Daily Archives: May 18, 2017

5/17/2017

In the May 11, 2017, issue, Tom Wards column Reject business-crushing paid sick leave proposals shows us the harm that will be done by the Fair Shot Agenda that is now working its way through the Statehouse. I agree with Mr. Ward that socialism fails. Every. Single. Time. Yet, the 21 state representatives keep pushing this immoral Fair Shot Agenda that promises us free stuff.

Last year, presidential contender Sen. Bernie Sanders promised lots of free stuff to be paid for by the one-percenters. The Venezuelans were ahead of Bernie. They happily voted for Hugo Chavez in 1999. Chavez, too, promised free stuff. As a result, every useful idiot and NPR intellectual told us how lucky the Venezuelans where to have such a wise and great leader. It took Venezuela only 18 years from being a prosperous nation to starvation. Yet, can I expect the NPR intellectuals or 21 state reps and R.I. voters to learn from this example? Of course not.

In the May 1, 2000, issue of National Review was a column on Cuba by John Derbyshire titled: Still Useful, and Idiotic. I still remember the line: Wherever there is a jackboot stomping on a human face there will be a well-heeled Western liberal to explain that the face does, after all, enjoy free health care and 100 percent literacy.

The monstrous immorality of altruism, of sacrificing prosperity to starvation, of sacrificing life to death, preached by the useful idiots, is beyond comprehension. Maybe Tom Ward should do what the heroes in Atlas Shrugged did. Go on strike. Adri Kalisvaart

Lincoln

Continue reading here:

Venezuela starvation serves as example of failed giveaways - Valley Breeze

Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr has been front and center this session, working hard to help push through a number of conservative policies. And having now announced his bid for the positionof Speaker, we talked to the representative about a number of issues to get his thoughts on where Missouri goes next and the things he still sees as work that needs to be done.

MT: In your first year as the Speaker Pro Tem, what has been the biggest challenge for you? In your opinion, what is the hardest part of being the Speaker Pro Tem?

EH: The difficult part of the office is also the most challenging the Pro Tem does not have a constitutionally or caucus defined role other than to assist the Speaker. As such, the office is what you make it. My goal was twofold: to maintain orderly debate from the dais and to provide our caucus with consistent messaging so that all 117 caucus members could speak with one voice when we were united. But every Pro Tem will want to carve out their own unique niche and that is both the most difficult and most challenging part of the job.

MT:The issue of human sex-trafficking has been one that you have carried the torch for some time now. Do you feel like Missouri has made significant strides in that fight, and what do you still see as areas we need to improve on?

EH: Absolutely. In the last two years, the legislature passed numerous reforms including a ban on advertising and expanding the safe at home program for trafficking victims. Our task force helped to raise awareness around the state and now many of those members are joining Attorney General [Josh] Hawley in serving on his standing task force. Work remains to be done and Rep. Cloria Brown will continue to lead that effort in the Missouri House. Her work to advocate for more resources for victims and better statutory authority on behalf of law enforcement will be vital as we work to keep Missouri at the forefront of this fight.

Rep. Elijah Haahr

MT:In a recent Twitter poll by the Missouri Times, you were the favorite candidate to win the race for Speaker of the House. What do you think qualifies you for the role, and what strengths do you believe you can bring if you win the race?

EH: The caucus has seen me as a bill sponsor and watched me shepherd legislation through the House and Senate. They witnessed my work as a committee chair handling the toughest and highest pressure issues. And they watched my work as part of the leadership team and running the House floor while presiding from the dais. Each of these positions are different and require unique skill sets. I believe the skills I demonstrated in handling each of these individual roles tells a much better story of what I would be like as Speaker of the House than any pledge or promise.

MT:If were asking about strengths, it only makes sense to ask about weaknesses. What would you describe as the one thing you wish you change during your time in the House, and why?

EH: Every freshman and every senior will invariably tell you that experience is so important to become an effective legislator. I came into office having never interned or worked in the Capitol and I still, to this day, am continuing to become better equipped to pass good legislation. Caucus members like Justin Alferman, Curtis Trent, and Phil Christofanelli all began with more experience by interning or working in the Missouri House or Congress prior to their election and it allows them to be more effective earlier in their legislative careers.

MT:One of the major promises made throughout the Missouri political realm in the last general election was that of ethics reform. The House made a point to ensure that the first bill passed by that body was an ethics bill. That being said, no ethics legislation has actually moved any further than that bill. Do you believe enough is being done in terms of ethics reform, and what would you like to see done?

