Homeless citizens and photo voter ID

At the hearing on the proposed constitutional amendment to require a photo voter ID in Minnesota, held on February 1st before the Senate Elections Committee, Kenza Hadj-Moussa, Communications & Development Director for the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, was one of the witnesses.

Aaron Klemz and I did an interview of Kenza before the hearing.

You can find out more about the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless here.

The music clip from the opening credits is from Ibrahim Ferrer of the Buena Vista Social Club, "Candela."

Not Almanac Episode 3

In Episode 3 of Not Almanac, Tony Petrangelo and I discuss the Voter ID hearings at the Capitol last week, money and rumors in the DFL CD3 and CD8 races, the need for a GOP "On Notice" board, and speculate who might be next on the confirmation watch list.

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If you prefer, you can download the episode here, and you can subscribe via iTunes as well.

Thanks to all of the listeners to the first two episodes, we're over a thousand hits already! If you like what you hear, please share it with others. 

Follow us on Twitter @aaronklemz and @TonyAngelo

Pogemiller offers full-throated support of for-profit colleges

Lately, Governor Dayton's appointees have had a rough time. We've seen one fired and two more placed on a watch list. Former Senator Larry Pogemiller had no such trouble Wednesday, with his confirmation recommended on a voice vote by the Senate Higher Education Committee. But it was what Pogemiller said that caught the eye of the Uptake's Mike McIntee, who posted this video of the hearing.

Watch live streaming video from uptakemnsenate at livestream.com

I am, quite frankly, shocked that Pogemiller thinks this way about higher education. In his opening statement, he states that higher education is "not sustainable" and we need to "wisely learn from the innovation of the for-profit sector to institute some of that into our public higher education."

Pogemiller continued, "I think this will be illustrative .. I said to [Governor Dayton], well, what do you think of the for-profits? He looked right at me and said 'whatever works.' So I think that should be indicative of his frame of mind, of how he views higher ed."

Later, in response to a question about how he would react to the idea of cutting all support for public higher education and shifting to a voucher system for higher education, Pogemiller extemporized freely about his willingness to consider it. McIntee snipped a copy of his answer from the hearing and posted about it here. A shorter video for this section of his comments can be seen here.

Even the questioner, Sen. Carlson (R - Bemidji) said that he didn't necessarily support the idea, and called the idea "way outside of the box."

Any such "voucher" system would simply be a transfer of public dollars from public institutions of higher education to for-profit colleges. The State of Minnesota already subsidizes the profits and marketing budgets of for-profit colleges through the Minnesota State Grant program. Less than half of the money spent by these chains actually goes toward education, a quarter of goes to marketing. One chain is being sued by the Attorney General for fraud. The student loan default rate for for-profit colleges is very high, much higher than public college students. These colleges are designed to maximize profit, not maximize learning.

There is a public interest in building strong public colleges and universities. This would literally be the coup de grace for Minnesota's system of public higher education that's been hit by round after round of cuts. Specifically, it would close community colleges in Greater Minnesota. Large urban and suburban community colleges would probably do okay, they rely on tuition revenue for more than 60% of their revenue already. But small community colleges depend much more on state funding. Up to two-thirds of their funding would be gone, and no amount of tuition could make up for it.

Advocates for public higher education in Minnesota should be very alarmed.

Follow me on Twitter @aaronklemz
I am an Instructor in the Communication Department at Century College in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. These are my views.

It's a good thing that the NRC is out there watching over us

From the AP as reported in the Strib:

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says a spill of radioactive tritium at Xcel Energy's Prairie Island Nuclear Plant was so small the utility wasn't required to report it. 

Excel did report it, though, which is a point in its favor.

The NRC says since it was only 27 gallons of radioactive water that spilled, apparently on the ground, well, no blood, no foul.

But that begs the question, how much radioactive water do you have to pour on the ground before you DO have to report it?

Melisa Lopez Franzen to run for State Senate in Edina

According to sources at Women Winning and elsewhere, Melisa Lopez Franzen is seeking the DFL endorsement for the state senate seat from Edina. Melisa is an attorney at Target Corporation. Although the district boundaries are not yet fixed, due to redistricting, it is almost certain she will be contending for the seat currently held by Republican Geoff Michel,  "Il Vacario," or the Deputy, the former Deputy Leader of the Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate.

