by Dave Mindeman

"Should a police officer hold everyone who is stopped without a license to substantiate that they are or are not who they say they are?" asked Rob Yant, public safety director in Marshall, Minn. "You can't stop someone because they're Hispanic."

quote from Star Tribune, Feb. 28, 2008

With all the indignation that comes from the conservatives on this issue, this is the underlying enforcement problem. Do you want police officers to check the immigration status of every person they stop for any kind of violation? Do you want law enforcement to spend a large amount of their valuable time doing the job of the Federal government?

or...do you want the police to racially profile?

Frankly, the answer to all of those questions is NO.

I won't argue that the woman involved in the Cottonwood bus crash is directly resposible....and, frankly, if she weren't here illegally, those kids probably would be alive today. It is tragic and I won't argue that point. You can argue the same way about the tragedies with guns in our schools....better background checks, stricter gun laws....maybe those kids are alive today, too.

But, let's turn to Michele Bachmann...and her appearance on Bill O'Reilly... as, Mr. Gross at "Let Freedom Ring" put it:

At the outset of the interview, Rep. Bachmann said that she had contacted ICE to see “where in the chain of communication” things went awry between law enforcement & ICE. She also said that this tragedy “was completely preventable.”

Rep. Bachmann knows where things "went awry". It happened where it always happens..at ICE itself. An agency that is understaffed, underfunded, and expected to do way more than it is capable of. Could ICE have intervened and had this woman deported previously? Sure... if they were investigating every single one of the millions of traffic infractions that people get involved in everyday. Do you think ICE officials would scurry on down to Minnesota because some lady jumped a curb and drove over a lawn? Just not possible. It took several days, after the bus accident, just to find her correct name.

Bob Olson, a Democrat running to oppose Bachmann, took issue with Bachmann's rhetoric on O'Reilly. His press release states:

“In the wake of the tragic accident in Cottonwood, Minnesotans had a right to expect smart and compassionate leadership from those in power. That Michele Bachmann chose instead to go on the O’Reilly Factor and play along with O’Reilly’s fear mongering is absolutely disgusting.

Bachmann could have immediately went before Congress and demanded an appropriate increase in funding for ICE. She could have demanded that enhanced protection for social security identity be implemented. She could have called for stiffer penalties for employers who hire illegals. But she didn't do any of that.... she went on O'Reilly for comments like this:

O'REILLY: Doesn’t Minnesota need a law to that says that if anybody is involved with the police, that the police have the right to check on their citizenship? Isn’t that the solution to the problem?

REP. BACHMANN: Clearly, you’re absolutely right. That needs to be done. And just as recently as Monday, Bill, the Minnesota legislature passed a $7 billion tax increase. One amendment was offered that said that drivers license tests should be in English only. And just think, this is just days after this Cottonwood accident occured and that amendment wasn’t passed. That amendment failed. It’s an outrage. it’s unthinkable. I don’t know when people are finally going to wake up.

Absolutely right? It needs to be done? Next time you are stopped for speeding, I am sure the policeman, and every other policeman in the country, has the time to do an immigration check on every person they stop. Oh, but wait, they don't have to do it on everybody.....just, well you know, those Hispanics.

(By the way, Bachmann managed to get in a nice dig at the Minnesota Legislature about the Transportation Bill on an immigration topic....Wow, nicely done Michele)

And in addition, if we have drivers license tests in English only, we can again target, you know..those Hispanics. But wait again.... the woman driving the car didn't have a drivers license anyway...darn, I guess that wouldn't have helped after all.

Now, of course, Bachmann and O'Reilly didn't say that they were targeting Hispanics,,,no, no, no...but it is not a huge extrapolation to realize that that is what they meant.

In Bachmann's last O'Reilly message:

This is an issue of anarchy vs. the rule of law. and the question is ‘When are we going to get serious about this & stop tinkering around the edges’?

Yes, Ms. Bachmann, when are we going to "quit tinkering around the edges"? We need a comprehensive plan....the one you're presidential standard bearer proposed in the past. If it is "anarchy vs. the rule of law" then it is also about giving the rule of law the resources it needs to fulfill its duties.

You don't need a wall, you need more agents. And you need to pay them enough that they won't be corrupted. And you need to fix identity laws -- get more up to date information on social security numbers. And for heaven's sake, make immigration a fair system.

I see little evidence that Bachmann really wants to fix this problem; but it is good for her political style.... the divisive one.

Category: Society

by Alan Anderson

George Will complained this year that Republicans are rolling rocks up hill. While citing statistics that make his point, especially that Independents are increasingly choosing Democrats, his explanations and logic only serve to show why Republicans are having such a hard time. He blames the Michigan economic problems on the Democratic governor, suggesting she taxed them into recession. Then he criticizes Republicans like McCain for being a “climate fixer” and complains that others stupidly want automakers to “endure more fuel efficiency mandates.”

Perhaps he should look at the growing sales figures for Toyota and Honda, which introduced more fuel efficient cars, and the problems Ford and GM have in maintaining current sales without offering better options. Sad to say, Mr. Will, the American public does recognize the importance of global warming, the need for important change in direction in almost every policy area of our country, and the need to have business be a better partner helping the US regain its economic strength. Michigan might not be in so much trouble if they had listened to the American public decades ago.

When it comes to helping Republicans have a boulder vision, Mr. Will, you rock!

Category: Transportation

by Dave Mindeman

As the newspapers get busy with their calculators to figure out the dollar impact of the new transportation bill and as the Republicans and Governor continue the rancorous rhetoric, a lot of the real facts and information gets lost.

For instance, the $6.6 billion dollar figure that is getting all the attention is, in reality, over a 10 year period. That means it raises an average of $660 million per year..... somewhat less per year at the beginning and substantially more at the end.

The Governor and the legislature have both stated in the past that the transportation revenue shortfall for Minnesota is, in reality, $1.7 billion per year. So, essentially this so-called "massive" tax increase still only covers about 1/3 of our needs.

And frankly, the misinformation out there that passes for "fact" is incredible. This KARE 11 report talked about taxes and they were deluged with angry e-mails rattling off the common public perceptions (or misconceptions) about the taxes involved in transportation. It is worth reading but some of the facts are this:

...we'd like to start with all this talk about bike paths and light rail. The fact is, state gas tax money does not go to bike paths or light rail. That would literally be a violation of the state constitution. Before this latest hike in the gas tax, we've been raising about $660 million a year with the gas tax. All of it goes to roads and bridges. Period.

And another:

The state raises another $490 million with plate fees. The fact is, all of it goes to roads and bridges. Period.

And about the needs:

Finally, it helps to understand the scale of this whole thing. Roads and bridges are insanely expensive. Minnesota already spends $2 billion a year for roads and bridges. Now, even the legislative auditor says we need $3 billion a year, just to cover the basics. Our whole state budget is less than $18 billion a year for everything!

And about light rail:

Anyone would be hard pressed to blame the shortfall on light rail. The state will spend less than $1 billion dollars over 15 years building the Hiawatha, the Northstar, and the Central Corridor combined.

So often, what we hear on talk radio or in campaign commercials, are statements about taxation that are, at best, gross distortions and sometimes, outright lies.

Government is a complicated animal but balancing a budget never changes. You always need the right mix of revenue and spending... but you never get "something for nothing".