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Dave Eldred

St. Paul, MN
Commenter for
3 years 50 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 05/25/10 at 02:58 pm in response to Engaging Emmer and cautious Kelliher show sharp contrast in style at today's gubernatorial race filings

That's so bizarre. Usually the DFL turns out gubernatorial candidates who are high on style. What an unusual departure for this otherwise well-oiled machine.

Posted on 04/25/10 at 10:26 pm in response to DFL endorses House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher for governor

"The main issue was and is electability.
Kelliher is unquestionably the least charismatic (my person favorite was Rybak on the grounds of both charisma and effective campaign management)."

I was not at the convention, but I agree with both statements -- which is a giant problem.

Honestly, how many consecutive losses will it take for the DFL to realize that things like "charisma" matter in elections?

Posted on 04/25/10 at 12:20 am in response to DFL endorses House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher for governor

Once again, the DFL fails to endorse an electable candidate for governor.

What a disaster.

Time to start planning for 2014.

Posted on 04/14/10 at 09:09 pm in response to Overwhelming consensus from fans and players: Twins did themselves proud with new ballpark

Snide comments aside, the Twins just inked Joe Mauer to the most expensive non-Yankees contract in the history of baseball. So they seem to be getting better at spending money.

They also ponied up millions more than the agreement with Hennepin County called for to add improvements to Target Field.

Does that make them saints? No, of course not, but I apprecicate that they are pouring money back into the park and payroll to improve the experience for the fans.

Posted on 04/13/10 at 09:36 pm in response to Target Field: Economic impact is years -- and dreams -- away

Mr. Udstrand, you certainly seem like an angry individual. Previously you have made the rather outrageous claim that Target Field is the product of fascism. You have used sarcasm and guilt trips to make your point; unfortunately, it is an ineffective way of making your point.

My suggestion is that if this stadium had never been built, your neighbor would still be in the same predicament. Actually, it is more than a suggestion: it is a fact. I am hopeful that our government -- both...

Posted on 04/12/10 at 09:08 pm in response to Target Field: Economic impact is years -- and dreams -- away

"My advice to you sports people: just enjoy your new stadium now. What's done is done. Don't try to justify it as anything other than a nice place to watch baseball which is all it ever was or could be."

As a Twins fan (and a Hennepin County taxpayer), fear not: I will. I was downtown today, and you cannot put a price on the smiles and electricity in the air.

As someone who is a fan of vibrant cities, I am thrilled we have a new, beatiful venue in this city to enjoy. This isn...

Posted on 04/05/10 at 08:54 am in response to Statistical analysis and the Twins: together at last?

Jim, BABIP actually solves the problem you identify. If you see a guy with a sky high BABIP -- .350, for example -- it is most likely the product of luck, and you can expect him to regress to the mean.

Batting average does NOT identify those players. You state that some .300 BAs are better than others, but looking at BA alone, you can't figure out which ones are good and which aren't. BABIP actually helps solve the problem you identify, whereas BA does not.

There is no stat...

Posted on 04/04/10 at 09:32 am in response to Target Field: 'The House That Jerry Bell Willed to Completion'

I am confused by the suggestion that because people don't know who the Hennepin County commissioners are -- a highly suspect charge with no evidentiary support -- that this was therefore a product of a corrupt system. This seems like a bit of revisionist history. The process behind the funding of Target Field was not done in the dark, as suggested. Rather, it was reported on in widely available publications, multiple public hearings were held, and the state legislature and governor spoke...

Posted on 04/02/10 at 08:32 pm in response to Target Field: 'The House That Jerry Bell Willed to Completion'

Mr. Underwood, I defer to the post of Mr. Foster and the definition of fascism as supplied by Webster.

This is not fascism. This is democracy, and this is what happens in a democracy: sometimes, your representatives make choices you disagree with. End of story. There is no grand authoritarian scheme out there, nor is Target Field evidence of one.

Do I agree with everything government does? No. Do I think education dollars could be better spent? Sure. Do I think we need...

Posted on 04/01/10 at 04:42 pm in response to Target Field: 'The House That Jerry Bell Willed to Completion'

Whatever you may think of the value of funding sports stadiums, comparing it to fascism is silly and does not lend credence to your point of view.

For what feels like the 1000-th time: read the tax law. A referendum is not required if a special law is passed exempting a local tax from the referendum. One was. If you feel so strongly that this was done illegally, why didn't you, as a Hennepin County taxpayer, file a lawsuit to have the tax invalidated?

More simply, if the...