Politics in Minnesota: The Weekly Report - Vol. 3, Issue 34 - 2/29/2008
Money, Scissors And Overhauls
To summarize what we know about this week's big news about the $935 million budget deficit:
- The deficit is "serious, but solvable," according to GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
- Cuts to K-12 education are off the table, and expect cuts around three percent elsewhere.
- Pawlenty wants to overhaul Minnesota's tax system which he says is stuck in the 1960s and he's established a commission to study it.
- House Speaker Margaret Kelliher (DFL-Minneapolis) thinks we should use "a scissors, not an axe," in making budget cuts and that we "can't be doing the same old, same old."
- Health & human services costs are growing wildly and disproportionately compared to the rest of the budget; these costs are going to drive not just the state budget, but also those of local units of government.
The salary that caught your publisher's eye was that of Cass County Human Services Director Dorothy Opheim, who makes $86,985. Caveat: We've never met Opheim and don't question her salary. Managing county human services is a tough job. However, from the 2006 Cass County Health, Human Services and Veterans 2006 annual report, you can see a flowchart from which you can surmise that dozens of people are working under Opheim, and probably at decent government salaries.
Cass County has a population of 27,150 (as of the 2000 Census). That's a lot of administrative overhead to administer health and human services benefits to 27,150 people.
Consider Hennepin County, which as of 2006, had a population of 1,122,093. According to Hennepin County Public Affairs Director Carolyn Marinan, Hennepin County employs 3,000 people to administer health and human services benefits; Hennepin County's 2008 budget is $1.6 billion, and about a third of that ($520 million) goes to human services. Incredibly, "at one point, staff estimated that each month, 16,000 families/people entered Century Plaza (the hub of Hennepin County's Human Services and Public Health Department)," wrote Marinan in response to an email query.
For big counties like Hennepin the administrative overhead is enormous.
Perhaps the most salient point is that small-population Cass County has to deliver the same services and programs as big-population Hennepin -- as do Minnesota's 85 other counties.
Has anyone ever tried to calculate the cost of all that administrative duplication?
If health and human services costs are going to drive government budgets, maybe it's time to overhaul the administration of benefits, also likely stuck in the 1960s.
And while we're on replication of administration, someone might want to look into school districts, as well.
This Is Not The House!
As predicted, by a party-line vote of 22-44, Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau's Minnesota Transportation Commissioner status was not confirmed [Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park) missed the vote because he was over in the House conferring on the bridge collapse fund legislation].
For 90 minutes, Republican after Republican made speeches imploring the DFL to consider the character of Molnau, her unfair scapegoat status, and their political motives. Senate Minority Leader David Senjem (R-Rochester) gave a moving tribute to Molnau. Sen. Dick Day (R-Owatonna) reminded members of Cheryl Yecke's confirmation vote, held "in the middle of the night," (4:30 a.m.) and applauded the Senate for at least doing their dirty business by the light of day. Sen. Steve Dille (R-Dassel) asked members to take into account the role of forgiveness, compassion, and love as he made a motion to table the confirmation. The motion failed on a roll call vote of 22-43 [not voting, Sen. Linda Berglin (DFL-Minneapolis)].
The most exciting exchange was Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller's (DFL-Minneapolis) with Sen. Chris Gerlach (R-Apple Valley). After Gerlach implied that some Senate DFL members were voting against Molnau under pressure, Pogemiller accused Gerlach (a second term senator who began in the House in 1998) of violating Senate rules and reminded him to reread them, saying pointedly, "This is not the House!" The Star Tribune captured Day taping Gerlach's mouth shut, here.
Pogemiller was referring to Senate Rule 36.2, which reads "The member shall speak only to the question under debate and avoid personality." For further clarification of what it means to "avoid personality," section 124 in Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedures reads, "It is not the person but the measure that is the subject of debate, and it is not allowable to arraign the motives of a member, but the nature or consequences of a measure may be condemned in strong terms."
