Community Solutions Podcast: Recent Episodes
Community Solutions MN
commsolutionsmn.com- Jason and Andrew explain who Community Solutions MN are, what we do... and we can help you. We are expert consultants on non-partisan politics, with a track record for winning local races.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Karine Jean Pierre, Joe Biden's former Press Secretary, just left the Democrat Party. Is this a change of heart? Nope. She just wanted to come to the aid of her former boss and name names in her new book. The media and everyone else turned a blind eye as she lied and gave one poor answer after another. Now they are coming for her. There's been little to no self reflection on the left side of the aisle. Where can they go from here.
The House passed the Big, Beautiful Bill, and it's laying with the Senate. It's not a great bill, but is it an ok first step? There are some Republicans in the Senate that refuse to back it, so will it pass? The Trump tax cuts are in it, but there's not a lot of spending cuts. Some of the DOGE cuts are in it, but not all of them. There's some Green New Deal cuts, but not a lot.
Whay aren't Trump's Executive Orders, like abolishing the Dept of Education being codified into law? Instead, we're looking at raising the debt ceiling which is dangerous in our current economic situation. Who is going to buy our debt if we keep taking on more? We have one shot and had better do the right thing to get the economy moving.
We are also watching a rise in antisemitism once again. The old hatreds are coming back as students are raging on campuses. We are see violence being accepted as Jews are being shot and fire-bombed in the street. There is so much ignorance and it seems to fuel the aggression against Jewish people.
Hamas steals the aid that comes into Gaza, so that they can sell the food on the black market to buy weapons and dig tunnels. Yet, Israel gets all of the blame for the people having nothing. Why does this keep coming back? Why are the Jews always the target of hate? We delve into history looking for answers so that maybe we can begin to discuss some answers.
www.commsolutionsmn.com-The news is starting to come out about how ill Joe Biden was as president. The whole world could see it, even though the media was denying it. Jake Tapper might have released a book now, but where was he while Biden was still in office? We just found out that Joe Biden has prostate cancer and that it has metastacized to the bone. With as bad as it's been, he most likely had cancer for quite a while.
So this begs the question: what did the people around him know and when did he know it? This isn't the first time that this has happened. Just like Jill Biden, Edith Wilson and Eleanor Roosevelt kept their husbands' medical states hidden from Congress... and America. So who was more at fault- the First Lady, his advisors, or was everyone so busy trying to stay in power that they all hid the truth from us?
No one is supposed to wield the President's power except the President of the United States. Who was running our country? We need answers and people need to go to prison. Use the 25th Amendment, if it's warranted, but you can't hide behind a weakened president and use the power for yourself.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- For the most part, our local media is just the worst. Our illustrious governor has been touting our increased graduation rates in the state of Minnesota and our media outlets have been singing his praises as though he is the second coming of Woodrow Wilson. The problem? They haven't done one ounce of research to find out why more people are graduating. It doesn't take much effort to find out that the graduation standards have been lowered. All it takes is a little slight of hand to fool everyone into applauding for a complete illusion.
President Trump has has an historic first 100 days. The Republicans hold the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. They should just have to come in after President Trump and codify his Executive Orders into law. They have passed two things in 100 days, the Laken Riley Act and the continuing resolution. Where is Congress?
They have promised President Trump a big, beautiful bill and it's still stuck in Congress. This bill won't even address Trump's "no taxes on tips" and "no taxes on overtime" campaign promises. There are a couple of bills floating around about the Gulf of America and repealing the Patriot Act, but will they ever get through committee?
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Joe Biden has recently emerged from the shadows to start his public speaking circuit, but it's as apparent as ever that he is not there. He is clearly struggling with dementia or Alzheimer's and Jill is still trotting him out instead of protecting him, all for $300,00. It's a shame and should be viewed as elderly abuse. It's time she love Joe enough to protect him.
AOC and Bernie have been traipsing across the country on their "Fight Oligarchy" tour. The Democrat party is in real trouble because they really have no one that is ready to rise up and take the mantle of the party. There's a good chance it goes even further left and isolates independents and moderate Dems.
Is there any question that the traditional, mainstream media is dead? We know that they consistently side with Democrats, but they leave out stories that are complimentary of President Trump and make sure to report anything that can hurt him, whether true or not. They side with illegal immigrants, to the point of wanting violent gang members and criminals to be returned to the United States. They are silent on Laken Riley and others that are killed in our streets.
Journalists herald the sainthood of every trans person as actual women are being injured and dominated by male athletes that can't make it in the world of men's sports. They aren't covering the slowing in the inflation rate with drops in the price of gas, eggs, and other necessities. CNN has went from respected to a laughing stock. MSNBC is ignored by everyone, except for far leftists. Sometimes the headlines are indistinguishable from the Babylon Bee.
It's just a matter of time, but without a major course correction, the media has written its own obituary, and might as well save us the public display and go fade away into the night. The age of citizen journalism is here.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It was a big week as we lost George Foreman, Kitty Dukakis, and Val Kilmer. The former and the latter gave us so much in the realm of entertainment and it's sad to see them go.
President Trump has been lighting it up this week. He enacted the tariffs, had the stock market tank, over 75 nations rushed to negotiate, and the tariffs are on a 90 day pause. China is now in the spotlight as it is trying to fight back, but doesn't have the financial strength to hold out. We'll see how long it lasts.
Tim Walz took our $18 billion surplus to a projected $6 billion deficit. That is some of the worst financial mismanagement ever. Not one to learn a lesson, Walz just released his budget, and boy, is it a doozy. He also wants to expand the sales tax to some services that currently don't have one (like having your taxes done). He also wants to increase a healthcare surcharge on HMOs. There is also an anti-fraud provision included.
In an effort to "fully fund education" he's cutting funding of some things, like text books, to non-public schools. He's not willing to cut the tax for our seniors on social security. We're one of a handful of states that still do that. Despite the cost for Southwest Rail doubling, it's still full steam ahead.
These omnibus bills need to be done. Why won't the Republicans stand up and stop all of this spending? MN statutes say that bills should be single-issue, but they don't write them that way and the courts won't uphold the law.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- President Trump is finally releasing the JFK files to the world, but we still know nothing about Thomas Matthew Crooks. There was a recent article that hints that FBI is reporting that he may have had an accomplice. The article asserts that there could have been a man on the inside to help Crooks, purposefully reducing President Trump's security, or that the whole thing was a government op. Our election would have been thrown into chaos, had things worked out differently.
Lawfare against President Trump isn't anything new, but the left is doubling down on this tactic to stop the Trump agenda. There are currently over 130 cases that have been filed, and some injunctions from district federal judges (as if they had jurisdiction).
Temporary Protective Status (TPS) was granted to Haitians and Venezuelans to stay in our country for a specific time. The Trump administration is trying to revoke the TPS of these groups, after the former head of the NSA, Alexander Mayorkas, extending the policy. The courts are trying to say that the Kristi Noem and the new administration does not have the right to govern the way they wish.
The AFL/CIO sued the Trump administration to stop the voluntary buyouts of federal employees. Judge George O'Toole sided with the Trump administration, but only because they were not union employees, so they had no standing. This will allow for other lawsuits to be filed.
There were cases to allow a biological female, who identified as a man, to go to a male prison and to keep transgender soldiers in the military.
The Dems are trying to keep criminals that are here illegally from going to Guantanamo Bay or to the new maximum-security prison in El Salvador. There is also a challenge to birthright citizenship, due to the meaning of the 14th amendment.
President Trump also signed an Executive Order that aims to clean up federal elections, including a provision that requires Voter ID and the left is beside itself, filing court cases faster than a rabbit in fox country.
How will all of this work out? Who will emerge victorious? Will congress ever come and make President Trump's changes permanent in law? Where are they already? Let us know how you feel about all this lawfare!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- When Biden was president, the press used to complain that they didn't have any access to the leader of the free world. You'd think that they'd celebrate the openness and transparency of Trump's administration, where he and his various secretaries seem to live in front of the camera. Yet, all they do is lie, cheat, and complain.
The recent clean, continuing resolution to fund the government has passed through congress and been signed by the President. Why was it so hard to get it done? Why were the Democrats so bent on shutting down the government? They have blamed the Republicans on every past threat of a shutdown, but were trying to blame this shutdown on the GOP as well... even though they were the ones pushing the bill to keep it open.
The House of Representative (until now) has been 67 Republicans to 66 Democrats. The Republicans have submitted a number of bills to the House, and have had a majority, but due to MN law, they need 68 votes no matter what, which is more than a simple majority.
The Democrats are beholden to their Queer Caucus. If it doesn't further the goals of this group, per Leigh Finke and Brion Curran, then the DFL is too scared to move forward. Despite its popularity, not one Dem voted to disallow men in women's sports. The DFL is the party of men dominating women.
HF3 and HF23 are anti-fraud bills. One passed that allowed for greater audit capacity, which failed, and greater protection for whistleblowers, which passed.
The bi-annual budget will be a big one to get passed. Who will blink first and give up something big to get the budget through the objections of the other party. It's not looking good for anything to get done this session and that's okay with us. Let us know what you think!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Minnesota is abuzz with the news that Senator Tina Smith will not run for re-election. Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan jumped into the race almost immediately. Tim Walz toyed with the idea, but decided against it. There may be some other Democrats that are itching to jump in, but we'll see if any of them are willing to challenge her. We discuss some names that we think are eyeing the opportunity.
Democrats are in trouble. They held the levers of power enough that they went too far and upset the electorate. Everything swung wildly in the other direction and the Trump administration is moving at breakneck speed to uphold its promises.
It's not just Democrats in the political wilderness. Neocons like Liz Cheney, John Bolton... where do they go? They don't seem to quite fit the Democrats, but they are no longer a fit in the Republican party.
All sorts of unlikely people have flocked to Trump's Republican party, and it's gaining steam across the nation. Are these permanent gains or just a Trump wave? Dems are married to men in women's sports and the Teacher's Unions. They keep going down. Prior shakeups like this have lasted for decades. President Trump has been putting Vice President Vance into situations to set him up to succeed and build a political resume going into 2028.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- President Trump has a mandate and is racing out of the gates to implement the agenda that people elected him for. The Democrats are crying foul from the mountain tops, but it's really their only play. They are protesting in front of federal buildings and in the streets. Meanwhile, President Trump and DOGE have skyrocketing poll numbers.
Senator Tina Smith is choosing not to run for reelection, so candidates are starting to line up, including our Lieutenant Governor, Peggy Flannagan. We'll see who jumps in from each party. It's sure to be a wild one. If the Republicans win they have to go right to work on fixing our voter laws.
Tulsi Gabbard and RFK Jr finally made it through the confirmation process. The Dem's have done everything they can to keep them from going through, but to no avail. Kash Patel is coming through soon. Henceforth all of the leftist demonstrations. Nothing else is working, so they turn to creating chaos.
There has been a lot of talk for a long time to get rid of the Department of Education. DOGE has recommended it and President Trump is seriously considering it. There's a whole bunch of funding already dedicated, so what do we do with it? How do we unravel all of the mandates and the funding?
USAID was the first victim. The amount of fraud and waste in these departments is monumental and the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the left is in full derangement mode. Why do they want to justify fleecing us? We take a stab at pegging a few more departments to get DOGE'd.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's that time where one party's nominations go in front of the Senate, and the other party grandstands without any honesty or self-reflection. The Dems have decided that they are going to obstruct and filibuster every single nominee that comes through committee. There are open spots, and in some cases, they create a national security risk. Instead, the head Democrat stands there with an avocado and makes us confused.
John Augustine of the Legislative Evaluation Assembly returns to the podcast to tell us all about the last legislative session. It was as terrible as terrible can be, but John goes through all of the carnage with us. There were multiple issues in the last session: The Dems rolled right over the Republicans, sometimes not even allowing them to debate a bill (with only a one vote majority). They also (and Republicans do this too) shove as much legislation as they can into one, bloated bill. This is in violation of the MN constitution, but they do it anyway.
Governor Walz has been in office for six years and has vetoed one bill. There have been some awful bills passed. Look at the MN Voters' Rights BIll that gave protected classes the right to seek legal remedies if they feel that election outcomes are disproportionate. They can even go as far as to throw out redistricting changes.
The Educational Supplemental bill pushed anti-bullying (which means it's ok to bully perceived the oppressor class), didn't allow for conscientious objectors of vaccines, and the awful, new, woke Social Studies standards. They tried to keep religious exemptions out of the Human Rights Act.
There were also some clear constitutional violations, but the MN Supreme Court seemed to take up sides with the Dems as we watched the DFL run a candidate that didn't live in his district and poll workers threw out 20 ballots in another Senate District. What's going on in this state.
This podcast is Exhibit A as to why we need to turn over the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches here in Minnesota.
www.commsolutionsmn.com The DFL is still not showing up to the MN Legislature. They violated the MN constitution. They broke MN statutes. Not only are they not legally sworn in, but they continue to refuse to come to work. They MN Supreme Court disregarded the constitution and the law to side with the DFL. Secretary of State, Steve Simon, is also refusing to follow the law and go get the absent lawmakers upon request. The local media has been covering for them. Governor Walz has been silent (no surprise). Will the Republicans hold? We sure hope so.
What's with all of the airplane crashes? Are they operator error or is air traffic control filled with DEI hires that are underqualified for the job? It's no secret that Mayor Pete was awful at his job and that the Department of Transportation is in shambles.
We're not very far into the Trump administration, but the news is fast and furious. He has had four years to plan this moment and he is taking full advantage of the political winds being in his favor.
He ended birthright citizenship, setting off a firestorm around the 14th amendment to the constitution. What does "subject to the jurisdiction of the United States" mean? That is the argument that President Trump's position hangs on. Are children of non-citizens subject to the jurisdiction of the US or their parents' country of origin? This may end up at the Supreme Court.
The president moved to drill like crazy and refill our strategic reserves. He removed all of the green energy mandates that had taken away the ability of oil to compete for a share of the market.
Tom Homan was empowered to go get illegal alien criminals and deport them or send them to Guantanamo Bay. He went to work right away and began to round up criminals.
We are on our way to making America great again, and I don't know if anyone can stop it.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Just when you think that the Democrats can't go any lower... they go and do it. The DFL thought that it would be a good idea to break a bunch of state laws and hold the state hostage, all the while blaming the Republicans for their own bad behavior. We can't say we're surprised, but even this is new territory for them. They rented a room at the MN History Center, hired a retired judge, and took their oath of office a day early. No one knew about it, and only one photo was released. This violates the MN constitution, which dictates that legislators will be sworn in at noon of the first day the legislature convenes, each in their respective chambers. How is this allowed to stand? They broke the law. Then the Secretary of State, Steve Simon, came in to preside over the naming of a Speaker of the House... and illegally adjourned the meeting. There was a tentative power-sharing agreement between the Republicans and Democrats, until it came out that the DFL cheated by allowing a candidate to run that didn't live in his district. They got caught and now are crying and blaming the Republicans for a power grab, even though they are currently short 1 vote because of their cheating. We discuss who might run for governor in 2026, looking at the most prominent and likely candidates. As President Trump takes the oath of office, we review the things that he says that he's going to do. It is a long list, but that's what we can expect this time around. Things are going to move very fast. He's already got the executive orders written and ready to go. He's been working on this for four years, anticipating the moment he is able to put Biden's harmful policies to rest. He will rescind all of Biden's executive orders, close the border, and drill, baby, drill. He will pardon the January 6th people that weren't violent. He will remove many of Biden's Executive Branch regulations. He has every intention of moving quickly, so I believe that we'll see a lot of change very rapidly. What's on your bingo card?
www.commsolutionsmn.com- What is going on with the DFL? They've done gone lost their minds. There are three different seats up for grabs. A State Senator in Minneapolis passed away, and there will be a special election for the seat. The primary is on January 14th, with the special election on January 28th. There was a one-day filing period. Most of the time, there's a couple of weeks. What's the rush? DFL candidate Curtis Johnson (40B - Roseville) won an election, and then was found to not meet the residency requirements. Curtis wasn't not allowed to hold the seat, giving the Republicans a 67-66 temporary edge. In the race down in Shakopee, DFL candidate, Brad Tabke won his race by 14 votes... except that there are 20 ballots missing. Of course the Democrats are all ok with these missing ballots and call any kind of a re-vote as election interference, although when the vote goes against them, every vote must be counted. It's hypocrisy at its worst. Speaking of "the worst", we have seen the mainstream media continue to lie about Donald Trump. George Stephanopolous and ABC settled with Donald Trump for falsely accusing him of being a "rapist" ten times. Did ABC punish old George? Of course not! The corporate bosses have a story to tell, and the truth can't get in the way. CBS has been under fire for cutting content out of an interview with Vice President and then-presidential candidate, Kamala Harris. CBS says that it was done for time, but they were caught posting two answers to the same question. So that caused many to believe that CBS was hiding something on her behalf. What is the solution to a mainstream media in the Democrat's pocket? Are their days of influence behind them? Let us know what you think!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's been another year, and boy, has it been a strange one. A president dropped out of the presidential race, replaced by someone that never one a single vote from Democratic delegates and alternates. Then the former president becomes the president-elect, not done since Grover Cleveland. Unfortunately, the DFL trifecta that has ruined Minnesota for the last two years has one last set of laws taking effect on January 1st, 2025 before the newly-elected Republican House has a chance to put a stop to the madness. The Taylor Swift Bill makes sure that all ticket fees are disclosed on the front end so that there are no surprises. They passed a bill requiring job listings to include salary, benefits, etc... is it a violation of private enterprise or not when it's on a private job listing service? They also infringed on the second amendment with their binary trigger ban. They also banned light bulbs that contain mercury (except where they want to allow them). Lastly there was a renter protection bill to allow tenants to associate against a property without retaliation from the landlord. The DOJ released the Herr Report, not exonerating Biden of wrongdoing, but just saying he was too old to be prosecuted. And he has remained our president? President Trump was shot and shot at on another occasion. We almost could have had a VP Tim Walz. That would have been disastrous. It was definitely weird. The face of the media has changed completely. Networks like CNN, ABC, MSNBC, CBS have all damaged their brand to a level that may never be repaired. Podcasters like Joe Rogan, Charlie Kirk, and Theo Vonn have all changed the conversation so that no one needs the mainstream media. America used to lead the way in the Middle East. We don't necessarily agree with all of our foreign policy there, but the Biden administration completely destroyed the Abraham Accords, providing some peace in the area, and has straddled the fence between Hamas and our allies (Israel). We also carelessly crossed every one of Russia's red lines with Ukraine. Biden's policies have brought us to the doorstep of WWIII. We're glad 2024 is over. 2025 looks to be a wild ride as well, but we think that it's going to be a lot better for all of us.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The pardon is one of the most sweeping and king-like powers that our presidents posess. He just pardoned his son, Hunter, for not just crimes that he's been convicted of, but any crimes that they discover in the future over an eleven-year time period. Is that even legal? Unfortunately, it looks that way.
The evidence is there from the laptop and corroborrating evidence that Hunter's influence peddling with Ukraine and China are even bigger potential charges than tax evasion and lying on a background check. All of that goes away with the waive of a hand.
This is a constitutional power that the president has, and there are no checks on it. Alexander Hamilton wrote about it in Federalist Paper #74, reaffirming this power. Should there be checks on it? Rumors are floating that pardons are coming for the President's brother, Jim, Anthony Fauci, Liz Cheney, Adam Schiff, and others... before there are even any charges, let alone a conviction. This doesn't seem like it should stand, but it will.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We haven't talked about an old friend of the show for a long time, but recent events necessitate the walk down memory lane. We have a long history with one, John Budziszewski (aka Johnny B). We've been immersed in the world of politics for a long time, so we know the laws pretty well. Because he recently crossed the line in professional decorum with us, we put out an independent expenditure piece regarding his race. All this went down pretty late in the race, and we weren't working in the city at all, but decided to put it out, because John has caused trouble on the council for a while, tried to get our friend Jeff Kolb tossed off the West Metro Fire Board for disagreeing with him, and then the issue at the recent council meeting.
John decided to file a complaint against us based on zero evidence and with a complete lack of understanding of the law. The Fair Campaign Practices Act sets a $750 threshold of expenditures and allows for pamphleteering in a campaign. The Supreme Court said that freedom of political speech is a necessary protection against tyranny. But John digs tyranny and censorship, so he filed a complaint to try and censor us to cause a chilling effect. The honorable judge dismissed it within one day. Unfortunately for John, we're not afraid of him. The best disinfectant is sunlight. We will never be quiet. We will not be intimidated. If you do something wrong, we will let the world know about it. So we'll spill all of the dirt here.
Also, President Trump has created a bunch of short videos that lay out his aggressive agenda, calling it Agenda 47. He's bringing in tough candidates to staff his administration; RFK Jr, Tulsi Gabbart, Kash Patel, Elon Musk, Vivek, and others that will root out the deep state and restore our republic.
We all know that he plans on closing the border, finishing the wall, and deporting a huge number of people that illegally crossed our border. That will be a huge part of his agenda.
He wants to restore our place of energy independence, restoring fracking and drilling. He wants to kill the Green New Deal on day one. He wants to keep the US Dollar as the world reserve currency. Election integrity is on President Trump' short list as well. The president-elect wants to rebuild America's great cities into something we can be proud of again.
In this episode, we talk a little education, a little energy, a little border, and lay out Angeda 47 so we can all follow along as President Trump implements his plan.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Well, the election is over and Democrats are freaking out. They don't seem to have any answers as to why they lost the election. Some of the top Dems are already starting to jockey for position. Gavin Newsome, Tim Walz, and Kamala Harris are already being floated for 2028.
The Republicans have the trifecta of the House, Senate, and White House. Will they stay together through the process of confirming his cabinet and passing his agenda? Will Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins play nice or oppose Trump at every turn? They already tanked Matt Gaetz's nomination, and there's pressure to jettison Pete Hegseth, RFK Jr, and Tulsi Gabbert. We have to start holding Republicans accountable that side with the Democrats.
President Biden (in another move of brilliance) has approved the use of medium and long range missiles to be sent into Russia from Ukraine. This crosses a major red line of Russia's, with Putin saying that it is a declaration of war. There is two months lift of Biden's presidency, and this guy is escalating things in Ukraine? What is wrong with this guy?
We were close to nuclear war during the Cuban missile crisis under President Kennedy, but cooler heads prevailed. There are no cool heads here. That is a truly frightening proposition. China is allegedly cutting data communication cables in the Baltic sea. Germany is backing off from supplying missiles to Ukraine, but there's other NATO nations that are working to thwart the incoming President-elect Trump.
We've got Russia vs Ukraine, Israel vs Iran and their proxies, and China keeps eyeing up Taiwan. Things balance on a knife's edge and we're being led by the blind. What lies on the horizon and how do we put a stop to it?
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Well, it happened! The greatest political comeback in history is complete. It was still way too close. President Trump dominated the Electoral College, but those swing states were way too close. Despite that, 90% of all counties got redder. Florida, Texas, and Ohio were all double digit victories.
The hard work begins now as President Trump begins to put his team together. We know that Susie Wiles is his new Chief of Staff. Tulsi Gabbard, RFK Jr, and Vivek Ramamswami will all have jobs. He needs to appoint people that will agree to come into the system he's setting up and help implement it. There will be an uphill battle to finish cleaning out Washington, but if anyone can do it, President Trump can. People like Steve Moore or Larry Kudlow might be good in the Department of the Treasury. Kevin McCarthy could fill a role somewhere... He could bring back some of his former compatriots like Ben Carson and Linda McMahon.
The economy was the driving force. People were so hurt by inflation but there were additional issues, such as the border and foreign policy. There were a lot of winners and losers that came out of this election. Some winners were Texas, the 1st Amendment, diplomacy, capitalism, energy independence, peace, and that's just the beginning. Some of the losers were DEI, mainstream media, digital currency, BRICS, establishment Republicans, and many more. What will a world under the watchful eye of President Trump look like? We let you know how we see it!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We've been in the political consulting business for a long time... and we've got a pretty good record, if we say so ourselves. We know that this is a very exciting and close race for president this year, but please, please, please don't forget about local races. Before you go to vote early, please do your research in order to elect the right people into school boards, city councils, and county boards. The effects of the decisions they make on your life is more impactful than what gets done in Washington. They decide taxation, light rail, development planning, school safety, and so much more. Don't forget about those judial races either. We have to build up a defense close to home just as much as we need to at the federal level.
We take a look at the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives projections, but the presidential race can determine how much of who wins what. The polls are facinating. The Republicans are closing in on many of these razor-thin races, but they're still completely up for grabs. Trump is ahead in most of the polls, but it's only by the thinnest of margins. The momentum, however, is with Trump.
The VP has been changing her strategy, leaving joy in the past and trying to blame Donald Trump for eveything. Despite the shift, we see Trump increasing in not just polls, but the number of early voters. Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and other swing states are reporting high turnout for the Republicans. Polymarket is showing 2:1 odds for Trump to win the election. These are all good signs, but don't count anyone out, because of some hot senate races and some abortion constitutional amendments on the ballot. We're in the home stretch, so we'll just have to wait and see. Let us know your thoughts!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- VP Kamala Harris recently sat down with 60 Minutes. That used to be a huge interview to get... now it's met with a collective "meh". Kamala didn't say anything worth repeating. In fact, CBS was caught red-handed swapping out at least one answer that she bombed for another one. The media is in the bag for Harris, and it's more apparent than ever.
All these people that stood against the system like Howard Stern and Bruce Springsteen are now part of the social elite club. Everything seems staged, in a concerted effort to play favorites with VP Harris and assist in defeating Donald Trump. Those that are trying to defend their place in the social order are all-in to perpetuate the fake environment that keeps the money, power, and favor with a small group of wealthy and well-connected.
At the end of WWI, the US joined the new League of Nations (thanks Woodrow Wilson). After WWII, the world transitioned to the United Nations, and the push for world government was put in motion. You had presidents like Theodore Roosevelt and Wilson that desired our involvement in other nations and Taft, McKinley, and Coolidge that wanted to stay out of foreign affairs. Unfortunately, the former has won out over the latter.
The UN drafted Agenda 21, and had built a rudimentary framework for global government. Agenda 21 got a fresh coat of paint when they released Agenda 2030, but it still lacked the teeth to hold member nations to anything. That is changing with the roll out of the Pact For The Future. A pact like this should be a treaty that needs Senate ratification, but the Biden administration is trying to get the United States to commit to participating as an "Executive Agreement". What the heck is that?
There is a component to censor entities that they deem espouse misinformation, malinformation, and disinformation. They want to implement a global carbon tax to combat "climate change". They want to push gender equity so that men can continue to brutalize women in sports. They want to get rid of all nuclear weapons. They also want to add countries to the Security Council that have traditionally been led by dictators. This is a dangerous pact that will overrule our constitution, but it shouldn't ever exist without going through our Senate. We have to get out of the United Nations now, while there is still time.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We lost a great one this week when Pete Rose (83) passed away. He was banished from baseball for life because he bet on games. What happens now that he's gone? There's a lot of sports legends that were terrible people. Is there really any reason to keep Rose out?
The concensus is that JD Vance gave MN Gov Tim Walz a trouncing. We review the debate and give you our analysis. We all know that Walz has a problem with the truth, and he just couldn't keep up with Vance. The nonverbals showed that Walz was in trouble from the outset. Worse for the governor, Vance was totally on top of his game and showed the world who was ready to lead our nation, if called upon.
Things seem to be moving, despite that the polls are showing a dead heat. Momentum seems to be moving in President Trump's favor. The Veep is playing defense in states she needs and Trump is playing offense in places like Virginia, New York, and New Jersey.
Antisemitism is still on the rise across the world. The nations of the world are not backing Israel, despite the horrors on October 7, 2023. We've always been an ally of the Jewish state, but we seem to be floundering when they need us most. Biden/Harris don't have any answers, but Trump does seem to know what needs to happen.
Add to all of this that President Trump has survived two attempts on his life, exposed the attempts of the Justice Department, the Democrat Party, and the media to destroy him personally, and garnered the support of other freedom-loving countries like Argentina, El Salvodor, and Hungary... and how is this race even close? How do supposed "conservatives" back the Marxist candidate ovder the one that governed conservatively for four years? Is it worth disliking someone's personality to burn the whole nation down? That's the question before all of you now.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The Kamala Harris campaign is confusing. Despite the lack of interviews, the information we are hearing is vague... almost like they are trying to hide what she stands for. The strange appearances by Governor Tim Walz aren't helping either. Conversely, President Trump doesn't let an opportunity to speak to the public go to waste. The media is getting restless at Harris' absence and word salads. How much longer can they keep up the charade before they have to say something of consequense?
What is going on in theFederal Government? Ryan Routh hides at the fence of a golf course that no one knew that President Trump was going to be at? He has no money to his name and has travelled around the world, has a place in Hawaii, and was interviewed by Newsweek and the New York Times for recruiting Afghans to fight in Ukraine? And no one tipped him off when a majority of the deep state absolutely hates him? Maybe, but it's pretty suspect.
I mean, haven't we seen this movie before? Look at what we're learning about JFK's assassination. Look at the deaths of Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan were both shot. A plot against Gerald Ford was foiled. When we have a presidential candidate that is so hated by so many, why isn't there more protection?
We also discuss the vast network of these three-letter governement agencies that are regulating everything. They get around Congress by making these regulations, rather than a law being passed in the legislature. Last time I checked, that's not legally a law. You look at these confidential plans like Operation Northwoods, Operersation Shamrock, and Operation Paperclip, and we find out what these agencies did well after the fact... and there's no accountability.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We just had what looks to be the one and only presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. All of the press claimed victory for the Vice President, but is that really the truth? They went toe to toe on the economy, Afghanistan, January 6th, crime, immigration, and more. Despite the initial reaction from the media, voters didn't quite agree. The former president even had a couple of viral moments and a meme that broke the internet. Who remembers her at all?
