Lost Lake Tribune August 14, 2010
DFL pitches united front for Dayton
Wasting little time, Republicans unveiled a television ad that attacks Dayton as "erratic."
Former U. S. Senator Mark Dayton's turbulent political career reached another high Wednesday as DFL leaders converged on the State Capitol to embrace a candidate who shunned their party's endorsement and won over primary voters instead.
Before Democrats could even join Dayton to show their unity, Republicans signaled the start of a bloody campaign season as they attacked what they called Dayton's "erratic" behavior as a U.S. senator.
Dayton dismissed the attacks as predictable. "I expected the smears to start right away," he said. "Today is a unity afternoon for us." In a close, hard-fought race, Dayton had managed to score a victory over DFL-endorsed candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher. DFL rival Matt Entenza ran a distant third.
Many of the A-list state Democrats, who days earlier had stumped for his competitors, praised Dayton at length Wednesday for what they called his lifelong commitment to core Democratic values such as improved education.
Hours after conceding the race, a puffy-eyed Kelliher stood before the crowd and said, "Today we unite as DFLers. We unite behind Mark Dayton and we unite to beat Tom Emmer. ... What matters now is putting a DFLer in the governor's office."
That effusive display of political harmony seemed in doubt on Election Night, when Kelliher and Dayton battled it out statewide, separated by a margin so thin a recount seemed in the offing.
Democrats awoke Wednesday morning to find Dayton had clawed his way to a comfortable 7,000-vote lead over Kelliher. Yet the Minnesota House Speaker refused to concede until nearly noon.
Dayton said he didn't feel any tension with the party, which backed Kelliher and had marshaled the bulk of her highly touted voter contact field operation.
"That was then and this is now," Dayton said. "I am just so grateful that everyone, starting with Speaker Kelliher and Rep. Entenza, is showing what truly amazing people they are."
Dayton also said he received congratulatory phone calls from President Obama and Vice President Biden.
Dayton now faces Republican challenger Emmer, who faced no major primary challenger, and Independence Party candidate Tom Horner, who crushed his primary opponents. Horner is a first-time candidate and Emmer has never run a statewide race. Dayton's last gubernatorial bid was in 1998, when he lost the primary.
Emmer made no public appearances Wednesday. His campaign said he was hunkered down to raise money for the general election contest against Dayton, a millionaire who so far has largely self-funded his campaign, and Horner, who has deep contacts in the business community.
Cullen Sheehan, Emmer's new campaign manager, made a point on Wednesday of congratulating Dayton and Horner.
"We look forward to vigorous debate in the weeks ahead," Sheehan said in a statement.
By lunchtime, Republicans unveiled their first television ad of the campaign. It labeled Dayton "erratic" and questioned his judgment during a much-criticized decision to close his U.S. Senate office during what he believed to be a terrorist threat. The ad, which begins airing Thursday, notes that Time magazine named Dayton one of the nation's worst senators for his decision and that Dayton had given himself low grades for his single term.
Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Tony Sutton called Dayton's Senate record "a complete disaster," and said the risks were too great.
Dayton has long defended the decision to briefly close his Senate office as a prudent attempt to protect his staff and potential visitors, based on the top-level intelligence briefings given to senators at the time. He said he gave his Senate performance low marks because he has high expectations of himself. His single term in the Senate, he said, taught him he is better suited to the executive branch, where decisions can be made with more agility.
At the unity event, Dayton poked fun at his U.S. Senate tenure, saying Sen. Amy Klobuchar was a marked improvement over her predecessor -- himself.
It's unclear how the public will react to ads attacking Dayton. He has field-leading name recognition, is praised by many seniors for his championing of lower-cost prescription drugs and has powerful union backing.
"Sen. Dayton has personal issues and I think that he's dealt with them in a forthright manner," said Lou Frillman, a Democratic fundraiser. "You've got to admire that."
