Showing posts with label Steve Gottwalt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steve Gottwalt. Show all posts

Gross Inaccuracies Pt. 4
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So this is perhaps less of an episode of Gross Inaccuracies and more of reminder to Gary Gross about the things he conveniently left out of his most recent hit piece on Tarryl Clark.

Apparently now you only have to be in the room with single payer advocates to be counted as one of them:

I’ll clear up Tarryl’s supposed indecision surrounding the public option. I attended a health care forum that Tarryl called at St. Cloud’s Whitney Senior Center. Tarryl’s special guest that night was Sen. John Marty, the most outspoken and consistent advocate for single-payer health care.

From the outset of the event, the focus of the conversation was almost exclusively about Canadacare and single-payer health care.

As you will recall, Gary, I too was at this event and if we used your logic we might also have to wonder if Representative Gottwalt (who was also there) is a single payer advocate. Oh but wait, I actually took some video of the event and put it up on youtube. Let's review what Clark said about health care reform:



Weird, for all your guilt by association rhetoric, I don't hear Clark saying anything one way or the other about single payer health insurance. But this isn't the best part of the Gross attack piece. He brings up this little exchange:

From the outset of the event, the focus of the conversation was almost exclusively about Canadacare and single-payer health care. Loretta Linus spoke enthusiastically, though a bit combatively, about CanadaCare:

“The doctors are wonderful. You get good care. And it just makes me mad when they talk about how they have to come over here to get good care & that’s not true. Now they say that Canadians have to come over here for good treatment. Well don’t you believe it. Don’t you believe it one bit. That government is so good to all its people. I don’t care if you’re rich or poor. They take care of you. And so many of the people come & they talk crap about how awful their system is. Well, don’t you believe it. Single payer is wonderful if it’s run right.”

She wasn’t the only single-payer advocate to speak that night.


Hey Gary, did you let your readers know what your good friend Steve Gottwalt was doing while this elderly woman expressed her opinion to those people who you consistently claim "work for we the people"? Oh, let me remind them:



Your "adopted representative" immediately began smirking, raising eyebrows, and generally mocking this woman and her opinion. That's right, while a constituent spoke, your "adopted representative" sat there and immediately dismissed her opinion. In fact, he did more than that. He took it one step further and openly mocked her to the audience WHILE SHE SPOKE! Given that this is completely acceptable to the Republican Party in St. Cloud due to the endorsement it received from local party leadership, I wonder why you didn't include this little exchange to your hit piece on Clark.
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The Gottwalt PR Blunder...
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8:56 AM | Posted in , ,
The local grocery store in St. Cloud, Coborn's, and their public relations guru, Steve Gottwalt, have been taking a bit of a hit lately after it was revealed they were sending letters to employees about health care reform and unionization urging them to oppose them.

From the St. Cloud Times:

The St. Cloud-based grocery chain in September asked its employees in a letter to contact their congressional representatives to oppose two pieces of legislation — one of them a House version of health care reform legislation.

...

Steve Gottwalt, spokesman for the company, said someone — not an employee — asked whether the letter was a threat. He said it is not at all a threat and employees are free to take any stance on the legislation without risk of retaliation.


Now an LTE appears in the Times:

In the discussion of the pending health care in Congress, we have heard the vast rumors of death panels to pull the plug on Grandma, increased abortions and others so silly they are not worth the ink to include them.

I recently received a copy of a letter sent to Coborn’s employees stating that if passed, the health care bill would among other things “result in layoffs.” The letter, reported in Sunday’s Times, went on to say that it would be a “destructive government takeover of health care.”

The letter also informed the employee that the pending “unionization bill” was not good for the company, saying it would bring a “loss of benefits.”

We don’t see a head of a company ever looking out for issues that might help the employees, do we?

I find the letter sent out by Coborn’s President Christopher Coborn very troubling by putting pressure on its employees to take political sides on issues that affect them today and in their future.

Putting employees in fear of loosing benefits and even their jobs so that critical legislation is not completed is over the top. I hope that each Coborn’s employee can think on their own what is best for them.


I have three relatively simple questions for Mr. Coborn and his PR flak, Gottwalt:

1. What percentage of your employees do you provide health insurance to?

2. If employees are free to take any stance on the legislation (as Gottwalt claims), what would the purpose be in urging them to oppose the legislation? Also, if someone had to ASK if it was a threat, then doesn't it stand to reason that it has crossed some line?

3. Can you explain, with detail, how this legislation (especially health reform) will negatively impact your business? Is it because you will be required to give your employees health insurance?
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On Gottwalt's Supposed Health Reform
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As we continue to debate or, more accurately, hurl insults at one another about health care reform my good friend on the other side of the aisle, Gary Gross of Let Freedom Ring, has tried to claim that Representative Steve Gottwalt has the magic bullet for reform and that Democrats simply have not listened. In his most recent rant, Gross brings it up once again:

Saying that Republicans haven’t proposed health care solutions is either ignorance-driven or it’s plain dishonest. I’ve written more than a few times about Steve Gottwalt’s Healthy Minnesota Plan legislation.


