POLITICS, CANCER AND SURVIVAL

Charles and Becky Downey

(my wonderful son and daughter-in-law)

As most of my dear readers know, I'm fighting a serious health issue. It's a CNS lymphoma, which is a tumor in the brain. I've been at home this past week waiting for my chemotherapy to start. I have an appointment with the neuro doc on Tuesday. My current treatment is oral steroids to reduce the tumor. Soon I'll start intravenous chemotherapy. I understand that it will probably make me feel sick. The protocol is to be in the hospital with intravenous infusion of methotrexate for a week on, then a week off, for about eight weeks.

Chemotherapy plays a very important role in treatment. High doses of methotrexate are used, often along with one or two more chemotherapy drugs. Chemotherapy is given before radiation to the brain. The total duration of chemotherapy is 3-6 months.

Part of me is thankful for this delay in the chemotherapy protocol in order to give the steroids a chance to reduce the tumor. Another part of me is anxious to get going on the treatment so I can get it over with and get my life back.

Meanwhile, since I probably have a couple of days to a week before the chemo starts, I'm planning to do a few things if I feel strong enough. I currently feel pretty weak. Some of that is probably because the steroids greatly reduces my ability to sleep. I'll have to ask the neuro about that on Tuesday.

Monday afternoon I promised to volunteer on phones at the Entenza campaign. I always have a lot of fun doing that. Plus I'm usually very productive. I'm good at talking to people and getting them to come to events.

Monday evening is a gubernatorial forum sponsored by A Minnesota Without Poverty. Ending Homelessness and Poverty: What do the Candidates have to say about Health, Housing, and Jobs?

Gubernatorial Candidate Forum

Monday, May 24, 2010
6:30-8:30pm
Temple Israel
2324 Emerson Avenue South
Minneapolis  MN

I'm looking forward to seeing many friends there.

On Tuesday afternoon is my appointment with my neurological oncologist in Woodbury, MN. I'll find out what happens to me next from him.

Tuesday evening I plan to attend a roast for my friend Thomas Snell. I graduated from White Bear Lake High School with him in 1968. I ran into him several months ago on Facebook. Now we're great Facebook friends. I've also seen him in person several times since then, mostly at political events and Chamber of Commerce events. Tom has been with MetroNorth Chamber for quite a few years and is now leaving to go on to other things. The Chamber is giving him a roast. I have got to see that.

I'm looking forward to helping out as much as I'm able with SD53 activities this summer. I hope I have the energy to do as much as I'll want to. It's so important for us to get our DFL candidates elected. In SD53 we have Senator Sandy Rummel, who is up for reelection this year, as well as Representative Paul Gardner from SD53A. We're working hard to get Chris Knopf elected over the current Representative in SD53B, Carol McFarlane (R). Chris is working very hard to obtain the seat. He'll be a wonderful Representative. He'll accomplish all kinds of good things for SD53B. McFarlane doesn't do much and her priority seems to be agreeing with everything Tim Pawlenty says. She's a very nice person; indeed, I graduated from high school with her. However, she's not what SD53B needs as far as representation.

I'm also hoping that I'll feel well enough to help out more with the gubernatorial election. I have no idea who will win it, as we  have three outstanding candidates. I like each one of them very much. They are, of course, Mark Dayton, Matt Entenza, and Margaret Anderson Kelliher. Each of them has many excellent qualities.

It would be great if some of you would come to see me in the hospital. I'll be at St. Joseph's in downtown St. Paul. You can also see me at my apartment in White Bear Lake every other week. Just email me to let me know when you can come.
tigerhawksoars@yahoo.com

My home telephone number is 651-777-3464. My answering machine died and I haven't been to the store to get a new one yet.

I hope to see many of you soon.

Colleen Morse
aka April Knight
aka MsTigerHawk

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NIGHTMARE CLINIC

Banning Avenue Clinic

Family HealthServices Minnesota, P.A.

White Bear Lake, MN

When I moved from Moundsview MN to White Bear Lake MN, I changed medical clinics so I didn't have to drive all the way from my old clinic in Coon Rapids. I had been using Allina for years. I was very happy with them but it was just too far to go. I looked for a new clinic near my new apartment complex. I found Banning Avenue Clinic in downtown White Bear Lake. It's housed in a nice new office in a nice building. I thought I would be happy with it. It's run by Family HealthServices Minnesota. I haven't had any prior experience with them. I now intend to find a different clinic. I'm completely appalled and disgusted by their lack of proper administrative work. I've been given the run around and have not been treated well. I've made numerous phone calls trying to get satisfaction. All I wanted was my medical paperwork. I'm trying to get it in the midst of dealing with a brain lymphoma and getting ready to go into the hospital for extensive chemotherapy.

I was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital on May 5. They thought I was going to die. They thought I had a very aggressive brain tumor. Finally biopsy results showed that it's a CNS lymphoma, which is better than having what they thought I had.

It took quite some time for all the paperwork to get to my primary care physician. Apparently the hospital didn't know who that was. I have no idea why not. By the time I was temporarily out of the hospital and living on steroids to reduce brain swelling, I was spending a lot of time trying to get the paperwork in order. The hospital and clinic should have been the ones to do that. Banning Avenue Clinic was just terrible. I couldn't get any satisfaction at all. They kept putting me off and telling me it would get done. In actuality it didn't get done at all. It's still not done.

Banning Avenue Clinic has a lot to answer for. My doctor might be good, but the administration is totally unacceptable. I called again today but to no avail. I was transferred to their central processing department. They had no records of my lymphoma. None. Zilch. I was so stressed by then that I started crying. Then I screamed at the lady I was talking to on the phone. She transferred me back to my clinic. Then I was transferred a couple of more times. Finally a lady said she would look into it and call me back.

