The Farmer’s Union booth has one of my favorite fair foods – mocha on a stick. It also boasts fair trade coffee from Guatemala, served hot or iced, and a “Back 40” patio with plenty of room to rest and enjoy that coffee. Continue reading
Author Archives: Mary Turck
What animal can turn its head blue?
Barn tours — free, every half hour, starting in front of the poultry building — rank high on my list of good things about the State Fair. I grew up on a farm, in daily contact (and sometimes combat) with chickens, but I never knew where the chicken’s ear was located until I took the barn tour. The guides are full of fascinating information and stories about the animals at the fair. Even though Barn Tours is a California operation, they can still fill forty minutes with fun facts. Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
4-H at the Fair
The 4-H building at the State Fair brings back memories – upstairs are the dormitories where we slept, that end is where our demonstrations (“how-to,” not politics) were scheduled, here are the clothing and canning entries and entomology entries. I still remember the thrill of winning a trip to the State Fair, on the strength of my demonstration skills – I think the topic was “Making Dairy Delights.” Continue reading
Filed under Uncategorized
Unemployed and out of luck – 9.7 percent in August
The unemployment rate rose to 9.7 percent in August, up 0.3 percent over July figures, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report today. Nonfarm payroll employment continued to decline in August, with 216,000 jobs lost. According to the BLS, “Since the recession began in December 2007, the number of unemployed persons has risen by 7.4 million, and the unemployment rate has grown by 4.8 percentage points.”
Continue reading
Filed under news
Socialist values: Work hard, stay in school
The crazies are out again, urging parents: “No school for kids on September 8th due to the beginning of Socialist Indoctrination of Americas children. Keep your kids home September 8th.”
Continue reading
Filed under news
State Fair Seed Art 2009
Seed art is a long tradition at the Minnesota State Fair. This year’s crop includes some pointed, political entries.
AnnaConda - Snakewoman
GOP Sideshow – AnnaConda, Snakewoman
GOP Sideshow – World’s biggest ego, world’s thinnest skin
Madame Michelle's Zany Predictilns
GOP Sideshow – Madame Michelle’s Zany Predictions
Michele Bachmann, Patron Saint of Wingnuts
Michele Bachmann, Patron Saint of Wingnuts
Obama Birth Certificate
Obama Birth Certificate – Birthers, Move On!
Michele's Precious Moments
Michelle’s Precious Moments
Precious Moments Close-Up
Precious Moments Close-up
“I’m not blaming [swine flu] on President Obama. I just think it’s an interesting coincidence.” Michele Bachmann
(I see gay people from the bushes.)
“[T]he science indicates … that nature is the cause [of global warming], with solar flares, etc. ”
“The global hoax … [is] all voodo, nonsense hokum, a hoax.”
“I’m a foreign correspondent behind enemy lines. ”
“The Lord said, Be submissive to your husband. ”
“[T]ake a good look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-American or anti-American? ”
Filed under Uncategorized
News Day: On hiatus
Due to Drupal 6 migration issues at TC Daily Planet, News Day is on hiatus for at least the next few days. News Day is my “spare time” blog, and between the Drupal 6 issues at work and some family medical issues (not serious, but time-consuming), I do not have time to post right now. Expect to see the blog resume before week’s end!
Filed under Uncategorized
NEWS DAY: Metro Gang Strike Force hearing / New LRT station in St. Paul / State Fair opens today
Metro Gang Strike Force: Abuse, theft, racism
Legislators heard testimony on criminal activity by some Metro Gang Strike Force officers yesterday, with investigators describing a pattern of abuse of citizen rights, unjustified seizure of property, and taking seized property for private use. The investigative reports and testimony described a pattern of seizure of cash from anyone carrying large amounts of money when stopped by MGSF officers and noted that “these encounters almost always involved a person of color.”
Even with the testimony offered, Ruben Rosario writes, the committee did not hear about some of the more troubling aspects of MGSF behavior: the pursuit of immigrants with no gang or criminal ties, just because of their brown skin. MGSF instructed Minneapolis impound lot employees to call them when “Mexicans” came to claim their cars, and 29-year-old Dagoberto Rodriguez-Cardona was among their victims. The MGSF cops came to the impound lot on July 31, 2008, searched and questioned the two “Mexican” families there, seized more than $4,000 from Rodriguez-Cardona, and searched the cars of the two families:
No drugs were found.
