Forrest Chad Wilkinson

The Legacy SalesTax

2011-06-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

Minnesota's Legacy Sales Tax

This is the text of the questions I offered to Ron Shara at his press conference with Bob Lassard and Bud Grant along with the Pheasant and Duck folks just before the constitutional sales tax was voted in. He was very rude and right in my face. He asked where I got my facts. I said the DNR, EPA, MPCA.... same as him. Then he got really rude and ugly. Ron Shara is a very small, petty man.
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A Point by Point on the Legacy Amendment.

By: Forrest C. Wilkinson, President of The Northern Oak Trading Company. L.L.C

POINT: By Roger Holms, Former DNR official. “Habitats, and the fish and wildlife that depend on them, are at risk of being lost forever.”

FCW: For goodness sake… Minnesota is the third greatest property owner in the nation, behind the U.S. Federal Government and Alaska. Minnesota is still acquiring property, be it through wild and scenic areas or scientific and natural area designations or parks and trails... or what not. And then there’s the counties and cities purchasing property, and also the perpetual and decade easements being arraigned through R.I.M and C.R.P and C.R.E.P and legacy programs and the like… funded by special license plates, special lines on tax forms and other means. And groups like Ducks Unlimited and the Sierra Club can purchase property and set it aside as well. There is lots of “protected” Habitat in Minnesota, and more being set aside each year already. With lots of funds to do so.

POINT: Senator (ret.) Steve Morse: ex. Dir. Minnesota Environmental Partnership. ”Two in five lake tested that are too dirty for swimming or fishing.”

FCW: I cannot believe that two in five of Minnesotas’ 10,000 plus lakes are not suitable for swimming or eating fish. Maybe the criterion for designation as “un-swimmable” and “un-fishable” is unreasonably low and is often triggered by normal background readings.

Look at the number’s, there is nothing to get alarmed about, if we’re down to worrying about soil turbidity in rivers and alga growth in lakes, were doing fantastic.

POINT: Senator (ret) Gene Mirrium, President of the Freshwater Society, and member Guardian Council. “The Minnesota River is one of the most polluted rivers in the nation.”

FCW: If you think of soil as a pollutant, then it is, I guess. I’ve swum in the Minnesota River lots of times ate the fish too, yes it’s full of silt, due to its unique geology. And the Nitrate argument suggests we should seek drinking water nitrate standards for rivers. Not reasonable. Methomoglobonemia, “blue baby” syndrome is serious, but the last reported cases were two children in the1980’s. Since then we’ve seen the creation of the

“GUIDANCE FOR MAPPING NITRATE IN

MINNESOTA GROUND WATER December 11, 1998

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), under the direction of the United States

Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), formed a Nitrate Work Group to develop guidance for use by state, county, and local government units to map nitrate contamination. The nitrate work group participants represented various federal, state, and local government agencies, including the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), United States Geological Survey (USGS), Olmsted, Brown-Nicollet, and Carver counties, University of Minnesota, University of Minnesota Extension, Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD), and MDH.” FCW: And they are doing a fine job. Do we really need another “council” to “direct efforts”?

POINT: Governor (ret.) Arne H. Carlson. “Without accelerated attention, our cherished natural resources and cultural heritage will become nothing more than a fond memory, and with it will go the wonderful quality of life that binds us to our state. Future generations will not enjoy the same access to clean water, wildlife, natural areas, and arts and cultural heritage.”

FCW: The drinking water throughout Minnesota is safe. All municipal wells and water supplies are required to report water quality data to the state Dept. of Health. Our tap water is safe and will remain so, with or without this Amendment passing. Implying anything else seems unnecessarily alarming. You can sleep well voting no.

POINT: Paul Douglas: “…it might slip away…what we have is a natural treasure and its not going to stay that way by accident and we have a moral responsibility to do the right thing….”

FCW: The rain will fall on Minnesota with or without this amendment, (and with the normal, naturally occurring, mercury levels as expected.). Yes, Minnesota is a treasure; no one knows that more than I. I also think we have a moral responsibility to not scare people into things. Let’s share this treasure with all people, come to Minnesota, and bring your swim suit, and fishing pole. Swim in our waters, eat our fish. Come to Minnesota; and fear not, it's O.K. if you don’t make it this year, it will still be a treasure when you get here, no matter what the vote on the Legacy Amendment. I’ll have a shore lunch waiting for you.

POINT: By Vote Yes Minnesota (Website)-“Our lakes are getting dirtier. Our fish and wildlife are facing harder times. Our history and culture are fading from lack of support.” And from their TV ad “Our drinking water is at risk”.

FCW: Please, this kind of “over-the-top” rhetoric is unwarranted and unsubstantiated by the data gathered on the ground. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is the lead state agency for most aspects of pesticide and fertilizer regulatory functions.” To date, no impairments for pesticides have been identified.”

POINT: By Governor (ret.) Wendell Anderson: “We are nearing a tipping pint in the fight to preserve what we enjoy today for future generation.”

FCW: No, I don’t think so. I think we have done remarkable things to clean up our nest after the wars and tumult of the twentieth century; and we now have systems in place to manage all outputs of cities and industries. I see a very bright future for Minnesota.

Conclusion: The language often used to support the Legacy Amendment is exceedingly harsh, alarming and frightening beyond the ecological situations they attempt to describe. In Minnesota, the earth is good, the air is clean and the water is fresh and it will continue to be so, even if you vote no.

Minnesotans can sleep guilt free if they should vote no on the Legacy Amendment.

Forrest C. Wilkinson:

Snow Falls For the First Time in 2010

2010-11-13T09:22:00.000-08:00

Today is Saturday, 13 November and the first snow is falling wet, big, and heavy.

The flakes stick to the screen on the windows and frames the big red barn like a picture out of Currier and Ives.

It is a nice day to stay in, and I am; until later tonight.

I am to attend a small party at "HH" Stables tonight. Should be fun.

The roads are now plowed, I will probably run to the local outfitter and get a new set of coveralls.

It is a great first snow here in Forest Lake, Washington County.
The white blanket has covered about a third of the state of Minnesota.

Post Election Party.

2010-11-06T07:19:00.000-07:00

It is 6 November and I feel a need to write an election followup article.

My review of the Eight Congressional House Elections of 2010 in Minnesota led to the following...

"
I expect
the 1st to Randy Demmer. (thats a risky call but I'm making it)
the 2nd to John Kline
the 3rd to Eric Paulsen
the 4th to is 50/50 so it leans to B. Mccullom
the 5th to Kieth Ellison
the 6th to Michele Bachmann
the 7th to Colin Peterson
the 8th to Jim Oberstar

I predict the Governors race is won by Tom Emmer. "

The results were close with an odd difference in that, like bookends, the upset I predicted in the first actually appeared in the eighth.

That, and the Governors race is yet undetermined and is probably headed to the courts, although it may lean over enough during the recount for Emmer to concede.

But if you understand what I said you realize a momentous thing has happened.

Jim Oberstar lost the race in the eighth to Chip Cravaak.

That is something the people of the eight district of Minnesota really needed, some hope for change.

This is truly change, and it brings hope.
(tomorrow; the 7th, is my 48th birthday and that was the best present possible!)

Not only that, but the Minnesota House and Senate underwent a great sweeping... out went much of the driftwood from the 70's.

I do enjoy the notion of not having to listen to Senate Majority leader Lawrence Pogemiller, he can go to the back bench now.

Same with Nancy Pelosi in the U.S. House.

It is now post election and I am now concentrating efforts to other things.

I think I will be doing some work for the Forest Workers League of Minnesota.

Who Takes the Prize in the Eighth?

2010-10-27T14:12:00.004-07:00

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[you can read my review of the 8 Congressional Districts of Minnesota here]
=====================================

In the eighth district you have what is turning out to be a lively race, where little or no challenge was expected.

The seat is held by Jim Oberstar. He was born in Chisolm got a B.A. from Saint Thomas and a masters degree in European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges Belgium.

For twelve years Jim was the chief staff assistant to then 14 term Representative John Blatnic. When he decided to not run again he endorsed Jim and he won.

Jim has been re-elected sixteen times, and conventional wisdom says he is a runaway to win it again this year.

However things have changed a little since his last election.

These changing situations appear to Jim and the voters of the 8th district in the form of one Chip Cravaack.

Chip was born in Charlston West Virginia and received a Bachelor of Science degree from United States Naval Academy and a Masters Degree in Education from University of West Florida.

Chip is offering a real challenge to our longest sitting house member in Minnesota history.

Chip lives in Chisago City with his family.
Jim lives in Potomac Maryland and owns his boyhood home in Chisolm.

I'll put it bluntly.
Jim Oberstar is a rude, arrogant, entrenched, politician prone to berate and bully his way through any challenges he and his hard DFL positions may encounter.

I've dealt with him personally and I think he is a pompous ass.
He is very comfortable in his position.

The 8th district of Minnesota has always been a DFL stronghold.

Yet there has been a generational shift and the results of decades of more and more programs and agencies has not made the standard of living in the rugged north that much better.

The mines are having trouble with the agencies and the programs don't do anything productive.

The economy in the 8th is not good and hasn't been for a while.
Jim and his party are, for the first time in living memory, being asked serious questions.

Jim and his party typically respond with bluster and name calling and thats what we are getting from Jim Oberstar and the DFL party.

Jim and his abrasive ways do not play well live and in debate.

Chip is getting support and is a stand up guy.
I hope he win.

I really, really hope he wins.

The odds are against him because of the unique makeup of the 8th district and the inertia of such a long incumbency, even with a voting record like Jim's.

Yet the people are awake and today they vote.
In the sober light of the morning I think Jim will win by a nose. I give Jim 3 to 2 odds to win.

But if I am wrong and Chip wins, I may move back to the district of my birth.

==========================================================

There you have it.

I expect
the 1st to Randy Demmer. (thats a risky call but I'm making it)
the 2nd to John Kline
the 3rd to Eric Paulsen
the 4th to is 50/50 so it leans to B. Mccullom
the 5th to Kieth Ellison
the 6th to Michele Bachmann
the 7th to Colin Peterson
the 8th to Jim Oberstar

I predict the Governors race is won by Tom Emmer.

---------------

A Sure Thing in the Seventh?

2010-10-27T14:12:00.003-07:00

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[you can read my review of the 8 Congressional Districts of Minnesota here]
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Collin Peterson is the incumbent House member from Minnesotas district 7.

He was born in Fargo and received a B.A. from MN State, Moorhead. He was a State Senator since 1977. He ran for the U.S. House seat three times and finally won, by 121 votes, defeating a seven term republican.

He nearly lost his re-election, the district being less receptive to a classic DFL agenda.

He fancies himself an agriculture man.

Collin has styled himself a "blue-dog" democrat. They say they feel collared by the leadership, or they would vote more the way the "blue-dogs would want.

That position has worked in the past....

He has a republican opponent for the seat, he is named Lee Byberg. Lee is also a nice man but I think he is way underfunded for such a large district.

Unless Collin; who is good at saying little, should say too much, I think he will hold his seat.

I predict Collin stretches out his lead and takes it by five lengths.

Solid in the Sixth

2010-10-27T14:12:00.001-07:00

=====================================
[you can read my review of the 8 Congressional Districts of Minnesota here]
=====================================

The race for the U.S. House Seat in Minnesotas' District Six is one of the hottest and most watched nationwide.

Bets are being waged from coast to coast.

The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi has stated that she has targeted for defeat, the incumbent; republican Michele Bachmann.

She says she thinks it would be better if I were represented by the DFLer Tarryl Clark.

I think Nanci should mind her own bees wax. Better yet I think her constituents would be better represented by John Dennis.

Michele was born in Waterloo Iowa and moved to Anoka where she graduated high school. She then went to Winnona State and went on to receive a degree in tax law from the College of William and Mary's.

She was a U.S. Treasury Department Attorney in the U.S. Federal Tax Court in Saint Paul.
Her and her husband now own a business in Stillwater.

She first won elective office in a very dramatic fashion. In 2000, she defeated the 18 year incumbent Gary Laidig in their republican primary race for his State Senate seat, dist. 56.

Then she won the general election.

She had taken State Senate seat 56 from the DFLers, "Independents", and the seated weak Republican.

Then, the redistricting fiasco of 2002, [thank you Arne Carlson] forced her to vie for a newly drawn district (52) against a strong DFL'er named Jane Krentz.

She beat her too, and became the State Senator from the newly drawn district 52.

Then, when the U.S. House Dist 6. incumbent Mark Kennedy decided to run for Senate, and leave the seat open, Michele ran for the seat and won.
She took the office in January of 2007, and won re-election in 2008.

She now is facing a well funded opponent.

Tarryl Clark was born in Norfolk Virginia. She attended Drake and graduated with a B.A. in Sociology. She has a masters in education from Arizona state and a law degree from William MItchell in Saint Paul.

She was very involved in "community Action" and when the MN senate dist 15 dave Klies won the election for mayor of Saint Cloud, a special election was held.

Tarryl Clark ran and won. She was re-elected to a full 4 year term in 2006.

She now has supporters nationwide who, don't love her so much as they hate Michele. In so many ways they do.

I love that Michele bugs them so much, I see it as an enduring quality.

I know the State of Minnesota and I know the 6th district. Michele is safe and all that money coming from all over the nation is just wasted cash.

Michele voted very wisely lately; and the newly attentive, no longer silent majority, have noticed.

I give Six to one odds for Michele to keep her seat.
...and then we will watch her establish a caucus of freshmen to help keep their focus.

Garrison Keillor may consider going back to Europe, he said he felt more comfortable there than in Minnesota.

this is going to be good.

A Run Away in the Fifth

2010-10-27T14:11:00.002-07:00

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[you can read my review of the 8 Congressional Districts of Minnesota here]
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Minnesotas' fifth Congressional District is relatively small, it has Minneapolis, our largest city.
One of the basic differences between Minneapolis and Saint Paul is that Saint Paul is a city of the east, Minneapolis is a western city.

Both of our large cities ( like most large cities in America today ) has been run by the DFL/Democrats.

The Fifth District seat has been held by the DFL since 1963.

Today the seat is held by Kieth Ellison. He is from the State of my father, Michigan. His family all became doctors, lawyers, or preachers. He has a B.A in economics, he then came to Minnesota and got a law degree at the U of M. Afterwords he worked at a local law firm specializing in civil rights, employment and criminal defense. He was executive director of the not-for-profit Legal Rights Center defending the indigent. He was a local "public affairs" radio host and eventually elected to the MN House of Representatives in the mid-city district; 55B. He was re-elected and then ran for, and won, the U.S. House seat being vacated by the retiring Martin Olav Sabo (DFL), Dist 5.

The republican candidate is a man named Joel Demos. He is born to missionaries and was raised in greece, his grandmother was mayor of Roseville. He graduated college in California and always worked in finance, now working for TCF.

The DFL party of 1963 and Don Frasier is very different from the DFL party of 2010 and Kieth Ellison

Minneapolis has become, like the party that runs it, a hot bed of "activism".

Groups and organizations and non-profits and all kinds of blog writing and placard waiving "organizations" are out and about defending the disaffected or disrespected or enlightening the uneducated or raising "awareness" to/for/on? the unaware "people".

That is what Kieth is all about and he represents this voting block very well.

Joel is a very nice man who would be great in congress.
He will run a good race.

He will lose.
This is as close to a sure thing as you will get for a DFL'er in a race this year.

Kieth takes it in six lengths.

A Photo Finish in the Fourth

2010-10-27T14:11:00.001-07:00

=====================================
[you can read my review of the 8 Congressional Districts of Minnesota here]
=====================================

First, I want all of my readers to understand I work a busy 7am to 4pm job trimming/dropping trees and working horse barn stuff. I just offloaded some hay after a days tree work.
I apologize for being tardy, we will fit it all in by Tuesday I promise.

This is truly a most dramatic election cycle after a long crescendo of years of being told that "this election matters more than most".

I think this one is a biggie.

I haven't done much to describe the electorate because if you are alive here today you know who is voting for whom and why. It is like when a cell divides and all of a sudden you see what was invisible just moments ago, the DNA separate and go to separate sides of the cell.

However, for those not here now, I hope to describe the electorate in Minnesotas' fourth district and by extension, the rest of the state in general.

The seat is now held by the DFL incumbent Betty McCollum. She won the seat after the death of leftist, and "environmental" champion, Bruce Vento.

Betty grew up in Minneapolis and was a high school social science teacher and sales manager. She served three terms on the Minneapolis City Council, then moved up to the Minnesota State House of Representatives where she held office for four terms.

She was a lock step DFL vote and represented the majority of State House District 55B well.

Then she was the DFLs candidate for the U.S. House Dist 4 seat being vacated by the ill Vento.
Minnesotas' District 4 , which includes the bureaucrats city; Saint Paul, has been a DFL held seat for decades.

She has had a safe seat and was relatively quiet and happy as a back-bencher, with hopes of moving up of course.

Betty is not the most dynamic or feisty of candidates. I think she does poorly face to face, at interviews or in debates. Honestly, I don't think she is very bright.

She now, as opposed to the last three elections cycles, has a real contender opposing her for what has been a sure thing.

She is being challenged by the Republican endorsed Teresa Collett. She is from out of state, had a business in Oklahoma, and has been for some time now a law professor at the University of Saint Thomas.

She represents a different kind of candidate than what has been offered by either party for generations. Teresa, like many first time candidates showing up in races all across the state and the nation, might be described as an: "enough is enough" candidate.

She and many other people are not pleased with the operations in Washington D.C. and more of the same is not what they are seeking in a representative. There are many new voters, and new candidates, and "new" ideas challenging the old.

The election is just around the corner. Unlike years in the past; today there is more than just a dissatisfied majority, grummblingly accepting the progressive march of the politically connected, and ever more expensive and intrusive machinery of government.

There is a new batch of people who've chosen to stand up and be heard, and the political class are more than a little shaken up at this turn of events.

All can see that they, the political class, are in fact a minority. But they and their organized, and amplified, efforts represent a strong voting block.

The unions, the non-independent farmers, most school workers, social workers, city and county workers. Non-profit corporation workers, government contractors.

Anyone employed by any government supported entity.
And with the budget amounts we are talking about that is a lot of entities.

The fourth district of Minnesota has a high percentage of these, what with the Capitol; Saint Paul and all its government workers, and organizations, and"Non-Governmental Units" NGO's. Now there's a euphemism for you.

But now the majority of people who have been quietly going about there daily lives; which by the way doesn't revolve around grants or bills or legislators, have seen there burden get bigger and there future prospects smaller.

And they see a direct relationship between the government burden and their future prospects.
The larger the former, the smaller the latter, for them and their children.
[and you and yours by the way.]

These day to day, normal working Minnesotans, are greatly dissatisfied with the direction the National and State governments have been going for years.

They do not see more of the same as a solution. As a matter of fact they see very much less of the same as the solution.

With the rapid budget growth and sweeping legislative mandates, the electorate has had the blinders removed. They now know what is the real subject of these elections.

And these have been itemized in easily digestible form to aid the newly, but greatly interested, voter.

And this year, the usual incumbent bonus is only available if they voted wisely. Betty did not vote wisely according to this new, and very active, voter block.

She voted for the "stimulus", and for the new "health care bill", and for the new "cap and trade" [or as I call it: tax and ration].

True to her nature and her DFL base constituency, but not wise in the gale of the new political winds blowing, Betty may fail to win this race.

Now I call the odds at 50/50. I hope Teresa wins.

So in three days we will see if the old entrenched, politically connected power-base can hold the line against a growing number of dissatisfied taxpayers, some of which will be voting for Teresa next Tuesday.

It is neck and neck as they come in to the finish line....

It Looks Like a Knock-Out in the Third

2010-10-26T21:23:00.001-07:00

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[you can read my review of the 8 Congressional Districts of Minnesota here]
=====================================

In the third Congressional District of Minnesota you will find the incumbent is Erik Paulsen. He is a Republican first termer.

He won the open election in 2008 for the House seat that was vacated by the retiring Jim Ramstad [R]. He grew up in Minneapolis, graduated from Chaska High and Saint Olaf college, majoring in mathematics. Erik was in the Minnesota House of Representatives for some time, and became the House Minority Speaker after Tim Pawlenty left that post when he was elected Governor.

[Tim opened up the Governors race when he announced last year he was not seeking re-election.]

The DFL has chosen, in their primary race, a candidate named Jim Meffert. He grew up in Marshall graduating high school there, and also went to Saint Oaf college, majoring in political science. Jim is executive director of the Minnesota Optometric Association and the past president of the Minnesota Parent Teacher Association.

This race, like the one in the second district, also could have been more exciting.

Jim has all the typical issue statements you might expect.
For the economy Jim wants WPA type jobs, increased unemployment extensions and tax hikes.

Jims' energy plan calls for fighting global warming {read: phantom menace}, promoting green jobs[?], insuring greater government oversight in the energy industry, and a carbon-tax or, cap-and-trade; or both.

Jims' education plan calls for fighting the "teaching to tests", promoting energy efficient and retrofitted schools, and insuring much less government oversight in the education industry.

Jim says, concerning the recent health care bill; "...this bill is a first step towards achieving universal and affordable health care as a right, not a privilege."

These are all classic DFL positions, and you can see more lock-step DFL issue statements at his website.

For me Erik is way too willing to couch his positions to appease the sensibilities of the cynical leftists in the press.

However, he has voted wisely in the last Congress and therefor receives the incumbent bonus. He has said straight forward that we should repeal the recently passed "Health Care Bill".

This is a very hot, pivot point issue, during an extremely polarized election.

Here, as in other issues and most other races; there is a clear distinction that is easily understood by an increasingly attentive electorate.

Jim is for the new law and Erik is against it.

The new political blood that is reflected in the "tea party" movement has made it easier for the Republicans to sound more Constitutional in their discussions.

This can be witnessed in Erik.

He too can tell which way the wind is blowing.

I think that Erik has at least ten-to-one odds of holding his House seat against Jims' challenge.

For Erik however, this election may prove to be an easier battle than the one he will find himself in after the election.

It is difficult for a soft Republican, in a hail-storm of special interest groups fighting each and every budget cut, to remain strong.

The Democrats favorite Republican, [and one of my least favorites...] Teddy Roosevelt said; "Cowardice is the only unpardonable sin".

Bully For You.

Down to the Wire in District Two

2010-10-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

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[you can read my review of the 8 Congressional Districts of Minnesota here]
=====================================

In the Second Congressional District of Minnesota you have one of the least exciting races. The incumbent John Kline [R] seems very likely to keep the seat from the DFL candidate; Shelley Madore.

John is a Retired Marine Colonel who after several runs finally won the seat from the incumbent on 2002. He maintained his third term in 2006 by defeating one of "Times" persons of the year FBI agent "Collen Rowley [DFL]".

