As a subscriber to Speaker Thissen's email updates, I believe a recent item from Thissen deserves mention.

Thissen, and his legislative service history, here.

His current page for the current legislative session, here.

Thissen's email subscription link, here.

From that current page, his news/press releases, the most recent, "Legislative leaders, bipartisan group of legislators call for flexibility to preserve MinnesotaCare," here. Crabgrass readers are urged to read that item.

The most recent emailing, because it is not online via a link, is quoted now, in its entirety:

click image to read it
in high resolution

We have an obligation and a shared responsibility to govern well and move our state forward together.

Our state is facing a number of challenges. Incredibly, we’ve faced a state budget deficit in eight of the last ten years, and this year is no different. After years of gimmicks, cuts, and borrowing, we must now tackle a $1 billion deficit — and we owe our schools another billion more.

It’s clear that this slash, burn, and borrow form of budgeting hasn’t left our state on stable footing. Tuition is skyrocketing at our colleges and universities, class sizes are growing in our K-12 schools, property taxes are steadily increasing for families, farmers, seniors and small businesses, and too many Minnesotans remain out of work or underemployed.

We need to take bold action to put our state on a path to long-term economic prosperity. It is time for a new approach--one that is fair, responsible and does not place the burden for solving our budget issues on the backs of middle-class families. We are committed to a budget that will promote our economic competitiveness, provide greater economic security for the middle class, and create pathways into it for those struggling in these tough economic times.

First 5 bills introduced in the Minnesota House

The House DFL Caucus recently unveiled House Files 1-5, bills representing many of our top priorities this year.

HF 1 would pay back what was borrowed from our schools in the previous budget so that we can fairly balance our budget and make sure money that was going to pay off loans is staying in the classroom. A high-quality education is the ticket to economic opportunity for our kids and our state’s future, but over the past decade previous legislatures have borrowed from our K-12 schools to balance our state budget.

HF 2 creates the Homestead Credit Refund to provide direct property tax relief to middle class Minnesota homeowners and renters, many who have been squeezed in recent years. The Homestead Credit refund would expand the existing Homeowner Property Tax Refund that about 360,000 Minnesotans receive every year. It would provide an additional $100 million in property tax relief to Minnesota homeowners and would increase the Renter’s Credit.

HF 3 would increase funding for the Minnesota Investment Fund, one of the state’s primary tools to encourage businesses to set up shop in Minnesota. The program has a proven track record of job creation with an excellent return on investment.

HF 4 would expand funding for the Minnesota Trade Office to promote Minnesota’s competitiveness globally. Expanding funding the Trade Office could help us expand economic opportunities to small and medium-sized Minnesota businesses.

HF 5 would set up a health exchange to make it easier and more affordable for Minnesotans and small businesses to purchase health insurance. Minnesota families are projected to save over $1 billion by using the exchange to purchase insurance — with the average family saving $500 and a lower-income family saving approximately $1,800. Roughly 300,000 uninsured Minnesotans will gain coverage through the exchange by 2016.

Governor Dayton’s Budget

Last week Governor Dayton unveiled his budget proposal. I applaud Governor Dayton for putting forward a budget that makes tough decisions and doesn’t use short-term gimmicks, that invests in our schools, and provides property tax relief for middle class Minnesotans. This is just a start. Over the next several weeks, we will begin taking an in-depth look at the governor’s budget. Once the February forecast is released, budget work will begin moving forward.

We understand there is tough work ahead. We are committed to working together to address our state's challenges with a focus on the priorities we all share: balancing the state's budget responsibly and expanding economic opportunity for all Minnesotans. That is how we will move our state forward.

I want to hear from you

As always, I welcome your comments, questions, concerns and feedback. You can reach me by phone at 651-296-5375, by email at rep.paul.thissen@house.mn, or you can visit or send mail to my office, 463 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155. Thank you for the honor of representing you at the Capitol.

Paul Thissen

Actual bill text can be accessed, here, with the bill count up to 213 at the time that page was accessed today, to provide its link.

_________UPDATE_________
For readers in Ramsey, with a new city council session starting and new people on the council, there is a question of whether, to use Thissen's terminology, "[a] slash, burn, and borrow form of budgeting hasn’t left our [... city] on stable footing."

Plus, there is the added Ramsey question of what role a city should continue to have, given its recent history, in land ownership and development, and in the choosing and/or hiring and use of consultants, re same.

LATEST MINNESOTA CASE ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH ON THE WEB. PLUS SOME UPDATING. ABOUT A WEBSITE CREATOR, KYZYLYCZYN. ALSO PLEASE NOTE "FURTHER UPDATES."

Abby Simons, who covered the Moore v. Hoff case earlier, reports for Strib of the recent unanimous opinion by the Minnesota Supreme Court, authored by Justice Page, which reversed a Court of Appeals decision about online publishing and defamation.

This screen capture presents the opening part of the complete item Simons authored:

Click image to enlarge and read.
Complete STRIB report, here.

That opening explanation gives enough detail to allow Crabgrass readers to read the remainder of the complete report by Simons, which is recommended, or to read and understand the two conflicting court opinions, the unpublished Court of Appeals opinion, here, and the very recent reversal by the Minnesota Supreme Court, here. This is one of those most helpful situations, where the two opinions conflict so that each side of the argument is represented in a "winning" posture, while readers can discern what factors were influential with the lower appellate court, vs what was determinative to the ultimate decision on review.

Such situations are most instructive and helpful to those publishing online - where there are disagreeing viewpoints of what the law should be, and with one view dominating by virtue of being from the higher court.

An entirely separate issue would concern forms of regulated commercial speech, for instance a mere website, which while publishing opinion and reports could represent itself as "a newspaper" despite it not publishing and printing at all via paper and ink with a distribution network to shops and coffee houses making publicly available copies for sale or for free, on a regular basis. Indeed such a mere website could call itself "a propaganda organ" as well; but a question is whether there is any justification or credibility were it to try to make money off of selling legal notice publishing, a regulated activity where there are some reasonable impositions of law hinging upon the concept of providing generally true and sensible notice to the public within involved communities.

Somebody's mere website is not the same as a true printed community newspaper, in that sense. Although pretenses can be made, there also is dotting every "i" and crossing every "t" in the spirit of and according to the letter of governing law.

Detail about that question is a matter, probably, for a future Crabgrass post, while this post only focuses upon the lattitude of and limits upon what can be published, without defamation liability to others, over the content of the published commentary.

That question is complicated by the always present fact that any deep pocket feeling aggrieved (or simply honked off like a spoiled brat) and able to pay the lawyer and the filing fee can cause grief to another, even when nothing but pure truth and reasonable conclusory opinion is at issue.

Practically, anyone publishing on the web should look at this MD, deep pocket, having dragged the citizen over the rocks in this affair, because he could afford to and wanted to.

One year elapsed between the Court of Appeals issuing an unpublished opinion, and the reversal. Guess at the cost to the party that lost in the lower appellate court, the target of the suit by the target of published criticism.

