Unions should support more "Jim Abelers"

  why should a hypothetical union guy,  vote Republican?

Well, let’s summarize the prevailing wisdom of many Democrat union voters. Union Jack certainly knows why he SHOULDN’T vote Republican. Republicans are union-busting, anti-labor politicians corrupted by enormous amounts of big business money. Plus, his labor uni

on gives a large amount of money to Democratic politicians and spends a lot of resources in getting Democrats elected. As a result, the Democrats are the pro-labor and anti-big business party.There is nothing more Republican or American than men and women working together for the advancement of their country and themselves as individuals.
There is nothing more Republican or American than men and women working together for the advancement of themselves as individuals. First, let’s discuss the union busting. Conservatives have earned a reputation for union busting and it is fairly deserved. Republican politicians have picked a lot of REALLY stupid battles with labor unions historically and now. I personally consider myself a pro-union Republican – not because I always agree with unions, but because I see them as having been responsible for two things. First, and most obviously, the creation of the American middle class. Even though I don’t have a union job, I probably wouldn’t be paid anywhere near where I am now (even if you consider inflation) without unions fighting for better work conditions and higher wages over the last 120 years. Secondly, because the creation of the middle class in the 20th Century prevented the Communist Party of the United States from becoming a serious domestic political force; likely saving our Constitution and economic freedoms or at the very least enabling us to win the Cold War. So I will be the first to admit that many of our Republican leaders are putting ideology before the lessons of history when it comes to labor unions. Many, but not all. Union Jack may be surprised to learn that the great Kevin Tracy is not the only pro-Union Republican. Many Republican officials are just as pro-union as I am. The problem is that the Republican Party’s leaders and candidate platforms aren’t going to adjust while people like Union Jack and his Union brothers and sisters are voting in Democrat primaries. Union Jack actually can have a say in where the Republican candidates stand on unions, but he NEEDS to get involved in the Republican Party. So now that we’ve established that the Republican Party isn’t entirely anti-Union, it makes sense to address the myth that Republicans are anti-Labor (and that Democrats are pro-Labor). At face value, it is very easy to see how Union Jack can perceive Republicans as anti-Labor. We oppose raises in minium wage, we protect business owners from frivolous law suits, and the list goes on. Democrats on the other hand are eager to raise wages, encourage law suits, etc. However, I would implore Union Jack to ask himself, “What does it mean to be pro-labor? The phrase has been overused and abused in recent years, but businesses create jobs and as long as rich people own businesses, rich people will use those businesses to create jobs. Do Republicans bend over backwards to help these businesses with tax breaks and other incentives? Yes. We do that so they can maintain their profit margins and not have to lay off workers. In good economic conditions, this also enables businesses to invest in themselves by creating more jobs and hiring more workers, regardless of whether they are union or non-union employees. If we can sustain a friendly enough business environment, it is possible business owners across the country will create a surplus of jobs. When that happens, wages will go up and upward mobility becomes increasingly possible as companies begin competing for the best workers. I have always been confused by those who call Republicans anti-labor. REPUBLICANS ARE PRO-LABOR because they want you to be able to find a job. Republicans want you to have employment options. The last thing any Republican wants is for Union Jack to collect welfare. It’s a drain on businesses, the economic resources (buying power) of the American taxpayer, and makes it that much more difficult to get government spending under control. Meanwhile, Democrats are undermining the American business owner’s ability to make a profit on his or her investment. Even worse, Democrats are undermining the economic power of the American worker. This will probably come as a surprise for Union Jack. We often hear about Democrats opposing tax hikes on the poor in favor of taxing the wealthy (defined as individuals making $250,000+ per year). At face value, that seems like Democrats are helping the poor at the expense of the wealthy. If we examine this more closely though, we can see that this is actually BAD for every American. Union Jack, like almost every American citizen, is a consumer. His quality of life is determined not by how much money he makes, but the purchasing power of the money he earns. If Democrats tax business owners, the business owners aren’t going to make any less money because they will pass that expense on to the consumer, or Union Jack in this instance. For example, let’s say Union Jack takes home $50,000 a year and is paying $15,000 for his mortgage, $5000 for his car, $20,000 for gas and electricity, and $10,000 on miscellaneous bills and necessities (it equals $50,000). Democrats then give Union Jack a tax cut. As a result, Union Jack is now taking home $55,000 a year. At face value, that seems great. However, Democrats want to make up the revenue by taxing business owners. Businesses then respond by raising their prices to make up for the extra money they have to pay in taxes. As a result, gas and electricity cost more. The price of Union Jack’s energy goes up from $25,000 to $28,000. Those miscellaneous things like cable and food also become more expensive as a result, going from $10,000 to $13,000 (everything now costs $56,000).inflation
Even worse, when Union Jack needs to buy a new car, that new car is going to cost him significantly more than what he was paying before. He can save money by buying used; which is one less car being manufactured. When demand for vehicles falls across the country, auto-workers get laid off. When workers stop getting pay checks, they stop buying things. When people stop buying things, demand for things begins to fail, profits drop and workers making things get laid off. When they get laid off, they stop buying things, too. In time, these people lose their homes and house values plummet. If Union Jack ever needs to sell his home, he’s probably not going to get what he paid for it. In other words, his home is no longer worth the $15,000 a year that he’s paying for it. Of course, this assumes Democrats actually gave Union Jack a tax cut to begin with. That almost never happens. History has proven that Democrats would increase taxes on businesses and leave Union Jack’s middle class tax rate alone. So Union Jack is still making $50,000 a year but his expenses would climb from $50,000 to $56,000. The question needs to be asked: “Why are Democrats considered PRO-LABOR?” They are making workers across the United States increasingly weaker by taking away their purchasing power. So, back to the original question. Why should a union worker vote Republican?
1. The tax policies of the Republican Party economically empower workers.
2. The Republican Party’s “business friendly” tax structure creates an environment where employers are more eager to hire workers and compete with one another for the best workers by offering better wages and higher positions.
3. Republicans never want you to be in a position where you have to be on welfare.
4. The incredibly talented Kevin Tracy is a Republican.
5. Unfair union-busting practices will end if union workers begin voting for pro-union Republicans in Republican Primaries.
6. Democrats love to tax. They want to tax you for every mile you drive on top of the gax tax you already pay. This will lower your buying power even more.

