The Journal of American Rocket Science has reported scores of British four-masted warships sailing westward in the Atlantic Ocean on course toward the United States. The Journal has uncovered secret British intelligence that reveals Britain has long harbored an opportunity to re-take the American Colonies after their humiliating surrender at Yorktown on October 19, 1871, to the Colonial military forces which ended the Revolutionary War. Continue Reading
Real estate is local but the federal government shut down has an impact on home sales. I had one closing delayed because the lender was unable to verify social security numbers through the social security administration. Sometimes home buyers need IRS transcripts in order to get approval for home loans and those are not currently available either. Continue Reading
The political thinker and Irish Member to the British Parliament Edmund Burke once famously declared the duty of a legislator as between being a delegate and doing what constituents demand versus serving them by exercising one’s best judgment. But there is at least another duty that legislators have and that is a legal if not an ethical duty to comply with their own laws and to support the government they were elected to serve. Continue Reading
How ya doin’? I know this is a tough time and the last person you want to hear from is a Democrat, but many of you are friends of mine. Some of the kindest and most decent people I know are Republicans, and I care about you. Much of my family were and are Republicans, too. You have to know I write this from the bottom of my heart. Continue Reading
As the threat of a federal government shutdown looms, it appears that Minnesotans receiving government assistance to house, clothe and care for themselves and their families have to worry most about the benefit that puts food on the table.Community Sketchbook focuses on the economic and social challenges facing communities, especially low-income communities and communities of color, and how people are trying to address them.It is made possible by support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Minneapolis Foundation, and some Minneapolis Foundation donor advisors.Community Sketchbook articles may be republished or distributed, in print or online, with credit to MinnPost and the foundations.That’s the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is appropriated annually and that unless Congress reauthorizes it is scheduled to end Oct. 1. Last year this food support program — a.k.a. food stamps — was paid to an average of 514,907 Minnesota individuals monthly. That figures out to about a quarter of a million households.And lurking in the weeds is another food assistance setback: the Nov. 1 expiration of a temporary hike to SNAP benefits mandated in the 2009 Recovery Act. Continue Reading
Another year, another showdown over the budget. This time the threat is a trifecta, a showdown over shutting down government, defunding Obamacare, and a default on the Federal Debt by not raising the debt ceiling. The stakes could not possibly be higher – and yet just about no one outside of Washingtoon wants to be in this game in the first place. How did it get to this? Continue Reading
According to news reports, contract negotiations between the State of Minnesota and the Viking Football team might be wrapped up as early as next Tuesday, September 24, 2
Four North Minneapolis candidates faced off in a public forum followed by karaoke at the Capri Theater on Saturday, September 7. About 90 audience members heard candidates respond to wide-ranging questions on everything from police-community relations to homelessness to the HERC garbage incinerator to youth policy. Economic empowerment was an overarching theme that the candidates often returned to in the forum, which was sponsored by Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC) and moderated by community leader Sina Black. With no DFL endorsement for the seat and incumbent Don Samuels running for mayor, the candidates are running hard and are eager to differentiate themselves from their opponents. Other than Severson’s repeated and rather pointed observation that he has lived in the 5th Ward his entire life, the candidates stuck to the issues and did not criticize each other. (Buckner is also a lifelong resident of the ward; Alexander moved to the ward after completing law school; Yang was born in a refugee camp in Thailand.)The candidates include:Ian Alexander, a family law attorney who lost his previous home in the north side tornado. Alexander ran unsuccessfully for the legislature last year, and came within a percentage point of gaining the DFL endorsement at the May convention. Continue Reading
Minneapolis mayoral candidate Cam Winton considers himself a “fresh face” in Minneapolis’ political landscape, partly because he has lived in Minnesota for less than ten years, and also because, as a Republican running as an Independent, Winton believes he is an outsider who can bring “fresh eyes” to the business of city hall.Appearing on August 14 at the Minneapolis home of Vanessa Dayton, Winton shared his views with a small crowd as part of a casual “meet the candidate” series. He was the fifth candidate to speak to potential voters in this series, and was invited by Dayton, who said Winton is a promising candidate of interest to, “young professionals in Minneapolis.” Other articles on this series of candidate appearances:• Minneapolis mayoral candidate Betsy Hodges wants Minneapolis residents to be “militantly immodest”• Minneapolis mayoral candidate Jackie Cherryhomes claims “trifecta of experience”• Mark Andrew highlights green dreams in Minneapolis mayoral campaign• No more lemmings: Minneapolis mayoral candidate Don Samuels on educationAs a 34-year-old with two young children, Winton spoke of his desire to reach out to similar young families in order to create a “city that works for everyone.” In Winton’s view, Minneapolis has become an attractive place for recent college graduates beginning their careers, as well as empty nesters from the suburbs who want a more urban lifestyle, but, he said, the city needs to function better in order to remain livable for families.Winton cited snow plowing as one example, criticizing it as slow and inefficient. Winton maintained that, for families trying to get out the door each morning, this is an important issue that needs to be addressed.Winton also expressed interest in closely reviewing the city’s contracts for garbage removal, saying he neither favored nor disapproved of contracting only with companies that employ union members. He said he wants every option considered so that the city will not be tempted to “do what it’s always done.”Winton then spoke about the need to rework the city’s regulatory services division, in the interest of encouraging entrepreneurial activity and job creation. Winton believes there should be less red tape involved, and that less regulation will lead to job growth more quickly than what he called “blue ribbon committees and task forces.”On the topic of education, Winton said he was interested in trying to change the city’s charter to allow the mayor to appoint school board members. Continue Reading
