Spacial Peepol

Minnesota Government To Re-open As Gov. Dayton Caves On Tax Increases

Jul. 14 2011 – 9:26 pm

By RICK UNGAR

Leaders of the Minnesota GOP controlled legislature and Democratic Governor Mark Dayton have reached an accord on a budget that will allow Minnesota to close its five billion dollar budget shortfall and re-open the government for business.

It must have been the threat of Minnesota’s bars quickly running out of beer and being unable to buy new supplies without their government issued purchase cards that did the trick.

The agreement, which provides no new tax increases despite Dayton’s campaign promise that he would levy new income taxes as a critical element of solving the state’s budget gap, is being viewed by both sides as a compromise.

The ‘give’ on the Republican side will include some $1.4 billion in new revenues but those revenues will be achieved by delaying payment of $700 million in state aid to public school districts while the remaining half will be raised by selling tobacco payment bonds. The GOP leadership also agreed to back off their effort to cut the state’s workforce by 15% and took a variety of conservative social policy changes off the table.

Of course, these social policy changes had nothing to do with budgetary policy in the first place.

Gov. Dayton agreed to some $3.5 billion in cuts to a number of state programs and, of course, was forced to give up on raising new revenues via state income tax increases.

Republican House Speaker Kurt Zellers appeared with Governor Dayton and GOP Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch to announce the deal.

Said Zellers-

It was about making sure that we get a deal that we can all be disappointed in, but a deal that is done, a budget that was balanced, a state that was back to work.

Dayton added –

Nobody is going to be happy with this, which is the essence of real compromise.

Somehow, I sense that the Republican legislators are considerably happier than they are letting on while it is Gov. Dayton who is coming out on the losing side of this one – along with the people who will suffer the pain of the large cuts to important government safety net programs.

http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/07/14/minnesota-government-to-re-open-as-gov-dayton-caves-on-tax-increases/

 

Mandy: “Hey Renner, we can bring the Screaming Monkeys out of hiding for now, I think they are safe!”

Renner: “Mumphf grrrrr…..”

 

Renner: “Mandy, good news and just in time! This big red ‘thing’ keeps attacking my face!”

 

Renner: “Mumphfum….blubowah….ack!”

And the saga continues…..

Photo credit: http://brewsnotebook.blogspot.com/

 

Shutdown forces Miller-Coors to pull beer from shelves

Posted by: Eric Roper Updated: July 13, 2011 – 10:55 AM

Miller Time in Minnesota is over — until lawmakers reach a budget deal.

The state’s government shutdown, now in its 13th day, will soon force Miller-Coors to pull all of its beer from Minnesota liquor stores, bars and restaurants. A state official says the mass exodus of products like Coors Light, Miller Lite and Blue Moon will begin soon.

“I would suspect within days to see that product leave the shelves,” said Doug Neville, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety.

Miller-Coors must remove the product because they did not renew their brand label registration with the state before the shutdown began, Neville said. By law, brewers must renew those registrations — which show the label on each brand of beer — every three years.

The company tried to renew in mid-June, but the process got delayed when they wrote a check for too much money.

Neville said his agency has asked MIller-Coors to develop a plan to remove the product from shelves and cease their distribution. He added that Anheuser-Busch will face a similar problem if the shutdown extends to October.

The development follows news that hundreds of bars and liquor stores across the state are slowly running out of alcohol because they were unable to renew their state-issued purchase chards. But eliminating Miller-Coors could have a much larger impact, since it would apply to nearly every liquor retailer in the state.

