?

Looks bad, doesn't it? Just about every story you hear or read says the economy is in the dumper and we're headed for lots of change in the White House. I even heard about a Dems landslide and a repeat of 2006.

Don't believe it. I've spent 30 years in media and never, never I say, have polls predicted Republicans to win by lopsided numbers. Conservative media is a very recent phenomenon but even in the days of a complete liberal media monopoly, Republicans have won the overwhelming majority of Presidential races in the recent past. Few if any were predicted.

I knocked on doors in District 12A today. The people I talked to were positive, friendly, upbeat and conservative. The battle on the ground won't be over for another two weeks. Take heart. Be strong. We will prevail. Even the economy will turn around someday, perhaps sooner than we think.

Now things are getting exciting!

The election is two weeks from Tuesday. How's that for a thrill? Events to watch for this week: one last radio debate on KLKS, 104.3 from 2-3pm. The incumbent and I will open and close with canned statements but between, it's all live and unscripted. If you have a question, send or call it in the day before and Karen will hold it for us.

Event number two this week is a visit from Norm Coleman at the Black Bear at 1:30pm. He's visiting 90 cities in the last 20 days and Baxter is on the list. See you there.

Event number three will be at the Northland Arboretum at 7pm Wednesday night, October 22nd. The Brainerd Lakes Area Audubon Society will hold their fourth forum on environmental issues.

Event number four this week will be a forum at Edgewood Vista at 6:30pm Thursday night where we'll talk about a variety of issues.

18 Days To Go

The campaign to return some common sense to the state legislature has a little over two weeks to go. All is well. Signs are out. Debates have begun. Speaking of debates, its been fascinating to hear the opponent freely admit without any prompting that he likes socialized medicine and all tax increases, something most people have known but not heard before. The campaign has already had a number of positive results. More transparency is certainly one. Watch for more.

The next debate will be on KLKS from 2-3pm Tuesday, October 21st. 104.7 on your FM dial. The station will take questions from the audience but the questions will be screened and Karen the station secretary will write them down and bring them into the studio.

Thanks for all your support.

Pawlenty and Seifert in Little Falls Monday

Governor Pawlenty and House Minority Leader Marty Seifert travel to the Little Falls VFW tomorrow afternoon from 2-4pm. Everybody's welcome. If you've got a little extra time in the afternoon, let's show some support for Central Minnesota Republicans and House District 12B Challenger Mike LeMieur. See you there.

Three weeks and counting.

The campaign shifts into its last days and thanks to last week's debates, we know a little more about the incumbent. He likes socialized medicine and has no plan to balance the budget concerning the possibly $2-Billion shortfall beyond putting everything on the table. I wonder if that includes education? And the incumbent continues to favor the $2.5-Billion blanket increase in education he prefers to call the New Minnesota Miracle. Education will get few if any improvements or reforms if the bill is passed, just more money. One of the interesting features of the bill is the Location Equity Index, a feature that sends more money to big cities. There is no equity now. This bill would make it worse. Three weeks and change to go. Don't forget to vote.

Debate Number Two Tonight

My opponent and I will meet again tonight in the Lakeland Public Television debate in their studios in Brainerd. Once again, I believe you will see that the big difference between my opponent and I is how we think. He wants to spend another $2.5-Billion a year on education without changing the way we teach our most important resource, the next generation. The system is roughly 60 years old and we, too many graduates aren't ready for college, many of them aren't ready to fuction in society. I met with the Brainerd School Board Legislative Committee this morning. One department head suggested that the school year may have to be longer and classes may have to be tougher. Perhaps the key word in that last sentence is 'may'.

Minnesota education has to be more rigorous, more grounded in math and science, turn out better graduates. Another department head reported some are saying 70% of college freshmen need remedial courses! About 30% of recent high school graduates at CLC have to take remedial courses to get ready. And the graduation rate statewide continues to slip. A longer school year might be a good beginning. And merit pay for teachers. And longer school days. And entrusting only top college graduates with our most precious resource.

And my opponent wants more money for essentially the same system with not even a suggestion of improvement.

Check out tonight's debate. If you miss it, Lakeland said it will rebroadcast so check your listings for times and dates.

The difference between my opponent and I is that I want a better education system and he wants the same one only more expensive.