Information Gained from http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/100433059.html?elr=KArksUUUU
Why? Who? Questions abound in Eagan murder-suicide
After more than four years of marriage, Svetlana Bhattacharyya was looking for a change, saying in October 2008 that she was "not very happy" with her living situation in Minneapolis, according to court documents.
Within months, the then-23-year-old University of Minnesota student had moved out and started divorce proceedings against her husband, Robin C. Bhattacharyya.
On Thursday, Eagan police identified the 29-year-old Minneapolis man as the man who used a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun to kill his former wife and her current husband, Charles Hanson, 42, in their Eagan house on Tuesday night.
Three children under the age of 12, including the Hansons' 9-month-old son, were sleeping in the home and not injured during the shooting rampage.
Also uninjured was Svetlana Hanson's father, who was standing near the couple when the ex-husband opened fire through a front window during a severe thunderstorm.
What police are still trying to figure out is why. Also a mystery is the significance, if any, of the date of Tuesday's attack: the day after Svetlana Hanson turned 25.
"We have not identified any significant evidence that indicates why this date was chosen or if anything was planned on her birthday," Eagan police spokeswoman Danielle Anselment said.
"This tragedy came as a surprise, obviously. A true surprise," said Svetlana Hanson's uncle, Mark Stipakov of Orono. "One thing we want to make very clear is that this family was a very loving family. They loved each other and they loved their children. It's a shame, and right now they are in heaven together, that's all we can say."
Anselment said police continue to investigate, although coming up with a motive might prove difficult because the only suspect is dead. "Police have not established a motive in this case and cannot speculate as to who was the target of this attack -- Svetlana, Charles or both," Anselment said. "Detectives are continuing to investigate this incident by sorting through evidence and conducting interviews."
Eagan police said that Bhattacharyya had no known criminal history and that officers hadn't had contact with him. Police said he arrived at the house about 10 p.m. and walked to the front window. He fired the shotgun, hitting the couple, police said, then walked to a side yard and turned the shotgun on himself.
Anselment said the head wounds caused by the weapon were so extensive that identification was difficult. But near the shooting site, in the 1300 block of Berry Ridge Road, police found Bhattacharyya's vehicle.
As a result, police spent Wednesday focusing on the Minneapolis home of the ex-husband, who was self-employed for the past three years.
Anselment said police are not looking for other suspects.
Neighbors in Bhattacharyya's northeast Minneapolis neighborhood didn't see much of him. He'd come and go quickly, they said, waving a hand to acknowledge them. "This is a quiet neighborhood," said Robert Watson, who lives across from Bhattacharyya. "Everybody pretty much keeps to themselves."
Others said he was a friendly neighbor who enjoyed the rewards of his success, driving motorcycles and his black BMW. "He was always very cordial and an incredibly, incredibly kind young man," said Sarah ten Bensel, a neighborhood watch block leader. She gasped upon hearing the news that her neighbor who always took care of his home and was friendly with neighbors was tied to the slayings. "I always liked that he was here because he stabilized the neighborhood, instead of just another rental."
Sarah ten Bensel said that Bhattacharyya had put his home on the market some time ago, but encountered trouble selling it. He told her about three weeks ago that if he couldn't sell it, he would consider taking it off the market, she said. Instead, he rented it out to friends and acquaintances while he frequently traveled for his schooling and internships.
She wasn't certain whether he was living at the home at the time of the slayings, adding that he never spoke much of his personal life, but was seen a few times with a young woman she presumed at first to be a girlfriend. "You know, it had to be Svetlana," ten Bensel said. "She was a very, very good-looking woman."
Watson said he was shocked when he learned of his neighbor's alleged role. "It was hard to believe," he said. "I just saw him the other day."
The killings this week were the first in Eagan in more than a year.
Charles and Svetlana Hanson had been married just over a year before they were shot. Both had finished with divorces last spring before being married in June 2009. Charles Hanson had gone through a messy and bitter divorce, with the court record filled with dozens of pages of charges and countercharges of abuse and violence.
