Veto Transportation Bill - Call the Governor!

We all know this. Minnesota's Taxes are outrageously high. We are the 4th most taxed state in the United States, while we should strive to at least be Number 26 or Number 50... but the Transportation Bill that has recently passed in Minnesota house and is going to the desk of the Governor Tim Pawlenty, and I ask, anyone who feels that higher taxes are bad, please contact Governor Tim Pawlenty office (details listed below), and let them know (as politely as you can) that you don't want higher taxes.

Contact Governor Tim Pawlenty and let him know you want the Transportation tax bill vetoed.
(651) 296-3391
(800) 657-3717
E-Mail tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us

MN GOP abuses Free Speech Exemption

In June I called the MN GOP and asked to be removed from all mailing list and phone lists. I also asked to be removed from the state delegate list. The guy decided to lecture me about how "stupid" a person is to not be a part of one of the parties.

In late August I got about 2 calls per day from 3rd parties whose script said, "paid for by the Minnesota Republican Party". Each of those I requested to be removed from the call list. Obviously that never happened.

For the past month I have received over 30 calls from "the Minnesota Republican Party" and with each of them I requested to be removed from all calling lists. Over the past week the number of these calls has been a minimum of 3 per day (not including the 'blocked numbers' that disconnected when I answered). Each time the phone rep and their manager would say that they forward the request to the MN GOP ("the client") the next day.

Finally, last night I called the MN GOP and asked why they are ignoring the requests. I spoke with Barbara (Office Executive) who said that the MN GOP has no legal department and that NONE of the "remove" requests are processed until "after the election cycle". I requested to be removed in June, August, September, October and November.

None of those requests were followed through on. If this were a business they would have been subject to penalties and fines. Instead the MN GOP intentionally disregards these requests, hiding behind "Freedom of Speech exemptions" which Barbara said allows them to (a) ignore these requests to be removed from calling lists and (b) disregard the 30 day requirement in which a request must be followed.

Disgusting abuse of "Freedom of Speech".

Marty avoids the point and the facts

I explained a few of the many objective reasons why Mary Kiffmeyer's incompetence should not be returned to office today.

Marty gives an effort of defending the highly incapable Kiffmeyer. He missed so much so badly that a re-direct to the facts are necessary.

Marty claims that Kiffmeyer is pro-business. Unfortunately the record has not shown that. Yes, she advocates cutting fees charged to business...by cutting her hours of operation when she doesn't get her way. Yes, she cuts the fees...after criticism for specific fees become loud. ANYONE has a fighting chance to do better. Marty's charge against Mark Ritchie is, well, not about Ritchie...which is typical when someone is defending piss-poor performance against solid criticism and a possibly better challenger.

Marty also gives the rationale that since Kiffmeyer is not a negative to voter turnout she should be returned. Well, mediocrity at best is not something to brag about. But the point of showing that Kiffmeyer had no impact on voter turnout is that her claims (both her in Marty's interview and in ads) are misleading at best, blatant lies at worst.

All in all, listening to his defense of Kiffmeyer is a classic example of Lewis' Law: Never underestimate a person's ability to rationalize anything. He provides nothing substantial in support, uses pre-judged generalizations in her defense. You cannot blame him...he is defending someone whose in-job performance is atrocious and her word is worth very little (vis a vis: failure to keep her appointments).

Bracing for a new wave of threats

Three times this has happened. A wave of hits comes from http://www.hrccadmin.com/sound_and_the_fury.asp which seems to be a page within the membership protected area of the House Republican Volunteer Center. Then within a few days of those hits I get threats via e-mail, blogs and comments. These three were actually the 2nd, 3rd & 4th "isolated incidents" in this manner.

There was what turned out to be the first rash of hits where I thought nothing came of it. After spending a good deal of research from colleagues we discovered that coinciding with that first wave of hits was the beginning of a movement to attempt to destroy my livlihood and threats to my family in a similar manner. THAT did originate from GOP members and GOP employees.

As Jason Lewis frequently says, enough anecdotes lead to a reality.

So, I have begun getting a new wave of hits from the above mentioned link. I wonder what number of threats and harrassment I can expect in my personal life over the next few weeks.

(NOTE: why is the MN GOP icon on this post? Because some of these people are employed with the MN GOP.)