Whether you prefer small government or big government, perhaps the better conversation is around what smarter government could do. Smart government requires collaboration and a long-term vision. It helps when you can start from a place of shared interest. An op-ed in the Star Tribune on March 9 talked about ending the current “hodgepodge approach to early education in … [Read more...]
Devil’s advocate… Veil of ignorance
Have you ever been asked the question, “If you were stranded on an island, what three items would you bring with you?” or something similar? I find these questions very fun to think about. You get to be inventive, funny, or really buckle down to think critically on it. Virtually everyone has been given the opportunity to split something in half to share with … [Read more...]
Catholics at the Capitol
By Eleanore Jones Spring Valley, MN Speakers Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebr., spoke on how we must build a culture of life and love. Our state needs us. He said three things were needed: 1. Success of democracy depends on leaders like you. They say that our faith should stay out of the public square. Our founding fathers believed that we are needed … [Read more...]
How to handle the Russia mess
The recent announcement by FBI Director James Comey that his agency is investigating links between members of President Trump’s campaign and Russia has upended Washington. Yet there needs to be an even stronger and broader investigation to get to the bottom of what happened. There are really two questions at hand. The first involves Russian meddling in our election and their … [Read more...]
In response to recent protests
By Greg Davids Preston, MN In response to recent protests that shut down Interstate 94 and the Minneapolis Airport, legislation has been sponsored that would increase penalties against those who break the law while attempting to exercise their 1st Amendment rights, and I strongly support it. In no way do I want to limit free speech or curb the ability of residents to … [Read more...]
Asking our State Representative to reply in newspaper
By Nancy Bratrud Preston, MN Our MN State House Representative has occasionally asked the local newspaper to print a questionnaire for his constituents to consider and then reply to him about their views on issues he raises. Now I will ask our Representative to reply in the newspaper to an issue many constituents raise regarding medical insurance. 1. Why did you author … [Read more...]
Letter about a call to duty…
Letter about a call to duty... To the Editor, My Fellow Vietnam Veterans, yesterday Republican Senator John McCain, one of my heroes, came out and said “Congress no longer has the credibility to independently tackle a probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and President Trump and his associates’ ties to Moscow.” Regardless of your political … [Read more...]
A View From the Woods ~ Insidious pesticide use harms pollinators
I don’t often mix the personal reflections of this column with my professional life. However, I recently worked on a project that revealed a huge environmental problem that is little known, even to the people who are involved in it. I behooves me to share what I have learned. Many are aware of declining monarch butterfly populations, because we so rarely see them … [Read more...]
In praise of pragmatism
As you watch the healthcare proceedings on Capitol Hill, imagine what things might be like if we lived in more functional political times. In particular, what if Congress were run by pragmatists? It would not change the issues at hand. On the one side, you’d have the Republican majority in Congress, which for the most part believes that the healthcare system should be left … [Read more...]
Divided we stand
Being divided is nothing new for this country. It has struggled since its inception 240 years ago. “The work of Democracy has always been hard. It has been contentious and at times bloody.” (Barack Obama) April 19, 1775, the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. The country was divided between those who were Patriots, … [Read more...]