I Don’t Hate America!

The United States House of Representatives today is debating H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007.

One part of the bill, which addresses the problems concerning textbook prices, was pushed by Rep. Tim Walz of Minnesota. Two issues specifically addressed by the legislation include the frequent release of new editions of books and bundling of additional course materials, both which have been shown to increase the cost of textbooks.

During debate, Walz took to the floor today and evoked the name of our late colleague and friend, Jared Stene, who we here at IDHA had the privilege of serving beside in the Winona State Student Senate and working with to bring about awareness to the issues of textbook costs.

“Jared worked for years tirelessly on this issue to bring some transparency in how textbooks are marketed,” Walz said on the floor.

This legislation appears to do just that. Here is the section of the bill addressing textbook costs:

`SEC. 134. TEXTBOOK INFORMATION.

`(a) Purpose and Intent- The purpose of this section is to ensure that every student in higher education is offered better and more timely access to affordable course materials by educating and informing faculty, students, administrators, institutions of higher education, bookstores, distributors, and publishers on all aspects of the selection, purchase, sale, and use of course materials. It is the intent of this section–

`(1) to have all involved parties work together to identify ways to decrease the cost of college textbooks and supplemental materials for students while protecting the academic freedom of faculty members to select high quality course materials for students; and

`(2) to encourage–

`(A) college textbook publishers and distributors to work with faculty to promote understanding of the cost to students of purchasing faculty selected textbooks, including the disclosure of prices and bundling practices;

`(B) college bookstores to work with faculty to review timelines and processes for ordering and stocking course materials, and to disclose costs to faculty and students in a timely manner;

`(C) institutions of higher education to implement numerous options to address college textbook affordability;

`(D) institutions of higher education to work with student organizations to help students understand the factors driving textbook costs and available methods and resources to mitigate the effects of those costs; and

`(E) innovation in the development and use of course materials (including course materials utilizing the principles of universal design) and technologies that can help students receive the full value of their educational investment.

`(b) Definitions- In this section:

`(1) BUNDLE- The term `bundle’ means one or more college textbooks or other supplemental learning materials that may be packaged together to be sold as course materials for one price.

`(2) COLLEGE TEXTBOOK- The term `college textbook’ means a textbook or a set of textbooks, used for, or in conjunction with, a course in postsecondary education at an institution of higher education.

`(3) COURSE SCHEDULE- The term `course schedule’ means a listing of the courses or classes offered by an institution of higher education for an academic period, as defined by the institution.

`(4) CUSTOM TEXTBOOK- The term `custom textbook’–

`(A) means a college textbook that is compiled at the direction of a faculty member or other person or adopting entity in charge of selecting course materials at an institution of higher education; and

`(B) may include, alone or in combination, items such as selections from original instructor materials, previously copyrighted publisher materials, copyrighted third-party works, and elements unique to a specific institution, such as commemorative editions.

`(5) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION- The term `institution of higher education’ has the meaning given the term in section 102.

`(6) INTEGRATED TEXTBOOK- The term `integrated textbook’ means a college textbook that is combined with materials developed by a third party and that, by third-party contractual agreement, may not be offered by publishers separately from the college textbook with which the materials are combined.

`(7) PUBLISHER- The term `publisher’ means a publisher of college textbooks or supplemental materials involved in or affecting interstate commerce.

`(8) SUBSTANTIAL CONTENT- The term `substantial content’ means parts of a college textbook, such as new chapters, additional eras of time, new themes, or new subject matter.

`(9) SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL- The term `supplemental material’ means educational material developed to accompany a college textbook, which–

`(A) may include printed materials, computer disks, website access, and electronically distributed materials; and

`(B) is not bound by third-party contractual agreements to be sold in an integrated textbook.

`(c) Publisher Requirements-

`(1) COLLEGE TEXTBOOK PRICING INFORMATION- When a publisher provides a faculty member or other person or adopting entity in charge of selecting course materials at an institution of higher education with information regarding a college textbook or supplemental material, the publisher shall include, with any such information and in writing, the following:

`(A) The price at which the publisher would make the college textbook or supplemental material available to the bookstore on the campus of, or otherwise associated with, such institution of higher education.