Shortly after the last session ended, both Tarryl Clark and Larry Hosch sat down at a Senate District 14 DFL meeting and I asked Representative Hosch about the Gottwalt bill. I had left it in the file drawer but given that Mr. Gross wants to discuss the viability of the plan set forward by Representative Gottwalt I pulled it out and put it up on youtube:



Representative Hosch directed me to the fiscal note for this particular bill which has this to say:

The assumption that this bill is cost-neutral on an accrual (service year) basis is a default position which we take because this proposal constitutes a completely new method of purchasing, for which DHS has no relevant experience. The effects of private market rates, including private market inflation, and of underwriting, and the extent of expected MCHA losses are all areas of great uncertainty. The specification of the benefit set required by the bill is very general, which adds to the uncertainty about the expected fiscal result, because it is not possible to evaluate how attractive the new product may be to potential applicants compared to the existing product. Thus our assumption of cost-neutrality should not be interpreted as the result of analysis, but as a statement of our inability to advise the Legislature whether this bill should be expected to cost money or to save money, or to what extent. A 30% to 40% variance from cost-neutrality -- in either direction -- should be considered entirely possible. It is assumed that the systems work required for this proposal will allow implementation to begin January 1, 2011. [Emphasis Mine]
So what is the point? While Mr. Gross and Mr. Gottwalt would like you to believe that they have the key to reform, it is clear that this particular bill is not ready until many of its questions are answered with more certainty. The bill could cost us more money in MCHA which is the states high risk pool. The benefit set could be worse than MnCare. Also, this is a high deductible plan which is good for those who have money, but bad for those with little which is exactly the population this will cover. High deductible plans are the number one driver to increased bankruptcies that cite medical costs as the primary reason for the bankruptcy.

There certainly is the potential of this bill working out as a part of the solution to health care problems but it is entirely disingenuous for Mr. Gross and Mr. Gottwalt to claim that it is ready to be implemented or that it would clearly solve any issues.
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It's YOUR Fault! NO, It's YOUR Fault!
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The St. Cloud Times today offered readers several dueling letters over who is to blame for the failures of the recently ended legislative session. While I am of the belief that no side is without blame, it becomes very difficult to express that sentiment when the echo chambers of the local Republican Party refuse to acknowledge even the smallest level of fault.

Gary Gross, who represents the propaganda machine for the local conservative movement, provides ample spin and distortion with his humorously titled, DFL Leadership CLEARLY to Blame for the Poor Legislative Session.

3. Under Speaker Margaret Kelliher’s leadership, the House collected $181,120 in out-of-session, tax-free per diem. Under DFL Leader Larry Pogemiller’s leadership, senators collected $143,500 in out-of-session, tax-free per diem.

How convenient it is to try connect the names of the two DFL leaders in the legislature to per diem payments. It's not like any Republican members of the legislature took per diem payments, right? Certainly, the fiscally responsible likes of Steve Gottwalt gave back his 2008 per diem which amounted to $6689, right? One wonders how Mr. Gottwalt took in nearly $1200 more than Larry Haws in 2008. His must have been "legitimate" uses of per diem as opposed to those "illegitimate" uses made by the DFL.

2. Because the Legislature refused to trim more from their stamp allowance from 5,500 stamps per legislator per year to 3,500 per legislator per year, Minnesota’s taxpayers won’t save $350,000 for this and next year.

Really? The best that the Republican leadership could come up with in cutting the budget was a stamp allowance cut? Again, rather than play politics over a VOLUNTARY allowance, it would have been nice of the Republicans to unilaterally give up their stamp allowance. Did that happen? I suspect not.

1. While it’s technically true that the DFL-dominated Legislature sent Gov. Tim Pawlenty a balanced budget, it’s only because the DFL reconvened the conference committee on taxes at 10:30 on the last night. During that meeting, the DFL did a total rewrite, which was debated less than 15 minutes in the House and Senate combined.
Well here is some interesting spin. Given that this last minute tax bill was the SECOND to be sent to Governor Pawlenty, it appears as though Gary does not want to admit that "technically" the DFL-dominated Legislature balanced the budget TWICE!

Gross was coupled with the partisanship over people representative, Steve Gottwalt. The same Gottwalt who spent the remaining hours of the legislative session twittering about how this was all the fault of the DFL majorities. The crux of the letter being, it is all their fault so please do not blame us. Apparently, when a Republican denies all responsibility and blames the DFL it is called "accountability" but when the DFL returns charges of "accountability" it is little more than blame. At some point it would be nice to hear someone say that they share blame in this whole process. Perhaps if Mr. Gottwalt spent less time twittering on the House floor about how much this whole thing is the fault of the DFL to really work with them we might all appreciate the results.

