GOP endorsing convention roundup

The GOP faithful tapped Red Wing Mayor John Howe over Rod Johnson and Craig Livingstone to be their guy in the District 28 Senate race, but that wasn’t the only thing going on at Saturday’s endorsing convention.

Here's a smattering of some things Eagle Eye noticed during the event, held at Lincoln High in Lake City.

-- Rod Johnson lost his bid, but not for lack of trying. Leading his charge was campaign manager Bill Callister, who engineered wins in the past for some notable area Republicans: former House Speaker Steve Sviggum, of Kenyon, and former Rep. Jerry Dempsey, who represented Red Wing in the House before retiring in 2006.

-- Rep. Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, is one of two major candidates left vying for the GOP gubernatorial endorsement. He made the drive to Lake City in hopes of addressing delegates – an opportunity to reach a captive audience he no doubt would have relished – but was thwarted. Local Republicans had apparently ruled out gubernatorial pitches … or at least those from Seifert. At any rate, Seifert appeared none too happy with the scenario: “Apparently I drove down here to shake a few hands,” he grumbled to Eagle Eye.

Rep. Marty Seifert (left) and DLI Commissioner Steve Sviggum at the convention

(Apparently no rules existed preventing other state-level politicians from speaking. Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem was invited to say a few words by emcee Gary Iocco. Steve Sviggum, the former House speaker who now heads the state Department of Labor and Industry, also was coaxed into a brief floor speech.)

-- Talk about strange bedfellows. In 2008, Howe and Stan Nerhaugen competed to be Red Wing’s next mayor. So it was observed with some degree of surprise to see Nerhaugen stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Howe’s nearly 40 supporters on the Lincoln High auditorium stage. In fact, Nerhaugen even got off a brief testimonial before the clock expired for introductions: “He’s a candidate who knows how to win an election,” the retired Red Wing High School special education administrator said.

Howe speaking with Nerhaugen (hands folded in blue sport coat) on stage in Lake City

-- Confirming the abundant scuttlebutt, it was all Howe and Johnson as soon as you got in the door at Lincoln High. Stickers and signs for the two front-runners abounded, leaving Livingstone’s campaign was barely visible. Dozens of alternating Howe-Johnson placards adorned the auditorium. Livingstone had two banners.

Anyone wondering whether Livingstone will remain on the political scene after the loss got their answer during his concession speech.

Livingstone

“With my last breath, I will push and push and push those progressives and socialists out of our lives,” he told the receptive crowd.

And, clearing up any question as to whether he intends to go quietly into the night, Livingstone told delegates that ending liberalism in America will require “a wooden stake, and drive it through their bloodless bodies.”

-- Would it have been a Republican convention without a few jokes aimed at Dems? From emcee Gary Iocco: “Did you hear they’re giving one of Lindsey Vonn’s gold medals to Obama? He’s going downhill faster than her!”

Posted by: Mike Longaecker on 3/14/2010 at 10:39 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: craig livingstone, john howe, marty seifert, republican, rod johnson, steve sviggum

Prepare for a long night

The wind war is at a fever pitch in Goodhue County.

Supporters and opponents spent more than three hours last week at a meeting — read the R-E's coverage or share your thoughts on wind energy here — in Mazeppa voicing their opinions about a proposed wind farm that will span five Goodhue County townships. 

The fun will continue Monday at the county's monthly Planning Advisory Commission meeting, where one local resident's request for a wind development moratorium and changes to the county's zoning ordinance are on the agenda.

Eagle Eye asked Commissioner Dan Rechtzigel how he thought the meeting would go -- and if reporters should bring a sleeping bag and other provisions to make it through the night. 

"I'm expecting it to go past midnight," said Rechtzigel, the County Board's representative on the PAC.

Rechtzigel

When asked if the PAC would make a decision or table the issue for further discussion, Rechtzigel had this to say: "If it's 2 a.m. and we're all scratching our eyes because we're so dead tired, well, nobody makes good decisions then."

Sure, the meeting could stretch into the early morning hours and maybe even double the length of the Mazeppa gathering.

But that won't stop people from coming.

Several county officials suggested arriving early to get a seat.

The meeting is at 7 p.m. at the Goodhue County Justice Center in Red Wing.

Posted by: Eagle Eye on 3/10/2010 at 3:47 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: dan rechtzigel, goodhue county board, goodhue county planning advisory commission, wind energy

Southeast Tech enrollment boom continues

When economic conditions get rough, higher education institutions usually see an enrollment up-tick.

That trend continued in the Minnesota State College and Universities system, according to a March 3 press release – and a local institution is seeing some of the largest growth figures in the state.

MSC-Southeast Tech saw enrollment jump 17 percent over spring 2009 numbers. The percent change represents the second-highest increase among all 38 MnSCU institutions. It trailed only Central Lakes College (located in the Brainerd area), which saw a 21.1 percent increase.

On average, MnSCU’s community colleges and vo-techs saw a markedly higher increase (10.2 percent) than did its universities, which grew on average by 3.1 percent.

Posted by: Mike Longaecker on 3/5/2010 at 7:50 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: enrollment, mnscu, southeast tech

Unique question, answer at GOP forum

Political forums and rallies typically provide a richer environment for rhetoric than most occasions, and Thursday’s GOP event in Red Wing was no different.

The event was a forum for the three candidates seeking the GOP endorsement for Senate District 28. All three contenders — John Howe, Rod Johnson and Craig Livingstone — were in attendance.

Livingstone, Howe and Johnson at a Senate District 28 GOP forum

The candidates fielded numerous questions during the hour-and-a-half forum. As is common at forums like these — regardless of party affiliation — there were some questions that weren’t really questions. Other questions were loaded. Several were softballs.

And then there usually are a few from left field.

Take, for instance, one that asked candidates how, as senator, they would accommodate the religious needs of Muslims.

A unique question to be sure. So was Howe’s response.

After declaring that separation of church and state be upheld, he said that if Muslims want “to start a mausoleum or whatever,” it should not be publicly funded.

Eagle Eye’s not 100 percent certain, but we’re pretty sure he meant to say “mosques” (Muslim houses of worship) and not “mausoleum,” which generally refers to a building used to entomb a body or bodies.

Posted by: Mike Longaecker on 3/5/2010 at 7:29 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Tags: john howe, muslims, republican, senate district 28

Murphy supports wind project

Sen. Steve Murphy apparently is a fan of a large-scale wind project slated for the Goodhue area.

AWA Goodhue, formerly known as Goodhue Wind, wants to construct a wind project spanning 32,000 acres over five Goodhue County townships.

The company’s application has been submitted to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, that board that permits such large projects.

Area residents — many of them with a group dubbed Goodhue Wind Truth — have made their concerns known before the PUC, both in writing and in person.

Now Sen. Murphy is throwing his opinion into the ring.

Murphy, a retired NSP employee, sent a letter last month the PUC Chairman David Boyd supporting the project.

“This is an important project for the state and for the community, and it fulfills the promise of providing a better future for our children,” Murphy wrote.

The Goodhue Wind Truth group has spent countless hours arguing the exact opposite. They say the project poses health and safety risks and could cause long-term, irreversible damage to the rural area they call home.

It’s a good thing Murphy — whose not seeking re-election — doesn’t have to worry about those votes come November.

Posted by: Jen Cullen on 3/4/2010 at 12:09 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: awa wind project, goodhue county, minnesota public utilities commission, steve murphy