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legislative news/ webcasts From: cheryl luger Date: Jan 08 21:23 UTC Short link

" Minnesota House television webcast schedules and links to the live webcasts
can be found at: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/htv/schedule.asp

Minnesota House audio and video archives can be found at:
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/audio/default.asp
"

***on now 3 pm - digital transition***

will be archived for later viewing


tomorrow's tv/webcast schedules:"  Legislative programming for Friday, January
9th

8:00 a.m. - (rebroadcast) Opening Day House floor session from Tuesday
Agenda: Members-elect take the oath of office; election of Speaker of the
House, chief clerk of the House and other officers of the House; and adoption
of Temporary Permanent Rules of the House. (Runs 2 hours, 4 minutes.)

10:00 a.m. - (live) Senate Committee on State and Local Government Operations
and Oversight
Agenda: Discussion of and testimony on post election issues, ex. US Senate
recount and absentee ballot procedures.

following - (delayed broadcast) House Finance Committee from Dec. 15
Agenda: FY 2008-2009 budget deficit: Presentation on unallotment, testimony
from Minnesota Management and Budget, testimony from University of Minnesota
and MnSCU, and testimony from state agencies. (Runs 4 hours, 45 minutes.)

House Webcast:
No meetings scheduled

Senate Webcast:
10:00
 a.m. - (live) Senate Committee on State and Local Government Operations and
Oversight
Agenda: Discussion of and testimony on post election issues, ex. US Senate
recount and absentee ballot procedures. "


from house sessions pub.:SESSION DAILY
"
http://www.house.mn/hinfo/sdaily.asp
News from the House

Education
Members have differing views on the most important policy issues facing
Minnesota schools.
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/sessiondaily.asp?yearid=2009&storyid=1509
Published 1/8/09

Government
House Minority Leader Marty Seifert warned Minnesotans to brace
themselves for massive state budget cuts, particularly to health
 and
human services programs.
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/sessiondaily.asp?yearid=2009&storyid=1508
Published 1/8/09 "

best wishes,
cheryl luger
nokomis east/minnehaha mpls

Daily Planet headlines: Plowing / T-Paw / Teamsters From: Jay Gabler Date: Jan 08 04:49 UTC Short link

Slippery slope: What will more budget cuts mean for snow, ice removal?
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19422
by Steve Pease, TC Daily Planet
A lack of state funding is trickling down to the Twin Cities streets,
meaning that it could take longer to remove snow and ice build-up
this winter. Recent cuts to staff and hours in Minneapolis, teamed
with increases in salt prices, affect snow removal. City officials
say they are forming plans to work around the inevitable budget
crisis and its fallout.

"No new taxes": T-Paw faces record deficit with familiar mantra
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19452
by Andy Birkey, Minnesota Independent
As the 86th two-year session of the Minnesota legislature gets under
way, Gov. Tim Pawlenty says there's at least one option off the table
to fix a state budget that faces a $4.8 billion shortfall: raising
taxes.

Under "labor peace ordinance," Teamsters begin organizing Minneapolis
waste haulers
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19417
by Steve Share, Minneapolis Labor Review
Teamsters Local 120 has won a neutrality agreement with Minneapolis
Refuse, Inc. in a campaign to organize waste-hauling employees. MRI,
a 13-company consortium, recently was awarded a five-year contract by
the City of Minneapolis to continue collecting residential garbage
and recycling in approximately one-half of the City.

Schools brace for financial troubles
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19345
by John Fitzgerald, Minnesota 2020
With a projected state revenue shortfall closing in on $6 billion,
lawmakers are likely to be chary when eyeing funds for Minnesota's
overburdened and underfunded schools.

Margaret Kelliher: Policy role model
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19394
by Michele St. Martin, Minnesota Women's Press
Margaret Anderson Kelliher takes being a role model seriously. "I
think it is really important for girls to have role models of both
genders and all races," said the 40-year-old speaker of the Minnesota
House of Representatives. And in her own case, "It's important for
girls to see a woman who can relate to them, and talk about what it's
like to be a girl," she said, and added that that kind of talk helps
girls expand their view of what is possible for them.

INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET

WSJ recount editorial prompts non-meek response from Judge Cleary
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19451
by Chris Steller, Minnesota Independent
A much-criticized Jan. 5 Wall Street Journal editorial that called
the Minnesota State Canvassing Board "meek," Secretary of State Mark
Ritchie a man of partisan "machinations," and Al Franken — who the
board determined had won 225 more votes in the statewide recount than
former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman — "tainted and undeserving," has
prompted a retort from one of its targets: State Canvassing Board
member Edward Cleary.

Carleton Conservatives
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/16744
by Aron Feingold, Matt Hart, Myles Radtke, Courtney Madowitz and Nick
Rue
A documentary offering firsthand perspectives on what it is like to
be politically and/or culturally conservative at Carleton College,
where the majority of students, faculty and staff identify themselves
as liberal.

DINING | New Orient: Laotian take-out
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19350
by Jeremy Iggers, Secrets of the City
The Laotian ladies tried to warn me. So did the brothers who own the
New Orient Market, I had ordered beef laab to go, and the cook asked
me whether I wanted it cooked or raw. Laab is considered the national
dish of Laos, and though it can be made from chicken, pork or even
tofu, I had the idea that the raw beef version is the most
traditional. It's usually made from chopped meat mixed with mint,
lime juice and chilis, and served with fresh lettuce.

BOOKS | Firebrand author writes of being <i>Incognegro</i> in South
Africa, America
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19346
by Dwight Hobbes, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Frank B. Wilderson, III is hyped as a single-handed second coming of
the Harlem Renaissance, the best since Richard Wright, Zora Neale
Hurston, Chester Himes and such. For once, the drum-beaters got it
right. Wilderson's firebrand tour de force, Incognegro: A Memoir of
Exile and Apartheid (South End Press, $18), wholly compels; the hard
truth is written in a fluidly articulate hand to deliver a strong voice.

NEW IN BLOGS

ARTS ORBIT | "Kirby Puckett's dead": Andy Elwell on the Twin Cities
scene
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19432
by Max Becker • Video of an interview with, and performance by,
singer/songwriter Andy Elwell.

ELEVENTH AVENUE | Lesbian couple loses appeal in health club
discrimination case
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19447
by Andy Birkey • A Minnesota appeals court judge upheld a ruling on
Tuesday that found it legal for the Rochester Athletic Club to deny a
family membership to a lesbian couple because the couple is not
married. The case spotlights an instance where Minnesota anti-
discrimination laws — some of the toughest in the country — are
ineffective so long as same-sex couples cannot marry.

FROM THE SOAPBOX | Barack Obama and the Question of Delivering
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19441
by John Clay • Leading up to the presidential inauguration of Barack
Obama, I have heard a lot of people asking aloud whether Obama will
be able to deliver all that everyone expects of him. They usually
start the question with "I just wonder if..." or "We'll see
whether..."—as though they are pondering a weighty question about
matters beyond our reach, whose outcome will mean salvation or
perdition for us all. What a grandiose, dreamy question!

FRESH MN | The Minnesota Health Plan
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19448
by Erica Mauter • I think we can all agree that our health care
system is f'ed up. There are so many parts to it that just do not
work and it gets more and more expensive to deliver arguably equal
value.

leg change...friday From: cheryl luger Date: Jan 08 03:58 UTC Short link

i probably won't be able to keep up with all the leg changes (combined with 2
post limit)...but this one may be of wider, general interest.
as always, reconfirm with comm chair's office.
best wishes,
cheryl luger
nokomis east/minnehaha mpls
Friday, January 9, 2009 - 10:00 AM

***Revision 1: Room change***
Committee on State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
Chair: Sen. Ann H. Rest
10 a.m. Room 15 Capitol

Agenda:
Discussion of and testimony on post election issues, ex. US Senate
recount and absentee ballot procedures.

Publicity for TruthToTell From: Andy Driscoll Date: Jan 08 01:25 UTC Short link

Check out the text and links below for today's show's attraction and
notification stuff. Only error: the call-in number was off a digit.
Our number is 612-341-0980. And we had an additional Star Tribune
union rep - Steve Pietrzak (PE-track).

Our thanks to this joint effort to get the workers' story out...to
David Brauer and Dan Feidt. Remember: Stream and Podcast of today's
show on the Strib is here: <http://www.kfai.org/node/682>.