This is a telling paragraph of Simons' report:

It's a frustrating end for McKee, 51, who said he's spent at least $50,000 in legal fees and another $11,000 to clear his name online after the story went viral, resulting in hundreds more negative postings about him -- likely from people who never met him. He hasn't ruled out a second lawsuit stemming from those posts.

If you are going to be an ass and sue over being publicly criticized, you have to take the ultimate yin with the yang. While that will not stop some having a more obstreperous nature (and having enough discretionary cash for the lawyer and filing fees without having to resort to eating cat food and living in a cold house); others, hopefully, will be deterred.

When you read what the doctor says he paid in fees, to put it in context consider that you likely could buy an election or two, for less.

___________UPDATE___________
As a thought experiment, readers are urged to consider whether The Anoka County Watchdog is a mere website, a newspaper, or a propaganda organ. Opinions can vary, and probably the one you should value most is your own.

Then as a further thought experiment, the word itself, "watchdog," decide for yourself whether Harold Hamilton's use of it per his "Anoka County Watchdog" website, is comparable to or different from use of the "watchdog" word, in this Strib report, which begins:

Minn. watchdog panel wants to see campaign financing overhaul
Article by: RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER , Star Tribune - Updated: December 12, 2012 - 9:10 PM

Proposals to the Legislature advocate a heftier budget, approval of higher donation limits and more disclosure.

The Minnesota agency charged with overseeing campaign finances is pushing the Legislature for a larger budget that would give it more investigative capacity, raise donation limits for candidates and require stricter disclosure from interest groups.

The proposals approved Wednesday by members of the state Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board are the latest indication that the state's laws are struggling to keep pace with the modern era of supersized fundraising.

"If they adopt all this, I think it will be pretty significant," said board member Deanna Wiener, a former state senator.

Already legislators from both parties who survived an election season of record spending on all fronts are clamoring for changes. Asked this week what one issue had received too little attention, Gov. Mark Dayton responded with just three words: "Campaign finance reform."

Along with legal changes, the board is seeking a $1 million budget in each of the next four years. That's up from the $689,000 it received for this year -- the lowest level it has received since 2003.

With the current budget levels, "we have been able to carry on, but never to excel or improve," said Gary Goldsmith, the board's executive director. The board had considered asking for less money from the state and charging lobbyists and candidates registration fees, as do some other states, but abandoned that idea.

The increased funding is expected to allow the agency to do more investigations and to improve its website.

[...]

[read more, again here]

What that suggests is perhaps a public spirited "watchdog" motive for the CFB to put spurs on when facing lobbying PAC-like organizations such as Taxpayer League, which, for example, has litigated to keep an Iron Curtain between itself and public disclosure of money flows it manages. Hiding information, rather than disclosing it in a way many believe reasonable and beneficial.

Added new text, as italicized: In the sense of sunshine vs the Iron Curtain favored by Taxpayer League, presumably via its Chairman Hamilton and revolving door lobbyist Krinkie authorizing litigation against giving disclosure, Stassen-Berger wrote:

The board also proposed requiring groups that spend on elections but do not currently disclose their spending to begin public reporting.

Board members did not make a recommendation on stricter lobbyist registrations or more disclosure of economic interests by lawmakers, although some think both are needed.

Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, said legislators should have to disclose their sources of income.

"I think that's desperately needed in Minnesota," said Winkler, who noted that under current law, a legislator could work as a consultant for a lobbying group and no one would ever know.

Most states require far more income disclosure from elected officials than Minnesota does. A few years ago, the state received a failing grade for its disclosure laws.

On that Winkler observation re possibly hiding questionable consultancies under a hat, spend time

googling = two putt tommy boys tyler hann gottwalt


Continuing the thought experiment, ask yourself the same question set about Harold Hamilton's other currently active website, The Minnesota Watchdog, making two published websites of this Micro Control Company owner directly under his name.

Of interest, while websites are incorporeal, those two watchdog sites are at least "tangible" in the sense you can access something on the web - they are not ghosts nor mere glimmers in somebody's eye, as appears the case with the tantalizing ghost-site, The Washington County Watchdog:

I defy any reader to find that reserved name in use, on the web. I could not find it.

This K-Solutions - Kysylyczyn operation out of Roseville, besides being responsible for the uber-right-wing Republican Watchdog trifecta, (see the footers of the two dawgs now tangibly on the web as well as the above Washington County woof-to-be), this former mayor ("time to buy a vowel," maybe?) Republican inner-party operative, Kysylyczyn, is noted with 29 registered websites to his credit, with this rap-sheet giving creation dates:

The details, names of sites, is behind a paywall. What is public is that the batch of 29 includes at least these (i.e., two GOP legislative candidate sites used last election, plus Harold's "subscribe to my anti-Dan Erhart emailings" woofer-screed site).

Some do not like Kysylyczyn and/or have questioned his gravitas, including another uber-Republican website publisher (like Kysylyczyn), Mitch Berg (and John Gilmore). See, e.g., Berg here, and here; Gilmore here.

If you look at that PiPress report cited above, online still, here; one sentence stands out for me between the dash marks, "Kysylyczyn -- a newspaper owner, paid political consultant and day-care provider -- said he was elected chair of the group in April in an election involving more than 200 delegates, most of them having gained their role in precinct caucuses and local Senate and House district political conventions." I freely give the guy two out of three, day care and political operative, with one I disbelieve and would dispute.

More, later.

Probably via a follow-up post rather than a further UPDATE here.

______________FURTHER UPDATE_____________
I am reminded of the snafu Mike Hatch stepped into in Duluth the last time he ran, did he say, "Republican whore" or "Republican hack"?

Hence, at the outset, I eschew either term and even the opinionated term hactivist, and only characterize Kysylyczyn as a "clearly-dedicated activist Republican operative," and indeed one who appears possibly too extreme and/or misoriented for other clearly-activist Republican operatives, i.e., Berg and Gilmore.

Other Republican operatives such as Harold Hamilton, Bob Zick, and Peggy Scott either like Kysylyczyn or they are at least amenable to transacting Republican candidacy and advocacy business with him.

FURTHER UPDATE: I would not call the gentleman "a real tool" although it would pass Supreme Court muster if I did. I do have my opinion. Form your opinion. That "Washington County Watchdog" screenshot has contact information, so you can phone and speak with Kysylyczyn, or exchange emails if that's how you'd want to spend any of your time.

_______________FURTHER UPDATE______________
It appears in today's "everyone's a critic" GOP there is yet another telling of the story of the dedicated Republican's CD4 unchairing, a Joseph Schultz, posting:

Therein lies the real story. Liberty movement delegates in CD4 got the Chair elected and got the Chair removed. Liberty movement delegates supporting removal came disproportionately from those new to the movement that have taken active roles in CD4 as elected members of the CD4 Executive and Full Committees. Those opposing removal predominately came from established members of the liberty movement. There are some noted exceptions, but taken as a whole it is a fair characterization.

