Arlington - The McLeod County Chronicle

Arlington Enterprise, Thursday, September 19, 2013, page 4www.arlingtonmnnews.comOpinionsDayton wants Vikingsowners to pay fairshare for new stadiumOur View: Warning is a good public relations move,but it’s a little late in the gameGovernor Mark Dayton, in a letter this past Monday, stronglyurged the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority to negotiate a finalfinancial agreement which requires Minnesota Vikings owners Zygiand Mark Wilf to provide a significant share of their financial contributionfrom their own resources and not from Vikings fans throughthe sale of expensive personal seat licenses. These seat licenses arepaid by fans on top of the cost of a season ticket and often are usedby NFL teams to help pay for new stadium construction.The warning is a good public relations move, but it is a little latein the game. The Vikings stadium financing legislation, which wasapproved in 2012 and signed into law by Governor Dayton, stipulatesthat revenue from stadium naming rights and personal seat licensescounts as part of the team’s contribution to building costs.Under the legislation, the Vikings are responsible for paying $477million of the stadium’s $975 million construction cost. With the useof money from naming rights and personal seat licenses, the Vikingsowners have a sweetheart deal thanks to legislators and GovernorDayton.That is what happens when the Minnesota State Legislature makesdeals at the 11th hour of a legislative session. Questions go unansweredand concerns are raised months after the legislation is passedinto law. This is becoming a habit. The electronic pulltabs, whichwere supposed to fund the state’s share of the new stadium, havebeen a disaster.Governor Dayton and the legislators who supported the new stadiumshould have set limits on the personal seat licenses before thelegislation was signed into law. In addition, the politicians shouldhave made a move where some money from the naming rights couldbe set aside and used for stadium repairs and renovations in the future.-K.M.Too Tall’s TidbitsHappy Birthday and Happy Anniversaryto the following local andarea residents compliments of theArlington Lions Club CommunityCalendar.September 20Jaeden Haggerty, Marlys Schauer,Nolan Eckert, and Mr. and Mrs. EarlBrockhoff.September 21Arin Campa, Bill Ehlke, BrandonArneson, Chloe Hebeisen, ConnorArneson, Robert Harter, RyanHenke, Sandy Vrklan, SonyaSchwirtz and Tim Eichens.September 22Ali Stock, Jordan Kleist, MattScharpe, Rylie Rosenfeld, Mr. andMrs. David Grabitske, Mr. and Mrs.Duane Geib, and Mr. and Mrs. LarryLamb.September 23Arayah St. John, Austin Streich,Bryce Eggert, Lana Woehler, LauraDykhoff, Peter Arneson and WendyVos.September 24Holly Otto, Jim Kreft, John Kreft,Karey Jaszewski, Liam Henke,Nicholas Campa, Nora Jacobs, andMr. and Mrs. Derek Pfeller.September 25Cami Mesenbring, Jaidyn Dietel,Luke Geib and Mike Vrklan.September 26In Memory Of Harold Bening, BrianSchmidt, Madeline Musquiz, RogerLietz, Mr, and Mrs. Gary Kleist, Mr.and Mrs. John Klipfel, and Mr. andMrs. Paul Pichelmann.*****While on a road trip, an elderlycouple stopped at a roadside restaurantfor lunch. After finishing theirmeal, they left the restaurant, and resumedtheir trip.When leaving, the elderly womanunknowingly left her glasses on thetable, and she didn't miss them untilthey had been driving for about fortyminutes.By then, to add to the aggravation,they had to travel quite a distancebefore they could find a place to turnaround, in order to return to therestaurant to retrieve her glasses.All the way back, the elderly husbandbecame the classic grouchy oldman. He fussed and complained,and scolded his wife relentlesslyduring the entire return drive. Themore he chided her, the more agitatedhe became. He just wouldn't letup for a single minute.To her relief, they finally arrivedat the restaurant. As the woman gotout of the car, and hurried inside toretrieve her glasses, the old geezeryelled to her, “While you're inthere, you might as well get my hatand the credit card.”*****Mike was a single guy living athome with his father and working inthe family business. When he foundout he was going to inherit a fortuneonce his sickly father died, he decidedhe needed a wife with whom toshare his fortune.One evening at an investmentmeeting, he spotted the most beautifulwoman he had ever seen. Hernatural beauty took his breath away.