Look into it? They've been looking into it for two weeks now. What do these people do with their time all day? They certainly aren't helping patients to resolve these issues. This is unfathomable!

The lady from the clinic finally called me back a little while ago. She said they would need to see me before they could fill out my paperwork. I was previously told that they would fill it out. I expected it to be all completed by now. I'm waiting on my Vacation Donation, my short term disability from Hartford and a couple of other important papers. The Minnesota Department of Health, where I work, is waiting to get them. They can't do their part until they get all the paperwork from my doctor. The clinic is not cooperating at all. I have never in my entire life had such a terrible experience at a clinic before. There is no way I should have to be going though this while dealing with a CNS lymphoma and getting ready for an intense course of chemotherapy that will last eight weeks, followed by radiation therapy for about five weeks. After that I might have to have the Cyberknife treatment. Paperwork and administrative work is the last thing I should have to worry about.

Not only that, but the Central Processing Dept of this clinic told me that they don't even have a release form from me. I only completed about five of them. Such incompetence!

I was just told that the doctor can't complete my paperwork unless he sees me for this condition first. I have to go to the clinic tomorrow at 11:30 and see him. It's my understanding that the Primary Care Physician is supposed to be the one who deals with all the paperwork, which he or she often gets from any other hospitals and clinics that are involved in the care process. When dealing with a neurological problem, that includes my neurosurgeon, my neuro oncologist and others on my team. The Primary Care Physician is supposed to coordinate. He's supposed to complete the paperwork and send it to the proper place, in this case MDH Human Resources and Hartford Insurance. I was told that the FMLA papers have been submitted. I hope at least that part is true.

I might call my State Senator Sandy Rummel and let her know about this. This kind of runaround should never, ever happen. I've got enough to deal with regarding my health itself. A couple of weeks ago I didn't even know that there was something large growing in my brain that did not belong there.

It's my biggest hope that this kind of incompetence does not happen too frequently at other clinics. It should never happen at all. It's unthinkable!

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MARGARET ANDERSON KELLIHER

Margaret Anderson Kelliher

DFL Endorsed Candidate for Governor, 2010

Margaret Anderson Kelliher was born on March 11, 1968. She grew up on a dairy farm in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, and graduated from Mankato West High School. She then earned her B.A. in history and political science from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. After that she worked hard to earn her M.P.A. from Harvard University in public administration. She does indeed have all the necessary qualifications to be an excellent governor.

Anderson Kelliher is a DFL member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. She represents District 60A. She's the current Speaker of the House as well as the endorsed DFL candidate for Governor of Minnesota. Kelliher is only the second woman to hold the position of Speaker of the House and the first woman to earn major-party endorsement for a gubernatorial election in Minnesota.

Margaret was the Minority Whip from 2003 to 2006. In January 2006 she became the first Assistant Minority Leader of the Minnesota House. In June 2006, she was selected by her caucus to succeed Rep. Matt Entenza as Minority Leader. After the Democrats won control of the House in the 2006 election, she was selected by her caucus to be Speaker starting in January 2007. She succeeded Rep. Steve Sviggum in that position. On January 6, 2009, she was re-elected Speaker for the 2009-2010 biennium.

Although Kelliher was not my first choice to win the endorsement (I was a big Rybak and Thissen supporter), I find that she does have some excellent leadership qualities. I don't think that her trouble in standing up to Governor Tim Pawlenty should make us feel that she's not very capable. That trouble belongs entirely in Pawlenty's lap for his complete unwillingness to work with the legislature. His nickname became Governor Veto. His presidential ambitions have been far greater than his concern for Minnesota and its people.

Margaret Anderson Kelliher has a good plan for Minnesota. Her goals are to grow Minnesota businesses; invest in Minnesotans; institute a new approach for economic growth; and position Minnesota for the future. She is determined that as soon as she is elected governor, her administration will work hard from the very beginning to create jobs and get people working again.

Margaret also has a plan to win this election. Here is her statement:

While I have been at the Capitol standing up to Tim Pawlenty and radical Republicans like Tom Emmer, my opponents have been spending their own personal fortunes to get a head start in this race.

But I know that’s not how you earn the support, or the votes of Minnesotans. Paul Wellstone taught me at a young age how to organize Minnesotans around a cause, and inspire communities to achieve something better.

That’s why I am building a people powered campaign for governor. We're going to win this election door-by-door, voter-by-voter. Together with Minnesotans, we are going to win. Because this campaign is about more than one person, it’s about one Minnesota.

That’s what I'm fighting for. That’s how we will close the chapter on Tim Pawlenty, and build a better Minnesota.

Margaret Anderson Kelliher on the issues.

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MARK DAYTON LEADS RACE FOR GOVERNOR

Mark Dayton with Dogs Mesabi and Dakota

The Humphrey Institute poll released information that Mark Dayton leads the DFL race for governor over both Matt Entenza and Margaret Anderson Kelliher.

MPR-Humphrey Institute Poll

The poll included 701 Minnesota adults. It was taken May 13 - 16, 2010. Some think that the result is a slap in the face to the DFL party, since Dayton is not the endorsed candidate and since he did not pursue the endorsement at all.

On the other hand, Mark Dayton has always been very popular among Minnesota Democrats for his 34 years of public service to Minnesotans. He has a very strong history of truly caring about Minnesota and the issues we face.

Dayton has served Minnesotans as a legislative assistant to Sen. Walter Mondale (1975-76), on the staff of then-Governor Rudy Perpich (1977-1978), and was the Commissioner of Economic Development (1978). Next he served as Minnesota Commissioner of Energy and Economic Development (1983-1986) and was Minnesota state auditor from 1991-1995. He was elected to the Senate in 2000, defeating Republican incumbent Rod Grams.

Connie Lewis, who ran Dayton's 1982 campaign, was quoted as saying that Dayton is truly committed to helping people.

