DL News Staff
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The proposed Voter ID Amendment in front of Minnesota voters in two weeks is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Set aside for a moment the tremendous cost to Minnesota taxpayers in man-hours and in taxpayer dollars. This proposed amendment blatantly disenfranchises potential voters. Ask yourself, "Why do we need this amendment?" The purported unfounded reason is to seemingly get rid of voter fraud. My own Republican personal state representative-in-waiting claims that there have been thousands of fraudulent votes cast recently in Minnesota. Where is the proof?
In the Minnesota Senate race, Phil Hansen's side (the Republican Party) has been making false accusations against Kent Eken. Mass mailings are being sent out against Kent Eken saying he voted to raise the "granny tax" (a fee on nursing home residents) by 17 percent. This accusation is a bold faced lie. Eken has never voted for an increase in the "granny tax." In fact, the opposite is true.
When his great-great-grandfather settled here, he changed his name to Eken, which is Norwegian for oak tree. It symbolized his hope that the Eken family would stay and grow here for generations to come. His hope has taken root, because Kent and Lori are raising their four children on the fourth-generation Eken family farm, where Kent grew up and learned the value of hard work. Kent was elected by the people of western Minnesota to serve them in the Minnesota House since 2002 because of his passion for our communities and his strong work ethic. Eken has the knowledge and experience nece
In the debate of the definition of marriage, there are few things that make me grit my teeth more than hearing the phrase "traditional marriage." Marriage has always changed. In the debate of marriage there are three histories we must consider; those being the social, religious, and political histories. Marriage has always been a social institution. It has been used for peace, strength, to carry along bloodlines, to increase property size and wealth, and to bolster political and social power.
Congress is in gridlock -- nothing significant can be accomplished nor even discussed. What is the roadblock? There may be many but the major cause is the outspoken hatred for President Obama. Is it because of his success in stopping the free fall of the economy, restoring the financial sector, his passion for providing health care for millions, his stopping the war in Iraq and setting a schedule for getting out of Afghanistan? What about extending unemployment insurance and reducing taxes for the victims of the previous administrations economic policies?
Recently both candidates for the MN dist 4 wrote letters to editors regarding an issue in this campaign. Phil Hansen the Republican candidate wrote a letter to the Forum denouncing the mailings being sent out which attacked his opponent Kent Eken of Twin Valley. Hansen repudiated the group(s) that had sent out the mailers and expressed his disdain for such tactics.
Why would the CEO of a large corporation take a stand, any stand, on the question of how marriage should be defined? Back in the 2005 time frame, my employer, a large software company, instituted a corporate program which had a core cultural component of recognizing, acknowledging, and celebrating diversity, including sexual orientation. Such a policy meant the company would be eligible to bid on contracts (largely government) where recognizing diversity was a major factor. A high-level management diversity office was created to make sure there was 100 percent compliance.
In 1998, a multi-agency Mediation Agreement was signed to set goals for flood damage reduction and for natural resources enhancements in the Red River Valley. Last month, a group of us from various federal and Minnesota state agencies toured the area to learn about the work underway through the agreement, and to chart the course for the future. We visited the Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers Watershed District's Agassiz Valley Project, which is one of many projects needed to achieve long-term flood solutions for northwestern Minnesota and northeastern North Dakota.
I didn't always vote as a Democrat. I am a retired Navy combat veteran. My extended family is large. Its members work regularly and hard. Many are veterans. Some own businesses or are self-employed. Some are wealthy. Most are not. We all pay taxes. We don't all understand our need to protect what we have. Without Social Security, Medicare, the VA and Medicaid there would be no health care available to most of the elderly and working poor. Without Obamacare, insurance companies will commonly deny health coverage.
When the Voter ID amendment was first introduced earlier this year, most people thought this issue was a no brainer. A recent poll suggests otherwise. A recent Star Tribune Minnesota Poll reports that 52 percent of Minnesotans support Voter ID, down from 80 percent who supported the amendment several months ago. Why the huge drop in support? I think it's because Minnesotans are beginning to learn more about the weighty implications of this amendment.