Spot’s the word on Dissin’ da Writ
October 7th, 2006
I stole this from Spotty, sums up the state of our “rights” now:
Time for a reality check — Spot does a good job of walking, or dog trotting, through the Habeas insanity. Take a few and read and wonder how long we’ll be on the loose…
I’m trying to work up to writing my take on the Red Wing background checks but this is all just too depressing… I hope you’re all paying attention and don’t let this moment pass quietly…
Can someone explain Rowley’s position on…
October 7th, 2006
Color me pissy, but will someone please explain Rowley’s position on… oh, say… energy… or education… or environment… or EVERYTHING? That is, anything but the war, we’ve got that one figured out. Look at the Colleen Rowley website. There are no position papers posted, no issues statements. It’s even worse than before when there were lame statements and she was doing things like conflating “decreasing dependence on foreign oil” with “wind generation” and some such. Back then, of course, I went straight to the horse’s mouth, we had a few go rounds, I spoke with her in person too, I spent quite a bit of time sending off basic information on electrical generation and transmission == hey, 2nd Congressional District is home to a nuclear plant up for relicensing. NADA! I heard from an FBI buddy of hers who was working on position papers, and now that they’ve had a lot of time to deal with it, to do something, nada. I’m getting a lot of email on Rowley doorknocks, lit drops, events, but
LTEs in Grand Rapids HR
October 5th, 2006
…and I don’t mean John…
Two great Letters to the Editor today in the Grand Rapids paper (it takes a while for them to be posted) and guess who’s on the front page of the Red Wing Republican Beagle — “fuming” no less!!!
Here’s Grand Rapids, from Alvar Hupila:
Editor:
The article in Business Monthly, supplement to the Grand Rapids Herald Review, â??A Look at IGCC Technology,â? puts the Mesaba Energy Project in stark perspective. The statement by John Grasser, who is with the US Department of Energyâ??s Office of Fossil Energy, that â??IGCC technology is an important step in the development of further technologiesâ? and that â??the Mesaba Project is one of these stepsâ?, is an indication that we should not be subjected to it.
This means that this â??experimentâ? will put the environment, our health, and the pristine water of the Canisteo pit at risk for a process that is still being developed.
The Excelsior Energy representative at the Grand Rapids meeting admitted that they do not know how they would deal with the slurry that contains most of the pollutants and it has not been determined whether the used water would be returned to the pit or released into the Mississippi River watershed.
As attractive as the promise of permanent jobs may be, there are still too many unknowns to justify this project.
Alvar E. Hupila
Bovey
And Bob Norgord, King of Run On Paragraphs, is at it again, direct, factual and hard-hitting as always:
Editor:
I would like to respond to the â??Letter to the Editorâ? in the Sept. 20 Herald Review written by the president of a building trades union. His spin on things sounds like an advertisement for Excelsior Energy with the same spin that they put on things, but he needs to get his facts straight. He refers to â??significant property taxâ? benefits for the county to be paid by Excelsior Energy. Excelsior was made exempt from paying property tax. He refers to a large number of jobs – but for whom? Excelsior is hiring contractors from out of state who will be bringing a large number of their own people with them. There will be some jobs for local people, but after three years, the honeymoon is over. The $1 .5 billion of private investment he refers to does not exist. There are no private investors yet as the venture is considered too risky for the private sector. The â??clean coalâ? technology he mentions does not exist. There is no such thing as clean coal even if they do cut some of the emissions. If this plant were to go to the Dakotas as he suggests could happen, the â??easterly windsâ? he refers to would not blow the emissions towards us. If this technology is so clean, we wouldn’t have to worry about westerly winds either.
