RYBAK TURNS HIS BACK ON OCCUPIERS AS THEY APPROACH HIS DOORSTEP
December 1, 2011 5:42 PM
Dedicated readers of MDE report today’s activity at Occupy Plaza downtown.
Two months ago, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak spoke loudly in support of the Occupy Wall Street camp on the Hennepin County Government Plaza. His early support was not surprising, because Hizzoner’s spokesperson John Styles is a life-partner of one of the Occupiers’ main organizers.
But when the protesters crossed the street to City Hall this morning, the Mayor flip-flopped. Protesters had set up three tents on City property and decorated the statute of Hubert Humphrey with signs, hats, and an American Flag. Rybak sent city employees down to ask the protesters to dismantle the display and move back across the street to city property.
The protesters did not budge, so Rybak sent the Minneapolis Police Department to yank down the tents, pull down the display, and “take action.” The MPD boys in blue first tackled “Panda,” a 300-pound Occupier. Then they slipped on the ice. Poor Panda was slammed to the ground, and then jammed through the door of a tiny squad car. MPD’s next target had his face shoved onto the frozen sidewalk as he was cuffed.
Where was the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union when R.T. Rybak flip-flopped on the right to peaceably assemble on the City Hall sidewalk? Where was Rep. Karen Clark (DFL-Minneapolis) who had declared her support of the protesters the night before, when they were on County property instead of City Hall?
by Andy Post | 27 Comments »
SENATE RULES COMMITTEE TO TAKE UP DAYTON’S CHILDCARE UNIONIZATION THIS THURSDAY
November 28, 2011 8:17 PM
The Minnesota Senate GOP caucus announced today that the powerful Rules Committee will be holding a hearing on Gov. Dayton’s executive order that calls for a vote on whether or not to unionize the state’s 11,000 home childcare providers. This comes as conservative groups such as Minnesota Majority, the Free Market Institute, and the Minnesota Family Council are backing a lawsuit by several providers to stop the election in which there voices will be silenced. In the meantime, several Republican state senators have stated they may file their own legal injunction to stop the order.
by Andy Post | 28 Comments »
GOV SPENDS TURKEY DAY WITH HIS PERSONAL POLITICAL SMEAR ATM, ALIDA
November 24, 2011 10:25 AM
Governor Dayton’s office confirmed this week he will spend this Thanksgiving with his two sons at the governor’s mansion, along with ex-wife and current political piggy bank, Alida Rockefeller Messinger. Dayton and Messinger, along with their shared collaborators (Chief of Staff-Tina Smith, DFL Chair-Ken Martin, front group coordinator-Jeff Blodgett), have undoubtedly been planning the next political strategy that will involve brutal negative attacks funded by Messinger’s Rockefeller fortune.
In 2010, Messinger personally contributed over $1 million to DFL groups that ultimately propelled her husband to Summit Avenue through nasty smear tactics. A recent piece on Messinger sheds new light that all Minnesotans should know and understand, but her true connections to the leaders of our state are shocking and arguably unethical. MDE focused on the spending at end of last year. Last year, Dayton’s son-Andrew, cousin-David, aunt-Mary and ex-wife-Alida Messinger together contributed well over $1 million this election cycle.
In 2012, Messinger and Dayton will launch smear tactics in House and Senate seats across Minnesota to flip control of those bodies and ram their far-left agenda through the legislative process. Through front groups coordinating with the MN DFL Party such as WIN Minnesota, the Alliance for a Better MN, and Minnesota’s labor unions, Messinger will funnel unprecedented amounts of cash to candidates that pledge loyalty to her husband’s agenda. From the Star Tribune’s piece:
She is vowing to do all she can to help the DFL regain control of the Legislature and get President Obama re-elected. Her millions could also become a force in the fight over the constitutional amendment on the ballot next year to define marriage as a union of man and woman, not gay couples. Messinger, 62, contends GOP politicians are harming Minnesota.
by Andy Post | 21 Comments »
ACLU BRINGS IN THE LAWYERS, CLAIMS OCCUPIERS HAVE RIGHT TO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THEY WANT
November 23, 2011 2:49 PM
So, now the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union (“MCLU”) is suing the Hennepin County Commissioners, Sheriff Stanek, and unnamed deputies for rules to protect the Occupy Minnesota protestors from themselves and the general public from the occupiers.
1. The MCLU lawsuit claims that the taxpayers are not providing electricity for the occupiers on the plaza. [They also are not paying for your home gas bills. Is this a new form of entitlement?]
