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• Garrick Balances the Minnesota State Budget  My pass at MPR’s Minnesota Budget Balancer with the differences from Gov. Pawlenty’s budget. Numbers in $$ millions. Spending Garrick Pawlenty Difference K-12 Education 685 685 Same Pre-school 200 38 -162 Healthcare 300 48 -252 Long-Term Care 76 76 Same Welfare & Other 48 48 Same Local Aid 300 65 -235 Property Tax Relief 40 300 +260 Rebates No change No change Same University of Minnesota No change 155 +155 MnSCU No change 125 +125 Student Aid 25 140 -115 Debt, State Agencies, & Veterans No change 120 +120 Agriculture & the Environment 200 85 -115 Jobs, Housing, & Arts 130 15 -115 Transportation 185 65 -110 Prisons No change 70 +70 Courts & Public Defenders 100 70 -30 Budget Reserves No change 50 +50 Resource Garrick Pawlenty Difference Personal Income Tax No change No change Same Corporate Income Tax No change No change Same Sales Tax No change No change Difference Cigarette Tax 100 No change +100 Alcohol Tax 55 No change +55 Hey, MPR, I think you
• Citywide WiFi Needed in the Twin Cities, As Is Symmetrical DSL I grabbed lunch with Leif Utne earlier this week. As you might expect, it was a pretty intense conversation on podcasting, technology, politics, and the overlap. First order of business, I’m down with Minneapolis going with a private company to run citywide WiFi network for the two reasons cited in the Strib article: Startup CostsThe faster
• Now That It’s Either Obama or McCain…. The 2 parties have a 6-month opportunity to show the American public how serious they are about solving this country’s problems. “…Spend 1/4 of the money [raised by the campaign] telling everyone how you’re using 1/2 of the money to help people. This proves that your Presidency will be about solving problems, because you’re not
• A Different Second Life “Since he can’t defend the real world created by his policies and his decisions, Mr. Bush is inventing a fantasy world in which to campaign on phony issues against fake enemies.” - New York Time Editorial 02 Nov 2006
• McCain & Obama Tax Plans: Small Change Viveka Weiley redrew Washington Post’s chart of Obama’s and McCain’s respective tax plans. First off, a caveat: Basing a vote on potential personal financial changes is as one-sided as basing a vote on gender, skin pigment, or hair color. It’s one factor and one that I hope to argue it is a wash to vast