Video: Senate debates budget balancing bill
By Joe Spear
Free Press Editor
Watching the Minnesota Senate debate a budget balancing bill might seem like watching grass grow, but I say it's more like watching toast burn.
You know they're trying to cook up something we can all swallow but in the end it might just be an unappetizing piece of burnt toast and you'll have to start all over.
OK, enough bad food analogies.
I'll try to whittle this debate down and do what journalists are supposed to do in the day of the incessantly long and winded bloggers.
DFL-lead Senate pushed a bill they say is not a 50-50 compromise with Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Rather, they say they give 85 percent and the governor needs to give 15 percent.
The planned they passed Monday 34-33 called for $736 million in cuts, $433 million in tax hikes on those with incomes over $200,000 and delaying $1.75 billion in school payments.
They get that by taking things they don't like, cutting programs, and doing it to the tune of 85 percent of the solution.
The new taxes, something we know the governor doesn't like, makes up 15 percent of the solution.
The governor of course has said he will veto the bill because of the taxes. No surprise there. They way he said it shouldn't make us too proud of him.
Here is the Pawlenty's statement: "The DFL's proposed tax increase is like Jason on Friday the 13th - it's scary and it keeps coming back....I look forward to vetoing this DFL tax increase."
But the whole compromise issue is worth debate. If you don't want to do something - is it compromising to do it only 15 percent of the way?
The DFL says the governor's solution, having them ratify his unallotment of last year that was rejected by the Supreme Court, has already been defeated with many Republicans in the House joining DFLers in that vote to reject ratifying the cuts.
The governor's spokesman Brian McClung said those Republican votes in the House were a sign of Republicans good faith gesture to show they were willing to work with the DFL "on a plan that doesn't raise taxes."
I can't figure out what the DFL strategy is unless they think they can get some Republican votes for an override since Pawlenty won't be around to carry out any kind of retribution.
Stay tuned.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Oil spill/Obama drilling/gas prices
By Joe Spear
Free Press Editor
The oil explosion/spill in the Gulf of Mexico appears to be much more serious than at first thought.
The latest Washington Post story is instructive. BP will try to "capture leaking oil" in huge 74-ton metal boxes being welded together right now. Idea is to capture oil and pump it to the surface.
They are also still trying to cap it with underwater submarines.
The problem they say this is like trying to do open heart surgery 5,000 feet below the surface.
I'm thinking this will have ramifications for future offshore drilling as it is turning out to be the biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history. The day oil washes up on the Florida beaches is the day you are going to have one hell of a political firestorm in D.C.
Though Obama has said the offshore policy he opened up last year would not change, but qualified that we must ensure safeguards are in place, so this doesn't happen again. There will be momentum from all sides to figure out safeguards for this kind of event and that will take a while.
It appears local gas prices are headed higher, but maybe more psychology than fundamental supply and demand. Here's the latest crude oil market commentary from the New York Mercantile Exchange.
"Oil firmed last week for several reasons unrelated to the normal drivers that have been acting as catalysts to help maintain the upward price trend. Global equities were lower while the US dollar was mostly firm...both negative for oil prices. In addition the current fundamentals could not have been much more bearish than they were last week as total commercial stocks of crude oil and refined products built by almost 13 million barrels. The combination of positive economic data coupled with concerns that the huge oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico could impact imports was enough to send oil prices surging the second half of the week. WTI is now within a $1/bbl of the 2010 high made in early April while trading in a price range not seen since the first half of October, 2008. For all of the reasons I have discussed many times in this newsletter the price of oil is overvalued with little likelihood of a shortage anytime soon.
Make of that what you will.
But this disaster is going to occupy a lot of news cycles. Drilling another well could take months. Let's hope the containment method works as a temporary stopgap.
Free Press Editor
The oil explosion/spill in the Gulf of Mexico appears to be much more serious than at first thought.
The latest Washington Post story is instructive. BP will try to "capture leaking oil" in huge 74-ton metal boxes being welded together right now. Idea is to capture oil and pump it to the surface.
They are also still trying to cap it with underwater submarines.
The problem they say this is like trying to do open heart surgery 5,000 feet below the surface.
I'm thinking this will have ramifications for future offshore drilling as it is turning out to be the biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history. The day oil washes up on the Florida beaches is the day you are going to have one hell of a political firestorm in D.C.