None of those bagged that night had gang ties. Rodriguez-Cardona had no arrests, not even a parking ticket. Other than an acknowledgment that a little more than $4,000 was seized, Luger’s report found minimal information on the encounter in strike force records. No crime was alleged or prosecuted against those arrested and held in custody that night.
Yet, police contacted federal immigration officials in violation of a Minneapolis ordinance that prohibits officers from doing so unless a crime has been committed.
Now Rodriguez-Cardona faces deportation, and is suing to get his money back, showing what his attorney calls “raw courage” in coming forward.
The legislators heard from investigators yesterday. They heard about seizure of a wood chipper and stump grinder, and wondered how these could possibly have been thought to be involved in gang activity. They heard about seizures of flat screen TVs and sloppy accounting methods, and the need to change state seizure laws — never mind that many of the seizures seemed to be in blatant disregard of existing laws. The testimony that they did hear was damning, but they did not hear from victims. Rosario writes:
But the one thing lacking in Wednesday’s legislative hearing was testimony of someone like Rodriguez-Cardona. He would have driven home the human experience of someone placed in handcuffs in front of a sobbing relative and stripped of money earned by the sweat of his brow. Throw in the fact that his alleged muggers were officers of the law.
For additional accounts of yesterday’s hearing, see Metro Gang Strike Force: “Bad actions overshadow the good actions” in the TC Daily Planet, Metro Gang Strike Force hearing: Plenty of blame, but no answers in the Pioneer Press, Forfeiture law questioned after gang force misuse in the Star Tribune.
Big win for Central Corridor communities? The City of St. Paul will pay for an LRT station between Snelling and Rice Street under a tentative agreement reached Wednesday, reports the Pioneer Press:
St. Paul will put up $5.2 million for a new station — probably at the intersection of Western, Victoria or Hamline, according to a vote by the Central Corridor Management Committee.
In exchange, the Metropolitan Council will purchase an $8 million downtown property at East Fourth and Cedar streets, which would allow trains to make an easier turn. A prior agreement required St. Paul to foot the bill. …
The vote also prioritized the construction of two more east metro stations using money from a capital reserve built into the project — provided all goes well.
That’s huge for the community about to be disrupted by Central Corridor construction, as previous plans called for the trains to zoom along with stops a mile or more apart in low-income areas along the eastern part of the University Avenue line, though stops are closer together in other areas. However, the change still offers little to University Avenue small businesses. MPR reports:
A group of business owners met today to discuss their ongoing concerns. They say their voices aren’t being heard.
Lysa Bui, who owns the Saigon restaurant, says her business and many others won’t be able to survive the four-year construction project.
Central Corridor spokesperson Laura Baenen responded to business concerns by saying, “There’s absolutely no money in the project budget for handouts,” but she said that limited funds are available for “mitigation,” such as signage to tell customers where to look for parking, and free business consulting to offer advice to business owners.
State Fair opens today! What more can you say? Lots, actually, but I’m out of time this morning. So get your State Fair news here and here and most of all at the official source, right here
Filed under news
NEWS DAY | Ted Kennedy / Mpls Council vs. Park Board / Strike Force hearings / RNC
Ted Kennedy dies “For five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well-being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts,” said President Obama, in a statement expressing loss and sorrow on the death of Senator Ted Kennedy. “An important chapter in our history has come to an end. Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time.” Kennedy died at the age of 77, after a battle with brain cancer.
The “Liberal Lion of the Senate” served Massachusetts and the nation since 1962. His leadership in the current battle for health care reform was the last in a long line of progressive causes he championed, beginning with civil rights, anti-poverty legislation and Medicare in the 1960s, described here by NPR. His was one of the few voices in the Senate that vigorously opposed the 2003 war in Iraq.
The Kennedy family issued a statement on his death: “We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever. He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it’s hard to imagine any of them without him.”
City Council vs. Park Board Although the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board collected enough signatures to get its proposal for more independence and taxing authority on the November ballot, the Minneapolis city council may refuse to allow a vote. The charter commission will send the proposal to the city council today. According to the Star Tribune, unnamed council members are “irked” at the Park Board’s try for greater independence, and have obtained a city attorney opinion saying that the council has the right to prevent a November 3 vote on the question. Park Board backers disagree.
