Every community needs celebrations to pull us away from our computers and TVs and meet each other doing something together. The key word here is together! Being together as a community, watching, listening, dancing, playing, laughing and crying—it’s what keeps us together in this place called Waseca County. For many this is truly their birthplace. It’s my adopted hometown. That counts. So when there are celebrations, come out and participate. Maybe we can’t get to every one of them, but let’s try! The Leroy Shield Hometown Tribute’s Saturday Night Dance is this weekend on October 3.
So who is Leroy Shield and why is he significant to Waseca, Minnesota?
Leroy Shield was born in Waseca, Minnesota on October 2, 1893 and grew up to become a composer and conductor for Hollywood's popular Laurel & Hardy films and the Our Gang/Little Rascals films of the 1920s/30s. His music has become synonymous with these ageless favorites! Those films were created at the Hal Roach Studios. Movie-making was such a new medium, there weren’t any rules or copyright laws yet in those early years. In fact Shield wrote most of the music for the Hal Roach movies, receiving onscreen credit in only two of the dozens of films. Roach continued to use Shield’s music without the permission and use agreements required today.
Bernard Shield, who worked for the railroad, moved the family from Waseca when Leroy was a child. Eventually, though, Leroy Shield's talents took him to Chicago where he became the Musical Director of the National Broadcasting Company in 1931. There he composed and arranged symphonic music for radio dramas with millions of listeners. He was recognized in Who’s Who in Music in 1941; and received his Honorary Doctorate from the Chicago Musical College in 1942. In 1945 Shield became conductor for the NBC Orchestra in New York, working and touring with the renowned Arturo Toscanini. Leroy Shield retired in 1955 and died in 1962. His importance as a composer has rarely been recognized, but he was a major American composer.
When we got here we were not expecting much. We were told that it was nothing like Iraq and that we were going to a place in the desert. I didn’t have many high hopes so when we did arrive at FOB Leatherneck I was surprised at how good we actually had it!
One of the things that I found to be a bit different was the shower situation. Here is an example for you to put it into perspective.
Everything we do here is in tents. There are a few wooden buildings but mainly tents. The shower tent is located about a half a block from the tent I sleep in. One morning it was pretty warm already and I was sweating before I reached the showers. I was pretty happy to get a layer of dirt and sweat off of me.
When I opened the door to the tent it was actually bigger than it seemed. There is a big area to get ready for the shower and there are a dozen sinks on the outside of another tent within the tent that has a dozen showers in it. The air conditioning was working pretty well in the shower tent that day. I was pretty surprised about it considering it was already warm outside. I cleaned that layer of dirt off me and got ready to start my day. I was feeling pretty good, I was clean and cool. I opened the door to the great outdoors and instantly heat and dust hit me. I now had a fresh layer of dust and sweat for the day.
I say dust because the sand here is so fine it is called moon sand. When you walk in it little clouds form at your feet and when vehicles drive in it a layer of dust forms looking like a good Minnesota fog. It is everywhere and very hard to hide from.
Another thing I learned about the showers is that I am at the mercy of the temperature outside as to how warm of a shower I will get. I have found that if I take a shower in the evenings the water is actually pretty warm from the heat of the day and if I take a shower in the morning, it is naturally colder. The dilemma comes when it is already 95 in the morning but the sun has not heated up the water, thus the previous experience happens.
A few days last week the water pump must have been out in the showers that I usually go to. I had the choice to walk a few “blocks” to another shower or to take bottles of water and dump them over me. Being the guy I am I chose option two, still clean, just a bit colder!
I can say one thing, I am very happy that we get to take showers. I know that it could always be worse. We are pretty fortunate. I am pretty excited to go home and turn on my shower to whatever temperature that I want it to be. It is amazing the little things we take for granted.
We elect and expect our leaders to lead. They often mislead.
Case in point: Governor Pawlenty on the budget.
Pawlenty has for eight years promised us a balanced budget with no new taxes. Sound like a false promise? It was.
He entered office with a $3 billion budget deficit and is on track to leave office with a deficit twice as large. Over the years, his so-called solutions have been both inadequate and dishonest.
Now, despite dire warnings from the state’s chief economist, and other experts, that Minnesota faces an impending fiscal crisis likely to reach fifteen percent of our annual budget, Pawlenty asserts the gap is “manageable.” Easy for him to say as he retires and leaves this problem for the next governor.
Pawlenty helped create a fiscal mess. He has shifted costs onto counties, cities and school districts leading to locally-imposed property tax increases (for which he can not be blamed). He recently made much of his intention to cut the budget by exercising “unallotment.” But fully two-thirds of his cuts were not cuts at all – rather payment shifts that delay state expenditures for schools until the next Governor is in office.
Finally, what about Pawlenty’s tobacco tax that wasn’t a tax – but rather a fee. Misleadership? I think so.
Case in point: President Obama on health care.
Obama pledges to lower health costs while offering more benefits and universal coverage. Sound too good to be true? It is.
The President stood before Congress a week ago and spoke for forty minutes about his health plan. There is none. There are three separate reform bills in the House and two in the Senate – each with some of the ideas put forth by the President. But no Obama bill.
The President spent most of his speech talking about reforms that will cost more money. He promised to veto any bill that adds a “dime” to the deficit, but proposed no serious measures to assure that will happen. Other than waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare, he spoke sparingly about how to get the cost of health care under control.
The President also seemed to agree with Republicans about malpractice reform. But his idea (allowing some states to implement pilot programs to negotiate malpractice claims) was more fluff than substance. Misleadership? You decide.
In Pawlenty and Obama, we have two leaders with enormous intellect and persuasive skill. However, they are not using their influence to help us understand that – whether it is the state budget or the health care system – there are no fixes without some shared sacrifice. A better leader would find a way to tell us that hard truth.
Teammates! We all remember people we played with as a kid, high school and college days! Your first experience with a teammate was most likely the neighbor kids you rode hot wheels or bike with to the park or just up and down the driveway! Later it became more organized and maybe the teammates had a uniform or at least a team shirt to put importance in the relationship!
Whatever happened to that first kid? My first kid was my older brother, we were pals because I was bigger and he liked to take me along. I could play hard and we had that secret magic together on the court or the field! Did you have magic with someone?
Time, place, distance, job, education, and just new priorities makes teammates in life! Maybe it is time to look up that first play mate, or the guy you shot hoops with for hours, or the guy that was your catcher on the VFW baseball team? Why not renew that magic again and talk about old times and see if he ever learned to master that jump shot!
Teammates are great: you don't always get to pick them but they can be a treasure! Who was your first teammate?
I have been waiting to write about this one since we got here. It is something I notice every night before chow. “It” being the Sun setting in the West and the Moon appearing in the East. It is one of the most amazing things that I have seen here. Both are almost always a perfect circle and both dominate the sky with their presence.The moon is a bluish grey color and the sun is shades of yellow and orange.
I would guess the reason we notice such beauty is because we are in the middle of the desert. We are in a place with dull and dirty colors. Tones of uniforms as well as green tents that are now tanned from the dust and our vehicles that are shades of tan and green are the only bits of color that we see. There is a lack of true beauty here what little there is seems to be distorted by the numerous dust and wind storms that are here.
I have made many attempts to try to take a great picture of both but my camera has taken a beating in the last few years. It does not take that great of pictures.
To make it even better, there were clouds in the sky. That too is an amazing site in a dreary land. I did get some pretty nice pictures from it. I hope to show them off sometime.
The enclosed photos are from my coworker SGT Savre.