Now he faces Shelley, the perfectly groomed DFL candidate from solid Boston stock with local non-profit training. She looks good, and speaks well that circular, platitude laden, double speak that is used to support "programs".

Unfortunately for her, she has little support. The DFL has been sending resources to other fronts. Sure, she gets the endorsements of the Mondales, and "news"papers. But the real Democrat money is going to other races, like the sixth for example. [were i think it is being unwisely spent.]

The reason she gets little help is because John is almost a shoe in. He is just about the picture perfect version of the quintessential republican.

He seems a little stiff to me, but I suppose that is really what we need, so I am all for him.

I feel a need to disclose that he, in his early campaigns, booked a table at the celebration of Freedom Day on May 1; I think in 1998, I was managing. So, I give him bonus points for that. Also, while he was carrying the nuclear "football" for Uncle Ronnie in the eighties I was playing "receiver" on the blue crew of the U.S.S.Nathan Hale.

John, with all that, and the incumbent bonus, [available this year only to those who voted wisely] is the odds on favorite

I think he will cross the finish line at least two lengths ahead of Shelly. I put the odds at five to one for John.

A Fight to the Finish in the First

2010-10-25T12:54:00.001-07:00

=====================================
[you can read my review of the 8 Congressional Districts of Minnesota here]
=====================================

There is a hotly contested struggle in the First Congressional District of Minnesota. The campaign to maintain power, or gain it; is now at fever pitch.

The seat is now held by the second-termer; Representative Tim Waltz [DFL]. He was born in Nebraska and is the son of a school administrator and a community activist. He retired from the National Guard and received his doctorate in education at Saint Mary's in Winona. He is a teacher in Mankato, on the Blue Earth River.

He is challenged for the seat by Randy Demmer [R]. He is a lifelong resident of Hayfield and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.A in Ag. Business Administration. He has built up and sold several business, including a software company and three NAPA stores.

I hope he beats the incumbent.

Tim Waltz is a nice man, and he is probably an excellent school teacher; but he is the last thing the 1st District needs now.

He entered the house when the chips were down for the opposing party, and Tim was enough of "someone else" without being off-putting by having political positions.

He is the latest version of what is called a "blue-dog" democrat. That phrase came from a painter whos' scenes sometimes centered around a blue dog that often had a collar and a leash.

The implication is that they are rogue democrats who are unfortunately leashed to their leaders, or they would be voting more to their liking. (and by implication yours, no matter what that means.)

I prefer the term "milquetoast".

Tim is the kind of candidate that gets the endorsement of ole Governor Arne Carlson [R], who also endorsed Barrack Obama for president, as well as "independent" candidate Tom Horner for Governor.

Arne is just another guy who wants the books to line up and sees no problem with another little tax hike. He also likes people to listen to him as if he has something wise to say, and he really likes to be on TV.

He is washed up and should sit down.

Arne, your political days are behind you, take up stamp collecting or something.

That wishy-washy, meaningless, mush-mouth talk is a great strategy; designed to please everyone without turning off anyone.

But these are different times, and I don't think it will work in today's educated, electric, and politically charged atmosphere.

It will probably work for Colin Peterson in the 7th, as it has for years... maybe, but that's about it.

Here in the first district, full of farm fields, farm towns and farmers; and dotted with some sizable towns with their special interests, like Mankato and Winona and their colleges, or Rochester with the Mayo Clinic; there is no more room, or patience for fence sitting.

The, "well... on the one hand we have this, but on the other we have that" kind of talk has lost its luster.

We cannot afford that kind of nonsense anymore Arne.

There seems to be a general desire for plain speaking.
For clear answers to basic questions.

Don't expect any clear answers from any Democrat candidate.

They know that their ideas are not popular. They will shade their answers, divert the conversation, or more likely do as they usually do; call the opponent names, or his/her friends names.

Unfortunately the only people who seem to ask these basic questions are constituents; the press seems too preoccupied with other things to ask these good questions.

Questions like... "you say you are for this or that, yet you keep voting to the contrary, or support leadership with strong opposing views...how do your reconcile that to your constituents?"

Right now the polls have it a statistical tie, which makes me think it is leaning away from the incumbent. But we shall see.

The only poll that matters is in November.
Tim may hold on to his seat, but right now I see the odds are three-to-two agianst him.

=======================================

PS: Saturday the President Of The United States [POTUS] was in town stumping for the DFL Governor candidate Mark Dayton. Dayton is a horrible candidate with no stage presence or speaking ability, or fresh ideas.

This makes him an excellent standard bearer for his party.

He looks like a goggle eyed loon.
You will not see much or hear much from him leading up to the election.

His handlers, the best Dayton money can buy, knows that every time he is seen he loses 300 votes and every time he is heard he loses 640 more votes. He looks and sounds like a Prozac loaded stiff.

If you ever want to see a DFL drone, drone...go to a Mark Dayton speech. If you make it to the end, you will need a double, I'll buy; you've earned it.

Tarryl Clark in the 6th district had Bill Clinton in town stumping to defeat Michelle Bachmann in the 6th. He was scheduled to speak at 7:30 he arrived at 11.

In any case, politically Bill Clinton is the kiss of death. Just look at his endorsement record. Tarryl Clark is just about done, I think.

Minnesota by District.

2010-10-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

Minnesota is a large State geographically with a small population, half of which is concentrated in the Twin cities metropolitan region.

The congressional districts, of which we have eight, are apportioned around people and therefore are relatively small in the metropolitan region and quite large as you go out state.

The first congressional district covers extreme southern Minnesota, from Wisconsin to South Dakota.

The second is smaller and covers the southern part of the metropolitan area.

The third is smaller still and encompasses the suburban region south, west, and north of Minneapolis.

The fourth congressional district has one of the twins, the Capitol city; Saint Paul and with it most of Ramsey county.

The fifth is very small and covers the east half of Hennepin county, and the other twin, Minneapolis.

The sixth district (the one I live in now) is north of the Metro following the Mississippi north a piece and also stretches east to the Saint Croix River bordering Wisconsin.

The seventh is is the largest district and covers most of western Minnesota, from the Canadian border to Marshall south of the Minnesota river.

And the eight district, also very large, covers the north and northeastern region to the Canadian border and to lake superior.

I have ties and interests in all these districts, I have lived and voted in the sixth for decades and I have deep emotional bonds to the eighth.

Keep in mind Congressional Districts encompass people first and geography by necessity.
But the geography has greatly shaped the people.

The folks along the wide flat planes in south-west Minnesota are different than the people in the hustle and bustle of the fifth, or the rugged northern eighth.

Each of these districts are apportioned by population, and these people will elect it's representative to our Republic by democratic means.

This is to be done ten days from today, on November 2.

There are some long standing assumptions being questioned and many an old guard is more than a little nervous.

I intend to do a district by district break down soon.

Rounding The Far Turn...

2010-10-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

I have been busy working the tree end of things. I got to do another crane job in White Bear Lake. It went well, but with a little gutter work needed afterwords, nothing horrible though.

The tree biz is busy now, but it will slow some and I will probably slide back to the stables during winter time.

Which makes me think of horses, and races.

And things are more than warming up on the race for the votes.

The race to get the votes for Governor here in Minnesota is getting interesting. The primaries led to the unlikeliests taking the endorsement for both the Republicans and the DFL.

The DFL, surprisingly, did not chose to run the mare; Margaret Anderson Kelliher. Instead they went with the gelding; Mark Dayton who had a Dam and Sire with name, and came from a farm with money.

The Republicans, instead of running the winner of the last race, Tim Pawlanty, or the next groomed contender from the House stable; they picked a hot, dark horse named Tom Emmer. [hot to them, I think he's warm... on some days.]

Mark Dayton has paid much of his own money to fund many of his own races in the past. Eventually he won the race for the State Auditor in 1990 and then finally the race for the U.S. Senate in 2001.

As they round the bend and enter the home stretch, they are evening up. Although Dayton looks a little wobbly and Emmer has a good stride the end is where it matters.

The book makers are calling Dayton the favorite, but I smell an upset. I've seen Dayton race before and his record is not so good. Just because you can afford the entrance fee doesn't mean you can race.

But Emmer has yet to race past the crowd cramming the rail on the home stretch, many of whom have bet, and bet big against him. Things can happen.

Pay very close attention now; for it is in that last stretch, and in the photo booth, that "winners" are made.

I may be just a hard bitten old track writer, but I'll always have a soft spot for the underdog.
I think the dark horse has it in him, and can win too big to cheat it out of him.

Two Weeks To The Earthquake.

2010-10-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

I initially started writing this journal primarily as a means to billboard my products.

My intent is to write professionally for a (most probably political) issue oriented organization.

I have lots of interests. Many seem to have attracted the attention of politicians whom seem to want to tell me how to go about my business.

In my ideal world I would live and work in outstate Minnesota, minding my own business. Making and doing things that are productive. I would not be spending much time or energy on things political.

It is not I who has gone out of my way to seek them out, rather it is the politician; and quite often the legislation they propose, that seeks out me.

Here I am, one man living in the State of his birth, Minnesota. I love my family, my friends, my work. I love Minnesota and Minnesotan's through and through.

[7 winters makes you a Minnesotan]

I could give tours of the State based on time, interests, money, health... I like the concept of the four corners tour. It would be way cool.

I am still working on the order. I think scheduling matters, season-wise. It is a big State, and touching all four corners of the State of Minnesota is no small thing.

I happen to live in one of the most political states in the union, in one of the most political counties, in one of the most political congressional district, in one of the most political elections in generations.

I live in Forest Lake, in Washington County, in Minnesotas' 6th district, with incumbent Republican Michelle Bachmann facing the Democrat Farmer Labor [DFL] candidate and present State Senator' Tarryl Clark.

They both have been in the Minnesota Senate. Tarryl now is in the MN Senate seat 15.

The Speaker of U.S The House of Representatives; Nancy Pelosi, has labeled that U.S. House seat now helb by Bachmann as a "top target".

There is much to be said past, present, and future; concerning this moment in human history.

I will comment on some of these things during the crescendo to the November 2 cataclysm.

For starts I will let you know my inclinations.

I like the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. [although I agree with the "redundancy" argument made at the time.]

I like the Minnesota Constitution, the fact it was signed on two documents because the differences at the time were hot.
{one blue and one pink, guess which was signed by the Democrats.}

I like the Minnesota Constitution with its' definition of property rights as being Allodial property rights.

I am in the wood business. I love Minnesota, and boats, and food, and people and animals and geography and power. Real power, the ability to do work.

Being an old submariner I like quiet power.

I do not like any ideas proposed by the DFL since I left the service in 1987.
In fact, I have watched that organization and its' products, go steadily downhill since they started rattling my cage, and brought my naive gaze on their operation decades ago.

I find it hard to imagine ever voting DFL.
That is not to say I am impressed by the Republicans long suffering courageous stand for freedom. (not)

I have been waiting for a long time for real change.

For power to return to its proper place.
Most of what the Feds do the States should be doing, or better yet the people. What the States now do, the counties should; what the counties are doing quite often the individuals should be doing.

The cost is often unseen, yet people are encumbered by hidden burdens.

There is a remote, foggy but pleasant dream; it has been offered by many, many, many over the eons.

"We will remove individual struggle by collectivization."
No one will go without. It can be done.

No, it cannot.
To try is to deny the human spirit.

To claw from the working all, to give to a supplicant some, by an anointment few; I find revolting.

I know Minnesota from its rivers, arts, industries, history, land, people, seasons and our way of life.

I've known many of the "tea Party" people here in Minnesota for years. I think they are great and offer a taste of what is needed in Washington and Saint Paul.

I believe that Michelle Bachmann is going to have greater leadership positions after her re-election this November.

I intend to have an especially festive birthday this November 7.
I hope to post nearly daily till then.

Vast Vibrant Vistas.

2010-10-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

There was a two week stretch of chill weather that shocked the systems. The plants, animals, and people of Minnesota were given a reminder of where they live. The first hard frost has come and gone.

It has passed and now the days are into the 70's again. Work is hot. Yet you know it will not be that way for long. We feel fortunate for every warm day in October.

These are days to get things done. Winter is coming.

Last week was interesting; on Friday we left the in town stump-grinding grind and moved to a spot in Stillwater.

Some guy sold a successful business and purchased some rolling wooded acreage on the high ground.

He had already had his "garage" built, and we were there to clear trees from the drive and future house. We also where to do some cleaning up of the general area.

On Friday, day 1 of this multi-day adventure, Joe had brought in a crane.

It was a picture perfect autumn day on the uplands of Stillwater along the Saint Croix river valley.

We were taking out some big trees. We had a real climber, and me to help setting chokers.

The routine was for me to ride the ball of the crane up to the top of the oak or maple, set a choker or two around a strong enough limb to take a large weight. Then hook the choker onto the ball of the crane.

Then I rappel down to the ground and pull my line through the hook.

That's when the climber cuts it off, and the crane lifts the "Big Broccoli" up. It then turns to set it on the ground where it's bucked up and the brush separated from the logs.

It was a picture perfect day with a view clear to Wisconsin. The whole region was ablaze in the billowing autumn colors; of reds, yellows, orange, burgundies...

It was a stunning view seen in a spectacular way. I will probably never see it again, I am a very fortunate Minnesotan to have seen it at all.

The rest of the work on the site has been drop and buck. And I have been climbing and doing some trimming here and there.

There is at least another days work for five people.

September Ends

2010-09-25T05:15:00.000-07:00

The sun rose but couldn't be seen. These clouds are just part of a rainfall that has lasted for days. We only got grazed but the southern third of Minnesota has been inundated. The River Warren Valley again shows it's dominance over the region as it catches, and transports to the sea, this huge rainfall.

The political season is way past gearing up and is off and running. As are the deer, for it is autumn and hunting season has started; bow first, then gun. Many of my friends have taken one already, looks like it will be a good deer harvest; unlike down south were this new rainfall has saturated what was expected to be a record grain harvest.

I am preparing for my winter-over as is everyone else with a rational and responsible Minnesota mindset. Coat, hat, gloves, boots that sort of thing. I think I am going out and getting a boot dryer. Very handy in the winter, there is nothing like warm and dry boots in the morning.

I intend to update my membership to the MSOA Minnesota Stable Owners Association, and also the FWLM; Forest Workers League of Minnesota.

I like working at the Tree Service/Horse Stables in Stillwater.
I really want to run the bandsawmill at Lumberjack Days next year, but that has to be pushed. So I will be pushing that.

I have my storage space paid up, my license renewed, the truck runs and is fully insured. Now to tidy up the boats, I still hope to get a couple runs in but the season is soon over for boating.

I also had been hoping to set up a more comfortable living arrangement by winter with a little more space and no weekend chores. That may still happen, I would like to live closer to work.

I want to paint my portable stage before it gets too cold, I could straighten up my storage space at the same time.

That's probably what I'll do this week. Today I may run to Sartell, or Big Lake depending on a few phone calls.

I did the laundry and the dishes, if I go I better do so soon. I need to be back for Sunday morning chores for about 20 horses. I should be done by noon.

If it's nice, maybe I'll paint my stage Sunday afternoon.

Now, time to make some phone calls.

Autumn is Here and Winter Aproaches.

2010-09-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

Today was a crisp morning with fog. We were geared up and getting underway by 7 at Haines Tree service in Stillwater.

We had the white Pick-up pulling the stump grinder ahead and going through the list provided by the City of Minneapolis. Following that was the one ton pulling a trailer to receive the grindings, and running along with it, was the Mac [Granite] loader to pick up the grindings and then fill the hole with the dirt carried in the back of the Mac.

It's pretty efficient and once up and running it is not uncommon for us to grind 1000 inches of stumps.

We headed into town and were approaching the first ground stump to clean up (Mike and I were in the Loader), the fog had burned off and it was a perfect blue autumn day.

We went about from site to site, chewing up stumps along the boulevards of Minneapolis like a bunch of rabbits bouncing from carrot to carrot in the garden.

We had a good day and tomorrow looks to be the same.

Long Span of Time

2010-08-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

I have had a wonderful Minnesota Summer and have much to say and have been saying it, but not writing it.

I'll try to improve.

FCW

Quick... Find Five Billion, You Have Five Days.

2010-05-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

The State of Minnesota Legislature has been in session since February 4, 2010.

For many years now the State of Minnesota has been dealing with the realities brought about by a STATE spending curve that has long ago past the "hockey stick" profile, and is now approaching the near vertical.

The State of Minnesota's outgo, has been exceeding its income, for a long time now.

And the future projections are staggering to those willing to look at them.

Yet the spending, and legislating, and mandating, and agency-creating, and taxing ways of the last two generations continues.

".....and the calliope crashed to the ground"

So here we are with five days remaining till the mandated end of this legislative session and very little to show for it.

At least to those with a sober and adult viewpoint to the progress.

And to add insult to injury, the Governor's budget balancing measures of last year (needed because the Legislature, like always, waited till the last minute to not address the spending problem); have been ruled unconstitutional by the MN Supreme Court, and therefore undone.

So now we face at least a five billion dollar deficit to the budget.

Minnesota has a Constitutional Mandate to run on a balanced budget and the opportunities to shuffle bags of money from here to there are about used up.

The party in power has suggested adding another income tax bracket on the top end setting it at about %9.1+.

This would not come anywhere near closing the gap, but it feels good to the party in power.

Minnesota has an income tax, sales tax, property tax, electrical generation tax, Liquor tax, tobacco tax, state Lotteries, gas tax, mining tax, vehicle tax, and many more taxes. Not to mention all the fees for activities.

And the outgo still greatly exceeds this huge income stream.

This is also the start of the election cycle for all State House Members and and it is going to be very interesting and I think one of the hottest election in my lifetime so far.

Many people, agencies, and organizations, dependent on the STATES growth curve will be heard from.

And anyone in their way will...we'll I don't know what, but judging by past actions and tactics, it may be more than interesting as we approach the only poll that matters, the one in November.

But as of today, the STATE of MINNESOTA has five days to find five billion dollars.

Friday May 07, 2010

2010-05-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

It is an early spring in Minnesota. It is electric and magic.

The buds on the trees are bursting the grasses are passing the standing brown stalks of last fall.

The ice is long gone and the geese are setting up shop on shorelines. The songbirds are singing loud and long and flitting about declaring territories.

The fruit trees are in flower and each have a strong fragrant aura all their own.

The bees are out.

But today a cold front is approaching and has been dumping heavy wet snow over half the state.

Since I have been alive I have heard of the old wise folks saying...

"do not plant you're tomatoes yet, nor your flowers unless you are ready to cover them; for it may be pleasant and shirtsleeve warm today, the winter is not quite through with Minnesota yet."

And so it is in early May in Minnesota. Fantastic.

Get the boats ready!!

April and a Half.

2010-04-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

It is the middle of April and this is a very busy, stressful and intense month for me.

Tomorrow, April 15th I will be at the Capitol in Saint Paul with several thousand of my friends suggesting that we Americans and Minnesotans are over taxed now, thank you very much.

I hope to see you there.

Prior to the 5pm event I will be working the second day taking down a MONSTER cottonwood tree in Saint Paul.

Busy but doable.

Gotta keep on moving.

Freedom Day, May 1 at the Minnesota State Capitol

2010-04-08T20:23:00.000-07:00

Hello,

May 1; Freedom Day, a day set aside to celebrate Freedom and Individual Liberty.

This will again be celebrated at the Capitol Mall in St. Paul by the liberty loving people of Minnesota, with support from the Freedom Day Foundation.

This will be the 15th commemoration of Freedom Day that the Freedom Day Foundation [FDF] has assisted the people of Minnesota in properly marking.

As in years past, this year’s celebration will again be punctuated with half hourly salutes to Freedom and Individual Liberty from two black powder cannon. One arrives from the New Ulm Battery, and the other from the Princeton irregulars.

We are offering six opportunities to pull the lanyard to fire a salute to Freedom to those 18 years or older for $100.
They are expected to go fast, first come first served. Reserve yours now before they are gone.

All are welcome to this family friendly celebration of these most American values. Pack a lunch, a jacket and the kids and come to the Capitol for an enjoyable day basking in the warmth of Freedom in Minnesota.

Go:
http://freedomday0501.net/

There is also a Freedom Day event page on “Facebook” sponsored by The Freedom Day Foundation.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=219674240678

Any group, organization or individual who would like to help or participate can contact me at ForrestC.Wilkinson@yahoo.com, facebook, or call me directly at 651-434-8664.

I can also be contacted for interview by any media by the same means.

Thank you,
Forrest C. Wilkinson
President of the Freedom Day Foundation [FDF]

Double Time March .

2010-03-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

March is near an end, it has been warm and dry. Most of the snow is gone.

It is chilly in the morning and you still need a hat when putting out the hay.
I think I have about the best drive to work possible. Except the "no drive" work situation is still always the best, I think.

I take the back roads from Forest Lake to Stillwater. It is scenic and rolling and you always see deer, turkey, pheasant, happy cows, hawks, raccoon or something.

I work at a horse barn that happens to have a tree service attached to it.
I feel I can fit in to a place like this.

Today I helped the morning chores. Richard put out the hay before I got there so I just started putting them out.

Every barn is different. One of the unique things here is the topography. We are adjacent to a creek falling into the Saint Croix River.

The grounds are essentially three tiers.

The lower one, south and east (towards the St. Croix) is three large paddocks.

When you leave the barn out the back; if you go right, and after passing six medium paddocks, you go down about fifteen feet to the lower big three paddocks.

The Barn is laid out in an "L" shape on the second tier. The older barn is the short leg of the "L".

If you go out the door of the old barn and take a left; you go up about twenty feet to the upper tier. There are three medium paddocks, then three more and then in the way back is a huge paddock for the herd and even more wooded rolling ground for trail riding.

If instead of going up the hill, you exit the old barn and go forward you get to a large pole barn housing a tree service.

Putting out and bringing in the horses is a fair amount of leg work. Not just is it way over there, it's also up there; or down there.

I am comfortable in both buildings and work in both on a regular basis.

Today for example, I put out the horses, cleaned the stalls, swept the barn then went for lunch.

Then I came back, grabbed my climbing spurs and jumped in the truck into Stillwater to climb and drop some small Norway Pines.

We were in a nice old ladies backyard and we didn't want to damage any of the other standing trees nearby.

Mike and I got there no problem. I got out and was immediately greeted by a fierce little rag-hound with a bandanna and a yap that didn't quit.

It was the funniest thing, he meant business, and was fast on those little feet.

I just ignored him.

She boxed him up. I climbed and Mike worked the rope. The pines were dead, but two needed to be topped to prevent damage to the other trees. The other one we just notched and dropped, with a line for control.

