Exit Or Extension?

Like many of my fellow Minnesota conservatives I haven't always been a wholehearted supporter of Governor Pawlenty over the years. But as I listened to his press conference this afternoon--where he announced that he will not seek a third term as governor--I was again reminded of some of his finer characteristics.

He was at times funny, folksy, humble, down-to-earth, witty, and for a politician refreshingly honest (at least except for the details on his future plans). He was also passionate, pragmatic, and even poignant in measured doses. And for the first time that I can recall, he sounded confident in referencing (again with little detail) his vision for the state moving forward in fast-changing times. In brief and broad outlines, he seemed to be hinting at a much different future from what the DFL or even President Obama has in mind.

The performance demonstrated again the qualities that made Pawlenty such an appealing candidate for governor in the first place, ones that may serve him well if he elects to seek national office. Besides how can you not like a guy who references hockey as much as he does? Even if he does sound like a bit of a puck hog..

New Taxpayer Watchdog Marks New Golden Hydrant

"(Tax)Man Bites, according to (Watch)Dog".

The Hennepin County Public Works building in Medina has a new $900,000 set of solar panels. Instead of being truly green, they're just another line item in the red for taxpayers. They're advertised to save only $15,000 per year in energy costs. So, by a simple value estimate, they should pay for themselves in 60 years, by about 2070. This is a Math Problem.

Jeff Johnson, the new conservative member of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners (map) has identified this "Solar Silliness" as another "Golden Hydrant" for his "Hennepin County Taxpayer Watchdog" website. He quotes a civil servant as indicating that the project isn't "all about the bottom line". Sounds like someone spending OPM!!*

Commissioner Johnson's simplified value estimate for the solar panels ignores a few factors making them even costlier. The most significant factors are (1) likely increases in energy saving, (2) money opportunity costs (mostly inflation and interest for spending OPM* prematurely), (3) depreciation, and (4) insurance.† The money costs (2) and (3) will amply cancel the energy savings (1), as time has always shown and will undoubtedly show again, i.e. energy commodity prices match inflation over the long term.

That leaves depreciation (3) as probably the most significant factor to refine the estimate of the total value of the solar panels. Having no warranty for the panels in hand, we must rely on conservative industry estimates for "solar panel lifetime" of 30 years. It's easy math ($900,000 costs minus $450,000 savings) to see that in 30 years the taxpayer will still be about $450,000 in the red for this set of worn-out solar panels.

Finally, what fool would give Hennepin County a good deal on (4) insurance for a depreciating asset that will be worthless half-way to break-even? Only the taxpayer ... or a civil servant spending OPM.*

*OPM: "Other People's Money"
† Thanks to our own SD44 Co-Chair Glyde Burdick, Jr.

WSJ: T-Paw gets better reviews than the Terminator

Minnesota should be proud of its somewhat unorthodox hero.

Kimberley Strasser, regular "Potomac Watch" columnist for the Wall Street Journal, in "A Governor and His Veto Pen" reviews and praises (for a national audience) how Governor Tim Pawlenty deftly outmaneuvered the scary DFL tax monster with his antique ink-filled Unallotment weapon.

Meanwhile, Ahnold's much weaker (and more expensive) performance in the CA theater is panned (for the same national audience) in "What If Arnold Had Seized the Moment?". Seems he abandoned the tough-guy character for an eco-warrior role, which turned out to be more debilitating than loveable.

Let's hope T-Paw puts together a better sequel than Terminator Salvation.

WinonaDailyNews: "DFL lawmakers failed simple leadership test"

Editorial, May 21, 2009

The DFL party failed.

It had control of the House and the Senate, and it had but one task: Make a balanced budget.

The only task and the one that truly mattered could not be completed. Democrats lobbed a $34 billion budget at Gov. Tim Pawlenty when there was only $31 billion available.

Complete Editorial

US GOP: Like US, "Sensible Democrats" fear "Cap n Trade"

Did that oxymoron get your attention? Congressional Democrat quotes and video are gathered in "Cap and Trade Troubles".

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

RNC Research only sends this stuff in Super Secret emails. It is also secretly entombed beneath the National GOP News Research Page.

US GOP: Stimulus Dollars probably haven't helped yet

Congress and President Obama passed the stimulus bill faster than a Democrat can read because the economy so desperately needed money. Helping yet? Tough to say, but, given the amount of money that has actually gone out the door, probably not.

RNC Resarch Briefing from Washington Post: "Stimulus Dollars".

RNC Research only sends this stuff in Super Secret emails. It is also secretly entombed beneath the National GOP News Research Page.

SD 44 at CD 5 Convention

Last Saturday, May 2nd, the CD 5 delegation from SD 44 participated in the CD 5 convention. We seated the 10 delegates and 8 alternates in attendance. A couple incumbents yielded as the 2009 CD5 Leadership Was Elected. In particular, Bob Olson generously bowed out in the face of a fractious Deputy Chair contest. Carelton Crawford continues as Chair, as does Tim Kirk as Treasurer.

In his nomination speech, youthful "newbie" Deputy Chair Adam Weigold touted more old-fashioned and new-technology experience than many a good Republican twice his age. His phrase about a web-enabled "Campaign in a Box" particularly caught my ear.

Movin' On Up

After living in St. Louis Park for close to nine years, my family is pulling up stakes and moving on.

To Golden Valley, which means that we will still be located within the friendly confines of SD44. I look forward to getting to know some of the GV SD44 folks (my new neighbors) better in the days and years ahead.

Delegate & Alternate List

At long last, here are the delegates and alternates elected at last Monday's SD44 convention.