No reform, misplaced priorities and tax increases. Even now, there is time to work out other solutions, and Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s invitation to the Democrats is open, as it was from the start of the session.

If the Democrats could interrupt their Tour of Blame long enough to really work with the governor, we might all appreciate the results. If they cannot or will not, rest assured, Pawlenty will balance the budget without more state spending and tax increases.

Again, let's be clear that the Governor offered what was essentially an ultimatum. If you don't do things my way then I will go it alone. Taxes will surely rise but rather than a shared sacrifice at all levels of the economic spectrum, the middle and lower income brackets will see a rise in their share of the tax bill through local property taxes.

The third letter, in this battle of the blame, was submitted by Senator Tarryl Clark. While I tend to agree with her assessment of unallotment, I do wish that she or someone on my side of the aisle or any side of the aisle would admit that there is a certain level of failure on all sides. With all due respect to Senator Clark, as soon as the Governor made this unilateral move to employ unallotment I would have camped outside his office and negotiated with him 24 hours a day for the remaining days. I don't imagine it would have worked given that he appeared unwilling to budge but it would have given that DFL far more authority to claim that they tried and that it was clearly the intransigence of this Governor that caused the breakdown.

In the budget-setting toolbox, unallotment is the sledgehammer. It just pounds dents in one part of the state’s budget. It does not give a governor the ability to enact policy or to make changes that might result in increased quality, efficiency or service to taxpayers. Using unallotment as a main budget setting tool is a bad idea, and little more than bad results can be expected.

The state’s budget desperately needs an overhaul, but the mechanic who took over the job is flailing a hammer. That will not bode well for Minnesota’s taxpayers.

Beyond the blame game, this legislative session is indicitive of what happens when one side decides that they will not compromise with the other. As I have always said, I am an unabashed liberal but also a firm pragmatist who believes that compromise is the key to good governance and creating a system in which the government can be a force for good for all people.
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Nothing If Not Persistent...
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8:33 PM | Posted in ,
Nearly a year ago I wrote about the vast difference between my legislator, Larry Haws and the legislator next door, Steve Gottwalt. Part of that analysis was to show how very little the legislator next door gets done in the realm of things that matter:

Some of his accomplishment thus far this session:
  • HF 2965: Driver's license photographs required to show full head and face.
This is a purely divisive bill meant to demagogue new immigrants (primarily from Arab countries) whose customs require them to have their face covered at all times.

If the people of House District 15A cannot recognize that Mr. Gottwalt does little to work for them and much to keep them divided, they will continue to be represented by a politician whose sole claim to fame is wedge politics rather than improving the lives of his constituents. At first glance, the man seems to be ready to solve the problems of the district, but on further inspection it appears as though he is doing little to address the real problems.


Well, Gottwalt and friends are back at it this session despite real problems such as, I don't know, a massive budget deficit! Perhaps the Republican Party in Minnesota will one day realize that it is the consistent pounding of wedge politics which keeps them in political limbo...

The St. Cloud Times Editorial Staff took Gottwalt and the other co-authors to task for signing on to this useless waste of time:

What priority?

Even with the changes, we question if this is really a legislative priority for law enforcement.

Why? Well, not only have we heard little to nothing from local law enforcement leaders, but the state police chiefs association — the main backer — does not list it under “Current Policing Issues” on its Web site. Similarly, when asked Wednesday by this board about its position, the Minnesota Sheriffs Association had to poll its leaders to determine an official stand.

All of that speaks volumes about its priority level among public safety challenges in Minnesota.

Apply it and think!

Perhaps most distressingly, though, is supporters (including co-authors Reps. Larry Hosch, Dan Severson and Mary Kiffmeyer) appear not to have thought through what they were asking for — especially the original idea that an outright ban makes it faster and easier to identify people.

Set aside potential culture wars and think about it.

A police officer stops someone whose religion requires they wear headgear in public. But when the officer looks at the license, the photo shows no headgear. So much for easier identification.

Similar logic applies to recognition by revealing hair and scalp. Of all the features on your head — ears, eyes, chin, nose, skin, mouth and hair — which of those have you (or, OK, genetics) changed the most in your lifetime? And which is easiest to change?

At least the changes announced Thursday put the measure more in line with the initial goal.

Still, the reality is Minnesota’s existing requirements for pictures on driver licenses and state ID cards are very adequate. They require a “full-face image taken by the [state] that is a representation of the true appearance of the applicant. ... The face of the applicant must be uncovered and unobscured. ...”

Please note that does not allow veils, scarves or anything that covers the face. And it’s already incredibly close to exactly what passports require.

Given all of that, please don’t bother with this proposal.


Excellent work, Steve! In the midst of a budget crisis you didn't take your eye off the divisive politics ball. You are a true gem to the conservative movement...
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Legislative Update: Steve Gottwalt
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There are plenty of issues on which Steve Gottwalt (R) and I disagree but the process of governance works best when you find those issues that you do agree upon and work together. Such is the case with House File 224.