Andy
--
651-293-9039/651-492-2221 (cell)

From MinnPost.com's BRAUBLOG:

Strib bankruptcy talk on KFAI
<http://www.minnpost.com/braublog/2009/01/07/5651/strib_bankruptcy_talk_on_kfai#comments_section
>
By David Brauer | Published Wed, Jan 7 2009 9:34 am
Politics In Minnesota's Dan Feidt notes that members of several Star
Tribune unions will be on the KFAI program "Truth to Tell" today
(Wednesday) at 11 a.m. It will be a rare chance to hear directly from
folks most resistant to the cutbacks that Strib publisher Chris Harte
demands.
On the guest list: Strib business writer Chris Serres, retired
pressman Dan Ganley and pressman Doug Rzeszutek. Serres helped lead an
unsuccessful effort this summer to oppose newsroom concessions; the
pressmen's union did torpedo givebacks by the Strib's Teamster locals.
By the way, yesterday was management's self-imposed deadline to have
an "agreement in principle" with labor; by all accounts, that deadline
was missed. In a December memo, Harte wrote "prompt union cooperation
is essential," adding "we must get these reductions ratified by the
unions rank-and-file members by mid-January."
He concluded, "Without the support of our unions, an out-of-court
solution is not possible." Management has since proposed wage cuts of
up to 42 percent for some Teamsters, with pay and benefit reductions
all around.
In the past year, Harte has thrown out several deadlines that have
been ignored, though many think this one is real; see whether the KFAI
guests see this as another bluff.
KFAI's call-in number is 348-0980; it can be heard at 90.3 FM in
Minneapolis and 106.7 in St. Paul.
______________________________________________
From Politics in Minnesota Wednesday morning:

Star Tribune union supporters to hit the airwaves
<http://www.politicsinminnesota.com/2009/jan07/1492/star-tribune-unions-hit-airwaves-pressure-avista
>

Posted 2:08 am, January 7th, 2009 by Dan Feidt

labor Newspaper GuildStar TribuneTeamsters

Avista Capital Partners' ownership of the Star Tribune has been
bruising for the once-mighty workforce there. However, to date,
despite the layoffs and cutbacks, the forces of organized labor
haven't made much of a visible ruckus against management. PIMhears
that's going to change today, as the unions are beginning to realize
that they need a public solidarity strategy -- a turn prompted by
Avista's new negotiating threat: its says if it doesn't get total
concessions, the Star Tribune will file Chapter 7 bankruptcy on
January 16th, according to one source.

"Theoretically" that's what Avista says will happen, we hear, though
we have not yet been able to get first-hand confirmation of what
Avista is telling the unions.

At a meeting Tuesday evening, folks from the major blocs of Strib
employees got together. Today they will kick off a pressure campaign
against Avista, led by the "Newspaper Workers Rank and File Solidarity
Support Committee." Reportedly the Committee will take its case on the
air on KFAI radio at 11 AM today; more news expected at tdu.org.

Word of the Committee surfaced on Dec. 12th at the Teamsters for a
Democratic Union website, and an account of dismal negotiations and an
acrimonious company Christmas event from Dec. 23rd. The mailers,
pressmen, drivers, mechanics and electricians are all getting into the
act. The mailers, drivers and pressmen are Teamsters. Teamster units
like the mailers face wage cuts of 42%, and threats of Chapter 11
bankruptcy have already been in the offing.

The point of the effort is to build solidarity among the Strib unions.
We hear that if even one union fails to take what Avista offers, it's
reportedly threatening to obliterate the metro's biggest paper, though
we have not been able to confirm this.

In a sense, what remains of the old-school cadres might finally be
ready to throw down against Avista, which rode into town on a tidal
wave of cheap loans from Wall Street (that it's now welching on). It's
said that a few months ago, the union hardliners had little support;
now union leadership is coming around.

The Newspaper Guild is looking at a wage freeze, while other unions
have been presented with up to 50% wage cuts. Pensions, vacations and
health benefits are all in the mix. While the Guild has relatively
less harsh measures coming at it, we hear its leadership is
increasingly willing to stand with the other Strib workers against
Avista.

There's a sense that the unknown Avista private equity firm has been
getting away with everything too easily, even though it has virtually
no public image associated with its myriad of energy and telecom
holdings.

Much like Sam Zell has plunged Chicago's Tribune Company empire into
Chapter 11 (despite its workable cash flow), another heavily leveraged
paper buyout has careened into an ocean of red ink and bad debt. We'll
share what's developing with our readers as we get more details
confirmed. Story developing...

Online Tools for Community Involvement From: Tim Erickson Date: Jan 07 21:30 UTC Short link

As part of our ongoing E-Tools for all workshop series, St. Paul E-
Democracy Outreach Committee is offering the following (NEW) 4 week
introductory class on social media and social networking tools. The
class is free, however pre-registration is required and space is
limited. There are currently a number of spaces available, please
contact me ASAP if you are interested in participating in this NEW
class.

This is an introductory class, no experience or prior knowledge is
necessary.

Tim Erickson

   - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + -
      Please forward to anyone who might be interested.
   - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + -

     - FREE CLASS at Rondo Community Outreach Library -

               Introduction to Social Media:
          Online Tools for Community Involvement

Where and When:

   Mondays - Jan 12, Jan 26, Feb 2, and Feb 9 - 2009
             6:30 - 8:30 PM
   Rondo Community Outreach Library
   University & Dale, St. Paul
   (FREE indoor parking)

Cost / Registration:

   Class is FREE
   Pre-registration is REQUIRED (see below for contact info)
   Limited to 15 Participants
   This is an introductory class, no experience or prior
         knowledge is required.

Short Description:

   This class will offer participants a hands-on opportunity
   to explore some of the powerful social networking and online
   media sharing sites, with a special focus on how to use
   these sites as tools for community involvement.

How the class will work:

   The class is designed to use a combination of demonstrations,
   small group discussions, and hands-on exercises - to lead
   participants through a series of tasks that will familiarize
   them with a number of popular social networking and media
   sharing sites and offer concrete examples of how those sites
   might be useful in their everyday lives. Each student will
   be given the opportunity to:

    1) Set-up and edit their own blog
    2) Edit a wiki
    3) Subscribe to an RSS feed (and understand what it is)
    4) Create an audio or video commentary and
       post it to a popular media sharing site
    5) Familiarize themselves with micro-blogging sites
       such as Twitter or Plurk
    6) Experiment with social bookmarking site - de.licio.us
    7) And much, much, more.........

Contact Info:

   To register, email me your: Name, Email, and Phone:
       <email obscured>

   For additional information, contact:
       Tim Erickson
       <email obscured>
       651-246-5045

Daily Planet headlines: Coleman suing / Early childhood ed / Privatization From: Jay Gabler Date: Jan 07 06:53 UTC Short link

Coleman: Fight to regain seat "not just about me"
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19420
by Chris Steller, Minnesota Independent
Former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman vowed today to continue his fight to
regain his seat by filing an election contest in Ramsey County
District Court. The Republican positioned the legal move as part of
an electoral process that he acknowledged is "messy and
inconvenient," but he expressed confidence in the outcome.

Schools pay, society benefits from ECE
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19362
by James Sanna, TC Daily Planet
How do you market an investment that costs almost twice as much as
the losses it’s designed to offset? One way is to wait for someone
else to fund it.

Historical lessons in privatization
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19293
by Conrad deFiebre, Minnesota 2020
Privatizing the publicly owned and operated Minneapolis-St. Paul
International Airport appears headed for a prominent place on the
2009 Minnesota Legislature's agenda as policymakers look for ways to
erase a record projected two-year state government budget deficit of
$5.5 billion. Before hastily jumping on the privatization bandwagon,
a history lesson is in order.

Mujeres en Liderazgo
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19288
by Stephanie Dickrell, Minnesota Women's Press
Language can be a huge barrier for immigrant and migrant women. If
your first language is Spanish, you may be able to get some essential
services with the help of a translator. But the women of Pillsbury
United Community's Waite House wanted to offer more to these women,
and so, in March of this year, Mujeres en Liderazgo was born.

