A-Section 9-18.pdf - The McLeod County Chronicle

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It was overkill. Itgave DFLers a rare free hand tospend more tax dollars on pet projects.But when the special session wascalled Sept. 9, specifically to addressdisaster aid to cities and counties impactedby the June floods, the Legislaturealso could have addressed twobusiness-to-business sales taxes thathave, or will, negatively impactmany Minnesotans.They are the sales tax on machineryrepairs, including farm machinery,and the new tax on warehousingfacilities in the state. While the machineryrepair sales tax kicked inJuly 1, the warehouse tax does notgo on line until April 1.Both are expected to be addressedwhen the 2014 Legislature reconvenesin late February. Hopefully,both will be repealed.The main excuse DFLers trottedout for not addressing these bad billsYou canvoteonline atwww.glencoenews.comQuestion of the weekSmokers are circumventing the state’s new $1.60 additional tax oncigarette packs by buying pouch tobacco and e-cigarettes. Shouldthe state extend the new tax to those products, too?1) Yes2) No3) Not sureResults for most recent question:The McLeod County commissioners are consideringan expansion of the jail (20 beds) and added security measures forthe courthouse. The cost is estimated at $7 million. Do youagree with the commissioners’ plans?Yes — 44%No — 44%Not sure — 12%100 votes. New question runs Sept. 18-24in the special session was that Gov.Mark Dayton and the DFL leadershipwanted to know how those salestax revenues would be replaced inthe state budget if repealed.What?The Minnesota budget for the nextbiennium already has nearly $2 billionmore from all these new taxes,and DFLers cannot find the moneyin this bloated budget to offset theseill-conceived sales taxes on machineryrepairs and warehousing? Wow!It appears DFLers are not tryingvery hard.State Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe, hit the nail on the head lastweek, speaking at the McLeodCounty Farm Bureau annual meeting,when he stressed, “There is noshortage of funds!”He not only favored a repeal ofthese business-to-business taxes, buta concerted effort to reform governmentand how it operates. In otherwords, make it more efficient insteadof bloating its size and influence.We agree the state is heading inthe wrong direction. Maybe in 2014,Republicans can gain control of atleast one house in the Legislature toslow down this avalanche of newtaxes in Minnesota.— R.G.Dayton seeks more ofWilfs’ funds for stadiumIt is not often we agree withGov. Mark Dayton, but he wasright on the mark Monday withhis statement about the Vikings majorityowners’ finances and currentnegotiations for a new taxpayer-subsidizedstadium.While he commended the MinnesotaSports Facilities Authorityand its report on the investigation ofthe Wilfs’ finances, Dayton wrote:“Other recent news stories havedescribed the very significant financialassistance the Wilfs may receiveto meet their obligations. One analysisby Minnesota Public Radio concludedthat, after subtracting the NationalFootball League’s financialparticipation and the expected revenuesfrom stadium-naming rightsand personal seat licenses, theVikings’ owners would need to investalmost none of their own moneyin the project.”Dayton went on to add, “I stronglyurge you (Minnesota Sports FacilitiesAuthority) to negotiate a finalagreement, which requires theVikings’ owners to provide a significantshare of their financial contributionfrom their own resources, andnot from Vikings’ fans through thesale of expensive personal seat licenses(a/k/a ‘stadium builder’s licenses’).”Dayton added that the Wilfs’ financialinvestigation “shows theVikings’ owners could finance theirshare of the stadium’s costs with littleor no revenues from the stadiumbuilder’s licenses. Therefore, Istrongly urge you to keep thoseprices at an absolute minimum.”Well said.— R.G.Letters to EditorThe McLeod County Chronicle, Wednesday, September 18, 2013, page 4The ‘A’ word is emotional, with really no resolutionTo the Editor:Shortly after my “wake up andsmell the coffee” letter, I penned thisfollow up letter, and have beenthinking long and hard about puttingmy thoughts out there.Ahh! The “A” word.The “A”word is emotional – it isnot logical or subject to statisticalanalysis – it is discussed at length bymany different disciplines – religious,moral, ethical, legal, medical,political (a football, indeed, comeelection season).In my humble opinion, there willnever be a concrete resolution of theissue, certainly not in my lifetime orthe foreseeable future because it isemotional and subject to myriad ofvaried beliefs.To begin, I just want to say thatNOBODY, absolutely NOBODY isin favor of abortions. The movementis entitled “Pro Choice,” not “Proabortion.”Nobody is forcing anywoman to do anything she doesn’twant to do. No one is going tosnatch a pregnant woman off thestreet and perform an abortion. Getserious!A little historical backgroundwould probably shed light on thesubject. The year was 1962 – beforeRoe v. Wade, and a new drug thatwas distributed worldwide was usedto help with the morning sicknessthat many pregnant women experience.That drug was Thalidomide.After a while, the medical communitystarted seeing some severebirth defects, the deformity and absenceof limbs in abnormal numbersof infants. It was a nightmare. Afterresearch and study, it was determinedthese anomalies could betraced to the use of the drug duringpregnancy.During this turbulent time, headlineswere being made down in Arizonawhere a young mother of fourchildren, who was pregnant with afifth, had taken Thalidomide. Shewas a beauty queen and had a children’sTV show, a romper room sortof arrangement.Her unborn fetus was deformed.She desperately wanted to abort thefetus, but it was illegal to do so atthe time. Because she was affluentand had the resources to do it, shehad to fly to Denmark to get anabortion there. Her name was SherryFinkbine.Also, before Roe v. Wade, therewere horror stories of the backstreet, coat hanger abortions thatwere being