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Author: |
Dan McGrath |
Created: |
3/10/2008 |
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Dan is a Minneapolis resident. Living in the heart of the beast, he brings an urban perspective to Minnesota conservatism. |
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Minnesota Non-Profits Band Together to Combat Cap and Trade |
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By Dan McGrath on
10/27/2009
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At a press conference this morning, a number of business and interest groups announced the formation of a new coalition to oppose cap-and-trade public policy. The No Cap-and-Trade Coalition says it will kick-off its campaign with a new advertisement and website (NoCapAndTrade.com).
The website includes a petition that visitors can sign to express their opposition to the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill and the United Nation's proposed climate treaty expected to be debated in Copenhagen this December. The group is also bringing a localized educational program to areas of the state, featuring the new global warming documentary film, "Not Evil, Just Wrong."
The coalition's website also includes a campaign to boycott 20 organizations that are supporting cap-and-trade. Companies that are part of the boycott include Starbucks, The Gap, ebay, Levi's and Nike amongst others.
The No Cap-and-Trade Coalition consists of several non-partisan, non-profit organizations who are concerned about the devastating impact a cap-and-trade scheme could have on American families and the faltering US economy. "We need energy to turn things around," explained Linda Runbeck of the Minnesota Free Market institute, "a massive new tax on energy is the last thing we need right now. Cap-and-trade would be destructive to our economy."
At the onset, cap-and-trade is projected to cost the average family over $1,700 per year in new energy costs, growing to over $6,000 per year by 2035. Independent analyses of cap-and-trade proposals project the loss of millions of additional jobs and trillions of dollars out of the nation's GDP. "Cap-and-trade is a huge tax on everything," said Minnesota Majority president Jeff Davis.
Proponents say that cap-and-trade will prevent 1/10th of a degree of warming in 100 years. "That doesn't seem like a very worthwhile investment," said Phil Krinkie, president of the Taxpayer's League of Minnesota. "We'd be making extraordinary sacrifices over unproven, contested theories and even if you buy into carbon-driven global warming, the pay off is insignificant. It's not worth the cost."
Current members of the No Cap-and-Trade Coalition include Associated Builders and Contractors, Freedom Foundation, Minnesota Free Market Institute, Campaign for Liberty, Taxpayer's League of Minnesota, Minnesota Majority and Minnesota Family Council among others. The coalition is open to any organization that supports the mission of defeating cap-and-trade public policy.
Take Action: Visit www.NoCapAndTrade.com to sign the petition, participate in the boycott and find more information.
Please consider making a contribution to help us fund the "No Cap And Trade" ad on TV and radio.
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Majority Report: Lord Christopher Monckton Refutes Al Gore |
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By Dan McGrath on
10/16/2009
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Minnesota Majority Report Special Edition Featuring Lord Christopher Monckton
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Minnesota Majority Report
We’re launching a new video series called the Minnesota Majority Report. Each installment will be around 10 minutes, featuring an in-depth discussion of the most pressing issues facing Minnesota and the nation. Sue Jeffers and Drew Emmer are the program’s hosts.
A look at election issues with Jeff Davis was planned as the first installment, but an opportunity to interview Lord Chirstopher Monckton on climate change reality arose and we had to jump. This is part one of a special multi-part edition of the Minnesota Majority Report. The election episode will be posted soon.
What Lord Monckton has to say about climate change, cap and trade and the Copenhagen treaty expected to be signed in just a couple months is profoundly important. Don’t miss this series of videos. America’s future may be on the line.
Related Resources:
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Comments (28)
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More Zeros than Heroes in 2009 Legislature |
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By Dan McGrath on
10/6/2009
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2009 Minnesota Majority Legislative Scorecard
Minnesota Majority tracked 17 House votes and 13 Senate votes in the 2009 legislative session, spanning a wide range of issues including taxes, government spending, election integrity, property rights, health care, education and energy policy. In many ways, these votes represent the front-line in the battle to defend traditional values in Minnesota’s public policy.
We have scored each state legislator on how well they supported the “traditional values” position on the issues. 24 House members and 3 senators earned a perfect 100% score and were our top “Heroes.” An additional 9 House members and 4 senators supported “traditional values” positions 90% of the time or better in 2009.
