Thissen Beaten Down, Caving In

A faithful reader points out that Rep. Paul Thissen (63A) has repeatedly stated he would not support the new Twins stadium in the past, but now it appears he is caving in under the pressure. An article on the MPR website has him commenting about how much the stadium issue weighs on all other issues at the capital. It also states that he will fight to make sure the Hennepin County sales tax increase goes before the voters, but he stopped short by stating that he will support a Twins Stadium bill even if it allows the county to bypass the referendum that is required by current law.

"This issue sucks all of the oxygen away from all of the other legislative proposals that come before it," says Rep. Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis. "It just takes up so much time. I think that's a factor. ... we've had this issue in front of the state for a decade now." Thissen says he'll support efforts to include a referendum on the sales tax, but will vote for the stadium even if those attempts fail.

I urge all of my readers to contact Paul and tell him to vote against this bill.

Paul Thissen (DFL) 63A 301 State Office Building 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155(651) 296-5375 E-mail: rep.paul.thissen@house.mn

Blogger Burnout?

Am I suffering from blogging burnout? Hardly, I'm suffering from consecutive above average temperatures in the month of April. I really want to blog about a lot of topics, but I have little kids and after months of being hunkered down inside we are busy flying a first kite, cleaning the yard and so on. Sun, 75 degrees and no bugs! The only thing missing right now is a little more GREEN on the trees, but that is slowly coming along. Keep coming back... I have a lot of posts I want to put up if it would ever start raining and get back to normal outside.

Able Danger CD-3

Curt Weldon (R-PA), author of the book about Able Danger which is called Countdown to Terror, will help the CD-3 Republicans celebrate Jim Ramstad's birthday on May 6th. Below are some of the basics information, you can go to the CD-3 website for more details.

CD-3 Fundraiser & Birthday Celebration Saturday - May 6 7:00 a.m. Medina Ballroom $35 per person

Seating is very limited, so hurry and get your tickets now before they are sold out. Reserve your place TODAY! Contact Margaret Cavanaugh at 952-884-0919 or email her for more information.

BPOU Convention Saturday

SD63 DFL Here is the report from the SD63 DFL Convention, I and the DFL chair himself expected the endorsement process to be a bit more involved, but according to him it was fairly straight forward.

-----Original Message----- From: David Weinlick, SD63 DFL Chair Sent: Saturday, April 08, 2006 11:08 PM To: Jerome Plagge, Jr. Subject: Re: convention Jerry-- It was actually pretty straightforward--moreso than I might have expected. After one ballot, the other three Senate candidates stepped aside to endorse Dan Larson. After one ballot on the 63B side, the other two candidates stepped aside to endorse Linda Slocum. --David

SD63 Republicans The endorsement process was very simple for us because each race had only one candidate, so once the group decided we should endorse a candidate for each race it was very straigh forward and Ed (Senate), Vern (63B) and David (63A) all received a nomination. I think the real excitement of the day for the delegates was the opportunity to hear from several candidates and current office holders. For the US Congress (the Bloomington portion of SD63 is in CD-3), we heard from three of the four men seeking the CD-5 endorsement and Congressmen Jim Ramstad. As you can imagine the Rammer received probably the loudest welcome and applause of them all, he is very well liked. Colin Chapman chose not to attend and I heard that I should not be surprise if to see him withdraw from the race. We also heard from all three candidates (Shudlick, Uldrich and Kennedy) seeking the endorsement for the US Senate, although Kennedy sent his brother Steven (spelling?) as a surrogate. The fact that Mark attended and spoke at our Chili Dinner fundraiser eight weeks ago made it less disappointing to only have a surrogate. His brother did mention that Mark had eight other stops he was making himself. We also heard from Jeff Johnson (Attorney General) and Rich Stanek (Hennepin County Sheriff). I do not have the time to elaborate now, but I have three pages of notes to review for a more detailed post later.

Big Day in SD63

The DFL and Republicans of SD63 are both holding their conventions today. With a larger list of names seeking endorsement the DFL convention will probably prove to be the most exciting of the two, but I am eager to meet the CD-5 candidates who intend to come to my sides convention. I asked the DFL chair, Dave Weinlick, if he would be so kind as to email me an update of the happenings of his convention, he agreed and also invited me to attend. The invitation was appreciated, but I will not be able to take him up on it because the events overlap. I will post a reports as soon as possible, but it is a busy weekend with a wedding and hockey games also on the agenda for the Plagge's this weekend.

Wilcox Campaign Kickoff

I spoke with Vern Wilcox via email this week and he is eager to kickoff his campaign if he gains the Republican endorsement this Saturday, 4/8. To that end, he has already reserved space and planned a kickoff for his campaign.

Here are the details if you are interested, but remember this meeting is only tentative and dependent on this endorsement. You can come back here or go here after Saturday to see if he did indeed win the endorsement.