`(B) The copyright dates of all previous editions of such college textbook, if any.

`(C) The substantial content revisions made between the current edition of the college textbook or supplemental material and the previous edition, if any.

`(D) Whether the college textbook or supplemental material is available in any other format, including paperback and unbound, and the price at which the publisher would make the college textbook or supplemental material in the other format available to the bookstore on the campus of, or otherwise associated with, such institution of higher education.

`(2) UNBUNDLING OF COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS FROM SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS- A publisher that sells a college textbook and any supplemental material accompanying such college textbook as a single bundle shall also make available the college textbook and each supplemental material as separate and unbundled items, each separately priced.

`(3) CUSTOM TEXTBOOKS- To the maximum extent practicable, publishers shall provide the information required under this subsection with respect to the development and provision of custom textbooks.

`(d) Provision of ISBN College Textbook Information in Course Schedules-

`(1) INTERNET COURSE SCHEDULES- Each institution of higher education, to the maximum extent practicable, shall–

`(A) disclose the International Standard Book Number and retail price information of required and recommended textbooks, related materials, and supplies for each course listed in the institution’s course schedule used for pre-registration and registration purposes;

`(B) if the International Standard Book Number is not available for the items listed in subparagraph (A), use the author, title, publisher, and copyright date; and

`(C) if the institution determines that the disclosure of the information described in the preceding subparagraphs for a course is not practicable for a textbook, related material, or supply, then it should so indicate by placing the designation `To Be Determined’ in lieu of the information required under such subparagraphs.

`(2) WRITTEN COURSE SCHEDULES- In the case of an institution of higher education that does not publish the institution’s course schedule for the subsequent academic period on the Internet, the institution of higher education shall include the information required under paragraph (1) in any printed version of the institution’s course schedule as it is available at the time of the course schedule’s printing.

`(e) Availability of Information for College Bookstores- An institution of higher education shall make available, as soon as is practicable, upon the request of any college bookstore, the most accurate information available regarding–

`(1) the institution’s course schedule for the subsequent academic period; and

`(2) for each course or class offered by the institution for the subsequent academic period–

`(A) the information required by subsection (d)(1) for each college textbook or supplemental material required or recommended for such course or class;

`(B) the number of students enrolled in such course or class; and

`(C) the maximum student enrollment for such course or class.

`(f) Rule of Construction- Nothing in this section shall be construed to supercede the institutional autonomy or academic freedom of instructors involved in the selection of college textbooks and classroom materials.

`(g) Effective Date- This section shall be effective on and after July 1, 2008.’.

We all have to miss work from time to time. Well, except in the occasional story seen at the tail end of the 5 p.m. news of the “factory worker who retired without missing a day in 200 years,” but that is extremely rare. Events like a death in the family, illness, transportation trouble or the graduation of a son or daughter can get in the way of making it to work either on time or at all on a given day and a reasonable employer will make accommodations.

In order to get out of a day of work in the Minnesota House of Representatives a member must write a simple request to the speaker and that particular member will be noted in the journal as excused.

On May 7 and 8 of this year, Rep. Randy Demmer, R-Hayfield, did just that, but not for one of the dire situations listed above. Rather, Rep. Demmer took a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend Republican “congressional candidate school.” No big deal, right? So what, he only missed a couple of votes?

Let me continue. Some of our jobs require expenses, such as meals, for which the employee is able to be reimbursed. Certainly if you aren’t working a given day, you don’t have work related expenses and wouldn’t expect reimbursement, right? Well, it doesn’t work that way at the Minnesota Legislature, where the maximum per diem of $77 is available to members daily with virtually no oversight. No receipts, invoices or any other paperwork to prove expense.

Demmer, who wants to unseat First District Congressman Tim Walz, took the maximum per diem of $77 on 139 consecutive days during the 2007 legislative session. Yes, even the two days he was in D.C. learning campaign tricks from Karl Rove.