Hall of Fame Induction this weekend! Do you know about it? Do you know who is to be inducted? Do you know how to nominate someone? Do you know who is eligible? You should check this Hall of Fame out, maybe you should be in it?
The Hall of Fame is promoted by the Bluejay Boosters! Are you a member? The original theory was to take the past and promote the present Bluejay athletes with positive info on the warriors from TheGood Old Days! Encourage the current group of athletes to excel: to do their best each season: to have fun and success at a activity they love: too work hard to be a great teammate! Do you think the current format of the Hall of Fame meets a gold standard of success?
The 2009 class will be present during the Homecoming parade, at the football game , and honored at a dinner Saturday evening. It seems to be a secret but: Greg Vilt, Mike Larson, Billy Lechner, The 1990 State Baseball Champs, and my personal favorite Jacob Conway are the honorees! Tell them congrats on a very nice award! Whether you agree or not on the inductees is the beauty of a Hall of Fame: remember the old days and go see a game featuring the future class of inductees! Tell somebody how much fun you had playing ball and just how good you were! That's part of the fun!
Well, I missed out on comedy night at PJs, which for me was quite a tragedy. I hope that they offer up some awesome stand-up again soon.
This weekend at PJs Tavern they'll have The Radio Band playing on Friday the 25th at 9:00p.m., no cover charge, and Saturday night at 9:00p.m. is DJ night. Club 57 will be hosting the band Sunset Strip on Saturday at 9:00p.m. I suppose if you wanted to, you could see a live band both nights, at alternating clubs! I checked into Sunset Strip and browsed their myspace page. The main picture is of a greasy, long-haired fellow in a cowbody hat that is screaming recklessly into a microphone. Their profile claims that they sound like "You getting jealous at your girlfriend wanting us." Musically, they're something in the way of an 80's rock, hair metal band. Aerosmith seems to be a contributing influence - at least, that's the impression I got upon listening to two of their three tracks available on myspace. I couldn't find any information about The Radio Band, so enjoy their live tunes at your own risk.
I say, forget this weekend and focus on next Thursday. You know what day that is, right? Oh, come on! It's beer and brats day, October 1st! I believe every bar, club, tavern, what-have-you participates in this festive fall occasion. Most places I looked into start the show around 3:00 in the afternoon. This is the ultimate excuse to go bar-hopping, and it starts early enough that you should be able to avoid being hung over at work Friday morning.
Keep enjoying the crisp, autumn air everyone!
Waseca Entertainment Review is written by Jenny Hughes. She can be reached at thejuniperjourney@hotmail.com
My husband's fire department pager went off late that night, as it often does. It struck me as odd though, that our cell phone began ringing at the same time. An odd kind of eerie. A scared kind of eerie.
Our son was on the phone. He was in an accident, the accident that was coming over the fire pager. We struggled for a moment with what to do, should Jeff go to the accident scene or directly to the hospital? We quickly decided on the hospital.
How blessed and relieved we were to have our son home a couple of hours later with some compression fractures in his spine.
It scared me that he and his friends (who were in another car at the scene were so flippant about it. Did they not realize the danger? I begged the boys to please understand the gravity of the situation. I prayed that they were only treating this in such a casual manner in an attempt to appear manly. I explained to them that if they did not take this as a wake up call, there could be disastrous results.
My husbands firefighter pager went off late this morning, as it often does. Jeff was gone much longer than usual. I sent my son to the fire department to retrieve his father's truck so that he could use it to get to work. That is when our son discovered there had been a terrible accident. One of his best Friends was driving. The passenger had died at the scene. Someone from a second car had been taken to the local hospital.
Tyler struggled for a moment with what to do, should he go to the hospital or to the accident scene?
Ironically, the driver is one of the boys I had begged to understand the gravity of the situation. I write this before any determinations of fault have been made, I told my children it doesn't matter. There are a lot of people to pray through this, people whose lives will be forever changed in one moment late this morning.
My son's friends are gathering here as I write this, I am going to go and bake cookies for them now, as I don't know what else to do for such hurting, frightened young men. Now I must beg them not to let this all be in vain. Now I pray this will impact the way this group of young men make decisions for the rest of their lives.
My name is DeAnna, My family and I are Waseca transplants, moving here from the metro in the fall of 2006, after finding a home on the internet that accomodated our family perfectly (did I mention we had no plans to move at the time?).
Initially we were quite concerned about how a small, rural community would respond to our unconventional family. My husband of 20 years and I have 10 children, ranging from age four to twenty-one, four by birth and six by adoption. Our children are ethnically diverse as well as diverse in their abilities.
To say the least, our concerns were completely unfounded. The community has been wonderful, accepting our children for the amazing individuals they are. We can (for the first time) go out to dinner and receive only positive comments. Many people have come to know us as "that big family with the green bus.
We have met so many wonderful families in this community, to say we are happy in Waseca would be an understatement. We have found an amazing church family in Grace Lutheran Church and even our children with unique needs have been able to find activities to be involved in. You are likely to meet our children at horseback riding lessons, gymnastics, police explorers, junior firefighters, community events or submitting items to the fair.
You are likely to meet my husband in his role as a Waseca firefighter, or Waseca police reservist. He has a strong talent for fixing just about everything, my children will tell you "if Daddy can't fix it, it's not broke". That would explain the garage so full of power tools I have not parked a car in a garage for twenty years. Please bear with us if you drive by the house and the garage door is open, revealing the mess.
I am likely to be found grocery shopping, driving children to and from school and activities or scrap-booking. I have found digital scrap-booking and paper scrap-booking to be very therapeutic, as well as a wonderful way to show my children how unique and treasured they each are. My husband is highly tolerant of my hobby (addiction) but warns the children not to stand in place too long or "Mommy might use you as an embellishment".
Our current endeavor as a family is opening an upscale children's consignment shop and boutique in Waseca (Child of Mine). This is something I have wanted to do for many years, We find ourselves a bit overwhelmed at opening in just 5 weeks (Nov first) but things always seem to fall into place.
I think the one thing I would most like to convey is that our family is more like yours than you may think. We share good times and bad, do our best to raise our children in a Godly fashion, and mow the lawn on Saturdays. (OK, so you have driven by and it's not mowed as often as it should be, but we try for every Saturday.) I hope this blog comes to reiterate that while family cultures are different, and those differences should be celebrated, we have much in common with our joys, griefs, struggles and triumphs.
Below is a mish-mash of thoughts and links with no necessary connection other than my need to share.
7 Things to read on a regular basis:
Marginal Revolution - a great blog by two economists from George Mason...I know it sounds dull but they cover a lot of important, entertaining and downright strange topics.
Bluestem Prairie - a progressive blog focusing on Southern Minnesota, great writing and easily the best coverage of state and national politics from a local perspective
Mises.org - sorry more economics, this being the Austrian school of economics which has captivated me - they do have a daily email service <http://mises.org/content/elist.asp> to feed your need.
New York Times - especially Paul Krugman and The Ethicist
This chili - I have not made it yet, it sounds awful good though.
Buzzard Billy's in LaCrosse - great cajun/creole
Famous Daves - Famous Salmon and flat bread, quite possibly the modern equivalent of manna from heaven
Kwik Trip Chicken sandwich for breakfast - quick, cheap and I am sure very nutritious.
2 Places to visit within a few hours drive:
Lark Toys in Kellogg - if you have kids or if you were a kid in the last 90 years this place is incredible
Grotto of the Redemption - West Bend Iowa - yes you have to go to Iowa but this makes the trip worth it.