The sun was out but it was chilly, I even wore my barn coat climbing up the tree.

We packed up and came back home, her son was going to do the clean-up.
I filled out my time card and left the barn/tree service for home by three pm.

Tomorrow is Friday, payday.

Waterloo Two?

2010-03-17T03:28:00.000-07:00

I am an amateur student of the lessons to be learn from conflicts. The attempt to impose ones will upon another.

Big or little.
Strategy and tactics.

I think we would all benefit if we would take to heart some of the most basic facts so painfully learned and relearned.

Here in America we have a special thing. The way we have established this Union, established on the notion that people aught to be free.

We have States, the laboratories of Democracy. We resolve our differences peacefully, by the vote.

We vote to elect our representatives, our representatives vote to enact laws.

All at the consent of the governed.

We have had armed conflict. The Civil War, the War between the States, the War for Succession; what ever you call it, this long, grizzly, tragic and destructive rending of the American fabric was about Freedom.

"As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy." Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. President.

He also said: "Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally. "

We should be very thankful for those who kept the union whole, and that we will never see that horror again.

The ballot, not the bullet, is the American way.

Today in congress we have a great debate raging, but nothing like in 1860.

Our President has demonstrated strong support for a bill passed by the Senate, but not passed yet by the House of Representatives.

The House of Representatives, like the Senate, is lead by the party of the President, but has not passed the bill.

They say they are ready for a vote and it will pass very soon. They have been saying this for about four months now.

The conflict resides in the fact that a very large portion of American Citizens have demonstrated, and continue to do so, their dislike for the Bill in question.

The 44th President has a lot at stake, this is a major issue he was elected on two years ago and he continues to strongly push the issue.

He has a Congress of the same party, yet the approaching November elections are on the minds of all members of the House and a third of the Senate.

They have heard from, and continue to hear from, many of their constituents strongly opposed to the bill.

Many people have said that if the President does not achieve his goal that it would be his "Waterloo".

What does this mean? What do they mean?
Here is some of what I think is meant here.

First the back background.
Across the ocean in the old country....

France was undergoing great turmoil in an attempt to move past the Monarchy of ages past.

In 1795, nearing the end of terrible social upheaval, royalists from Paris declared open revolt on the new National Convention assembling in the Tuileries Palace in Paris.

The Royalists were not listed in the directory. They were being shut out against their will.

They were well connected to the Monarch and were loosing power and position. They prepared to attack.

Someone knew that the trained and proven, yet delisted artillery commander; Napoleon Bonaparte was within reach to prepare a defense of the embryonic new government.

He assembled and defended the palace, the royalists were denied there will, for a while anyway.

Napoleon was a sudden national hero and star. He was almost immediately assigned the title "Commander of the Interior" and given control of the Army of Italy by the grateful newly created, Directory of France.

Two years later, in mid-1797, the Royalists won a lot of elections and there was concern about them going back to the old ways.

Napoleon had been leading the Army of Italy on a very successful and popular campaign through northern Italy and up to Austria.

Although he was even more popular and politically powerful, the Royalists beat him up in the press for being too harsh with the Austrians and letting his army loot Italy. (Both true from what I can tell.)

In August 1799 he was in Egypt and not doing well, with the desert on one face and the English navy on the other.

He picked up and left Egypt, leaving a whole bedraggled army behind him, and went back to Paris, just as the Directory was weak and broke, and the military had several setbacks on the continent. Unknown to him the Directory had called for him to return.

The people loved him, but not the Directory.
One of the Directors concerned about the Royalists return to power, suggested to Napoleon, a coup to overthrow the French Constitution of 1795.

He agreed, his brother was also involved in these plans.

In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte took control of that Coup D'etat by craft and guile.

The old Directory was replaced with the French Consulate and Napoleon Bonaparte was installed as First Council of France.

France and her military accepted him totally, hopeful for stability after several military failures and civil unrest at home. They would gladly accept some loss of liberties for security.

He had Parliamentary and Military control of all France. For fifteen years he directed the path of France.

He had those who helped him to power that would not accept his total control of the republic deported to French Guiana.

He centralized power into the Senate.

After yet another botched conspiracy against him, Napoleon Bonaparte was extremely popular with the French people. He took advantage of this, and on 18 May 1804 he had the Senate bestow upon him the title of Emperor. A public referendum, that oddly enough passed the title on to his heirs just like any other monarchy, passed on the same day.

The French Consulate was abolished and the period of the Napoleonic Empire had arrived.

Through the Napoleonic wars 1803-1805, he and his Napoleonic Empire had "Satellite States"; ruled by relatives, enforcing his "codes", from Spain to Norway, from Germany to the Turkish border. Plus his Navy threatened many of the British interests.

The Empire of the French, the 1st French Empire or the Napoleonic Empire lasted from 1804 to 1814.

However, by the winter of 1812 he had reached too far. He was in burned out and abandoned Moscow with a frozen and starving army when he was called back to Paris, his power was greatly in peril.

Politically, and more importantly, militarily weakened; a new alliance formed up with Prussia, Great Britain, Russia, Spain, Portugal and Sweden against Napoleon.

They surrounded him as he, and his control, retreated. British from the south and the Germans from the north. He won some early victories, but was way out numbered. He came to a point were he felt compelled to order a march on Paris.

But this was too much to ask of the loyal French army, the generals quietly mutinied. To stop the allies, they convinced him to abdicate. He did - to his son, however that didn't sit well with the allies.

In 1814 the Allies made him sign total abdication for him and his heirs, and then he was removed from the continent to exile on the little island off Italy called Elba.

Thus ended the Napoleonic Empire. Or did it?

On Elba, off Tuscany, he was given total control, a guard of 600 men, and retained the title of Emperor.

And the British continually kept ships patrolling round the little island.

The Austrians had his wife, and he was not getting his allowance. And there was talk that he was going to be moved to a very remote island in the Atlantic.

Napoleon Bonaparte got a small boat and escaped Elba with a small guard.

He landed on the French mainland two days after he left his island prison. It was 28 February, 1815. He had been on Elba for 300 days.

The 5th regiment was sent to capture him.

They met; Napoleon dismounted, approached and said; "Here I am, kill you're Emperor if you wish."

Now you understand that the Army, under Napoleon Bonaparte, had been through many, many successful, glorious and lucrative ventures; while now they were broke, hungry and discontent.

They responded "Vive L'Empereur", and joined him in his march to Paris, the Capitol of France.

When this was learned, he was declared an outlaw and armies were immediately assembled throughout Europe to end his assent to power.

Napoleon arrived in Paris, now with a huge following, on March 20th.

Thus began Napoleons famous Hundred Days. The Emperor was back in power.

He had over 200,000 soldiers and chose to go on the offensive, to attack individually, the mobilizing allies before they could coalesce into a single large, and unbeatable, force.

He would drive a wedge between the Prussian army and the British Army. The French Army of the North advanced into present day Belgium.

On Sunday 18 June 1815 the Imperial Army met an Anglo-allied army lead by the Duke of Wellington and also a Prussian army lead by Gebhard Von Blucher near a small town called Waterloo.

A lot has been said about the battle of Waterloo, how it was managed.

Had Napoleon defeated the Duke of Wellington before Blucher arrived, he could have met and defeated him as well, as planned.

The history of the world would have been very different, had he.

The fact is the Duke absorbed his attacks long enough for his allies, the Prussians, to arrive and roll through Napoleons right flank.

Napoleon Bonaparte; Emperor of France, King of Italy, Protectorate of the Confederation of the Rhine, political and military genius, and scourge to many was finally, completely and undeniable stopped.

He made it to an Atlantic seaport and considered escape to America, but eventually demanded political asylum from the British.

Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the small remote island of Saint Helena, over a thousand miles off Africa in the southern Atlantic.

There was no doubt that his rule was over.

Because of Waterloo.

Today the struggle is between the President and his Party Generals; against the opposing party, with support from a large and growing number of citizens strongly opposed to the bill.

To some citizens, our elected servants appear to be slipping from Representatives to legislators, to lawmakers, to rulers.

Alone, the party of opposition to the Party of the President does not have the votes to stop the bill.

The will of the President, with the Speaker of the House and Majority leader of the Senate; opposed to the will of well over half of the People of the United States of America.

This week there is a strong offensive push for a resolution to the problem being experienced by the bill in the house. He appears to be attempting to drive a wedge between the elected representatives and the voting populous.

Like Napoleon, the President wants to win the House fight before the flank is rolled up by the crowing crowds of discontent citizens marching onto the battle field like Blucher and the Prussian army.

The coming November elections are causing many a sleepless night in Congress.

The Battle of Waterloo was undecided up until the very end. It could have gone either way. The Duke of Wellington called it "the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life".

And our present conflict of wills appears to be a near-run too.

The President and his friends have invested about all the political weapons in their arsenal. They, like Napoleon, are down to the most loyal guard.

If they succeed, the bill will pass and the President will sign it into law. It will immediately be challenged in court.

But his will would be forced on those greatly opposed to it. And though he may lose his allies in November, like Napoleon did after the coup that began his climb to power, he will continue forwarding his "codes" for all to follow.

But if he fails, he could become executive of a greatly weakened presidency. He, and his agenda to reshape America, may end up in virtual exile in the rose garden of the White House, while the Congress and States go about the business of governing.

The Battle of Waterloo was not so much lost by Napoleon, it was won by the strong will of the Allies of the Seventh Coalition.

Not just the next Congressional election will be effected by the outcome of this modern day political "Battle of Waterloo".

The outcome of this very important battle being waged today will have long lasting effects on the United States of America for generations to come.

Flooding Minnesota

2010-03-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

It is Sunday March 12 and the sky is lead gray and heavy with moisture. Here at the barn the ground is saturated from two days rain, and the melting snow combined with the rainwater is filling all the low spots.

The ground is still frozen and the water pools, then drains as best it can. Often the grade is shallow and the water has to rise to find an outlet from these little isolated and "perched" basins.

This water can be thought of as potential energy, energy awaiting release. In this case, as an elevated weight.

The water eventually rises in these pools. The rising water eventually crests the lowest spot in the basin's, ridge-line divide, that rings the drainage basin, and separates it from the neighboring basins.

In this way little puddles merge on the farm. They spread out as the volume of water increases. Lateral movement begins to become more apparent, water always flows downhill.

Little streams get organized and gently wend back and forth as they connect the low-spot "Dots" on the relatively flat terrain.

Eventually these streams reach a more dramatic drop and the water accelerates. The streams here are faster and more competent; and much straighter. Unlike the situation with a gentle slope, water is not meandering to drop an inch and is not bending, it is straight and fast.

Depending on the soil profile; this faster water, and the kinetic energy it releases in the drop, will scour the bed of the stream, and in so doing incise itself into the terrain.

Often the stream will hit a harder object than the base material it is embedded in. Like a large field stone in the dirt. A stream seeks its own level and also takes the course of least resistance.

A stream may come to a hard spot like our stone, and flow alongside it, removing more erodible material along its side as the stream continues its fall and flow.

In this way the water gathers, flows, falls and drains away. Eventually the rain stops, the sun shines.

The excess water is gone, the creek is back in its normal stream bed. The fields and pastures begin to show green grass shoots. The soft earth firms up and the young green grass grows fast.

Much like on the farm, Minnesota is experiencing the same thing. With unique situations and conditions to the many varied regions found in the great State of Minnesota, the same principles apply.

For example on the north west border, between Minnesota and North Dakota is the famous Red River of the North. It is located on the bottom of the glacial Lake Agassiz. It is flat, and experiences the same situations described above on the flat ground on the farm.

The Red is a gentle river, usually in a small trench meandering along the billiard-table flat ground of rich black loam. However, places like Grand Forks (fork = rivers joining) find themselves in trouble if the spring waters rise too fast. The water quickly fills the trench, overtops their natural levies and spreads out over the broad flat farmland.

The Red River also has another kicker. Because as it falls it flows north, it often melts in the southern headwaters, flows, and then meets an ice dam and frozen river downstream near the Canadian border.

This can really cause things to backup. History is full of examples of the Red River flooding and covering huge areas of flat land on both the Dakota and Minnesota side.

If the tributary streams had a little more control these high water events could be moderated. Also we wouldn't have the summer water shortages that lead to even-odd watering restrictions as we work on discarding sandbags from last springs flood.

"Wetlands", no matter what you may have been told, do not prevent flooding or erosion.

The State of Minnesota has a three continental divide. Water flows to Hudson Bay via the Red River.

The muddy Mississippi; father of waters, gathers tributary streams and flows to the Gulf of Mexico.

Along the North East or the Arrow-head region of Minnesota; from Duluth northward along the rugged lake Superior coastline, these spectacular creeks and rivers carve into the hard basalt and fall into the lake, eventually draining into the Atlantic ocean.

The namesake river of the state, the Minnesota, goes from west to east in a large gash across the southern third of the state and meets the Mississippi in Saint Paul.

It is very geologically unique. The Minnesota River is an under fit stream and drains about a quarter of the State. It meanders on the bottom of a large valley about two miles wide, flat bottomed and lying about 200 feet below the surrounding countryside. The Minnesota River's tributary streams fall from the high ground into this channel that the ancient glacial River Warren carved when Lake Agassiz was larger than all the Great Lakes and needed an outlet stream the size of the Amazon.

The many tributary streams are bedded in highly erodible glacial till and during high water events these lateral ravines are scoured. The sides also slump in great sand and gravel scallops, and these tributary river beds are incising into the soil with the energy of water dropping two hundred feet in less than a mile as it falls to meet the Minnesota on the bottom of the valley.

Minnesota means turbid or cloudy water. One Indian described the term Minnesota by putting some drops of milk into a glass of water.

You can learn more about the Minnesota River and more specifically the Glacial River Warren at the River Warren Research Committee website here. (I am an RWRC founding member and I wrote the newsletters found on the website, check them out.)

The Minnesota and its tributary is prone to wild fluctuations in elevation, from trickle to torrent. The Minnesota River is a sediment laden under fit stream.

Here too, some controls could be used for flood "flattening" as well as hydroelectric generation. The control of the wild energy would also secure the high ground from the growing threat of the inland devouring of the tributary streams.

You could also end up with some very nice fishing lakes and lots of happy farmers would retire with lakefront property.

And again, we could do away with the ridiculous water restrictions the land of lakes seems to experience every summer of late.

We could also use a bunch more water towers.

To experience a real good flood you need about five things.

One is a wet fall that fills the low spots and saturates the ground. Last fall was damp but not a total soaker.

Two is a hard deep freeze before deep snow. This locks the water in the ground and low spots and makes for a wet thawing with no ground saturation of spring rains. Our freeze came before the snow.

Number three is a lot of snow in the winter. We had a good snow this winter.

Four is a quick warm-up that melts the deep snowpack. We've had a four day period of 40+ degrees.

Fifth is a wet rainy period during the snow melt. We had two days of moderate rain during the warm weather.

Although they have been present in greater force in the past, these five conditions exist to some degree or another throughout Minnesota and we are expecting flooding along many of these rivers.

There are ways to prevent flooding, as well as ensuring we have a reliable source of freshwater for the benefit of all.

Setting aside so called "wetlands" is not one of them.

February Has Marched Out.

2010-03-06T02:43:00.000-08:00

The longest shortest month of the year has past and we are now into March. February 2010 was a month of great and deep change and adjustments. It was like a fault line that shifted with a long jarring rumbling. Followed by everything is quiet, back to normal, with just a little disorder evident, easily picked or swept up.

Yet a little unease remains with the memory.

March is here and the sun is shinning and the snow is melting and it is fantastic!

I do believe that with this new spring comes the need for a new (to me) vehicle. I have been driving a little red scooter and it's about done.

I also think I have a lead on someone with an industrial sewing machine, it may make repair of the sail economical feasible.

A couple of weekends ago I hit the Friday meat raffle at the Blacksmith and gave my portable stove the final acid test. A full roast (from Grundhoffers meats in Hugo).

O yes, she passed with flying onions and carrots.

I have been playing e-mail tag with a couple friends from school and I intend to touch base with them. Definitely.

Things are tight, at least with everybody I make contact with. Minnesotans can take care of themselves if allowed to.

Personally, I think we're going to do what we do, no matter what anybody says or thinks.

I am not going to wait for someone to tell me what kind of job I should be doing or not doing.

I, like most everybody else, do not need some program to "incentive-ize" me.

I've got plenty of incentive thank you.

What we really need is to remove lots of these expensive, burdensome, and time consuming artificial barriers that just smothers the warm fires in the hearts of the naturally incentive-ized individuals of Minnesota.

...Had a Great Fall.

2010-01-24T03:58:00.000-08:00

In preparation for a Halloween party some six years ago I fell from the rafters of a pole barn.

I was using my throwline from my climbing gear and it snagged on a gusset plate. I was just like I always am, and said; "heck I can just climb up there and hang the witch, free the line and then shimmy down, no problem".

Rafter climbing is a pain in the ass. Its all narrow and cramped and the gusset plates are sharp edged and right where you want to put your hands or feet.

I climbed up the big truck that was parked inside on the sand ring for a stage. I made it no problem to the snagged line. I had used the heavier throwbag and it was hung up tight in the bight right where the metal plate meets the wood of the rafter.

I got the line out and then used it to raise the witch, then I looked back at the trip through the rafters I had to make to get down.

The long, dusty, tight, and ever tightening, fight back to the truck over by the eve of the building looked like a hassle. I could, instead of walking in the rafters, just arm over arm it, hanging from the rafters some twenty feet up. I would monkey over to the truck.

Well, it had been a long dusty day at the farm there just outside Savage Minnesota, and I hadn't timed my swings right to meet the first(sharp)gusset plate that I had to pass and I stopped.

I thought I could just do the hang, drop and roll but the guys didn't like that idea so Bubba went to to get the tall ladder.

My hands were slick from the long dusty day and my fingertips on the dusty two-by-four were just not up to holding long enough.

I came down as the ladder was being set up. I tried to land on two of the top steps.

It would have been real cool. The ladder would stomp down on its feet as I stomped down on the top steps. The dust would just be settling as I come stepping down from above, triumphant.

Well,the timing of things didn't quite work out so well and I kinda missed a step.

I didn't get the benefit of the drop and roll. What I did get was a pitch sideways from the teetering ladder.

I fell about eighteen feet and landed hard on my left side. My left wrist hurt like the dickens and my left leg was flopping around like it never really did before.

And just like after my drowning some twenty years earlier, my first response was to try to get up. Steve said he didn't think that was a good idea.

So I stayed there on my back with my left arm across my chest.

Colin, my brother called the ambulance, and Steve helped by putting my left leg up to my right and duct taping the two together.

I had smashed the left wrist totally and the left pelvis had snapped at the socket.

After a long month in the hospital I was allowed to leave. I was weak, sore, had a no weight restriction on the leg, and the wrist was in a cast.

Both were full of screws and wire.
I was driving a walker in winter. I first roomed with Drew in Rockford then Buck and Cathy in Avon.

My nephew Johnny gave me the nickname "Jabberwalky", I suppose you could understand why. Cathy and John helped get me moving and I threw away the pain pills, even though the pain was hot and constant.

Now its just constant, and only periodically hot; usually after a long days work.

After about five months I was told to go ahead and put weight on the pelvis.

I know lots of people have gone through a lot worse, heck Kip broke his neck and was in a "halo" and full body brace, and Eric; well we almost lost him in the same accident that broke kips neck.

However, I had a lot of hard, painful work ahead of me. I still do. I need to work the leg more, that's one of the reasons I do the work I do.

After wintering in Avon, I hobbled over to Sartell and Dad's house right across the street from the high school I graduated from.

What a long circle I had taken, but here I was again. Weak, sore, crippled, and dejected. I was not happy.

Nobody wants to live in the basement of their folks house as an adult.

I was not really ready, but I had to move out. I just had to.

I had no money, and very few options.

I am many things, one of which is a qualified U.S. Submarine Sailor. I went to submarine school in Groton Connecticut, Sonar training in San Diego and sailed the Atlantic and Mediterranean on two submarines out of Charleston S.C. and Norfolk VA.

To be a submarine sailor is to be a space man, and the (constant)training reflects that fact.

So I went back to my training. I assessed my situation, inventoried my resources, identified a goal, created a plan and put it in to action.

Submariners do not whine. We also are prone to very hard language with short factual phrases that often upset people, but we do not care much about feelings.

I have been trying to work on improving that, although I am starting to think there is no advantage to changing.

Recently someone said I, "sounded like a woman".

When I stop and assess my situation, with all the inconveniences I put up with and the whiners I listen to; well, lets just say that no one will think this man sounds like a woman again.

The way I left the basement in Sartell was to ask someone I know in the horse business if there was a barn looking for help, but it had to have room for me to move into.

She did, and so I did.

It was probably way to early for me to take on the job.
Afternoon chores and weekend morning chores at a barn in Forest Lake. Horse stable work; hay out, lead horses out, clean the barn, bed the stalls, clean water buckets, and sweep and such.

What should have taken two hours was taking me three and it hurt like hell. But I did it.

Things have changed since then, but it has been a hard painful struggle, not just to get on my feet. I am now back to working horse and tree. I even climb now and again.

I remember passing a fellow early in my recovery as I "walkered" my way into therapy one winter day. He said it gets better, just you have to keep working, but it does get better.

I have always had little patience for lazy people. Especially when they expect things from others, things they could get or do for themselves.

I do not mind helping people as long as they help themselves.

But as soon as they start whining or bitching about a little pain, some discomfort, and slight inconvenience that is usually way smaller than any I have, or am now dealing with, I quickly loose interest in helping or being polite.

Grow up people.
I tire of being diplomatic to protect inflated egos and fragile emotions.
I am trying to get things done, productive things, and I no longer have time to be delicate.

So, all of you in Minnesota are on notice.

I am returning to my normal, rough, gruff, tree climbing, submarine sonar, stablehand way of straight line, no muss, no fuss, bald face, fact based, communicating.

It may be hard on you, but it's much easier on me; and as far as I am concerned, that's what really matters.

We live in a Republic. (if we can keep it)

2010-01-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

We live in a Republic.
With a Federal Government of few and enumerated powers vested to it by the people. [Not the other way around]

States have other more broad powers [and individual Americans even more]. That is, if we think the U.S. Constitution actually is to be taken seriously.

You do understand that the House of Representatives is based on Population and the Senate on a 2 per State ratio for a reason. (Read the Federalist Papers) This is to prevent high population States from walking all over the low population States. I think that is as "fair" as you could hope. Why have two bodies based on population like here in MN. You might as well just go one body, like Nebraska.

We don't think you need to be an American Citizen to vote. We don't think property is managed properly unless owned by the State; private property is run by greed you say.

We think "Health Care", and lots of other things, should be managed and provided by the Federal Government. (As if it could!)