Though Obama has said the offshore policy he opened up last year would not change, but qualified that we must ensure safeguards are in place, so this doesn't happen again. There will be momentum from all sides to figure out safeguards for this kind of event and that will take a while.
It appears local gas prices are headed higher, but maybe more psychology than fundamental supply and demand. Here's the latest crude oil market commentary from the New York Mercantile Exchange.
"Oil firmed last week for several reasons unrelated to the normal drivers that have been acting as catalysts to help maintain the upward price trend. Global equities were lower while the US dollar was mostly firm...both negative for oil prices. In addition the current fundamentals could not have been much more bearish than they were last week as total commercial stocks of crude oil and refined products built by almost 13 million barrels. The combination of positive economic data coupled with concerns that the huge oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico could impact imports was enough to send oil prices surging the second half of the week. WTI is now within a $1/bbl of the 2010 high made in early April while trading in a price range not seen since the first half of October, 2008. For all of the reasons I have discussed many times in this newsletter the price of oil is overvalued with little likelihood of a shortage anytime soon.
Make of that what you will.
But this disaster is going to occupy a lot of news cycles. Drilling another well could take months. Let's hope the containment method works as a temporary stopgap.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thoughts on health care savings
By Joe Spear
Free Press Editor
One of the key selling points of health care reform is that part of the law aims to curb fraud and waste in Medicare.
What people may not realize is that Congress passed a law to reform the way Medicare payments are paid in 2003. Yes, seven years ago.
A GAO report in March to Sens. Charles Grassley and Max Baucus, Republican and Democrat health care leaders shows payment reform is working, sort of.
The number of contractors managing Medicare claims was reduced from 51 to 19. The aim is to try to reduce the $310 billion annual costs of paying the Medicare claims by catching fraud and curbing administrative inefficiency.
Unfortunately, the GAO report determined the new program was making progress, but as yet, savings could not be estimated. It didn't say savings weren't happening. It's just they couldn't quite be figured. And it looked like the reform effort was going to be completed before the 2011 deadline set by Congress.
But cutting even 5 percent inefficiency out of a program - most would say there's at least 5 percent inefficiency in a government program - would save $15 billion, about 10 percent of projected savings of new health care reform over 10 years.
Reading the report leaves you with one impression. This thing is incredibly complicated and a lot of smart people are trying to make it better.
Free Press Editor
One of the key selling points of health care reform is that part of the law aims to curb fraud and waste in Medicare.
What people may not realize is that Congress passed a law to reform the way Medicare payments are paid in 2003. Yes, seven years ago.
A GAO report in March to Sens. Charles Grassley and Max Baucus, Republican and Democrat health care leaders shows payment reform is working, sort of.
The number of contractors managing Medicare claims was reduced from 51 to 19. The aim is to try to reduce the $310 billion annual costs of paying the Medicare claims by catching fraud and curbing administrative inefficiency.
Unfortunately, the GAO report determined the new program was making progress, but as yet, savings could not be estimated. It didn't say savings weren't happening. It's just they couldn't quite be figured. And it looked like the reform effort was going to be completed before the 2011 deadline set by Congress.
But cutting even 5 percent inefficiency out of a program - most would say there's at least 5 percent inefficiency in a government program - would save $15 billion, about 10 percent of projected savings of new health care reform over 10 years.
Reading the report leaves you with one impression. This thing is incredibly complicated and a lot of smart people are trying to make it better.
Governor race not like the old days
By Joe Spear
Free Press Editor
Seems like Independence Party candidate for governor Tom Horner would have been the shoo-in Republican contender in years past, and would have had a pretty good shot at being elected as such.
I'm thinking of Arne Carlson's tenure. Horner is an experienced business executive, knows how to compromise, but also could come out strong as a fiscal conservative. Unfortunately, neither major party appears to attract or promote this kind of candidate.
While Minnesota has elected an independent before, the odds are always tough, especially if that candidate can't attract first time voters, who tend to not participate unless they're really frustrated or the domestic situation is untenable.
The candidates and parties have changed a lot, but I don't think Minnesota voters are all that different than they were in the 1990s.