But he only missed a couple of votes, right? If you read this paragraph from the Rochester Post-Bulletin, it’s what Demmer would have you believe (thanks Ollie, for finding it):

Demmer said that while he took a leave of absence from the state House during his trip, he said that he was not on any conference committees and that bills brought up for a vote those days were not final. “I missed two or three votes, and those bills are coming back around,” he said.

Two or three, Randy? Maybe you really are Teen Talk Barbie (you know, math is hard?). It was more than “two or three” but let’s start with your lack of expertise in the area of division, and no, I don’t mean obnoxiously yelling out “DIVISION!” on the House floor after an obvious loss during a voice vote; you House Republicans are quite good at that. Blue Man has an easier explanation about Demmer’s math than I do, but bear with me.

Let’s take $10,703 (total per diem taken by Demmer) divided by $77 (max. per diem) and that equals 139 (total days between the opening and closing gavels of the legislature). You didn’t think ordinary citizens would be able to find out you took per diem for days you were in Washington working on your political ambitions for higher office, Or do you think they just wouldn’t care? Your constituents will be the ones holding you accountable for lack of representation in St. Paul on those two days. Taking per diem on those days though? *I* pay for that, pally. All of us who pay state taxes pay for that. Shameful!

Do I think the House and Senate leadership should (and should have in the past under GOP control!) institute a measure of accountability for these funds? Absolutely. Do I think you, Rep. Demmer, should be off the hook for having the tax payers cover the tabs for your meals in D.C.? I know restaurants out there can be spendy, but the answer is NO.

Back to the missed votes: Wow, it looks like your math problems are even worse than I first diagnosed. Pressing your luck with voters, Randy? While I can give you the benefit of the doubt for thinking division can be a difficult concept, your inability to master one of the most fundamental skills of mathematics, counting, should be considered inexcusable by your constituents. All who have reached grade one, at least.

Let’s take a look at the floor activity from Monday, May 7.

The first bill was SF1131 dealing with preventative health care programs for cities. Speaking of Rep. Demmer “pressing his luck,” in the words of the late Peter Tomarken:

“Let’s goto the big board!”

I hear Rep. Demmer yelling “Big Bucks! No Whammies!” from afar.

Oh, a Whammy! See there kids? The yellow arrow points to the name of our candidate who was out in D.C. OK, so I guess we can give you a freebie as this seems to be a non-controversial bill.

Oh wait, I thought you said bills brought up for a vote those days were not final?

It was signed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty three days later. How can you get more final than that?

Next up: SF805, modifying coverage for hearing aids.

Again, that one was presented three days later to the governor. That sufficiently blows one of your assertions out of the water, eh Randy?

Next one: The game, fish and lands bill, SF1131.

Hmm, a little more controversial that time and I’m sure your constituents would have appreciated your leadership. You do possess leadership skill, right? Not only did you miss the vote for final passage, but you missed a roll call vote for an amendment. We’re already to a total of four missed votes. Let me see if I get this equation right: 4 > 2 or 3. Yeah, I could call a math professor, but I will trust my judgment that I am right. In fairness though, this time the bill did come around again after a conference committee. Still, shouldn’t it be important for you, Randy, to help craft your chamber’s position entering conference?

As you know Randy, four Whammies, and you’re out of the game! Fortunately for you the House rules allow you to land on the “Big Bucks!” square while still getting four Whammies! Or maybe you’re a Whammy yourself taking all of our money!

Next bill on the Calender of the Day for Monday, May 7, 2007 (I hear the voice of Al Mathiowitz, House chief clerk, in my head as I type this) is HF2294, a bill modifying the Cook-Orr Hospital District levy. I don’t pretend to be educated on this issue, but then again I’m not an elected state representative expected to vote on it. Hee hee.

Next up is not a bill but rather a motion to refer another motion dealing with allegations against the Attorney General’s office. Unfortunately for Rep. Demmer, Marty Seifert yelled out “MADAME SPEAKER, ROLL CALL ON THAT PLEASE!!!,” thus causing him to stretch the “two or three votes” song and dance even more.

