The Rise And Fall

Back in 2004 I had just barely started following blogs when Powerline (with some help from the Freepers) helped break the "Rathergate" story. I was not following them closely at the time, so I missed the initial story and a follow up that turned out to be the beginning of a long, often contentious relationship. That is the relationship between the Minnesota Center Right Blogosphere and Nick Coleman. It was a love/hate relationship that lead to many classic rants. I've written about them all before, so I won't go into all of that here.

Well on Monday we found out that we won't have Nick Coleman, Metro Columnist, to kick around any more.

According to a buyout memo released this afternoon and newsroom sources, Nick Coleman and Katherine Kersten will lose their columns, though they may be able to remain at the paper as reporters.

Now while everyone else has touched on how they will miss fisking Nick's columns (and even though he gave it up Mitch was king of fisking Nick's columns. The first thing I though of though was the irony of the fact that a medium that Nick (and many other "real" journalists) so despised is outlasting him! His nemesis at Powerline have not only outlasted him, but also grown in respect and political stature that Nick could only dream of during his days at Air America and the Star Tribune. It was the kind of recognition that we all dream of getting only these interlopers got it, not because they worked in the biz and paid their dues, but simply because they got (in Nick's mind) lucky. However, it was not luck as much as it was an open minded inquisitive nature that the "pros" seem to have lost during the course of the daily grind.

The meteoric rise of blogs (and concurrent fall of newspapers) should be a lesson to us all - newspapers and bloggers alike. It can happen to bloggers just as easily as it happened to newspapers. All it takes is for bloggers to get as detached from their readers as the newspapers have and to lose their passion for whatever drives them to post.

These Dreams

When I left Minnesota, I dreamed that I would finally be going to a city where the local newspaper employed real journalists and left partisan hacks like Nick Coleman behind. Sadly, that dream died when I got to Salt Lake and read Nick Coleman wanna-be Glen Warchol's partisan slams in the Salt Lake Tribune. For my Utah readers, you can get a glimpse of the insanity that is Nick Coleman at places like Powerline, Shot In The Dark, Fraters Libertas, Bogus Gold (who did the ultimate explanation of Nick and his war with the blogs) and yours truly. For my Minnesota readers, here is your introduction to Glen. In an otherwise rather humorous post on why voters should take newspaper and other endorsements with a very large grain of salt, Glen throws in the slam of the campaign on 3rd CD candidate Jason Chaffetz.

Obama-lovin' Esquire says re-elect Jon Huntsman and congressmen Rob Bishop and Jim Matheson. As for the Third Congressional seat, the men's magazine recommends Democrat Bennion Spencer over "reactionary" Kamp Kommandant Jason Chaffetz. But considering that Esquire also describes ousted Chris Cannon as a "reasonable" Republican, maybe it should just stick to picking the Sexiest Woman Alive,...

Bringing up, yet again, the lie perpetuated by Chaffetz' opponent and the local media that he wants to lock all illegal immigrants up in razor wire. They refuse to admit that Chaffetz has repeatedly said (ad nasuem thanks to the local media and Rep. Mike Honda and La Raza) that his proposal would NOT just randomly lock people up, it would lock up ALL (regardless of race or national origin) illegal immigrants who have broken other laws in this country. People like Frank Benavidez, an illegal immigrant who stands indicted in the drive by murder of a 7 year old girl and was deported once before after being convicted in ANOTHER drive by shooting! However, the local media (and Chaffetz' opponent) don't talk about that because after all enforcing our immigration law simply does not fall into their meme that enforcement advocates are xenophobic doncha know......"Kamp Kommandant" on the other hand fits nicely into the meme that they are trying to sell the voters.

About the only good thing about Warchol is that the SLTrib puts this drivel out on their blogs and not in a twice weekly column. After all, in the world according to Nick, bloggers are just "hobby hacks", "graffiti artists" with no oversight or editors - unlike real journalists like Nick who "know stuff". At least Glen has something to work toward in his career.....

Controlling What You Read

Last week, I wrote a little something about "Pastor" Nick Coleman and his screed against Archbishop John Nienstadt calling homosexuality a "grave sin". Needless to say, I was not the only one. Well today, I got this in the inbox.

The editors at the Star Tribune appear to be censoring the public's outrage in response to Nick Coleman’s recent attack piece against Archbishop John Nienstedt. The newspaper has published just six letters in response to Coleman’s column (besides Archbishop Nienstedt’s formal response). And four of the six letters were in support of Coleman. But here's the most revealing fact exposing the newspaper's bias -- NOT ONE of the over 60 letters critical of Coleman's column submitted through our online letter writing tool were published by the Star Tribune.