Senator Jim Abeler

It's time to Say "NO" to drugs

 

The untimely demises of such notables as Micheal Jackson and Prince Rogers Jackson,  has sparked a national conversation on the drug Fentanyl.Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has come to be a significant threat to Public health. Fentanyl is also a key ingredient in Oxycontin And has played a significant role in the rise in mortality rates due to opioid abuse as it hinders respiration and causes death quicker then other opioids.From 2012-2014 the number of Fentanyl related deaths doubled from 2628 to 5544. These recent statistics have placed Fentanyl at the center of the opioid crisis. Government agencies are struggling as to how to address the issue as well as the increased fatalities. To truly address this issue, policymakers need to differentiate between use reduction and harm reduction. Use reduction is about reducing consumption, Harm reduction is about reducing the negative consequences of usage. In regards to a harm reduction approach, many addicts who overdose on fentanyl aren't aware their using it As dealers often cut it with heroin. Recent drug busts in Canada revealed that 89% of seized synthetic Oxycontin tablets contained  Fentanyl. In the United States it was also found in dosages of Norco and Xanax. Although producing Fentanyl requires specialized knowledge and equipment, fentanyl use is on the rise most likely due to cheaper production costs, and potency.Heroin costs about $65,000 per kilogram, Fentanyl costs about $3,500  thus the dealers have incentives to utilize it to offset pricing. Inexperienced dealers pose an even greater risk to public health. Policies need to be put in place that eliminate incentives to utilize fentanyl in concocting Their synthetic products.
Traditional drug  enforcement emphasizes on use reduction which includes deterring distribution, harsher prosecution of addicts and cracking down on illegal laboratories.  Cracking down on illegal labortories often disrupts the  market for the substance, the issue with user reduction approaches is they can make the problems worse.  Concepts such as prosecuting those possessing paraphanelia increases needle sharing which in turns opens doors to spread HIV.  As a result many law enforcement agencies have created initiatives that coincide with public health interests, thus the goal becomes not suppressing but channel in a different direction. Another solution that has proved effective is to hold individuals and organizations that deal illegal substances accountable with harsher prosecution and sentencing that is more severe in nature.Imposing the same in cases where Fentanyl is being distributed Would also prove to be effective. Healthcare also has a large role in this issue in addressing mortality rates and responding to overdoses Via opioid antagonizers such as Naloxone. Naloxone has been proven effective but needs to be applied in the right dosage and in an immediate fashion. Naloxone kits need to be made available in higher dosages and be readily available to first responders. The kits should also be made available to users with a training provided regarding what to do in the event of an overdose. In many states this will take revisions to regulations on pharmacies. Expanding  access to chemical dependency  treatment has been a long time concern as well but it has been addressed to a certain extent by the 21st century cures act. Medical professionals also need to recognize that medication - assisted treatment is also not without risk. By reducing tolerance into those who continue to use or have been in an environment that temporarily prohibits substance abuse such as an inmate that is related from jail. The rise of Fentanyl, it's affordability and it's potency pose a significant threat to public health which requires a timely response and effective policies that combines prevention, treatment and harm-reduction approaches into solutions that promote safety health and positive choices for individuals and for our communities

