Brave Sir Dayton

In case you missed the Progressive-Liberal-Demcorat agenda, Mobopolis artist David Burnon provides his perspective in this spoof of the Eric Idle character. Click the image for a high resolution version; the detail is almost as breathtaking as the disaster if Dayton is elected governor.

Happy trails

We're in the home stretch to Election Day, and the race is either approaching its most exciting or most exasperating, depending on whether you are a candidate or a voter! Candidates like HD43B challenger Brian Grogan (Twitter: @bwgrogan) are hitting the campaign trail with campaign appearances, marching in parades, door knocking, attending candidate forums, and doing whatever they can to get in front of the voters and earn their support.

Wednesday evening, I had the pleasure of walking a Minnetonka neighborhood with Grogan, some of his campaign volunteers, and Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, who is running unopposed for re-election. Grogan's support seemed strong in this particular precinct, with many Republican lawn signs evident, especially for Grogan and GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. We saw relatively few signs for HD43B incumbent John Benson.

To volunteer for your favorite Republican candidates, go to http://www.mngop.com.

Grogan speaks out for jobs, business

HD43B candidate Brian Grogan sat down with podcaster and blogger Walter Hudson for a wide-ranging interview that touched on Minnesota's jobs and business climate, tax and spending policy, and local government accountability.

You can listen to the entire interview here, or on the Podomatic web site.

October to-do list

Thank God It's Friday, and it looks like we will be treated to fall colors near their peak in the Twin Cities, along with crisp, clear, gorgeous "football weather." I hope you'll knock off a few items on your to-do list, like:

• Take care of the lawn
• Go for a walk, run, or bike ride
• Visit an apple orchard
• Fight for freedom and prosperity

If you are anywhere near broadcast, print, or Internet media during the month of October, on city streets or country roads, or open the mail or even your front door, you will be reminded continually that this is election season. This year there is a large slate of conservative candidates running for office in Minnesota, from the legislature to Congress. Affecting change begins with winning elections, which happens when people tick items like these off their to-do lists:

• Get informed - use the Internet and mass media to understand where the candidates stand on the issues that are important to you, and use this knowledge to choose which candidates to support and to persuade others to join you.
• Contribute money to candidate campaigns - when you send money to a candidate, you not only show your support, you exercise your First Amendment rights to free speech and to peaceably assemble. Candidates must have cash on hand to get their messages out to the voters.
• Get in the ground game - campaigns need volunteers to distribute campaign literature, door knock neighborhoods, post campaign signs, walk parades, write letters to the editor, and make get-out-the-vote phone calls. These are fun and easy ways to help candidates and meet other like-minded citizens.
• Show up to the meetings - public events are a good way to hear directly from candidates and show your support for your favorites. For example, all four of the school districts within Senate District 43 are conducting candidate forums this month on education issues:

• Tuesday, October 5, 7pm-9pm - Hopkins School District Candidate Forum at the Eisenhower Community Center (School Board Room) in Hopkins
• Monday, October 18, 6pm-7:30pm - Wayzata School District Candidate Forum, location TBA
• Tuesday, October 26, 7pm-9:30pm - Robbinsdale School District Candidate Forum at Robbinsdale Schools Service Center (Board Room) in New Hope
• Wednesday, October 27, 7pm-9pm - Minnetonka School District Candidate Forum, location TBA

Contact the candidate campaigns or state or local party organizations to find out how you can help, or you may regret not doing so on the day after Election Day.

I'll add one last item: vote! If you will be out of town on Election Day, vote absentee now. Otherwise, get registered to vote if you have not done so already, and find your polling place. Get these links and more on my new Voter Information Center page.

Norann Dillon in her own words

The campaign of Republican-endorsed SD43 candidate Norann Dillon (Twitter: @dillon4senate) has created a series of videos in which she shares her major campaign themes directly with the voters: jobs, liberty, and the purpose of government. Her YouTube channel is Dillon4Senate, which also includes a campaign rally address from Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson.

I have also linked my favorite Dillon videos to the YouTube toolbar button at the bottom of the North Star Liberty blog, along with other video that I shot and produced.

Dillon is ready to serve, and lead, in the Minnesota Senate. She would use the passion and conviction of her values to work with Governor Tom Emmer to bring Minnesota back to its Constitutional roots and fiscal responsibility, to reduce spending, lower taxes, and restore our economy.

Election day is only about a month away. Please make a contribution to the Dillon for Senate campaign today.

Plymouth on Parade

On Saturday it was Plymouth's turn to stage its hometown parade. By far the best giveaway of the day was a fresh, mini beef & pork stick from Von Hansen's Meats from (presumably) its nearby Plymouth Boulevard location.

Bologna of a different variety was being dished out by the politicians in the parade. Oh, calm down, I'm only kidding.

Headlining for the Republicans was Congressman Erik Paulsen (R-MN3) (Twitter: @erik_paulsen), followed by the party's SD43 slate: Norann Dillon for Senate (Twitter: @dillon4senate), Sarah Anderson for House 43A, and Brian Grogan for House 43B (Twitter: @bwgrogan). The DFL was represented by SD43 Sen. Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka). I did not see the other DFL candidates, but I did not see the entire parade.