Emphasis in the original. Minnesota Majority, an admittedly conservative organization, has taken advantge of the technology available in order to track letters sent through their tool. It is a really slick set up. This tracking has confirmed what a lot of conservatives have long suspected...that the Star Tribune editorial board will not print conservative letters. Oh they will say that they don't get them or that the letter was in some way or another "unpublishable" but they will gladly print the most spittle flecked leftist conspiracy rant while rejecting conservative letters. I even had an e-mail exchange with one of their LTE screeners who accused me of all kinds of malfeasance for questioning their motives on letters and editorial policy. After one email that was particularily nasty, I reminded the screener that she WAS talking to a customer at which point the correspondence ended.

One of these years, the Portland Avenue Politbureau will get it. They will get the fact that the readers know that they are a bunch of rabid, unrepentant leftists posing as unbiased journalists and that readers are tired of them attempting to "control" the news. They will understand that they can no longer control the message that we hear because there are a multitude of choices out there for the average news consumer. They will understand that their advertisers won't spend money on advertising in a paper that does not get read! Unfortunately, it will probably be too late for them to recuperate...

Pastor Nick Coleman

Nick Coleman published another screed yesterday. I have said before that I usually leave fisking his columns to others who do it better. Shoot - usually I don't even read his rantings because I recognize them to be the rantings of a bitter old man. However yesterdays screed needs to be addressed.

John Nienstedt, Coadjutor Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, has been quoted as saying he believes homosexuality is the result of some kind of childhood trauma. Today, he is inflicting trauma of his own.
That's the opinion of many Catholic friends and relatives of gay and lesbian people in the Twin Cities. They say they have been wounded and angered by comments Nienstedt made about homosexuals in the Nov. 15 edition of The Catholic Spirit, the official newspaper of the archdiocese.

How's that for irony....Comrade Coleman publishes his opinion multiple times a week in a newspaper. When we "wing-nuts" complain to the Star Tribune about something that he has said in his opinion piece, we are out of line. Yet here he is complaining about the Archbishop prining an opinion in his own paper? How does that work Comrade????

Next Nicky goes into doctrine.

"Those who actively encourage or promote homosexual acts or such activity within a homosexual lifestyle formally cooperate in a grave evil," wrote Nienstedt, who is scheduled to succeed retiring Archbishop Harry Flynn in May. "If they do so knowingly and willingly, [they] are guilty of mortal sin."
Nienstedt went on to set three conditions for such church members to receive communion: They must experience a "conversion of heart," express "sorrow for their action" and receive absolution from a priest...
The catechism, in my reading, says homosexual acts cannot be approved but does not label them a "grave evil." Homosexuals, like all baptized persons, are "called to chastity." But somehow, the sins of homosexuals always get denounced before the sins of straight people. And if gays must be accepted with compassion and respect, those qualities seem notably missing from Nienstedt's statement.

First off Nick, gays have to accept doctrinal teaching in order to be accepted with "compassion and respect", not the other way around! All sinners - all mankind have to do so. That is the gist of ANY religious teaching!

Now I can not speak to the Catholic Catechism as I am not a Catholic. However, I have enough Catholics in my life that I have been exposed to enough to know that Nickolae is wrong again! Nick obviously has not read his Old Testament or if he has he conveniently skipped over this passage.

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them.

That is Leviticus chapter 20 verse 13 and the emphasis is mine. Merriam Websters Dictionary defines abomination as "worthy of or causing disgust or hatred". A sin "worthy of or causing disgust or hatred" is considered to be a grave evil which the Archbishop says homosexuality is IS. Doctrinally, there is nothing out of line in what the Archbishop said!

Nick Coleman professes to be a Christian. His scorn for all things conservative speak volumes about him and his faith. For he has no love for his fellow man - at least not those who have a conservative world view. That much is obvious. Ephesians 4:15 (speak the truth in love) obviously has no meaning to Mr. Coleman. Then again Nick Coleman also professes to be an objective journalist. Given what we know about Mr. Coleman's journalistic objectivity (or lack thereof) maybe there is some insight into his faith as well.