Here is a list of the beers that are affected:

Blue Moon Pale Moon Belgian Style Pale Ale, Coors Banquet, Coors Light, Coors Light 3.2, Foster’s Lager Beer, Foster’s Premium Ale, Grolsch Amber Ale, Grolsch Blonde Lager, Grolsch Light Lager, Grolsch Premium Lager, Hamm’s, Hamm’s Genuine Draft Style, Hamm’s Special Light, Henry Weinhard’s Dark, Henry Weinhard’s Hefeweizen, Henry Weinhard’s Pale Ale, Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve, Icehouse Beer, Keystone Light Beer 3.2, Killians Irish Red 3.2, MGD Light 64, Mickey’s Ice Ale, Mickey’s Malt Liquor, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller High Life 12/16 oz can, Miller High Life Ice, Miller High Life Light 12 oz can, Miller Lite 3.2%, Miller Lite Beer, Milwaukee’s Best #1 , Milwaukee’s Best Ice, Milwaukee’s Best Light #1 3.2, Molson Canadian, Molson Canadian Light, Molson Golden, Molson Ice, Molson XXX, Olde English 800 Malt Liquor, Sparks Light.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/blogs/125490398.html

Mandy: “Taking away a Minnesotan’s Beer…. stooping pretty low!  Hope they don’t start on purple screaming monkeys next.  Maybe Mom renewed my Monkey Ownership license before they closed the state.”

Even more disgusted!

For more Wordless Wednesday please click here!

Despite Government Shutdown in Minnesota, Residents Still Face State Taxes

By Mike Tobin

A bicyclist rides on the road leading out of the closed Fort Snelling historic site Friday, July 1, 2011 in Minneapolis after negotiations over the state budget between Republican lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton broke down and the government shutdown at midnight.

Even though the Minnesota government has shut down, halting all non-essential services, residents still need to get their state taxes paid. However, no one is at work to process the return.

Campers planning to spend the July 4 weekend under the stars have been turned away from state parks. Highway rest stops are closed. Road construction projects are left as obstacles that need to be dodged as you drive through the Land of 10,000 Lakes. State employees are furloughed and uncertain about the future of their paychecks. In short, Minnesotans have all the tax burden and few of the services or security offered by the state.

This as Republicans and Democrats in the capital, St. Paul, failed to meet a deadline Thursday night to agree on a budget that addresses the state’s $5 billion deficit. Therefore, the government shutdown went into effect. The two parties are about $1.5 billion apart on paper but worlds apart ideologically.

Republicans won control of the state Legislature pledging no new taxes. Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton came to power on the promise that he would preserve state services and put the burden on the wealthiest Minnesotans.

As details of their failed negotiations went public, we learned that Dayton had bargained down to raising taxes only on Minnesotans who earn at least $1 million a year. Republicans refused.

“Instead of taxing their friends, they would prefer damaging cuts to health care, K-12 education, state and local public safety, mass traffic and other essential services to the people of Minnesota,” Dayton said.

Minnesota Democrats want to blame Tim Pawlenty, the former governor and current Republican presidential hopeful. They say the structural budget deficit is the result of his reckless spending policies over the previous eight years.

But Pawlenty disagreed.

“If this state government would simply live within the revenues it has available, it wouldn’t have any deficits at all,” he said.

Now, 23,000 state employees are off for an extended holiday weekend with no idea when the holiday will end. They were told to take their plants home if the plants needed to be watered. One state employee carrying home a couple potted plants said, “You never know how long it’s going to be. So, I don’t want my plants to die.”

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/07/01/despite-government-shutdown-in-minnesota-residents-still-face-state-taxes/

 

 

 

I’m disgusted!!!

For more ‘That’s My World Tuesday’ photos please click here!

zzzz….uh HI…

I’m Renner and I like to lay like this:

 

I just don’t know why people think it is silly looking. I find it quite comfortable myself and well….

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz….

 

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This week’s pet blog hop hosted by Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume. If you’d like to participate, please follow the rules and follow your three hosts, add your blog to the Linky and copy and paste the html code into your html editor (found at Life With Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume). Thanks again to our hosts for putting on the hop!

This past holiday weekend we took some time out to visit Stillwater. The day was very hot and humid however, it was enjoyable to take in the sights and do a little antiquing at the same time.

The photos below are typical of what you will see around the main tourist areas of Stillwater on just about any warm, summer weekend here in Minnesota.The only exception being all the rain we have been getting this year has left the rivers and lakes very swollen.  In the photos of the river you will be able to note the flooding if you look for things under water such as stairs, sidewalks, street signs and so on.