Finally for May 7, after a roll call vote on a motion to refuse to concur with the Senate, the conference committee report on SF2171, the health and human services bill was before the House.

This bill was vetoed by the Governor and did indeed come back again. But Randy, is that any reason your leadership prowess shouldn’t have been present on the floor for the vote on behalf of your district? Mark Buesgens isn’t in any official leadership capacity with the GOP caucus, but that doesn’t stop him from articulating his conservative viewpoints on the floor. Randy, maybe Buesgens and you can switch seats, he actually sits on the back-bench; you just act like you do!

After day one of his absence, we see at least eight roll call votes missed by Randy Demmer. Quite a bit more than “two or three.” Let’s take a look at May 8. First up was the conference committee report on HF455, a bill dealing with public defenders.

Next, our friend Rep. Leon Lillie’s first bill to the floor this year, SF1073, ratifying public employee labor contracts.

SF1509, Hennepin County design build modifications is next:

Airport zoning disclosure requirements, SF218 is next:

SF26, medical practices board advisory councils expiration dates elimination:

Here’s one that should be of interest to Demmer’s constituents (you do have consumers and business owners in your district, right Randy?): security breach liability involving credit cards, HF1758. First an amendment offered by another potential candidate for Congress, Rep. Kurt Zellers:

And final passage:

Next, SF118, dealing with the capitol area planning board and legislative membership:

Finally, our last votes of the day. After a roll call vote on a motion to refuse to adopt the conference committee report, here’s the roll call for final passage on SF1989, the higher-ed bill, one I lobbied on behalf of considerably:

On the second day of his trip to Washington, he missed at least ten votes for a grand total of 18 (or more, I can’t guarantee I didn’t miss other procedural votes and the like).

Tell me, Randy, how do you get “two or three” out of 18.

There are so many themes arising from all of this and I apologize for not being able to keep this post within any focus.

1. Taking a trip to D.C. for further political ambitions during session while constituents should have their representative in St. Paul.
2. Taking full per diem as a House member while doing the aforementioned activities.
3. Misleading the public (really, I could use the word “lying” here, but I prefer not to go there) about how many votes were missed while on the junket.
4. Downplaying the role of state representative. Doesn’t each member have an election certificate? Does Rep. Demmer like being considered a “backbencher?” How is that perception a good one when trying to prove ability to head to Congress? Should he just go ahead and no-show other days he may consider to not be important, such as those early on in session when very little official action is taken?

I suppose considering his lackluster fundraising thus far, that $154 could be used toward the $20,000 he had to loan his campaign.

No Whammies!

It is great to see one of the Democrats main platforms when they took over Congress has now passed both the House and Senate.  The vote, pending administration approval, will increase aid to students in a few ways.  The maximum for Pell grants increases from $4,310 a year to $5,400 by the year 2012.  Federal loan interest rates have been slashed from 6.8% to 3.4% over the next four years. Democrats claim this will help students because it cuts $20 billion in government subsidies to banks that give out the loans, despite objections from Republicans and those in the banking industry to the cost-saving measure.  The vote passed 79-12 in the Senate and 292-97 in the House.  All 97 were Republicans.

“The bill also sets up a loan-forgiveness program for college graduates who work for 10 years in public service professions, such [as] teaching or nursing.” I am curious to see how this will pan out.  With the nursing shortage ever increasing, my hope is that recruitment will accelerate by hiring more educators and allowing an increased number of students to get through qualified programs.

College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, Roll Call 864.  Tim Walz, Jim Ramstad, Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison, Collin Peterson, and James Oberstar all voted FOR the measure.  John Kline and Michele Bachmann voted AGAINST the savings for students.  In the Senate, both Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar voted FOR the measure.

 Source and quote from http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/5117233.html

Senate OKs legislation increasing aid to college students

WASHINGTON  — Congress sent President Bush legislation today to boost financial aid for college students by cutting some $20 billion in government subsidies to banks that make student loans.