Minneapolis Insanity

You have to wonder about the sanity of the Minneapolis City Council. If they aren't trying to ban circus animals from their borders, or replica guns, they are cracking down on an disabled retiree who doesn't keep her home to their liking (HT Mitch)

Diana Slyter is a retired postal worker who lives on a fixed income and has multiple sclerosis. Lately, she has felt like Public Enemy No. 1. Slyter, 57, owns a home in the Hawthorne neighborhood of north Minneapolis. She has been a bulwark of decency as the block she lives on has been invaded by hoodlums and drug dealers. But in the eyes of the city, there is a bigger problem than criminals: Peeling paint.

Take a look at the picture of Ms. Slyter's home. See the window on the left...the one with a 2X4 running through the middle of it? Ms. Slyter had to put that there to keep her drug dealing neighbors from breaking into her home!

Nick Coleman did a bang up job (yes you read me right) with this column - pointing out the lunacy of a city that is more intent on enforcing building codes than they are catching the drug dealers and gang bangers.

But when you see a retired woman on a truck trying to reach the top of her house
with a paint brush in a neighborhood where drugs are being sold on the corner,
something is out of whack. Slyter isn't the person who most needs cracking down
upon.

Do yourself a favor....go read the whole column. This is exactly the kind of reporting that the Star Tribune needs to be doing.

Every neighborhood has a home like Ms. Slyter's. The next time you walk past the one in your neighborhood - stop by and say hello and see if there is anything you can do to help. You just might find a new friend and a new attitude.

The clarion call

The drumbeat grows louder...the drumbeat against the special session. First there were the posts from AAA, Leo and Gary all pleading with the Governor not to hold a special session. Gary even contacted his rep (Steve Gottwalt) whose gut response was “I certainly hope not.”



Today's salvo comes from Rep. Mark Buesgens (HD35B) and he gives all of the cogent reasons why we should not rush to a special session.



"A special session would not be a magic wand which would suddenly cure all the woes of our neglected infrastructure. Raising the gas tax in September would not bring in huge amounts of revenue before the legislature is set to reconvene in February. Of course, immediate cash is necessary and the Governor has emergency powers to allocate the necessary revenue from any of the numerous reserve funds that the state has socked away for just such incidents.

The main impediment that has blocked a gas tax increase for almost two decades remains unresolved. Currently, the vast majority of the revenue is raised in the highly populated metro area. However, by our state’s dispensation formula, a majority of that revenue must be spent on infrastructure in the out-state. To realize the amount revenue that some folks are saying is necessary for the metro area, the gas tax would need to be increased dramatically. Given the current economics of gas prices, this is simply unacceptable. The issue of how the money is dispersed must be resolved prior to any serious discussion of raising the gas tax.

Raising taxes on our workers and families should never be done in a climate of high emotion where thoughtful and rational debate is rarely possible. Decision making in such an environment rarely stands the test of time and often creates more and larger problems over time then they solved in the near term. Calling a special session now virtually ensures a gas tax increase. All other options, even reasonable options such as re-prioritizing governments current spending habits, trading off one tax for another tax or looking for other means in which government can raise funds without increasing the tax burden, would be labeled as obstruction tactics and quickly shot down. This would truly be an injustice to what should be a deliberative and somber process."



You just can't argue with that logic. Rep. Buesgens then shows something that none of the other "pundits" (like Nick Coleman) seem to have a hard time fathoming.


"Today, Minnesota needs a true statesman at its highest level, not a knee-jerk politician. We need leadership that will act decisively, not rashly. Our state would be best served if our Governor were to, 1) immediately release the funding necessary to deal with this current tragedy, 2) contract with private firms to conduct a thorough evaluation of our past bridge inspections, revisit any questionable inspections and begin repairing serious problems and, 3) demand that transportation leaders in the House and the Senate work with the Administrative branch and the public to bring forward thoughtful legislation in February. Calling a special session to simply raise the gas tax without exploring all other options would be a grave disservice to the people of the great state."



It is representation like this that will keep me in Scott County (and Senate District 35) for a long, long time!

Thank you Nick!

Minnesotans around the world celebrated the heroism of their neighbors last week after the bridge collapse. Unfortunately for us, there are a few who, like Nick Coleman, think it is their place to assign blame AND punsihment!

"Some Minnesota Department of Transportation employees have found themselves the target of "very serious threats" in the wake of the 35W bridge collapse, Sen. Steve Murphy said in a Monday news conference.
Murphy, who heads the Senate's Transportation Committee, said he learned of the threats this morning, after a site tour by House and Senate transportation committee members."