Projection:Blong Yang wins Ward 5 Council seat by small margin

 

   I picked up records for previous Elections for the MN Ward 5 Council from Minneapolis City Hall. Yes,  Blong lost the endorsement but Blong's never won the DFL endorsement. Blong has never come in above 3rd at a DFL endorsing Convention, this year he came in 2nd. Although the Name "Ellison" is a big name in Minneapolis, If used correctly by opponents that will most likely be his downfall.  Norm Coleman's son Jake is one of my closest political allies and he has pulled me out of the fire on multiple occasions.  Coleman is a big name and he broke records on fundraising but when going up against someone who has been an extremely  visible presence in the community he lost the race.Kieth is in Congress,  Kim is on the school board  Adding  a 3rd Ellison looks like Dynasty Building, also the motto a northsider for the north side sounds Nativist and it appears that the intent is to make a black issue on everyone else issue which is going to isolate a lot of the electorate . Looking at Numbers and patterns. I predict Blong Yang wins re-election to the Ward 5 council seat by a moderately smaller margin then last time.

Dumb and Dumber

I recently wrote a letter to the Editor calling out the Mayor Jim Sanborn's trolling on Twitter as Bullying. Mayor Sanborn has been blocked on Twitter by State Auditor Rebecca Otto, Mayor Sanborn has also utilized Social media forums to attack officials in Minneapolis including Ward 5 Councilman Blong Yang. Mayor Sanborn openly cites himself as the Mayor of Waconia during the exchanges.The following week Mayor Mike Webb of the neighboring City of  Carver  and Jeff Thompson, a GOP activist from Cologne. I responded to Jeff Thompsons letter the following week, I was recently asked why I did not respond to Mayor Webb's letter and most people in Waconia's response to that letter was "whose Mike Webb?" and for those that do know who Mike is they think he's a bully too and it's only natural for the bully to defend the bully. One of the things that struck my attention in Webb's letter was his quote "I believe in the right to discourse – I also believe the right to earning your way to the table as to not just toss barbs blindly. " Mayor Webb has had an exceptionally long feud with Commissioner Randy Maluchnik, labeling him "Ma-Douche-nik" and "Union Randy" Sometimes the best advice we can take is our own Mike. Although I do find the bro-mance between Mayor Webb and Mayor Sanborn to be adorable, One has to ask whose the top and whose the bottom?