“I may look like just an ordinaryman,” he said to her, “but in just afew years, my father will die, andI’ll inherit 20 million dollars.”Impressed, the woman obtainedhis business card.Three days later, she became hisstepmother.Women are so much better at estateplanning than men.*****After 50 years of wondering whyhe didn’t look like his younger sisteror brother, the man finally got up thenerve to ask his mother if he wasadopted.“Yes, you were, son,” his mothersaid as she started to cry softly.“But it didn’t work out and theybrought you back.”*****A pastor goes to the dentist for aset of false teeth.The first Sunday after he gets histeeth, he talks for only eight minutes.The second Sunday, he talks foronly 10 minutes. The following Sunday,he talks for two hours and 48minutes.The congregation has to mob himto get him down from the pulpit, andthey ask him what happened.The pastor explains the first Sundayhis gums hurt so bad he couldn'ttalk for more than eight minutes.The second Sunday his gums hurttoo much to talk for more than 10minutes.But, the third Sunday, by mistakehe put his wife’s teeth in andcouldn't stop talking.*****Letter To The EditorWind turbine truths blow in the windTo The Editor,The Sibley County GOP boardmembers thank the honorable peopleexpressing concern about theproposed Cornish Township windfarm southwest of Winthrop near thegolf course. Here are a few thingsno one ever gets told about the followingdestructive consequencesthat may go with a wind farm:1. Road damage2. Pipeline damage3. Water contamination4. Wildlife preservation5. Stray voltage6. Return on investmentRoad Damage: Did you know thatmassive over sized trucks, sometimescarrying weight up to 235,000pounds, and approximately 211 feetlong (70 yards), will drive throughSibley County hauling blades andequipment? Did you know that duringset-up and construction over3,000 semi loads of various weightswill drive through Sibley County toget to areas closest to the towersites? Did you know taxpayerscould pay for road damage, if thewind developers are not held to ahigher standard? No one told us either.Pipeline Damage: Did you knowthere are three natural gas pipelinesnear the proposed Cornish townshipconstruction site that these overweight loads will be going over?Did you know one of the pipelines ismany, many years old? Did youknow that these truck loads couldcause leaks where the pipes are deteriorated?Did you know there is nomention of pipelines in the applicationand permitting process? Noone told us either.Groundwater Contamination: Didyou know pipeline leaks elsewherehave created extensive ground watercontamination? Did you know thosefamilies now cannot drink their wellwater and must bring in bottledwater? Did you know that naturalgas contaminated ground water maybe unusable for years? No one toldus either.Wildlife Preservation: Did youknow any contaminated run-offfrom the proposed Cornish towersites will go directly into tributariesgoing into the Rush River, whichgoes through the Alfsborg WildlifeArea, right next to the golf course,which finally drains into the MinnesotaRiver? Did you know anycontaminated water along thatstretch may be drunk by wildlife?Did you know that industrial windfarms kill so many bald eagles theycannot get an accurate count and noone so far has been prosecuted? Noone told us either.Stray Voltage: Did you know strayvoltage, also known as induced voltage,is proven to increase near windturbines? Did you know stray voltagecan drive deep into the ground?Did you know stray voltage strikinga natural gas pipeline may have consequencesof death, injury, and propertydamage, even for people milesaway, which could include Winthropresidents? No one told us either.Return on Investment: Did youknow that industrial wind is so ineffectivethat it leads to higher rates?According to the Minnesota RuralElectric Association (MREA), industrialwind caused rural rate payersto lose $70 million in 2011 juston the portion of wind electricitygenerated at times when the utilitiescould not use it. Wind promoters tryto convince us that the rural counties,townships and residents whohave turbines located get an economicbenefit, and in 2011 that indeedwas $13 million. So what ifrural industrial wind generates $13million only to saddle ratepayerswith