I question the need to put a Constitutional Amendment out there for what appears to be no other reason than reacting or over reacting to the current recount process. However, the one piece of the legislation that I think is common sense is the formation of retention elections for judges in the state.

As it is, there are very few people in the state who pay even the slightest attention to judicial candidates on the ballot. My theory has always been that if I haven't heard of them then they must be doing just fine and deserve to remain seated. A retention election would essentially put my theory into practice. Rather than a process by which people use any number of schemes to pick their judicial vote, they can simply decide yes or no on should this person keep their seat. Let's hope this bill gets the attention it deserves...
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Advancing A Meme At The Expense Of The Truth
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While some might accuse me of having an unhealthy obsession with taking down Michele Bachmann, I have always tried to be intellectually honest in my criticism. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of local right wing echo chamber, Gary Gross.

His obsession is DFL Senator Tarryl Clark and he will advance any meme no matter how inaccurate or downright false in the hopes that it will stick. Given that the legislative session is drawing near, Gross is feverishly setting up his meme that Clark is a hypocrite.

A loyal reader to LFR just emailed me about this morning’s meeting of the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce executives group meeting. This friend of LFR told me that Tarryl Clark made this startling announcement:

“I will not raise taxes” in terms of the looming state budget deficit.

This person attended the meeting so it’s firsthand, reliable information.


Oh, so I am to believe a "loyal" Gross reader who attended the event? The problem is that any "loyal" Gross readers are so hyperpartisan that there is no telling what they actually heard and twisted into the above quote. But it gets better:

UPDATE: This loyal reader to LFR just sent me this update:

Her exact quote: “I’m not going to raise taxes!” (emphasis on the “I’m”) In fact, all the DFL legislators (Tarryl, Larry Haws and Larry Hosch) stated that raising taxes is not a good option.

The update also said this:

Rep. Dan Severson and Rep. Steve Gottwalt were in the room and heard her say it, as did Chamber executive, Teresa Bohnen.


I get it, the loyal reader is none other than Steve Gottwalt! LOOK, I can make baseless claims without the slightest shred of evidence other than an anonymous source. If Gottwalt wants to play the gotcha game, I imagine we could dig up a gem or two:


WHAT, you mean to tell me that Gottwalt sits and shakes his head and rolls his eyes and snickers at constituents with whom he disagrees? Oops, I guess I would rather be caught saying I would raise taxes than caught showing utter disregard for the people that I represent...


Now that I have talked to super anonymous sources who were also at the meeting I can tell you that this quote has been taken so far out of context that the intellectual honesty of the person selling it is next to zero. I am working on getting the full extent of Senator Clark's remarks.
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St. Cloud Times Editorial Board: House District 15A &15B
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The St. Cloud Times recently conducted endorsement interviews with the candidates vying for the House District 15A and House District 15B seats.

In District 15A, the incumbent is Republican Steve Gottwalt vs. DFLer Joanne Dorsher. There is little doubt in my mind that Joanne Dorsher would serve the people far better than the hyper partisan Gottwalt. While Steve and his supporters would like to pretend that he has been good for education and has worked well across the aisle, the reality is that if he doesn't agree with you his response is little more than scorn and dismissal. As always, in my mind, education is the top issue and time after time Gottwalt has been an abject failure.


In District 15B, the incumbent is DFLer Larry Haws vs. Republican Josh Behling. Larry tells it like it is and has been nothing less than straight with me about where he stands even when that position is counter to my own. On the other hand you have Behling who appears to be little more than the ultra conservative drone who has little independent thought of his own (apart from perhaps a strong hatred for Hillary Clinton but that too is probably authorized by the "everything is Clinton's fault" wing of the ultra conservative coalition).

I have cut the full interview into the subsequent questions. However, you will have to forgive the same introduction being added to each question so as to give proper source attribution.

Candidate Introductions:


Question #1: What are your specific plans for education funding?


Question #2: What specifically (taxes? formula? bill? idea?) are going to do to fix education funding?


Question #3: What are your specific solutions to fix the budget deficit? This portion covers ONLY 15B candidates Josh Behling (R) and Larry Haws (DFL).


Question #4: What are your specific solutions to fix the budget deficit? This portion covers ONLY 15A candidates Joanne Dorsher (DFL) and Steve Gottwalt (R).



My predictions, for what they are worth: Both incumbents ( Steve Gottwalt (R) & Larry Haws (DFL) ) get the endorsement from the St. Cloud Times. Who do you think will be endorsed and why? Who deserves endorsement and why? Who deserves to be elected and why?
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St. Cloud Sign Watch: I Call BullSh*t!
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So, I am on my way to get the car washed today and I drive by a house with a John McCain for President yard sign. However, this particular sign read: "Another Democrat for McCain".

Next to that particular sign was a gigantic Steve Gottwalt sign.