Jennifer Carnahan is "A New Hope" for the MNGOP

Going up against a plethora of more experienced candidates such as National Committeeman Rick Rice and Deputy Chairman Chris Fields  Jennifer Carnahan as State Chair of the Minnesota Republican to most seemed at mo
st a bit far fetched, but not to me. Several month before I had sat down for Lunch at Cy's in Chaska and I had predicted that Jennifer Carnahan would emerge as the next Chair of the MN Republican party.
As a Candidate for SD59 Jennifer was told she had no chance of winning and statistically she didn't but a long with Margaret Martin and Jessica Newville Jennifer ran as if she could. She gave it her utmost best, Jennifer broke fundraising records and performed better then most of the previous candidates for the district emerging with 22.1 percent of the vote in one of the safest DFL districts in the state.
During the Course of her campaign for State Chair came face to face with the good old boy system of the Republican and she faced it with exemplary courage. Jennifer asked me after a particularly night during the campaign about facing adversity in the GOP. How Do I continue to fight without being worn down when people lie about me and call me names and  told her "Its not about what they call you it's about what you answer to." I've always identified with Jennifer because  we've fought a lot of the same battles to prove ourselves repeatedly to a system that is historically resistant to change. Many saw Jennifer as an opportunity to take the racist card out of the DFL's deck of cards, but  there was a  lot more then race involved in the selection process. What should intimidate the opposition is her drive. When Jennifer puts her mind to something she gets it done.

the other key aspect is Jennifer's story Carnahan of being born in rural South Korea, abandoned at a local hospital and adopted and rising to the top of fortune 500 companies is about hard work and determination, It is the epitome of the Republican philosophy of it doesn't matter where you come from "if you work hard enough you can get there." A philosophy that we have strayed from for too long to the point we'd become elitist, disillusioned and complacent. Jennifer's election challenged the status quo, defied the practice of picking of winners and losers and opened doors for a more inclusive more upbeat more positive Republican party.
I have the utmost confidence in Jennifer's leadership and know she will lead the party with dignity with equity and with decency, She represents the American dream, a fresh vision and a new hope for the Republican party.

Redefining Mental health Dialogue is essential to public health.

The Term Crisis is perhaps one of the most commonly used words in American Politics today. We see it used to denote events hold negative connotations for the Majority of Americans. Maybe that's why we've struggled to address a legitimate crisis in our own communities. Minnesotans have spent the past decade bombarded by the housing crisis, the banking crisis and crisis abroad what about the mental health crisis? With 1 in 5 Americans living form with its long past time that we as a society address this issue that plagues our families our communities and our state.  Legislators on both sides of the aisle have pledged to fight for necessary reform more aggressively and this  upcoming week Minnesota’s legislature will be discussing the HHS Omnibus Bill and a part of the dialogue will be pertaining to mental health services for Children and Adolescents.  As a self-advocate I understand how difficult it is to get youth engaged in mental health services and As a member of the State subcommittee on children’s mental health, the Carver county mental health board I want to express how important this conversation is to our community. There are numerous reasons but all share numerous similarities as illustrated by the story of a Carver county resident who recently attended the Carver County Mental Health Board’s meeting in regards to her daughter who due to HIPPA I will refer to as MJ.  13 year old MJ struggled with emotional which as a result caused severe behavioral outbursts and a she got older it became more difficult for her parents to handle. MJ became aggressive at school and received multiple suspensions, she became aggressive with family members to the point where the police were called and took her juvenile detention. Her parent’s and county officials agreed that MJ needed further mental health treatment but connecting her was next to impossible. The County didn’t have the resources to accommodate the needs and waitlists ran from months to several years and ultimately the issue became too many barriers, too little access. MJ’s behavioral episodes continued to increase in severity until she finally ended u and a self-advocate in a residential treatment facility. After receiving intensive therapy, Today MJ is 15 has returned home she has the necessary supports and her relationship with her family is improving.  Although this may seem like a success story, how many parents or caregivers would have the ability to endure this type of scenario? Why did it ever have to get to that point? There should have been a quicker route to accessibility. In the United States 17.1 million children under the age of 18 States have a diagnosable psychiatric condition, less than 35 percent of them receive treatment. As a result it’s no surprise that 70 % of kids in the juvenile justice system have some form of a mental illness. It’s disappointing to know that less than half of the kids diagnosed with a mental health diagnosis ever receive treatment if their diagnosed at all. This has to change.  We as a society need to rethink how we address mental health, addressing mental health in children and adolescents are key. We need to place more emphasis on early intervention in both age and the trajectory of the illness.  Secondly we need to place a higher level of effort on “fire prevention.” Too often a crisis is deescalated and a child is sent home to the same environmental factors that caused the crisis in the first place. We also need to recognize there’s 2 parts to the mental health system, there’s the system and there’s the parts that make up the system. We need to provide mental health care utilizing evidence based multi- faceted system including both home and community services. Finally we need to promote open and productive community dialogues that include families, pediatricians and educators. These conversations will become a lot easier in the long term when there is meaningful progress being made towards reforms in the mental health system, in the short term share your stories, ask questions as personal experiences are essential to success and critical to legislation that promotes meaningful change.