Bush has indicated he will sign the legislation, despite previous objections to parts of the bill. Specifically, the administration has criticized a student loan interest-rate cut and a new loan-forgiveness program, among other things.

House Democrats had made the popular interest-rate cut a priority during the run-up to the last election in which they regained control of Congress.

The House voted 292-97 for the student aid bill today. Earlier in the day, the Senate approved the measure 79-12. All the lawmakers who voted against the bill were Republicans.

The boost in financial aid to college students was one of half a dozen domestic priorities Democrats set when they took control of Congress this year. Two others — an increase in the minimum wage and mandatory air and sea cargo inspections — already have become law, and a third, ethics reform, is awaiting Bush’s signature.

“This is an exciting day for parents and students who struggle to put together the financial means to pay for college,” said Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chair of the House education committee.

The bill would increase the maximum Pell grant, which goes to the poorest college students, from $4,310 a year to $5,400 a year by 2012.

It also would cut interest rates on federally backed student loans to poor and middle-class students from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent over the next four years.

California Rep. Buck McKeon, the leading Republican on the House education committee, criticized the rate cut. He said students will go back to paying the higher rate in four years or taxpayers will have to foot the bill for the cut to continue.

“What once was a campaign promise has become a trap that will ensnare either students or taxpayers,” McKeon said.

Democratic lawmakers say the roughly $20 billion in cuts to banks are aimed at excessive government subsidies to lenders. The subsidies were established to ensure that banks enter and stay in the college loan business.

Banking industry officials have objected to the cuts and have said they could adversely affect services provided to borrowers.

Nearly all of the cuts would go toward making college cheaper, but $750 million would be spent on federal budget deficit reduction. The legislation is part of a must-pass bill needed to meet spending targets in the federal budget.

The bill also sets up a loan-forgiveness program for college graduates who work for 10 years in public service professions, such teaching or nursing.

It also would cap annual payments for students at a percentage of their income, which lawmakers say would prevent people from having to pay back more than they can afford.

“Today, with this bill, we’re sending a message, and that message is that no qualified student will be denied a college education because of cost,” said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., chairman of the Senate education committee.

Once signed by the president, the legislation will begin taking effect Oct. 1.

Oh man I have just been buying my textbooks for this semester and it is getting f-ing ridiculous!! Least we have a people in office like my hometown State Senator Chuck Wiger who has been purposing pilot rental programs for years…Anyway here are the Obama weekly points.

Weekly Talking Points | August 13 – August 19, 2007

Barack Obama Schedule: Last Tuesday, Barack Obama hosted a rally at Soldier Field in Chicago just before taking a stand at the AFL-CIO Working Families Presidential Candidates Forum to impressive reviews. On Wednesday, he spent the day with a homecare worker as part of SEIU’s Walk a Day in My Shoes program. Thursday, he took part in The Human Rights Campaign Forum in Los Angeles. On Friday, he visited Las Vegas, where he addressed the National Association of Black Journalists Convention and the Culinary Workers Union. Over the weekend, he served as the grand marshal of the Bud Billiken Parade in Chicago. Monday, Barack Obama visits New Hampshire for a “Taking Back our Government” roundtable in Hanover, a rally in Keene, and an event in Nashua.

On Wednesday, Barack Obama begins the Road to Change Tour, starting off in Cedar Falls with a discussion on transparency in government, followed by an address to the state AFL-CIO convention in Waterloo. Thursday, he conducts a foreign policy discussion in Council Bluffs, then visits a potluck in Atlantic before attending the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. Friday, he holds a rural policy summit in Tama before delivering the keynote address at the Wing Ding Dinner in Clear Lake. Over the weekend, Barack Obama will hold an energy discussion in Waverly, speak to the Workers for a Better Iowa Forum in Cedar Rapids, then participate in the ABC News Democratic Presidential Candidates’ Debate on Sunday morning in Des Moines.