We think the Feds should tax and subsidies things to influence individual peoples behavior. {Raise gas tax to discourage driving for example}

We do not believe in the "Blessings of Liberty"; that our standard of living is one of those blessings. No, we think the blessings come from some government agency and their forms we can fill out with the appropriate fees.

D.C. was carved out to prevent the gov. workers undue influence in Congress. But we don't like that, we don't like the electoral college, we don't like the idea of States running themselves, and certainly not individual people....basically we want to change everything about the United States.

We don't like freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of religion, security in our papers and property...basically we don't like freedom.

Actually we FEAR freedom. The ignorant just think it is "freedom to fail" or some such nonsense.

And then we wonder why everything changed, why we are all poorer and have less independence and influence over our own lives.

And then we look to the Government to provide a "solution".

Land of the Free? Home of the Brave?
Ya, right.

Minnesota Stable Owners Association

2010-01-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

I’ve always loved working outdoors and being a stable hand in Minnesota is a job suited to independent, industrious individuals like me.

You have to show up most every day, and early in the morning at that, but you get to see the days arrive and the seasons change.

It can be a hard job with constant demands on mind and body. You will be putting feed out in the morning, snow or rain. The animals have to be led to paddocks, tractors have to be warmed and maintained, fencing and stalls need to be mended and hay fields have to be worked.

As in all agricultural endeavors, the boarding of equine livestock is very much attuned to the seasons.

Spring brings greening pastures and hay fields, and the hassles of dealing with new foals. Oh sure they’re cute and everything; unless your the guy who’s got to lead mom and the youngster out to paddock. Or that new yearling alone for that matter, she’s all legs and coiled like a spring, gamboling to the pen. You better know what you are doing or you will get schooled.

But you get to see the song birds returning, every day a new arrival shows with the morning sun when you’re putting out the hay.

Barns are mended and fence lines repaired after the long winter. Maybe a new door is installed on the hay barn or the tack room is insulated for next year…

Many projects are started, all while the daily routine continues. Feed the horses, and then out to the pastures they go, clean the stalls, spread the manure on the field, add bedding to the stalls, bring down enough hay bales and prepare for the evening feed.

Order of operations and timing is important and needs to be considered at all times. You might as will not sweep the aisle until the bedding is in, or you can sweep twice, it’s your choice.

Summer is hot and hay is harvested. After working in the field bailing it, you get to put it up in the loft, heated from the mid day sun. Or, if you can park the hay wagons somewhere they won’t get wet, we can put it up tomorrow before morning chores, when it’s cooler, if you are willing to come in an hour early.

Fencing posts and boards are bought and installed, then painted. I have painted many length of white, two, three and four board fence line. Electrical fencing is put up or repaired and the water tanks fixed, or replaced and kept filled.

The sun is shinning and you should be making hay. Bailing hay is a hot, dusty, miserable job, unless everything goes just right, which it never does. Trucks break down, tires go flat, bales get stuck, and rain falls when you wish it didn’t….Then you have to get it back to the barn and up into the loft or in the hay shed.

Autumn is crisp and sometimes wet and windy. The horses are goofy with the autumn winds. Something is on the air, signals in the scents. They are all eyes and ears and sometimes a prancing and snorting.

Hopefully you have gotten in a third cutting of hay before the hard cold of November hits. It is time to button up the barn, shut the windows and staple some plastic over them and any unused doors on the old barn.

Park, lube and stow the summer equipment for the winter, it’s just around the corner. I like to walk the ground and give a shot of WD-40 to every hinge, bolt or snap-hook to prevent freezing in the winter. Very little is more frustrating than a frozen snaphook on a leadline with a hungry horse on the other end wanting release to get his morning hay.

Winter is the big test. Do you have enough hay and grain supplied? Is your water system up to the chilling challenge? Are you?

In and out with the horses in the winter is a bother. You must keep the doors and gates clear of snow and ice. On the brilliant white days with the bright sun you may have to stop at the door to adjust their eyes. Minnesota winters, with windy, cold hard days, test the metal, but are good for horse constitution, if you ask me.

Breaking frozen water buckets is time consuming and finger numbing, and must be done correctly or you will certainly be breaking buckets at about twenty dollars a pop.

Everything takes longer in the winter, and if you wear glasses they will fog up every time you come in from the cold. I just put mine on the shelf until all the livestock that is going outside is outside, then I can bring in the tractor and manure spreader, shut out the cold and get to cleaning stalls.

Year in and year out, as has been done for countless generations before me; I, along with many other Minnesota stablehands, continue the traditions created and maintained only by the hand on, day-to-day chores of a horse stable.

We do the same things that have been done since the harness was first put on the horse some six thousand years ago.

I have worked as a stable hand at many horse barns throughout Minnesota.
I hope that I can look forward to a fruitful future of gainful employment in my home state of Minnesota, as well as an opportunity to continue this legacy and train the next generation of Minnesota stable hands.

Although I am not a Stable Owner, I am glad to join the Minnesota Stable Owners Association as an associate. You can join too if you go to the link, here.

I have great expectations for our future good works on behalf of the horse livestock business specifically and Minnesota’s agricultural heritage in general.

January 2010.

2010-01-09T06:12:00.001-08:00

Christmas was white and the new year has arrived bright and cold. It is now half way into the first month of 2010.

I have been busy. Working daily at "HH" stables. And making basic preparations for this years celebration of Freedom Day.

I have also joined a new organization. The Minnesota Stable Owners Association. It is a new 501 (c)6 Business League.

It is a non profit that can lobby but its receipts are not tax deductible to those making donations.

I don't own. Heck I'm just a stable hand, but they are the latest bunch organizing to fight the ever increasing tax burden.

In this case, it's a massive property tax, and other things, due to people not understanding the agricultural nature of horse management.

I can tell you it is not just another business. I work with livestock, tractors, feed, fences, bailing hay and all kinds of other things agricultural.

A horse stable is an agricultural operation no matter what some government entity would like to say in order to make some financial charts and graphs match up.

Legality and reality are often very different.

Letting out the Horses after the Snow.

2009-12-13T09:28:00.001-08:00

We are well into December and we have had our first decent snowfall. I always like the first snow, especially if it has some volume to it, like the blanket we just got last week.

I always remember as a kid getting dressed up to go out, and that "let's go out and ram around in the snow feeling!". That never really goes totally away, even after the long months of a cold winter.

It lasted two days and we got about 6 inches of the white powdery stuff, with a good wind drifting. I like scoop shoveling out the doors and then coming in from the wild and woolly winter of Minnesota.

The tree work slows and I am kept busy (thankfully) at the adjoining horse barn there in Stillwater.

The day after and the wind has fallen off. We wake to a crystal blue sky and a pure white landscape. My drive to work goes by lakes with sparkling ice sheets that are soon, but not yet, dotted with fishing houses.

I pass white rolling hills with white capped tree-lines, and fence posts; each one holding up three strands of barbed wire and a small pillar of snow.

I see cows and horses and people getting the mail, or kids waiting for the bus; all of them with breath clouds that freeze tiny sparkly diamonds in midair.

Just before getting to work, I descend along a tree lined creek bed as it drops to the Saint Croix river, less than a mile further down the road.

On this particular day, the storm has past, the shoveling needs to be done, and the horses have been in the barn for over a day and would really like to go out.

Here is where it kinda separates those walking horses and those leading horses. ..and we will find out if you have been paying attention.

The main barn layout has the stalls facing inward towards the arena.

There is an aisle on either side of the arena. The stall faces are on one (outboard) side of the aisle, and a half wall with posts on the other (inboard) side of the aisle.

So if you are standing in the arena you can look into all the stalls on both sides and see the horses facing you.

They can also see you. When you are walking down an aisle and have hay, or are leading a horse, or whatever, the horses on the other side of the arena are watching you. And they react like you should expect, if you have been paying attention.

Some horses are patient, some are not. Some are down right a pain in the ass.

It is not wise to leave a horse alone, at least the ones that are used to being around other horses all the time, like the ones I work with. They are instinctively herd animals.
So the first ones out are usually neighbors, or are in the same paddock.

Some cannot be lead together. Some need boots or a blanket. Some need to be treated sternly, some are waay too timid and tender. And some are just old.

Some are young and are often unpredictable and a bother to lead.

So, as you get the horses individually harnessed up, out of their stalls, and into their respective and proper paddocks; a lot is going through your mind, or it should be if you've been paying attention and you're not just a fat-head, dragging your boots around, and just mucking stalls.

You must be in control and they must know this. This is done mostly through attitude, body movement and talking.

You don't need to be rough or gruff, just convince them that you will fend off the mountain lion when it comes jumping out of the tree.

I can spot right off, someone who is not really comfortable or aware around the horses. For some reason they often have a desire to try and hide this fact. You have to watch these people, they can cause problems until made more aware.

So as I am going about the business at hand I am thinking ahead a bit.

Priorities include: I am cleaning this barn so I want them out fast, cause they keep filling the stalls. I want the problem children out first, so their out of the way and not causing trouble for others. I want to make as few trips back and forth, so I like to double or triple or quad run the horses out if they are game for it. I want them to damage nothing, if they do it could halt everything and I will probably be the one fixing it.

After being boxed up for a day we are lucky to double up the less problematic ones.

It being cold out, I also like to shut the doors behind me when leading the horses in and out, it usually means a spin about at the door, but it helps keep the heat in, big-time.

So the way I start usually is to grab the two Arabian mares (-very flighty-) and harness and blanket them up and take them together, to their paddock down below. Then they're done and out of the way.

Well they were a little springy, all eyes and ears, and when I opened the door to the bright outside world the black one gave a little snort. Well, I let here know everything just fine and out they came. I shut the door and lead them, short leashed, as they pranced all the way down to the pen.

When I released them, they were off like a couple of springs, galloping up the hill, kicking snow and looking all over. Then they came back down to the hay for their morning munch.

By then, when you walk in the barn; half the horses are eyeing you, a third of them are pacing, and several are whinnying at you. "Hey me next! I wanna go out and play!" and in so doing are getting the others excited.

Oh, and some have to stay in per the weekly schedule, they get a flake of hay and I forgot and when I bring it they start hollering about that too.

Some, when taken together go at such different paces that you are nearly pulled in two between the slow poke and the "I want my hay" quick-stepper. Lots of pulling in both directions can leave you very frustrated, especially when your trying to shut a paddock gate snaphook and chain. Ahggg!

Sheesh, lets get these animals out of the barn and get some peace and quiet so we can get the stalls cleaned.

Some, like Sulivan, are such a pacing bother that they go out early and, being part of a set of four, he can go out with Max right now. Then I can get Dancer out on the return and start to take advantage of the back and forth pattern as I enter and leave one end of the barn, then the other, leading horses out to paddocks and their morning hay.

It's kinda like being a bartender at an unruly road house, or a manager at a hotel with very noisy and demanding customers.

You can't lead these two together but you can those two, but one has to have his halter removed at the paddock gate, he has a sore that is healing on the nose.

And on and on it goes, every day at many horse barns throughout Minnesota, as it has for decades, centuries...

And this barn eventually returns to a relatively normal routine as the horses go out into this winter wonder-land, snorting and stomping into paddocks, jumping and kicking...and rolling, lots and lots of rolling and then getting up and shaking and settling into some nice hay.

Now to clean the stalls.

It is kind of fun in its own annoying way.

So those of you, who I have spoken to, may see why, I talk like I do.

Global Warming Was a Fraud and Is Still a Fraud.

2009-12-05T18:10:00.000-08:00

When I was working at Riverbend Stables in Rockford Minnesota in the 90's, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its report, (based on the data out of the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia), that 2000 scientists had come to the "consensus" that "Global Warming" was a real and urgent problem brought on by human industry.

The debate was over, so they said.

I found that interesting and did some research. You see I am a member of "The River Warren Research Committee" (RWRC).

I am the editor of "The Warren Report" the official newsletter of RWRC. You can read some fun and informative past issues Here.

At that time here in Minnesota there was a great "debate" ongoing over the condition of the Minnesota River in southern Minnesota. Very much like the UN, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)had issued a report stating that the Minnesota River was on the verge of ecological collapse and that great changes were necessary to save it. The "solutions" to the "Problem" offered by the MPCA where drastic and wide ranging.

The Minnesota River watershed covers about a quarter of the state and they suggested draconian measures to address this "calamity". Greater restrictions on farmers, large fees and fines to change behavior, identify and dealing with "bad actors", and purchasing huge swaths of land by THE STATE to remove it from private hands, was just some of their plans.

For some reason they think property held by big distant governments is better than in the hands of local individual Americans and Minnesotans.

What was most interesting was the interim report half way through the MPCA and Multi-agency report on the Minnesota River. They say in it they have not reached any conclusions and then outline a whole host of conclusions and recommended policies based on them.

This is known as aprori reasoning. They already had the conclusion and were tailoring a "scientific" report to support it, much like the UN and its global warming study.

This is bad science.

Also similar, was that what was finally released in both cases was the "executive" review of the study, a overarching review of the massive multi-agency study.

In both cases the individuals in the larger study were given a small focus to address and were usually unaware of the activities of the others involved in the "global" study.

In the UN's case most of the "2000 scientist" were not atmospheric and the like, but "social" scientists, specializing in modifying human behavior, not hard scientific study of our natural world.

In both cases the executive study was written for political, rather than scientific concerns. In reviewing both, you are hard pressed to find the data in the main study to bolster the conclusion in the executive study.

The River Warren Research Committee issued a study to rebut the official MPCA (and other Federal and State Agency study) Although a little dated, it still holds up and can be read in full here.

It is very informative and is well worth the read. It also comes to some very different conclusions because it takes into account some extremely important factors ignored by the government agencies looking for more money and power.

The Minnesota River is naturally a flood prone, sediment laden stream due to its very unique geological characteristics. Not because of human farming in the watershed, contrary to the official position.

With that in mind, all the expensive, intrusive and behavior changing policies pushed by the government seem unnecessary and irrational. Just like the UN's global warming nonsense.

Now the UN is found in a situation similar to the MPCA.

Especially in light of the correspondence between the so called "scientists" at the UN that shows them fudging data, stifling debate, and denying peer review to opposing viewpoints and outright professional destruction of skeptical scientists.

The debate is over if you, like Al Gore, refuse to debate.

You can and probably should read some of these behind the scene UN correspondences here.

"On 20 November 2009, emails and other documents, apparently originating from within the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia.

From the link above...
"The authenticity of these emails has been confirmed by most of the relevant parties including the CRU at University of East Anglia and many of the authors. These emails contain some quite surprising and even disappointing insights into what has been happening within the climate change scientific establishment. Worryingly this same group of scientists are very influential in terms of economic and social policy formation around the subject of climate change."

Here is a little taste of the "scientists" internal conversations..."Hi Keith,
Thanks--yes, we seem to back in the days of McCarthyism in the States. Fortunately, we have
some good people who will represent us legally pro bono, and in the best case scenario,
this backfires on these thugs..."

What is the scientific method?..It is the taking of a hypothesis, generating a repeatable experiment-removing as many external factors as possible, issuing studies open to peer review.

Science is based on skepticism. Show me the data...nothing but the facts mam...repeatable experiments, and open and honest debate and rebuttal with others.

They wont show their data or computer models. Why? That's sound science?

Science is not dropping a paper on the table and saying the debate is over, no matter what your station in life. (...like being an ex vice president of the United States.)

That didn't seem to matter to the ClimateKooks. They marched forward with their predictions of dire calamity. Everything from death of millions of people, flooding coastlines, fires, floods,pestilence, hurricanes, even increased poison ivy.

Here in Minnesota, we have for well over a decade, put in place policies and behavior modifying rule, regulations, and taxes to combat this phantom menace. All the while the STATE run media blares out these terrible predictions, Minnesota is under threat and we have to act NOW!!!!

These have made electricity more expensive, gasoline more expensive, automobile more expensive (and dangerous read this newsletter with information on deadly FEDERAL CAFE standards for autos.)

There is no time to wait they say. All the while HUGE sums of money are spent by governments on individuals, groups,"non-profits" and agencies.

These grants and tax dollars have, and still are corrupting.

"Our studies show a great concern and need for more studies". Of course they do.

What a racket. The MOB could only dream of such returns...then again where/who is the MOB now?

Like the MPCA, the UN is lying to take your money, property, freedom and future.

They think too many people are living, or aspire to live, the lifestyle enjoyed by Al Gore. Lots of homes, lots of cars, lots of travel, lots of wine and dine.

Speaking of Al, I was at the gala premier of his polemic "An Inconvenient Truth" what a farce. Even the United Kingdom ordered that when shown to children in school it has to first list the 17 proven factual errors in the propaganda film poured into the minds of these poor kids.

Our leaders are telling us to do with less. Turn down the thermostat, eat less meat, unplug your cell phones, drive less, buy less, use less; or we will all fry and the polar bears will die.

What a bunch of nonsense from the do as I say, not as I do crowd.

It is sad to see a whole generation of Americans (the 60's crowd) so blithely give up their and YOUR (and your children s) freedom for such irrational claptrap.

Sensing a little problem the eco-freaks, true to form, want to change the rules in mid game. Now they want to talk of "climate change", as opposed to the discredited "global warming". What a farce.

They seem to put little value in Liberty, at least yours that is. They demand theirs.

Freedom is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others.

Hopefully, this worldwide deadly delusion has started to come to an end.

As they say at the River Warren Research Committee, "Truth is an Alternate Form of Expression".

The folks in the media should give it a try some time.

I Debate Minnesota Sierran on PBS.

2009-12-04T18:05:00.000-08:00

If you want to see me debate Clyde Hanson, Conservation Committee Chair of The North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club about timber issues, click here.

Press release issued in 2007. After 60 buildings burn.

2009-12-03T16:45:00.000-08:00

This was released after the fire along the Gunflint trail torched 60 buildings, many old historic and sentimental log cabins and homes.

May 9, 2007
PRESS RELEASE: Sierra Club Agenda proves costly again.

Statement by: Forrest C. Wilkinson. FCWilkinson@hotmail.com
Editor of “The Warren Report”; official newspaper of...
The River Warren Research Committee, RWRC.
Go www.riverwarren.org for more info.

Statement: Here in Minnesota we have great pride in the outdoors. There are basically two ways to discuss items concerning the territory that is Minnesota.

A) Assume a heavily regulated people – prevent potential harms and hazards to people through State agencies.
B) Assume a lightly regulated people – deal with harms and hazards to people as they arise through courts and juries.

In "A" we tend to trust the data from the agencies of the State and severely question the facts and motives of anyone suggesting less regulation.

This is what I refer to as “The Sierra Club Way”.

In "B" we tend to trust the data from a free-people and severely question the facts and motives of anyone suggesting more regulation.

This is what I refer to as “The American Way”.

We as a people through our elected representatives here in Saint Paul have chosen "A" …”The Sierra Club Way”.

We did this through long debate and with our eyes wide open over decades. So we must accept the natural results of our political decisions.

As we continue to follow the Sierra Club Agenda for Minnesota we must stoically admit and accept that there will be costs to be paid by individual people. By our fellow Minnesotans.

When we accept that dams are; as Sierra Club Hero David Foreman puts it, “At the center of environmental hell”, we must accept all the facts resulting from these positions. We must expect that places on unique rivers like the Red and the Minnesota will experience wild fluctuation of water level. If we refuse to use dams for “Flood Flattening”; towns like Ada, and Breckenridge and Granite Falls will have regular floods, with the resulting destruction to people and their property.

When we say that we must stop some odd concept like “sprawl” we should expect less roadwork and bridge building. Stillwater has been waiting for a new bridge for over fifty years. We will; and have seen, not only loss of productivity, but also human life, to the Sierra Club Agenda directing our transportation infrastructure.

And when we say all logging should stop in all National Forests, it is only rational to expect the conditions the people of Cook County are experiencing right now. With the resulting property loss and atmospheric contaminants. Why is a burned stump better than a logged one?

The Sierra Club Agenda is not necessarily worse for the “environment”, but it is most certainly very hard on People.

Forrest C Wilkinson. FCWilkinson@hotmail.com

Cruising to the End of November

2009-11-22T05:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday; Saturday, November 21, 2009 Steve, Gary and I took the 28 foot pontoon boat out for one last cruise on Eagle Lake near Big Lake.

It was nice and sunny, although a little windy by the end of the day. Gary and Steve both got skunked and didn't catch a thing.

I, on the other hand (who does not fish), brought my portable propane oven and was cooking nonstop.

Cinnamon rolls, pizza poppers, a whole rice and enchilada family meal, a blueberry pie and chocolate chip cookies.
All hot and tasty while we puttered about, the only boat on the lake.

We never made it to the bratwurst.

It was great. Check out the pictures at my facebook account here.

On another note, I have begun correspondence with the organizers of Stillwater's "Lumberjack Days" to see if I can set up and operate our lumbermill at next years celebration.

I hope we can. Stillwater is the birthplace of Minnesota and was born by a sawmill.

However these days the folks of the area seem to like the "theater" of the lumberjack but not so much the actual enterprise of logging and timber cutting.

I would not be surprised if I were to be informed that cutting logs into boards on a lumbermill does not "fit" with their "vision" for the future of lumberjack days in Stillwater.

Still I think it is worth doing and they may be all for it, who knows?

Mid November

2009-11-14T05:24:00.000-08:00

It has been raining overnight, not heavy, light and off and on. It is Saturday morning November 14, 2009 in Forest Lake Minnesota.

I have been working in Joe Haines Tree and Horse world in Stillwater. I have brought the band saw from Wisconsin to his property there.

This makes me very happy. Buck my brother lives there just across the Mississippi a piece. He is doing things too, I checked out the dry kiln he has put together to the specifications drawn by John Wilkinson, Our dad.

Dads Dry Kiln my be revolutionary to those interested in drying wood.

Buck (Blake), has got a neat set up there in Gainsville Wisconsin. Joe, my boss let me use the one ton to haul the lumbermill to Stillwater.

Today it is 7am and I thought I'd note this before helping Steve haul metal chips to the recyclers. Yesterday we wrestled down and chunk-hauled a black walnut tree.

That's Not The Wells Fargo Wagon You See on the Horizon.

2009-11-01T02:52:00.000-08:00

Well, we are into November and the political baggage trains are beginning to sort out into common flagged assemblies. And they have begun their dusty and clattering treks about the State.

On the crazy meandering paths that leave no home or hamlet un-touched, these overloaded wagon trains of campaigns; like gypsies of old, rattle into sight, coming in over the horizon cloaked in a haze of dust, movement, noise and flies.

By the end of the month, these nomads will have, more or less, concentrated into two long lumbering wagon trains, each full of pack animals, rough handlers, noisy hangers-on and lots of "bummers" walking with the noisy rabble.

