Youngest Mayors in US

Sam Juhl of Roland, Iowa is among the youngest mayors in the US. He ran for mayor unopposed in 2005 and won-he was a high school senior at the time. He ran again in 2007 and won 57% of the vote. He is now running for State Representative.





Michael Sessions of Hillsdale, Michigan also won in 2005 while he was a senior in high school. He, however, did not run unopposed. Sessions defeated incumbent mayor Doug Ingles, age 51, as a WRITE-IN candidate.








Christopher Seeley was also elected mayor in 2005. Seeley was a high school senior when he won the election in Linesville, Pennsylvania. He ran against long-time Linesville Borough Council Member Kevin McGrath.

All three are still serving as mayor. How's that for Government in Action credit???

Youngest Super Delegate

Jason Rae is the youngest Super Delegate. He is from Wisconsin and has pledged his support to Barack Obama. “As someone elected to represent that generation, it seems fairly clear that they are speaking out in favor of Senator Obama,” he said.

“I was on the fence and had been the target of heavy lobbying from both campaigns,” he explained in an e-mail. For. Sen. Barack Obama, “I had heard from Senator (John) Kerry and met with Michelle Obama. For Sen. Hillary Clinton, “I met with Chelsea Clinton and spoke to Madeline Albright and President Clinton.”

What is a Super Delegate????

Right to Bear Arms heard by Supreme Court

In 1976, Washington, DC passed a law banning handguns. In 2003 , Richard Heller, a security guard, and others, sued the District of Columbia after it rejected his application to buy a handgun for home protection.

"Make no mistake about it, this is a public safety case," D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty said. "The reason the city council enacted the gun ban in the 1970s because crime was getting out of control and guns were the cause of a disproportionate number of fatalities. When the gun ban became law, violent crime dropped significantly in the city and has steadily gone down since then."

The District of Columbia law not only bans ownership of handguns, but requires other guns like rifles and shotguns that may legally be kept in the home to be disassembled or kept under a trigger lock.

The case has been appealed to the Supreme Court. The court decided to hear the case and is expected to make a decision in June. The Supreme Court has not heard a case on the 2nd Amendment since 1939. This case is being called the most important gun case in 70 years.

The Second Amendment reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

The good news for gun rights advocates, is that the court seems prepared to rule that the Second Amendment ensures individuals the right to own guns for personal use. The more complicated and unsettled issue, however, is whether the Second Amendment allows government restrictions on firearms use in the name of public safety.

Because none of the justices now on the court have ever confronted a Second Amendment case, any prediction about how the court will rule is little more than pure speculation.


What do you think? Should residents of DC be allowed to have handguns? What about the rates of violent crime?

Political Parties

What does this mean?

"Speak English" Signs

Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia, PA is famous for Philly its cheese steak. And now for its sign asking customers to order in English.

Two signs announce to customers, "This is America: WHEN ORDERING 'PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH.'"

A complaint was brought to the city. The city has decided the signs do not violate the city's Fair Practices Ordinance. ( they are not discriminatory)

Shop owner Joe Vento has said he posted the signs in October 2005 because of concerns over immigration reform and an increasing number of people in the area who could not order in English.

Vento has said he never refused service to anyone because they couldn't speak English. But critics argued that the signs discourage customers of certain backgrounds from eating at the shop.

What do you think?

Gas Prices

As gas prices continue to rise, as of today they are$3.19 in our area ( I paid $3.07 in Bemidji last night). US gas consumption has started to fall-we are using less gas. It fell by one percent over the past two months. This may not be much- but it is a first. Analysts have been waiting for gas prices to affect how much we use and it looks like prices have finally gotten high enough to make us use less gas.

I wonder how gas prices will affect tourism this summer and boating. I guess it could be worse. Gas is $8.60 a gallon in Germany.

Want to get a Gov in Action letter done early? Write your President or Congressperson to express your thoughts on gas prices.