3 Things to avoid:
Cholera
Spinach
Anything released my Metallica after 1992
Follow up:
I did receive a form letter response from Tim Walz on my most recent email to him (the first must not have been worthy). Here is a good piece in support of the Baucus bill. I do not believe that the cost curve bending measures will work nearly as well as predicted and while the collabortive doctoring idea works great at the Mayo Clinic - they have a whole different pool of resources to draw upon than most medical facilities. Creating a cookie cutter approach = FAIL, even if it is a great cookie cutter.
Misc:
I have submitted my application to be considered for the Council seat vacated by Joe Burke.
The Twins are not worthy to make the playoffs, the Vikings are legitimate Superbowl contenders.
I bought the new Pearl Jam cd (yes occasionally I will by old school stuff like cd's - but iTunes is still way better) haven't listened to it yet but will offer a review at some other time.
St. Johns plays Gustavus this weekend at St. Peter. You can watch Waseca's Jimmie Loonan and Josh Smith play for The Johnnies as well as locals from New Richland, Blooming Prairie, and Blue Earth dominate the Gusties roster. Loonan scored his first collegiate touchdown last Saturday for the Johnnies on a 15 yard pass. The game is at the new Gustie Stadium located on campus but to the west edge of the athletic complex! Beautiful venue!
My plan is to attend the battle of Catholicism between The Johnnies and the Tommies on October 17th in Collegeville just NW of St. Cloud : The Johnnies suit up all 190 plus players and it is a sight to see them run down the hill on to the field. You need a program to find out the difference between the multiple numbers identity since you will see two of each number suited up for action! The red and white of St. Johns is impressive and the Johnnies fans are loyal above and beyond normal. They do one thing well: WIN! Kowz A.M 1170 carries all Johnnie Football games: the show is great but very pro-Johnnie! I don't blame them it is a great program, give a listen or attend a game this fall. www.gojohnnies.com Tell Coach John Gaglardi you know Waseca's John Bendix!
Who was Bernie Bierman and what is his connection to Waseca?
Bernie Bierman was the head coach of the University of Minnesota football program from 1932 to 1950, his teams completed a 93-35-6 (.716) slate over a 16-season span which included six Big Ten Championships, five National Championships and five undefeated seasons. He was born in Springfield, MN in 1894 and died in 1977 in Laguna Hills, CA.
I didn't walk into Gilligan's Bar and Grill in Waterville with the intent to write a blog about it, but after witnessing the changes that have taken place there, I felt compelled to share what I'd experienced.
First of all, Gilligan's is NOT Lighthouse Bay, though it may look the same on the outside, and Gar still makes his fantastic ribs. All of the style and class of the previous incarnation has been sucked out to make way for a common, almost grubby looking bar. I understand that there are probably still improvements to be made, but goodness, the furniture looks like it came off of somebody's back porch, twenty years ago. I must say, the 80's hair bands that rocked over the jukebox was a rather welcome change to the country/rap mix that I've been hearing lately, so that was a bit of a bonus.
The biggest problem here was the service. I don't know why bars can't seem to accomodate anyone. The best service I've had so far was at PJ's Tavern, and even then, I was the only customer present.
When my husband and I seated ourselves at the booth, we were approached fairly quickly by the bartender, who asked for our drink order and handed us a cheap variation of what should have been a menu. Yellow paper in a wrinkled, plastic protector. But I understand that they've recently re-opened, so I suppose that can't be held against them.
Our drinks came quickly, and my husband and I checked out the drink menus on the table. We found the cute array of Gilligan's Island themed specialty drinks to be pretty charming, my favorite being the non-alcoholic Shirley Temple-esque "Mary Ann." Nearby people were standing at tables (yes, standing) and alternating between drinking beer and throwing darts. They seemed to be having a pretty good time.
Ten minutes later, and still no server in sight. Correction - she was in sight, but she didn't appear to see us. She rotated through the regulars, restocking their glass bottles as needed. Finally she glanced up and seemed surprised to see my husband and I seated in a booth. She went to the bartender and spoke something to him, while glancing and pointing at us. Honestly, had I not been comfortably conversing with my spouse, ten minutes would have been my limit. I would have gotten up and left, with a five dollar bill placed neatly on the table to cover my drink.
The server's sincere apologies nullified my frustration for a while, and she graciously took our order. The appetizer came out quickly, but it was cold, and though our meals were good (Gar still makes a mean set of ribs) they seemed over-priced. I think I could have gotten the same meal elsewhere for only half what I paid at Gilligan's.
Overall, I found the experience extremely dissatisfying, so unless a band is playing that I'm just dying to see, I probably won't go back there again.
Luckily, we have some good stuff going on closer to home. The Mason Dixons will be back in town at Club 57 Friday, September 18th at 9:00p.m. Then on Saturday they're having their 4th annual classic car show from 9:00a.m. - 3:00p.m., and Arrows at Dawn are playing at 9:00p.m. Arrows at Dawn are coming to us from Blooming Prairie, and they play originals! How original! PJ's Tavern will be bringing you live music on Friday night with the Garage Orphans from 9:00p.m. - close, with no cover charge. Saturday night at 9:00p.m. they'll have their weekend DJ, and Sunday, September 20th brings the return of Comedy Night, which begins at 8:30p.m. I intend to check this out, so stay tuned next week for a full review.
Enjoy your weekend, everyone. I'll leave you with a fun, Gilligan's related fact: You can sing almost any Emily Dickinson poem to the tune of the Gilligan's Island theme song.
So I got a mailing from Tim Walz tonight that reads "Congressman Tim Walz wants to hear your opinion on health insurance" - well that's good because I have an opinion, I did send him that opinion twice in an email and spoke to one of his staffers for about 20 minutes at his town hall meeting about my opinion. I am glad he is still open to ideas.
Great! The mailing even has a little card that I can mail back to Tim with my important thoughts! Lets fill it out together shall we? 1. Do you agree with those who believe that access to affordable health insurance is the right of all Americans? Or, do you believe it is a privilege only for those who can afford it?
Okay, put down your pencils for a second - let's not answer yet. Those are the two choices I get? Declare affordable health insurance a right or say that it is a privilege for fat cats? Seems a little narrow to me. Okay lets try an answer.
No, Tim, affordable health insurance is not a right. You cannot have a right that compels somebody else to do something against their will. There is no historical basis for it, it is simply something that has been made up in the last few years. A right is a powerful, dare I say, sacred notion — we cannot apply the status of right to everything that is nice to have. Oh wait, we can't write all that — Tim only allowed us three 2.75" lines to respond to his question. Lets move on for now.
2. Do you believe our health insurance system is in need of reform? Or, do you believe it works well enough as it is?
Another question with two narrow choices phrased to elicit the answer Tim wishes to hear? Again just a small amount of space to write my answer — let's give it a shot...
Tim, our health insurance system is made up of over a thousand insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid, millions of people who self insure and thousands of companies that self insure for their employees — how can I declare the system in need of reform? Millions of people are very happy with their health care insurance, millions are not happy and most don't have a clue. (we wrote really, really small and fit all that in there)
3. Do you believe we should pay doctors for the outcomes of the medical care they provide or the amount of services they provide?
Okay, that seems a little better — still no room for a well thought out answer that probes at the heart of the economic structure of the doctor patient relationship but at least he didn't pigeon hole us quite as bad this time.
Tim, we live in a free market society we should be free to choose to pay a doctor for outcomes or for services provided and doctors should be free to charge for outcomes or for services. That is the very notion of our contract based economy. Ideally our congressional representatives would be working tirelessly to tear down government regulations that hamper such mutual interaction
4. What is you insurance story? I want to hear from you.
Again only a couple of lines, and of course I have already shared this story but here we go.