Unfortunately our heroes were outnumbered by the “Zeros” – legislators who more often than not voted against the interests of everyday Minnesotans. Instead, these legislators supported policies that would raise your taxes, expand government and reduce your freedoms. A total of 29 House members and 22 senators were perfect “Zeros”. An additional 29 representatives and 8 senators scored 10% or less.
Career Heroes and Zeros
5 representatives have a lifetime score of 100%. That means that for as long as Minnesota Majority has been keeping track, these legislators have unfailingly supported Minnesota Majority’s traditional values positions. They are Bruce Anderson (19A), Mark Buesgens (35B), Steve Drazkowski (28B), Tom Emmer (19B), and Kurt Zellers (32B)
Sadly, 4 representatives in the house have made a career of consistently working against Minnesota’s traditional values. They each have lifetime scores of 0%: Margaret Kelliher, Alice Hausman, Frank Hornstein and Sheldon Johnson.
Take Action:
Download the Scorecard - print copies or forward it to your friends and neighbors.
Contact your legislator and tell them how you feel about their score.
Register to receive our email updates and help hold our elected officials accountable.
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Comments (11)
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Join in the Call for an Investigation of ACORN in Minnesota |
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By Dan McGrath on
10/1/2009
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PJTV: The Destruction of ACORN, the Strategy of Breitbart & Why We Must All Remain Vigilant (9:45)
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Law Enforcement, Media Asleep - Add Your Voice
Yesterday, Minnesota Majority, together with 8 Minnesota gubernatorial candidates, issued a letter to Attorney General Lori Swanson calling for a formal investigation into potential illegal activities on the part of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) in Minnesota.
Recent news stories have revealed evidence of apparent systematic corruption within the ACORN organization. At least 15 other states have launched investigations into potential election law and other violations on the part of ACORN. A report issued earlier this year by the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee stated that “ACORN has repeatedly and deliberately engaged in systemic fraud. Both structurally and operationally, ACORN hides behind a paper wall of nonprofit corporate protections to conceal a criminal conspiracy on the part of its directors, to launder federal money in order to pursue a partisan political agenda and to manipulate the American electorate."
Yet here in Minnesota, where we have just had a US Senate race decided by fewer than 400 votes, incredibly there has been no official statewide investigation into the ACORN organization. Senator Al Franken, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and Attorney General Lori Swanson were all endorsed by ACORN and elected to their offices with their help, but it is our hope that they will place the execution of the duties of their offices ahead of any political allegiances. These officials can prove their loyalty to the voters of Minnesota by responding to your call for an official statewide investigation into ACORN's activities in Minnesota.
It is an unfortunate fact that most Twin Cities reporters have been derelict in their duty to get to the bottom of ACORN and Minnesota's election issues. In Ramsey County alone, 18 individuals have been indicted for voter registration fraud and 5 people have thus far been convicted. Election records indicate that at least two of the five also voted in 2008. There's been no reporting on these convictions and there's been no reporting on the apparent illegal votes. What has been reported in the past is that there's no evidence that fraudulent voter registrations have resulted in fraudulent votes. But now that there's evidence suggesting that illegal votes have indeed resulted from improper registrations, the press is mysteriously silent.
Take Action:
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Comments (5)
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Gubernatorial Candidates Call on Attorney General for ACORN Probe |
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By Dan McGrath on
9/30/2009
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Press Conference Calling on Attorney General Lori Swanson to Investigate ACORN (8:49)
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Minnesota Majority Joined by Several Candidates for Governor to Sign Letter to Attorney General Lori Swanson
In the wake of ACORN scandals erupting across the nation, several Minnesota gubernatorial candidates joined Minnesota Majority today in calling on Attorney General Lori Swanson to investigate the embattled organization’s Minnesota activities.
Jeff Davis, president of Minnesota Majority cited numerous glaring discrepancies in election records, such as evidence suggesting dead people and convicted felons voted in the 2008 general election as well as voters registered with non-deliverable mailing addresses and a high volume of rejected voter registration postal verification post cards.
