News & Articles

Welcome to the Republican Twilight Zone

One of our political parties has “Entered into a new dimension,” as Rod Serling put it in his introduction to The Twilight Zone. Republicans are doubling down on the kind of “alternate facts” Kellyanne Conway advocated for in 2016, and it has now reached the stage where J.D. Vance and Elon Musk claim the right to fabricate “stories” in pursuit of “making a point” that legal immigration (when black immigrants are involved) is destroying America. 

On September 23 in Pennsylvania Trump roared “Get them the hell out” in reference to the Haitians who have contributed to an economic rebound in Springfield, Ohio. His well-documented racism was evident in his, and Giuliani’s, despicable lies about Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss that forced them into hiding, and now the Republican Presidential ticket claims the right to sermonize on the subject of Kamala Harris’s “blackness” and who in this country qualifies as a “real Jew.” 

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz present a positive contrast to the bigotry and scapegoating that promises to turn America into an authoritarian replica of Hungary.
Robert Ellis
Duluth, Minnesota

Bayfield sidewalk climate survey results are in

The results are in, and a casual sidewalk survey of Bayfield pedestrians over the summer indicated that 84 percent were alarmed or concerned by the threat of rapid climate warming from fossil fuel use.
For a few mid-day hours every Saturday, members of the Chequamegon Bay Chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby met a slice of the American public from their table under a tree, just off the sidewalk in front of Greunke’s in Bayfield. From there, passersby were asked by CCL volunteers to put a pushpin in one of six foamboard circles ranking their concern about climate change. 

Concern levels and response percentages in Bayfield were:
• Alarmed–59.8
• Concerned–23.9
• Cautious–8.3
• Disengaged–3.2
• Doubtful–2.4
• Dismissive–2.3 percent.
I helped with the “tabling” survey on three Saturdays and much liked the interaction with everyone that participated. Most were visitors enjoying the Bayfield area and eager to express their opinion on the climate. Chance conversations with a few were memorable, and I wanted to learn more about their views but had to attend to a near steady stream of other curious strollers.

In all, 2,096 pins were placed during the 12 Saturdays the survey was taken. It was a quiet, democratic demonstration of the unease most people have about the future of the Earth’s climate and what humans do that is making it hotter and more disruptive. Other information at the table directed visitors to online sources about CCL and how to support political candidates that support efforts to protect the climate.

The survey was loosely based on a fall 2023 study, Global Warming’s Six Americas, by Yale and George Mason universities. In their scientific survey of 1,033 U.S. adults, they reported 28 percent were alarmed and 29 percent were concerned about the impact human-caused climate change was having and will have. Another 15 percent were cautiously concerned. Those with the lowest belief in global warming were described as disengaged–6 percent; doubtful–11 percent; and dismissive–11 percent.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a national, nonpartisan political organization that relies on volunteers and supports putting a carbon price on fossil fuel emissions. More about CCL is found at https://citizensclimatelobby.org/price-on-carbon.
Mike Fitzgibbon,
Bayfield, Wisconsin

Out of the darkness and into the light with a vote for Jen Schultz

Ready to carry the optimistic energy from the Democratic Convention into the District 8 U.S. House of Representatives contest between Jen Schultz and Pete Stauber?   
Ready for an end to the dark and divisive blame game of the MAGA Movement dividing our families, friends and neighbors and preventing progress on issues most important to us?  Statistics say that most agree on most things, but the current atmosphere of us against them prevents any compromise on issues on which we don’t see eye to eye.

Jen has a graduate degree in economics, taught health care economics, was a successful 4-term state legislator working across the aisle, writing and passing legislation to benefit the whole state. She supports working families, voting rights, human rights, women’s reproductive health care, a living wage, cutting costs for affordable health care and housing.  

Jen turns to respected specialists for insight into complex and divisive issues. She understands different areas of CD8, having visited throughout the district during the last campaign and last two years. Jen has a 100% AFL-CIO voting record and understands the importance of our industries. She will prioritize the aggressive creation of long-term, high-paying jobs, preventing jobs from moving overseas, implementing policies that build a strong middle class.  

Her mining stance is a rare blend of inclusiveness, practicality and care for the beauty and economic vitality in our natural resources. She recognizes the importance of mining jobs while prioritizing protection of our water and honoring Native American treaties. Her proposals – from bringing steel production to the Iron Range to investing in technology for safe mining practices – demonstrate a comprehensive approach that considers economic and environmental factors ensuring that mining benefits our local communities above all else and cutting ties with multinational corporations that extract our resources without any flow of money back into the region.  

She does not take the easy way out.
Pete Stauber’s monthly emails invariably start with doom and gloom, blaming the Biden Administration for all wrongs and disparaging the state of our country. They parrot Donald Trump’s lies, and tout the work of House Republicans.  I mainly remember the House spending a lot of time trying to impeach various Democrats on “trumped” up charges, fighting among each other, failing to pass a national budget and killing (on Trump’s orders) a bipartisan border bill co-authored by Sens. Langford, R-Okla, Murphy, D-Conn and Sinema, I-Ariz who worked months on a bill dealing with the issues that the Republicans continue to blame on Democrats. It is called the least productive congress in modern history.  

Stauber prioritizes ultra-wealthy, foreign mining companies and big corporations ahead of working families, supports an extreme abortion ban, voted against investments in labor, police, veterans, common sense gun legislation and communities in the 8th and has endorsed a convicted felon for president.  He voted NO on everything from workers’ rights to organize, tax cuts for low wage workers, and expanding broadband coverage. He consistently demonstrates a lack of leadership and disregard for community well-being.  

Jen Schultz was willing to participate in several debates. Stauber refused, turning down dates on Almanac North and once again with the Duluth News Tribune and Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, making him the only candidate since this debate started in 2010 to do this. When Schultz called him out for dodging voters, Stauber agreed to a WDIO-TV debate.

Driving between Duluth and Grand Marais, I see more Schultz signs than Stauber signs leading me to believe that others want this change and to move us into the light.  
Please join us in voting for positive energy and a bipartisan effort on behalf of all 8th District constituents. Vote for Jen Schultz!
Barbara (Lund) Gabler
Lutsen, Minnesota