He also makes reference to the Mesaba Project as having the potential to â??deal with global warming without increasing our electricity rates through the roof.â? When Excelsior Energy’s CEO Tom Micheletti was asked why anyone would purchase his power when it would cost more than twice as much as power purchased elsewhere, he responded by saying that if we want clean power, we are going to have to pay for it. As to the global warming thing, this technology has the ability to sequester 20-30 percent of the carbon dioxide it creates by pumping it into the ground, but not here-not on this granite ledge on the Scenic Highway, so now we would be adding to the problem, not helping the environment as he suggests. As to the â??looming energy crisis,â? it has been suggested that it could happen in 10-15 years, but it is being handled as I write this letter. The governor of Texas has plans for 18 coal fired plants to be built in Texas, NSP has plans for one in Colorado, and other producers of power have plans for increasing production.
Don’t worry, the Christmas tree on the White House lawn will be lit this year and every year in the future without the Mesaba Project.
Bob Norgord
Bovey
And here’s from the Red Wing Republican Beagle (this’ll teach me not to respond to questions with 72 pt. bold font… naaaaaaaaaaah…):
Screening process didnâ??t violate laws, official says
Mike Longaecker
The Republican Eagle – 10/05/2006The background checks have been checked out. And according to the Dakota County Attorneyâ??s office, there was no wrongdoing by the city of Red Wing.
A report, issued Sept. 27 by Dakota County Attorney Chief Deputy Phillip Prokopowicz, says he couldnâ??t find a law requiring Red Wing City Council candidates to sign a release.
City Clerk Kathy Johnson told investigators that signing a release for background checks wasnâ??t a condition of candidacy, Prokopowicz said Wednesday.
Still, that could have been made more clear, he said. He suspected some kind of disconnect between Johnsonâ??s office and what was told to candidates by others at City Hall.
â??It might have been an implied expectation,â? Prokopowicz said of what was told to some candidates. â??It was not communicated as well as it should have been.â?
In a letter to complainant Carol Overland, Prokopowicz also said that he couldnâ??t find any law specifically prohibiting city officials from asking candidates to sign release forms.
Some City Council hopefuls raised a flap in July after noticing background checks were included in candidacy materials distributed by Johnsonâ??s office.
The original form given to most of the candidates allowed the city to perform criminal, courts, driving and credit checks.
That release form told candidates that while they werenâ??t legally required to sign the authorization, voluntary compliance was allowed â??because I want to be considered for employment or volunteer service â?¦ ;â?
With the background checks serving as her impetus, Overland â?? an advocacy attorney â?? filed for the At-Large seat. She filed a complaint with the Secretary of Stateâ??s office soon after.
The city issued a second draft of the release before the filing period closed. It said voluntary checks would be performed â??because I want to aid the city of Red Wing in fulfilling its duty to ensure that only eligible candidates are certified for placement on the cityâ??s ballot.â?
According to the second draft, the checks were to be limited in scope searches for felony offenses, court findings of incompetency and any matter negating election eligibility.
Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer and her election opponent, Mark Ritchie, have both criticized the city for its screening policy.
After receiving Prokopowiczâ??s letter, Overland was left fuming.
â??What says this is OK?â? she said Tuesday, referring to what she called â??qualified and passive languageâ? in the letter.
The Red Wing Charter Commission member said sheâ??s not sure whether sheâ??ll continue to pursue legal action against the city, but said some kind of action is important.
â??If actionâ??s not taken, this kind of thingâ??s going to keep happening,â? said Overland, who works closely with issues such as transmission lines and a proposed northern Minnesota coal gasification plant.
â??Itâ??s not over for me, but I donâ??t know how much I can do.â?
Joe Krueger â?? who also took a vocal stand against the city for its background checks â?? and Carol Duff defeated Overland and three others vying for the At-Large seat in the primary election.
Itâ??s unknown whether the city will continue to screen council candidates, said Council Administrator Kay Kuhlmann. She said the council will address the matter sometime before the next election cycle.
Overlandâ??s complaint was referred to Dakota County after Goodhue County prosecutors determined a conflict of interest. County Attorney Stephen Betcher also prosecutes cases for the city of Red Wing.
