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Author speaks Saturday on organized labor
Labor Education Service offers skills workshops
Nurses march on Capitol, call on governor to restore general assistance medical care
DFL candidates discuss raising revenue at AFSCME-sponsored gubernatorial debate
Pawlenty Proposes MN Buy Health Insurance From Other states
Description:
Minnesota Governor Pawlenty proposes three health care reform initiatives.
1) Allow Minnesotans to purchase health insurance from other states
2) Require MinnsotaCare and Medical Assistance to price health care services based on quality and cost
3)Include consumer-driven incentives in MinnesotaCare
The proposal was quickly dismissed by DFL state Chair Brian Melendez
"The Governor's efforts to protect HMOs and maintain the status quo on health care are neither new nor innovative, and would not work for the people of Minnesota. Governor Pawlentys more-of-the-same attitude has become his trademark, and todays rehash of previously failed health-care initiatives shows no leadership, no courage, and no foresight — three qualities that are sorely lacking in this governorship. Sometimes you really cant teach an old dog new tricks."
Representative Tom Huntley(DFL-Duluth) said that allowing Minnesotans to buy health insurance from companies not regulated in Minnesota would be a bad idea. He said Minnesota already has low-cost, high-quality health care and he didn't think Minnesota's Commerce Commissioner should be spending his time tracking insurance offerings from states such as Mississippi.
Minority Hiring Lagging In MN DOT According To ISAIAH Report (Press Release)
Description:
Press release: Video from this news conference should be posted soon
Citizens and People of Faith Call Upon MnDOT for Achieving Outcomes in Minority Hiring and Contracts.
Legislators to hear Preliminary Findings of Report and Recommendations for Transformed Outcomes in Transportation Investments, Jobs
St. Paul, MN -- ISAIAH, Organizing Apprenticeship Project and PolicyLink released preliminary findings and set of recommendations from a joint report entitled “Equitable Recovery in Minnesota: The Transportation Opportunity.” The report examines how ARRA funds, intended to be invested in communities most impacted by the recession, have actually impacted disadvantaged and low-income people in transportation investments and access to jobs.
At the press conference, Rev. Paul Slack, pastor of New Creation Church and chair of ISAIAH’s Jobs and Workforce Development Campaign, challenged legislators to hold MnDOT accountable, “We need to see changed outcomes; the processes that are currently in place are not working. Good intentions are no longer enough for Minnesotans.”
Shireen Malekafzali, Senior Program Associate for PolicyLink presented the preliminary findings and recommendations to the House Transportation and Transit Policy and Oversight Division. She stated, “By distributing ARRA funds through existing formulas and policies, this funding is reproducing the status quo.”
The report revealed:
· Gross underrepresentation of minorities and women in 2900 jobs created by newly funded transit programs.
· Not nearly enough dollars have been allocated for new public transit systems, rather many investments were made in outer ring suburbs.
· Lack of transparent reporting by MNDOT on the goals of achieving minority, and disadvantaged business participation.
Some of the recommendations include:
· Increased investment in affordable and reliable public transportation for low income communities
· Allocating significant resources toward tracking and monitoring or workforce participation—hiring and retention.
· Implement effective consequences for non-compliant contractors
· Allocate ½ of 1% of federal dollars for recruitment, training, placing and retaining minority and women workers.
· Ensure Disadvantaged Business Enterprises are receiving a fair share of the public investment in transportation and infrastructure related business.
Gov. Pawlenty proposes buying health care insurance across state lines
Description:
Press release from Gov. Pawlenty's office
GOVERNOR PAWLENTY OUTLINES HEALTH CARE REFORM INITIATIVES
~ Includes allowing Minnesotans to purchase health insurance from other states ~
Saint Paul – Minnesotans would be first in the nation to be able to purchase health insurance across state lines under an initiative proposed by Governor Tim Pawlenty today.
Governor Pawlenty outlined a package of health care reform initiatives to be considered during the 2010 legislative session. In addition to enhancing competition in the health care insurance marketplace, the Governor proposed applying successful cost-containment strategies to the state’s publicly-subsidized health care programs.
