A blog is born

Lower taxes, less government.

It's a refrain you may hear on other conservative blogs, but this blog is going to espouse what I and a group of my associates call "pragmatic conservativism." It's a flavor of conservatism that, yes, favors lower taxes, less government, and less government regulation ("liberty"), but also attempts to solve problems like unemployment, special education, rising health care costs, and others that have typically been the baliwick of liberal Democrats.

I have found that while a purely ideological stance may have worked at the party convention, it isn't enough at the Legislature. For one thing, the opposition party is always in your face with, what else, an opposing viewpoint. Second, the Legislature's job is to solve problems, not only advance an agenda. And it's not enough to be right, you also have to win.

Eventually, this blog will evolve into a group blog, or feature guest contributors from time to time. I hope to attract readers and contributors from across the state of Minnesota and perhaps some of the surrounding states. But the blog will emphasize Minnesota policies, politics, and legislation, statewide and local. You'll read a variety of viewpoints from respected leaders and citizens that don't get published in the Star Tribune. Not everyone has a blog or wants a blog, but many have views that deserve to be heard nonetheless. This blog is for them (and for you).

Along the way I hope to connect like-minded Minnesota citizens to extend the conversation into the real, face-to-face realm, from the precincts to the Capitol.

So here we go...