Congressman Walz,
Thank you for your service to our country and for representing me in Washington D.C..
I have a very passionate interest in health care reform. In January of this year my wife Stacy and I along with my daughter Josephine and son Isaiah adopted three wonderful boys from Texas. Eddie, Davit and Jose have been a wonderful addition to our family and have fit in quite well.
The boys are the children of illegal immigrants, their father was not a nice person and is either back in Mexico or in prison. Their mother died just a few years ago of a condition called Alports disease. Alports disease attacks the kidneys and eventually people who have this disease will need lifelong dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to survive. The boys father told their mother that if she sought treatment she would be deported, this led to her death.
All three boys have been diagnosed with Alports syndrome, a precursor to the disease. Last month they visited the Mayo Clinic and we received the news that they would likely experience kidney failure somewhere between their teenage years and 30th birthday. The oldest boy, Eddie, already wears hearing aids; hearing loss is common in people with kidney disorders. He is still happy and well adjusted he just has to remember to take them out before swimming.
We are truly blessed to be well insured, I work at Brown Printing Company and they have great insurance. Additionally the state of Texas and Minnesota have an arrangement to provide Medicaid insurance for all children adopted out of foster care. So right now for us the insurance and health care systems are working well.
But then on Monday morning I read an article in the New York Times that made break down in tears — as a former Marine I hate to cry and I hate admitting it even more. The article tells of a young woman with Alports that was able to get a kidney, donated by her mother, transplanted into her body so she would be able to live free of dialysis ($9300/month). Medicare paid for the transplant ($125,000) and covered the medications needed to keep her body from rejecting the kidney ($1000-$3000/month). But sadly, Medicare only pays for 3 years of drugs. The young lady did her best to stretch out the pills but eventually her body rejected the kidney and she went into a coma. Her biggest pain is that it was her mothers only spare kidney that was destroyed. Why does Medicare only pay for 3 years of medication? It costs too much. At some point in time congress made the decision to stop paying for the drugs at 36 months - not based on outcomes, or service or even best practices - just based on cost. Happily the young woman has had a second transplant, again covered by Medicare, and will get 3 more years of drug coverage and then...
Congressman Wilson of South Carolina called President Obama a liar last week, I hope you too have the courage to call the President a liar when he says that death panels are a myth. Under a single payer system when a line is drawn on coverage, which congress has already shown they will do, those who cross the line are damned.
My wife and I have two kidneys between us to share, I have hope that if there is a need that Isaiah or Josephine will step forward to help their brothers in a time of need as well. My brother has already made the offer. Every financial decision my wife and I make is made with an eye towards making sure we can cover the costs of transplants and medication that they boys will need. But it is awful damn hard to stomach the thought that when someone literally gives a piece of themselves that it can be destroyed for something as trivial as money. I use the story of my family not as a plea to solve my problems but as a backdrop to workable solutions to deal with health care.
First - move the health insurance tax incentive from employers to employees. Brown Printing Company has wonderful insurance but they buy a policy for my family, a young person right out of high school, a wise and kind man who just turned 60 and all other shapes and sizes. They cannot tailor the plan to suit us all, in the end they buy a group policy that, while having employees in the front of their mind, is based in their self interest. Let me buy the policy for my family - I know what my needs are better than anyone else. The biggest benefit is continuing coverage, if I am buying the coverage I can cover my children even after they reach 18. Insurance companies have less of an interest to drop sick people when they can count on premiums paid over a longer period. Most importantly it attaches incentives and disincentives much closer to health care consumers.
Second - end patents on drugs. Currently drug companies get 20 years of exclusivity from the date a drug is invented, given that it might take up to 8 years to get the drug approved that means a drug company must capture all the costs and profits of a drug in 12 years. Take away the patent time lines and the drug can be monetized over a much longer time period - this will drive drug costs way down. Generic drug makers will be a thing of the past - Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker do not have a patent on chocolate cake mix - do you by the store brand? Neither do I.
Third - tackle tort reform, we all know that malpractice insurance only constitutes a small portion of the health care economy but fear of a practice ending lawsuit changes the way health care is delivered - not to the benefit of the patient.
Fourth - Congress can finally use the interstate commerce clause for what it was intended for and prevent states from restricting commerce. There should be no barriers between the states on insurance portability.
Fifth - Require Medicare and Medicaid to pay market prices for services rather than shifting costs to others.
That, Mr. Walz, is my health insurance story. I don't suppose it fits into the questions on your questionnaire, it doesn't fit with President Obama's speech, it doesn't fit with Republican head in the sand approach. It is just my story. As I submit this to be published on the Waseca County News website I will submit it to you again. I hope you read it, I hope you read the story in the New York Times. I don't want you to solve my problems, I'll do okay, I'll make sure my boys do well. I ask you to consider the options I laid out above for every other parent with a child facing the same uphill climb. Universal health care sounds good on paper, but none of us live on paper. The real world failures are all to real.
My wife's birthday was September 11. Since her passing nearly four years ago, this date has become a reminder of personal loss for me and our family. To commemorate her birthday, the kids and I always get together for dinner. While the pain of losing her is an unspoken presence, present too is the evidence of her unending love. As I look around the table, I rejoice in the family she and I created - our three sons, our daughter, and now two grandchildren. She lives on in each of us.
Just as personal loss never really heals, a national loss also leaves deep and painful wounds. The loss we shared on September 11, 2001 lives on in each of us as Americans. This past week as I watched the news stories about the terrorist attack eight years ago which took thousands of innocent lives, the emotions of shock and horror and sadness were reawakened in me. For Americans today, this date has taken on the significance of December 7 for the World War Two generation.
I am proud that we continue to honor the memory of those who perished that day. 1 am proud, as well, that we continue to show gratitude for the bravery of the emergency personnel - police, firefighters and others - whose lives are dedicated to protecting us. And, I am especially proud that we as a people have been united in our support for the many sailors, soldiers and airmen who selflessly answer the country's call to service.
Just last week, I spoke with an area resident - an Army reservist - who was home on leave from his third tour of duty since the start of our War on Terror. I couldn't help but think of the immense personal sacrifice that he - and others like him - are making on our behalf. No amount of compensation now or in the future can adequately replace what he is giving up - in terms of time away from his family and from his private sector profession. His sacrifice is emblematic of all those who wear our country's uniform.
Those who serve us in the military share a deep love of our nation and the ideals for which it stands - so much so that they put their very lives on the line. December 7, 1941 instilled in us an appreciation and an admiration for those who wore the uniform. But, sadly, our Korean and Vietnam veterans did not receive the same recognition. I hope that this time the renewed respect for our military veterans will not waver as time goes by.
That is my two cents.
Tim Penny
It's been a little over 8 years now since those horrifying events, and a little less since American troops first set foot in Afghanistan. We're still there - or more appropriately - they're still there. It's something we as Americans don't think about enough. The media doesn't talk about it enough. The boots on the ground are the only ones who have done enough. In fact, they've done more than enough, and we owe them. Big time.
For years, many Americans have acted like a ribbon car magnet on the back of their car was doing their part in supporting the troops. This is not enough. We missed many opportunities at the beginning of the conflict in Afghanistan, and again in 2003 in Iraq. Our previous President and previous Secretary of Defense received plenty of deserved flack (but perhaps too little, too late) for their lack of planning ahead. Bush obviously receives criticism for lots of things, but not for his lack of leadership in the wake of 9/11.
In fact, that's when his approval numbers, not surprisingly, were at their highest. But while the nation rallied behind our President, he should have done more. We should have been asked that we all pitch in. In every way, be it financially or otherwise, regular citizens and soldiers should have been galvanized into a united front to fight and win the war in Afghanistan.