“Minnesota has one of the best health care systems in the world. We have world-class providers and the second highest rate of people with insurance,” Governor Pawlenty said. “In recent years, we’ve made significant progress toward making our health care system even more market-driven, patient-centered and quality-focused. While Congress debates federal health care reform, there are important additional steps that we can take in Minnesota to provide greater choice and competition while holding down explosive health care costs.”
Governor Pawlenty proposed three health care reform initiatives:
· Allow Minnesotans to Purchase Health Insurance from Other States
· Require MinnesotaCare & Medical Assistance to Price Health Care Services Based on Quality and Cost
· Include Consumer-Driven Incentives in MinnesotaCare
Minnesota continues to lead the nation in the performance of our health care system, as recognized most recently by the Commonwealth Fund’s state scorecard. In their 2009 scrutiny of access, quality, costs, healthy lives, and equity, Minnesota moved ahead of states such as Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut from 9th place to 4th place overall. We should continue to take action to keep Minnesota on the leading edge of health care policy innovation.
Allow Minnesotans to Purchase Health Insurance from Other States
Minnesotans are currently prohibited from buying health insurance products from other states. Minnesotan citizens and businesses would benefit from more choice in the marketplace and additional competition. Three health care plans in Minnesota dominate the marketplace, with a combined market share of more than 80 percent of fully insured Minnesotans.
Governor Pawlenty is proposing that Minnesota law be changed to allow consumers to purchase health insurance plans sold in other states. The following requirements would have to be met in order for the product to be sold in Minnesota:
· The state insurance regulator where the company is domiciled must be accredited by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
· The insurance company must have a certificate of authority in Minnesota.
· The insurance regulator in the state of domicile must review and approve policy forms.
· The insurance company must agree to abide by Minnesota’s claims practices and other consumer protection laws.
· The insurance company would be subject to standard Minnesota fees and taxes.
The Minnesota Commissioner of Commerce will determine the top 20 states that are most effective in terms of regulating health insurance policies and have the best health outcomes for their residents. Only policies approved in those states and meeting Minnesota’s new criteria could be sold to Minnesotans.
Ultimately, Governor Pawlenty proposes that Minnesota help establish an Interstate Health Insurance Compact that would allow states to join and share common regulatory standards to facilitate the purchase of health insurance across state lines. The Interstate Health Insurance Compact would be modeled after the successful Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Compact (IIPRC) that has made the purchase of life insurance easier. Minnesota played a leading role in establishing the IIPRC, which began in 2004 and became operational in 2006. Thirty-three states are members of the IIPRC.
Require MinnesotaCare & Medical Assistance to Price Health Care Services Based on Quality and Cost
The state employee health care program, Minnesota Advantage, has successfully used a tiered provider system to rein in costs. State employees in Minnesota can choose any clinic available to them in a private market system. However, individuals who use more costly and less efficient clinics are required to pay more out-of-pocket. Not surprisingly, informed health care consumers wisely vote with their feet and wallets. This has resulted in no increase in health care amounts paid by employees during three of the last five years and significantly reduced program costs for the state.
Governor Pawlenty is proposing that state-subsidized health care programs, MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance, also be required to use a tiered provider system. Tiers would be established based on peer grouping results on quality and efficiency from the 2008 health care reform legislation. Based on that peer grouping, enrollees would be required to choose a primary care clinic and would be rewarded for choosing a higher-quality, lower-cost clinic.
Those financial incentives could be incorporated into EBT card technology and would provide additional benefits to enrollees beyond the standard benefit design, such as over-the-counter medications or reading glasses.
Develop a Modern MinnesotaCare Product
MinnesotaCare is a state-subsidized health insurance program for Minnesotans at or below 275% of the federal poverty guideline.
The Governor is proposing the state develop a modern MinnesotaCare product for parents between 133% and 275% (250% for single adults) of the federal poverty guideline that includes deductibles and co-payments that are commonly found in the private sector.
Modern MinnesotaCare would provide a higher-deductible insurance product coupled with a state contribution to an EBT card that would be used for out-of-pocket health expenses. Enrollees would be incentivized to choose higher-quality, lower-cost providers in order to maximize the value of the state contribution. Money left over on the card would remain with the enrollee to be used in the following year.
