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Is Al Juhnke a conservative? Webster's New World Dictionary describes "conservative" as "moderate, prudent, safe." The Minnesota Farm Bureau Political Action Committee states in its Aug. 17 letter addressed to Rep. Juhnke: "On behalf of the Minnesota Farm Bureau Political Action Committee, I am pleased to inform you that you have received MFB PAC endorsement in your current election bid.
Four women recently received "Saved by the Belt" awards from the Willmar Police Department for buckling up. They had been riding in a car that was totaled in a crash, yet they walked away with only minor injuries because they had been wearing seat belts. As first responders, that's the kind of crash scene we want to arrive at -- one where the passengers are still buckled in their vehicles, instead of ejected into a ditch or oncoming traffic. Where no one's life is changed forever by a brain or spinal cord injury. Where no one loses a parent or a child, brother or sister, grandma or grandpa.
Since 1976, Collin Peterson has been a full-time politician. Recently, it seems as if he is challenging the definition of "full time." Peterson was surprisingly absent when 39 fellow Democrats voted to stay in session to address the issue of tax cuts, among other things. Had he voted to stay in session, America could be looking forward to low taxes.
I found Christina Romer's (the Obama administration's chief economic advisor, recently resigned) report from 2007 that the "impact of changes in the level of taxation on economic activity have a large, rapid, and highly statistically significant negative effect on output." So if the candidate for, say, the governor, wants to raise taxes to solve the spending problem, it works just the opposite. It will reduce the revenue to the state. Carl Lundell Granite Falls
One of the primary missions of a community college is to provide anyone access to a college education. This access comes without the pedigree or financial burden usually required at either a private college or major university. Recent articles in the West Central Tribune (Oct. 6, page A9) have touted the importance of community colleges as vital to producing an educated workforce. Over the last decade, however, there has been a funding shift whereby the state's contribution to the cost of education at the community colleges has been reduced significantly.
"If they didn't hear all this negative stuff from the national press, if they would've been isolated from everything the last three to four years, they wouldn't have even known anything was going on." That's a fresh quotation from Collin Peterson, referring to the 7th Congressional District. I do not think any further explanation is necessary -- Peterson is an elitist who thinks his constituents are a bunch of uneducated morons. This isn't an isolated incident, either.
A redefinition of social justice is threatening the historic American way of life: capitalism, free enterprise, individual responsibility, and Christianity. This redefinition emphasizes collective rights over the individual, just the opposite of historic Christianity and the Declaration of Independence. In "Rules for Radicals," socialist community organizer Saul Alinsky said, "Action is for mass salvation and not for the individual's personal salvation. He who sacrifices the mass good for his personal salvation...
We welcome letters to the editor concerning the Primary Election scheduled Aug. 10. Primary letters will be accepted through Noon Aug 3. You may send your letter via e-mail to: letters@wctrib.com , fax to: (320) 235.6769 or mail to: Letters the Editor, West Central Tribune, P.O.?Box 839, Willmar, MN 56201.0839. If you have any questions about Public Forum, please call 320-235-1150.
The United States has shed 2 million factory jobs since 2007, yet many American companies can't find qualified workers to fill their available openings. That's a shocking problem, given the numbers looking for work. But it could also be a break for blue-collar Americans willing to engage their brains. For them, there is a road from unemployment to a good living, and it may go through a local community college. While fewer Americans work in factories, U.S. factories still make lots of stuff. Many have computerized their operations to shrink the advantage of competitors in low-wage countries.
The day of reckoning will come for Republicans when they will have to specify exactly which government programs they want cut instead of just singing in harmony that they want less government and no new taxes. The politician, Tom Emmer, chosen by the GOP to carry their banner in Minnesota, has been under pressure to do exactly that. He has announced, however, that he does not plan to be an accountant for the state, but simply a point man.