done. Women with morechildren than they could cope withwere desperate, so desperate theywould subject themselves to thebutchering brutality. Women died.Children were orphaned. Youngwomen were rendered infertile. Itwas barbaric.Even in this so-called enlightenedera, still the underlying attitude that“she got herself pregnant” prevailsfrom those pushing these restrictivelaws — talk about the number of immaculateconceptions!The woman must be punished iffor no other reason than being awoman. You, as judge, jury and executioner,do not walk in the woman’sshoes. You do not have a clue to hercircumstances.Odds are good she is poor, eitheralone or with a partner who is unableto provide for a child. Frequentlyenough, one reads about a babybeing so abused that they succumbto the attentions of the so-calledcaregiver.There are also circumstanceswhere a woman is a student, who eitherhas no access to birth control,no money or no knowledge how touse birth control, or just an oops! —unprotected sex in the heat of themoment (use for Plan B-morningafter pill.) Could be a “date rape” oran abusive man who has access. Thescenarios are endless.No one is forcing anybody else’sbeliefs on another person. No one isinterfering with any one else’s pregnancy.Go ahead, have many children,if that is your belief. But don’tforce your beliefs onto someoneelse. You do not walk in thatwoman’s shoes. If I am repeatingmyself, it is for emphasis. You haveno idea about their psychologicalmakeup or their resources or any ofthe above.The clinics that specifically caterto women’s needs also providescreening to catch health problemsbefore they become severe, even lifethreatening. You see, the so-calledmiddle class who has always had allthis screening as a matter of courseis not the norm for the women withlesser resources.Mammograms are provided tocheck for breast cancer. All that goeswhen stricter laws make runningthose clinics impossible. One of theintents of these clinics is also to preventany unwanted pregnancy byproviding birth control if the patientcan’t afford it.Are there statistics to back up theneed for excessive requirements inthese facilities? Infection rates? Adverseoutcomes? Every effort ismade to provide patients what theyneed at a minimal cost. You raise thecosts, and the ones who really needthe clinics can’t afford to go there.The crux of the matter here is justanother method of waging war onwomen, especially poor women.There should be enough of us on thelower economic scale that there isplenty the upper class (like it or not,there are divisions) can feel superiorto without really tramping on theleast of these.Don’t you think these womenhave suffered enough with thewrenching decision to end a pregnancywithout having to look at ultrasoundsor have invasive transvaginalultrasounds? That is downright cruel ... and you ever-lovingtaxpayers league ... it costs money— money most of the patients don’thave.So, my compatriot women, let usstand in support of our sisters in thestates where these restrictions asbeing proposed. Let us stand forCOMPASSIONATE CHOICE!These proposals are political, makeno doubt about it, and they grosslyviolate women’s civil rights. Thereis no paranoia – they really are outto get you!Jan ConnerHutchinsonFeel strongly about an issue?Share your opinion with The McLeod County Chroniclereaders through a letter to the editor.Please include your name, address and telephone number (for verificationpurposes). email to: richg@glencoenews.comThe McLeod CountyChronicleFounded in 1898 as The Lester Prairie News.Postmaster send address changes to: McLeod Publishing, Inc.716 E. 10th St., P.O. Box 188, Glencoe, MN 55336.Phone 320-864-5518 FAX 320-864-5510.Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Entered as Periodicals postal matter at Glencoe, MN postoffice. Postage paid at Glencoe, USPS No. 310-560.Subscription Rates: McLeod County (and New Auburn) –$34.00 per year. Elsewhere in the state of Minnesota – $40.00per year. Outside of state – $46.00. Nine-month student subscriptionmailed anywhere in the U.S. – $34.00. Address changesfrom local area to outside area will be charged $3.00 per month.StaffWilliam C. Ramige, Publisher;Rich Glennie, Managing Editor;Karin Ramige Cornwell,Advertising Manager; JuneBussler, Business Manager;Sue Keenan, Sales Representative;Brenda Fogarty, SalesRepresentative; Lori Copler,Staff Writer; Josh Randt,Sports Writer; Jessica Bollandand Alissa Hanson, CreativeDepartment; and TrishaKarels, Office Assistant.LettersThe McLeod County Chronicle welcomesletters from readers expressingtheir opinions. All letters,however, must be signed. Privatethanks, solicitations and potentiallylibelous letters will not be published.We reserve the right to editany letter.A guest column is also available toany writer who would like to presentan opinion in a more expandedformat. If interested, contact theeditor.richg@glencoenews.comEthicsThe editorial staff of the McLeodCounty Chronicle strives to presentthe news in a fair and accurate manner.We appreciate errors beingbrought to our attention. Pleasebring any grievances against theChronicle to the attention of the editor.Should differences continue,readers are encouraged to take theirgrievances to the Minnesota NewsCouncil, an organization dedicated toprotecting the public from press inaccuracyand unfairness. The NewsCouncil can be contacted at 12 SouthSixth St., Suite 940, Minneapolis,MN 55402, or (612) 341-9357.Press FreedomFreedom of the press is guaranteedunder the First Amendment tothe U.S. Constitution:“Congress shall make no law respectingan establishment of religion,or prohibiting the free exercisethereof; or abridging the freedomof speech, or the press…”Ben Franklin wrote in the PennsylvaniaGazette in 1731: “If printerswere determined not to print anythingtill they were sure it wouldoffend nobody there would be verylittle printed.”Deadline for the McLeod CountyChronicle news is 5 p.m., and advertisingis noon, Monday. Deadlinefor Glencoe Advertiser advertisingis noon, Wednesday. Deadlinefor The Galaxy advertising isnoon Wednesday.