Closed captioned version of this event available here.
Mark Dayton (DFL), Tom Horner (I) and Tom Emmer (R ) debate in Duluth. To read a transcript and view our live blog for this event click here. To view our live blog for this event in a popup window.Click Here … Continue Reading
Republican candidate for Minnesota Governor Tom Emmer unveiled what his campaign is called “part one” of his budget plan which was about creating a good environment for jobs.
The ironic backdrop to Emmer’s announcement is Permac Industries in Burnsville, Minnesota. Ironic because Permac avoided laying off workers thanks to funding from the federal Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Tom Emmer has very vocally opposed.
Permac President Darlene Miller was quoted just this past week saying, “The subsidized jobs program has provided us with a wonderful way to identify dedicated and dependable workers.” The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports:
Permac Industries has hired five employees through the jobs program, expanding Miller’s business while training candidates for unsubsidized positions. These employees, in turn, are developing the experience needed to increase their financial independence.”
Miller said that Permac employed nearly 50 workers in early 2008. The number plunged to 23 by the end of last year. Today, thanks in part to the subsidized job program, Permac is on the rebound, and now boasts 36 workers. But at today’s news conference, (near the 23-minute mark on our video) Miller denied that federal stimulus funds were used for her workers. She said instead that Permac has benefited from a local Dakota County workforce program (the company hired an employee who was trained by the local program). When asked if federal funds indirectly subsidized her workers through the local workforce program, Miller was interrupted by Emmer, who said curtly, “None of them came from federal stimulus” money.
(Despite promising an interview earlier in the day, Miller was unavailable to speak with TheUptake following the news conference.)
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Tom Emmer
Tom Emmer’s campaign says he will announce the first of three parts of his budget plan on Labor Day. Emmer’s opponents for Governor of Minnesota, DFLer Mark Dayton and Independence Party candidate Tom Horner have often criticized Emmer for not having a plan to solve Minnesota’s projected budget deficit of $5.8 billion. Emmer, along with fellow Republican and current Governor Tim Pawlenty claim that Minnesota doesn’t have a deficit. Internet willing, The UpTake will carry the announcement live.
Press release from the Emmer campaign:
Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Emmer will announce the first part of his budget plan, Tom Emmer’s Jobs Agenda, Monday, September 6th at Permac Industries in Burnsville.
Emmer has said that job creation will be his highest priority if he is elected the state’s next governor. Therefore, job creation deserves the focus of the first of his three announcements for a state government budget plan.
The second and third announcements will be made over the next two weeks.
… Continue Reading
At the Minnesota State Fair on Thursday morning, three athletic young women took off on a scavenger hunt from the DFL (Democratic Farm Labor Party) booth with just 30 minutes to search the fairgrounds high and low for Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer’s plans for Minnesota.. DFL candidate Mark Dayton has consistently criticized Emmer for failing to release his economic plan for how the state will deal with its nearly $6 billion deficit.
Twenty eight minutes later the women ducked under the finish line to claim their prize – DFL bling. Those with less energy could try the bean bag toss to pick Emmer’s excuses for missing so many legislative sessions.
Video by Bill Sorem
Tom Emmer
Minnesota’s Republican candidate for governor Tom Emmer has touted his family values on the campaign trail and in television commercials. Democratic candidate Mark Dayton hasn’t been afraid to include his family in the campaign either.
But today on its blog, City Pages (the Twin Cities’ alternative weekly) printed breaking news that may hurt Emmer’s ability to run on his family. The Facebook photos include lewd photos of Tom’s son Tripp (now 20 years old) drinking, carousing and, in one instance, posing next to a passed-out girl with a penis drawn on her face.
As City Pages reports, GOP candidate Emmer, himself, has two DWI arrests (from 1981 and 1991) and has championed the rights of DWI offenders in the State house. The Facebook photos from son Tripp’s account that City Pages acquired were deleted before Representative Emmer announced his campaign for governor.