It's the soldiers and their families - almost exclusively - that have made the sacrifices. And even as many of us have missed years of opportunities to show them our appreciation, it's never too late.
My apologies for being preachy on a touchy subject. It's the kind of tough love we Americans need, myself included. Our armed forces do everything their country asks of them and more. Too many have given their last full measure of devotion, and too few of us seem to remember that.
That's my two cents.
Marcus Penny
Our Two Cents is written by Tim and Marcus Penny. Tim Penny is a former U.S. Congressman and Waseca resident. Marcus Penny studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
“Unzie” was perhaps Waseca County’s most unusual visitor. He was an albino Australian aborigine who traveled with Barnum & Bailey’s Circus, and who is thought to have performed at the Chautauqua at Maplewood Park in the 1880s/90s.
Unzie’s real name was either Charlie or Danny Hadley, twins that were photographed by Charles Eisenmann, a Victorian photographer who specialized in photographing very unusual people, 1870-1890. At the time “Unzie” was thought to be a very handsome man. His snow-white hair grew very quickly, and of course, he attracted a great deal of attention. This cabinet card photograph was found in the WCHS collection, donor unknown. Waseca County history, it’s unexpected.
My name is Jeremiah Miller. I am currently deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota National Guard. My unit is out of Duluth. I am excited to write a blog for you to read. I plan on writing about some of the daily things that I observe around our Forward Operating Base (FOB) Leatherneck.
The first thing I would like to tell you is that I am an Administrative Specialist. I work on Soldiers issues and try to get them all of the information they need to be successful in their military career. I sit at a desk and as my daughter wrote one Veterans Day, I work behind a computer. I love my job in the military and feel that I am good at it. I love helping Soldiers and showing them all the benefits that they have earned. My intentions are to share only my experiences and if possible with help some of my fellow Soldiers. I do not intent to represent anyone but myself and my experiences.
Now on to my blog. I am what some in the Military call a FOBIT, or a person that does not leave the wire. I am happy being called such, for the reasons above. I have a lot of respect for the guys and gals that do go out and put their lives on the line.I am content being a FOBIT and with this I am going to share some observations that we experience on our FOB.
I hope you will enjoy some of my experiences and I hope it gives a very small picture of what goes on here.
Injuries! Many an athlete has performed flawlessly until injury showed its ugly face. High school, college, pro, and the weekend warriors have all seen the pain of injury. The HS athlete of course is different, they are suppose to be in shape because of the young age, not always the case!
Coaches and parents: yes parents: need to push their athletes to get in the best shape possible. Be a 3 sport athlete, run, bike, lift, eat properly, and get to know your body are all vital to prevent injury! When injury does hit, the better conditioned athlete recovers and gets back to the action. Get in gear, get in shape at a young age, and stay in shape as a life style!
Couple other no brainers! Wear a mouth guard, wear a cup, protect your eyes, be conservative with your hair, and stay hydrated! Don't take your body for granted, be proactive! Encourage your team mates to respect themselves as well! Ok, what do you think?
Volleyball is an interesting sport! Consistent team play seems to be a hard to achieve goal for every team. Great individuals make a huge difference in high school volleyball but team work and coaching seem to be the real mix which takes a team to the next level. Area schools like Faribault B.A.and Marshall have long time coaches who seem to reload each year and WIN!
Waseca volleyball has started with a couple wins in 2009: is this the year? Get out and see the area girls play volleyball! Which area school has the best team in 2009? Who is/was the best area volleyball player in your opinion?
Questions...
If we were to move to the single payer system how does it save money as its proponents believe ? Is the savings the total value of operational costs (employees, technology, janitorial services, etc) + profits of the insurance industry? According to the census bureau there are 6.5 million people employed in the insurance industry - 12% of industry sales is health care insurance - by extension that would be almost 800,000 employees in health insurance. How many of those would be moved to the rolls of government employment (the rest I guess become unemployed...) at what cost? But hey, the real savings comes from the profits right (I'll save you the click health insurance companies profits run close to 5%- far less than Wal-Mart)?
Outside of the single payer debate - How does Obama's proposed market differ from the actual market? Are we not all free to go to the market individually or collectively for insurance now?
To beat an old horse...is the federal government capable of running even a small portion of health care? Can we have an expectation that the government portion is more effective than Medicare and its unfunded costs to the taxpayers? Shouldn't the first step be to for the government to put its financial house in order before taking on more? What about fixing social security? Show me you can do what you have already promised before you take on more.
Diatribe...
The fallacy of 50%+1 and its effects
It is easy to trace the current health care debate back to the policies of Bush. Had Bush not set forward his my way or the highway 50%+1 mandate the resulting shift to Democratic control would not have occurred. Truly the proposed health care reform is the unequal and opposite reaction of the empire wars and is likely to cost our nation just as much if not more.
But the truth is there was no 50%+1 then and there is no 50%+1 now. 80 - 90% of individuals, when considering both the wars and health care reform would come to a very different course of action than the nation did/is taking. The neo-cons used jingoism and fear to promote nationalist fervor to support the wars. The wars were tied to party politics and tax cuts on their own merit they would not have stood. The question we were given is do we go to war or let the terrorists win - clearly there are number of alternatives not presented in the question. Keep alternatives out of the question and you can move more people.
Once the pixie dust wore off the middle moved in reaction to the failures of the Bush administration. Now Obama is using the same tactics as Bush to promote a war on health care costs. The threat is no less real (highly exaggerated for purposes of the discussion but real nonetheless) the solution is partnered with lofty ideals like social justice, combating greed and putting us on par with the rest of the civilized world.
So here we sit with a disproportionate response to a problem that we can never solve. People still hate the US for many reasons (legitimate or not) and will attack us or others in the future. The world is no safer with Saddam dead, a new Saddam has taken his place - in Venezuela, in Iran, in other places off of our radar. Al-Queda still exists, they have moved to Pakistan, Somalia, they are in Sudan. Their successes and failures have inspired more groups with different ideologies that are no less dangerous.
Likewise 10 years after the health care solution is active we will still have disease and unequal access to health care. Sure the cost structure changes appearance but total use of resources necessary to provide the level of health care that we want in the US does not change.
Currently our exploits in Iraq and Afghanistan leave us exposed militarily and have taken a massive economic toll on us. Our war on health care will be just as much a folly with no resulting gain.
The Tea Party activists share so much in common with the anti-war protesters, Obama is the new Bush. Pragmatism has left our nation.
At first the darkened windows of PJs Tavern cause me to hesitate. Are they actually open? I peek in and see only a few flashes of neon from some signs that decorate the interior. Slowly I open the door and step inside.
The biggest surprise upon entry, is the size of the place. The layout is wide due to the addition of the next door building, which now houses PJs's band stage and dance floor. The stage is a decent size, and there is more than enough room for fifty or more tightly packed dancing bodies. Everywhere high-definition televisions of various sizes are showing baseball games. The jukebox looks clean, new, and high-tech. Next to the bar is a large pool table and a dartboard.
It being a Wednesday night, and still relatively early, PJs is empty when I step inside. Literally. There is nobody behind the bar. As I take a seat, however, a smiling young man jogs out from the back room and greets me as though we've known each other for years. Immediately my esteem for this venue kicks up a notch or two.
I discuss the nightlife here at PJs with the bartender, and he is only too happy to inform me of the latest happenings. Every weekend they alternate DJs and cover bands - DJs for the younger, dance-happy crowd, and live bands for those that still enjoy the experience of a live performance. He talks up their upcoming comedy nights, and I'm led to believe that they are mostly his idea, as he seems so proud of them. They'll be starting mid-September.