By contrast, Svetlana Hanson's divorce, completed in April 2009, appears to have been uneventful. There were no major disagreements over property, no claims of infidelity and no allegations of abuse or violence from either side, according to Hennepin County District Court documents.
Charles and Svetlana Hanson met in 2008 at Starkey Laboratories, an Eden Prairie hearing aid company, where Charles Hanson had worked as a software engineering manager since 2007. Svetlana Hanson applied to be a summer intern while she attended the University of Minnesota.
Mark Stipakov said his niece moved to Minnesota from Jerusalem in 2004 and had just graduated from the University of Minnesota with two degrees. He said that she was planning to find a job, and that she and Charles Hanson wanted to have more children.
Bhattacharyya also had a science background. On his Facebook page, he listed himself as a 1999 graduate of Maple Grove High School. He wrote that he was a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota in computer science. He had a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a master's in computer engineering in 2005 from the university. Bhattacharyya also noted that he worked for Intel Corp. from 2005 through 2007.
Sarah ten Bensel said Bhattacharyya was constantly on the go with his studies, and seemed happy and intense. He was considering moving out to California, she said.
Information Gained from http://www.startribune.com/local/south/100540684.html?elr=KArks:DCiUocOaL_nDaycUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr
The Pacers will acquire point guard Darren Collison and forward James Posey from the New Orleans Hornets. In Collison, the Pacers get their point guard of the future while also unloading one of their expiring contracts. They’ve spent most of the summer trying to pry Collison from the Hornets.
“We’re excited to add Darren to the strong core of young players already on our roster,” team president Larry Bird said in a release. “He’s a dynamic young point guard and we believe that he will be a key piece of our goal of building a team that the fans in Indiana deserve.”
Pacers officials have been adamant about trying to move one of their expiring contracts.
Murphy was the easiest because he’s averaged a double-double each of the past two seasons.
Murphy spent three-plus seasons with the Pacers, averaging 13.3 points and 9.2 rebounds.
“Troy is a terrific professional and has been a really good player and teammate during his time with us,” said Bird. “Obviously, we wish him well and hope this works out for all of us.”
As part of the deal, former Pike High School player Courtney Lee will go from the Nets to the Houston Rockets, and forward Trevor Ariza will go from Houston the Hornets.
In related news, Pacers Point Guard T.J. Ford said today he will not accept a buyout, even though the addition of Darren Collison could impact his playing time. Ford will be paid $8.5 million in the final year of his contract. The Pacers, who are trying to lighten their payroll, offered Ford less to buy out his contract. He rejected.
The Pacers could enter camp with four point guards: Collison, Ford, A.J. Price and rookie Lance Stephenson.
Information Gained from http://www.indystar.com/article/20100811/SPORTS04/100811021/Pacers-trade-Troy-Murphy-acquire-Darren-Collison
Information Copied from http://www.blogger.com/Information%20Copied%20from%20http://www.faith.edu/news/merger.html%20and%20http://centralseminary.edu/statement-on-proposed-faithcentral-merger
For More Information Please Click on This Link:
http://centralseminary.edu/statement-on-proposed-faithcentral-merger/244-a-message-from-kevin-bauder
Editorial.
Well, this is the first Lost Lake Tribune fully compiled by me, Senior Editor, Ben Fugate using my new computer. This new machine is an Asus K50 with a regular laptop keyboard, webcam, 15.6 inch screen, 280 GB Hard Drive, 3 GB of RAM. It is very nice and came at a nice price of $550 from Best Buy. Please pray that this purchase is a good one and will help my learning at Central Seminary to be a better experience.
While Central Seminary is certainly a viable topic for my editorial, I will not use that for my main topic. I do disagree with Central’s decision to not merge with Faith. If you would like to know why please email the Lost Lake Tribune at lostlaketribune@twincities.mn.
This publication is mostly political so let’s keep on that topic. The politics of today are so confusing and convoluted, not to mention corrupt. How did you like that alliteration?
