By Jeff Erding
Wykoff, Minn.
One party has won every statewide election in Minnesota since 2006. This seems like a good time to determine the trajectory of our state by examining a timeline of some key economic and educational indicators.
State spending starting in 2010, three categories. 2010 total budget 43 bil. Welfare spending 9.5 Bil. K-12 education 9.9 Bil. 2018 total budget 45.5 Bil. Welfare 14.4 Bil. K-12 education 12.6 Bil. 2026 total budget 71.4 Bil Welfare 24 Bil. K-12 education 12.6 Bil.
Regarding K-12 education, a number of expensive and underfunded mandates were passed in 2023 including Free Meals, Menstrual products in locker/restrooms [including in the boys], Expanded unemployment insurance, New Ethnic studies, Mandatory student policy adjustments. and Expanded staff training rules.
How are students faring?
According to the National Education Policy Center, overall student achievement in Minnesota has dropped 16 places since 2010 from #5 to #21. That is a big concern.
Crime Rates: Violent crime rose 13.4% from 2014 to 2024. In Minneapolis the number of police officers has dropped from about 850 to 550. Some sources say many crimes are going unreported because there is insufficient staff to investigate. A decade ago downtown Minneapolis was vibrant; property values there have since cratered and dozens of buildings are boarded up, former occupants gone for good.
Let’s examine Business Climate and our rate of growth in five categories compared to other states using two time periods. #1 is from 2007 to 2019. Time period #2 is 2019 to 2026.
Time period 1, Gross Domestic Product #18. Period 2, #23. Period 1 Job Growth, #20. Period 2, #39. Labor Force Growth Period 1, #22. Period 2 #40. Per Capita Income Period 1, #25. Period 2, #33. Median Household Income Period 1, #21. Period 2, #46. The trend is down in every category. [Household income growth at # 46. Ouch.]
Individual tax rates on high income earners: sixth highest in America. Corporate tax rate is the nation’s highest at 9.8%.
We have a recent history of careless and wasteful spending. Here are five examples. Numbers are approximate in Millions.[1] 2017 design and implement a new License Bureau System 220 mil. [2] 2018 renovate Governors mansion [while renting another mansion for $400,000] 13 mil. [3] 2018 Renovate the Goose creek rest area on I35, 7.2 mil. [4] 2023 Renovate State Office Building 730 mil. [5] 2018 DHS improper allocation for drug treatment, 61 mil.
Scams and fraud have become a stupendous problem. [1] 2019 Day care /Medicare scheme, 100 mil. [2] 2020 Feeding our Future and other Medicare/ welfare fraud, how many BILLIONS over the last decade no one seems to know for sure. 5 billion? 9 Billion? We may never know. All investigators can agree on is the fraud is on such a massive scale there is no possibility of prosecuting all the perpetrators for lack of staff. Many of them will go free with millions of our tax dollars. I am not aware of any state employees or elected officials who allocated the fraudulent funds being held accountable.
In conclusion, an honest unbiased examination of the data shows a disturbing trend in the trajectory of our once great state. Citizens in Minnesota deserve better schools, safer streets, honest elections, and accountability for those government officials who squander our hard earned money on wasteful projects and industrial scale fraud.
Wishing you all the best Dear Readers, God Bless until next time, Jeff
BatMut says
The charge arrived in less than 48 hours, well-packaged and exactly what I ordered. No hidden fees, no spam calls afterward, no nonsense.
https://logpasta.com/paste/raw/70193536-3f67-481a-8dd2-6e08b6e3c9ca.txt
What categorically touched me was the shallow handwritten “Get well one day!” note viscera the package. Such a small indication, but it made me feel like they as a matter of fact caution far their customers, not just the money.
https://v15.next.forgejo.org/apoteknora
Now I’ve switched all my ancestors’s pleasant prescriptions to them. It’s affordable, faithful, and surprisingly human. Highly recommended!
https://kpaste.net/eca704ac
Jeffrey Erding says
@ Anonymous: Thanks so much for your lengthy rebuttal to my commentary, Sorry to say in your eagerness to tear my work apart faster than Nancy Pelosi with a transcript of a speech by Donald Trump, you managed to make a lot of points on my behalf while missing the entire premise of the article!
.