And here’s the letter that had me fumin’ yesterday:
So do tell, where’s the authorization to do this??? Zip, nada… And Joe Krueger did make a complaint, but dropped it, and no other candidates stood up to the City. Given that, why would the City Staff do anything differently in the future?
Czechomor & Lenka Dusilova in New Prague
October 4th, 2006
Czech out Czechomor & Lenka Dusilova
Sunday, October 15th
New Prague High School Auditorium
Doors open at 7, music starts at 8
New Prague, MINNESOTA, DUH! At the intersection of State Hwys. 19 & 21! The following was stolen without permission from Erick Sommers (so sue me):
Two-time Czech Grammy winner Lenka Dusilova and Czechomorâ??one of Eastern Europe’s premier folk-rock groupsâ??will tour southern Minnesota in mid-October, including a surprise Sunday-night stop in New Prague.
Czechomor, currently bringing their unique take on the folk traditions of Moravia to the United States with triumphant successâ??including a recent smash performance at New York’s Kennedy Centerâ??will perform with the celebrated Dusilova in the beautiful New Prague High School Auditorium at 8 pm Sunday evening, October 15th. This rare chance to experience their music in an unusually intimate setting (where the utmost pains have been taken to provide an enjoyable experience for all) is wide-open to the general public and all interested persons are warmly invited to attend. Arrangements will gladly be made for the elderly and those with unique needs.
Meeting in the supercharged atmosphere surrounding the Brno Musical Conservatory and setting out in 1988 as the “1st Czech-Moravian Musical Company,” Czechomor bandleader Karel Holas and primary collaborator Franta Cerny have consistently churned out unique, emotional original music, based on and woven through with long-forgotten folk melodies and, somehow, seeming to recreate through the mystery of music the history and stories of the ancient peoples of southeastern Europe. And while international audiences love their healthy doses of rock-and-roll energy, the band applies a careful, deliberate sensibility to the delicate, mysterious roots of their music.
In an interview with veteran Czech journalist Jiri Leschtina, published in the magazine Vikend, Holas said: “Folk songs are a terribly fragile thing, which you can easily spoil with your ideas. We open a tin can in which the song is being preserved and then we try it with everything possible. We will start out bravely, but we know that we may hit a wall. Some of our songs have as many as ten versions, until we work it out to the right one. Then we start playing it at a concert and only on the stage do we realize that it has been overdone. So we start again, changing and simplifying, until we are satisfied.”
Following this approach, they’ve consistently wowed audiences with their moving performances and has created thousands including such high-profile figures as Vaclav Havel. Havel’s interest in the groupâ??he is on record as naming them his favorite bandâ??opened doors for them in places they might not have otherwise found and they have played a large number of high-profile charitable events, further exposing this amazing and unique music to the world.
Dusilovaâ??winner of the influential Czech music magazine Report’s ‘best female vocalist’ award for four consecutive years beginning in 2000â??and who is widely acclaimed as one of Europe’s best indie artists, recently won two more prestigious awards, when she was named Andel Allianz Music Awards ‘Singer of the Year.’ Her album Mezy Svety also won the Andel Allianz Album of the Year as well as garnering the same title from the Czech Internet Music Awards.
The rare combination of two outstanding and acclaimed artists is a single concert is a lucky break for music-lovers in our area, especially in view of Czechomor’s recent, stunning success before a packed house of glittering celebrities in New York. Only in America!
Czechomor & Lenka Dusilova
Sunday, October 15th
Doors open at 7, music at 8
New Prague High School Auditorium
Excelsior and Xcel respond to our SJ Motion
October 3rd, 2006
Remember that infrastructure?