This is totally an opinion piece this week. It is on the ideal politician for this 2010 mid-term election. The ideal politician would not be Mark Dayton who wants to raise taxes on the already beleaguered rich. The ideal politician would not be Arizona Senator John McCain who changed his view on illegal immigration just when his view became unpopular on an election year. The ideal politician would not even be President Barack Obama, a man who lies often but when he speaks the truth he does not mince words.
The ideal politician would be a man or woman who wants to cut tax rates across the board without having to promise to do so. A man who plans to cut local, state, or federal spending by at least ten per cent. A candidate who runs on a simple platform to repeal all laws that are unconstitutional or detrimental to the economy and freedom. A man who does not make campaign on promises that he has no plans to accomplish. A man who says one thing and does that.
The ideal politician would not make any negative/attack ads on the character of his/her opponents. He would say how his plans are better than the laid out plans of the opponents. He would show how his plans would be better for the economy and for freedom.
One of the ideal politicians is congresswoman Michele Bachmann. She is very positive and realizes that Nancy Pelosi’s attacks on her are real. However, Bachmann carefully addresses these attacks and does not attack Pelosi’s character. Bachmann is worthy of my vote, although I am not in her district.
I know that you and I will not always find ideal politicians in each race to vote for and elect. However, I do now that most races feature a conservative who, if given the chance, will listen to the people and do as they desire whenever possible. Hopefully the men and women we elect will plan to cut taxes, spending, regulations, and most of all government. If they do not, then it is time for a new government and I do not mean just new elected officials.
This is the opinion of Senior Editor, Benjamin Fugate.
If you have comments or questions please email me at lostlaketribune@twincities.mn.
Wasting little time, Republicans unveiled a television ad that attacks Dayton as "erratic."
Former U. S. Senator Mark Dayton's turbulent political career reached another high Wednesday as DFL leaders converged on the State Capitol to embrace a candidate who shunned their party's endorsement and won over primary voters instead.
Before Democrats could even join Dayton to show their unity, Republicans signaled the start of a bloody campaign season as they attacked what they called Dayton's "erratic" behavior as a U.S. senator.
Dayton dismissed the attacks as predictable. "I expected the smears to start right away," he said. "Today is a unity afternoon for us." In a close, hard-fought race, Dayton had managed to score a victory over DFL-endorsed candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher. DFL rival Matt Entenza ran a distant third.
Many of the A-list state Democrats, who days earlier had stumped for his competitors, praised Dayton at length Wednesday for what they called his lifelong commitment to core Democratic values such as improved education.
Hours after conceding the race, a puffy-eyed Kelliher stood before the crowd and said, "Today we unite as DFLers. We unite behind Mark Dayton and we unite to beat Tom Emmer. ... What matters now is putting a DFLer in the governor's office."
That effusive display of political harmony seemed in doubt on Election Night, when Kelliher and Dayton battled it out statewide, separated by a margin so thin a recount seemed in the offing.
Democrats awoke Wednesday morning to find Dayton had clawed his way to a comfortable 7,000-vote lead over Kelliher. Yet the Minnesota House Speaker refused to concede until nearly noon.
Dayton said he didn't feel any tension with the party, which backed Kelliher and had marshaled the bulk of her highly touted voter contact field operation.
"That was then and this is now," Dayton said. "I am just so grateful that everyone, starting with Speaker Kelliher and Rep. Entenza, is showing what truly amazing people they are."
Dayton also said he received congratulatory phone calls from President Obama and Vice President Biden.
Dayton now faces Republican challenger Emmer, who faced no major primary challenger, and Independence Party candidate Tom Horner, who crushed his primary opponents. Horner is a first-time candidate and Emmer has never run a statewide race. Dayton's last gubernatorial bid was in 1998, when he lost the primary.
Emmer made no public appearances Wednesday. His campaign said he was hunkered down to raise money for the general election contest against Dayton, a millionaire who so far has largely self-funded his campaign, and Horner, who has deep contacts in the business community.