Ramsey County is investigating over 100 cases of illegal voter registration by felons and has secured 5 convictions, but there’s more to it than that, explained Davis. “We looked at the voter histories for the five felons and found that the records indicate at least two of them voted in 2008. This looks like a situation where illegal voter registrations led to illegal votes.” A comparison of Bureau of Criminal Apprehension records and voter history files conducted by Minnesota Majority produced a list of over 2,800 felons who may have illegally voted in 2008.
ACORN has claimed credit for registering about 43,000 voters in the lead up to the 2008 election in Minnesota, which they say represents about 75% of new registrations. Nationally, ACORN’s rate of invalid registrations has been reported to be nearly a third of all registrations submitted by the group. “There are investigations and prosecutions of ACORN workers going on all over the country,” said Davis, “In light of the alarming number of significant discrepancies in our election records, ACORN’s history of legal problems their extraordinary efforts in Minnesota’s 2008 election I believe an investigation into ACORN’s activities in Minnesota is warranted.”
Gubernatorial candidates from both sides of the aisle joined Minnesota Majority’s call for investigation. Representative Tom Emmer, former House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, former state auditor Pat Anderson, Representative Paul Kohls, Bill Haas, and DFL candidate Peter Roess signed the letter to Lori Swanson at a press conference this morning. Senator David Haan, Senator Mike Jungbauer and Felix Montez were unable to attend but also signed the letter.
Take Action: Sign the petition calling for a formal investigation into ACORN's Minnesota activities.
Additional Resources:
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Senators: Public Would Only Be Confused by the Health Care Bill |
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By Dan McGrath on
9/25/2009
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 Members of the Senate Finance Committee Voted to Keep Details of their Health Care Proposal out of the Public Eye
Promises of a more open and transparent government must not apply to the United States Senate. The health care reform package being hashed out in the finance committee won’t be made public in its entirety. Senators on the committee voted against posting the actual language of the plan on the internet, opting instead to post a short summary. The reason? We’d only be confused if we simple people tried to read and comprehend the mighty documents being wrought by our incredibly superior elected officials.
It was Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning who proposed requiring the final legislative language of the bill that emerges from the finance committee be posted online for at least 72 hours before any vote on it. His amendment would have also required a final cost analysis from the congressional budget office be posted with the bill.
“It’s the most important bill I’ve seen in 24 years,” Bunning said. We the People want to know what our legislators are up to. Bunning said Americans seeking the details should be able to see the entire bill.
It took a while for Americans to read and digest the 1000 page House health care bill (HR3200), but we understood it. The problem was many of us didn’t like what we saw.
The details of the House bill drew unwelcome questions and criticism. Could that be what senators are now trying to avoid or should we simply take them at their word that they think the American people are too stupid to comprehend the legislation? With the White House and congressional leaders insisting that they will pass health care reform on a deadline, the former seems more likely, but the sheer arrogance of senators claiming we’d just be confused by the bill is truly breathtaking.
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D – MI) said, “Reading this bill will only confuse people,” and Senator John Kerry (D – MA) dismissed the notion of public scrutiny, saying, “let’s be honest about it. Most people don’t read the legislative language.” He characterized the effort to give the public time to see and weigh-in on the bill as a “Republican delay tactic” designed to avoid passing health care reform.
It seems that the major concern of congressional leaders is an October 15th deadline for budget reconciliation. That’s a process that would limit debate and allow a vote on the bill without being subject to a filibuster. If delays for scrutiny, transparency and cautious deliberation are permitted, bi-partisan support may be needed to pass health care reform – that, it seems is unacceptable to congressional leaders.
Take Action: Sign the petition for common sense health care reforms.
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Comments (2)
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Ellison and McCollum Support Continued Taxpayer Funding of ACORN |
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By Dan McGrath on
9/18/2009
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Congress Voted to Defund ACORN, but some Members Continue to Support the Discredited Group
ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now has come under intense fire as a result of a string of undercover videos produced by James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles being released to the media. The videos catch ACORN workers eager to help a pimp who plans to run for Congress and his prostitute girlfriend get housing to use as a brothel to be staffed by underage illegal immigrants, and file fraudulent tax documents. In the wake of these incriminating videos, the White House has terminated its plans to use ACORN to help conduct the next national census that will be used to redraw the nation’s congressional districts and set the level of representation in Congress from each state.