You missed the point completely regarding school mandates, The fact that i find them mostly deplorable is a moot point. The point is they were either underfunded or not funded at all, putting every school district in a very bad position.
Every one of the 5 wasteful spending items is worthy of criticism. The Mansion underwent a complete renovation in 2013 costing 2.7 million. It needed very little done. The Goose Creek project was way overboard as anyone who has been there is well aware of. Your laundry list of more expensive projects just shows ignorance; square footage and actual scope of work are what really matters, not just throwing out numbers that have no actual relevance. You let the others stand, thanks for proving my point.
Your position on taxes has also proved my point. Using your own sources and numbers shows that people who make over $100,000 pay almost 45% of state taxes in Minnesota while comprising about 11% of the population. Unfair numbers like that have high income earners leaving our state in droves, moving a few miles to neighboring states with far more favorable treatment. Social programs get tough to fund when the ones who pay for them no longer exist.
Here’s a helpful note: Quoting far left opinions from far left sources is not particularly effective. Why not just quote Whoppie Goldburg and the girls from The View? Everybody knows things are on a downward spiral in Minnesota. Did you dispute our terrible education achievement record. No. Do you deny your Political heros have been complicit in enormous amounts of fraud. Nope.
Your source says Minnesota is business friendly? Balderdash! i quoted 5 indicators from an unimpeachable source that all indicate a precipitous decline in Minnesota business climate, you use some left wing media source who has been proven to lie about everything that matters.
I can go on and deflate everything you have said but let’s cut to the chase.
I say Minnesota is in steep decline and we need new leadership to turn things around. The people running our state have been incompetent at best and more likely criminally dishonest. They need to hear us say , ” YOU ARE FIRED!!’
You say we should keep these shysters and crooks in office because, well, America is a bad country , Republicans are Fascists, and Orange Man Bad.
In conclusion, I have to ask why you are afraid to sign your name? You have nothing to fear from Conservatives, we don’t wish to harm our opponents unlike the left who have a documented record of killing or attempting to kill those they don’t like.
I do not hate you and actually wish you well. I go on record today saying I will cheerfully debate you in public at a mutually agreed upon time and place. Or are you going to follow the lead of Walz, Flanagan, and Klobuchar? They are refusing to debate. I hope you are more brave and have more integrity than those pathetic individuals.
God Bless. I pray everyone like you will see the truth before you cause the destruction of the best and greatest country in history. All the best, Jeff
Anonymous says
As has been your consistent practice for years, you have assumed that Fillmore County Journal readers will accept your opinions as chiseled in stone facts. Just because you want something to be true does not make it so.
You say, “Every one of the 5 wasteful spending items is worthy of criticism “ Who says that, and are they stating opinion or fact? Please reveal your source for this statement, if it’s you or someone else or some other entity.
Please share with us your training, experience and qualifications in the area of inspecting construction projects, and making expert determinations as to repairs and renovations that are necessary and those that are not. Assuming that you have the necessary qualifications, did you personally inspect the Goose Creek site? Did you personally inspect the Governor’s Mansion? Did you personally inspect the rest areas in Arizona, Nebraska, Colorado, New York and Indiana and perform a comparative analysis? Did you submit a report with your findings to the Legislatures in those affected states?
Three of those 5 areas that you cited are are extremely difficult to assess. You, no doubt, conducted an exhaustive investigation as to the options for overhauling the State Licensing Bureau in 2017, and have some solid facts and numbers to share with Fillmore County Journal readers? Regarding the 2023 renovation of the state office building, please describe the exhaustive personal investigation you made and your expert findings, citing documented facts and figures to support your claim. You cite a 2018 improper claim for $61 million for drug treatment. Again, please describe your expert investigation of that matter, and your findings, citing hard data and facts.
