I don’t know a whole lot about Don Huizenga, but a commenter on a previous post pointed me in the direction of this message board. Its a Topix Forum created so people could discuss the Anoka-Hennepin School District Levy. A person posting under the name Don Huizenga left some mighty interesting comments that give us some insight into what might be his legislative priorities. I called Don Huizenga to verify that these were in fact his comments. He confirmed that he made the comments and stood by their content.
Your statement that generations get smarter as over time is ludicrous. There is no factual evidence of that. There is evidence of differing intelligence among different races, but not generations.
I sure hope you arent going to teach our kids…
And I sure hope you aren’t elected to the House. More Huizenga…
Take us back to the 50’s, please…
It may have been a bit prudish, but whats wrong with that, compared to what we have today?
I can think of many things that were wrong with the American educational system in the 1950’s. Segregation, for one. Don also seems to be a Katherine Kersten fan…
BTW…the majority of the social items (pc ness, etc…) you named are all products of the liberal mentality that has run rampant through our schools. We have Muslim foot baths in our colleges in MN, but we cant say Christmas. Thank you Democratic liberals…
Anybody else notice a trend? Also, Don likes Katherine Kersten, but doesn’t have much respect for public school teachers:
I just wish people in the public sector would learn to work harder, be more efficient with their time,(teachers…NOT take vacation during the school year…THAT still amazes me!), etc, etc, etc. I think a third grade teacher should be just that, I third grade teacher…no para, no assistants, no nothing. The job isnt that tough. MANY teachers have done that job for YEARS alone, why cant they do it now?
I beg to differ. Being a public school teacher is a tough job, particularly when Republicans in state government are undercutting you at every opportunity.
Add to that, he takes potshots at a school board member’s kids and in post #460, he gives us his plan for teacher retention: “I trust the teachers at Meadow Creek to do the best job they can…you know why? Because if they do something wrong, or are not making a great effort to teach, I can go in, as can other parents, complain and get them fired. That fear alone is enough motivation for the average teacher to do a good job. Do you disagree?”
That’s exactly how we’ll turn around the rising attrition of new teachers (over 30% of Minnesota teachers in their first five years quit, the national numbers are around 50%) - giving each parent the right to fire any teacher. The only fear I have is this guy getting through the primary.
Someone like this will be refreshing in the House.
“Get a clue buddy, and quit being a little bratty pest.”
I can just imagine that. Just what we need to fix our problems! Not.
Interesting takes, to be sure. I will say that I am not anti-teacher, I am anti establishment. Our school district is the richest in the state. To say that we are under-funded is a falsity. Teachers don’t have high attrition rates because of parents, they have high attrition rates because of the administration, a conflict of belief systems, unrealistic ideas about education, etc. We need to hold teachers accountable for the jobs they do. Should incompetent teachers stay just because they have 10 more years left to retire? Dont our kids deserve the best education possible? To give you some numbers…D11 spent 280 Million in 2002 to educate 41,000 students. Next year the district will spend close to $500,000,000.00 to educate 38,500 students. I see a serious problem with this, especially considering that few test scores have increased at all. Those are just plain facts, do with them what you will.
The “50’s” comment is out of context. I was speaking about society in general, not schools.
The “racial” comment is also out of context. I was merely regurgitating statistics already gathered by the district. It shows no real change in scores, by generation, but does show disparity by race. Again, its just a fact.
I do appreciate the exposure and hope that we can all lead productive lives in whatever venture we chose.
Julie, exactly what good does it do to hire teachers that can’t do a competent job just to make the numbers? That doesn’t make any sense. It seems to be (to me) weak and illogical to not have the public who’s children are entrusted to the school system have a power over those whom are deemed to be the instructors at our public schools.
Neal
Not to state the obvious here, Don, but there’s a big difference between intelligence and test-taking skill. Kids that are better test-takers are better prepared for the tests, not necessarily smarter than the kids that don’t do well. That discrepancy goes to the core of the controversy of using standardized testing in schools. God, I would hope that any legislator would understand the difference.
I can’t help but think you might be an interesting candidate for Morgan Spurlock’s “30 Days” show… 30 days as a third-grade teacher in a public school, with the threat of parents complaining to get you fired. Think Almanac would be interested? ; )
Dan,
You stated that there is a difference in intelligence betwen races. That implies an inherantly defective trait in ethnicity. You did not state the factual case of an achievement gap, but you said it was an actual intelligence gap. Big difference. If you inherantly think other ethnicities are inferior intellectually, you are a rascist almost akin to the mentalities of Nazi Germany. I assume you are part of the white supremacist group, Minnesota Majority?
Thanks,
Alec
I would like to chime in on this. First off, let’s talk about current Rep. Jim Abeler. Jim is a nice guy, BUT, nice doesn’t cut it when your representing the Republican constituents in SD48. Jim has voted for government expansion, huge tax increases, stadium subsidies, tuition for illegal aliens, and more & more money to the endless pit called government run public eduction or as I like to refer to it as “BIG EDUCATION”. Jim simply does not support the Republican platform and his time has run its’ course. It is now time for new blood in our SD48 seat.
Since BIG EDUCATION is the topic of the day I will go down this path. Let’s clarify a few things. #1 - Government education spending in 2008/2009 is 33% of the state budget (and Health & Human Services is 38% for the total of the two of a whopping 71% of the entire state budget). Before I move on, let’s just think about this. Public Safety is 3.9% of the budget. The main reason we have government is to protect us and keep us free. Now compare the statistics and do the numbers correlate with an effective Constitutional government? Everyone can answer this question for themselves. Now, let’s move back to education.
#2 - Education spending has increased every year, in every administration both on the state level and local level for the last 20 years. There has not been any reductions in funding and student populations have remained relatively the same over this period. Public education had doubled within the last decade with no effective results in student performance. The only thing happening is the education unions are getting larger, salaries & benefits are going up, class time is going down and the taxpayers are on the hook for a system with virtually no accountability. The overall state budget has gone up 10% or more in 21 of the last 24 budget cycles. The average government growth has been 16.7% per cycle over this time frame. Even if you only look at budgets since 1990 state growth has been 12.8% each cycle. Are family budgets growing at this rate? Who deserves to reap the benefits of the labor of each citizen? Should it be each citizen and their families or should it be government? This is really a simple question. Are we slaves to the government or is the government here to serve us in a manner that preserves our freedoms, our liberties, our property and our dreams?
#3 - We constantly here from the left/liberals/Democrats how they don’t trust our military or police, how they worry about legislation that gives government powers to combat our enemies, etc. yet never a peep about government run education & indoctrination. I’m astounded that this isn’t a huge issue. Why should we trust our government to educate our children? Government does little or nothing efficiently or properly. You can look at just about any government program to see this. Yet, we sit back and think the government will educate the most vulnerable and impressionable segment of our society and somehow we think they will get this right. I think it is time for people to get serious about all aspects of our government and to do this we need better leadership then what we have had in the past.
I am not anti-government. I am pro effective, efficient, small, & Constitutional government. The only solution to our problems is more freedom, more choice, less government, less taxation, greater economic prosperity through free markets and more income staying in the family budget. The more government taxes the less power the people have. Government is an entity that has a never ending appetite and it will grow & grow without bounds unless the people put it on a diet and keep it under control.
Abeler represents the past. Abeler represents the mindset that government is the answer. Unfortunately, Abeler represents a view that is more in line with Democrat policies than the party he is suppose to represent.
Don Huizenga represents the future. Don represents an optimistic future where individuals control their own destiny and the state budget is secondary to the family budget.
I proudly stand up and support Don Huizenga to be our next SD48 representative and look forward to a brighter future for this state with less government interference in our lives and more freedom.
May God bless Don’s campaign, this great state, our nation and our military who are proudly protecting our freedoms abroad so we may enjoy them back here at home.
**All figures used above were taken from the State of Minnesota’s on-line budget numbers which can be found at http://www.state.mn.us
I would like to chime in on this. First off, let’s talk about current Rep. Jim Abeler. Jim is a nice guy, BUT, nice doesn’t cut it when your representing the Republican constituents in SD48. Jim has voted for government expansion, huge tax increases, stadium subsidies, tuition for illegal aliens, and more & more money to the endless pit called government run public eduction or as I like to refer to it as “BIG EDUCATION”. Jim simply does not support the Republican platform and his time has run its’ course. It is now time for new blood in our SD48 seat.
Since BIG EDUCATION is the topic of the day I will go down this path. Let’s clarify a few things. #1 - Government education spending in 2008/2009 is 33% of the state budget (and Health & Human Services is 38% for the total of the two of a whopping 71% of the entire state budget). Before I move on, let’s just think about this. Public Safety is 3.9% of the budget. The main reason we have government is to protect us and keep us free. Now compare the statistics and do the numbers correlate with an effective Constitutional government? Everyone can answer this question for themselves. Now, let’s move back to education.
#2 - Education spending has increased every year, in every administration both on the state level and local level for the last 20 years. There has not been any reductions in funding and student populations have remained relatively the same over this period. Public education had doubled within the last decade with no effective results in student performance. The only thing happening is the education unions are getting larger, salaries & benefits are going up, class time is going down and the taxpayers are on the hook for a system with virtually no accountability. The overall state budget has gone up 10% or more in 21 of the last 24 budget cycles. The average government growth has been 16.7% per cycle over this time frame. Even if you only look at budgets since 1990 state growth has been 12.8% each cycle. Are family budgets growing at this rate? Who deserves to reap the benefits of the labor of each citizen? Should it be each citizen and their families or should it be government? This is really a simple question. Are we slaves to the government or is the government here to serve us in a manner that preserves our freedoms, our liberties, our property and our dreams?
#3 - We constantly here from the left/liberals/Democrats how they don’t trust our military or police, how they worry about legislation that gives government powers to combat our enemies, etc. yet never a peep about government run education & indoctrination. I’m astounded that this isn’t a huge issue. Why should we trust our government to educate our children? Government does little or nothing efficiently or properly. You can look at just about any government program to see this. Yet, we sit back and think the government will educate the most vulnerable and impressionable segment of our society and somehow we think they will get this right. I think it is time for people to get serious about all aspects of our government and to do this we need better leadership then what we have had in the past.
I am not anti-government. I am pro effective, efficient, small, & Constitutional government. The only solution to our problems is more freedom, more choice, less government, less taxation, greater economic prosperity through free markets and more income staying in the family budget. The more government taxes the less power the people have. Government is an entity that has a never ending appetite and it will grow & grow without bounds unless the people put it on a diet and keep it under control.