Those that could keep an open mind, were able to see that Kamala offered very little in the way of solutions but was full of personal attacks. President Trump was able to create a distinction between he and Harris on important issues. He routinely got the last word. Kamala lied about January 6th, fine people on both sides, suckers and losers, the immigration bill, inflation, abortion, and other topics as well. CNN, afterward said that President Trump lied over 30 times and Harris lied only once. It couldn't have been more laughable.
The moderators definitely chose a side. They "fact checked" President Trump when they wanted to parrot the government line and cut him off when he brought up the bullet that was aimed at his head. They pressed Harris on nothing. Even the mainstream media was critical of the job ABC did.
Will we see another debate? Trump currently says no, despite Kamala saying yes. We'll see what happens... we might not discuss another debate until the VP candidates square off.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We're on the eve of the first (and maybe only) presidential debate. We set it up and give you our predictions, not only on the outcome, but on the press, the process, and what must happen.
Nations around the world wink at having a freedom of speech, but in America, we are the only nation that has it enshrined in our constitution. Unfortunately, we are seeing it eroding in this nation as well. It's still way worse in other countries, but if we're not careful, it's going to come here.
We have seen Europe and Brazil begin to go after speech that they don't like, shutting down important businesses and even wanting those that they believe to speak "hate speech" extradited to that nation to stand trial and be punished.
Even in this nation, speech is being stifled. Social media companies are having to admit that the government is forcing them to censor speech around certain topics that are bad for the Democrats or go against their policies.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The last two election cycles have shown that the polls are consistently wrong. President Trump consistently outperforms the polls, and we believe that this year is no different. We discuss results from the past couple of presidential cycles and what we see happening in the culture with President Trump picking up a lot of non-traditional supporters. The sampling seems to be skewed towards Democrats instead of being equal between Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Why is there little to no analysis of the polls and their internal numbers by the media? Why should we trust them now?
During the 2022 election, the phrase "Tim Walz Lies" was a thing. As we've seen, he's still at it. Both he and his running mate have only sat down for one scripted and heavily edited interview. Where are they? Threre is a debate coming up, but will it even happen?
The team of Harris and Walz are running hard from anyone that wants to ask any questions. They have done a handful of events in front of a teleprompter, and aren't taking any questions from the press. Is this a winning strategy? On the other hand, both President Trump and JD Vance seem to be everywhere, talking to everyone.
We deserve to know about Afghanistan, inflation, immigration, environmental policy, energy, and no one can get to these two and make them lay out their thier positions. Campaign surrogates have released some policy positions, but they don't reflect Kamala's past... they sound like Donald Trump's positions! What are they doing? There's no way that's the truth, it's just politically expedient. We have to take note of what's going on. We can't elect someone that is a compulsive liar as president. We have no idea who they are or what they will really do. That's dangerous.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Things have been blowing by at breakneck speed. Huge news stories, that would normally last weeks in the media, now are here and gone in days.
We take a moment to call out Comcast and professional sports over their latest scam to bilk more money from the fans. At some point, the average fan will be completely priced out and they don't care.
Why is no one talking about the attempt on President Trump's life anymore? This just happened! How do we still not know anything about Thomas Crooks? We knew more about all of the 9/11 hijackers within a week than we know about this guy now. Why has he been scrubbed? Who is holding this information from the public?
We are in unprecedented times. An attempt on the life of a former president and a legit third-world coup to take out the current President of the United States from running for a second term. Then the Democrat elites install a new candidate without a single delegate vote being cast and have the audacity to call it a "bottom-up process". In who's land of make believe?
IT's time that those of us that love our country and the constitution come together (even across political parties) to preserve our republic and our constitution. Join us for this discussion and in our journey for restoration.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Sometimes the news moves faster than we can keep up with. In the time between we cut this, edited it, and posted it, both Lou Dobbs passed away (RIP) and Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race. Despite that, this is still a hard-hitting, explosive podcast.
We all watched in horror as a 20-year old Thomas Crooks tried to change the trajectory of the nation as he tried to end the campaign of President Trump with a single shot. He miraculously turned his head at the right moment, causing the bullet to hit him in the ear, rather than in the head.
After the Secret Service piled on President Trump, up he rises like a phoenix from the ashes with a defiant fist in the air, urging the crowd to fight. On that day, a legend was born. In a sad turnabout, a good man lost his life. The people have had enough and everyday Americans seem set on taking their country back from the radicals.
There were so many Secret Service failures, that it's hard to believe that it was all accidental bungling of an extremely important job... and the head of the department refuses to step down or take any responibility.
Of course the left has decided to give President Trump a day's worth of unity and are now back in rare form. They want to get rid of Biden and have called the attempt on Trump's life "staged" and others have even publicly lamented the shooter's miss. We take a deep dive and give you our expert analysis. Let us know what you think!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We recently witnessed the first (and possibly last) presidential debate of the 2024 election season. It was a massacre. President Biden not only did worse than anyone expected, President Trump handled Biden and the moderators almost perfectly.
Biden stumbled, mumbled, and stared blankly, and with an open mouth, into space. He misquoted numbers. He said he beat Medicare. He said that many women are raped by their in-laws, spouses, and brothers and sisters. What? Then he went on to challenge President Trump on the golf course.
President Trump was in control and articulate. He didn't fall for Biden's taunts. He beat President Biden on the abortion question, bringing up his unpopular position on late-term abortions. He told Biden that "he beat Medicare into the ground".
The press is in panic mode, screaming for Biden to resign after covering for him two weeks ago or pushing some of the most ridiculous narratives to carry water for the President. The factions in the Democratic Party are more clear than ever, as Joe looks like he's (or Jill is making him) dig his heels in and stand his ground.
Looking at the electoral college, however, there's not any good options for the Dems to try and get another candidate on the ballot, especially in some important swing states. Dates are passed or coming up soon.
We're not in uncharted territory, as we recall the Wilson and FDR presidencies, abitious wives, and sick presidents in hiding. Kamala is rumored to be looking for her opportunity, but may not have a clear path to remove the President.
We also make our guesses on Trump's VP pick. Who do you think it is?
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The first presidential debate is drawing nigh. It's looking like President Biden may end up being the nominee, but what about vice president? Kamala Harris remains unpopular and doesn't seem to help Joe Biden's struggling poll numbers at all.
Amy Klobuchar alway outperforms in Minnesota. Why? Why do more Minnesotans vote for her? Why can't Republicans lay a glove on her? She votes along party lines with Joe Biden every time, just as she did with Barack Obama. Will the Republican strategy change with Royce White or are we in for another six years of straight Democrat votes?
Well, we made it through another session of the Minnesota Legislaturere. It was bad, but it could have been a lot worse. Once again, they shoved a whole bunch of stuff into one bill, never mind that bills are supposed to ony be one issue. The Dems cut off debate mid-stream (even as amendments were being added by the Republicans) to pass their swampy omnibus bill. They are willing to break the rules to get their way. That should scare everyone.
They put restrictions on Uber and Lyft drivers. This affected many independent contractors and their businesses. They passed a bill that would study the restructure Met Council leadership from appointed to elected... not that it would change anything anyway.
We did get a few wins. The bonding bill didn't pass. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA bill) didn't pass. Religious exemptions were added back into the Human Rights Act, and Ranked Choice Voting was DOA... for now. Conservatives have to take back either the House or the Senate in order to keep these awful bills away. We are too close to going down and we have to stand.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- What is going on with the Biden campaign? They scheduled their convention so late, that if anything unforseen happens, there will be no Democratic candidate on the ballot in Ohio. Will President Biden make it to the general election? Will Kamala Harris? This campaign is losing and losing bad. Obama can't see all of his work undone for a second time, especially with President coming in and promising to tear down everything these extreme liberals have done to tear down the United States and place it under globalist control.
Speaking of which, the Democrat Party is backing these radical DA's that have caused increases in crime across the nation. The voters overwhelmingly don't like these policies and want the law enforced, yet they continue to vote for whoever the Democrat Party sends them. Why would you keep voting for someone that hams you and refuses to listen?
There has a push since the'50s to tear down masculinity in order to push up women. The feminist movement has done what they can to get people to look down on men, destroy masculine charachteristics, and make men more effeminite. Now, women deserve equal rights with men in all things, but we didn't need to destroy men to do it. It has had diasasterous effects on the family. Fatherlessness is at epidemic levels, and it is at the root of why we live in crazy town today.
Women are moving further to the left, and men are starting to move further to the right. Women want a more conservative man, but the men don't want leftist women. This is a big problem in creating families in our society. The decline of faith in America is at the center of this issue. How do we put this back together? We discuss some ideas.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Gavin Newsome promised to end homelessness in California. Now it's at all-time high. We don't see the problem getting better, but exponentially worse. He's giving them free drugs,
Election polls keep rolling in, and President Trump keeps widening his lead in the swing states. In fact, he is starting to go after Biden in states like Minnesota, New York, and New Jersey. That's not good news if the Biden camp needs to start defending states that lean blue. He's hemmorhaging Hispanics, blacks, and youth voters. Not to mention, it looks like Dems are going to lose the U.S. Senate as well.
It's no secret that our university system is messed up. Our children leave our homes one way to attend these ultra-expensivve Marxist factories and come out rejecting everything we taught them. Is it worth it to send our kids someplace that we know will destroy them? These antisemetic "demonstrations" are only able to hang together because these radical professors have propagandized our children to the point that they don't have the truth from which to make a logical decision.
Jews have been the object of hate for centuries, and we are refusing to speak out on their behalf. We've seen this movie before. UCLA, Columbia University, and even the U of M don't seem to be able to get a handle on these riots... nor do they seem to be trying. Where are the parents? We've got to get a handle on this and fast. The radicals from the sixties went underground and got into all of our systems. We can't go around this mountain again.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- When times get tough, people depend on entertainment to take them away. Today, entertainment is rotten through and through. How are they making us forget our problems, when they are championing our problems? They can't create art that brings people together because they are too busy separating us.
The problem is that we have a two-tiered system, and you're either in or you're out. We see it in our legislature, our judicial system, our entertainment, our educational system... and the elites are choosing who wins. The problem is that when they are done using the group-de-jour, that they will become the next group thrown under the bus.
All of these things are happening, meanwhile the economy is falling apart. We are all suffering. We are being lied to about what is really going on. The mainstream media is no longer in the business of keeping government accountable. They've all been bought off. Where do we turn?
It's not our educational system, as we see the system returning to segregating children and putting race before education. How are we supposed to get qualified employees if the focus is on raising woke children?
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It’s been a while, thanks to a technical meltdown at Comm Solutions HQ. We will not be kept down! We’ve got a couple of back episodes to release, but we’re storming forward.
In this episode, we discuss the passing of Senator Joe Lieberman, and his mark on the future of the Democratic Party. They have drifted so far since the days when senators like Mr Lieberman were welcome in the now super radical party.
Speaking of which, we are losing a ton of farmland to the ultra rich and to the government… and apparently Minnesota is trying to give a bunch of state land “back” to Native Americans. The crazies are definitely running the DFL.
The United States is playing a dangerous game with their support for Israel and/or Hamas/Hezbolla/Houthis/Iran. They are playing both sides and it is going to come back to bite us in the heinie. We went on the record at the time this was recorded to predict that the protests in this country are going to get ugly. Spoiler alert: they have.
Jason went down to the capitol with about 100 pastors that were concerned about the religious exemption being excluded from the gender identity section of the Human Rights Act. The DFL is staying in lock step with each other to disallow any change to that section, despite the explicit protections in the US and MN constitutions. Hear his story on how all that worked out.
We look at gas prices, inflation, crime rates, RFK’s campaign, and many other current issues, and stand in awe of how bad things have gotten and how much worse they are going to get. Buckle in, because we’re in for a wild ride!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The State of the Union address was uneventful, so maybe that was a win for President Biden, although his angry demeanor and use of the weord "illegal" kept him from getting a bump in the polls. This guy is in trouble and Democrats are starting to get nervous. Unfortunately, the Republicans weren't able to capitalize on the response either. That makes us nervous.
The elections are coming faster than we think. Have the ballot issues been fixed? The drop boxes? What steps can conservatives take to close the gap and get more people to the polls?
In the battleground states, President Trump is doing very well. Robert Kennedy Jr is going to get on the ballot in many of these states, which is currently siphoning more votes from President Biden, widening the distance between the two major party candidates.
Democrats always have a huge advantage in early voting. Will Republicans finally embrace it enough to make up those deficits? All the complaining hasn't helped them to bring in enough new votes to swing the results. It's the law of the land, and as long as it is, they need to get really good at it.
We also discuss paper ballots vs machines, same day registration, voter ID, primary party affiliation, and ballot harvesting. All of these things play a role in voter turnout and how accurate the results are. We need to have airtight processes to preserve the integrity of our elections and we can't let up.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Super Tuesday proved a couple things, one that noone in the Republican Party is going to stop President Trump, and two... there's a pretty big contingent of the Democrat electorate that is voting "no preference" or "noncommitted" over President Biden. That's troublesome. Those folks may vote Biden in the end, but if they don't, it could potentially solidify some of the swing states for Trump.
There's been a lot of speculation about President Trump's VP pick. Some people are even openly vying for it. We review some of the names on the list and give you our analysis.
When MN Democrats are in power they attempt to pass their entire agenda, even if half of the state is against whatever they are doing. Take for instance, the new legislative session. The Dems want to enshrine LGBTQ "rights" in sports and to ban the removal of LGBTQ flags in schools. They want to require the usage of "proper" pronouns in HF4394. Rep Leigh Finke is behind most of these fascistic trans bills that are coming to the Legislature.
They also have a bill to update the Human Rights bill from last year that made "gender identity" a protected class in hiring, weddings, etc. They left the religious exemption out of the bill... on purpose. The Democrats won't allow an amendment to afford a religious exemption. The problem? It 's a flagrant violation of the US and the Minnesota constitutions. The hate and vitreol that came from the Democrats as they addressed people of faith was shocking. I thought that they were welcoming? Christians need not apply.
The bill was supposed to be given a hearing at the Senate Judiciary Committee after it passed the House Judiciary Committee. The good news is that they pulled the bill from the agenda the morning of. Our pressure paid off. Keep watching, because it will come back for discussion. We can't let off the gas now. Our religious freedom is at stake.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Now that the 2024 presidential race is set between Trump v Biden, what is the Democrats play? It looks like Trump is ahead in all of the important places for now. What does that mean for the Dems in the House and the Senate? Will Biden even make it to the general election? Is Harris the heir apparent? Is it time for them to look to 2026 legislative elections, and just skip it this year?
The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with the nations of the world to create a set of protocols to future pandemic response. This isn't meant for coordination between nations. This is to give the WHO sweeping powers to declare a worldwide pandemic and control the behaviors of billions of individuals around the world.
This is a war against "disinformation", "misinformation", and "malinformation". This is what the World Economic Forum said was the greatest threat (including climate change) at Davos this year. They've got to shut us up so they can control the narrative. This agreement is an official treaty, which gives it unique authority. This treaty would give them authority over passports, treatments, and alternate remedies. Biden may sign this by May, but it looks like the senate will not give them the 2/3 vote that they would need to pass this, but we need to keep an eye on it and let our elected officials know what we think. There's a bill to push back, but lawmakers need our help.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Another state primary down, and another state primary solidly in the "W"column for President Trump. Nevertheless, Nikky Haley is staying in the race with no path to the nomination. It's certainly her right to do so, but at what point is she helping Joe Biden and the Democrats?
We declare the inauigural "Conspiracy Week", where we discuss our favorites from JFK, to AI, and the crazy things we see happening with the Biden administration.
Lastly, we discuss the previous purpose of NATO and what it has become. It was devised to stop the advance of communism in post war Europe, but after the fall of the U.S.S.R., there was really no need for NATO anymore. Don't worry, outdated government doesn't ever go away, it just gets repurposed. The scope of NATO has expanded, the number of countries have grown, and has us head to head against Russia once again. Are we on the brink of war with Russia? Will Ukraine be admitted?
NATO has a budget that's over $1 trillion annually (largely funded by the U.S.A.). It keeps adding countries (31), having just added Finland and Sweden most likely coming on soon. Are we getting our money's worth? Should we still be involved in it? We have an important discussion as to America's role in this organization that seems to be pushing the world ever closer to another world war.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The Robert Hur report came out, not clearing President Biden of wrongdoing, but rather claiming that he is incompetant to stand trial, so no charges. So if he's too bad off to stand trial, how is he well enough to be the president of the United States? Which is it? Are you comfortable with that? ...or are they trying to expose him to get rid of him? We discuss, but would love to hear what you think.
There has been a ton of discussion around the recent "Border Bill", it's defeat in the House, and the new Senate Foreign Aid Bill... just not in the mainstram news. Speaker Mike Johnson promised that the Border Bill was DOA. There was quite a bit of accusation floating around, that the Republicans were anti-border, but there was no honesty around the details of this bill. There was a small sliver of money going to the border, but half of the money in the bill was going to Ukraine. There's money going to Israel, but also to Gaza. There's money going to our military in these various areas where there are skirmishes.
The bill also didn't close to the border, just directed migrant to ports of entry after so many have crossed... oh, and President Biden can suspend that at any time. What kind of border bill is this anyway? So the Senate figured they'd fix it by taking out all of the border stuff and passing the Foreign Aid Bill with the help of Republicans. You're dead to us.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- This last week, Ilhan Omar made a speech that was smilar to a Donald Trump speech... except that it was about Somalia. It called for a Somalia-first policy, including a secure Somalian border. If the Squad didn't have hypocrisy, it wouldn't have any political strategy at all. Never mind that she took an oath to put our country and our constitution before all others and to defend it against all enemies, she was elected to represent everyone in MNCD5, not just one group within it. Of course no one else's interpretation of the Somali language was accurate and the local news media either ignored it or ran cover for her. The Democrats seem to be ok with it too, as any challengers have been soundly put down. Their own undemocratic primary process is designed to keep people out that the party doesn't want.
We can't keep our own border secure, because there is no political will in the Executive Branch to do it. We've seen people on the terrorist watch list come across. We've seen all kinds of crime in our big cities. Much of it is done by American citizens, but enough is being done by people that have crossed the border illegally that we're hearing about it on a regular basis.
Not to mention, the wide open border is exacerbating child trafficking, drug traffing, labor trafficking, and organ trafficking. The cartels seem to be able to do as they please and the Democratic Party policies seem to facilitate the conditions for these horrific crimes to flourish. You'd think that they would want to stop those things.
What rights do states have to protect themselves from this onslaught? Do counties, cities, or school districts have a right to do the same if their governor won't do the right thing? Join the discussion below! Check out the Community Solutions Podcast on your mobile device's podcast app or click on the button for other options.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Well... It's January, and with that, we have new city council and school board members in select locations. St Paul has set a record. No, not for the most females on an elected body, but for possibly the most juvenile and uninformed public meeting in history. They sat around and cheered that there were no elected men on the council, had a guy run around the room with a bubble machine, and praised Hamas... minus one council woman.
The Iowa caucuses just happened, and President Trump cleaned house. It's early in the process, but things look like he's the one to beat. We give you our expert analysis on Iowa and the contests that lay beyond.
We also address the recent attacks on our free speech. Where does free speech go too far? Misinformation/malinformation on social media? Petitioning our government for grievences? Violent rhetoric? Burning down buildings? The elites and world leaders are pushing to shout down any dissenting voices. People are called conspiracy theorists, just for standing in opposition to the official story and no evidence is needeed.
How do we stand against the Facebooks, CNNs, and the World Economic Forums? Local city councils, county boards, and school boards are also shutting down the voices of residents and parents. We preserve our right to speak by continuing to speak out in our daily lives, no matter what the cost. They can only silence us if we let them.
Check out the Community Solutions Podcast on your mobile device's podcast app or click on the button for other options.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We’re back with season 8, and we’re off to a raging start. We’re going after an issue that seems like a national issue, but it really doesn’t get more local than what’s in your wallet. The Federal Reserve has been talking about issuing a new currency… a progammmable digital-based currency.
This isn’t the first time a new US currency has been implemented. Most times the American consumer got the short end of the stick on the conversion. This new currency will no longer have physical money, but will be completely digital and run through the Federal Reserve system. This will have huge implications for you, because the Fed will be able to track and trace every dollar you earn, invest, and spend.
This currency will be programmable, which means that they can control how you use your money. All they have to do is program the restrictions on your account to allow you buy certain things or not, spend your money somewhere or not, or donate to a certain organization or not. The Chinese are already putting parts of this in place with their social credit system. The World Economic Forum has already lauded China as the gold standard.
President Biden has already tasked the government with designing this currency, creating the programmable technology, and laying uot a plan for implementation. It’s all ready to go, now we’re just waiting for an economic emergency. At some point, things will crash and they will step in with this ready-made solution.
Check out the Community Solutions Podcast on your mobile device’s podcast app or click on the button for other options.
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We have recorded 299 episodes over seven seasons. That's a bunch more than most podcasts. We have stood the test of time, and taught many in Minnesota (and elsewhere) all about the ins and outs of local government. We've done shows on budgets, government handouts, local elections, transit, property taxes, and bike lanes. You can only tear apart so many Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports before it sounds like we're doing the same show over and over.
We're not going anywhere... after all we still face the same old problems. But we're facing a whole lot of new problems as well. We want to make sure that we look at any issue that affects us locally and continue to provide solutions that might actually change the game that's being played. We're looking for people of courage and innovation to stand up against the corruption and growing shadow of autocracy in our world. Join us as we tease what's to come; the future of the Community Solutions Podcast.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's no secret, we hate odd year elections. Very few people come out, and the majority of those are activists, union members, and the uber political. Should 3,500 people decide who makes policy for a city of 50,000? Why don't we just make it easy for people to vote? We hear so much about making it as easy as possible for everyone to have their voice heard, and then so many places have these odd year elections. They are done solely so one side can control the election results. This is the wrong way to go about it.
You will find odd year elections in small cities like Appleton and in big cities like Minneapolis and St Paul. Some races have competition and some are completely uncontested. How do races even go uncontested, let alone an entire slate of races in a single city or school district? There were numerous referendums and sales tax implementations on the ballot, which passed more in the metro than outstate. Minneapolis also has a number of races where candidates are either on the Democratic Socialist ticket and the Socialist Workers' Party ticket. Ilhan Omar hand-picked the new mayor of St Louis Park. Have fun with all that. We have to stop with the odd year elections. They do nothing, but secure the DFL's hold on local elections.
We also discussed the recent death of Matthew Perry and those that went too soon that have left an impact on us. It prompts a discussion on the search for meaning, and I think we may have figured it out.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The war in Israel is front and center on the world stage, and there are a number of things that are starting to surface, that we didn't think that we would ever see again. When Hamas blindsided Israeli families and concertgoers on not only their Sabbath, but also on a huge religious holiday, it proved its cowardice and barbarism. At least everyone is condemning it.
Well... not everyone. We are seeing universities engaging in professor-led protests, where hordes of rabid demonstrators shout slogans that are code language for killing the Jews. This is totally unacceptable on every level. The Democratic Socialists of America have been squarely on the side of Hamas. We've seen the pure hate coming from people like Ilhan Omar and Rashide Tlaib, but the DSA in Minnesota has been hard at work spreading discrimination. This was on full display at the protest they were involved in at Bryant Square in Minneapolis. DSA has Minnesota chapters in the Twin Cities, Duluth, Red River Valley, and they all use the same antisemitic language. It's time to choose a side. Who are you standing with?
We also discuss new speaker of the House, Mike Johnson. Who is he? Will he do anything different than McCarthy? Is there hope for the future yet? Also, MN Rep Dean Phillips (CD3) is officially in the presidential race. Look out, America!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- If we want to change the direction of our government, it takes us getting serious about our local elections. Top-down government never works, but yet we almost completely ignore the offices that are closest to us. The real problem is that we are playing a game that progressives created and wrote the rules to. Almost every city in Minnesota (and really, in the nation) are either a weak mayor/council or manager/council form of government. The progressives created this so that administrators could run the day-to-day operations of the government.
Our government was set up to have separation of powers to limit the strength and function of each branch. We need to have some elected representation to provide oversight of the city employees. That should be the function of the mayor. The mayor should decide the direction of the administration, have veto power, propose a budget, etc. Stong mayors have traditionally had a full-time position, and in smaller cities, that's just not feasible. We lay out a case for a new approach to all local government bodies, starting with the history, methodology, and our ideas for necessary reforms in order to strengthen the local government against the state and federal government, but make it more responsible to the people.
We give our early take on the horrific attack of Hamas upon Israel. We lay out the ten-cent history of the area to give you insight into the events that led up to this war. It's a take you won't get in too many other places. We also discuss our thoughts about how 2024 is shaping up.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Our fantastic legislature passed a 1% increase in the sales tax this year that just took effect. This pushes Minneapolis' sales tax up over 9% and St. Paul is almost at 10%! Of course, the DFL wants to claim that this increase is "for the kids", yet the kids never seem to be any better off. Our taxes keep going up, and it's getting harder to keep up with the increases. Part of this money is set aside for "affordable housing" and the rest is for transportation. They want to build affordable homes, rental units, and provide rental assistance. It's part of the $0.50 tax on deliveries and pegs the gas tax to inflation.
As if that wasn't enough, Golden Valley wants to go over and above that to implement another 1.25% sales tax (along with further bonding) to go toward public buildings because they haven't saved a single red cent. If the sales tax isn't approved by voters, Golden Valley says they will find another way to make you pay it. The cost for these projects is $190 million over 30 years, but inflation will push that number. Just for a comparison, Hudson, WI has a 5.5% sales tax. Pretty sweet, huh?
We also discuss the removal of (former) Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy. There's a lot of ideas going around regarding who should be next. We set the Republicans straight.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We hear all around us about the impending doom that is climate change. A group called C40 Cities in collaboration with Arup advisors have come up with some ambitious climate goals so that we can all save the earth... or something like that. There's a problem, however, that if we do these things, we will have to completely give up our way of life. Their JUMP Campaign demands things that no one wants to do, including the elites that say these things and then will keep doing them after they've forced you to stop. First, they expect that we will eat a largely plant-based diet. Second, that you buy no more than three new pieces of clothes per year. They also want to limit your freedom to travel. Are you sold yet?
Washington DC, New York, San Francisco, Houston, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philidelphia, Portland, Phoenix, Seattle, New Orleans, Miami, Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal have all signed on to implement these standards. Do you like your car? Too bad! Do you like to eat meat? Too bad! Is this really the kind of future you want? You have to say something now. You have to stop voting for anyone that is behind these kinds of policies. Our freedom is on the line. This is not a drill.
We also discuss the assassination of Rev Martin Luther King Jr, and whether James Earl Ray is the sole perpetrator or not. There were signs that he may have been the mastermind and signs that maybe he wasn't. Let us know what you think!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Ramsey County is trying to pass a $842 million budget, and there is no expense spared. It's 750 pages of endless spending to the tune of almost $1 billion. They have huge personnel costs, as they have well over 4,000 employees. There is all sorts of state aid and federal aid, mixed with bonding, to meet the demands that they have laid out.
Ramsey County has hundreds of millions in debt. That's a ton of extra money that its residents are paying just in interest payments. Ramsey County doesn't care. You're just an open wallet to them, and most governing bodies have the same attitude.
We also discuss the $535 million funding gap for Southwest Light Rail. Hennepin County and the Met Council decided to get together for a little "Let's Make A Deal" to cover this endless financial sinkhole.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's no secret, our school districts are struggling with discipline issues. The inmates run the asylum, with schools allowing them to talk back to teachers, be physically violent with teachers, and with grading standards being erased. Parents no longer back the teachers, and the Teacher's Union is the one empowering the students over the teachers. Teachers need to give feedback to their unions and threaten to stop paying dues if they don't start to back them.
That said, Minnesota School Resource Officers (SRO's) are being pulled from schools by the police and sheriff departments because a new law from Walz and the MN Legislature have made it impossible to restrain students, even if they pose a danger to themselves or someone else. For fear of being sued, these departments have pulled their officers. Some conservatives are clamoring for a special session, but do we really believe that will change things? We don't trust any of 'em.
We also remember Bob Barker passing away at the age of 99 by discussing a little game show history.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Just about everyone agrees that the Met Council is way too powerful. They threaten cities with litigation if they don't fall into line. So what glorious ideas are both Republicans and Democrats agreeing upon to fix this problem? Dismantle their authority? Of course not! We're going to elect them! People don't know who their county commissioner or park district representative is, and yet they will make an educated decision regarding their Met Council rep?
Both parties in our legislature are making excuses as to why they can't strip the Met Council of its power over our counties and cities. There is little political will to make significant reforms over just changing the window dressings. The legislature is rushing this through, wanting some elections as early as 2024. Who will be ready to run? Only the people they are already grooming.
We also discuss a recent meeting one of us attended in a room full of lefties regarding John Marty's bill for single payer healthcare in MN. It's interesting how they tried to control the crowd and guide their thought process to accept a single-payer solution. There's just a little bit of pressure. Tune in to see how the other half lives!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
Golden Valley is a mess. In their pursuit for "equity" they are destroying the city. They wrote an equity plan that required all contractors looking to do business in Golden Valley to answer certain equity-related questions. They put equity ahead of fairness and have a plan to ensure things work that way. Equity has become the foremost standard in hiring police officers, which by the way, they are at 50% capacity. Scott Nadeau (a whitey) was the interim police chief, wanted the job, and was passed over for Virgil Green (who is black). Mayor Shep Harris influenced the decision toward Green. Jesse Smith (who was on a city equity-based task force) encouraged people to find dirt on Nadeau and engage in race-based hiring. Are hiring quotas a fair way to grow a workforce?