They'll eventually reach the Capitol in Saint Paul, however each individual colorful and noisy wagon may be in a different train by the time it gets there. And many a sad and worn out wagon doesn't complete the arduous and inefficient slog. The countryside is littered with old rotting corps' of once noisy and colorful sturdy platform-wagons.

Until they return to the dust from which they came, the gaudily painted wood and fabric decays alongside the main roads, and back roads. These derelicts always bring forth the same stories when passed by the trains. It reminds the observer of a line of elephants passing the grave of a now gone but once strong companion, each trumpeting the same sad note as they pass.

The Minnesota Legislative Session is to Convene 12 noon, Thursday, February 4, 2010.

Minnesota used to meet every other year, and I think it still could and should, however that isn't the way we do it now.

Minnesota budgets on a bi-annual basis. This years session is to deal with the "bonding Bill". Coupled with it also being an election year, there is a great deal of incentive for them to get to "business" and leave fast.

They have campaigns to tend to....
...and...
The wild card on everyone's mind is that the Governor of Minnesota has said he will not be seeking re-election. The throne is open for occupancy in November 2010, one year from now.

However, the clamoring mobs constantly hovering around the circus always want more. And they often condense into one. Like a school of herring they can mesmerize with their flashing colorful mosaic show. Unlike herring they can shout, and they do, in large placard waiving throngs.

Do they, the elected, safely evacuate the coral confines of the Capitol buildings to hunt for their supper, or will they be mesmerized and baffled into the endless twists and turns to be found in the labyrinth of Saint Paul?

A Chilly October.

2009-10-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

The first Saturday of October I had a good evening at the Minnesota Harvest Horse Show. I borrowed Steve's cool camera and went to the State Fair Ground and the Hippodrome to photograph the lead line class just before the nine thousand dollar Grand Prix.

Also, I took pictures of the "Jumping with the Stars" that took place just before the Prix. You can see pictures here

It was fun to watch the jump-crew, half of whom I know, at work from the stands for a change.

Since then the weather here in Minnesota took a turn for the winter. We have had three snowfalls of an inch or more, and we haven't got to Halloween yet.

The first fell soft and white straight down while I was at "HH" (double H) stables in Stillwater. It was nice and began to feel like Thanksgiving.

It was week two of October.

Since then it has been cold and we have had two other snows, slow to melt and lingering for over a day. I am ready for the winter, maybe one more pair of gloves...

Since then it has warmed back to the fifties and even sixties.

It has been a good week, I got into the woods with Steve and Gary. They have a permit to cut trees for fire wood in a State Managed wooded park. I helped out and we made a good two hauls with Steves truck; a load to Gary and his family home and one to Steve and Melodies house.

We brought the grill and cooked steaks and had lots of snacks. I like logging camp WAY better than hunting camp. The woods were sunlite and stunning with yellow and gold maples while the oaks held green big leaves. It was right out of the picture books. Steve brought the camera and I intend to upload pictures on facebook.

Today is Sunday the 18th of October and the sun is up and I have some personal chores to tend to.

It also has been a week of decision and redirection.

One of these seem to lead to the concept of moving the Band-sawmill rig to Stillwater. (If we do, it would be the only sawmill in Stillwater Minnesota. I like that Idea.)

Much is happening out in the field on the political fronts, here in Minnesota as well as at a National level.

Today the weather is beautiful and the trees are bright and happy, I'll put some of that stuff in the next post. Right now I have to get a gas bottle and test out my.... new portable oven/stove!

Check it out here I got it on e-bay and it is so cool.

Minnesota Harvest Horse Show.

2009-10-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

This morning there was a inch of snow on the ground. You could just see the tips of the grass poking through giving the snow a neat green tinge.

October 10, 2009 started more than a little chilly.

The sun is now out and its almost noon. I intend to go to the State Fair Grounds for the Minnesota Harvest Horse Show, we have an entrant in the Lead Line Class.

I am not working this show, I have in the past. My friends Roberto and Jamey are working. It will be packed, the Hippodrome with about five thousand people.

The Grand Prix has a good size prize and will draw some talent. They'll get to six feet on the jumps in class six.

It will be good.

Autumn

2009-09-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here.

It arrived over a 9 hour windy evening two days past, plus.

Today; Sept. 29th, was a day tinged with a special glow and special fall highlights.

For me it started early, I got up and rushed to Double "H",... and put out hay.

It was chilly with a light gray cover.

It was cold and I forgot my jacket so I put my brown duck coveralls over my jeans.

After helping put most of the horses out, Joe gave me my "marching orders".

I got the one ton truck and towed the stump grinder into town, following mike and the guys dropping a couple of trees.

We, Eric (in the grapple truck)and I, did only 4 stumps total but several were many, many years old and occupied the entire boulevard between the Minneapolis neighborhood street and the sidewalk.

The sky had by now cleared mostly and showed brilliant blue sky between the clouds drifting by. The street was newly paved and all the cars were gone, it reminded me of the old days in a Minneapolis neighborhood.

I wanted to roller-skate, but we had work to do....

We finished this up, and then we went back to "HH".

We got further orders.
I got the smaller stump machine and we (Eric and I) cleaned up a small two tree job in Stillwater after Mike and Justin had dropped them earlier.

By now the sky was becoming more clear and the wind that had lasted for two days, bringing in the autumn chill to Minnesota, had finally calmed.

By the end of the day the sky was blazing blue and the waxing moon showed its approach to full....and it is perfectly calm.

Stellar.

Pictures cannot show what I see.

Summer is Waning While Some are Whining.

2009-09-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

It is nearing the end of September and the weather has been warm and mostly dry.

I have returned to a somewhat normal schedule. Tree work out of Stillwater.
My little car is about done, and I need a replacement.

The truck (our 83' ford 1 ton) needs tires. about 800+ dollars.
I also hope to bring the band saw up if I get the truck and tires.

I need a spot to park the saw, ideally a place where it can operate. Maybe at "HH".
I also would like a place nearby to park my motor boat and the little sailboat.

I am thinking about the coming winter, it is best to think ahead. I need boots, gloves, coat...

But today; Sunday, September 20, the sun is up and the coffee is on and I am warm.

I have been following with interest many things these days.

One is the effect Washington County's new "Land and Water Legacy Act", not to be confused with THE STATES new "Legacy Act" sales tax increase.

Washington County; my county, is big and beautiful. It borders the rugged Saint Croix river on the east, and comes to a point on the south end where it meets the Mississippi river, like the state of Illinois does where Ohio River meets our muddy Mississippi.

The main body of Washington County Minnesota is a rolling highground of plains and hardwoods sprinkled with little towns dotting the countryside surrounded by lots of farmland, all laced with fish-loaded lakes and streams that pool and drain the rain and snow that falls on this mid-Minnesota wonderland.

I live in the North West corner of the county, on Highway 61 in the town of Forest Lake.

It is a good description of the town. We have lakes and forests. I am happy here just some thirty five miles north of Saint Paul; Minnesota's capitol city.

This is just one of Eighty seven counties. Minnesota counties are generally large and they are all unique.

Washington county is preparing to raise its property tax levy 1%, and is also mulling over deciding how much they intend to participate with the "Land and Water Legacy program" passed by the county voters authorizing $10 million in bonding to purchase and preserve "environmentally sensitive lands" along lakes and rivers.

There are some lakes that are "impaired" as defined by the MPCA (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency). They have some algae blooms. they don't like the phosphorus reading.

Now the County is forced to deal with reality.

Do they want to complain that they have to raise property tax to cover costs because of reduced property values and less money from THE STATE, while taking on an additional $1.7 Million dollar annual principal and interest payment to purchase property and remove it from tax rolls.

And on a national level the discussion over health insurance is picking up apace.

I think that most things done by THE UNITED STATES should be done by THE STATES, and currently most things done by THE STATE should be done by THE COUNTIES and most things done by THE COUNTIES should be done by THE TOWNS or better yet by THE INDIVIDUALS.

I think the proposals being thrown about concerning "health insurance" are bad ideas.

I have thought a lot of ideas coming from the government class are bad, lots of bad ideas come from Saint Paul here in Minnesota.

They talk of Minnesota Nice. Well let me tell you, they are not so nice if you start to question them a little.

I thought the Wetland act was a bad idea. A one-size-fits-all, form and fee generating program that sounds good should be based on facts, not fanciful notions of flood control by swamp.

Boy did I get called names over that one. The Dept Commissioner of the DNR gave me a little lecture.

I thought the Septic "8020" rule was a bad idea, forcing people to immediately spend $20,000 + on a mound system prone to fail by freezing in Minnesota winters, (no matter what the global warming kooks in the state house say)is a bad way to "create" jobs in rural Minnesota.

It was suggested that I didn't care about children.

I thought the Forest Stewardship Act was an underfunded ruse to get more Sierra Club, anti-logging policies enacted on private property, as they seem to be getting the public property fairly locked up now. It would result in deadly and destructive forest fires

Why is a burnt stump better than a logged one? Jobs and power and products vs. wreck and ruin, destruction and ATMOSPHERIC CONTAMINANTS.

Hey you carbon-o-phobic types, where is your reasoning brain?

I was called a greedy agent of the timber industry who was just a Global Warming Denier, just like someone who denies the holocaust.

Never discuss the issue always attack the messenger.

I thought the recent State-Wide Legacy Act, that raised property taxes for water, property and the arts was a bad idea.

I thought the rhetoric surrounding the discussion was much too alarming for the conditions they were attempting to portray. Minnesota has clean air, fresh water and health forests. Children were not getting Methomoglobonemia but they kept bringing it up to scare voters.

I ended up getting our very own lovable Ron Schara right in my face asking me where I get my figures. I admitted I got mine from the same place he got his, MPCA, DNR, EPA... I don't think he was really listening at that point in our little "conversation".

Let me tell you, the "raise taxes and programs" crowd are nice and polite until you disagree with them. Then its venom and brick bats.

I could go on and on about my many, many, many experiences with snotty officious patronizing government agents and elected officials.

So, now I see more and more of regular Americans being called names by "journalists", "reporters", lawmakers and Presidents, all just because they may have ideas contrary to the government know-it-all's.

I think this is terrific.

Now more and more people are seeing what these people in power really think of us.

Last year we had a convention in Saint Paul that was attacked by the Democratic Party with infantry, bombs, fire and caustic weapons.

Most reporting was about whether the police overreacted.

Now these same Democrats in the news rooms are wondering if those demonstrating against an ever expanding government are, "corporate manufactured","ignorant","mostly racists","greedy doctors","too well dressed","unstable","dangerous","selfish","Un-American"

The Democrats, the lords of protest and civil disobedience(mostly government subsidized), cannot stand the notion of freedom loving Americans using their stage.

It galls them. I say Good.

I think it is fantastic that more and more of my fellow Americans and fellow Minnesotans experience the treatment I have been getting for over twenty years now, just for voicing my opinion.

Most people in government like their job and want to keep it. This motivates their reasoning and actions.

I am prepared to pay any government workers a lump sum as we close their agencies.

But we must close agencies, departments, silly studies, ridiculous grants, costly programs and at the same time dramatically reduce the tax burden on people.

Nothing else will really matter much.

At least not in a positive way.

Home on Labor Day

2009-09-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

It is Labor day, Monday September 7. The sky is clear with little wind and I am back home in Forest Lake, Minnesota.

This morning I am doing laundry. I returned from the Otter Creek Horse Show last evening about eight o'clock. It's a sprawling facility and we jump crew cover a very large area.

It is really one of the most spectacular settings.

The Otter Creek Horse Show is easily one of the most beautiful in all mid-America, if not throughout the entire nation.

Located in the northern edge of the driftless zone of mid-west Wisconsin just north of wheeler it is a magically perfect terrain for an equine paradise.

Carved out of the stunning northern hardwood forest, Mark and Lena Warner have created a fantastic wonderland of fields, pastures, jumps and trails.

Be it dressage, hunter & jumper shows, long distance eventing, a gentle ride in the valley or a fun trail ride in the woods, Otter Creek Farms has what you are looking for.

The rolling wooded hills are laced with horse trails and rustic jumps, while the low ground of the valley, also dotted with neat rustic jumps, is a groomed savanna.

The barns are large and roomy, the last one they built from local wood and it is beautiful.

At the one end of this long green shangri-La is the upper sand ring where the ponies and the youngsters did their hunter and stirrup work.

Heading from there down a long gentle slope you pass the schooling area they use.

The cocoon of trees on both sides opens as you continue.

You can now see farther down the valley, and also you are approaching the sprawling main sand ring. It is very large and perfect for the Hunters.

From here the grounds dogleg left another hundred and fifty yards or more, towards a timber-framed, open sided pavilion. It is nice, and seats forty or fifty people.

Here you can sit and have a drink or a bite, you are at the foot of the third ring. We used it for the jumpers.

From here you can see to the other end of the valley bottom.

Easily half of the pastured valley bottom is open for riding and access to the multitude of trails heading into the wooded hills ringing this horse paradise.

When the fall colors change a dazzling display of reds, greens, and yellows envelops the grounds. It is absolutely effervescent.

The owners are nice and aren't afraid of a chainsaw. As a matter of fact there is much chainsaw art all about the grounds, Bears, eagles and of course, otters.

This is the one show I do that is not in Minnesota.

I may do some more work there, they do lots dressage and eventing stuff and the walking is good for my leg.

Today I get organized, tomorrow I go to work at the stable/tree service in Stillwater.

Time to eat.

Minnesota State Fair Horse Show

2009-08-29T06:40:00.000-07:00

For me the Minnesota State Fair is nearly over, although there is another week to go.

I do the jump crew work for the English horse show over the first week.
The weather has been good and the crew seems to be working well. Its busy in the Hippodrome and we need to get the jumps in and out.

Yesterday the cattle were being judged before the ring was released to us.

They are all groomed fine and the stands are full of cow folks from all over the 87 counties of Minnesota.

They are some of the best looking cows in the world.

The announcer really knows his bovine.

Class after class goes by and is judged. Lots of kids with their livestock are all gussied up for their effort to win a ribbon at the Minnesota State Fair.

There were easily four thousand people watching in the Colosseum, half of them in cowboy hat.

The Hippodrome is shaped like a very, very large Quonset-hut made of concrete. The dirt covered ring inside is huge.

They have been judging class after class for hours.
In they line up. A line twenty, thirty cow or more long is no problem for the Minnesota State Fair Hippodrome.

When the final lineup is in the ring, you can hear a pin drop.
The announcer helps you figure out what to look for in a cow.

You can feel lots of building suspense.

Eventually the judge walks the line gives a second and a third final look over... when...

The crowd explodes when the judge slaps the haunches of the blue ribbon champion.

The winner received a brand new truck and trailer.

Next it's pictures while we clear the ring and try to get the folks out so we can drag the ring and set up for the jumpers scheduled to show in twenty minutes.

It took us twenty five to do it. We were moving pretty good.

All went well, and today; Sunday, we will do the setup and take down for the last day of the Minnesota State Fair English Horse Show 2009.

Sailing a Small Lake in Mid Minnesota

2009-08-15T05:37:00.000-07:00

August has arrived, and we have finally had a string of ninety plus degree days.

Although cooler than some, I think this has been a magically perfect summer; whether-wise, here in our fantastic state of Minnesota.

The sailboat "Liberty" has been plying the waters of Forest Lake in Washington County.

(For those not from here, that is a county about forty five miles north of the twin cities bordering the Saint Croix river and Wisconsin on the east.)

We did have one foray to Lake Independence west of the cities when I did the horse show in Loretto.

She is a single masted fourteen foot fiberglass sailboat that can be launched from almost anything with a ball hitch.

With bench seating port and starboard and a fore-deck to hangout or swim from makes it perfect for the many small to medium glacial remnant lakes sprinkled across Minnesota like silver coins.

She seats four, perfect for two.

Forest Lake is nice and close.

Just about three hours before sunset or after sunrise is the time to catch the lake breeze.

I am usually one of the few boats and only sailboat on the lake in the morning, and the evening time is a great time to socialize.

I like to leave work, drive home, shower, pack some water and munchies, load and go. I can be launching in fifteen minutes if there is no wait at the launch by the lakeside park.

Once on the lake it is now all about observation. Your vantage and viewpoint changes.

You now see the shoreline surrounding you rather than seeing a pan of water from shore.

The wind often travels in unseen puffs but their sign is there if you look. They hit the surface of the lake and are forced to flatten out. As they are forced to change direction on the face in contact with the water, the wind gives a slap to the surface and the energy transfer makes little waves.

These roughly round, traveling areas of rippled water are often called a catspaw. They commonly form that shape, with the round "toes" typically on the leading edge.

Catspaws on the water can be very usefull to the sailor who knows how to ride the edges, especially if he is in a hurry to return to port to take advantage of the libations available at the "Laker" bar and grill just two hundred paces from the dock on the east side of Forest Lake.

Pull in, tie off, walk in. Food, friends, sun and drinks.

August is here, I have three horse shows to work over the next four week.
(One will cover the first week at the Minnesota State Fair. Hope to see you there!)

I treasure these times on the lake.

The Summer Sun Laughs on Minnesota

2009-07-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

It has been a grand and glorious June and July in Minnesota. The corn got the rain it needed when it needed it, in much of the corn belt of south and west Minnesota.

I have spent a great deal of time on the water over the last week. Eagle lake in Sherburne County is a fine glacial remnant lake. It has fine folks living around it and we have a friendly port we call "Four Docks" that lets us moor the 28' pontoon of Steves'.

There are a happy set of bald eagles nesting on shore, and there are at least four adult loons and many chicks. I expect there are more.

The loon fishes by diving, and they are very successful. They often surface near our anchored boat.

They are an old and ancient bird with a haunting laugh of a call and piercing red eyes. The Common Loon has a white speckled back and necklace on a black background that comes with a neat Indian story.

Our state bird, has legs set way back for swimming and it is clumsy on land, it is so old its bones are still mostly solid.

The Bald Eagle; our national emblem, is also a well dressed bird and is really quite impressive circling in for its landing on an oak fifty feet away.

We spent the Independence Day and evening fishing and grilling and eating watermelon and drinking beer on the lake. The evening fireworks display by the locals ringing the lake was fantastic.

We watched as rockets lifted above the lake from all sides with reflected displays, and heard their reports cross the water at the speed of sound. It was fantastic.

When we weighed anchor to put in after about three hours of this loud morter and rocket umbrella (many were still firing), there was a slight gunpowder fog on the lake.

It was super cool pulling into port with the forward navigation lights glowing red and green in the mist.

I have been doing tree and stable work out of Stillwater on the Saint Croix River across from Wisconsin as a regular job.

I have been also allowed to take some time off to work the horse show circuit here in Minnesota.

I do the Jump Crew stuff, I don't like doing end gate and don't know enough to announce.
Its hard work, but it's fun and pays fairly well.

We set the stage (and take it down) and replace knocked down rails and do other odd jobs.

I will be west of Minneapolis for the Alpine Hunter/Jumper Show next week.

I am bringing the 14' sailboat "Liberty" with, I can launch her on Lake Independence, which is about a mile away from the show grounds and eight from the hotel in Medina.

Lots of other loud and colorful events of note have taken place here in Minnesota.

After many months the long awaited conclusion to the kabuki dance that was the Minnesota U.S. Senate race we have a Senator.

Al Franken.

The candidate offered to the people of Minnesota by the brand (DFL), preferred by those in government and media circles.

Much has been said and I could add more.

I will say Good Luck.

I do not agree with his politics nor those of his party. I think they are bad for my friends in Minnesota and the rest of America as well as worldwide.

I believe that maximizing peoples Freedom, and individuals Liberty is the proven path to a more peaceful, civil, educated, respectful, healthy and prosperous society.

I believe taxing for "Fairness", regardless of its resulting negative tax revenue, is dumb. I do not think we need more taxes and more regulations from THE STATE or THE FED.

I think we need less of both, from both.

Senator Al Franken will make a wonderful standard-bearer for his party.

Making Hay While a Minnesota Sun Shines.

2009-06-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

As is the case, since ever I worked in any horse barn, the hay shows up on the real hot days.

Today was a beautiful summer day. Ninety and some odd degrees. This is Minnesota, we are surrounded by vibrant green fields and many, many lakes and ponds.

When the sun comes out lots of water jumps into the air.

First it's all around you and you can feel it. When you go out into the sun it is especially hot and thick. You get damp and hot.

You learn to appreciate a breeze.

Walking in fields is difficult. Cleaning stalls seems never ending. Just picking up a lead line becomes a chore.

It is hot and humid.

You can see over on the horizon, above the tree line, clouds growing. Thick white vapor columns rising and growing. These huge water monsters arise, awaken, and storm across the countryside.

But until then, probably about 4:30 this afternoon, the three hundred bales of hay need to be stacked in the overhead and the barn needs to be cleaned and then the animals need to come back in.

Some are a little sweaty.

They prefer the cool barn, it's not the heat it's the humidity.

Spring is Gone, Summer is Here.

2009-06-22T05:06:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy spring for me.

We have watched the leave come out of the trees and bushes and unfurl. They have that brand new crispness that makes the woods look especially brite and vibrant, you only get that in the spring.

I have seen more Bluebirds, as well as other fun little colorful birds, this spring than ever before. I think its because I am spending more time, especially mornings, very near the Mississippi river and a tributary stream to it - Silver Creek. This is perfect song bird territory and on one of the big migration routes.... Also the owner has bird baths, feeders, suet and hummingbird straws.

It is now the first day of Summer and we have had some hot humid days and some good rains, but not everywhere has had rain and there are many dry spots around Minnesota.

We have made lot's of progress on many fronts.

Base line daily work at the double H stables ("HH")/ Haines Tree Service with weekly forays in the nautical direction.

I also have been taking weekly "breaks" to work jumpcrew at some horse events located about Minnesota.

Just finished one yesterday (Sunday) out Loretto way. we had a happy little hummingbird come into the judges stand, twice.

(Loretto is west of the twin cities about 25 miles for those not familiar with our state. Wooded rolling moraines with homes and farms and lots of glacial remnant lakes.)

I had the sailboat "Liberty" along and got her out on Lake Independence and tested the repaired sail. All is good!

Steve also acquired the 28' "Aqua flite Deck 280" and we have had it up and operating.

It is a FANTASTIC lounging and fishing platform. "Steves' Clubhouse" is a twenty eight foot long and eight foot wide pontoon boat. The front two thirds are flat decked for fishing, swimming or lawn chairs, and the rest is under canopy, with Pilot chair, table and cushioned seating for four.

Steve is a great guy, a fine machinist, but Steve is also a tall heavy landlubber. I am always nervous when canoeing with him. Now we have the perfect platform for everyone! I am going to have to work on uploading some pictures.

