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Cut waste, find reforms before asking for more

Staff — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:54:28 +0000

From: Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, District 18B
This session, Governor Dayton and Democrats in the legislature are demanding billions of dollars in new taxes to fix our $627 million budget shortfall. They insist that raising revenues is the only way to fix our budget, putting forth a budget with minimal reforms and cuts.
The governor’s initial plan, for instance asked for $22 dollars in new taxes for every $1 in cuts. Hardly a balanced approach. It’s my belief that before we ask hardworking Minnesotans for even one more dollar in tax increases, that we ensure our government programs are devoid of waste and running as efficiently as possible.
Last month, the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) issued a report faulting the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) for failing to check the eligibility of participants in a number of public assistance programs that provide medical, cash, and food benefit, to low-income citizens.
Under state and federal law, agencies are required to verify income levels for participants in the various public assistance programs. The OLA report cited the MinnesotaCare insurance program as having failed to adequately verify the income level of participants.
In addition, despite federal requirements, DHS failed to cross-check and address discrepancies in reported income levels with other government data for the Medical Assistance program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance food-stamp program.
In February, I received a memo from DHS Inspector General Jerry Kerber that cited just five cases of fraud and abuse that resulted in $2,762,197 in overpayments from the government. These fraud and abuse investigations were the result of anti-fraud measures instituted by the Republican-lead legislature in 2012.
If anything, we should be increasing funding to the departments that are tasked with finding and fighting fraud and abuse to help clean up these government programs. I believe these examples should be a wake-up call to Democrats in the legislature.
We don’t need to raise taxes to address our budget gap. We need to be examining our government programs from top to bottom, ensuring that we find every dollar of cost savings possible, and that our programs are free of waste, fraud, and abuse.
I am concerned that these examples are just the tip of the iceberg. These are your tax dollars at work – I believe your government owes it to you to ensure that those dollars are being spent responsibly and efficiently. You deserve nothing less.

A waste of McLeod Co. taxpayer money

Staff — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:31:31 +0000

From: Gary Ballard, Glencoe
I attended a McLeod County budget meeting this past Tuesday. The essence of the meeting was whether our county is prepared to spend $3 million (consisting of both county and state funds) of their possible share of nearly $4 million in costs to extend Morningside Avenue in Glencoe, a distance of three blocks.
Many concerns were raised:
1. What percent is the county’s share of the cost? Should the cost be split 50/50 with the city of Glencoe?
2. What are the unknown problems of building over the old dump site?
3. What is the cost of removing the homes alongside Morningside (which are currently not included in the present costs of the project)?
4. What state and federal funds are available and for how long?
5. The county is not pushing for this project; the push is coming from Glencoe city officials.
6. If the county spends millions of dollars on this project, other county projects will need to be cut.
7. The county is looking at turning some of its county streets back over to the city of Glencoe to save money. How does this affect future city costs?
8. How will the mediation on wetlands be handled?
9. How does Diamond Avenue’s closure affect city and county residents?
10. Should the project be delayed?
We know that this $1 million to be spent by the city could be better used to in other ways, like upgrading our present streets and not having to assess the adjoining property owners.
After conferring with a road engineer, I was informed that the amount of money spent on the three-block Morningside extension could provide the replacement of 7.5 miles of streets with a seven-ton rating. This would be an enormous amount of savings for the taxpayers.
Another county board meeting is set for Tuesday, April 2, with Glencoe city officials invited. I hope the city officials discuss the items listed above and view this monster expense with the same reservations as did the county.
Call the county commissioners, and voice your concerns over this unnecessary project — or put the project on hold. In 2001, Glencoe residents (1,354) petitioned to halt this very project.

Blood drive was a huge success

Staff — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:35:43 +0000

From: Helen Yager
Winsted
I appreciate everyone who made the April 2 Red Cross blood drive at Holy Trinity in Winsted a huge success. Our goal for the day was 95 units, and we ended up with 102 units.
I especially appreciate the students and the donors who were very patient and waited longer than normal. This was due to a worker who called in sick at the last moment. For this, the Red Cross called to apologize.
In addition, I appreciate those who did a lot of work before and the day of the drive; the callers, those who put up posters and then had to correct information and put them up a second time, the canteen workers, those who checked donors in, and Dorothy Karels, who made a delicious lunch for the Red Cross staff.
Again, I want to express my appreciation to all who made this possible. Our next drive will be Thursday, Sept. 12 from noon to 6 p.m. Please mark your calendar.

