After The Walls Fell
Westover, in yesterday's PiPress and his blog, correctly characterizes the stadium debate as government winning a long (over a decade) siege; like being the last man standing at the Somme:
History is written by the winners. The Twins stadium is being called a "victory," which it is for those who believe the vitality of a community lies in the goodies government can deliver rather than in the industry of its citizens. It's a defeat for those who create the wealth used to build the stadium.
Make no mistake, all of you "Republicans" who voted to support this atrocity; it will be held against you in a court of public opinion. You may be able to BS people who don't pay much attention to these things with your ofay rationalizations; being able to BS people make syo no better than a DFLer. Please act accordingly.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote about St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman's National Great River Park, turning St. Paul into "one of the most beautiful cities in the nation," and creating a "more urban, more natural, more connected environment." I wrote that the mayor might be using his mayoral power to impose a vision on the community. Before the column even appeared the mayor confirmed it.
"We're no longer just going to allow anyone to make an independent judgment about what should happen in the city of St. Paul," the Pioneer Press quotes him as saying. "There has to be a community vision developed, and then we will proceed based on that vision."
Given the Twins success, is there any doubt that his vision, eventually, will come to pass?
In a dank grave somewhere in Beijing, Mao is smiling.
Seriously, all you "Republicans" who voted for the stadium: as much as we hector the left on "unintended consequences", have you even thought about the consequences of your actions? You have given boundless encouragement to the tax and spend set that still dominates so much of our state.
All of you - people who'd recoil at the notion of promoting "Social Engineering" - have given carte blanche to the social engineers.
Is there any doubt it's going to happen? Or that light rail along the Central Corridor is a done deal? Or that a plethora of "vibrant mixed-use developments" will replace organic neighborhoods?
Resistance may be futile, but it is the only option for people of integrity. For them, the Twins stadium legislation is neither a victory nor a compromise; it is a defeat. Perhaps communities, like individuals, can consume only so much cake before they start to feel sick. We can only hope.
Resistance is not futile. It's just incredibly complicated.
We - people who actually care about limited government - need to continue the work that Tim Pawlenty started four years ago (and seemingly gave up on last year); not just tinkering with the window-dressing of government, but changing the way Minnesotans see the government/human relationship.
This could be the first day of the rest of a miserable life - or it could be the point where we bottom out and start heading back up.
I vote for up.
Which means, unfortunately, that some of you rationalizing "Republicans" need to be voted out.
Nominations for the wall of shame?
Posted by Mitch at
May 25, 2006 12:00 PM
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Just so everybody remembers...and the GOP State Convention is a-comin'...here's the HOT LIST of the Republican House members who gladly voted for this boondoggle because they KNEW their constitutants could get their goodie without paying for it:
Abeler (Anoka County)
Posted by: Dave at May 25, 2006 12:12 PMBlaine (Morrison County)
Bradley (Olmsted County)
Brod (Sibley/LeSueur Counties)
Charron (Washington County)
Cox (Scott/Goodhue Counties)
Cybart (Scott County)
Davids (Fillmore/Houston Counties)
Demmer (Dodge/Steele Counties)
Dempsey (Goodhue County)
Dorman (Freeborn County)
Finstad (Brown County)
Garofalo (Dakota County)
Gazelka (Crow Wing County)
Gunther (Martin County)
Hamilton (Cottonwood County)
Heidgerken (Stearns/Pope Counties)
Hoppe (Carver County)
Lanning (Clay County)
Magnus (Rock/Murray/Pipestone Counties)
McNamara (Washington County)
Meslow (Washington/Anoka Counties)
Peter Nelson (Chisago County)
Nornes (Ottertail County)
Ozment (Dakota County)
Penas (Roseau/Kittson)
Neil Peterson (HENNEPIN COUNTY)
Samuelson (Ramsey County)
Severson (Benton County)
Simpson (Wadena/Ottertail)
Sviggum (Wabasha/Rice)
Sykora (HENNEPIN COUNTY)
Tingelstad (Anoka County)
Urdahl (Meeker County)
Wardlow (Dakota County)
Westerberg (Anoka County)
Having personally seen the preserved corpse of Mao (he looks like a pumpkin, to be honest), I really don't think he's smiling.
