Tim Mahoney, Minnesota District 67A

Mike Wrote this for Quiche Moraine

Caucusing in the DFL is a Good Thing

Minnesota doesn’t hold a spring presidential primary, as other states do. Minnesota’s primary election is in the fall, usually forty-five days before the election, and so it wouldn’t make sense to decide on the ballot for president that late. In place of the presidential primaries, Minnesota uses a “straw poll” from the votes of caucus attendees, and it is not as formal as an official election. The person who chooses to vote simply fills out a small ballot, and the results are counted and the ballots destroyed. The results are then called in to the party headquarters, and from that vote, the number of delegates assigned for each candidate to the national convention are determined. It’s that simple; now, go caucus! Right?

District 67 will caucus at Harding High School on Tuesday, February 2, 2010. Starts at 7:00 p.m. and runs until 9:00 p.m.

Real World Issues

Minnesotans testify that the Governor’s proposed cuts would hurt the health of our hospitals, health care worker and the lives of millions of Minnesotans who depend on quality care.

Mahoney, a long-time pipefitter, said a grace period that would last until Aug. 1, 2010, is needed to address the state high court’s ruling in the City of Morris v. Sax that local ordinances can’t supersede the State Building Code.

“What we have right now is confusion,” Mahoney said.

“I’m not trying to build a nuclear plant,” said Rep. Tim Mahoney, a Democrat from St. Paul and sponsor of the House bill. “We’re just trying to allow people to talk about it because right now you can’t.”

“I’m going to force you to take time off. I’m not even going to talk to you. I’m not going to ask you to come back with other ideas. I’m just going to tell you I’m going to lock the door and not let you in. Dumb idea,” Mahoney said.

In an interview after the hearing, Mahoney said Elk Run has the potential to benefit the entire state — not just Pine Island. He said businesses around the state could end up collaborating with businesses at the park.

He added, “It creates thousands of jobs in the Rochester area, but it also creates thousands more jobs statewide.”

This lax attitude in the program is unfair to workers who are injured on the job, companies who are following the rules and all Minnesota taxpayers. Reform is needed and now. It is time for more oversight to mandate employers are compliant and to ensure workers receive their full benefits. In many cases workers cannot return to the job after the injury. Workers’ compensation is a safety net and workers shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to collect the benefits they are rightly owed.

Rep. Tim Mahoney (DFL-St. Paul) has made it his mission to change the law. Divorced twice, Mahoney paid through the nose to get joint physical custody…He says conversations with his constituents convinced him that the law should change. Dozens of men have told him they pay child support but find it difficult to visit their children because of poor relations with the mother, he says. “They don’t give a damn about the money. Mostly what they want to do is see their kids.”

Over the past five years, Mahoney has introduced bills to change the law. His legislation has included an exception for victims of domestic violence, but advocates for battered women remain unconvinced.

Last year, Mahoney proposed a study group to look at the effect of changing the law. Mahoney’s bill passed last spring after Rep. Michael Paymar (DFL-St. Paul) tacked it onto another piece of legislation.

Minnesotans are enduring uncertain economic times. Our state is facing the highest unemployment rates and the worst recession we’ve seen in 25 years. Over the last 12 months Minnesota has lost nearly 20,000 jobs. Economic experts predict that number will increase to 50,000 by this time next year.

In the upcoming legislative session, we must take decisive action to put Minnesota’s economy back on track. Driving innovation in new and promising industries – such as green technology – is the state’s most promising avenue for rebuilding our economy and putting people back to work. By partnering with private business and academia, lawmakers can help grow tens of thousands of local, reliable, good-paying jobs for working Minnesotans.