Abeler represents the past. Abeler represents the mindset that government is the answer. Unfortunately, Abeler represents a view that is more in line with Democrat policies than the party he is suppose to represent.
Don Huizenga represents the future. Don represents an optimistic future where individuals control their own destiny and the state budget is secondary to the family budget.
I proudly stand up and support Don Huizenga to be our next SD48 representative and look forward to a brighter future for this state with less government interference in our lives and more freedom.
May God bless Don’s campaign, this great state, our nation and our military who are proudly protecting our freedoms abroad so we may enjoy them back here at home.
**All budget numbers above were taken off the State of Minnesota’s on-line budget numbers which can be found on http://www.state.mn.us
Erin got it right. Don wouldn’t last a week in a public school third grade class. Some classless stuff there Mr H. Disgusting.
Alik,
I did not imply anything. I merely stated a fact that is publicized in any district documentation you care to read. It does not, nor is it intended to imply anything other than what it states. It cannot be more clear. An achievement gap represents what? The failure of a school district to educate its students? Is one race more prone to achieve than another? And why? These are all logical questions that should be answered if we are going to successfully bring forth a generation of achievers…if that is the goal. Throwing more money at something that the schools admittedly cannot change is not the solution. I beg to ask what solution you might recommend?
Erin, have you known someone who was intelligent to fail at tests? Its just a hypothetical question. Is there a method in which we SHOULD track achievement in our schools that you think would be more effective? Or are we sticking with the “throw more money at it” solution? Our district is the poster child for over funding with smaller enrollment and level achievement. It has been proven, time and time again, that funding does not equate to achievement or success in education.
I appreciate the comments though.
Zach, it is human nature to think that our jobs are more difficult or more important than our fellow citizens. I think I could teach 3rd grade…in fact, I am confident I could succeed at it. People have different levels of tolerance and mine is fairly high. I think it might be annoying, to have to deal with the administration and the system, but other than that, I would accept the challenge.
Mr. Stephenson. With a heavy majority in the House, for years now, and an over-ride majority of old schoolers in the Senate, all wearing DFL name tags, how do you stand by your statement that Republicans have undercut efforts in the schools? Do the R’s hold any type of majority? Are the Republican bills being brought to the floor? I think I need you to tell me how the Republicans, who are hand-cuffed in the MN House, have any ability to cut anything from the schools. Then, you can tell me how much the Republicans have cut from the schools.
Respectfully,
Don,
You are correct, there is an obvious achievment gap that needs to be addressed, but that is NOT what you said. You said there was an actual intelligence gap between races, which means you think that some races are inherantly more intelligent than others. Do not try to mitigate your racism by trying to reframe your statement as talking about an achievement gap. That makes you a liar and a racist. I would love it if we addressed the abysmal achievement gap, but not with someone like you.
In addition, IQ and educaational knowledge have little to do with each other. Most scientists believe IQ is set at birth. DO you believe African Americans are born less intelligent? Because that is what you said.
Just as there is generational wealth that has been built up over decades in the culture of privilege, the is generational knowledge. The white culture of privilege has been building up generational wealth, knowledge, and power to pass on and nurture for 400+ years and 50+ generations in this country.
The African Amerrican community has had about 4 generations in which to try and amass what has taken the privileged class (you and me Don) about 400 years to generate. In addition, when African Americans were first sent to school, it was deemed that they were only capable of an “industrial” education, so the generational knowledge and education received was inferior and the culture of knowledge they passed on was inferior. It is our own damn fault, and the culture of privilege is still paying the price today for making racist decisions from the emancipation.
So, is there an achievment gap? You betcha. Is it partially the students and parents fault? Absolutely. Could some be blamed on the teachers?Sure, why not. But I think that we, as the culture of white generational privilege, have to take on some responsibility for the mess we made by starting the African American community in the hole 100 years ago.
The fact is,scientifically and biologically, there is no such thing as “race”. Race is a social construct designed to seperate peoples. I believe we can make a difference in the achievement gap.I think we need to look at ALL of the reasons it is there. Notice I say reasons and not excuses. One of the reasons happens to be that our cororatist society, at one point, wanted an unskilled industrial and cheap labor force. They got what they wanted and we are paying today.
P.S. Albert Einstein failed out of school.What a dummy!
Don - I’ve been impressed by your answers.
Alec - So priviledged whites are to blame for the achievement gap. And your solution is what? As Don has stated, the standard answer of more money hasn’t been working for years. The rate of funding for education on a per pupil basis is WAY more than the rate of inflation.
Don -
I do stand by it. Minnesota still has a Republican Governor. I worked at the Minnesota House in 2007, and I saw how Governor Pawlenty prevented progress in education with his veto pen. Sadly, Republican House moderates like Dennis Ozment (who voted for the DFL education bill when it first passed the House) were bullied by their leadership into voting against the veto override.
“I was merely regurgitating statistics already gathered by the district.”
Inexcusable. Professional journalists report statistics. Anyone else that repeats such a statistic is tacitly agreeing with that statistic. Sorry Mr. Huizenga. Inexcusable and hateful.
You’re full of shit.
Venerable…I appreciate your laconic response. I study both the fiscal reports and the achievement reports of our school district every year…for ten years now. If the qualification for reporting statistics is a degree in journalism, I would suggest you never quote one in the future either. I assumed we live in a free and open society that allows the exchange of personal insight and ideas. From your comments, I take it I am not allowed that freedom.
Mr. Stephenson…are you implying that a House cannot get anything done unless it has veto majority in the House and Senate, and a DFL Governor? Seems quite unbalanced to me. There has been a DFL Senate majority in this state for over 30 years. The current state of fiscal affairs is a condign reflection of those years of control and one-sidedness. I believe there needs to be more balance.
DonH, I agree 100%,
It is important to intellectualize our hatred of people we disagree with.
I think you do a very good job of doing just that. You and Katherine Kersten can both be proud of you immense capacity to rationalize hatred, and promote that rationalized hatred in order to take down moonbats who we disagree with.
The most important thing is to keep pointing out the things we do not have in common. That is what Democracy is. Nobady cares about the things we have in common anyway.
AND…..that is the only way we Republicans can win elections.
Great Job!
Don H-
As one who knows that there is a difference between test scores and intelligence, I hope you are soundly defeated in either the republican primary or the general election.
Furthermore, the democrats only gained the majority in the house in 2006. While 20 months is approaching the status of ‘for years now’ It is not, in fact, years. Your hyperbole is quite telling.
Hey dumbass, he said the Senate, not the House. You’re the one who should be embarrassed. Your stupidity is quite telling.
Alec…an interesting theory to be sure. I wonder how you reconcile the fact that the US developed the “western” style of society only 200 years ago ourselves, and our industrial revolution was a mere 120 years ago. Additionally, since you brought it up, the African culture or society has been in existence much longer than our culture or country. Are you implying that the African community lacks the ability to advance, as a society, on their own? There is another thing that you must remember. The human condition advances at its own rate. All of OUR ancestors, unless you come from nobility, were slaves to the regimes of their day. The Irish, Germans, English, etc all ran societies of Lord vs Serf etc. America is the melting pot of the oppressed equally. No one came here with a leg up, so to speak. And if you want to play it by numbers, we, as a country, developed a society that changed, in more positive ways than not, the entire face of the earth in 200 short years…a feat never before achieved.
I disagree that we currently hold these Americans in contempt. They have all of the same opportunities you and I do. Part of the problem, I believe, is that we cater to their despair by continuing to give them handouts. Remember, it was the Democrats of the old south that held slavery as a benefit to the race because the slave owners provided shelter, food, etc….and it was the Democrats of the 50’s and 60’ that fought against the ERA of that time saying that the race had to be “cared” for. Now, we perpetuate that mentality by continuing to hold them repressed by offering a system of guaranteed sustainment. Ben Franklin once said that a society should make the poor uncomfortable in its poorness, in order to motivate them to achieve what they are capable of. Or Winston Churchill who said that the inherent virtue of capitalism is that people share un-equally in its blessings and the inherent vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.
Besides, the generational wealth that you speak of his held by very few people in America. It is not the norm. 95% of the people who are working today do NOT have generational wealth. They start with the same thing that most of us start with…which is nothing. We all make decisions in our lives that change our paths, on a daily basis. We own those decisions individually…not as a whole.
lojasmo…I agree that test scores and intelligence are separate things…but test scores are what the schools use to determine their effectiveness. I did not create that system.
The House majority has changed hands multiple times in the last 30 years…the majority in the Senate has not. I noticed you failed to comment on that. I appreciate your encouragement though. It is very thoughtful.
Typical guy…I sense your sarcasm. I do not hate, a very strong word, anyone. Why is it that people will not look at facts or figures, or try to reach solutions without the underlying tones of emotions, which can lead us down the wrong path? You dont know me from Adam…you do not know how I volunteer my time, what I do for charity, how I live my life. To make those assumptions, based on a few blog entries you have read, is exactly what is wrong with this country. The electronic age; texting, blogging, etc…has made it so that we are forced to try and assume what people are like based on letters on a screen. We have lost our personal touch and that is sad. I also realize that most of the time, people do not agree with one another, as we all share different life experiences. But we do all share one common feature, we all live in a society that allows us to be ourselves, to promote our own agendas, to make our own way…without the stiff hand of a government telling us what to do, where to go, how to drive, etc.
Oh wait….
I might be wrong about that….
TFRWG, I disagree with the mans views, but he’s rationally answering each critical comment. Grow up.
Don, fair point about Democratic control of the state leg, although your assertion that the DFL has controlled the House for years seems to be hyperbolic; we’re creeping up on the two year mark. Still, the Obstructionist Executive argument, used by Republicans at the Federal level in the 90s, and by Dems at both the state and Federal level today, has always struck me as pretty ridiculous.
As for one of the broader points, I fail to see how standardized testing can accurately measure anything beyond how well teachers can conform to a rigid curriculum. I think a truly skilled educator needs as much latitude as possible to keep a class actively engaged in the subject matter.
He said the Senate, not the House. Can’t you libtards even READ what you’re bitching about before you start foaming?
Don — don’t get me wrong, I as a tried and true dirty lib’rul love to see you waste your time on blog comment section, but I can only figure the Republican House Caucus staffers who are checking this thread out are red in the face screaming at your pixelated name “SHUT UP AND GO KNOCK ON DOORS!”