Posted by: Ryan at May 25, 2006 12:28 PMMitch: Thoughts on the National Great River Park? I agreed with what Craig said on teh Stadium (and see ya in 30 odd years when the Twins are asking for a new one after their lease is up) but not on teh NGRP. Ever since coming to St. Paul, I was always confused as to why there wasn't more investment in this great asset.
Kinda funny that we finally have a Democrat with a vision, then Craig derides him for it...
Fulcrum
Posted by: Fulcrum at May 25, 2006 12:44 PMI went to the MAOsoleum too in Red Square a couple of years ago and saw him, Ryan. The story goes that there are 2 Maos—one real, and one wax dummy so vandals or radicals looking to deface the pumpkin head don't know if they will ever really suceed. It was funny to observe the big flower cart out front of the entry. A long line of people will form to buy a small fake flower boquet, carry it in, lay it next to the shrine. And once the place has filled up with flowers, they hold a brief time out, clear out all the flowers, put them back on the sale cart, and do it all over again with new paying customers. Money in the bank for the party, chairman.
Chief
Posted by: Chief at May 25, 2006 12:50 PMWell, Pawlenty is going to sign the bills. He's going to have take responsibility for that.
Posted by: Jeff at May 25, 2006 01:05 PMI nominate the new Bond villain - Pussy Pawlenty.
Posted by: Freddie Beamer at May 25, 2006 01:13 PMA few months back Speed Gibson announced that he wouldn't vote for Pawlenty and I thought, "Gee whiz, Speed, ya gotta hold your nose and vote for Timmy." Well, I've been forced over to Speed's position. It doesn't matter if the governor is Hatch or Pawlenty, light rail along the Central Corridor is a done deal. The only question now is will I vote for Boss Hatch (or whoever) to make doubly sure Pawlenty gets the political career ending loss he deserves.
Ok...rather than random speculation on Timmy's re-election chances, let's look at who Timmy is gonna jam in the throat tomorrow night when he grandstands at the Metrodome:
Timmy won election in 2002 by a margin of 178,205 votes. Here are the senate districts in western Hennepin county...a GOP stronghold:
SD32 Timmy won by 12,437 votes
SD33 Timmy won by 12,198 votes
SD41 Timmy won by 7,606 votes
SD42 Timmy won by 9,405 votes
SD43 Timmy won by 6,086 votes
Total margin gained in those districts: 47,732 (over 25% of Timmy's margin of victory)
Of all the Republican senators or house members, only TWO voted for the Twins bill (sans referendum).
Does this mean Republicans are not going to vote for Timmy? Looking at the alternatives, probably not. But the WORKER BEE Republicans, who watch this stuff and how Timmy is going to smile and laugh and pander like a seal for a fish at the Metrodome tomorrow...the WORKER BEES may just be too busy to help Timmy in November. There are PLENTY of other people running for legislative office. If Timmy thinks he can do this to his base of support...well...
Posted by: Dave at May 25, 2006 01:31 PMTerrible, terrible, terrible and yes the pro-stadium GOP voters need to be spanked and spanked HARD, girlfriend! Tough love people: I suggest Repub voters sit out the next two or three or four election cycles and, to make sure they really get the message, extend your righteous discontent to national offices as well.
Posted by: Tim at May 25, 2006 02:16 PMAngryclown doesn't give a rat's a55 about Minnesota politics, of course. (Though it was pretty funny when you guys had that wrestling dude in charge). But there's nothing that warms the Angryclown's ice-cold heart more than seeing you right-wing kooks purging Republicans for not being as nutty as you'd like them to be.
Posted by: angryclown at May 25, 2006 03:25 PMMitch, in order to agree with you wholly, I must support the proposition that the state should dictate to county governments how county taxes should be levied, and I must support government by referendum. I don't.
Posted by: Will Allen at May 25, 2006 04:23 PM"I suggest Repub voters sit out the next two or three or four election cycles"
So Tim, when did you join Moveon.org?
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