Michelle Obama Schedule: Sunday, Michelle Obama was in Chicago with her mother, her daughters, and over 500 friends and supporters at the kickoff of South Side Women for Obama. On Wednesday, Michelle and her daughters will join Barack Obama on the Road to Change tour in Iowa.

The Road to Change Tour: Barack Obama’s hitting the road this week, bringing his plans for real change to towns across Iowa. He believes that for too long, we’ve had a politics that’s put the special interests ahead of the national interests. That’s what he’s running for President to change. He believes that if we can put our government back in the hands of the American people, then whether it’s universal health care or energy independence, there are few limits to what we can achieve in this country.

On Health Care: Over the last decade, the drug and insurance industries spent $1 billion in lobbying. And their friends in Congress made it illegal for our government to negotiate with the drug companies for cheaper drug prices. As President, he’ll sign a universal health care bill into law by the end of his first term that will cover every American, cut the cost of a typical family’s premiums by up to $2,500 a year, and make it legal to negotiate with the drug companies for cheaper drugs.

On Energy: When Dick Cheney was crafting our energy policy, he met with environmental groups once. He met with the renewable energy folks once. And he met with oil and gas companies 40 times. So at a time when Exxon is making record profits, Americans are paying three times as much at the pump as they were several years ago.

As President, Barack Obama will create a National Low-Carbon Fuel Standard to accelerate the production of renewable fuels. He’s also called for us to get half of all gas stations and all consumer vehicles E-85 compatible within a decade. And he has challenged our automakers to more than double fuel economy over the next twenty years.

On Rural Issues: When Barack Obama is President, he’ll make sure the rural agenda is America’s agenda. He understands that one of the reasons small towns and rural areas aren’t thriving as much as they should be is that our government is handing out subsidies to big agribusiness rather than investing that money in family farms and building up rural communities. He knows that when we lose our family farms, we lose something that’s distinctly American, so he’ll fight to make sure that doesn’t happen.

On Ethics Reform: Unlike some candidates, Barack Obama actually believes that Washington lobbyists don’t represent real Americans. He believes that if you don’t think lobbyists have too much influence in Washington, you’ve been in Washington too long. That’s why he has done more to curb the influence of lobbyists and special interests than any other candidate in this race.

He has said that money’s influence in politics is the original sin of everyone who’s ever run for office – himself included. But he believes in leading by example. In the Illinois State Senate, he brought both parties together to pass the first major ethics reform in twenty-five years. In this campaign, he has refused to take any money from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.

On Foreign Policy: For years, conventional thinking in Washington has said that the United States cannot talk to its adversaries because it would reward them. By any measure, not talking has not worked. Barack Obama is not afraid of losing a PR battle to a dictator – he’s ready to tell them what they don’t want to hear. And he’s not afraid of defying the conventional thinking that says we should keep our troops in the middle of someone else’s civil war but not take out Osama bin Laden if we had him in our sights. Barack Obama’s national security strategy is just what we need now – a new era of tough, principled American diplomacy to deal with 21st century challenges.

On Iraq: Barack Obama knows that the time for us to ask how we were going to get out of Iraq was before we went in. He opposed the Iraq war before it was popular to do, and he introduced a plan that would have ended the war by commencing a phased redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq with the goal of redeploying all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008. Letting the Iraqis know that U.S. forces will not be there forever is our last, best hope to pressure the Sunnis and Shi’a to come to the table and find peace.

Fundraising: In a record-breaking outpouring of grassroots support, more than 258,000 donors – 154,000 in the second quarter alone – have joined Barack Obama’s movement for change. The campaign raised $31.6 million in primary funds for a total of $32.9 million in the second quarter – all of it without accepting any money from PACs or Washington lobbyists. $10.3 million was raised online, with 90% of all online donations in amounts of $100 or less and 50% of all online donations in amounts of $25 or less.

Web: Senator Obama is running a different kind of campaign, empowering people with the tools to take organizing into their own hands. The result: more people are more deeply involved than ever before. Since the website was launched in February, more than 5,000 grassroots groups have been created, and more than 70,000 people have created profiles on my.barackobama.com.