The Star Tribune's editorial about the Republican candidates seems a little like damning with faint praise. The focus seemed to be asking if GOP candidates can solve "gridlock." Strib suggested neither Republican candidate had much experience doing that.
Still think we ought to reduce legislator restrictions on going out for coffee or having drinks at sponsored events. They talked more and were a little less fundamentalist in their views when they can have a common drink together.
Good info tip of the day
Here's my "good info" tip of the day. It sounds like Republican Sen. Julie Rosen doesn't like what Pawlenty administration is doing on shutting down mental health centers, including one in Mankato.
We commented on that decision a few weeks ago.
Free Press Editor
Seems like Independence Party candidate for governor Tom Horner would have been the shoo-in Republican contender in years past, and would have had a pretty good shot at being elected as such.
I'm thinking of Arne Carlson's tenure. Horner is an experienced business executive, knows how to compromise, but also could come out strong as a fiscal conservative. Unfortunately, neither major party appears to attract or promote this kind of candidate.
While Minnesota has elected an independent before, the odds are always tough, especially if that candidate can't attract first time voters, who tend to not participate unless they're really frustrated or the domestic situation is untenable.
The candidates and parties have changed a lot, but I don't think Minnesota voters are all that different than they were in the 1990s.
The Star Tribune's editorial about the Republican candidates seems a little like damning with faint praise. The focus seemed to be asking if GOP candidates can solve "gridlock." Strib suggested neither Republican candidate had much experience doing that.
Still think we ought to reduce legislator restrictions on going out for coffee or having drinks at sponsored events. They talked more and were a little less fundamentalist in their views when they can have a common drink together.
Good info tip of the day
Here's my "good info" tip of the day. It sounds like Republican Sen. Julie Rosen doesn't like what Pawlenty administration is doing on shutting down mental health centers, including one in Mankato.
We commented on that decision a few weeks ago.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Up north with newspaper publishers
By Joe Spear
Free Press Editor
I spent last Friday night and Saturday morning with newspaper editors and publishers from around Minnesota at Ruttger's Lodge on Bay Lake near Aikin.
The lodge dates back to 1898 and it's a classic northern Minnesota resort that started as a small family business and had grown to include multi-million dollar villas and condos on the golf course across the street.
It's still run like a family business though and the dining room staff talks about how great it is to work for the Ruttger family.
A beautiful old lodge on a pristine Minnesota lake in the Great Northwoods was the perfect place to gain perspective on the news business with editors and publishers mostly from smaller weekly newspapers in Minnesota. They were participating in the Blandin Foundation's community leadership training program for leaders of "news enterprises."
We changed the terminology to "news enterprises" because even the smallest papers now usually have websites and various other products to distribute.
I was invited as an alum of the program to speak about how we've applied the principles of community leadership to our efforts at The Free Press, or I should say, The Free Press Media Co.
Those of you who monitor The Free Press opinion page know for about six months we have been rating the community on eight dimensions of a healthy community and assessing where we are at and where we need to go to grow our community to make it a better place.
These kinds of motivations have not always been the core of the newspaper and journalism profession. For a long time, the culture of journalism ingrained at J-schools every where was that we were sort of a detached entity in the community that objectively observed what was going on but made few efforts to effect the change.
Parts of our business must still hold true to those principles. We can't slant news coverage just because we'd like the City Council to take one action or another. But there has long been a kind of separation between news and editorial or opinion writing functions.
The opinion page is specifically designed as the place for the newspaper's leaders, usually the editor, publisher and two or three other managers, to voice a "collective" opinion known as the "editorial." We title it "Our View."
People often confuse opinion writing and news coverage. They assume that those who write opinions assign the news stories to fit those opinions. But that's not the way it works.
In fact, our news gathering is very decentralized. Reporters are often encouraged to come up with their own stories. They're out in the community and that's where they should find stories of interest to the community.
That newsroom is directed to write stories about what the broad readership might be interested in. Again, the opinion page remains separate.
Certainly, at smaller newspapers, even at The Free Press, the person who writes the editorials does discuss the news story budget with others. That's part of the role.
But in general, the voice of the newspaper, the opinions, should not be driving the news coverage. If you've ever worked with reporters, you know they can be independents sorts who wouldn't take much from an editor's view anyway.
On the opinion page, we've bought into the idea that a community can be healthier if it strives to achieve the eight dimensions of a healthy community Blandin has been promoting for decades.