According to the television report, the state inspection reports had to be removed from the State's website because people were getting the inspectors names from the reports and then getting the inspectors phone numbers from the state employee phone directory!

Senator Murphy (DFL-Red Wing), to his eternal credit, said in a television interview that if citizens of Minnesota feel the need to assign blame then maybe they should put the blame at his doorstep - because his committee has oversight over MNDOT and road construction. While I certainly don't agree that he (or his committee) should be solely responsible, I salute the adult way in which Senator Murphy handled this. Maybe Mr. Coleman and his ilk could take a few lessons.

Bravo Senator Murphy....bravo!

Is it hot in here?

Nick Coleman must be feeling the heat. Take a look at his column from today!

"If you think everyone should play nice about it (ed - the bridge collapse), you are living in Pollyanna Land. We are in a bare-knuckled political brawl in this country, and the government is in the hands of government haters who want to starve it or, in the alleged belief of presidential ally Grover Norquist, want to "drown it."

I'm going to disect this in pieces....first:

"If you think everyone should play nice about it, you are living in Pollyanna Land...

Pollyanna Land???? Why because we care more about the people who are hurting instead of scoring cheap political points?

"We are in a bare-knuckled political brawl in this country..."

No you cold hearted simpleton...this is real life. These are real people who are experiencing REAL PAIN!!!!

"...and the government is in the hands of government haters who want to starve it or, in the alleged belief of presidential ally Grover Norquist, want to "drown it."

Here is where Nick grossly mis-understands the people he claims to be fighting. Conservatives don't "hate government". However, we want the government that the Founding Fathers drew up for us. A government that minds the bridges, not what we are doing in our bedrooms or in our thoughts! We want a government that provides secure borders, keeps our homeland safe from being invaded or attacked and a government that is (above all) accountable. We do not want a government that cheats to get it's way or bullies the citizenry.

If Nick wants to treat the sorrow and pain of the community as a pawn in his game of war, I suppose that I shouldn't complain. His boorish behavior, in light of this tragedy will only hurt "his side". It certainly will not sit well with the hurting and the grieving.

If I thought that Mr. Coleman would listen to a lowly blogger like myself (unlike "professional" journalists who "know things") I would offer up this advice...keep up your soul-less attacks on the people who are trying to comfort those who have been hurt the most by this tragedy and it will backfire on you badly.

I suppose I have to feel sorry for Nick. He has obviously lost all care and compassion for those in pain. Who will have compassion for him, when he has no compassion for others?

Nick Coleman is a .....

Words fail me at this moment. The recovery effort has not even been completed....the dead still not all found and Nick Coleman presents us with this despicable diatribe.

"Minneapolis suffered a perfect storm of nightmares Wednesday evening, as anyone who couldn't sleep last night can tell you. Including the parents who clench their jaws and tighten their hands on the wheel every time they drive a carload of strapped-in kids across a steep chasm or a rushing river. Don't panic, you tell yourself. The people in charge of this know what they are doing. They make sure that the bridges stay standing. And if there were a problem, they would tell us. Wouldn't they?
What if they didn't?
The death bridge was "structurally deficient," we now learn, and had a rating of just 50 percent, the threshold for replacement. But no one appears to have erred on the side of public safety. The errors were all the other way." (emphasis mine)

There was a presser this afternoon. Governor Pawlenty spoke as did several experts in transportation and bridge inspection. All of the "experts" said that the "structurally deficient" label came because there were DESIGN and CONSTRUCTION flaws in the bridge that made it a candidate for close monitoring. I do not claim to be an expert, but the one national (NTSB?) expert said that welding techniques that were used in the 1960's were not as sound as they are today.

"Would you drive your kids or let your spouse drive over a bridge that had a sign saying, "CAUTION: Fifty-Percent Bridge Ahead"?
No, you wouldn't. But there wasn't any warning on the Half Chance Bridge. There was nothing that told you that you might be sitting in your over-heated car, bumper to bumper, on a hot summer day, thinking of dinner with your wife or of going to see the Twins game or taking your kids for a walk to Dairy Queen later when, in a rumble and a roar, the world you knew would pancake into the river." (emphasis again mine)

Now those of us who have been subjected to Comrade Nick's diatribes know that he is a DFL hack. For the most part, we read, we chuckle and maybe fisk and then shake our heads and say "what can you do? It's Nick Coleman..."

