AFTERNOON EDITION

Maybe it's like how an electric bug zapper isn’t “anti-mosquito” ... Archbishop John Nienstedt wrote in his Catholic Spirit column Thursday urging Catholics to support the anti-gay marriage amendment: “[T]he media and some secular commentators have chosen to mis-characterize this measure as anti-gay, mean-spirited and prejudicial. This is not the case or the intent behind the initiative. The Minnesota Catholic Conference, made up of the seven Catholic bishops from the state, support this amendment not for prejudicial or political reasons, but rather for reasons that are theological, biological and pastoral. Theologically, the definition of marriage predates any government or religious denomination. As we read in the Bible, it reflects God’s plan for man and woman to share in his creative power of bringing new life into the world (Genesis 1:27-28). This is ratified by Jesus himself in Matthew 19:8-9. It is a truth that is also evident in light of the natural moral law, which grounds our understanding of the dignity that belongs to each human person.

In addition, the very biological, not to mention spiritual, complementarity of the two sexes defines the reproductive nature of their relationship which, in turn, enhances the well-being and joy of that union. The enfleshed oneness of a man and a woman is indeed a communion of life and love.”  As an old altar boy, I kind of cringe at phrases like “enfleshed oneness.”

Over at The Minnesota Independent, Andy Birkey writes: “Nienstedt argued that children fare best in families with one mother and one father, an argument that seems to contradict most research on same-sex parenting. ‘Pastorally, children flourish best in the context of having both a mother and a father. Every scientific study confirms this reality,’ he wrote. But a review of 81 studies of many family types released late last year showed the opposite. 'No research supports the widely held conviction that the gender of parents matters for child well-being,’ wrote sociologists Stacey and Timothy Biblarz of the University of Southern California. ‘Children being raised by same-gender parents, on most all of the measures that we care about, self-esteem, school performance, social adjustment and so on, seem to be doing just fine and, in most cases, are statistically indistinguishable from kids raised by married moms and dads on these measures,’ Biblarz said.”

So, yes, the Los Angeles crowd does have an interest in buying the Vikings and moving them to Southern Caliofornia. Judd Zulgad of the Strib blogs: “Anschutz Entertainment Group President Tim Leiweke told the Orange County Register on Thursday night that the Vikings are one of five NFL franchises he has spoken to and that billionaire Philip Anschutz is prepared to acquire majority ownership in a team in order to bring it to Farmers Field, the downtown stadium proposed by AEG. Leiweke confirmed for the first time Anschutz's interest in purchasing a majority share of an NFL team and told the Register he also has spoken with officials from San Diego, Oakland, St. Louis and Jacksonville. ‘St. Louis, Jacksonville, not extensively, certainly Oakland, San Diego, Minnesota are still in the mix,’ Leiweke said. ‘We're not packing any [moving] vans right now.’ Leiweke also revealed he last talked with an NFL team ‘a week ago,’ and the Register reported the team was believed to be the Vikings.”

There’s a merger to announce between several small-ish area cable systems. The AP reports: “South Dakota-based Midcontinent Communications is buying the Minnesota and Wisconsin cable systems of New Jersey-based U.S. Cable, which serve about 33,000 customers. Midcontinent President and Chief Executive Officer Pat McAdaragh says the networks are within 100 miles of one another and will be connected, expanding Midcontinent’s reach eastward. McAdaragh did not disclose terms. The deal is expected to close in late September, pending regulatory approval. Midcontinent serves customers in 240 communities in South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. If the deal with U.S. Cable goes through, Midcontinent will have about 280,000 customers in those states and Wisconsin.”

