Random Articles

• 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
• Done Monkey-ing Around “…my fear on this one is that no one will want to drink [the beer] for fear they will be implicated, or worse yet, sympathetic to the kidnappers.” - Bongo’s slightly regretful kidnapper.
• 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
• Why Health Coverage Shouldn’t be Tied to Employers “Weyco and Scotts Miracle-Gro, based in Marysville, Ohio, are in the vanguard of a growing effort by business to brake soaring medical costs by regulating such unhealthy employee behavior as smoking” Health coverage as a benefit of employment no longer makes sense - financially for employers or employees. Expecting employers to foot the bill and not
• Things That Mean Nothing to Cooper My mom has this great collection of 45s. I remember spending some fantastic afternoons as a kid spinning Joan Jett, the Beatles, and so many other classics. This lazy Saturday afternoon, we had the 89.3 the Current on for Cooper and they played a song by the Pixies. Jen to Cooper: “This was the first CD