MN Nurses Protest Gov Pawlenty Cuts To Health Care
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Nurses attending the Minnesota Nurses Association's annual meeting rally at the Capitol against Governor Pawlenty's veto of funding for the General Assistance Medical Program (GAMC).
Robert Fischer is a former GAMC Recipient;
"I was a successful business owner up in Duluth. I had a major health crisis, and there was some serious crisis with my businesses. We ended up losing the house and we ended up losing the businesses. And we were actually the victim of an equity scam. We lost $130,000 in our equity and we found out... we walked into the office fully expecting to get a check so we could get an apartment and da la lah. Well, that wasn't forthcoming. We went into the office. They had roses on all the desks. They were drinking Dom Perinon and they were saying, you know, 'see ya'. We snapped psychologically. I just gave up.
After what happened with the business and how ruthless people can be sometimes, my wife and I both just gave up. And what happened is I floundered for about three years and finally I got a place to stay, a place to live. I could actually have a base in which I could clean, take a shower. I mean, to live a human life again. And at that point I started into dealing with my health issues and I've rebounded. I've just started a new business. I'm on my feet again. This would have never happened without GAMC."
Stephanie Wells is a Registered Nurse at Hennepin County Medical Center.
"I am concerned about the hospital that I work in. HCMC really provides, it's been providing.. it's a safety net hospital. And we probably get more GAMC patients than a lot of other institutions. It will be devastating to us to have that money gone."
Douglas Mitchell is the Associate Paster at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis.
"The religious communities in this state recognize that those who are poor are singled out in our sacred text, but they are singled out for greater care, not for particular harm. So to balance the budget on the backs of those who are the most vulnerable and have the most need for care simply flies in the face of what the justice is called for by the Protestant Catholic Jewish and Muslim communities that are represented by the joint religious coalition
Video from Minnesota Senate Media Services
Capitol Report-Vikings Stadium, Banking And High Speed Rail
Description:
In this weeks program, Julie Bartkey sits down with Senator Linda Scheid, Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, to discuss whether Minnesota's banking system is sound. Gambling on revenue for a new Viking stadium, Rep. Tom Hackbarth proposes a constitutional amendment that would add slots to existing race tracks, and Senator Ann Lynch details why she thinks Rochester is the best route for high speed rail.
Chris Coleman's Advice To Remaining DFL Governor Candidates
Description:
The field of candidates for Minnesota Governor narrowed a bit on Thursday when St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman announced he would not be running for Governor. Coleman had never formally entered the Governor's race, but had been considering a run for the DFL nomination. Here he speaks about his decision with Mike McIntee on "Quick on The UpTake".
Q:This is a decision you apparently just reached recently, correct?
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman: One of the things we have said is we wanted to make a decision before the November elections so that the voters in St. Paul as I was seeking re-election know exactly what my intentions were. So as we came closer to that I weighed the challenges that we faced and the opportunities we have in the city of St. Paul and decided I needed to focus my attention on what's happening in St. Paul.
Q:There's a lot on your plate there.
Coleman:Well we do have some great things going on but still some hurdles to clear. The central corridor light rail line,which is then number one priority for me for a long time, has still some work to do on it and I would hate to think that somehow that project wouldn't move forward because I was out running for Governor. And there was simply no way for me to effectively do both.
Q:Well let me just ask what the reaction you got on the campaign trail when you were testing the waters for running for Governor. What were people telling you?
Coleman:Well, really really positive. And I think that that's been part of the struggle in my decision is because of I as I called through who were regular convention attendees or key members of the labor community or whatever it may be, there was very, very supportive words and encouragement for me to run and almost everyone that I talked to felt that if I wasn't their automatic first choice I was in their top two or three. And that's all I can really ask for at this stage of the game. So, felt I had as good of a shot as I was ever going to have to do that, but I just made a commitment four years ago to the voters of St. Paul and I'm asking them to make a commitment to me again and felt that was more important at this point.
Q:You said this is ... you thought this was the best shot to do something like this. Does this mean that you're not going to be seeking the Governor's office in the future or is that very hard to say at this point?
Coleman: No I don't preclude anything. I didn't expect to be running for Governor in 2005... er I didn't expect to be running for Mayor in 2005, but felt very passionately that the city needed to go in a different direction and so chose to run at that point and so what the future holds I guess we'll... only time will tell.