This breaking story raises the question — among many questions — of whether family ought to be fair game in a political campaign. We’ve compiled a timeline of when the candidates have used their family for political gain: … Continue Reading
DFL Scavengers Seek Emmer's Plans At State Fair
Today at 11 a.m. at the Minnesota State Fair, the DFL Party will launch a scavenger “hunt for Tom Emmer’s plans.” According to a press release yesterday, they’ll “search the fairgrounds looking for any evidence of a plan from the GOP gubernatorial candidate.” And The Uptake will be there to cover the exciting game!
Yesterday’s hot political action in Minnesota included:
• A Mark Dayton press conference in front of Minneapolis City Hall, which featured Twin Cities Mayors R.T. Rybak and Chris Coleman who were joined by Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and former Virginia Governor, Tim Kaine — all in support of Dayton’s gubernatorial candidacy. Rybak resisted the urge to lobby Kaine to bring the 2012 Democratic National Convention to his city, and instead waxed poetic about Dayton.
• A near throw down between political bloggers following the Dayton press conference — that is, between progressive blogger Soren Sorenson and former conservative blogger, and current State Republican Deputy Party Chair, Michael Brodkorb. Which guy forgot what it was like to be the little man on the totem poll? And which guy must be sweating in dark colors on a hot September day?
• Minnesota mayors release a budget simulator that allows candidates for governor, and the public, to outline key priorities and show how they would balance the state budget.
• And Republican candidate for Governor Tom Emmer spoke yesterday at the State Capitol with Minnesota representatives of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the leading small business association representing small and independent businesses. NFIB’s praise for Emmer’s candidacy following his pro-business, anti-big government speech came as no big surprise.
At a Mark Dayton press conference in front of Minneapolis City Hall Twin City Mayors R.T. Rybak and Chris Coleman joined former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, now Chair of the Democratic National Committee in support of Dayton.
Citing Dayton’s state government experience and his recent endorsements by police and fire unions, they held that Dayton is better qualified and ready to serve the needs of local governments as well as all Minnesotans.
All were critical of Governor Pawlenty’s turning down federal aid to curry right wing favor in Iowa and New Hampshire in his run for the Republican presidential nomination.
Republican candidate for Governor Tom Emmer spoke today at the State Capitol with Minnesota representatives of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the leading small business association representing small and independent businesses. NFIB’s praise for Emmer’s candidacy following his pro-business, anti-big government speech came as no surprise.
“When the government runs out of money, what do we do?” Emmer told NFIB. “Politicians look right to the hardworking men and women of this state and ask them to pony up more.” Emmer continued: “The problem with government (in contrast with business) is that government doesn’t understand the concept of risk.”
NFIB members spoke of angst for government regulation — in particular the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) — and how “government needs to be friendly and come in and say ‘you are doing this right’.”
To which Emmer asked whether we needed both a state and a federal OSHA, “which creates twice the regulation, twice the compliance issues.”
A good question, or a Fact Check alarm sounder?
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Sunday the Star Tribune reported how debt collectors can start a lawsuit against consumers without filing anything in court. If a consumer doesn’t respond, they can seize bank accounts or part of a paycheck. Most states require judicial oversight, but in Minnesota, collectors can take people’s money without proving in court the debt is owed.
During a Monday morning press conference, candidate for governor Senator Mark Dayton responded that even though he had yet to see the Star Tribune article, he did believe the law should be changed.
We have video of nearly all of the debates between Tom Emmer, Mark Dayton and Tom Horner. Of those, four 11 15 have been transcribed and captioned. We’re still working on the rest. If you’d like to help out, contact us at info-at-theuptake-dot-org.
Non-captioned videos along with the transcripts of all seven debates can be found in The UpTake’s Debate Central.
Senator Al Franken announces the “Understanding The True Cost Of College Act” that would require colleges to use easier to understand language in their financial aid package offers to students.
Hindia Ali, Youth Leadership Development Coordinator at Somali Action Alliance is a delegate the the 2012 National Democratic Convention, the first Somali-American to be a delegate.
Speaking to the press on Tuesday, President Obama ripped into Republicans for their lack of compromising and for the first time mentioned his likely Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, by name.
