I grew up reading comic books wanting to be a superhero. Comics taught me that those who speak the truth are heroes, all the rest are liars.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

'Boots on the Ground' or 'Dog And Pony Show'?

There's an interview with Steve Sarvi, candidate in Minnesota's Second Congressional District, posted up at mnblue. If you haven't read anything on Steve Sarvi, take a look at the interview...Basically it points to a 'boots on the ground' person verses the Kline 'dog and pony' show. Finally a candidate with a solid history of service to the community and county that will be able to cut through Kline's smoke and mirrors image.

One of the key differences highlighted by mnblue besides health care, vet support and education, is about Kline's recent announcement he will no longer work for earmarks for Minnesotans:

On transportation, Sarvi asserts that Kline has not done the job needed. Republicans have neglected our infrastructure at the state and national level and Kline has gone along with it. Kline's vow to fore go any earmark's in 2008particularly baffles Steve.

"We've got a bridge in Hastings over the Mississippi that's in danger of falling down and now is when we need a Representative in Congress who will deliver the district an earmark and get this bridge rebuilt. Our infrastructure is crumbling all over the district and Kline has done nothing. This wouldn't be some kind of bridge to nowhere, it's desperately needed."

"Look, I'm not scared of spending money. There are many things we need to spend money on like that bridge in Hastings. I'm more concerned with wasting money."



In a Friday commentary piece in the Star Tribune, Steve Sarvi takes John Kline to task for his new-found opposition to requesting federal funds for important Minnesota projects. Contrary to the image that John Kline has cultivated, he isn't representing Minnesotans when he continues to play partisan politics such as voting against funding to rebuilding I35W bridge.

Kline's record for the past several terms shows a disturbing picture of his major support for big oil companies, war profiteers, and blind allegiance to the Bush administration. With Kline's announcement last week that he won't be working toward funding Minnesota projects,and the emergence of a strong DFL candidate like Steve Sarvi, perhaps the Kline 'dog and pony' show has come to an end.

Friday, December 14, 2007

If Kline Won't Represent, Steve Sarvi Will!

Stephen T. Sarvi, a candidate in the second congressional district running against John Kline recently got published in the Star Tribune: Not all federal earmarks are bad:
"Part of congressional leadership is getting money to the places that need it in the state you represent."
Steve Sarvi couldn't be more right. What value does Congressman John Kline have when he won't meet with his constituents and announces that he won't vote for any bill with earmarks? Sounds to me like Mr. Kline doesn't want to be a congressman.
"Every year, we Minnesotans send our tax dollars to Washington, putting more into the federal pot than we get back. Our state is blessed with talented and hard-working people who generally don't begrudge sending money where it is most needed for the common good.However, U.S. Rep. John Kline, who the Star Tribune reported on Dec. 10 has decided to no longer seek "earmarks" on behalf of our state, would have us believe that bringing money home for high-priority projects is "corrupt" -- and in taking this stance, he's gone too far."

Steve Sarvi shows his common sense when it comes to fulfilling the duties of a Congressman as well as pointing out the responsibilities a Minnesota representative should have to his state.

"For every "bridge to nowhere" - the infamous Alaskan project that, it bears noting, Kline voted for in 2005 - there are many projects for which Minnesota's congressional delegation can and should seek federal dollars. These projects are not extravagant or wasteful -and members of Congress who seek them in the interest of the people they represent are not corrupt; they are doing their job. Federal funds secured by members of Congress are commonly used to help with transportation projects. These projects keep the people and products of our state moving, and as such are the backbone of our economy. Providing for transportation needs is a basic function of government.

Minnesotans expect leadership from elected officials on this issue... People in our communities don't care whether Republicans or Democrats meet them at the table to solve problems. They do care that government at its various levels -all supported by taxpayers - can't seem to cooperate to use those tax dollars efficiently."

We elect our representatives to represent our best interests. I think Steve Sarvi summed it up best by saying:

"Citizens, local government and state government must do their parts to ensure that we raise and spend tax dollars appropriately. Our members of Congress do not engage in corruption, as Kline claims, when they work hard to see that Minnesota's sorely needed tax dollars come back to our state instead of going elsewhere. Our representatives are supposed to go to bat for us; it's one of the things we "hire" them to do. If they don't want to do it, the good people of Minnesota can hire someone else. "
With Kline unwilling to fulfil his duties, there is an alternative; Common sense, level headed, willing to represent Minnesotans, to make necessary compromises to accomplish goals...Steve Sarvi would be great Congressman

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Congressman John Kline Abandons Minnesotans

So let me get this straight...Congressman John Kline won't advocate for his district on congressional budget spending..hmmm...why is he still in office?