Winning and losing are part of life

Staff — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:00:14 +0000

From: Keith Lemke
Buffalo
I was a resident of Howard Lake for most of my life; I built a home in Buffalo and moved there with my wife, Sally, in 1998. Because other interests filled our lives, I seldom returned to my hometown.
Chey Karels is one of our grandchildren. When Chey started paying basketball, we took an interest in the Howard Lake girls’ team. Now that we are retired, we have been able to attend many of her games.
I personally appreciate the girls’ basketball program for the way they trained and encouraged Chey, as well as the other team members.
Dan Herda and Jason Kuehn not only trained the girls how to win, but, more importantly, how to respect their rivals in a loss. We all know that both winning and losing are a part of life.
When I got upset with the refs when they made bad calls– because I clearly knew more than they–I repeatedly watched the coaches calmly deal with each situation professionally. We could probably all learn from their actions.
Each girl’s talents in basketball were an asset for the team, and they used each to the best of their ability. We totally enjoyed watching each one of the girls progress throughout the season.
Sally and I enjoy seeing our old friends and will be forever grateful that Chey brought us back to Howard Lake. It will be with us forever.

Royal Food Fight needs donations

Staff — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:56:01 +0000

From: Lester Prairie Ambassadors, Hannah Leverich, Ashley Maesse, and Kathryn DeBruyckere
The Lester Prairie Ambassadors are thrilled to announce that we are currently competing in a Royal Food Fight against the other McLeod County Royalty Programs.
It is our goal to raise 5,000 pounds for the food shelf this month and we are looking for help from the community.
We will accept both donations of non-perishable food items and also monetary donations. We currently have donation boxes at the Lester Prairie City Hall, Big Don’s Carthedral, and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.
Contact one of the Lester Prairie Ambassadors, Hannah Leverich, Ashley Maesse, or Kathryn DeBruyckere, if you have questions or would like to make a monetary donation. We appreciate your support of our local food shelf.

Need for food donations continues

Staff — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:52:05 +0000

From: Marietta Neumann,
McLeod Emergency Food Shelf
Spring and March Madness are all around us. March Madness isn’t just for all the various sports, but for the food shelf also. It is time for the most important food drive of the year for the McLeod County Emergency Food Shelf.
It is at this time that Minnesota Food Share conducts a statewide food drive and gives a proportional match according to the amount of food and cash that each food shelf receives during the month of March.
The Feinstein Family Foundation from Rhode Island also gives a proportional amount of cash in accordance to the amount we receive, thus your donation at this time is of a greater value than the actual amount.
The madness for the food shelf right now is the big challenge between all the cities of McLeod County to see which one can bring in the most pounds of food and cash to the McLeod Emergency Food Shelf determined by the pounds of food or cash collected per person according to the population of that city. This puts everyone on an equal basis, large or small. The past three years, little Plato has been the winner. Let’s see who can beat them this year.
Food can be dropped off at the various businesses that are having drivers or at either food shelf site: 105 E. 2nd Ave SW, Hutchinson; or 808 E. 12th St., Glencoe.
Everyone’s help and concern last year supplied food for 354,086 meals for needy residents of McLeod County.

United Way has a broad reach

Staff — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:56:30 +0000

he United Way of McLeod County is one of 1,200 independent United Ways across the country organized to help improve their communities. While we all share a common name and logo, the United Way of McLeod County, is an independent, locally controlled organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors from throughout McLeod County.

The United Way is the most effective way to direct your charitable donations to caring and well-run community programs. Volunteers carefully invest your gift in programs that have proven records of providing life transforming services in a cost-effective manner.

A variety of programs work around the clock, every day of the year to assist friends and neighbors with far more than crisis situations, in every segment of our community. Education and prevention are keys to breaking negative cycles, creating lasting changes and taking care of the whole person. Here is a brief look at United Way donor dollars in action on an average day.

6 a.m. Campers at Friendship Ventures awake to another day of play, nature discovery and group activities designed to promote self-esteem, while teaching life-enhancing skills.

7 a.m. A woman drops her son off at West Central Industries. She is relieved to know that he will learn skills that will provide independence and self sufficiency.

8 a.m. A first time parent is provided information from a Public Health Nurse regarding new baby care, infant/child growth and development, home safety, parenting and community resources.

9 a.m. A toddler and her parents participate in a class that nurtures growth and development of their family through Early Childhood Family Education.

10 a.m. A volunteer from Courage Center picks up a woman in Winsted and drives to her medical rehabilitation appointment, so that she may lead a healthier, more independent life.

11 a.m. A local family that does not have winter clothes receives warm coats, hats and gloves from Common Cup Ministry.

12 p.m. An elderly woman sits down to a hot meal provided by Lutheran Social Services-Senior Nutrition Program.

1 p.m. A family of four in Glencoe moves into a stable home built by Crow River Habitat for Humanity volunteers.

2 p.m. A representative from MEADA of McLeod County provides drug and alcohol education to a local middle school.

3 p.m. Children arrive at an afterschool program provided by McLeod County 4-H, rather than going home to an empty house.