I now need to go to get my motor boat out of the shop. 135 Johnson needed help we were not situated to give. This will be our runabout. It's an aluminum V-hull, as yet to be named.

Now she is turn-key ready.

I also had an opportunity to be part of an event in Shorview. I was speaking on the Forests of Minnesota at an event centered on free market ecology. I was the closer, fifth of five.

I think it went well, I brought along a large plywood cutout of the state of Minnesota for display and reference. Gave rough description of things and a little on succession.

I had been living the last week out of a motel in Medina, I am now home. While away I bought Jacklyn, now 4, some animals for her barn. A momma Giraffe and a Baby Giraffe. She liked them so did her mother. I also brought home the game "Hi-Ho Cherry-o". She likes games.

I got a call from the boss at "HH" last nite and she said I didn't have to come in today. That was nice, she new I was wiped.

So today I recover and get back to a normal pattern. Tomorrow I go to work back in Stillwater.

A Point in Time.

2009-06-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

I have been following the Minnesota Legislature for about twenty years now. The House, the Senate, the Governor(s).

I have seen many of all kinds.

I remember Willard Munger before he admitted in the paper he was a socialist and told Paul Wellstone to vacate his pledge to only two terms as Senator.

House leadership under International Falls' Irv. Anderson and the rocky end of that era, leading to the Dee Long's, Phil Carruthers's and Margaret Anderson-Kelliher's.

With the spending and controlling mania of the DFL virtually unchecked, the Government costs has been doubling at an alarming rate while the individuals and businesses of Minnesota carry an ever increasing burden of rules and taxes.

Those that stay I mean, many are leaving. It is sad.

We all remember the Senate, with the firm controlling rule of the Joe Bertram years (of Paynesville in Stearns County). He, with his brother Jeff in the House, where so drunk with power they were handing out PCR chits worth fifty tax dollars to people for haircuts and stealing leather vests from stores.

I was one of his constituents and I went to his office while in session daily to call for his resignation.

He did finally, but the ways of the Minnesota Senate didn't skip a beat, marching ever forward to the glorious future of fairness.

They've had their own history of some rather ignoble behavior on behalf of the people of Minnesota.

Often it seems especially hard on the non-DFL women.

The way they treated Carol Molnau of late comes to mind, and Bob Greenburg, a local vegan eco-freak for light rail had to chose a women Senator (Flynn I think) to pie at the entry to the Senate.

The local papers said the "violence" was in the fist behind the pie. Justifying, at least to themselves, that it was not an act of violence.
I think she was violated.

But that's just the DFL (strib) rationalizing its own uncivilized behavior. They do that a lot you know.

Hubris, the DFL is loaded with Hubris by the tanker-full.

[The one balcony to the Senate is still closed due to the antics of the Sierra Club during the NSP nuclear dry cask storage "debate"]

In an attempt to appear stately the Senate has, in the past, left the more blatant smash and grab work for the more emotional House or maybe the latest "look at me" sitting in the Attorney Generals' Office.

But maintaining the growth pattern of their favorite pet; the Machine of Government here in the North Star State, has required them to sully their white shirts a bit.

And both bodies are much controlled by the agencies of bureaucracy now representing a large DFL voting block.

Just who is running the asylum?

We know if the agency doesn't like an Executive appointment to lead their bureaucracy they will mutiny.

Just as the tough guy; Jesse Ventura, about his attempted appointment of some FBI person to lead the DNR. [very powerful, the eco-govenmental complex of Minnesota]

This year, after five months of ignoring the big budget shortfall, the DFL leadership and majority in the Senate, lead by Lawrence Pogemiller and James Metzen {with a supporting role by DFL house tax committee chairman and governor hopeful of Cook Minnesota; Thomas Bakk} offered a tax increasing solution to vote on.

A big part was a 2 billion dollar item called "Property Tax Recognition Shift".
Sounds a lot like "Payment In Lieu of Taxes" or PILT money.

It seems we're running a little short of slush funds these days.

It also seems that when the Government owns more property, then local property tax revenues drop.

I think encouraging private property ownership, or at least not referring to it as a "Threat", would serve us much better.

In the process of bullying through this tax bill on the last day before the Constitutionally mandated deadline, the Senate leadership ignored the Rules of the Senate, rules of parliamentary procedure, Roberts Rules of Order, simple rules of protocol, respect, decency, and democracy.

Just like in their elections, the DFL legislatures are patronizingly gracious winners and ruthlessly vicious losers.

Spring is Here. The Boats are Launched and the Legislature is Docked.

2009-05-31T06:54:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy two/three weeks for me. I worked the horse show at Hugo.

Usually during the summer I work just the horse shows here in Minnesota with some off time between for other things, but this year I have a regular job working at the double "H" stables / Haines Tree Service out of Stillwater.

It makes the Sunday end of show breakdown and cleanup day a lead in to a week at "HH". It is a little taxing and makes Monday long.

Yesterday Steve, Gary and I took the motorboat to the shop, we need to get the 135hp Johnson up and running.

We also have acquired a 28 foot pontoon boat and trailer. It needs some work. The deck needs replacement, the motor is shot, and the pontoons have a few dents.

But its twenty eight feet long and we will get it up and on the lake. It may have little power at first but it will have a gas grill.

We intend to launch it and anchor it as our flag ship. Then we can canoe and sail our other vessels around and also have a lounge area on the lake.

This is going to be great!

Changing the subject to give a little closure to the legislative session, the DFL at the last moment pulled out their plan - raise taxes. No one was surprised.

They seem to think that talking about trivial things till the last moment would jam the Governor to follow their lead.

They thought that they left him with the choice of signing on to their plan or force a government shutdown or a special session.

Bad assumptions by the big brains in the DFL.

The Governor was not moved by their tear soaked pleas to follow the words of Jesus and further empower the tax collectors. (How they got that interpretation, I still don't know.)

The Gov. vetoed their government employment plan and began taking charge of the States Budget and began line item "un-allotments" to balance the budget.

The typical and predictable wailing and gnashing of teeth commenced.

The press releases describing tales of woe and doom to come from this horrible action by the Governor have been issued constantly from all government quarters; State, County and City as well as all government subsidized enterprises and "non-profits".

We have been bombarded by threats that the “sky is falling” and other false threats for years.

All to induce fear in the populace to coerce them into following the DFL in there liberty thieving and tax guzzling ways.

It has worked for years.

But like Abe Lincoln (who died on April 15) says: “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.”

I think the “F” in DFL no longer stands for “Farmer”, but “Fool”.

May in Minnesota

2009-05-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

It is now the second week of May. Today is Mothers Day.

Here in Minnesota, the leaving of winter behind is now total, even though it is 30 degrees in International Falls.

The trees are leafing out, and the song birds are back and nesting. The clouds are racing by in front of a high pressure system bringing in bright, but cool Canadian air.

The first mowing of the year has been done in most yards and the tulips are opening brilliant red and yellow this morning. The coffee is perfect.

It is warming and this is one of the best canoe times of the year, no bugs yet. I'll be on the Saint Francis River meandering through parts of Sherburne County before it meets the Elk Rivers' trek to the Mississippi.

The Fishing opener was Friday and the Governor held his event just south of Forest Lake in White Bear Lake. I was in town and ate breakfast at the diner. It was a nice day but with a chilly wind and more clouds than blue sky.

In town, the large "workers rights" [communist] May Day parade at Powder Horn Park in Saint Paul had a float drive over an individual, nothing major but rather symbolic if you ask me.

In Saint Paul the legislature is now being compressed to the May 18 deadline and the demand for tax hikes is beginning to increase in pitch.

It is proposed by the DFL that we adopt a fourth income tax bracket, and raise all of the ones we already have.
This would make two of the highest income tax brackets in the nation exist here in industry crushing Minnesota.

Also they intend to raise taxes on alcohol consumers. The stuff for drinking, they still want to subsidies that intended for the gas tank.
[More irrational energy nonsense brought to you by the powerful environmental lobby.]

The tax-guzzling, special interest groups that live off of working Minnesotans are also making maneuvers for the new monies generated by the "legacy" amendment.

It was voted into law last election based on a false, fear mongering, tax funded, campaign that brow-beat Minnesotans into believing that our water was dangerously polluted and needed this additional remedy now.

To secure political support at the Capitol the so-called "sportsmen" joined with the so called "arts" lobby. They ended up splitting this new revenue stream and are giddy with new money, power and influence.

Watching such sycophantic and demeaning groveling and pawning by these groups and their members at the feet of these committee meetings, is embarrassing enough. To know that we are paying these people handsomely to behave so cravenly is more than a little disturbing.

Public Broadcasting here in Minnesota did well by their (our) marketing investment on behalf of the tax hike.

The Minnesota Film Board is angling for some of these "new arts dollars". They can be seen interviewed on "news" shows saying how a dollar they are given creates five in the economy.

They may understand lobbying and grant righting and all that, but they have a clear lacking in the understanding of basic economics.

Minnesota is vast and varied in terrain, vegetation and climate. There are advantages to making a movie here naturally. We do not need a "film board".

I don't think we need a department of tourism for many of the same reasons. Trust me, people will vacation in Minnesota without the MN Dept. Of Tourism.

They did before.

These closed-loops, that lobby for tax dollars with tax dollars, have contributed significantly to the unsustainable financial mess Minnesota and its industrious citizens are burdened under.

Things must change. Things will change.

Politically that is.

Minnesota will always be beautiful in May.

Green Bays' Jetsam Drifting to Minnesota.

2009-05-06T20:20:00.001-07:00

There is much discussion lately around here in Minnesota, as well as amongst our neighbors to the east in Wisconsin, about the possibility of Brett Favre quarterbacking for the Minnesota Vikings.

Many people have been voicing strong opinions all around.

In Wisconsin, where the Green Bay Packers are the Government owned professional football team, they speak of betrayal and disappointment.

They also make taunting remarks usually about Superbowl victories and the possibility of Brett making it possible for the Vikes to actually win one.

In Minnesota most think Favre, although very talented, is past his prime.

I think most people, including the professional sport journalists, are not reading the data properly and are coming to wrong conclusions.

I do not believe that Mr. Favre has any intentions of the quarterback position with the Vikings.

I think Brett Favre is very possibly going to be on the coaching staff of the Minnesota Vikings.

Rally's for Tax Cuts

2009-04-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

This weekend there will be a gathering of some friends of mine at the State Capitol in Saint Paul.

We have been meeting for many years now. I started having these little regular get togethers after the first billion dollar bonding bill well over a decade ago.

It was just a small group of us then. Myself, Colin my brother and Charles Test; then Chair of the Libertarian Party of Minnesota.

I reserved the steps at the Capitol, built the "lug-a-lectern" and the "port-a-podium".
We hauled them up the stairs, set up the works (with a sound system provided by C. Test), weighed it down with sandbags and cranked up the tunes.

I did the M.C. work for most of them.

Over time others who were there include then State Representative Phil Krinkie, Tom Workman, Todd Van Dellum, Kevin Knight, and State Senator Linda Runbeck and Carol Molnau, just to name a few.

There were lots of people you never heard of. Many helped in many little ways. Some fed me, some bought me gasoline or lunch. Ken Iverson gave me an old car of his when mine died.

These get togethers came to be called rallys.

Some were titled such as the "Give it Back", "Give it all Back" and "Tax cuts Now!" rallys.
Eric Escola of CBS came to refer to us as the "Give It All Back" crowd on "Almanac" and elsewhere.

Jesse Ventura spoke at one of our "Give it Back" rallys prior to his election as Governor. The pictures are funny in that I built the podium to fit me, at five feet seven inches. Needless to say Jesse Ventura is quite taller than that.

At least a year before that, house Speaker Steve Sviggum spoke. He had a great prop I helped him display, a very large pink porciline pig.

The crowd loved it and the photos are great.

Now these rallys are known as the annual "Jason Lewis" tax cut rallys.
You saw me lead the Pledge of Allegeance at last years "Tax Cut Rally".

(I and some others had a complaint sustained by the MN News Council from last years coverage by WCCO. Read my complaint here at; "Complaint to MN News Council")

I delivered the Pledge of Allegiance at the "Tea Party" on the 15th of April.

I am very happy with the momentum and support gained over these many years.

What started with three is now easily thirteen thousand strong, and growing.

I may not get the opportunity to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance this year, but I don't mind at all.

It is nice to watch and not have to worry about making cues, setting lecturns and all the other incidentals I have done for all these years.

It is good to sit down and look back with satisfaction at the movements growth.

Hopefully we shall see our efforts bear fruit.

The End of a Cycle

2009-04-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

I have been using the comparison of the Minnesota Legislature to that of a four cycle engine. You can read here the article "The Engine that is Minnesota"

We are entering the end of the compression cycle, approaching the power cycle.

The heat and temperature in the cylinder is increasing as the piston rises towards the engine head with a fuel and air mixture that is very rich.

The DFL members think its lean and are attempting to dump even more fuel into the gaping, tax guzzling, carburetor before reaching top-dead-center; and that hard end on May 18.

The way they drive the vehicle, and with all those odd attachments, and then tow everyone's stuff around; well there's no wonder why they cannot pass a tax station.

We used to have a budget year then a bonding year. [Before that, we meet every other year.]

These too seem to be combined, ending with a bonding every year now.

The engine that is Minnesota is overloaded, and many seem to think making a four cycle engine perform like a two cycle engine, with twice as many power cycles, is the way to go.

I think they are going to blow a head gasket and the engine is going to seize.

Minnesota Minning and Manufacturing No More

2009-04-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

In 1902 in the little north shore town of Two Harbors Minnesota, five businessmen began what they thought was a venture to mine a local mineral deposit to be an abrasive on grinding-wheels. However the mineral deposit was found to be of little value (not corundum) and they moved to Duluth were they focused on producing sandpaper products.

This company was called Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing. Since then this little risky venture has blossomed into a multinational powerhouse with manufacturing, distribution and research facilities located worldwide.

Its headquarters once located in Saint Paul, is now in Maplewood Minnesota. I drive by the old large multi-building complex at least twice a month. It is still held in high esteem to work there.

Its been there my whole lifetime, so far.
They too have had some difficult times.

Sales of many of 3M's products have slowed during the last quarter, and its profits are reflecting that.

In France a company executive was held by striking workers at a factory expected to be closed.

Here in Minnesota we have been forcing them to chase phantom menaces on land used generations ago.

The executives have made clear the difficulty working in Minnesota with its high tax burden on the company and its employees.

3M announced some time back they would not be building on their aging Saint Paul campus.

And long before that they stopped referring to 3M as "Minnesota Minning and Manufacturing".

THE STATE is not friendly to anything having to do with "companies" or "minning" or "manufacturing". Today unlike times gone by, Minnesota is not "industry" friendly.

Nope, now its just 3M, period. Sad.

3M is selling its Saint Paul Campus to the Saint Paul Port Authority. It was the old headquarters before the move to Maplewood in the 60's. It will be leveled and the Port Authority will set it up for light industry and office space.

They, like other companies (and 3M is not just another company), are announcing layoffs and early retirements and buyouts for employees.

This will ripple throughout Minnesota. 3M is generous and always has been. They've built public buildings, symphonies, theaters, educations, hospitals.... the list of positives is very long.

3M has been a pillar of our society for over a hundred years.

However to me it seem that the McKnight Principle;

"As our business grows, it becomes increasingly necessary to delegate responsibility and to encourage men and women to exercise their initiative. This requires considerable tolerance. Those men and women, to whom we delegate authority and responsibility, if they are good people, are going to want to do their jobs in their own way.

"Mistakes will be made. But if a person is essentially right, the mistakes he or she makes are not as serious in the long run as the mistakes management will make if it undertakes to tell those in authority exactly how they must do their jobs.

"Management that is destructively critical when mistakes are made kills initiative. And it's essential that we have many people with initiative if we are to continue to grow."

....does not mesh well with THE STATES principle of centralized command and control.

3M appears to be leaving my beloved State of Minnesota.

Tornados, Paper Puppets and Public Broadcasting

2009-04-23T06:20:00.000-07:00

This is Severe Weather Awareness Week.

Today the sirens will sound throughout Minnesota at 1:45 pm and 6:55 pm for tornado drills.

Last year about 5 miles south of my home in Forest Lake a violent tornado tore through the town of Hugo, about 5:00 pm on May 25, 2008.

I watched the storm approaching from the window on the second floor looking south. The sky was dark and menacing around 4:45 and my roommate with her three year old daughter were on the road just east of Hugo, attempting to drive home.

The wind was very strong and gusting, the clouds became a dark green, indicating hail, and I was very concerned for their well being.

I knew that I could get more detailed information from the public broadcasting system channel 17 Doppler radar display.

This is part of their "public service" on the "public airways".

I turned on the television. Boy was I wrong.

Instead of the crucial and timely information I was expecting to receive, I was frustrated to see what was being displayed was not the radar that the channel was established to provide the public, but a children's program called "Donna's Day".

Apparently the creation of paper bag puppets and "children friendly" broadcasting had eventually became the more important function of this Public Broadcasting Channel than the original reason given for the establishment of this additional TPT Channel. (Twin Cities Public Television... not Toilet Paper Television)

I called my roommate on her cell phone. She said she had stopped driving and was parked under a tree, seeking some shielding from the hail.

I could here the baseball sized hail hitting her station wagon and I could hear the child screaming in the background.

I was very frustrated in that I did not know the details of the storm and its track... Then the sirens started.

The private news stations were broadcasting information but I wanted more detailed, real time radar over some time to see the drift and trend of the storm. They showed the radar, but also more general storm related reports from throughout the region.

I told her to sit it out, if I knew more I would have told her to drive East.

Her windows were smashed, she barely made it home two hours later.

That tornado, an EF-3 with winds of 136 to 165 miles an hour tore into a Hugo housing development, destroyed dozens of homes and killed one young child.

The public broadcasting folks seem to think these channels are their own little broadcasting system. Useful to air their "green" programs, child "friendly" programing (that they say is unavailable on private TV stations), political reporting, and their behavior and thought modifying "educational" programs.

Once again the arguments made in the Legislature to justify these DFL projects are just, as the late Democrat Senator Daniel PatrickMoynihan called it, "Boob Bait For The Bubbas".

Rhetoric to placate the normal Minnesotan, that can be ignored later once the project is established.

Then they can do what they really intended, as normal folks don't have the time or inclination to follow up on such things.

The Radar Channel should be broadcasting the Radar data, if we wanted Laurence Welk we would borrow grandmas phonograph thank you very much.

TPT used to run with the phrase "If we don't do it, who will?"

I can get "Donna's Day" at the movie rental, thank you.

If you tell me and my fellow Minnesotans you need this channel and broadcasting equipment to provide radar data for public safety, then that is what we should be receiving.

Especially in the middle of a Tornado.

2009-04-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

Norm Coleman, Being The Best Senator He Can Be.

2009-04-08T14:02:00.001-07:00

The continuing saga that is the Minnesota Senate election is an interesting study in and of itself.

The recent ruling from the Judicial Branch of the State of Minnesota has brought us to the end of the latest scene in the drama.

The question raised by Norm Coleman is the non uniform way in which ballots (absentee) were treated by the eighty seven individual counties, and THE STATE.

He is appealing the ruling to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Some years back, I had the opportunity to help a friend run for a State Senate seat vacated by the untimely death of the seated Senator north of the twin cities metro area .

I learned a lot about our elections and the agencies that "manage" these elections here in Minnesota.

No, we did not win and the results were totally of our own doing. No grudges anywhere and lots of new friends.

However, what I experienced from a customer/professional/business standpoint was the same as seen in most any other paper-shuffling government agency.

Very often overly-polite, officious and sometimes a little patronizing, the Government Desk-Set can be quite taxing in more ways than one.

They also love their job, and would like to keep it.

That alone supplies a great motivation to each individual that trends to an over-all "listing" away from anything that might possibly jeopardize their job, and obviously by extension, their agency.

Minnesota has very often led the nation in business, education, power, and politics.

I think we are leading the way again.

It is time for a total overhaul and restructuring of the Election process in the State of Minnesota and also on a Federal level.

I do not like the proposals put forth by Al Franken. I also find little to like from Norm Colman.

I do not like the fear-mongering environmental rhetoric and resulting policies coming from either of the two.

If you remember after the Wellstone tragedy, the DFL asked Governor Ventura to keep the seat empty until the election, out of respect.

He did too.

Then he attended the infamous Wellstone Memorial in the Hubert H. Humphy metro-dome. He walked out when his wife started crying due to the rude and insensitive way the DFL used it like a political club.

Democrats seem to have very little respect, considering how much they demand.

Then he appointed Dean Barkley to fill the Wellstone seat. (He has many odd notions too.)

The DFL seem to be a real classless bunch.

I am happy with the situation as it is now.

The longer we have a vacant seat, the more we prove Minnesota a truly national leader, rejecting the false choices offered by a failing system.

We can do better.

Carving Counties in Minnesota

2009-04-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sartell is a happy little village straddling the Mississippi River about 75 miles upstream of Minneapolis. It has a dam and a paper mill that grew up with and alongside it.

It is named after Joseph B. Sartell who first opened a flour mill on Watab creek that flows in from the west, then opened Sartell Bros. Lumber Company.

Sartell grew up on what the French voyageur called, the "third rapids" up from St. Anthony falls.

It incorporated in 1907 and almost always had a Sartell on the city council till 1973. Ripley or "Rip" was Mayor when we moved into town in 1970.

My friends and I used to bike a distance downstream to "Rips" store and buy penny candy. I can still smell the place and hear the wood floor creak. It is gone now, the site is where the Riverboat bar and grill is now.

The old metal truss bridge is still right there just down stream of the dam, but it is not open for the public. The new bridge is downstream of that a couple of blocks.

Sartell on the Mississippi, is on the eastern border of Stearns county. It has also grown up on the east side of the river and therefore, on the west border of Benton county.

We lived on the west side of the river, in Stearns county.

Beautiful and bountiful, with rolling hills, lakes and trees, Stearns County Minnesota has been an agricultural powerhouse with dairy and grain leading a broad spectrum of husbandry. It is historic in many ways, from Holdingford 13 to Saint Johns College.

We lived in Collegeville for a short while. It's a tiny one road hamlet, upstream on Watab creek, lined by about 8 farms and 10 homes, just down the road from the 100+ year old University in the pines.

There was a world class artisan wood carver in town who made the most fantastic wooden doors.

We also had a railroad that ran right through town. Every once in a while a little yellow inspectors rail car would come down the line, and if you were lucky enough to be there when he did, he would stop and give you candy. A genuine nice railroad man.

This is also where I first heard Garison Keillor on the Radio broadcasting on KSJN from Saint Johns University.