This week PJs will have a DJ on Friday, and Saturday the 12th will be live music by Foolish Mortals. I'm told they're a younger band with a lot of appeal - not a death metal band, which was my first impression due to their epic name. There will be some other entertainment going on Saturday - Katie O'Leary's will be hosting The Fried Band from 9:00p.m.-close, with a pre-band Happy Hour starting at 7:00p.m. The other biggest entertainment event is Boss Grant's Johnny Cash Revue. This will take place at Harguth's Barn. Doors open at 6:00p.m. with a small opening act before Boss takes in the spirit of Johnny Cash. Yes, there is a cover charge, and $20 seems steep, but at least you get a sandwich with your show. If you're broke (like me), I'd recommend giving Foolish Mortals a try.
PJs Tavern accommodates their bands nicely, which I like. They have their own PA and lighting system - a bonus for any out-of-town act. I learned this from the bartender, and my conversation with him slipped easily from their weekend entertainment to their pool and dart leagues to their future opening of a formal meeting space. He told me they hope to continue their improvements, and perhaps fix the signage outside, so the two buildings would tie together better.
As I further talked with the man behind the counter, I felt as though I was an incredibly entertaining individual. Not a single detail of what I had to say was missed. Instead, it was noted, agreed with, and added to, producing a continuous, lively conversation. I was even introduced to the owner, who seemed friendly in that "just you average kind of guy" sort of way. I noted too that, as I got ready to leave, another patron who sat at the bar was greeted in just as friendly a manner. It was obvious that the man who came in had been there before, and he and the bartender seemed to flawlessly pick up their conversation from wherever they had last left off.
My final impression of PJs Tavern is that the customer comes first, entertainment second, food last. I like their open, breathable layout, and I am more than impressed with their service. While possibly not a place to get an above average meal (pizza, mostly), PJs serves up a warm welcome and a pleasant atmosphere. I am genuinely looking forward to seeing how they progress in the upcoming months.
“We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems.” Frightening words? Radical stuff? Hardly.
This one sentence from President Obama’s speech to America’s school children is representative of the entire speech. In short, it was standard stuff. Actually, the main points he made - stay in school, study hard, be respectful, and be responsible – are universal values. As parents, we say the same things to our own kids and we expect our teachers, principals and community leaders to reinforce these messages. So, why not the President?
I do not quite get the controversy surrounding his speech - especially since no school district was required to broadcast it into the classroom. Some schools chose to do so – others decided differently. That is as it should be because our community schools are accountable to the parents and taxpayers within the community.
I did feel that the “study guide” to accompany the President’s speech which was being developed and distributed by the U.S. Department of Education was taking things a bit too far. I am glad that that idea was squelched. Instead, I much prefer that our local teachers decide whether and how they want to build a lesson plan around the message delivered by the President. That seems more in keeping with our tradition of local control.
Let me be clear, I did not vote for Obama and do not support a number of his policies. But he is our President (and we only get one at a time). As such, what he has to say about education is important for all of us to hear – including our children.
That is my two cents.
Tim
Just as the conservative pundits were huffing and puffing earlier this week over the president’s back-to-school speech, so too were Republican members of Congress Wednesday night during the president’s address on health care. One such congressman has received considerable attention for shouting out “YOU LIE” in the middle of the speech (an exclamation that was at best misinformed, and at worst itself a lie).
There seems to be an unyielding opposition to Obama, no matter what he’s saying. I was listening to an ultra-conservative radio host the other day (a guilty pleasure of mine) and she was attacking the president for flaunting his internet savvy! Okay, so I can admit that I mocked the previous president for referring to “The Google,” and his obvious lack of internet savvy, but I can also admit I was going overboard then too.
It’s perfectly all right to have a genuine difference in political philosophy. It’s more than valid to be weary of the expensive and liberal policies that President Obama has already enacted. Politicians like Sen. John McCain, Judd Gregg and Lindsay Graham have demonstrated that it is possible to be critical of the president, but still respectful. The president has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to be civil toward his opponents as well. Others, like Rep. Michele Bachmann, seemed to have missed the memo on how to conduct yourself as, you know, a responsible adult and member of Congress.
If we want to pull ourselves out of this unending funk, quiet the shouting, and stop the tears, we ought to pick apart the president’s health care speech. But instead of going line by line and choosing everything we hate, let’s focus on what we can agree on. We will never have a bill that every American or every politician is going to love, but it’s imperative we find a balance that the most people can be the most happy with. This cannot be achieved by taking as gospel everything you read in anonymous chain e-mails, or using polarizing ideologues like Rush Limbaugh or Keith Olbermann as your primary sources of information.
We need to follow the lead of Senators McCain, Gregg, Graham and President Obama. A little decorum, people!
That is my two cents.
Marcus
Our Two Cents is written by Tim and Marcus Penny. Tim Penny is a former U.S. Congressman and Waseca resident. Marcus Penny studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Good Day Widespread Panic readers – below is my first discussion with Cathy Hoy and Randy Zimmerman on the need for the proposed referendum.
I have more questions and, based on what I see here, some comments that I will include in the near future. I encourage you to read on, and if you have questions send them on to me and I will see if I can get some answers.
Thank you very much for taking the time to answer some questions I have about the upcoming referendum and the Waseca School District finances. I hope that through this process I can gain and share the knowledge to make an informed decision in November. To be upfront I would say I am not inclined to vote in favor of the referendum today but admit that is more out of ignorance than opposition. With those formalities out of the way let's get down to business.
I have attached and will make available on Widespread Panic a spreadsheet of revenues and expenditures for the Waseca School District along with two others (Fairmont and Thief River Falls), chosen because of their close match to Waseca in student population. The sheet covers finances for the fiscal years of 2005 - 2008 and is pulled from data posted by the state.
First some observations - General fund revenues and expenditures in total seem relatively flat and in each year for the General Fund revenues (as categorized in the state reporting format) show a surplus:
Based on this it looks like the education portion of the District is doing fine – where is the surplus going to and what is driving the need for the increase in the levy?
Ok Matt here it is I am hoping it is clear as mud and I managed to answers your questions. Let me know how much more convincing I need to do for you to commit to our technology committee
Fiscal year Revenues Expenditures Surplus/ (Deficit)
2008 $20,965,903 $21,115,744 ($149,841.00)
2007 $21,321,192 $21,670,170 ($348,978.00)
2006 $20,985,690 $21,552,760 ($567,070.00)
2005 $20,049,096 $19,394,344 $654,752.00
The totals on your original sheet did not include lines 11-15 for Expenditures.
The only surplus year was in FY 05 this would have been the first year of the current levy.
The dollar amounts above include all General fund revenues.
The General Fund is made up 13 Categories they include:
• Staff Development (RESERVED)
• Deferred Maintenance (RESERVED)
• Health / Safety (RESERVED)
• Severance Pay (RESERVED)
• Operating Capital (RESERVED)
• Learning& Development (RESERVED)
• ALC (RESERVED)
• Gifted & Talented (RESERVED)
• Basic Skills (RESERVED)
• Safe Schools (RESERVED)
• Student Activities (RESERVED)
• WCOC (RESERVED)
• Daily Operations (UNRESERVED)
The accounts in purple are reserved accounts meaning, the dollars in the reserved accounts can only be used for that specified thing.
So for 2007-2008
The general fund (daily operations the unreserved portion of the general fund)
Revenue Expenditures Surplus / (Deficit)
$17,549,860 $17,846,060 ($296,200)
The numbers for 2009 have not been posted to the state website – how do they look?