EH: I continue to believe that we can do more to improve the culture of Jefferson City. However, the work that Speaker [Todd] Richardson has done to demonstrate leadership on this issue has resonated inside and outside the building. The conversation about ethics reform is one which will continue to occur and our House caucus will continue to lead the fight for openness and transparency.

MT:One of the major issues this year has been economic development and growing the states economy and workforce. With the passage of right to work and tort reform, do you feel that the state is moving forward in the right direction, and what areas do you still see needing work? What would you propose to do to further that cause?

EH: Our Republican caucus took several historic steps towards removing the government barriers to employment and creating a long-term growth strategy for Missouri. Passing right to work and allowing Uber and Lyft statewide are just the two biggest examples of how injecting freedom into the market can lead to short term and long term job growth. But we have so many other opportunities. Whether its a statewide issue like the occupational licensing reform that will open up better employment opportunities to more citizens or removing the barriers to the expansion of jobs in the old Noranda plant, the caucus has a multitude of ways it can show our state what a united Republican majority can accomplish.

MT:What made you first decide to get into politics?

EH: I was born in Iowa. My mom was a social worker and my dad had an education degree but they decided to teach my siblings and me at home. However, Iowa was one of the last three states in the country where homeschooling was illegal. You could literally be taken away from your parents by the government for truancy. That experience as a child really burned into me how an intrusive government could completely change your life. My parents dragged me to the Capitol at 10 and I started working on my first campaign at 12. I still maintain my healthy fear of a big and burdensome government.

MT:How does the House majority maintain their numbers going into the next election cycle?

EH: The same way we built our majority. Recruiting the best candidates in the state, working as a team to get them elected, and then governing the way we campaigned by keeping our promises to make government smaller, more efficient, and less burdensome on the citizens of Missouri.

MT:Whats the one piece of advice you would share with a freshman legislator?

EH: Every senior will tell you that, when you leave office, you will remember the people, not the accomplishments. Focus on building relationships. The days are long but the years are short. Spend those long days getting to know your colleagues and, when those short years pass, you will have had the richest possible experience.

MT:Looking forward to the next session, what do you believe will be the top priorities in 2018 and why?

EH: The House passed a handful of great reforms that didnt ultimately reach the Governors desk so we will obviously begin with issues like ethics reform, paycheck protection, and finding a sustainable long-term solution to the senior aid funding crisis. But we have a variety of issues that we didnt get to in 2017 that will take center stage next year. We need to find solutions to fix our transportation infrastructure crisis, craft modern answers to generate more affordable energy, and expand our successful reforms of tort and labor laws to include the bureaucracy and our outdated tax code.

We also asked the representative to take part in a rapid fire round of questioning, which he gladly obliged to.

1. Favorite color: Blue. Notice the variety of ties I have are several shades of this color.

2. Pepsi or Coke: Diet Coke.

3. Ford or Chevy: Dodge. I have driven one for 6 years and it has been great.

4. Favorite sports team: I like college football, March Madness, and the Yankees. I think you can always trust me to be honest if I admit to being a Yankees fan.

5. Favorite movie: L.A. Confidential and A Time To Kill are two of my favorites.

6. Favorite book: Atlas Shrugged. I dont believe in all of it and the speeches get long but the visceral defense of capitalism remains one of my favorites.

7. Most likely to be caught listening to ___ while driving: Currently listening to a song by Clean Bandit on Spotify. But, when I am driving, my playlist ranges from Dierks Bentley to Cold War Kids.

8. Dog or cat: Dog. That isnt really a tough decision.

9. Favorite way to spend the day off: If you have a job you love, you never need a vacation. But when I am not in the Capitol or the courtroom, I love grilling on the deck and playing with my kids in the backyard.

10. Favorite ice cream flavor: Cookies and Cream. But Talenti makes a couple really good flavors. Not sure if that counts since its gelato.

Bonus Question: As the father of four, which do you find easier: wrangling the kids to get ready, or wrangling votes in the House? Wrangling votes for sure. Luckily, I only have four kids and not 163.

Continued here:

Up Close and Personal with Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr - The Missouri Times

A Nevis High School junior, he was one of only 80 students selected statewide to serve as a page in a week-long immersion program.

For over 40 years, the Minnesota House of Representatives High School Page Program has provided students "with hands-on access to state government in action." Modeled after the U.S. Congress Page Program, Minnesota's equivalent was established in 1975.

Participants were told numerous times, Edwins said, that competition was stiff.

The page program is open to all Minnesota high school students in their junior year. A formal application process occurs each fall.

Edwins' social studies teacher, Rich Johnson, told him about the opportunity.