The real question for CD4’s GOP is what to do next. Those favoring removal – fair disclosure I was among them – are now making a concerted effort to assemble a strategic plan for CD4 and a leadership team to execute on said, and as yet unfinished, plan. This initiative is a joint effort by Republicans of all stripes interested in promoting the principles of liberty and opportunity. With any luck this whole removal episode can serve as a new beginning.

Given the friction demonstrated within the liberty movement, there is some question as to what role the movement will play going forward. Liberty advocates who favored removal are already working hard to integrate the ideals of liberty into the strategic plan. These leaders will undoubtedly have significant influence on the composition of the team that will be asking for the trust of CD4 to implement the plan. Ideally this effort would include all those involved in the liberty movement. Unfortunately efforts thusfar to reach out to established liberty leaders have mostly been rebuffed.

There seems a dimension of the little boys fighting over who gets to hold the shiny airplane toy, and as best as I can understand a self-branding, "liberty movement" must be a pro-choice thing since if you have no liberty to make your family decisions then you have no liberty. I expect there is less thinking that way than fighting over the shiny toy, with Kysylyczyn's fingerprints on it from the past, Pat Anderson's fresher.

The man would be of little to no interest to me, presumably to most others, were it not for his insurgency against a status quo, which he, (and/or others which is a hard thing to pin down because a key person among others does not respond), perpetrate in the county where I live. I care to get sound and unbiased news, something I regard the one true local newspaper I know of, Anoka County Union (not Record), as providing. Then there is what Republican inner-party activist Kysylyczyn is doing under the rubric of his latest website toy, registered in Roseville, which he calls, "Anoka County Record."

In Roseville, per this whois downloaded yesterday evening, Feb.1, 2013 - something he registered first, days before first registering the mischief with the Minnesota Secretary of State (and there claiming something other than and beyond Roseville as a full and total locale for the website's activities). Compare:

[click those images to enlarge and read, which is worth doing because Roseville is in Hennepin County, while, surprisingly, a most interesting Anoka County address shows up, for some reason, 7956 Main St. NE, with Kysylyczyn's SoS filing]

All this being something I take time to consider, because "Anoka County Record," while being beyond question a website, is being posed to the public in ways I dispute, as if it were to be regarded by the general public as a "newspaper."

For now, you decide in your mind what a newspaper really is, especially in terms of tangibility, and in terms of giving the reading public suitable, real, actual, broadly distributed printed notice of events and things, and whether in your view, (stretched to its reasonable limits but not beyond), a website is in any true sense a "newspaper." More on that question, in subsequent posting.

For now, I end with the simple but telling observation, you cannot put a website down on your carpet to protect it if your Watchdog has "problems."

_________FURTHER UPDATE__________
Regardless of how the website's registration with GoDaddy may be amended after Crabgrass publishing the now current whois, above, the key part of the whois, in context, is the tangible street address of, "registrant," namely this:

i.e., this location:

and not this one:

Next an actual experiment rather than a thought experiment, go by that 7956 Main St NE, Fridley address and look for the sign indicating a "newspaper" housed there; AND, note what sign if any you do see at that address (hint, check out Google's above sidebar info returned when web-searching the Fridley address on Google Maps).

Compare what you'd see in Roseville and/or Fridley to the headquarters of a real Anoka County newspaper's publishing headquarters site, i.e, this. Or this. Or this, (indicating ECM, primarily a publisher of tangible printed-paper newspapers, also maintains websites ancillary to its primary business of printing and distributing newspapers to shops and other outlet sites within Anoka County). You can even go to the newspapers part of the county libraries, certainly the Rum River branch, grab a current or back issue, and take it to sit where most comfortable in a nicely upholstered easy chair next to a window (as I have done), and read news without having to log onto a library web-linked workstation and sit at a screen.

Surely that Fridley site has attracted a more auspicious guest than the BizTech ACADEMY student group pictured outside ECM Publishing headquarters, but that auspicious Republican luminary's visit was back in 2003, years before Kysylyczyn's website in Roseville was even conceived, much less registered with GoDaddy. Also, note the presidential visit reporting squares with signage at that Fridley site (drive by there and check it out). And if you miss seeing any sign, for that site there is this showing decades of existance:

......................

Last, in your mind's eye, can you picture Harry Truman grinning and holding aloft for reporters and photographers, a website?








__________FURTHER UPDATE___________
All credible evidence suggests Kysylyczyn spends his days operating a day-care business from his home at the Roseville address, 3083 Victoria St. N., i.e, the most recent web-chat entry I could find, here; his "K Care, LLC" SoS filing, here; his Linkedin page, here; and a Switchboard reverse look-up of his declared business phone number, (651) 484-1384, here. It appears the Fridley presence may be a fiction, one maintained with the Minnesota Secretary of State, and on his "Anoka County Record" detail line on his publicly viewable Linkedin page, here; while in truth he may sit his bottom at a work station at the Roseville home working on that "newspaper" when not wiping baby bottoms, per the K Care, LLC, business model -- or we may think it that, absent the primary 7956 Main St. NE, Fridley, occupant saying definitively on the record, "No, Kysylyczyn sits his butt here in Fridley day-in, day-out, I see him doing such, since I am here all the days too."

So far, no such statement has emerged despite email requests for such an affirmation.

I did send a registered letter to Kysylyczyn at that Fridley address, but the thing was not signed for by him. The return receipt was signed somebody named, as best as I can read the signature, Diane Butler. A request to identify this "Butler" person at the Fridley address has also gone unanwered by Harold Hamilton, CEO and owner, Micro Control Company, the lead and possibly only true occupant at that site and address.

Kysylyczyn uses his home address and that one single phone number for his political consultancy, which is how he becomes campaign website registrant for Republican politicians such as Zick and Scott; this screen capture:

The Roseville online chatline for which he is a regular posting person, on the latest I could find of his many items there, in relevant part states all things he does are glommed together, per that Roseville address/phone:

Date: Nov 26 [2012] 17:11 UTC

Got my proposed tax bill. 9% increase. Almost all of it attributed to
Roseville City Hall.

I guess we have the "Port Authority" to thank for a portion of that.

John M. Kysylyczyn
K Solutions LLC, owner
Anoka County Record LLC, owner
K Care LLC, owner
3083 Victoria Street
Roseville, MN 55113
email:
home office: (651) 484-1384

http://www.ksolutionsllc.com/
http://www.anokacountyrecord.com/
Mayor of Roseville, MN 2000-2004

Kysylyczyn so far declines to post a meaningful website for the K Care, LLC, thing; only this, per the link; http://kcarellc.com/

HOWEVER -- It's him, that same Roseville address, per his SoS filing, here, and a whois of that GoDaddy reserved site URL; same address, same phone number:

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, LLC (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: KCARELLC.COM
Created on: 31-Oct-08
Expires on: 31-Oct-13
Last Updated on: 27-Oct-12

Registrant:
K Care LLC

3083 North Victoria Street
Roseville, Minnesota 55113
United States

Administrative Contact:
Kysylyczyn, John M. john@ksolutionsllc.com
K Care LLC
3083 North Victoria Street
Roseville, Minnesota 55113
United States
+1.6514841384

Technical Contact:
Kysylyczyn, John M. john@ksolutionsllc.com
K Care LLC
3083 North Victoria Street
Roseville, Minnesota 55113
United States
+1.6514841384

More, subsequently about this Roseville resident doing his business in Roseville, Hennepin County, Minnesota ...