There's nothing magical about them. They suggest a community should have economic opportunities for everyone, should have recreational opportunities, should have options for life long learning and the like as well as valuing diversity and being inclusive.
That last dimension is one The Free Press has been working to develop with various groups in the community including the Diversity Council. We've written more stories simply educating the longtime residents about many of their new neighbors who have come from places like Sudan and Somalia.
We'll be developing a whole community conversation around that in months to come, and we're comfortable in our role helping to develop a community that will be great to live in and will hopefully grow and prosper in part because of our efforts.
Free Press Editor
I spent last Friday night and Saturday morning with newspaper editors and publishers from around Minnesota at Ruttger's Lodge on Bay Lake near Aikin.
The lodge dates back to 1898 and it's a classic northern Minnesota resort that started as a small family business and had grown to include multi-million dollar villas and condos on the golf course across the street.
It's still run like a family business though and the dining room staff talks about how great it is to work for the Ruttger family.
A beautiful old lodge on a pristine Minnesota lake in the Great Northwoods was the perfect place to gain perspective on the news business with editors and publishers mostly from smaller weekly newspapers in Minnesota. They were participating in the Blandin Foundation's community leadership training program for leaders of "news enterprises."
We changed the terminology to "news enterprises" because even the smallest papers now usually have websites and various other products to distribute.
I was invited as an alum of the program to speak about how we've applied the principles of community leadership to our efforts at The Free Press, or I should say, The Free Press Media Co.
Those of you who monitor The Free Press opinion page know for about six months we have been rating the community on eight dimensions of a healthy community and assessing where we are at and where we need to go to grow our community to make it a better place.
These kinds of motivations have not always been the core of the newspaper and journalism profession. For a long time, the culture of journalism ingrained at J-schools every where was that we were sort of a detached entity in the community that objectively observed what was going on but made few efforts to effect the change.
Parts of our business must still hold true to those principles. We can't slant news coverage just because we'd like the City Council to take one action or another. But there has long been a kind of separation between news and editorial or opinion writing functions.
The opinion page is specifically designed as the place for the newspaper's leaders, usually the editor, publisher and two or three other managers, to voice a "collective" opinion known as the "editorial." We title it "Our View."
People often confuse opinion writing and news coverage. They assume that those who write opinions assign the news stories to fit those opinions. But that's not the way it works.
In fact, our news gathering is very decentralized. Reporters are often encouraged to come up with their own stories. They're out in the community and that's where they should find stories of interest to the community.
That newsroom is directed to write stories about what the broad readership might be interested in. Again, the opinion page remains separate.
Certainly, at smaller newspapers, even at The Free Press, the person who writes the editorials does discuss the news story budget with others. That's part of the role.
But in general, the voice of the newspaper, the opinions, should not be driving the news coverage. If you've ever worked with reporters, you know they can be independents sorts who wouldn't take much from an editor's view anyway.
On the opinion page, we've bought into the idea that a community can be healthier if it strives to achieve the eight dimensions of a healthy community Blandin has been promoting for decades.
There's nothing magical about them. They suggest a community should have economic opportunities for everyone, should have recreational opportunities, should have options for life long learning and the like as well as valuing diversity and being inclusive.
That last dimension is one The Free Press has been working to develop with various groups in the community including the Diversity Council. We've written more stories simply educating the longtime residents about many of their new neighbors who have come from places like Sudan and Somalia.
We'll be developing a whole community conversation around that in months to come, and we're comfortable in our role helping to develop a community that will be great to live in and will hopefully grow and prosper in part because of our efforts.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Cities of parks explode
Today's article on the North Mankato fishing pier reminds us once again that we're living in an area that is really starting to accommodate the great outdoors, walking, biking, fishing and just having places that are family friendly
There's also talk of having major events in Mankato's new Riverfront Park. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should. With this year's high river, I wondered if that park would flood, but when I went down there, the water was still a ways away.
It's possible, I suspect, that it could flood, but not sure much would be damaged.
The high water did damage the Mankato/Kiwanis dog park, and city crews were preparing to begin work. There's apparently some fencing torn away on the lower part of the park, and volunteers to help with the labor are needed. Call Mankato City Hall to check on that.