You say, “Using your own sources and numbers shows that people who make over $100,000 pay almost 45% of state taxes in Minnesota while comprising about 11% of the population.” Perhaps you are referring to this webpage: https://itep.org/whopays-map-7th-edition/
If the aforementioned is the site upon which you are relying, you have mangled the math. The percentages represented by those bar graphs is not the percent of the total taxes paid by each income group (of which income taxes is only a part). If you read the table, it will tell you the following: 1) The top 1% in the state, income-wise, pay 10.5% of their income for taxes (this group would consist of people making $730,600/year or more); 2) the next 4%, again income-wise, pay 9.9% of their income in taxes (those making between $325,700 and $730,600/year); 3) the next 15% also pay 9.9% of their income in taxes (those making $149,400 to $325,700/year); and 4) the next 20% pay 10.9% of their income in taxes (those making $100,900 to $149,400/year). According to my calculations, 1% + 4% + 15% + 20% = 40% of the state’s population. So, it’s a sacrilege that those making $730,600/year or more pay 10.5% per year while those making $100,900 to $149,400/year pay a slightly higher 10.9% rate? How dare we expect our state’s richest people to pay their fair share!
Even those making between $60,800 and $100,900/year (the middle 20% in the state, income-wise) pay 10% of their income in taxes. Those reading this can determine for themselves if it’s fair that those in that income bracket pay only slightly less than those making $730,600/year or more.
The preceding is the case in Minnesota, recalling that the other 49 states place a higher burden on the poor, while extending more favorable tax treatment to the rich.
Even if, as you say, “…people who make over $100,000 pay almost 45% of state taxes in Minnesota…”, since those making $100,900 or more per year take in 78-79% of the state’s income, paying 45% of the state’s taxes sounds like a pretty good deal for them.
The American Experiment is believed to lean conservative, and yet they indicate in this article that the top 40% of Minnesota’s population receives either 78% or 79% of the state’s income. The top decile (the top 10%) receives 43% of the state’s income. The bottom 60% of the state’s population (which would comprise those making $100,900/year or less) receive either 21% or 22% of the state’s income. Two percentages are necessary since all numbers on this graph add up to 101%, likely due to a rounding effect. Here’s that article: https://www.americanexperiment.org/if-you-want-the-rich-to-pay-their-fair-share-what-number-exactly-do-you-mean/
You refer to, in part, “… high income earners leaving our state in droves…” If that’s the case, what are you still doing in Minnesota?
You state: “Here’s a helpful note: Quoting far left opinions from far left sources is not particularly effective.” Please identify which of the sources mentioned that you have judged to be far left, which include CNBC, U. S. News & World Report, USA Today, Wallethub, etc.
You state: “i quoted 5 indicators from an unimpeachable source that all indicate a precipitous decline in Minnesota business climate, you use some left wing media source who has been proven to lie about everything that matters.” Are you contending that CNBC is a far left source? And what, exactly, is your unimpeachable source (or sources)?
You say: “Do you deny your Political heros have been complicit in enormous amounts of fraud. Nope.” You also say “…Orange Man Bad…” ( I will henceforth refer to the aforementioned person as the “Orange Man”, since you used that term first, and undoubtedly understand what it means). Although that was not stated previously, if you are concerned about fraud and the “Orange Man”, then you must surely have a clear explanation as to how a jury of twelve unanimously convicted your “Orange Man” of “34 counts of falsifying business records after Manhattan prosecutors alleged that he engaged in a ‘scheme’ to boost his chances during the 2016 presidential election through a series of hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, then falsified New York business records to cover up that alleged criminal conduct.” Consequently, your “Orange Man” is “the first American president to be convicted of a crime and then to take office as a felon.” The source is ABC News: https://abcnews.com/US/manhattan-da-challenges-trumps-appeal-2024-hush-money/story?id=135205701
You have contended with respect to Conservatives, “ …we don’t wish to harm our opponents…” Yes, that sentiment was truly on full display on January 6th, was it not? Meanwhile, those who murdered Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti remain free.
You again include the closing, “God Bless.” Perhaps you could review the text of Matthew 25: 31-46, and explain how your beliefs and practices are consistent with the guidance provided by Jesus for those who wish to dwell with him in the hereafter?
Perhaps you are in agreement with the White House and DOJ’s efforts to block the exercise of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires the release of all relevant files (nearly three million remain hidden)? Should wealthy persons have the right to rape underage children without consequence? If the preceding does not reflect your views, please identify your position for all to see.
You may believe Steve Rattner of the New York Times to be a charlatan, but the charts in this article are almost all, without exception, relevant to the 2024 campaign promises made by the “Orange Man”, and are provided by federal agencies, including the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). One chart is provided by KFF, the acronym for the Kaiser Family Foundation, which routinely reports on health care in this country. Here’s that listing: https://stevenrattner.com/article/trumps-broken-promises-in-11-charts-new-york-times/
Perhaps you believe that the Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were truly eating the dogs and cats in that city?