Randy Maluchnik: A common sense Conservative for Carver county

Several years ago County  Commissioner Randy Maluchnik ruffled the feathers of some in the Carver County GOP by labeling himself a "common sense conservative" but I am not sure if one could be any more accurate in that description. Randy has worked for former Blue Dog US Congressman David Minge.
In regards to Public policy Randy has been fiscally prudent. He has worked to keep taxes down worked to improve the County's infrastructure, worked to increase accessibility to Carver County's mental health services as well as being one of the leading voices in the fight to reform the Metropolitan  Council. .
Commissioner Maluchnik is past president of the Minnesota association of Counties and has developed an impressive network that he works with and for on public policy projects including driverless cars and the development of regional planning bodies  in Carver County, St Paul and Washington DC
Besides being a force to be reckoned with in the arena of Randy has morals and has a people first way of doing things. As a result he frequently calls into question the Schoolyard bully tactics of Mayors Mike Webb and Jim Sanborn. He believes all people have worth and treats his constituency with the utmost respect and dignity. 

By his record of developing effective policies, standing up for the little guy and being a voice of reason and common sense in a wasteland of polarized  rhetoric and sanctimony, Randy has proved himself to be a Common sense conservative for Carver county.

Gayle Degler :Community driven and Results orientated

I had the  opportunity to walk through a new development in Chanhassen last week and walked down one of the blocks called "Degler Circle" The Road is very appropriately named for someone I consider to be one of Carver County's finest residents, County Commissioner Gayle Degler.

Commissioner  Degler is a life -long resident Carver County Resident, He has served on the School District 112 Board as well as the Carver County Planning Commission. Degler has received criticism from the Carver County GOP for not being conservative enough but Degler and the rest of the County Board have worked diligently to hold the line on taxes ,while working to improve infrastructure and promote solid economic development across Carver county.

One of the thing that sets Degler apart from many other Republicans in Carver County is the element of compassion that he implements in his work. Commissioner Degler is a compassion conservative. You can see it not only in his work on the board but also in his life. If you see Commissioner Degler around town he probably knows you by name and he'll probably come over and  say hello. Residents of Carver county's first Commissioner
District have a great advocate in Gayle Degler.

Dumb Blondes, Trolls and Busybodies the sorry state of the MNYRS

Over the past few years The MNGOP has  seen it's fair share of misfortunes but in all my involvement I have yet to see as sorry of an excuse for an organization as the Minnesota Young Republicans.

I made the mistake of making time to meet with former YR State Chair Zavier Biccott several months ago and I walked into the coffee shop in Bloomington and informed him I had an hour and then I had to be another meeting in Minneapolis. Zavier asks  me how busy can I actually be because he's busy running the Republican Liberty Caucus and had to plan a convention and I just about turn around and walked out. I later attended the event he was planning and the attendance of the convention was not all that impressive. It's one thing to have a bit of an ego and have actually accomplished something, It's another to have an ego and have accomplished nothing, It's this kind of buffoonish snobbery that ensures for a lack of productivity,  growth  and mediocre quality within  GOP affiliates.

As far as YRS go the Antics of Zavier Biccott are relatively harmless of more detriment are the antics of  his successor  Aly Eichman is the essence of every Dumb blonde joke ever written. In her previous post Aly served as Chair of the Minnesota College Republicans. Aly told everyone she had Big Plans for the CRS and those "big plans" resulted in a mass exodus from the CRS. As Soon as the CRs dropped her she and her lack of quality  leadership slithered up the ranks of the MNYRS and many are watching with an underlying sense of dread and slight amusement  as to what her next Big Plans are.