Q:Well, that all of course begs the question... everything is politics... the DFL is a very political group. There are a lot of people vying for the DFL endorsement for Governor. Have you decided if you are going to back anyone or is that again, too early to say?
Coleman: Well, I'll be backing the endorsed candidate of the DFL party. I think we need to unify around the convention in April and put forth the candidate that can win in the fall. And I think the longer we spend our time shooting at each other, the harder that's going to be. But I think it's very clear that any of the candidates that are running on the DFL side are marked improvements from the Republican side. I didn't know there were nine people in the state of Minnesota that didn't understand the serious nature of climate change and they all seem to be running for Governor.
Q:I think there are more than that who don't understand climate change, but yes the do all seem to be running for Governor. I do have to ask though, you've had a chance to test the waters, you've had a chance to hear the voters, you've talked to the people who would very likely be the delegates to any kind of convention. What do you think they are looking for in a candidate. We said we're not going to name names here. But what qualities do you think they want?
Coleman: Well I think first and foremost they want to win. You have 20 years since the last Democratic Governor was serving in the corner office of the capitol. And so people are very hungry to have someone that can unify the party, unify progressives and labor and put that winning coalition together and win in the fall. But then beyond the victory that's when the work begins. So who can get beyond the rhetoric and partisanship that you sometimes see up at the capitol, who can make some of the tough decisions, who is really going to balance out the fact that got a potential seven billion dollar budget deficit in the city of St. Paul... I mean state of Minnesota. It means some very tough choices are going to need to be made to get out of that. Are people going to have a seat at the table when those decisions are being made? I think that's one of the things we've been very very proud of in St. Paul that we brought our public employees to the table to help us work out some of the challenges. We brought community groups to the table. People demand that process. They want to be a part of that decision making and so they'll be looking for a candidate that understands that.
Q:Well, then let's talk about the issues you're facing in St. Paul. Which is the reason you're not going to run. You got to focus on what's in front of you. Light rail, you said, is one of the bigger issues. I listened to part of the debate the other night where your opponent is saying it's all too expensive... and I think she suggest that we should run things underground which could make it even more expensive. Where do thinks sit here with light rail?
Coleman: First of all after 30 years of discussion we're very, very close to officially moving forward. We've actually begun some of the construction on some key components in downtown. It's very exciting, but there are some hurdles. Some issues that need to be worked out with respect to the mitigation at the University of Minnesota that at this point is probably the largest impediment to getting funding from the federal government. The second piece of it is the challenges of making sure the business community that exists along University Avenue is protected and the steps that we take enhance the quality of the businesses and don't detract from that. And some challenges and some hurdles that need to be overcome, but it's an incredible opportunity. It only gets more expensive the longer you wait. So any suggestion that St. Paul is not ready for a first class transportation network just misses the point.
Q:I have one question about light rail and I think your opponent raised it the other night, which is we a set of rails just to the north of the corridor we're going to be running the light rail on University Avenue. Is anybody seriously looking at that corridor instead of taking University Avenue? If not, why not?
Coleman: Well, there's some 30 years of looking at various options. We looked at in the past Burlington Northern-Pierce Butler line which I think is what the references was to....
Q:Right
Coleman: We've looked at the 94 avenue corridor. And when you mention those decisions there are a couple factors that are critical. First of all, what's the ridership going to be? It doesn't help you to have a line going through a place where no one lives and no one can live. and so the Pierce-Butler or the Burlington Northern corridor really wouldn't serve very many folks. And the 94 corridor really doesn't have the ability to impact economic development and other opportunities like the University Avenue line . So this is really... everyone can second guess. But 30 years of studying and discussion about the alignment of this line have made it very clear that the University alignment is the best way to go.
Q:And one last question here about the Governor's race before we let you go. Do you have any words of advice to the remaining candidates in the DFL race on what they should do?