Perhaps you agree that the pardoning of 1500-1600 of those connected with the attempted overthrow of our government on January 6th were/are fully deserving of the presidential pardons and commutation of sentences that they received. For additional detail, here’s a relevant article, published by Lawfare.com: https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/trump-pardons-or-commutes-terms-of-all-jan.-6-rioters
On a slightly different tangent, you are undoubtedly an avid supporter of your First Congressional District Representative, Brad Finstad. He could presumably accomplish just as much by handing a proxy to Mike Johnson and staying home. Here’s his voting record in 2025, listing the number of times that he supported and opposed the wishes of the “Orange Man.” The link: https://media.cq.com/pub/table/index.php?id=547
Some might contend that Finstad is nothing more than a rubber stamp for the “Orange Man.” Surely, you have your own opinion regarding such a contention?
Granted, this is not from a right wing site, however, this does list measures that Finstad has supported and opposed. Surely, it represents almost every item on your wish list? The list: https://www.bradfinstadvotes.com/
Finally, surely, you must rely upon some source(s) for your news in addition to your own imagination? Please do share with us those news sites that meet with the Jeff Erding Stamp of Approval.
Jeffrey Erding says
@Anonymous, I think we have a new contender for the title of most verbose and lengthy submissions imaginable. Former title holder Aaron Bishop has work to do if he hopes to regain his former title!
I have neither the time nor inclination to submit a complete rebuttal . I will say few people have more expertise in the construction industry. I have much experience in all phases including as a Carpenter, Carpenter Foreman, Estimator, Safety Director, Project General Superintendent , and Steel Erection Project Manager.
The projects involved include some of the largest, most complicated, most expensive in Minnesota history.
Something happened yesterday that proved my position that the climate for business in Minnesota is not favorable. Construction will soon begin on the largest steel production plant in America. It will be using iron ore produced in Minnesota and built IN IOWA.
The ore will be loaded on barges and shipped at considerable expense to the plant in SE Iowa.
Why to Iowa? Why do we miss out on years of construction that will employ thousands of union tradesmen culminating in the employment of about 2000 high paying permanent jobs?
So Anonymous, please research this and subject us to another 1200 word response putting the blame everywhere but where it belongs that nobody including me will bother to read. Be my guest.
The reality of actual events and facts always defeats baloney and BS. My offer to debate in person still stands.
God Bless, Jeff
Anonymous says
Erding has provided us with quite an extensive laundry list of grievances.
So what does a closer examination of those claims reveal?
So Erding doesn’t like free meals in schools, apparently unaware that some school children come from impoverished households? According to this website, the current poverty rate for children in Fillmore County, Minnesota is 12%: https://censusreporter.org/profiles/05000US27045-fillmore-county-mn/
In a representative classroom of 33 students at least four would reside in poverty-stricken homes. Are we to believe that those children, due to no fault of their own, deserve to go hungry while their classmates eat full meals at lunchtime? Will those children from impoverished homes learn more if they are suffering from hunger? Are we to believe that these food programs, which also help to support Minnesota farmers (who produce the food that they eat) should lose the revenue derived from school meal programs as well?
Erding seems to object to schools providing free menstrual products. Some of you may be familiar with stories of a young lady experiencing her first period at school, noticeable to every classmate due to the blood running down her leg? Is withholding a menstrual product that could stop the bleeding and prevent embarrassment a waste of money?
Apparently, expanded unemployment insurance is a no-no in Erding’s world as well? At least a few Fillmore County Journal readers have been around long enough to recall past economic downturns when unemployment increased at the same time that replacement jobs became extremely difficult to find. Some readers may also recall growing anxiety as the expiration date for those unemployment benefits drew near?
New ethnic studies? During this time of increasing division, tribalism, and animosity toward anyone who might be different than we are, would being able to better understand those who live and believe differently than we do yet another evil? Consider the many wars that could have been avoided if people understood each other better.
Mandatory student policy adjustments? So what exactly are these adjustments, were they implemented and what about those adjustments is worthy of our concern? Erding doesn’t say.