"I don't know if people know how passionate he is," she said. "When he tells citizens that he's going to work for universal health care coverage or that he's going to work on prescription drug coverage for seniors, he will dog it and work it, and he really will. When he makes a commitment like that, he takes it very seriously."

Dayton summarized his current gubernatorial 10-point jobs plan at a recent Capitol news conference. One of the main points of it is an "energy savings fund" that would finance energy-conservation and alternative energy renovations in every public building in the state over the next 10 years. Dayton said he would issue up to $300 million in bonds to pay for energy improvements first in state buildings, then later, with the repayments from their energy savings, in public schools and city and county buildings.

He claims that this plan will transform government's use of energy, save taxpayers' money and stimulate the economy. It will also create up to 50,000 construction jobs.

Another of Dayton's plans is to raise Minnesota revenue by making the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes.

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MATT ENTENZA CAMPAIGN UPDATE

Matt Entenza for Governor of Minnesota

DAVID SCHULTZ FOR RAMSEY COUNTY ATTORNEY

David Schultz, Candidate for Ramsey County Attorney

David Schultz was the first candidate for Ramsey County Attorney that I met in the 2010 campaign. He came to a Senate District 53 meeting. I was very impressed with him right from the beginning. He will bring a wealth of experience to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office not only in superior litigation but also in obtaining justice and fairness for all.

Schultz has superior skills as a trial lawyer. These skills have earned him the designation of Certified Civil Trial Specialist from both the Minnesota State Bar Association and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. His high integrity and reputation for fair advocacy have won him the recognition of his peers as a Super Lawyer® every year since 1997. He has a very deep commitment to justice; thus he does quite a few pro bono death penalty cases.

In addition to his work on the Innocence Project of Minnesota, David has served on the Council on Crime and Justice, and the Minnesota Advocate for Human Rights. In 2001, when civil strife threatened the very existence of law in Kosovo, David was selected by his peers in the ABA to co-author the criminal law bench book for judges.

David Schultz is seeking the position of Ramsey County Attorney in order to promote justice for all, including senior citizens, children and veterans. He will safeguard fair access to benefits and he will prosecute financial crime to the fullest extent of the law. In addition, he has zero tolerance for crimes against children, including abuse. David Schultz will procure justice for our entire community through vigorous, innovative, and effective enforcement of our criminal laws.

Read more about David Schultz at his website.

MATT ENTENZA FOR GOVERNOR OF MINNESOTA

NON-HODGKINS LYMPHOMA BLUES, PART TWO

Tuesday, May 11, from St. Joseph's Hospital to Cerenity Care Center - Grrrrr. Internet access has been totally unacceptable for me, first at St. Joseph's Hospital and now at Cerenity Care Center in White Bear Lake. When will everyone realize the importance of instant internet access? No wonder we are falling behind other countries in technology!

It's late at night, about 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday May 11. So far I've awoken several times in this strange room in this place I've never been before. The oxycodone makes me sleep soundly, then I wake up. The pain med is for my sciatica pain. My brain tumor doesn't hurt at all, oddly enough. I suppose it's because of the location. It's mostly on the occiputal lobe of the brain and partly on the parietal lobe. No headaches,  no seizures, and I still have excellent communication skills, although felt confused and disoriented for several days because of the brain swelling. The doctors put me on steroids to bring that down.

The bad part is that the doctors are telling me that it's an aggressive tumor. On the other hand, I live in a time of great medical advancement. Still, as we all know, ya gotta die from something. Everyone does.

Now back to my hospital internet experiences or lack thereof. Of course I know that the medical care is far more important than whether patients get internet access. Still, for a hospital to be entirely up to date, it's absolutely necessary. Allina seems to be more advanced in this area than HealthEast, as Allina already has EHR (electronic health records) implemented into it's hospital and clinic system. HealthEast is working on it.

As far as my own medical issue with what I'm told is this aggressive stage 3 or stage 4 brain tumor, I'm at an excellent hospital for that. It's one of the best in the country. It houses one of the few Cyberknife Centers in the United States. It's got one of the best neurosurgeons in the United States. His name is Dr. Schwerkoske. His office is in Woodbury, MN.

I left St. Joseph's hospital yesterday afternoon about 4:30 p.m. My coworker Julie Kamrath picked my up in my room at St. Joe's and off we drove to White Bear Lake. That's where I live, but we drove right on by to Cerenity Care Center on Florence Street. I currently live near I694 and McKnight Road in White Bear Lake. 

Julie drove, of course, as it was her vehicle and as I am not allowed to drive yet. I was supposed to know where I was going, as I'm very good at directions. Unfortunately, the brain tumor has made me deviate from that ability somewhat. We got lost. Julie says she always gets lost. So there we were, lost and disoriented in my own home town of White Bear Lake. Too funny. (At least I still have my sense of humor!)

We finally found the place and went on in. I'm really glad Julie was with me so I didn't feel all alone in a strange place. She's such a good friend. She really cares.

Unfortunately, Julie had to leave to go home to her family. Charles and Becky were both at work. I am now alone in an unfamiliar place where I don't know anyone and where I am dealing with a major medical issue. 

My RN tonight is probably around 40 years old or so. She has only been a nurse for 15 days. She just graduated from nursing school. She's medically in charge of me on this dreary gloomy evening. Very scary for me, as she didn't seem to know what she was doing. She had to keep referring to her charts and books. She seemed to be a rather gloomy person, too, at least on that first evening when everything was coming down on me at once. To be fair, I'm sure she wanted to do a good job. On that first night I felt that she lacked the kind of personality that is so important to nursing. The next time I met her, three days later, I moderately revised my opinion.

I had to have a skin check that evening. Apparently it's a requirement in this kind of facility.  I was also required to have a Mantoux test whether I'd already had one in the last ten years or not. That was the extent of my incoming medical evaluation into that facility as they had already been forwarded all of my pertinent medical records.