They acknowledge that Golden Valley is built on stolen Native American land, but don't do a dang thing to give the land back. Put your money where your mouth is. Why aren't they doing anything about it? Because they're not serious about it. They're spouting off empty words so that they sound like they are embracing woke values without having to live by them. Shep isn't running for election, so who will be the face of Golden Valley? They continue to move hard to the left, and the people complain. Yet they keep voting for these results. How about trying something different? These things are coming to your town if you aren't aware. Now is the time to plan a run in 2024. If you have odd year elections, get in now! Don't risk taking one more step backwards.
We also discuss the recent revelations in the Hunter Biden debacle. The news and the documents supporting these claims have been public knowledge for a couple of years, but only now is the discussion being forced into the mainstream of American discourse. What took so long? Why are they finally having to talk about this? We give our opinions on all of this.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Minneapolis Public Schools just approved a $976 million budget. That's almost $1 billion! They cite rising costs and lower enrollment. Shouldn't fewer students equal fewer dollars spent? Maybe they can afford it? Not a chance. The district is running a $42 million deficit. This is absolutely irresponsible. Kim Ellison (yes, of the Keith Ellison "Ellisons") is a major factor here. Minneapolis is spending $27,000 per kid. That's a lot of money. Where is it all going?
Minneapolis is talking about closing schools and has great ideas for those locations... like housing homeless people. They are basing the poor results on COVID lockdowns and the recent teacher's strike. They refuse to discuss poor student performance. The state of Minnesota is threatening to take over the district to right the ship, but we know that won't help stop the madness.
We also discuss the case of John Thompson's kid killing some people with his car. The video was leaked, and the Hennepin County Attorney, Mary Moriarty, is worried about the leak and not the crime. Also adults took to getting naked in front of kids in pride parades this year. No one's getting arrested. Something is seriously wrong with our society.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutions.com- I'm sure that you all heard that there was a huge tax surplus in St Paul. Don't stay up waiting for your check. It ain't coming. So after spending all of the extra money they stole, that should be the end of it... right? Of course not!!! They passed a bonding bill in a non-bonding year with Republican help! Thanks guys!!! Remember, that a bond is a debt instrument, so it's a hidden tax, because you will not only need to pay back the principle on that debt, but the interest too. How do you feel about your tax money being used paying back interest on loans for the rest of the state to get goodies you'll never see or use?
Republicans argued for $200 million more than the DFL originally requested. Some of it was for property acquisition. Sen Karin Housley secured funding for two projects in Stillwater. Forest Lake is getting funding for three projects. Oh, we're just getting started. There is a 38% increase in public spending, which is obscene. When is enough, enough? Didn't get what you wanted? Don't worry, next year is an actual bonding year! Oh, by the way... is education fully-funded yet?
We also discuss our feelings on how the presidential primaries are shaping up. The fix seems to be in on the Democrat side, and the Republican primary seems to be all but decided, but there's some interesting things happening. This should be a fun one to watch. This episode goes out to the late Iron Sheik.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- On their way out of session, the Minnesota Legislature passed an education omnibus bill. As you know, we hate omnibus bills. So much junk passes through in these things, and the Republicans are just as complicit as the Democrats. They could choose to stop this horrible practice with a unified "no" vote, but they refuse. Is education now fully funded? Instead, Republicans and Democrats are falling all over themselves to spend this money to serve their Education MN masters.
Not one word of this deals with academic outcomes, but has a whole lot of bad in it. $74.4 million was set aside for personnel aid and workforce development for student's mental health. $45.2 million was earmarked for school library aid. $37 million of our money was given for "Grow Your Own Teachers" grants. $430 million for a special education teacher pipeline. This is only the tip of the spending iceberg.
Don't forget the conservative policy changes. All schools have to drop their Native American mascots, unless every Minnesota tribe ok's it. Schools have to limit their use of suspension and expulsion. There's also a provision that prohibits schools from participating in the PSEO program if they require a faith statement to be admitted to the school. This is specifically an anti-Christian measure. Crown College and the University of Northwestern are suing the state, because this is purely unconstitutional. Way to legislate conservatively, Republicans.
We also discuss the recent Republican failure on the raising of the debt ceiling. It turned out that there was nothing gained, and the president was still saying that it wasn't good enough and that he'd just do it under the 14th amendment. There's no way that stands up to judicial scrutiny.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Police departments are starting to fly surveillance drones over cities. Don't we have a fourth amendment anymore? Aren't we supposed to be secure in our persons, homes, papers, and effects? How can this be allowed? Yet if we say anything, the same people that marched in the streets and ran for office on the platform of defunding the police call us anti-police. Hello, pot? Meet kettle. But since when hasn't hypocrisy been an artform for these folks. Those who want to hide abortions and sex changes from parents on the grounds of privacy, neglect our privacy when they want some of our info or property.
Over 70 law enforcement agencies in MN are using drones including Minneapolis, Robbinsdale, Bloomington. They are supposed to get a search warrant to fly them, but there are rules to get around that too. Using them for rescue might be one thing, but using them for a threat assessment or to spy on people is unreasonable behavior. In Warren, MN, they are tracking heat seepage from resident's homes. Did you give them permission to do that? They joined forces with other MN and German cities in the Climate Smart Municipalities Partnership. This doesn't seem legal to me, but hey, what does that have to do with it anymore?
We also discuss the official "end" of COVID. The new Congress doesn't seem to be doing enough to fulfil their promise to get to the bottom of the origins on COVID. When they have subpoena power, why isn't there more pressure to get to the bottom of this?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Everyone is talking about 2024 and who will be running for president. Did you know that many places will be having school and municipal elections this year? There's one problem... almost no one votes in odd year elections. Townships can have elections whenever, as can school districts with referendum votes. We currently see totals of 10, 15, 20%, of total registered voters turning out at the polls. That's terrible, and we don't understand why more people don't turn out to have more control over who governs them and how much they pay in taxes.
Why are these elections placed on a year when no one shows up? Because they are easy to control, especially when the Democrats can turn out their unions and special interest groups. Why don't others make more of an effort? Some of these cities also run Ranked Choice Voting to further confuse our elections, muddying the waters so that no one would ever know if there was fraud in the system. We need to have a uniform and simplified election system so that people with poor intent can't manipulate things from the shadows.
We also discuss the media freak out over the Washington Post poll that showed Biden with a 36% approval rating, and losing to both President Trump and Governor DeSantis. The discussion then turns to the many problems we are having with our electoral system. Oh boy.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Our cities are expected to be built the same as each other, using the exact same infrastructure, zoning, and policies. Everything is interconnected and collecting, analyzing, and reporting all different kinds of data. They're pushing electric vehicles, smart meters, and safer streets. They monitor activity and use that to try and drive behavior. They are putting sensors on your garbage cans, taking readings off of your smart meters, and making commercial buildings report their carbon emissions. They try to limit the water you use, the electricity you draw, and how far you travel. This is why there are cameras everywhere, recording everything we do.
They are implementing a smart grid that delivers the right amount of electricity, at the right time, to the right places. Do you want the government or companies that are colluding with government to control if and how much energy you are getting? What about "wearable devices" that monitor and track your personal stats? At what point is this helpful and when does it cross over into being an invasion of privacy? Which cities are already considered "Smart Cities"? Never backing down from a little competition, we unveil the concept of "Brilliant Cities". Send in your ideas!
We also discuss the recent departure of Tucker Carlson from Fox News and what that means for the network going forward.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line just got a huge financial shot in the arm from the Federal government. It is only a 10-mile line, and $240 million alone is coming from the Feds. $120 million a piece have come from Ramsey and Washington counties. That is such a short route, and it stops in so few places. It will serve such a small segment of the population, but that doesn't stop them from building it anyways. All this in a time where more people are staying home for one reason or another.
They are looking to open the Gold Line in 2024, and they want to create bus-only bridges and lanes. You'd think that Republicans might stand up and put a halt to all of this spending and forced redevelopment, but they aren't. They seem to join in with the Democrats and vote to spend, spend, spend. They know it's part of a bigger agenda, but they refuse to stand up for individuals and small businesses that are being bullied by large corporations and government working together. For instance, Rochester is looking to put together a 3-mile BRT line to please Mayo clinic, complete with a 13 acre Transit-Oriented Development site. Southwest Light Rail is 10 years over schedule and double under budget. Metro Transit is cutting routes, because they are so empty. We've got to stop this madness.
We also discuss Wells Fargo's recent plan to consolidate office space. Corporations are entering into a new era where more people are working from home, AI is replacing jobs, and fewer people are working at all. Having all of these big office buildings are no longer tenable for big corporations, so what's next? We discuss.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- There is no end to the amount of money that government is asking from us. The problem is that the costs grow out of control as we implement all of these new green regulations. Thrifty is a word not found in the government dictionary. Stearns County wants a new jail, but it will cost at least $300 million, which is only three times what they originally thought. They want to pay for this jail with a local option sales tax, which hits the poorest people the hardest. And hey... the county may annex some township land and acquire some businesses to boot.
Remember that new Vikings stadium we just bought seven years ago? Well they want another $280 million for maintenance, and $48 million this year alone. They paid $527,500 to have the building assessed. They need the money for weather stripping, a broken sign, and to put into their A/V system.
Cities and counties are writing plans on how to renovate everything, making sure that they can make all of their green updates. They get all sorts of funding from the Federal and state governments, but there are always strings attached. Groups like Drive Electric Minnesota make zoning recommendations to move cities toward zero emissions. How do we get a handle on this and drive back the push to remake America in the image of autocrats?
We also discuss the recent indictment and case against President Donald Trump. Most people, regardless of affiliation, are in agreement that this is political. How is this going to play out? It's throwing a bunch of gasoline on a fire that was already coming to finish the job it already started. All we know is that this is just warming up.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We haven't talked about Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) much on this show, but they make a lot of rules that affects a lot of local cities and businesses. When they mess around with the slot sizes and limits, it can affect the level of businesses at the resorts, bait shops, gas stations, and restaurants. If you can't keep any fish, few people will want to spend time and money on the local economy. Their policies have brought hard times on many localities. Don't people have a right to sustenance, yet you have to be able to afford a license and to hunt whatever it is in season.
Join us for some fishing stories; some great memories and some absolutely frustrating encounters with DNR regulations. Which MN lake had daily regulation changes? Who is in charge of figuring out what you are allowed to fish and hunt for anyways, and how that applies to various lakes and public hunting lands. They are also in charge of hunting with ATVs, biking and in-line skating, camping, horseback riding, fish hatcheries... and they even have something to say about prospecting for gold.
We also wax nostalgic about the early history of video games and our favorites. What are some of yours?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- I'm not sure that anyone can explain how property taxes are figured out, but we're going to give it a shot. You get the county, the city, and the school district, all with their hands in the pie. There are 47-some classifications of properties, despite there being four main classifications (residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural). But as with all things, government makes everything more complicated. Also, your home value is not tied to how much you pay. Your taxes do not move up and down with your home value. They figure out how much money they need, and break it up among property owners based on your property.
Leave it to government to confuse the issue further, with a number of levies for each government body. Schools have operating levies and deferred maintenance levies. Hennepin county has the general levy, but also a Railroad Authority levy and a Housing Authority levy. Why don't they just take the money and split it up afterward? We take a stab at some solutions for a simpler way of figuring out and assessing property taxes. Maybe we're on to something?
We also discuss Tim Walz's strange behavior in rushing to sign an executive order where the state of Minnesota will not assist another state when an adult bring a child into the state for gender-affirming care, even if it's illegal in the state they are coming from or the adult has no legal right to bring the child to Minnesota. They are refusing to get involved, even if the adult is breaking the law (i.e. non-custodial parent or other adult bringing a child without parental consent). Our state government has lost it's ever-lovin' mind, and we're all suffering for it, despite the fact that 49% of the state didn't vote for these clowns.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Property ownership is a bedrock of American society. It has been ingrained in the fabric of our great country since before the beginning. Yet, government has found a way to confiscate our property, despite what the constitution says. Government came up with eminent domain as a way to take that property back. They would just take what they wanted, when they wanted it. Then laws were tightened after the Kelo v New London case at the Supreme Court. This was a terrible decision that set lawmakers to tightening up the laws around eminent domain.
Minnesota statutes state that there are certain situations in which the government can take your land. What does it mean when a property is blighted? What is "public use"? Of course these are defined very vaguely, so that the government still has the greatest opportunity to get what they want. The growing fascism in this country (and the world) has brought government and business together to take from the people, so that we are completely dependent on them. It's time for local governments to take action to further protect property rights by narrowing the scope under when eminent domain is allowed. We've got some ideas on how to start.
We also discuss how the schools are losing touch with all common sense. With the recent blizzard, Robbinsdale schools closed for three days way too early... but the State High School Girls Hockey Tournament went forward as planned that night. Ummmm...? Our schools are in trouble and they don't seem to be getting any better. They are drifting further into propaganda and losing their neighborhood feel. Somebody help?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.communitysolutionsmn.com- I'm sure that you've heard about the 150 car train derailment in East Palestine, OH on February 3rd. The train was full of a number of dangerous chemicals, including vinyl chloride, which was used as a poison in World War I. The Federal government has avoided and ignored this situation up to now. The state of Ohio has finally began to get involved, but there's a lot of questions about the intensity of the testing. President Trump had to go down there with pallets of water and buying everyone burgers to let them know that he sees their trouble and wants to help. The Federal government wouldn't even send FEMA at first.
It is so important that there are sufficient emergency/contingency plans for the various situations that can arise. Local governments need to make them, just like state and Federal governments do. What are city councils and county boards responsible for? How can they make sure that they are prepared to the best of their ability, especially now that we know that state and Federal governments may never show up.
We also give our take on the Chinese spy balloon. Why was it allowed to traverse the entire country? Why were we so quick to shoot down "something else"? Why are Russia and China testing our coastline? Have you even heard about that? We tell you what we think is going on and raise some important questions.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Today we focus on counties. The Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) has an updated legislative agenda, looking to states and the Federal Government for funding and support. Now we all know that money comes in a one-time payment, and because the county scrambles for the free money, they are left having to pay for these things forever after. We see county government taking on Health and Human Services, roads, transportation, housing, law enforcement, and more. It's a huge burden, but some of it is brought on by bigger government and these unfunded programs.
AMC is proposing to lower property taxes by getting more money from the state. Wait, what? That's our money too. They want the state to spend more on equitable housing, regardless of what the market calls for. They also call for a state-wide, multi-modal transportation system. Where is it dense enough to support this? It's one desired hand out after another. There is a whole bunch of lobbying going onto get their hands on your money, and as long as these humongous omnibus bills there's a good chance it'll get funded.
We take some time to discuss the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Jason compares this one to his memories of the 2010 Hatian earthquake.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Golden Valley continues to decimate it's police department. Reports say that they have somewhere between 9-17 officers out of a possible 31 officers to fill the force. The city says that there's no reason to worry. They hired Belcom to do investigative work, as they have no detectives. Golden Valley is relying on the Fire Department for medical calls. They are looking to steal officers away from surrounding cities. They are also looking at lowering the standards to become a Golden Valley officer, as they rely on help from the Sheriff's department.
As if that's not bad enough, Chief Green had to apologize for making a social media post with a thin blue line on it to support the police on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. The Blue Line is getting banned in cities across the United States and Canada. How is that appreciating law enforcement? When the woke crowd comes for an apology you cannot apologize to them. Once you do, they own you. That is the end of your career. They will have you on every other issue.
Well, our legislature is in session, and they are sprinting through passing everything that they want. There are bills in process for absolute ridiculous things like "menstrual equity". Sorry, men don't get periods. That's just stupid. The PRO act passed allowing for abortion up to the moment of birth, abortion in the case of Downs Syndrome or gender selection, and partial birth abortions. The Senate passed the Crown Act, which supposedly prevents discrimination based on natural hair texture and style. They passed drivers' licenses for all (regardless of immigration status), which will complicate our elections. This is the reason why they are doing it. They have finally passed a law to make MN carbon neutral by 2040.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's that time of year again where the World Economic Forum gets together in Davos to plan how they want to bring the world under their public-private cooperation. The largest corporations and elements of world governments get together in the name of saving the world and address top-down solutions to climate change, poverty, racism, and the like in the form of ESG (Economic, Social, and Governance) scores. Corporations and governments form public-private partnerships (PPP's) to force their new dystopia upon the rest of us.
These PPP's are dead-set on making sure that hard core measures are implemented to "combat" climate change. They are discussing everything from major land acquisition, to changing diets from meat to bugs, and implementing social credit scores. How do you fight back against those that have all the power and all the money. It might seem intimidating, but it's absolutely necessary for our survival.
We also discuss the up to $2,600 "rebate" checks that Governor Walz is proposing to send to some Minnesota families. This is how Walz is going to try and placate some of the taxpayers that grossly overpaid into the current surplus. Many of you that are waiting to receive part of your money back will need to keep waiting. We're sorry.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- There is a new group called Minnesota Parents' Alliance that is focused on education, equality, and parents' rights. That has made them public enemy #1 among the left. There are a lot of parents across the country that are starting to stand up. These parents have great reason to stand up when you think about the radical agendas coming out of the schools with critical race theory, gender identity, and other left-wing causes. They speak out at school board meetings, but also back candidates that have run and won races across the state and have a voter guide.
They network with important groups like the Child Protection League, Upper Midwest Law Center, and Moms for Liberty. They talk about what parents can do to get involved, social emotional learning, antiracism, parental rights, and more. They also keep track of some of recent news regarding the schools. This group is a great resource to help understand what's going on in our schools and just what to do about it.
We also discuss MN House File 1, the bill that expands access to abortion, including up to the moment of birth, partial birth amendment and excluding double homicides when a pregnant mom and her baby are killed. If you care about life, you have to get involved now.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn- The St Paul City Council authorized a new permanent committee to be put in charge of researching and Reparations Legislative Advisory Committee. The council also passed a resolution to apologize for Minnesota's part in slavery (we weren't a slave state, by the way). That lets you know exactly where this group is coming from. This group has almost no one that comes from the private sector. It's full of non-profit folks, public employees, and the like. They want cash payments, but are also looking for systemic changes. With this being a permanent committee, you know that they will never have enough, and will always be asking for more.
Slave owners visited Minnesota with their slaves, which apparently makes us complicit in the practice of enslaving other human beings. They continue to complain about the construction of racist I-94 dividing the Rondo neighborhood of St Paul (forget that they keep pushing for light rail to divide neighborhoods up). Minnesota is not the only state to do this. California, again, is leading the way in bad ideas. They are asking for $569 billion total, and $223,200 per person.
We also discuss the recent passing away of Barbara Walters and the gift she left all of us in "The View", and the election for speaker of the House of Representatives. There's a lot more going on here than most of you are hearing.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Here we are wrapping up 2022 and on the precipice of 2023. This is the end of season six, and season seven is on the way in. And after six seasons, things are more out of control than ever. Our job is far from finished.
Brooklyn Center is in some serious trouble. They have thirty-six police officers and are trying to get to forty-nine. They have three out of five detective positions filled. They are working with groups like We Push For Peace and Freedom Fighters to lower crime. There are record-setting numbers of homicides in Hennepin County and they are charging fewer people for the violent crimes they commit. Aggravated assaults have increased from 41 to 91 since 2017. Robbery is up 108%, and carjackings 200%. The city council doesn't seem to have a clue what the crime stats actually are in the city, and the mayor-elect, April Graves did not mention one single thing about public safety on her campaign website. There was a whole lot of woke talk though.
This city is out of control, and they continue to promote even more of the policies that are producing the results that caused them to vote out Mayor Mike Elliot for April Graves. They don't even have a street crimes department. Neither do they know what their police department needs. No wonder they are caught flat-footed. Their municipal liquor store lost $51,000 last year (no. 1 in the state) because of theft and riots. 1,700 people stole from them on the night the Daunte Wright incident happened. They are also trying to get Met Council money to transform their downtown area into an opportunity site without fixing any of the issue that make that city a mess. And guess what? It's full of every lousy woke thing you can think of.
We also discuss the recent DWI arrest of former Hennepin County Commissioner, Mike Opat and his attempt to get out of it by dropping his own name. Being part of the government club, do you think his sentence was a harsh one? I bet you know the answer already.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- In the previous episode we introduced you to a group called Gender Justice. We decided that we needed to do a deep dive. They have been around for about 10 years. They do a lot of work around the trans agenda, gender-based violence, abortion, deportation, and any leftist cause they can wedge in there. They try to convince us that women's athletics are stronger when they include trans athletes. They work with a host of other radical groups that are coming after women and children.
It's all become rather confusing, as they force biological males onto women's sports reams while "standing up " for actual women when it comes to ending the life of unborn children. Our children are getting barraged from every side, whether it is in gender identification or outright extermination. What can we do to try and protect our children from the predators that are stealing their innocence and pushing them into confusion over their identity? We have to take a stand for the next generation before the elite get their claws into them any further.
We also discuss the left's plans to save the world with synthetic foods. That's right, if you've loved the laboratory designed, plant-based "meat" products, like the Impossible Burger, just wait until your meat is made out of mealworms and maggots. Yum!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Hennepin County just passed a measure to force all contractors that work with the County to acknowledge and affirm the gender identities of everyone. This Board Action Request- 220216 was submitted by Commissioner Ierne Fernando. It states that anyone that receives services from the County can do so inclusive of their gender identity. The department threw a Transgender Day of Remembrance with a training by activist group Gender Justice and a party with beat poets and spoken word poetry. Gender Justice is on the front lines, pushing gender and pro-abortion issues in Minnesota.
Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene is pushing an effort for more affordable housing for the homeless. She wants to direct a ton of money ($146 million per year) at homeowner assistance programs, deeply affordable housing, and homeless shelters. The problem is that none of this gets rid of homelessness, but rather is a mere band-aid. They also want to assist in getting legal help for those who are being evicted from their rentals.
We also discuss the prisoner swap between the USA's Brittney Griner and Russia's Viktor Bout, "The Merchant of Death". Sounds like a fair trade, huh? Don't even mention the marine we left behind.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's time once again to do the mess around. We are going to take you to some The Marcy-Holmes neighborhood association in Minneapolis is pushing to rename Marcy Park. I'm sure that no one even knows who William Marcy was, but yet we need to erase our history. Keith Ellison waved his hand, and the Minnesota Department of Education decided that there will be no alternate lunches given (i.e. peanut butter and jelly sandwiches) for students that have outstanding lunch debt. They have called this out as "lunch shaming" because it makes people feel bad to be singled out. A school district in North Dakota is scrapping the Pledge of Allegiance because it's discriminatory and "simply not true". We really are getting dumber by the day.
Golden Hills Elementary School in California is looking into starting an after-school Satan club. Is there no end to the attempt to destroy our kids? No report would be complete without a story from Robbinsdale Public Schools. There have been multiple gun and other safety issues at their schools. The District has stated for the record how serious they are about safety, saying that police will NOW be notified if there is a report of a gun on campus. They didn't call before? The District has known about safety deficiencies in their schools for years, and they have done nothing to fix these issues. Also, Nikole Hannah-Jones (creator of the 1619 Project) is being invited to speak at the U of M, even though her garbage-history curriculum has been debunked.
We also discuss the craziness of the many races that are still not completely tallied, two weeks later. There's no reason to not have these winners declared. Also, there is some talk about the state taking up the legalization of marijuana and sports gambling. We take a look at the possible consequences and how to handle it.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Well, here we are. The Republicans found a way to screw things up again. The Democrats are fully in charge in MN. So what does that mean? What kind of policies can we expect? What can we expect in Southwest Light Rail? Will it get finished? What does that mean for the Blue Line Extension? Minnesota has a large surplus of taxpayer money. What will happen to all that cash? We have a hunch on who might be waiting with their hand out. Will there be any education reform to strengthen graduation standards? Will the right to vote on referendums go away? How will out-state Minnesota fare compared to the Metro? Will drugs be legalized or decriminalized? Will sports betting be legalized? What kind of mandates are going to come rolling down? Will we become an abortion destination, with taxpayers footing the bill? How's crime going to look? There are so many questions, and we try to give you some answers as best as we see 'em. We are entering into a period where we need to be fully aware of what is going around us. We need to get better at knowing how to stand for what we believe and stop playing defense.
We will answer all of these questions and more on this episode of the Community Solutions Podcast!
We also discuss the success of Florida to clean up their voting system, and the continued failure of Arizona to clean up theirs.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- There are a whole bunch of things to consider when you step into the booth to vote. We've heard so many times about how difficult it is to know which local candidates to vote for. It can be easy to cast a vote when a candidate is a Republican or a Democrat. They are a little more publicized. You kind of know where they stand on things. Nonpartisan races don't work like that, and that's a good thing. You have to do a little more work. There are usually a couple ways to vote for local candidates: randomly pick one or skip it altogether. It's common to see fewer votes in these races. These races are too important for that. You've got to do some homework, and we're going to go through our ballots to show how we do it.
There are multiple places to find information on local candidates. Find out if there was a local candidate forum and watch it. You can learn a lot, if the questions are good. Google the candidate names. You can go to view your sample ballot on the Secretary of State's website. Candidate websites are linked to the page before you go to your sample ballot. There's some great info there. You can go to the Secretary of State's Candidate Filings and find some websites linked there too. We'll clue you in to some of the buzzwords the radicals use. We'll even shed some light on the dreaded backside of the ballot. You've got to go in informed. Don't leave local races blank. Don't just fill them in. Local elections really do matter.
We also discuss the latest KSTP poll, among others, and which statewide candidates are in some real trouble. We also make more bold predictions about next Tuesday.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Today we bring you the story of some Minnesota cities that have asked for obscene amounts of taxpayer money to pay for things that they haven't planned for in advance or that nobody wants. There hasn't been so much begging for pork since the 1930's.
Emily Larson, mayor of Duluth, took a taxpayer-funded trip to Washington DC in order to visit with lobbyists, senators, and whomever will listen in order to beg for money for the Arial Lift Bridge ($15 million), the Blatnik Bridge, the RAISE grant ($25 million), and more. It cost the residents of Duluth $932 for airfare and $647 for the hotel bill. At least the city will have room to live under the bridge they are trying to spend money on.
The Twin Cities Boulevard is back in the news. Minneapolis and St Paul are applying for a federal grant to ask for money to begin to move forward with ripping up I-94 through the heart of the Cities to put up a boulevard with stop lights. Who will stand up and stop this before it's too late.
Chisholm hasn't chosen to save money for a new fire station in about 100 years, so they are begging for other's people money to do it. Aurora needs a new water treatment plant, and rather than saving for it over the last seventy years, they want a handout from the federal government.
We also discuss our bold predictions on the upcoming midterm elections and review the Oz/Fetterman debate for Pennsylvania Senate.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutions.com- Everybody in Federal, State, and local government, along with almost all businesses are pushing ESG scores.... you know, Environmental, Social, and Governance scores that business and government are colluding on to control anyone that wants to stand up and do it differently. It's the climate change agenda, like no more combustion engines, retrofitting buildings, and reducing meat consumption. It's the adoption of anti-white, pro-LGTBQ agenda, CRT promoting practices. It is also the rules around these actions that dictate city ordinances, put Equity Coordinators in every organization, and refuse lending to those with bad ESG scores. It's so pervasive, so how do we cut this off at the local level? What power do we have?
We discuss some solutions for cities and counties that will help make them independent, instead of being reliant on the government that is trying to enslave them. This can affect lending and local government aid. Remember that money that comes from Federal and State governments comes with strings, so that they can push their agenda. It is also very important that cities strengthen themselves with a good city charter and a strong mayor. You must speak out! Give us your ideas in the comments!
We also discuss our favorite (and least favorite) states, our thoughts on the upcoming election results, and a conversation Jason got to have with Hennepin County Commissioner, Jeff Lunde concerning the Blue Line Extension .
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsdmn.com- It's that point in many campaigns where public forums are popping up like whack-a-mole. These are important to go to, because you find out a whole lot about who is running for these local seats. We sat down recently to watch the Robbinsdale 281 forum, and heard things that curled our hair. Thing is, it might be more severe, but it's not so different from what's going on in your school district. We have incumbents Steve Sant and Sharon Brooks-Green. The challengers are Jonas Corneya, Aileen White, Kim Holmes, Caroline Long, and a show favorite... ReNae Bowman.
Sam Sant came out of the gates as endorsed by the Robbinsdale Federation of Teachers and the DFL. Brooks-Green said that she was the only candidate that was unanimously appointed by her fellow board members. Caroline Long had to keep reminding us that she was a person of color and referring to historic inequities. By the way, Ms Long was on the negotiation board that removed the seniority requirement for white teachers for lay-offs. The current board sat and defended everything they've done and have whittled it down to "marketing", stating that people just don't know what they offer. The challengers really added nothing new, meaning that you'd better be in love with the district, because it's not getting any better any time soon.
We also discuss Tulsi Gabbard's departure from the Democratic Party, and the elites on both sides that are trying to keep a stranglehold on both parties.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Ever heard of the Minnesota Regional Council of Mayors? Yeah, us neither until we stumbled upon it in our vast research. It was created from the Urban Land Institute. Right now, it includes mayors from St Louis Park, Minnetonka, Burnsville, Lakeville, Edina, Eagan, Woodbury, Duluth, Willmar, and more. They are sponsored by the likes of Target, Comcast, Wells Fargo, and Dorsey. This "new localism" is where all of the groups with money and power get together to tell you how to live.
This group is bringing local government and business together into advisory groups to make policy. This is the textbook definition of fascism, just like the model set by the World Econimic Forum. They tackle topics like mental health, inclusive cities, economics, land use and all of the other things these cities and counties push. Then they take their progressive urban plan and disseminate it into the schools. We see the ESG model being pushed even at the local level to drive certain behaviors and push certain environmental, social, and governmental solutions.