Expanded staff training rules? Erding is concerned about whose training? For example, if additional training for driving on Minnesota’s streets and highways safely is subject to expanded training, doesn’t reduced accident rates on the road sound pretty good?
In contrast, what issues seem of highest concern to Erding? Who benefits from Erding’s proposals, other than the extremely wealthy?
Consistent with past practice, Erding lambastes Minnesota’s tax system. This is unlikely to comfort the billionaires among the Fillmore County readership, however, when the state and local tax burden is taken into account for each state, Minnesota is only one of six states in which the top 1% income-wise pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than does the bottom 20%. Of those six states, Minnesota was determined to have the fairest system of taxation of all 50 states. Here’s the supporting story, courtesy of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP): https://sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/itep/APPENDIX-B-Who-Pays-7th-Edition.pdf
Here’s a similar article published by ITEP which ranks states by those where the heaviest tax burden is placed upon the poorest 20% versus the richest 1%, ending with the states that have relatively fairer tax systems. You’ll note that Minnesota comes in last of those 50 states, which means that, unless you are a billionaire, you’ll get a better deal in Minnesota than any other state. Here’s the link to that article: https://itep.org/whopays-map-7th-edition/
Perhaps many people receiving the Fillmore County Journal are more than willing to sacrifice their own needs to further line the pockets of those who already have more wealth than they could possibly spend during several lifetimes. Perhaps Erding’s letter to the editor is intended to resonate with those people?
So Minnesota’s business climate is abysmal? Erding would have us believe the Minnesota’s business tax rate would cause businesses to flee the state in droves. This 2026 report by CNBC (hardly a left leaning site) has ranked Minnesota as the #5 state in the nation for business climate: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/09/americas-top-states-for-business-full-rankings.html
Possibly, just possibly, the quality of life that those business taxes helps to fund contribute toward an improved quality of life that aids in recruitment and retention of a competent, skilled workforce?
So what about the quality of life in Minnesota? It must be unbelievably dismal, is it not? Surely, there must be a steady caravan of refugees heading to the “safe harbor” of Missisippi. It’s more than a little surprising that Erding hasn’t moved there already.
But as for Minnesota, is the quality of life in the Gopher State that bad?
This report by U.S. News & World Report doesn’t seem to see it the same way as Erding, assigning Minnesota a #3 ranking for 2026 among the states: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/minnesota
This 2026 report by USA Today, pretty much reiterates the #3 ranking from the U. S. News & World Report story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/07/29/us-50-states-rank-best-worst/91089198007/
This 2026 report entitled, “State of the States”, ranks Minnesota at #1 in the nation: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesota-ranked-best-state/
This 2026 story published by WalletHub ranked the 50 states, according to the best states to retire. So Minnesota was ranked at #5 among the 50 states: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-to-retire/18592
Then there is the claim about the renovations to the Governor’s Mansion in 2018, and a rental of another location for the Governor’s family for $400,000. The Governor’s Mansion was built in 1910, and if any of you own a home or building that is that old, you or a previous owner likely needed to perform work to maintain it in serviceable condition. That’s not unusual. In truth, the renovations began in June of 2023 (not 2018). By the time that work on the Governor’s Mansion began, the state the state arranged for the Walz family to stay at Eastcliffe on an 18-month lease. Eastcliffe was a then vacant University of Minnesota Presidential Estate, available at a much lower cost of $4,400/month.
This seems a rarity these days, when public outcry actually produces results, something that seems to rarely occur on the national stage. So does Erding have definitive information that Governor Walz was in charge of the negotiations for the lease, and insisted upon staying at the far more expensive location? If so, where is that evidence?
Erding makes a big deal about a $7.2 million renovation of the Goose Creek Rest Area near Harris, Minnesota, along I-35. Are we supposed to believe that Democrats were responsible for the delays that have taken place with this project? Similarly, if you’ve ever scheduled renovation work on your property, and the contractor falls behind schedule, would that be entirely be your fault? So please, is there anyone out there who can tell us what a reasonable price would be to renovate a highway rest stop?
