Imagine how "Scott Walkerish" our state might now be, had the Republican rump not rebelled, and Siefert instead of Emmer had been their candidate for Governor, and won?

With Emmer they lost, deservedly so. But it was a thin few thousand votes as Dayton's margin, so that one less bumbling than Emmer, i.e., Siefert, might have, could have ...
 This photo:

image from MinnPost, here

"Fear and Loathing," was Hunter Thompson's term. Which one inspires more Fear? We are very, very fortunate these headstrong stuffed shirts are held in veto check. From the MinnPost report, the winning reader comment of the day:

What a bunch of idiots. Submitted by Kenneth Kjer on May 4, 2012 - 3:01pm. I have never and I am 69 years old seen such a lousy bunch of legislators in my life. I have been a Republican for over 50 years, but these know nothing idiots have driven me completely out of the Republican party. If I had a two year old who acted like them I would spank them. They are an embarrassment to the State of MN. They make Jesse Venture look like a Rhodes Scholar.

I think saying Jesse needs to be compared to these two, in order to look good collapses the situation unnecessarily. I say compare Jesse to Michele Bachmann or rocket man Mike Jungbauer, and Jesse looks like a Nobel Prize winner. Enough said?

ABC Newspapers reports of Alexandra House in the news.

This link.

Ed Kohler writes of how the local business community does not want to pick up a part of any Wilfare stadium tab.

This link, this opening screenshot [go to original for links and the full story]:

click image to enlarge and read

If it were truly such a good deal for local business to have Wilfare, they would be willing to invest in a share. Surely, times are rough. Surely, this is an absentee owner situation, not "one of ours" as with the Pohlad baseball subsidization.

There is one particular sentence Kohler uses that stands out for me, "It sounds like they’d prefer to socialize the costs, then spend money at a stadium (or to slap their logo on the stadium) which allows Zygi Wilf to privatize the profits." Why would local business not be attuned to socializing costs and privatizing profits. It's the way of all Crabgrass, indeed if built the field should not be artificial turf, but pure one hundred percent crabgrass. It's the symbolism. David Flaherty would understand Zygi and relate to him as another kindred absentee risk socializing soul.

I have linked to Kohler's work before. From what I have read his is the soundest voice critical of Wilfare, consistently so, intently so. Look around at his last several months of work, including his occasional photo tour along a running route. He documents a window of neighborhood history that way, which to me is valuable now and will be more valuable twenty years from now where change will be apparent from today's efforts by Kohler. Consider bookmarking his website.

Accretive is claiming Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson is, somehow, at fault for exposing the firm's practices at Fairview.

Reporting is online, here. Readers can do a web search for earlier reporting. The AG website has its multi-volume report on Accretive, here. See MinnPost, Susan Perry reporting, here.

The latest report of Accretive's whining, (without any reporting of that firm pointing to a single thing the AG published that it claims to be false), is from Strib online, again here. Strib's latest report notes timing of Fairview's severing its contract with Accretive:

Last week, Fairview cut off all ties to Accretive after Swanson released a six-volume report detailing what she said were abusive and illegal tactics to pressure patients for money in emergency rooms, cancer wards and other areas.

[Accretive's Attorney Andrew Clubok in a letter addressed to Minnesota's solicitor general, Alan Gilbert ...] accused Swanson of waging a "public campaign of misinformation" that had put Accretive's "important work" in peril. He said the company had been working with Fairview to reduce medical bills and improve patient health, as well as increase collections "from third-party payers" and help uninsured patients get coverage.

It would be interesting if Accretive were to sue, claiming that published things, presumably true, somehow nonetheless tortiously interfered with the contract Accretive had with Fairview. In effect, it would be Accretive making the dubious claim that the AG publishing and publicizing true things injured its business and its business expectancies. It would be fair to conclude that Swanson's publishing and publicizing the situation was with an intent to affect things at Fairview.

Perhaps the Accretive firm, if suing in Minnesota state courts, could get their case before Hennepin County District Court Judge Denise Reilly (of Johnny Northside trial fame). Surely while the hypothetical of Accenture doing such an absurd thing, making such a questionable claim, is improbable, it seems Reilly would be the judge for them were they to file papers.

In honor of Matt Dean and Zygi putting their heads together ...

It is hard to understand how Matt Dean and Mr. Z can propose a "roof ready" stadium without including a topless bar. What good is Wilfare, done half-way?

Reporting is that Brainerd proletariat, ignorant of tradition, rally a day early.

This link. Top item in the glean.

Yesterday I heard Brian Olson was leaving Ramsey, and today I got the chance to chat a minute or two with Brian by phone.

I expect over the years everyone in Ramsey has met him at least once and had a chance to talk to Brian, who currently serves as head of Engineering and of Public Works. I remember in particular a Comp. Plan session during the ramp up to Ramsey filing a 2030 plan with Met Council, where we had one subgroup that met in the foyer outside the Alexander Ramsey room at City Hall. The question of cost of sewer and water connection fees for a property with 300 feet of frontage was asked, and without any hesitation or beating around the bush Brian gave a helpful but sobering answer - mid-five figures. Brian always was direct in answering things, with that being a particular instance I recall.

Brian will be leaving Ramsey May 15, moving to City of Edina, where he looks forward to a new set of challenges in line with a city population more than twice Ramsey's, and with its major build-out already done.

Brian wishes everyone well and said he is leaving with some fond memories, from his decade or so serving Ramsey residents. From the City website, contact info for anyone wanting to reach Brian before the 15th is:

Brian Olson
Director of Public Works/
Principal City Engineer
Phone: 763-433-9825
bolson@ci.ramsey.mn.us