How is the MN Governor's race shaping up? We give you our in-depth analysis. We also discuss the passing of Loretta Lynn and her mark on country music.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutions.com- There seems to be a growing trend for political parties to get involved in and endorse local, nonpartisan candidates. These races were never meant to be politicized in that way. Dark money is flooding into certain races to elect people that are going to hold to a certain set of principles, such as criminal justice reform (i.e. getting rid of cash bail) or pushing the trans agenda in the schools.
Hennepin County Attorney candidate, Mary Moriarty, is a former public defender (which is troubling for someone that wants to be the top prosecutor), and her website is full of DFL endorsements. Then there's all of the out-of-state and special interest money that comes in to sway these local elections. That's not a crime. In fact, we'd never want to see someone stripped of their first amendment rights in supporting the candidate of their choice, but we're not sure if it's working to have these PACs donating millions and hiding their donors. Join in the conversation and tell us what you think.
We also discuss the recent passing of Mary Kay LeTourneau and why certain crimes and criminals are given tacit approval for some and not for others, and the state of the MN governor's race.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Once again, we in Minnesota complain about our leadership in our state, counties, cities, and school districts. Yet, few people ever step in to try and run for office. All across the state there are local offices that go uncontested... and some don't even have a single candidate! We don't understand how people can say they care so much, and complain about their government, yet never do anything to change it. County Commissioner races, Sheriff races, County Attorney races, and Soil and Water Conservation Manager races are all going uncontested, and in some counties, there's not a single challenger in any of their county-level races! There is not a single county that does not have at least one uncontested race.
If we are going to stop the advance of progressivism in our state, we have to run people for all of these offices. There are more than enough like-minded people across the state to change the political make-up of Minnesota. We just ned to realize it and do something about it.
We also discuss the passing of Queen Elizabeth and our feelings on the monarchy and its future.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The State of MN Department of Education is trying to pass new teacher licensing requirements. They are requiring teachers to assent to certain Marxist philosophies and agree to teach them to their students or they will no longer be able to teach in a public or private school. This crowds out every single teacher that disagrees with these philosophies. Educators will need to "demonstrate ideologically-driven content in their coursework" in order to get licensed to teach. This includes CRT, LGBTQ+ agenda, gender identification, Comprehensive Sexual Education, and other controversial topics.
They not only have to teach kids that they are either victims or oppressors, based on their level of intersectionality, but teachers have to examine and account for their own biases, as well. It supposes that we are racists, homophobes, and transphobes before we ever get a chance. Guilty until proven innocent, that is the new norm here in America. We have to make our voice heard now.
We also discuss Governor Walzie-Walz's recent Esme Murphy interview at the State Fair. He claimed students only missed ten days of in-class learning over the COVID pandemic. Uhhh... false. Of course they tried to spin it later, but that's a pretty ridiculous claim. Who's paying attention? And why doesn't anyone seem to represent the average person? Warning: rants a-plenty.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers recently agreed to a stipulation in their contract that white teachers will get laid off before educators of other races. Wow, racist much? They say that minority teachers can never make it because all the white teachers have seniority. This is a clear case study in antiracism. Remember, antiracism isn't being against racism, it's using discrimination against a so-called group of "oppressors" to level the playing field for an identified group of "victims". The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers says that they are "extremely proud" of the language in the contracts. They say racist things like students learn best from teachers who look like them. What? So white teachers are incapable of teaching BIPOC students? It gets better... they go on to say that white student benefit from teachers of color. I guess white teachers are no longer needed. White people must pay for their racist sins. How do you like your antiracism now?
Will this bleed into other sectors of public employment? Government administration? Police? What about in the private sector? ESG scores are already driving this in corporate boards and upper leadership. It only makes sense that we'll see it in the lower ranks as well. It's amazing to see the media slant to laud this policy and demonize anyone that speaks out against it.
We also discuss the recent attempt of the Executive Branch to erase student debt. Why is that our issue? Why is college so expensive? What can we do to change the culture around higher education? We try to tackle the problems and the solutions.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn-
President Biden has been threatening to sign an emergency climate order. Every president since 1976 has signed at least 2 emergency orders and over 30 are still in effect. But is President Biden following the science? There are so many problems in America right now, and they ignore everything they can see with their own eyes, for something they can't prove. Who is benefitting from this? Nations are falling all over themselves to fall into line. He is looking at five actions that we know of: 1) Halting crude oil exports, 2) Suspend offshore oil and gas drilling, 3) Restrict international trade in fossil fuels, 4) Order the construction of renewable systems in climate vulnerable communities, and 5) Leveraging the Defense Production Act. Those are some sweeping powers that don't the Executive Branch just don't have. This is a top-down abuse of power.
Then to nail us from the bottom-up, there are special groups like C40 Cities that recruit cities around the world to join their little club and then cut their energy usage in half. A number of large American cities belong to this group, and they are accepting policies from international groups like C40, ICLEI, and the World Economic Forum. If we are getting it from both ends, where can we go to have our voice heard and our views represented? Is an emergency warranted? Is our freedom worth letting the government dictate how we deal with the climate? Short answer is "no", but how do we deal with it?
We also take a look at the recent MN Primaries. There are a lot of third party candidates that will be on the ballot, so Andrew gives them some pointers on how to win.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Homelessness is at epidemic proportions. There are so many thoughts on how to handle it, and when government gets involved, bad ideas abound. How many stories have we seen where homeless encampments have grown in size and number, drugged out people are littering our streets with used needles, feces, and trash. Kids are having to walk right by these encampments on the way to school and back. How is that safe?
The League of MN Cities is pushing for a bill in the MN House (HR 4225) that would hinder cities in removing these encampments and force them to store their personal effects. Even in Minneapolis, residents are becoming frustrated with the growing camps. It's not all about the filth either. There have been an increased number of break-ins. Rep Rena Moran (DFL) is pushing for a bill that will make it harder to evict tenants who don't pay and harder for landlords to find out about those past evictions. California is leading the pack (of course) to make special stipulations for trans, gay, and BIPOC people regarding prostitution laws, because they are (wait for it)... racist. These kinds of policies are also causing residents and business to leave Duluth en masse. What is the best (and most humane) way to tackle this problem?
We also take a little time to discuss Vince McMahon stepping down as the Chairman of WWE, his contributions, and how wresting lost it's edge.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
The City of Morris, MN has passed a measure to disband their police department. They shout to the hills that they support their police, and then held closed door meetings to discuss the handling of the situation by the City Manager, Blaine Hill. How transparent of them. What happened? Why the secret meetings? 29 days after their reassurances that the police would not be going away, these police supporters on the council dismantled the city's force.
Mayor Sheldon Giese cites a lack of ability to hire enough staff to keep the department, but we doubt that it's that people just refuse to work there. Many police are looking for jobs outside of the Metro. This looks a whole lot more like poor planning. Morris is a college town. It's not a small town. There are things going on. Can the Sheriff's office handle the increased workload? Is this going to be a trend in outstate Minnesota, and is this a back door way to get rid of the police in police-friendly areas?
We also discuss the illusion of inflation versus the Consumer Price Index and this "great job market" and what is really causing the overabundance of available jobs. Minnesota touts 1.8% unemployment, but as with all things government, that number is manufactured... just like how inflation is calculated. Newsflash: none of this is going to get better soon.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's hard to believe what we see going on in front of our eyes. Cities do some stupid things. No, I mean, they do some stupid things. I mean, it's more about image than justice. It's more about looking woke than actually doing right by all of the residents that they serve. Take (for instance) the city of Brooklyn Center, who agreed to pay $3.25 Million to the family of Daunte Wright, but they didn't want to hurt the taxpayers. What? Who do you think paid for that?
We've also found stories about cities putting more power into the hands of unelected employees. Others are predetermining what kinds of housing they want instead of letting the market decide. New Hope accrued $11 Million in assets, while leaving over 90% of their debt unpaid. That seems out of balance. We also take a look at the radicals running in Robbinsdale and looking to tip it into absolute lunacy and failure.
We also recount our reaction to the recent overturn of Roe v Wade and discuss the coming implications, state-to-state differences, and what (if anything) should be handled federally. We also conjecture a bit on what will happen in Minnesota abortion law over the next year or two.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com-
Just about every city has a set of zoning laws. Things are broken up into residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural... and even with Residential you have low density (R1), medium density (R2), and high density (R3). It is becoming racist and exclusionary to build single family homes. Cities are jumping on this bandwagon with square footage minimums and maximums. At the same time cities are decrying "white people" for home ownership, they tear down starter homes to build McMansions because of the tax implications.
The League of MN Cities is advocating (with 96 other cities) for a resolution that allows cities to override state ordinances to stand for the needs of their communities in zoning. The problem is that it has no teeth and accomplishes nothing. In House File 3256 (“Legalizing Affordable Housing Act”), it destroys local zoning laws from the top down. The move is to create smaller lots to fit in more homes, as these cities try to drive a desired behavior. Why does government have to dictate everything?
We also discuss all the talk about gun control in America, and if we are holding other countries to the same standard for the weapons we send overseas to other countries. We also try to figure out why Republicans are going along with some of it. It's no secret that these "Red Flag Laws" are an open door to find a reason to take away someone's 2nd Amendment rights. Is anyone on the side of liberty anymore?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
Hennepin County and the Met Council are in agreement that the Blue Line Extension light rail will go right up the gut of County Rd 81, but who else is in agreement? This story goes back decades to the Bottineau Boulevard Partnership, where all the cities on the line, Hennepin County, Target Corp, Olympus, North Memorial Hospital, and others all had a special club to get this project approved and built. One huge catch... the residents don't want it. It doesn't matter how much the people protest it, government knows better. They will push this through by hook or by crook (probably by crook).
This has been a debacle since the beginning. The county spent millions of dollars to do impact studies, plan the project, and begin selling it to the public. They never talked to the BNSF railroad who was not willing to sell their line (ruh-roh). Maybe that should have come first. Needless to say, even that isn't enough to stop these knuckleheads. Oh no, because it is racist to not have light rail to connect affordable housing to work, never mind that most people don't live of work near a light rail line. It's time to give you an update on this dumpster fire of a project.
We also talk some of the recent primaries that have captured our attention and Governor Walz's veto record.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Why does every city seem to be in competition for the latest and the greatest amenities? City councils seem to clamor for pools, golf courses, walking trails, community centers, and hockey rinks. Do they really help bring people to your city? Residents shell out millions of dollars and often their cities go into major debt to get the latest and greatest attractions for their current and prospective residents.
Do people really move to a city because of a community center, or is it an excuse not to take care of larger problems like lousy schools, increased crime rates, or high taxes? Golden Valley payed $18 million for a new community center, and touted that they were cutting costs because they wanted to spend twice as much. This is how government works, folks. Carlsbad, CA built a $70 million golf course, where most municipal golf courses cost in between $10-$25 million.
Also, we try to guess whether there are any unbreakable records anymore. How long will they last? No, we're not talking about Nancy Pelosi's consecutive congress terms.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Our public education system is in shambles. Most people would go find another solution, but they have worked hand in hand with government to shut out every other option. So while there are other types of schools, the rewards to attend public schools make the hurdles to try other forms way too high. We see graduation rates lowered. Electives are being removed, and it hurts students from finding their way into trades they might enjoy. Kids spend less time in school today than ever before. Public school is rife with social-emotional learning, Critical Theory, Comprehensive sex education, and all sorts of things that have nothing to do with preparation for life.
School choice may be one of the biggest issues for the next few years. Parents have to be able to choose to put their kids in a public, private, charter, or home school. They have to be free to find programs that fit their kids interests and abilities. As long as government and teacher's unions have a stranglehold on the way our kids get educated, then we are never going to see an incentive to change the direction that big education is headed in. There's got to be a much better way of doing this. Send us your ideas!
We also discuss an article on Yahoo News that accuses Fox News for bolstering the Russian war on Ukraine. They claim reasons like talking about the border and criticizing President Biden. There’s so much disinformation floating around. Who’s propaganda is closest to the truth? There’s a fight for a reassigning of the current world power structure, and the good ol’ U.S. of A. is not trying to stay on top. …and Jason goes on another rant about today’s popular music. You will get off his lawn.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- I know that we'd like to think that our local elected officials are geniuses that know exactly what to do to move your city into the future. What if I told you, however, that these ideas actually come from groups like the League of MN Cities, The National League of Cities, The American Planning Association, etc. The cities do this, but so do the counties, school boards, soil and water conservation districts, etc... Your local government loves to act like they have done this all on their own, but they are really following a bigger plan being handed down to them by bigger organizations.
These ideas are in every city, no matter its size, or how rural or urban. It's why we see bike lanes in small towns, roundabouts in the middle of nowhere, and high-rise apartment buildings in every city that will have them. They hire racial equity coordinators to "keep the peace", even in communities that are almost completely one race, and there's no known racial issues to confront. We also have found a city with over 140 roundabouts! Conservative local politicians have to stop implementing the liberal ideas of their liberal staff. Start looking at these policies against the backdrop of your values.
We take a short trip down memory lane on episode 250. Also, we discuss a prediction Jason made a long time ago that came to fruition regarding a certain candidate in the special election down in CD1.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- How do you know if your city is being responsible with it's finances? There are so many different ways for a city to raise money: property taxes, fees, municipal bonds, municipal businesses, fines, special assessments, etc. They spend money for capital costs and operational costs. Most of us go to look at the annual budget to find all of this information. The problem is this: much of that information isn't in the budget. Some of it is, and some of it is in the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. How do we know the difference? Where do we find what we're looking for? Today we do a deep dive on government finance and the , oh-how-many-ways they can take your money.
It's important to understand how county, city, and school debt is calculated, why it's more expensive to borrow, and how to find the true amount you are on the hook for. Bond interest is just one kind of tax that we like to call "hidden taxes", because its not out front on your property tax statement, yet the government says, "hey, we only raised your taxes 3%, but then take a ton of money through other means, without you realizing it as a tax increase. Local government taxation and reporting are complicated issues, and no one breaks it down for you the way we do!
Important public service announcement (just because we're stand up guys), Metro Transit will no longer run Northstar Rail trips to and from Twins games. They cite a lack of funding, but as we've said before, light rail just isn't popular.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Most of us believe that cities, counties, and towns should be able to self-determine, but there are a lot of state statutes that put limits on what these governments are willing to do. Some Minnesota cities choose to be statutory cities that are heavily determined by the state legislature, although some cities choose to be home rule charter cities, where they can create many of their own rules. Where is that line where a state legislature can intervene into the way a city is run? How much local control is appropriate? Minnesota is toying with legislation to force cities into storing the property of homeless people from encampments that get shut down for 30 days.
It may seem like an easy answer (most control should be local), but what kind of a case can we make for it? It might seem easy on the way government is organized and the ordinances by which they run the city... but what about how they vote? What about how many ways should local government be able to tax you? What about cities that want to defund or dismantle police? What about if there is an effect on surrounding cities because of your decisions... then what is your responsibility? Let us know your thoughts on these issues!
We also discuss the recent appointment of Justice Katanji Brown-Jackson to the Supreme Court. How can someone that can't tell the difference between genders be qualified to rule on anything? Yet, here we go. Just wait for these amazing rulings to be handed down.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Governor Walz wants Minnesota to be 100% carbon-free by the year 2040. It doesn't matter how many solar and wind farms you build, the technology is just not there to sustain our energy supply. Xcel Energy is claiming that it will close it's coal-fired power plant in Becker by 2030, and for the activists, that's still not good enough. Many cities have built in an 80% reduction by 2050 into their Climate Action Plans... but these cities need to do better. Buildings need to be retrofitted, alternative energy needs to be implemented, and you need to comply.
All over the place, we see that the schools are turning their students into activists, and then sending them to their city councils to get them on board to go net zero. Why are council members listening to high school students as their science "experts"? That's ridiculous! The very essence of the word "student", is that they are still studying. Of course climate change is based in racial justice too. Despite the impending failure this kind of legislation is, Governor Walz is not ready to give up the ship.
Oh, and it's history lesson week... uff da. Although, it also takes a turn for a lively discussion on the current push to switch over to a digital currency. This isn't the first time we've changed our currency either.
Also, YouTube removed one of our podcast episodes. You'll have to listen to find out which one... and it's hilarious. Good news, you can still find it here.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Just when you think that we've talked about the stupidest thing on the face of the planet, we blow even our own expectations. I-94 is going to need some major repairs to bring it into the future, but Our Streets Minneapolis and MNDOT have a great idea. We need to rip out I-94 completely and replace it with the Twin Cities Boulevard. What? So we're going to take one of the busiest corridors in all of the city, with hospitals, sports stadiums, and two major downtown business centers, and just remove the freeway that moves most of those vehicles from point "A" to point "B". They would like to have a boulevard with stop lights instead, and push all the traffic to 694 and 494.
The MN Department of Transportation (MNDOT) has had their "Rethinking I-94" in the works for years. They are working with groups like Our Streets Minneapolis to develop alternatives to I-94, so that communities can be reconnected. There isn't anyone around that remembers when I-94 was built, and is clamoring for a simpler day. It's just not true. The activists say that highways are racist. What isn't nowadays? It's not just in the Twin Cities either... Duluth wants to remove part of I-35 too. The manipulation is off the charts and it's obscene. Take the survey on MNDOT's website and make your voice heard now. Soon, it will be too far down the line to stop.
Also, the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers is pushing for a 20% pay increase, plus a whole host of other unreasonable demands. They actually have the gall to claim that it's for the kids. It's time to get your kids out of that district while there is still time.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn- The MN State Legislature is moving on a new public safety bill. Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan are on tour around the state to tout their new bill; The Plan to Protect Minnesotans Health And Safety. It includes the following ideas: investing in community organizations, police reforms, a state-wide violent crime initiative, and that every Minnesotan deserves healthcare, a place to call home, breathable air, and drinkable water. How's that for an over-bloated bill? Even the Republicans are proposing their own $65 Million COPS program. Thanks for standing up for fiscal responsibility, guys.
Here's the reality, when these people talk about stopping violent crime, they really mean setting other criminals free to commit other crimes. You have to look at what they are not saying here. They are using code language to tell you their values by omission. This is a $300 million grant program going to organizations that promote probation, youth services, truancy programs, elder abuse prevention, neighborhood watches, resident engagement, and community-driven intervention and prevention strategies. What does any of that mean? They also want a more diverse police force. It also seeks to start a "Green Bank" to fight climate change. All of this "free" money will be flowing in to our counties, cities, and townships, creating unfunded mandates that you'll have to fund forever.
We also discuss our take on the State of the Union, the war in Ukraine, the factions of fascism, and the the play for world domination. Sounds like another award-winning podcast!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Our public schools have become evangelists for the equity doctrine. It's not good enough to have equal opportunities, because you have to have equal outcomes. Our school districts are spending tens and hundreds of thousands of your tax dollars on hiring Equity Consultants like Equity Alliance MN. They come in to do an "equity audit", to show you just how racist your school is. There's good news though, after they find out how racist your district is, they just happen to have the solution too. Problem... reaction... solution. These groups get tons of money from groups like the Bush Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, and the St Paul Foundation. Why do they need so much of your tax money, when the foundations are funding them? We share one of their parent surveys with you right on the air to show you how they use these questions to make a case to sell their own solutions to the school district.
We also give our take on the early stages of the Ukrainian/Russian war. Don't worry, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are on the case! We're all doomed.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Southwest Light Rail is back in the news. This is a project that just will not die. It's way over time and over budget, but that doesn't stop our unaccountable Met Council from pushing it forward. $2.7 billion is the new projected cost for the project, and there is no consideration for the inflation we've all incurred (or that inflation is nowhere near its peak). Now they want an independent audit to decide if all the cash has been spent wisely. We don't need an audit to say that there's tons of waste, but they will never ask the question "if" this should still be done at all. This project has been bungled from the Met Council, to the Legislature, Hennepin County, and down to the local governments. People like Rep Ryan Winkler acknowledge how expensive it's already been, but used that as an excuse as to why it has to be finished. Sen Melissa Franzen says that we must protect their investment by finishing the project. That doesn't even make sense! Protect the money by spending more money? Governor Walz wants the audit, but has more money set aside for Southwest in his budget. Our government is dead set on making this unsustainable boondoggle a reality, no matter the harm it causes the everyday resident. I guess that it's more important to look fashionable than to do your job to protect the people.
We also take a look at the new redistricting plans that were released by the state. It's not all bad?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Today, we bring friend of the show, John Augustine, on the podcast from the Legislative Evaluation Assembly of Minnesota. He goes over their 2021 Legislative Report, which highlights a number of bills and ratings of some legislators in holding to true conservative principles. They bestowed recognition upon a number of Honorees: Steve Drazkowski, Steve Green, Matt Grossell, Eric Lucero, Shane Mekeland, Erik Mortensen, and Jeremy Munson. We discuss the state of lawmaking at the capitol, and why we are in dire need of change.
Too many laws are passed behind closed doors. There used to be 1,000 floor measures taken a year. Now there are a handful. All of these omnibus bills should be outlawed. There were omnibus bills in 2021 for finance and policy (do finance and policy belong in the same bill?), taxes, higher education, agriculture, housing, and health and human services. They go into their smoke-filled rooms and shoehorn a ton of unrelated things into one bill, just so that each legislator can get their pet projects passed. In the meantime, a ton of terrible ideas are also being passed by overwhelming votes from both parties. This isn't what we voted for. This isn't the way things should be, and there are huge local implications. John breaks it all down for us.
Also, get a ticket to their banquet while you can.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- You'd have to be out in the middle of nowhere recently, to not hear about the left's attack on Joe Rogan after having the creator of the MRNA technology on his popular podcast. The BBC started the "Trusted News Initiative", that is supposed to fight misinformation. It started out defending the supposed "Russian hacking" that has turned out to be a complete hoax. now, it has been expanded to COVID and the vaccine. This is how you control the messaging.
The leftist media is going after anyone that steps in the way of their message, even liberals like Bill Mahr and Robert F Kennedy Jr are being torn down. There is one acceptable message, and if you divert, you are to be drummed out and erased. This is the textbook definition of fascism. Government and business are teaming up and deciding winners and losers. Spoiler alert... we're the losers. The problem is that people on the right are complaining about it, but aren't doing a thing to change it.
We highlight the coming vacancy in the Supreme Court, with the impending retirement of Steven Breyer. Once again, President Joe Biden is screwing this up too. We also lament over how the perennial worst teams in the NFL continue to get to the Superbowl before the Vikings find their way back.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's officially an election year, and one of the most overlooked elections on the ballot is the county attorney. As we've seen, this is completely unacceptable, because these prosecutors are deciding to let criminals go free before a day of justice ever happens in court. We are watching crime rates rise as career criminals are allowed to terrorize these DFL-run cities, and leaking out into the suburbs. Why don't we have a voice in our safety? We do, but we don't take these races seriously. The candidates that we have lining up to succeed Mike Freeman are no prize. It's more of the progressive left carbon copies, leaving us with no choice at all. Not one of these are tough on crime. Not one. They do want to hold police accountable though.. even though that's not their job. They also want to engage in bail reform, so that criminals don't have to pay it to get out before trial. Whether you decide to fill in the bubble for Sara Swatisingh, Mary Moriarty, Simon Troutman, or Ryan "The Fonz" Winkler, you will have someone that will usher criminals in closer to your door. They are running so they can legislate from the attorney's office. That is completely unacceptable and illegal. And for those of you that are in other counties, including out- state Minnesota, these are the kinds of county attorneys that are being recruited. Take watch before your county goes this direction as well.
Also, we have a local government mask mandate update! Autocratic cities are falling all over themselves to control their population. We also discuss the weakness of American policy in Ukraine.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- You know how we say that regional government has it's tentacles everywhere? Enter the Central Mississippi Regional Planning Partnership. Everyone thinks about the Metropolitan Council in the Twin Cities, but most of the state is under regional government through the Minnesota Association of Development Organizations (MADO). The Central Mississippi Regional Planning Partnership fills a void that's not covered by MADO or the Met Council. They have come up with a bold vision for a "complete region", based on the always errant population forecasts. These bold visions always ask for additional walking and bike paths that are interconnected with regional trails. They push life cycle housing, urbanizing our small towns. They try to sell "placemaking", where they center development around certain planning concepts, like mixed use development, transit, and cloistered communities. This group is meant to consolidate government and increase its power. It is not interested in diverse voices. We need to make government local again. That's the only way we have a say in our future.
We also give you an update on the "Hutch" Hutchinson drunk Driving debacle. Guess what? Apparently he says that he wasn't driving... it was a cab driver! I guess the case is solved. Don't worry, he won't see any repercussions.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It was only a matter of time, but Minneapolis and St Paul have reinstituted a mask mandate. This has nothing to do with science, but is strictly political. The Mayo Clinic has stopped short of saying that cloth masks do little, and only by having an N95 or KN95 mask do you get the protection that you need. Governor Walz says that he will not implement a mask mandate "at this time", but is urging other jurisdictions to do so. That is absolutely the case with Minneapolis and St Paul, and you have Edina looking at implementing a mandate, and other cities will follow. In fact, St Louis Park will be hearing public comments on a mask mandate on January 18th, 2022. Here's the info in case you want to attend. Rochester may not be far behind. Thankfully, Duluth said no.
We keep hearing about how we need to take the vaccines and wear our masks from people that keep getting breakthrough cases. Something isn't adding up here. Yet, they keep blaming unvaccinated people for the rise in cases. Schools districts are going online again. The things that didn't work before are being forced on us again. Why, if it did nothing for us last time? We've got to start talking in facts and common sense if we say that we value science. Unfortunately, that stuff is in short supply in today's politicians and media.
We also discuss The recent AOC trip to Miami, where it's ok for her to go party maskless, but she'll never fight for your ability to do it... in fact she tries to keep that moist, germ-infused rag strapped to your face for you to inhale.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- I know that y'all have been waiting for our take on the recent drunk driving arrest of Hennepin County Sheriff, David "Hutch" Hutchinson. It's strange that we've heard next to nothing about this. He pled guilty to a minor misdemeanor charge, and all the other charges mysteriously disappeared. He totaled a sheriff's vehicle worth $72,000. He drove a vehicle over the legal blood-alcohol content (.08) and carried a loaded pistol over the legal blood-alcohol content (.04). Anyone else would have a suspended license and have to turn in their carry permit for permanent suspension. Not when you're in government!
As if that wasn't bad enough, independent journalist Rebecca Brannon had the Medina police show up at her home to investigate her for reporting on the story and posting photos. It appears as if the request for this investigation came directly from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. That seems to be an abuse of power to me. He wasn't arrested after he got out of the hospital, and in the interview he gave after, goes on to say that "everybody does it (drives drunk),", and then goes on to announce that he's running for re-election. I think we need someone with more humility in such a powerful position. Boy, have we got a story for you!
And... it's time for the monthly history lesson (sigh).
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- This year, the state of Minnesota is boasting a $7.7 Billion surplus. That's our money... I mean it's really our money, as we've overpaid our taxes, and this is what's left after everything has been paid. Of course that answer is clear, they're going to send it back, right? After all, that's what Governor Ventura did. Not so fast... our government (both Republicans and Democrats) is already discussing how they want to spend this money that they never had the right to collect in the first place.
Oh, and everyone has their hands out looking for special treatment. Education MN is asking for payouts from this sum for bonuses. What?!?!?! They didn't want to work for over a year during the pandemic! Cities are already asking for extra Local Government Aid to the tune of a $90 million increase. School districts want their share. Then there is adding to our existing mass transit fleet, Transit-Oriented Development, high density housing, and all the government boondoggles that can't ever seem to grab enough of our tax dollars.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We're well aware of the government push to co-opt and brainwash our children. Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center got together to form a shared powers agreement called The Brooklyn Bridge Alliance for Youth. The say their mission is to engage the youth... Their board is made up of city council members, school district board members, county board members, college administration, and police chiefs. They also bring in partners like the Blandin Foundation, National League of Cities, Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board, Every Hour Counts, Healthy Community Initiative... and corporate partners like Boston Scientific, United Way, Topline Credit Union, Twin West Chamber of Commerce, and Cummins. Their leadership all comes from academia and government.
This group is talking about things like college readiness, but using tactics like social-emotional learning to keep students from evaluating facts, so that they can judge the world through their feelings. They are trying to raise activists that will fight for "social justice" and "racial equity", instead of critical thinkers. Why are we trying to make everyone homogeneous? Why is no one supposed to stand out? We are on a path to being subservient. Once they overthrow those that love liberty, the clamps will come down on us all. We must stand up while we still have time.
We also discuss the passing of the late Bob Dole and the shallow pool of MN Gubernatorial Candidates, despite all of the weaknesses that define Governor Walz.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Last November, it was made pretty clear. Voters are very much against getting rid of (or defunding) the police. That doesn't stop the radical fringe from trying to move forward. Brooklyn Center is one such city. They just tried to pass a measure to give the City Manager the authority to implement a curfew at the end of the trial for Officer Kim Potter (that killed Daunte Wright last summer, when he tried overpower Officer Potter and flee the scene). Officer Potter pulled her gun (claiming that she meant to pull her taser) and shot Daunte Wright. Thank goodness the measure failed.
That hasn't stopped the the city council from passing a new Citation and Release Policy. An offender that commits a gross misdemeanor (if required by law) must be arrested, but then shall be released, unless there's an ongoing threat to society. They are also proposing to cut $1.5 million from the police budget. That's not going to help curb the rising levels of crime in the city. For other gross misdemeanors, alternatives to arrest are encouraged. They are also going to hire a Public Safety Implementation Committee Manager for a pretty penny, and it's not about public safety at all! It's all about advocating and activism.