The proposal’s supporters have offered the council a letter from University of Minnesota Prof. Fred L. Morrison, a specialist in local government law, arguing that the council has a duty to put the charter amendment to the voters. Morrison said the Legislature has authorized charter commissions to create any scheme of local government not inconsistent with the state Constitution.
Gang Strike Force IDs, hearing Responding to a request by St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington, Andy Luger, chair of a state investigative panel, said he would meet with local police authorities next week to give them information on the identity of officers accused by the panel of criminal activity, reports the Star Tribune. The Star Tribune, citing “a source close to the investigation,” said that the 10-12 officers come from Minneapolis, St. Paul, Ramsey County and possibly one suburban department.
This afternoon, a joint hearing by four legislative committees will review the panel’s report and hear from Luger and public officials who have investigated the Metro Gang Strike Force. The hearing is scheduled to be carried live on the Senate television channel, http://www.senate.mn/media, at 2:00 p.m.
RNC arrests, one year later One year later, the TC Daily Planet offers a scorecard detailing what happened to all of the 856 RNC-related arrests. Unsurprisingly, more than 600 cases were dismissed or declined by prosecutors, while a handful, including the RNC 8, still awaiting trial. To date, five people have been found guilty after trials. Some others have either pleaded guilty or agreed to pay a fine or do community service and have the case continued for dismissal after a year.
The RNC 8 trial date has not yet been set, and the scheduling conference set for August 19 was postponed, with no new date set as of yet.
World/National News
Honduras An Organisation of American States delegation – consisting of foreign ministers from Argentina, Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and the Dominican Republic – failed to persuade the de facto coup government in Honduras to make any concessions, reports BBC. Instead, the ruling officials said they will proceed with an election in November, without allowing President Manuel Zelaya, ousted June 28, to return to the country. While BBC recognized Zelaya as a right-wing politico when he was elected in 2005, since the coup he has been reclassified as “Left-wing President Manuel Zelaya.”
War Report
Afghanistan Car bombs in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar killed more 41 people yesterday, reports NPR. At least 66 people were wounded, and the death toll could rise higher. The bombs were detonated near a foreign-owned construction company, according to NPR, and near the city government offices, according to BBC.
CIA Reports Want to read the recently released CIA reports for yourself? Just click here to see the PDF documents, courtesy of NPR:
The 2004 Document (PDF)
The 2006 Memo (PDF) on overseas prisons
The 2007 Reply (PDF).
The 2005 Report (PDF).
Filed under Uncategorized
NEWS DAY | Overloading MinnesotaCare / Subverting health care reform / Atrazine warning / Afghan election, U.S. deaths
Overloading MinnesotaCare The failing economy has dumped thousands of people into MinnesotaCare as they lose other heatlh care insurance. The system has been so overloaded, reports the Star Tribune that some applications are taking two or three months for processing. Since approval is not retroactive, that means people are left without any insurance coverage during processing.
The crush of applicants has doubled the time required to process applications, to eight weeks, and phone lines are often jammed because the agency that manages the program now answers the phone only between 12:30 and 4 p.m. so workers can spend more time on the paperwork backlog.
MinnesotaCare is available only to people who are MN residents, are uninsured and cannot get health insurance through their employer with at least half the premium paid by the employer. In addition, the appicant must meet income and asset restrictions.
A Minnesota 2020 commentator tells the story of her return from Australia to Minnesota and the obstacles she and her husband faced in trying to get health insurance — any health insurance. “We wanted to sign up for a basic plan we could extend on a monthly basis until we could find employment with health insurance benefits,” she explains. “When all twelve providers responded with a resounding ‘No!’ I realized we would need to find a more permanent health care plan.”
Subverting reform Health insurance companies will get a big pay-off under health care “reform” proposals that offer subsidies to help people “afford” insurance. The Los Angeles Times reports on the sweet deal that Big Insurance struck (hat tip to Eric Black at MinnPost). According to the LA Times, insurance companies are “poised to reap a financial windfall” under the leading plans, all of which “would guarantee insurers tens of millions of new customers — many of whom would get government subsidies to help pay the companies’ premiums.”
Health insurance companies both financed and urged employees to participate in this summer’s vitriolic attacks on the “public option,” which would establish a lower-cost alternative to their high-profit plans. (See previous posts for references to high and rising profit margins for health insurance companies (UnitedHealth profits up 155%), and the 30% administrative cost of private health insurance versus 4% administrative cost for Medicare.)
