My how time flies.

One year ago, I was licking my political wounds after a sound trouncing at the ballot box. Oh, the things I would do differently. And the same. A friend stopped me in the parking awhile back and asked me if I'd learned my lesson. I asked him what lesson that would be. He said from his experience in the state and national congresses, nobody really wants to cut taxes and spending but everybody says they want to. Everybody secretly wants theirs, their baillouts, their handouts, their freebies. And telling anybody you're going to take it away will not get you votes. I said that wasn't the lesson I had in mind but that's a good one. And I sort-of believe that, maybe 90%. For many, its not about grabbing someone else's tax dollar for themselves but for all the worthwhile causes they believe in; their mental health organization or their youth mentoring organization or their library support organization or their city betterment group or their save the homeless program or, or, or,,, the list goes on ad infinitem. I continue to believe that we're basically good, deep inside, although one has to look pretty deep for some, a kernal is there. At least that's the hope. But I also believe that we don't learn from our mistakes or the mistakes of others, until its too late. We don't save for a rainy day, we have too many credit cards, we don't pay attention to elected official activities and we don't know enough about the way the world works. Perhaps the God who protects motherless puppies and little birds will continue to look out for us but I don't think He will continue to support our legislated theft of present and future tax payers for too much longer. Too many of us have figured out how to crack the state and federal piggy bank for our own purposes and once the greed genie is out of the bottle, it will be very tough to stuff him back in. Too many public employee and teacher unions are demanding more cushy raises and benefits while too many of us wander around looking for work and watching our tax bill rise.
And too many of us are still voting for someone because we heard or saw his or her name six or seven times on a news broadcast but don't know diddly-squat about how he or she will pull us back from this economic abyss. All we want to know is will he or she give me mine.
For now, let us think good thoughts, love our neighbors, prepare for precinct caucuses next month and cross our fingers that someone, somewhere develops the whit of common sense they were born with and somehow we all catch the same wonderful condition. We're in for a bumpy ride without it.

A Spending Problem

Most who testified at last Friday’s state legislative listening session in Brainerd urged lawmakers to spend more or at least the same amount of your future tax money. And every single project, service and support system was important, valid and justified. More money for district courts; yes! Money for a vet’s nursing home; of course! More money for education; absolutely! Support for those who find it tough to fend for themselves; definitely! We’ve never had a problem finding ways to spend more tax dollars.

Minnesota has had at least three financial meltdowns in the last ten years; doom and gloom events that include days, weeks and months of legislative ranting, raving, and hair-pulling histrionics mostly to prove how much elected officials care. What absolute nonsense! If you have $100 until the rest of the month and you’ve already spent $98, or $110, its time to tighten the belt, not look around for handouts. The next financial meltdown – yes, there will be more – will make this one a walk in the park.

Last week’s session was more about preparing for re-election than balancing a budget or building a stronger, more prosperous, more exceptional Minnesota. Watch your mailboxes and newspapers for calm, reasoned, researched pleas for more of your tax money, suggesting Minnesotans aren’t taxed enough! Last year’s increases weren’t enough! We need more!

Perhaps there should be an organization called Big-Spenders Anonymous. We could have meetings, serve lots of coffee and tell other members how we’ve stopped spending beyond our means. Other members would applaud and congratulate us for our vision and self-control.

Too many of our elected officials have a problem saying no. Or finding other ways to solve problems. We don’t have a state budget problem. We have a spending problem. And going on another binge won’t help.

Returning to Normal Life

Wow! What happened! The last I remember, Obama had won Ohio and I said it would be a good night to pop in a video. And then there was a blur of time and now Christmas is three days away. Whoah.
I was sick for awhile and tired out for awhile and looking for work and feeling kind of dazed and confused. At one point, my wife and I went to St. Paul for a wrap-up banquet and there were big smiles on some faces and sober looks on others. And everybody said thank you and good luck and see you next time and then we drove back to Baxter. Surreal at the least. And now what?
Running for office was a worthwhile and educational experience and something everyone should do at least once. I feel like I've gained the kind of knowledge that can't be picked up in a library or a short course. At other times, I'm not sure what I've learned. Life has changed. I envy the candidate who had to run on lunch breaks and after work and then had that structure to slip back into after election night. And I keep wondering what comes next.
I'm in a play. My health is back. I'm working out at the YMCA again. Carol continues to be a trooper and the rock on which my life rests, if only I would relax and allow it. C stands for Control as well as Christmas which is around the corner.
Merry Christmas everyone. And have a Happy New Year.

I guess the paper hasn't been paying attention.

This morning's Dispatch Opinion tells us about the 'Bad News' coming and then tell us the candidates for the Legislature aren't talking about the state budget shortfall. At the bottom, Dispatch editorialists say the "topic isn't one our candidates are featuring in their literature". I suppose that's true if they're only watching the incumbent's material. All of mine includes the words Lower Taxes and Less Government and that's posted prominently on all the buttons, doorknocking cards, buttons, billboards and the web site.

What does Lower Taxes and Less Government mean to these people?

One more Norm visit!

US Senator Norm Coleman will be in Brainerd one more time early on election day, November 4th. He'll be doing a 48-hour marathon of cities in the final two days of this election cycle. Wow! 1:30am at Perkins on Washington. Your choice; the finish to a fun night or the beginning of an exciting day. No other invitation is necessary. See you there.

Three days left!

And a sprint to the finish line!

What a fantastic journey this has been! And fairly clean! My opponent has planted a few words in my mouth and some weird and totally untrue rumors have found their way back to me, but other than that, an absolute dearth of negative campaigning. As far as I know. We talked about it last spring, this seeming need for those running for public office to dish the dirt. I was told that the dividing line between above-board campaign challenges had to be based on the opponent's record and that's what I've tried to concentrate on. I know both of us have spent most of our time on portraying ourselves as the better choice, as opposed to how bad the other guy's character seems to be. That seems like a good first step away from the gutter politics all of us are tired of.

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday. The only poll that counts is the one that's taken on November 4th.

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.

A Terrible Way To Run A Government

Imagine deciding today what you would include in your household budget ten years from now. 20 years from now. That's exactly what those behind the so-called Legacy Amendment ask you to do. The bill will increase the state sales tax by 3/8ths of a cent and dedicate the money to environmental projects. 20% of the money will go for supposed 'cultural heritage', unnamed, undescribed, unimagined arts projects paid for with your tax money. For the next 20 years. Whether we need them or not. At least those behind the environmental project have a committee in place to decide what activities should be supported. Those behind the arts projects have not formed advisory committees yet. If the constitutional amendment passes, it will be up to next year's legislators to decide. Imagine your worst arts project nightmare and think about including it in next year's state budget, and next year's and next year's and not allowing state legislators the discretion to raise, lower or delete it. The Amendment is a bad way to run a government.