To the folks that live at this particular residence, I call BULLSHIT! No self respecting Democrat who believed in liberal, progressive, or even blue dog principles would be supporting Steve Gottwalt. While John McCain may have a couple centrist positions, Gottwalt is a lap dog of the ultra right wing of the Republican Party. Either you haven't studied enough about the candidates you are supporting or you were never really a Democrat to begin with.
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Joanne Dorsher: LTE Onslaught...
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7:00 AM | Posted in , ,
Over the past week there has been an onslaught of letters in the St. Cloud Times touting the candidacy of DFL candidate, Joanne Dorsher. The theme of each has been to positively explain who Joanne is and what she is about. While some will claim that these editorials are little more than platitude laden fluff pieces, they fail to see the experience angle being laid out by each of these successive editorials. Dorsher has been in the trenches trying to improve the educational opportunities of our children and volunteering to further that education beyond the walls of the school building.

From the August 12th letter:

Joanne has shown that she cares for the quality of life in our community. Our children have benefited from her years of service on the St. Cloud school board and as a volunteer in our schools. Joanne has supported the St. Cloud Public Library. She is a member of the St. Cloud Friends of the Library and volunteers in the bookstore.

From the August 13th letter:

She has shown herself to be an enthusiastic and responsible leader serving our community. Before she was elected to the St. Cloud school board, she spent many hours tutoring public school students in reading and math and leading academic extracurricular programs. She also volunteered with the Adult Basic Education program, especially helping English language learners.

From the August 17th letter:

From the time she arrived in Central Minnesota 18 years ago, Joanne has been a community builder who does her homework and works behind the scenes to get things done.

Not only has she served in elected office on the St. Cloud school board, Joanne has also served in numerous other civic positions, including on the board of G.R.E.A.T. Theater, as a Girl Scout leader and a member of the NAACP and Interfaith Alliance. She works quietly and effectively to build relationships and accomplish goals.

This is an extremely impressive resume when you consider that much of the work at the Capitol is centered around education and children. It is quite easy for people to dictate from afar what and how we should be teaching our children and it is a common problem affecting both Republican and Democratic politicians. However, the experience and real life solutions come when you have actually stood in front of a large group of children and tried to get them all moving in the same direction and at the same pace. That is the experience of Joanne Dorsher.

When you compare that to her "Just Say NO" to education and everything else opponent who has spent nary a moment in a classroom, it is absolutely clear who people should be supporting come this November. Couple that with his connections to organizations bent on destroying public education and his shameful lack of support for anything advocated by Education Minnesota there is little choice for those concerned about the educational opportunities of our kids.
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Joanne Dorsher & Tarryl Clark Team Up For Education
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H/T to Larry Schumacher at his blog, Political Quarry:

Joanne Dorsher (DFL), candidate for House District 15A against Steve Gottwalt, will be teaming up with Tarryl Clark (DFL) for a discussion about education at Caribou Coffee this Saturday (8 am). I have some things going on this weekend but I am going to make every effort to cover this event.

As I have noted several times before, Steve Gottwalt is far from being a supporter of a strong public education system. All Dorsher need do is show up at the Capitol in order to become a better friend of education. I would encourage everyone to go and judge Dorsher for themselves.

Let's just hope that Dorsher doesn't treat potential constituents with the same contempt that Gottwalt and his friends in the blogosphere have in the past:

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Education Minnesota Legislative Report Card (Steve Gottwalt)
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4:06 PM | Posted in ,
A while back I did a piece on the connection between Representative Steve Gottwalt and his connection to the organization known as Edwatch. Today, I was able to get my hands on the newest legislative report card put out by Education Minnesota and found that Mr. Gottwalt has the distinct honor of having the lowest score (although he is tied with two others) of any member of the Minnesota House of Representatives with a score of just 10%.

How does one achieve such an abysmal record on education? Well, it takes some work but Gottwalt has managed to out anti-public education such notable figures as Mark Olson at 20% and Dan Severson at 14%.

  • The most prominent item Gottwalt opposed was House File 6 which included a one time, $51 per-pupil increase for the 2009 fiscal year. The bill passed with bipartisan support and was later signed by the Governor. Some have been quick to comment that "we know them by their actions". Well, the actions of the representative from 15A certainly has shown us his commitment to education.
However, Gottwalt also opposed a minimum wage increase and a statewide health insurance pool for school employees that would have solved some of the costs that districts across the state are having to deal with as health care skyrockets. Bringing these costs down would free up more money for the classroom.
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Steve Gottwalt & Edwatch: Two Peas In A Pod?
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10:00 AM | Posted in ,
Since its inception as the Maple River Education Coalition in 1998, the organization known today as Edwatch has worked tirelessly to undermine the work of public education and its ultimate mission is to destroy the public education system in Minnesota and the country.

EdWatch BELIEVES

  • Accessible, nonpublic education without government interference is essential to a healthy education system.

