Oh, it ain’t over yet. 

Baby DNA Warehouse bill - ACT NOW!

There’s been a delay! Worries about the bill are growing. The Health Department’s Baby DNA Warehouse and Genetic Research bill, S.F. 3138, was supposed to be heard tonight (Wed, 5/7), but it wasn’t.

However, the bill will probably come up tomorrow (Thur, May 8), so take action as soon as you read this!

Here’s what happened. We heard that the Governor has suddenly taken an interest in the bill (lots of your citizen petitions!). Republicans who were ready to vote YES on the bill still erroneously thinking it was better than current law began changing their minds after CCHC began talking to them one on one outside the House chamber. And a Republican legislator has introduced a motion to return the bill to conference committee until it no longer eliminates consent. At 8:30 p.m. tonight, the Governor’s head health care policy staffer suddenly appeared at the State Capitol. She was huddled with the author of the bill (Rep. Thissen (D-Mpls)) and three state health department lobbyists. CCHC then began sending in notes to both sides of the aisle telling them to vote NO on the bill because it eliminates informed parent consent requirements currently in law today. Not that much later, the House decided to adjourn and go home (11:00 p.m.)

The bill never came up for a vote! This gives us more time!

(Info from CCHC)

Please contact your House member and tell them to vote no, then the Governor and urge him to veto.

This one has been chattering around the lefty blogs for a while, I didn’t want to point it out, but now it hits the Strib for all to see. 

State GOP has its own bookkeeping woes

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Al Franken will not get Norm Coleman reelected. Focus on why people should vote FOR Republicans and there is no need to worry about this sort of touché  ’journalism’. 

I sure hope we (Republican activists) finally get some answers to this crap at the State Central Meeting set to take place immediately following the State Convention in Rochester. Unanswered questions do nothing but leave questions unanswered. If there is nothing left to ‘correct’, why not make the corrections that were done in a timely manner available for all to see? 

Put this baby to bed now rather than leave this crap for an October surprise that would potentially harm our MN House candidates and let Franken off the hook/hurt Sen. Coleman. 

Under the iron fist of the DFL Legislature freedom, privacy, and your baby’s DNA are now at risk. SF3138 passed the MInnesota Senate and is headed to the House. It will easily pass there and the State will begin building a genetic census of the state’s youngest citizens unless Gov. Pawlenty vetoes the bill.

Citizens Council on Health Care is leading the way on that notion. 

May 5, 2007  

Governor Tim Pawlenty 
Office of the Governor 
130 State Capitol 
Saint Paul, MN 55155 

Dear Governor Pawlenty, 

Please pick up your veto pen. You have a critical decision to make. 

The future of human rights, privacy rights, and the rights of human subjects in genetic research will be determined by your decision to sign or veto S.F. 3138. 

S.F. 3138 eliminates current legal informed written parent consent protections for the Minnesota Department of Health’s genetic research program. 

Today, parents must give their consent before the health department can store, use, or share their newborn baby’s DNA for the department’s genetic research program. 

If you do not veto S.F. 3138, the bill will take away today’s informed consent requirements and make Minnesota citizens available for involuntary genetic research.  

 

You can the rest of their letter here. Please send Pawlenty a message to veto SF3138 and protect the DNA of newborns. 

To contact Governor Tim Pawlenty on S.F. 3138:  
Metro: 651-296-3391; Toll free: 1-800-657-3717; Email:  tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us

Here’s the press conference from the CCHC from last week. 

This post (Where Did The Revolution Go?) is starting to draw out what I think is the real motivation behind Ron Paul’s movement. 

I’ve believed from day 1 that Ron Paul was propped up by the media simply because he is an anti-war Republican. Sure there are some people who support him for his libertarian domestic agenda, but I have long held that he’s the most anti-war candidate running this cycle, of ANY party. 

If you browse through the comments of that post, you’ll see what I believe is the real motivation behind the Ron Paul campaign. They want to take the country back to the days of putting our head in the sand and fingers crossed homeland security. I’m not talking about Clinton years kind of ignoring the world. I’m talking about what lead up to Hitler’s rise to power and World War 2 where millions died. 

