The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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April 27, 2012

Our View: Concert showed drawing power

The Free Press

Thumbs up: To Mankato Elton John concert goers who proved that Mankato could host a big act, and residents would pay prices needed to bring big acts to the city.

Mankato has suffered too long in the shadow of labels from outsiders that include various references to a “cow-town.” While it’s true that country music is still one of the area’s biggest draws, the sold out Elton John concert showed we have tastes that can vary from that genre.

By many accounts, the Verizon Wireless Center as a venue worked well for the show and the sound was solid, except for a few glitches created by Elton John’s crew.

At one point, there did seem to be a need for a few more ticket takers also, but all in all, the first big name show in a few years was a success for the event center.

Needed hike in license fees

Thumbs up:To the Legislature for agreeing to higher fees to buy hunting and fishing licenses in Minnesota. It’s overdue.

The new fees — agreed on late this week by a House/Senate conference committee, are for most all types of outdoor licenses. Deer hunting and fishing licenses would go up by about $5. Other types of licenses would also increase.

The fee increases could raise about $11 million to keep the state’s game and fish fund solvent.

The fees haven’t been increased for 12 years. While people don’t generally like the idea of fee or tax increases, those who will pay the higher prices have for years been mostly supportive of hiking the fees.

Anglers and hunters know that the key to a successful future for their sports requires that money be spent on things like habitat preservations, stocking fish, enforcement and research. Those needs are as great as ever but the share of state funding for them has declined.

Poet adds to accomplished writers

Thumbs up: To the Gustavus Adolphus College instructor who has landed one of the most prestigious first book prizes in the country.

Matt Rasmussen received the Walt Whitman Award. The award was established in 1975 to encourage the work of emerging poets and to enable the publication of a poet’s first book. His book “Black Aperture” will be published by Louisiana State University Press.

This area is known for its quality supply of local writers, and Ramussen adds another honor to the accomplishments of the group. He is a 1998 Gustavus graduate who is serving as visiting instructor in the English department. (He cited his former Gustavus instructors, including Minnesota poet laureate Joyce Sutphen, for being his mentors.)

Rasmussen also is the author of a chapbook titled “Fingergun” and is the co-founder of the independent poetry press Birds, LLC. His poems have been published in several journals including Gulf Coast, Dislocate and Water-Stone Review.

FCC pushes political ad transparency

Thumbs up: To the FCC for requiring more transparency in political advertising.

It ruled Friday that TV stations must post online their publicly available ad information such as who’s buying, what they’re paying and how much air time was purchased.

It’s not the best ruling we could have hoped for — it only affects the nation’s 50 biggest TV markets and exempts 160. So battleground states like Iowa, Virginia and Missouri won’t be affected while states where President Obama is expected to win easily are subject to the requirement.

Unfortunately, there is a six-month delay before the rules take effect and a threat by broadcasters to sue the FCC looks likely we’ll miss out on this year’s election cycle.

A welcome stadium diversion

Thumbs up: To the 2012 National Football League draft, which couldn’t have come at a better time for Minnesota Vikings fans growing weary of the daily drama being played out over prospects for a new stadium. On Thursday night, the draft was a welcome diversion from stadium politics as the Vikings parlayed their No. 3 overall selection into extra picks and the guy they wanted all along, Southern Cal offensive tackle Matt Kalil.

Sure, the draft is a crapshoot. Those of us who winced every time top-two picks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III were called “locks” know full well that nothing is ever certain (remember Ryan Leaf?) but we happily played along anyway. Because the draft is a time to optimistically ponder the future.

Ponder? We can all relax this week as we hope that Kalil might help keep Vikes QB Christian Ponder upright next fall. Where the stadium issue will be at that time, only time will tell.

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