Just saying.
Sean
I must admit that Don H. is showing respect and answering the questions with thought. The problem is that it is simple answers to complex questions. Like many on the Right, the effort is spent on trying to simplify the process rather than to understand the shades of meaning. Like Talk Radio it often “sounds” good but fails on many levels.
The comment on racial differences and academic achievement is especially troubling because it is founded on such foolish “common knowledge.” First of all, in scientific terms, there is no such thing as race. For all the blather and the divisiveness you are no different in scientific terms than any other person with different pigmentation, hair or eye color. Unless you consider false Nazi experiments there has never been a scientific study that proved a racial trait associated with intelligence. To even suggest such a thing proves ignorance of genetics, science and anthropology.
We are all homo sapiens. Our genetic difference from bonobo monkeys is all of two per cent. You can say that Humankind is a different race than a chimpanzee but within our species any differences are extremely minor. That is they are minor until you add the social construction of race.
Now lets move into the field of education… there is absolutely no proof of racial differences in standardized test scores that can be attributed to racial characteristics. None. There are all kinds of proof that culturalization, socioeconomic factors and even the attitudes of the teacher towards the individual student (whether they like the person or not) affect standardized test scores.
In blunt terms this conversation and the importance of teaching children should not be left up to the whims of tax whiners, racists or even the leftist nanny staters… but our education system is a result of a battle between the religious anti-science crowd, tax whiners, et al… well you get the idea.
I suggest that Don H. search his local library, if he can fin one that is open, for some books by Jared Diamond on the social construct of race and what race really means in terms of global politics and culture.
Tanuki. I do not disagree with you. But keep in mind that our government was MEANT to argue, be divisive, etc. It was set up that way. We cannot allow ourselves to have a government run by all of one party or the other. MN has the luxury of having one of the most lop-sided Senate and House majorities in any state in the Union. Having a R governor is the only stop gap for the rest of us who are not DFL. Imagine us having 0 power in either house or at the G level. Is that what we…meaning you and I, would TRULY want? I wouldnt wish that on your party…ever. China, for instance, comes together on every issue because they have no real choice.
I have no earthly idea why my comment appears as “anonymous” up there but it was indeed, me.
Sean
In response to Neal’s comment: “Julie, exactly what good does it do to hire teachers that can’t do a competent job just to make the numbers? That doesn’t make any sense. It seems to be (to me) weak and illogical to not have the public who’s children are entrusted to the school system have a power over those whom are deemed to be the instructors at our public schools. Neal”
I wasn’t suggesting we just hire anyone, I am suggesting we fix our problems with teacher retention. Using fear, as Huizenga suggests, will do nothing to keep good teachers. Ironically, those kinds of tactics are likely to drive out good teachers, or any type of employee for that matter, before bad ones. Look at a sweet, squirmy group of kindergarteners and that’s all you should need to want to do your best for them - if not, I don’t think the threat of losing you job will be nearly enough to fill that heartless gap.
If parents have concerns about their childrens’ teachers, should they have influence? Absolutely. However, just as any customer at Target shouldn’t be able to fire an employee who didn’t immediately find their favorite shampoo for them, any parent shouldn’t be able to storm into a school and fire a teacher over giving their kid a B on a term paper.
Surveys of teachers who quit generally find that workload, a general lack of support in the first years of teaching, stress from increasingly challenging discipline issues and an increase in overly demanding parents, and low salaries and health care coverage are their biggest reasons for leaving.
But Neal, if the teacher shortages keep growing, your nightmare scenario of taking anybody who comes along to fill teaching positions may come to fruition.
Amuse…thanks for the comments. I agree that their is NO true race. But I, again, did not create the labels. I would love to live in a society that is truly free of race. My daughter once asked me, while taking a survey in school, why she is taught not to look at race, yet the first thing the survey wanted to know is what race she was. Once she questioned the teacher, she was told to just answer the questions.
Unfortunately, as is evident in this thread, and in my opinion, the people who claim to hate labels, stereotypes, and name calling are also the first to do just that…label, name call and stereotype. Nobody here truly knows me, but I have been catagorized, name called, and stereotyped. None of which I have done to anyone else. That is a shame.
Anon….knocking doors is over rated and an ineffective use of time…at this point. “Hi, my name is Don Huizenga and I want you to vote for me…”
Walk away.
I would throw the lit piece out once he left. Besides, Jim has never walked a door in my neighborhood. We have different ideas about campaigning. Oh, I will knock some doors, to be sure, but not as if it is the main goal.
Julie, statistics say that the number one degree coming out of college is teaching. Average MN teaching salaries are at roughly $44k per year for 9 months. Health care benefits and retirement are the best in MN. The number one owner of lake shore property by retired persons in MN are retired teachers and public employees. There are plenty of teachers.
statistics say that the number one degree coming out of college is teaching.
“Statistics” are tricky things. http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=37
Education is 3rd with roughly 1/3 of the grads as business degrees. And of course everyone that gets a degree in some field goes on to work in it, right? Right?
Don, can you cite those statistics? Especially the one about health care and benefits. Are you suggesting teachers have a better package than CEO’s? Or software designers? Or superintendents even? And the lakeshore one - that sounds a bit anecdotal.
You are correct that there are plenty of education graduates, but there aren’t enough to keep up with the high attrition rate.
By the same token, I’d better cite my sources. The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (non-partisan coalition of states and groups like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) has done a lot of work on this. A study you might like is at http://www.ncsu.edu/mentorjunction/text_files/teacher_retentionsymposium.pdf.
I’m not going to bother reading all the posts or chime in on anything policy wise. Just wanted to say great find Zack. I dont know who the DFL candidate is but I hope you already emailed this forum to his campaign and given them some choice quotes.
I think this is one case where TFRWG has it exactly right. The fact that Don H is capable of writing in complete sentences, unlike some of our regular trolls, does not mean he has anything valid to say or that he isn’t a racist asshat.
“I can think of many things that were wrong with the American educational system in the 1950’s.
Segregation, for one.”
Right. 30 years of desegregation and left wing control of the public school system have certainly served black Americans well.
And how dare a Republican candidate for office use race as a factor in a discussion about public education?
Simply shocking
Pfft. Nothing more amusing than watching a pile of ignorant Democrats perform their asshat dance in the ashes.
Mr. Huizenga, I certainly did not mean to imply that your right to speak carries less weight than mine. It was a bit disingenuous of you to make that implication, and so I have had to spend a sentence addressing it. I said that I thought that perpetuating what I consider from my research, to be a baseless and hateful statistic, says something about you.
Admittedly, I don’t know much more about you than what I have been exposed to today, but I will do my best to try to get to know you better in the future. I’m glad you are here today and I don’t by any means think you are wasting your time. It’s a great treat to have someone a bit more thoughtful and measured from the Right to debate with, than some of our regular comment crowd. (sorry swiftee)
I try to value all people. I do not try to value all people equally. Please stay with us! I hope that my opinion of you will be if not raised, at least better informed, and I hope you realize whatever benefit that you most value - from your visit here at MP.
Nony,
So, you are impressed saying that different races have inherantly different intelligences? That is what Don said. He did not say achievement, which is a controllable and modifiable behavior outcome, he said actual intelligence there is a gap in the races.
And Nony, you obviously did not read my post. I don’t give any of my reasons for the achievement gap as excuses or “blame” as you say. Just like a disease, we have to look at ALL contributing factors. I am not blaming or excusing. You noticed I listed many contributing factors. If you cannot honestly take a modicum of responsibility for the structural and institutional mistakes we have made as a society, then you are part of the problem.
Or are you like Don, and just think African Americans are less intelligent to begin with? That is the exact attitude that got us in this mess 100 years ago!
Please go re-read my post.
Jesus, where to begin:
“Are you implying that the African community lacks the ability to advance, as a society, on their own? ”
The African culture was far advanced past the rest of the world before massive wars and colonialism took hold. The first international university in the world was in Alexandria. The Arabs/Muslims invented Algebra. And you ever hear of the things like the pyramids. Beofre wars, both civil and international, and crusades and brutal colonialism, the African continent was the height of knowledge and information. Funny how imperialism and colonialism can change things.
“America is the melting pot of the oppressed equally. No one came here with a leg up, so to speak.”
Are you seriously kidding? Oppressed equally? How many Irish/Italian/Germans etc. came here with their leg in a chain? Hard to have a leg up when it is bolted to the floor of a cargo ship.
“Besides, the generational wealth that you speak of his held by very few people in America. It is not the norm. 95% of the people who are working today do NOT have generational wealth. ”
The African American middle class has now caught up to the white middle class in earnings. However, as far as accumlated wealth, the white middle class still outpaces blacks by 3 to 1. I seriously think, and I am not trying to character assinate or anything, but seriously you sound just like a white supremacist.
One last thing:
I am all aboout data and looking at cold hard truths. (Something you have been loathe to do in being self reflective on yourself and our society, btw)
Anyway, Give me one peer reviewed, scientific set of data that shows there is an INTELLIGENCE gap between the races. Please, do.
Okay, one last, last thing:
I am a teacher. I take a lot of blame on myself and am my own worst critic, so you can take that for what it is worth. I teach in a school that is 90% poverty. It was set up, basically, by the culture of power so that all of these challenging kids are pooled in one place. To not take ownership of how or society still prepetuates the class system is ludicrous.
Anyway, Health Care: Our health care covers just us, if we want to have our kids be able to see a doctor, it costs us an additional $10,000 out of pocket, and then only 80% of care is covered with 30-40 copays. So, if the average teacher makes $44,000 Dan, then almost 25% of their salary is eaten up for health care. What other place in the world does a hard working professional have to pay one quarter of thei salary just so their kids can see a doctor of Health Partners choice! 25% of our freaking salary. Just to protect our kids. Seriously.
Julie,
Why would a teacher be afraid of a pay-performance job career structure? I am not an educator, simply an employee of a large firm, wherein if I did not meet select internal and external expectations, I would be sent packing. You seem to have an emotional and personal connection with that particular topic, so I could appreciate your insight to the matter, as I cannot understand the fear teachers would have. From where I sit, the pay-performance idea sounds a bit like, well, the real world (non-union). At the risk of sounding cliche, your post speak of what is awfully typical and wrong with our current gov’t system. A lack of accountability and wasteful processes. How wrong am I?
Regards,
KB
Good Afternoon Mr. Huizenga,
I have a few points to make, just to see what you think of them.