2. The MCLU lawsuit claims that the Commissioners said that the occupiers could not use chalk to mark up the Plaza. [Does the First Amendment protect vandalism of public property? Is there a right to paint mustaches on Mount Rushmore?]
3. The MCLU lawsuit claims that the rules deny the occupiers the right to tents. [In addition to guaranteed rights to electricity and shelter, is there anything else the taxpayers can get you? If you need furniture, may we recommend the ironically appropriate Lay-Z-Boy?]
4. The MCLU lawsuit claims that the rules restrict the ability to “stay warm during the winter months.” [Do the Miranda rights include "You have the right to remain toasty?"]
5. The MCLU lawsuit claims that the rules are either too specific (expressly created in response to Occupy MPLS) or too vague (“unconstitutionally overbroad”). [I guess an ACLU lawyer could argue that a hat is simultaneously too big and too small.]
by Andy Post | 2 Comments »
SHERIFF STANEK CLEANS THE STREETS WHILE OCCUPIERS EMBARASS THEMSELVES
November 21, 2011 8:48 PM
Snow has taken the heat out of the “Occupy Minnesota” protest site on the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. This morning, there were three inches of snow on the ground and only three protesters.
One reason that Occupy Minneapolis has been different from other sites is the foresight, preparation, self-discipline, and commitment to values demonstrated by Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek and his deputies.
First, he made a commitment to help those protesters who could not protect themselves. Sheriff Stanek’s deputies have helped: a protester who drank himself into unconsciousness; a protester who went into diabetic shock; a protester who injured herself when she fell from her wheelchair; a protester who would not explain how he got a serious head injury; a protester who collapsed from exhaustion; a suicidal protester who was taken to a crisis center; and a protester who was hearing voices.
Second, he made a commitment to protect the protesters from intruders and from predators within the camp itself. Sheriff Stanek’s deputies have made few arrests, but these have included arrests of two protesters who stole the property of other occupiers, two protesters who were fighting on the Plaza, and a protester who was using spray paint on government property. They also arrested two people who were wanted on previous warrants and three people who violated prior “no trespass” orders on the Plaza.
A few other crimes have been committed on the Plaza without arrests. Someone set fire to a port-a-potty on October 21. Two people ran from the Plaza after indecent exposure on the same day. Someone damaged surveillance cameras at the neighboring light rail station on November 16.
Read the full post »
by Andy Post | 10 Comments »
GRASSROOTS? MOVEON.ORG TAKES THE REINS OF ORGANIZING OCCUPY NATIONWIDE
November 16, 2011 8:09 AM
MoveOn.org and its regional and local organizing units across the U.S. have taken on the role of organizing Occupy protests and sit-ins, leading many to question the “grassroots” nature of the protests. With the eviction of New York City’s protesters in the last 36 hours as one example, the groups (including Minnesota) face barriers and challenges over the next few weeks.
MoveOn.org was a centerpiece of the Obama election in 2008 and will continue to serve as his political base.
Here’s a communication sent via MoveOn.org, which is now serving as a central command center hub for the Occupy movement:
From: “Lenore Palladino, MoveOn.org Civic Action”
To: XXX
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 3:48:07 PM
Subject: URGENT: Can you host a 99% event in your city?
Occupy Wall Street protesters were evicted early this morning. Can you host an event on Thursday in your city to show the strength and resolve of the 99% movement?
Host an event!
Dear MoveOn member,
At 1:30 this morning, Occupy Wall Street was evicted. But the movement they started can’t be undone by a single mayor or police department.
Occupy Wall Street has already called for a massive day of action this Thursday, the two-month anniversary of their occupation. With the events of this morning, it’s even more critical that Thursday is a huge day of action.
There are more than 300 “We Are The 99%” events planned for Wall Street and in cities across the country.
But there’s still no event planned near you.
Can you organize a simple “We Are The 99%” event in your city this Thursday? By doing so, your community will have a place to gather and show the world that the 99% will not be silenced.
Yes, I can lead an event!
I can’t lead this event, but keep me up to date on the campaign.
The original #OWS call to action for the 17th included this fitting line: “You cannot evict an idea whose time has come. We are the 99%. We are everywhere.” You have the chance to make these words a powerful reality by organizing an event to show the 99% won’t stop the fight against rampant inequality in our country.
Can you organize a vigil or speak-out to make sure your community’s voice is heard on “We Are The 99%” day?
Yes, I can lead an event this Thursday!
Thanks for all you do.