First Debate and All Is Well

My opponent and I squared off in polite debate last night in an event sponsored by the Brainerd Area League of Women Voters and the Brainerd High School Debate team. That week and a half of debate class I had in high school sure came in handy. No surprises from the opponent; more taxes, more programs, more progress, more money and just a hint of details. HF 4178 the Minnesota Miracle bill got a little mention. What wasn't said is that the bill will cost roughly $2.5-Billion a year! and includes an increase every year after that on inflation! I think the opponent and his cohorts are trying to do to Minnesota what Barney Frank and his Democrat pals did to the US economy.

The other insight of interest for me was his blanket statement, "I support a single-payer health care system!" That's the big kahuna, the Canadian-style, government-in-charge health care system that would make Medicare look like a lemonade stand. Perhaps its time to put the money back under the mattress.

The lines are becoming more clear all the time. Big government liberal versus common sense conservative, down here in hometown Crow Wing County.

Don't forget to vote on November 4th.

The Gindorff-Stolski Education Plan

Both C-I and Brainerd High School football teams won their homecoming games last weekend and it was a thrill to see the smiling faces and satisfied looks on players and fans alike. Could that happen in academics as well? Maybe.

Hence, the Gindorff-Stolski Plan, applying the lessons of football to the challenge of education. Question: Does either coach select the quarterback (or tight end or defensive guard) on the basis of advance study or the number of years on the squad or do they select them on the basis of talent and results?

Question: Is it possible to apply the same principle to classroom teachers?

Disclaimer: Neither Coach Gindorff nor Stolski has said I could use their name for this little exercise and neither should be blamed or accosted for the musings of a guy who is looking for answers, ways to make Minnesota education better and not just more expensive.

Homecoming Faith

Kudos to Pastor Andy at First Lutheran Church in Brainerd, the guy who put a lot of time and effort into bringing about the first Brainerd Homecoming Worship Serivice, this year at Forestview in Baxter. About 150 Christians of various denominations gathered to sing and worship Sunday morning and the people I talked to were very impressed, very happy, and looking forward to next year's Second Annual Brainerd Homecoming Worship Service.

How about a Homecoming Service including Crosby Ironton and Brainerd?

Congratulations Brainerd Warriors!

What a great day for football! And the Brainerd Warriors won their Homecoming match with the Alexandria Cardinals, 42-14! Great day, great game, more fun than an old Warrior can imagine. The day started with the Homecoming parade and the short walk down the hill. We unveiled the new posters complete with my 1964 graduation photo. One supporter pulled me aside during the parade and congratulated me on the courage it took to display the photo in public. Another supporter looked at the picture and whispered "Geek Alert! Geek Alert!" Hey! It was a 'short-hair, thick-glass frame' kind of time, you know? On the other side of the ego, the woman at the printer looked at the posters, looked at me and said, 'hey, you were a bit of a hottie in the day!'

So there.

Go C-I Go!

Congratulations to the Crosby-Ironton Rangers on their Homecoming 34-28 win over the Braham Bombers. The long, 7-year dry spell of Homecoming losses is over. C-I should be very proud. Congratulations!

Sarah Palin

Just heard on some guy's radio show that the overnight ratings for last night's Vice-Presidential debates came in at a 46+, compared to the McCain/Obama 31.9 last week. I suppose you could argue that all those people tuned in to see if Joe Biden would use Walter Mondale's debate speech against Robert Dole 30 years ago but I don't think so. I think all those people wanted to see how VP-candidate Sarah Palin, how well she would stand up to one of the old guard. I think most people were either pleasantly re-assured or deeply depressed, depending on which side of the ticket they on which they usually vote. You have no idea how good it feels to hear the same philosophy of smaller, limited government and lower taxes come from a national political figure. Kind of makes one proud to be a Republican.

32 Days And Counting

Now we begin the final days of the campaign. My days are filled with knocking on doors and talking to voters and the message I'm hearing is voters are tired of politicians raising their taxes and standing in the way of a better economy. They're tired of hearing people say they are working hard and learning they're not working very smart. They're tired of watching a state government get bigger and bigger and know that their children and grandchildren are going to pick up the tab. And where does the money go? Some of it during the last two years went to pay legislators more for walking around money and a place to live in the Cities all year around instead of just when they're on the job. Those voters are right. That has to stop.

If you can, join us for the Brainerd Homecoming Parade Saturday morning at 11AM. The parade starts at 11:30a and moves from Fifth and Laurel by the Post Office south in front of the high school and then down hill to the practice field. Hot chocolate and tee-shirts and all you have to do is show up. See you then.