1) When you say that the average teacher in MN makes 44K we have to consider a few things concerning this number: The average age of teachers right now is 42, and the hours spent working in this “9 month” period average around 11 hours a day (excluding extracurricular activities). I’ve spent some time teaching, and I can say from experience that TEACHING IS YOUR LIFE! And to be making 44k at 42 years of age isn’t exactly living the high life.
2) In regards to the attriction rate of teachers, and the decline in new education degrees, I find that the problem DOES lie in the pay and benefits. Entry level teachers, on average, make a whopping 30k! Whoo! While your average entry level Administrative Assistant (secretary-requiring only a high school degree) makes between 25-30k. What motivation do college students have for going into education? Only if they love to teach will they enter a program, but only in a program would most students find a love of teaching. And then we have the engineering, which steals away most of our teachers, because they get paid nearly twice as much upon entry, and need LESS SCHOOLING!
3) The one thing I would say that you’ve got right is the ability of parents to directly influence the teachers at their school. Of course, we’ve got to be careful here because parents will take it personally if their child does badly in a class, but I think one of the worst things about the public school system in relation to the teacher’s union is tenure.
All in all, teachers need to be paid more and have good benefits but also need to be accountable, and tenure undermines this aspect.
As far as those racist comments go… good luck when that catches fire during the primary.
“Okay, one last, last thing: I am a teacher. I take a lot of blame on myself and am my own worst critic, so you can take that for what it is worth.”
I have to hand it to you Alec. Given the absolutely abominable achievement results EdMN controlled schools have posted (again) this year, making that admission is quite a show of bravado. So, how many of your students hit the streets this year functionally illiterate?
Why does EdMN and its supporters hate children, Alec?
Say, “Danno”?
If you wish to complain about the miserable starting salaries of teachers, I suggest you direct your ire towards the teachers union.
If teachers were free to practice their “profession” as professionals, there would be many earning $100k\year and more; of course there would also be some making $26k and others wisely giving up to sell used cars.
The fact is that under the union mandated step and lane system, many teachers are rewarded for nothing more than sitting on their asses year after year while many younger teachers work themselves to death for bupkis. Is there any wonder why the teaching “profession” fails to compete with private industry for the best and the brightest talent?
Only a deliberately obtuse union hack could defend the status quo, and only the most callous could ignore the utter failure that is occuring under their very noses.
You lefty assholes dare to call others racists while you fight tooth and nail to defend a system that sends thousands of black American kids out into the world unable to read, write or do the most elementary mathematics?
You make me ill; really.
I am trying to understand how achievement and intelligence can be so easily separated. Capability vs Ability? The common denominator would be the enabler, re: educator. Sounds like a lot of people don’t like hearing they are doing a poor job w.in their chosen field.
Mr Huizenga,
You have a challenge ahead of you. You seem able and capable to effect some degree of drastically needed change. I hope you can effectively get your message to the masses.
OK…to all….I have tried to explain my comments, the origins of them, etc. I do not have to defend myself. I do not have to feel pressured by your childish statements, name calling, and whatever other tactic you may try to use to perpetuate hate between us. Most of the people here are fishing and I am not taking the bait. I came here to swim in your lake for awhile, to see what all of the fuss was over a few blogs typed in defense of my home, my kids safety, and my character. I am disappointed to see that people here are lumped into catagories, given labels like racist etc…and generally lambasted, personally, over words on a screen. Again, this continues to prove my point that as a society, we have and are growing apart due to a medium that cannot convey emotion, or heart or passion.
BTW…I would be all for paying teachers $70k a year. We just have too many of them. Check our district teacher levels in 2003 vs today with 2000 less kids. Why all of the extra teachers? Why wouldnt teachers want to get rid of the extra weight in order to pay themselves better in the end? But, that is just neither here nor there.
Alec, I am not sure where you teach, but if your family HC is 10k per year for family coverage, I would ask you how much your family uses, in health care, every year? Do the math, maybe a major medical policy, which is what I have, 10k deductible, 4 kids, etc. is a better option financially. And, D11 has some of the best HC in the state.
Alec…I dug this up for you because I know there have been plenty of studies done on the subject. I personally am not sold on either hypothesis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_intelligence
http://www.dushkin.com/connectext/psy/ch08/raceintel.mhtml
http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/001132.html
http://www.philosophyblog.com.au/race-and-intelligence/
So, read away.
Thanks again…folks….for this opportunity. And, as I would not lower myself to call utter strangers names, hope you may keep that in mind too, the next time you feel the need to insult someone you dont know.
One really important benefit of tenure is to keep districts from just clearing out the experienced teachers when budgets get tight. As much as I’d like to think we’d keep that twenty year teacher who can teach a rock to read when facing budget shortfalls, the pressure on districts is enormous right now. The temptation to keep an extra inexperienced teacher by cutting the senior educators is just too great.
Often, those teachers who truly challenge their students and have the high expectations we all say we want for our kids are the ones who need tenure the most. Those are the teachers who are also likely to challenge the system when some silly new curricular fad comes down the pike and speak out when schools are getting shortchanged. They have the guts to stand up against those (few) parents and administrators who are causing grade inflation. Unless we want educators to be sheep who simply follow the will of whichever parent is loudest and are willing to start over in a new district every time they get too high on the pay ladder, we need tenure.
Now, I know what is coming next: you can’t fire a teacher because of the union. I’ve seen teachers fired so I know that’s not true. I’ve also seen that as we cut school budgets, we’ve gotten rid of administration first. Teachers have less supervision than in the past and less feedback on their work. It’s ironic that those who complain about teacher performance are also often the first to say we should cut the administration that oversees it.
It looks like everyone who is arguing against Don H seems to like the status quo. Whatever the problem is, it requires more money. I thought this election cycle was supposed to be about change. Everyone arguing against Don wants more of the same. Lets have some REAL change when it comes to education! Lets look at the FACT that there is NO correlatiopn between per pupil spending and performance. Look at the FACT that enrollment has remained fairly steady, while the budget has skyrocketed. Lets focus on the FACT there is a racial disparity, rather than smite the person who had the audacity to point it out.
I notice in the above arguments, several people lamenting the fact that teachers only make X and their benefits are only Y etc. Welcome to the REAL WORLD folks.
I don’t support the status quo when it comes to education. I think the entire system needs fundamental change, and the only person I see arguing for that change is DON HUIZENGA.
TJ: Just a note, steps and lanes were not a union idea. They were proposed by school boards to make pay systems easier. I think you’ll see that both groups feel that steps and lanes are not the best way to pay educators. However, when the legislature looked at alternative pay systems a couple years ago that would be able to allow for some teachers to make $100K per year, both Republicans and Democrats agreed for the most part on one thing: if paid on a merit system, teachers would make more than they do now on average and the system would be too costly.
“I’ve also seen that as we cut school budgets, we’ve gotten rid of administration first.”
This statement is patently false. School budgets have *never*, I repeat never, been cut. When a defender of the status quo says “cut” what they are saying is that they didn’t get as big a boost as they demanded.
“if paid on a merit system, teachers would make more than they do now on average and the system would be too costly.”
Merit is just one criteria. Supply and demand is another. We are awash in Social Science and English teachers, but have to settle for third string mathematicians and science majors.
Can anyone explain why someone with an advanced degree in physics would consent to work for the same salary as someone with a degree in physical education? Both have their value, but that value is not the same as far as monetary compensation is concerned.
If we were to pay teachers the way other professionals are paid I suggest we would see a net decrease in cost accompanied by a marked increase in the quality of the teaching profession.
But as long as the NEA has Democrat party in it’s pocket, we’ll never see that until the last brick in the last empty public school falls. In the mean time, parents will continue to move their kids into what ever alternatives they are able to take advantage of.
BTW: “They were proposed by school boards to make pay systems easier.”
Another patently false statement. Step increment and lane differential is the creation of the AFT. Such a compensation structure compliments the socialist nature of trade labor unions and have nothing to do with ease of record keeping. In fact, the districts themselves use the complexity of their finances as a defense against those who demand an accounting of where the billions of dollars they recieve are spent.
Oh, the tempation to get the last word - how does one stop posting without looking like they have been beat? Well, I’m going to end my chatter with this one. I suppose we could discuss whether getting less than an inflationary increase is in all practical terms a cut since you can’t buy as much, or how steps and lanes were set up before teachers had collective bargaining rights, and on and on…but, those weeds aren’t going to pull themselves.
I appreciate the chance to discuss education issues, which is in danger of being lost in the hue and cry over gas prices and which candidate said what to whom thirty-seven years ago. Thanks to the posters on this thread who’ve given us a chance to remember how important our students are.
Do I keep trying for the last word? If I stop posting will it look like I agree with the last poster? Are those weeds in my garden going to pull themselves?
I could on about how getting less than an inflationary increase means you have to make cuts since you can’t buy as much, or how steps and lanes came in before most teachers had bargaining rights, and on and on, but I’ll stop here.
I do want to thank the posters for taking the time to discuss education. In this election, our students’ concerns can easily get lost in the hue and cry over gas prices and which candidate said what thirty-seven years ago. Thanks, and until the next thread…
KB,
“Why would a teacher be afraid of a pay-performance job career structure? I am not an educator, simply an employee of a large firm, wherein if I did not meet select internal and external expectations, I would be sent packing”
Would you grade a dentist based on whether his patients got cavities, even though he has no control over the choices the patient makes?
Would you grade a Doctor on the health of his patients even though he has no control over whether they smoke or are obese or drink too much?
Is teaching in Edina the same as teaching in an urban school with 90% poverty?
It is easy to “pay for performance” when you have a simple and obvious metric with no negative outside influences. Are there any outside influences that you have no control over when you do your job? If a tornado came down and destroyed your widget factory, should you be fired for not making enough widgets?
“we have and are growing apart due to a medium that cannot convey emotion, or heart or passion.”
Mercy. What about Shakespeare, Jefferson, Milton, Lincoln… I think where Don is going with this is that we find it too easy to say things hiding behind our screen names that we would never say to a persons face. I have to agree with him there.
I think Don is gone for good. It’s too bad. I enjoyed his writing even if I disagreed with his opinions. I thought he conveyed plenty of emotion, heart and passion, and inspired it in plenty of others – all without emoticons! Good luck to him in September, I think he will need it.
