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Jeremy Powers

Fridley, MN
Commenter for
5 years 25 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 11/14/12 at 12:25 pm in response to Dayton will push for a 'fair and simple' tax system during the 2013 session

It's been going on for at least years and received from the media about one one-thousandth the coverage as the wolf hunt, the bridge collapse and whatever the Kardashians are doing.

Posted on 11/12/12 at 12:24 pm in response to The self-blinding brilliance of Jason Lewis

I want good, well-reasoned opinions from liberals and conservatives and everything in between.

Unfortunately, I guess, that is not what conservatives want to read. Has the conservative mindset become so juvenile that it only wants reaffirmation? It appears they want to read something that reinforces their own beliefs - right, wrong or completely bizarre. And the Strib has the two biggest flame fanners - Lewis and Kersten. I guess, giving a portion of its readers exactly what they want...

Posted on 11/09/12 at 12:25 pm in response to Post-election wish list for Twin Cities metro area

I don't think most Minnesotans understand what a big mess the budget is. Certainly most media have bought into the Republican lie that they "balanced" the budget. They "balanced" the budget for the last 10 years with a series of one-time fund raids, budget shifts and other balancing gimmicks. Minnesota has been buying groceries on a credit card. And that bill's coming due.

And fixing this is going to be painful. Public employees shouldn't get excited about making up for a decade of no...

Posted on 11/07/12 at 08:15 pm in response to GOP legislative 'losers' and DFL 'winners' take decidedly different tacks

YOU TWO DID IT. You and some of the other alleged leaders of the Republican-led legislature - Senjem, Michels, Downey, etc. YOU! Not Mitt Romney. Not Tim Pawlenty, Not even George W. Bush.

You UTTERLY squandered two years of our legislature. The three shining accomplishments of the last two years were a government shutdown and two stupid - and now failed - constitutional amendments. (Somehow, I can't give you credit for that budget gimmick as an accomplishment.) You were stubborn,...

Posted on 11/07/12 at 01:16 pm in response to Foes did 'the unthinkable' in stopping the voting amendment

Look at the map on the results. Unlike the marriage amendment, which won in only 11 of Minnesota's counties with large populations or colleges, this thing lost all over the place. I think seniors saw themselves in a few years having to haggle with some clerk somewhere trying to legitimize their existence so they can go vote.

And it should have lost. It was probably the worst written constitutional amendment in the history of mankind. It said one thing on the ballot, another thing in...

Posted on 11/06/12 at 06:00 pm in response to Star Tribune editor: 'If you want to campaign, put down your journalist's badge'

Objectivity in political journalism has been incorrectly relegated to "he said/she said" - no matter how stupid he or she may be. It's a joke and farce. But it's easier for an editor, who admittedly has a tough job, to lay down rules like that.

Posted on 10/24/12 at 11:12 am in response to Catholic guilt by association: how Minnesota marriage amendment politics hurt Land Stewardship Project

I find it ironic that with the newest spate of ads saying if the amendment is defeated, some charities will be forced to close, that the bishops are doing their best to defund anyone who even hints at supporting a basic right.

I guess we'll make all of these charities political. I, for one, will stop donating ANYTHING that could possibly go to any program run by Catholic churches, social organizations, fraternal organizations and schools.

Not fair? Look at who is starting it....

Posted on 10/19/12 at 12:03 pm in response to No more homestead credit: Has that meant higher property taxes?

First, this story looks like it was a premise looking for copy to back it up. Obviously more "analysis" than news. Essentially three quotes, one from a taxpayer organization whose board is mostly big business, and another from the Chamber of Commerce. The third one is from the state, which was a statement of fact, more or less.

Second, a basic tenet of this story is that Gov. Mark Dayton went along with the idea. The reason he did: compromise. The result, more media types beating him...

Posted on 10/16/12 at 12:06 pm in response to 10 reasons why the Electoral College is a problem

I know people love the idea of a third party because of dissatisfaction with both major parties. However, in parliamentary systems, the third (or fourth or fifth) party is what is the cause of frustration. Because it is possible (usually likely) that no one party gains enough seats in parliament, you create coalitions - frequently not of like-minded parties. There have been some odd ones in Israel in the last decade.

If we got rid of the electoral college and the filibuster in the...

Posted on 10/08/12 at 12:08 pm in response to What's the problem with polls these days? Experts take a stab at answering

I think much of the problem is the love-hate relationship we have with polling in general. A good poll relies on people telling the truth. And because the sampling is usually so small, it doesn't take much to screw them up. We all want to read a poll, but many people so dislike polling that they give false answers or don't participate. I have several friends that say they intentionally give false answers just to muck them up. This is their way of creating a microrebellion.

Or, in...