Cinco de Mayo
from Barataria by Erik Hare
It started as invasion by France to collect a debt, but the larger and better equipped French invasion force was defeated by a ragged group of Mexicans, some armed with little more than machetes and pitchforks.
On Stewardship
from Governor Arne Carlson Blog by Arne Carlson
John Taft, head of RBC Wealth Management located in Minneapolis, has written a very timely book titled Stewardship. I say timely because our culture is in sore need of re-identifying its values. And I add appropriately due to the fact that the word stewardship has been largely missing from our vocabulary in recent years. When is the last time we heard a leader espouse values of stewardship?
Tax cuts are a risky way to try to stimulate state’s economy
from Minnesota Budget Bites by Nan Madden
Another problem with the omnibus tax bill is that it didn’t specify how the tax cuts would be paid for in the future. The tax cuts cost $145 million in FY 2014-15, and the cost grows over time, reaching an estimated cumulative loss in revenue of $2.3 billion by 2026.
Governor Vetoes LIFO Bill — The Right Thing To Do
from mnpACT! Progressive Political Blog by Dave Mindeman
If we fully invested in education then LIFO wouldn't be a factor in budgeting. We could keep most of the teachers that are hired. School districts generally hire teachers because they are needed, not to create heavier expense numbers. If we need them, then we should properly fund the district to keep what is necessary.
Then and Now: Business Community Contributions to a Vikings Stadium
from The Deets by Ed Kohler
Back in the pre-Metrodome days, a local newspaper called the Minneapolis Star & Tribune Company was a major cheerleader for building a stadium downtown to replace the Met out in Bloomington where the MOA sits now. One major difference between than and now: the StarTribune was the largest private donor to helping get the Metrodome built.
MN-8 DFL convention to reboot hot race
from Minnesota Brown by Aaron Brown
This weekend DFLers in Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District will hold their convention in Duluth. The top agenda item will be endorsing a candidate to run against Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8), the upstart freshman conservative in a race that most national watchers are calling a true toss-up. Cravaack was already endorsed for re-election by MN-8 Republicans a couple weeks ago.
Ten Months After The Storm, A Rural Minnesota Congregation Returns “Home”
from Minnesota Prairie Roots by Audrey Kletscher Helbling
The old saying goes that a church is not a building. That adage holds true if you consider the essence of a congregation.
But, there is much to be said for a physical structure, for the memories it holds, for the comfort it gives in familiarity. Boards and walls and details in construction and décor connect us to our past, to emotions and to loved ones. A place represents, if anything, a tangible legacy of faith.
In the garden . . . waiting
from Borealis by Jennifer Thorson
It is so, so hard to wait. In St. Paul, Minnesota, the last-frost date is May 15, and that’s how long you’re supposed to wait to plant your garden. Generally, I’ve taken this to mean Mother’s Day, and my mama’s day fun usually begins with a trip to the greenhouse and ends with me covered in dirt.