There will be more information about Melisa as it becomes available.

Photo ID hypocrisy tour comes to Minnesota

Tonight, thousands of Minnesotans will go to party caucuses in their neighborhood. They will gather with neighbors, discuss issues, and some will cast a ballot for President in the Republican straw poll. And nobody will ask them for Photo ID, even at the Republican caucuses. Why? You would think that the party that is so concerned with voter impersonation would take every measure to ensure that their own Presidential straw poll is untainted.

Caucuses are party affairs, and the parties determine the rules. State law specifies who is eligible, but the parties determine how to enforce those provisions. The Republicans pushing the Photo ID amendment won't apply that standard to their own caucuses, even though they certainly could. Why? You'd have to ask the Minnesota GOP, but I'm guessing the reasons look a lot like the reasons we don't need or want Photo ID requirements for elections. Namely, depressed turnout, cost, complication, delays, and confidence that the people casting ballots are who they say they are.

It's fear of depressing turnout that is the big reason for the lack of a Photo ID requirement. Parties want to maximize their showing because these represent potential volunteers and high turnout to caucuses are a sign of party strength. That's why Republican BPOU's like SD 33 and SD 40 are so welcoming - who can caucus? Anybody!

The Iowa GOP was rightly excoriated for the same hypocrisy. Why doesn't the Minnesota GOP protect their own straw poll for President?

Follow me on Twitter @aaronklemz

NFL football: socialism

Here's a video from Bill Maher on the socialist model we call professional football. And it isn't about building stadia, either, you'll be surprised to learn.



I got the link from a DL friend.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

Today would have been Ronald Reagan's 101st birthday, so we again honor the man with the best of what we know of him.

Resolutions to take to your caucus

Here are a couple of draft resolutions, addressed to two of the constitutional amendment issues being proposed in the current session of the Legislature, prepared by the League of Women Voters of Minnesota. Both are highly recommended.


Election Law – Photo ID Amendment

Whereas: Minnesota consistently has the best voter turnout record in the country; and

Whereas: The only illegality a photo ID would prevent is registered voter impersonation; and

Whereas: There is no recorded case of registered voter impersonation in Minnesota – ever; and

Whereas: Requiring a government-issued photo ID before a registered voter is allowed to vote would be an unnecessary expense for the poor and an unnecessary hardship for many seniors and disabled voters, college students, minorities and members of the military; and

Whereas: Including election procedures in the Minnesota Constitution would clutter up that document;

Therefore: Be it Resolved that the_______ Party reject a constitutional amendment to require a registered voter to present a photo I.D. in order to vote.


State Finance – Budget Amendments

Whereas: We support preserving the ability of a simple majority of lawmakers to determine the overall size of the state budget and to manage available resources; and

Whereas: Amendments to the state Constitution that would require a supermajority vote to raise taxes or to use reserve funds would sharply limit policymakers’ ability to respond to changing demographics and emerging needs; and

Whereas: Such amendments will increase legislative gridlock;

Therefore: Be it Resolved that the _______ Party oppose any amendment to Minnesota’s Constitution that would require a supermajority vote to raise taxes or to use reserve funds or in any other way to restrict lawmakers from using available resources by a simple majority vote.

Republican "watch list" is a search for leverage

In the aftermath of Ellen Anderson's disconfirmation, any number of theories and explanations for the Senate GOP caucus's actions were bandied about. Was it Anderson's hatred of "traditional energy sources" (presumably peat, wood, and manure)? Payback for DFL votes against confirming Pawlenty  appointees Carol Molnau and Cheri Pierson Yecke? An attempt to turn up the heat at the beginning of session? A distraction from the litany of Senate GOP scandals? Just politics?

Before the dust could settle from Ellen Anderson's rejection by the GOP-led Senate, on Friday Majority Leader David Senjem kicked it up again. It's clear that confirmation politics are far from over at the Capitol since we know that Minnesota Pollution Control Administration (MPCA) Commissioner Paul Aasen and Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Edward Ehlinger are on a "watch list" of Dayton appointees that might be subject to confirmation votes. Suddenly, the picture becomes very clear - Senate Republicans are tying the confirmation of commissioners as leverage on specific policy issues.