Tentative Wilcox Campaign Kickoff

Wednesday, April 12

Penn Lake Library
8800 Penn Ave South
Bloomington, MN
6:30 P.M

Wilcox Campaign Kickoff

I spoke with Vern Wilcox via email this week and he is eager to kickoff his campaign if he gains the Republican endorsement this Saturday, 4/8. To that end, he has already reserved space and planned a kickoff for his campaign. Here are the details if you are interested, but remember this meeting is only tentative and dependent on this endorsement. You can come back here or go here after Saturday to see if he did indeed win the endorsement.

Tentative Wilcox Campaign Kickoff

Wednesday, April 12

Penn Lake Library 8800 Penn Ave South Bloomington, MN 6:30 P.M

Polinaut Asks, I Answer

Polinaut had a survey or list of questions for local political bloggers. I qualified in that category and made his list.

-1- Are you paid in any way by a campaign or candidate? -2- Do you consult with campaign officials or party officials as to how the content on your site can be most beneficial to a particular candidate or party? -3- Are you as an individual paid by a campaign or affiliated with an organization or company that has as a client, a particular campaign or political party?

1. No (Just member of SD63 Executive Committee.) 2. No (But I have emailed parts of a post to a campaign for fact checking purposes - when you do local stuff you often have to dig for the news because there are few articles to link and fact check.) 3. No

Wilcox Makes NOISE!

In March, Vern Wilcox attended the Annual Congressional City Conference sponsored by the National League of Cities. At this conference, Vern was able to secure an award for one of his allies in the fight against airport noise. Jim Ramstad received Congressman of the Year for 2006 in appreciation of his support with the FAA on our request for noise insulation protection in for the communities surrounding the airport. This award comes from the National Organization to Insure a Sound-controlled Environment (NOISE). At the same time, Vern himself was rewarded for his tireless effort and work with Noise Oversight Committee which he chairs. Vern is now a Regional Director for the North Heartland Region of NOISE. Look for a local ceremony to be held to present the award to Ramstad and honor Wilcox in his new appointment. Boy, with his work ethic, ability to work with all sides and his experience you would think more people besides the east side of Bloomington could benefit from his public service. Wait a minute...

Wilcox Makes NOISE!

63B In March, Vern Wilcox attended the Annual Congressional City Conference sponsored by the National League of Cities. At this conference, Vern was able to secure an award for one of his allies in the fight against airport noise. Jim Ramstad received Congressman of the Year for 2006 in appreciation of his support with the FAA on our request for noise insulation protection in for the communities surrounding the airport. This award comes from the National Organization to Insure a Sound-controlled Environment (NOISE). At the same time, Vern himself was rewarded for his tireless effort and work with Noise Oversight Committee which he chairs. Vern is now a Regional Director for the North Heartland Region of NOISE. Look for a local ceremony to be held to present the award to Ramstad and honor Wilcox in his new appointment. Boy, with his work ethic, ability to work with all sides and his experience you would think more people besides the east side of Bloomington could benefit from his public service. Wait a minute...

CD-5 Candidates at SD63 Convention

Earlier today I received confirmation that the CD-5 candidates will be attending and speaking at the SD63 Convention on Saturday, 4/8. I will post review after the convention and hopefully I will also post my comments after watching them on Almanac last Friday. I look forward to meeting these men:

• Alan Fine
• James Turnham
• Colin Chapman
• Tim Anderson

Rey Upsets Benson

Over in SD62, Torres Rey upset the favorite Ward 11 City Council member Scott Benson on the fourth ballot. With the endorsement secured in the blue district like SD62, Rey becomes the immeadite favorite for November. If she does win, she will be a first just like Mee Moua (SD63), the first Hmong woman elected to the Minnesota Senate, to become the first Latina elected to the Senate.

Torres Ray Sweeps to State Senate Endorsement in District 62 Shocker In a surprisingly conclusive vote Saturday, Senate District 62 DFLers endorsed political newcomer Patricia Torres Ray to succeed retiring state Sen. Wes Skoglund. Torres Ray, a longtime policy analyst at the state Department of Human Services who entered the race only two months ago, led in the delegate count from the beginning and was endorsed unanimously after the fourth ballot when runner-up Matt Gladue withdrew. “Si se puede,” a tearful Torres Ray told convention delegates, explaining her faith in hard work and perseverance as a way to rise from her immigrant origins. “I knew this 19 years ago. I knew I was in the right place.” Source: Minneapolis Observer 4/1/06

C&B CD-5 Update for Today

Checks & Balances agrees (reg. req)that Nelson-Pallmeyer and the pro-peace group is going to be a factor in the race somehow.