__________FURTHER UPDATE__________
One loose end tied up sufficiently. This is like peeling the layers of an onion, except that's worth the time, but once I get into finding out about the gravitas and basic legitimacy of this Anoka County Record thing, it's like a watchdog sinking in his teeth, not letting go.

Speaking about Watchdogs, I tracked down the individual at that Fridley address who signed for the registered letter I sent to Kysylyczyn (at that address). Dianna M. Butler, a 14 year employee of Harold Hamilton's Micro Control Company, presently having the title there, "Executive Administrative Assistant." She is a notary employed by Harold Hamilton [his firm, he owns it] and she notarizes Kysylyczyn's stuff, e.g., here. Same signature as on the letter return receipt. This Anoka County Record thing looks after each rock is lifted to have more and more Watchdog paw prints all over it. But, again, there will be another post, another time ...

In closing, I hate the guy's name. I have to keep cutting and pasting. But perseverance is its own reward.

Also, the guy's registered another interesting website name, one giving a 404 message now,

philkrinkie.org

Somehow I tie that name to Watchdoging - oh yes, Taxpayer League, that nexus.

And, another right wing Republican politician using [cut/paste] Kysylyczyn,

Mandy Benz

Also

dakotacountywatchdog.com

A frigging kennel -- have you seen that film, Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Big pod like websites reserved for what mischief? Fate will tell.

More later. The onion layers are making my eyes tear.

In fairness, not necessarily an uber-right wing Taxpayer League site registration, here.

These folks - a local LWV chapter. I wonder if the Republicans stand-up their candidate forums, in Roseville, Maplewood, Falcon Heights. [Update: At least advance notice with a reason stated, this link. Also, Kysylyczyn dips his oar in commentary. The Republican candidate declined to participate, with a letter notice sent in advance, not a simple rude no-show hike.]

So, balance that one statistical outlier, a LWV chapter, against this yet-another Republican operative, now appearing to be soliciting around as a PR/flack/lobbyist - fellow, get a better looking website. It reminds me too much of the decor at the Black Forest Restaurant.

Mr. [cut/paste] did his web registration too.

____________LAST UPDATE_____________
Anything else WILL be a NEW post.

In fairness to Kysylyczyn posing Mitch Berg as his critic is not necessarily seeking out the best hand on the pulse of the nation. However, my gut instinct tells me the Kysylyczyn-Watchdog-Krinkie trifecta loved the Paul Ryan choice as much as Berg, with only the electorate disagreeing.

Kysylyczyn was selected Republican CD4 head in an April 2012 district convention if my memory is correct, and lasted less than a year in that role. See this link for minutes online of the removal meeting, where Mitch Berg was a present critic favoring removal. Make of it what you will.

Much of that background is offered mainly to show the question of what influence Taxpayer League's chairman has on this man's website posed as a newspaper, where ink is not bought by the drum load as with ABC Newspapers, or the rail car as with Strib, but if used at all it's via an ink jet or laserjet printer, copy by copy printed for who knows what purpose. So: IS THAT A NEWSPAPER IN ANY REAL SENSE OF THE WORD AS COMMONLY UNDERSTOOD?

Next, with the public web persona of a rabid GOP sycophant, would anyone expect the objectivity of true newspaper reporting from that venue? Whether it be Kysylyczyn alone, or Kysylyczyn together with Taxpayer League muck-a-mucks driving the car, will it not be a car not tracking the lane well, but steering perpetually to the right?

That is another factor in saying whether or not this Anoka County Record website is anything even approaching a printed and distributed newspaper. Again, for now this is the last update. Look for a new but continuing post later. As in, for instance, what does the statute say and what does it mean? What did the legislature intend? And does the Kysylyczyn website meet any such standard? Think it over in your own mind, before I bias you mind with my own opinion and argument. But it is a real question because this dude is posturing as a paper to sell legal notices, as a cash flow plan, and the essence of "notice" - what it is and why it is important - are dimensions at play, in the man's selling effort. It is serious stuff. He's out to make money, that way. Is it justified? Is he overstepping realities, in this quest to sell? And how best can we see hints of and then guess at the scope of Watchdog paw prints all over this entire thing? Knowing the players in the play is not inconsequential.

Where are they now and what are they up to?

Mark Kennedy. A faculty expert on "Politics/Campaigning".

Really, they list him as that (so what does that make Senator Klobuchar?).

Next, this esteemed sculptor of public opinion, princess of the prim, sycophant of solipsistic sophistry, diva of discourse, all that - click the screen capture to read it, click on the caption for where this odd duck landed, and get to see her fellow travelers, in that pond off to the right:

Did I say, "Off to the right?"

Someone must be feeding the ducks. With no big DFL snapping turtles lurking around the bottom of that pond, they prosper, they quack.

Injustice from the Justice Department. "Badge heavy" is the term used for cops. How about "rabidly overzealous" for the likes of Carmen Ortiz, who needs firing, yesterday not being soon enough.

This link, and here.

This Google.

This petition, please sign it if you have not already.

Crabgrass, earlier, here.

Or do your own web search = Aaron Swartz.

When the politically ambitious, or the worthlessly biased [can you say Rachel Paulose] sit in U.S. Attorney's offices making decisions, we all are under threat of bias, stupidity and abuse.

There is no excuse for the power given Ms. Ortiz considering the ham-handed and quite nasty way she uses it. That power should be taken away, pronto.

Please sign the petition.

More Flaherty, more Collins, "as questions linger .." elsewhere than Ramsey -- big city 'burbs, Chicago area. The ugly "C-word" rears its nasty head. Officials have rose-colored glasses, are confident, all that. They bet the farm even bigger than Ramsey did.

Chicago Tribune, here.

Yup, "catalyst", up front and first-paragraph in reporting.

Recall that in Ramsey "catalyst" is what building the luxuriant City Hall in Town Center was supposed to be and do.

Market tanks. Flaherty's adventure gets the rebranding of the C-word from Darren ("catalyst" not "COR", though each is a repugnant C-word in its own way).

Excerpting:

A major luxury apartment complex meant to be a catalyst for Orland Park's new urban-inspired downtown area is only a few months away from opening its doors to residents.

The developer of Ninty7Fifty On the Park is on schedule to finish 80 of its 295 units and about 11,000-square-feet of communal space — like a screening room and computer lounge — by late March, said Chris Kirles, vice president of development with Indianapolis-based Flaherty & Collins Properties.

The six-story project is the first major piece of a massive retrofitting of a downtown district for Orland Park near 143rd Street and La Grange Road. The major development hasn't been without controversy, however, and village officials who agreed to help finance the public-private project have a lot riding on its success.