MPCA Commissioner Aasen's being held hostage over a bill that would gut environmental permitting and outsource the MPCA. Health Commission Ehlinger's become the whipping boy for Senator Hann's crusade against health care reform. In both cases, the message is "your commissioner or our policy." And if anyone understands the concept of quid pro quo better than the Republican Senate leadership, I haven't met them yet.

I'll write more about SF 1567 this week, but this environmental permitting bill is extreme in every sense of the word. A 150 day clock on a permit application would start, even if the initial application is incomplete or in error. Hand picked corporate consultants would get to approve permits, with only "clearly erroneous" approvals subject to veto by the MPCA. Businesses could start construction before permits are approved, and once approved the permit would be irrevocable. SF 1567 has already passed one committee and is on a fast track. Governor Dayton, who adroitly stole the Republican's thunder on environmental permit reform last session when he used an executive order to implement much of HF 1, is said to oppose SF 1567. Putting Aasen on a watch list is a not-so-subtle way of reminding Dayton that a veto could come at a cost.

Ehlinger is caught up in an ongoing feud between Health and Human Services Committee Chair David Hann and Governor Dayton on health care issues. This week, the issue was Minnesota's preparations for a health plan exchange under the Affordable Care Act. In November, it was Hann's attempt to block the state from receiving federal health care grants. The saber-rattling over whether a health care exchange could be implemented through executive action or whether it requires legislation may determine Ehlinger's fate. After all, Hann said so back in November:

“My working relationship with both Commissioner Ehlinger and Commissioner Jesson has been, in my opinion, good,” Hann said. “I’ve had conversations, though, to try to make clear that particularly with the exchange issue, we believe [it] needs to be addressed by the Legislature, and we would take a dim view of the administration deliberately going around the oversight of the Legislature to do what it wants to do. “And to the extent that commissioners are willing to cooperate in doing that,” he added, “that is certainly going to bear on our assessment of their ability to act in a way that we believe is consistent with the law and with the intent and the interests of the public.”

After the outcry over Anderson's disconfirmation, Republicans are likely to try it again. Will Bureau of Mediation Services Commissioner Josh Tilsen be the next on the watch list if child care unionization moves forward?

The analysis of Anderson's unceremonious dumping has focused too much on grudges, personalities, and platitudes. The real story is a Republican legislature searching for leverage against an effective Governor who is utilizing the full range of executive branch tools at his disposal.

Follow me on Twitter @aaronklemz

Photo voter ID creates headaches for naturalized Americans

At a hearing on the proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution to add a photo ID requirement for voting eligibility, Judy, an American citizen of Slovak descent explains how difficult it would be for her to assemble the documents required to obtain a photo ID. Aaron Klemz is the interviewer; I am the camera operator.

The music clip at the beginning is the Everly Brothers.

LEFT.MN is a new website (under development) to carry news, analysis, opinion and media: graphics, audiopodcasts, and video.

Brodkorb paid from GOP Senate Victory Fund

Image Credit: Ken Avidor

Riding high from victories that brought Republican control to the Minnesota House and Senate, the Republican Senate Victory Fund paid Michael Brodkorb $7,500 for consulting work on January 31, 2011, as documented in a just-filed campaign finance report. This was in addition to $20,625 in late 2009, and $16,875 paid to Brodkorb for research in 2010. In sum, Brodkorb was paid $45,000 in in sixteen months from the Senate Victory Fund. These payments were in addition to Brodkorb's state employee salary as a Senate staffer. In the 2010 election cycle Brodkorb worked closely with Senator Amy Koch and consultant Ben Golnik to elect Republicans to the Minnesota Senate.

One year later, Senator Amy Koch has stepped down from her Majority Leader position after admitting to an inappropriate relationship with a male Senate staffer, and Michael Brodkorb was fired from his job with the Senate Caucus and is mulling a lawsuit for wrongful termination. Secretary of the Senate Cal Ludeman has retained a lawyer at taxpayer expense to advise the Senate on this case.