Yesterday the US House voted 345-75 to cut-off all federal funding for the scandal-plagued Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). This comes on the heels of the Senate's vote earlier in the week to deny housing funds for ACORN 7 Senators voted to continue the funding, though.
All Congressional votes in favor of continuing ACORN funding were by Democrats, including Representatives Keith Ellison (Minneapolis/5th district) and Betty McCollum (St. Paul/4th district).
ACORN has been tied to voter registration fraud, with several of their employees charged with election crimes. Investigations into ACORN’s election registration activities are underway in two dozen states and 70 ACORN employees in 12 states have been convicted of voter fraud. Unfortunately, in Minnesota, where thousands of irregularities including records showing votes by the dead, felons and non-citizens may have impacted the 2008 election, our ACORN-endorsed secretary of state Mark Ritchie and ACORN-endorsed attorney general Lori Swanson don’t seem at all interested in investigating.
Since 1995, ACORN has received more that $50 million in federal funds in addition to untold dollars from various state governments.
The fact that Ellison and McCollum could vote to continue funding ACORN in the face of such overwhelming evidence of systemic corruption is inexcusable and brings shame upon the state of Minnesota.
Representatives Oberstar, Kline, Bachmann, Peterson and Walz voted against continuing taxpayer support of ACORN.
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Comments (9)
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President Avoids Washington March, Protesters Still Found Him in Minneapolis |
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By Dan McGrath on
9/15/2009
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On Saturday, September 12th, the sun was shining in a late-summer morning, downtown Minneapolis. Thousands of people were lined up outside Target Center, and down 6th Avenue waiting for the doors to open to the President Obama’s health reform rally.
In Washington D. C., the streets were already filling up with demonstrators from all around the country, but the president wouldn’t be there to witness that phenomenon.
Unions and lobbyists and special interest associations bussed people in to Minneapolis from all over for the president’s health care rally. Although the event was free, and billed as non-ticketed open admission on a first-come basis, the members of special groups received tickets affording them advance admission and preferred seating.
Demonstrators on both sides of the debate about the president’s health care plans lined up outside the Target Center. A few people shouted at each other and some supporters of the president’s plan seemed to assume that anyone opposed must be a racist. Accusing words like “Nazi,” “Ku Klux Klanner,” and good old fashioned “racist” were hurled at people protesting the president’s plan as if there was no valid reason to be concerned about the government seeking more control of our health and lives. Despite the occasional such verbal outburst, the tone outside Target Center was civil.
About 14,000 people were eventually corralled into the Target Center and the president delivered a pep talk that was essentially a rerun of his recent address to a joint session of Congress.
Although the venue never filled to capacity, hundreds of protesters chose to remain outside with their signs, telling their side of the debate to passers-by. It was a nice day for a chat about the issues on block E.
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Comments (6)
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Legislators Renew Push for Health Care Freedom |
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By Dan McGrath on
9/15/2009
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 On Monday, three state representatives announced their renewed push for the Health Care Freedom Act (HF171), a proposed amendment to Minnesota’s constitution protecting freedom of choice in health care.
Representatives Tom Emmer (Delano), Mark Buesgens (Jordan) and Peggy Scott (Andover) announced the reintroduction of the bill in a press conference.
“Over the past few months we learned that Minnesotans have very strong opinions about what may happen to their health care. This amendment gives us the chance for a statewide town hall in the form of a ballot question,” said Representative Scott.
If adopted, the amendment aims to preserve the right of individuals to independently pay for medical services or private health insurance.
The amendment would read, “Because all people should have the right to make decisions about their health care, no law shall be passed that restricts a person’s freedom of choice of private health care systems or private health plans of any type. No law shall interfere with a person’s or entity’s right to pay directly for lawful medical services, no shall any law impose a penalty or fine, of any type for choosing to obtain or decline health care coverage or for participation in any particular health care system or health plan.”
While this seems like language that most people would find to be an obvious common-sense measure, the bill to put this amendment on the ballot has been repeatedly halted in past sessions of the legislature. It’s evident that the majority party in the legislature does not want to put this question to the people.
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Comments (2)
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