Alec, all good points, but if what you say is true, and I believe it is, then why does the school constantly ask for more money to solve the problems you say are unsolvable? I do believe that the parents have much to say about how their kids will achieve in school, but hasnt that always been the case? Why…(honest question) do the districts insist on doing the same thing, over and over again, when it garners the same result, over and over again. Could it be that maybe the schools really cannot do anything about the derogatory issues and challenges they face? The liberal tenets demonstrated daily, in the public schools, have proven to be failures…why do we insist on letting the same system fail our kids? Why not then look at vouchers, cottage and charter schools, let the parents and teachers determine curriculums, (sic) and give the schools back to the parents? Why not? I think it is fear. Fear that all of these teachers coming out of college would really have to compete for their jobs.
Sometimes the obvious answer is the correct one.
For further information on Don Huizenga, please visit
http://www.freedomsledder.com/forums/index.php?showforum=4
He posts as “Huizenga”.
Shorter Right wing view of education…
The beatings will continue until morale rises.
Don, it’s more complicated than that.
When I ran for SPPS board in 2001, I spoke with lots of teachers. The younger ones were much more willing to put their akills to the test in a free “open market” competition for employment.
It is Education Minnesota and it’s true believers (there are, unfortunately many) that fight tooth-and-nail against change. And it is not just about money, although that is certainly a big motivator. To the union, it is more about power; power over the public school administration, power in the legislature, power over the kids.
With the legislature unwilling to adress the problem, it is left to parents to force change upon the defenders of the status quo. Since the union has placed it’s friends into positions of authority in nearly every district in the state, that is being accomplished in the only manner left to parents; pull their kids out of the public system and place them into alternative educational programs that put academic success first among priorities.
Change is coming; it’s enevitable. But it’s sad that many thousands of kids will have their futures sacrificed in the mean time.
Thanks for the link to Freedom Sledder, Bill! Don can serve as a terrible warning to all of us here on the dangers of impulsive posting.
He uses the following post on freedomsledder.com to describe the kind of candidate he will be:
On June 11th: “I had a 2 hour meeting with an old political pro yesterday and I told him that whatever he knows about how to run election, throw it out the door. I will NOT be a typical politician…but rather a typical statesman. He kept saying I had to do this or that, and I kept saying no. I am NOT looking for PAC endorsements, public money, special interest endorsements, anything.”
Here’s our “typical statesman” in action:
On May 29th: “You DO understand the decision making process right? You have to make a yes or no decision. So….do you fire her? Yes, or no….if your not a pussy, answer it. “, and later that day: “You’ll get no answer. See, everytime I boil an issue down to the basics, Slinger and his butt-buddy Moto run away like two whores in a prostitution sting. They have no answer when you boil things down to common sense. Which is why both of them will be continually failing potheads for the rest of their lives.”
On May 20th: “Kiss my conservative white ass….” and later that day “LOL! Dickhead…. You can kiss my white ass too! LMAO!” and the next day, “Ever heard the state say “Speed kills” I was just responding to that. I dont see this as a stupid quote…I see it as your are too fucking stupid to realize what I was saying. Go eat something fat ass….” and later that day responding the a post on the Northstar Rail project: “I am sure all of the gang bangers and meth heads in St Cloud will now have a free ride to rob homes NOT in their own neighborhoods. Explains why we built a new sheriffs station at the same time?”
On May 16th: “I agree that she is a cunt, but again, it is not against the law to be a cunt. If it were, LLS and the gang would be in jail for life. Now, SHOULD we have a law such as the one they are charging her with? I say no…”
On May 13th: “Go to hell fuckhead….really….I hope you rot!…”
On May 15th: “Noticed you didn’t deny the “Muslim Buddies” crack twice? Hmmmmmm? Are you a towel head Ice?” Later that day: “I dont know? You’re weird, off beat, ignorant and have a boyfriend. So, I theorized that you are a gay Muslim taking safe-haven in Nookland” Next day: “Oh gawd….you two are like cheerleaders at the retard school….neither one of you what what the hell your talking about, but you “cheer” for it anyway. He didnt say anything profound fuck face….”
And at 8:12 today: “Why? People take this forum as being serious? LMAO! OK, now we determine the qualities of a person based on the internet….perfect.”
Yes, people will judge you on WHAT YOU WRITE IN PUBLIC! These aren’t the only bullying, “unstatesmanlike” things out there - I just ran out of time trying to read all his posts. Word to the wise: the internet is forever - post carefully.
Just finished reading Don’s posts on Freedom Sledder.
Wow. Just - wow.
To post in a public forum that kind of vitriolic, vulgar, inaccurate, and bullying rhetoric is one of the most massive errors in judgment from a candidate I have ever seen.
And this is not just a few bad choices from several years ago - this is all since May, when I can imagine he knew he was going to be a candidate.
Good lesson for the rest of us…
Is there any proof that Don posted those comments? I know on most blogs
people can logon, pick any name they want and post away.
I have had people in the past use my name in order to attempt to
discredit me.
I can say that since I have known Don he has been nothing but polite, respectful
and very concerned about the socialist path our leaders have been running us down.
He has shown me that he believes in a small & effective government that taxes the
people only enough to sustain vital government functions.
In response to some of the other earlier posts talking about some problems being
much more complicated than a simple black and white answer, in most cases the
answer is simple but enacting it isn’t.
Our government is too large, too instrusive, too controlling and taxes too much.
I’m not sure why most people can’t agree that we should try to maximize our freedom
& liberty and not restrain it. When the government taxes us we lose our freedom.
When the government dictates what kind of products & services we can buy we lose
our freedom. When the government picks which businesses should succeed and which
ones should fail we lose our freedom. When government holds a near monopoly on
education and taxes everyone for it regardless of whether you use it then we lose
our freedom.
At the end of the day it seems like some people simply don’t want to address the
issues around us. What are the policies that the candidates represent? Do we
want to vote for someone who will represent larger & more instrusive socialist
style government or do we want someone who will try to maximize our individual
freedoms & liberties?
I am tired of working hard so that the government can take the fruits of my
labor and give it to someone else. I’m tired of power hungry people in our
government institutions thinking they can pick & choose better than I on how
I should live my life. Our great nation was formed on some basic principles
which many today simply don’t understand or think are outdated. I do not
think freedom is ever outdated. I chooose freedom.
Andre I agree 100%,
What these moonbats want is the “WE” society.
Everybody knows the “ME” society wins more votes, and is 100% correct.
Everyone should have the freedom to do anything they want without worrying about those who may be taken advantage of. Most of the people who get taken advantage of are lazy and stupid anyway.\
I don’t want my tax dollars helping anyone who is unsuccessful or struggling to make ends meet.
My tax dollars should only promote the interests of Americans who are successful. They are the only people who matter, other than me. I’m number 1. I’m number 1. I’m number 1!
These moonbats are all socialist, leftist, marxist, fascist, communists who hate America, are not proud of our country, and want to surrender to terrorists. They are the “we” the we society would help. They do not deserve it. They are 100% wrong on every issue I agree with.
Great Job!
Don Huizenga On…
…Muslims
April 27 (from another snowmobiling site): Canada and other European countries…and Japan, are in the tank demographically. Canada reproduces at a low enough rate that the Muslims will be in charge in about 2 generations. Japan recorded more deaths than births in 2005 for the first time ever. Europe reproduces at a 1.3 per women rate, thus reducing their population by 50% very generation, yet the Muslims there are reproducing at 3 per women. Get the picture. WE NEED TO HAVE MORE BABIES IN THE US….WHITE ONES.
May 22: READ THE POST pinhead. The Christians, Romans, France, they all STOPPED waging wars over religion. THe MUSLIMS have not. They seem to find LOTS of countries to fight with over religion TO THIS DAY. IOW, they have NOT become civilized.
June 16, responding to an news story on a U.S. commission closing a Saudi-Funded School to review its textbooks: Its a private school, they can teach them what they want. Now, doesnt mean the Mayor cant revoke their building occupancy permit for some “violation”. Ever seen a big Muslim guy? Of course not, they are all major pussies.
Later in the same thread, responding to a poster who writes, “Muhammed Ali???”: LOL! Native born. Never saw one I couldnt whip
…Public Policy
June 29, on government programs for the poor: Really? You dont think that the average joe, churches and non-profits could take care of the poor?
July 2: In response to a post, “Come on name the programs that piss you both off? Your both agreeing social programs are a waste name which ones”:
OK…since again I am answering your questions and you not mine. Must be because you cant?
K-12 spending is a waste, at all levels
Welfare is being abused at almost 50% rates.
Illegal Immigrant welfare and medical programs.
MN Care…people who make $100,000 per year getting subsidized health care from the state, for their kids.
MN Dot. Bases their annual budget on record snow levels, then, when we have little snow, sends trucks out to plow asphalt just in case there is a storm….but really just to spend the money.
Government paid for skate parks and recreation centers. They breed vandalism and crime like rabbits.
Government paid for ice rinks.
June 24, in response to a post about liberal law students rejected for top Justice Department jobs : Happens all the time in the public sector….nothing new. Fire all government employees….take their pensions away, and start over.
May 29, on his opposition to gay marriage: The psychiatric boards all over America have proven that people do enter and leave homosexuality as a choice. If you dont know that, your an idiot. I have FIRST hand experience with it in my wifes aunt. Care to explain that?
June 3: I didnt say anything (besides name calling maybe) I am ashamed of on either site. I am literally tired of all of the PC bullshit from either side of the aisle, and after talking to 60 plus delegates over the phone, so are they. I am trying to effect a change in our district, to a more conservative, fiscally, style of government where we measure, more closely, the needs of the poor against the wants of the lazy…for instance. Someone is going to have to give me a TON of good reasons why they should have the states money, if I am elected…because I know that once the state gives it, it never gets it back. So…flame away….the shit I write here or there doesn’t scare me.
…Statesmanship
July 1, responding to a poster who swore at him: Ahhh…the last words of a desperate man…swear words
July 1, responding to another vulgarity: Again, desperate men, with no other point to make, revert to insults and swearing. I know, I have done it….
June 24, responding to a poster who cited statistics about the drop in teen pregnancies and STD’s and of the existence of abstinence only sex ed programs: Uh, yeah, we get that part fuckface. Now, try to keep up. The comment was made that schools do NOT teach abstinence only, and STD’s, teen pregos are the highest ever. Why? It is NOT from abstinence only education, because they DONT TEACH IT. No, go suck on momma’s tit for a while.
May 19: I agree….if parents want their kids to do this shit, so be it. I wont hold them back. But, lets not sue the doctor when Billy grows up to have 3 penises and shits out his vagina.