    • The most famous legislator working for Edwatch is 6th District Congresswoman, Michele Bachmann. However, here in Central Minnesota there appears to be a new foot soldier for this extremist organization whose sole purpose is to distort everything done in public education in the hopes that people will buy into their privatized education platform.

    In the short time that Steve Gottwalt has been in the state legislature, he has supported nearly every tin foil hat idea offered up to him.

    So, the question is: Who does Gottwalt work for, Edwatch or the people of House District 15A? I suspect that the majority of constituents living in the district do not buy into this type of extremist education agenda.
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    Dan Severson LTE: "Steve Gottwalt Is Fiscally Irresponsible"
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    Dan Severson (R) has a letter to the editor in the St. Cloud Times today blaming the "Legislature's Majority" which must be code word for DFL for passing a $925 million bonding bill.

    In what must be a preview of the Republican slogan for this fall, he brings up one small piece of the bill ($11 million for the Como Zoo, which by the way is a free zoo which has delighted my children on numerous occasions given that I happen to not be able to afford to treat my children to the more expensive Minnesota Zoo) and attempts to use this piece alone as evidence that the DFL majority is irresponsible. But hey, why should the financially strapped be aloud the pleasure of teaching their children about zoo animals?

    Yet, in this politically motivated slam against the "Legislature's Majority" or DFL for those of you not as quick on the uptake, what Mr. Severson forgets to mention is that his colleague, Steve Gottwalt (R), also voted FOR the $925 million version of the bonding bill. Oh, and did Mr. Severson mention that HE HIMSELF voted FOR the $934 million House version that was sent to Conference Committee?

    So, I offer this revision to the LTE:

    Not even the looming prospect of a billion-dollar budget deficit has persuaded members of the Legislature's majority (AND Steve Gottwalt) to act fiscally responsible.


    instead, the House (INCLUDING Steve Gottwalt) passed a bill that is $100 million more than we can afford.


    If Pawlenty vetoes the bill, it will return to a House leadership (INCLUDING Steve Gottwalt) that is exhibiting fiscal recklessness with the taxpayers' wallet.


    This majority acted irresponsibly the first time the bonding bill was on the floor (Even though I, Dan Severson and my friend, Steve Gottwalt, voted for the bill the first time it was on the floor).


    Apparently some folks (INCLUDING Steve Gottwalt) haven't heard this adage: A statesman looks to the next generation; a politician looks to the next election.


    If I were Steve Gottwalt, I would particularly outraged at this hit piece penned by Dan Severson. Does Severson really want to portray his Republican colleague as fiscally irresponsible months before the election season kicks into high gear? I certainly hope that those candidates running against Mr. Severson and Mr. Gottwalt remind them of these votes during the election given that it is almost guaranteed that they will attempt to use this bill as a club upon DFL candidates.
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    The Politics of Outrage: Bonding Bill Edition
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    At the Capitol, on Wednesday, legislators sent Governor Pawlenty a bonding bill with upwards of $925 million in projects. Over at the St. Cloud Times, Larry Schumacher has a good examination of the bill and its contents. I would add, however, that Tom Stinson who is the Minnesota State Economist advocated for a quick bonding bill that would be focused primarily on upkeep of buildings rather than the creation of new buildings which is precisely what this bill attempts to accomplish.

    Immediately following this development the right wing blogosphere in Minnesota decried the bill as unnecessary and filled with too much pork. Amongst the most vocal is my good friend Gary Gross over at Let Freedom Ring.

    However, it appears as though Mr. Gross has a bit of a sticky wicket on his hands given that his "adopted representative", Steve Gottwalt, voted FOR the bill. Gary makes this statement at the end of his post:

    Either way, one thing should be clear. This November, it’s time that voters told the DFL that they reject their unsustainable spending habits and their outrageous tax increases.

    I offer a revision to his outrage: "Either way, one should be clear. This November, it's time that voters told Steve Gottwalt that they reject his unsustainable spending habits and his outrageous alliance with the evil DFL."

    The outrage expressed by Mr. Gross and others on the right might be a bit more effective if they directed that outrage in a little more bipartisan manner. Perhaps with some more Seifert style demotions.

    One has to wonder if voting against the party on this bill will garner a similar action as the actions taken after the Transportation Bill. Can you take away power from a Freshman Representative in the minority party?
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    A Tale Of Two Representatives...
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    The difference in leadership that exists in House District 15B when compared to House District 15A is enormous. On the one hand you have personable and friendly Larry Haws while on the other you have the man who scoffs at dissent. While I have no expectation that everyone will agree with me on every issue, the most recent experiences I have had with Steve Gottwalt have been ones of bitterness and resentment that I and others would dare have a differing opinion.

    Beyond personality, when you examine the important work of our two Representatives in District 15 it is clear who works harder and who uses their position wisely rather than using their position to push divisiveness in the public.

    In 2008, Larry Haws has authored 17 bills (which happens to be ONE more bill than Mr. Gottwalt has authored since he got elected and took office in 2007).