MN Representative
Jim Oberstar
2365 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
http://wwwc.house.gov/oberstar/zipauth.htm

MN Senators
Norm Coleman
United States Senate
320 Senate Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Amy Klobuchar
United States Senate
302 Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
http://klobuchar.senate.gov/emailamy.cfm

The President
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

END OF QUARTER THREE

This marks the end of quarter three. Any posts after this will be counted toward quarter 4. AND, YES, you HAVE to do 14 NEXT Quarter. Remember, the idea is to be blogging THROUGHOUT the quarter.
You have been doing a good job with some interesting comments. Keep it up and KEEP IT CLEAN:)

Minnesota's budget deficit nearly $1 billion

Minnesota's projected budget deficit has nearly tripled since November -- growing to almost $1 billion. State finance officials blame a struggling economy, the credit crunch and lower income tax collections for the shortfall. Gov. Pawlenty and state lawmakers now have to balance the budget, and it appears that spending cuts are the main option.
OK you have TWO option for this blog--1)what spending cuts are being proposed? Or taxes increased?
--2) How are other states? Some were asking about other states that do or do not have budget deficits--do some research find out how another state is doing and report on it.

Ready, Set, GO....................

Another Letter Opportunity?????

A plan to banish sex offenders from social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook is moving through the Minnesota House. The bill from Representative Karla Bigham would prohibit sex offenders from using social sites that allow members under the age of 18. It would also authorize probation agents to search their computers and other online devices. The bill has the backing of Attorney General Lori Swanson. It won unanimous approval in the House Public Safety and Civil Justice Committee. Some of the representatives voiced support for even stricter restrictions on Internet use by sex offenders. Representative Chris DeLaForest says he would support cutting off Internet access altogether, as New Jersey has done for some sex offenders.

What do you think? Should sex offenders be kept off MySpace and Facebook? Do we want to restrict their Internet rights?

Write a letter to your rep. if you agree or disagree with this bill.

Suspended for Skittles

A few weeks ago we looked at student First Amendment rights in regard to t-shirts in school. Here is a different kind of school rule causing a stir.

Michael Sheridan, an eighth-grade honors student in Connecticut, was stripped of his title as class vice president, barred from attending an honors student dinner and suspended for a day after buying a bag of Skittles from a classmate. School spokeswoman Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo says the New Haven school system banned candy sales in 2003 as part of a school wellness policy. Michael's suspension has been reduced from three days to one, but he has not been reinstated as class vice president. He says he didn't realize his candy purchase was against the rules, but he did notice the student selling the Skittles on Feb. 26 was being secretive. What do you think?

MN College Tuition Twice the National Average???

Looking for a letter to you representative topic?? Here is a good one!

A new state report says the net cost of a public college education in Minnesota is nearly twice the national average.

While the state offers grant programs and other financial aid, charges have more than doubled in a decade at the University of Minnesota and in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

And tuition payers shouldn't expect relief any time soon, with colleges and universities likely to be pinched by the state's budget shortfall that's projected at more than $900 million.

The Office of Higher Education found that:
-- Net tuition and fees, an amount minus state grants and other aid, for first-year, full-time students in 2005-06 were $4,720 at Minnesota's public universities -- about twice the national average and slightly higher than its Big Ten peer states. Minnesota's two-year schools showed similar patterns.

-- Two-thirds of seniors graduating from the state's public universities had student loan debt in 2006, and that debt averaged $21,000 -- both numbers higher than average of the Big Ten states.

-- Minnesota has high numbers of citizens enrolled in college, but the data showed big gaps by race in graduation rates. White students are more likely than students of color to complete a degree.

State officials told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that part of the reason Minnesota's average is so high compared with the nation is that big states like California more heavily subsidize higher education costs--which mean other states fund their college systems more than Minnesota does.
School officials said they have been successful in the recent past in controlling tuition growth. University of Minnesota President Bob Bruininks has made fundraising for student scholarships a priority, and a tuition program for low-income students is expected to provide $22 million in annual benefits to about 4,700 students next year. Kara Brockett, chairwoman of the Minnesota State University Student Association, said students have benefited the last two years from "significant strides" controlling tuition. But she said students are fearful of the effects of cuts forced by the state's budget situation.

"Financial aid only goes so far when tuition is rising faster," Brockett said. And of course, you have to qualify for that financial aid--if you do not, you are paying all of that cost yourself.

React here or write a letter.................

aRe YoU a RePUbLicAn Or A dEmOcRaTiC?