An agreement including a $38 million loan from the village and up to another $25 million in financial incentives was approved despite many outspoken residents who were against it. Skeptics said they doubted the viability of a nearly 300-unit apartment complex in the southwest suburbs with rent starting at about $1,300 a month.

While it is still early, officials are saying the outlook is promising and they're excited by interest from potential tenants. As of mid-January, Kirles said 31 people have pre-leased units and, on average, the per-square-foot rent rates are coming in strong.

[...] The apartment complex is the first major part of a larger vision for a transit-oriented district inside what's been dubbed the Main Street Triangle by officials. Their plan is to assemble restaurants, shops, business offices, entertainment venues and a variety of housing options all within walking distance of the 143rd Street Metra stop.

The goal is to create a setting where suburban residents could cut back their reliance on cars. Kirles said they are also working to get Zipcar, a car sharing service, to station vehicles at Ninety7Fifty for residents.

The model unit is about 750 square feet and is priced at about $1,325 a month, Kirles said. It has shiny, granite countertops and a wine rack already mounted in the kitchen. There's a parking space included, washer and dryer in the unit and a sliding door opens onto the complex's sun deck and pool.

The units are mostly one and two bedrooms, but a handful of two-story units include a den, or a third bedroom, Kirles said. Those 1,500-square-feet duplexes are priced on the Ninety7Fifty website at about $2,400 a month. Concerns by residents about the village's financial ties to the project stems from doubts that enough renters will be willing to pay rates that rival many mortgage payments.

If the developer fails to fill the building at its expected rates, then ultimately it will be tax dollars on the line to cover the village's commitment. Officials say their market studies showed a strong demand for the luxury rentals, and their financial deal comes with enough checks and balances to protect taxpayers.

"When this is up and running, I think everybody will be very proud of it," [Orland Park Mayor Dan] McLaughlin said. "Very happy with it."

John Fotopoulos, an Orland Park resident who is running for village trustee in the April election, said he was motivated to run in part because of his dissatisfaction with the village's handling of the apartment project.

"I'm not a proponent at all of using public funds for private development," he said, adding that he thinks the first development in the new downtown area should be commercial-based and not residential.

To cover its $63 million commitment, the village issued $20 million in taxable General Obligation bonds in 2012, and likely will issue another set around April, said Finance Director Annmarie Mampe.

[...] Village officials say they did their due diligence to map a financial plan that protects the village's investment, and even though it's early, so far they say the numbers look good.

"We're encouraged and we're very optimistic," said Village Manager Paul Grimes. "Everything so far is going in accordance with the plan. We're confident."

In Ramsey the consistent bloc of three Flaherty allies on council are now off council, unlike Orland Park, where it appears next elections will be after the thing is finished, boom or bust.

I don't do obits, but this is different. A writer died.

Karl Bremer. His friends have posted information on Karl's Ripple in Stillwater blog. He fought but was done in by pancreatic cancer, something I understand to be one of the more awful instances of an awful killer disease. Something you do not wish on your worse enemy. I learned of Karl's death from reading Dump Bachmann's notice.

The Book. Avidor, Young and Bremer collaborated in writing it. I never personally met Karl, but I will miss his voice. The Blog, Karl's alone. Read some of it if you have not already.

__________UPDATE_________
This about Karl, from a link here, one item from earlier, the linking one from around the time Karl was diagnosed with cancer.

"By tolerating these conflicts of interest, we encourage them." A quote from Brian Lambert's MinnPost Jan 23, 2013, "Glean" online news aggregation. It is doubly a gift. First -- CONFLICT OF INTEREST is discussed. RAMSEY, I understand, has been issued a final CONFLICT OF INTEREST OPINION LETTER by attorney Bode, of the State Auditor's Office.

Glean, here. Foxes running the planning henhouse in the big, real, city.

I have a public data disclosure request in with the city clerk for the Ramsey-specific Auditor's item. I will make it available online when received, or if the City posts it I will publish a link.

I have created a separate, special work station directory for such requests, after having chosen an appropriate file icon from the WinXP default icon set, this screen capture:

Lambert's Jan 13, 2013 Glean -- the gift that gives, in a "You have got to be kidding me manner."

Glean, again here. Second item in the Glean, (formatting and link from original).

This has to exceed the senator’s fondest dreams … Public Policy Polling reports: “Al Franken's in good shape heading into his reelection cycle. Our newest poll finds 52% of Minnesota voters approving of him to 41% who disapprove. Those solid numbers are pretty consistent with where we've found him for most of the last year. One thing that may help Franken's reelection chances, on top of his own popularity, is the weak Republican bench in the state. The top choice of GOP voters in Minnesota to take on Franken is Michele Bachmann. 45% say they would like her to be their candidate with no one else even coming close — John Kline is at 19%, Chip Cravaack at 13%, Erik Paulsen at 11%, Laura Brod at 4%, and Rich Stanek at 2%. Bachmann fares equally strongly with voters in the party who identify as 'very conservative' (46%), 'somewhat conservative' (45%), and moderate (also 45%). The problem with GOP voters in the state wanting Bachmann as their Senate standard bearer is that she does the worst of anyone we tested against Franken, trailing him 54/40, including a 50/39 deficit with independents. Only 35% of voters in the state have a positive opinion of her, compared to 59% who see her in a negative light.”

Those turkeys wanting that must have a party death-wish. Or what? Many are unaware, Bachmann's "law degree" was from Oral Roberts University. Really. Fifteen years ago. ORU's first "law school" class. Not mail order, not from a Cracker Jack box, (with a prize of nominal value inside), but on the premises, Tulsa, etc.

____________UPDATE___________
From the Glean as quoted above, " ... she does the worst of anyone we tested against Franken, trailing him 54/40, ...". So the GOP faces, "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight." My bet is they fight, with PAC-Man Pete. See earlier Crabgrass, here, here, and here.

__________FURTHER UPDATE___________
For PAC-Man Pete, it can get so deep you need hip-waders:

Residual Forces, here.

It was the heroes of Wanamingo, and small towns across Minnesota, who compelled me to serve. Their example, and the demonstration of patriotism on that Main Street (and later in Forest Lake), are what motivated me to join Army ROTC at Princeton University. I signed up four months before the 9/11 attacks–an event that validated and solidified my commitment to military service. I’m honored and blessed to have served three tours since 9/11, guarding detainees at Guantanamo Bay, patrolling streets in Iraq, and training soldiers in Afghanistan.

It is this background of service–exemplified by my parents faith, exhibited on patriotic main streets, and forged on foreign battlefields–that I will bring to the United States Senate. Elected officials are public servants, and you can rest assured that I will always remember who I work for, who came before me, and where I came from. I have always been–and will always be–a consistent conservative with the courage to fight for what we believe in.