It was a very nice 4th of July weekend here in Minnesota…plenty hot and lots of sun. However, today we were awakened by thunderstorms and, as I sit here writing, it is again….raining.  I think the only things that are still actually benefiting by the copious amounts of rain we are continuing to get in this area are the mosquitoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information regarding Stillwater, Minnesota please click here!

 

For more ‘That’s My World Tuesday’ photos please click here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more Wordless Wednesday please click here!

‘Red, White & Roo by Kent Roberts   

                                            

For more Wordless Wednesday photos please click here!

Some rocks from inside the mine.

 

The above-ground facilities at Soudan Underground Mine State Park have  reopened, but the park is unlikely to be able to offer underground tours this summer. Until clean-up, repairs, and thorough safety inspections are completed, the DNR is unable to speculate on future underground tours. In March 2011 there had been a fire down inside the mine. You can see the story here.

The park plans to offer guided tours of the historic buildings above ground this summer. Like the underground tours, the above-ground tours will focus on the contributions of mining to the history and culture of Minnesota’s iron range.

Worn stairs.

Thanks for joining us!

For more Weekend Reflections click here to take you to James’ site!

This ABC Wednesday brings us to the letter ‘Q’. First thing that comes to mind is Quandary for it is not the most commonly used letter of the alphabet. What the heck can I do that starts with ‘Q’?

Quinoa is pronounced Keenwa. This is a Gluten-free product that I didn’t even really know about until I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and had to find new ways to eat whole grains other than wheat, barley, rye and oats. It looked kind of strange, and has a different texture, BUT I was pleasantly surprised once I actually tried it. Now it has become a staple of my household. I just about always have Quinoa around and it can very often be ‘changed out’ with rice.

Looks like this when it is growing.

And like this when I get it at the store. The Quinoa photos are all courtesy of the Quinoa Corporation.

One of my most cherished possessions is my lovely, handmade Greyhound Quilt!

This Quilt was made and given to me by a friend’s mother as a gift while I was running Greyhound Pets Of America – Minnesota. (a retired racing Greyhound rescue/adoption group). I draped it out over my couch for the photo. Toward the top center you can see a greyhound stretching out on a couch and it says ‘Home Stretch’. I drew the picture as a ‘logo’ for the group’s newsletter, which I did each month. We had a contest to ‘name’ the newsletter the second month it came out and one of the group’s volunteers won with the title ‘Home Stretch’. There is actually Quite a bit of me portrayed in this Quilt. (at least I think so) I will always love it and think it is one of the most beautiful gifts ever. 🙂 I will be forever grateful for it.

*As a side note if you click on the link and go to the GPA-MN website you will find a short video on the website that I did titled ‘Camping With Retired Racing Greyhounds’…short and fun was all that was intended….not really an informative clip. And of course a lot of information about Retired Racing Greyhounds.

Today the letter for ABC Wednesday is ‘S’.

Sand…purple Sand.

I got this purple Sand for my grandson to play in on days he Stays with me. It is supposed to be ‘dustless’ and I thought it was pretty cool until we actually ‘played’ with it. Sticks to everything, doesn’t come off easily and has me wishing now that I’d just gotten the plain old fashioned Sand for him. I fully intend to try mixing it first and if that doesn’t work – out it goes and back to Mother Nature’s intended.

Sitting on top of the bucket of Sand is Sidewalk Chalk. Also another fun outside toy. As you can see in the background we even have a little rake you can fill with different colors and walk around making fun designs with.

 

Sitting….. look at the way my little 2 year old Grandson Sits. Long ago are the days I could Sit like that at all, and he does it effortlessly and for long periods of time (well long in toddler terms).

Our Sweet Shasta. Racing name: Mr. Shasta. Status: retired.

This True Colors Thursday we are on the color Gray. You say Grey….I say Gray….  😉

Whatever the case, this is Monty my Gray tabby dilute kitty who is over 20 years old, and still liking the ‘sleeping on my head’ business.

