A political standoff in Minnesota over health care funding has resulted in a short-term retreat that may cool things down for a little bit. It also might be a sign of how things will go nationally as the debate moves on from “bait and hook” to a real engagement. If that is the case, there may be an opening for Democrats to push their advantage and achieve something very important and lasting.
Monthly Archives: March 2010
Tempus Fugit
Next weekend, the USofA will adjust the clocks to Daylight Savings Time. When we come off of it in the Fall, we get no interest on the daylight that we were forced to save. Why do we have any interest in this scheme at all? Those of us who have worked with people in other nations gradually realize that monkeying with the clocks only proves how artificial the whole idea of time is, and that we’re better off with one time across the globe.
Convention Wisdom
This Saturday is the DFL convention for Senate District 65. We’ll show up early at Central High School so that we have plenty of time to greet old friends and comrades we’ve worked both for and against through various elections and issues. With the temperature poking up over freezing, it may prove to be a hard day to keep us all focused on the politics. But March has more happening than a little warmth and a few state tournaments – it’s the real start of political season.
Ha Tien
On University Avenue, around Western, sit a cluster of stores with a very distinct purpose. They sit aside other things around them, despite being in the middle of Saint Paul, for one very important reason – they serve different customers than the big stores further down by the Snelling off-ramp. This is the part of the city that has yet to achieve a strong name or definition on its own despite its different nature, a part of the city more likely ignored than given a name like “Little Asia” or “New Vietnam”. Anyone who pledges to care about the future of University Avenue, or especially Saint Paul, should spend some time getting to know this world. A good place to start is the grocery store called Ha Tien.
Barataria - The work of Erik Hare 