I’m in Minnesota for the summer. Before you sigh and dream of escaping Arizona’s summer oven, let me tell you the “lake life” ain’t like the pictures in the glossy magazines. Summer here means fending off the mosquito hordes, stifling humidity, poison ivy, and smoky air from Canada’s western wildfires. As they say here, Minnesota has two seasons, winter and mosquito. It just looks better with a loon and a lake in a post card.
Enough with the whining though, because I’ve had a front row seat for another “Minnesota Miracle.” That’s what political observers are calling the absolute filleting of the state’s science-denying, racist, and homophobic culture warriors by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, House Speaker Melissa Hortman, and Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic, all members of the Democratic Farmer-Labor Party (DFL).
And, I couldn’t be happier watching Walz and company repeatedly kick the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and all the COVID deniers in the crotch. Finally, Democrats who understand what the hell people want, and actually get it done.
Governor Katie, put down your veto pen for just a moment and watch. Wendy Rogers and Chris Camacho, get ready, because once the country sees what Minnesota is doing, these crazy socialists (said with great admiration) will be coming for you. You know where this is going: Democratic Socialism.
Look out Norway, here comes Minnesota!
Walz and the DFL Legislative leadership finished their 2023 session by SPENDING big portions of a $17 billion budget surplus, helping everyone in the state, not just their buddies.
This wasn’t like an Arizona surplus. State 48 squanders these opportunities, like when former Governor Doug Ducey gave his billionaire cronies tax breaks or hid the cash in a ‘rainy day fund.”
Walz and company had bigger ideas, to “burn political capital”:
They gave daycare subsidies for parents paying ridiculous amounts for childcare.
They created paid family leave, recognizing helping you take care of aging parents or recover from cancer is actually the humane thing to do and good for the economy.
They will invest millions in protecting irreplaceable natural resources, important in a state built on embracing the outdoors in all weather.
They will require most hospitals to set a minimum standard for nurse staffing.
They gave $2 billion to Minnesota’s legendary public education system.
They gave the vote to those who’ve served their time for criminal acts.
They legalized Recreational marijuana and will scrub past pot convictions.
They gave women control of their reproductive health.
They invested a billion dollars in affordable housing.
They gave free tuition at public universities to students whose families make less than $80,000 a year.
They gave free school meals for all kids.
They handed a tax rebate to all Minnesotans who pay property taxes.
And on and on, all done with a very slim DFL majority in both houses of the state legislature. You can read the rundown, listen to Walz explain his approach (totally worth 30 minutes of your time), and get a quick summary from the Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne here.
Hobbs Veto Machine Blocks The Worst
Meantime, and thankfully, Katie Hobbs spends her days vetoing the worst examples of human behavior, keeping them from becoming Arizona law. So far, she’s stopped the chaos with 111 vetoes and counting. She does what she can given State 48’s overall wackiness and its absolutely awful political class. Some recent examples:
We’re running out of water while green lighting massive water parks.
“Christians” who see their “legislators” trying to codify homophobia are emboldened to burn Pride flags.
These same “legislators” convene hearings which are actually QAnon meetings.
And there’s so much more. Without Governor Hobbs, Arizona would be a hellscape run by White Nationalism, Christian Nationalism, and a Billionaire Oligarchy.
Minnesota, instead, takes its budget surplus and goes to work making life better.
Don’t Pack Up The Minivan Yet….
Now, before you pack up the van and move to the Great White North, let’s talk about what the Land of 10,000 Lakes is most definitely not: Blue Nirvana.
Big Business still pushes people around. The Mayo Clinic rolled Walz with a threat to pull billions of investment in Rochester if it had to follow the same nurse staffing rules of other hospitals. They got their way. 3M dragged its feet before finally taking responsibility for knowingly polluting lakes and rivers with the “forever chemicals” it manufactured for decades. Enbridge Energy is permitted to build an oil pipeline that’ll be one mishap away from poisoning the Mississippi watershed. For some reason, the state will pay off millions in stadium debt so the Vikings and their kazillionaire owners can continue to lose big games. Then there’s Target’s cowardly cave-in to homophobia.
The Twin Cities is dealing (poorly) with street crime. There’s plenty of White Folk ready to burn books and arrest librarians and teachers as “groomers. They’ll pin every crime on the Democrats and the “lawlessness” they believe came from prosecuting the cops who killed George Floyd. Oh, and right after they welcome the world’s refugees (because that’s what Jesus taught), they’ll push back on the diversity the newcomers bring.
And that’s all before they start bitching incessantly about “Taxisota.” You think Minnesotans talk about the weather? They do, right after they harangue you about their tax bills.
And, They Do Pay A Lot….
They also get a lot. Even with epic winters (100+ inches of snow this year) the roads are pretty good, way better than the drive to Vegas through Wickenburg. They don’t need to seed charter schools because public schools are very strong, ranked 7th nationally.
Need help with just about anything? They have a program for that. No matter which political party ran things, life here has been this way for a long, long time and will continue to be so. Even as their neighbors in the Dakotas, Wisconsin, and Iowa have embraced the racism and grievance of Trump, Minnesota is staying with its Scandinavian values and a sophisticated social safety net.
Draft Tim Walz
Want an alternative to Joe Biden? Draft Tim Walz.
He was a classroom teacher in Mankato, so he values public education on a personal level. He owns guns but understands pheasant hunting doesn’t mean handing everyone an AR-15. He’s trying to balance moving to clean energy while thousands remain dependent on climate polluting industries. He’s not anti-Big Business but won’t let it dominate everything at any cost. He understands politicians need to stay out of personal decisions about what books you read, what you tell your doctor, what pronouns you use, and with whom you share your bed. He can build consensus with the other side of the aisle and within his own party.
He does it all in a likable, Midwestern style, self-deprecation mixed with honesty and a sense of respect and kindness. Only fools would mistake it for weakness. The guy will bust balls if needed as demonstrated by his 7.7 point win in 2022 over Covid-denying Dr. Scott Jensen. But, Walz would rather deal than destroy, because he’s the governor of all Minnesotans, not just those who voted for him.
Arizona and America, pay attention! Do what Walz and company did. It’ll push Trump and his minions back under their rocks. We’ll all be better for it.
It is a Minnesota Miracle.
Quick Note About The Sub Headline…
Back in prehistoric times when AM Radio ruled, WCCO, 830, dominated Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. Late night “skip” sent its powerful signal beyond the state’s borders to its “good neighbors” in the Dakotas, Wisconsin, and Iowa. WCCO was always on, THE source for weather, news, entertainment, and Minnesota Twins baseball. Whether you were driving to work or milking cows, “CCO” was an ever present and unifying force.
At the top of each hour, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires broadcasters to identify their station with their “Legal I.D.” WCCO’s legendary Legal ID was, “You’re Listening to WCCO 830, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Your Good Neighbor To The Northwest.”
On the station’s 40th anniversary in 1964, General Manager Lawrence F. Haeg explained the slogan as the station’s guiding principle.
"‘Good Neighbor to the Northwest as a constant reminder of its goal. While we do reach all parts of the nation and we do hear from all seven continents, we still think of ourselves as your good neighbor down the street. Its more fun to run our business that way. ”
Indeed. Minnesota Nice.