Bill Clynes, long-time resident of Edina and father of dedicated volunteer David Clynes, passed away in on October 8, 2020. 

Bill was a loving family man and touchstone in the local commercial construction community. Bill regularly attended Senate District 49 dinner programs, particularly when his wife Lois was able to participate with him.

Born in Milwaukee WI on Nov. 2, 1927, Bill grew up in Niles Township (now Skokie) IL. As high school years were WW2 times, Bill and his family moved around the country as his father constructed facilities in support of the war. During summer in Provo UT, Bill picked peaches on local farms. In Sunset Beach CA Bill was a riveter on C47 and A26 airplanes at Douglas Aircraft. Returning to Niles Township for his last year, Bill graduated high school in 1945.

Bill attended Northwestern University, Evanston IL for a portion of a year and then accepted his invitation from the US Army in 1946. After basic training in Ft. McClellan AL, Bill graduated from Officers Candidate School and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. at Ft. Benning GA in 1947. While attending Army Engineer School at Ft. Belvoir VA, Bill met his future bride, the lovely Lois Lindquist.

Bill was sent to Korea to serve in the US Army of occupation. Stationed in Taegu, Bill's served as Commander of C Company, 6th Engineer Combat Battalion. He completed his military service in Korea in 1948 and went on to Purdue University, graduating in 1953 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Bill and Lois were married that same year in Brainerd MN.

Married life began in Chicago IL, where Bill accepted work with the George A Fuller construction company.  His projects took Bill and Lois to Milwaukee WI, Indianapolis IN, (where son David was born), Lorain OH and finally Minneapolis.

The Center of the American Experiment is hosting events across the state to make people aware of the spreading insertion of Critical Race Theory and woke curriculum into the teaching at local Minnesota schools.  Parents need to be aware of how it is appearing and what they can do about it.

The Center has recently highlighted a few of the examples:

Burnsville: 4th graders read a book that warns students that police are "mean" to black people, but "nice" to white people. "Cops stick up for each other," it says. "And they don’t like black men."

 Eagan: 9th graders began the school year by watching a YouTube video entitled "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man."

 Hopkins: The district Superintendent told returning faculty and staff that to "eradicate" a "pandemic of racial injustice," "we need to examine the role that whiteness plays in our macrosystem of white supremacy."

 Minnetonka: Students and alumni issued 11 "Anti-Racism Imperatives," demanding-among other things-that the district adopt an "anti-oppressive curriculum."

The thrust of the Center of the American Experiment events is that children deserve education, not indoctrination.  If this is happening in your local district, or if you are concerned that it might be introduced this summer or fall, one of these events might offer ways to get engaged in the fight against the woke revolution. 

CLICK HERE to learn about a lunchtime event planned by the Center in Maple Grove on June 29.  Additional events are being planned in Burnsville and Woodbury.  Write us at [email protected] if you would participate in an on-line forum on this subject, in a format similar to our Pints & Pent-up.

On Sunday, May 16, a flag was raised over the Bloomington City Hall in recognition of National Police Week. By Thursday afternoon, Mayor Tim Busse was issuing an apology for the show of support for the Bloomington police.

The sudden reversal was caused by protests by some community political activists.  A May 28 Star Tribune article attributed the controversy to the meaning of pro-police flags.  Some asserted that the flag’s original meaning has been co-opted by racists and insurrectionists — a version of it was carried at both the Charlottesville, Va., "Unite the Right" rally in 2017 and at the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.  For that reason, they say it should no longer be flown.

One activist even urged the Bloomington City Council to pass a resolution banning the flying of the flag.

The Star Tribune article did not make clear if there was any symbol the city could safely display at this time to support our police.  While some may protest, the majority of Americans continue to appreciate our police.  We see the depletion of the ranks of the police in Minneapolis while senseless violence is growing in the city, and we don’t want that to happen in Bloomington.

If you respect the role that police play in our city, please contact Mayor Busse and your city council member.  Let them know the city should stand behind the men and women who wear the uniform of the Bloomington police.  We are not racists or insurrectionists. We are community members who know that it is the “thin blue line” that keeps our communities from descending into senseless anarchy.

A famous quote is attributed to Albert Einstein: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  SD49 has taken this to heart!  We need to reach out, try new ideas, and build support if we want to attract great candidates.  We are identifying changes that will help us to win elections in the future.  

We started with 2 “town halls” to gather ideas and suggestions.  These were held on April 29th and May 3rd.  We had 50 participants and some great discussions and ideas.  From those ideas we developed the conceptual framework in the figure below.

You can see the building blocks — we need to first establish our brand and messaging in order to grow the base, engage the community and identify and support candidates who will win elections.  During the town halls discussions, many key initiatives were identified that will be necessary to successfully work our way up the building blocks.  A committee framework seemed to be the best structure to implement these initiatives.