"If it wasn't an act of God or the hand of hate, and it proves not to be just a lousy accident - a girder mistakenly cut, a train that hit a support - then we are left to conclude that it was worse than any of those things, because it was more mundane and more insidious: This death and destruction was the result of incompetence or indifference.
In a word, it was avoidable.
That means it should never have happened. And that means that public anger will follow our sorrow as sure as night descended on the missing."

Here Nick is absolutely correct.

"For half a dozen years, the motto of state government and particularly that of Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been No New Taxes. It's been popular with a lot of voters and it has mostly prevailed. So much so that Pawlenty vetoed a 5-cent gas tax increase - the first in 20 years - last spring and millions were lost that might have gone to road repair. And yes, it would have fallen even if the gas tax had gone through, because we are years behind a dangerous curve when it comes to the replacement of infrastructure that everyone but wingnuts in coonskin caps agree is one of the basic duties of government." (again my emphasis)

There is a 1997 report that is being quoted by all of the reporters on this, that said that they knew about problems with this bridge back then. Elwin Tinklenburg (former Ventura Administration TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY) also came out and said that this is a result of "budget cuts" at MNDOT. If we knew about this in 1997, why didn't YOU do anything about it Mr. Tinklenburg? You (and your boss) gave us the Hiawatha Line.

"I'm not just pointing fingers at Pawlenty."

The hell you aren't Nick......you set out to write this with an Anti-Pawlenty meme in mind - just as you have always done.

"The outrage here is not partisan. It is general.
Both political parties have tried to govern on the cheap, and both have dithered and dallied and spent public wealth on stadiums while scrimping on the basics."

Neither party has tried to "govern on the cheap". They have long neglected roads and bridges. Road repair is not sexy, nor does it get you votes. Social programs on the other hand.....

Yes - poor choices were made. Suppose Governor Carlson had acted on that 1997 report and shored up that bridge. Suppose Governor Ventura had taken the $715 million that was put into the Hiawatha Line into fixing this bridge...We could go on for days...

It is way to early for ANYONE to be playing the blame game. We need to come together as Minnesotans and support those that were hurt, that lost loved ones. Let the investigation GET STARTED before you come to a conclusion Mr. Coleman. As a "professional" journalist, you of all people should know better!

Chad at Fraters takes Nick to task as does Sharkbait at Anti-Strib. They are both must reads!

Nick Coleman - Professional Journalist

Normally I leave the fisking of Nick "Comrade" Coleman's columns to those that know him better than I do, I honestly rarely waste my time reading his drivel. However, I was sitting in the waiting room at the vet's office (our poor pooch has an ear infection) I couldn't help but see the headline....

"Nick Coleman: Holy Scripture! Bible thumpers can pack a punch
By Nick Coleman, Star Tribune"

Well you know I just had to read further...

"State Rep. Mark Olson, a Republican charged with domestic abuse after an argument with his wife last fall, has brought forth a novel defense at his trial in Sherburne County. Olson says that he is the victim and that he was abused by his wife, Heidi, who threw a Bible at him on several occasions, grabbing it from him as he read it and thumping him with it."

It's amusing to see Nick claim that he would never make light of domestic abuse all the while doing just that!

"Fortunately, remotes don't do damage to vital organs, so men take it in stride. After all, He who Shall Not Listeneth to his Wife During the Game Deserveth a Good Beaning.
If you want to read scripture in front of your spouse while she is doing the chores, you should read it in pamphlet form. Or wear a Holy Helmet.
I don't mean to make fun of domestic violence, which is a serious problem. And I believe the Bible offers many words of wisdom to live by, including these from Jesus: "Let he who is without sin cast the first Bible." Or something like that."

However, Nick was not satisfied making fun of domestic abuse....no he moved quickly into not only mocking Christianity but also highlighting the hundreds of years old history of past "sins" of the church.

"It's never good when the good book hits the floor.
In 1532, an Incan emperor named Atahualpa threw a Bible at the feet of a Spanish conquistador, who promptly began an attack that killed 7,000 Incans. For his sacrilege, Atahualpa was sentenced to be burned at the stake until he converted to Christianity, after which the Spaniards rewarded him with strangulation, which was quicker and neater.
Thanks, brothers!"

Then he comes forward several hundred years to take the Pope out of context...

"Four hundred and 75 years later (in May), Pope Benedict angered many Indians by saying in Brazil that their forbears had been longing for Christianity and implying that the deaths of their ancestors had been worth it. That's another story, too long to tell here."