It would not have been right, either, if we didn't let Andrew sound off on the new baseball strike, which leads to an all-encompassing rant about... well, just about everything.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Recently, House Democrats (and nine Republicans) passed Biden's infrastructure bill. It is rumored to have voter support, but no one really knows what's in it. For Instance, within three years time, all new cars will have DWI breathalyzer equipment (guilty before proven innocent). Minnesota is getting its own piece of sweet government money to dole out. $4.8 billion is earmarked for roads and bridges. $818 million is reserved for mass transit, despite ridership being down over COVID. $68 million has been set aside for electric vehicle charging stations. They are so heavily subsidizing the purchase of electric vehicles, and still few people want them due to the short battery life, time to charge, and the cost to upgrade homes to charge them. $100 million has been declared for rural broadband.
Of course, with all of the money comes strings. There will be all sorts of green stipulations to meet in order to get access to any of the funds.
We also take a look at Governor Walz's plans with the huge rise in COVID-19 cases. If one thing is for sure, no one is in control, and no plan seems to do anything substantial.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Usually our odd-year elections are met with a collective yawn... but not so this year. We know that next to no one votes, so it becomes easy for the activists to motivate their base to get out there and vote. Even in Minneapolis (which has been running to the left at a full clip), has decisively voted down the measure to replace the Police Department with a department of Public Safety. It turns out that people like to be safe... who knew? Even their city council saw a bunch of turnover, but the results are confusing. The Ward 2 Green Party candidate (who supported dismantling the police department) lost to the Democratic Socialist (who also supported the effort to dismantle). I really don't understand. There were other weird results too.
Anti-CRT school board candidates did very well across the state of Minnesota. We run down the list.
We try to take a stab at deciphering Ranked Choice Voting. No dice, but it's funny to hear us try. No wonder we can't keep any of it straight. We really should take more care to protect our electoral system.
Also, Robbinsdale Public Schools are putting a vaccine mandate into place for all staff. Sure, they are voting on it at the November 15th school board meeting, but keep in mind that they have been talking with the teacher's unions to come to a consensus. It's also not applied equally, as each union has a different consequences for non-compliance.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- All over this country, we are seeing a movement rise up; angry parents are speaking out at school board meetings. Petitioning our government is a tradition that is as old as America itself. It was deemed so important to freedom, that it was recognized as a God-given right in the 1st amendment to or Bill of Rights. Now, as all power-loving governmental bodies do, they restrict and limit that right. These "public servants" call us names, change the rules, or shut us out entirely.
Even the ACLU is worried about the trend to stifle free speech in these local public meetings. North Mankato is making residents sign up, and is reducing the available time to speak. More than ever, we need to speak out to those that represent us. We have a right to be heard by them. We share some of our experience in organizing and making our voice heard in our school district and city. These local politicians change the rules, insult speakers, and curse at them. They have so much disdain for the people that they represent, forgetting that they live right among the same people.
The National School Board Association wrote a letter to the Justice Department, so that the FBI was looking to get involved in investigating people that dissented at meetings, as if they were terrorists. We all have to stand up before we lose the the right to disagree with our government and say so publicly. Right or left, we should care a whole lot about maintaining this right.
We also make some predictions around some important odd year elections, and discuss the new Universal Basic Income pilot program in Minneapolis.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Today we tackle the "conspiracy theory" called The Great Reset, and the brand new Executive Order by the Biden administration. On Friday afternoon, while no one was paying attention, President Biden signed Executive Order 14030, The U.S. Climate Related Financial Risk- A Road Map To Build A Climate Resilient Economy. This has huge local effects.
ESG scores are starting to be assigned to both businesses and individual investors. They look at what kinds of companies you invest in, but they determine the scores of businesses by the racial makeup of their board, gender diversity, actions to combat climate change, and how they administrate this in their organization. This will affect your ability to get mortgages and car loans for certain types of vehicles. Heck, they are going to try and get rid of anything but electric cars by 2030. They talk about protecting pensions, but limit investment opportunities. You can't have both. If this is allowed to stand, it will destroy our economy and pave the way for their new stakeholder capitalism (Chinese communism/capitalism). We must speak out now.
We also discuss the latest developments in the Mohammed Noor case. It's also time for this month's history lesson. Maybe Jason will do better than normal?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's election season! Of course that doesn't mean much in an odd year, but whatever. There's one reason to have odd year elections; to control the outcome. A small portion of the city votes, so the activists control the turnout. It's important for you to see what these cities are doing, because the trends are the same everywhere.
We see endorsements from the same radical activist groups, like Stonewall DFL, Women Winning, Minneapolis Area Regional Labor Federation, and Take Action MN. Cities all over the state do this: St Louis Park, Duluth, Bloomington, Minneapolis, and others. The issues all seem to be the same too. It's climate change, equity, affordable housing, social justice, and Ranked Choice Voting. As usual, Minneapolis is a complete circus. But once you step away from the big, city lights, cities and towns all around the state are losing out by having odd year elections, because the DFL is using this tactic to keep a stranglehold on our local government.
We also discuss how Governor Walz is hedging his bets for the upcoming winter cycle of COVID and the submarining approval numbers of Let's Go Brandon.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The Metropolitan Council keeps pushing metro cities around, incorrectly projecting growth and trying to make cities build high density housing and transit systems in the middle of a changing model. The Thrive MSP 2040 plan not only forced metro cities into unwanted development, but it also contributed to changes in Greater Minnesota, as the Minnesota Association of Development Organizations (MADO) took many of these ideas for their Develop MN Plan, help cities and towns in writing comprehensive plans, and rolling these ideals down to their ten Regional Planning Organizations. Well, it's time to begin planning for 2050!
The Met Council believes that the Metro area will grow to 4 million people by 2050! Who do they source for all of this growth? Themselves, of course! Keep in mind that they are never, ever right. They also say that the white population will level off and decline. They are proposing that the majority of growth with be with the minority populations due to migration. They are projecting huge job growth, despite there already being 11 million unfilled jobs in the U.S.A. They will try to push more high density housing in order to make room for all of the migration that they are projecting. They want to run transit through all of the areas that haven't seen any growth because they are already fully developed. How do we stop this from destroying Minnesota's cities?
We also discuss the failing economy under a failing president. Inflation and a suffering supply chain are teetering on the brink. Interest rate increases are being discussed alongside tapering the purchase of our Treasury Bonds. Combustion engines are going away, and we don't even have a good alternative yet. Everyone had better take cover! Of course we have to update you on the lingering mystery that is the Robbinsdale Public Schools School Board appointment. What happens when they get to pick one of their own? This may have been one of the least transparent processes we've seen, but we've got a name... and a completely expected agenda.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's that time once again for school boards to come to the taxpayers of their districts with their hand out and asking for money. School funding is so complicated (and budgets so not transparent), that it makes it difficult to follow the money. All they need to do is say that "it's for the kids", and it seems to do the trick. The Unions and the districts have a huge advantage because they have the money and resources to market their "Yes" campaign. They can even market to parents while at school events! How do we ever stand a chance for a different result?
The Anoka Hennepin school district is running two separate levies. They are using school money and resources to stump for their marketing. That should not be legal. Prior Lake-Savage is floating a 10 year, $3.5 million per year, technology levy that talks about equitable access to technology, classroom equipment, personal learning experiences... what does that mean? That's so vague. How do you ask for money without laying out specifics about what the public is buying for the district? Edina is looking to replace an old technology levy with a new, more expensive one to improve phone, safety, security, and HVAC systems. That should get kids into college. Stillwater is looking to pass two levies, one being a replacement levy, and then a new technology levy. Thief River Falls is probably the worst as they use it to force a woke agenda on a district that is 92% one race.
There are many more than these across the state. There is no real transparency in following up on how these monies are spent, and the district never seems to be any better off. How come there are not any mentions of goals that help increase graduation rates or increase test scores? Now, we can't have schools falling apart, but you're telling us that you're being as frugal as possible, and there's no waste? We don't believe it for a moment.
We also discuss our take on the recent Joe Biden address to the United Nations. His words don't meet our actions as a nation and it's a shame that we refuse to call out the evils that are being committed in Afghanistan. We keep showing the world just how weak we are. In addition, Sirhan Sirhan is up for parole again... and it could actually happen this time. What?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Some of our cities are running into a huge problem. They are steadily moving left. Even in cities where we see strong Democrat majorities, those moderate Dems are being replaced with radical Dems. One huge issue is odd year elections. Only a fraction of voters show up for odd year elections, making it easy for the Democrats and Unions to turn out their base. A very small cross section of the city is actually represented on the council. This is used to keep tight control over who gets on their council. Look at this example from Golden Valley. They will have seven running for two seats. We walk through some on-air research, because so often people don't get informed on the candidates. Council member Larry Fonnest is out, and super left council member Gillian Rosenquist is running for re-election. Loretta Arradondo, Joanie Clausen, Andy Johnson, Denise La Mere-Anderson, Drew Peterson, Orville Christian Satter.
Golden Valley is also setting up a PEACE commission to discuss their issues with the Golden Valley PD. They want three people that have traditionally been injured by police and two police officers (who don't get to vote). Can anyone say ambush?
possibly stand in the courts. So what's his play here? Is it to justify expanding the Supreme Court or making it completely irrelevant? We are entering dangerous territory, and we'd better pay attention.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Any of us with children have watched as our teachers, seemingly, have more and more of these staff development days in the school calendar. What are they learning? When the teachers take classes on these development days or over MEA weekend, it would be nice to know what they are bringing back to the classroom with them. The bad news, is the Education Minnesota does a lot of this training. We know how radical they are, but how bad does it get? Of course there are training classes about retirement investments and insurance, but they also teach them how to support the union in a greater capacity.
That's the least damaging, as they delve in to start learning how to manage student's emotions. They focus in on cultural differences, white bias, gender identity, sexual orientation, equity, community action, and checking our privilege. They want the teachers to push an agenda to make our children into activists. We need to start looking at alternatives, because our education model is broken. We need to use alternative teachers, drop mandatory college graduation when not needed, and stop letting the Teacher's Union brainwash our teachers. Look at what they have to learn, and let's press the issue to our school districts!
Also, it's history week... yep.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Robbinsdale Public Schools has a vacancy on it's school board, and guess what? They are going to have an appointment! Providing for the people to select their own is government is one of the most basic and fundamental functions of government. Instead, they are appointing someone. Big surprise. We went to war with Great Britain because we had taxation without representation. These government people claim that they are saving us all this money by not having a special election. Yet, they don't blink to spend millions of dollars on other things.
You'll never guess who threw their lot in for that spot... ReNae J Bowman. We have a long history with Ms Bowman, and she is so qualified, that she won't even need our endorsement. She states that one of her qualifications was the number of votes she received. That's a qualification? We review a few previous articles that have her applauding a friend that mused about clotheslining children, lied to residents about the local reliever airport, and called a local black man a "Republikkan". She has no place near our children. Please stop.
We also take a look at the early rumblings of the upcoming MN Governor's race. Dr Scott Jenson is in. Michelle Benson is in. House Majority Leader Paul Gazelka is getting things squared away to get in. Will any of them beat Walz? Also, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' approval numbers are in the dumper. We discuss why.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- What if a city government was able to find out what was being said about specific local topics on social media? Well, you're in luck! A corporation named ZenCity has made that possible. They use Artificial Intelligence to aggregate social media posts for a city (or a specific city department), so that they can gauge public sentiment and change the messaging (read: propaganda) to help sway the public into supporting whatever they want to do. That sounds cynical, but they're saying it!
The Brooklyn Park PD has been using ZenCity, and the cost has come right out of the department budget, so that the city council never even had to vote on it! Other cities like Woodbury, St Paul, North Mankato, and Rochester have also been using them. In Meriden, CT, ZenCity was used to change the public perception about drones used in city parks to "encourage" social distancing. Apache Junction, AZ wanted to shape public opinion around a $245 million land sale. Scottsdale, AZ and Oak Ridge, TN both have similar stories as well. This is not listening to your constituents. This is using their unsuspecting opinions against them, and it's growing in popularity here in Minnesota.
We also discuss the deadliest day in Afghanistan in eleven years. This was a complete travesty fueled by complete incompetency at best and evil intent at the worst. This total botched job could have handled better by anyone that cared at all about our citizens, our military, and our country.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Kim Norton is the mayor of Rochester, MN. She is not a non-partisan. She is a proud Democrat that wears her party affiliation on her sleeve. As with so many in the DFL today, she is sold on accomplishing her unpopular policies through wielding dictatorial powers. After all, she just knows better than you do. She just declared a public emergency regarding COVID, and tried to implement a mask mandate. 82% in Olmstead County are vaccinated. There are 54 cases of COVID in the county. The City Council voted her down. Good for them.
She also has enlisted Rochester in the 2021 Global Mayor's Champion City Challenge through Bloomberg. She also has enlisted Rochester in the Minnesota Mayoral Active Transportation Caucus of which she is a co-chair.
Lisa Jacobsen won the special election for Brooklyn Park mayor by two votes. That triggers an automatic recount, per Minnesota law. If she still comes out ahead of Hollies Winston, will it really be over? Fewer elections seem to turn out that way. Also, we give you the play-by-play as MNGOP and former chair Jennifer Carnahan reach an agreement to part ways.
To our listeners: This was recorded before the tragic bombing in Afghanistan. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with our military, their families, friends, and all that were impacted by the the incredible act of cowardice on 8/26/21, and the complete mismanagement and underhanded behavior by our Executive Branch.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Last fall, the Minneapolis Charter Commission expertly tabled a resolution from the City Council to disband the Minneapolis Police Department. Now outside funding from George Soros' Open Society has given money to circulate a petition to go around the Charter Commission and get the question to change the charter on the ballot this coming November. Now all of these special interest groups like OutFront MN, ISAIAH, Our Justice, Socialist Alternative, MN Hospitality Union, Women for Political Change, Recall Mike Freeman, Take Action MN, Reclaim the Block, and more have all joined together to roll out the astroturf and get this pushed through using a group called Yes Minneapolis. If you look at the campaign finance report 78% of the donations come from people and groups outside of MN. Tides Advocacy, Black Visions Collective, and the National ACLU, have all donated tens of thousands of dollars each. Even the Minneapolis Teacher's Federation supports this measure. They are out of control!
The question is super confusing, and it's on purpose. All I can say is that you need to "Vote No". This gets rid of the police department and replaces it with a Department of Public safety that may hire police officers, as needed. It also takes the authority away from the Mayor's office (Jacob Frey), who currently supports this. Where is the organized opposition to this, by the way? Do you really want this to pass? The numbers say "no", but there needs to be a rising up. The surrounding suburban cities are all seeing a rise in crime that can be traced back directly to Minneapolis residents. Minneapolis, as the largest city in the region, has a responsibility to the other metro cities that it's actions affect. Maybe local mayors and police chiefs should get together and sue the city for an injunction. It's time to do something before the entire Metro area inherits the rise in violent crime we've seen in Minneapolis, and the whole place gets a lot more dangerous.
Also, it's history lesson week... great.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don't forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Can you name your county attorney? Each county has one. Too many county attorneys across the United States have decided to take on the jobs of defense attorneys and legislators. How can they just decide not to prosecute certain crimes? Our cities and counties are becoming less safe as they turn criminals back out into the streets. They will tell you that it's only low-level offenses, but that's not true. It's shoplifters, car thieves, rioters, and in some cases, even violent crimes like murder.
We are seeing these county attorneys go soft on crime in Hennepin, Ramsey, and St Louis counties, among other Minnesota counties. Attorney General, Keith Ellison, has taken over prosecuting police in certain cases. Los Angeles County's George Gascon is letting almost everyone go, and the police are fighting him every step of the way. These criminals learn that crime pays, and continue to violate the law, rather than letting the justice system deter criminal acts down the line. Ultimately, this makes all of us less safe, and feeling less secure in our communities. These cities need to fight back, and some are starting to.
In this episode, Jason attempts to take the "Travel Behavior Inventory" from the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Met Council. Big shock... what a scam to track and trace where you go and how you get there. How far will we get into the inventory before we refuse to go any further?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Hiring an Equity Coordinator is all the rage right now in cities, school districts, and counties. That would be all well and good if equity meant the same as equality, but it doesn't. Equality is the equalization of opportunity. Equity is the equalization of outcome; two very different things. This is where certain groups of people play their little word games, making you feel all warm and fuzzy, while they undermine everything you believe in. Antiracism sounds good. Most people are anti-racism. But that's not good enough... antiracism (per author Ibrahim Kindi) allows for discrimination against "the oppressors" in order to level the playing field. What? I believe very few people are in favor of that. Yet in most cities, this seems to be a solution looking for a problem.
Cities like Plymouth want to look like they are up with the times. I mean, who wants to get cancelled, right? So cities like Plymouth hire these equity coordinators to come in and search out the problems that may or may not even be present. They are tasked with looking at city core values, mission statements, and policies through the lens of race and inclusion. How about we look at things as they are, rather than tainted through a lens? There is certainly racism in our country (much of it by white liberals against other whites), but it's not showing its ugly face by the sins of southern slave owners resurfacing in today's whites. That's just not true.
This is coming in to all of our cities, schools, and counties. We are hiring activists to come in and push their advocacy on our dime, rather than growing a backbone against the growing shadow of Marxism.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
The Minnesota Legislature passed fourteen separate omnibus budget bills. It doesn't seem to matter what party the legislator is from. Almost all of them voted for this $55 billion travesty. The Republicans are bragging about Governor Walz giving up his emergency powers, but the cost to get that was huge. It should have been done a lot sooner and for less of a price. They passed the largest increase in K-12 funding in the last 15 years. 2.5% increase from the funding formula, which good luck figuring that one out. They are giving funding to specifically recruit teachers of color. The GOP caved on requiring vouchers for private schools.
tax cut... of which 85% was from not taxing the Payroll Protection loans. These should never have been taxed to begin with, but are not a tax cut. Between this and added unemployment benefits, Sen Carla Nelson (R- Rochester) believes the economy has seen a great boom! What about the people that have worked hard all the way through the pandemic? There's no cuts for those people. They also passed a public safety bill that strengthens criminals. The Democrats had to drop a proposal to remove certain types of traffic stops. Watch for that to come back. We also got "sign and release" warrants for low-level offenders that had missed a court appearance. Also... they passed California Cafe (emissions) standards. That will have a long list of local impacts. Thanks, guys. Way to hold the line.
We also discuss the latest battle of words between Rand Paul and Dr. Fauci. There are some real concerns in children and teens that take the vaccine, per the inventor of the RNA technology.
to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Unless you've been hiding in your basement bunker, you've had to have heard about the uproar around school districts' teaching of critical theory. Parents are up in arms around the country, and fighting back against these school boards for control over the curriculum being taught to their children.
Critical theory comes to us from the Frankfort school, which were communists that were at odds with the National Socialists (Nazis) in Germany, losing out to Adolph Hitler. They set up shop in our universities, and developed critical theory, because the United States would never accept classical Marxism (the financial theory) without changing the value system of our society. They believed that they could find a disaffected population that could be convinced that they were "oppressed" and turn them against "their oppressors".
It's not good enough to be "not racist". You have to be trained to be antiracist, which means that you actively fight against racism, including using discrimination against the "oppressors" to level the playing field. I'm sorry, discrimination is wrong no mater who is doing it to who. There are 51 recall efforts where parents are targeting 130 elected members of school boards. They have had enough, and want for their children to be free from this racist philosophy. Are there enough of us to beat it back?
Also... It's history week. Can Jason equal last month's achievement?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Our farming industry has changed so much over the last few decades, as we've moved away from the small family-owned farms to the massive corporate farms. In fact, the mega rich are buying up huge swaths of land, like Bill Gates does to grow crops in order to experiment with biofuels. Ted Turner is the largest land owner in three different states. Why? Almost all meat is processed through one of four large companies One owned by China). These are companies that are more than happy to go along with the calls to reduce the eating of meat.
These ultra-rich people are getting government subsidies for their farms. They are growing or raising whatever it is the government is paying them to grow or raise. They don't even need to use their own money to operate them. Family farms are quickly becoming a thing of the past. A large percentage of farmland is farmed by people that don't own it.
Also, your super conservative, Republican-led Senate is still giving the Democrats 80% of what they want. The budget bills are all passing. The education funding bill has passed. The police reform bill may pass. They are so afraid of a government shutdown that they are willing to give away the proverbial farm... or maybe the real one we discussed in the rest of the podcast.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
You can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- These days, it seems like everything is racist. Math, jail, facts, property ownership... and highways. The claim is that highways are racist, because they are used to separate black communities from white, and to keep minority communities down. Yet, these politicians think nothing about building commuter rail lines straight through the middle of communities (even minority communities). How much truth is there to this, or is this yet another attempt of politicians to keep people feeling like they are oppressed?
There are already a number of cities (18) that have taken out or rerouted sections of highways. This isn't some passing fad. President Biden's infrastructure bill proposes highway removals or redesigns. The Congress for the New Urbanism has identified 10 cities that should have highways torn down. While one group asserts that these highways are racist at their core, you can also see how they connect important things like hospitals, universities, airports, etc, and are connecting major cities for the sake of commerce and travel.
We also lament about the fact that the Democrats in St Paul get about 80% of what they want, even though they control one half of the legislature. Walz still has his emergency powers in place (did you know that?). In addition to that, we need to keep an eye on the police reform bill, tax increases, spending increases. I wish that we had a real choice.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It doesn't seem to matter what level of government we're talking about. They have more ways to tax you for your money than you are aware of. Everyone is aware of the city levy that is reflected in their property taxes, but that's just a small fraction. We like to talk about hidden taxes... ways that the city, county, school district, etc has to take your money without it showing upon your property tax statement. There are permits and licenses, Tax Increment Finance districts, bonding, sales taxes, and more. Property taxes are not directly determined by your property value. They are, rather, determined by what portion of the pie you are responsible for. There's all sorts of grants and state and federal tax dollars available to them as well.
Counties also get a lot of money from state and federal sources. They are responsible for county roads, Health and Human services (including MNSURE), law enforcement, environmental work, and more. They have two or more levies (property and HRA) and sales taxes. They also confiscate cash and material goods through civil asset forfeiture when there is a suspected crime (and many who are found innocent never get their things back). They can hand out and receive grant money as well.
The school district funding formula takes in so many different variables, that Einstein might have trouble figuring it out; Average Daily Membership, population, age of students, special education, free and reduced lunch... etc, etc. There is a lot of state and federal funding over and above the money they collect from the referendum you vote on. There is so much money flying around, it's a wonder you have any left for you!
We also try to answer the question... why has MNDOT decided to work on every freeway at once? I mean, really... why is everything closed? This is some of the worst project planning we've ever seen.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The MN Green Step Cities program, administered by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (check out Episode 18 for the basics on the program) is continuing to seduce MN cities of all sizes to join its ranks. It's touted as a free and voluntary program, but is really just the local cap and trade club. Each step is reached with a number of actions that allegedly cut emissions and reduce energy usage. Once you reach Level 4 and Level 5, it ceases to be voluntary, as you have to benchmark the emissions, energy, and water usage from not just your public buildings, but also from certain private, commercial buildings as well. (It never really was free when you start to look at the cost of each step and the employee hours spent in implementation.)
There are large cities like Bloomington with many tens of thousands of people and small cities like Hewett with 256 people. Are cities like Hewett and Hackensack really not environmentally-minded already? There are about 20 cities that have attained to step 5, which means the tracking, tracing, and benchmarking of energy and water usage. The EPA uses the Energy Star program to manage the benchmarking of public and private buildings. These buildings are forced to report their benchmarking data, which will be displayed on a county-wide map. This is private data, and is incredibly troublesome. Then they attach grants, so that the "free money" might act as a carrot. Your city needs to get out of this program. If you value privacy, you can't leave your city open to this.
We also talk about the recent report that COVID-19 may have started with a Wuhan lab leak. Why, when China is flexing their muscles, is the most powerful country in the world shrugging their shoulders and saying "meh"? Also, Minneapolis and St. Paul are finally lifting their mask mandate. It's about dang time.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- A year ago, the Minneapolis City Council was dead set on not defunding, but dismantling, the Minneapolis Police Department. To do this, they would have to change the city charter, which required a police presence, including minimums per capita. The Charter Commission wasn't having any of that. Either a "yes" or "no" vote on the proposal would put the issue back with the City Council for certain approval. Instead, they decided to table the proposal, putting it on hold for 90 days... and past the date of the election, tying the council's hands. Now there is a "citizen-led" group (with the help of the ACLU, Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, and a whole mess of other radical groups) called Yes For Minneapolis that has one goal: to finish the work that the city council couldn't get done. They circulated a petition to change the city charter, removing the police department entirely, and replacing it with the Department of Public Safety. They may or may not have to hire police at all, depending on the situation. What? Have they looked at the exponential rise in crime, shootings, and murder in Minneapolis? I can't think of a worse solution.
Yes For Minneapolis is made of a bunch of also ran groups like Sex Workers Outreach Project Minneapolis, Reviving Sisterhood, Reclaim the Block, Education for Liberation, Women for Political Change, and others. Why are the 5% leading the 95% around? Why is the majority so scared of these radical groups? They are working to get this on the ballot for this coming November. You had better pray that this goes over like lead balloon, because once the police are gone, all the criminals will come here and the suburbs will be in their sights as well. Minneapolis needs to learn to be a good neighbor to the rest of the metro area. They are not an island unto themselves. Should they succeed with this proposal, they should come under an avalanche of lawsuits from the surrounding cities. They have a duty to do their fair share in protecting and serving the Metro area.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- There is an assault against our rural areas. All across our nation, most of the land mass is rooted in common sense. That doesn't stop progressives from trying to change the political opinions of those that live outside the big cities and the suburbs. We've seen the urban and suburban areas get bluer, but the countryside seems to get redder. Well, we certainly can't have that. Who knew that there was a movement going on to make the rural areas accept equity and sustainability, and they are using the arts to do it? Does art lead culture, or is it the other way around?
There has been a lot of pressure on rural communities to become Welcoming Cities, by adopting the program as part of their social outreach to bring equity everywhere. The Minnesota Association of Development Organizations (MADO) has begun to push the ten Minnesota regional development organizations toward implementing these projects. Region 5 (the regional development organization over Crow Wing and Morrison County) has gone gangbusters in creating programs in its various cities. It has been working with outside organizations with money and power to start these programs.
Chris Lindholm, the superintendent of the Pequot Lakes school district got into some trouble with the parents of his district. He created a video that blamed the residents of Pequot Lakes for being unwelcoming and biased. The video was posted to a site that is run by a leftist group called Voices for Rural Resilience (and has since been made private), whose goal is to spread their ideals about sustainability and critical race theory by using the arts. They are working in tandem with the Department of Public Transformation to implement "radical transformation" (exact quote). This project is being funded by the far-left McKnight Foundation. The Pequot Lakes School District held a work session that was open to the public, but refused to give the public an opportunity to speak their mind. The school district has sent multiple people to learn from the SEED project, and we're surprised at the radical agenda being implemented in our classrooms? We can't continue to check out on local government.
Governor Walz just got together with Rep Melissa Hortman and Senator Paul Gazelka and passed a $52 billion state budget. Is there any difference between the parties? Why are we even pretending there are two parties? Who is looking out for us?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
This week is a lightning round, where we discuss the local stories you need to know in order to keep them from happening in your city. In Brooklyn Center, Mayor Mike Elliot, proposed that a new public safety agency be created, along with a ban on arresting people during traffic stops. Violence against police (yes, even at traffic stops) is at epidemic proportions, yet Brooklyn Center (and they aren't alone) is going to send unarmed police officers into harm's way. Maybe Mayor Elliot should do a few ride-alongs.
The Northstar Rail line is back standing with its hand out. In 2020, ridership dropped 96%. Bureaucrats are worried that prices will go up for riders, if public subsidies aren't offered. A one way ticket from Big Lake to Minneapolis was $68.35, but has gone up to $87.79 Don't worry, riders only pay $6.25 for a one way ride. You pay the rest for the people that use this amenity.
Ottertail County isn't interested in hosting Governor Walz for the Governor's fishing opener. The real question... How many masks will he wear?
Edina Public Schools decided that a Tuesday night in the middle of May was a good time to hold a school referendum. A mere 5,448 votes were cast, cementing the fate of the estimated 2020 population of 52,857. That's pathetic. Hold an election in November when everyone is already at the polls. Makes the outcome less certain though, doesn't it? Enjoy those bus garages, parking lot changes, bandwidth, and firewalls. $7 million in deficit spending... that's an expensive meatball.
Roseville City Council has brought in an equity and inclusion consultant to work with city staff to come up with an Equity Action Plan to be reflected in the operation of all city departments.
Guess which metro city sounds the most racist.... and no episode is complete without a good laugh at New Hope.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Minneapolis has decided that it is going to eliminate the requirement for parking lots for new developments, calling it a subsidy for drivers. They want to reduce driving by 40% and all emissions by 80% by 2050. It prohibits new gas stations and drive-thrus throughout the city. (They weren't able to foresee how important they would be during COVID, huh?) They are also blocking auto service businesses near Metro stations, all in an effort to reduce vehicle use.
Not to be outdone, St. Paul has started to discuss eliminating parking lot requirements for new developments as well. How can this ever work? What about tenants, delivery drivers, and visitors that relay on those lots. You can't force everyone onto mass transit or to take jobs within walking distance from home. How do you move from one home to another? Where do these city councils get off mandating how everyone else has to live? I can go buy a car at any lot in America... but I am losing the right to store it somewhere unless I have a garage? Business owners are losing the right to solicit business from just anyone that wishes to shop there? The businesses that are in older developments will get an unfair advantage. This is the Green New Deal going in at the local level. We can't stand for this.