Shortly after the Erik Paulsen contingent reached the end of the parade, the group reconvened at Joe Senser's Plymouth location for a volunteer appreciation lunch hosted by Paulsen. I wanted to stay much longer than I did, but domestic duties called. On the way out, I met Kim, a Dillon for Senate volunteer coordinator, and Derek Brigham (Twitter: @derekbrigham), of the Freedom Dogs and True North blogs.

John Benson would eliminate thousands of jobs in Minnesota's private health insurance industry

By Brian Grogan

In Minnesota, the DFL party has been committed to establishing a single-payer health care system in Minnesota for nearly forty years. It began during the 1970s when government leaders in Minnesota began regulating health insurance and established the HMO delivery system. We are now in the final stages of the DFL's incremental approach to government control of health care.

My opponent in State House District 43B, John Benson, is co-authoring the Minnesota Health Plan. The bill (HF135) is the DFL's final step in establishing a government controlled health care program in Minnesota. This bill exceeds President Obama’s health care bill in regulation and mandated coverage.

It is frightening to read and will eliminate thousands of Minnesota jobs! Written in 2009, the bill is currently resting in the House Finance committee.

The bill establishes six new Minnesota government agencies. The bill creates the Minnesota Health Board, the Office of Health Quality and Planning, an Ombudsman for Patient Advocacy and an Inspector General. In addition, the bill requires the government to expand mandated coverage.

This should concern every Minnesotan. Today, our state artificially escalates health care costs by requiring all private health insurance plans offered in Minnesota to cover services whether you want it or not. In particular, our state leads the nation in the number of mandated services (sixty-four) that health insurance plans must offer.

The DFL's Minnesota Health Plan bill significantly expands this government-mandated coverage. The plan if enacted would cover all citizens (including illegal immigrants). It includes such services as long term care, home health care and dental care. How does the government plan on paying for this? Don’t ask the DFL party — they will figure that out later!

This bill exceeds Obama Care in that first and foremost the plan will collapses all private insurance plans effective the date the bill is "operational." Once the bill becomes "operational," it will also collapse jobs: 1100 jobs in Minnetonka and Plymouth and thousands of additional jobs across Minnesota!

The job elimination provision is written in the bill in Section 3, Subdivision 3. These lines specifically state that the bill will collapse private health insurance plans in Minnesota.

Subd. 3. Prohibition. On and after the day the Minnesota Health Plan becomes operational, a health plan, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 62Q.01, subdivision 3, may not be sold in Minnesota for services provided by the Minnesota Health Plan.

This means that Minnetonka-based Medica, employing 1100 employees, ceases to exist. This line means that Blue Cross Blue Shield and a division of United Health Care are out-of-business. Thousands of Minnesota jobs are eliminated by Benson's bill.

My opponent consistently states he is pro-business, stands for Minnesota jobs and is a "moderate" legislator. Is this a pro-business, jobs-oriented, moderate approach to addressing our health care issues?

It is essential that we change control of the Minnesota House. The first step in accomplishing this would be to unseat my opponent, John Benson. This bill proves he is a member of the liberal wing of the Democrat, progressive party. He wants a government-run health care system that takes away our choices and erodes our economic freedoms. He is willing to disrupt lives and eliminate jobs in order to carry out his vision for the world.

Brian Grogan (Twitter: @bwgrogan) is running for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 43B. His web site is www.groganforhouse.com.

Photoblog: James J. Hill Parade, Wayzata

SD43 candidate Norann Dillon (Twitter: @Dillon4Senate) and HD43B candidate Brian Grogan (Twitter: @bwgrogan) and their volunteers walked the annual James J. Hill parade on a perfect afternoon this past Sunday in Wayzata.

State Fair poll reveals conservative views

The annual opinion polls at the State Fair conducted by the Minnesota House of Representatives are informal and unscientific, but close to 10,000 responded this year. The poll revealed several positions that conservative Republican candidates should be able to echo on the campaign trail:

• Only 14% favored tax increases alone to balance the state budget. Over twice that percentage, 32%, favored spending cuts alone, while 50% favored a combination.
• 80% favored tax breaks or other funding assistance to encourage small-business growth
• 73% want the Legislature to take steps to limit tuition and fee increases at public colleges and universities 
• 72% opposed giving school districts the authority to increase their operating levy without voter approval
• 69% favored requiring voters to show a picture ID before casting their ballot.
• 66% were against using public dollars to fund a new Vikings stadium.

The state Senate conducted a similar poll, but it has not posted the results as of this morning.

Warning: these donuts may be hazardous to the economy

Public Service Announcement:

WARNING: Purchasing State Fair Grandstand DFL Donuts May Result In Higher Taxes, Increased Regulation, Enlarged Government, Loss Of Employment, Insatiable Spending, And Higher Budget Deficits.