The most bizarre thing about the RN on last night's nursing shift was that for the first few hours she rminded me of the nurse in Stephen King's Misery. I was so frightened. Imagine the scenarios going through my overly active imagination that evening!

The best part of my stay at St. Joe's Hospital had been all the wonderful nurses. The best part of leaving was getting away from the horrible institutional food. The best part of the care at Cerenity was most of the nursing staff and the physical and occupational staff. The night LPN and nursing assistants were great. It was just Ms. Misery who gave me such a scare.

I wonder what Wednesday will bring besides hours of physical and occupational therapy. I had that at St. Joe's, as well. It wasn't my favorite thing to participate in, as it reminds me that I'm getting old and my generation is on the way out. I did learn that the swelling in my brain from the tumor has caused a short term memory loss. It's getting better everyday, though. Did I have that problem before? I can't remember...

It's now 4:00 a.m. The oxycodone has worn off. My sacroiliac joint doesn't feel too bad right now. This bed that I'm currently in is a lot firmer than the one at St. Joe's and it's not an electronic hospital bed. I think it's better for my back. That's good, because how can we be effectively politically progressive if we have to concentrate on eliminating pain all the time? That takes up far too much time and energy.

Oh, how I wish I had my own email and Facebook right from the beginning of my odeal. How much better that would have made hospital life for me. I missed it so much. At least I have my son Charles, who diligently tells me who has sent me email messages. I was so sad and devastated that some got lost in the St. Joe's system never to be seen again.

I was only supposed to be at Cerenity for two or three days. At least that's what they first told me. They ended up keeping me until this morning, May 15. I finally talked my way out of there because the physical and occupational therapists told me I could easily live on my own. Well duh!

Another good thing about my experiences involved my excellent health insurance at the State of Minnesota. I hope we never, ever lose it.

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NON-HODGKINS LYMPHOMA BLUES

Monday, May 10 - I've been in St. Joseph's Hospital in downtown St. Paul since Wednesday morning. It started out being a very strange experience. Something happened to me on Sunday night, May 2. It was a serious medical issue. I thought maybe I just had a TIA, but it was much more serious than that.

Going back to Sunday night, I can remember that I started feeling very confused and disoriented. I went back to work Monday morning, May 3, because I was just coming off of medical leave for a different issue. I got to work and back just fine but had a horrible time of doing my job. I couldn't remember how to do it even though I'd been doing it for years. I tried to walk to the printer and went the wrong way. I got lost and turned around in my own office. My coworkers noticed something wrong but thought I was just having trouble getting back into the swing of work after a two-week medical leave. They were very nice about it but were concerned about me. My very nice boss Pete talked to me on Tuesday morning about my medical issues and getting back into work since this is our very busy part of the year in collecting data from insurance companies, health clinics, hospitals, etc.

I went home, then came back to work on Wednesday morning. I was there about two hours or so when I just had to leave. I was scared because I still couldn't figure out how to do my job. I was crying. I went to say goodbye to my coworker and friend Amy Camp. She wouldn't let me drive. She knew something was terribly wrong. She called an ambulance. The next thing I knew I was on my way to St. Joseph's Hospital in downtown St. Paul, MN, very close to where I work at the Minnesota Department of Health. It was an excellent hospital for me to go to because one of its top specialties is neurology/neurosurgery.

On Wednesday I had a CAT scan and an MRI of my brain, then later an MRI of my entire trunk area to see if the tumor had mestatisized. It hadn't, thankfully.

At first the doctors thought it was an agressive, stage three or stage 4 brain tumor. The biopsy results should come within a couple of days. It is in a spot that I choose not to have surgically removed because of the chance of losing cognitive reasoning skills. That is not acceptable to me.

The plan at this point, before knowing the biopsy report, is five weeks of radiology and chemotherapy and then a cweek of cyberknife. I have a feeling that I don't have long to live, but that could be because I've always had a feeling that I would die by age 62. No idea what that was all about.

I'm sure glad I met all my new friends before all this happened. What joy they have all brought me in the last nine months since I met them. Holly Cairns, Matt Entenza, Jason Hitchcock, Bridget, Gretchen, many others from the Entenza campaign (I can't remember all their names now because of the brain swelling, but probably will soon.), Mark Dayton, Brian Klaas, Katie Tinucci and others from the Dayton campaign. Mark Dayton is the one who first excited my excitement in campaigning since the 2010 gubernatorial race began. After that, I was completely hooked on the campaigning and the election as well as the entire political process. I got to know all the DFL gubernatorial candidates personally. They're all wonderful, caring, intelligent people. Any of them would make a fine governor for Minnesota. They all truly care about Minnesota and the issues facing Minnesotans.

R. T. Rybak and Paul Thissen were both very special to me. They went out of their way to make me feel welcome and to answer questions about hepatitis C and cirrhosis, which is another medical issue of mine. Almost all of the DFL candidates for governor took a great interest in answering my questions.

Tom Rukavina added so much fun and humor to his campaigning. What a unique, feisty, wonderful guy. I'll also never forget his staffer Orrie Salper. He was very special to me because he's such a warmhearted, kind person and has a great sense of humor. Also, I can say nothing but good things about Matt from the Thissen campaign, Senator John Marty and various others.

The Rybak staff, as well as Paul Thissen and his wife Karen, who is such a wonderful woman, also made me feel very good about campaigning and about politics in general.

Also not to be forgotten are all my new reNEW MN friends. What a great group of people! Minnesota is definitely changing for the better because of them. They added so much fun, excitement and enthusiasm to the 2010 DFL State Convention. I was so glad to be an alternate delegate to that event. I met lots of people, including a direct descendant of Daniel Webster who was also named Daniel Webster. The current Daniel Webster was a staunch Rybak supporter. He's the one who did the Rybak campaign music video called I've Been Everywhere.