–Lenore, Laura, Carrie, Anna, and the rest of the team
by Andy Post | 64 Comments »
BREAKING: DAYTON ORDERS ILLEGAL UNIONIZATION VOTE BY PRIVATE DAYCARE PROVIDERS, SENATORS WILL FILE INJUNCTION TO STOP IT
November 15, 2011 8:02 AM
The AP is reporting that Gov. Dayton this morning announced he would order a vote on home childcare providers to unionize:
Gov. Mark Dayton has ordered a vote among home-based child care providers about whether they should unionize.
His executive order issued Tuesday sets an election for December. It affects thousands of self-employed providers.
The state Bureau of Mediation Services will oversee the election. Dayton says if a union is authorized during the vote, membership would be voluntary.
Dayton’s decision furthers an already politically charged debate over union rights. The Democratic governor and majority Republican lawmakers have clashed for months about Dayton’s authority to call an election and whether a union should exist.
Here’s the release from Dayton’s office.
According to several sources in the Minnesota Senate, Senator Perry and others may file an injunction to stop the executive order on the grounds that the providers are private, independent contractors. KSTP reported on Perry’s intentions:
The Waseca Republican says he will consider legal action, if the Governor does sign the executive order paving the way for a statewide vote. Union officials say organized daycare workers would have more bargaining power to negotiate state subsidy payments and they would have the right to appeal any regulatory action taken against a home daycare provider.
by Andy Post | 9 Comments »
SOURCES SAY DAYTON VERY CLOSE TO ORDERING A VOTE ON CHILDCARE UNIONIZATION
November 11, 2011 7:43 PM
The Freedom Foundation is reporting that opponents to the proposed unionization of thousands of Minnesota’s home childcare providers met with Governor Dayton on Thursday and can confirm he is very close to issuing an executive order that would trigger a vote by providers statewide on the idea.
From FFM:
The long-awaited meeting between Dayton and providers who oppose unionization took place at the Capitol, and also included the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs as well as the director of the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association.
“We’re frustrated and saddened that the governor appears to have made his decision before we even got there. We were hoping to speak to him before that decision was made because we truly believe this decision should not be made without speaking to some of the many providers that are opposed to this,” said Jennifer Parrish, a Rochester provider who’s led the opposition to unionization.
Katie Tinucci, Dayton’s Press Secretary, confirmed that a meeting took place Thursday night between Dayton and the providers, but said she “cannot confirm anything that was said–I did not attend. My understanding was that the meeting took place at the request of the providers, and the governor was there to listen to their concerns.”
by Andy Post | 23 Comments »
DULUTH MAYOR VIOLATES MN LAW AND INVADES HOMES WITH PARTISAN ROBO-CALLS
November 9, 2011 7:25 AM
Multiple sources now confirm Duluth Mayor Don Ness violated Minnesota statute §§ 325E.26-.31 yesterday by producing an automatic dialing phone recording that was sent, without authorization, to homes throughout Duluth yesterday. The recording asks voters to support a certain city council candidate and to also vote “yes” on the parks referendum.
A rough audio recording of the call can be heard by clicking on the link below.
Duluth Mayor Ness Automatic Dialing
The law provides as follows:
A caller shall not use or connect to a telephone line an automatic dialing-announcing device unless: (1) the subscriber has knowledge or voluntarily requested, consented to, permitted, or authorized receipt of the message; or (2) the message is immediately preceded by a live operator who obtains the subscriber’s consent before the message is delivered.
Minn. Stat. § 325E.27. “An automatic dialing announcing device,” or “ADAD,” is defined as “a device that selects and dials telephone numbers and that, working alone or in conjunction with other equipment, disseminates a prerecorded or synthesized voice message to the telephone number called.” Minn. Stat. § 325E.26, subd. 2. “Caller” includes “ a person, corporation, firm, partnership, association, or legal or commercial entity who attempts to contact, or who contacts, a subscriber in this state by using a telephone or telephone line.” Id. at subd. 3. “Subscriber” is defined as “a person who has subscribed to telephone service from a telephone company or the other persons living or residing with the subscribing person.” Id. at subd. 5.
by Andy Post | 27 Comments »
WHAT DID DAYTON KNOW? MONDALE REVEALS DOME LEASE DETAILS WERE CLEAR A MONTH AGO
November 5, 2011 3:01 AM
Within the last 12 hours, several disagreements between the Metropolitan Sports Commission and the Minnesota Vikings have emerged regarding the amount of time remaining on the lease between the team and the Metrodome. MPR first reported that:
Commission Chairman Ted Mondale claimed Friday that last year’s dome collapse, which forced the Vikings to play some games elsewhere, also triggered a clause that extended the lease by one year. Mondale said he learned from his lawyers “a month or two ago” that the collapse triggered the clause in the lease.
