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Nathan Roisen

St. Paul, MN
Commenter for
2 years 27 weeks

Recent Comments

Posted on 07/14/11 at 09:47 pm in response to Universally 'disappointing' deal reached to resolve Minnesota government shutdown

Two things for me to be upset about this deal: first, I have been telling any friend from outside Minnesota who would listen that Tim Pawlenty is a gutless wonder who used accounting tricks and one-time money to create the illusion of balance. It is incredibly painful to see Dayton stooping to the same disingenuous strategies. I know we are saying he did it out of empathy, but that doesn't make the strategy any less honest.

Second (related to #1 - the reason Fitch downgraded our...

Posted on 07/07/11 at 05:46 pm in response to 'All-star' budget group's plan suggests a 4% surtax on all and tax increases on alcohol and cigarettes

Michael (1) If the tax sunsets in three years, and the proposed tax increases are as onerous as the Republicans claim, then the party can do its best to convince voters to elect people who will allow it to expire.

Really, this is what democracy is all about.

Posted on 07/06/11 at 10:30 pm in response to GOP rejects Dayton's two budget proposals, calling them a step 'backwards'

Hey, has anyone heard that the Republicans are absolutely, positively, unequivocally opposed to a tax increase? Because Zellers wanted to re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-re-reiterate that point.

Posted on 07/06/11 at 12:25 pm in response to Dayton seems increasingly intent on finding some way to end shutdown

If there is one Republican talking point that is getting exceptionally tiresome, it is the claim that they sent a balanced budget to Dayton's desk.

That budget was as full of smoke and mirrors as any Pawlenty brought forward. For God's sake, they didn't even use the non-partisan budget office! Does anyone remember the outside consultants (who of course, stood to profit from privatization of services) that rubber stamped fantasyland budget numbers?

Maybe Mr. Grow can revisit...

Posted on 07/04/11 at 09:54 pm in response to 'All-star' politicians announcing bipartisan committee to find 'third way' to solve Minnesota budget crisis

I hope that this committee offers the face-saving out that ends the stalemate.. The fact that it includes what appears to be a diverse group across a broad political spectrum is a promising sign.

I fear that the reality is the republican caucus has lurched far enough to the right that even a committee that includes several moderate republicans will be outside the group's stream of thought. If indeed the committee is the brainchild of that (archlib/biggov/socialist) Gov. Dayton, I...

Posted on 06/20/11 at 09:23 pm in response to Michele Bachmann is on fire

She might be on fire right now, with a very select group of people, but the election is still an awful long time away. The Republicans will test out a half dozen flavors of the week between now and next spring. Up next: Rick Perry.

Posted on 06/08/11 at 09:46 am in response to Pawlenty bets big on Reaganomics, but some economists say it won't work

The actual corporate tax rate is one thing, the effective rate that corporations actually pay is another entirely.

The United States government collects about 28% of the national GDP in taxes, which places us toward the bottom of OECD countries. Most European countries, for instance, collect 35%-45%.

It isn't much of a mystery why companies are creating jobs elsewhere, and tax rates truly aren't at the top of the list. First, emerging markets are the growth areas for big...

Posted on 06/07/11 at 12:46 pm in response to Who killed the Legislature's bipartisan, leadership-backed early-ed initiatives?

Fascinating story. I echo the previous comments.

Posted on 05/26/11 at 09:45 am in response to On truth tour, Pawlenty won't commit on Ryan budget

Like most politicians (of all political persuasions), Pawlenty's 'bravery' is limited to the hypothetical and the abstract.

Personally, I think pragmatism is the quality we need much more of in our government -- bravery is an essentially meaningless concept in a place where right and wrong are subject to a million shades of gray (and dependent on the viewpoint of the observer)

Posted on 05/25/11 at 04:49 pm in response to St. Paul Mayor Coleman offers 'intergalactic' plan to solve Vikings stadium issue, and lots more

It absolutely makes sense for the Wild and Wolves to share a facility in a market of this size. It also makes sense for the Vikings to be in Minneapolis, where the infrastructure to support them already exists.

So like all things logical, this plan probably won't go anywhere.

I don't know what Warehouse District business owners would prefer - 10 Vikings crowds/year or 40 Wolves crowds/year, but I suspect it would be the Wolves crowds.

I don't know that either the...