Barack Obama’s Biography: Senator Obama moved to Illinois over two decades ago with little money and no family connections, getting a job for $12,000 a year as a community organizer in some of Chicago’s poorest neighborhoods. Later, Obama graduated from Harvard Law School, became a civil rights lawyer, and taught constitutional law before winning a seat in the Illinois State Senate.

As a State Senator, he joined both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. He also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education and the strongest ethics reform in Illinois in 25 years. After a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Obama worked with law enforcement officials to require the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

In the U.S. Senate, Obama has worked with the Republican leader of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Richard Lugar, to pass a law that would secure and destroy some of the world’s deadliest weapons. He has also helped lead the fight for the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate, and found common ground on issues including energy policy, helping push through a provision that will offer tax credits to gas stations for installing refueling pumps with E85 – a blend of 85 percent clean-burning, domestically grown ethanol and 15 percent petroleum gasoline.

Crossposted at Minnesota Campaign Report

On Tuesday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced the appointment of two individuals to the state Firefighter Training and Education Board.

According to a press release from the Governor’s office, “the Board of Firefighter Training and Education reviews fire service training needs, establishes standards for educational programs and establishes qualifications for fire service training instructors. The Board consists of 15 members, including 14 appointed by the Governor.”

While these positions are filled by the Mr. Pawlenty, at least one is being pushed off, namely the position of State University student to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Board of Trustees.

The individual to be appointed was scheduled to begin serving his or her term July 1.

In the mean time, the previous/current/interim/who-in-the-hell-knows-anymore student trustee, Michael Boulton, has continued to serve. During that time the board has taken up important issues such as the system-wide bonding request for the next legislative year, the election of a chairman, the selection of a president at Normandale Community College, and the tuition reciprocity agreement between Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Applying for the position are Minnesota State University Student Association recommended candidates Ezra Kazee and Adam Weigold. A third candidate, Luke Hellier, also applied.

Former according to former board Chair Bob Hoffman, the learning curve for this position is “almost two years.” The qualifications of the candidates not even in consideration, how effective can a trustee be when over 5 percent of his or her term is already evaporated before appointment when the term is already barely longer than the learning curve?

The last time we criticized Gov. Pawlenty about his non-appointment we speculated that it may have been due to golfing with other governors.

This time we understand he has been overwhelmed with the I-35W bridge collapse in downtown Minneapolis so greater patience is being given, however, sooner or later this appointment must be made.

While no one will question the importance of quality firefighters, students deserve representation on the statewide board, too.

From the old news that we missed department, MnSCU announced last week that David Olson, president of the Mnnesota chamber of commerce, was elected chair of the system’s Board of Trustees. Ruth Grendahl will be vice chair and Scott Thiss will grab the reins as treasurer taking over for former, ahem, I mean, current, ahem, I mean, soon departing four-year university student trustee Michael Boulton.

The replacement for Boulton, who’s term was scheduled to conclude June 30, has yet to be announced. I am sure candidates Adam Weigold, Ezra Kazee and Luke Hellier are all anxious to find out, not to mention the 70,000 some-odd students at Minnesota’s state unviersities being left hanging.

Is Gov. Tim Pawlenty really trying to wait for the brouhaha to settle down before making an appointment? Did the rounds of golf with other governors in Michigan take up too much of his time?

Really T-Paw, what gives?

It’s been a while since we have discussed higher education funding here at IDHA, but the US Congress is taking up the issue this week.

An amendment offered by Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) and Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) to the Higher Education Budget Reconciliation which would have restored $2.4 billion in cuts in subsidies to student lenders (down to a total of $15 billion) failed today in a wide, bipartisan fashion. Insiders thought the vote would be close, but that ended up being very untrue as it did not even get 40 votes in the affirmative.

Both Sens. from Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar (D) and Norm Coleman (R) voted against the amendment.

Critics of the cuts said that they would force smaller lenders out of the market and lobbied against the cuts, but student advocates have thought it is time for more money to go directly to students, not lenders.

We will have more on this throughout this process.