Tax land, not buildings
from streets.mn by Chris Keimig
The conventional property tax, which taxes land and buildings at the same rate, is essentially backwards when it comes to the behaviors it incentivizes. It penalizes property owners for building or making improvements to their structures, while rewarding speculators and absentee landlords who would rather allow their properties to decay than make expensive (and annually taxable) improvements. Taxing land and buildings at the same rate means that as long as you don’t put any buildings on your land, your tax bill is going to remain relatively cheap.
Is Rob a Christian?
from Theoblogy by Tony Jones
A lot of my friends have abandoned Christianity. We’re about a decade in to this thing that is variously called emergent/emerging/emergence Christianity, and something I’ve noticed lately is that some of the people who were with us in the early days no longer consider themselves Christians. Some have regressed into more conservative forms of faith, but quite a few have abandoned faith altogether, or at least the practice of religion.
Beyond frostbite — or, how to survive a Minnesota winter
from Kristine Holmgren — Drama Queen by Kristine Holmgren
There are secrets to living well on the tundra. Secrets known only the wise, the withered and the wistful.
Erik’s Ranch & Retreats
from The Blogunteer by Stacy Pearson
Individuals living with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can have difficulties with communication and forming relationships. Erik’s Ranch & Retreats is built on a model that will address those needs by allowing residents to engage with the guests while doing something they enjoy.
My Helen Gill story
from Hotdishing by Kate Mohler
Fast-forward to today, 23 years later in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m checking out my hometown newspaper, The Bemidji Pioneer. I want to read about the poetry slam that Cornelius hosted in this bar I used to work at. As I click around to get the article, I see a headline that makes my heart do a sad flip-flop: “Helen Gill remembered”. Oh no! Helen Gill died. She was nearly 100 years old.
I read through the article and come across the sentence, “Everyone knew Helen.” Even I knew Helen, and this is my Helen Gill story.
Farewell to a great man
from Tim Droogsma's Blog
While I feel fortunate and special to have had him as a friend, there are countless fellow Princeton grads who feel the same way. He taught history with a genuine passion, and thousands of us passed through his classroom and were touched by that passion.
Photo of the week: U100 ‘Queen Machine,’ 1976
KQRS, KDWB, and WDGY all had their fans during the 1970s, but short-lived U100 was my favorite Twin Cities radio station. In 1976, U100 sponsored Queen’s appearance at the St. Paul Civic Center—hence the “Queen Machine.” This photo features at least four of the station’s DJs: Jo Jo Gunne, Rob Sherwood (standing in door), Chucker Morgan (in t-shirt), and Pat McKay (seated).