There are now three remaining DFL candidates for governor. They are Mark Dayton, Matt Entenza and Margaret Anderson Kelliher. It's very difficult to decide which one to vote for. On the other hand, I might not live long enough to have to decide. I've always been a Dayton supporter and I also like Matt Entenza very much.

I have a strong fondness for Mark Dayton, maybe partly because he's of the same era that I am. We both were active protestors against the Viet Nam War. We both distinctly remember Kent State and all the other intense things that happened in the late 1960s and early 1970's. We remember the same culture and the same music. We both love The Moody Blues, although he liked the Rolling Stones better and I liked The Beatles better. We remember Country Joe and the Fish, Simon & Garfunkle, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie and so many others. We both kept our progressive values. No wonder I feel an affinity with him. I feel an even greater affinity toward him now that I know him a bit in person. He's never deviated from his dedication to progressive politics. He's been working hard and diligently toward progressive goals since the late 1960's. He has always put the well-being of others before his own needs.

Matt Entenza is definitely another person who I would feel very comfortable with as governor. Margaret Anderson Kelliher, as well, has the values that Minnesota needs. Any of these three would make a great governor.

In conclusion of this first part of my current medical story, I can only tell you, since when I wrote this I hadn't received my biopsy results yet, that the "tumor" might have been growing for awhile until it finally got big enough to cause the symptoms of confusion and disorientation. Luckily the steroids the doctors have me on alleviates that.

I'll submit Part II later today or tomorrow.

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DFL and IP Gubernatorial Forum, May 2, 2010

Margaret Anderson Kelliher

Mark Dayton

Tom Horner (on right)

Dayton Staffer

Entenza Staffer

Kelliher Staffer

My Blogger Friend Dyna

Tom Johnson, MDH Management (My Friend from Work)

He's from my Senate District (SD53)

Margaret Anderson Kelliher

This afternoon I attended the Governor's Candidate Forum on Clean Energy, Clean Water and Minnesota’s Future. This was a free public forum sponsored by Super Valu. The location was the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Candidates attending included Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Matt Entenza, Mark Dayton, Rob Hahn and Tom Horner. The former three are DFL candidates; the latter two are IP candidates. The only Republican candidate, Tom Emmer, chose to absent himself from the forum. I'm sure it was because he knew he couldn't keep up with the high intelligence of the other five candidates.

First, each candidate was given one minute to present an opening statement.

Tom Horner gave four points that reflect his main goals in green energy should he become our next governor.

1.  Leadership

2.  Protect lakes and waterways

3.  Green energy with accountability

4.  Reform and smart policies

Margaret Anderson Kelliher said that she created jobs across the state. She's excellent on job creation. It sounds like it's her number one focus. She also rates very high on saving energy.

Rob Hahn stated that he is an innovator, a winner and a leader. He's a true outsider and is good on green issues.

Matt Entenza is excellent on green energy. It's his core value. He is an innovator in creating a clean energy economy. When Matt was a prosecutor he put polluters in jail. We're not talking about littering, but about those who knowingly and willfully break the environmental laws.

Mark Dayton knows a lot about everything due to his years as a U. S. Senator. He's got experience in green issues as well as in what has been done and what needs to be done in cleaning up the environment. He has said that the first day in office as governor, he would fire the MPCA Board. Dayton says the board of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has been irresponsible in enforcing pollution control standards.      

Question #1: How can we best promote energy efficiency?

Margaret Anderson Kelliher emphatically stated that energy conservation is her big goal. She will strive for a state government that is performance based. I wonder if AFSCME and MAPE will allow that?

Rob Hahn wants to give businesses incentives to hire new employees. He stated that goals are great to have, but you can't regulate everything. He feels that we should be concerned with our environmental footprint.

Matt Entenza knows that personal responsibility alone won't do the trick in fixing the environment. We need to change the way our new economy works. We also need to have laws and regulations that protect the environment as much as possible. Leaving this aspect of earth protection up to each individual person without any regulations or laws just won't work. 

Mark Dayton stated that if men were angels, we wouldn't need antipollution laws. However, human nature being what it is, we do need them. Government has a role and a responsibility in government and in protecting our environment. Dayton thoroughly understands the role that government must play in environmental issues.

Tom Horner said that we need to come up with the right reasons for recycling and keeping the environment clean and friendly. He said that we need to figure out how to innovate. He wants reform and smart thinking. He seems to think we can accomplish our environmental goals without a lot of regulation and laws. 

Question #2 stated that 73% of Minnesota voters want clean renewable energy sources. How will we accomplish this?

Rob Hahn said that we have to look at a grid. He also wants a to lift the moratorium on nuclear energy. He wants us to give serious consideration to building a new plant or two. He claims that 3rd generation power plants are very safe. (Okaaaay...and what will he do with the nuclear waste that no one wants to be responsible for?)

Matt Entenza said that dictators in 3rd world countries are determining our energy output. Far too many jobs have left Minnesota. We can get jobs back with wind technology, solar energy, biofuels, etc. Matt is no doubt the most knowledgeable candidate on renewable green energy. Most of his platform revolves around this. This is our future.

Mark Dayton basically said that Hahn is irresponsible. Dayton said we can convert boilers and in ten years we can convert most facilities to conserve energy.

Tom Horner said that our challenge is in finding energy in certain parts of Minnesota. We need smart energy principles. Horner comes across as a very smart person who is also reasonable and makes a lot of sense when you listen to him. Horner said he wants green energy, of course, but he wants smart green energy.

Margaret Anderson Kelliher wants to reduce the amount of energy we use. She claims to be the only candidate to put out a complete plan for energy conservation.

At this point, Margaret Anderson Kelliher had to leave. Now we only have four candidates answering the questions.