Coleman: The one thing that I had an opportunity to do is to get to know even better the folks that are running and considering running. I have tremendous respect for them and at the end of the day just got to run hard and they got to give it their all. They got to give 110 percent to this thing because you can't... it doesn't do any good to do it 90 percent of the way, you got to do it 100 percent of the way. And you got to be able to unify folks at the end of the day. So I would hope that people would go and fight hard for the endorsement and at end of the day honor that process. The DFL is ... sometimes we like to get in circular firing squads and I think that would be a tremendous mistake because the state can't afford another four years of the philosophy that's governed for the last eight.
Coleman vs Franken live video archive
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Find every minute of the Coleman vs Franken Election Contest trial archived here. Only on The UpTake!
January 23, 2009
Post hearing campaign news conferences
Archive of Live Blog in a pop-up window here
January 26, 2009- Day 1
Franken/Coleman Lawyers Post Hearing News Conferences
"In Chambers" discussion between Judges and both campaign's lawyers (audio only)
Archive of Live Blog in a pop-up window here
January 27, 2009- Day 2
MN Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann testifies- questioned by Coleman Lawyer
Coleman/Franken Lawyers Post Hearing News Conferences
Archive of Live Blog in a pop-up window here
January 28, 2009- Day 3
MN Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann questioned by Coleman Lawyer
MN Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann cross-examined by Franken Lawyer
Mid Day news conference with Franken and Coleman Lawyers
Archive of Live Blog in a pop-up window here
January 29, 2009- Day 4
Morning Session- MN Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbman
Afternoon Session Voters and Gelbmann
Post-Session News Conferences and Noah Kunin wrap up
Archive of Live Blog in a pop-up window here
January 30, 2009 - Day 5
Morning Session -Joe Mansky Testifies
Norm Coleman Mid-day Press Conference
Afternoon Session-Voters' motion for summary judgment & intervention
Franken Lawyer Marc Elias post-session news conference
Archive of Live Blog in a pop-up window here
February 2, 2009 - Day 6
Morning Session- Joe Mansky on double counting, wrongfully rejected absentee ballots
Coleman lawyer post-session news conference
Franken lawyer post-session news conference
Archive of Live Blog in a pop-up window here
February 3, 2009 -Day 7
Coleman lawyer mid-day press conference
"Quick On The UpTake" Show (with audio!)
Franken lawyer Marc Elias phone conference on Summary Judgment
Archive of Live Blog in a pop-up window here <
February 4, 2009 - Day 8
February 5, 2009 - Day 9
MN Supreme Court Hearing - Part One
MN Supreme Court Hearing - Part Two
February 6, 2009 - Day 10
February 9, 2009 - Day 11
February 10, 2009 - Day 12
Elias and Ginsberg Noon Pressers
February 11, 2009 - Day 13
February 12, 2009 - Day 14
Elias/Ginsberg Presser and Noah's Recap
February 13, 2009 - Day 15
February 16, 2009 - Day 16
Morning Session (No afternoon sessions - court was in session for 18 minutes)
February 17, 2009 - Day 17
February 18, 2009 - Day 18
Post-Afternoon Break Session, Part II
February 19, 2009 - Day 19
Elias/Ginsberg Press Conference
February 20, 2009 - Day 20
Post-Afternoon Break, Part Two, Part Three
Quick On The UpTake Radio Show
February 23, 2009 - Day 21
Quick on The UpTake Radio Show
Feburary 24, 2009 - Day 22
February 25, 2009 - Day 23
Afternoon Session, Part I (Pamela Howell testimony)
Afternoon Session, Part II (Pamella Howell and Cynthia Reichert
Afternoon Session, Part III (Tony Trimble discusses Ms. Howell)
Afternoon Session, Part IV (Howell's testimony is stricken; Reichert testifies)
February 26, 2009 - Day 24
Morning Session
February 27, 2009 - Day 25
No afternoon session
March 2, 2009 - Day 26
Working on getting up these archives. Mogulus had an outage during the day, and we're working on recovering our recordings. Stand by.