In the months leading up to the 2010 election, Senator Amy Koch traveled around the state campaigning hard for Republican candidates. According to reports, she was often accompanied by Michael Brodkorb. Other news reports at the time document how closely Koch, Brodkorb and consultant Ben Golnik worked together to elect Republicans to the Senate.

Breanna Bierschbach reported in the October 8, 2010 Legal Ledger:

Koch has taken the lead on Senate GOP elections this year, a common step to prove one's leadership bona fides. Koch, who is also an assistant minority leader, has recruited what she and others call an all-star class for Senate elections this year. She has been door knocking with candidates across the state, and has said she has high hopes the Senate will win the 13 seats it needs to take the majority this year.

In naming Senator Koch as their 2010 Politician of the Year, Politics in Minnesota included the following description of the intense, coordinated work in the campaign:

As head of the Senate caucus re-election effort, [Koch] recruited strong candidates across the state, landing several challengers with formidable business resumes. In coordination with GOP consultant Ben Golnik and Senate communications chief Michael Brodkorb, Koch focused the caucus's meager financial resources on takeover targets and relentlessly stressed a message of budgetary malfeasance by Democrats at the Capitol. She pushed the GOP caucus leadership to broaden the field of targeted contests to seemingly entrenched Senate DFLers like Leo Foley and Don Betzold. During the final 10-week stretch, Koch and Golnik led weekly phone calls with each of their top 20 candidates to get updates on voter contacts and fundraising. "We probably talked to each other more than we talked to our spouses during that last stretch," recalls Golnik. "It was all in and then some. "

Koch was rewarded for her hard work and the takeover of the Senate by being elected Majority Leader. She leapfrogged over several more senior senators including Minority Leader David Senjem. Brodkorb was rewarded as well. Not only was he paid $7,500 from the Senate Victory Fund as a consultant in January 2011, but he got a $40,000 raise after taking on the additional duties as Executive Assistant to newly-elected Majority Leader Koch.

Sen. Geoff Michel, treasurer of the Senate Victory Fund and former Deputy Majority Leader, did not return telephone calls and emails inquiring about the $7,500 payment to Brodkorb in January 2011.

Follow me on Twitter @aaronklemz

Jim Crow, up close and personal

There was a five hour committee meeting of the Senate Elections Committee, chaired by the gum-chewing and dismissive Ray Vanderveer (R - Forest Lake), at the Capitol yesterday. The subject of the hearing was the Republican initiative to disenfranchise minority, senior, and student voters by imposing a photo voter ID requirement.

The most amazing thing about the hearing was that one of the bill's principal authors, Sen. Scott Newman, sat at the witness table for the entire hearing without taking a break to take a leak. Impressive. He must have quit drinking water last Saturday. It's either that or he's got some serious nerve damage.

There will be more about the hearing in future posts, including some video, but there was one really remarkable thing -- well, other than Sen. Newman's titanic bladder -- and that was the blandishment waived in front of every problem raised by witnesses and Senators who questioned the wisdom of the amendment, it's interpretation and it's meaning:

We'll leave it to future legislatures.

I beg your pardon?

Boys and girls, if all we we were going to do is leave it to future legislatures, we wouldn't need a constitution in the first place.

It beggars the imagination to know that people who think of themselves as serious toss this off as grave and somber thought.

For example. You can find the bill at this link. One tidbit of language from the bill is this:

All voters must be subject to identical standards of eligibility verification . . .

I can think of at least three categories (and so did some of the witnesses and Senators at the hearing) of voters who are not subject to the same standards of eligibility verification today: registered voters who show up on election day, absentee voters, and election-day registrants. Which two will be thrown out?

Some of the Senators in favor of the bill tried to waive this off, saying, "Well, that couldn't be right." But there it is.

But this is not an issue that can be solved by having a future legislature handle it.

This bill would create a pig in a poke [definition provided for younger readers]. There is no way -- and its proponents agree -- to know what the scope of the amendment really is, or to know whose voting rights will be extinguished. But there will clearly be a lot of people who lose the franchise, including many who thought they wouldn't be touched by it.

In coming days, we'll talk about some of them.