Here's what the city is saying about parks: Most closed trails in the city of Mankato have been reopened and flood clean-up efforts are underway. Although Land of Memories' campground remains closed, soccer fields and most of the disc golf course are dry enough for public use.
Clean-up operations at Kiwanis and Land of Memories parks will resume as the water disappears and the ground dries.
For more information about clean-up efforts in Mankato contact public works staff at 507-387-8660
There's also talk of having major events in Mankato's new Riverfront Park. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should. With this year's high river, I wondered if that park would flood, but when I went down there, the water was still a ways away.
It's possible, I suspect, that it could flood, but not sure much would be damaged.
The high water did damage the Mankato/Kiwanis dog park, and city crews were preparing to begin work. There's apparently some fencing torn away on the lower part of the park, and volunteers to help with the labor are needed. Call Mankato City Hall to check on that.
Here's what the city is saying about parks: Most closed trails in the city of Mankato have been reopened and flood clean-up efforts are underway. Although Land of Memories' campground remains closed, soccer fields and most of the disc golf course are dry enough for public use.
Clean-up operations at Kiwanis and Land of Memories parks will resume as the water disappears and the ground dries.
For more information about clean-up efforts in Mankato contact public works staff at 507-387-8660
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Editor's mail bag; stardate 4/14/10
You can tell it's an election year by the volume of mail coming in as letters to the editor.
It's going to be an exciting one from what I can tell.
Whenever there are chops at current First District Congressman Tim Walz, it seems there are two that come in to mediate and cut off the chops, if that is possible in the somewhat disjointed world of following the letters to the editor.
Much to the surprise of popular folklore, the editor does not pick and choose to print letters depending on if they agree with his or her own political views. That's a myth that I hope to one day destroy so badly it cries for mercy.
And given some of the letters I've let through, I'd be quite a schizophrenic, politically, that is.
But people will think what they want to think. I will reject letters if they are 1. profane, 2, above the 275 word limit, 3. so mean-spirited, I don't think they will spur civil discourse, and 4. Will get us sued.
Remember, newspapers can be sued for printing other people's lies and libel. (The term slander, incidentally, applies to the spoken word, not the written word.)
Letters can also be rejected if they cite facts that are not generally known (yes that is subjective) and don't cite the source of those facts. I always give the writer a chance to get me sources, and some do and some don't.
Their source can be the communist weekly newsletter if they want, as long as they tell readers where they're getting this stuff.
Letters to the editor are probably not what a family counselor would recommend as a way to resolve "family" differences. They can be vehement, argumentative and border on name calling (we try to limit that).
But the letters page, by its nature, can be confrontational and controversial. I guess that sells more papers, but we must think, every once in a while, if it really advances solving community problems.
I think it does if we keep it civil. That's the high expectation I have for our letter writers. I'm sure they'll come through.
It's going to be an exciting one from what I can tell.
Whenever there are chops at current First District Congressman Tim Walz, it seems there are two that come in to mediate and cut off the chops, if that is possible in the somewhat disjointed world of following the letters to the editor.
Much to the surprise of popular folklore, the editor does not pick and choose to print letters depending on if they agree with his or her own political views. That's a myth that I hope to one day destroy so badly it cries for mercy.
And given some of the letters I've let through, I'd be quite a schizophrenic, politically, that is.
But people will think what they want to think. I will reject letters if they are 1. profane, 2, above the 275 word limit, 3. so mean-spirited, I don't think they will spur civil discourse, and 4. Will get us sued.
Remember, newspapers can be sued for printing other people's lies and libel. (The term slander, incidentally, applies to the spoken word, not the written word.)
Letters can also be rejected if they cite facts that are not generally known (yes that is subjective) and don't cite the source of those facts. I always give the writer a chance to get me sources, and some do and some don't.
Their source can be the communist weekly newsletter if they want, as long as they tell readers where they're getting this stuff.
Letters to the editor are probably not what a family counselor would recommend as a way to resolve "family" differences. They can be vehement, argumentative and border on name calling (we try to limit that).
But the letters page, by its nature, can be confrontational and controversial. I guess that sells more papers, but we must think, every once in a while, if it really advances solving community problems.
I think it does if we keep it civil. That's the high expectation I have for our letter writers. I'm sure they'll come through.
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