    Some of his accomplishments thus far this session:
    • HF 3877: Minnesota GI Bill per semester and annual grant amount increased for veterans.
    • HF 2769: St. Cloud Technical College; Allied Health Center design funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
    • HF 2768: St. Cloud State University; Brown Hall science renovation funding provided, bonds issued and money appropriated.
    • HF 2836: Nonmetro regional parks and trails system recommendations required, funding provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated.
    Larry Haws is using his influence in state government to help keep Central Minnesota students (including veteran students) gain access to the highest quality education and resources. He is making sure that our parks and trails have the funding necessary to sustain themselves thus keeping the quality of life in the area livable for all its residents.

    In 2008, Steve Gottwalt has authored 6 bills.

    Some of his accomplishment thus far this session:
    • HF 2965: Driver's license photographs required to show full head and face.
    This is a purely divisive bill meant to demagogue new immigrants (primarily from Arab countries) whose customs require them to have their face covered at all times.

    If the people of House District 15A cannot recognize that Mr. Gottwalt does little to work for them and much to keep them divided, they will continue to be represented by a politician whose sole claim to fame is wedge politics rather than improving the lives of his constituents. At first glance, the man seems to be ready to solve the problems of the district, but on further inspection it appears as though he is doing little to address the real problems.
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    BREAKING NEWS...
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    11:08 PM | Posted in , ,
    The word on the street is that Joanne Dorsher will be seeking the DFL nomination to run against Representative Steve Gottwalt in District 15A.

    From her School Board Profile:

    Joanne Dorsher has been involved in education all her life. She comes to the Board with a perspective of a student, a teacher, an administrator, a parent, and a community volunteer. She graduated from UCLA with a major in psychology/mathematics and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Minnesota in special education.

    Her previous experiences include being a special education teacher and the administrator of a developmental achievement center. She has been involved in District 742 schools the past ten years, volunteering in the classroom, providing enrichments for students, and participating in site councils and district committees. Outside of school hours, Joanne coached Academic Triathlon and Odyssey of the Mind Teams.

    Currently, Dorsher is on the board of the Great River Educational Arts Theatre, and serves occasionally as a costumer. As part of the School Board, she serves as the Chair of the Board Personnel Committee and is a member of the Board Community Linkages Committee. She is the Board appointed representative on the Central Minnesota Joint Powers Board, the Fiber Optics Joint Powers Board, the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Grant Advisory Committee, the Community Relations Task Force, the Special Education Study Review Committee, the Waite Park Chamber of Commerce, and the Schools for Equity in Education (SEE) Organization. Dorsher is the Board of Education liaison to Discovery Community School, Area Learning Center, and the Children’s Home.

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    Steve Gottwalt LTE: It's ALL Their Fault! (insert pouty foot stomp)
    Comments
    11:15 AM | Posted in
    Local partisan, Steve Gottwalt, took the time to write an LTE in the St. Cloud Times. With tired old platitudes, he attempts to blame the DFL for the current budget deficit. Unfortunately, facts appear to have escaped Gottwalt and the rest of the Republican ultra minority.

    From the St. Cloud Times:

    Letter: Minnesota cannot tax its way to prosperity
    By Rep. Steve Gottwalt, District 15A

    Published: March 09. 2008 12:30AM

    The recent announcement that our state is facing a $1 billion budget shortfall makes it hard to believe we had nearly a $2.2 billion surplus less than a year ago.

    But that's exactly where we are after only a year of liberal tax-and-spend policies.

    In order to believe this claim, one must close their eyes and ears and avoid one obvious piece of evidence. The ONLY tax enacted by the DFL majority this past year has been the recent transportation bill with its gas tax.

    If Gottwalt wants to try to make the claim that proposed tax increases created this budget shortfall, good luck to him, but the fact remains that no tax has been enacted that could have caused this shortfall.

    A little less than a year ago, on March 17, 2007, I stated:

    "With a $2 billion budget surplus, there is no good justification for tax increases. We must move Minnesota forward and not backward into another deficit. Calls for tax increases when we have a state surplus are ridiculous. The added revenue we have available should be enough!"

    But we did go backward into deficit.

    So, now calls for tax increases create budget deficits? In turn, can simple calls for tax cuts cause prosperity? If so, our problems are solved because we can simply call for tax cuts and change nothing and thereby create prosperity.


    ... Given November's budget projection, I expected our Legislature to take a fiscally moderate tone. Instead, liberals kicked off this year's bonding session by pushing a constitutional amendment to raise our sales tax, and then ramming the massive $6.6 billion transportation bill down the throats of tax-weary Minnesotans.

    Oh, those crafty liberals! They allowed the voters of Minnesota to make a decision about taxes and then created a budget neutral way to invest in our roads and bridges. By comparison, Mr. Gottwalt and his crew wanted to spend many billions more on roads and bridges but pay for it by sticking the bill on our children and their children. Perhaps if Gottwalt wasn't such a partisan, he might recognize the inconsistency in his message.