a $70 million tab? This kind ofmath gets us nothing but higher andhigher utilities rates. That’s right,no one told us either.To our many good friends, family,and neighbors in Sibley County, weapologize for being late to you withinformation and we thank the othersstriving to educate us. Most peopledo not oppose renewable energy, nordo we. We are however opposed toallowing you and us to be put in situationsof grave health risk. In thelast 10 years enough evidence haspoured in about the dangers withwind farms that you would think bynow someone would say, “Whoa!We need to reconsider the merits ofthese projects. People might gethurt.” Without even factoring inthe anecdotal evidence that industrialwind may interfere with hearingaids or pacemakers, GPS systems ontractors and combines, medical helicopterradio and guidance systems,television, computer and phone interruptions,the volume of documentedevidence – which is increasing– should be enough for the governmentto put a stop to any morewind farms.Yet, there is good to come out ofthis episode . . . all of us are beingreminded, again, of the inherentdanger of accepting what governmentagencies and officials or politicianstell us as being fact or “goodfor us”. We all know liberals neveradmit when they are wrong on thefacts because if they did once theywould be at the confessional earlyand often and on many issues. Conservativesconcluded a long timeago that liberal bureaucrats, bothGOP and DFL, never quite get itright when it comes to our economicwell being and public health or thegreater good.Mark Santelman, GOP Chair,WinthropEmily Gruenhagen, DeputyChair, rural GlencoeBrandon Ronning, DeputyChair, ArlingtonNathan Kranz, Treasurer, ruralGaylordBarb Bumgardner, Secretary,rural WinthropLarry Bumgardner, Vice Chair,rural WinthropRae Anderson, Vice-Chair, ArlingtonDon Mader, Vice-Chair, ArlingtonJessica Wiborg, Vice-Chair,WinthropMorris Lieske, Vice-Chair, HendersonSHARE YOUR OPINION THROUGHA LETTER TO THE EDITOR.EMAIL YOUR LETTER TOKURTM@ARLINGTONMNNEWS.COMArlington ENTERPRISEEstablished in 1884.Postmaster send address changes to:Arlington Enterprise.402 West Alden Street, P.O. Box 388,Arlington, MN 55307.Phone 507-964-5547 FAX 507-964-2423.Hours: Monday-Wednesday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.;Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Friday closed.Entered as Periodicals postal matter at Arlington,MN post office. Postage paid at Arlington USPS No.031-980.Subscription Rates: Minnesota – $33.00 per year. Outsideof state – $38.00 per year.StaffBill and Joyce Ramige, Publishers;Kurt Menk, Editor; KarinRamige, Manager; MarvinBulau, Production Manager;Barb Mathwig, Office; AshleyReetz, Sales; and Jean Olson,Proof Reading.LettersThis page is devoted to opinionsand commentary. Articlesappearing on this page are theopinions of the writer. Views expressedhere are not necessarilythose of the Arlington Enterprise,unless so designated. TheArlington Enterprise stronglyencourages others to expressopinions on this page.Letters from our readers arestrongly encouraged. Letters forpublication must bear thewriter’s signature and address.The Arlington Enterprise reservesthe right to edit lettersfor purpose of clarity and space.EthicsThe editorial staff of the ArlingtonEnterprise strives to presentthe news in a fair and accuratemanner. We appreciate errorsbeing brought to our attention.Please bring any grievancesagainst the Arlington Enterprise tothe attention of the editor. Shoulddifferences continue, readers areencouraged to take their grievancesto the Minnesota NewsCouncil, an organization dedicatedto protecting the public frompress inaccuracy and unfairness.The News Council can be contactedat 12 South Sixth St., Suite940, Minneapolis, MN 55402, or(612) 341-9357.Press FreedomFreedom of the press is guaranteedunder the First Amendmentto the U.S. Constitution:“Congress shall make no lawrespecting an establishment ofreligion, or prohibiting the freeexercise thereof; or abridgingthe freedom of speech, or thepress…”Ben Franklin wrote in thePennsylvania Gazette in 1731:“If printers were determined notto print anything till they weresure it would offend nobodythere would be very little printed.”Deadline for the ArlingtonEnterprise news is 4 p.m., Monday,and advertising is noon,Tuesday. Deadline for TheGalaxy advertising is noonWednesday.