I Don’t Hate America!

While I was in Winona this weekend visiting to catch fall graduation ceremonies at the ole’ alma mater, Winona State, I missed quite a bit of news concerning transportation issues, especially those surrounding US Highway 14 in southern Minnesota.

With a h/t to Bluestem Prairie, the Star Tribune shows us it has the ability to publish thoughtful stories about the First Congressional District, as opposed to those based nearly solely on press releases from ambitious GOPers, with a thorough piece about the deadly stretch of road around Owatonna.

Several years ago, as newcomers to Winona State, my colleagues and I would light-heartedly write off Highway 14 as a possible route getting to the metro area (instead sticking with I-90) as it is likely to become stuck behind a tractor and limited to traveling at 15 mph. Later we would find out 14’s problems go beyond inconvenience into the realm of real danger. From the Strib:

The highway, a mix of old two-lane and reconstructed four-lane sections, has blind intersections, heavy truck traffic, narrow shoulders and unexpected curves. It may be the deadliest highway in the state.

Since the mid-1980s, more than 145 people have been killed on the highway, which winds through 265 miles of farmland from Winona to the South Dakota border. On average, someone dies on the road every two months. And 75 percent of the deaths between 2000 and 2005 occurred on the two-lane stretches, state rec­ords show.

Instead of investing in transportation projects such as Highway 14, we keep getting empty political rhetoric from Republican officials. On TPT’s Almanac last month, John Kline called this year’s House Transportation bill, which had funding for Highway 14, the I-35W bridge and other projects, “fiscally irresponsible.” What’s really fiscally irresponsible: fixing the infrastructure now, or continuing to clean up wrecked vehicles, bringing accident victims to the hospital and taking the pieces of wrecked bridges out of the river?

On that same program, Rep. Tim Walz asked Kline why he should have to give up Highway 14 for his district when the President Bush won’t compromise on anything. Kline’s response: “We should all have to give.”

Meanwhile, GOP state Sen. Dick Day, who represents a district bisected by the highway, shows signs of being out of touch with what’s really going on. From the Owatonna People’s Press (I know I’m late here, but other stuff was on our minds when it came out):

Day and Ruth, both members of legislative committees concerning transportation, told the audience that transportation has been a low priority in Minnesota. The pair said they hoped to bring more funding and attention to transportation issues in Southern Minnesota.

“[Highway] 14 isn’t ever on the radar, yet,” Day said. “Everybody said health care, education are more important. The Bridge had to come down before a certain group of people would say that transportation is important.”

Barring a presidential veto, Highway 14 will soon be in line for federal funding. U.S Representative Tim Walz has sought funds in the 2008 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill for the expansion of the highway.

According to Meredith Salisbury, Walz’ press secretary, Walz earmarked $850,000 for Highway 14 in the current version of the bill. The revised bill still has yet to pass through the U.S. Senate. President George W. Bush threatened to veto the first version of the bill in October.

Day and Ruth did not mention the bill pending in the U.S. Congress, but explained to Chamber members that they hope to pass a comprehensive transportation plan and find state funding for Highway 14 and other road projects without resorting to a gas tax.

This is a classic article in the sense that Day forfeits any credibility even before reality is presented.

Not even on the radar? Was Day awake in the Senate chamber this legislative session (before the bridge collapse) when Sen. Steve Murphy, Senate transportation chair, spoke clearly about “Highway 14 in Sen. Day’s district” multiple times (among countless other things)?
Funny too is how Day says people think “education and health care are more important” when he’s made it clear his campaign theme is rounding up illegal immigrants.

Well, he convinced the Strib’s Mark Brunswick of that anyway.

As this photo shows, Day should put the toy glasses he got early from Santa away and worry about the issues important to southern Minnesota such as education, health care and oh yeah, transportation.

A cloture motion to proceed with the DREAM Act in the Senate failed today on a vote of 52-44.  60 affirmative votes were required to continue.

The DREAM Act, championed by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill, would give a path to citizenship those undocumented immigrants who came to the US as minors, have attained a high school diploma or GED and intend to begin college or join the military.

The opposition to this and similar bills remains deeply rooted in ideology and excuses.  They want immigration reform, yet it seems unless it’s a 500 ft. high fence on the boarder it’s not worthy of consideration.