    Even today, liberals argue that reaching deeper into Minnesotans' pocketbooks is the way to stimulate the economy and grow jobs. The truth is, growing, thriving businesses are the engine that generates sustainable job growth, and that engine is hampered by Minnesota's business tax climate — ranked among the worst 10 in the nation.

    Looked at from a less partisan angle, the Department of Employment and Economic Development has this to say about our business climate:

    Minnesota’s operating costs are competitive with the national average

    • According to a 2006 Economy.com report, the cost of doing businesses in Minnesota ranks 22nd nationwide, right behind Arizona, a state usually ranked in the middle. Considering the value of Minnesota workers and other services, the state is a great buy!

    • Minnesota is one of only 10 states in the country that received five stars from Expansion Management in its 2006 “Healthcare Cost Quotient.” Rankings consider indicators that affect healthcare expenses for employers such as health insurance and malpractice cost. The state ranks particularly high in the number of physicians and nurses per 100,000 population (7th) and facilities available and their costs (11th).

    • A 2004 study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston found that Minnesota ranked 41st in the ratio of taxes to total business profits, well below the national average.


    It appears to be another example of Steve Gottwalt giving the people with whom he disagrees this treatment:


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    Laughing At Constituents...
    Comments
    Last month I attended a Health Care Listening Session hosted by some area legislators. The event was meant to allow constituents in the area to provide their ideas and express their opinions about health care in Minnesota. At this event I was disappointed to notice local legislator, Steve Gottwalt, responding in a less than civil manner to the testimony provided by a local resident. After the event, I wrote an open message to Mr. Gottwalt in which I expressed my disappointment to these actions. In my opinion, the post was fair in that it did not entirely rake Mr. Gottwalt over the coals, but rather it expressed my feelings on a man who I had thought was principled despite any disagreements we might have.



    Another attendee, Gary Gross, offered his opinion of the event (both on his blog and in my comments section) and of the Gottwalt incident in a fair and civil manner. Others chimed in and although I have disagreements with their opinions at the very least they were respectful.

    Unfortunately, local conservative blogger Leo Pusateri has decided to take respect and civility and throw it out the window entirely. On my youtube page, he posted this comment about the Gottwalt incident:

    "Personally, I don't see the problem with this. I think he showed remarkable restraint in that he didn't bust out laughing at the ludicrous idea that we should adopt a failed Canadian system of healthcare."


    Essentially, the message is that if you do not believe as Mr. Pusateri believes, then you are worthy of nothing more than laughter and derision. Is this the opinion of Mr. Gottwalt? One has to wonder, then, if Steve Gottwalt would be willing to stand by the statements of his friend Leo Pusateri that constituents deserve to actually be laughed at in open forums or in other venues. I may not like or agree with the opinions of Pusateri or Gottwalt but I would NEVER claim that those opinions deserved public scorn through laughter.

    Perhaps, given these recent statements, it is time to write or call Mr. Gottwalt. If Mr. Pusateri would like to make these statements, then I want to hear from the horses mouth just how constituents ought to be treated.

    Get to your phones and write your letters and lets find out just what Mr. Gottwalt believes! If this is the battle that Mr. Pusateri wants, perhaps we could oblige.

    As I have said before, Perhaps THIS is why you keep losing elections!
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    An Open Message To Representative Gottwalt
    Comments
    12:58 AM | Posted in
    After attending the Republican Party Forum in Waite Park at the beginning of December I was particularly impressed by the honesty of Representative Gottwalt. I may not agree with his views on a variety of issues but his commitment to solving problems cannot be questioned nor can his work ethic for the people of his district. Unfortunately, last night I witnessed a display that ought to offend anyone interested in open debate and the exchange of ideas.



    Sir, the woman speaking in the background was simply speaking of her personal experience with the Canadian health care system. She apparently thinks very highly of that particular system in relation to our own. For you to dismiss her entire argument in full view of an entire crowd of voters and potential constituents should be a signal to anyone watching that you are not interested in open discussion and varying ideas. You certainly have every right to disagree with this woman and her opinion of Canadian health care. In fact, you even had the opportunity to express your doubts about the Canadian health care system. You did not. You sat there and quietly mocked a woman willing to share her views in a public forum. Had you shared your doubts with us, I would have thought nothing of it and would have chalked it up to an opposing viewpoint.

    From what I hear of you from others, that know you far better than I, you are an honorable man with a vast knowledge of health care and a variety of other issues. However, you displayed a side which was condescending and smug towards someone who may or may not be a constituent of yours. If this is the type of leadership you are offering then it may be time to call it quits. You do not serve only a select few but rather an entire district of people. From your body language, smirks, raised eyebrows, and under breath comments you have no intention of hearing people out and seem intent on dismissing others wholesale.

    Your job, sir, was to listen quietly to the very people upon whom you owe your job and respond appropriately through either continued discussion or silence. You made the wrong choice tonight.
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