From the DFL:

John Kline’s Double Standard: Abandon the Home Front, but Still Back Iraq

Republican Congressman Abandons Earmarks for District While Costs of War He Still Supports Continue to Mount

St. Paul, MN (December 10, 2007) The Star Tribune reported today that Second District Republican Representative John Kline has abandoned the practice of earmarking, leaving his constituents to fend for their own in obtaining needed federal funding for worthy local projects, including for roads, bridges and transit. In response, the Minnesota DFL Party noted that Kline’s new-found fiscal conservatism cannot hide the double standard of his continued blank-check support for President Bush’s failed war in Iraq.

“John Kline’s double standard is breathtaking,” said Minnesota DFL Associate Chair Donna Cassutt. “It’s not just that his supposed fiscal conservatism is entirely new-found, given that he earmarked projects when Republicans controlled Congress. It’s not even that he voted against federal funding for the I-35W bridge on the same new-found grounds, after claiming he was for it. It’s his double standard: no funding for worthy projects here in Minnesota while the war in Iraq that he still supports is draining America dry.

“While corporate special interests like Halliburton and Blackwater keep profiting from the failed war, the rest of us will be stuck paying the bill for years to come while our needs at home keep going unmet,” Cassutt continued.

“Fortunately, next year Second District voters will replace John Kline and his double standard with someone willing to fight for the home front first.”

Kline’s Double Standard: Abandon Home Front but Still Back Iraq:

In Abandoning Earmarks, Kline Leaves Second District in the Lurch. Representative John Kline’s refusal to earmark projects for his district in this Congress, after having done so when Republicans controlled the House of Representatives, “has left officials in his rapidly growing suburban district wanting federal dollars to complete projects from the Cedar Avenue Transitway to the expansion of Hwy. 212 in Carver County.” [Star Tribune, 12/10/07]

Local Officials Not Pleased with Kline’s Inaction. “‘It's shocking and disturbing,’ said Dakota County Commissioner Will Branning, who heads a partnership working on the Cedar Avenue transit project, which was looking for about $6 million from Congress this year. ‘For one congressman to do it, it puts us in a box.’ Others on the Dakota County Board, including former Eagan Mayor Tom Egan, complain that the planned Mall of America bus corridor ‘is not a 'Bridge to Nowhere'’ -- a reference the now infamous Alaska project regarded as the turning point in last year's backlash against earmarks.” [Star Tribune, 12/10/07]

Kline Also Voted Against Funds for I-35W Bridge Reconstruction. The appropriations bill for the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (H.R. 3074) included $195 million in federal funding for reconstructing the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis. The only other Minnesota representative to vote against the bill was Representative Michele Bachmann. [Vote #1102, 11/14/07; St. Cloud Times, 11/14/07]

Minnesota Transportation Needs Going Dramatically Unmet. According to KARE-TV, the Minnesota Department of Transportation “is already reporting that current funding projections show they will be a $23 billion shy of what they need to hit performance goals in Minnesota over the next 23 years.” Counties, cities and the Minnesota Department of Transportation have identified over $1.07 billion in needed transportation projects for each of the next ten years [KARE 11, 11/27/07; Woodbury Bulletin, 11/28/07]

Iraq War Now Costing Over $700 Million per Day. “The money spent on one day of the Iraq war could buy homes for almost 6,500 families or health care for 423,529 children, or could outfit 1.27 million homes with renewable electricity, according to the American Friends Service Committee, which displayed those statistics on large banners in cities nationwide Thursday and Friday. The war is costing $720 million a day or $500,000 a minute, according to the group's analysis of the work of Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz and Harvard public finance lecturer Linda J. Bilmes.” [Washington Post, 9/21/07]

Cumulative Price Tag for Wars Already $16,500 per Family and Climbing. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have already cost the average American family $16,500 in taxes and other “hidden” costs such as oil market disruptions, forgone investments, long-term healthcare for veterans and interest payments on borrowed war funding. Through 2017, the total cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is projected to balloon to $3.5 trillion, or nearly $36,900 for the average American family. [Los Angeles Times, 11/14/07; Joint Economic Committee, 11/13/07]

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

A Light Dusting Of Snow

Albert Lea’s citizens know it’ll take at least 100 years to set this right again…but who’s counting? ‘In the name of oil and pipeline safety’…amen.

It’s it just me or has America become even more stupid?

Since we’ve moved on to the unreal…let’s get to the truth about yetis.