We also discuss the south Minneapolis Target that was looted and burned last summer proudly displaying a new mural that depicts people celebrating while Minneapolis burns to the ground. How far are we willing to go to placate the woke mob? Apparently all the way. This is how nations fall.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The Democrats in Washington DC are proposing a $2.3 Trillion infrastructure bill. Bills like this have a local effect. The President has proposed $621 Billion for bridges, roads, public transit, and rail service,. $400 Billion is being set aside on affordable healthcare for the elderly and disabled. That's infrastructure? $40 billion to upgrade outdated research labs. $50 billion for an office to oversee our supply chains.
But it gets worse (and less about COVID), as they give money to implement fair housing in cities. They want to withhold federal funds from cities that practice reverse segregation, and incentivize other cities to implement their urban planning dreams. I don't know of any cities that keep races of people apart. I'm pretty sure anyone can live wherever they like, so long as they can afford it. It's not about keeping minorities out of existing housing, however. That's completely dishonest. It's about urbanizing the suburbs, by removing zoning laws, not to allow for freedom, but to plan out the strategic placement of high density housing.
The Democrats have the ability to get a lot of this done. The Republicans will most likely force it to go through reconciliation, but there will still be a lot of bad stuff that passes in the final bill. Fire up the printers!
In other news, Brooklyn Center showed us every possible way on how not to manage an emergency. There were secret meetings, a curfew set minutes before they locked down for the night.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com - It's a critical time in the Twin Cities right now. The Derek Chauvin trial is going on and the peace of the Twin Cities balances on the head of the pin. Enter another disastrous situation, as a Brooklyn Center officer pulled over a young man that had a warrant out for his arrest for attempted robbery. He resisted arrest and tried to flee the scene. In trying to restrain him, the officer accidentally pulled her gun instead of her taser. The city immediately exploded into complete bedlam. There was rioting, looting, and curfews from the get go. The mob wanted the officer and the police chief fired right away. City Manager, Curt Boganey, reminded everyone that the officer had a right to due process... he was immediately fired.
This was one of many terrible decisions from Mayor, Mike Elliot, and the city council. They voted to fire the police chief and the officer. They stripped their own police from being able to use crowd control tactics against protesters. Elliot was out with Keith Ellison while all sorts of chaos was erupting around him, talking about how calm it was, while he was in an army helmet. What? He also tried to appeal the prosecution to Caesar... I mean, Keith Ellison, because he didn't want Pete Orput, the Washington County Attorney to handle the case. Washington County is going to pursue 2nd degree manslaughter. We'll see if the mob will stand for that. This situation is far from over. Katie, bar the door...
Guess who's joining the Turtle Club? That's right, the purveyor of all things bad, St Louis Park! They sent out a postcard to residents that they are "considering" lowering the residential speed limits to 20mph. Then on the other side of the postcard, they say that the slower speed limits are coming. Which is it? Of course they have already spent a ton of money on employee hours, marketing, and having every street in the city mapped out. Sounds to us like the consideration is complete, as they copying other cities to join the 20 is Plenty program.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Duluth mayor, Emily Larson, recently gave her state of the city address. She boldly stated that she wants the city to become the greenest in the country. One huge problem... it will kill the city. Over decades, Duluth has driven out industry (Clyde Iron, Diamond Tool. etc), and this will only get worse under the types of policies that Mayor Larson wants to implement.
They received $60 million in pandemic relief, which some of will go to their new community policing 2.0 effort. They want to do a racial bias audit of the department and bring in counselors, social workers, and the like, for feel-good, soft on crime approach. She wants to implement a non-emergency 3-1-1 line, that could promote tattling on your neighbors. They want to pay benefits to broadband companies to bring competition to the area. What? Shouldn't other companies come on their own if it was a good business market? They give away land to developers. They want to expand public transportation. It's a city gone nuts off the left end, and you need to understand what they are doing, because it will sift down to smaller cities. Be prepared now.
We also discuss the recent controversy around concussions (a-la Aaron Hernandez), and whether it would have changed how we play sports or not, if we had known about the possibility of dementia later in life.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Recently, the Anoka-Hennepin school district was sued for $300,000 from a transgender female student that wanted the right to change in the boys locker room, despite having a separate space provided for her. She is a fourteen year old child that doesn't have the freedom to get a tattoo, buy cigarettes, or drive a car. Yet, politicians, school districts, and businesses want to give then the right to make permanent, life-changing decisions without notifying parents. These "academics" have confused the issue so much, that it's a wonder that any of our children escape adolescence intact. The student won the lawsuit, thanks to her lawyer from the ACLU, David McKinney. This amazing attorney said that he hopes that the $300,000 settlement "puts every other school district in Minnesota on notice". That sounds like a threat to me.
We have seen the problems caused in the locker rooms, in sports, and in prison. There are so many recorded assaults in women's prisons by men that identify as women. MMA fighter, Fallon Fox, broke the skull of opponent, Tamika Brents. Tamika says that she's never been dominated like that. Normally, we'd call that battery or abuse. Transgender boys are dominating in high school track meets. It's happening here. There have also been cases in many other places across the US like Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Virginia. Madison, WI schools allows for students to pick new names and pronouns, and are prohibited from telling parents or guardians about it. Highland Local School District in Ohio, was faced with a suit about equal access to any bathroom. How do we stop this now that we've started down the slippery slope? We're losing a generation of our kids to this destructive doctrine. Our whole world feels upside down. Can we fix things before we are past the point of no return?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Welcome to Crazytown, MN, population 7. You may know them as the Red Wing city council, but believe us, they're out of control. Control, however, is the name of their game. They are woke, they are autocratic, and they are thin skinned (I hope they don't listen to this podcast). The city council fired their police chief, Roger Pohlman, for some pretty strange reasons.
Red Wing is a charter city, which means that they have a charter (like a city constitution), and the council has reserved the right to hire and fire all department heads. Despite being in a pretty conservative area, they openly discussed defunding the police. Chief Pohlman did not care for this idea a whole heck of a lot. His hesitancy to fall in line was his ultimate undoing.
The city council members laid out a flimsy case to get rid of the former chief, which has resulted in the formation of a group that is focused on recalling the entire city council. Can this group pull this off? Is this the right strategy? We discuss what it takes to make lasting change at a city level and what charter changes would help to protect the residents from a woke city council.
We also discuss the first sixty-five days of the Biden administration, and the total pass that he is getting from the rest of the media along with the monthly history quiz.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We've doled out $5 trillion over the last three relief bills. $5 billion will make its way to Minnesota governments. St Cloud is getting almost $16 million. Over $1 billion is going to Minnesota's 87 counties. $595 million is earmarked for just metro cities. $420 million is to be divided between Greater MN cities and townships. $420 million has been set aside for state capital projects. $245 million is going directly to Hennepin County. $281 million is going to Minneapolis over and above the amount going to Hennepin County... and we're just getting started. This money seems to be able to go to just about anything, except for reducing taxes, that is. There is so much money being thrown at each of the 50 states. Where are we coming up with this? We're printing all of it!
While we have almost no idea how this money will be spent, we have an idea of who is getting what. Businesses, farmers, and minorities are getting a chunk of this money (outside of the $1,400 stimulus checks). Farmers are getting debt relief... but only minority farmers. Will there be any kind of accountability or will it be hidden in cryptic entries on some balance sheet? It is time to make sure that we keep an eye on what they do before it's come and spent.
Walzy has been doing a bang up job with the whole COVID thing, at least if we listen to Minnesota media. Yet, things seem to be in shambles across the state. Dr. Scott Jensen is the first Republican to jump into the race for the Republicans, and he has been lambasted for his stance on masks, among other things. Once again, the media is carrying the Governor's water and running cover for him. Surprise, surprise, surprise...
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The League of Minnesota Cities posits itself as an advocate for all of the cities of this state. 850 of 853 Minnesota cities are members. It has a lot of (your) money to not only provide legal help for cities, but to support legislation for bills like House File 600 which supports recreational cannabis. No matter your position, we're not sure what that has to do with cities. They are also advocates for Local Government Aid (LGA), which takes our tax dollars and redistributes them to municipalities across the state. There are bills before the legislature that state that a portion of LGA has to go to the police, a portion has to go to housing (re)development, and that no LGA will go to a city that reduces its police force.
They are a huge advocate of the equity push that we are seeing in cities. Remember that "equity" is not the same as "equality". Equality assures equal treatment and equal opportunities for all, regardless of race. Equity is where some people are treated more equal than others, with preference given to certain races of people over other races, "evening the playing field" in their eyes. It takes away from some and gives to others. They back a move to have residents report potential discrimination on their neighbors.
There is another group exclusively for cities outside of the metro called the Coalition of Greater MN Cities. They back Senate File 1903 which would create a grant program to help cities to pay for housing development. They want state money to do the sewer and water. They want to build more apartments and multi-family housing.
There are so many of these groups (League of MN Cities, Coalition of Greater MN Cities, Association of Metropolitan Municipalities, etc.) that are asking for money to complete projects and/or lobbying for legislation in St Paul. Are these requests really the best thing for these cities? Are they the best thing for Minnesota?
Also, the Minnesota Legislature just passed a COVID relief bill. We also discuss President Joe Biden's lassez-faire approach to being the leader of the free world and the future of Andrew Cuomo as governor of New York.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- What's that, you say? You need more government? ...said no one ever. That's okay, the group you didn't ask for, the Central Mississippi River Regional Planning Partnership, is here to do things that you didn't know you needed. They are devising Framework 2030, which will give all sorts of planning direction for Big Lake, Monticello, Becker (and all of their townships), Silver Creek Township, and both Sherburne and Wright Counties. It is filled with both elected people and hired staff people. It covers housing, transportation, people, streets, parks, and whatever else they can get under their power. They aren't elected to take place in a regional government group, but they plan and push for change in the counties, cities, and townships that they represent.
They are drawing up a plan for land use for these communities. Isn't that the job of the city or township where you live? Why is a regional group deciding that for the people that you elected? They want to connect parks by using new and existing trails. They want to increase variety of housing stock using lifestyle housing to plan starter homes, high density housing, town homes, assisted living, but again... why is regional government needed to plan this? It keeps local governments in line, should they want to divert from the plan and do their own thing. Membership in the group puts pressure on the other members to stay a part of the club in good standing. They are planning what these communities need to look like by 2030, so it's here to stay unless you get involved and speak up now. The meetings are held from 7:30-9:30am on the 4th Thursday of the month. Good thing it's accessible to working people.
It's a budget year at the MN Capitol, so we're going to float... a bonding bill? We have a surplus, so we're going to take out debt. Governor Walz calls it the 2021 Local Jobs and Projects Plan. It calls for $240 million in general obligation bonds, $250 in appropriation bonds, and $28 million to be financed immediately. $43 million of this money is slated to go for security upgrades at the Capitol. That's the emergency in a non-bonding year? Or how about a second Amtrak train between Minneapolis and Chicago? Now how much would you pay? Don't worry, the Republicans are already more-or-less on board.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We are finally turning 200 episodes old! There have been so many great episodes over the last four-plus seasons, and we spend some time telling you about our favorites. For all of you new to the show, we can point you toward some real good ones.
If you've never heard how we got started, it's definitely worth a listen. You should definitely check out Episode 1 (Why We Do It), if you haven't. In Episode 8 (Ring Around Roseau), we picked a Minnesota city out of thin air and proved that comprehensive plans are pretty much the same all over the state. We tackled two super important election issues in Episodes 37 (Ranked Choice Voting) and 38(Why We Hate Odd Year Elections). These issues aren't going away, so they are timeless episodes. In Episode 47 (Do Levy Limits Work?), we break down why they don't and why you should nip it in the bud whenever it comes up. Almost all of Minnesota is under one of 10 Regional Development Organizations (RDO's), under the Minnesota Association of Development Organizations (MADO). We introduce you to them in Episode 67 (Shark-MADO Is Running Loose). In one of our many podcasts on the war on cars, Episode 77 (Vision Zero or Zero Vision?) details how they want to get rid of traffic deaths by bringing a death to traffic. In Episode 102 (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), we detail the history of public financed sports stadiums, and why it's a bad idea. In Episode 112 (Let's Make A Deal), we discuss how we are bypassing officially signing treaties with all of these international agreements, and cities are getting a piece of the action. There is a move in the local offices in the Metro to go from left to further left in Episode 121 (From Bad To Worse). We discuss how cities determine their preliminary levies and dish out the worst offenders in Episode 136 (Hey, Big Spender). We tackle all of the waste that was disbursed from the CARES Act in Episode 172 (We're In The Money).
We cover all of these and so much more! There have been so many great guests and topics that you won't hear on any other podcast. We'd love to hear from you about your favorites!
We also take a little time to discuss the recent hearing. The Senate finally brought in Jan Malcolm to discuss the survey that is being given to senior vaccine recipients, asking about their sexual preference, if they are depressed, and other very intrusive questions. Governor Walz is also teasing us with another possible relaxing of restrictions, but who knows for sure. There's no reason that there aren't at least some fans in the stands. There's no reason that secondary students aren't in school. C'mon, Walz, let's stop this nonsense.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We continue with our discussion on The Great Reset. Last week we taught you what it is, now we tell you how it is going to affect you locally. Huge corporations are joining together with government to form public-private partnerships and decide exactly what rules others will have to play by. These public-private partnerships are creating ESG Goals (Environmental, Social, and Governance), based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Agenda 2030. There are 17 different categories of SDGs that boast to deliver a world where no one is left behind. There will be rules around water, land, air, food, health, inequalities, energy, and more. It will affect how products are shipped, what products you can get, and what kind of price controls are in place. What do any of these globalist corporations know about cities in rural Minnesota? I'd argue they know nothing about the suburbs either.
Banks are starting to write rules around who they will or will not do business with. If your business is not moving towards participating in a net zero economy (averaging no emissions), you will not be able to do business with these banks. Wells Fargo and Bank of America are already headed down this road. Even investment companies like BlackRock could hurt your bottom line. 48 companies are deciding for everyone else what constitutes racial justice in business. 50 global companies with the AARP are writing the rules on age in the workplace. They are also determining how to increase physical and mental health of the cities' populations. 9 cities and 70 organizations will be mandating how cities become more circular and green, leading to a net zero economy.
We have the makings of a treaty, but because its being implemented by corporations, they don't have to sign a treaty or observe constitutional principles. Who represents you in an oligarchy? The answer is no one. These companies don't care about you. They want to play ball with the governments, so that they get to write the regulations that will benefit them. Your opinions are not needed, nor are they wanted.
Also, when will Governor Tim Walz make everyone to go back to school? It's not that we should be in a rush to subject our children to the ever-worsening curriculum and push for equity, but the Teacher's Union keeps pushing to keep teachers out of the classroom, despite the science saying that it's relatively safe for them to return.
We also discuss the recent passing of talk radio icon, Rush Limbaugh, what his show meant to us... and our genre as a whole.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Today we finally get around to discussing The Great Reset... and yes, it's going to make things difficult at the local level. How can we prepare to meet the challenges that it will bring head on? We have to be willing to look at what they are, what they say, and what they do... and not dismiss it. This movement has its roots down in Mussolini's National Corporation Council and (by proxy) FDR's National Recovery Agency. This favors the big corporations as they enter into public private partnerships with national governments. This leaves competitors out in the cold, as some businesses are favored and others are not.
Governments and big business are getting together to set the rules that the rest of us are going to have to play by. It's not a conspiracy theory born in some smoke-filled back room. They are doing it out in the open, because they are not ashamed of it, and are putting the rest of the world on notice that this is the way that things are going to be. The World Economic Forum gives these public-private partnerships a place to come together and create policies on how they are going to work together to make the engine of the world go. The rules will always benefit the people in control.
They see an opportunity to take advantage now of the world's issues: climate change, COVID, racism, sexism, etc., and coming up with plans to implement autocratic rule under the guise of "stakeholder capitalism". What is "stakeholder capitalism"? It's an oligarchy comprised of the heads of nations and the world's most powerful companies, who decide what is the best for everyone else. You don't get a voice, and it is going to worm its way into every sector.
An example of this is how Coca-Cola came away from the Davos meeting with a new policy for the outside law firms that represent it. They must report quarterly on the breakdown of diversity in their firms. If the benchmarks are not achieved, Coke will pay those firms at a decreased rate. These are called ESG Standards (Environmental, Social, and Governance). This is exactly how they will force you into accepting all of the critical theory and Green New Deal policies that they want to implement, no matter how stupid they sound. They want to get rid of private property altogether to serve the common good.
The Minnesota Legislature filed H.R.2 that contains articles of impeachment for Governor Tim Walz. There were five articles listed in the bill: failing to respect the separation of powers, inventing new penalties for executive orders, banning the free exercise of religion, taking private property, and banning nearly all non-emergency medical care. Like any other attempt to get to the bottom of corruption in this state, it probably won't go anywhere.
In other news, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has announced that He is going to run for re-election. The far left will definitely run at least one radical candidate that will want to disband the police. Beware the candidate that all of a sudden rises to the top out of nowhere. On a related note, Governor Walz said that he wasn't sure if he's running for re-election, only to show up at a re-election fundraiser hours later. Anyone want to keep him honest? Didn't think so.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- There are some really dumb laws. No, I mean there are some really stupid laws. It is illegal to frown in Pocatello, Idaho. Ummm... what? Who thinks of this stuff? You can't bite your landlord in Rumford, ME. Can you bite other people? You can't let your chicken cross the road in Quitman, Georgia. Yes, that's actually a law. These ridiculous laws are found in California, New York, and here in Minnesota. We laugh at these things, but it's indicative of a greater problem. Government never rescinds anything. These laws get made for an actual issue in some moment in time, and no one ever visits them again. They should be revisited every decade so that all the junk and be removed. We go through some of the worst ones that we can find to prove our point (and have a good laugh).
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is trying to adopt California environmental standards. In one such move, they are trying to mandate that car dealers have a certain amount of electric vehicles in their inventory. They defend their position by saying that they are not demanding people buy them. They do believe, however, that by having enough supply, it will drive demand. I'm sorry, but economics is not driven by supply, it's driven by demand. There is no scarcity of electric vehicles. In fact, the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association is saying that they don't have a market for them. Yet, the state keeps pushing their broken agenda.
Also, in some accidental journalism, Democrat Dan Feehan (former opponent of Congressman Jim Hagedorn) is getting no bid contracts from his Democrat friends to handle the vaccine in southern Minnesota. Of course no one seems to care enough to report on it.
Lastly, today's Song of the Week results in a great discussion about the music industry, recording, and some great stories.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Governor Walz is rolling out some big ideas. These big ideas have sweeping local implications. There is so much failing happening. We are 41st in the nation with residents receiving the COVID vaccine (5.6%). Teachers and child care providers are starting to get the vaccine and there are a whole lot of senior citizens that still aren't vaccinated.
The "good" Governor just released a $52.4 Billion budget, more than doubling the size of the budget from the mid-nineties. He is trying to push this through quickly, without anyone getting to find what's in it. Some early items are $150 million for rebuilding Minneapolis, $2.7 million for the state patrol's plan to keep protests from devolving into riots, $1.5 million will be used to offset 125 DNR officers reassigned to the Chauvin trial, $25 million to provide one-time payments to families already receiving welfare assistance. That is only scraping the scum off the top of the swamp, and there's a whole lot of concern over the direction of his budget.
He is also rolling out what every media outlet coins as "sweeping education reform". Walzy is calling it the "Due North Education Plan". The problem is, there's not much education involved in the plan. It's chock-full of equity and critical theory. They want to get students back to school... unless of course you are in high school. Then you can forget it. They want to expand mental health to students over the summer months. Where was that during the last two school years, when kids were struggling with depression and suicide rates were increasing? Funding for schools in Minnesota is based, in part, on enrollment. They want to provide cash to schools in the place of students that left the district. They want to increase access to out of school opportunities. Then there are all of the ethnic studies and race-fueled programs. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Center and the Minnesota Department of Education to address systemic racism. There is an attempt to classify the Native American as an oppressed group that needs to put the oppressor in his place.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Whelp... the St Paul City Council has unanimously decided to form a Slavery Reparations Commission. They feel that St Paul taxpayers owe something to African Americans because there were slaves held at Fort Snelling (which was federal land), even though no slaves were ever held in St Paul. They also want to give tax money to residents that used to live in the Rondo neighborhood when I-94 came through and changed the neighborhood. It has nothing to do with slavery at all, yet people that have never owned slaves are expected to pay people that never were slaves.
This approach sells minorities short. There are so many smart and talented people that are told that they can't achieve in America, and it's just wrong. Yet, the same party continues to offer the same hopelessness as they offer a pittance in exchange for their votes. They deserve so much more success than this.
There are so many cities that are doing the same exact thing as St.Paul: Chicago, Evanston, Detroit, Asheville, Wilmington, Burlington, and many, many more. What does it mean when multiple cities are doing the same thing? Usually, it means that some group is behind it. When you can't get something passed at the federal level, you go after the city councils across the nation. Enter the U.S. conference of mayors. They had a conference last year that produced a resolution to promote the passage of ordinances that establish the awarding of reparations to black Americans across the nation. This is not an organic movement, and if you don't stand up now, this will be the law of the land in most places.
The vaccine is here! And Governor Walz has messed up the distribution. Surprise, surprise, surprise... Also, This Day In History is back, as Andrew reminds everyone how terrible Jason is with historical dates.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- The MN Department of Education has decided that it is time to revise the state Social Studies benchmarks that define the standards that students need to graduate. WWI, WWII, the rise and fall of communism/socialism, the holocaust, the Civil War, and the Revolutionary War were all missing from the World/American History benchmarks. They are gutting Minnesota history by silencing how Minnesotans have dealt with some of the various wars we have fought in. They also have cut out the agricultural revolution... which is a strange choice of omissions. The work of Norman Borlaug ended up feeding the world. The claims of overpopulation due to his work are Malthusian attempts at pushing eugenics to reduce the world's population.
There are a number of new benchmarks around teaching students about the systemic racism that makes white children privileged, and other children unprivileged. It requires that teachers instruct about about "Manifest Destiny and its relation to whiteness, Christianity, and capitalism". Another benchmark states that students must learn about how the U.S. stole land from indigenous people and Mexico. It The system that says that white people are racist is trying to push its own brand of racism. White people are the source of all society's ills, and our children are being taught these dangerous ideas are truth, when its a complete distortion. Critical theory is about to become hardwired into our children's Social Studies curriculum for the foreseeable future.
The new standards also require students to learn about activism and how to be an activist. Teachers must teach about gender identity and LGBTQ issues. Subjects like inequity in economics and the perils of climate change are also sprinkled in for good measure. What chance do our children have if they are all going to be inundated with all of this propaganda that is meant to tear down our society, so they can build one of their choosing? In their eyes, an entire of generation our children is an acceptable cost for their delusional dystopian nightmare.
30.6 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been distributed across the country. 11.1 million have been administered. 513,800 doses have been received in Minnesota, but only 179,684 (or 35%)n have been administered. South Dakota has administered 61%. North Dakota has administered 62%. Connecticut, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Hampshire, Texas and others are way ahead of us. Then our Governor has the gall to complain that we don't have enough doses. Are we the only ones tired of the showboating and the dishonesty?
We also discuss the new "America's Rescue Plan". There's money for everybody! Well... not for you, but for adult dependents, mixed immigration households, renters, and homelessness. Good luck to you if you're not one of those.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Light Rail has been DOA for the last number of years in the Twin Cities. The Bottineau and South West lines have received immense pushback against their routes. In fact, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad has refused to sell the land to Hennepin County. The geniuses at Hennepin County spent $129 million of taxpayer dollars to plan and do environmental studies for a line that they never had a deal to build. Now they have admitted that a deal with BNSF will not be reached.
The project should be dead in the water now, but guess what? They are going to start researching the matter all over again in a hope to move the track in a new direction. That's the problem with government. Nothing ever goes away. All of the usual corporate and government suspects are back at the table begging for handouts so they can start the process all over again. It's wasteful. It's being tone deaf. It's prideful. Stop and listen to the people that elected you. An election isn't like winning a shopping spree at the bad policy store. It's okay to check in with all of your constituents and put people before party.
We review the latest blue line survey, where we prove that government surveys are always slanted. They never ask "if" you want their bad ideas... only "how" you'd like them to cram it down your throat.
Also Andrew and Jason take turns ranting. Andrew puts himself on the therapist's couch as he discusses his fascination with Dr. Phil and the "Catch Me Outside" girl. He also is perturbed about the disaster we know as the distribution of the COVID vaccine. Jason's rant is one for the ages... and I think he covered everybody. This show is devolving fast.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Our schools have been shut down for almost a year. We've all got our opinions, but what is the reality? How is this affecting our kids? Are they learning? Are they excelling? Reports would say no. They are missing the structure and boundaries that help them to be successful in learning. They aren't building the social skills that they need in order to take part in a civil society. Our children are losing out big time on vital skills that set them up for life. In fact, in St. Paul Public Schools there's a ton of students getting a "legitimate zero".
Our children are also struggling mentally. Suicide rates are way up among school age kids during the pandemic. Why would a government that doesn't care about killing babies really care if students are dying? This disease has a 99%-plus survival rate, and most of our young don't even get it. Yet, they are getting depressed because they don't have an opportunity to socialize or participate in sports, music, and clubs. The cure is way worse than the disease.
How can we get our kids out of this harmful situation and into something that is helpful for them? We look into some possible solutions to help give kids options. We need to look into wrestling our kids away from the teacher's union and (by proxy) the public schools. The teacher's union, however, will never let our children go that easily. The use of private schools, online learning, homeschool, co-ops, pods, and apprenticeships. There needs to be some destructive innovation, free market choices, and real competition in curriculum. Kids need to have the ability to socialize. Let's hear your ideas!
We also have a little update on the possibility that the Governor will lose his emergency powers when the new Minnesota legislature convenes in January. Some of the DFL'ers that have been voting against renewing his powers have been speaking, but there's still not a definitive word on what will happen. Some of these outstate House members are getting a lot of pressure from their constituents. We can only hope that it is enough to push them over the edge, as the pressure from the Democrat whip is probably pretty heavy too. Time will tell if we will ever be free again. In addition, we take a look at a report that projects which states might lose or add electoral seats after the census data shakes out.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
commsolutionsmn.com- The Federal Government is teetering on the edge of signing a COVID relief bill that will supposedly send checks to American families. All the while, Minnesota passed their own COVID relief bill and no one seems to want to tell us what's in it. The MN Senate passed it 62-4, so it must be good. $88 million will go to bars, restaurants, and bowling alleys... but there are strings. Who knows where all of that will end up going? $14 million will be used for grants to movie theaters. $145 million will got to hotels, museums. arcades, and live theater venues. Counties will get tens of millions to hand out as they see fit. $26 million will go to Hennepin County alone. These programs have tons of stipulations and biases built in. Will the people that really need the money get it?
The Federal COVID relief package is even worse. It's a $2.3 billion boondoggle (not including the National Defense Authorization spending bill). It's 5500 pages, and doles out millions of dollars for Sudan, Cameroon, gender programs in Pakistan... this is COVID relief for our citizens? How does our Senate approve the original bill with a $600 payment for every citizen, and not approve the $2000 payment? They are ok with all of the foreign payments, but not the domestic ones? This is insanity!
Jason flips the script on Andrew, by quizzing him on important historical events on Christmas days of yore. Does Andrew know his history? We also break down the recent article written by Andrew, where he ponders whether the new MN Legislature will strip Governor Walz of his emergency powers in January.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Tax money is flying all around the state. It's going to feed transportation, housing, transit, roads, and more. There are, however, strings that come along with all of it, in order for the state to get things done their way. Rural areas and small towns are getting decimated in the process.
Roads are handled differently depending on what type of road is being fixed. There are a number of different taxes that feed into that. There's the gas tax, the motor vehicle sales tax, and tabs. Then the state breaks that up among state aid roads, state highways, and trunk highways. Is there a better way to fund these projects across the state?
There's way too much reliance on bonding when it comes to funding projects. Cities need to start looking ahead and planning for their future. Saving in advance saves constituents millions of dollars. Hidden taxes like special assessments, franchise fees, and debt service eat up so much money that residents don't even realize they are paying.
We see the same things happening across the state. The problem is that you have regional planning organizations (i.e. Met Council, MADO, counties, etc) driving these changes down to the cities they oversee. If you listened to the last episode, you know that these staff planners are all trained with the same concepts in the universities. What do these rural areas and smaller cities need to do to keep their character intact, yet move into the 21st century?
We also discuss the newest round of Governor Tim Walz's lockdowns, and how they don't seem to based in science. He goes after bars and restaurants because they don't have anyone to stand up for them. It's all meant to use fear to make people feel safe, because he's doing "something". Shouldn't we do the right thing? All of this posturing is meant to cover over that they don't have a plan, besides staying locked down. Where is the voice of the opposition in St. Paul?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- What does it take to become a City Planner or a City Manager? There is a whole lot of schooling involved, which makes for a growing club of people that are instructed in the same worldview. We take a look at some of the ideologies that are required for a Masters in City and Regional Planning.
Classes like Global Cities, Introduction To Urban and Regional Transportation, Race Place And Equity, Multispecies Cities (yes, you read that right), environmental justice, and green energy indoctrinate students toward urbanizing cities under an international model. They are trying to train the future planners of America how to remake a city with equitable outcomes (equitable housing choices, equitable transportation, community greenspace, etc), and procuring the funding to develop or redevelop these cities into social justice nightmares.