Saint Cloud is about seven miles downstream of Sartell on the Mississippi River. It also has a hydroelectric dam, it generates 9 megawatts of electricity.

It owes a lot of its success to the tornado of April 14, 1886 that flattened the up and coming town of Sauk Rapids on the other side of the river, a real setback the town has never really recovered from.

Saint Cloud was named after the town in France and is the county seat of Stearns County.

It was a way station for the ox carts on the Red River Trail that ran between Saint Paul and the oldest town in the Dakotas; Pembina, on the other side of the Red River near Canada.

They would cross the Mississippi River in Saint Cloud or in Sauk Rapids.

Stearns County is the 14th largest county in Minnesota with almost 1400 square miles, it runs about 54 miles east to west and 36 north to south.

Cold Spring has one of the best bakeries in Minnesota, and one of the best granite quarries in the world. It had one of the best breweries.

Saint Cloud, the largest city in Stearns County, also straddles the Mississippi River. And also like the City of Sartell, and many others, it is in more than one county.

Three in fact. Stearns, Benton and Sherburne.

There are 87 counties in Minnesota and they exist at the discretion of THE STATE. One long time sitting Legislator has suggested doing away with counties altogether, concentrating power in Saint Paul.

Because of the size of Saint Cloud and the difficulties of dealing with three county seats for the city, some at the Minnesota Legislature are suggesting redrawing the county lines.

The opening suggestion is to draw a new boundary for a new county, to be centered on the City of Saint Cloud. The neighboring counties would adjust accordingly.

Wobegone County is the suggested name for this new addition to the Minnesota landscape.

This is not sitting so well with many.

In each of the counties the effect could be dramatic and the county commissions are pondering the impact of such a proposal on jurisdictions, voting districts, and tax revenue.

It is interesting to compare this to the issue with the City of Washington, District of Colombia.

The Nations Capitol City was carved out of three States and isolated politicaly to prevent undue influence.

Some now see what they think is a better way; Statehood for Washington, D.C.
I do not think that is a better way.

Saint Cloud and the three Counties may yearn for the old headaches if they trade them in for new headaches.

Sometimes the wiser way is not the way those in power would have you go.

Farmers Found Not Guilty of all Charges.

2009-04-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

The Red River Drainage Basin is saturated and has just received another load of snow.

Over two feet in a wide swath, with ten inches of snow surrounding that bullseye and a large ring of six to eight around that one.

The tributary streams are iced, but melting.
Another blast of moisture is heading our way now.

The first crest on the Red River of the North has passed downstream, north of Fargo, however another crest is expected.

With this new input of water and the melting rivers it may exceed the last.

Unfortunately, it seems many here in Minnesota also feel that they should not let "a crises go to waste", and are spinning the situation to push there agenda.

While people have been sandbagging and are now struggling to clean up, the subsidized eco-lobby is pushing the notion that the floods on the Red River are due to farmers use of drain tile in the fields.

O- yes, and of course, Global Warming.

They also said that about the wind throw of July 4, 1999 that downed millions of mature trees over an area the size of Massachusetts in north Minnesota. That from "scientists" at the University of Minnesota.

This from the bunch that says we need good science and not politics directing our legislation. I could not agree more, I wish they would be more open minded to evidence and scientists that offer a different conclusion to these natural events.

Many of these skeptical scientists can be found at the Global Warming Petition Project.
(If you look you will also find a meteorologist here in Minnesota that replaced one who is a Carbonophobe.)

Keep in mind that drain tiles are only two to four feet deep on average, only drain the soil above them, and eventually degrade. The ditches they lead to are very flat also, and many are maintained by THE STATE.

Get the government out of the crop subsidy, ethanol and ditch maintenance business and many an acre would not see the plow. We should at the same time stop telling the farmer how to manage his property.

Many a pothole would be full of water. (how that prevents flooding I don't know, but it seems to be the belief of the eco-freaks.)

Drain tiles also have very little affect when the ground is frozen as very little water penetrates the frost and just pools up, eventually sprawling out as it meets other pools on this table-top landscape.

No, it is not the farmer or Global Warming to blame for the flooding of this north flowing stream on the flat bed of an extinct lake bed.

This is natural and not too unexpected over the long view.

Fools in April

2009-04-03T04:35:00.000-07:00

It is April and the Minnesota Legislature has entered the compression phase of the session. (see previous post, "The Engine that is Minnesota")

Three of five months and still no budget deal, and the budget deficit of 5 to 7 billion is still unresolved as mandated by the Minnesota Constitution.

The DFL is pushing to increase taxes in numerous ways.

And in Washington D.C. the Democrats are pushing their tax and spend agenda. (There is no requirement to balance the Federal budget.)

Maybe it is time for an amendment to the U.S Constitution to require a balanced budget.

Ice Coated Arrowhead

2009-03-28T05:51:00.000-07:00

The strong low pressure system that sucked the moisture laden air from warmer climes into our area has passed, leaving behind a wet muddy mess in the Red River Basin.

Less reported but just as impressive, it also left a wake of tangled branches, sagging trees and broken power poles in the Arrowhead region of Minnesota as it steamed on for points east.

Cook County (the county of my birth) covers the extreme northeast portion of the massive State of Minnesota.

It is bordered to the west by Lake County. The border line runs north and south in the woods between Cook and Lake county.

Bordering Cook County to the north is Canada, our good neighbor to the north. We are separated by magnificent boreal lakes; Knife, Saganaga, North, Pine, Fowl...

This Northern border of Cook County runs eastward from these cold lakes, following the Pigeon river as it falls through the piney woods, cutting into the Laurentian shield.

It eventually falls to the lowest point in Minnesota; 601'.

To Lake Superior.

This 1300' deep inland freshwater sea of gargantuan size, from glaciers only recently past, forms the southern border-shoreline for the region called the "Arrowhead" of Minnesota.

It ruggedly runs from Grand Portage, southwesterly for 120 miles and three counties to the zenith city; Duluth Minnesota. (It is the highest ocean-going port on the Lakes)

Way up at the northeast pointy tip of the arrowhead, Cook county also has the highest elevation in Minnesota. On Eagle Mountain at 2301 feet above sea level you can easily see the lowest point, Lake Superior.

That low pressure system that gave the spring flood to the Red River Valley, coated much of Cook County in ice, some as thick as two inches.

It was extremely pretty, but very heavy and was breaking branches, limbs and whole trees, large and small. Many trees were just leaning over from the weight of the glistening tinkling fairyland coating.

The sentiment that "...It was eerie, you could hear branches breaking all the time in the woods", was repeated by many.

Also many power poles, transmission lines and substations were damaged from the intense weight of the clear, frozen, ice coating as thick as your thumb.

Thousands were without power and many went into Grand Marais, Beaver Bay and Silver Bay to seek warmth and shelter.

The thickest coating was a few hill lines back from the Lake were it didn't have its' warmth. The Finland area and the substation there seem to have seen the heaviest coating of ice.

The heavy equipment is now out working on clearing roads and repairing power lines. The back roads will probably be seeing difficulties at least till fall, some maybe longer.

The northwoods of Minnesota are loaded with naturally felled and falling trees. They are falling around our ears, also evident by the massive BWCA blow-down of '99.

Minnesota forests are thriving. If allowed they could easily overwhelm us.

Flooding of the Minnesota River

2009-03-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of rain falling.

Much of it in the very large drainage basin of the Minnesota River.

To understand the Minnesota River and its tributaries (and their very unique geography.)

go www.riverwarren.org/warren_report/what_is_river_warren

I would recommend you go read the entire report and newsletters at The River Warren Research Committee {RWRC}

The only waterfall on the Mississippi River is in Minneapolis... The Falls of Saint Anthony, where the Mississippi River falls into the huge valley carved out of the countryside by the monstrous and now extinct Glacial River Warren.

(extinct rivers are identified by placing the word "river" first, before the name as in: "River Warren".)

All the tributaries of the Minnesota River (which lies entirely on the bottom of the big ditch dug by the River Warren) must fall some 200 feet to reach the Minnesota.

In the process they expend a lot of kinetic energy which makes for highly incised river valleys cutting into the glacial till, especially in high water events.

Look at the Cottonwood, Redwood, Yellow Medicine, Watonwan, Le Sueur, Pomme De Terre, Chippewa, Lac Qui Parle and all the other tributary streams to the Minnesota river. [and Mid-Mississippi for that matter]

All experience the big drop and are in steep valleys with highly erodible stream banks of glacial till and gravel.

The Blue Earth River is a very unique example, with FIVE sub-tributaries cutting inland and upstream, and coming together all at once at Mankato.

Read all about it at... www.riverwarren.org/warren_report/bye_bye_blue_earth

Due to their "underfit" nature at the bottom of the River Warren Valley, the Minnesota and the (middle) Mississippi River are naturally flood prone, sediment-laden streams with wildly fluctuating water levels.

The Mississippi has the Lock and Dam system which provides "flood-flattening".
In the fall/winter, water is released to allow room for the spring snowmelt and rains.

This lengthens the duration of, but reduces the level, of the crest.

Dams can prevent flooding, sedimentation, aid navigation and generate electricity.
They also raise property values along the riverfront with a more stable elevation MUCH less prone to large fluctuations.

Farmers are not the reason the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers flood, no matter what they tell you at the MPCA, DNR, Board of Water and Soil Resources [BWSR], Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources LCMR, the Land Stewardship Project, or any number of Environmental Agencies and government fortified "non"-profit organizations.

Obamanomics comes to Minnesota

2009-03-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here in the land of the loon, we have for many decades elected state representatives that push a ridged environmental command and control regime.

There is strict control of allowable actions on swamps, lakefront, woodlands, and prairies.

There is heavy regulation of lead, mercury, nitrate, phosphorus, particulates, ozone, freon and many other things.

We tax many activities to fund agencies and discourage certain behaviors.
We have many avenues for THE STATE to purchase property and remove it from private hands. THE STATE is the sixth largest property owner in the nation and they are buying more to remove it from a"risk of development".

Any individual or business interest wishing to expand must wade through a gauntlet of non-profit organizations all living to complain about something or anything.

As well as the many, many, many forms to be filed (with fees) and meetings to attend and planning boards to appease and "concerned" citizens opposing you at every turn.

And if you do reach the end of this money and time consuming trek, you can expect an increase in your tax burden.
If you improve your home, its your property tax; if business; that, as well as corporate tax and probably payroll as well.

(and you probably wont be able to park that unsightly R.V. or fishing Boat at home. The neighbors have concerns you know....)

Often times if you have a profitable operation going they will tell you to stop, or change greatly.

You make electricity?... stop doing it that way, you must do it this way. (even though its less reliable, less efficient, more costly and impractical).

Suppose you make industrial adhesive products, have for almost a century... now they sue you for the way you did things (legally) in the past.

Mandate lots of testing, inspection and remedial action for a problem that does not exist.

Makes jobs they say. Obama-jobs

A local bakery in Saint Cloud was fined for excessive emissions. (can't have that fresh bakery smell contributing to atmospheric pollution now can we.)

Often times, these fines are sent to some so-called non-profit organization that is trying to raise awareness of the despicable acts non-believing heathens like you are committing against the planet.
[Very often lying in the process...truth is the first casualty you know.]

You can understand why our tax base is shaky and corporations are not expanding... nor are lots of new ones popping up.
(Making real jobs.)

And the Minnesota Legislature is in session. Have been for some time. Over five thousand bills entered....

Still no budget resolution. Typical.

One of the big priorities of these Liberty thieving collectivists is global warming. To be combated by reducing Carbon emissions.

I will not go into the bad science this nonsense is based on. I will say that they are using this phantom menace to push some very controlling legislation.

There are many regulations and rules on the books now, based on global warming, that should be removed. Right now they are talking about capping automobile miles driven to 1990 levels (or some such silliness).

They think we need to reduce our travel to save the planet. The planet does not need saving.

Minnesota is also experiencing a budget deficit of about $7 billion and gas tax receipts are down.

So they are suggestion a mileage tax, and a test is in the offing with GPS units in some vehicles to track travel. [coming to a sub-sub-sub compact near you!]

(They also intend to raise the income tax, corporate tax, expanding the sales tax, re-instituting vehicle emission testing, and raising all kinds fees)

They could possibly limit the number of vehicles licensed or maybe limit the number of cars any one individual can own. Or maybe you will be filling in an odometer line on your tax form.

They are also pushing a bill to have all business's file a greenhouse gas emission profile of their operation.
(hmm. It says here you have TWO diesel generators...you don't really need two for that business plan you have submitted. And I see on this form that you haven't had the improved carbon sequestration pack that was mandated last year for all diesel engines. As long as we're at it lets review your truck fleet operation and repair forms.)

The enviro-governmental complex is strong, entrenched and ruling with an iron rod. They need to be challenged at every opportunity.

I think I am seeing some pockets of resistance forming, but the very many non-governmental organizations (NGO's)[non-profits] that are funded by government are flexing their muscle and will not relinquish power willingly.

Privacy is of no concern, nor is freedom to these puritanical zealots.

The Sierra Club and the DFL fear free people.

Smash coal, mandate wind. Smash cars, mandate bike trails. Smash freedom, mandate collectivism.

Green Jobs, Green Fuels, Green Education, Green Buildings, Green transportation, Green Government.

We will sacrifice human liberty to "save the planet".

The rights of individuals are being smashed daily by these peddlers of Obamanomics.

Lets talk about Flooding in Minnesota.

2009-03-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

Spring is soon here and the talk of flooding in Minnesota is all the rage.

Keeping in mind that Minnesota is a vast area with widely varied and unique geography and topography...

Let's go back to basics.

There are about five real big variables, aside from unique geography, that determine the magnitude of a "Flood".

In no particular order, some of the things you need to get a real good flood here in Minnesota are....

1) A wet fall. Going into winter with thoroughly saturated ground with a high water table evident by full lakes, swamps, creeks and rivers.

2) A hard freeze prior to heavy snow cover. A hard deep frostline. The saturated soils freeze and become impermeable down to relatively deep depths.

3) A winter with lots of snow with lots of water content.

4) A strong warming that provides a quick thawing of the snowpack.

followed by a

5) A wet rainy spring.

Each drainage basin has its own situation. Minnesota is large. The Blue Earth is unique as is the Saint Louis or The Red River.

The Red is on the flat bottom of a ten thousand year dead marginal glacial lake. It is a river that drains a large area.

It winds its way slowly on the table flat silt bed, finding the slightly lower ground which, overall, leads north. North to Hudson Bay.

The headwaters of the Red River of the North typical thaws before the downstream half, north of the Canadian border.

Often, the flowing water backs up when it meets the ice dams where the floating growlers stack up and stop flow. This was well understood long before the European settlers arrived.

In the bottom land of the Red River basin, once the water rises high enough, the river overtops the natural levies of the riverbanks and quickly sprawls across the very flat terrain directly bordering the river.

Because it is so flat it may travel laterally for miles with just one foot of increased surface elevation.

And tributary streams from higher elevations may experience the effects of this back up.

Grand Forks is named Grand Forks for a reason.

Water will always seek its own elevation. The farther the fall the more energy involved, and faster falls are usually more dramatic then slow.

But not always.

The St. Louis falls fast, the Minnesota and the Red fall slowly, for example.

Water is heavy, "a pint's a pound the whole world round" is an old truism from the sea. Try to walk across a small flowing stream and you will understand the power of moving water.

Six inches of flowing water will move a car sideways.

To control the water you must control the energy.

The Engine that is Minnesota.

2009-03-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

I was taught four cycle theory as a sonarman. The information that can be attained from the radiant sound from a running engine is rather impressive to the uninitiated.

Number of engines, two cycle or four, number of cylinders, engine firing rate, cylinder firing rate, crank-shaft, cam shaft, gears, turbine, blowers, oil pumps, auxiliaries, gear ratios....

But to tease out the clues you have to first understand how they work. A sonarman understands engines.

The four cycle and two cycle theory is how we describe the actions relevant to the cylinder, piston, valves and crankshaft of an internal combustion engine.

I compare the standard operating procedure of the Minnesota Legislature to that of a four cycle engine.

It is a circular series of events and can be described as phases.

We have already completed the "Exhaust Phase", where the piston rises in the cylinder while the exhaust valve is open, expelling the exhaust fumes and uncombusted fuel air mixture from the last cycle.

Inside the cylinder at Saint Paul the piston began to rise in January as the old bad air was expelled from the last sessions rancor and the elections harshness.

The "Intake Phase" has the piston descending with the exhaust valve shut and the intake valve open, allowing a fuel air mixture to enter the space above the descending piston.

The Saint Paul Capitol is entering this phase and we shall soon see the fuel air mixture about to enter the space above the deficit.

The exhaust valve is shut and the deficit continues to descend. As nature abhors a vacuum the Minnesota Constitution requires a balanced budget.

The DFL valve appears to be wide open and increased fuel flow will be the natural result.

Here come the proposed tax hikes.

From here we can look forward to the legislature going into the "Compression Phase". Like the engine the piston rises with all valves shut. Temperature and pressure will increase.

After that is the "Power Phase" where the fuel air mixture is consumed in a controlled explosion that supplies the energy to drive through the non power phases as well as do the work the engine is designed to do.

The engine that is the Minnesota Legislature is running on a fuel mixture that is too rich. It is tied to an ever increasing load that already is beyond the original design. The RPMs (revolutions per minute) are too great and its been years since there has been a cool down cycle.

I believe we may exceed the capacity for the radiator to dispel all this excess heat, we may see a blown hose or two.

We should give the engine an opportunity to cool down.
We may, the whole thing may shut down for a while just prior to the "Power Phase".

Restarting is always a laborious and greasy operation.

ALARM: MPCA FRIGHTENS CHILDREN/ELDERLY. DISREGARD!

2009-03-07T05:02:00.000-08:00

To anyone looking in on Minnesota from outside our borders I wish to make some corrections.

The air is fine, I was outside all yesterday near Stillwater and it was a beautiful forty degree day with lots of snow melting and water running and the sun was out and everything.

Today looks to be very much the same.
Gorgeous.

That's not the way THE STATE saw it.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency was issuing an Air Pollution Health Alert.

They have a five level color coded air Quality Index.

Very similar to the much ridiculed five level Defense Condition [DefCon]that was brought to civilian-land after the attacks in New York. You know, the color coded threat level stuff.

But if you really want to see a bunch of goofy, pith helmet wearing, vest clad, map and chart waiving paranoid militants pushing buttons and sounding alarms... and threatening you and your childrens' way of life.... Go to the Environmental desk of any government agency.

And if you want to see some of the real goggle eyed napoleons hunched over maps, go to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

I used to live on a Submarine capable of carrying nuclear ballistic missiles. I used to live in the land of DefCon and Air Alerts, and Water Rationing, and heavy security and lots of I.D. checks, and very limited space. There was a logical reason for these things, especially out in the middle of the ocean, however I ended my enlistment to get away from these things and enjoy life in free America. Back home in Minnesota.

The MPCA thinks we need to live like we are on a submarine. Well there is no need to, and I refuse.

I will use all the water I want, the even odd water days are un-Minnesotan and an abomination, build more water towers, you money squandering bureaucrats.

I will sprawl out if I so chose, and where are the good roads we should expect from the huge sums of cash going to the Dept. of Transportation, even with that huge parasite, light rail, sucking nutrients from the host. There is still lots and lots of money, why do our roads suck?

I will not be quiet. I will drive what I want, where I want, when I want on sea, land or air, and I will be parking it on my property.

I will eat what I want, get you face out of my plate.

If I want a gun I will get one.

If I want to smoke I will.

I will not be worrying about every little particulate, and I will not be waking up to toy alarms over false threats to play commune with a bunch of overpaid busy-body Gladys Kravits.

If you don't like it, that's your problem. And your not my problem, until you become my problem.

And if you work at the MPCA, DNR, U.S Fish and Wildlife, EPA..... you unfortunately have probably become my problem.

Now the well paid irrational paranoids are using their chicken-little alarm system to lobby for more rules and money.

It worked with the lakes and the new sales tax on the constitution for the "outdoors and arts", it worked for the increase in the gas tax brought to you last session, it worked to fund the light rail nonsense, and it may also work to stop electrical generation by coal fired power plants....we shall see.

Look into the unswimmable and unfishable designation given to forty percent of tested waters.

Bah! We are surrounded by clean water... ask Mayor R.T. Rybak (D), his advertisements to come to Minneapolis claim so, and Minneapolis has the "dirtiest" water according to the MPCA.

Minnesota has clean water, clear air, and abundant natural resources, not that THE STATE would have you believe it. Heck, now they're working the mercury angle to smash the Big Stone Power Plant. The heck with the peoples desire for cheap electricity, they know better than us.

If all coal plants on the planet shutdown today, at least 95% of atmospheric Mercury emissions would still exist.

Mercury is natural and is naturally present in the atmosphere, and the fish. There has been fish in museums from long ago tested and they had mercury.

But the war on the elements continues...Lead, Mercury, Freon, Carbon.
The war continues and we are losing.
FCW

Here is some data from THE STATE....

MPCA News Releases
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/news/data/newsRelease.cfm?NR=280540&type=2

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has Issued an Air Pollution Health Alert

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 03/05/2009
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an Air Pollution Health Alert due to fine particle pollution for southwest and central Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Marshall, and Brainerd effective immediately and running through the end of the day Friday March, 6th. An Air Pollution Health Advisory with pollution levels approaching the alert level has been issued for Duluth and Rochester. ....

-and-
http://www.pca.state.mn.us/air/aqi-subscribe.html

MPCA Home > Air > Air Quality Index (AQI) > MPCA Air Pollution Alert System Sign-up
Air Quality IndexMPCA Air Pollution Alert System Sign-up

As of July 1st, 2008 the MPCA is delivering Air Quality Notifications via EnviroFlash. EnviroFlash delivers air quality forecasts and MPCA issued Air Pollution Health Alerts directly to you via email or text message. EnviroFlash gives you instant air quality information that you can customize for your own needs, allowing you to protect the health of yourself and your family.

To subscribe to EnviroFlash please visit http://mn.enviroflash.info

Questions about the Air Quality Index or MPCA Air Pollution Health Alerts can be addressed to:
Mark Sulzbach
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Road N
St. Paul, MN 55155
mark.sulzbach@pca.state.mn.us
651-757-2770

Cassie McMahon
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Road N
St. Paul, MN 55155
cassie.mcmahon@pca.state.mn.us
651-757-2564

Marching into March

2009-03-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

It is March in Minnesota.
Today the temperature will get above freezing and the last snow fall will settle into itself.

The Minnesota Legislature is pulsing with pride and power. Its full steam ahead.