Rep. McCollum speaks out on Gaza, Israel violence
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19421
by Andy Birkey, Minnesota Independent
Rep. Betty McCollum called for an end to violence in the Gaza Strip
late last week, adding her voice to those of Rep. Keith Ellison, Sen.
Amy Klobuchar and former Sen. Norm Coleman

INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET

BOOKS | "Skirmish": Bitterly funny poetry from Dobby Gibson
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19370
by Jay Gabler, TC Daily Planet
One reason I found Minneapolis poet Dobby Gibson’s new collection,
"Skirmish," so enjoyable is that his combination of mordant wit and
bittersweet longing so recalls the lyrics of my favorite songwriter,
Bob Dylan. When people refer to lyrics as “Dylanesque,” they’re
usually referring to enigmatic images and dense layers of allusion,
but this is also the guy who wrote “Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream” (“The
waitress he was handsome / He wore a powder blue cape / I ordered
some suzette, I said / ‘Could you please make that crepe?’”) and “Po’
Boy” (“Poor boy, in the hotel called Palace of Gloom / Calls down to
room service, says ‘Send up a room’”).

NEWS YOU CAN USE | New Seward Co-op opens Thursday!
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19390
by Mary Turck, TC Daily Planet
The new <a href="http://seward.coop" target="_blank">Seward Co-op</
a>, in its bright, green building at 2823 East Franklin, will open
for business on Thursday, January 8 at 10 a.m., with a ribbon-
cutting, give-aways and general celebration. The $10.5 million store
doubles the retail space of the old store, with 13,000 square feet,
and also has a community classroom on the second floor. The building
includes Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
principles and the Co-op is hoping to earn a LEED gold rating.

Jewish teen questions God, finds religion
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/16630
by Jacob Sandry, ThreeSixty
According to the Babylonian Talmud, a text written about 1,500 years
ago by Rabbis interpreting the Torah, "in the hour an individual is
brought before the heavenly court for judgment, the person is asked
four questions.

For Muslim teen, her spiritual journey is just beginning
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/16632
by Madjda Mouderres, ThreeSixty
Since the day I was born, Islam has been my one and only religion,
for which I am very thankful. Growing up as a Muslim is one thing,
and growing up as a Muslim in a non-Muslim country is another. Having
spent more than half of my life here in the United States has
affected how I think and how I act. However, the one thing it has not
affected is my religion.

NEW IN BLOGS

HISPANIC FANATIC | Sprechen sie Deutsch?
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19423
by Daniel Cubias • Many Americans take great satisfaction, sometimes
bordering on maniacal pride, in claiming that their European
ancestors came here and learned English quickly. According to some,
these immigrants' boots were still wet from the spray of the Atlantic
when they ditched German, Swedish, or Dutch. The thinking is that
European immigrants rapidly mastered English in a sink-or-swim
environment that demanded that they leave their mother tongues
behind. The follow-up to this assertion is inevitably, "Why can't
Latin American immigrants do the same and learn English quickly?"

ARTS ORBIT | "Cadillac Records": A kick-ass-and-take-names tour de force
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19416
by Dwight Hobbes • This is not gon’ sound right, but too bad: I fell
off my chair when I learned a white woman, Darnell Martin, wrote and
directed. She guided this movie like a missile, nailing the bull’s-
eye and creating a film exploding with authenticity.

BLOG OF THE MODERATE LEFT | Inhuman
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19392
by Jeff Fecke • Michael Goldfarb comes out in favor of killing
children to make a point. In reaction to news that Israel, in the
process of killing senior Hamas leader Nizar Rayan, also killed
Rayan's four wives and nine of his children, Goldfarb says this: "The
fight against Islamic radicals always seems to come around to whether
or not they can, in fact, be deterred, because it's not clear that
they are rational, at least not like us. But to wipe out a man's
entire family, it's hard to imagine that doesn't give his colleagues
at least a moment's pause. Perhaps it will make the leadership of
Hamas rethink the wisdom of sparking an open confrontation with
Israel under the current conditions."

SINGLE WHITE FRINGE GEEK | Vote now for the secret ingredients in the
24 Hour Play Project
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19407
by Matthew A. Everett • Did you ever want to see a play with a giant
talking statue in it? Ever want a playwright to include "exit,
pursued by a bear" as a stage direction?

SINGLE WHITE FRINGE GEEK | Rewriting "Medea": One of the most
heterosexual storylines you're gonna find
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19428
by Matthew A. Everett • When I realized that Medea’s faithless
husband Jason was the same Jason of Jason and the Argonauts fame, and
the quest for the Golden Fleece, I was hooked.

legislative meetings and webcasts/archives From: cheryl luger Date: Jan 07 05:18 UTC Short link

again, always check with comm. chair...some meetings in above thread have
already been changed.

budget and ed.unalottment impacts:

Thursday, January 8, 2009
Higher Education Budget and Policy Division
Chair: Sen. Sandra L. Pappas
12:30 p.m. Room 123 Capitol
Agenda:
Discussion of consequences to the state's Higher Education systems of the 2003
unallotments and funding reductions in the 04-05 budget; reaction to current
unallotments; perspective and responses to possible reductions in 10/11
appropriations.
Tom Gillespy, MN state demographer: Higher Education demographics and
affordability."

***and dont forget the friday meeting div'ing up the enviornmental trust fund
stuff (see previous post in this topic thread)

best wishes,
cheryl luger
nokomis east/ minnehaha mpls

Truth To Tell Weds 11AM - KFAI: GOODBYE TO THE STAR TRIBUNE: Is Bankruptcy Looming? From: Andy Driscoll Date: Jan 06 23:24 UTC Short link

____________________________________________________________________

TRUTH TO TELL

NOW 900 WATTS STRONG: FM 90.3/Minneapolis-106.7/St. Paul and STREAMING
LIVE AT KFAI.org

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7- 11:00AM

GOODBYE TO THE STAR TRIBUNE? Is Bankruptcy Looming

Workers and Management at Loggerheads

WILL THEY OR WON'T THEY? The Star Tribune is threatening its workers
with bankruptcy if deep concessions fail to take hold in the
newsrooms, in the press room and on the trucks. Many observers see
Strib owner Avista Capital Partners heading for Chapter 11, or 7,
either way. Then why concede up to 40% of your wages if the paper goes
belly-up?
And just why is an investment company trying to run a newspaper, anyway?

TTT'S ANDY DRISCOLL and LYNNELL MICKELSEN (a former Strib writer
herself) query Strib willing management and members of the Rank-and-
File Newspaper Union Solidarity Committee [Newspaper Guild (editorial)
and the Teamsters (pressmen and drivers)] about the latest battle over
contracted wages and benefits.

GUESTS:

CHRIS SERRES - Reporter and Newspaper Guild Representative on the
Solidarity Committee

DAN GANLEY, retired pressroom operator, Teamster Rep

DOUG RZESZUTEK, pressroom worker and Teamster Rep

INVITED: CHRIS HARTE, Publisher and/or NANCY BARNES, Editor/Sr. Vice
President - Star Tribune

WHAT'S YOUR OPINION ON THIS ISSUE? CALL AND TELL US OR ASK QUESTIONS:
612-341-0980
____________________________________________________________________

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14- 11:00AM

CENTRAL CORRIDOR: Is It Really Going to Kill MPR?
MPR, in the person of President/CEO Bill Kling is flooding the media
with letters and announcements on the MPR airwaves that the Central
Corridor light rail alignment down Cedar Street in St. Paul is going
to rattle the studio walls and penetrate his soundproofing with
intolerable noise and vibration by its 12-foot proximity to his
headquarters, built and expanded on with several millions of public
dollars.
Now Mr. Kling threatens to sue and/or leave the city if the line stays
on this path has critics up in arms, not the least of which are Met
Council, Ramsey County and St. Paul public officials insisting his
complaint comes too late. His history with public and private
officials hasn't made it easy to accept Kling's assertions that all of
this is based on too little information early on and revealing data as
late as April, 2008, proves his point. But where was he when all the
arguments over alignment and specifications were published and debated
for months on end over a five-year period? Kling says he started then.
Others beg to differ. Will Mr. Kling agree to debate this on a station
other than running lobbying announcements on his own? Stand by. Either
way, TTT will take this on and Bill Kling has been invited to join the
discussion Wednesday.
GUESTS:
SCHEDULED: PETER BELL, Chair of Metropolitan Council and Central
Corridor Management Committee
CONFIRMED: COMMISSIONER JIM MCDONOUGH, Chair, Ramsey County Rail
Authority
INVITED: BILL KLING, President/CEO, Minnesota Public Radio
INVITED: MAYOR CHRIS COLEMAN, St. Paul
CONFIRMED: JOHN MILTON, former State Senator
INVITED: MAT HOLLINSHEAD, Sierra Club, North Star Chapter Transit
Chair
WHAT'S YOUR OPINION OF THIS ISSUE? CALL AND TELL US OR ASK QUESTIONS:
612-341-0980
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Podcasts are available for all archived Truth to Tell shows. Subscribe
in a reader HERE
KFAI Radio, 90.3 Minneapolis /106.7 St. Paul / Streamed @ KFAI.org
A CivicMedia/Minnesota production
____________________________________________________________
A CivicMedia/Minnesota production
Creating Communications & Public Policy Content for Public Engagement
835 Linwood Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105
------------------------
In this day and age of an increasingly irrelevant mainstream media
lost in its own cacophony of hysteria and self-absorption, "Truth to
Tell" is a shining example of hope. Perhaps all is not lost.
William Moyers

TC DAILY PLANET: And the winner is ... / Deficit dread / Gastronomic highlights of 2008 From: Mary Turck Date: Jan 06 04:22 UTC Short link

TUESDAY, JANUARY 6



<b>HEADLINES</b>



Franken ‘ready to go to Washington just as soon as possible’

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19405

By Chris Steller, Minnesota Independent

Al Franken, calling himself “the next senator from Minnesota,” said
Monday afternoon he is ready to go to Washington to get to work just
as soon as possible.”