Cullen Sheehan, Emmer's new campaign manager, made a point on Wednesday of congratulating Dayton and Horner.
"We look forward to vigorous debate in the weeks ahead," Sheehan said in a statement.
By lunchtime, Republicans unveiled their first television ad of the campaign. It labeled Dayton "erratic" and questioned his judgment during a much-criticized decision to close his U.S. Senate office during what he believed to be a terrorist threat. The ad, which begins airing Thursday, notes that Time magazine named Dayton one of the nation's worst senators for his decision and that Dayton had given himself low grades for his single term.
Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Tony Sutton called Dayton's Senate record "a complete disaster," and said the risks were too great.
Dayton has long defended the decision to briefly close his Senate office as a prudent attempt to protect his staff and potential visitors, based on the top-level intelligence briefings given to senators at the time. He said he gave his Senate performance low marks because he has high expectations of himself. His single term in the Senate, he said, taught him he is better suited to the executive branch, where decisions can be made with more agility.
At the unity event, Dayton poked fun at his U.S. Senate tenure, saying Sen. Amy Klobuchar was a marked improvement over her predecessor -- himself.
It's unclear how the public will react to ads attacking Dayton. He has field-leading name recognition, is praised by many seniors for his championing of lower-cost prescription drugs and has powerful union backing.
"Sen. Dayton has personal issues and I think that he's dealt with them in a forthright manner," said Lou Frillman, a Democratic fundraiser. "You've got to admire that."
Information Gained from http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/100433059.html?elr=KArksUUUU
Why? Who? Questions abound in Eagan murder-suicide
After more than four years of marriage, Svetlana Bhattacharyya was looking for a change, saying in October 2008 that she was "not very happy" with her living situation in Minneapolis, according to court documents.
Within months, the then-23-year-old University of Minnesota student had moved out and started divorce proceedings against her husband, Robin C. Bhattacharyya.
On Thursday, Eagan police identified the 29-year-old Minneapolis man as the man who used a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun to kill his former wife and her current husband, Charles Hanson, 42, in their Eagan house on Tuesday night.
Three children under the age of 12, including the Hansons' 9-month-old son, were sleeping in the home and not injured during the shooting rampage.
Also uninjured was Svetlana Hanson's father, who was standing near the couple when the ex-husband opened fire through a front window during a severe thunderstorm.
What police are still trying to figure out is why. Also a mystery is the significance, if any, of the date of Tuesday's attack: the day after Svetlana Hanson turned 25.
"We have not identified any significant evidence that indicates why this date was chosen or if anything was planned on her birthday," Eagan police spokeswoman Danielle Anselment said.
"This tragedy came as a surprise, obviously. A true surprise," said Svetlana Hanson's uncle, Mark Stipakov of Orono. "One thing we want to make very clear is that this family was a very loving family. They loved each other and they loved their children. It's a shame, and right now they are in heaven together, that's all we can say."
Anselment said police continue to investigate, although coming up with a motive might prove difficult because the only suspect is dead. "Police have not established a motive in this case and cannot speculate as to who was the target of this attack -- Svetlana, Charles or both," Anselment said. "Detectives are continuing to investigate this incident by sorting through evidence and conducting interviews."
Eagan police said that Bhattacharyya had no known criminal history and that officers hadn't had contact with him. Police said he arrived at the house about 10 p.m. and walked to the front window. He fired the shotgun, hitting the couple, police said, then walked to a side yard and turned the shotgun on himself.
Anselment said the head wounds caused by the weapon were so extensive that identification was difficult. But near the shooting site, in the 1300 block of Berry Ridge Road, police found Bhattacharyya's vehicle.
As a result, police spent Wednesday focusing on the Minneapolis home of the ex-husband, who was self-employed for the past three years.
Anselment said police are not looking for other suspects.