While the House has a general clause (5.04) that Mason's Manual "governs the House in all applicable cases if it is not inconsistent with these Rules, the Joint Rules of the Senate and House of Representatives, or established custom and usage," Pogemiller's "This is not the House," comment was made because House Rules do not include language comparable to Senate Rule 36.2.
Stop The Sage Surge: Atkins Takes Away Shamanistic Stuff?
On Tuesday, the Public Safety and Civil Justice committee heard Rep. Joe Atkins' (DFL-South St. Paul) proposal (HF 2949 / SF 2668) to add a relatively unknown garden plant, Salvia Divinorum, to the state's slate of esoteric Schedule IV restricted substances, placing it alongside hazardous yet unpronounceable compounds, worthy of a maximum of five years in prison for possession and/or a $10,000 fine. The hearing was another classic episode of the sordid policy show known as the "Failed American War on Drugs." Atkins admitted that he had no expert witnesses lined up, but he could load a web clip from ABC News, wherein John Stossel deployed some hokey morphing effects upon YouTube clips of youngsters smoking Salvia. Committee chair Rep. Joe Mullery (DFL-Minneapolis) joked that they looked like legislators on the floor after hearing dozens of amendments.
The GOP side asked if anyone had done any studies about the impact of Salvia. Not really. Has this been a problem in Minnesota? No one knows. It might be "worse" than LSD, Atkins theorized, and thus ought to be on a state drug schedule somewhere. Since the ABC News printout which passed for 'research' noted that Salvia is a popular garden plant, Rep. Mary Liz Holberg (R-Lakeville) wondered if a class of nice old ladies would become criminals. A rural representative groaned that each of his counties are building new jails to hold non-violent drug offenders, how would this proposal affect that problem? Atkins said this plant is available down the street at Maharaja's, which ought to be unacceptable. And that was pretty much the extent of this lofty drug policy debate. The voice vote sounded narrowly in favor; Mullery declared it passed.
So what is Salvia Divinorum? A member of the mint family, it's another one of those herbs which can make you get pretty dizzy for a few minutes as you smoke it, and then feel tired and foggy afterwards. Out in the wide world of American drug use, no one really wants to smoke Salvia repeatedly, because it's generally quite unpleasant. At the highest doses, visual traces and stumbling around the furniture may happen -- thus a 'sitter' is usually recommended on the Internet to keep the smoker from bumping into things for a few minutes.
Known as the Diviner's Sage, it is one of the highly respected spiritual plants of Central America, used in Mayan rituals to form a deeper connection with sacred natural forces. (Freedom of religion, anyone?) An attractive plant for gardening, it's actually pretty comparable to morning glories: The lysergic acid in morning glory seeds are an analogue of LSD; those flowers are also long held as sacred in Central America. Salvia has rare and unusual active chemicals which break down very rapidly in the body, but also have weird properties that might turn out to be useful in medicine (Salvia disrupts cocaine addiction in rats). Its Wikipedia page spells out the chemistry and how a handful of media reports get amplified by politicians -- the ABC story has given rise to some lurid dreams in various statehouses.
Every major shift in American drug policy has been a political reaction to a perceived 'moral panic,' and Atkins conjured the wan specter of one with his video clip. The hearing was devoid of any provable social context. The overcrowded jails, the failed lives, the disaster of the American war on drugs is due in no small part to how policymakers never weigh policies about alcohol, tobacco, narcotics, random herbs, and prescription medications within a single, logical set of criteria. The result has been the punitive drift of politicians collecting notches in their belts; the money gets poured into useless jails. One in 99 adult Americans is now incarcerated.
From an unlikely source, we heard a detail about Salvia's utility which really brought everything full circle: Apparently, the City of St. Paul plants them along the Summit Avenue boulevard.