Then I have a Greyhound that is Gray….which is actually called blue colored… who is named Blew….ummmm, I think he still qualifies.  Here is Blew with Ruby cooling off a little in the lake.

Went to an air show this last Sunday and saw a fascinating Gray plane.

This is a photo of the back of a Gray semi…and if you look carefully you will see the reflection of our Allegro RV as we waiting in traffic behind it.

There was a very Gray sky when we were coming back from White Water State Park. Terrible storms were in the area that chased us away from our camping spot earlier than we had planned.

 And a very Gray snowy day, all too common in Minnesota. This is a photo of my back yard during a spring snow storm. Nope the photo is not in black and white…it is just THAT Gray outside.

Last, but certainly not the least…

Grandson in Gray playing on my light Gray tile floor.

   This ABC Wednesday’s letter is ‘R’!

This is Roni, our White and Brindle Retired Racing Greyhound girl. She loves everyone and is so happy she even smiles in her sleep. Her nickname is Roni-Roo.

And Grandgreyhound Ruby!  She is a Red and white Retired Racing Greyhound.

Also Renner who is our white and brindle Retired Racing Greyguy.

 

Rust: This is an old barrel found in a historical water tower in Charles A. Lindberg State Park, MN

Of course I can’t leave out our RV. Here is a view of it from a trail high upon a hill looking down. The little blue car behind it is an HHR and we tow it along with us everywhere we go.

Here are Retired Racing Greyhounds Scooter, Renner, Ruby and Blew Resting outside our RV.

A little hard to see, but the 3 ex-pens with stakes are in place. When we are not hiking with our Greyhounds  and they are not inside the RV, that are contained within a fairly good sized area by our ‘portable’ fencing.

 

Yesterday I posted a photo of Blew that was an earlier photo and Jay mentioned he did not look ‘over 11’. I guess I didn’t think about that when I put it up, I just liked the photo and used it.

Here is a photo of Blew taken just a week ago…he is getting the typical senior ‘graying of the face’, particularly around the muzzle and eyes. If you look back you can compare, interesting to see how age changes coloration of their faces.  In this photo I believe Renner is allowing Blew to use his tail as a chin rest. Considering their bony tails, I’m thinking not all that comfortable. 😉

Also, Monty is doing a little better today I started him on something new so I am hoping it helps him out a little. That was not a up to date photo of Monty either as, sadly, he is getting quite thin.

 

                  Monty – 20 years old.

 

                         Blew – 11.5 years of age.

 

The color for this True Colors Thursday is Turquoise.

Below you can see Scooter’s collar has real Turquoise set into silver mounts.

Here you see Greyhounds Roni and Tyler sleeping on a Turquoise couch in our family room.

A cat with Turquoise eyes

Turquoise paper

A Turquoise toy

The Greyhound laying on a Turquoise rug is Wally.

Each Mother’s Day, for the last several years, we Race for the Cure at the Mall of America and yesterday was no different. Though it always seems to start out in a bit of a hassle, in the end I think we are pretty pleased and happy with ourselves for doing it. Well at least I am, and I am very thankful that my OH, daughter, son-in-law and grandson join in with me in my support for ‘the cure’.  Breast Cancer is an awful disease and has touched just about everyone I know in one way or another.

Part of our ‘team’ getting ready for the walk.

Getting placards in place.

 

I am all set.

Readyyyy….Set…… Go!

 

Though the subject is dead serious, people can still have fun! There is a very upbeat atmosphere for the most part.

 

It is over before you know it and it is photo op time!

Before leaving we always stop by a pond for a few reflective moments which never fails to bring tears to my eyes. It is filled with memories of loved ones lost to this disease.

Though upbeat…..

We do NOT lose sight of why ‘WE WALK’!

Pats on the back to all for a job well done and heading out to meet the rest of the day. We celebrate Mother’s on this day….we celebrate life… we celebrate ourselves!

We live, We love, WE WALK!