The Ever-changing Picture in the 5th Congressional District

The races for U.S. Senate and Governor nearly completely obscure the race in the 5th Congressional District to replace Congressman Martin Sabo (D-MN5). The field of candidates on the DFL side, which is the only side worth talking about, continues to slog ahead. Over the weekend four senate district conventions chose delegates for both the congressional and state conventions. The leader in named sub caucuses so far is peace activist/Professor Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer (D) resulting in a total of 15 delegates, former DFL Party Chair Mike Erlandson with 5, Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL-58B, Minneapolis) has 4, Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman (D) has had 3, City Council member Gary Schiff (D) scored 2 and Jorge Saavedra remains with 1. To be clear we are not saying this is the strength of each of these campaigns only the number of named sub caucuses and the resulting delegates. As we have said before supporters for many of the campaigns are located in sub caucuses for U.S. Senate and Governor. Although the existence of named sub caucuses for some of these candidates does tend to reinforce our analysis of this race. We still feel the front runners are Dorfman, Ellison and Erlandson we now must include Nelson-Pallmeyer in our considerations. Nelson-Pallmeyer is leading in visible support, but because he will not abide by the endorsement we expect he will start to lag once the process commences in earnest. The peace contingent will need to make a choice in supporting their person or supporting the endorsement process. They may seek to swing their support to the candidate they feel will be best against Nelson-Pallmeyer in a primary. Source: Checks & Balances 4/4/06

ACORN for Ellison

In still more Ellison news, ACORN PAC has endorse him.

In what could be the only major organizational endorsement before the May convention in the 5th Congressional District race, the Minnesota ACORN PAC today endorsed state Rep. Keith Ellison to succeed U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo. “Keith Ellison is right on the policy issues, but he also understands grassroots organizing and what it’s going to take to shift our country’s course to a more hopeful and progressive direction based around strong communities,” ACORN PAC chair Sunday Alabi said in a statement. “As a candidate he will inspire people who don’t usually participate to go out and vote this fall.” Source: Minneapolis Observer 4/4/06

MDE Has More on CD-5 and Nelson-Pallmeyer

MDE has more tidbits on the Nelson-Pallmeyer campaign and its connection to the Ellison campaign.

Jack's Early Attack

Did Jack's pre-emptive strike at the CD-5 seat offer him the head start he needed or is his early start just going to afford him the position to have a very large influence on who wins the endorsement? It seems his early start has landed him 20% of the delegates already. This 20% could launch him to the endorsement, but more likely this endorsement represents the far-left, pro-peace part of the CD-5 DFL contingent. So somewhere in the third, fourth or fifth vote at the CD-5 convention Jack could push these 20% towards the candidate of his choice. Will I regret this post?

We may be underestimating the strength of 5th District Congressional hopeful Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. According to one local DFL insider, Nelson-Pallmeyer could be the “kingmaker” at the district convention in May. The longtime peace activist and author, who entered the race prior to Sabo’s retirement announcement, may have as much as 20 percent of the delegates already locked up. Where those delegates go after the first couple of ballots may hold the key to the endorsement. Source: Minneapolis Observer 4/3/06

*** Event Notice ***

The Republican Senate District 63 Convention will be this weekend.

SD63 Convention Saturday - April 8th - 9:00 a.m. Richfield Middle School (map)

Come to meet our local candidates who are seeking endorsement.

• Ed Field - Senate 63
• David Alvarado - House 63A
• Vern Wilcox - House 63B

Cost $10 or free with a $50 refundable contribution to SD63.

Be Heard - Penn Ave Study Open House

Richfield The city of Richfield is having a group of U of MN graduate students initiate a study on the future of Penn Avenue from 62nd to 68th Street. This has a few people nervous and you can hardly blame any of them.

A study of Penn Avenue is likely to have a different outcome from past proposals for the area, said Richfield Community Development Director Bruce Palmborg. The city looked at Penn Avenue in the 1980s and also about four years ago, Palmborg said. Past proposals have focused on redeveloping Penn Avenue while working directly with a developer. "I think basically why we didn't come up with anything is because there wasn't a market there for things that were desirable," he said.

The study underway differs, though, because planners will recommend a vision for the area rather than a redevelopment plan, Palmborg said. The Richfield Planning Commission and City Council would then likely consider changes to the city's Comprehensive Plan, which can be used to determine whether proposals for new structures should be suitable for the Penn area. The study is not developer-driven, he emphasized.

The nine years I have lived in Richfield has see quite a bit of change and it has also seen people being pushed out of their properties (Walser and now Magnuson Sod and AirCareGo) for various redevelopment projects. On a positive note, the article hints this will not happen on Penn.

Businesses owners along Penn Avenue shouldn't have to fear that they will be swept away by the tide of impending redevelopment, Palmborg said. "I would suspect that part of the conclusion of the study is that businesses that are there would be able to continue to operate," he said. "This isn't a plan to be followed by some implementation that has everyone uprooted."

If you have concerns about what they intend to do on Penn, I urge you to come to the open house schedule for April 6th. I missed the first one because we didn't get a letter about it until a few days before the event, but the article did say 65 people attended. I will be at the one this week. Event details: Date: Thursday, April 6th Time: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Where: Lincoln Hills School cafeteria (7440 Penn Avenue South)

Out Before I Knew He Was In

Former Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Andrew is out of the CD-5 race before I even knew he was in.

Former Hennepin County Commissioner Mark Andrew withdrew Thursday from the jam-packed race to succeed 28-year Rep. Martin Sabo in Congress as Republican Colin Chapman entered the race. "The suddenness of Martin's announcement threw everybody into a tizzy including me," Andrew said in explaining his reversal. Source: Star Tribune 3/30/06