Deficit looms over legislative session

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19404

by Mary Turck, TC Daily Planet

"The deficit is so overwhelming that it's hard to even think about
what the other issues would be," said Senator Sandy Pappas (D-St.
Paul), expressing what might be the only easy consensus about the
legislative session that begins January 6. From higher education to
green jobs to child care to roads and bridges, the deficit looms over
all other issues.



New fees in the era of "No New Taxes"

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19389

by Jeff Van Wychen, Minnesota 2020

During the era of "no new taxes," Minnesota is primarily addressing
rising budget shortfalls by cutting much-needed aid to local
governments and jacking up regressive fees on Minnesota families.
Relying on these policies alone to resolve the $5.5 billion deficit
would have disastrous repercussions for our state.



FOOD | That Was The Year That Was: Gastronomic Highlights of 2008

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19351

by Jeremy Iggers, Secrets of the City

Looking back over 2008, there were a couple of high-profile openings -
Porter & Frye and Barrio, and a few high-profile departures: jP
American Bistro, Babalu, Temple. But it's hard to spot any big trends
on the local dining scene, except for maybe More Sushi: openings in
the past 12 months include Musashi and Seven downtown, Tiger Sushi in
Uptown, and Giapponese in Woodbury. More Vietnamese noodle joints
opened on Eat Street, including Pho Hoa, the Noodle Bowl and Hoanh
Thien Y, but that's not exactly news. Eat Street also got a new
Indonesian restaurant, Bali, at 14th and Nicollet, and a Mexican Deli,
Marissa's, at 28th and Nicollet. My most memorable meals of the past
year were mostly driven by the joy of discovery - terrific Thai
cuisine in the back room of a deli on University Ave; wood-fired pizza
on a farm in Stockholm, Wi., world-class sushi in Woodbury. Herewith,
in no particular order, a few of the highlights of the past 12 months.



Thousand of years of Indian history in Mounds Park

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19403

by Deborah Locke, Fond du Lac News

The new Indian Scout spent little time deciding on a December destiny
on the most winter-like weekend of the season.



<b>INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET</b>



DANCE | Ballet of the Dolls

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/16743

by Laura Stopyro, MTN

Founded in 1986 by choreographer Myron Johnson, the Ballet of the
Dolls is a dance-theater company housed in the Ritz Theater in
Northeast Minneapolis. Their performances, which feature elements of
dance and theater, include original works and deconstructions of
traditional ballets such as the Nutcracker.  Access to Art
Correspondent Laura Stopyro attended their most recent show, an
original production titled "Born to Be Alive."



NEWS YOU CAN USE | Taking it to the streets--or the meeting rooms

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19409

by James Sanna, TC Daily Planet

A march and a meeting.



West Ottawa high school students refurbish computers for Cameroon
counterparts

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19348

by Myron Kukla, African News Journal

For the past four years, West Ottawa High School student Lacey Vande
Bunte has given up her Sunday afternoons to rebuild computers.



Miracle on 31st street?

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19296

by Don Portwood, Uptown Neighborhood News

Lyndale United Church of Christ (lyndaleucc.org) at 31st Street and
Aldrich voted on December 7 to sell our building to New Wine Church of
St. Paul (newwinechurch.org)! If only it were that easy. A done deal.



<b>NEW IN BLOGS</b>



ARTS ORBIT | <i>13 Hours</i> in a Red Box

http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19375

by Chris Grap • The Minnesota-made horror film <i>13 Hours in a
Warehouse</i> hits Red Box today. That’s pretty cool, and chances are
if you are in a place that has Red Box you don’t have the most
discerning taste (or you collect <i>Madagascar 2</i> toys, and that’s
not good either). You might as well spend another buck and support a
local filmmaker.



GROUND ZERO | Eyeless in Gaza: Some Thoughts on that “Special
Relationship”

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19377

by Rich Broderick • During the presidential campaign there was much
talk about how in the early days of the new Administration some
foreign power would cook up a crisis to “challenge” an inexperienced
Barak Obama. As to who the foreign power might be, top candidates
included Russia, North Korea, and Iran, with Venezuela, Cuba or some
other lesser nation-state as outside possibilities.

SP Parent Information Fair Sat Jan 10 From: Anne Carroll Date: Jan 06 01:40 UTC Short link

Saint Paul Parent Information Fair provides families with one-stop school
selection opportunity
Saint Paul, Minn. - The 2009-2010 school selection season kicks off this
Saturday, January 10, for thousands of families at the Parent Information
Fair in the Roy Wilkins Auditorium at the Saint Paul RiverCentre, 175 W.
Kellogg Blvd. in St. Paul.

The fair runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and includes staff from more than 100
schools to help our families choose the best schools for their children. The
free event gives families a chance to speak one-to-one with staff from all
of our schools. The event also is a draw for families who are a year or more
away from enrolling their children in school as they seek to get answers
early for all of their school questions.

Finally, the fair is a chance to highlight an important change to the Saint
Paul Public Schools enrollment process this year. Applications are now
required for all elementary students who enroll in a Saint Paul Public
School, whether it be a magnet or neighborhood school. The move is in
response to families' request that the application process be streamlined.

Among the resources available to families at the Saint Paul Parent
Information Fair are:



*	One-on-one assistance with the enrollment process.

*	Activities for families as they shop for the best school for their
children.

*	Interpreters are available in Hmong, Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese,
Oromo, Amharic, Khmer, Karen and American Sign Language.

*	Free shuttles to and from the fair.

*	In addition to Saint Paul Public Schools, private parochial and
charter schools are present.

More information about the Parent Information Fair is available at
www.spps.org.

Daily Planet headlines: Toys in trouble / RNC FBI informant / Recounting and suing From: Jay Gabler Date: Jan 05 04:51 UTC Short link

Handmade toys in jeopardy?
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19365
by Sheila Regan, TC Daily Planet
Toy-makers from China to Snelling Avenue will feel the effects of new
child-safety legislation. Here in Minnesota, makers of hand-crafted
toys say the new law may put them out of business.

Brandon Darby, Texas activist-turned-FBI informant for RNC, pleads
his case
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19369
By Chris Steller, Minnesota Independent
Brandon Darby, a Texas activist who it turns out was working for the
FBI as an informant from within groups that protested the 2008
Republican National Convention, pleads his case in the Pioneer Press
today and in a statement he released earlier this week. He is
“CHS1″ (Confidential Human Source 1) in an FBI affidavit alleging
that Darby’s fellow Texans David Guy McKay and Bradley Neal Crowder
made bombs to use during RNC protests. (McKay and Crowder will be
tried in federal court late this month.) Information from Darby and
other informants will likely play a big role in the upcoming trials
of the RNC protesters known as the RNC8 who face felony terrorism
charges.

Franken leading, Coleman suing
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19364
By Chris Steller, Minnesota Independent
Norm Coleman’s attorneys vowed to go to court to make up the ground
Coleman lost today after more than 900 absentee ballots that had been
mistakenly rejected were tallied, increasing Al Franken’s lead to
225. “We’ll take whatever legal action … to remedy this
artificial lead,” said Coleman recount attorney Fritz Knaak.

Smelly pole raises stink in Seward
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19349
by Jeremy Stratton, The Bridge
Last spring's warm weather brought something less desirable for Laura
Muessig: an unpleasant scent that she described as "like lighter
fluid for an outside grill.

