News & Articles

Leadership is problem solving
We need to know where our leaders stand and what solutions they are pursuing. Pete Stauber has been anything but clear in this regard.
Stauber has called the Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Bill “an excuse to advance costly and radical policies that will have negative repercussions on rural districts like ours, and absurd particularly when it comes to transportation;” but in January of 2022 he was “happy to announce all the grant money our northland airports were getting,” but failed to credit the source of the grants as coming from the Infrastructure Bill.

Representative Stauber complained about Biden’s plan to provide student loan forgiveness up to $20,000 for federal borrowers making less than $125,000 a year, although the Stauber family Duluth Hockey company was a beneficiary of a federal PHP loan during the pandemic.
Per Pete: “In Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, we’re blessed with breathtaking scenery found at Voyageurs National Park. The park is just one of the many reasons I think we have the most beautiful district in Minnesota and the country.”
And yet Pete voted NO on HR2546 for multiple conservation measures that protect wild areas in our state; NO to stopping the destruction and exploitation of the natural world, putting profits to his billionaire donors ahead of protections. He voted NO on HR3684 to prepare for impacts of climate change, extreme weather events like wildfires, floods and droughts.

Stauber has been a zealous proponent of the proposed Twin Metals copper mine, as proposed by Antofagasta, a billionaire Chilean family. The underground mine, plus its above-ground processing and waste-storage operations would be located alongside a lake with waters flowing into the BWCA. The environmental report, held back by the Trump Administration and released by the Biden Administration in July 2022, details the threat posed by mines like Twin Metals if operated outside the BWCA but within its fragile watershed and bolsters the need for a 20 year moratorium and permanent protections.

Like other Republican representatives, Stauber uses national GOP talking points blaming the other side for problems, voting NO on helpful legislation, and using buzzwords like critical race theory to create fear and division among his constituents.
All of this chaos sucks energy away from truly working on behalf of his constituents to develop real solutions.

While he and the Republican Party are still stuck trying to change the outcome of the 2020 Presidential election, the Biden Administration and Democrats have gone forward with meaningful legislation to help people in their current lives and to move the U.S. into the future.

Jen Schultz, economics professor at UMD, current representative for District 7A in MN House of Representatives, is known for her ability to find common ground, understands economics, the need for affordable housing, strengthening jobs, child care for families, highspeed internet for businesses and remote work. She speaks to the huge call for manufacturing of products to return to the U.S. and suggests creating more economic diversity on the Range by adding the manufacturing and recycling of steel, a newer big business in the steel industry.

She starts by bringing sides together, agreeing that we must keep drinking and surface bodies of water safe, and obtain federal funding (which Stauber has not pursued) to expand use of science and technology for solving problems.

“It’s about coming up with solutions that serve the people.”

Read the Jen Schultz 9/15/22 interview on Boreal.org. Boreal “reached out repeatedly to Stauber’s campaign for an interview and received no response.”

Last week Stauber’s campaign declined participation in the annual candidate debate sponsored by the Duluth News Tribune.

A Brainerd Lakes debate between both candidates is scheduled for 10/24/22, 6:30pm, Maddens on Gull Lake. Stauber’s campaign announced another debate, but Schultz reported that she has not yet received an invitation.

Jen Schultz’ future-focused ideas are energizing and give hope and an impetus for the future of the 8th U.S. Congressional District!

We need a change, we deserve better, let’s vote to make it happen.

Barbara Lund Gabler
Lutsen, Minnesota

Putin’s time has come
The truth is finally being exposed within the Russian empire. The self-appointed tyrant is squirming and adamant. His initial intended cakewalk quickly backfired.
Pandora’s box was let loose and a tragedy has unfolded. The tyrant’s demise has no timetable, which is troubling because being indoctrinated by the KGB he is merciless and obedient. His fixation on destroying Ukraine legacy and rich culture and armed force assimilation with Russia will fail, and hopefully the armed killer of innocent families will stand trial.

Gerald Norrgard
Duluth, Minnesota

Where’s the meat, Rob Farnsworth?
There are only two viable routes to election in politics – hope or hate. Real hope talks about solutions and never is used as an introduction to hate. Hope seeks to help all people. Hate is always the solution promoted by those seeking power. It is always employed by those whose solutions would otherwise offend.

The YouTube video on Rob Farnsworth’s [GOP-endorsed candidate for Senate District 7], website makes you want to believe he is selling you hope. Watch it again, so sweet. WHERE’S THE MEAT? Not a single solution anywhere. You must wander through Farnsworth’s website to discover that he backs the boilerplate GOP rhetoric.

He uses four presidential statements to represent his position. First a Reagan statement about limited government. This means he will support the undermining of Social Security, public funding for education, social services, veterans, union organizations and the U.S. Postal service. He stands with these historical right-wing goals.

Next, he invokes Lincoln, promoting freedom for all (including Blacks), in stark contrast to the racism that is now the GOP brand, again he stands fast with the GOP. Then he quotes Grant speaking of freedom for all (including Blacks) again. Grant used the armed forces to stand against the KKK, not with them as the present GOP does. Rob’s stance on racism is unclear.

Last he cites Eisenhower’s early speech on environmental accountability, with no proposals nor any mention of any successful GOP-led effort to date.
If you like expensive political circus, if you like to be told one thing while your candidate sells you out to party unity, if you need to believe Northern Minnesota will stay like it is forever, and if you want a candidate who will vote to make you poorer, Rob Farnsworth is his name, good luck with that.

W. D. (Bill) Hamm
Bovey, Minnesota

No peace for meat eaters
 Regarding peace (the Oct. 1 peace rally at Leif Erickson Park), cCan we really demand to eat killed food two and three times a day and expect peace?
Karen Moore
Duluth, Minnesota

Stop the Wisconsin morality police!
In Iran women are in the streets protesting the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini was a 22-year-old Kurd who was arrested by the Iranian morality police for not wearing a hijab headscarf. She died in custody three days later.

Here in Wisconsin the morality police – or, more formally, the Wisconsin Republican Party – has reverted to the same barbaric tactics. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade and women have no more autonomy over their own bodies, Wisconsin has reverted back to a 1849 law which makes it a felony for anyone to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy. No exceptions for rape or incest. The Republicans have embraced this archaic law and have rebuked Governor Evers at every juncture.

Instead of rioting in the streets we have a golden opportunity to swamp the ballot boxes on November 8 and send a message to our home grown morality police.
Rick Arnold
Superior, Wisconsin