June 17, on hating Canada (and this guy must have at least 100 posts trashing Canadians): Are you this much of a fucktard at home? You are just another sorry Ameican-wannabe.
All but one of these posts can be found on freedomrider.com/forums. He posts pictures that could only he could have, posts facts about the workings of his campaign only he could know, and he has confirmed with the writer of this blog that they are his posts. Check them out for yourself and you’ll see these are not exceptions, but typical of his debate style.
Mr. C & P.
Your copy and pasting from the FS site only go to promote that Don is an honest man, and stands fervently behind what he believes. Don isn’t going to be a politician who comes and goes with the wind, he will stand behind his positions, and avoid lying to the constituents he serves. If only Bill Clinton, George Bush, or Barack Obama could hold the same standards we would all be in a better position.
Does he curse and swear at people as well as use vulgar language? Yes he does, just like the other 95% of us. This should be apparent in promoting his stance - he is not above the people, he is a one of them.
He is quite correct in the idea that only Muslims now promote mass war. No other religion promotes such warish views.
Most Muslims (of Arab nationality) are small stature, perhaps it does have something to do with their apparent little man syndrome (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad).
Now, I am for helping the less fortunate, but Don does make a good point, it need not be a totally (nor should it even be the major source of support for the poor) federal crutch.
Dang it, I agree with everything Don says.
Guess I’ll just take my military pension and Bronze Star and go home….
Pardon me,the address of the site is actually freedomsledder.com/forums, in their current events forum.
I wanted to thank everyone for being so interested in me. Cut and Paste, Bill, and whoever I am sure are having a good time with this. But, keep this in mind. I have been posting with many of those guys there for years, and yes, we get somewhat vulgar…as is the nature of the site. They are my friends, most of them, and we all know what to expect out of each other. Most of what is said there is said as exaggeration, hyperbaly, etc. We dont take it personally or literally.
Don - in your press release dated July 1st, your campaign wrote, “Don Huizenga is a Republican you can be proud of” (it also said “He encourages voters to contact him with questions by logging onto http://www.donhuizenga.com or meeting him when he’s in your neighborhood going door to door, asking for your vote.” – does your campaign know that in post 31 you said you are only going to knock a few doors?). You may have some trouble living up to that statement.
In the Topix forum that is the original subject of this thread, in addition to the items already mentioned, you said things like: “I cant believe we live in a world of heartless, public employees who are nothing more than crooks” (post #202)
“Do you want me to personally name the horrible teachers in this district? Do you know that teachers are ranking up there with priests as child sexual abusers? Do you think funding equals educational success for students? Have you EVER met a poor teacher, or a poor retired teacher?” (post #133)
Listen, I had MOST of the stuff you posted ON MY SIGN…are you this immature and dorky in real life? Get a clue buddy, and quit being a little bratty pest. You have not earned the right to insult my integrity. So, I’ll ignore your comments. (post #509).
In response to a post (that is pretty tacky, to be sure): Are you that dip sh*t that lives near wilson…. haha your signs got spray painted… i wounder who did that?? by the way this saturday me and my highschool friends are going to tp you and paint vote yes on your fence, again. and your two signs are pointless (#81) – you responded “…I challenge you to call me a dipsh*t to my face.” (#129).
You didn’t know the guys on the Topix forums, and you were pretty easily baited into angry responses. How are you going to handle constituents who don’t agree with you? How about reporters who won’t take hyperbole and incorrect assumptions for answers?
Are you sure you are up for this?
Don according to just Republican standards of decency you are NOT FIT FOR OFFICE. They are going to have to condemn you or be considered the worst hypocrites in the world. You are not a decent human being what with the vulgar language, sexual innuendo and reference to sex acts.
I got no problem with vulgarities, I do think you are simpleminded in your research and offer no real answers to complex problems… but hey I’m not in your district nor would I ever vote for a tax whiner who’s philosophy seems to be personal greed above all things.
If Republicans get twisted out about Al Franken’s jokes, just think what they will make of your serious statements. Are you an endorsed candidate because the DFL could use you for ammunition.
I am ready to come out of the closet!
I am an 8 year old boy.
Just when I thought I could give my scissors and rubber cement a rest, Don is finishing up his website:
“Did you ever wonder why nobody from ancient China invented electricity? Why didn’t a 14th century Englishman invent the steam engine? You would think that a civilization thousands of years old would have a few great thinkers. What about ancient Rome? Or England in the 19th century…why didn’t someone there invent an MRI machine, or some great medical procedure? Why does man, in general, exist on this earth for thousands of years with no real development of technology or ideas that better the state of mankind as a whole? AND.. WHY did most of the great inventions of the world originate in the US over the last 150 years? I’ll tell you why….because OUR form of government ALLOWS free thinking individuals to come here and make their own way, to their own benefit…and subsequently, the benefit of all of mankind.” (donhuizenga.com under Platform, then Government)
“Our state employees SHOULD be doing MORE work, for less money, than their private sector counterparts.” (same section)
“We need people who CAN think in black and white, people who can boil an issue down to the bone and make a decision as to whether or not that bone is good for us as a whole.” (same section)
Though the site has been live for at least a couple of weeks, it’s still not finished - a few sections end mid-sentence and only this morning were the pictures of the lovely blond woman that act as placeholders in the page templates finally replaced. Given the number of words in all caps and the rather, um, dramatic tone it is clear that Don is writing this all himself.
It’s worth a read as I can imagine it will only get more interesting as it is finished. Also, Don is still posting on the freedomsledder.com current events forum against what I can imagine is anguished advice from his campaign team.
I am sure people here have the ability to check out my site for themselves. Posting partial quotes, without the context, is just wrong. Also, many of the other quotes you attributed to me are not mine…so be careful about who you slander. But please, if nothing else, grow up.
“Did you ever wonder why nobody from ancient China invented electricity? Why didn’t a 14th century Englishman invent the steam engine? You would think that a civilization thousands of years old would have a few great thinkers. What about ancient Rome? Or England in the 19th century…why didn’t someone there invent an MRI machine, or some great medical procedure? Why does man, in general, exist on this earth for thousands of years with no real development of technology or ideas that better the state of mankind as a whole? AND.. WHY did most of the great inventions of the world originate in the US over the last 150 years? I’ll tell you why….because OUR form of government ALLOWS free thinking individuals to come here and make their own way, to their own benefit…and subsequently, the benefit of all of mankind.”
This may be the single most historically unaware comment I have ever seen from a grownup who is trying to pursue public office.
Amazing.
Sean
Which ones are not yours? They are all cited.
Sean…please…stop and think. The question is given as a theory…as in “why DIDN’T a 14th century Englishman invent the steam engine? Do you understand now? It is not meant to be a factual representation of a historical time-line. It is a question meant to invoke a higher level of thought. Enough said.
Cut and Paste, ever hear of cutting and pasting?
I am voting Republican this November. McCain is my man.
“….because OUR form of government ALLOWS free thinking individuals to come here and make their own way, to their own benefit…and subsequently, the benefit of all of mankind.”
Is this a call for more immigration, or a higher level of thought recognition of the value that immigrants bring to America?
I see that someone demonstrated how easy it is to be someone else here - the McCain quote wasn’t mine, but the point is well taken.
However, back to the Huizenga quotes, are there specific quotes Don that are not yours?
Mr. Tom…
The latter….
Don —
Please do not post comments under more than one name.
Thank you,
Sean
Don H -
I’m a Republican and have read your writings. You have no voter id, no information on who is going to vote and no money in the bank. Abeler is going to roll over you. I’d suggest you drop out and do it know.
I find it interesting that Don, a product of the public school system,(please correct me if I’m wrong,Don) had know problem getting an education at the expense of our parents’ tax dollars, yet becomes “tight” when it becomes his turn to pony up. Ever heard of “inflationary pressure” Don?
Or, do you feel that private contractors are the only ones who are entitled to keep up with the cost of living? ‘Cause you seem to have a real problem with teachers, who have paid out for a four year college education, earning a decent living. Could you explain to us, Don, why that is?
Sly…wrong, wrong, wrong and …..”do it know” … ?
RMW.
D11 Budget in 2003 - $280 Million to educate 41,000 students.
D11 Budget for 2009 - $500 Million to educate 38,500 students.
Does this represent “inflationary pressure” of over-spending?
The legislature approved a 6% PPU increase and a $51 PPU increase.
I was told, in two different levy pieces, that the state was not going to give them an increase and that is why they needed the levy.
I know that nobody in the private sector has had an 80% increase in their cost of doing business over the last 5 years.
Would you care to justify that to us? Wait, dont bother…I dont want to hear the “unfunded mandate” words again.
Some Abeler info for you all….look under “News”
http://www.donhuizenga.com/
Don’t want to here “unfunded mandate” ehh? does the truth hurt that much?
Tell us about the how many students are recieving secondary education in ISD#11 now as compared to the numbers in 2003. I know there is at least two schools in ISD#11 now that weren’t there in 03’. I know diesel fuel and other energy costs have risen by as much as 100% since 03’. The failure of the school bond in 03’,which you pushed so hard to defeat, dumped the cost of transporting students on a select few; those who live within 2 miles of their school. Enough parents opted to bring their own children to school that the transportation portion of the district budget has been running in the red ever since. Yet your children only walked one block to school. So whose really “in my wallet” here Jim Abeler? I think not. I think it’s you and people like you that I have to keep out of my wallet.
And just so you know, teaching at the threat of the 1st complaining parent getting you fired, becomes less of an edjucation of the student and more of a capitulation of the parents. I prefer to have my children educated and not have some other parent be the determining factor in who teaches them.
Unfunded mandates make up a small portion of the overall budget…as I am sure you know. That excuse doesnt hold water. But, for fun, instead of paying for the mandate, why not tell the legislature to not ISSUE the mandate UNTIL it is funded from the Feds? Problem solved.
Is your next contention that diesel fuel is the reason for an 80% increase in spending? Look, proportionately, at the amount spent on transportation costs and energy costs in the budget. It has risen 4% per year. Thats all. Care to try again? Give me some SUBSTANTIAL REASONS why the budget has grown so much, with a decrease in students?
Lastly, on BOTH levies the free busing issue was on the ballot and BOTH TIMES it was defeated. Do you think the union had anything to do with that? The question was to REDUCE, thus costing the district MORE, the cost of busing for everyone. Had the measured passed, the transportation portion would be in the red more than it is now. Correct?