The letters and labors of Chank Diesel, font guru
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19335
by Jake Nassif, mnartists.org
Where do you go for type that’s both thoughtfully designed and
unabashedly expressive? It’s in this gap that Chank Diesel, one of
the world’s best-known type designers, has made a name and a living.
The Minnesotan (legal name Chuck Andermack) has devoted much of his
20-year career to affirming the role of humanity in design, one
alphabet at a time.

INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET

MUSIC | Dark Dark Dark and Dosh at the Cedar Cultural Center on 12/27
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19305
by David de Young, HowWasTheShow.com
“It’s been a really great year,” Dark Dark Dark banjoist
Marshall LaCount announced towards the beginning of their set at the
Cedar Cultural Center Saturday night. LaCount went on to say that it
was also great to be home, an understandable sentiment considering
the band had been on tour in Europe and the U.S. since before
Halloween and spent a good chunk of 2008 on the road.

MUSIC | The legacy of One World
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19363
by Dwight Hobbes, TC Daily Planet
When Stanley Kipper, Chico Perez, and Joel “Family Man” Arpin got
together as the nucleus of One World—a 1991 fusion of R&B, soul, and
Latin rock culled straight from the old San Francisco sound—they
couldn’t’ve had the first idea what they’d wind up doing for
Twin Cities music. Surely, they thought there were just starting a
band, not forming the genesis of five outstanding acts.

Florence Court development moves ahead
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19259
by Jeremy Stratton, The Bridge
In an apparent compromise between developer Clark Gassen and the
Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association, the historic Florence Court
apartments could be renovated as part of the project to build a new
six-story, 84-unit apartment building at the site, where a BP gas
station now stands at the corner of University Avenue on the north
end of the 10th Avenue bridge.

VISUAL ARTS | Art Space
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/16741
by Ashley Siebels, MTN
Art Space is a non-profit real estate developer that creates
affordable live-work spaces for artists. Coming out of the artistic
renaissance of the Minneapolis Warehouse District in the 1970's, Art
Space was created in 1979 as an advocacy organization for the space
needs of artists. Now Art Space works with artists all over the
country as a property developer and consultant.  Access to Art
Correspondent Ashley Siebels talked to some of the people behind Art
Space and visited some of their local projects.

<b>NEW IN BLOGS</b>

ARTS ORBIT | Best music of 2008
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19361
by Brody McCoy • Best local concerts, best albums, best live videos.

SINGLE WHITE FRINGE GEEK | In the incubator: "Medea"
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19314
by Matthew A. Everett • “How quickly could you write a fun, up-to-
date version of <i>Medea</i>? 1-1/2 hour tops?” “A fun, up-to-date
version of <i>Medea</i>? Does she still kill her kids?”

BLOG OF THE MODERATE LEFT | All over but the suing
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19371
by Jeff Fecke • The Minnesota Senate race is not over, not
officially. The race won’t be certified until Monday, and election
challenges loom after that. But for all intents and purposes, Al
Franken locked up victory today,

HISPANIC FANATIC | Starting on a upbeat note
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19372
By Daniel Cubias • In honor of the new year – and the beginning of
what so many people are convinced is a modern Era of Good Feelings –
I’m going to unleash a positive story on you. It strays a bit from
my focus on the Hispanic experience in America, but Mexicans are
involved and it’s uplifting and everything, so I thought we could
afford it.

SINGLE WHITE FRINGE GEEK | In the incubator: "Two Left Feet"
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19368
by Matthew A. Everett • I didn’t even know there was a Museum of
Bad Art until Chris Kidder of Commedia Beauregard told me about it.

TC Daily Planet: Recounting into the weekend / Property tax primer / Representative Journalism project / Madoff and local nonprofits From: Mary Turck Date: Jan 03 16:53 UTC Short link

SATURDAY/SUNDAY, JANUARY 3/4



<b>HEADLINES</b>



Supreme Court asks to hear from Franken, counties before ruling on
Coleman's suit

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19344

by Chris Steller, Minnesota Independent

The Minnesota Supreme Court ordered (pdf) Friday afternoon that the
campaign of Al Franken respond by 9 a.m. Saturday to U.S. Sen. Norm
Coleman's Dec. 31 petition to start over on the current court-ordered
effort to count wrongfully rejected absentee ballots. The justices
also directed seven Minnesota counties to tell the court whether they
reviewed additional rejected absentee ballots the rival campaigns want
counted — and if not, why. (In regional meetings this week, Sherburne
County officials, for example, refused to consider three additional
ballots the Coleman campaign asked them to review.)



Declining values and rising property taxes

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19258

by Jeff Van Wychen, Minnesota Independent

Many Minnesota homeowners are a bit befuddled these days. Why, if the
value of my house is declining, are my property taxes going up?



Representative Journalism: The New Community Reporter

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/16745

by Vivyan Tran, Sung Hyo Kim, Logan Nash and Mackenzie Zimmer

A documentary look at the Representative Journalism (RepJ) Project, a
pioneering citizen journalism initiative in Northfield, Minnesota.
Funded by the Harnisch Family Foundation, the RepJ project is a joint
initiative of Leonard Witt, a professor of journalism at Kennesaw
State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, and LocallyGrownNorthfield.org,
a citizen journalism blog in Northfield, Minnesota.



Madoff scandal hits local nonprofits

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19287

by Andy Birkey, Minnesota Independent

Several Minnesota nonprofits are feeling the pain in the aftermath of
alleged investor fraud case — the largest such case in history —
perpetrated by Bernie Madoff. All of the grants received by Minnesota
organizations were from the New York–based JEHT Foundation, which gets
its name from its four areas of commitment: Justice, Equality, Human
dignity and Tolerance. The organization and its benefactors invested
heavily in operations by Madoff that bilked investors out of $50
billion. More than $1.1 million dollars in JEHT Foundation grants
benefited voter engagement, human rights, care for terminally ill
patient and criminal justice programs in Minnesota over the last two
years.



<b>THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS</b>



The Daily Planet's top ten stories of 2008

http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19283

by Jay Gabler, TC Daily Planet

It’s been quite a year in the Twin Cities, and the Daily Planet has
been on the scene. With the help of our media partners and our
tireless citizen journalists, in 2008 we published over 10,000
articles, blog entries, photos, and event listings. When we saw that
the Minnesota Independent had tallied their top ten most-read articles
for the year, we were inspired to check the stats and see what
articles Daily Planet readers found most fascinating in 2008.



MOVIES | Top ten of 2008

http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19307

by Jim Brunzell III, TC Daily Planet

I saw over 200 films in 2008, and narrowing a list down to the top ten
films is tough. In 2002, I bought a blank book and started writing
down every film I saw, making it easier to create a top-ten list each
year. Going through my book brought back a lot of memories of films
that I hardly remember anything about. For instance, how did the
French film Roman de Gare end? I don’t recall. Does that mean it’s
forgettable? Not exactly, but the ones that jumped out are denoted
with a little star—if anyone asked me about one of those movies, I
could tell him or her what I enjoyed about it or why it worked.



Broadband hearings in St. Paul

by Sheldon Mains, TC Daily Planet

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19282

On Monday, Senator Amy Klobuchar held a hearing at the Minnesota State
Capital on access to high-speed data networks (referred to as
broadband) yesterday. It was standing room only in one of the smaller
hearing rooms. For notes on the meeting, see <a
href="http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19285
"> Ann Treacy's Blandin on Broadband blog post.</a>



Evicted tenants seek stronger renters' rights laws

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19281

by Sheila Regan, TC Daily Planet

Diana Thompson’s eyes filled with tears as she described how she came
to spend Christmas at a shelter this year.  She had been the only
tenant in a building fallen into complete disrepair.   The building
was foreclosed, and then condemned, and Thompson was ordered to leave
on December 1.  The mother of a two children, one of whom is disabled,
she gathered all the belongings she could carry and stayed in a motel
for 12 days, and then moved into a shelter.  Her landlord never
returned her phone calls, and she has lost most of her possessions,
including toys for her children, furniture, and clothes, due to the
rushed move.  “I hope something is done in the future,” Thompson said,
“because I don’t want to ever do this again.”



Pushing against the achievement gap

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/16775

by James Sanna, TC Daily Planet

The high schoolers in Claire Hypolite's chemistry class are clustered
in little knots of desks, heads down and pencils flying as they
grapple with packets of homework problems. They toss solutions and
gossip back and forth in English, Somali, and Hmong while they work.
Watching this entirely generic classroom scene, it's hard to believe
more than 80% of these kids were failing this class only a few months
ago.