March 3, 2009 - Day 27
Quick on The UpTake Radio Show
March 4, 2009 - Day 28
Mid-morning Session (Noah Kunin's testimony at beginning of clip)
March 5, 2009 - Day 29
Afternoon Pressers (Mike McIntee is at the beginning of this clip)
Quick On The UpTake (Full Show)
March 6, 2009 - Day 30
(No pressers or recap)
March 9, 2009 - Day 31
March 10, 2009 - Day 32
March 11, 2009 - Day 33
No morning session
Afternoon Session Part I, II, III
March 12, 2009 - Day 34
Take Away Single Payer Health Care And Start A Civil War
Description:
A protester outside of UnitedHealth notes that his wife can't get anyone to insure her in the United States because she had breast cancer 15 years ago. He has apparently lived in Australia and says if you were to take away people's single-payer health care there, you would start a civil war.
Racino Proposed To Fund New Vikings Stadium
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Minnesota State Rep. Tom Hackbarth (R-Cedar) wants to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would create a "racino" at Canterbury Park. The money from the racino would be used to pay for a new Vikings stadium.
Rep. Hackbarth says he has not talked to the Vikings about his plan. He has also not talked to Governor Tim Pawlenty about the proposal. Last week Pawlenty indicated he wanted to act to keep the Vikings football team in Minnesota when their lease at the Metrodome expires.
Treat Felon Corporations Like ACORN
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Congresswoman Betty McCollum is proposing that Congress treat corporations convicted of a felony the same way it treated ACORN. Her bill says corporations convicted of a felony would not be eligible for government contracts for 5 years, could not make campaign contributions for 5 years and would be limited in the amount of lobbying they could do.
Rep. McCollum talks about her bill with The UpTake's Mike McIntee and notes that there were already 345 votes in Congress for defunding an organization that hadn't even been convicted of anything yet.
To victor go spoils? Hamburger not football prize it was 2 weeks ago
Photo: wikipedia
To the victor go the spoils, the saying goes. And so on Tuesday Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak took delivery of 10 pounds of hamburger from Jim Schmitt, mayor of Green Bay, Wisc., in fulfillment of the friendly wager they made on the Vikings-Packers football game. But the Vikings’ win wasn’t the only news since the mayors made their bet. On the day between the bet and the game, the New York Times published an expose on the serious health hazards of hamburger meat, focusing on a Minnesota victim and corporation and a processor in Wisconsin.
The Times article probed the source of hamburger meat that sickened Stephanie Smith of Cold Spring, Minn., in 2007, sending her into a medically-induced coma and eventual paralysis from which she is still trying to recover.
The meat was produced by the Minnesota-based Cargill, under its “American Chef” label. It was processed from sources around the country and hemisphere at Cargill’s plant in Butler, Wis.
Rybak’s reward for the Vikings’ 30-23 victory at Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome: “10 lbs. of All-American Hamburgers, Seroogy’s Chocolate, and Wisconsin-made cheese,” according to his office.
The Times article didn’t mention “All-American Hamburgers” and there is no reason to suspect that Green Bay’s gift is any different from any other hamburger — besides, as its name suggests, being made from exclusively domestic sources.
“I want to thank Mayor Schmitt for giving us a taste of Wisconsin in addition to the delicious taste of victory we’re still savoring,” Rybak said in a statement, adding that the hamburger and other booty would be donated to Sharing and Caring Hands, a local charity that serves needy individuals and families.
Processed meat also hung in the balance with a separate wager between the states’ governors: Wisconsin sausage versus Minnesota pork.
Bachmann has House’s eleventh-worst record for missed votes
MnIndy file photo
Of 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, only ten have missed more votes this session than Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, according to the Washington Post’s tally. Bachmann has missed 105 votes, or 13.6 percent of all votes. Fellow Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen had the state’s best record, missing only six votes in the 111th Congress, just one less than Rep. Tim Walz missed.
While California Democrat Rep. Hilda Solis had the highest rate of missed votes — she missed 59 of 78 possibles votes — the number of missed votes by party is roughly the same: Democrats missed 3.5 percent of votes, while Republicans missed 3.3 percent.
Another Minnesotan high on the list: At number 23, Rep. Keith Ellison missed ten percent of the votes, casting 695 and missing 78. Here’s how others in Minnesota’s delegation fared:
Rep. Betty McCollum: 16 missed (2.1 percent of all votes), 757 cast
Rep. Collin Peterson: 25 missed (1.9), 758 cast
Rep. Jon Kline: 12 missed (1.6), 761 cast
Rep. James Oberstar: 10 missed (1.3), 763 cast
Rep. Tim Walz: 7 missed (1.3), 766 cast
Rep. Erik Paulsen: 6 missed (0.8), 767 cast
As we reported in July, Bachmann and Ellison’s voting records were affected by personal obligations. Both missed time during the week of June 18, which had a record number of votes: Bachmann was spending time with family after a relative’s death, and Ellison was attending his son’s graduation from his Americorps program.