But wait — there’s more, reports the L.A. Times:
In May, the Senate Finance Committee discussed requiring that insurers reimburse at least 76% of policyholders’ medical costs under their most affordable plans. Now the committee is considering setting that rate as low as 65%, meaning insurers would be required to cover just about two-thirds of patients’ healthcare bills. … Most group health plans cover 80% to 90% or more of a policyholder’s medical bills, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service. …
“They have beaten us six ways to Sunday,” said Gerald Shea of the AFL-CIO. “Any time we want to make a small change to provide cost relief, they find a way to make it more profitable.”
Atrazine warning A new National Resources Defense Council report finds that federal and state monitoring and reporting of atrazine levels in surface water and ground water are inadequate, and that atrazine levels frequently exceed federal safety standards. According to NRDC, short-term, high-level exposure to excess atrazine levels is dangerous, but federal standards are based on a yearly average rather than the high levels that occur in early summer after atrazine is applied to fields. Moreover:
Because the monitoring program was not designed to account for the timing of runoff in response to weather events or application, the EPA’s watershed monitoring program probably underestimates peak exposures.
Paul Wotzka is a hydrologist who has studied water quality in southeastern Minnesota for years. He says animal tests show atrazine in small amounts can cause birth defects.
“If you were pregnant mother, drinking water in June and you had these high spikes of atrazine in your water, you would want to know about them,” he said.
Wotzka says private wells are rarely tested, and public drinking water supplies are only tested once a year.
The NRDC recommends banning atrazine, and says other methods for weed control are already available. Atrazine has already been banned in European Union countries.
Only one Minnesota watershed, the North Fork Whitewater River watershed near Rochester, was monitored. EPA monitoring in 2005-2006 showed an average atrazine concentration of 0.47 ppb and a maximum concentration of 15 ppb in this watershed. The maximum allowable concentration under EPA guidelines is 3 ppb as a yearly average, although NRDC warns that:
The adverse reproductive effects of atrazine have been seen in amphibians, mammals, and humans-even at low levels of exposure. Concentrations as low as 0.1 ppb have been shown to alter the development of sex characteristics in male frogs. When exposure coincides with the development of the brain and reproductive organs, that timing may be even more critical than the dose.
War Reports
Afghanistan As the war drags on, more voices question whether the U.S. should be in Afghanistan at all. Bob Herbert criticized the war in his column, noting the reluctance of Afghan troops to fight, and the war dragging on year after year after nine bloody years.
If we had a draft — or merely the threat of a draft — we would not be in Iraq or Afghanistan. But we don’t have a draft so it’s safe for most of the nation to be mindless about waging war. Other people’s children are going to the slaughter. …
Well, if this war, now approaching its ninth year, is so fundamental, we should all be pitching in. We shouldn’t be leaving the entire monumental burden to a tiny portion of the population, sending them into combat again, and again, and again, and again …
The deaths of four more U.S. service members yesterday raised the death toll for foreign soldiers to 295 since January, according to the New York Times, making this the deadliest year to date. Twelve foreign soldiers died in the first year of the war (2001) with the numbers rising steadily to 294 in 2008, a number now surpassed. The number of U.S. deaths already stands at 172 this year, up from last year’s high of 155.
Early results of Afghan elections were released today, with 10% of the votes counted, showing President Hamid Karzai with about 40% of the vote and challenger Abdullah Abdullah with about 40%, with the remaining 20% split among the other 29 candidates. On Monday, a cabinet minister said that President Hamid Karzai had won 68 percent of the vote, a figure so large as to cast doubt on the entire election, according to the Washington Post. The Post said Karzai was expected to win a bare majority, and that Abdullah had been expected to win 25%. Election monitors report widespread fraud.
“In Baraki Barak District, only about 500 people were able to vote out of 43,000 registered voters. In Harwar District, nobody at all was able to vote out of 15,000 registered voters. Yet the ballot boxes from these places came to Kabul full,” alleged Faizullah Mojadedi, a legislator from Taliban-plagued Logar province. “The fact that people were afraid to vote became a big excuse for those who wanted to take advantage of it.”
The final results will not be in until all the votes are counted, some time in September.
Iraq At least 11 people were killed and more wounded in two bus bombings yesterday near the usually quiet southern town of Kut, reports Reuters.
Filed under news
Mary Turck