[As long as we're on the subject, there is some hope for useful reform this year: Rep. Phyllis Kahn's (DFL-Minneapolis) federal law-friendly industrial hemp program and the medical marijuana bill are both winding through committees with bipartisan support. Phyllis got backing from GOP Reps. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka) and Bud Heidgerken (R-Freeport), the GOP iconoclasts of the week!] Harness Racing In Minnesota
On April 11th, the north metro's newest attraction, the $61 million Running Aces Harness Track, opens for business. The new state-of-the-art Harness Park is located in Columbus (Anoka County), and has been under fire by some local residents who are fearful of what the expansion of gambling means to their community. Harness racing, the sport that made State Fair Street namesake Dan Patch famous [did you know he was a horse?], is new to the Minnesota live horse-racing scene. The issue before Capitol committees on Commerce and Labor and State and Local Government Operations and Oversight (HF 2964/SF 2500), was Running Aces' desire to broadcast all-breed live simulcasting. The metro area's other horse track, Canterbury Park, with its class A license, is currently allowed to show 'all breed simulcasting,' meaning patrons can wager both on thoroughbred racing throughout the country as well as harness racing. Running Aces' license currently only allows for simulcasting of breeds run at their track, meaning patrons would be unable to visit the track on that first Saturday in May, have a mint julep and place a wager on the Kentucky Derby.
All breed simulcasting is a large part of a track's income. The Star Tribune reported in 2005 Canterbury made $59 million off simulcast races, of that nearly $5 million came from harness races. The millions that would come with all breed simulcasting is a needed income source in an industry (The U.S. Trotting Association) that has seen its handles, registered horses, and members decline in recent years, although track officials admit the lack of all breed simulcasting would not be a "death blow." The other stream of income for Running Aces will be the Card Club. Minnesota law allows for a poker room after 50 days of racing, which Running Aces will reach by early July, with a racing season that opens a month and a half before Canterbury's.
Critics of the track argue it is nothing more than a mask to permit a poker room and the expansion of gambling into the northern metro. Canterbury's stock prices and attendance have fallen in recent years, and there are doubts on interest in another horse track in the metro-area. The track critics also believe costs associated with the expansion of gambling outweigh the benefits of an estimated 600 new jobs as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes Running Aces would generate annually.
Hotline Names Cottington A Hottie
Congratulations to Scott Cottington, who was named National Journal's Hotline Consultant of the Day.
Cottington is a Minnesota based general political consultant, media buyer and media producer who has worked for Congressional candidates in Minnesota and across the country. [Cottington is also the beginning connection for PIM Publisher Sarah Janecek and PIM Operations Director Ricé Davis. Cottington was their boss on the 1984 successful reelection campaign of former U.S. Sen. Rudy Boschwitz.] Cottington is also one of the principals in GOP Convention Strategies.
The Hotline interview accompanying the consultant of the day award is behind a paid firewall. However, here are some tidbits from that interview, which Hotline calls the "Consultant Candid." Cottington's first job was working in the family grocery store when he was about seven or eight and he was "good at sweeping and bagging iced chickens." And, here's Cottington's answer to, "What one event in a candidate's past posed the biggest problem in a campaign?" Cottington, "I signed up once with a kidney transplant specialist running for Congress -- one of those great humanitarian/multimillionaire story lines. Turned out that he was $80,000 behind on his child support for a five and an eight-year-old. That sort of thing will put a cramp in the effort."
An Evening With Daniel Ellsberg
This past Tuesday one PIM staff attended the University of Minnesota's Great Conversation series featuring Daniel Ellsberg and Prof. Larry Jacobs. Ellsberg, the man responsible for leaking the Pentagon Papers and possibly the most famous whistleblower in American history, partook in a thought-provoking conversation covering issues from the Vietnam War to today's current struggle in Iraq. The conversation was an excellent history of the build-up to the Vietnam War and the craft with which Ellsberg compared it to the current situation in Iraq shed new light on an often used metaphor. Never at a loss for an opinion, Ellsberg's critiques of the current administration and its practices often drew enthusiastic responses from the largely "aging hippie" crowd. The "Conversations" page on the University's College of Continuing Education website has the discussion available now.
Coleman's Fight For The Senate
The Rothenberg Political Report's latest issue has the new Senate ratings and incumbent Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) looks to be in hot water. The Report has rated his race as a "toss-up," saying he is the second most vulnerable Republican behind Senator John Sununu (R-NH). Rothenberg came to the conclusion after studying the findings of nine state and national polls.
