Election economics, pre-summer
from Barataria by Erik Hare
How bad is it? We won’t know until we get there, but the latest job figures show that we’re treading water. It could be worse – we could be drowning. Whether that’s a good enough case politically won’t be known for a few more months. But so far we know the economy is not a good bet.
Mitt Romney’s record on jobs stinks
from MNPublius by Jeff Rosenberg
Some simple research shows that the economy in Massachusetts lagged behind the economy of the nation as a whole for every single month Romney was in office.
Will new mining set northern Minnesota free?
from Minnesota Brown by Aaron J. Brown
This Iron Ranger is not here to begrudge mining or dismiss the importance of raw materials in our economy. But this region has known dark times. Many have died or been forever changed by this region's mining history. I want a region that can sustain itself indefinitely because we say so, not because we are told so by someone with a chart and a mineral lease, or a pie-in-the-sky notion of tourism jobs.
Across the St. Croix
from Mr. Dilettante's Neighborhood by Mark Heuring
My own view hasn't changed much. Walker has changed the landscape in Wisconsin. There's no question of that. Even before all the drama began, I thought it would be an interesting to compare how Wisconsin and Minnesota compare in 2014, when Walker and Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton will theoretically face the voters. Add in what's happening in Illinois these days, and we should have a good basis for comparison.
Scott Walker's lead is not just about him
from mnpACT! Progressive Political Blog by Dave Mindeman
Independent voters don't seem to be happy with an endless election cycle. When the voting is completed they expect government to function with the winners and their ideas until deciding the next election. In addition, it is hard for indy voters to understand the attack on unions that Walker imposed. In the current economic climate unions jobs and their bargaining position benefit someone else, not them.
Personal responsibility – Yes
from Governor Arne Carlson's Blog by Governor Arne Carlson
Over the past three decades, the Minnesota Republican Party has been evolving from one with moderate and traditional conservative wings to one that is now engaged in an open tussle between the younger Ron Paul Libertarian types and the more radical social right of Mary Kiffmeyer and Tony Sutton.
Camp Odayin
from The Blogunteer by Stacy Pearson
Imagine not wanting to go to summer camp because you didn’t want to have to explain the scar on your chest from heart surgery or a parent being too scared to send their child off to camp because they would be too far from medical care. This is what the families of children with heart disease had to think about before Camp Odayin came along.
What would you do with this old bakery in Lamberton?
from Minnesota Prairie Roots by Audrey Kletscher Helbling
One building in particular intrigues me. The former Sanger’s Bakery, a brick stronghold anchoring a corner in downtown Lamberton in southern Redwood County, possesses a sweet, timeless charm that causes it to stand out.