If Hegseth were thinking of soliciting an appointment to some Pentagon post, or a defense contractor job, great; but my view of GOP Senators Who Served and have their head on straight is Obama's appointee designee, Chuck Hagel. I don't see anything in the PAC-Man's self promotional materials suggesting he has any Chuck Hagel in him. I see more neocon than anything, and Bush wars have been too heavy already, especially since Bush financed them by deficit ballooning smoke-and-mirrors, without a conscience in doing it. Hegseth represents more of the same, and we are lucky now, with Al Franken, not perfect, short by far of being a Wellstone, but in the upper 10-25 percent of the Senate (for what that's worth given today's Senate, where Mitch McConnell and Max Baucus are living proof that low end porcine bipartisanship flourishes in the upper house of Congress). Al should be able to easily handle a charge of the light brigade, but that's my bet for the GOP's bet against Al. As long as Al is not caught sleeping, which after the Oberstar ambush is unlikely for DFL federal candidates.

Is it part of the GOP and its affiliated operatives' navel-gazing redefinition of themselves, to have Taxpayer League and Chambers of Commerce differing on policy, and when those outstanding minions of FREE ENTERPRISE clash, which do you trust [hint, the CoC folks don't ask politicians to sign any PLEDGE].

First, vintage Taxpayer League, Krinkie authored, ostensibly,

Freeloaders

Written by Phil Krinkie on 25 July 2008. Posted in Transportation

The slang term “freeloader” is defined as someone who makes a practice of eating or drinking at the expense of others. I’m sure everyone can identify someone who fits this description, the hanger-on, the last one to leave a party, the person who always seems to forget their wallet.

Well, I’d like to add another group of folks to the “freeloader” list – public transit riders. Maybe not all public transit riders, but certainly those who have attended the recent public hearings held by the Metropolitan Council to complain about the proposed 25 cent fare increase.

Currently, these transit riders pay a whopping buck-fifty or maybe two bucks to be hauled from their suburban park and ride to their downtown office destination.

Even with the fare increase these transit freeloaders won’t even pay one-third of the cost of transit operation. So next time you are at the pump watching the numbers spinning by, remember you also get to pay more than two-thirds of the fare for the bus rider. These are the folks that the environmentalists are holding out as the “saviors of the planet,” the people who are willing to sacrifice for the sinners who drive those gas guzzling SUVs.

[... blowhard, etc.]

This, new, today, a multi-Chamber release, click the thumbnail to enlarge and read:

So what's your GOP flavor, mainstream or insurgency? And is this cross purposes posturing part of why the Republican Party of Minnesota is in hock? The big wallets and the big mouths not on the same message?

I have an email in to The Chairman, seeking comment. We know The Chairman as a Northstar skeptic.


___________________
Hat tip, Residual Forces, here, for the CoC link. And for yet a different glimpse of the policy gaps within our treasured MNGOP big tent. In the interest of fairness, I also am a Northstar skeptic, in so far as it was built before other logical metro transit rail expansion that made more sense and promised more ridership. With only a limited downtown hub-and-spoke layout and no cross regional rail, so far, The Chairman may be correct in some criticism:

And let’s not forget that tens of thousands of riders on Northstar aren’t rush hour commuters who are freeing up highway lane space by taking the train. No, they’re Twins fans taking a heavily subsidized train ride down to Target Field to watch the Twinkies put in another inept performance despite the fact that the Pohlads told the legislature a sweet new taxpayer-subsidized stadium would mean a competitive team on the field.

On top of all that, Northstar ridership is down at a time when bus usage is UP.

So much for the argument that Northstar is a commuter travel option that will open lane space and mean a better commute.

In the car versus train battle, cars are winning big time. The expansion of Highway 10 between Egret and Hanson did more for commuters in the area than Northstar ever will, and at a fraction of the cost.

I think The Chairman is onto something, but if you kick the Pohlads in the pocketbook they may just say, "Let them eat cake -- and stay in hock." The navel-gazing redefinition has its highs and lows, and is evolving for 2014.

Beyond that, transit expansion spending vs. stadium subsidy spending is an easy call, the prior one is good, the latter one is bad and ugly. Yet look which got legislated fully funded, not piecemeal slow, by those with bad and ugly priorities and susceptibilities.

___________UPDATE__________
The Chairman, wearing his Watchdog hat, wrote:

LESSONS NOT LEARNED

So it appears that some GOP delegates didn't learn the hard lesson of 2010. Or 2012.

In 2010, Tom Emmer proved to be an unelectable candidate in a year in which we could have had a GOP trifecta. How nice would it be to have a Republican governor right about now?

Emmer, Bills, Quist? (photo credit)

So in 2012, the delegates went ahead and endorsed Kurt Bills, who challenged Emmer for the right to wear the "Worst GOP Candidate Post-WW II" sash.

Bills got crushed by Amy Klobuchar as the GOP faithful watched the race get called within 5 seconds of the polls closing as the GOP suffered another embarrassing defeat.

And in the bantam weight division, the faithful were treated to the spectacle of a 22 hour endorsement fight down in the First Congressional District, where Allen Quist late won the right to face Tim Walz.

Some honor. Walz went on to mop the floor with Quist.

Here we go again.

As this issue goes to press, we have learned that the GOP delegates, all 35 of them, have endorsed Allen Quist yet again. This time to run in a special election for the Minnesota House in district 19A.

Really? Collective amnesia? Quist just lost in a big way two months ago.

In fact, he lost to Walz by 26 points in this House district in that race. 26 POINTS!!!

Quist will not win this race.

In fact, Quist hasn't won an election since MTV played real music videos and Whitesnake was selling out arenas.

It's not as if there's going to be some dynamic that offers a 27 point reversal from two months ago.

Yes, we've already heard the Quist apologists apply some twisted logic to convince themselves that things are different because 60 days have passed.

Yes, we've heard about how the pasting from Walz was actually pretty good because Quist got his butt kicked just slightly less harder than what Walz did to his opponent in 2008.

The best "rationale" is that this is a special election and the turn out will be really small.

Great. This is our strategy? To field candidates who have a fighting chance to win only when the field is so small that a hard core base can win it for the candidate?

So we're admitting that this candidate has narrow appeal and will do well only in a special election?

And what if Quist did win? He still has to come back and face a bigger electorate in 2014.

Compare, Residual Forces, here.

Now, about that "Worst GOP Candidate Post-WW II" sash ...

Can you really narrow it to three? In fairness to so many others?

Federal spending cuts are touted as needed, only, however, if in somebody else's backyard. It's NIMBY for cuts, that is the rule not the exception, and that gums up the works.

Example: here.

Roe v. Wade. Today is the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision.

The Monitor, here. With a chart.

Republicans evolve over time. In images.

Mitch McConnell.

Gipper.

Ike.

I remember Ike. His presidency was generally middle-of-the-road like Clinton's and Obama's. Each with unexceptional vice presidents, although two went on to win presidential elections. Ike tolerated Joe McCarthy, for a time. Ike never had to tolerate Fox. Ike would not have. As much about not suffering fools as policy. As I understand the story, Ike appointed Earl Warren knowing what he was getting, but keeping a promise. Keeping the theme Republican --

Earl Warren.