It would be a wonderful thing if we didn’t have to project our force and be the police force of the world, but the problem is someone has to and no one else will. We no longer live in a world where our oceans protect us from those meaning us harm. We no longer live in a world where we can be economically independent. We live in a global economy and thus it is in our best interest to try to create stability through freedom. 

It sucks, I wish we could just let the world go to hell in a bunch of thugs, dictators, terrorists, and despot’s handbags, but we can’t. 

There currently is a party that is closely aligned to the America is bad, America is the bully, America is the problem - anti-war part of the Ron Paul campaign. I believe you can find the same rhetoric and talking points, heck even bills introduced verbatim, that the Ron Paul supporters are using. It is the Democratic Party. 

Last night while finishing the fence up I had Jason Lewis on and he ripped into the Ron Paul campaign for aligning themselves with MoveOn.org. Yes the same MoveOn.org who didn’t want us to respond to 9-11 in Afghanistan. If anti-war, isolationist policies are what the Ron Paul campaign is going to turn the Republican party into, there’s going to be a big problem. 

So when I get the threats that I better be nice to the Ron Paul campaign or else….. I say bring it on.  

The reason ‘families’ are separated in the event of deportation of an illegal immigrant is because the illegal immigrant family decided to break US laws and come here….. knowing full well they aren’t supposed to be here. This line of thinking which the media adoring pushes as the reality, is complete BS.

“I’m here because of all the raids and deportations,” said Torres, whose brother was deported to Mexico two years ago. “Too many families have been separated. It’s not fair to the children.”

If you don’t want your family to be separated, stay in your home country! OR, come here legally!

Gov. Tim Pawlenty who made serious gains in the good will department with the fiscally responsible people in the state when he line item vetoed the Bonding bill, has just erased all those gains. 

The Central Corridor light-rail line, which has become a pawn in back-and-forth negotiations at the Capitol, is back in a budget proposal made by Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Wednesday.

There will be a voter revolt this November. (Barring major mishandling by the Party leadership, fingers crossed) Republicans will pick up seats in the Minnesota House. Pawlenty and Legislators are mortgaging the future of Minnesota’s children on all these pork barrel pet projects. 

Central Corridor is a boondoggle waiting to happen. Pawlenty did the right thing when he put it back on the wish list shelf. He made up for his betrayal of the taxpayer when he allowed Hennepin County to raise taxes with out a vote on the Twins tax in 2005. The rumors of him not fighting hard to sustain his veto during that Friday afternoon meeting with Republican House members still irks many fiscal conservatives. 

But his rekindled sense of fiscal sanity in cutting out the Corridor was a breathe of fresh air for many of us who see Minnesota headed toward unsustainable Government spending. But it was short lived and now I’m left to wonder if Pawlenty does have another job he will make his legacy out of. 

When in DC I was asked about Pawlenty in terms of Vice President. Of course I answered honestly and said that it would be a terrible idea. I said both McCain and Pawlenty are Big Government Republicans. Pretty solid on taxes, but terrible on spending. They are cut from the same mold. McCain needs a rock solid limited Government Conservative to balance the ticket, not pick a ticket mate that is just like him. 

I don’t think Tim pawlenty wants to be the guy who is remembered as destroying the Midway of St. Paul. I don’t think he wants to be remembered as the guy who allowed state spending to increase exponentially at a time of recession. I don’t think he wants to be remembered as the guy who has committed the state to programs, projects, and policies that will have lasting negative ramifications and huge costs hurting the state economy and forcing Minnesota citizens to sacrifice freedom, choice, and treasure. 

Pawlenty has been a decent Governor, but he has been a terrible fiscal, limited Government conservative. Like Bush has stumbled and ruined what could have been a good legacy. Bush’s, and Republicans in Congress along with him, blew it in the first half of his second term. 