4 p.m. A ten-year-old boy from a low-income family is able to participate in athletic activities through the Hutchinson Parks, Recreation and Community Education.

5 p.m. A Boy Scout troop gathers to collect debris from a local roadside to help the environment.

6 p.m. A local Girl Scout troop meets to rake leaves for a terminally ill patient.

7 p.m. A man attends a caregiver support group meeting as part of Lutheran Social Services’ respite program.

8 p.m. A small group of parents who have lost a child meet to lend support to each other through Compassionate Friends.

9 p.m. A father attends a Parent Connection meeting for support and help in dealing with parenting issues.

10 p.m. Parents put their children to bed by reading the newest book they received as part of the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program.

11 p.m. A family does not go hungry tonight thanks to the McLeod Emergency Food Shelf.

12 a.m. Civil Air Patrol Cadets return from a search and rescue mission.

1 a.m. A young woman is checking into Safe Avenues to escape an abusive relationship.

2 a.m. The Salvation Army provides emergency assistance and temporary housing for a family who has lost their home to fire.

3 a.m. A young woman calls the McLeod Alliance for Victims of Domestic Violence help line to find information regarding protection orders.

4 a.m. A family is warm in their beds thanks to assistance provided by Heartland Community Action.

5 a.m. A mother in need of formula for her infant daughter calls 2-1-1 for free information and referral services. She is referred to local agency that provides assistance for low income families.

For more information,

http://www.unitedwaymcleodcounty.org/

Possible tax increases planned for all

Staff — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:29:15 +0000

From: Minnesota State Rep. Dean Urdahl, Dist. 18B (R-Grove City)
Small-business owners, who would undoubtedly suffer from Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposed tax increases, were in the House chamber as the governor recently delivered his State of the State Address.
I was pleased to be joined in the House by special guests John and Dee Forbes, who own Heartthrob Exhaust, Inc., of Litchfield.
One component in Dayton’s plan to increase taxes by $3.7 billion includes a business-to-business tax. State officials estimate the governor’s proposed taxes would cost our businesses $1.5 billion in 2015 alone.
This would damage companies like the Forbes’ and put our state at a further disadvantage in the competitive marketplace.
The same day Dayton delivered his speech, a prominent headline on page one of the Pioneer Press read: “Dayton tax plan has a fan – in Wisconsin.” The article indicated a Wisconsin lawmaker sent a letter to Minnesota business owners, urging them to relocate across the border.
Concern from small-business owners all across the state was voiced during a roundtable discussion prior to Dayton’s speech. It was a group of mainly everyday people trying to make a successful living, not exactly the picture Dayton painted in our minds when he focused on making the “rich” pay more in taxes.
Dayton has moved from his “tax the rich” campaign rhetoric to a tax-everyone plan. With Democrats controlling the House and the Senate, the new state budget could include many of the tax increases the governor is proposing.
People championing tax increases continue to say middle-class Minnesotans would not pay more under the governor’s plan. That is simply wrong. We cannot raise state taxes and spending to record levels and expect the “rich” will be the only ones impacted.
It was interesting how, in his State of the State speech, the governor acknowledged policies championed by Republican majorities the last two years are delivering positive results for Minnesota. We have 72,000 more jobs, we dramatically improved our state’s bottom line, and paid back the entire k-12 funding shift from 2011.
Our state’s economy is growing at 3 percent, yet the governor proposes raising taxes by billions to fund state spending growth of 7.6 percent. This would threaten to undo much of the progress he noted in his speech. Making middle-class citizens – and even the poorest Minnesotans – pay more taxes to feed government’s never-ending appetite for spending is the wrong approach.
The positive in all this is, at least, Dayton is offering ideas – even if many are misguided – that will get budget discussions moving.

LP Prairie Days to go forward

Staff — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 19:30:44 +0000

From: Amber Lamp
Lester Prairie
My name is Amber Lamp and I live in Lester Prairie.
I have done some legwork and have many ideas, but I would like to hear what Lester Prairie wants for a festival. Not that every one of them will happen, but it’s a start.
I am willing to head up the event and oversee it. After talking to the city council about the date, we will have Lester Prairie Days the fourth weekend in July (July 26-27).
My goal is to make this a family-friendly event that everyone can take part in.
If you are willing to help, contact me at (952) 693-5859 or e-mail at prairiedays@ymail.com

Heart and flower month has arrived

Staff — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 16:09:24 +0000

From: Lenora Kubasch
Winsted
February is heart month and loves is in the air; or is someone spreading fertilizer? I called it that because I live in town.
Once again, it’s time to quote whoever said it: (unknown)
“Heartbeats stay at normal rate when one beds down with legal mate. But, roosting in another nest may lead to cardiac arrest.“
Happy Valentine’s Day, and hearts and flowers to all.