Using the building block conceptual framework and looking at the various initiatives, we identified 18 committees with specific responsibilities and committee chairs, as shown below.     Some volunteer committee members have already come forward, but we can really use more volunteers. 

The following is adapted from an article in the Freedom Foundation of Minnesota Bulletin.

Michael Bloomberg spent $5.6 million funding a program that pays for two special attorney generals in the Minnesota attorney general’s office.  Their job is essentially to sue private parties over climate change. (see also our article UMLC:  Fighting for Liberty and Rule of Law).

Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City and one-time candidate for the Democratic president nomination, was also listed recently as the single biggest spender on federal campaigns from 2009-2020.

His total campaign spending?  $1.4 billion.  According to The New York Times, “Of that, $1 billion went towards his own failed campaign for president in 2020 and $314 million went to other federal candidates, super PACs and political groups.”

It is important to note that none of the state-level campaigns and political groups funded by Bloomberg were included in this $1.4 billion total.  Bloomberg is reported to be the single largest funder of Everytown for Gun Safety.  Everytown for Gun Safety spent $36 million to influence 2016 state and local elections, including several here in Minnesota.

Adapted with permission.   The original article appeared in the Freedom Foundation of Minnesota’s May 20, 2021 update.  You can receive this bimonthly bulletin for free at:  www.FreedomFoundationofMinnesota.com .

The Minnesota House wrapped up the 2021 regular session early the afternoon of May 17 without passing a budget bill.  The House adjourned shortly after a last-minute announcement that the Governor, Senate Majority Leader and the Speaker of the House came to an agreement on targets for the biennium budget.

House Speaker Melissa Hortman (DFL, Brooklyn Park), Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R, East Gull Lake), and Governor Walz set a global budget target of $52 billion.  While the target was set, it does not ensure approval of any of the omnibus bills.

Alpha News reported that the “appropriate” commissioners and committee chairs will work cooperatively together to reach an agreement within the target provided.  All working group members and commissioners must complete finance spreadsheets by 5 p.m. Friday, May 28.  Any policy and finance provisions included in a final omnibus bill must be agreed to by Walz, Gazelka, and Hortman.

The deal includes $440 million in state tax breaks for businesses that received federal Paycheck Protection Program loans and exemption of taxes for the first $10,200 of 2020 unemployment insurance.  These actions provide full conformity with federal tax provisions.

About $2.6 billion of federal stimulus money initially divided the parties. If the Legislature adjourned without agreement, Walz could have spent that amount.  The compromise holds that Walz will allocate $500 million, but the Legislature, working with the governor, controls the rest of the federal money, Gazelka said.

Editor note:  A Hennepin County group with a mission to communicate important County information sent out the following this past week:

If you live in Hennepin County and pay property taxes to the County, this message is for you.

Do you know that the 2021 budget for Hennepin County is $2.2 billion? Yes, the word is billion! According to a listing of their Revenue Sources, 39.7% of those billions comes from the property taxes which you and I pay.

Like many Hennepin County residents, do you feel that you are overtaxed? Too few of us are paying attention to how the County spends our tax dollars.

Hennepin County is divided into 7 Districts with one County Commissioner serving each District. These 7 Commissioners make the decisions on how your tax dollars are spent.

Do you know which District you live in and who your Commissioner is? You may want to introduce yourself, especially since you are an important funding partner! Click this link[Find your commissioner | Hennepin County] to see the detailed map and the 7 Commissioners who are currently serving

Do you know that Commissioners are elected? If you voted in the November election in 2020 and you lived in District 1, 5, 6, or 7, you had the opportunity to vote for one of two candidates listed on the ballot in your District.

The Hennepin County Commissioners meet on Tuesday afternoons at 1:30pm. They are currently meeting virtually, and the public is welcome to attend to learn about issues that are being discussed and where money is being spent. Click here for more information

We plan to send out information on a regular basis to let the residents of Hennepin County know more about how the County operates and how your tax $ are being spent.

How will voters get to know council candidates before the municipal elections this fall? Bloomington has made no announcements as to when public attendance at City Council meetings will resume. For the time being, we can get a sense of how our current council members think and how they vote by listening in on their sessions online.

Three Bloomington Councilmembers are up for election this November. Nathan Coulter (At- Large) and Patrick Martin (Ward IV) have announced their intention to run for re-election. To our knowledge, Jack Baloga (Ward III) has not yet made his intentions known. This election will be conducted through Ranked Choice Voting for the first time.

