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mark wallek

minneapolis, MN
Commenter for
1 year 42 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 05/15/13 at 11:15 am in response to Senate's 17-hour day-care union debate shows importance of the 'L' in DFL

Of course the very underpaid child care workers need to unionize and have some recourse for the exploitatively low wages they often receive, not to mention having no health benefits like the rest of us blue collar folk. Childcares "affordability" has always been based on low wages for the employee. The proprietor is going to make a profit, or they are not going to be in business. People who want the luxury of two careers cannot look to get by on the cheap with childcare. Of course that says...

Posted on 05/15/13 at 09:20 am in response to Franken looks to restrain e-Verify errors in immigration reform

Al looks to be no different than any other pol elected in the past decade. I'd like to see him say something about the practice of sending funds to offshore accounts, or perhaps demanding actual enforcement of clean air and water acts, or taking on the neighborhood destroying LLC's that have turned a basic need like housing into a profit fest of absentee owners and eroding structures. Washington appears to be so glamourous to these pols, but from here it looks to be a jaded landscape of self...

Posted on 05/15/13 at 09:26 am in response to Aaron Shapiro explores the history of North Woods tourism

How long will the myth be milked. Anyone who has lived in Minnesota their entire lives can tell you that what was once the "wilderness of up north" is really now "little cities around the lake." Private ownership of lakeshore property means no walking around the lake. Enjoy walking the service roads instead. "Cabins" are part of the myth as well. Where are they? There are a few left, but "homes" have replaced them, and rarely are they the small humble abode of years past. So enjoy the little...

Posted on 05/09/13 at 11:11 am in response to Rush-hour reality: Jobless Joe is one of the desperate begging at freeway exits

Repeated ad nauseum across the nation. I had to stop giving to these folks when my own circumstance got tighter, and when I could no longer easily distinguish between the legit panhandler and the lazy scammer. Another WPA program is what the nation needs, but will not happen. The pols are supportive of the offshore set, and the citizen, albeit needful, is lazy and feels wronged when asked to sacrifice. The problem is that we do not know sacrifice any longer. Many know hardship, doing without...

Posted on 05/07/13 at 11:06 am in response to Vikes stadium unveiling: Expect ‘modernistic’ design with ‘outdoor feel’

Given that this is a rich mans playground, and ticket prices, if available, are prohibitively expensive, I am one of the many who really does not care what happens with the perpetual pretenders and their ongoing dramas. It's costing the citizen, again, and that's already too much to ask.

Posted on 05/02/13 at 11:23 am in response to Medical marijuana bills introduced at Minnesota Legislature

It should be noted that, in Oregon, you can get a medical marijuana certificate, but absolutely no employer is required to hire you. As a matter of fact, they can NOT hire you because of the certificate.

Posted on 05/03/13 at 09:10 am in response to Franken draws celeb donors, including Garrison Keillor

It would be nice if he was actually doing something, but like the rest of his ilk, being dysfunctional and still collecting a salary and those dandy benefits seems to be the status quo.

Posted on 04/29/13 at 09:16 am in response to Behind Concordia's bold tuition cut: 'Maybe we can actually do something'

It's good to see some folks stand against the spin up of capital assets in education. With entities like Phoenix "University" we can see the anti benefits of capitalization. Now the next step is to return to a sacred creed from our past: that an educated, healthy nation is a strong nation. So, from cradle to grave, education and healthcare. With a fed brain and a healthy body, the nation could be great again. The current model supports a return to the classism the American revolution was...

Posted on 04/27/13 at 10:11 pm in response to Christian-based Teen Challenge treatment program prompts fight over state funding

No doubt, to some minds, this program has value. And maybe it even produces some measure of real world positive contribution. I do not know. But it's affiliation with a biased entity of a religious nature, with attendant religious institutions and religious organizations involving themselves by invitation or otherwise, means NO PUBLIC MONEY. The violations of the Bush administration in this area were appalling and should not be allowed to move forward in this state. Christian radicals don't...

Posted on 04/24/13 at 09:51 am in response to Minorities in Twin Cities more likely to pay more for mortgages

Perhaps they have insurance actuators working on who to squeeze in the housing market. I would like to propose a stiff fee and mandatory amount of money be put in place BEFORE an LLC can purchase a property. This is because LLC's and the absentee ownership DO NOT invest in their properties like live in owners. This is especially true of yards. In My Jordan neighborhood, you can see who owns and who is renting. As for the renters, I do not expect them to invest in someone else's property. I...