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Dave Eldred

St. Paul, MN
Commenter for
4 years 1 week

Recent Comments

Posted on 10/13/09 at 08:25 pm in response to Twins won't win championships without more championship players

My only quibble is the prace of Orlando Cabrera. Although he certainly had some timely hits down the stretch, he's 35, his range and arm are questionable for a starting shortstop, and his overall offensive stats for the Twins are not impressive.

Then again, compared to anything else they ran out at shortstop, he's ARod in his prime.

If any of Punto/Tolbert/Casilla/Harris are starting next year, you'll know the Twins are not taking winning seriously. Doesn't matter how hard...

Posted on 10/12/09 at 08:10 pm in response to After Yankees' playoff sweep, don't buy all the 'instant analysis' you're sure to see about Twins' woes

As I type this, I'm watching a game in Colorado where the temperature is not much above feezing. Yet the game is sold out and the fans appear to be enjoying themselves immensely in a park that is much friendlier to them than the Metrodome ever was to any baseball fan.

The argument that the fair weather fans will stay away is just silly. I'm a die hard and cannot count the amount of times I've chosen against heading down to the Metrodome for a game because it was simply to nice of a...

Posted on 09/24/09 at 01:29 pm in response to Minnesota scores big win with new Medicare language in health care bill

Rebecca, I'm sorry and disappointed you have chosen not to engage in a substantive conversation. Again, I do not speak for anyone other than myself. I am open minded and willing to listen to substantive arguments that differ from my own - I am sorry that you have chosen to hide your arguments for a public option.

I have not yet heard a reasoned and cogent argument -- from you or anyone -- as to how the public option will solve any of the issues you raise. It is true that you do not...

Posted on 09/24/09 at 11:30 am in response to Minnesota scores big win with new Medicare language in health care bill

Rebecca, to be perfectly clear: I advocate on no one's behalf but my own. Everything I have written is my personal opinion as a concerned citizen interested in health care reform.

I see that you have chosen not to respond substantively to my arguments. In this health care debate, it is easy to throw empty arguments around from all sides: from the right, we've heard about mythical death panels; on the left, we've heard that the public option is a mystical panacea for all that is...

Posted on 09/24/09 at 10:53 am in response to Minnesota scores big win with new Medicare language in health care bill

"In short, Amy's little proposal misses the mark. Doctors ordering excessive tests and procedures are hardly a major portion of our problems. The big problems are insurance companies and life style choices."

As I mentioned, Senator Klobuchar's "little proposal" is only a first step. Additionally, to term it a "little proposal" is belittling and, frankly, is flat out incorrect.

Our entire health care industry is set up on the premise that doctors and facilities are paid for the...

Posted on 09/24/09 at 09:16 am in response to Minnesota scores big win with new Medicare language in health care bill

Rebecca, every problem you raise can be solved without a public option.

First of all, the insurance industry isn't a monopoly -- but I see what you're getting at.

In terms of insurance company profits, congress can eliminate them at will without a public option: simply tax the profits or require that X cents of every dollar received in premium be paid back to the insured.

With respect to losing coverage, simply change the regs to require companies to continue providing...

Posted on 09/23/09 at 08:48 pm in response to Minnesota scores big win with new Medicare language in health care bill

A public option will not stop -- it probably won't even slow -- health care costs from growing. You can tax every penny of profit from insurance companies and you'll still see health care costs skyrocketing as long as doctors and hospitals are incentivized to provide more treatment, not better treatment. Heck, the Blues are basically non-profit right now -- are their plans cheaper than the for-profit companies?

Kudos to Senator Klobuchar for seeing through the evil insurance company...

Posted on 09/18/09 at 08:54 am in response to Can the DFL break its long losing streak in Minnesota governor's race?

"I will not support an 'establishment' candidate like Entenza, Dayton or Kelliher. I think that the first two need to go quietly into the night with their baggage and I think that Kelliher showed her complete inability to lead during the last legislative session."

Amen. Entenza and Dayton have been part of the problem for years. Thank you for your service, now please just go away. Kelliher was completely outmaneuvered by Pawlenty this last session, and TPaw isn't exactly a Rhodes...

Posted on 09/09/09 at 02:54 pm in response to A change of heart: After all my Pohlad-bashing days, it's time to praise them for the Twins stadium 'extras'

Mr. Foster:

When one uses the phrase "set aside the law," I get the impression that something either (a) illegal or (b) extraordinary happened -- not that the precise letter of the law was followed. Apparently our semantics differ. I would agree that the referendum was bypassed by following the exemption explicitly set forth in the state statutes, however.

I do not understand what the relevance is to the fact that stadia are not referenced in the statutes, nor do I understand...

Posted on 09/09/09 at 02:48 pm in response to A change of heart: After all my Pohlad-bashing days, it's time to praise them for the Twins stadium 'extras'

Mr. Udstrand:

Please reread my post. I specifically stated we should fund the new stadium AND health care.

Your statement that there was -- or ever would have been -- a choice between the stadium and Minncare is disingenuous and misleading. Do you really believe that if the stadium wasn't built, Minncare would not have been cut? Minncare comes from the state budget, which was not affected by the stadium funding. It would have been cut in either event, sadly.

As far...