But if Mondale was appointed by Governor Dayton, and has supposedly stayed close to Dayton during the intense negotiations of the last month, how are Minnesotans to believe Dayton had no idea of the lease extension and trust he wasn’t artificially forcing a fast turnaround on a stadium deal for his own political gain? If it becomes clear that Dayton knowingly joined the Vikings and lied to lawmakers about the urgency of the deal, should he face discipline? The new information about what Commission Chairman Mondale knew long ago further proves Dayton has been giving a false sense of urgency to Minnesotans in order to force a faster deal through the legislature, which may violate ethics rules.
by Andy Post | 65 Comments »
OCCUPY MN FEATURES MORE DFL ENDORSEMENT: GLITTER-BOMBER AND HATCHET MAN ESPINOSA SPEAKS TO CROWDS
November 2, 2011 6:40 AM
Dedicated readers of MDE found the below video on YouTube featuring the Occupy movement and a focus on Minnesota’s operation. Around time stamp :17, readers noticed DFL operative and go-to freelancer Nick Espinosa at the bullhorn. Espinosa is best known for his childish (and arguably illegal) “glitter-bombing” of candidates up and down the Republican ranks.
This comes on the heels of other endorsements of the Occupy MN movement by various tentacles of the DFL party. Just last week, DFL organizers sent an email asking local residents to “occupy” a listening session hosted by Republican legislators on job creation in Woodbury.
Espinosa Penny-Bombing Tom Emmer in 2010
by Andy Post | 43 Comments »
KLOBUCHAR SIGNS ON AS LEADER OF STIMULUS #2
October 31, 2011 7:46 AM
Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s office confirmed in the last few days to Minnesota media that she will take over the charge to pass Obama’s latest jobs plan in the Senate. The plan would spend $50 billion on infrastructure projects in hopes of creating temporary construction jobs that may do little to bolster the economy. The plan would be paid for by raising taxes on millionaires (aka job creators) and also includes $4 billion for high-speed rail projects.
Here’s the story from the Star Tribune.
by Andy Post | 35 Comments »
BARNES TURNS TO QUESTIONABLE SITES TO PUT UP CAMPAIGN ADS
October 28, 2011 4:03 PM
Dedicated readers of Minnesota Democrats Exposed point out that DFL CD3 candidate Brian Barnes has put up online ads directing visitors to various sites to his campaign homepage. Barnes is hoping he can gather support from visitors to SluttyHalloween.net, where he’s put ads up.
by Andy Post | 11 Comments »
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: POGEMILLER TO RESIGN FOR CABINET SPOT
October 28, 2011 2:33 AM
Sources close to MDE confirm at this late hour that Sen. Larry Pogemiller has been appointed Commissioner of Higher Education and will make the announcement sometime Friday. Pogemiller has been publicly disgruntled by the GOP majority in the MN Senate, something that hasn’t been seen since the 1980′s. You may remember longtime Senator Berglin left office for greener pastures after also realizing she couldn’t survive in the minority party.
by Andy Post | 46 Comments »
LEGACY ARTS AND CRAFTS SLUSH SPENDING LACKS TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
October 26, 2011 6:38 AM
Much of the funding from the 2008 Legacy Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution goes to legitimate projects with good purpose and intention. There are, however, millions of dollars unaccounted for by state government, many of which are going to questionable (and downright maddening) causes.
The Legacy Amendment increased the state sales tax by three-eighths of one percent beginning on July 1, 2009 and continuing until 2034. The additional sales tax revenue is distributed into four funds as follows: 33 percent to the clean water fund; 33 percent to the outdoor heritage fund; 19.75 percent to the arts and cultural heritage fund; and 14.25 percent to the parks and trails fund.
Amidst an avalanche of messages from Republican capitol staffers and concerned activists, MPR wrote a great series on the research they’ve done into the lack of transparency into how the funds are distributed and how they’re being spent. Here’s part of the report:
St. Paul, Minn. — Nearly three years after Minnesotans authorized a new sales tax to send additional money to conservation, arts and parks, there is no public comprehensive list of the funded projects and their outcomes.
Moreover, a quarter of the $456 million allocated in the first two years of the Legacy Amendment is missing from the state website required to be the resource for displaying where and how the tax money is spent, according to an MPR News analysis. And while the website lists broad programs that received money, details are often lacking about which groups or projects received grants and whether the work was finished.