Our Audit will not be complete until November 2009
We are projecting to have 13 operating days left in our fund balance
(The recommend fund balance is approx 35-45 days)
Is it correct that the referendum is for fixing the FY2010 budget? If so what are you being told are the State and Federal funding levels that you will receive?
The Levy is not to fix the FY2010 Budget. The proposed levy will not go into effect until FY2011
State funds = 72% of our budget
Federal funds = 9% of our budget
We will be receiving flat funding from the state for this year and next (meaning no new dollars)
The state has always done something called a “FUNDING SHIFT”
In previous years it was 90% -10% Shift meaning we would receive 90% of our state allotted funds in the current year and the other 10% the next year. The FY budget will account for 100% of the state dollars even though they come in shifts.
However this year the states shift consists of 73% -27% so we will receive 73% of our State funds in the 09-10 year and we will receive 27% in the 10-11 year.
Some more specific thoughts on the numbers in relation to other schools:
Administration costs in Waseca run much higher! In 2008 the costs in Waseca were $1,227,368 compared to $598,384 in Fairmont and $746,475 in Thief River Falls(TRF), the variance in the districts is the same across all four years. Why the difference? Has anything been done to push these costs down?
It is very hard to compare district to district. Due to the way things are coded for each district. There are different ways to “code” Expenses and revenues. There are some parameters that must be followed however some codes are the discretion /interpretation of the district and each district may code some things differently.
Under District level Administration. The following are included in the Waseca District:
? (7) School board members
? (1) Superintendent
? (2) Directors of instruction
? (1) Business Manager
? (5) District office staff
1. Payroll
2. Insurance / Benefits
3. Accounts Payable & Receivable
4. Mars coordinator and Accounts receivable
5. District office secretary
? Workers comp is paid from this account ($68,000.00)
? Director of Technology
? Technology assistant
? (4) building techs
(This portion is = to $517,000.00 it has been moved to pupil support services – this includes payroll, supplies, and major software purchases for the district)
REDUCTIONS from these costs are as follows:
$51,000.00 08-09 Directors of Instruction
$53,000.00 09-10 Eliminated Directors of Instruction
$45,000.00 09-10 Reduction in technology
We saved approximately $24, 0000.00 in 08-09 Due to putting our Work comp insurance out for bid and going with the most competitive rate with the same quality coverage.
That being said the reported District level Admin from MDE is:
$1,227,368.00 less $517,000.00 (technology move) = $710,368.00 less $51,000.00 (Cut DI)=$659,368.00 less $68,000.00 (Work comp)= $591,368.00
Teacher salaries spiked in 2006 and 2007 (FY05 $8,033,431, FY06 $9,008,310, FY07 $8,822,673 FY08 $7,959,347) the other districts stayed relatively flat over that period. Why the change? Where are they now? What does the union contract hold for future increases?
There are several factors for the so called “Spike” in teachers’ salaries
In FY 05 FY 06 FY07 the Waseca District participated in a program called “TAP” This program was a national education incentive fully funded from a state grant from the Milliken foundation.
The following are the breakdowns per FY of “TAP” money paid out. But remember it was a grant so we were 100% reimbursed on the revenue side for these Dollars. These numbers also include some dollars paid to Special Ed Teachers.
FY05 $697,000.00
FY06 $1,204,700.00
FY07 $589,600.00
Also another factor is that in FY 05-06-07 Waseca Public Schools handled Payroll for team academy.
The following is a breakdown of those dollars. We were reimbursed 100% from team.
FY05 $196,500.00
FY06 $229,500.00
FY07 $436,000.00
The board has verbally accepted that the teachers will work under the same contract meaning 0% increase in dollars on the salary schedule. The teachers that have earned their longevity and level of education increase will receive it.
Special Education costs also are much higher (Waseca $5,083,540, Fairmont $2,663,768 and TRF $2,634,500). Why are these costs so much higher in Waseca? It does look like State funding has been growing to meet these needs does that trend continue?
Waseca’s Special Education population is 15.6%
One reason for the high special Ed dollars is because we are the fiscal host to NRHEG, WEM, JWP & TEAM. Meaning, all of their federal Special Ed Programs run through our district. However their revenues also run through our district. And this is reflected on the revenue side.
? For 07-08 we reported $731,000.00 for the other districts
? We also bill Medical Assistance for the students who have MA. For 07-08 it was $205,000.00 also reported on the revenue side
? For 07-08 we were reimbursed $238,000.00 from the county for the WCOC this is also seen on the revenue side
Another portion of this is something called shared services.
Waseca holds the full contracts for
? Special Ed administration,
? Specialty services
o Autism,
o Speech,
o hearing impaired
o Psychology
o WCOC
Because we hold the full contracts the specialty services are fully paid by Waseca School District. However we bill NRHEG, Waterville, JWP, & team for their portion of the services so this again will be reflected on the revenue side.
Special Education Administration is shared with NRHEG, Waterville, JWP, & team. We pay the full amount but are reimbursed by the other districts.
Waseca’s actual out of pocket costs for Special Education Administration is 36% of the total Salary and benefits. The portion that Waseca covers is then reimbursed 100% through federal special education dollars.
Special Ed is Complex when it comes to State funding. First of all one of the most important thing to realize is that the state government and Federal government have set Mandates. Meaning you are required to provide a service regardless. Just because they Mandate you to do something doesn’t mean they are going to pay for it. It would be great if all mandates were fully funded but that is not the case.
For state Special Education the State of Minnesota contributes:
? 68% Salaries
? 0% Benefits
? 52% Contracted Services ( Occupational / Physical Therapy)
? 47% Supplies (Special student evaluation forms, teaching tools, assistive devices.
(The following dollar amounts are for example only)
EXAMPLE States Contribution Schools Responsibility
Student activities seem to be much higher than the comparable districts as well (Waseca $961,564, Fairmont $641,049, TRF $713,902). What are your thoughts on these disparities?
Again comparing is very hard due to the way each district codes there student activities.
For Waseca schools the student activities consist of the following (some examples, but not inclusive):
? FFA
? Camp Patterson
? Eagle Bluff
? Band Trips
? Choir trips fundraising
? Spanish trips
? Close up
These dollars are from fundraising, fees, donations.
Expenditures for 07-08 $439,511.00
$961,564.00 - $439,511.00 = $522,053.00
On the revenue side – income from local sources is divided into two groups: Property taxes and Other. The state offers this vague definition of other: Revenue from tuition, fees, admissions, interest earnings, rent, gifts, bequests and other miscellaneous local sources. Includes revenue from municipalities for tax increment finance, county apportionment, taconite homestead credit, iron range resource & rehabilitation board grants, taconite levy replacement, taconite general education aid replacement, taconite referendum, medical assistance revenue, revenue from private insurance providers, sale of materials net of cost, insurance recovery, and judgments for the school district. (See Note C) For Waseca the total other is $2,118,736 in FY08 (compared to $1,495,042 in property taxes) where exactly does the district get its “Other” funding?
The “other” funding comes from several other sources some have been briefly described above.
“Other”
? Participation fees for Student Activities (Clubs, Athletics)
? MA billing for Special Ed
? Team Payroll
? Rent from team
? Gate Receipts
? Athletic passes
? WCOC (county)
? Interest from accounts
? Gifts & donations
? Repayment from districts / team for shared services
That does it for this round of questioning hopefully this will help me and the readers and spur some more questions!!!