Bits & Pieces
The MinnPost MinnRoast 2008 is April 1st and that ain't no joke. Come join politicians and journalists from around the state as they "gently skewer" each other. To join in on the fun, which will take place at Graves 601, visit the MinnPost website to order tickets or see details. March 20th is the last day to order tickets. Expect funny, witty, comedic sketches from a cast that includes Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, KSTP Anchorwoman Cyndy Brucato, MinnPost writers Doug Grow, Roxanne Battle, David Hawley, Sharon Schmickle, and Beth Hawkins, PIM publisher Sarah Janecek, jazz vocalist Christine Rosholt, author Larry Millett, WCCO meteorologist Paul Douglas, former television journalist Marcia Fluer, The Rake's Tom Bartel, and Growth and Justice President Dane Smith.
Democratic Presidential contender U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) landed two more of Minnesota's superdelegates. DFL Party Chair Brian Melendez and the DFL's second in command, Donna Cassutt, pledged their support for the Illinois Senator. Melendez cited Obama's win in the Minnesota caucus and Cassutt his ability to win Minnesota in the general election as their reasons for backing Obama. This brings Minnesota's superdelegate tally to Obama eight, Clinton three, with three uncommitted.
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman announced the second annual 2008 Sustainable St. Paul Awards. The Awards will honor "outstanding achievements of individuals, businesses and organizations working to protect and restore the environment in St. Paul." Until March 12th, completed nomination forms (PDF) can be submitted to Rick Person at rick.person@ci.stpaul.mn.us. The winner will be contacted by April 1st. Mayor Coleman will also be delivering his State of the City Speech March 12th at noon at the Wilder Center on University and Lexington.
The Minnesota Sesquicentennial fundraiser is February 29th. For more information regarding tickets and time visit the PIM events page. The new site offers more information and better interactive capabilities for its users.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty reappointed Holly Neaton D.V.M. to the Board of Animal Health. Neaton has been the attending veterinarian for the Becker Coulter Immunodiagnostics Animal Facility in Maple Plain since 1997. She won the Minnesota Veterinary Medicine Association's "Veterinarian of the Year" Award in 2001. The term is for four years and will expire January 2, 2012.
I left my heart in Ramsey County. Tony Bennett, County Commissioner representing District 1 is running for re-election and will be hosting a dessert fundraiser March 12th from 4:45 to 7:15 p.m. Suggested donation is $50 with a maximum contribution of $300. Visit the PIM events pages for directions.
Six months from Saturday, March 1st, the Republican National Convention will convene in St. Paul. To mark the anniversary the RNC launched its new and improved website. Not to be outdone, Democratic Congressional hopeful Steve Sarvi launched his revamped website featuring a page dedicated to audio and video, and improved calendar system, and a section where viewers can examine U.S. Rep. John Kline's (R-MN2) record. Which site will get more traffic? No one can say.
PIM Staffers Dan Feidt and Nick Lambert will be running the Politics in Minnesota table at the College Republicans State convention, tomorrow March 1st. The event takes place at the Bloomington Sheraton from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. So drop by, say hi and buy a (discounted) PIM Directory!
Time is running out to see the University of Minnesota's production of "Peace Crimes," the story of the 8 Minnesotans who, in 1970, broke into draft board offices across the state and burned draft records. The eight all later served time in federal prison. Tickets are available through the History Theatre website. The production ends March 9th.
For the third week in a row the Al Franken campaign is reporting a huge union endorsement. This week, SEIU, with its 28,000 members across the state, pledged its support for Franken after he spent a day working with health care provider Ulysses Bridges.
Sami Rasouli, the founder of Sinbad's restaurant in Minneapolis and a Shiite native of Najaf, Iraq, has returned to his home city, and is documenting the experience for the Twin Cities Daily Planet. A man in a dicey situation, Rasouli is the founder of the Muslim Peacemaker Team, and regularly circulates between Iraq and the Twin Cities. He has traveled undercover to meet with the key leaders of the different factions for years; at a speech last year he contended that Iraqis will be able to stabilize their country, consolidate and get control over radicals once the United States departs, a task currently impossible because the U.S. military occupation creates a kind of mirroring or splintering among all factions. February Is "I Love to Read Month!"