For your information, one of my kids goes to Meadow Creek, and the other to Fred Moore. I drive the one, and the other takes the bus. Do you have any OTHER wrong information you would like to spread? Please, learn the facts FIRST…then talk about them after. You are looking a tad foolish here.
Jim Abeler was instrumental in the additional taxing of over 7 BILLION dollars last year alone. Thats whos really in your wallet.
No comment on Jims antics at the fair?
Don, you’re trying to scare us by using the wrong numbers. The Anoka-Hennepin general fund expenditures were $281.2 million in FY2003. The budget for the general fund in FY2009 is $413.6 million.
So:
FY2003 - $281.2 million
FY2009 - $413.6 million
Overall district expenditures combining ALL funds are:
FY2003 - $367.2 million
FY2009 - $480.7 million
It is important to distinguish between the general fund and other funds. The general fund is used only for student instruction and district operation - heat, light, transportation, building maintenance, etc. Other funds serve other purposes. The school lunch fund is run as a business, and must pay its own way. The community education fund is kept separate, since it serves the entire community by providing classes for all people from birth to old, old age.
The increase in general fund expenditures is under 44% for the six-year period, or about 6.5% annually.
The increase in all funds is just over 29%, or about 4.5% annually.
Please compare apples to apples and you’re more likely to use correct numbers.
Also, in the year just past, the legislature approved a one-time-only expenditure of $51 per pupil for FY2009. This is an additional 1% on top of previous law, for a total of 2%. In this case, please use the right numbers.
Where are you getting those numbers? I saved my 2006 D&T Fiscal report and it shows $465 million in expenditures…total expenditures, 3 years ago. I know that total 08 spending is over $500 million. Regardless of the numbers game…please tell me how many times the District told us there was NO increase coming from the state? And, I see you failed to mention the 6% increase allocated to D11? Lying by omission? I dont care what is separate and what isnt, neither do most people in the district. The bottom line is the bottom line and we are averaging, using YOUR numbers, an ADM cost of roughly $13,000 per student…which is enough to educate someone at the UofM.
You are typical of the people who tell us how underfunded they are in the schools, and nobody believes it anymore. The dissention in this district is high, very high. Dont be surprised if the 1999 levy re-steal fails this fall. I am sure the district will ask to renew it…no? And, with Sullivan due to retire next year, and Dr. G on his way out, we are ready to bring fiscally responsible people into those seats.
Still no response on Mr. Abelers actions at the fair? Keep on eye out on the news for it.
The source of the 2002-3 expenditures is Anoka-Hennepin’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and Indenpendent Auditor’s Report for the Year Ending June 30, 2007
http://www.anoka.k12.mn.us/education/sctemp/83504029e78b6b0ed6a1f8bc89e44646/1217305597/2006-2007_CAFR.pdf
Here’s the source of 2008-9 budget numbers:
http://abcnewspapers.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3127&Itemid=26
Personally, I’ve never heard the district say that there was NO increase coming from the state, although they may have said something similar in the years when the state kept the basic per-pupil formula frozen, a 0% increase. (A-H was lucky then to have increasing enrollment.) I have heard the district say that it can’t depend on the state for increases that come close to matching inflation. The numbers that were presented to, and amounts asked from, the voters in the last referendum fairly represented the known 1% increase for 2008-9.
Strictly speaking, the numbers in my last post didn’t include numbers of pupils, so there is no way that you could calculate a per-pupil cost without plugging in a number of your invention. Dividing the 2008-9 numbers by YOUR estimate of 38,500 students you get: $10,743 for the general fund, where students are educated, or $12,486 by incorrectly using the total of all funds.
If people want to be informed citizens, they need to make a distinction between what is spent educating students and what isn’t. The general fund is the cost of educating students attending district schools as well as providing bussing and some special ed services to students at private and religious schools within the district. Combining community education with general education leads to misrepsentations. If I enroll in an adult cooking class, or an adult foreign languate class, and pay tuition for it out of my pocket and at my choosing, it is foolish to look at this as, say, helping to fund 7th Grade Science. Similarly, if stockholders of 3M wants to know how its medical division is doing, they should not include numbers from sandpaper.
I didn’t lie by omission; the FY2009 increases I mentioned were in HF0006 passed in the 2008 session and are increases over FY2008. This bill contained nothing special for A-H, which makes me wonder what the 6% allocation to A-H is. It must have been in previous years, maybe a combination of several previous years.
480 million in expenditures, thats what I said. I promise you the fiscal report will show over $500 mil once audited. Doesnt matter though, the point still stands.
As for the 6% increase, look in Mr. Abelers recently sent 2008 session highlights. It says it there in black and white. One of the problems with the District is that they play accounting games with the numbers. The bottom line is all that most businesses look at, and it is clear that we can send a 1st grader to the U of M for the same money it costs us in the public school. Are you actually going to say that $70 million per year goes into NON-educational spending?
I have seen many papers, propaganda, etc, that said that the district was receiving no additional money from the state. Let me ask you this…what was the reasoning behind the $15 mil additional levy that was passed? And, why do the reduced busing and reduced sports fee’s continually lose in the levy votes? Wouldn’t you think that a levy question that directly affects so many parents would be voted yes? Seems odd?
Do you know if Tom Heidemans son is running for Mayor? How old is he?
Thank you for mentioning the source of 6%. Jim Abeler’s session wrap-up would be for two years, at least, not just the most recent year that I cited.
The $15 million (or so) question was to cover a gap between the needs of the general fund to provide the current level of education and what was known at the time that the State of MN would provide in FY2009. In other words, the known increase in state funding was inadequate, not non-existent.
It is not unreasonable that people would vote down the third and fourth questions on a referendum. It strikes me as a balance and reinforces the fact that we do live in a democracy with a collectively attentive electorate.
Don, it has been fun thinking deeply with you as our democratic process unfolds.
I just put myself in the place of the voter who is going to vote yes on the main two issues, and then thinks “I voted yes to help the district, I should vote yes to lower my sports and busing fee’s.” Etc. The bottom line, which I tend to look at, is that we have funded all that D11 has asked. I personally don’t see any real changes in the test scores, or the condition of our schools. I think those dollars would be better spent by reducing the fat and transferring those dollars back to the teachers…or implementing cottage schools, charter schools, and private school programs. My daughter gets a wonderful education, that fits HER needs, at Meadow Creek, for half of what we spend in the District at a public school. I find it disingenuous for you to tout the inherent virtue of a democracy, yet believe people should have NO choice in how or where they educate their own kids.
A school system with more choices, better or more applicable educational programs, and decisions in the hands of teachers and parents collectively, would be the optimal way to educate…but the “system” doesn’t seem willing to do that, which again leaves us with the conclusion that it isn’t REALLY about whats best for our children.
Go get ‘em Don!
You should all know that on FS we berate and belittle each other in fun as only close friends can. Don is an exceptionally honest and thinking individual. Seeing you have a choice between Abler and Don H., and you know that Abler is a petty criminal with no ethics (as his stunt at the fair proves.)…you should be damn well GLAD Don H. is there to help your state. You could do a lot worse. A LOT worse.
Glad to call him a friend.
Richard in NH.
Don,
My neighbors daughter used to get what he thought was a “great” education at Epiphany. Then one day someone called in a bomb threat to the school. It turned out it was a TEACHER. His daughter now gets her “fine” education at AHS.
She started in the public school system the year after the incident. So, with that in mind, what makes you think private school teachers are better then public school teachers? Especially when they’re consistantly offered and paid lower salaries? I find you far too naive to represent ANYONE in government.
Oh, and if you want documentation, feel free to leave an email I can contact you at.
RMW
Don Huizenga towers over Jim Abeler in any area where a public representative should, such as loyalty, backbone and principles. Abeler blows in the wind in which ever direction the last person he talked to wanted him to point. At the 48B district nominating convention, “King” James Abeler stood up and said “I’m a conservative. Hell, I’m a libertarian at heart” This statement and his voting record, makes Jim Abeler a liar and a fraud. Abeler The Enabler is not a libertarian, he is not a conservative, he’s not even a marginal Republican. “King” James Abeler is a pro-life DFLer, a RINO. If Abeler wants to run he should run under the DFL banner.
Now, RMW. Based on your spelling and grammar, I can only assume you’re a public school product. Your example of a teacher phoning in a bomb threat at a Catholic grade school is bogus and proves nothing except your bias and lack of logic. I know I can find dozens of incidents where teachers at public schools committed many more, and much more damaging acts to their schools. Feel free to leave an email where I can contact you to provide these examples.
I went to both private and public schools. I put my 3 kids through a Catholic grade school and both private and public high schools, including Anoka. I have personal experience with at least dozens of teachers in both environments. My daughter has a friend who taught in a public and now in a private school. The teachers in private schools may not have the higher salaries and pensions of the public school teachers, however, they do know they have the support of the parents and administrations and that is a very satisfying and empowering environment to work in. I know many private school teachers who say they’ve worked in both environments and would not go back to public school teaching.
And now, I await the inevitable inane sarcasm from Typical Frightened Right Wing Guy, or BS from Two Putt. Bring it…
Long as Don and a couple of other people are still following this thread (and it can only be about 4 of us left by now), maybe Don could comment on the following article in the local paper a couple of weeks ago. Do you really expect us to believe that when you used the c-word when describing Amy Klobuchar that someone altered it? And that if someone really could alter your post after it was posted, wouldn’t you have the sense to alter it back? Are party officials avoiding you like the article suggests? Do you think party officials will disown you the way they have disowned Mark Olson even if you make it through the primary? I’ve seen the time stamps on your posts that span hours, your average post rate is around 20 per day, do you really believe you are only on for 15 minutes?
Here’s the article:
Concern over candidate’s involvement on Web site
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
by T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol reporter
A local Republican candidate may have undercut his party’s support by his activity on a Web site proclaiming itself as devoted to freedom of speech.
Don Huizenga of Anoka is challenging Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, to represent House District 48B.
Huizenga, 42, often spends 10, 15 minutes a day, he said, adding his opinions or reacting to the commentary of others on FreedomSledder.com , sledding enthusiast Web community “dedicated to complete freedom of speech.”
“We get on there and razz each other and do a lot of stuff tongue in cheek,” said Huizenga, an independent contractor who represents housing owners in insurance matters.
“We kind of consider it a private site, although it’s public,” he said.
