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L.A. Krahn

Pine City, Minnesota
Commenter for
5 years 19 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 05/25/12 at 01:15 pm in response to Looking for a new way to pay for Minnesota’s roads

As a driver of a hybrid coupe [60 mpg lifetime average] I've paid precious little in gas taxes over the 188,000 miles I've driven it, mostly in Minnesota. I put on a lot of country miles, and many county trunk roads are in horrendous shape statewide. Sure, I'll pay more to get better roads for everyone. I dare the trucking industry to put more 'skin in the game' for roadway improvements, too.

Because little lightweight cars like mine are NOT the ones that wear roadways out. It's...

Posted on 05/07/12 at 08:44 am in response to It's 'Yea' or 'Nay' today for stadium

...to back them up, economists uniformly agree that publicly financed stadiums rarely pay for themselves," Ken Belson in "As Stadiums Vanish, Their Debt Lives On" NY Times 9/7/2010.

Perhaps your legislator could be shocked back to a sense of reality by the accompanying graphs to this article, assuming until now they've been rendered starry-eyed by uniforms, bullied by the NFL brass, bamboozled by fans and confused by the numbers.

Posted on 03/21/12 at 03:51 pm in response to Don Shelby joins BringMeTheNews, leaves MinnPost

Settling for a crappier job, just for the health benefits -- that's the American way, isn't it?

Posted on 12/06/11 at 09:29 am in response to 2 policies causing Medicare costs to be passed to the insured

And in Maryland, where a state board determines both commercial and Medicare payer rates for health services (and they are identical), should we expect to find NO cost shifting?

Please look farther afield -- and/or stop repeating AHIP-prepared dreck as news.

Posted on 11/28/11 at 05:32 pm in response to Nathan Johnson helped Pine City accept gays

I would just edit Sharon's headline to present tense verb, because not all minds think alike on this idea, and some come around slower than others... but his buoyant personality and civic enthusiasm have made and continue to make a tremendous difference.

As a Pine City transplant, I second the motion that Nathan is an exceptional member of this rural MN community.

Posted on 09/09/11 at 03:48 pm in response to GOP's HPV vaccination debate: Bioethicist Dr. Steven Miles explains vaccine's value

To Mr. Lang (#4):
U.S. social policy has been to PROHIBIT the negotiation of best prices. New brand name vaccines and other exclusively marketed medicines cost **us all** whatever high price the U.S. market will bear.

In contrast most other countries (& our VA system) negotiate with the manufacturer... they ask for a wholesale discount while we pay top retail rates. Foolish? Indeed. Let's hope the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction pays attention, because...

Posted on 08/18/11 at 12:49 pm in response to Balking GOP legislators want to be 'partners' in shaping state's health exchange

English translation of the R guys whine:

"But the Minnesota Council of Health plans and their Italian-suited lobbyists with only have a few SEATS at the Exchange planning table and not the ENTIRE table?"

Commissioner Rothman is good on his word for enlarging the table -- he met with a delegation of residents of Greater Minnesota yesterday. Thank you for the audience, and the good reporting, Mr. Grow.

Posted on 08/16/11 at 05:15 pm in response to GOP leaders decry Dayton plan for health exchange

Ah, the public posturing. Have these R guys worn out their "Repeal and Replace" placards? [Funny, no replacement suggestions abound.]

"Legislative input" sounds like big money corporate lobbying know-how, styling and shaping of the insurance marketplace to continue to rip off the little mortals. Who needs that?

I say rock on, Governor Dayton & Commissioner Rothman.

Posted on 06/30/11 at 01:40 pm in response to State, unions agree: Health insurance continues for those laid off in shutdown

Wouldn't it be nice if the shutdown turn off the spigot on just the legislators' health insurance??

Posted on 06/15/11 at 08:50 am in response to Background claims by state Senate's global-warming skeptic fail to check out

A refreshingly deft scientific analysis of Sen Jungbauer's claims, his education and his committee scope. My thanks to Senate TV for making it available at no cost to taxpayers, and MinnPost for publishing it, and Don for asking the tough questions.

Sen Jungbauer's Oscar-worthy performance as a hubris-filled scientist should be lauded for what it is. AND what it is not: he's got the hubris but is missing the science &
a capacity for good governance.

I now see him...