Neighbors in Bhattacharyya's northeast Minneapolis neighborhood didn't see much of him. He'd come and go quickly, they said, waving a hand to acknowledge them. "This is a quiet neighborhood," said Robert Watson, who lives across from Bhattacharyya. "Everybody pretty much keeps to themselves."
Others said he was a friendly neighbor who enjoyed the rewards of his success, driving motorcycles and his black BMW. "He was always very cordial and an incredibly, incredibly kind young man," said Sarah ten Bensel, a neighborhood watch block leader. She gasped upon hearing the news that her neighbor who always took care of his home and was friendly with neighbors was tied to the slayings. "I always liked that he was here because he stabilized the neighborhood, instead of just another rental."
Sarah ten Bensel said that Bhattacharyya had put his home on the market some time ago, but encountered trouble selling it. He told her about three weeks ago that if he couldn't sell it, he would consider taking it off the market, she said. Instead, he rented it out to friends and acquaintances while he frequently traveled for his schooling and internships.
She wasn't certain whether he was living at the home at the time of the slayings, adding that he never spoke much of his personal life, but was seen a few times with a young woman she presumed at first to be a girlfriend. "You know, it had to be Svetlana," ten Bensel said. "She was a very, very good-looking woman."
Watson said he was shocked when he learned of his neighbor's alleged role. "It was hard to believe," he said. "I just saw him the other day."
The killings this week were the first in Eagan in more than a year.
Charles and Svetlana Hanson had been married just over a year before they were shot. Both had finished with divorces last spring before being married in June 2009. Charles Hanson had gone through a messy and bitter divorce, with the court record filled with dozens of pages of charges and countercharges of abuse and violence.
By contrast, Svetlana Hanson's divorce, completed in April 2009, appears to have been uneventful. There were no major disagreements over property, no claims of infidelity and no allegations of abuse or violence from either side, according to Hennepin County District Court documents.
Charles and Svetlana Hanson met in 2008 at Starkey Laboratories, an Eden Prairie hearing aid company, where Charles Hanson had worked as a software engineering manager since 2007. Svetlana Hanson applied to be a summer intern while she attended the University of Minnesota.
Mark Stipakov said his niece moved to Minnesota from Jerusalem in 2004 and had just graduated from the University of Minnesota with two degrees. He said that she was planning to find a job, and that she and Charles Hanson wanted to have more children.
Bhattacharyya also had a science background. On his Facebook page, he listed himself as a 1999 graduate of Maple Grove High School. He wrote that he was a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota in computer science. He had a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a master's in computer engineering in 2005 from the university. Bhattacharyya also noted that he worked for Intel Corp. from 2005 through 2007.
Sarah ten Bensel said Bhattacharyya was constantly on the go with his studies, and seemed happy and intense. He was considering moving out to California, she said.
Information Gained from http://www.startribune.com/local/south/100540684.html?elr=KArks:DCiUocOaL_nDaycUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr
Pacers trade Troy Murphy, acquire
Darren Collison and James Posey
The Pacers will acquire point guard Darren Collison and forward James Posey from the New Orleans Hornets. In Collison, the Pacers get their point guard of the future while also unloading one of their expiring contracts. They’ve spent most of the summer trying to pry Collison from the Hornets.
“We’re excited to add Darren to the strong core of young players already on our roster,” team president Larry Bird said in a release. “He’s a dynamic young point guard and we believe that he will be a key piece of our goal of building a team that the fans in Indiana deserve.”
Pacers officials have been adamant about trying to move one of their expiring contracts.
Murphy was the easiest because he’s averaged a double-double each of the past two seasons.
Murphy spent three-plus seasons with the Pacers, averaging 13.3 points and 9.2 rebounds.
“Troy is a terrific professional and has been a really good player and teammate during his time with us,” said Bird. “Obviously, we wish him well and hope this works out for all of us.”
As part of the deal, former Pike High School player Courtney Lee will go from the Nets to the Houston Rockets, and forward Trevor Ariza will go from Houston the Hornets.