For example, none of the nearly $9 million in clean water funds the Minnesota Department of Agriculture received in the first two years appears on the website. And a website visitor can’t find out which groups received part of an $8.4 million Department of Natural Resources conservation grant.
In another report on what is missing from the reports, MPR even points out that records for public radio spending are incomplete (below). Watchdog Andy Cilek has covered this as well for a few years.
WHAT’S MISSING?
• The amount of money that went toward each program carried out in each of 12 regional library systems.
• The vast majority — $35 million worth — of grants to artists and art organizations distributed by the State Arts Board and 11 regional arts councils.
• A breakdown of costs for Legacy-funded programs carried out by public TV and radio stations.
• A list of grant recipients receiving money through the Outdoor Heritage Fund’s Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program, administered by the Minnesota DNR (recipients are listed on a DNR website, but a link to the site can only be found under “opportunities for funding” on the state’s main Legacy website.)
• A breakdown of costs for all Legacy-funded partnerships between the Minnesota Humanities Center and Councils of Color.
• A full list of the hundreds of clean water grant and loan recipients that received money from the Minnesota Department of Health, Public Utilities Authority, Minnesota Department of Agriculture and state Board of Water and Soil Resources.
• A breakdown of specific projects receiving funding through the DNR’s parks and trails Legacy funds.
• Up-to-date information on projects and programs from 2010-2011 that have been completed in all four areas of Legacy funding, as well as their outcomes. This information is available for only a small percentage of the listed projects.
by Andy Post | 30 Comments »
SHOCKING: FUGITIVES, THUGS & CRIMINALS PART OF OCCUPY PROTESTS AROUND USA, ARE THEY ALSO HERE?
October 20, 2011 7:30 AM
The “free speech” of the protestors at the Hennepin County Government Center is neither “free” nor “cheap,” as police costs for monitoring their activities rise with each passing day.
But it turns out that those costs for Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek and his deputies may be a prudent expenditure for the taxpayers.
If things go wrong with the protest, there could be lawsuits by the protestors, innocent bystanders, nearby businesses, and others if a crime was not prevented that some Minneapolis jury could decide was “foreseeable.”
It turns out that the “Occupy Wall Street” protest sites around the country are a magnet for criminals and crime:
- Police are investigating the reported rape at the Occupy Cleveland tent city of a 19-year-old woman with learning disabilities who was told to sleep in a tent with a stranger named “Leland” who assaulted her in the middle of the night on October 15.
- Police arrested a man who exposed himself to several women at the Occupy Seattle tent city and then masturbated in front of children on October 18.
- Raymond Allen Curtis, a convicted sex offender from California, registered his address as the site of the Occupy Portland tent city on October 14.
- The sex offender may have been drawn to the Occupy Portland tent city by reports that police were investigating the sexual assault of a woman at the protest site on October 7.
- Sleeping at the New York City tent city can be dangerous. While volunteers slept in the makeshift kitchen, someone stole $2,500 of funds donated to feed the protesters on October 17. Cash, cameras, a laptop, and other goods were stolen from other tents.
- Fugitives from the law are finding it easier to hide from police in the tent cities. The New York Post reported on Dave from Connecticut who is running from burglary charges. He said that the protest site is “a good place to be fed, get wasted, and crash” in plain site on October 10.
- After the fugitives and other criminals arrive at the protest sites, they can commit other crimes. The Connecticut fugitive at the NYC protest was arrested a day later after sexually assaulting a young woman. The woman declined to press charges, but police held him on an open-container charge while checking for warrants.
- Sexual harassment, fighting, rats, and abuse of drugs and alcohol have prompted city leaders to consider closing the Occupy Oakland tent city in California. When a person was badly hurt falling from a tree there, protesters blocked public safety workers from reaching the victim.
So, while things have been peaceful at the Minneapolis protest site for the first two weeks, some of the protesters may still be looking for a pay day from a Minneapolis jury if they can be arrested. When the Minneapolis protesters marched on a bank last week and sat in a street to block traffic, police merely directed traffic around them. “I feel so bad … why don’t they want to arrest us?” Sunday Alabi, 61 told the Star Tribune on October 15.