Yeah, THAT infrastructure, the pine roots and granite. Well, Dispositive Motions were due, and we filed the Motion for Summary Judgment because to be defined as an Innovative Energy Project, and to be entitled to all those perks like $$$$ from state and exemption from Certificate of Need and and and and and and, the IRR must designate the site as one that is in a taconite tax relief zone, which it is, and that the site has “adequate infrastructure for new or expanded development.” See for yourself, here’s THE BILL – search for “Innovative Energy Project.” I’m arguing that there’s no issue of fact, we all agree there is no infrastructure, so throw out the West site, it’s not an Innovative Energy Project.
Responses were due today, and what fun. Here they are — take the time to read Excelsior’s and look at Exhibit B which is an admission of lack of infrastructure any way you look at it.. WE’LL BE ARGUING ABOUT THIS ON THURSDAY, EVEN MORE FUN!!!
Xcel’s:
xe-response-to-mcgp-motion-for-partial-summary-judgment.pdfExcelsior’s, Exhibit B says it all:
excelsior-memo-in-opposition-to-mcgp-sj-motion.pdf
exhibit-a-jpa-pp-14-15.pdf
exhibit-b-figure-21-2.pdf
Excelsior starts out with a whine and goes downhill from there:
This agrument is little more than a thinly disguised “Not In My Backyard” protest to the development of the Mesaba Project on the preferred West Range Site.
Excelsior agrees that the IRR Commissioner is to designate the site as qualifying as an Innovative Energy Project, that it is “a site that has substantial real property with adequate infrastructure to support new or expanded development.” But there we diverge:
Here, the record clearly demonstrates that IRR engaged in a thorough factual investigation before it designated the West Range Site as a site with “adequate infrastructure to support new or expanded development.” including agency staff walk-through’s(sic) of the proposed site, review of the detailed site maps, consultation with state and federal agencies, and participation in the Excelsior Energy/United States Department of Energy site visits for two days in June of 2005.
GUESS AGAIN – the DOE visit was THREE days, and one IRR rep, David Hart, skipped out after the first day, and the other, Mike Hanson, skipped out in the middle of day two and was not present for day three! Commissioner Sandy Layman was not on the site visits and appears to have no first hand knowledge of the sites — it’s her reputation and credibility riding on this designation. The ToMO map and aerial photo of the West site show there’s NOTHING there, pine trees and wetlands, that’s it! Yup, you betcha, I’m going to haul in the Commissioner and have her point out the “adequate infrastructure!” I’ve subpoenead her, and this will be just too much fun, we could sell tickets, yup, pine roots and granite, that’s “adequate infrastructure” all right. Do they really want this on the record?
Note: There’s no dispute of facts, they’re making a legal argument about authority and interpretation of statutes so hey, let’s go! That’s what Summary Judgment is all about!
In case you’ve forgotten, here’s my Motion, and again, Exhibit B says it all:
mcgp-motion-partial-sj.pdf
mcgp-motion-partial-sj-exhibit-a-irrrb-nov-7-2005.pdf
mcgp-motion-partial-sj-exhibit-b-figure-9-infrastructure-requirements-excelsior-report-sectioniv-page-15.pdf
mcgp-motion-partial-sj-exhibit-c-january-26-2006-irr-letter-to-clark.pdf
mcgp-motion-partial-sj-exhibit-d-march-22-2006-irr-letter-to-clark.pdf
mcgp-motion-partial-sj-exhibit-e-site-visit-june-8-10-agenda-list-etc-part-i-selected.pdf
mcgp-motion-partial-sj-exhibit-f-seh-public-infrastructure-improvement-study-january-2006-selected.pdf
mcgp-motion-partial-sj-exhibit-g-capital-budget-request-to-dof-infrastructure-bonding-june-15-2005.pdf
mcgp-motion-partial-sj-exhibit-h-nm-spg-mesabi-update081606-1.ppt
mcgp-motion-partial-sj-exhibit-i-g519_systemimpactstudy_report_rev-june-06-selected.pdf
mcgp-motion-partial-sj-exhibit-j-osbl-estimate-west-range.pdf