STATE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION (May 29th-31st Mayo Civic Center in Rochester)

DELEGATES
Adam Larson
Amy Larson
Andrew Olson
Chad Doughty
David E. Carlson
Dell Askegaard
Don Carlson
Glydewell Burdick
Jennifer Beske
Jim Hardy
Jim Rhodes
Jonathan Erickson
Ken Ferguson
Lisa Peilen
Lydia S. Pilch
Matthew L. Pilch
Michael Vekich
Mike Held
Patrick Becker
Peter Swanson
Rick Hoag
Susan McCarville
Susan McDonald
Tracey Leahy

ALTERNATES
Adam Kalkstein
Alyssa Johnson-Glassel
Andy Feldman
Aryeh Calvin
Bart Strobel
Ben Gitis
Bill Theobold
Brad Kadue
Brian R. Andersen
Bruce Osvold
Chris Dolbee
Dale Hillman
Daniel R. Bloomquist
Darrell Brown
Dave Morris
David Anderson
David Miller
Don Reimers
Eleanor (Ellie) Blatt
G. Richard Kendall
Greg Wersal
Jack Singer
James Don Francesco
Jeff Beske
Jeffery Wayne Baker
Johanna Hall
John Hall
John Roers
Julie Zuehlke
Laura Merrill
Lavon O. Bohling
Lucille K. Hackbart
Mark Friederichs
Mark Selvig
Matt Heuthnck
Michael Buick
Nathanial Merrill
Paul Haga
Paul Olin
Richard Hensel
Roger Hackbart
Scott Hayes
Scott Musselman
Stephen Manderfeld
Suzy Stang
Vinton (Bud) Vesta
William Kenyon
Maria Koutsoukos

5th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CONVENTION (April 19th 9am location TBD)

DELEGATES
Adam Larson
Alyssa Johnson-Glassel
Amy Larson
Andrew Olson
Andy Feldman
Aryeh Calvin
Ben Gitis
Bill Theobold
Brad Kadue
Brian R. Andersen
Chad Doughty
David Anderson
David E. Carlson
David Miller
Dell Askegaard
Don Carlson
Greg Wersal
Harriet B. Jones
James Don Francesco
Jeffery Wayne Baker
Jennifer Beske
Jim Hardy
Jim Rhodes
Johanna Hall
John Hall
Jonathan Erickson
Julie Zuehlke
Ken Ferguson
Lisa Peilen
Lucille K. Hackbart
Lydia S. Pilch
Mark Friederichs
Mark Selvig
Matthew L. Pilch
Michael Vekich
Mike Held
Peter Swanson
Rick Hoag
Roger Hackbart
Scott Hayes
Scott Musselman
Stephen Manderfeld
Susan McCarville
Susan McDonald
Tracey Leahy
William Kenyon

ALTERNATES
Bart Strobel
Beverlee Rockler Fine
Bruce Osvold
Chad Nicholls
Christine Bolton
Dale Hillman
Daniel R. Bloomquist
Darrell Brown
Daryll MacKereth
Dave Morris
David L. Rodgers
Don Reimers
Earl Goldberger
Eleanor (Ellie) Blatt
G. Richard Kendall
Greg Gruber
Heather Kemp
Jack Singer
Jeff Beske
John Dahm
John Trenter
Kem Anderson
Laura Merrill
Lavon O. Bohling
Linda Grisim
Maria Koutsoukos
Matt Heuthnck
Matthew Haapoja
Maureen Smith
Michael Buick
Michael Harad
Michelle L. Jones
Nathanial Merrill
Patrick Becker
Paul D. Schofield
Paul Olin
Rob Jorgenson
Roger Richardson
Scott Siemens
Sherrie E. Patton
Steve Kattke
Timm Nelson
Timothy Gormley
Tom Doran
Trisha Haapoja
Vinton (Bud) Vesta

3rd CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CONVENTION (April 5th 9am location TBD)

DELEGATE
John Roers

ALTERNATES
(In Order)
Glydewell Burdick
Henry Legas
Chris Dolbee

Cream Of The Crop

In yesterday's Star Tribune, Katherine Kersten brought the story of Peter Swanson to attention:

Soldiers are in the business of defending freedom. But many will tell you that they didn't fully grasp its value until they encountered a foreign land where it's in short supply.

That can't be said of Peter Swanson of Golden Valley, who will ship out to Iraq in a few days. Swanson is a corporate counsel for TCF Bank, where he practices securities and employment law. Soon he'll be stationed at an Iraqi detention facility, deciding about detainees' rights and status.

Swanson joined the Army Reserve in college almost 20 years ago. Now a major, he recently was called to active duty in the Judge Advocate General's Corps.

Those of us who have had the pleasure of working with him on the local political scene in Senate District Forty-Four know that he is a gentleman of the highest caliber. We wish him Godspeed as he embarks on his latest duties and thank him for his service to the country.

A Friend In Need

Peter Swanson has been called up for active duty military service and will not be able to participate in any partisan political activities as a result. We will greatly miss Peter and the work he has done for SD44. We also honor his service and wish him well in his new duties.

He has one parting request for SD44ers:

Also, there is a vision impaired individual from my precinct (GV-7) who will need a ride to the polls in September (primary) and November (general). He lives in those townhouses just to the East of the Golden Valley VFW on Medicine Lake Road. He likes it if you read the voters guide to him. He prefers to vote at the polls rather than absentee because of the new Help America Vote Act software. Can you see if someone from the 44B side can give him a ride to the polls?

Please drop a note in the comments section if you can help out.