The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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February 19, 2010

Our View: Bonding bill deserved GOP support

The Free Press

MANKATO —

Thumbs up

To the 15 Republicans in the Minnesota House and Senate who voted in favor of the $1 billion state bonding bill that will speed up jobs creation and economic activity in the worst recession in decades.

These 15 Republicans showed courage, voting against a Republican governor who has vowed to veto the bill if certain projects weren’t removed. One of those Republicans voting in favor was Sen. Dennis Frederickson of New Ulm and locals should certainly tip their hat to him.

But more important, these Republicans represented the interests of their constituents before the interests of their party. All too often, the political system creates incentives for individual legislators to be good soldiers and follow their party leader. But that’s not what democracy is about and it certainly is not in the tradition of what was once called the Independent Republican Party.

Six Republican House members and nine Republican senators voted for the bill. Even Senate Republican Minority Leader Dave Senjem of Rochester voted for the bill. Given several other Republicans supported the bill, it’s disappointing local Republicans such as Laura Brod, New Prague; Bob Gunther, Fairmont; Paul Torkelson, St. James; Tony Cornish, Vernon Center; and Sen. Julie Rosen, Fairmont, did not support the bill, which includes a tremendous economic development project for the Mankato region.

The Republican Party slammed its own members who voted for the bill in a press release saying they were “irresponsible.” The highly partisan nonprofit Taxpayer’s League also slammed these legislators by sending out an “alert” to its followers to tell these legislators to “uphold any and all of Gov. Pawlenty’s vetoes.” Sounds like they’re asking for blind faith, and that’s too bad. Job seekers are the ones who lose.

Hecker accountable

Thumbs up

To the judge who made it clear that bankruptcy court is a place for parties to make the best of a bad situation — not a place to escape debt through deception and falsehoods.

This week, Bankruptcy Judge Robert Kressel made an unprecedented ruling, saying that former auto magnate Denny Hecker shouldn’t get any relief from his $80 million in debt to Chrysler Financial.

Hecker expected to have his debts forgiven, as happens in virtually all bankruptcy cases in which a business has dissolved and has no assets.

But the judge said Hecker “just lied” and failed to turn over documents to the judge and to Chrysler. The order came a week after Hecker was indicted on fraud charges over his dealings with Chrysler.

Pregnancy defense

Thumbs down

To the Fairmont woman who reportedly lied to a trooper in Lake Crystal about being nine months pregnant when she was stopped on suspicion of drunken driving and then retracted that claim to a judge this week.

The case is cause for lots of head shaking. One theory is that Tara Ann Sickels’ strategy was that she’d avoid arrest for drunken driving because the trooper would have sympathy for her “condition.” The woman’s true condition reflected a blood-alcohol level of .15, authorities said, which is nearly twice the legal limit of .08 for driving. Not a cause for much sympathy if the test was accurate, especially in light of the damage that alcohol can do to a fetus.

It’s a baffling lie to tell, and what’s even more bizarre is that authorities said she has made the same claim before in a similar situation.

And, unfortunately, Sickels did have a child in the car with her during the stop — a toddler who is now in the care of a family member. 

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