Hanging on to the dog days of summer
September 9th, 2005
VOTER REGISTRATION CHANGES
September 9th, 2005
This just came over the wire from Rep. Al Juhnke, info Minnesotans need to know for the upcoming primaries:
Minnesota changes voter registration, but does anyone know?
Changes include acceptance of tribal ID, easier registration of residents of residential facilities; limits on vouching for voters; and challenge procedures.
The article notes that for some odd reason, these changes are not yet posted on the Secretary of State website!
NOT SO! From Cynthia Child, who says she found mention of it after quite a journey. Here’s her report:
The saga:I tried the legislation page under Sen. Hottinger:
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/revisor/pages/search_status/status_detail.php?b=Senate&f=SF1551&ssn=0&y=2005
which referred me to:
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/revisor/pages/search_status/status_detail.php?b=House&f=HF2226&ssn=0&y=2005
which indicated nothing. It wasn’t until I saw a second reference to another House bill that I was able to see the summary which indicated it was still in “Conference Committee Report” but when I looked at:
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/revisor/pages/search_status/status_detail.php?b=House&f=HF1481&ssn=0&y=2005
I scrolled all the way to the bottom to see that yes indeed it had passed.Looking on the SOS website I DID finally find the information I referred to above BUT had MANY steps:
not on the main page
http://www.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.aspnot under news and current initiatives:
http://www.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp?page=10&deptid=&catid=&mindate=&maxdate=&isarchive=0I found it obscurely hidden in newsletters:
http://www.sos.state.mn.us/home/index.asp?page=11
Thanks for the update, Cynthia! Whew!
Hey Gov – time to get Bob Cupit and Mike Bull out in front!
September 9th, 2005
This weekend I was mired in energy policy — I needed to stay home for quality time with the girls, a good excuse to bite the bullet and reorganize my home office, which is the polite term for boxes and piles of energy biomass strewn all over the house. It’s important stuff, consisting of electrical studies, newspaper articles from all over, project applications, thousands of pages of transcripts, bootleg EPRI reports, the Arrowhead file alone is over 12 boxes and my shelves are collapsing. So it’s off to buy 2x4s and shelf “systems” and do what it takes to anchor it into the walls and give the house an easterly list. Ta-daaa! Done!
The worst part of this job was the days of prep work in refiling and reboxing, reliving the files, and the best part is recognition of some brilliant nuggets, particularly in nuclear, and rediscovering all the gems of information that should be public information. Without John Bailey as keeper of the ME3 website, we’ve lost the most important information clearinghouse ever — in this day of computers and internet, there’s no excuse for not having a public resource for all of this. So how do we make sure all of this is in the public domain — that’s what I’m mulling about these days.
FOCUS ON ENERGY POLICY NOW!
Today’s STrib editorials were energy focused, and here’s one I agree with wholeheartedly. We need to put energy issues and those working on energy up front where they belong, particularly given those in important positions, like Bob Cupit, the Energy Planning Director, and Mike Bull, Energy Pooh-Bah.
Editorial: Energy & govs/What they say, do matters
September 9, 2005
Let’s play “Name That Governor.” Who responded to fast-rising gasoline and heating-fuel prices by creating a state agency to promote conservation and non-fossil fuel energy sources?
Answer: Gov. Wendell Anderson. The year was 1974.
Who made headlines urging that Minnesota become as energy-independent as possible? Who proposed that Minnesota become North America’s top energy research center? Who asked the Legislature for a $30 million program to promote conservation and renewable energy sources, including solar, biomass and peat? (Hint: Peat is found on the Iron Range.)
Answer: Gov. Rudy Perpich, in 1983. By then, Minnesota was on its way toward establishing itself as an energy policy leader among the states. Actions by state lawmakers were crucial to putting ethanol-blended gasoline in Minnesotans’ vehicle tanks, and turning the Buffalo Ridge in southwestern Minnesota into the Saudi Arabia of wind-generated electricity. The Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota-Duluth was spawned by Perpich’s call for more energy research.
It cannot be said that Minnesota has dropped the ball on energy in the intervening years. But this state is no longer running away with it, either.
Seventeen states have tougher requirements for electric utilities to convert to renewable fuel sources for power generation. Others offer tax incentives that Minnesota does not for the purchase of energy-efficient products. One of the state’s key conservation programs would be more effective if it concentrated on business rather than residential consumers, a legislative auditor’s report said. Minnesota’s interest in ethanol as a motor fuel has appeared to be mostly about propping up the price of corn.
Still, to his credit, Gov. Tim Pawlenty mimics Perpich on energy in an important way: He talks about it. In recent months he’s popped up at pro-ethanol rallies and wind-turbine dedications. As gas prices shot up last week in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, he touted ethanol use in motor vehicles, and said at the State Fair that it’s time to “encourage people to think about their traveling and purchasing habits, in a way that emphasizes smarter ways to get around, like transit and perhaps more fuel-efficient vehicles.”
What governors say matters. So does how they organize their administration. In that regard, Pawlenty might consider mimicking Anderson’s move. The state energy office is now tucked almost invisibly in the Commerce Department. Given the importance of sustainable, affordable energy supplies to this state’s prosperity, a more visible and vigorous state office promoting conservation and renewable resources is warranted.
Pscenic Overlook Music & Art Fair – Sept 24
September 7th, 2005
Spend a day in scenic St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
Hot off the press — mark your calendar:
PSCENIC OVERLOOK – The St. Croix Falls Music & Art Fair
Amateur Psychologist Convention
Saturday, September 24th, 2005
St. Croix Falls Outdoor Overlook Amphitheater
12 noon to 2 a.m.
All ages
Rain or shine
Free Admission
Free Thinking
38 Acts
The Amphitheater is on the main drag of St. Croix Falls right across the street from the Festival Theater.
Five of the Twin Cities’ Coolest Acts perform in one of the most beautiful areas in the region!
Sponsored by Ménagerie AVEDA concept salon & organic café
Savage Aural Hotbed, Faux Jean, Dan Leary, Bill Mike 13 Hertz
with many others.
Free admission (donations accepted
Make a Fall Colors Daytrip to SCF (Cities Pages pick)
Arts and crafts vendors welcome (low registration fee)
Info 612.385.4598 or 715 483.1250
38 performances! Jam, Rock, Ambient, Tribal, Punk, Industrial, Techno, Folk Nouveau et much more! The Overlook Ampitheatre in downtown SCF is an amazing place to see live music!
Savage Aural Hotbed (mpls)
Faux Jean (mpls)
Bill Mike (mpls)
13 Hertz (mpls)
DJ ESP (st. croix falls)
Unincorporated (st.croix falls)
St. Vitas (luck)
David Diagonal (phoenix)
Dave Wesley (scandia)
and many many more…
EEEEEEEEHA! Naked DSL at last!!!
September 7th, 2005
Finally! Internet access, wireless, what more could I ask for? 15 days of officing at the St. James Hotel is enough for me! And the pound puppies, Kenya and Krie, didn’t disembowel the repair guy, but that’s probably because they could tell that his wife worked at the Humane Society when I got Katze! It’s a dog thing.
Now get to work!