<b>NEW IN BLOGS</b>



FRESH MN | Roundup: 02 Jan 09

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19342

by  Erica Mauter • Cream cheese wontons were invented by Leeann
Chin?!? I have such mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, yay
Minnesota! And I like cream cheese wontons. On the other hand, I hate
Leeann Chin and cannot understand why they're so popular. Something
about fast-food Chinese food is just not right.



SINGLE WHITE FRINGE GEEK | Shameless plug of the day: Urban Samurai,
<i>Halfway Home</i>

http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19330

by Matthew A. Everett • “A tour guide can’t take it any more and has a
breakdown while her bus is caught in New York City traffic. Susan runs
from the bus, gun in hand, and hails a cab. Her family, who hasn’t
heard from her in ten years, receives a cryptic telegram: 'Dire
straits. Must lie low. Driving in on Saturday.' Susan arrives with the
cheerfully loony cab driver for a reunion with her mother, sisters,
neighbors and childhood chums. Before long, she realizes that life in
the city was sane compared to being among these characters.”



CABBAGES AND KINGS | Life-changing video - 2008

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19273

by Peter Shea • YouTube videos--from Nobel laureates to Palestinian
teens.



ENGAGE MN | Jesus (pbuh) is also a revered prophet of Islam

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19272

by Fedwa Wazwaz • Jesus, son of Mary, peace and blessings upon them,
is a revered religious figure and the bedrock of Christianity. He also
is a venerated figure in Islam, the faith of some 1.5 billion Muslims
worldwide.

Mayor Fraser: Achievement gap committee-open to all. Jan 16, noon From: cheryl luger Date: Jan 03 01:54 UTC Short link

From Mayor Fraser's announcement.
altho sponsored by dfl, it is non-partisan and open to all concerned about
education.
best wishes,
cheryl luger
nokomis east/minnehaha Mpls.

email rsvp: <email obscured>

" Next meeting Achievement Gap Committee - Friday 12 noon January 16, 2009
 "Addressing Literacy from Age 3 to Grade 3.
The story of the Minnesota Reading Corps (MRC) - a highly successful,
evidence-based early literacy program serving approximately 7,500 Minnesota
children a year in over 150 sites including Head Start agencies, child care
centers, and public elementary schools.

AmeriCorps members (who dedicate a year of service to this effort) are trained
to assist children not on track to meet the3rd grade Minnesota reading
standards. Children from age 3 to grade 3  receive research-based reading
interventions (the only such program in Minnesota).  Students are "tested"
weekly to determine if the instruction is effective. Each AmeriCorps member
receives ongoing  coaching from an expert Master Coach.

A partnership ofServeMinnesota, the Minnesota Literacy Council, St. Croix River
Education District, and the Center for Learning Solutions, the Minnesota
Reading Corps utilizes state funds and private dollars from business and
foundations to gain 4-to-1 federal funding.  This is also the story of how an
educational innovation is overcoming institutional resistance.

Presenters will be Bob Wedl (former MN Ed Comm'r) and Steve Struthers (MRC Vice
Pres. of Strategy & Results Management)

Brown bag lunch (bring your own-coffee & water supplied) 12 noon -at University
Lutheran Church of Hope, 6th St, and 13th Ave. S.E. Mpls Please send an email
if planning to attend.



If this is the first communication you have received from us, your name was
suggested as someone interested in this topic. This Committee on the
Achievement Gap was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Minnesota DFL
Education Foundation in January 2007. All who are actively interested in the
welfare of our children are welcome to participate without reference to
partisan affiliation or preference. To remove your name from the list, reply
with REMOVE in the subject or body. To look at earlier activities of the
Committee click on http://dfleducationfoundation.blogs.com/achievementgap/

legislative meetings and webcasts/archives From: cheryl luger Date: Jan 02 19:23 UTC Short link

senate and house meetings and webcast info for week of Jan. 5 -9.

Discussion/testimony on election day experiences,
digital tv transistion,
Confirmation of Commissioner Tom Sorel,
Regent Candidate interviews,
property tax relief,
prop tx. (house fiscal staff),
plans for environmental trust fund, etc.

Always check for changes with comm. chair...things move pretty fast over there.

best wishes,
cheryl luger
nokomis east/minnehaha Mpls

****************************************************************

WEBCAST INFORMATION ::

" The Minnesota House of Representatives provides live, unedited webcast
television coverage of all floor sessions, as well as select committee hearings
and press conferences. All programming is also archived.

******************************

Tuesday, Jan. 6
12 p.m. - (live) House floor session
Opening day of the 86th Session of the Minnesota Legislature
The opening House floor session will include:
- Members-elect take the oath of office,
- election of Speaker of the House,
- election of chief clerk of the House,
- election of other officers of the House, and
- adoption of Temporary Permanent Rules of the House.

******************************

Minnesota House television webcast schedules and links to the live webcasts can
be found at: www.house.leg.state.mn.us/htv/schedule.asp

Minnesota House audio and video archives can be found at:
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/audio/default.asp

The Internet video streaming service includes all television programming
produced by Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services.

Barry LaGrave
Minnesota House of Representatives
Director, Public Information Services
<email obscured>
651-297-1338 "

************************************************************************
SENATE MEETINGS ::

" Monday, January 5, 2009
Green Jobs Task Force
Chairs: Sen. Ellen R. Anderson and Rep. Jeremy Kalin
9 a.m. Wilder Center (451 Lexington Parkway North, St. Paul)
Agenda:
Co-chair updates and agenda overview
Agreement on task force's decision making process.
Market analysis presentation and Q&A.
Agreement on target sectors and guiding principles.
Definition of a "Green Job" for proposed strategies.
Noon: Small group lunch assignments.
Small groups provide input.
Agreement on legislative strategies.
Next steps.


Tuesday, January 6, 2009
***Revision 1: Time change***
Committee on Rules and Administration
Chair: Sen. Lawrence J. Pogemiller
9:30 a.m. Room 125 Capitol
Agenda:
2009 opening resolutions.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

The Senate will be in Session at 12 Noon


Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Regent Candidate Advisory Council
7:45 a.m. McNamara Alumni Center
Agenda:
Candidate interviews.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009
State Government Budget Division
Chair: Sen. Don Betzold
12:30 p.m. Room 112 Capitol
Agenda:
Department of Administration  discussion of non-general fund budget.


Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Public Safety Budget Division
Chair: Sen. Linda Higgins
3 p.m. Room 112 Capitol
Agenda:
Update on reentry projects, ARMER/911 and the mentoring children of
prisoners program

Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Committee on State and Local Government Operations and Oversight
Chair: Sen. Ann H. Rest
3 p.m. Room 123 Capitol
Agenda:
Discussion of and testimony on experiences related to Election Day
2008. (Recount and absentee ballot issues will be discussed at a later
full committee meeting.)


Thursday, January 8, 2009
Regent Candidate Advisory Council
7:45 a.m. McNamara Alumni Center
Agenda:
Candidate interviews.

Thursday, January 8, 2009
E-12 Education Budget Division
Chair: Sen. LeRoy A. Stumpf
8:30 a.m. Room 112 Capitol
Agenda:
School District - Shared services initiative.

Thursday, January 8, 2009
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection
Chair: Sen. Linda Scheid
12:30 p.m. Room 112 Capitol
Agenda:
Insurance fraud update- - Minnesota Department of Commerce and the
Insurance Federation of Minnesota.


Thursday, January 8, 2009
Committee on Transportation
Chair: Sen. Steve Murphy
12:30 p.m. Room 15 Capitol
Agenda:
Confirmation of Commissioner Tom Sorel.
S.F. XXXX-Murphy: Primary offense seatbelt legislation.
S.F. XXXX-Olseen: Type III school bus regulation.

Thursday, January 8, 2009
Committee on Agriculture and Veterans
Chair: Sen. Jim Vickerman
3 p.m. Room 107 Capitol
Agenda:
Implementing 5 percent biodiesel content mandate on May 1, 2009; Update
on E20 EPA waiver request; E85 usage; Status of cold weather biodiesel
grants. Overview of NextGen energy grants and overview of AURI Research
on biofuels.

Thursday, January 8, 2009
Committee on Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications
Chair: Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon
3 p.m. Room 123 Capitol
Agenda:
Digital television transition.


