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Taxpayers League of Minnesota eUpdate
1. The David Strom Show presented by the Minnesota Free Market Institute.
2. The new and improved Taxpayers League of Minnesota website.
3. The real "ugly truth" that you can't believe everything you read.
4. Think your local government is broken? Then do what the EPTA did.
5. Aiming High for Health Care in 2008! Showcasing Patient-Centered Alternatives.
1. The David Strom Show presented by the Minnesota Free Market Institute.
Tune in this Saturday to AM 1280 The Patriot from 9 – 11 am when David will be joined by Grover Norquist and Art Rolnick. Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform (and apparently America’s 24th most influential conservative – which I suppose may be correct, but what kind of idiot puts Bill O’Reilly (82) and Ann Coulter (84) ahead of Clarence Thomas (85)?), will talk about ATRs transparency in government initiative.
Rolnick, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, will join David during the second hour for another installment of micro and macro economics 101.
2. The new and improved Taxpayers League of Minnesota website.
And there’s that Roast thing, too.
For many moons, the Taxpayers League website has been, uh, lacking. But no more. A little duct tape, a few squirts of WD-40 and a fresh coat of paint and voila! Click over, take it for a test drive and let us know what you think. If you think we’re missing something, let us know. Can’t find an old publication, send us an email. There are bound to be a few bugs, and as long as I’m not tied up doing other things, we should be able to fix most problems pretty quickly.
After taking a spin around the grounds at the Lafayette Club yesterday, the 10 year birthday celebration/Mike Wigley Roast is certainly shaping up to be one party you do not want to miss. There are still a few seats available (and if you’re interested in a table sponsorship we’ll just kick out some free-loading staffers). More information for the Sunday, November 18th luau can be found on our website.
3. The real "ugly truth" that you can't believe everything you read.
Perhaps you were watching the local news this week and came across video of Taxpayers League President Phil Krinkie speaking to a group of school board members and administrators. While the entire presentation was about an hour long, the part that seemed to annoy many were Phil’s comments regarding the education of our state’s special needs kids. Space constraints and the threat of a libel suit prevent me from delivering a thorough “he said, she said” dissection of the resulting media coverage, but there is one comment that I do need to make. Phil did not say that we should be warehousing special education kids, but that in effect we already are. See the difference there? But because one guy says we should look at some other options he’s vilified? I understand that the English language can be a challenge for some, but seriously, take two seconds to listen to what is being said before your self righteousness gets the better of you.
To read Phil’s response to John Fitzgerald’s post at MN2020, click over to the new website.
4. Think your local government is broken? Then do what the EPTA did.
And fix it.
Last year, members of the Eden Prairie Taxpayers Alliance (EPTA) – who had previously focused their efforts on keeping local elected officials accountable for the promises they made – decided instead to start at the source and endorse a number of candidates for city council. The job, of course, wasn’t easy. But after watching previous EP administrations spend ever-increasing sums of taxpayer money on “historic preservation” and car allowances, they decided it was time to act. And what of their actions? How about a 2008 property tax increase of $9? That’s right, $9. Apparently focusing government resources on the things that government is supposed to do actually works. Congrats to EPTA members (and really, all EP taxpayers) for doing the heavy “fiscal responsibility” lifting.
5. Aiming High for Health Care in 2008! Showcasing Patient-Centered Alternatives
Next year, 2008, will be a critical year in health care in Minnesota and in the United States. On Thursday, November 15th from 8am – noon at the Minneapolis Hilton join the Citizens’ Council on Health Care and hear national experts share their perspectives and patient-centered, free-market strategies for health care in 2008 – and beyond. The event will be emceed by Jason Lewis and will include presentations by:
Sue Blevins – “Patient Privacy...the Threats, the Opportunities" – president of the Institute for Health Freedom and author of Medicare's Midlife Crisis.
Richard Dolinar, M.D. – “P4P...Who's Really in the Driver's Seat?" – practicing clinical endocrinologist, senior fellow at the Heartland Institute and frequent speaker on the political and economic aspects of health care.
Rep. Tom Emmer – “Your Health Care...Your Freedom" – Deputy Minority Leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and member of the House Health and Human Services Committee.
David Gratzer, MD – “How Capitalism Can Save American Health Care – Canadian physician and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Dr. Gratzer is the author of Code Blue, a book describing the Canadian health care system, and The Cure: How Capitalism Can Save American Health Care.
To register for the event, click here, or if you have any questions call (651) 646-8935.
The Taxpayers League of Minnesota's eUpdate is written by Mark Giga |
