ANNUAL
CHRISTMAS
PARTY

December 10, 2011
6:30 pm to 9:00 pm

Americas Best Value Inn
Albert Lea

cash bar
6:30 mingle
7:15 dinner

Entrees:
Pork Loin with cherry and wild rice stuffing
Turkey Breast with apple cranberry stuffing

with

buttered red potatoes or scalloped corn
garden salad or fluff fruit salad

Please email hidden; JavaScript is required with entree selection

Price is $26 per person, paid on site

In case of inclement weather,
a decision will be made by noon the day of the event
and an email sent if it is canceled or rescheduled

WALZ HOLDS DEFICIT TOWN HALLS IN ROCHESTER AND WINONA

Involves constituents in budget decision-making process

(Rochester and Winona, MN) – Today, southern Minnesotans joined Rep. Tim Walz at two town halls on the federal deficit in Rochester and Winona. The town halls were fully interactive and offered attendees the ability to decide how to balance the budget and reduce the deficit.

“Serious conversations about how to reduce spending and create a secure fiscal future for all Americans are happening across the country,” said Rep. Tim Walz. “It was important to me to get feedback from southern Minnesotans on how we can work together to balance the budget and ensure more people can achieve the American dream in years to come. I am grateful to everyone who participated today, I will take their thoughts, concerns and ideas back with me to Washington.”

Walz organized a conversation and workshop on the federal budget to get valuable insight from southern Minnesotans. The Concord Coalition, a non-partisan organization dedicated to organizing and educating Americans about the budget challenges we face, was on hand to participate in the conversation as well.

Walz said any plan to reduce the deficit must do so in a smart, responsible way that doesn’t harm our economy. Walz has said he believes we need a balanced approach to reducing the deficit that includes targeted smart cuts; proposals to make the way government operates more efficient; and tax reform that closes loopholes and brings more fairness to the system.

Like so much of what Walz does, the event was a joke. Claimed to be involving consituents and “fully interactive” they were neither. A friend attended in Rochester. No questions were allowed. Surveys were distributed and completed by attendees but not collected! Or, perhaps, collected from a select few.

Walz is either a pathetic fake or inept. His constituents appear to be only those who support him, not all of us in the First District.

1^st Congressional District Chair Steve Perkins demanded that Ted Winter return at least $3,550 that he received from the Minneapolis Cireci trial lawyers. Perkins said, “I call on Ted Winter to immediately return this money. These lawyers netted a $558,000,000 State contract when Ted Winter was the House DFL Majority Leader to handle the Minnesota tobacco law suit. It was of record proportions, over half a billion dollars, and now they turn up as the biggest donors to Winter’s campaign.”

Perkins continued, “ It also appears Winter was trying to cover this up because critical information on these contributions was deleted from his original filing with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Disclosure Board last Monday. Finally, today, Friday, just a few days before the election Ted coughed up the information after the Board demanded it. “

“It is obvious what Winter was trying to hide. Of the thousands and thousands he is spending only eight percent of his disclosed donors are residents of the district. Forty-two percent comes from trial lawyers and 24% from Twin City unions. Just who will Ted Winter represent when he gets to St. Paul? His political cronies get near billion dollar state contracts and then pay him off with fat campaign donations.”

Perkins concluded, “It simply is not right to take such huge sums from non-local people who get huge government contracts. Ted Winter must return the money and apologize to the people of House District 22A. This is an outrageous last minute trick which only deceives those he wants to represent.”

House District 22A is all of Murray, Pipestone, Rock and Nobles counties, except the immediate Worthington area. Winter’s campaign report can be viewed at the Board’s website http://www.cfbreport.state.mn.us/pdfStorage/2010/CampFin/B/11954.pdf

Mathematically, a candidate in a 4-way race can win with 26%. But in this race, Democrats and Republicans have bases that exceed 25%. So, 26% will not win this contest. It’s probably going to take at least 47%. In the recent KSTP/SurveyUSA poll, Johnson carried 1%.

How much is anyone willing to bet that Johnson can grow his support by a factor of 47 (4,600%) in two weeks? Similarly, how many think that Steve Wilson’s support will increase by a factor of 12 (1,100%)?

In a race as close as this seems to be, it appears that Johnson and Wilson supporters can only help Tim Walz win. And it looks like Walz thinks so, too. He was wooing Wilson at Rochester’s Wednesday debate. It looked like an attempt to get Demmer voters to consider Wilson. That’s a winning tactic for Walz.

First, the difference is within 1% of the margin of error.

Second, Walz’s lead has done nothing but shrink from poll to poll.

Third, when Walz was the challenger in 2006, the same poll had him trailing by 10 points at this stage of the race.

Fourth, every winner of the last three gubernatorial KSTP/SurveyUSA polls, taken at this stage of the race, failed to win the election. (Yes, we know Randy isn’t running for governor but the observation is about poll dynamics.)

Hmmm.

Expect plenty of negativity from the Walz campaign and third parties on his behalf because he cannot be successful by running on his record.

Expect plenty of facts from the Demmer campaign. As we used to hear, facts are stubborn things.

By the way, there are two other candidates in the race. Steve Wilson and Lars Johnson carried 4% and 1% of the poll results, respectively. Both results are less than the poll’s margin of error.

A judge’s ruling in the first step of the legal proceedings backs up Pat’s complaint.

Democrats in St. Paul appear to be preparing to try to amend the state Constitution such that judges will be appointed rather than elected. If you do not think that is a good idea, contact your state representative and senator and give them a piece of your mind. For those interested in more details, read on.

Bills HF.224 and SF.0070 were introduced in 2009. Democrats appear to be preparing to bring them to a vote in their respective chambers in this session. In summary, by my understanding of the house version:

A judge’s initial term of office will be 3-5 years. lines 1.6-18

A commission will evaluate and publish judge performance. lines 1.21-23

The commission will rate judges as well qualified, qualified, or unqualified for office. lines 7.13-14

The commission’s rating will be “available to the public” prior to the election (but no details are given as to what is considered to be “available”). lines 8.8-9

Judges will be presented on general election ballots at the end of each of their terms but only to indicate, yes or no, whether voters believe a judge’s term should be renewed. (This may be used to claim that judges are still elected but keep reading.) lines 2.8-12

Judges that fail their retention vote are removed from office but they can only fail if a majority of those voting on the question vote No. lines 4.17-18

Retained judges’ terms are 8 years. lines 1.18-19

Rejected judges are replaced by appointment. lines 4.18-19

Presto. Judges are not elected.