As I mentioned previously I caught week two of Northern Alliance Radio, (that would have been the March 13 show), actually the last two hours of the show. Hour two featured Peter Bell, chairman of the Met Council, talking about the bus strike in the twin cities. Bell made a persuasive case for the Met Council's position during the show, as he stated in the linked article:
"Fundamentally, the question I pose is: Should the taxpayers be asked to pay wages and benefits that are far in excess of what private sector or public sector employers pay? My answer is no," he said.
The union apparently hasn't taken the message to heart, March 22 negotiations brought the two sides no closer to a resolution.
Next up was Minnesota State Education Commissioner Cheri Pearson Yecke. The Cliff Notes version of what the change her appointment under Governor Pawelnty means for Minnesota education can be understood by one fact.
Under the previous administration, this department was named the Department of Children, Families and Learning, fondly (sarcasm) known to many, (even the Governer in this article), as the Department of Children, Families, Learning, and Happy Thoughts.
It has since been renamed the Department of Education.
To me, the name change alone tells you volumes.
Since coming to Minnesota, Yecke helped defeat an unpopular new graduation standard called Profile in Learning, and is working to establish new academic standards. She explained on the NARN show that social studies standards are usually controversial and MN has been no different.
King at SCSUScholars is really the guy to read on this subject as he's been directly involved in the process. His most recent posts can be found here, here, and here.
If you're from Minnesota, you should also know that the MN Senate has not yet confirmed Ms. Yecke, and the political battle is heating up with hearings expected next month. Minnesota residents can support her confirmation by adding your name to on line petitions here or here. I know if I were still a resident of the state, she'd have my support.
I managed to stay in the van through the second hour, dropping off the Boy to visit a friend, then driving through the swamp area we're famous for. (No really! I spied a couple swans on the ice as I drove through and cursed the fact that I'd left my camera behind.) I got home at the begininng of the third hour, told the Girl to get ready to run to town with me, and waited in the van, (the only place I have reception in case you'd forgotten.) She got in and immediately asks, "Do we have to listen to this?" "Yes! These are my friends!", I reply, (you know, friends in that "on line" kind of way and I did actually meet a couple of the Fraters guys at the Hugh Hewitt Patriot Forum. Translation: OK. We're not really friends, but I do read their blogs.) She gives me the patented eye roll, but relents, being quite familiar with her parents talk radio obssession, having learned young when to pick her battles.
So they start the third hour with J.B's review of Mel Gibson's The Pasion of the Christ, which he nicely summed up here. What? Not a lot of meat, you say? OK. On the show, J.B. basically says he knew all this from doiing the stations of the cross and Mel's version is overwrought. He then proceeds into some weird analogy of the flashback with Jesus working on the table. We don't even want to go there. Captain Ed disagrees, but it's obvious he needs my support. I grab for the cell phone.
You have to love the irony of this. In the Elder's summary of the second week show, he mentions they were taken to task by a listener for using their blog names on air. Having been hung up on by their screen caller the first week, I'm determined to get it right this time. He asks for my name and I reply, "D.C." to which he responds, "So, you don't want to give your real name." Yes! Week two and the NARN call screener already loves me!
When I get on air I proceed to tell J.B. he's got it all wrong. The Passion was a great movie, though admittedly not for everyone. (My review is here.)
J.B. was of the opinion that this movie wouldn't change anybody's viewpoint. I respectfully submit this as evidence it has changed at least one viewer.
It was fun to get my two cents in and the guys knew who DC is even if their screener thinks I'm a master of subterfuge.
Comments