While Huizenga’s own comments are probably mild by the standards of the site, the threads of commentary that trails posted news stories can be laced with profanity, sexual content and racism.
MnPublius, a Minnesota political blog, recently commented on Huizenga and posted a link to the FreedomSledder Web site.
Republican officials express concern
Republican officials have expressed concern over Huizenga and the Web site.
Senate District 48 Republican Party Chairman Dan Emery recently became aware of the Web site, he said, when printed copies of its content were given to him.
Emery does not consider the matter of small importance.
“In my mind it’s not,” he said. “In fact, some of the stuff I’ve read (from the site) I couldn’t repeat.”
Rep. Tom Hackbarth, R-Cedar, questioned why a candidate would participate on a Web site that some people could find offensive.
“What a way to run a campaign,” he said.
Democrats surely would use the Web site as campaign fodder against Huizenga should he beat Abeler, according to Hackbarth.
“Not a real smart thing for the guy to be doing in my opinion,” he said.
Minnesota Republican Party Spokeswoman Gina Countryman said State Party Chairman Ron Carey is aware of the Web site and language on it.
Respect for fellow man
“While we have no endorsement in this race, those that seek to represent Minnesotans in the legislature or in Washington, D.C., must show respect for their fellow man and his language suggests that he (Huizenga) does not have the demeanor we expect of our civic leaders,” she said in an e-mail.
But Huizenga said there’s nothing wrong with what he’s doing.
FreedomSledder is a great source of information, he said, as the news stories posted on the site are often those overlooked by the mainstream media.
People from both the political left and right post on the site, he said.
“I’m not going to sit back and defend, or even feel I have to defend, what other Americans put on a Web site,” said Huizenga.
“It’s completely open to free speech. The site makes that real clear.”
While there are probably conversations in which a political candidate should not engage, Huizenga rhetorically asked whether there are conversations Americans should not engage in out of fear or threat of retribution.
Probably not, he said.
“There’s three very important rights we have,” said Huizenga, citing the rights to bear arms and own personal property.
“One is freedom of speech. Which one do you want to get rid of?”
Huizenga classified a lot of the commentary on FreedomSledder as theory, speculation.
“There’s a lot of name calling and mud slinging, but that’s part of what makes for us that site fun,” he said.
Huizenga finds it curious that his participation on the Web site has drawn attention.
“There’s going to be a lot of great opportunities for people to come at me in different ways,” he said,
One of his comments concerning U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar was altered — a practice the regulars used to do, Huizenga said.
“But to me at the end of the day if that’s what we’re going to focus on, we’re going to continue with the same old, same old in government,” he said.
According to Huizenga, he would continue to follow the site.
On another Jim Abeler issue: Mr. Abeler is under investigation by the 48B BPOU for verbally harassing Republican booth workers at the Anoka County Fair, breaking into the booth, placing his campaign materials in place of endorsed candidates, damaging a voter registration box and then lying about his actions. If any other person had done this, they would have been arrested and charged. The booth was paid for and manned by the District 49 BPOUs, not District 48. In addition, the 48B BPOU had passed a motion to not allow unendorsed candidates to campaign from the booth. Mr. Abeler’s treasurer was present at the meeting where the motion passed and told Mr. Abeler. Mr. Abeler decided to ignore the wishes of his local Republican party unit and tried to bully the workers anyway.
By the way, another site has posted an analysis of Abeler’s campaign contributions.
http://anokacountywatchdog.com/email/2008/08.29.08_update.htm
Cut & Paste…I believe I already displayed to you how people can alter anything on the web…especially when it is printed on paper…which this accusation was. Here is the official report from the BPOU stating the outcome of their investigation. Funny how someone like yourself, with that name AV, is griping and complaining about blogging?
July 23, 2008
TO: Dan Emery, Republican SD 48 Chair
FROM: HD 48B Nominations/Search Committee
RE: Donald Huizenga Web posting matter
The following is the Report of the HD 48B Nominations Committee (Joe Field (Chair),Matt Look and Jeff Weaver) which was recently recalled by SD 48 to inquire into allegations of potential offensive material allegedly written by Don Huizenga, a candidate for HD 48B. The Committee has investigated the matter by partially reviewing two websites: hardcoresledder.com (hereinafter “HCS”) and freedomsledder.com (hereinafter “FS”) and by interviewing Mr. Huizenga. The Committee was also supplied with certain pages from the HCS site which were previously forwarded by Barb Abeler to the Chair of the Committee. It should be noted that both websites contained a “current events” community web posting section which was the only section reviewed by the Committee. The HCS “current events” section contained over 330 pages and FS (which was just created this year) “current events” section contained over 50 pages. The Committee reviewed samplings of these pages but given the time and the voluntary resources of the Committee it was not feasible for the Committee to review each and every page of both websites. The reason two websites were reviewed is because Mr. Huizenga claims to have discontinued using HCS and started using FS this year due to overly restrictive conditions placed by the new owner of HCS on dialogue within that website.
Mr. Huizenga admitted to contributing posts to both HCS and FS. He was identified on HCS as simply “Huizenga” with a member number of “23,010”. Whenever he presented a post on HCS a group picture of him & others at a dinner table would show. On FS he was identified once again as “Huizenga”, with a member number of “21”. His posts on FS would show a picture of a campaign sign stating “Don Huizenga, State Representative.” It appears that his posts to FS did not start until May 2008.
Mr. Huizenga said his posts on both websites were done ‘tongue in cheek’ on a number of occasions given the dialogue and authors submitting their own posts. He says there is a lot of “bantering” which occurs on these sites. The Committee noted that both websites appeared to have a high tolerance for the use of profanity. Mr. Huizenga was no exception in using it though he appeared to diminish its use in the FS website. However, the Committee views Mr. Huizenga’s use of profanity on the FS website, with his campaign banner in full display to be particularly ill-advised and lacking in appropriate judgment. The Committee recommends that Mr. Huizenga curtail his public use of profanity while he attempts to secure a political seat under the Republican Party banner.
With regard to the February 26, 2008 web posting on HCS referencing Klobuchar, Mr. Huizenga admits writing the post but denies putting the “c” word (c- -t), as he referred to it, in the post. He also denied writing the other profane expression there as well (use of the “f” word). He stated, as conjecture, that someone, such as a “moderator” or “contributing member” might have added these inflammatory terms in his posting. He states he does not know how to prove this but claims these individuals have access to the utilities on the website that can make it happen if they wanted to. The Nominations Committee is not in a position to make a determination as to whether his statements were indeed tampered with. This would require some type of ‘forensic analysis’ which would have to be the call of the House District if it wished to pursue it. As to the profanity, while disfavored, that alone should not be determinative of a candidate’s viability to represent a district. Mr. Huizenga’s web postings, while sparsely profane at times, do reveal his passion, knowledge and sometimes naiveté for political issues and process.
The Committee did come across one web posting of concern, in the manner of a banner Ad, that contained Mr. Huizenga’s name as author. The statement is dated April 1, 2008 and reads as follows:
“Yes. What I mean is that I don’t think most blacks have the same mental capacity for “learned” thought in the way we test for it. RE: History, English, Math or IQ even.”
The Committee Chair asked Mr. Huizenga if he wrote this statement. He said he did. He was then asked what his intention was in writing the comment. He stated, in essence, that his intention was to point out that our testing methods are skewed against the cultural heritage that blacks are given. The Nominations Committee believes that this statement was clumsily drafted by Mr. Huizenga and could be interpreted to be a racist remark which, of course, is not what the Republican Party wishes to present in a candidate. Given that Mr. Huizenga denies intending the remark to be racist and given the plausibility of his response, the Committee does not believe his actions in drafting it should warrant sanctions by the House District, presuming that such sanctions were available to the District in this case.
The Committee did review one web posting provided to the Committee Chair by Barb Abeler which contained what appeared to be a number of racial and ethnic slurs which stood alone in the web postings without comment. It was not apparent whether Mr. Huizenga wrote these terms but he did recall that a “test” was done shortly after HCS tightened its content filters to see if these words would get through. It appeared that some writers, at the time, were having ‘some fun’ testing the limits on the new filtering system, according to Mr. Huizenga. No other references to such racial or ethnic slurs were found on either HCS or FS, at least not associated with Mr. Huizenga. Of course, neither website was referenced in its entirety though four hours of searches were conducted on both websites during the process of this investigation.
It is the conclusion of the Nominations Committee that Donald Huizenga did not mislead the Committee in its initial interview and inquiry into Mr. Huizenga’s past regarding whether there were any “skeletons in his closet”. In addition, while the occasional use of profanity by Mr. Huizenga on his web posts is disfavored these uses do not rise to the level of sanctions in the opinion of the Committee. The vulgar term used in connection with Klobuchar does cause the Committee some concern as it unnecessarily and crudely demeans a sitting U.S. Senator from the State of Minnesota. However, Mr. Huizenga has denied writing the offensive remark and submits an explanation which possibly explains how an edit to his posting could have occurred. Even if Mr. Huizenga wrote the offensive remark this does not appear to be a pattern of conduct that he is typically engaged in, i.e., making vulgar references to men or women of political stature. The reference to Klobuchar appears as an isolated occurrence. The Committee notices in particular that Mr. Huizenga also authored references to Obama and Al Franken which, while cutting, did not contain openly offensive and vulgar remarks about their person, at least from those postings read for this Report.
This concludes the Report of the Nominations Committee on Mr. Donald Huizenga.
Additionally, please note that not only is Jim being investigated for lying about the fair incident, as my version will soon prove to be true, but he also has received THOUSANDS of dollars in campaign contributions, this summer alone, from Highway Construction Companies in norther MN. Look at his campaign finance report linked from Truth. Is this the type of “leadership” we want? Is Jim a con artist or a career politician?
I don’t know if that report is much of an exoneration. As far as your posting, buddy, you’ve got to stop. All responding to people like me is doing is getting all your dirty laundry in an easily searchable form.
It’s one thing to take the bait, but you’re jumping in the boat and fileting yourself.
Unfortunately, Don has the patience of Job when dealing with idiots like you and some of the other ‘tards on this site. Good God, I’ve watched him attempt to use logic in a conversation with some moronic Franken supporter who barely had enough brain function to stand upright (that would be all of them). I just leave Franken zombies alone; it’s like trying to communicate with the dead.
September 9, 2008:
Abeler 64%
Huizenga 36%
Abeler Integrity: 0%
Huizenga Integrity: 99% (no one’s perfect)