Is there a gulf between Earl Warren and Mitch McConnell? Is the Pope Catholic?

UPDATE: bonus

Non-food biofuels. If Johnson Matthey or KiOR gets to the mentioned $2.60 per gallon target price, industrial scale, that firm may become a household name. Under an NREL grant, Johnson Matthey might in coming years build and operate an industrial scale pilot project. If the grant allows intellectual property rights to stay with the firm, company shares would benefit more than if NREL requires government ownership. If the thing hits a home run. Neither firm nor feds would treasure being assigned credit for a strike out.

Initial link notice was found here.

These are follow-up links: NREL here, Wikipedia on the firm, Johnson Matthey homepage, investor relations here, British.

The first link mentions "KiOR," this google. This touting link. Including mention of a $2.62 per gallon potential technology. Or at least having that figure as a target to be competitive with existing fuel options, under present pricing and costs.

UPDATE: The NREL news release quotes Mark Nimros, Chief Scientist of NREL molecular biomass science initiatives. Googling the name, technological info was found in NREL pages, see, e.g., here and here. I give the links, admitting I have not yet delved beyond that into reading of and understanding NREL biomass-derived fuel science. Use the links if interested, and you start as novice as I am on the potentials and pitfalls, at this point.

If any reader discovers any link giving further useful detail of non-food biomass chemistry and catalytic methods and intentions, and bench scale outcomes, please post the link in a comment. There is a vast literature, but nobody is pumping out millions of gallons of competitive fuels at unsubsidized pricing, at present. And the ethanol plants are having their problems. Corn crops this year were impacted by drought.

Everyone can use the whitehouse.gov petition process. Getting signatures is not easy, but positive action seldom is. I authored a petition after much thought over a still-pending issue, which if rightly addressed, might bring joy to me and others. Basic Liberty came to mind, so I wrote accordingly. The 40th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision is around the corner, January 22, 2013, and 40 years of enlightened good sense deserves commemoration.

Start at this Pew Research page. PLEASE, do read it first.

Now I expect Crabgrass readers embracing a "keep your friends close and your enemies closer" mindset may disagree with my thoughts, but unanimity on reproductive rights and family decision-making freedom remains unlikely. So I did it, and IT IS something that can be done entirely by Presidential action, no Congressional attention needed, since it urges mandating steps to be taken exclusively among executive branch personnel (click the image, go to the online petition):

That was fairly easy, step by step, child's play. But it was just the beginning, and if you doubt that, here is text showing on screen after creating the petition, in line with the "Learn about Petition Thresholds" link on that page, bottom right:

This is just the beginning! Right now only you know this unique URL. Share it with others to get more signatures on this petition. Until your petition reaches 150 signatures, it will not be publicly viewable on the Open Petitions section of We the People, so be sure to share this URL:

Short URL: http://wh.gov/mNhL

Save and Share this URL: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/instruct-post-office-and-mint-issue-commemorative-stamps-and-coins-honoring-roe-v-wade-decision/GGt1hYvp

An email has been sent to 4crabgrass@gmail.com with this information. You can forward it to others to help promote this petition.

And indeed there was the email. It restated the above live links, where any helpful reader can go to sign the petition.

If there are 150 helpful readers of Crabgrass, a hope if not a reality, each and all are urged strongly to help by signing. And by telling others. At that threshold, the petition switches from a by-invitation-only, to a publicly open-posted one. So, help is needed in getting over the first hump.

For those who have never used the whitehouse.gov petition page, and wish to learn more, start here:

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/

To view currently open petitions that have surpassed the 150 "signature" threshold, use this link:

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petitions

If the petitions are in any order I would guess chronological order applies, with a petition hitting over 150 taking the front of the queue.

To "sign" petitions, you have to log in, and first time users have to do an initial registration -- first and last names and an email, make up a password, regular stuff.

Of the unrequired but optional data, I only added zipcode, "55303."

The site is replete with gun bunny stuff, navigate it and you will see.

A few petitions of interest, including some I recommend aside from the two I highlighted in a prior post, are given (you can speculate which are recommended and which are listed merely as "interesting"): here, here, here, (breaking the code of silence, please vote for this), here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, again break the code of silence, I back this, here, and here. The one "Impeach President Obama ..." raises the conundrum that the President does not impeach himself, the Constitution is clear but the intent of the thing also is clear (even if the author does not know the Constitution, he/she doubtlessly rails endlessly about it at Tea Party confabs). Now, so much for examples, if you sign any of those, do not forget this one.

Getting a hundred thousand consensus signatures on a tight timeframe is unlikely, but it's presently what's mandated.

_____________UPDATE_____________
While hinted to above, one thing needs express mention. Starting this post with the Pew Research item and not the petition text was a very conscious choice.

The family-planning liberty organizations and individuals have an effective network, as was made clear from the Koman insurgency and the ensuing firmly and effectively voiced opposition.

However, like it or love it, the network's strongest allied individuals are aging. Young people facing an unwanted pregnancy, who are fortunate as being those who seek out the better advisory people vs those who would guilt trip abortion, (and who do guilt trip abortion big time, as a key part of their agenda); those young become aware and allied individuals within the general population, having learned and then knowing what Roe v. Wade is and means. Those fortunate ones most frequently do adopt a duly protective outlook; but beyond the opening screenshot text the Pew Research report has sobering demographic words, presented by a full-context screen capture rather than quoting:

Too many young are tuned-out on the importance of individual and family civil rights because the presently more publicized issue of civil rights and family constitution, via instigation from the choice-hating regiments of the right, has been the gay marriage attack and defense. Educated people are better informed, but the costs of education are skyrocketing so that the pool of networked educated individuals will become more of an additional club of the wealthy. Not necessarily preemptively so, but slanted so by demographic shifting. Because the family liberty in choice issue has been back burner among those setting right-wing attack agendas recently, too many taking on family liberty defense are too willing to "leave sleeping dogs lie," where, as with Koman, aggression can be addressed with prompt counterforce reserves.

Bottom line: Demographics suggest that instigators of anti-choice attacks may be gaining ground by currently staying quiet on Roe v. Wade, while waiting out the will of their opponents.

A proactive step rather than standing in reactive solidarity may now be needed.

That surely is the thought behind the petitions.whitehouse.gov commemorative proposal for seeking tangible top federal level commemoration of Roe v. Wade, with such federal commemoration being both a necessary and helpful educational step toward being as sound a nation as we can be.

Yes, it might awaken loud opposition barking, but in a good way if the top executive in the nation is awakened and prodded into giving the Roe v. Wade anniversary suitable publicity and attention, in terms of a tangible recognition toward those that put him into his presidential office twice and do not want to be ignored now for having done it.

Heat to his feet cannot be unhelpful, while if the President is likely inclined to be an ally, a show of petition solidarity should help jog his public persona on the issues of individual and family freedom to make reproductive choices.