Voter ID amendment is a pig in a poke

Photo by the author

Yesterday, Spot and I attended the Voter ID hearding at the Capitol, joined by over a hundred other folks who were overwhelmingly opposed to the amendment. Many gave the Senate Elections committee an earful about the disenfranchising effect of an ID requirement to vote. These testifiers represented the 215,000 currently registered voters without ID, according to the Secretary of State's office. And the folks who would be affected the most were the disabled, the blind, immigrants, the elderly, students, and the homeless. Of course, this had little impact on the Republican members of the committee.

And there was a lot of new information to share.

First, the Voter ID amendment was amended. Here are some of the important changes:

1) An effective date of July 30, 2013: Representatives of the Association of Minnesota Counties testified that this deadline would be nearly impossible to meet, since it would be up to the 2013 Legislature to clarify the amendment through legislation.
2) The insertion of the phrase "as much as is practicable": Bill author Senator Newman testified this was intended to provide flexibility, but as a practical matter it will be up to the courts to decide what's "practicable."

The end of these two items highlight the biggest procedural problem with this amendment. Not only is it bad policy, if it passes it will force the legislature to pass a statute that implements the amendment, and then there would undoubtedly be a court battle about that. In fact, Newman's primary response to "red herring" concerns like "what would be acceptable forms of ID?" and "how much would it cost?" was "it depends on what the next Legislature does." And then there's a real conundrum - what happens if the amendment passes, the Legislature passes a Voter ID statute and Governor Dayton vetoes it? The courts would then have to step in to provide guidance to local election officials trapped between the Minnesota Constitution and the existing election statutes. It would be a mess of the highest order.

This is why legislating by amendment is a bad idea. In fact, it's not even legislating by amendment, it is amending to force legislation. This is not only an end run around the Governor, it ensures that people will be voting to support or oppose legislation that hasn't even been written yet. The Voter ID amendment is truly a pig in a poke.

Follow me on Twitter @aaronklemz

When Mitt Romney came to Minnesota

No, I'm not talking about the Mitt Romney event in Eagan tomorrow afternoon. I'm talking about when Mitt Romney's Bain Capital came to Minnesota.

By now you are probably familiar with the job destruction record of vulture capitalist firm Bain Capital. If you haven't seen the devastating video that inspired the title of this post, you need watch this.



A Los Angeles Times article from December published a Deutsche Bank prospectus for investments in Bain Capital that listed the companies that Bain purchased from 1984 - 1999, roughly matching Romney's tenure at Bain. One of the companies listed as an acquisition is Midwest of Cannon Falls, a seasonal decoration company founded in the 1950's.

In 1997, Bain purchased an equity stake in Midwest of Cannon Falls from its private owners. At the time, Midwest employed 500 people worldwide and had a distribution center in Cannon Falls. Despite statements like "employment levels are not expected to change," in July 1998, Midwest laid off 40 Minnesota employees in a reorganization.

From a July 2, 1998 Star Tribune article:

Giftware distributor Midwest of Cannon Falls has eliminated 40 jobs, mostly in Minnesota. The company, which employs about 500 people worldwide, said it needed to streamline its "internal processes" to better compete in the giftware business. The positions were eliminated as job descriptions were revised and duplication of processes minimized, said company spokeswoman Keri Smith. In September, Bain Capital Inc., a Boston-based private equity investment firm, bought an undisclosed stake in Midwest of Cannon Falls. Bain officials have said the investment is "financial in nature" and that day-to-day operations are left to Midwest's management team.

Bain held its investment until 2001, when Midwest was acquired by Blythe Inc. Eventually, after being sold to Blythe, Midwest closed its distribution center in Cannon Falls in 2009. Now Midwest employs approximately 60 people in Minnesota, far less than before.

While the Midwest acquisition and subsequent layoff was a minor deal in the pantheon of Romney's Bain dealings, it mattered to the folks who lost their jobs. It's a safe bet that Mitt Romney wouldn't be welcomed as warmly in Cannon Falls as President Obama was in August. Eagan was probably a better choice.

