To me, it was a thunderclap. Years ago, when I was in Congress, we were in the midst of a tense, contentious debate. Members had gotten irritated, levying charges back and forth, and tempers were rising. It was starting to look like we might just go off the rails. Then one member stood up, asked for our attention, and said to us, “Let’s remember: trust is the coin of the … [Read more...]

Recently Gov. Tim Walz made headlines, proclaiming a commitment to fight the climate change monster that will destroy earth without drastic action to stop it. Is he correct? Does he believe “The Green New Deal” can save the planet? Nope. He knows the history of 60 years of falsely proclaimed climate calamities and that reliable studies prove his 100% green energy initiative … [Read more...]

This past couple weeks have been interesting as I’ve watched the morning news on TV. I’ve noticed a trend that has reinforced what I’ve come to realize over several years. There is a huge disconnect between the producers and anchors of shows like NY-based Good Morning America and TODAY Show, and small town America. As I watched these news shows leading up to the … [Read more...]

Do you love your job? Like, really love it? Are you one of the rare unicorns that actually enjoys doing what they do and how they do it every day? If, like the majority of people, you are not 100% over the moon about your current employment (or your lack of finding decent employment) there’s a simple question you should ask yourself: What would you do if you didn’t have to … [Read more...]

The Fillmore and Houston County Extension offices would like to invite all local cattle producers to a viewing party for this year’s Cattle Feeder Days.  The annual Cattle Feeder Days program has been held for more than 40 years and continues to be the leading information, technology and research outlet for cattle feeders in the state of Minnesota. The program features … [Read more...]

This coming week can be a game changer for some area businesses, but also for our communities. And, our local residents hold the key. You’ve probably heard that when locals spend money with a locally-owned business, they keep the majority of those dollars local and that money circulates throughout the community multiple times.  I’ve heard numbers such as 67 cents of every … [Read more...]

After helping with the 10th annual Empty Bowls event in Harmony, I was curious to know more about food shortages. That research led me to some shocking, and quite frankly, depressing statistics about food waste. Luckily, there are a number of solutions. “Americans Waste About A Pound of Food A Day, USDA Study Finds” -Forbes, 2018 This study published last year by the open … [Read more...]

We currently spend 3.7 trillion dollars per year on healthcare in the U.S. Our total GDP is 21.5 trillion dollars. For every $6 spent in this country, one is spent on healthcare. We spend about twice as much per person as other developed countries. The problem is, we get average outcomes. We pay twice as much for average care. This is not sustainable. This is a huge drag on our … [Read more...]

Representative democracy is based on a simple premise. It’s that ordinary citizens can make satisfactory judgments on complex public policy and political issues — or at least grasp them well enough to decide who should be dealing with them. But the significance of that premise isn’t simple at all. It means that our country’s future depends on the quality of democratic … [Read more...]

One of the not-so-small gifts of living in a representative democracy is that you can’t accomplish things alone. Whether you’re trying to get a stop sign put up on a dangerous corner or to change US policy on greenhouse gas emissions, you have to reach out to others. And learning how to persuade, motivate, and involve them — learning the skills of active citizenship, in other … [Read more...]

Many years ago I was walking along the canal in New Hope, Pa., on a warm summer’s evening with Glenn, who was my “buddy.”  I never took our relationship seriously so I was startled, to say the least, when he asked me to marry him.  I was even more surprised to hear myself say, “Yes,” without hesitating! I didn’t know until that moment that I was “in love” with him and wanted to … [Read more...]