That in turn may help jog the minds of the young into knowing what Roe v. Wade stands for, with knowledge of what existed before but was undone by that decision, and why Roe v. Wade needs to stand as firmly protected law against those who would undo the enlightened advance to reimpose a repressive regime.


____________FURTHER UPDATE___________
In the world of commemorative stamps, apart from coinage, the proposal in the petition is not at all out of line, given that commemorative stamps include: this, this, this, this, even this.

A modest, direct, and simple design might be:

A Roe commemorative likely is better a bit understated that way, emphatic but not provocative, e.g., it need not be this:

Moreover, there is precedent.

Factions have been accorded recognition that some might say overreaches the establishment clause:

Regardless of his intentions, I believe even Justice Scalia would acknowledge Roe v. Wade is a landmark Supreme Court decision. Justice Thomas, possibly. Intentions among those on the high court are a worry. Arguably, commemorating an earlier decision nationwide would add to its strength against being overturned or gutted piece by piece by piece.

Whitehouse.gov petition time. A two-for special.

1____________________________________

Please sign this petition to clean one rotten apple from the Justice Department.

The petition gives a link or two about why it is a necessary step.

This is what the ass had to say for herself.

To understand more, google= "aaron swartz"

Many have signed already.

UPDATE: Further online info about Swartz, with links worth following, here, here, here and reporting that JSTOR, the site with the paywall that Swartz contested, makes this month a partial concession to some free public access. Read about PLOS, with a goal to provide quality scientific publishing free of any paywall. FURTHER UPDATE: Two related petitions are here and here; the latter addressing the statute used against Swartz. Guardian has two of the best reports; here and here, so was this a make-an-example prosecution blessed by IBM? That can be inferred, but it's a guess. FURTHER UPDATE: Economist reports, per this mid-article excerpt:

For although programming was his first love, campaigning was his true vocation. He co-founded Demand Progress, a group that rails against internet censorship and which played a prominent role in the online campaign last year that helped to scupper proposed anti-piracy legislation supported by Hollywood film studios and other content owners. His Guerrilla Open Access Manifesto of 2008 presaged—and perhaps inspired—recent threats by academics to shun journals that charge readers for access.

Around 2006 he obtained—though he would not say how—the complete bibliographic data for books held by the Library of Congress. He thought it unfair that the Library's catalogue division charged hefty fees to provide this information, which, being the work of the government, had no copyright protection within the United States. So he posted it in the Open Library, which aims to provide an entry for every book in existence as part of Internet Archive, a project founded by the internet entrepreneur Brewster Kahle to store a copy of every web page of every website ever to go online.

Aghast at how federal court documents were available only for a price from the inappositely named Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system, in 2009 he used the free access temporarily granted to public libraries to retrieve 18m pages of PACER's 500m documents before he was cut off. They ended up on public.resource.org, founded by Carl Malamud, a veteran advocate of open access, also known as the internet's public librarian. The FBI investigated but did not pursue charges.

2____________________________________

A petition having a much lower present recognition rate, but one I endorse as sound beyond any doubt, and have signed exactly as with the above petition.

This link for the petition.

This link for a Bachelor's Thesis on Food Banks, Nonprofits, and ways of fighting hunger, or in the instance of this petition making the fight against hunger easier.

I have blogged much about the case Moore v. Hoff, the "Johnny Northside" blogger free speech - First Amendment litigation that John Hoff and lawyer Paul Godfread fought to make it judicial precedent in Minnesota that a blogger or newspaper publishing the truth cannot be sued on any claim arising from the publishing of such truth. Defamation law long rested on that basis, but an indirect tortious interference theory of recovery had to be fought on appeal to gain a decision that a truthful publishing is not tortiously interfering with any protected interest of a public figure or quasi-public one.

One taking on a public persona has no insulation from the truth.

Well, with that as background -- this one is Hoff's petition. Meritorious in any event, but noteworthy in addition for its origin.

I mention Hoff in the hope that if you respect his making precedent that is beneficial for us all, making good law, that is good reason to take time to read and sign the petition. Good reason beyond the inherent merit.

Many need to sign soon. Please help.

_____________UPDATE___________
Again, emphatically, every reader is urged to sign both Whitehouse.gov petitions. Each merits it.

Rather than a separate post, after mentioning Hoff and his Moore v. Hoff litigation above, although apart from the petitions this post can be extended with news related to that case and persons involved.

Jill Elenor Clark, a frequent judicial candidate, represented the Plaintiff Jerry Moore, who prevailed at trial to the tune of a $60,000 judgment against Hoff. On appeal there was a reversal with the case published as precedent as reported elsewhere on Crabgrass. Moore was held to reimburse costs to Hoff, on appeal.

Now Clark, since that case was argued in the Court of Appeals, has had her license to practice law called into question, and the license was suspended by Supreme Court order, dated Jan. 16, 2013; as reported by Abby Simons of Strib, here. In Simons' final paragraph the case she refers to is Moore v. Hoff.

Hoff has posted the court's order online, here.

I find it somewhat ironic that, as recited in the memorandum-order, the initial complaint against Clark was filed Feb. 23, 2012, and now almost a full year later (Jan. 16, 2013)  the Supreme Court has acted to suspend the license to practice, but the order itself requires further activities on a time frame reaching to about the one-year anniversary of the initial complaint filing, (perhaps, indeed probably beyond), and things drag on and on. The judicial process sometimes is slow, and here there were contested positions and the question of a disability, a mental impairment, complicating things.

Another report of the Clark license suspension is online at MinnLawyer Blog, at this specific link. That report summarizes much of the court's memorandum-order, with hints of how federal filings may have caused added delay. [UPDATE: Both statewide daily papers now report on Clark; PiPress, here.]

_______________FURTHER UPDATE______________
Leaving aside that digression, again I urge and plead for readers to sign both petitions. Hoff offered a comment to the post, which I am posting here instead, in the hope more will see it than if left as a comment:

Thanks for linking to my petition. We only need approximately 100 signatures at this point in order to be on the "public" portion of the White House website at which point I hope the thing will snowball. So I hope some of your readers will send the link around via email and help us get over the hump with just 100 more signatures

I believe I may have a number of readers, who if all signing, may put the petition over the hump, or close to it. Hunger is an incredibly nasty thing, it should not exist in our nation, and the intent of Hoff's petition is to lessen its effect. Please sign it. It stands more in need of attention now than the Aaron Shwartz - persecution situation.

___________FINAL UPDATE_________
This will wrap up the post. Anything else pertinent enough to post will be by separate posting.

The petition references the Bill Emerson Act, with a helpful google of the full formal name given now for reader follow-up, if desired (Wikipedia, here).

Having linked to an academic paper above, it may help to present the first four introductory pages as clickable thumbnail images, for hunger-related information many of us, myself included, did not already know:

That puts the second petition item in a stark but true context, where it is not at all burdensome for readers to sign onto the petition.

Not to belabor the point, but the first petition is carrying much weight already, while the second one needs attention and participation. Meaning you. Sign it.