The cost can vary widely, depending upon numerous factors, however, a few comparisons are provided in the next several paragraphs…
1-The Sunset Point Rest Area, along I-17 in Arizona was renovated at a cost of $7.5 million, $0.3 million more than Minnesota’s Goose Creek renovation. Here’s that article: https://azdot.gov/adot-blog/sneak-peek-sunset-point-rest-area-renovations
2-The price tag for North Dakota’s Oriska rest stop along I-94 came in at $9.7 million, or about $2.5 million more than Minnesota’s Goose Creek Rest Stop renovation. Here’s that article: https://www.newsdakota.com/2026/05/21/nddot-oriska-rest-stop-update/
3-New York State’s NY Thruway launched a project to renovate all 27 of its rest stops for a total cost of $450,000,000, for an average cost of $16,666,666.67 per rest area. Here’s that story: https://www.syracuse.com/state/2020/05/ny-thruway-approves-450-million-contract-to-renovate-all-27-rest-stops.html
4-The Vail Pass Rest Area project in Colorado weighed in with a $21 million price tag: https://www.postindependent.com/news/21-million-vail-pass-rest-area-project-complete/
5-Indiana, one of the reddest states in the country outdid themselves with the Kankakee Rest Stop project in northwestern Indiana, which carried a price tag of almost $35 million: https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/06/14/is-this-the-fanciest-rest-stop-indianas-ever-had/
Does Minnesota’s Goose Creek Rest Area renovation still appear singularly worthy of outrage?
In all, Erding identifies five areas of careless and wasteful spending, three more in addition to the rest stop and Governor’s mansion renovations which were previously discussed. So, all five projects were examples of “careless and wasteful spending.” According to who, might we ask? Perhaps Erding could clarify with specifics, “showing his homework”?
Had he chosen to do so, Erding wouldn’t have had to look far to learn that following the strangulation death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, there was a significant exodus of police officers in that city. Floyd was already helpless, as he was handcuffed (behind his back), held face down on the street. Derek Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes while his fellow officers blocked bystanders from rendering aid. They were held to account and convicted. This was apparently a bridge too far for other Minneapolis Police Department Officers, hundreds of whom left under various pretexts. Are we to believe that it’s much better for those who murdered Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti to avoid any consequence, even an investigation, allowing them to remain free and continue on the job?
As violent crime is always a concern, Erding seems to ignore widespread reports that the violent crime rate increased across many states once the pandemic took hold. He would need to make the argument that the increase of Minnesota’s crime rate was qualitatively and quantitatively worse than that of other states. Perhaps he could also mention recent declines in violent crime in Minnesota as well?
This article, published by MinnPost on September 17, 2026, provides a case in point: https://www.minnpost.com/newsletter/crime-in-minnesota-is-dropping-and-we-dont-know-why/
Perhaps Erding would care to explain how and why these improvements are occurring under Walz’ watch?
Considering the widespread variance between Erding’s bleak portrayal of life in Minnesota and a number of major news media reports telling the opposite story, it would seem that Erding has considerable work to do in order to set those news organizations straight. Perhaps they’ll have the “good sense” to check with him before they publish another such story?
In the penultimate paragraph of the article, Erding states, “…an honest unbiased examination of the data shows…” Is Erding identifying himself as the person who conducted “an honest unbiased examination of the data”? If Erding is to be regarded as unbiased, Fillmore County Journal readers might do well to review his past letters to the editor of the Fillmore County Journal so that they can make that judgment for themselves.
Finally, Erding includes the words, “God Bless” in his closing sentence, perhaps suggesting that he identifies himself as Christian?
When God summoned Moses to convey his commands to the people of Israel, described in part in Leviticus 19, verses 33-34, that text read, “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” Jesus conveyed a very similar sentiment when he related the Parable of the Good Samaritan, found in Luke 10:25-37. The Good Samaritan provided compassionate care and treatment for the wounded foreigner who would likely have been treated with extreme cruelty by many of his fellow countrymen, as the foreigner was from a country considered to be a bitter enemy.
Those who profess to be Christian might be well served by re-reading the text of Matthew 25: 31-47, which describes what differentiates the saved from those sent to eternal condemnation.
For those who might believe that Jesus was serious in Matthew 25:31-47, do you think it is possible to believe in what Jesus said, yet at the same time support politicians who promise to do the exact opposite in our names?
“Trust, but verify.” – Ronald Reagan
“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived and dishonest – but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the clichés of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of fact.” – John F. Kennedy