In related news, Pacers Point Guard T.J. Ford said today he will not accept a buyout, even though the addition of Darren Collison could impact his playing time. Ford will be paid $8.5 million in the final year of his contract. The Pacers, who are trying to lighten their payroll, offered Ford less to buy out his contract. He rejected.
The Pacers could enter camp with four point guards: Collison, Ford, A.J. Price and rookie Lance Stephenson.
Information Gained from http://www.indystar.com/article/20100811/SPORTS04/100811021/Pacers-trade-Troy-Murphy-acquire-Darren-Collison
Faith and Central Seminaries Will Not
Continue to Pursue Merger
Over the past eighteen months the boards, administrations, and faculties of Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Minneapolis and Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary have investigated the potential of a merger between the two institutions. The process has been invigorating and encouraging, and the two institutions, at all levels, have arrived at an even higher level of mutual trust, respect, and appreciation. As the deliberations have progressed, it has become apparent to both institutions that, for the time being, Central and Faith should minister collaboratively rather than as a single, merged institution. Therefore, the two schools will continue to enhance their already existing shared ministries and may pursue a full merger at some point in the future. We are confident that the Lord will continue to direct our way, and we seek to follow Him by faith. Information Copied from http://www.blogger.com/Information%20Copied%20from%20http://www.faith.edu/news/merger.html%20and%20http://centralseminary.edu/statement-on-proposed-faithcentral-merger
For More Information Please Click on This Link:
http://centralseminary.edu/statement-on-proposed-faithcentral-merger/244-a-message-from-kevin-bauder
Editorial.
Well, this is the first Lost Lake Tribune fully compiled by me, Senior Editor, Ben Fugate using my new computer. This new machine is an Asus K50 with a regular laptop keyboard, webcam, 15.6 inch screen, 280 GB Hard Drive, 3 GB of RAM. It is very nice and came at a nice price of $550 from Best Buy. Please pray that this purchase is a good one and will help my learning at Central Seminary to be a better experience.
While Central Seminary is certainly a viable topic for my editorial, I will not use that for my main topic. I do disagree with Central’s decision to not merge with Faith. If you would like to know why please email the Lost Lake Tribune at lostlaketribune@twincities.mn.
This publication is mostly political so let’s keep on that topic. The politics of today are so confusing and convoluted, not to mention corrupt. How did you like that alliteration?
This is totally an opinion piece this week. It is on the ideal politician for this 2010 mid-term election. The ideal politician would not be Mark Dayton who wants to raise taxes on the already beleaguered rich. The ideal politician would not be Arizona Senator John McCain who changed his view on illegal immigration just when his view became unpopular on an election year. The ideal politician would not even be President Barack Obama, a man who lies often but when he speaks the truth he does not mince words.
The ideal politician would be a man or woman who wants to cut tax rates across the board without having to promise to do so. A man who plans to cut local, state, or federal spending by at least ten per cent. A candidate who runs on a simple platform to repeal all laws that are unconstitutional or detrimental to the economy and freedom. A man who does not make campaign on promises that he has no plans to accomplish. A man who says one thing and does that.
The ideal politician would not make any negative/attack ads on the character of his/her opponents. He would say how his plans are better than the laid out plans of the opponents. He would show how his plans would be better for the economy and for freedom.
One of the ideal politicians is congresswoman Michele Bachmann. She is very positive and realizes that Nancy Pelosi’s attacks on her are real. However, Bachmann carefully addresses these attacks and does not attack Pelosi’s character. Bachmann is worthy of my vote, although I am not in her district.
I know that you and I will not always find ideal politicians in each race to vote for and elect. However, I do now that most races feature a conservative who, if given the chance, will listen to the people and do as they desire whenever possible. Hopefully the men and women we elect will plan to cut taxes, spending, regulations, and most of all government. If they do not, then it is time for a new government and I do not mean just new elected officials.
This is the opinion of Senior Editor, Benjamin Fugate.
If you have comments or questions please email me at lostlaketribune@twincities.mn.
Comments