Friday, January 9, 2009
Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources
9 a.m. Veterans Service Building, 5th Floor.
Agenda:
Review and adopt appropriation language for 2009 environment and
natural resources trust fund recommendations to the 2009 Legislature.
Six year strategic plan review and revisions.
Review and adopt biennial report to the Legislature.
Begin discussion of upcoming Request for Proposal to be finalized Jan.
16, 2009.
Other business. "

*************************************************************************
HOUSE SCHEDULE ::


" House Session and Committee Schedule
For general information about the Minnesota House of Representatives
please call 651-296-2146 or 800-657-3550 (voice) or the Minnesota Relay
service at 711 or 800-627-3529 (TTY).
For an extended schedule, please go to
http://www.house.mn/comm/scheduleall.asp.


TUESDAY, January 6, 2009
12:00 PM
THE HOUSE MEETS IN SESSION

Daily Planet headlines: Top 10 stories of 2008 / Arts Orbit Weekly / RNC tweets From: Jay Gabler Date: Jan 02 05:43 UTC Short link

The Daily Planet's top ten stories of 2008
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19283
by Jay Gabler, TC Daily Planet
It’s been quite a year in the Twin Cities, and the Daily Planet has
been on the scene. With the help of our media partners and our
tireless citizen journalists, in 2008 we published over 10,000
articles, blog entries, photos, and event listings. When we saw that
the Minnesota Independent had tallied their top ten most-read
articles for the year, we were inspired to check the stats and see
what articles Daily Planet readers found most fascinating in 2008.

Arts Orbit Weekly: 1/1/09
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19308
by Jay Gabler, TC Daily Planet
What to do, read, hear, and see this week.

MnIndy's Best: Top RNC tweets
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19311
by Paul Schmelzer, Minnesota Independent
Tweets — the 140-character mini-blog posts sent via Twitter — are
very much of-the-moment and therefore often have a fairly short shelf-
life. But in reviewing these brief dispatches sent by our reporters
during the Republican National Convention, we found that, despite the
140-character restraint and the inevitable typos that result from
punching in text on a cellphone while ducking teargas canisters, an
RNC-only best-of list was a fitting way to capture the humor,
excitement and surreal nature of last summer's event.

Protesters occupy Klobuchar's office
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19322
by Nekessa Opoti, TC Daily Planet
A group of about 40 protesters on Tuesday afternoon took over Senator
Amy Klobuchar's Minneapolis office, demanding that the Senator take a
stand against the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza. After two hours,
they got a meeting with Senator Klobuchar.

Department of Defense recruiting immigrants
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/16714
by Ndze Ntuv Evaristus Tunka, African News Journal
The US Department of Defense recently announced the launching of a
new recruiting program that is designed to attract immigrant
healthcare workers, linguists and also cultural specialists to serve
in the military. The new program targets immigrants who can legally
work in the US but do not have "Green Cards"-Permanent Resident Status.

INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET

MOVIES | Top ten of 2008
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19307
by Jim Brunzell III, TC Daily Planet
I saw over 200 films in 2008, and narrowing a list down to the top
ten films is tough. In 2002, I bought a blank book and started
writing down every film I saw, making it easier to create a top-ten
list each year. Going through my book brought back a lot of memories
of films that I hardly remember anything about. For instance, how did
the French film Roman de Gare end? I don’t recall. Does that mean
it’s forgettable? Not exactly, but the ones that jumped out are
denoted with a little star—if anyone asked me about one of those
movies, I could tell him or her what I enjoyed about it or why it
worked.

THEATER | "Grease" at the Orpheum is nothing special...but then, it
doesn't need to be
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19328
by Jean Gabler and Betsy Lofgren, TC Daily Planet
In 1978, the movie "Grease" was released and became a smash hit at
the box office. Before it was a hit movie, though, "Grease" was a
musical written for the stage. A new touring production is currently
playing at the Orpheum Theatre.

DINING | Roat Osha: More of the same in Uptown
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/16717
by Jeremy Iggers, Secrets of the City
Roat Osha offers Thai food the way Americans like it, and that's just
fine. The new Thai restaurant at 27th and Hennepin follows pretty
much the same formula as the other three Uptown Thai eateries,
including Chiang Mai Thai, Amazing Thailand, and Roat Osha's sister
restaurant, Tum Rup Thai: stylish contemporary décor, big bar with a
hip cocktail menu, and lots of colorful dishes that tend to look
alike, because they all have carrots and broccoli and green beans and
big chunks of red bell pepper. Okay, not all of them, but you get the
idea. And of course, cream cheese wontons.

Weekend What's What 1/1-1/4: Feelin' fine in 2009
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19326
by l'etoile magazine staff
By now, your New Year’s hangover ought to have scabbed over, leaving
only the residual memories of the festive fool-making you most likely
participated in. This weekend feel free to take it easy with some
cool art exhibits or a burlesque show; or keep partying with plenty
of rockin’ live music. Whatever you do, we wish you a wonderful
beginning to a wonderful new year!

MUSIC | Behind the scenes with Jimmy Lyback of Sunshine Behavior
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19298
by Dwight Hobbes, TC Daily Planet
"We've achieved staying power and we're going to push it."

Swedish, Minneapolis teachers share educational experiences
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/16712
by Katie Fournier, The Bridge
"In Minneapolis, you have an expectation that children will succeed,
an attitude of 'yes, you can do it!'" observed a Swedish teacher,
part of a group from Uppsala, Sweden that visited Minneapolis public
schools in late October.

NEW IN BLOGS

BLOG OF THE MODERATE LEFT | Of Cats and Conformity
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19264
by Jeff Fecke • During our marriage, my ex-wife and I peaked at three
cats. We divided custody after our divorce; Tucker lives with me, and
Cassidy and Fusser stayed with my ex, as she came into the
relationship with them.

SAINT PAUL ALMANAC | Minnesota RollerGirls
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19268
by Drew Johnson • The door to the legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium
doesn't even open for an hour, yet eighty people are waiting as my
wife and I step into line. In another half hour, the line will double
and then double again, until the RiverCentre staff will ask the
RollerGirls to open the doors early. A line of over three hundred
people messes up the flow of the public through Saint Paul's
convention center and to the Xcel.

LIFE OF CYN | Does your man smell like schizophrenia?
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19317
by Cyn Collins • What to do with a guy who has a funky odor.

SINGLE WHITE FRINGE GEEK | It seems like happiness is just a thing
called...
http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19318
by Matthew A. Everett • I avoided writing the final monologue in my
play "Leave" even though I knew for a couple of days exactly what it
was going to be. That time I was unconsciously trying to avoid the
death of a fictional character. This time it’s real.

Happy New Year!! 2009 From: Munna maunas Date: Jan 01 06:58 UTC Short link

Hello,
      Thank you for your e-mail.Wishing you a Happy New Year!! 2009 .

Happy New Year!! 2009 From: cheryl luger Date: Jan 01 05:58 UTC Short link

seconding a joyeux noe:l and un pr'ospero a~no nuevo
....a musical note.
May this year offer hope for all of us.

I've used this pd. sub.site for well over a year and no problems..former
microsoft exec out on her own and site has alot of world wide commendations for
those of us who like all critters 'great and small'.If you're a 'scaredy' cat
or 'wimpy' dog, don't open.
http://www.sloppykisscards.com/8j0fdx7y
and
http://www.sloppykisscards.com/txkbg0hd

best wishes,
cheryl luger
nokomis east/minnehaha mpls.

Happenings at the Resource Center of the Americas From: Jason Stone Date: Dec 31 17:37 UTC Short link

Hello and happy new year to all. Several updates on our program
activities at the Resource Center of the Americas (www.americas.org).

Coffee Hours

January 10 Mujeres in Liderazgo (Women in Leadership) will lead a
discussion about the reason for and importance of driver's licenses in
the immigrant community.  In the near future we'll host Kirk Anderson,
accomplished cartoonist and author of Banana Republic, to discuss his
art and storytelling.  We regularly have 20-30 people attend coffee
hours, a tribute to how compelling they have been.  Stay tuned in to
the events at www.americas.org or join our email list.

Spanish Classes

Because we have plenty of space available in our SATURDAY Beginning
Spanish 1 class we have heavily discounted this one class to $148.50
for members or $165 for non-members (includes all materials).  Classes
begin JANUARY 6 so act immediately if interested.  Further financial
need based discounting may be available--call Jason at 612-276-0788
extension 1.

Intercambios

We offer drop-in English / Spanish language exchange called
"Intercambios" most Saturdays for $4.  A teacher introduces the
conversational theme to get students rolling yet the environment is
very casual.  See www.americas.org for more information.