Another point of contention is Party jerk caucus which exhibits an aura of condescension for those people bother to unplug from the party's motherboard of ideology on any issue. Ring leader  Andy Schmitz, with his beady eyes, big ears big nose with tufts of hair sticking out all over them reminds me very much of one of those little troll dolls in the new kids movie "Trolls." When Shakopee residents wrote letters to the Editor expressing their disapproval with Scott County GOP's endorsements in local races, Andy called them naive and degraded them for having a contrary opinion. Nate Proano's racist comments towards Asians in the past also have been nothing more then a disservice to the MNYRs and the party at large
I don't really waste a whole lot of time worrying about the MNYRS, eventually someone will come along with a lot of time in their hands to provide for the quality leadership and structural changes that the organization requires. I just hope it comes soon as the GOP requires support from millennial.  I know that in response to this post that the YRs in all their willful ignorance will laud me as disabled and mentally unstable which is nothing new but let's be honest if I really ever wanted to kill myself I'd jump off their egos to their IQ levels.

Debunked Anti-Vaxing Theories are a threat to Public health

The publication of Andrew Wakefield's now debunked research that linked vaccinations as a cause for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in 1998 brought with it a flurry of questions and inquiries into the safety of vaccines. Since then those questions have been answered. There is no link between vaccines and ASD. However people continue to believe in this debunked causation theory while ignoring more recent research which shows other environmental factors to be much more suspect.

Countless advocacy groups and research institution have studied any correlation between vaccines and Autism, and the results disprove causation. Despite lack of scientific data, parental fears regarding the discredited claims have caused more parents to opt their children out of recommended vaccination schedules. The resulting increase in the number of unvaccinated individuals has come to pose a significant threat to public health. In the past several years Minnesota has seen several outbreaks of diseases that were preventable via vaccinations, including Rochester's pertussis outbreak in 2015 and this year's measles cases in St. Paul and St. Cloud.

False and misleading media coverage regarding vaccine safety adds to the problem. For several years news coverage on the topic has included politicians, celebrities, radio broadcasters, television talk shows, movies, bloggers, and even some medical professionals have all contributed to the narrative. Much of the claims made are not founded on scientific evidence, nor the result of research by families and caregivers, largely because some long-term definitive research only became available recently.

One of the significant misconceptions is that toxic levels of mercury are present in the measles, mumps & rubella (MMR) vaccine. Mercury is found naturally in the environment in two forms, and it is often emitted by  burning coal, via mining processes, and in discarded waste such as old light bulbs, batteries, and thermometers. Every hour 11 pounds of mercury is released into the environment. Bacteria breaks it down into toxic methyl mercury, where it seeps into the ground and into water supplies and is absorbed by plant life and ingested by animals, which in turns finds its way into human food sources. Methyl mercury is highly toxic and takes the human body a long time to break down and flush from our blood streams.

The 2nd type of mercury is ethyl mercury, which is less toxic and produced in labs as an ingredient for thimerosal, a preservative which was originally used in trace amounts in vaccines. It was removed from all vaccines given to children age six by 2007. Despite the removal of thimerosal from childhood vaccines and the EPA's stricter regulations in regard to environmental mercury contamination sources, the number of children diagnosed with ASD annually continues to skyrocket. Currently 1 in 8 American males is diagnosed within the spectrum. Yet the public continues to be outraged and terrified by nonexistent mercury in childhood vaccines, which distracts from other suspected risk factors to which recent research points.

This past year a wealth of new scientific findings emerged regarding environmental factors and their correlation to ASD. Unfortunately even though these findings could lead to legitimate therapeutic methods or even potential preventative measures, they have received very little media attention. This is perhaps because the phrase "environmental factor" is often misconstrued to focus solely on ecology or wildlife biology. This is inaccurate. Anything that produces a biological or behavioral response that is non-genetic is considered an environmental factor - this includes dietary habits and olfactory senses.

Another misunderstanding is the difference between a "cause" and a "risk factor." A cause is something which directly leads to a disease or condition, while a risk factor merely increases the odds of contracting it. There is currently no known cause for Autism Spectrum Disorder. However recent research indicates that it is probably a combination of genetics and environmental factors that contribute to an ASD diagnosis. Recent research points to factors such as pregnancy complications, maternal obesity, severe viral infections and the ages of the parents as likely risk factors. A thorough analysis of these studies can be found in the 2016 Annual Review of Public Health.