Question #3: The Politics of Conservation

Matt Entenza wants to use the money that Pawlenty took to fund conversation. Entenza knows that we need a governor who will make conservation a core value. He wants to eliminate the pollution of our waters with runoff.

Mark Dayton wants the conservation commission to consist of an equal number of men and women. Dayton has excellent ideas on gender politics.

Tom Horner says that it's not about gender politics. He maintains that we can't fund everything, especially now while we have a 5 to 6 billion dollar deficit.

Rob Hahn stated that rivers are polluted. He believes that government has a role to enforce pollution laws but that we can't mandate everything. He wants to lead by example. Apparently he thinks that if we lead the horses to water, we can make them drink just by setting an example.

Question #4:

Mark Dayton has a lot to say about the Pollution Control Agency. He's very outspoken about what is wrong with that agency, and rightly so. He is appalled at that Agency's lack of expertise in cleaning up the environment. If Dayton is governor, there will be a lot of changes there. Heads might even roll. He wants to rename it the Pollution Reduction Agency. Dayton is also for promoting free-roaming livestock. He's got excellent ideas for both reducing pollution and cleaning up the atrocious way many treat livestock.

Tom Horner will require leading through innovation. He wants to use easements creatively.

Rob Hahn says that feedlots are a big contributor to pollution. Farmers should have more easements to set up barriers. He kind of changed his stand as the debate went on. He's willing to listen to others and change as new data becomes available.

Matt Entenza stated that this is where the rubber meets the road. (I like that experession.) He said that this is not about separation. This is about communities coming together. We need to actually test our water. A huge portion of our water is polluted.

Question from Audience Member Andy: What will you do to make sure that enough is being done to protect our environment?

Tom Horner said that we need to adapt new technology. He wants to see innovation as well as more research at the U of M. He wants more to be done with K - 12.

Rob Hahn wants us to look at the big picture. He wants to see long term value for biofuels. 

Matt Entenza looks to the next generation of biofuels to create a new clean economy. Matt has great ideas on and knowledge of green energy. Take a look at his website to find out more at http://www.entenza.com/ .

Mark Dayton knows a lot about the use of ethanol and reuseable energy in Minnesota.

Dayton has stated support of green energy and a state pollution reduction agency. He received a 79% rating from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), indicating pro-environment values.

___________________________________________

MARK DAYTON

Mark Dayton with Staff and Volunteers

For some unknown reason, some people seem to think that Mark Dayton is all washed up politically. Nothing could be further from the truth. Those who are in the know and not just think they are, as seems to be the case with Kelliher staffers and supporters, know without any doubt that Dayton is still a major force in the political arena. He's got allies and supporters in places you never dreamed of in all your worldly travels. Mark Dayton and Matt Entenza both have a very good chance of winning the governorship. Probably a better chance than Kelliher, unless a good many voters rally behind her as the campaign continues.

DFLers tend to forget that life in the real world doesn't revolve around the political life of party hacks. The real world of the DFL involves a lot of seniors as well as today's youth who are barely old enough to vote. There's a tremendous outpouring of support for Mark Dayton. He's got the most experience of any candidate. He also knows what Minnesota needs. He's been the most vocal candidate for speaking out against Tim Pawlenty and the disaster he caused Minnesotans. Mark Dayton loves Minnesota; there's no doubt about it.

Does Margaret Anderson Kelliher love Minnesota? Or does she like the power that being Speaker of the House gave her? Why does she want to be governor? What's the real, true reason? I'd like to know.

I know why Mark Dayton wants to be governor. I know the main reasons as well as some of the other reasons. Almost all of his reasons are altruistic. Everyone who knows him knows that his biggest concern is for the future of Minnesota. He's got something inside of him that makes it impossible for him not to care about Minnesota. Our very state, it's very core of existence, is in his blood.

I've never heard Mark brag about his heritage. Yet it's one he can be tremendously proud of. His family was here before the Revolutionary War. What better candidate to serve Minnesota? Who better equipped than a man who has spent his entire life in public service? 

Who is not afraid to get his hands dirty by sandbagging in flooded areas? Who has always gone the extra 100 miles or more to help others? Who donated his Senate salary to seniors instead of keeping it for himself? Who has spent decades serving Minnesotans while asking for nothing in return? Who has demonstrated again and again a deep, unfaltering caring for others throughout his entire public service career? The answer is always Mark Dayton. He has never asked what others could do for him. He has always asked what he could do for others. He's always ready and willing to lend a hand where needed.

Mark Dayton has always been there when Minnesotans needed him, whether in times of public crisis or when a single telephone call beckened him to someone who lay dying. He has always answered the call to public service. Will you be there when he needs you?

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A LOOK AT TOM HORNER

Tom Horner - Independent Party

While many Minnesotans are clamoring to promote the GOP or the DFL political parties, there is another alternative that many overlook. It's the Independence Party. How much do you know about it? If you're like most people, you don't know much. You've been raised as a Democrat or as a Republican. You probably vote the way your parents did. Or else you're a rebel and vote the opposite way. Maybe you're tired of the same old party politics and are looking for something new. Maybe you're not far right or far left. Perhaps you're right in the middle. What party would best suit your needs?

Have you thought about looking into the Independence Party? What is their agenda? What tenants do they hold? Let's take a look.

The Minnesota Independence Party was established in 1992. It was started by a group of ordinary citizens who were tired of special interest influence in politics and were tired of ongoing budget deficits. They were also sick of extremes in politics. They didn't want to be far right or far left. They were mostly moderates and believed that government in moderation was best. 

These people wanted a government that would be accountable to the people and that would govern sensibly and within its means. This new political party wanted endorsed candidates and representatives who would serve the people first and foremost. This party would not be governed by extremists on either end of the spectrum, but rather by common sense.