Take the quiz and find out. Do you agree with the results?

http://typology.people-press.org/typology/

MN Budget Proposed

Gov. Tim Pawlenty proposed to cut the state sales tax by 1/8th of a percent. This would deepen Minnesota's anticipated deficit of $935 million. But the GOP governor said the state treasury's $77 million loss would be consumers' gain and an answer to pending sales tax hikes approved by the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Consumers would save 2 cents on a $20 purchase.

"It will soften or mitigate the effects of the DFL's tax increases," he said at a Capitol news conference. "Number two, it will provide a modest stimulus for the economy."

Minnesota's 6.5 percent sales tax would go down to 6.375 on July 1 under the proposal, not counting local sales taxes that vary from community to community. Finance Commissioner Tom Hanson couldn't say exactly how much such a cut would help the state's economy.

"Every little bit helps," he said.

To fill in the budget gap, Pawlenty looked to a combination of cuts, savings and dedicated accounts. Cuts added up to more than $340 million -- including $187 million for health and welfare programs and $54 million for public colleges. Pawlenty said many of the cuts were reductions in planned increases in state aid.

"Nobody will be removed" from government health programs, he said. But a planned expansion of coverage would be canceled, affecting almost 1,000 adults expected to become eligible for the programs and reducing coverage for an average of 20,000 children transitioning between programs each month by mid-2010.

He's also seeking 4 percent reductions to most state agency budgets. He said the departments of Veterans Affairs, Military Affairs, Transportation, Public Safety and Corrections are either exempt from cuts or would see minimal reductions. Most cuts could be done without layoffs, he added.

Pawlenty looks to cut costs in places large and small.

He would eliminate a state security coordinator for the Republican National Convention, saving the state $28,000. He also would trim $653,000 from crime victim service grants. The city of Minneapolis would lose $750,000 in annual payments it uses to cover bills for the Target Center arena.

The Metropolitan Council, which runs Twin Cities buses and light rail, would lose $30 million in the upcoming fiscal year -- wiping out a budget fix it stood to get from the metro area transit tax.

Pawlenty's plan would use $250 million from the state budget reserve and shift another $250 million from a health care fund to cover subsidized care for disadvantaged Minnesotans.

Two big pots of money were declared off-limits as state leaders seek to erase the deficit by the middle of next year: allowances to schools and local governments.

There are a few fee increases attached to the plan. Fish hatcheries would pay more to cover the costs of state inspections. And industrial users of water would be assessed for the environmental review process before they get permits. People who have had their license revoked for controlled substance violations would pay an extra $30 to get it back.

Tax collectors would pull in $102 million more by doing away with an exemption some corporations used to shield income from overseas operations.

But Pawlenty also adds to the budget.

A smattering of veterans assistance programs get a boost. The state's 150th anniversary committee, now strapped for cash, would receive more money so it can stay afloat. Research on a rare form of lung cancer among Iron Range miners would get state dollars.

The budget plan also provides up to $40 million for a special compensation fund for victims of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse, although the governor said the final package could be smaller.

The governor also included a $14 million guarantee for local organizers raising cash for the Republican National Convention in September. It would back them up if they fall short of their fundraising goals.

Pick a part of budget cuts or expenses, react to it. What do you think?

MN Reps Lose Party Support

As promised when they voted to override the Governor's veto, three Republican Representatives have not been supported by their party in their bid for re-election.

Three Republicans in the Minnesota House who voted to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of a transportation bill that included a gas tax increase lost bids to win the Republican Party endorsement at district conventions Saturday.

At the Southwest Middle School here, delegates bypassed Rep. Ron Erhardt, R-Edina, and Rep. Neil Peterson, R-Bloomington, and endorsed challengers to both candidates. Erhardt and Peterson were among six Republicans who joined Democrats in backing the transportation bill, which includes a gas tax increase and a metro-wide sales tax increase for transit.

Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, also failed to get the GOP endorsement at his district convention, though the party didn't endorse a challenger. Peterson said he would run in a GOP primary. Erhardt said he wasn't sure whether he would run in the primary or as an independent candidate.

Three other Republicans voted to override Pawlenty's veto: Kathy Tingelstad of Andover, Rod Hamilton of Mountain Lake and Bud Heidgerken of Freeport. Party activists voted to postpone a decision on Tingelstad's endorsement. The endorsing conventions for Hamilton and Heidgerken have not been scheduled.

What do you think about this? Should the party be punishing them for their votes?