Minnesota women in healthcare predicaments met with with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Sen. Al Franken, Rep. Betty McCollum and Governor Mark Dayton on Friday — the two year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.
President Obama says many of the factors that are driving up gas prices are out of our control such as unrest in the Middle East. However, he points out there are some things that are in our control such as fraud and manipulation that can cause prices to spike even further.
President Obama talks about an all-of-the-above American energy strategy at a Daimler manufacturing plant in North Carolina that’s making trucks that run on natural gas.
Senator Al Franken is used to close elections. This time he didn’t beat his opponents, but had to settle for a tie with Representative Chip Cravaack in the second annual Minnesota Congressional delegation hotdish cookoff.
President Obama would like to reform taxes so we reward companies that invest in the US, not ones that send jobs overseas. But there are some barriers, such as Congress.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu uses his photo op with President Obama today to talk up how the US and Israel are united against Iran, which is suspected of trying to create a nuclear bomb.
President Obama warns that “loose talk” of war was only helping Iran, while pushing back against charges from GOP presidential contenders that he has been less than a loyal ally to Israel.
One year after the tornado that ravaged North Minneapolis, things are looking up for Anthony and Shemeika Strong. The absence of the Broadway Liquor Outlet has also been a blessing for their neighborhood.
Occupy coalesced activists from many neighborhood and civic groups to protest bank actions: Home foreclosures, refusing Somali funds transfer, voter photo ID, anti-immigrant actions.
Members of the Welfare Rights Committee disrupt the signing of the Vikings Stadium Bill. They claim, “Vikings Got Bailed Out, We Got Sold Out!”
Somali women and men gather to discuss the many aspects of female infertility with medical and social experts.
3M shareholders at annual meeting were asked to stop all corporate contributions to political campaigns and to disclose corporate political lobbying efforts. As expected, the resolutions were voted down, but the activists pledged to continue efforts.
Occupy backed homeowner successfully re-negotiated her loan with MN based US Bank.
After the six-week US-Dakota War of 1862, 38 Dakota men were hung in one of the largest mass executions in US History. Many argue that the trials were a sham, that is was the largest injustice in the nation’s history. Today, Representative Dean Urdahl, Chair of the Legacy Committee in Minnesota and the Civil War Task Force, seeks to, “rub a little salve in the wound,” by seeking a pardon for one of those warriors who was hung on that fateful December day. His name is Chaska.
Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL) decides to support the Vikings stadium because of the jobs it will create.
The Minnesota House and Senate have each approved different versions of a Vikings stadium proposal. So now it is up to a conference committee to reconcile the differences.
Principle or politics? On Friday, Governor Mark Dayton went heavily with principle and imperiled the politics of his top legislative priority — thousands of jobs from building a new Vikings football stadium.
One year after the tornado that ravaged North Minneapolis, things are looking up for Anthony and Shemeika Strong. The absence of the Broadway Liquor Outlet has also been a blessing for their neighborhood.
Occupy backed homeowner successfully re-negotiated her loan with MN based US Bank.
Nearly a year after the tornado that ripped through North Minneapolis, opinions vary greatly on what the poverty-stricken community needs most from local and state government. Should the City introduce “pie in the sky” ideas or focus on more immediate problems?
Representative Bobby Jo Champion talks about the challenges facing some of his constituents in North Minneapolis almost a year after a devastating tornado.
Rebuild It Right, an organization made up of architects and designers from Minneapolis, is helping homeowners advocate for quality design in the wake of the May 22nd Tornado.
The Vikings stadium deal got the support of Minneapolis City Council members. Council member Don Samuels says that this is a good deal for his constituents. It will provide jobs to a part of the city that has the highest rate of unemployment.
Local, Minneapolis non-profit Urban Homeworks works with banks and other community organizations to fight foreclosures.
Embattled homeowner Monique White took one more step Friday toward what could become an improbable victory that would let her stay in her North Minneapolis home. Judge Mark Labine will decide on Monday whether White will get a jury trial in District Court.
The Northside Economic Opportunity Network works with small businesses and micro-businesses in North Minneapolis to help them achieve success.
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