Via Dusty Trice.
GOP challenger to Wisconsin’s Obey raises $140,000
Rep. Dave Obey
Sean Duffy, the leading Republican candidate challenging Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), will report a fundraising total of $140,000, with $120,000 cash on hand, for the third quarter of 2009. I talked with the candidate today, keying off NRCC Chairman and Rep. Pete Sessions’s (R-Texas) prediction that Obey — who is seeking a 21st term in 2010 — would face a “tier one” challenge.
“I’ve got more $5 and $10 checks than you can shake a stick at,” said Duffy.
In 2008, Obey raised $1.6 million and handily defeated GOP candidate Dan Mielke, who raised only $92,501. The news that Duffy has already out-paced the party’s last Obey challenger is going to keep this race in the party’s sights — if a backlash to the economic stimulus package could strike anyone, it would be the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
Interpol: Crime Syndicates Helping Somali Pirates
Bachmann surprises Beck with stat on government piece of economy pie
A statistic from Michele Bachmann made Glenn Beck go, “Whoa!” on his radio show Wednesday morning: “The federal government owns or controls 30 percent of private wealth” in America. Beck exclaimed that the stat was new to him and even to his aghast studio crew. Where’d she get that? Bachmann (again) cited as her source an unnamed Arizona State University professor. The Minnesota Independent found the prof and asked him where he got the number.
It wasn’t through Nobel Prize–level methods, Prof. William Boyes told MnIndy by email:
I simply added up how much of GDP [gross domestic product] was govt run or govt controlled. I gave an approximation that is pretty conservative. I suspect the actual number is more like 40%; if health care goes through then it will rise to over 50%.
Bachmann seems to have got the stat from this July 7 Washington Times paraphrase:
William Boyes, an economics professor at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, estimates that the government now owns or controls businesses that generate about one-third of U.S. economic activity.
The congresswoman added “According to” and quote marks and posted that sentence at her Townhall.com blog the next day. She has continued to cite it since, though usually without Boyes’ name attached.
Commentating like Cokie
Over the airwaves, Bachmann has company. Pundit Cokie Roberts said this on the Oct. 4 edition of ABC-TV’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos”:
You know, right now, 40 percent, 40 percent of GDP is state, local, or federal money. I mean, that’s an incredible number. So that, you know, adding more [government spending] to that, I think, is going to … distort things even more. And the public is so concerned about it.
That inspired Politifact to try to nail down how much of the nation’s GDP really is in government hands. The answer turns out to be tricky: It depends on whether you count the money that the government transfer payments, such as Social Security, from one group of citizens to another.
Such transfers aren’t really government “spending,” though they may be what Bachmann and Boyes mean by “control,” even if the way the funds are spent isn’t in government. If transfer payments aren’t included in the figure, government spending is less than 20 percent of GDP. But by including transfer payments and adding in local government spending, Politifact rated Roberts’ figure “mostly true.”
Politifact bemoans that government statistics on its role in the economy simply haven’t kept pace with government responses to the recession such as stimulus spending, corporate bailouts and other programs. Boyes’ napkin-math is pretty much all we have at the moment.
Asked if the figure could be found in any published research, Boyes said “not that I know of” and recommended visiting the Cato Institute and Heritage Foundation websites for more information.
Coalescing against the Constitution
On another topic on Beck’s radio show, Bachmann couldn’t seem to make up her mind. She praised Beck for “the September 12th movement you instigated,” but also said, “People aren’t crazy. They haven’t been ginned up by talk show hosts.”
(Beck returned the favor by recommending listeners visit her website and make a donation.)
Bachmann said the 9/12 movement is a “huge tent” for people devoted to the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, repeating an image she conjures up often of those documents being the fabric of the tent.
Then it got kinda confusing: ”The very parchment … is the tent that we are coalescing against,” Bachmann said.