Pawlenty has to have plans for the future. I don’t think being a former Governor is enough for him. I think the time spent on the campaign trail with McCain has gone to his head and rekindled the self-serving Republican in him. He is supporting flat out liberal energy and environmental problems. He is expanding the burden of Government on citizens and taxpayers. Now he is not all bad, but neither is the soon to be former President. But what they have done wrong (and those things are mostly when they worked with the Democrats on liberal agenda items) will leave lasting headaches and painful, costly policies for future generations to deal with. 

Does he really want to be another Arne Carlson? As in a former Republican Governor who left behind a legacy chalk full of liberal agenda items and policies all marked accomplished. That guy was on local morning news this AM, and he still puts a bad taste in my mouth when they introduce him as a Republican. He’s a liberal. Just look at his tenure and listen to what he says. 

So what will Tim Pawlenty’s legacy look like if his last public service act is Governor of Minnesota? What will Minnesota, and more importantly Republicans, think of his time as Governor? Unfortunately I am not too happy with his tenure so far. Central Corridor just happens to be the perfect example of how he is not acting in the best interest of all Minnesotans, let alone limited government conservatives. 

The DFL is testing him beyond, what I fear are, his limits. They are hitting where it hurts and trying to drive the final wedge between him and his base to destroy his aspirations for calling DC his home. 

Will he be known as the Republican Governor who signed into law policies that hand over control to bureaucrats  in California who get to make every single thing in Minnesota cost more, ban the sale and purchase of certain necessities deemed as tabu by feel good environmentalists, and force us all to drive Specs that have room for your arse and a bag of organic groceries? 

(long rant I know)Back to get back to the point. If the DFL will build a state park and Vet’s hospital, he’ll sign on to the billion dollar boondoggle that will destroy a historic park of our city, create added congestion rather then reduce it, and add millions in annual operating costs to already over taxed citizens at multiple levels. 

Pawlenty can save his legacy from being just another Arne, but he has to act sooner rather than tomorrow. The clock is not just ticking, the alarm already went off, Pawlenty hit the snooze button with his veto-palooza. But can he sustain the courage and backbone he had when he did that? It seems to come and go far to often to keep him from being just another Arne kinda of former Republican Governor. 

He must be trying to create an image and personality that will serve him in the recruitment to another position. Secretary Pawlenty? But of what?

Saudi Arabia of renewable energy…… how’s that working out for us?

Here’s an MPR story about how the U of M is trying to bully their way to changing the Central Corridor Plan to benefit them. In the story we get to see 2 social engineers battle it out, and slip up and expose the dirty secret of light rail transit. 

The Washington Ave. proposal calls for a transit mall, which means much of the car traffic would have to be diverted from the busy street.

Won’t the trains be replacing the cars since everyone just can’t wait to get on board?

The cost estimate for diverting the traffic and finding parking for the cars won’t be known for a few weeks, but it’s clear where some of the traffic could be diverted, Bell says.

Isn’t the point of mass transit to get people out of cars/make it so they don’t have to drive themselves and or sit in congestion?

“We might use East River Rd. to run some of the traffic,” said Bell. “There might need to be some work on Grainery Rd., which is a road that runs far north on the northern parameters of the university campus, and we might connect some of the traffic and work it around there.”

But have no fear, the train will be installed, no matter how much it screws up traffic or neighborhoods in the area. 

The cost of diverting traffic from Washington Ave. and redesigning dozens of nearby intersections to handle it would be born by the Met Council, the university, Hennepin County and the city of Minneapolis.

Money in the proposed $909 million Central Corridor project budget would help pay some, but by no means all, of the traffic diversion costs.

Just a thought here: How about we save the Billion dollars on the  boondoggle rolling guillotine and just increase capacity for the roads in the area and increase bus service?

The 6th Congressional District Meeting last night was as uneventful as I had expected. 

Truly was not surprised by the lack of attendence by Dr. Paul’s supporters.  They got what they wanted … and we have seen the last of them for this election cycle.
 