Follow me on Twitter @aaronklemz

Mikey's not going gladly into that good night

Their love became a funeral pyre

Ken Avidor cartoon

The Star Tribune reports today that Michael Brodkorb is rattling sabers named Philip Villaume and Gregory Walsh about the suit he intends to bring against the Minnesota Senate for wrongful termination.

This is the exact point in time when Tom Bakk and the Senate DFL caucus turn to Dave Senjem and Cal Ludeman and say, "Don't look to us for help on this guys.

"In fact, we're going to call for hearings on every moment in this trainwreck, how you intend to defend it, and the party apparatchik you hired to do it (Cal says the Senate has retained counsel), and perhaps most of all, how you're going to pay for it. And if your committee chairs won't call 'em, we'll hold hearings in the Rotunda every day until you do.

"And don't even think about taking money that should be allocated to DFL staff to pay for defense or settlement; you're already trying to screw us on staff numbers. We had nothing to do with this. Pass the hat; make the prior leadership pay for it -- they'll probably be defendants anyway -- talk to Tony Sutton; we don't care, but the only thing you can expect from us is scorn and mocking, and the vilification you so richly deserve."

Maybe Cal or Steve Sviggum are going to have to fall on their swords -- or at least lose a limb or two -- to pay for this. In Cal's case, it would be a delicious karmic payback.

[The graphic really doesn't have much to do with the post, but Avidor drew it for this one, and it's just too good not to use again.]

Jim Crow gets a Facebook page

If you're on Facebook (and who isn't), you can find it here: We Want Voter ID. If you scroll through the "sky is falling" posts about voter fraud, you will see that the League of Women Voters of Minnesota is the object of the invective of several of the posters.

The League has produced a video about photo voter ID and the wholesale disenfranchisement that will result if it is implemented. It's been showing the video at League meetings around the state. And it has people like the posters at We Want Voter ID pretty exercised.

In advance of a meeting in Rush City last Saturday, the organizers received a harassing and expletive-filled phone call. It was disturbing enough that a representative of the ACLU attended the meeting as a monitor. Luckily -- or maybe as should be expected -- no harassers showed up.

The League's office also received an attempt to intimidate it about an upcoming event, where the video will be shown, by a swearing and belligerent caller, in a voice mail left at the League on Saturday night.

This all according to people at the League office.

Here's the video that has some people swearing. It's very good.



And callers, whoever you are; you ought to be ashamed. The League of Women Voters? You'd have to look a long time for a group more mainstream American than the League of Women Voters. In fact, you'd look in vain.

Not Almanac: Episode 2

Episode 2 of our new podcast "Not Almanac" features discussion of cookie jars, the possible disconfirmation of Ellen Anderson, the Minnesota Senate GOP getting their hyperpartisan groove back, and a Republican dog tease. Steve Timmer and Aaron Klemz from the Cucking Stool and Tony Petrangelo of Minn-Donkey and Minnesota Progressive Project are the participants this week. Tony's the engineer and editor as well a commentator, and he did a great job with this one.

You can stream it here:

You can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, or you can download an .mp3 here.

Thanks to all the folks who listened last week and offered suggestions for improvement. Let us know how we're doing.

Follow us on Twitter @aaronklemz, @blogspotdog, and @TonyAngelo

GOP seeks to sack Anderson for protecting ratepayers

The first week of the Legislative session made one thing very clear; the Senate Republican caucus has chosen to double down on partisanship and division. The hope that the downfall of Amy Koch and the mysterious firing of Michael Brodkorb would bring a new tone to the Senate was squelched immediately. Republicans balanced the Senate's budget on the backs of pages, interns, and DFL staff while giving a raise to the new Senate Republican Caucus communications chief, Steve Sviggum. Republicans introduced a cavalcade of constitutional amendments that are solely for the purpose of bypassing the Governor's veto. Then on Friday, Republican leaders announced that they plan to deny former Senator Ellen Anderson confirmation as head of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on Monday, further signaling their intent to go to war with the Dayton administration on every front possible.

Ellen Anderson (Photo: PUC website)

New Senate Deputy Majority Leader Julianne Ortman's justification for failing to confirm Anderson is that she is "controversial."