...So Buy And Read Dean Urdahl's Book!
In honor of "I Love to Read Month," PIM staff reviewed Rep. Dean Urdahl's (R-Grove City) book, Uprising. Urdahl weaves a tale of historic relevance and torrid romance... well, perhaps not the torrid romance part.
"The romance is very mild," Urdahl said, referring to the conservative, yet suggestive ending to chapter 24 (We, along with Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Minneapolis), are curious about what happens after the lights go out).
His explanation? "I'm Norwegian."
True to his Norwegian heritage, Urdahl's writing style is honest and practical with little fluff. The storyline is steeped in historical fact with minimal literary license, so much so that one could use the book as a teaching tool in the classroom. Despite the G-rated love scenes, the demand for Urdahl's novel continues to exceed expectations. The publisher quickly ran off 200 books after the initial 1200 ran out just before Christmas, and Urdahl expects a third order will soon be necessary.
Set in Minnesota in 1862, Urdahl weaves the story of undercover Confederate soldier Nathan Thomas and his role in the U.S.-Dakota Conflict. Thomas travels to Minnesota with instructions to encourage a Dakota Uprising to divert Union resources from the Civil War. Although the possibility of Confederate involvement in the conflict is mentioned in historical documents, the novel's main premise is mostly a product of Urdahl's imagination. However, the setting in which Thomas' story is played out is factual, complete with the historical characters of Dakota Chief Little Crow and U.S. Col. Henry Hastings Sibley.
One of the book's literary highlights is Urdahl's depiction of the violent incident that began the Dakota conflict. He expertly creates a scene that pulls the reader through the horrific murder of five settlers, but balances despair with contrasting stories of survivors who persevered through tremendous odds.
What happened in Minnesota was big, Urdahl said. But because it happened during the Civil War, little attention has been paid to the state's role during the decades of Dakota conflict.
"Fort Ridgely is largely forgotten or ignored by history," Urdahl said. "My goal is to bring it to the forefront."
The author has strong personal connections to the novel. Urdahl grew up hearing his mother tell stories about his great-great-grandfather, who helped build the stockade in Forest City during the conflict. The country church he attended as a youth had a monument erected to the first five people killed. And for years, Urdahl was an American History teacher, requiring him to research U.S.-Dakota conflict material for his classes. Urdahl explained that it took 30 years, or 6 months, to write this book, depending on how you look at it.
Urdahl is about 80 pages into Uprising's sequel, although he said writing might be put on hold until the end of session. No, the sequel won't continue the lives of Nathan and Emily; instead, Urdahl has chosen to delve deeper into the last few chapters of Uprising. The book will be from the captives' point of view, dealing more intimately with the Mankato trials and executions, and subsequent events such as Sibley's campaign into the Dakotas.
In addition to great book sales and demand for a sequel, Urdahl has been consulting with the Minnesota Film Board about a possible movie of Uprising. When asked how he feels about the success of his novel, Urdahl said he was "happy." When PIM teased him about his lack of excitement, he quipped back:
"I'm Norwegian. This is as excited as I get."
For those who would like to obtain a copy, check it out at Barnes and Noble, Amazon or email udurdahls@hotmail.com.
[Publisher's Note: I concur with PIM staff. Urdahl's book is a great read, particularly if you like the historical fiction genre. No self-respecting Minnesota historian can miss it. As far as sex scenes go, Urdahl might want consult with Minnesota Public Radio's Kerri Miller. In her novel, Dead Air, about an intrepid broadcast journalist, Miller delivers only a half-page sex scene, but if memory serves, it wasn't of the Norwegian variety. It was steamy.]
Lobbyist Watch
From the Minnesota Campaign Finance & Public Disclosure Board:
Morning Reports