It is unfortunate and increasingly dangerous that although serious researchers have moved beyond a refuted vaccine theory to focus on more promising avenues of ASD research, many in the media and and non-medical community remain fixated on it. With every penny and empty rhetorical phrase spent on dead ends and wild goose chases we are losing ground and failing families who deserve real and helpful answers. It's time to refocus on true answers for the Autism Community.

Frank Long and his Perennial candidacy

Very few within the Carver County Republican structure have reached the level of notoriety as that of our former BPOU Chairman Frank Long. His attempts to purge the Carver County GOP of moderates and his delusional ramblings that are reminiscent of a 70s Hippie mid-bad trip remind me very much of the tenure and downfall of former Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Frank quickly found himself the leader of the Neoconservatives in SD47 where he established himself as a "True conservative." and a "beacon of morality " for Carver County Conservatives. While espousing traditional values in his first bid for County Commissioner Frank was revealed to have rap sheet several pages long including several felonies. In the Chaska herald the previous week Frank had stated "
“I have had three misdemeanor DUI violations that are over 20 years old. I quit drinking in 1994. None of my violations were for a high alcohol blood percentage. The breathalyzer results were .10/.11/.12 respectively, the equivalent of 2 to 4 drinks at my weight at that time. The State Alcohol Assessment Officer report stated I did not have a drinking problem, but given the few positive things drinking had added to my life I made the decision to quit." Frank Failed to mention the Felony Drug Trafficking charges and despite his serious histor
y continues to unapologetically portray himself as an "Honest Broker" and continues to rail against those who are not as conservative as he is.

 Long's Downfall came almost as quickly as his ascent. He currently serves in multiple minor party positions and his whereas his weekly letters used to be feature news on the second page, their now usually the piece of news closest to the Obituary section.

To Quote former Governor Arne Carlson   "This is a common scenario with McCarthy types, they rise quickly as they step loudly and carelessly on the reputations of innocent people and they fall just as rapidly in accordance with the public’s insistence on truth and decency. "

Word on the Street is "Felony Frank" is considering another run for County Commissioner. It's long past time for Carver county Republicans to "take out the trash" and just let Frank Long and company wallow in their own fantasies of half truths and bitterness . Lets rally behind Senator Scott Jensen and our  new leadership  in creating an environment where "compromise" isn't a dirty word and getting things done for Minnesotans isn't a primary-able offense.

Bipartisan support will move Medicaid reform forward

With the creation of the American Healthcare act, the Federal state Medicaid programs faces some of the most substantial changes that it has faced since its implementation in 1965.  HR 1628 as currently adapted replaces the current Federal matching program with a per capita cap on federal dollars which is intended to limit the growth of these funds to the rate of growth of the medical component of the consumer price index with and additional 1% for Americans over 65 and individuals with disabilities. The CBO predicts that this solution will result in federal funding being reduced by 800 billion over the next decade. This type of reduction has the potential to be an unprecedented financial risk to individual states. In a situation that has become increasingly polarized, legislators, advocates and policymakers should refocus on the basic questions how can we improve the value of Medicaid spending without diminishing quality? And where can we find common ground to achieve these ends?

One opportunity for Bipartisanship is the flexibility of states in regards to Medicaid. States often use Social security act  1115 waivers to utilize options that are not in accordance with Federal Medicaid Regulations.(Minnesota is actually in the process of applying for one now to exempt our chemical dependency facilities from the IMD rule.) The ACA increased regulatory requirements for requests for waivers and for their renewal, which substantially increased the administrative burdens on the states. Giving States more flexibility in addressing Challenges with the Medicaid program coincides with the basic Republican platform stances of limited government and States rights.

The Democrats are unlikely to support initiatives such as requiring employment  in exchange for eligibility. They will be more likely to support concepts such as alternative payment methods. Flexibility that allows for experimentation with new approaches to Medicaid payments is an opportunity for bipartisanship and is beneficial to both taxpayers and patients.

An increased need for the program and for revisions will  in the near  future be bringing a variety of policy proposals to the table, which to be legitimately beneficial will need to provide for an honest assessment of the weaknesses of the program and create policies that address that realistic assessment and the reality of the demographic it serves.