Witness for Peace Delegation to Colombia

The Resource Center is co-sponsoring a delegation to Colombia to learn
about communities living with hope and non-violence in an environment
of continuing brutal armed conflict. This co-sponsorship is the first
step toward cultivating a partnership with the Upper Midwest Region
office of Witness For Peace.  The partnership is envisioned as a
natural collaboration and aggressive, timely strategy to position
ourselves for economic challenges ahead.  My wife, Shireen, and I plan
to join this delegation and it would be wonderful to have Minneapolis
leaders take part in this experience, using it to help inform their
work here at home.  To learn more download the flier at:
http://www.americas.org/misc-files/LivingwithHopeinaTimeofViolence.doc

December Appeal

As many know the Resource Center is making a comeback from a a
financial collapse that had caused the suspension of operations for
about a year.  I'm pleased to report an overwhelmingly positive
response from our individual donor community this December.
Individual donors, Spanish Class revenue and continuing support from
Community Shares have begun to put us on the right track financially.
While we are not yet making our budget and must draw from cash reserve
(from the sale of our building), we are positioning ourselves to roll
out a vision that will create a sustainable and relevant organization
for the future.  A donation of, for example $5/month, would help put
us back on track as a force both in the community and the world.
Donate online at
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=28501.

Best wishes,
Jason Stone
Executive Director, Resource Center of the Americas
Diamond Lake Neighborhood

TC Daily Planet: Counting up and down / Foreclosure, eviction, homelessness / Broadband in MN future From: Mary Turck Date: Dec 31 15:53 UTC Short link

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31/JANUARY 1



<b>HEADLINES</b>



North by northwest of Twin Cities, review of uncounted absentee
ballots is hit or miss

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19286

by Chris Steller, Minnesota Independent

Two of the first in a series of a dozen regional meetings that started
today in Minnesota's Senate election recount adjourned this morning
after only an hour — with very different results.



Evicted tenants seek stronger renters' rights laws

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19281

by Sheila Regan, TC Daily Planet

Diana Thompson’s eyes filled with tears as she described how she came
to spend Christmas at a shelter this year.  She had been the only
tenant in a building fallen into complete disrepair.   The building
was foreclosed, and then condemned, and Thompson was ordered to leave
on December 1.  The mother of a two children, one of whom is disabled,
she gathered all the belongings she could carry and stayed in a motel
for 12 days, and then moved into a shelter.  Her landlord never
returned her phone calls, and she has lost most of her possessions,
including toys for her children, furniture, and clothes, due to the
rushed move.  “I hope something is done in the future,” Thompson said,
“because I don’t want to ever do this again.”



A home for health care

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19238

by Elizabeth Rich, Minnesota 2020

Your child is sick. Maybe it's since they were born, or maybe it's
some evil ailment that reared its head later in life. All you know is
that now your life revolves around doctors, pharmacies, and insurance
claims. The mailman has ceased to be your friend. You may have even
had to quit your job or alter your hours to accommodate the never-
ending parade of appointments. The lists only amplify the stress and
tedium that accompany this life. Lists of medicines to make sure that
the different specialists don't prescribe conflicting drugs with
potentially fatal side effects. Lists of different therapies from
different doctors that might counteract each other.



Hard Times on Division Street

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/16746

by Sam Benshoof, Briana Cain, Ryeon Corsi and Esther Pak

Business owners in Northfield, Minnesota, talk about the impact of the
economic crisis on their businesses and on Northfield's long-term
development.  <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qPmCpa75wds&hl=en&fs=1
" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always"
allowfullscreen="true" width="288" height="233"></embed>



Broadband hearings in St. Paul

by Sheldon Mains, TC Daily Planet

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19282

On Monday, Senator Amy Klobuchar held a hearing at the Minnesota State
Capital on access to high-speed data networks (referred to as
broadband) yesterday. It was standing room only in one of the smaller
hearing rooms. The audience included representatives from a number of
industry groups, a couple members of the <a
href="http://www.ultra-high-speed-mn.org/CM/Custom/Task-Force.asp
">Minnesota Ultra High-Speed Broadband Taskforce</a>, at least one
librarian and a few people who work on the <a
href="http://www.blandinfoundation.org/policy/policy-detail.php?intResourceID=1
">Blandin Foundation Rural Broadband Initiative</a>.



<b>INSIDE THE DAILY PLANET</b>



MUSIC | Britney Spears is on a mission with <i>Circus</i>, her most
solid album yet

http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19255

by Kara Nesvig, Minnesota Daily

“Do I know my life is weird?” a subdued Britney Spears repeats to
herself in front of a prying camera in her documentary <i>For the
Record</i>, which aired recently on MTV. “It’s all I’ve ever known.”



Worlds of change at the Blaisdell YMCA

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19295

by John Meegan, Uptown Neighborhood News

At the end of 2008, many pivotal forces are being put into place for
the soon-to-be completed, remodeled and much expanded Blaisdell YMCA.
Members and neighbors who have watched the construction process move
rapidly over the course of the last six months can hardly believe the
transformation.



Girl-focused education

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19289

by Theresa Bernard, Minnesota Women's Press

Cindy Reuther knows sex discrimination firsthand. The businesswoman
remembers learning, shortly out of college, that she was earning less
than male colleagues doing the same job. "I couldn't believe it," she
said. But that was just the beginning.



<b>NEW IN BLOGS</b>



FRONT ROW SEAT | Top five musical moments of 2008

http://tcdailyplanet.net/node/19294

by Jay Gabler • Starring the Avett Brothers, R.E.M., Rihanna, Kate
Nash, David Byrne, and Brian Eno.



DOWNSTREAM | 1999 and other new maths

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19291

by Emilio DeGrazia <!--break-->• New Year eve is a solemn occasion for
me.  I've preferred to mark New Year advents close to my wife Monica,
usually with a book in my lap or with my pen caught in the act of
scribbling a few words on another blank page.  My mind swirls round
and round in such times, reaching for continuity and sense in another
unfinished line swirling away into unknowns.  If I'm lucky I sometimes
achieve a sense of what's recurrently valuable––white sheets flapping
on a clothesline in a brisk, clean breeze, peasants returning at
sunset from the fields, people around a table sharing wine and talk,
red clay turned by a potter's hands, the aroma of fresh baked bread.
Those simple facts of life, which used to have something permanent and
necessary about them, require renewal celebrations too, preferably
quiet and serene.  So when the New Year midnight moment approaches I
make sure the kids are safely inside.  Some neighbors, I know, feel
the need to shoot off their guns at everything and nothing out there.
I'm nervous about the fallout.



MINNEAFRICA | What should Kwanzaa mean to Africans?

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19266

by Nelima Kerré • 'Habari Gani?' Happy Kwanzaa peoples. On my list of
things to do today was a quick stop at the Midtown Global Market to
check out the beginning of the Kwanzaa celebrations. I had (still
having) a busy day and was contemplating where on my priority list to
place this 'quick stop'. Because the celebrations run through the 31st
I thought that I could probably reschedule for a longer visit another
day. However it hit me, " Of what importance is Kwanzaa to me as an
African anyways?"  Of course I want to get to know more about the
tradition, but as an African should I feel obligated to be a part of
this celebration?



HISPANIC FANATIC | Bring on 2009

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19265

by Daniel Cubias <!--break-->•The natural question that arises is,
"What did you get for Christmas?" Well, my favorite gift of this past
holiday season was the razor-sharp Chinese ornamental dagger that I
received. Nothing says Christmas like a dragon-decorated metal blade
that can slice off fingers with one swipe. It's just that cool.



BLANDIN ON BROADBAND | Senator Klobuchar Broadband Roundtable Notes
Dec 29

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/node/19285

by Ann Treacy • Here are notes from the Broadband Roundtable meeting.
Here’s the stated purpose of the meeting: "Roundtable participants
will discuss the need for rural communities to have greater investment
in and access to high speed broadband internet. Attendees will provide
real world examples of the challenges rural communities face as well
as success stories. Senator Klobuchar will discuss her priorities
around “Information Infrastructure” and the Obama administrations
emphasis on funding this effort."

UNIVERSAL RELIGION From: Charlie Swope Date: Dec 30 16:03 UTC Short link

The post "Universal Religion" manifestly is inappropriate for the announcements
forum. I am preemptively requesting that there be no replies to it, at least on
this forum. Replies to it will be deemed as inappropriate as the original post
and will be dealt with in a similar fashion; i.e., with warnings and sanctions.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Charlie Swope, Forum Manager
St. Paul Announcements Forum

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