These government entities desire those that have Master's degrees, so that they know that the candidates have been fully indoctrinated. They don't want staff that haven't been trained in the predetermined Marxist ideals. It doesn't seem to matter where you study either. We tear open a couple of different programs, one from a super liberal place and one from a more conservative one. It's all pretty similar.
We also discuss the upcoming special session to (once again) not do anything to curb the emergency powers of King Tim Walz. They are discussing a possible aid package, but refuse to let anybody work. Minneapolis just voted to cut $8 million from their police force. We go over some of the things that they could buy for $8 million.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's been a little while since we've done a Local Lowdown show. It's important that we know what the cities of this state are up to, because it could very well mean that we will begin to see these things pop up in other cities.
Plymouth has proposed a 6.9% property tax increase. What will this tax hike get you? You will be funding six new full time positions, including a "diversity, equity, and inclusion coordinator". You might not be working, but at least someone else is employed and you are footing the bill.
Golden Valley is removing their crime-free housing initiative. According to the MN Crime Prevention Association, the program gives multi-unit housing complexes a certification based on a three-step program that is meant to stop and deter crime on their grounds. Golden Valley has decided that it wants to weaken the participation of multi-unit housing managers and owners, because it's unfair to those that want to break the law and make everyone else feel unsafe.
Hennepin County attorney, Mike Freeman, said that he is not going to request bail for such low level crimes as theft of up to $35,000, property damage, possession of burglary tools, and identity theft. What about repeat offenders? A lot of these crimes were selected to get Minneapolis' rioters off the hook without any kind of accountability for their actions.
New Hope is raising taxes, yet again, and is celebrating that it's only a half-million dollar raise over last year's monumental tax increase... and they couldn't even afford a mobile-friendly website.
We also cover a couple of the outstanding House races in Iowa and New York. In the Empire State, they found 55 ballots, in a race where the Republican was ahead by 12 votes. I'm sure it's all super fair. We follow the discussion right into redistricting and what may happen in Minnesota, as we look forward to shifting our congressional districts around again, so that those that don't stand up for us anyway, can continue to stay in power.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com-
Just when you think that they can't ruin Minneapolis any further, they go and do it. Never underestimate this city council's ability to make the wrong decision every single time. This time along with their little brother, St Paul, they have dropped the speed limit to 20 mph on residential streets. They had recently dropped the speed limits from 30 to 25, and now they reduce it even more.
Thanks to the world-wide special interest group, 20 is Plenty, cities like Seattle, Tacoma, Denver, and Boulder have been busy reducing speed limits around the country. They have progressively criminalized drivers, and dropping the speed limit is just one more way to do it. This is just another nanny state measure to try and protect us from ourselves and get more cars off of the roads by making the act of driving completely untenable.
They try to say that it's a racial issue and that it will help reduce carbon emissions (again, because they think people will get frustrated and stop driving). It has become a new social justice issue. In fact, portions of Washington D.C. will lower portions of the city to 15 mph. When is enough enough? Better yet... how do you keep this out of your city?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Well, this week our esteemed Governor Walz decided to shut a number of Minnesota businesses down again. We predicted there would be an uptick with accompanied shut downs again, once it got cold. Here we are, yet the state of Minnesota is caught unprepared again.
He has shut down indoor dining at bars and restaurants (and any entertainment in them), sports, and put several limitations on private gatherings, significant life events, and churches. Executive Order 20-96 (yes, there have now been over 96 Executive Orders just this year) states that Attorney General Keith Ellison, county attorneys, and even city attorneys can prosecute any infractions... but that's not all! In addition to actually breaking the order, you can be prosecuted for threatening to break the order! What? That's a clear first amendment violation. Who is going to stand for the rule of law and save us from these autocrats?
The worry is that all of this is planned and preparing us for the Great Reset by tanking our economy. The Biden slogan "Build Back Better" is part of a global movement that other world leaders have been using for quite a while now. This is a shell game and more and more people are catching on. The time to stand is now, before we lose more of our homes, restaurants, and businesses.
Also, two "former" DFL senators, Tom Bakk (Cook) and Dave Tomasssoni (Chisolm), have formally left the Democrat party. We all know that they are not moderates, so what's the deal? Why are the Republicans going to put them in charge of major committees? Becoming an independent in an area that is quickly turning red makes them think that they can hide and stay in office.
Also, Minneapolis will invest $1.2 Million into minority owned businesses for rebuilding after the riots and for environmental justice.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Well, this week our esteemed Governor Walz decided to shut a number of Minnesota businesses down again. We predicted there would be an uptick with accompanied shut downs again, once it got cold. Here we are, yet the state of Minnesota is caught unprepared again.
He has shut down indoor dining at bars and restaurants (and any entertainment in them), sports, and put several limitations on private gatherings, significant life events, and churches. Executive Order 20-96 (yes, there have now been over 96 Executive Orders just this year) states that Attorney General Keith Ellison, county attorneys, and even city attorneys can prosecute any infractions... but that's not all! In addition to actually breaking the order, you can be prosecuted for threatening to break the order! What? That's a clear first amendment violation. Who is going to stand for the rule of law and save us from these autocrats?
The worry is that all of this is planned and preparing us for the Great Reset by tanking our economy. The Biden slogan "Build Back Better" is part of a global movement that other world leaders have been using for quite a while now. This is a shell game and more and more people are catching on. The time to stand is now, before we lose more of our homes, restaurants, and businesses.
Also, two "former" DFL senators, Tom Bakk (Cook) and Dave Tomasssoni (Chisolm), have formally left the Democrat party. We all know that they are not moderates, so what's the deal? Why are the Republicans going to put them in charge of major committees? Becoming an independent in an area that is quickly turning red makes them think that they can hide and stay in office.
Also, Minneapolis will invest $1.2 Million into minority owned businesses for rebuilding after the riots and for environmental justice.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Well, this week our esteemed Governor Walz decided to shut a number of Minnesota businesses down again. We predicted there would be an uptick with accompanied shut downs again, once it got cold. Here we are, yet the state of Minnesota is caught unprepared again.
He has shut down indoor dining at bars and restaurants (and any entertainment in them), sports, and put several limitations on private gatherings, significant life events, and churches. Executive Order 20-96 (yes, there have now been over 96 Executive Orders just this year) states that Attorney General Keith Ellison, county attorneys, and even city attorneys can prosecute any infractions... but that's not all! In addition to actually breaking the order, you can be prosecuted for threatening to break the order! What? That's a clear first amendment violation. Who is going to stand for the rule of law and save us from these autocrats?
The worry is that all of this is planned and preparing us for the Great Reset by tanking our economy. The Biden slogan "Build Back Better" is part of a global movement that other world leaders have been using for quite a while now. This is a shell game and more and more people are catching on. The time to stand is now, before we lose more of our homes, restaurants, and businesses.
Also, two "former" DFL senators, Tom Bakk (Cook) and Dave Tomasssoni (Chisolm), have formally left the Democrat party. We all know that they are not moderates, so what's the deal? Why are the Republicans going to put them in charge of major committees? Becoming an independent in an area that is quickly turning red makes them think that they can hide and stay in office.
Also, Minneapolis will invest $1.2 Million into minority owned businesses for rebuilding after the riots and for environmental justice.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- A couple of months ago we discussed that the MN Republicans caved and passed a $1.9 Billion dollar bonding bill. Well... we have finally found out what's in it. In keeping with tradition, we decide to go over it and let you know what you are now on the hook for. Remember that bonding is a hidden tax because they tell you what you owe in principal, but always leave out the millions of dollars in interest that you'll pay over the long run.
These bonding bills need 60% approval in each legislative body to pass. The MN House of Representatives passed it 100 to 34 (including all 75 DFLers and 25 of 59 Republicans). The senate passed it 64 to 3. The vast majority of Republicans are absolutely useless in the pursuit of fiscal responsibility.
They try to convince us that it's full of tax cuts. You can't borrow to cut taxes. It gets paid back with our tax money. They gave higher learning $94 million dollars. Minneapolis received $85 million for local projects. St. Paul received $52 million for a bridge. The Metropolitan Council got $55 Million for Bus Rapid Transit. The MN Zoo got $42 Million. It's cities in liberal places, and in conservative places. They are all part the problem. Senators and reps get bought off by the promise of "free money" for their districts. It's just gross, and were in dire need of a culture change.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- This has been the weirdest election cycle that either of us can remember. Never has someone tried as little as Joe Biden, yet done so well in the election. The polls were terrible. The press was in the bag for Biden. His turnout was nil at his events. There are always strange stories, and there's a lot of false stories about fraud... but there are bigger issues here. The president's numbers were shooting up, and then everything closed down. Then when everything opened up again, Biden was ahead in almost all of those places, and he never looked back. There have been software errors, some of which have been caught and fixed, but who knows if they all have been found, as 48 Michigan counties use the same software and over 30 states. States like Nevada stopped counting for the day at 10:45am. Need a siesta? Poll challengers were forced to stand 25 feet away in Philadelphia. Despite an order from Samuel Alito, Philly still has not separated out ballots that came in after the deadline.
If we don't have confidence in our electoral system, it will be our undoing... but that's part of the plan. The radicals want to tear down the country, and the establishment is playing a completely different game in the corner and can't seem to figure out what's going on. All of these strange actions just beg more questions in the honesty of the process. In an interesting move, however, conservatives picked up state house and senate seats across the nation and also U.S. House seats. It's strange that they rode the President's coat tails, but he didn't get across the finish line. We will see what happens by the time this thing gets out of the courts.
We also discuss the election of Sarah McBride, Delaware's new and the country's first openly transgender senator.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolitionsmn.com- The way we get information has changed so much in the last 20 years. Where can we go and who do we trust? Social media is the number one way to get information out to a large number of people. Big Tech is censoring conservative outlets and values. The New York Post Twitter account was suspended for verified information about Joe and Hunter Biden personally making tens of millions from China, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, etc. No one is even talking about the Great Reset or the Transition Integrity Project. Should the Democrats win the House, Senate, and White House, many believe that there will be an effort to bring back the Fairness Doctrine, but that it will attempt to shut down all conservative media.
The answer, for now, is to start a blog or a podcast. Citizen journalism is the only way that we are going to be able to get the word out, and even then Google may throttle it down. Isn't having a debate healthy? Why are we removing opposing voices? We need to look at where the trends are going in the future and plan for how you are going to stay connected to the information and outlets that you trust.
The Senate Republicans got Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to the Supreme Court in very short order. It they were able to do this so quickly, why didn't they ever get rid of Obamacare? Why was there no plan or political will to get this done? We discuss one of the greatest mysteries of the last four years.
We also discuss Andrew's trip to city hall to early vote. As always, it is quite an experience.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We've spent many years trying to explain the importance of local elections. It can be difficult to be an informed voter in local races, just because they don't get the press of other races, and the media doesn't do their job and dig in past "tell us about yourself" and "name your top three priorities". We show you how we do it as we review the candidates running where we got our start; Crystal, MN. We look at the following races: Jim Adams v. Steve Adams, Eric Wilhelm v. David Cummings, Tony Sumnicht v. John Budziszewski, and Nancy LaRoche v. Jim Martin. The State Labor Federation of the AFL-CIO has a union member candidate program, where the state union is putting money and muscle behind local elections, because they have to own everything. Look out for these union-funded candidates. You will hear all about carbon footprint, light rail, equity, and the rest of the radical union agenda. We also take a moment to discuss the Hunter Biden e-mails, and what they mean for the remainder of the election cycle. One thing is for sure... no matter what, there will be more riots and there may be a push for adding D.C. and Puerto Rico as states, putting term limits on the Supreme Court, getting rid of the electoral college, and other such nonsense. It's all laid out in a document rom the Transition Integrity Project called "Preventing a Disrupted Presidential Election and Transition". We also take a look at what's at stake. You must get informed and get out and vote! Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy! Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Teachers and Students across the state of Minnesota just had their annual MEA (Minnesota Educators Academy) weekend, in which students get vacation and teachers and support staff get to attend a conference held by Education Minnesota. This year was a virtual conference, but boy... was it a doosey.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Bettina L. Love of the Abolitionist Teacher's Network (ATN). The ATN is another Marxist, critical race theorizing, activist group that exists to infiltrate our schools with the message that white people are racist and need to get out of the way. They use words like "activists", "radical", and "agitators".
The agenda was full of special interest topics around race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation, while using topics around retirement to lure in unsuspecting young teachers. This event is a union activism weekend to radicalize our teachers. Do you really want to continue trusting your kids to this kind of teaching? It's time for another solution to our educational woes.
We also share our indignation over the brand new $1.9 Billion Bonding Bill that almost every fiscally conservative Republican voted in favor of. These bonding bills are a waste, because they are filled with loads of pork. Let's hope there are no more downturns in the economy for a long time. Unbelievable. Thanks for selling us down the river again.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Teachers and Students across the state of Minnesota just had their annual MEA (Minnesota Educators Academy) weekend, in which students get vacation and teachers and support staff get to attend a conference held by Education Minnesota. This year was a virtual conference, but boy... was it a doosey.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Bettina L. Love of the Abolitionist Teacher's Network (ATN). The ATN is another Marxist, critical race theorizing, activist group that exists to infiltrate our schools with the message that white people are racist and need to get out of the way. They use words like "activists", "radical", and "agitators".
The agenda was full of special interest topics around race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation, while using topics around retirement to lure in unsuspecting young teachers. This event is a union activism weekend to radicalize our teachers. Do you really want to continue trusting your kids to this kind of teaching? It's time for another solution to our educational woes.
We also share our indignation over the brand new $1.9 Billion Bonding Bill that almost every fiscally conservative Republican voted in favor of. These bonding bills are a waste, because they are filled with loads of pork. Let's hope there are no more downturns in the economy for a long time. Unbelievable. Thanks for selling us down the river again.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Our schools are under attack. School boards complain about not having control, and then complain when the state gives them control. So many of Minnesota's school districts are similar, because there is so little independence given, thanks to the Department of Education and the teacher's union. So no matter where you are, you will benefit from this week's podcast. Independent School District 281 (Robbinsdale Area Schools) just held a school board forum through the League of Women Voters. You have three incumbents (John Vento, Helen Bassett, and Sherry Tyrrell) going against the slate called "Change281" (ReNae Bowman, Eric Pone, and Stacy Rider), and two other candidates (Brian Hanf, and Greta Evans-Becker). Like all school districts, they are battling over all-too-frequent referendums, school properties, COVID readiness, employment, busing... you know, all the typical things that school boards deal with, I mean, except for student achievement, graduation rates, college readiness, etc. There is too much focus on equity (aka Cultural Marxism or Critical Race Theory) and not enough on how to make every student the best they can be to go take on an ever-changing world. We also take a little time to discuss the recent passing of the 19th anniversary of our troops' arrival in Afghanistan. When are we going to get out? We have troops all over the globe. We're spending so much money. Why? When are our soldiers coming home? It's a topic worth a little discussion. Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy! Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Fair and free elections are a bedrock of our constitutional republic. And because of that, there is a contingent of people that must undermine them in order to remake America in their own image. The more confusion they can bring to the process, the more they can manipulate the results. Elections need to have ironclad processes in order to keep fraudulent activities from throwing our peaceful transfer of power into doubt... but that's the point. They try to convince the electorate that national popular vote is a better method of electing a president than the electoral college. They try to sneak people in that are not eligible to vote with tactics such as vouching and same day registration. Ranked Choice Voting, mail-in ballots, and ballot harvesting throw even more chaos into the mix. That brings us to early voting. It is thought that up to 30% of people could vote before election day this year. That may or may not affect federal races a whole lot, but for state races and local races, it matters. People are voting before they have any idea who's running on these down ballot races. There's been little to no literature distributed, no debates, and few doors knocked on. How do you know who to choose? The candidate with the best machinery wins, unfortunately. Early voting is not going away. So what can we do? There must be strict rules. We can't allow for voting to be done haphazardly. We can only be confident in the outcome if there are a set of rules that are never violated. We must protect our electoral system. We must stay vigilant. Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy! Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutions.com- We welcome Nate Truesdell, Champlin City Council (Ward 3), to the show. Nate was elected to his first term four years ago, and is running for re-election. We invite him on to talk about what's going on in the city, what he accomplished in his first term, and what he still wants to accomplish in his next term. He came in with another newly-elected council member, a councilmember-turned-mayor, and two appointees. So, they had their work cutout for them, but they have thrived, with most residents saying they are happy with the direction of the city. Mississippi Point Park has been a prime spot on the Mississippi River that has been in negotiation for twenty years, and Nate has had a big hand in getting it finalized. He discusses his take on law enforcement and how Champlin handled protecting its citizens during the riots. He also explains how important it is to have the right voices on the council to advocate for important services, like the fire department. It's a balance to make sure they have what they need without writing them a blank check. He is a strong advocate for local businesses and has made an effort to make Champlin a business friendly city. We also take a look at the upcoming filling of the Supreme Court vacancy left by Ruth Bader Ginsberg and at the latest in the race to be president. Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy! Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Education MN is the largest teacher's union in the state. They have taken it upon themselves to speak for all teachers on the issue of race. They have an entire page on their website dedicated to Justice for George Floyd. There are links to "Organizations/Funds to Donate to", "Support for Affected Businesses", "Actions to Take", and Anti-racism Resources". The resources are extremely one-sided, linking to places like the ACLU, Citizens United Against Police Brutality, ISAIAH MN, and Reclaim the Block. They try to motivate teachers to sign petitions and make phone calls on behalf of activist organizations. Their anti-racism resources include lesson plans for kids, Ibram Kindi's blog (author of How to be an Anti-Racist), racist blogs (like Teaching While White), Confronting White Nationalism in Schools Toolkit, and much more! Now how much would you pay? But wait... there's more! The Robbinsdale Federation of Teachers is supporting an uprising on their Home page, and in doing so, displays a quote from the Fidel Castro loving, first-degree murder committing, cop killing, armed robbery and assaulting, FBI Most Wanted Terrorist, fugitive from the law, Assata Shakur (and yes, Andrew, she is tied in with Tupac Shakur). Is this ok with any of you? I ask you to call the Robbinsdale Federation of Teachers at 763-546-5244 and demand answers. It matters who we align ourselves with. People don't quote Hitler, because he's bad. People don't quote Charles Manson, because he's bad. Yet here is RFT displaying this loud and proud. There are good teachers in the system, but the system is rotten to the core. It is time to get your kids out if you can. You just can't take the risk anymore. Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy! Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We welcome Crystal Mayor, Jim Adams, back to the program! He has been an influential force in reimagining how we do local government. Most of the old and tired methods of taxing, spending, going into debt, over-regulation, and other city functions have gone by the wayside. Mayor Adams has challenged the status quo and seen even better results than anticipated. We wanted to bring him in, as he's running for a third term and we like him. We think he's got some great ideas for the rest of the state. One of his first victories in local government was paying cash for a public works building that the old council wanted to bond (just like every other city) and saved the taxpayers millions of dollars. Now they are ready to do the same thing with a new police station... all in cash! They have increased property rights for owners. They were the first city in the metro to allow accessory dwelling units. A homeowner can build a mother-in law apartment or a free standing rental structure on their property. He looked to allow these in order to increase property rights and keep the look and feel of the community. It also served to keep high density out where it didn't make sense. Businesses have more freedom in running their businesses in the way they desire, including in-home businesses. They created a City Code Task Force to address the overwhelming and outdated city codes to fit a more streamlined and modern approach. He left the residents in charge, and didn't put city council or staff in charge to lead the citizens around by the nose. He has also made huge strides in transparency and including citizens from all different walks of life. If you are on a city council, running for a seat on a city council, or just looking to get more involved with your city, make sure to listen in and try some of these ideas. If you live in Crystal, listen in to see whether Jim is your man for mayor! Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmnm.com- In a previous episode, we discussed a group called the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE). After their collaborating with GARE, the city of Golden Valley came up with a racial equity plan. This is the trendy thing to do in many cities across the nation, including in Minnesota. Equity is a hot buzzword being pushed by the Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Association of Development Organizations (MADO). It is listed all throughout the Met Council's Thrive MSP 2040 plan and MADO's DevelopMN 2019 plan, and is working its way into local comprehensive plans.
Books like White Fragility have really hurt this nation, because they feed into the false white privilege dogma that finds its origins in cultural Marxism's critical race theory. These people are out to make all white people into one of two kinds of racists: 1) those that admit it, throw themselves on the mercy of the woke, and become virulent antiracists themselves, or 2) Those who refuse or are too daft to acknowledge their racism. This second group needs to made to recognize their racism, according to the first group.
Golden Valley created the Rising Tides Task Force out of their equity plan. Their purpose is to drive equity across the city. They are hiring a racial equity coordinator to a six-figure salary. The want to change city services, staff/elected official/volunteers, events, and opportunities to be more culturally sensitive. It's important to see what Golden Valley is doing here, so that you are prepared to recognize it in your own city.
Also, our favorite ex-mayor is running for school board in District 281. Be afraid... be very afraid.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: Community Solutions Music From the Podcast! You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy! Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- If you're tuning into the media lately (and who is), you're hearing a whole lot of things that just are not true. We're going to attempt to set the record straight for all y'all. Support is dropping like a rock for these protests, thanks to all of the riots, but how did we get here? I mean, blacks were ardent Republicans. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, and the Democrats ruled the south where they had been severely mistreated. Democrat, Nathan Bedford Forrest, started the Ku Klux Klan. How and when did it switch? How did the Democrats steal them away? It's amazing what hardship does. FDR began to offer free things and the vote began to sway.
By the time Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law in 1964, things had tilted in a big way and have stayed there since. We're seeing the pendulum begin to swing back the other way, but what's causing it? What is the real reason that the Republicans have struggled? What impacts has the allegiance of blacks to the Democrats had on them and on our society? They've ruled our cities, and now we watch them burn. As the tide turns away from Democrats, what does that mean for our cities and our schools? We discuss and try to bring some solutions that we believe would float everyone's boat if people would try something different.
Also, Andrew breaks one of our cardinal rules and Jason attempts to talk him off the proverbial ledge.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- In Minnesota, the House voted 82-40 to declare racism a public health crisis. Both Olmstead and Hennepin counties, Minneapolis, and St Paul have all voted to do so as well. This is the new trend across the country, and it's being pushed by special interests.
Hennepin County has aimed to reflect inequity and racism in their budget. Health insurance, housing, transit... you name it, and more money will be spent on some and not on others. Minneapolis and St Paul have made the racial divisions worse. They have identified white people as the problem. That means that to "balance the scales" they will offer special things that only some people will be able to get.
Salud America is one such group that is trying to organize and coach activists in cities to put pressure on city councils to pass a resolution to declare racism a public health crisis. Another group is APHA. They push these city resolutions across the country, as well, and keep a laundry list of positions on issues, finding a racist angle on all sorts of things to push their far-left agenda.
We believe that, no matter your race or gender, you are good enough to achieve your dreams. Whatever it is, you can do it. You don't need this government to make excuses for you as to why you can't do it. You just need to put hammer to nail and get to it. We're here for you!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Minnesota... you've got some money to spend! Where did all this "free money" come from? We all know that there's no such thing. Any money that government doles out always comes with strings. Well, the money that comes as part of the CARES Act is no different. Cities need to figure out how to spend this money by November 15th, or it gets kicked up to the counties. Oh, do they have ideas.
These cities are like kids in a candy store. They are looking to upgrade technology, purchase PPE, business and nonprofit grants, food, shelter, and financial assistance. Moorhead seems to take the cake with cleaning air duct systems, public building improvements, telework equipment, salary increases, and more wasteful spending. In fact, the Moorehead city council would like to send some of this money over to North Dakota as well. As usual, we have some ideas on how to help the communities without necessarily having to spend all sorts of our money.
We also discuss the death of Kamala... The Ugandan Giant (James Harris), and the resurrection of Kamala the VP candidate. We're not sure how she actually helps the ticket, but we try to figure it out. R.I.P. big guy. You were always the better of the two.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's the weekend before the big primary. Are you planning to vote? I know... it's a primary election, so who does? We ALL should. Are you tired of voting for the lesser of two evils? Then vote in the primary to decide who's on the ballot. Whether this is a good system or not is irrelevant. It's the system we have. If we don't participate, we get what we're handed.
It's important to make sure that you get informed on the candidates before you go to the polls. Don't listen to the commercials. Don't listen to the media (except us, we'll never steer you wrong). Start looking at your races on the Minnesota Secretary of State Candidate Filing website. We go through a few races live on the air to show you how we do our research and get you started, since it would be impossible for us to discuss every race.
We play a little game show called "Who's The Most Radical?". We go through the special election in Minneapolis for Abdi Warsame's seat in Cedar Riverside/Seward neighborhoods, wondering if the riots have changed the attitude in the city. We evaluate the candidates and see if they're bound to get more of the same or if change may be coming.
Also, there's trouble in paradise. Jacob Frey blamed Governor Walz for the delay in the National Guard's arrival during the Minneapolis riots. They both made huge missteps, but the facts seem to show that the Governor received the request from Mayor Frey and waited almost a day and a half to mobilize the Guard. The continued lack of leadership in our state's leaders is frightening. Do they agree with the radicals that started this?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- I know, it sounds like a bad 80's movie, but we've finally got a police reform bill passed in Minnesota! All is well!!! Now, we'd be foolish to say that there was no need for any reform. We want our citizens safe and we want our police safe. There were two bills put forth: one by the Republicans and one by the Democrats. The two sides went into secret negotiations to come out with a big ol' bill that no one read and almost everyone passed in the middle of the night. The good news is that the special session is over.
So what does it all mean? We believe that the police will become more apprehensive because they will have to put their instinct on the shelf in order to critically evaluate intense situations that can go fatal in moments. They are outlawing chokeholds (good move) and warrior-style training. They are creating another investigative unit, this time over at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. This group is in addition to Internal Affairs, and the case will still have to go to the County Attorney. The Democrats wanted the Attorney General to handle all cases with a murder or alleged sexual assault. They want more de-escalation training, government oversight, and paperwork. They also suggest local programs to give police property tax breaks and fix up loans to live in the same city that they arrest people in. Ummm... that won't end well. The best part? The Republicans and Democrats agree that this is only a first step. Don't close your eyes on this one.
We also discuss the statewide mask mandate... Did you know that local government can write laws that are more strict than the Governor's order? As with all of Caesar Walz's edicts, there is no time frame. All emergencies are perpetual and without limit.
Walzie also finally released his big plan for public schools reopening. The big reveal? "I don't know, figure it out yourself" (paraphrased). Don't confuse this with local control, because there are so many pages of guidelines and regulations, and the schools have less than a month to figure out how to do it all. They have to get their plan together at least a week before they open, giving parents absolutely no time to prepare. Our state government is a dumpster fire, folks.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Well… it’s time for school to start again, or is it? Governor Walz is having a big meeting on July 27th, with a public statement possibly by July 30th. We could have school as normal, distance learning, or a hybrid solution of distance and in-school learning. Do teacher’s really want to go back? Not if you listen to the teachers’ unions. They are making lists of demands. In fact, Los Angeles’ 17 page diatribe is insane, and they are refusing to agree to go back unless their demands are met. They want billions of dollars in funding, Medicare for all, a wealth tax, a separate millionaire’s tax, defund the police, housing security, paid sick leave, put a moratorium on charter schools, and funneling aid to undocumented illegals.
Education MN has their own list of goals. They believe that health needs to come before the economy, casting the welfare of the same families into dire straights. They also want to solve the inequities of the state’s families before they go back. They desire more sick days for teachers and families. They need (again) billions of dollars to make changes like additional hand washing stations and other changes to school facilities. These games are creating an actual education gap. We need to do something different in schooling. Where are the disruptors? It’s time for the next era of education.
We also play a game show around a list of “attributes of whiteness” as released (and then removed after two months and some push back) by the Smithsonian. I think you will be surprised at the attributes they consider as being “white”, and conversely, what attributes then are attributed to non-whites. It’s super racist, and they merely removed the graphic, but there is still this…
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It’s peak COVID Day!!! Well, at least it was supposed to be, but the experts were once again waaaaaayyy off. They were only off, however by 96% on occupied hospital beds and 99% off in deaths. Yet the emergency continues. Had enough of the scam, Minnesota?
How do you know how dishonest a city or county government is? Look no further than mandatory mask laws. More and more Minnesota entities are falling for this canard. Now, we’re not saying that masks don’t work at all, but when these people that kayak or bicycle by themselves with a mask on and then demand of Governor Walz that every Minnesotan (even those in Lake of the Woods County, which has zero recorded cases) strap these suffocation machines to their face, they actually believe that their voice is more equal than yours. There are times when (even) Andrew and Jason choose to wear them when around more vulnerable people, but to suggest that we aren’t smart enough to choose as to whether we can social distance on our own, whether we wear a mask or not in each situation, or whether to enter into a certain area, tells us that certain people believe that we’re too stupid to think for ourselves. Our guaranteed freedom leaves the choice with us, not some all-knowing authoritarian.
Governor Walz is continuing his perpetual state of emergency until August 12th (for now). He wants to be able to have dictatorial powers over whether the schools open or not in the fall. The Senate has voted again to end the “emergency”, but the House has opted to continue. We’re not even following laws anymore. We’re being ruled by executive orders, and it’s not the American way.
A number of Minnesota universities, cities, and counties have passed regulations that require face masks be worn. The list is growing as more places consider it. Don’t be surprised if a statewide mandate comes down the pike at some point. The governor is trying to bribe House Republicans to pass it.
Also, we show you how local governments sell big new projects a la Plymouth’s proposed $52 million Plymouth Creek Center project (plus an additional $9 million in renovations). Beware, so that you can spot their tactics in your city!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It’s peak COVID Day!!! Well, at least it was supposed to be, but the experts were once again waaaaaayyy off. They were only off, however by 96% on occupied hospital beds and 99% off in deaths. Yet the emergency continues. Had enough of the scam, Minnesota?