There’s plenty of info around about the effects of a government shutdown July 1. MPR’s Tom Scheck writes: “Another key question for state employees is whether they'll be eligible to cash out their vacation time and part of their sick time. Union contracts say the state must make those payments when an employee is laid off. Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Jim Schowalter declined to say whether those payments would be made. He said his agency is working on a shutdown plan but he wouldn't release any specifics. ‘In the end, this is a question for the courts as to what services can be provided even without appropriations,’ Schowalter said. ‘This is a difficult legal issue and it needs a lot of consideration.’ Schowalter couldn't say how much a shutdown would cost the state except to say it would be expensive. Some things are known: State parks would likely close. Driver's license centers could be shuttered, and planning at K-12 schools and colleges and universities could be disrupted. Officials with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities say they're intent on holding a fall semester even if there's a shutdown but it depends on whether they have access to tuition and reserve funds that are controlled by the state. Outgoing Lakeville School Superintendent Gary Amoroso told MPR News last week that local school districts are also in budgetary limbo. Under state law, school districts must have a budget approved by June 30, but Amoroso said he still does not know how much revenue the district will receive from the state, which provides 80 percent of its budget.”

Don Davis of the Forum papers runs a Q & A:
“Would a shutdown save the state money?
Just the opposite. State officials say they have not estimated shutdown cost, but the figure likely would be in the millions to prepare to close government and then to restart operations. Among the costs would be severance pay to many of the nearly 60,000 state workers who could be affected. On top of that, those state workers, and probably private employees such as idled road construction workers, could draw state unemployment insurance.
What are Minnesotans being told?
More than 40,000 unionized state and higher education workers have been told they could be laid off as of July 1. Some vendors who provide the state services also have been told there may not be money to pay them. However, most individual Minnesotans, local government and others who receive money or services from the state have received no notification because state officials say agencies still are considering what actions to take. For instance, Minnesotans who receive health and welfare payments from the state have not been officially notified that their assistance could be interrupted, depending on what courts decide.”

Meanwhile, departing U of M President Bob Bruinicks is going ahead with delivering his budget. Tim Post of MPR reports: “U officials say they hope to buffer layoffs by offering early retirement incentives. They say in the last two years, 800 employees took such offers, meaning fewer layoffs were needed to balance the budget. The U's budget is based on numbers that could change, depending on what happens at the state Capitol. If cuts to the U of M are less than anticipated, Bruininks' budget stipulates a third of the money would go to reduce the tuition increase, a third would help ease cuts to academic programs, and a third would go toward the 2013 budget, which is expected to be a tough one as well. Bruininks also takes into consideration the threat of a July 1 state shutdown in his budget. His plan is for the U to operate normally without the help of state money, at least for a few months, by using reserve funds.”

When it comes to the Twin Cities housing  market, you really have to spin it to say anything good. The Strib’s Jim Buchta writes: “On the surface it looks like great news: Home sales in the Twin Cities metro area last month rose 13.2 percent compared with last year, only the second double-digit increase during the past 13 months, according to a new report from the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors. But the news isn't as good as it looks. The numbers were up largely because May 2010 was the first month following expiration of the $8,000 federal home buyer's tax credit — sales that month were particularly dismal. For example, sales fell 44 percent between the last week of April and the week ending May 14, 2010. This year, by comparison, sales between the last week of April and the week ended May 14 increased 4 percent. On the bright side (if you're a seller): The number of houses for sale continues to fall, creating shortages of listings in some markets.”

One of the diciest moves by any sports columnist  is  suggesting a beloved local hero may not be as golden as he’s been sold to the public.  The Strib’s Jim Souhan goes there with this morning’s piece on Joe “Baby Jesus” Mauer: “Some members of the organization questioned whether Mauer worked hard enough or devoted enough time to baseball activities to prepare himself for the season, and whether he is willing to play at 80 percent health when his team needs him. Those close to him have questioned whether his offseason knee surgery and rehabilitation [were] handled properly by the team, saying that finding his legs weak in April caused Mauer to become cautious, even paranoid, about playing with pain. Whatever the causes of his two-month stay on the disabled list, Mauer is left with problems of fact and perception.” I'd watch out for line drives in batting practice if I were you, Jim.