In 1994, the Independence Party won major party status when Dean Barkley ran for the U. S. Senate. The IP has retained this status every year since then. It became even more well known when Independent Jesse Ventura became Governor of Minnesota.

The Independence Party and those who vote for them are fiscally conservative and socially tolerant. This political party is growing. People are turning to it because they're tired of extreme right wing and extreme left wing politics. More and more voters want a balance. The Independence Party gives this balance with a focused, limited scope of government services in which top priorities include education, transportation, healthcare, environment, and budget sanity. The IP believes that political power starts and ends with the people.

One IP candidate who is running for election this year is Tom Horner. Here's what he has to say about what Minnesota needs.

Polarized parties see Minnesota through a narrow lens. To solve big problems, widen the view.

Reprinted from the Saint Paul Pioneer Press April 4, 2010

Think about the challenges Minnesota faces in the next four years: Soaring state budget deficits, an economy that stubbornly leaves nearly a quarter-million Minnesotans unemployed and tens of thousands underemployed, an infrastructure that has us dodging crater-sized potholes, and policies that threaten to make the next generation of Minnesotans the first who will be poorer, less healthy and less educated than their parents.


Now ask yourself this: To solve these challenges, does it make sense to ignore half of all the good ideas that are available? Yet, that's what Democrats and Republicans would have us do. The deeply polarized politics of government today reject good ideas simply because they come from the "wrong" party or the "wrong" partisans.


If Minnesota is to move forward in the next four years, we need a governor who focuses on what's right, not on who's right. Minnesota needs an independent voice in the governor's office, a governor who is able to draw on the best ideas and the brightest talents in the state.


Minnesota needs leadership from someone who knows what it takes to run a business here — to create jobs — and to provide good salaries and good benefits. The red flags about Minnesota's lagging economy aren't new; they have been flying for years. Between the economic downturn at the beginning of this decade and today's recession, Minnesota was being lapped by other states:


•Between 2004 and 2007, personal income growth was 47th among the states.
•During this same period, the state's gross domestic product - our economy - grew at less than half the national average — an anemic 2.6 percent.
•And from 2000 to 2007, Minnesota's job growth ranked 30th in the country.


Minnesota is a great state. We have tremendous strengths and assets. Building on these strengths will require policies and leadership to fundamentally reform how we tax and spend.


First, I reject the DFL's notion that every problem needs a government program and every current government program is worth saving. Government - including state government - takes on too much, too often does it poorly and many times with little or no accountability.


Minnesota needs to set priorities as a state, and not just follow the narrow agenda of a single political party or of one governor. The next governor will have to balance a budget that will be $7 billion or more in the red. That will require hard and often painful decisions. It will mean that some programs - those that aren't delivering value - will have to be eliminated, not just trimmed. Making these tough decisions will take the collaboration of all Minnesotans.


We also need to agree on the things that government should do. I believe in a government that invests in the future, helps people when they are most vulnerable, stewards our shared assets, including our natural resources. But wherever we spend public dollars, we must hold managers, legislators and the governor accountable to specific performance measures.


My second priority is tax reform. This will require that Republicans embrace transformational change. For all the legitimate complaints about Minnesota's business climate, the often overlooked truth is that Minnesota isn't taxing away businesses, it's taxing away new jobs. Minnesota-based companies are growing; they just aren't doing it here. Minnesota entrepreneurs are as innovative as ever; but they are launching their ventures in states more hospitable to start-up businesses and to the capital they need. And instead of being able to invest in new jobs, new equipment or new technology, Minnesota small businesses are seeing more and more of their income taxed away.


We are failing in creating new jobs because Minnesota taxes investment, innovation and job creation - all the things we should be promoting. We need to compete with the world by eliminating the barriers to growth.


The reality is that meaningful and effective tax reform will mean that some taxes will have to go up so others can go down. Those politicians who suggest otherwise - who promise that we can resolve deficits larger even than anything we have seen in the last eight years - are either dishonest or dependent on gimmicks that shift the cost to local government, to the private sector, or worst of all, to our kids.


Only an independent voice in the governor's office can tap the ideas and people to make this balanced approach to spending and taxes work. Minnesotans are tired — not just of the partisan fights in St. Paul, but at the lack of accomplishments. The longer Democrats and Republicans continue to define every issue by their extreme positions or solve every challenge through the narrow frames of higher taxes from the left or deep reductions to government from the right, the opportunity for my candidacy grows.


In 2010, two choices aren't enough when the future of our state is on the line.

 
Meet Tom Horner
 
Issues
 
Why Tom Horner is Running for Governor
 
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THREE CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR

Matt Entenza

Mark Dayton

Margaret Anderson Kelliher

Who do you want to be our next governor? Matt Entenza? Mark Dayton? Or perhaps Margaret Anderson Kelliher? What are the pros and cons of each candidate?

Most of the active DFL party members want the endorsed candidate Margaret Anderson Kelliher. I imagine she'll get a lot of female DFL voters as well. Mark Dayton, of course, has a lot of supporters who have been following his career for a long, long time. Matt Entenza is relatively unknown outside of DFL circles. Not for long, though. He's moving up very quickly. Plus he has the money to advertise his name and what he stands for.

Who is most likely to win the DFL Primary? Gosh, I don't know. It all depends on how many people vote in the Primary. It there's a low voter turnout with mostly seniors voting, Dayton will probably win. If there's a big voter turnout that crosses all ages, Entenza or Kelliher will no doubt win.

Each of the three candidates appeals to a different type of voter. Kelliher will probably get a lot of female votes. There are quite a few females who say she does not appeal to them, though. Nevertheless, I think she's got a fantastic chance of winning the primary. Especially with progressive voters behind her, such as reNEW MN/TakeAction MN. If all of these progressives rally behind Margaret, she just might win.