In 1934 Waseca High School played its first night game with a white football! The lights were purchased by increasing the ticket price from 25 cents to one dollar. Many were very skeptical—“Why play the game at night? You’ll never raise the money!” However, it was accomplished within one season. Mr. Barrett, the biology teacher, organized the effort. The first night game had 100 attendees, the second game attracted between two and three hundred fans. And the third game had hundreds attending!
That same year, Waseca High School business teacher, Bob Mishek, arranged for Waseca’s football team to visit the University of Minnesota athletic department. The WHS white football was signed by not only all of the Waseca football team, but also most of the University Gopher football team that year, including football coach Bernie Bierman, whose father was born in Waseca, Minnesota!
That white football is now in the collection at the Waseca County Historical Society. How did it get here?
It was displayed for decades in a case at the old Waseca High School building (now CIS). It was purchased by Charlie Gray at a school auction. Charlie’s daughter Laura gave it to Sally Lenn, daughter of Manley Youngberg and gave it to him for his 87th birthday. Manley and Charlie were both 1934 WHS football players. Manley donated the football to WCHS last year. Come and see the white football at the museum during football season.
Blog-istory is written by Sheila Morris and Joan Mooney, co-directors of the Waseca County Historical Society.
Good teams happen or it is because of coaching! I think it is coaching! - What do you think? Good teams can happen: an athlete moves to town, a kid grows, or someone with talent decides to play hard are examples! Good coaching is the real key to a good team! Good coaches are hard to come by, things have changed the good people do not necessarily start or stay as in the old days. Many talented people turn away from coaching, others eventually turn away because of the hassle, pay, long hours , or whatever the reason! What do you think? Team is good because ............................... What is you opinion?
View from the Sidelines is written by Steve Conway.
Happy Labor Day weekend, citizens of Waseca County!
As my family and I have been packing for a camping vacation elsewhere, I haven’t had much time to do my usual snooping about. This will be remedied next week, I assure you. I did faithfully promise, however, to bring you the weekend entertainment update, and so here goes:
Friday the 4th at 9:00p.m. a band called Wildfire is playing at Club 57. Since my search for “Wildfire” turned up a Boston dance band that is playing somewhere on the east coast, and then a bunch of news clips about wildfires in California, I have no clue if this band is worth seeing or not. If not, Club 57 will also have some fun DJ tunes going on Sunday evening.
Barden’s Bar is doing their usual Friday night Texas Hold-em Poker at 6:30p.m. Since this seems to be their routine, I probably won’t mention it again, but I’ll keep my eye on them in case anything changes.
PJ’s Tavern is having a pretty full Labor Day weekend, featuring Classic Rock with Road House Friday at 9:00p.m. (if I had to choose, I would probably see this instead of the elusive “Wildfire,” because it is pretty hard to go wrong with classic rock), Screammin Productions on Saturday the 5th at 9:00p.m., which I believe is a DJ, and on Sunday at 9:00p.m. they’ll have Kozy Lil’ Duo. Kozy and his fellow musician usually give a pretty decent set of classics from the 60’s onward, as well as a few originals.
Also fairly nearby The Johnny Holm Band will be playing up at Gilligan’s Bar & Grill in Waterville, Friday from 9:00p.m.-12:30a.m. A quick search found their music style self described as “Covers of country, classic rock, Elvis, Deon.” I didn’t see anything about originals, so for now I’m going to assume that they’re a strictly cover band. They appear have a pretty decent setup, so I’m going to say that this would be my act of choice if I were to actually be in the area this evening. Just be prepared to pay a $10 cover charge.
I wish everyone the best on this glorious upcoming weekend. The weather is supposed to be lovely from start to finish, so get out of the house and go do something fun!
Cross country , great sport! No ball, bat, net, ump, ref, and it is outside in the elements. Repetition and hard work is the difference in many runners performance. Similar to swimming except there is the great outdoors to compete in and sometimes against! Great area names have competed Schmidtknecht, McPartland, Rundquist, Severson, Miehlisch, Burke, Maas, Kozan, OGrady, Lyngaard, ( remember those fabulous New Richland teams)!
The first Waseca team was in 1961: Byron Monahan, Terry Hager, Harvey Jobe,Norm Johnson, Jerry Torbert were a few of the runners. They were coached by former U of Mn athlete Bill Schimille now a Mankato resident. The local teams are in action right now, why not find check the schedule and get out and see a C/C meet with area schools invited. Waseca's only home meet of the season is October 8th at Lakeside Golf course. Waseca heads to Mountain Lake to open the season Wednesday September 2nd, long trip but a great venue for the spectator viewing, long downhill finish! Another great meet is the Montgomery invite on September 10th, huge numbers and a great starting point watching the mad rush to be leader of the pack!
I have been waiting – in vain - for the Minnesota media to do a more critical expose on how many days Governor Tim Pawlenty has been out of state on something other than official state business. Even if – as the Governor asserts - most of these trips were paid for with campaign dollars (or other non-state monies), that is beside the point. There is still the issue of his Highway Patrol–provided security detail. Taxpayers do foot the bill for their travel costs as they accompany and protect our Governor. In a related vein, I have always questioned why we allow politicians to essentially campaign full time for another job while drawing a full time salary from their current job.
In contrast, the media was routinely and extremely tough on Governor Jesse Ventura for his out-of-state trips. For example, Ventura left the state – only occasionally – to show up on the David Letterman or Jay Leno shows (and for a few Saturdays to announce games for the fated and short-lived XFL football league). But without exception on each of these occasions, the Minnesota media loudly blasted Ventura!
My question is this: How are Ventura’s out-of-state excursions any different – or any worse – than Pawlenty’s purely political travels? In both cases these trips have NOTHING to do with our state’s business. Yet, the Minnesota media seem to write only glowingly about Pawlenty's trips (apparently because they believe the trips are evidence that he is a contender on the national scene). Whether he has the potential to be a presidential contender (a disputable assumption), is also largely beside the point.
What matters is this: There are serious challenges to be dealt with here at home (like honestly balancing the state budget rather than burdening the next Governor with cleaning up the budget mess). Yet, Pawlenty, instead of providing leadership and solutions, is essentially using the time remaining in his current job to seek another job. Most people would at the least have their pay deducted for the days they don’t show up for work. In contrast, the Minnesota media provide Pawlenty with flattering headlines. Go figure.
That is my two cents.
Tim
There seems to be a sort of sycophantic fascination with Tim Pawlenty and his (apparent) pursuit of the presidency. I guess it's sort of like how I get excited seeing the Prairie Home Companion movie that was filmed across the street from my old college, as if that somehow makes me Tommy Lee Jones. We ought not be blinded by the Kleig lights of the national press covering one of our own.
Pawlenty is a two-term Republican governor of a blue state. Thus, he's got bipartisan, crossover appeal. While the former sentence is fact, the latter is pure fiction. Democrats do not like one inch of him. The gridlock he argued would continue were he not elected has persisted nonetheless. His gubernatorial elections were only ever won with a plurality of votes, never a majority. That subtle distinction could be the torpedo in the side of his 2012 battleship. Without the 2 or 3 opponents at once that he's had in the past, his chances could diminish greatly in a head-to-head, 2-way race with the President.
When he tells you about how he cut the budget for his own staff, you should know that they just took money (more than 2/3 of $1 million) from various state agencies to cover the shortages. His canard of a no-tax-increase budget proposal this year relied heavily on federal stimulus dollars - a one-time, quick "fix" that failed to address the long-term problem. He avoids raising taxes by raising fees, as if the difference really matters. Let's remember these things, among all the rest, as he tries to pitch his national narrative as a "reformer" who got things done for Minnesota. Let's not be fooled simply because he's one of our own.
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