"He was one of about four students Superintendent Parks and I took to see Sen. Amy Klobuchar and several others speak in Park Rapids last fall about rural development," Johnson recalled.

Edwins applied last November, submitting the required paperwork and a 500-word essay.

Impressed with Edwins' aptitude and interest in social studies, Johnson wrote a letter of recommendation.

"He has an excellent historical knowledge base, an excellent understanding of political science and shows a deep interest in history and politics, so I thought it was a perfect fit," Johnson said.

"Few students, much less teenagers, focus on these issues and are largely apathetic towards the gargantuan topic that is politics until this rather contentious and controversial election," Edwins wrote in his essay. "My wish is to attend this program to gain a new perspective and the learning process that comes with it, to continue to pursue my interest in government and the rest of the world, and finally to work towards any goal I set in my career and personal life."

In December, he learned that he was accepted.

"It seems he really enjoyed it," Johnson said.

During the first week of April, Edwins experienced the legislative process firsthand by assisting members in the House Chamber.

"The majority of our time was spent on the House floor during sessions," he said. "Our week was the busiest. We spent 30 hours on the House floor."

Pages deliver copies of bill and other legislative material for instance, vote counts on amendments or letters from other House members to representatives.

"It was pretty complex. We had a lot of rules we had to follow. But our main job was just to accommodate the representatives, so that meant handing out papers, delivering messages from constituents as well as whatever else they needed," Edwins explained.

A lot of controversial bills were discussed during his week at the Capitol.

One bill that stood out in particular was entitled HF390. It's the bill that imposed restrictions on protesters by increasing penalties for obstruction of trunk highways or airports.

"It was pretty controversial. That was on the first day. That session lasted around 13 hours."

Some sessions have lasted until 7 a.m. the next day, Edwins noted, adding that could be due to filibusters, extensive debate or the need to discuss numerous details.

Pages, however, strictly worked from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Friday.

"We actually couldn't spend much time paying attention to the debate because we were always moving," he said.

The pages also attended a committee session, then held a mock one. They choose to debate the merits of HF390.

Prior to the mock committee session, Edwin and his cohorts spent two hours in the House research library, studying the issue and preparing their arguments.

The decision was split 4-4 among pages, but the state Legislature passed the bill.

Working on the House floor held some surprises.

"I was pretty surprised when I saw a lot of representatives on their phones or tablets or laptops playing games. By the end of the week, I realized it was justified. Through every bill, depending on how many committees it went through and what was discussed, they've probably heard all those debates five or six times," Edwins said. "By the time they walk in there, they already know how they are voting. To be fair, the sessions are mainly for TV and the formality of actually conducting the vote."

Throughout the course of his week at the Capitol, Edwins had a scheduled, one-on-one interview with his district representatives, including District 2B Rep. Steve Green.

He also met a state senator, the Speaker of the House, the Minnesota Secretary of State and Gov. Dayton.

The pages gathered in the Governor's personal office.

"That was pretty interesting," Edwins said. "None of the other pages would get the opportunity to do that. It was a very, very lucky break like, he had 10 free minutes."

Edwins previously encountered the Governor at the 2013 Fishing Opener in Park Rapids

"I already had a positive opinion of the Governor and meeting him just kind of elevated that," he said. "He is pretty pragmatic."

He was unimpressed by his fellow pages, which he describes as "lazy." The majority of them lived within 30 minutes of the Capitol building, while Edwins stayed at a hotel two blocks away.

Edwins was the sole page from northern Minnesota that week.

Although recognizing flaws in the legislative system, Edwins says the Capitol experience has heightened his interest in politics.

In his free time, the political aficionado researches both past and current ideologies.

"I spend a lot of my time studying politics, economics and the history of other nations. I do plan on going into politics, or at the very least, majoring in political science," he said. "I picked up this interest about a year ago. I've always had an interest in large, societal issues, like history, but that really boosted once I read some political books my dad had."

He has read Karl Marx's "The Communist Manifesto," Charles Dickens and Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged," among others.

With his keen interest in diplomacy, Edwins regularly reads newspapers and tracks international events the Middle East, Russia and Syria, in particular.

He attempted to learn the Russian language, but it proved too challenging.

During the 2016 general election, he served as an election official.

Edwin describes his political leanings as "a combination of socially authoritarian views, not necessarily conservative, as well as holding left economic views. So it's very comparable to social democracy or democratic socialism, kind of in that range."

"His teachers and I are very proud of him," says mom Carmen Arellano.

Read more here:

Mr. Edwins goes to St. Paul - Park Rapids Enterprise