Entenza is not well known yet, but he has an active campaign and he's getting more and more media exposure everyday. I expect him to be in the forefront of this race. He has the looks for it. He's tall and rugged. If you're looking for him, you certainly can't miss him. Plus he's got the looks that appeal to women across Minnesota. For the men, he's got a commanding presence. Tall and stately. Matt Entenza looks like a governor. He looks like a governor is expected to look. 

Dayton has 35 years of public service experience. It's hard to beat that. He knows all about politics. I should think he'd be tired of it by now. I would be if I had been in it for so many years. I suspect that it's so much a part of his life that he'll find it very difficult to shake off the shackle. He should write a book about his life. It would probably be a best seller. He'd become even more famous. Politicians are a dime a dozen, but a good writer is not that easy to find. Especially one who has led such an interesting life. Writers are far more unique than politicians. And they have so much more to offer the world. Once the campaigning is over and the election is won, not too many people pay attention to politicians. (I wonder if I convinced him yet?)

I'll continue to write about these three candidates until we have a winner or until two drop out of the race. Which I don't expect will happen. Starting this weekend, I'll take these three candidates and look at them one at a time with all the pros and cons of each. From my viewpoint, of course. 

Meanwhile, start thinking of questions you'd like to ask each of these three candidates.

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DFL GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES ON MPR MIDDAY: R. T. RYBAK

Next up on this series of DFL gubernatorial candidates speaking on MPR MIDDAY is Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak. Again, I'll show what he said in bold print, then put my comments in normal print.

R. T. Rybak

Question #1: Why are you running for governor?

I'm R. T. Rybak. I'm the Mayor of Minneapolis. I came into office in the wake of a crisis. Right after 9-11, Minneapolis was in trouble. We brought people together; we got results. We lowered crime; we created thousands of jobs; we made the city work. That's the kind of executive leadership I've shown and that we need at the Capitol. Right now the Capitol's in trouble. This state is in trouble. We need to put people back to work. I've done that. We need to make government get results for people. I've done that. But more importantly, I've been a mayor who has been out in the community, I've been in schools. I've been in businesses. I've talked with people who are unemployed. I've talked with people who are victims of crime. I have got into the business of being not only a hands-on chief executive, but a hands-on leader out in the community, I think we need a new leader in Minnesota and I've shown I can get results.

All that R. T. Rybak says in response to this first question is true. As Mayor of Minneapolis, Rybak has done all of that and so much more. Whenever there was a crisis in Minneapolis, Mayor Rybak was there. He was there when the bridge fell. He was there when the fire occurred. He's always there in good times and bad. He will be there for Minnesota. He won't just walk away and quit after one term. He has shown us that he's dependable and responsible. He's the kind of politician I would be proud to call Governor. He's the only candidate who has executive experience. R. T. Rybak is an excellent communicator. He knows what issues Minnesota faces. He knows what the problems are and how to fix them. I can't think of a better candidate to be the next governor of Minnesota.


Question #2:  Should a candidate going directly to the Primary without going through the endorsement process matter to DFL voters?

I believe right now that this state has been deeply divided. The first thing we have to do is unite the Democratic party that has lost elections for a generation. My kids are in college and have never known a DFL governor. It's time to come together. We keep losing this governor's race, so what I've tried to do is to say I've got a winning record, I've got executive experience, and I want to unify the party. I think the best way to do that is to run for the endorsement, win the primary and win the general. I believe we have to do all three.

R. T. makes a very good point. I've heard all the arguments about going for the endorsement and not going for the endorsement. At first I thought, yes, it's more democratic to let all the voters decide at the Primary. Then it was pointed out to me that this is a representative government and the endorsement is a part of that. I now think that the endorsement process would work just fine if we didn't have upstarts who jump in and try to do it without the endorsement. I don't have a problem with someone who at least tried for it, but for the two candidates who are trying to win the primary without even attempting to win the endorsement are unfathomable and are going against their own party. R. T. Rybak is playing by the rules of the Democratic party. He has always been a fair and just person; this is just one more example of it. He has promised to abide by the endorsement. We know we can take him at his word. That's the kind of governor we want.


Question #3:  Do you have someone you're looking at to be your lt. governor? Who will be your running mate?

I think that the lt. governor should be doing the work. I think Governor Pawlenty got it right by trying to have a lt. governor do the work. I disagree with the choice he made with Carol Molnau running the Department of Transportation, certainly. I think more important, what I want, is someone to be there in the governor's office who can help me make decisions and broaden my experience. I realize that out of the governor's office, and I know this from having been a chief executive, that the job there is also to connect the dots, to move beyond just government, and bring communities together. For instance, when we were addressing youth violence in Minneapolis, one of the reasons we were able to drive violence down 40% is because we brought government together with nonprofits and citizens. That's the kind of work the lt. governor can do. When we had an acheivement gap, when we wanted to make sure we got kids into college, we put through ten thousand kids into summer jobs and college access programs and career centers. That was a city wide work. We need a statewide leader working with me who can say, I'm going to go out and help build those partnerships. A governor has to be a lot of different places. A lt. governor can help double the work.

R. T. Rybak knows what an executive position entails and he knows how to get the work done. He has already shown his expertise as an executive leader by the work he has done in Minneapolis. He has been very much involved in the community as well as in the inner workings of the government of a very large city. He's also got good ideas for what he wants the function of the lt. governor to be. Rybak points out that he's been an executive in business, he's been a journalist, and he's been in government. He has excelled in all of these. I think the journalism background gives him an edge and a different perspective than any of the other candidates have. He knows how to look at things to understand and assimilate the inner workings of any situation. R. T. Rybak will make an excellent and a viable governor.


Question #4:  Why would you be a better governor than Marty Seifert or Tom Emmer?

First, I have executive experience. There's a reason why they call one the legislative branch and the other the executive branch. I've been a chief executive. I'll come in with that experience. Second, I believe that I have experience outside the capitol. I've