The recent council debate to phase out the sale of flavored tobacco products in Bloomington is illustrative. Mike Hanks, of the Sun Current, wrote an article posted on May 6 that reported that the Council voted not only to prohibit the sale of flavored tobacco products and e-cigarettes at the end of this year, but to also prohibit new licenses from being issued in the city. Bloomington is the first to implement such a ban in Minnesota

Four councilmembers (including Nathan Coulter) voted for the ban, while two (including Patrick Martin) voted against it. Jack Baloga was not present. The split essentially mirrored the testimony of Bloomington residents and business owners.

All of the councilmembers recognized that reducing the consumption of tobacco and e-cigarettes by young people is of value. However, Patrick Martin noted that there are only a limited number of dedicated tobacco product stores in Bloomington. They are open to adults only and do not have other means of generating revenue to support their business. The ban would arbitrarily deprive these business owners of the ability to sell otherwise legal products without compensation. And it would do nothing to prohibit the sale of these products in cities and towns around Bloomington.

Shawn Nelson expressed his concern that the city’s plan was going too far. He pointed out that adults have the freedom to smoke, even if it risks their long-term health.

This argument did not sway Nathan Coulter. Having made the personal decision that tobacco use is bad, he had no hesitation to impose that decision on others. He dismissed the point that e-cigarettes may help smokers quit, saying there was evidence that they have negative consequences. He was not bothered that the city’s restrictions directly interfere with the free market. He held that the City had a responsibility to protect the health of its residents. It did not concern him that they could simply drive to stores in a neighboring city to buy their tobacco or e-cigarettes.

One could argue that this is evidence of smoker suppression, that it will impose undue hardship on the poor, minorities, and the elderly who live in Bloomington, but discussion along these lines was not reported in Mike Hank’s article.

Rep Jim Nash (R, Waconia) and Rep. Jerry Hertaus (R, Greenfield) answered a number of questions during the Pints & Pent-up forum on April 14. This is a continuation of an article in our last newsletter.

On the Governor’s emergency powers: Rep. Nash -- the people do not have a voice right now. When the turkey flu struck, the legislature showed how quickly it could respond. Walz right now believes that he is the only one that can make these decisions. The legislature has been effectively muted.

On the status of taxes on the Paycheck Protection Program loans: Rep. Nash -- DFL House leaders will likely hold with taxing forgiven PPP loans as taxable until the very bitter end of session. They will then trade it away for something they want really badly. We have no idea what it is going to be.

Rep. Hertaus – our DFL colleagues have great ambitions. At the session start, the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee instructing the members that the budget in this new biennium would be reimagined with equity in mind. They brought forth a $52.4 billion budget proposal that is a 9 percent increase in spending, part of which requires an increase in revenue. They know it has no chance of passing in the senate, but they will hold out on the PPP loan taxes until the very end because they know it is so near and dear to every Republican legislator.

Jerry predicted that it will not get resolved and will result in special sessions. This has happened before, when Gov. Dayton vetoed the budget. The stalemate continued until late June and the end of the MN fiscal year. Then he realized that licenses couldn’t be renewed, including liquor store licenses, and July 4th was coming up. Dayton finally signed the very bill he refused to sign seven weeks earlier. Beer settled the budget issue then. This time, you might want to stock up.

Kathy Kranz, Bloomington Resident and Co-Chair of Senate District 50 Republicans, has agreed to testify before the Minnesota Senate’s State Government Finance and Elections Conference Committee when it resumes this coming week. She will speak to one provision - regarding Ranked Choice Voting - in House File 1952, an omnibus bill covering the operation of state government.

I appreciate the opportunity to address the proposed ban on Ranked Choice Voting provision of this bill.

As a constituent, I would like to address three things for you to think about:
1) The misleading conclusions of Jeanne Massey of FairVote Mn
2) The blatant opportunities for collusion and voter manipulation
3) Your ability and responsibility to stop RCV in Minnesota

While Jeanne Massey, Exec Director of FairVote Minnesota provided the perceived virtues and misleading constitutionality of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV), you are not told that the court case she refers to never opined on the constitutionality of RCV itself (IRV at the time), but merely that the particular facial challenge of Mn Voters Alliance was not sufficiently presented in this case to win their argument. MINNESOTA VOTERS ALLIANCE v. FairVote Minnesota, Inc (2009).

Ms. Massey is not entirely forthright when she says RCV is popular and widely accepted. Last year, Bloomington voters passed a Charter Committee-defeated RCV ordinance by a mere 96 votes which was less than 0.2% of all registered voters in Bloomington. Hardly a ringing endorsement from the fifth largest city in Minnesota. In fact, the fourth largest city, Duluth rejected RCV soundly by a 3-1 margin back in 2015.

Now FairVote and, by its local extension, FairVote Minnesota, is systematically picking off Charter-run communities one by one with the goal of state and national implementation