How do you know how dishonest a city or county government is? Look no further than mandatory mask laws. More and more Minnesota entities are falling for this canard. Now, we’re not saying that masks don’t work at all, but when these people that kayak or bicycle by themselves with a mask on and then demand of Governor Walz that every Minnesotan (even those in Lake of the Woods County, which has zero recorded cases) strap these suffocation machines to their face, they actually believe that their voice is more equal than yours. There are times when (even) Andrew and Jason choose to wear them when around more vulnerable people, but to suggest that we aren’t smart enough to choose as to whether we can social distance on our own, whether we wear a mask or not in each situation, or whether to enter into a certain area, tells us that certain people believe that we’re too stupid to think for ourselves. Our guaranteed freedom leaves the choice with us, not some all-knowing authoritarian.
Governor Walz is continuing his perpetual state of emergency until August 12th (for now). He wants to be able to have dictatorial powers over whether the schools open or not in the fall. The Senate has voted again to end the “emergency”, but the House has opted to continue. We’re not even following laws anymore. We’re being ruled by executive orders, and it’s not the American way.
A number of Minnesota universities, cities, and counties have passed regulations that require face masks be worn. The list is growing as more places consider it. Don’t be surprised if a statewide mandate comes down the pike at some point. The governor is trying to bribe House Republicans to pass it.
Also, we show you how local governments sell big new projects a la Plymouth’s proposed $52 million Plymouth Creek Center project (plus an additional $9 million in renovations). Beware, so that you can spot their tactics in your city!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Back in the 20th century, we had a good idea of what socialism/communism were, and that we wanted no part of it. Within just a few short years, my how things have changed. Why has society seemed to disintegrate overnight? Believe me, this wasn't an accident or a surprise to those that have been pushing things in this direction over the last 100 years. Why are all of these people suddenly in favor of tearing everything down in order to implement something that is not at all American?
Karl Marx and Fredrich Engles wrote the Communist Manifesto, and laid out 10 planks of communism. We have implemented these planks in the United States to differing degrees. Traditionally, socialism has positioned itself as a worker's movement. In America, however, most workers are pretty satisfied. So, the Marxists have had to employ Karl Marx's Critical Theory to pull on issues like racism and homophobia to demonize capitalism and those that support it. These ideas have taken root in the policies of local governments. We see everything from defunding the police, to the dishonest 1619 Project in our schools, the calls for equity, and Marxists roaming our streets and making policy in our city councils. We have to learn how to identify Marxism before it takes hold at the local level and becomes impossible to uproot.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- There’s still a ton of news happening about protesters, tearing down statues, defunding police, autonomous zones headed up by anarchists, etc, etc…. we, however, have made an executive decision to take a week and add our voice to those asking for transformation of our government. Our wish list sounds a little different (ok, radically) from the roving bands of anarchists and socialists, but we’re still lobbying for change.
What would we like to see happen in cities, counties, and school districts? Why? How do we feel about Statutory Cities versus Charter Cities? Are at-large elections better than wards? We discuss how to get the most equal representation. Almost every city in Minnesota has what is called a “weak mayor”. We compare that with the concept of a strong mayor, and how that would work in a smaller city. Do even or odd year elections engage more people? We discuss why special elections are always better than appointments.
The levels of debt that cities are taking on should scare residents. The interest costs you so much more, and when we go into another financial downturn, cities need to be on better financial footing. How do we budget for all of these projects and expenditures ahead of time? Is that even possible?
Minnesota, we have a lot of work to do. The good news is that it’s winnable, but it’s winnable if (and only if) we stand together and actually get some skin in the game. We have to consider voluntarily sacrificing a little of our own freedom and security (by standing for what we believe in, not by giving in to the government) in order to gain freedom and security for our children and grandchildren.
Andrew also tests Jason’s knowledge on electoral history, and we geek out a bit on the Roaring 20’s.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- There’s still a ton of news happening about protesters, tearing down statues, defunding police, autonomous zones headed up by anarchists, etc, etc…. we, however, have made an executive decision to take a week and add our voice to those asking for transformation of our government. Our wish list sounds a little different (ok, radically) from the roving bands of anarchists and socialists, but we’re still lobbying for change.
What would we like to see happen in cities, counties, and school districts? Why? How do we feel about Statutory Cities versus Charter Cities? Are at-large elections better than wards? We discuss how to get the most equal representation. Almost every city in Minnesota has what is called a “weak mayor”. We compare that with the concept of a strong mayor, and how that would work in a smaller city. Do even or odd year elections engage more people? We discuss why special elections are always better than appointments.
The levels of debt that cities are taking on should scare residents. The interest costs you so much more, and when we go into another financial downturn, cities need to be on better financial footing. How do we budget for all of these projects and expenditures ahead of time? Is that even possible?
Minnesota, we have a lot of work to do. The good news is that it’s winnable, but it’s winnable if (and only if) we stand together and actually get some skin in the game. We have to consider voluntarily sacrificing a little of our own freedom and security (by standing for what we believe in, not by giving in to the government) in order to gain freedom and security for our children and grandchildren.
Andrew also tests Jason’s knowledge on electoral history, and we geek out a bit on the Roaring 20’s.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- So Minneapolis wants to get rid of their police department, huh? The call spread like wildfire across the nation to either defund or disband the various police departments altogether. Minneapolis unanimously passed a resolution to start delegating some of the tasks to social workers and other bureaucrats. They are unable to disband the police entirely, due to the provisions set forth in Minneapolis' City Charter (7.3(c)). It says "Funding. The City Council must fund a police force of at least 0.0017 employees per resident, and provide for those employees' compensation, for which purpose it may tax the taxable property in the City up to 0.3 percent of its value annually." They would have to put the matter to a public ballot, and we doubt that they have the public support to pass the measure. We know, however, that we will have to watch how the question is phrased, because they will try to make it as confusing as possible.
The federal, state, and local governments are all scrambling over themselves to do "something". Do they focus on the violence? Do they call out radical groups like Antifa as part of the problem? Of course not! The problem is strictly the police and those individuals who don't subscribe to their "woke" philosophy. Last week the Democrats introduced a list of Police Accountability and Reform Legislative Priorities. It addressed all sorts of great things like: use of force, alternatives to policing, police oversight reform, voting restoration (what?), community healing (again, what?), independent prosecution and investigation reform, training expansion, and warrior training and choke holds prohibited. What are we doing? We're going to run into doing "something" so fast, that we're going to be less safe and less free. This will only empower the radicals.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- When we last left you, Minneapolis was being burned to the ground. Rioters were running rampant through the city. In just a week, the riots spread across the nation, and protests are being heard around the world. We watched our city burn, minority business owners lose their business, and our elected politicians sit on their hands until it was too late. Even now, they continue to pander, even with proof that radical anarchist groups like Antifa are fomenting so much of this violence.
What grand strategy is Minneapolis proposing to fix all of this? To dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department! Are they insane? Don't answer that. Minneapolis is going to lose business, conventions, sports revenue, and more. The council has a veto proof majority to do this, and there is nothing Mayor Jacob Frey will be able to do about it. To top it off, Anoka County Sheriff, James Stuart, has already stated on Twitter that he won't come bail them out if they go forward with this.
If this starts, where does it end? The Mayor of Los Angeles just took $150 Million away from the LAPD. This country is on the quick slide to lawlesness. We are discussing leaving our citizens in our cities defenseless. We will be first in line to condemn police officers that use unnecessary force. That stuff's got to stop. Most officers aren't like that though. There's got to be something we can do, and we need to act quick. We have to organize at the ballot box around our local elections. The time to ignore them is over. We need candidates. Fortunate thing... that's our specialty.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- When we last left you, Minneapolis was being burned to the ground. Rioters were running rampant through the city. In just a week, the riots spread across the nation, and protests are being heard around the world. We watched our city burn, minority business owners lose their business, and our elected politicians sit on their hands until it was too late. Even now, they continue to pander, even with proof that radical anarchist groups like Antifa are fomenting so much of this violence.
What grand strategy is Minneapolis proposing to fix all of this? To dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department! Are they insane? Don't answer that. Minneapolis is going to lose business, conventions, sports revenue, and more. The council has a veto proof majority to do this, and there is nothing Mayor Jacob Frey will be able to do about it. To top it off, Anoka County Sheriff, James Stuart, has already stated on Twitter that he won't come bail them out if they go forward with this.
If this starts, where does it end? The Mayor of Los Angeles just took $150 Million away from the LAPD. This country is on the quick slide to lawlesness. We are discussing leaving our citizens in our cities defenseless. We will be first in line to condemn police officers that use unnecessary force. That stuff's got to stop. Most officers aren't like that though. There's got to be something we can do, and we need to act quick. We have to organize at the ballot box around our local elections. The time to ignore them is over. We need candidates. Fortunate thing... that's our specialty.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- This was a podcast that we weren't very excited to record. There was no avoiding the topic this week as the fires were already raging long before we hit the microphone. In a completely unnecessary and tragic event, the barbaric actions of former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, ended the life of George Floyd. This kind of thing has to stop. The violence has to stop. The rioting has to stop. At the time of recording, we hadn't even seen law enforcement present on the streets, let alone the National Guard. Our "leadership" has been a complete and utter failure. They have been absent. They look stumped for answers when they do come out of hiding. Instead of straight answers, we get partisan rhetoric. It's not helpful and it's part of the problem.
We're still hearing about white supremacists in the area, but not a word about Antifa, despite clear evidence of their presence. Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey, decided to give the 3rd Police Precinct over to the rioters. Small business owners have lost their businesses, life savings, and life's work. Our cities are being boarded up and we're, again, being told to go inside because of the inept leadership of Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey. We can only pray that this ends soon, and life can finally, after long last, go back to normal. We need some real leadership in this state, and I don't know when we'll ever get it.
In the name of a little levity, we discuss one of the most entertaining gubernatorial debates in Minnesota history. We also preview a couple of upcoming shows, including the impending bonding bill, extending the executive emergency order, and local emergency orders.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
commsolutionsmn.com- Governor Walz has finally succumb to the pressure and vowed to open things up. Did he really open things up or just give the impression that he was opening them? Churches are allowed to have up to 10 people per service, no matter the size of the sanctuary (or if it's inside or outside). It takes 10 people or more just to run a service! (Note: since the recording of this podcast, the Governor has backed off and allowed 25% attendance). Restaurants and bars are allowed to open with heavy stipulations on June 1st. Hospitality MN was lead to believe that there would be indoor dining available, but now only those with outdoor seating are allowed. These places have already been training staff, preparing their establishment, and ordering inventory. Barbers and salons can operate at 25%. Right now there are more questions than answers. This is either a miserable failure or coordinated confusion to keep things from opening.
How is this considered reopening? How can a business generate enough profit to stay afloat? This is a no plan/plan. This is meant to placate the masses, while local businesses still have to fear closing their doors. Unemployment is at the highest rate in Minnesota since 1983. We must continue to make noise and put pressure on the Governor to get out of the way of business. We have lost many businesses forever already, and there will be more casualties if the government foot isn't taken off their throat. In fact, some fear that up to 50% of Minnesota restaurants could close permanently by the time this is all over.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Hallelujah! The lockdown is finally ending! We have been waiting for weeks. First, we needed to flatten the curve and find more hospital beds. We did that, but it didn’t end anything. Then testing was promised and it didn’t happen. Protecting the vulnerable was promised weeks too late, and it still hasn’t happened. We’ve had plenty of quarantining the healthy. We’ve been told no non-essential businesses are to be open. Churches can’t practice their faith per the first amendment. Only essential travel was allowed and people are getting sick and tired of their imprisonment.
All indications were that the governor was going to extend the stay at home order into June. Twenty-four hours later the internet was abuzz with rumors that he was going to lift it. What changed in 24 hours? It sure wasn’t science.Let me tell you folks, it was purely political pressure. People are angry. Entrepreneurs are told that they can’t open their businesses, unless you are the friend of the Governor with a candy store or a big box store. Graduation parties were outlawed. Schools may not reopen in the fall. Camping is not allowed. Churches were restricted from doing most of their work. There is a list of restrictions a mile long and it’s as arbitrary as can be.
There is a growing list of businesses that were ready to open regardless of what the Governor says. The Catholic church was set to start masses again at a 30% capacity. People just started living again. There are lawsuits and protests against Governor Walz. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that it was not constitutional for Governor Evers to continue his lockdown. Police departments, sheriffs, counties, and cities are refusing to enforce the Governor’s orders. The governor had no choice but to back down and change course overnight. The handwriting is on the wall.
Is it really all over? Will he back off and let things happen? Retail stores will be open so long as they have a safety plan in place. Many other businesses (restaurants, bars, salons, etc) will still have to sit on the sidelines and wait for approval to earn a living. Churches can have services of 10 people (which is about the size of the staff needed to run a Sunday). Personal gatherings of 10 or fewer people are allowed. Summer camps, grad parties, sports… it’s still all up in the air. And then there’s always what happens if there is an uptick in cases again. No, we’re not yet out of the woods. Do not go back to sleep!
We also answer a listener question and pull back the curtain a little to explain some of the magic that makes the Community Solutions podcast work. Are we scripted? Do we rehearse? How much research do we actually do? How do we come up with our material for each episode? We spill the beans this week! Keep your questions coming!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Hallelujah! The lockdown is finally ending! We have been waiting for weeks. First, we needed to flatten the curve and find more hospital beds. We did that, but it didn’t end anything. Then testing was promised and it didn’t happen. Protecting the vulnerable was promised weeks too late, and it still hasn’t happened. We’ve had plenty of quarantining the healthy. We’ve been told no non-essential businesses are to be open. Churches can’t practice their faith per the first amendment. Only essential travel was allowed and people are getting sick and tired of their imprisonment.
All indications were that the governor was going to extend the stay at home order into June. Twenty-four hours later the internet was abuzz with rumors that he was going to lift it. What changed in 24 hours? It sure wasn’t science.Let me tell you folks, it was purely political pressure. People are angry. Entrepreneurs are told that they can’t open their businesses, unless you are the friend of the Governor with a candy store or a big box store. Graduation parties were outlawed. Schools may not reopen in the fall. Camping is not allowed. Churches were restricted from doing most of their work. There is a list of restrictions a mile long and it’s as arbitrary as can be.
There is a growing list of businesses that were ready to open regardless of what the Governor says. The Catholic church was set to start masses again at a 30% capacity. People just started living again. There are lawsuits and protests against Governor Walz. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that it was not constitutional for Governor Evers to continue his lockdown. Police departments, sheriffs, counties, and cities are refusing to enforce the Governor’s orders. The governor had no choice but to back down and change course overnight. The handwriting is on the wall.
Is it really all over? Will he back off and let things happen? Retail stores will be open so long as they have a safety plan in place. Many other businesses (restaurants, bars, salons, etc) will still have to sit on the sidelines and wait for approval to earn a living. Churches can have services of 10 people (which is about the size of the staff needed to run a Sunday). Personal gatherings of 10 or fewer people are allowed. Summer camps, grad parties, sports… it’s still all up in the air. And then there’s always what happens if there is an uptick in cases again. No, we’re not yet out of the woods. Do not go back to sleep!
We also answer a listener question and pull back the curtain a little to explain some of the magic that makes the Community Solutions podcast work. Are we scripted? Do we rehearse? How much research do we actually do? How do we come up with our material for each episode? We spill the beans this week! Keep your questions coming!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Governor Walz is continuing his ridiculous shutdown order, and fiddling while Rome burns. There appears to be no science to what is locked down and why. You can buy things at multi-billion dollar Target corp, but can't buy those same things at a small business. We are being tracked and traced on our cell phones to see if we're social distancing (we're not). People are not being allowed to have graduation parties at their own homes.
Did you know that the Minnesota constitution allows for the Governor to run a perpetual state of emergency if the legislature doesn't specifically vote to stop it? Why haven't we fixed this? We are stuck in this lockdown until Walz decides to end it.
The good news is that people (and local governments) are starting to fight back. They are taking their lives back from the stranglehold that is this Stay at Home order. Barber, Milan Dennie, in St. Paul opened up his shop with precautions in place, becaue he couldn't afford to stay closed anymore. He was raided by the local police and could be fined up to $25,000. He's not the only person opening and preparing to open back up. It is time that more people resist. The city of Lakefield, MN passed a resolution to not use any city resources to enforce Governor Walz's executive orders. Roseau passed a resolution to ask the governnor to allow businesses to open. McLeod County also unanimously passed their own resolution to ask for an end to the order. Some Metro churches and small business have also filed a lawsuit to reopen business.
We also give you our analysis on the Joe Biden/Tara Ried situation. The media (as usual) is ignoring anything that goes against their slant and it's destoying the people's faith in being able to find truth anywhere. Big Tech is supressing information they don't like. Where do we go when the fix is in?
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
commsolutionsmn.com- We welcome David Strom, organizer of Essential MN, to the podcast! Essential MN is rapidly growing on both Facebook and Twitter. He has taken Governor Walz to task over his handling of the Coronavirus outbreak. We are facing severe economic consequences because of the length of this lockdown has been based on fear and accumulation of power instead of science.
Farmers are pouring out tons of milk (literally) and putting down a slew of their livestock. This creates shortages in our supply chains. So many small businesses are in danger of not opening again. What are we going to do if things don’t open very soon? How do we recover any kind of an economy?
Instead, you have a governor that has decided to confer with some of the worst governors in the country (Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin) in passing strict restrictions to destroy our liberties, our businesses, and our finances. We have one of the lowest infection rates in the country, yet we continue to crush people unnecessarily. The Governor can’t back up his measures with numbers though, and that’s where David comes in. You don’t want to miss this one.
We also discuss the latest additions to the presidential race.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Andrew is back in the secret bunker this week and we spill the beans on his absence. Pause the podcast and enter your guess before we tell you!
There are going to be a number of impacts the city, county, and school governments because of the downturn in the economy. Tax collections in this state were $62 million short this year. The revenue collected from the state gas tax is going to come in way below normal as well. Government is still having to shell out for salaries, benefits, and pensions. Many non-essential municipal employees aren’t getting furloughed. Schools are shut down for the rest of the year and may not reopen in the fall. That’s a huge impact on parents. How will these entities make up the difference? Cities may turn to hidden taxes like assessments, fees, bonds, and the like to make up the difference. They may beg for Federal help. Are there any solutions? Yes, but it may hurt a little to set us upon good footing and eliminate all of this debt we’ve wracked up.
We also discuss Governor Walz’s most recent press conference. He’s got great news!!! Is it a reopening of the economy? Are we free to exercise our religion again? No!!! We’ve got a plan to test more people! Now we’re cooking with gas!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Andrew is back in the secret bunker this week and we spill the beans on his absence. Pause the podcast and enter your guess before we tell you!
There are going to be a number of impacts the city, county, and school governments because of the downturn in the economy. Tax collections in this state were $62 million short this year. The revenue collected from the state gas tax is going to come in way below normal as well. Government is still having to shell out for salaries, benefits, and pensions. Many non-essential municipal employees aren’t getting furloughed. Schools are shut down for the rest of the year and may not reopen in the fall. That’s a huge impact on parents. How will these entities make up the difference? Cities may turn to hidden taxes like assessments, fees, bonds, and the like to make up the difference. They may beg for Federal help. Are there any solutions? Yes, but it may hurt a little to set us upon good footing and eliminate all of this debt we’ve wracked up.
We also discuss Governor Walz’s most recent press conference. He’s got great news!!! Is it a reopening of the economy? Are we free to exercise our religion again? No!!! We’ve got a plan to test more people! Now we’re cooking with gas!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Well, we are in the middle of an indefinite lockdown, and I think we are all losing track of time. That’s OK, because according to the federal government and the state of Minnesota, money is flowing like water! It’s true and you are able to get your hands on some of that green yourself... or maybe not.
Business are able to line up for emergency cash to keep their bills and employees paid, but who’s getting it? Big retailers like Sears, JCPenney, and J.Crew are on life-support.
In the recent federal stimulus bill, $300 Million was given to the Social Security Administration to keep the bureau running. $50 Million went to the Institute of Museum and Library services. $75 Million was earmarked to PBS. How is that essential? $1 Billion was sent to Amtrak. $350 Million was spent in refugee assistance and resettlement. Free video conferencing and phone calls were legislated for inmates. How necessary is all of this?
Minnesota has also passed four of their own bailout bills. They authorized the Met Council to buy protective equipment for Metro Transit employees. They allowed for local governments to get around compliance with open meeting laws. And they spent a ton more.
We also discuss all of the recent authoritarian behavior from local governments and state governments against religion. We have seen too many instances in Michigan, Kentucky, Florida, and other states that have outright forbid people of faith from getting together at all, even with safe social distancing. These stories are a direct infringement upon the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and in some cases state constitutions as well. If we do not have rights now, during this time… Then we really do not have rights at all, for our rights do not protect us when things are going well, but are rather here to protect us when things are falling apart.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Come rain, snow, or CoronaVirus, we here at Community Solutions MN are dedicated to bringing you a fresh, new episode of the podcast. This state is tracking your cell phone data. They set up an East German, Stasi-like tip line on which to report your neighbors for congregating. It's like a race to see who can be the biggest tough guy. Edina's city manager is urging people to call the tip line when they see people who aren't social distancing. How can we have a society where neighbors trust each other, but fear being turned in for something? The mayor of Los Angeles is even going as far as praising and rewarding these little social spies.
Otter Tail County (and other counties) is telling people not to bother coming to their cabins for the summer. This will destroy their economy. Minneapolis has already shut down their public beaches and pools for the summer. Remember a couple of weeks ago when our illustrious Governor said that he doesn't want to arrest people or give fines that aren't at home? Well, we have 10 so far, and cities are starting to threaten to do more of it. In San Diego, people were fined $1,000 for watching the sunset. What? We have to start to speak up, because government is learning from us what we are willing to take. Governments are going around open meeting laws and quorums to make decisions. That's despotic behavior. They are using the emergency to come against the 1st and second amendments of the constitution. Politicians with an ax to grind are coming against churches that are meeting, even with taking proper social distancing precautions. Bill DeBlasio has threatened to close the doors of churches permanently. The time to stand for our rights is right now. Once they think they can suspend them once, they will do it again.
We also break down the latest press conference from Governor Walz, extending our "Stay at Home" order until May 4th. His numbers don't seem to make sense. His plan seems to be overkill for the results we are seeing.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Come rain, snow, or CoronaVirus, we here at Community Solutions MN are dedicated to bringing you a fresh, new episode of the podcast. This state is tracking your cell phone data. They set up an East German, Stasi-like tip line on which to report your neighbors for congregating. It's like a race to see who can be the biggest tough guy. Edina's city manager is urging people to call the tip line when they see people who aren't social distancing. How can we have a society where neighbors trust each other, but fear being turned in for something? The mayor of Los Angeles is even going as far as praising and rewarding these little social spies.
Otter Tail County (and other counties) is telling people not to bother coming to their cabins for the summer. This will destroy their economy. Minneapolis has already shut down their public beaches and pools for the summer. Remember a couple of weeks ago when our illustrious Governor said that he doesn't want to arrest people or give fines that aren't at home? Well, we have 10 so far, and cities are starting to threaten to do more of it. In San Diego, people were fined $1,000 for watching the sunset. What? We have to start to speak up, because government is learning from us what we are willing to take. Governments are going around open meeting laws and quorums to make decisions. That's despotic behavior. They are using the emergency to come against the 1st and second amendments of the constitution. Politicians with an ax to grind are coming against churches that are meeting, even with taking proper social distancing precautions. Bill DeBlasio has threatened to close the doors of churches permanently. The time to stand for our rights is right now. Once they think they can suspend them once, they will do it again.
We also break down the latest press conference from Governor Walz, extending our "Stay at Home" order until May 4th. His numbers don't seem to make sense. His plan seems to be overkill for the results we are seeing.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's all coronavirus all the time! Who needs a little break? We do. So what are we going to do about it? We're going to go back in our minds about six weeks and pretend like our country never came to a screeching halt at the mercy of this disease. Don't worry, this will be a short-lived vacation from reality, as we're already swamped with stories about local governments snatching freedom from the hands of its residents... just wait for it.
The government owns a lot of land... I mean, like of land. They set aside national monuments and thousands upon thousands of acres around them. National forests, state parks, military bases, and government buildings litter the topography of our nation. States, counties, and cities are constantly feuding with the federal government, and local government is also fighting with the state government. The land comes off the tax rolls, and often ends up as recreational or off limits to the public altogether. The Feds own almost 85% of Nevada and almost 65% of Utah. That's insane! The states set aside a ton of land for themselves as well. The state of Minnesota owns 24% of the land!
Obama declared 5000 square miles in the Atlantic Ocean a national monument. What? No one owns the ocean. They use eminent domain to take whatever they want from landowners. Why is the government in such a heavy acquisition mode? Meeker County had to turn down the DNR, who was trying to acquire land in the county. They said that once sold, the DNR will own it forever. Why is it so hard to hold on to your property when the government wants it?
We also think it's high time that we give Andrew a little diagnosis for ADD. How did he fare? You'll have to listen to find out!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We're in the thick of the Coronavirus outbreak here in the United States, and we're watching government step up and take away our liberties. As I write this, we just entered a state-wide "Stay-At-Home" order. We review the written order and compare it to the Governor's radio address. The two versions aren't exactly the same... and we're not sure why. While he said that he was asking people to stay home, there is a possibility of a misdemeanor, up to 90 days in jail, and up to $1000 fine. We uncover an article that shows that Golden Valley was investigating whether they could issue a shelter-in-place order ahead of Governor Walz's executive order. The mayor of Los Angeles is threatening to shut off the water and power to nonessential businesses that remain open during their shelter-in-place order. In American Fork, Utah, a criminal was let out of jail because of the Coronavirus, broke into a home, and attacked a lady with a knife. In Wake County, North Carolina, all new pistol and conceal carry permits have been halted.
Also Congress just passed a $2 Trillion relief bill to try and keep America afloat. The Minnesota Legislature is trying to follow in their footsteps by passing a $330 Million spending bill. What's in all of this spending? Time will tell, but I'm sure its all extremely frugal and necessary.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- We're full on in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the United States and we're on it! The government is poised and ready to amass a ton of power in the name of helping us overcome this pandemic. Never fear, the government is here! Governor Walz has been talking about following California and implement a shelter in place order that would punish those that venture out. He's still on the fence at the time of this writing. This is going to have some huge local impacts and we're here to tell you all about them!
Our economy is suffering big time as so many people are losing their jobs or being laid off. No one is buying our 30 year Treasury bonds. People are hoarding the supplies that are getting to the stores. It's a jungle out there. Cities and counties are declaring emergencies and doing crazy things. County attorneys are discussing releasing criminals from jail because the outbreak is sweeping through the jails. Mayors in New Orleans and Champagne, IL declare that they can ban the sales of firearms, ammunition, and alcohol. To make the Illinois measure even worse, they reserve the right to close restaurants, shut off access to power and water, take property and the title to said property, and more. It's pretty much the worst we've seen. Back home in Silver Bay, MN, the council voted to give city staff the ability to make decisions in lieu of the city council. We're still early in this thing, so there's a whole lot of bad left to uncover. Stay tuned here, because like we already said... we're on top of it!
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- You can hardly talk about education in this state without bringing up Education MN. They are the major public educator union in the state. They have 80,000 members and use their money to great influence on the political scene. They spent $2 Million on elections in 2018 through their PAC. They also have a robust policy advocacy arm that uses union dues at the legislature for pushing things like: fully funding public schools, attracting and retaining teachers of color, lowering class sizes, hiring more support staff, etc. They are even willing to pay teachers to miss a day of work to go lobby at the capitol. They also keep an "enemies list" on their website. They push hard to make sure the environment is right for local referendums. Nowhere on the list of what they intend to do is increase graduation rates, increase scores in math and reading, or college readiness. Employees need someone to go to bat for them, but these unions shouldn't be messing with what gets taught. We need to start asking questions.
We also take some time to discuss the knowledge level of most Americans regarding George Washington, the Revolutionary War, and other important historic events in honor of President's Day.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Our laws are supposed to provide equal justice for the poor, rich, black, white, tall, short, long haired, or short haired. Have you noticed lately that certain groups of people get away with all sorts of wrong? There is a conscious effort to give a reprieve to certain groups of people when they break the rules. People in power believe that by practicing an unequal enforcement of the law, it will level the playing field for the less fortunate. Many cities are starting not to charge fares on public transit at all, so as to decriminalize those that refuse to pay. California is trying to sue any of its cities that cooperate with ICE. The Dallas County Attorney is not prosecuting theft of items under $750. These kinds of allowances only encourage more crime and the further breakdown of our society. Good people need to finally stand up and get involved in order to reverse harmful trends like this.
We also discuss the results of our predictions on the Iowa caucus and what we think is coming up next among the field of Democratic presidential candidates.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!
www.commsolutionsmn.com- Today, on Episode 150 we welcome the original, the standard bearer, Mayor Mark Korin to the show! Mayor Korin has quite the tale to tell. He never intended to be mayor, but like us, local politics found him. The hubris of local politicians in Oak Grove, MN awakened something in him that compelled him to get involved. (Sound familiar?) He started on an advisory commission, got onto the city council, and eventually became mayor. He took on some city staff that thought that they ran the city instead of the council. He then went on to take on the Met Council, reduce taxes, and make Oak Grove a great place to live. We talk to Mark about his time in office and that there is a different way to run local government than what almost every other city in Minnesota seems to do. We also pry into his future plans. You don't want to miss this episode!
We recorded this episode before the Iowa Caucus... and while we're still not exactly sure who won, we're as close as we're gonna get. At any rate, we gave predictions. Guess how we did? One of us did slightly better than the other.
Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!