Hey DavidS, as you know I am critical of our new Congressman CC living in a Twin Cities outer ring suburb. I feel that the wants and needs of northern Minnesota are so different from those of cities closer to the Twin Cities, and that CC cannot relate, as our demographics are so so different from those of the area he lives in. For instance, his lack of support for a new terminal for DLH; instead, he says, the roads around Sandstone are more important. I feel like he doesn't get the importance of an updated airport terminal to the *entire* region (northern Minny). 

Same with the NLX train. He doesn't get it, that bringing people in to Duluth is essential to our economy, and it's not so easy, given that we are 150 miles north of the Twin Cities.

But, you bring up a good point: why does the 8th district extend so far south, into a more heavily populated region near the Twin Cities, which has a different culture and different demographics than ours? Will we forever have to choose between candidates who are going to advocate for the northern part of the region, as opposed to those who advocate for the southern part of the region?

I thought CC was from Lindstrom, though it's next to Chisago City, so no big deal, but does anyone know which is correct?

Chip's home address is in Lindstrom.

I am a bit surprised that someone essentially from the Twin Cities suburbs can be the Duluth Congress Representative.  It seems a bit inappropriate, since Duluth is the second largest metro area in Minnesota, and we don't have a representative from this area (we have a rep from the largest metro area).  

Don't the suburbs there already have reps?  Michele Bachmann is one.  The Twin Cities suburbs can be very conservative, and this does not represent the point of view of Northlanders.

Yeah, while I think Cravaack is full of shit, it's perfectly legal, the point is valid though that some are concerned that essentially the 8th district is too god damned big. Why the hell is Grand Maris and some place just north of the Twin Cities in the same district? They have little to do with one another economical or culturally.

Class war now!

A bit off topic, but will the next congress redistrict after results of the 2010 census are compiled? My understanding is that a lot of folks expect Minnesota to lose a congressional seat with the next redistricting. 

If we do lose a seat my initial thought is that I'd rather have four Twin Cities reps and then a northern, southern and western rep for the other three with districts that don't touch the Twin Cities area. But the republicans will probably try to have all the greater MN districts overlap with the suburbs to pull conservatives.

Census expert: MN won't lose a seat in Congress

It's not official yet, but it looks like Minnesota won't lose a seat.

I completely understand your analogy adEm. However, I think there is an importaint distinction between a Representative and a member of the Executive branch. Congressional districts are theoretically drawn so they have someone specific representing them and what make each area unique in its make-up. Yeah if the Rep lived in Ely s/he would likely be out of touch with Chisago. However, Chisago is close enough to the Twin Cities you could argue they already have people in congress who understand and represent the area. Yes, the way the boundaries are currently drawn it is entirely CC's right to run and serve. That doesn't make the current boundaries particularly correct or rational though.

I will say first and foremost, I am distressed that Jim is no longer my Congressman.  I agree, Chipoy is in the district and as such is eligible t be the congressman from our fine area.  That having been said, a primary focus of the campaign was that Jim had been in office too long and/or had lost touch with the 8th.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Was Jim a career politician?  Sure.  That was his calling, that was what he was meant to do.  Jim made the focus of his career the area where he grew up.  Northern Minnesota was an area he loved, he supported and he did his best to represent.  He was not perfect.  In fact, there was a major issue that I disagree with Jim on, however, I knew how important and good he was for our region and so I accepted that there was one issue he and I would always disagree on, however, I could vote with confidence for him knowing that he loved this state, this area as much as I do.  

I understand that Jim was a victim of the country railing against the status quo.  I get it.  But I don't think anyone who voted against Jim truly understands the impact that will have on our economy.  My job is safe ... is yours?

Chad, you read and you decide for yourself:

Cravaack would put brakes on train, trails

I'm with rediguana! Fuck the unemployed and retired!!!

Yeah.  Because that's exactly what I was saying.  I'm well known as a guy who likes keeping the women folk barefoot and pregnant.  You can talk to me further about this as I'm at Cub buying the week's groceries while my wife is out of town on another business trip.

Todobrillante, LOL!

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but has anyone else noticed that whenever anyone calls out Danny on his obsession with Claire, he starts talking about his wife? Like that makes it ok that he's fixated on someone else's wife? Ish. If I were married to Danny, I'd be going off on "business trips" all the time too. What a creep.

Thanks for bringing the topic back to the intent of the original post.

Here's a link to government site outlining the redistricting process:

Redistricting 2010

I haven't had time yet to pour through this, but it seems rather important to pay attention to how the redistricting process plays out as a political process that should ostensibly be about creating fair representation, but which, in reality, seems most often to be about political control and building or maintaining hegemony.

This letter in today's DNT made me laugh. Maybe, if people like Mr. Balaich had bothered to inform themselves about Mr. CC's stands on local issues, he wouldn't have won, because people in the northern part of the district would have understood that he doesn't get it? 

I'm hearing some buyers remorse from my fellow Northlanders out there.

Reader's view: After election, Cravaack opposes local projects

How bad would it be for Minnesota to build the NLX, and then mothball it several years later when it proves to not be self-sustaining?  I'm also still not seeing how Amtrak failing is foreshadowing the NLX.

Chip's got it right.  Airports and trains don't create long-term, good-paying, self-sustaining jobs.  Ironic that people on here are always bitching about Duluth only offering service jobs in the tourism industry, and then point to the airport and NLX as being crucial to continue being a tourism-based economy.  No one is going to commute two hours back and forth from DLH to MSP regardless of WiFi or a bar car.  

Maybe some meaningless, overpaid book critic (still can't believe that's a job) might get jollies from a four hour train ride while posting snarky remarks on a message board, but most productive people don't have an extra four hours a day to sit around on a train.

So people who don't telecommute still live in the 19th Century.  Got it.


P.S.  We had trains in the 19th Century.

By the way, Slingfade, just because you don't read doesn't mean that book critics don't have a place. After all, they -- like movie critics, restaurant critics, music critics -- are earning an honest living -- can you say the same about yourself?

I also think it's ironic that someone with too much time on his/her hands would post snarky comments about other people's professions on a message board. But I guess that's what some people will do when their arguments against trains are simple-minded.

I know, I know, using one's brain is *hard* to do.

Slingfade is a walking advertisement for why people should make the effort to crack open a book.

I'm taking my marbles to some other playground for the next time...regretting that this discussion thread, like many others on what is an interesting community forum like PDD, has descended to this kind of silliness.