"She's got a tough record for job providers, job creators, the ratepayers," Ortman said. "Her work has created some controversy. It makes it very difficult to confirm a commissioner who is as controversial as she has been."

But Anderson's record as PUC Chair has been remarkably free of controversy. Dayton spokesperson Katie Tinucci noted that of the 221 recorded votes taken while Anderson has chaired the PUC, 204 were unanimous. Six times, Anderson voted in the minority. This is notable because Republicans hold a 3-2 majority on the PUC, including former Senator Betsy Wergin.

Two of these six minority votes demonstrate how Anderson stands up for Minnesota energy consumers.

First, Xcel Energy received a $100 million settlement from a lawsuit that they filed against the U.S. Department of Energy for the cost of nuclear waste storage. The settlement is required to be refunded to ratepayers, and the PUC had to approve the amount of the refund and the means of distribution. As part of the PUC order, Xcel sought to deduct $1.9 million in litigation costs from the refunded money, while the Department of Commerce's position was that only $565,000 in litigation costs was warranted. On a 2-3 vote, Anderson and Republican Commissioner O'Brien voted to save ratepayers over $1.3 million. They were outvoted, and Xcel was allowed to deduct the full $1.9 million from their rebate to Minnesota ratepayers.

Second, Anderson was the lone vote against a PUC order involving an increase in electric rates by Minnesota Power. In 2008, Minnesota Power sought a rate increase of 24% for its residential customers and a 3.5% increase for its large industrial users. Minnesota Power and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce defended the targeting of residential customers, claiming their rates had been subsidized by large energy users. The Minnesota Attorney General's office and citizen groups fought to reduce the impact of the rate increase on residential customers, and eventually won a more equitable distribution for the rate increase. However, while the case was being decided, the PUC allowed Minnesota Power to implement an interim increase that was modified by the final order. The interim rate increase hit residential ratepayers harder than the final rate increase, but when the time came to adjust their bills, mines and the Chamber of Commerce sought to avoid paying their full share. The final vote on this matter was a 1-3 vote, with Anderson upholding the side of the Attorney General's position that residential ratepayers should be refunded their overpayments, while the rest of the PUC voted to protect mines and large power users.

Between these two cases, Anderson voted to save residential energy ratepayers $6.4 million. She was outvoted, and that money went to the energy companies and large industrial energy consumers. In the second vote, Anderson chose the side that would have resulted in a $45 to 50 rebate per household, and her GOP colleagues voted to charge them another $5, even though it was the residential customers who overpaid in the first place.

These matters are complex and difficult to understand at times, but the reason we need Ellen Anderson as the PUC Chair is because she'll stand up for residential energy consumers against big corporations. And that's exactly why Ortman thinks she's "controversial."

Follow me on Twitter @aaronklemz

Minnesota is three things...

"I like to say Minnesota is three things: timber, taconite, and tourism." - Rep. Chip Cravaack

In his Thursday op-ed in the Duluth News Tribune, Rep. Chip Cravaack demonstrated exactly why his economic vision for Minnesota and the 8th District is so stunted and impoverished. By any measure, timber, taconite and tourism are relatively small components of Minnesota's economy.

Consider the number of people employed in each sector. Tourism can claim the largest share of employment in these three sectors - 235,000 jobs, 11% of total private sector employment in Minnesota. In comparison, the number of logging and mining jobs are very small. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2011 6,100 people were employed in Minnesota logging and mining jobs, out of a total of 2.7 million Minnesotans in the workforce. That's .23% of all jobs in Minnesota. You could triple the number of logging and mining jobs and they would still be less than 1% of the jobs in Minnesota. If Cravaack's vision of the economy were in line with reality, he would know that the real engines of economic growth in Minnesota are education, health care, financial services, manufacturing, etc.

Perhaps I should give Cravaack some leeway, some creative license, but when the first line of your piece is so wrong it's impossible to ignore.

Minnesotans (and Americans generally) are uncomfortable with the notion that we live in an information and service based economy. It's not very tangible, and certainly feels less solid than felling trees or digging ore. But the economy that Cravaack envisions is a 1950's economy that doesn't exist anymore. We do ourselves a disservice if we can't recognize that reality.

Follow me on Twitter @aaronklemz