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No time for taking chances this holiday

The horrible weather predictions we have been getting this week couldn’t come at a worse time, with families getting ready to gather for the Christmas holidays. The National Weather Service is predicting several inches of snow over the next few days, whipped by strong wind that will not only created large drifts but dangerous wind chill temperatures. The Minnesota State Patrol and MnDOT are anticipating closing highways due to the weather conditions, and those who venture out in the blizzard may find help cannot reac them. This is no time to take chances. If you don’t have to ...

Senior care should be a state funding priority

In Minnesota, the senior care industry is very much under the control of the state. The state determines how many beds a skilled care facility can have, and controls how much they can charge patients, even private pay patients. Over the years, the state has seemed to pay more attention to its bottom line than in the facilities’ ability to provide care for their residents. Now, with a $17.6 billion state fund surplus in sight, it is time for the state to take care of its responsibility. Long-term skilled care facilities are struggling to hire the staff they need to provide better ...

Musk is out of his depth at Twitter

It is said that a fool and his money are soon parted. Well, Elon Musk didn’t get where he is today by being a fool, but he parted with $44 billion of his money to buy Twitter, and now he seems to be running it into the ground. Musk said he purchased Twitter over concerns that the massive social media platform was stifling freedom of expression. Musk described himself as a free speech “absolutist.” His intent, he said, was to turn Twitter into a “global digital town square,” where anyone can have their say, and the good ideas, hopefully, will rise to the surface. Since ...

The qualities of a champion

“A testament to all the things coaches revere: commitment, dedication, hard work, sacrifice.” Star Tribune sports writer Jim Paulsen wrote that sentence in his story last weekend on the Minneota football team capturing the Class 1A championship Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Paulsen contributed those player qualities to explain Minneota’s eight state titles — five straight back in the 1980s. Minneota defeated Springfield 38-21 and then packed the championship trophy on the team bus for the victorious drive back to Minneota. Proud Minneota parents and residents young and ...

Iowa pushed back in the pack

The big news in the world of U.S. politics last week was the demotion of the Iowa caucuses by the Democractic Party. The Democrats have decided to hold their caucuses in Iowa later and make South Carolina the first contest for Democratic candidates. The decision won’t affect Iowa Republicans, who are still caucusing early, but have much less to discuss, with Donald Trump the likely frontrunner. For a long time the Iowa Caucuses, along with the New Hampshire primary, were the opening events in the quadrennial presidential election season. It was great for Iowa voters. Political ...

Trump vs. Constitution

On Jan. 20, 2017, Donald J. Trump put his hand on a Bible and swore the following oath: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” On Dec. 3, 2022, former President Trump, still smarting from his loss in the 2020 election, posted this on his Truth Social media platform: “A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude (the 2020 election result) allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found ...