Marisa Trevino at the Huffington Post looks at some consequences of such rigid opposition:

These students are graduating as bilingual teachers, nurses, engineers, business administrators — the list goes on.

Yet, this country would rather slap these young people in the face by not acknowledging the fact that these students, who may not be native-born but are “home-grown,” have a ready command, in most cases, of two languages and an intimate knowledge of the history, the traditions, the culture/pop culture and the issues of this country.

The further insult is that school districts facing a shortage of bilingual teachers are bypassing our own qualified graduates, albeit undocumented, to import teachers from Mexico, Spain and other South American countries to teach in a school system that they are unfamiliar with and where they should be role models in modeling both English and Spanish to their bilingual students, inevitably need to either learn English themselves or are naturally stronger in Spanish.

Hospitals are bypassing qualified nursing school graduates who are bilingual to recruit nurses from such countries as the Phillipines. Nurses who must learn U.S. routines and patient care that is unique to this country.

But because our graduates who are undocumented cannot legally work, they must stand idly by and watch their rightful jobs go to people who have a steep learning curve when it comes to knowing the culture and people of the United States.

With such unreasonable reactions from folks such as Tom Tancredo to the proposition of even listening to undocumented students and their stories, it’s no wonder this type of legislation isn’t advancing and immigration policy will remain exactly as it is and everyone will remain unhappy.

Dick Day hanging out with minutemen will surely get us somewhere, though.

Both of Minnesota’s Senators, Norm Coleman, R, and Amy Klobuchar, D, voted for the measure.

While much has been made about candidate for Congress in Minnesota’s First District and state Sen. Dick Day’s commitment to make illegal immigration the defining issue in the campaign for the Republican endorsement, fellow candidate and state Rep. Randy Demmer, R-Hayfield, today told supporters in an email message the single issue he hears the most about from constituents is “family values.”

From BPOU picnics and meetings to parades, I have spent the summer crossing and re-crossing Minnesota’s First Congressional District meeting with prospective delegates and general election voters alike. In addition to meeting and exchanging ideas with so many people, I have shared many of these experiences with my wife Kathy, family members, friends and supporters making for enjoyable as well as informative opportunities.

Although the issues of importance to the people of the First Congressional District have varied from immigration to spending . . . from the War in Iraq to health care . . . from taxation to education, the one most repeated subject is that of family values. It is very obvious that the great majority share with me that certain beliefs are the core of family values.

Protecting the rights of the unborn . . . a ban on public funding of embryonic stem cell research . . . and the belief that marriage is a union of one man and one woman are fundamental. I firmly believe residents of the First Congressional District hold dearly to the philosophy that families that live, study, play and worship together are the foundation and very essence of our country.

Family values extend to education. Parents and families are far and away the most important determinant of success. People of the First District are not looking for federal government intrusion into education. They believe, as I do, it is a family and local issue.

As I continue in this campaign, which covers border to border in southern Minnesota, I continue to pledge my non-negotiable commitment to the family values that are so very important to the people of the First District. Please join me in our campaign to replace Tim Walz and return responsible Congressional representation to Minnesota’s First Congressional District.

Sincerely,

Randy Demmer

Yes, those evil gay marriages and that evil stem cell research again! They are OBVIOUSLY of much greater concern to southern Minnesotans than a war that is draining human and financial resources, a broken health care system or even immigration, an issue which virtually everyone thinks needs evaluation.  Or agriculture, which this message didn’t mention.  I guess this email message seems to illustrate that Demmer has decided that forgetting about agriculture needs of the First District will now be a recurring campaign theme.

Please Randy, run as a social conservative.  And please get the GOP endorsement.  Give the voters of the First a hard choice next November: male, southern Minnesota version of Michele Bachmann (you, Randy), or a common sense, pragmatic, hard working incumbent (Tim Walz).

Or you will get votes because of the thing most impressive about your campaign so far: your perfectly maintained hair. Seriously, watch for yourself: it keeps its terrific condition in the parade breeze.

Speaking of Randy Demmer taking on Tim Walz, Hal over at Blue Man in a Red District has a fantastic take on Demmer’s press release asking Walz to denounce Moveon.org.

The press release, it should be noted, was picked up by no one (that I can find via Google, anyway) other than Hal and Michael Brodkorb over at MDE. Must be that evil liberally controlled media…