Where were all the brand new energetic Ron Paul supporters who were supposed to be breathing new life into this party last night? The 80 some (25% of the Delegation) didn’t show up last night. Did it have anything to do with how we were prepared to discuss the behavior at the convention, from both sides of the story, that scared you away? 

Note to State Delegates and Alternates, the next battleground is the state convention. I share your same feeling that going to Rochester for 3 days at the end of the school year/when the weather finally gets nice here in MN, is as low on your to do list as possible, but it is a necessity. 

There are 14 Delegates and 14 Alternates to the National Convention that will be elected there, plus more platform resolution debate. The Ron Paul campaign is holding their own pre-convention conventions in order to plan how to complete their task of taking over our National Delegation and change our platform. 

If you were elected, and you care about the long term health of this party, you have to do everything in your power to make it to Rochester for the MNGOP State Convention May 29-31. 

It will be the battle of the John McCain campaign slate vs the Ron Paul campaign slate for National Delegates and Alternates. I’ve had quite a few people still saying I should run. Maybe I will. I don’t know if I want to (or have the time) go through the costs and pain of mailing to and contacting some 5,000 people who may or may not be there.

But there may be some room in the middle of the campaign slates for some independent runs at the convention. Hmmmm…….

Why are lefties (yes the League of Women Voters is a lefty group) so inclined to make sure someone can steal my vote? 

Regarding the US Supreme Court decision upholding (drum roll please) an Indiana law requiring (suspense) photo IDs in order to vote. 

For some, though, any burden is still too much. Keesha Gaskins, Executive Director of the Minnesota League of Women Voters, said the non-partisan League will oppose any future legislation that requires a photo ID.

“This puts up another barrier to voting; that’s really all there is to it. There’s been no evidence of voter fraud in Minnesota; there’s no reason to change,” Gaskins said.

The reason to change is to guarantee that every vote cast is safe and rightfully done so. Our cherished right to vote should not be left to the will of people who may try to cheat. Doing so cheapens and weakens the power of us as individuals. 

Minnesota’s Secretary of State Mark Ritchie maintains the ruling has no direct effect locally.

“Well I haven’t had a chance to read the Supreme Court ruling, and I’ll be very interested in it from just the curiosity point of view, but it had nothing to do with Minnesota law, so it won’t affect us at all,” Ritchie said.

Yes, that is the guy who is supposed to run our elections in Minnesota. Has he even looked into the case or other similar laws to Indiana’s? 

Twenty-five states currently require some ID to vote.

Why is leaving the door open to voter fraud something the liberals in the State of Minnesota want to lead the Nation in? 

All it takes is one person to cast a vote improperly to erase the vote of a person who had the right to in the first place. 

So you wanna grow our fuel……. OK, but what happens when Mother Earth doesn’t cooperate?

Late-season snows sent corn prices higher on Monday as grain traders bid up prices in the wake of a government report showing that farmers haven’t been able to get into their fields to plant.

The slow start to what could be one of the most profitable years ever for crop farmers because of corn prices saw just 10 percent of the crop in the ground as of Sunday, far less than the 35 percent average from the last five years, the USDA report said. Minnesota farmers planted 1 percent of the crop by Sunday, but typically have 27 percent planted by now.

Meanwhile there is a ready supply of another fuel just sitting there waiting to be tapped into and used. Oh and our entire economy is based of this other one. 

I don’t know, but lunacracy seems to come to mind. You see forcing our society to grow its energy seems to be a little short sighted. After all, it isn’t like there has never been something to interrupt the growing season in the past. 

Then we could always get into the politics of Big-agri-business, or how politicians try to buy votes. 

» Farm programs damage the environment. Subsidy programs and trade barriers draw marginal farmland into production and encourage the overuse of fertilizers. Lands that might otherwise be used for parks, forests or wetlands get locked into farm use. Florida sugar cane cultivation, for example, causes substantial damage to the Everglades, yet it thrives only because of import protections.

In the distant future, historians will look back at this time in history and wonder how in the world human society survived……. or will they? (that means that maybe we’ll kill ourselves off or destroy our society and send ourselves back to the stone age with these lunacratic policies. )