It may cost taxpayers a pretty penny to have deputies watching the squatters on our public square, but until the Hennepin County Board decides that a curfew on the plaza is in order, the deputies may be saving us more than a pretty penny from obnoxious lawsuits by the fellow travelers.
by Andy Post | 33 Comments »
OCCUPY MN BABYSITTING COSTS FOR CITY/COUNTY APPROACHING A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS
October 18, 2011 6:20 PM
The Minneapolis Police Department and Hennepin County are both reporting the total costs they’ve had to incur thus far to supervise the OccupyMN protests downtown. KARE 11 had this story:
MINNEAPOLIS – The cost of Occupy Minnesota protests is starting to add up for Minneapolis police. Tuesday afternoon, Sgt. William Palmer says the total cost to the Minneapolis Police Department is closing in $100,000.
…
Additionally, Minneapolis police say approximately 1,245 hours have been spent in the planning and support of the protest prior to the overtime. The cost for this time is approximately $56,000, according to numbers released by Minneapolis Police Department.
…
These costs are only for the Minneapolis Police Department.
Hennepin County officials said Tuesday their costs for supervision and management is $152,295.
by Andy Post | 50 Comments »
FANNING’S EMBARRASSING TV DEBUT
October 16, 2011 2:10 PM
Via Gary Gross, the Minneapolis Conservative Examiner had a great piece today covering CD8 DFL candidate Daniel Fanning’s TV appearance with WCCO’s Esme Murphy. We’ve covered Fanning’s campaign extensively and the Northern Lights Express train to nowhere that he fully supports. Here’s the piece:
This morning, Daniel Fannning, one of 4 DFL candidates vying for the endorsement to run against Chip Cravaack, appeared on Esme Murphy’s program. During the interview, he some things that indicate he’s going to run a base race, meaning that he’s only focusing on his political base.
One of the things Fanning said was that he supports the Occupy Minnesota:
This is what we’re seeing with the Occupy Minnesota, given the fact that people are obeying the law and being nonviolent. This is a movement that I very much support and am very proud of the people who are taking to the streets and saying “I’m tired of politics as usual” and that’s exactly why I’m runnning for congress.
For example, there’s the Northern Lights Express, which would be great for Duluth. It would be great for the Twin Cities. It would be great for the region. It would be great for the Mille Lacs band. It’s something that would not only immediately create lots of construction jobs but it would also set the region up for long-term success as well. So it’s a win-win. Unfortunately, we have a congressman who doesn’t seem interested in investing in our own district.That’s one of many projects. There’s also crumbling infrastructure throughout the district, from Chisholm and Buhl, from Quamba and Mora. All throughout the district, we see crumbling roads, bridges and sewer systems that need to be rebuilt.
Continue reading on Examiner.com
by Andy Post | 90 Comments »
CD3 DFL CANDIDATE ALREADY OUTSOURCING CAMPAIGN OPERATIONS
October 16, 2011 1:24 PM
DFL Congressional candidate Brian Barnes has only been running in the 3rd district for a few days, but his campaign team has already outsourced his campaign website to a foreign top-level domain name.
Barnes’ website (Barnes.MN) is hosted on the top-level domain for the country of Mongolia (.MN).
Barnes has also been very vocal via Twitter over the summer as he established his campaign, tweeting that he had set up an “exploratory committee” and also that he blames Rep. Erik Paulsen for the Minnesota government shutdown:
by Andy Post | 3 Comments »
MANKATO ‘GREEN’ RECYCLING CO. GOES BROKE AFTER TAKING MILLIONS IN MN AND FEDERAL STIMULUS
October 10, 2011 6:31 PM
Mankato’s KEYC FOX affiliate aired a very interesting story about a local recycling company that has received millions in federal subsidies and government-backed loans, only to go bankrupt within months. Call it a Minnesota version of Solyndra.
Here’s part of the story:
In the spring of 2010, Genesis Poly went belly up. And with it went Mankato’s money. Along with a $100,000 loan from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and another $7.44 million through a loan with U.S. Bank… 70% of which was backed by the Department of Agriculture.
Genesis Poly was in talks with the Minnesota USDA well before they went to U.S. Bank, and small government advocates are saying the USDA’s involvement could have played a role in U.S. Bank’s willingness to throw money at Genesis Poly.
David Strom, a policy fellow at the Minnesota Free Market Institute says, “There’s an implicit sense of Too Big To Fail. If the government is in, they’re going to keep throwing money at it. It looks like a less risky way to spend your money. You don’t even have to look at the books, ’cause it doesn’t matter. Government is going to back you up.”
But perhaps the most disappointing aspect of this whole story: this isn’t the first time Genesis Poly has gone bankrupt.
by Andy Post | 60 Comments »