The fresh Federal notes printed for future generations to regret, are arriving and helping to defer the pain and real choices that must eventually be accepted here in Minnesota as well as Washington D.C.

The state House is moving forward on all kinds of nonsense. Including returning to emission testing for autos along with more carbon credit and carbon mitigating and behavior modification programs.

There is much on the "Green/Global Warming" front. "Alternative" Energy, eco($)buildings, autos, billion dollar light rail, rapid transit, carbon cap and trade here in Minnesota....

Based on the phantom menace of Global Warming. We all suffer. and will more so.
There are many ways to ration commodities.

And change peoples behavior. Limit miles driven, business operating, fuels used....

Read the publications from the house and senate. [Session Weekly and Senate Briefly]

The DFL love to set prices and change behavior. They fear free Minnesotans.

2009-03-01T05:32:00.001-08:00

We had a good snowfall at the end of this week. Thursday it fell for hours then Friday was bright and clear (and cold) and all the trees in white. I love Minnesota.

Meanwhile the Minnesota Legislature appears to be on a path to raise taxes or shutdown operations till they are raised.

The Democrat Farmer Labor (DFL) party of Minnesota is in majority in the House and Senate (and Judiciary). The Governor is a Republican who has already had his veto of a gas tax increase over-ridden in a previous session.

D.C. Has Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, Minnesota has Larry Pogemiller and Margaret Anderson-Kelleher.

In Washington they think the Federal government should spend lots more and regulate "better".

In Saint Paul it is very much the same. On both fronts, some organized resistance seems to be slowly forming.

Here in Minnesota all levels of government are looking for money from on high. The Cities want it from the counties, (and some from the State/Feds). The counties look for it from the State and the State expects it from the Feds.

And they all expect it from you.

A lousy way to run a railroad if you ask me, but we've seen how they run railroads.

Saint Paul, Duluth, Rochester, Minneapolis all say they have to lay off police and fire department workers, and plow the streets less, if they don't get their Local Government Assistance "LGA" check from the State.

Duluth is a fiscal basket case after decades of Democratic leadership. Come to Duluth, we have an aquarium.

Rochester after helping shutdown the expansion of a local private railroad through town, is now lobbying for government to run a railroad through town.

The DFL seem intractable on the position of raising "revenue" to maintain "services".
It looks like normal, waste time posturing till the big stand off at the end.

The DFL went on a State wide tour badmouthing the Governors' budget, they didn't have one of their own to offer as an alternative, oh no we're here just to pick apart the Governor, thank you very much.

I see a special session (or two) and possibly a "government shutdown" on the horizon. Which is just a taxpayer funded extra holiday for the government workers. [Minnesota is the largest employer in the state.]

And we've seen the hardball personal politics they play. Dan Ocksner, from the radio station I listen to when at my folks house in Sartell: KNSI 1450am, was denied press access to the Legislature. He had normal press access in the past, but I guess his politics became less than appropriate or some such nonsense...who knows.

And shutting down all staff hiring, not to save money but because the Republican caucus was in the process of hiring a chief of staff. And there are thousands of other examples, big and small, of the "progressives" using the law, or their position, like a club to quiet down any opposition.

Pogemiller and the others are hardball politicians who have no problem at all using whatever they have at their disposal to forward their agenda and take down the opposition.

Just ask Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau

The Minnesota State Government Departments and Agencies are full of people who think and act the same way.

The opposition is strong, organized, and entrenched. The challenge is great and hopefully those involved and those getting involved will realize the magnitude of the problem.

To make any real headway on this I think we need to move boldly and swiftly.
It is too big to chew on the edges.

I think we could pass a bill to abolish the Minnesota Department of Tourism. We don't need the government to entice people to come to Minnesota, they do so naturally.

If not that, how about the Minnesota Film Board.
What do ya say, throw me a bone will ya?

A long week.

2009-01-25T06:45:00.000-08:00

Well I have been working with a tree service out of Stillwater.
However I have been able to follow the doings in Saint Paul from the web, the "news" papers and the ch 17 feed sometimes.

Last week the expected appears to become the actual... and staying with the theme outlined in their discussions earlier this month, the Minnesota legislature expects the Obama administration [Federal Government] to Dispense trainloads of cash to the States, especially the "democratic" ones.

Minnesota has a budget deficit of 5 to 7 billion dollars, depending on who you ask.

Minnesota's budget has a growth curve that makes Al Gores "hockey stick" look like a crooked line scratched in the sand. (which is what it really is)

Our Constitution requires a balanced budget.

{When I left the service in the 80's, and began my "education", Minnesota's Biennial budget was in the neighborhood of 8 billion dollars.}

It will be interesting to see if real dollars actually follow these promises and how many are on that train from D.C. and who's name is on the individual packets.

The Minnesota Budget really should balance.

Govenor Proposes Business Tax Cuts / Education Reform....

2009-01-15T10:27:00.000-08:00

I am watching the State of the State address by the Governor.

He is proposing reducing business tax rate from 9 to 4.8% over six years. (immediately would be better but still....)

25% tax credit for small business.
100% sales tax exemption instead of tax credits.

He is still talking green jobs.
He suggests a green tax zone like a jobz zone.

He is also talking education...
Job performance...

Education increases in funding, but with major overhauls.
Parent reviews.

Minimum entrance standards for teachers, like pharmacists for example.
Increase pay for effective teachers for results (Q-comp.) as opposed to seniority.

The increase he proposes amounts to a 5% increase for education.
He suggests a 2% increase for each result meeting student.

Also he wants to redo the way we settle school negotiating, like in 40 other states.
Management should also be changed, more bulk purchasing rather that district purchasing.

College and University should go more to online teaching and less on "brick and mortar".

25% of credits delivered on line by 20??. (I missed the deadline date)
Firm cap on tuition increases...
and lots of other things, this should get interesting.

Then he went to "Human Services" programs due to increase by 19% and must be changed.

Government employees, like business will experience lay offs, but to reduce them we should have a pay freeze for 2 years.

Most County functions are duplicated, they should work together more.

We should reduce or eliminate as many State mandates as possible and allow local Governments be able to vote to "opt out" of mandates.

I think much is good in here, it will be interesting to see how the Legislature deals with it.

The line starts here for the new "Legacy Amendment" tax dollars.

2009-01-13T07:12:00.000-08:00

I also went to this meeting on Monday.
Very busy and packed with groups looking for the new largess from the legacy amendment.


MONDAY, January 12, 2009
4:30 PM
Committee: Cultural and Outdoor Resources Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mary Murphy
*** Note: *** Change in Agenda
Agenda: PREVIEW OF WHAT'S TO COME

Overview of committee procedures
90-second introduction and statement of goals
for the committee by every member, staff,
account agency, group and individual
in attendance at this meeting.


The Chair; Rep. Mary Murphy 6B (D), started by saying
how they, unlike other committees, have money.

She said it was clear that this was good and asked rhetorically
why would 56% of Minnesotans vote for it and why
would over 80 groups back it?.

I watched as the representatives of these groups go forward
singing the praises of their particular organization...

The Science Museum...over a million a year visit...could use the funds.

The  Outdoor Alliance...we love the outdoors...our lobbyist couldn't make it....

Some other outdoor group....we spent over 4 million dollars to
help get this passed...

Then Minnesota Public Radio... Some people in the area not receiving
their quality broadcasts...

Then I went up for my 90 seconds.

I spoke for myself as a member of the River Warren Research Committee,
(I had handouts - the famous "Green Sheet".) www.riverwarren.org

I informed the committee that I had voted against it,
but that(RWRC) is not a government agency or subsidized
non-profit organization and did not have four million dollars
to inform the people that they were being misled
with a fear based message concerning their drinking water.

I did say we accept the results and hoped that the water based
expenditures would be spent with Human Health as the priority
like the "Green Guardians" at the Freshwater Society suggested.

I also made clear that I nor RWRC was here to receive any funding.
That we would hope that, in these difficult economic times
these hard earned tax dollars be spent responsibly.

I also made the point that Minnesota is now
the six largest property owner in
the nation behind the Feds, and the State of Alaska.

I said that we don't need to be purchasing any
more property, thereby placing the property tax burden
on an ever decreasing group of Minnesota citizens.

I also found it interesting that MPR wanted money, but not light rail
- at least not in their back yard.

Then the "bell" rang and I got the hook.

Many, many, many, speakers were in line behind me.
It was late and snowing so I went home.

Complaint to MN News Council from last years tax cut rally

2009-01-13T06:40:00.001-08:00

I found this in my files from last years tax cut rally and thought I would share it with you all...

Hello,
My name is Forrest Chad Wilkinson. I was born in Grand Marais, Minnesota.
Our family of ten moved to Savage, then Collegeville before settling into Sartell where I graduated high school in 1981.

Afterwards I entered the submarine service. I was aggressively trained in Illinois, Groton Connecticut, San Diego and Charleston South Carolina before going to sea for years. The training was influential and very much no nonsense and science based. Schooling related to nuclear propulsion and weapons, sonar technology and submarine tactics is classified and cannot transfer to civilian college credits.

Since then I have worked in the agricultural, mineral and wood industries. I also have worked in large bakeries, horse barns, hotels and beachfronts.

I can debate the “environmental” from many points of view. I can debate the Sierra Club argument better than most Sierra Club members; even the ones in the so-called news departments of highly respected and licensed television stations. In order to make rational judgments you need to understand the arguments of all sides.

I can also argue against the Sierra Club with credibility. My brother is a military trained professional journalist. He has taught me much. One thing he stressed was to leave my bias, as best as possible, behind when reading data. Do not immediately question the source. Skepticism does not require cynicism. I think this is a valuable lesson.

Often, when debating against the Sierra Club/WCCO agenda, the reply is usually to question the integrity and bias of the source of the data. Rarely do I get a reasonable discussion of the data and conclusions based on it.
This happens often when I, or my friends get interviewed by journalists.

They have preconceived notions and have little regard for anyone with data that might support another viewpoint. They use statements like…Oh that’s just information from big ‘-fill in the blank-‘

It’s very lazy, but it works these days. Face it, WCCO is a highly respected news source and are believed by millions of television viewers.

Oh, that’s just big oil talking. Oh, that’s just big tobacco talking. Oh, that’s just the big developers talking. Oh, that’s just multi-national corporations talking. Oh, that’s just big agriculture talking. Oh, that’s just the timber industry talking. Oh, that’s just what the big box stores would have you believe….Typical Sierra Club methodology. Shoot the messenger. Nothing but ad-homonym attacks. No need to investigate the data, it must be bad. Consider the source, just a bunch of greedy selfish business people.

And WCCO is not alone. Almanac, the Minnesota Government “News” program, features WCCOs’ Paul Douglas and his global warming point of view, but never Dave Dahl for example, a local metrologist with a very different and credible view of Global Warming.

Some people say “Talk Radio” is running the country. Balderdash. The country seems to be run by a huge environmental / government complex; forwarding its fear mongering collectivist and in-humane agenda.

Heck, Virginia Yingling was still issuing press releases for the North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club even after she was hired by the Minnesota Department of Health. (It is interesting to note how well the concerns of MN.D.O.H. now lead to the Sierra Club agenda)

The parent company, CBS, does not recognize this News Council nor does the local affiliate. This is the broadcast station of Dan Rather who, in his desire to broadcast a viewpoint, ignored what he called “NUMEROUS RED FLAGS” related to the source of his data.

These are the actions of a reliable gatekeeper of news and journalistic integrity?

This self-serving use of the public airwaves to promote a political agenda has trickled down to the local CBS television “News” department. But this case before us today is a little different, and I think worse.

I compare WCCOs’ activities to that of Representative Phyllis Kahn, DFL dist.59 (b); and a proud Sierra Club member. She was found guilty of removing campaign literature from people’s front doors. It wasn’t enough for her to place her literature next to it, to debate the issues she disagreed with. Oh, no… the first amendment isn’t good enough for her, nor is her faith in the correctness of her argument. Instead…She stole that literature. And in so doing, stole the time and effort, as well as future growth potential for the distributor, just like WCCO did to me.

It’s like the farmer toiling and sweating down the row, doing stooped labor to plant seeds. Only later to realize a crow has been following, eating the seeds. All that effort for naught. No harvest can be expected from all that hard work. Looks like another cold hungry winter for the farmer.

It is the Sierra Club (and WCCO) way to speak in euphemism and analogy.
Rarely are things clearly quantified, put in context or perspective. They are kings of the Cliché, loaded with impactfull and frightening catch phrases like “Acid Rain”, “Urban Sprawls”, “Franken-food”,” Habitat destruction”, ”forest fragmentation” and of course the panic De Jour…”Global Warming”.

Empty of data but loaded with emotion. Just like Prime Minister Tony Blair was speaking about last week.

The Sierra Club used to be a not-profit organization, but that was revoked when even they could no longer hide the very political agenda they demand.

It has also been proven they lie. Be it planting fake fur in a fraudulent attempt to justify habitat designation, to mischaracterization of miners, anglers, loggers, and farmers. Many of their studies have been proven to be grossly flawed scientifically. But you wouldn’t know that from WCCO.

As journalist Thomas L. Friedman said last week, “When you stop reporting news, people can smell it at a hundred paces. When you stop reporting, that’s when you make mistakes.”

WCCO, the station of my youth, has unfortunately become the tame mouthpiece for the Sierra Club. They refuse to accept, or oftentimes even acknowledge, the existence of any viewpoints or data contrary to them. This is a disservice to the people of Minnesota.

I think that I, and others, have shown in this one incident, clear and provable evidence of what is plain to any honest impartial observer. WCCO is biased to the point of loss of credibility.

WCCOs’ reporting on TV and on their website that I was with the Sierra Club on their Global Day of Action is Slander….or liable. (One or the other …I’m not a lawyer, but I will be talking to one.)

They would have you believe this is just a small error made by some technicians. I believe not. Others I know have pointed out the same type of biased reporting on their subject of knowledge. I think it is intentional and systemic.

I can no longer trust the data coming from the WCCO news department.

Like what is said of those caught driving while drunk, for every time they are caught they have probably gotten away with it fifty times.

Sadly, the CBS news department of Eric Sevareid, over time, has degenerated into a culture of collectivism. They are no longer a news department, they are distributors of propaganda. They are not educating the people they are indoctrinating them.

I want the FCC to revoke their license.
I will settle for a broadcasted apology to me, RWRC and the people of Minnesota.
Sincerely,
Forrest C. Wilkinson
Editor of The Warren Report.
Go www.riverwarren.com read the newsletters

Review of my Capitol jaunt.

2009-01-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

First I went to the...

Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
Chair: Sen. Satveer S. Chaudhary
12:30 p.m. Room 107 Capitol

It was already in session when I arrived.

Gene Merriam (past Senator) now lobbying for the "Freshwater Society" was in center ring. They, the Freshwater Society and its "Green Guardians", were very vocal during the last election that the "Legacy Amendment" pass, as it did. They were suggesting that our drinking/tap water was in jeopardy and possibly hazardous.

(PS: the concept that 40% of Minnesota's lakes and streams are "un-swimmable and or un-fishable because those tested are, is laughable. Especially when you review the "criteria" to meet such a label. None-the-less the populace was frightened into voting for the taxing Amendment to the constitution. By the way, the MN Dept of Health -also full of eco-freaks- talked about methomoglobenemia threats to our children from high nitrate levels in the groundwater, however my research shows two cases reported in the 1980's in the extreme and arid south west corner of the State. Yet they still allowed the fear mongers to peddle their nonsense.)

Anyway "green guardian" Gene Merrium was there to tell us we need to make a dramatic cultural shift. He wants more regulation of "hard surfaces". Roads and parking lots should be made more pervious to water.

He also suggested we leave water where it falls with "rain gardens" and "rain barrels". Now that's a new idea.

He thinks Minnesota, especially its farmers, need to change. We are responsible for a "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico. Right, Minnesota is polluting Louisiana. Ha!

(note: Hypoxic zones are a natural phenomena present around the globe, especially in relatively shallow areas in warm climates with minimal current. Like along the Gulf Coast shoreline. Any SONARMAN knows this.)

Gene Merrium says we need a cultural shift in "what we grow, and where we grow it."

I find it interesting that he, and others who testified suggested that the "Ethanol Plants" are using too much water. Funny, he as a seated Senator pushed for the Ethanol Subsidies to combat Global Warming. Now they are using too much ground water.

He also says with "Global Warming" we should expect more frequent and intense storm events.

He was also suggesting a "Clean Water Legacy Law" which would include a new pricing structure for water. Yep, you heard right, we need to make your well and its water cost more to protect the groundwater.

In short Gene Merrium says to attain this "Cultural Shift" we need more Education, Regulation and Enforcement to protect the ground water.

After Ringmaster Merrium came the clowns from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency [MPCA].

The representative from this bloated, intrusive and redundant agency spoke of the citizen monitoring program and the groups (read environmentalists) that supported it. Also the money provided these groups was well spent and should be continued/increased to allow for continued monitoring State-Wide via the "Surface Water Assessment Grants".

She was followed by the woman, shot from the cannon, by the Environmental Quality Board [EQB]. The regular couldn't make it.

She said they will soon be able to tell us "how much ground water is available" and what the "sustainable use rate is". But not yet, there is lots of data holes to be filled.

Note: Minnesota has 87 counties, is the 12th largest State by area and is sparsely populated. The air is clean and the water pure.

She said we should have a ten year state ground water plan by 2010. This will be a "road map" to get us where we "want to be".

She echoed ringmaster Merrium in that we need to link land use decisions to ground water quality. She took this opportunity to mention the expected population growth (a bad assumption considering our growing tax burden), and also pointed to golf courses and the ethanol industry as examples of possibly "unsustainable" users of ground water.

She said they expect to bring in a "work plan" by February.

Then came the Lion Tamer from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources [DNR] Division of Waters. He said they would be working with the "Freshwater Society" i.e. Gene Merrium and the gang, to develop management areas, also with the aid of the EQB and the Board of Water and Soil [BWSR].

Also discussed was protecting our water from other areas that may want some, like the south west. Yep, they will make damn sure no water from Minnesota is siphoned off and over the Rockie Mountains to California. Whew, that was close, we could just be a dry gulch if not for these brave agencies.

The base assumptions are bad, and the solutions wouldn't work if there WAS a problem.
But it doesn't matter, they know better than you or me.

Then they adjourned and I went to the Committee on Energy Finance Policy.

Capitol Report

2009-01-12T16:12:00.000-08:00

I attended the following committee meetings....

Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
Chair: Sen. Satveer S. Chaudhary
12:30 p.m. Room 107 Capitol

Agenda:
Brief Discussion on session process & committee member priorities.

Freshwater Society "Water is Life: Protecting A Critical Resource for
Future Generations"

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency "Citizen Monitoring of Surface
Water Quality"

Environmental Quality Board "Managing for Water Sustainability:
Report of the EQB Water Availability Project"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MONDAY, January 12, 2009
2:45 PM
Committee: Energy Finance and Policy
Room: Basement State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Bill Hilty
Agenda: Continued discussion of Committee scope and energy issues

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MONDAY, January 12, 2009
4:30 PM
Committee: Cultural and Outdoor Resources Finance
Room: 5 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Mary Murphy

*** Note: *** Change in Agenda
Agenda: PREVIEW OF WHAT'S TO COME
Overview of committee procedures
90-second introduction and statement of goals for the committee by every member, staff, account agency, group and individual in attendance at this meeting.

Monday Senate Schedule

2009-01-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

I'm headed to the Capitol.

Gonna check out some stuff. I will clock in at the Committee and Environment & Natural Resources. Room 107 Capitol
------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, January 12, 2009

The Senate will be in Session at 11 a.m.

Monday, January 12, 2009
Committee on Business, Industry and Jobs
Chair: Sen. James P. Metzen
12:30 p.m. Room 123 Capitol
Agenda:
S.F. 4-Metzen: Unemployment compensation base period modification; special state emergency unemployment compensation program development.
Presentation by DEED, Office of Science and Technology.
Presentation by Defense Alliance of Minnesota.

Monday, January 12, 2009
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
Chair: Sen. Satveer S. Chaudhary
12:30 p.m. Room 107 Capitol
Agenda:
Brief discussion on session process and committee member priorities.
Freshwater Society "Water is Life: Protecting A Critical Resource for Future Generations."
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency "Citizen Monitoring of Surface Water Quality."
Environmental Quality Board "Managing for Water Sustainabliity: Report of the EQB Water Availability Project."

Monday, January 12, 2009
State Government Budget Division
Chair: Sen. Don Betzold
12:30 p.m. Room 112 Capitol
Agenda:
Office of Enterprise Technology's non-general fund budget.

Monday, January 12, 2009
Charter School Working Group
Chair: Sen. Kathy L. Saltzman
3 p.m. Room 15 Capitol
Agenda:
Charter school lease aid.

Monday, January 12, 2009
Economic Development and Housing Budget Division
Chair: Sen. David J. Tomassoni
3 p.m. Room 107 Capitol
Agenda:
S.F. 4-Metzen: Unemployment compensation base period modification; special state emergency unemployment compensation program development.

Monday, January 12, 2009
Public Safety Budget Division
Chair: Sen. Linda Higgins
3 p.m. Room 112 Capitol
Agenda:
Update on crime victim, youth and law enforcement grants.

Monday, January 12, 2009
Committee on State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
Chair: Sen. Ann H. Rest
3 p.m. Room 123 Capitol
Agenda:
To be announced.

Hg. Mercury is natural and all around us.

2009-01-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

www.mercuryfacts.org/mercuryMyths.cfm

Myth: The amount of mercury in our environment (and in the fish we eat) is dangerously increasing.

The truth: There's considerable evidence that the amount of mercury in fish has remained the same (or even decreased) during the past 100 years.

One team of researchers from Duke University and the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum compared 21 specimens of Atlantic Ocean blue hake preserved during the 1880s with 66 similar fish caught in the 1970s. They found no change at all in the concentration of mercury.

In another study, Princeton scientists compared samples of yellowfin tuna from 1971 with samples caught in 1998. They expected to find a mercury increase of between 9 and 26 percent, but they found a small decline instead.

And in a unique experiment, curators of the Smithsonian Institution tested tuna samples that were archived between 1878 and 1909, and compared them with similar fish tissue from 1971 and 1993. They found significantly less mercury in the more recently caught fish. In some cases, the difference was more than 50 percent.

There's even some evidence that human beings are exposed to less mercury today than in the past. Alaska's Public Health Department, for example, reports that when the hair of eight 550-year-old Alaskan mummies was tested for mercury, the results showed levels averaging twice the blood-mercury concentration of

AAAnd they're off!!!!!

2009-01-06T10:41:00.000-08:00

This list of appointments says much about what we might expect as the Minnesota Legislature convenes today.

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/leginfo/PRcom08.pdf