Finally he finds a couple of oddballs to just round out the story.

"But the point is that the Bible is capable of being used to beat people over the head, as well as to change hearts. Turning a missal into a missile is an old habit that persists today.
Just last month, a guard in the Blue Earth County jail in Mankato was charged with using a Bible to beat a prisoner. And it's a two-way street: In Athens, Tenn., a street preacher was pepper-sprayed and arrested in May after hitting a cop with his Bible. And then there are the times when a man must open a can of good Old Testament whupass on someone to defend himself from a Bible-based assault:
Take the case of Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who was accosted in 2002 by a skeptic who didn't believe man had been to the moon and demanded that Aldrin -- the second person to walk on the moon -- swear on a Bible that he had been there. After the man poked Aldrin one too many times with a Bible, Aldrin punched him in the schnozz. The cops refused to charge Aldrin."

But least you take it the wrong way, Nick assures the readers that he owns a Bible!

"The stakes and the contusions can be great when you are talking about a king-size clout with a King James. I have a 10-pound Bible at home, a reproduction of an ancient Irish Bible. Actually, it is only the New Testament, but if my wife dropped it on my head, I would be in heaven half an hour before the devil knew I was dead. "

So now we know....if someday we find Nick Coleman dead with a Bible nearby, well we certainly know that God didn't strike him down for doing anything the rest of us flawed humans do....It must have been at the hand of his poor wife....

Seriously, Nick is one of the most sanctamonious columnists that the Red Star employs. Of course that is why some of the best minds in the local blogging community have taken him on repeatedly. He just makes it so very easy to do.

The blind squirrel found a nut!

I am not one to write about Nick Coleman's weekly rantings, because others do it so much better. However, in this weeks entry Nick does manage to stumble across the nut.

"You might think panhandlers would be a low priority in a city where a 14-year-old girl just got gunned down after a birthday party.
Not in Happy-apolis.
Here in Happy-apolis, where everything is shiny and great, the biggest problem is street people with their constant requests for pocket change. We are not going to tolerate that anymore. Mayor R.T. Rybak has said so, and he has instructed citizens to dial 911 when they feel intimidated by a panhandler. "I do it all the time," he said recently.
Dear God.
Parts of the city are collapsing in a heap of foreclosures, school closings and gang activity, and we are told to sic the cops on panhandlers, as if the cops have time to respond to any panhandling problem short of a shootout in front of the basilica. I am telling you that when the history of this time and place is written, we will look like complete fools." (emphasis mine)

Nick, believe it or not, is right here. To a point....Yes the cops do have much bigger fish to fry. We are on our way to another record year for murders. I mean, when kids aren't even safe in front of their own homes or walking around the Uptown area something is seriously wrong. Then again, what do you expect when the Mayor would rather spend money of "green" roofs and bicycle paths - as opposed to hiring more cops to stop the rampant crime in the streets...

However, Nick does (in his usual style) wander off of the path in a big way here....

"These days, only upscale kinds of begging are allowed.
It is OK, for example, to beg on the Internet by placing a "tip jar" on your blog. Just click the icon and send the blogger a few bucks from your credit card. But don't insult them with quarters. For blogger-beggars, the minimum acceptable offering is $1; the maximum is $50."

Nick, Nick, Nick......do I really have to spell out the difference between a panhandler approaching you as you wait to cross the street at Hennepin & 7th and a blogger's tip jar. OK maybe I do....I have no choice when a panhandler approaches me. On the other hand - I can chose not to go to a blog that has a tip jar. Or perhaps Nick considers the tip jar at his local espresso shop to be panhandling...

Also, the clueless one isn't exactly truthful when he says that panhandling has been "banned". Panhandling in Minneapolis has not necessarily been banned. Panhandlers are prohibited from verbally asking for money within 10 feet of a cross walk, convenience store, liquor store or sporting arena and 80 from a bank, ATM or check cashing facility! They CAN stand at the street corner holding a sign begging for money. They just can't walk up to you and say "GIMME MONEY!"

Nick manages to make one valid point...probably his only one for the year. If the residents and visitors to Minneapolis need to stop giving money to the panhandlers directly.

"Give your money to the nuns, the Salvation Army, the churches and the shelters. They know what to do with it. A network of kindhearted caregivers provides support for the homeless, the mentally ill, the chemically dependent and the odd ducks who ask for money."

Now I can already hear the Logical Husband quoting our pastor's sermon from last week admonishing me for paying the "church" to do what I should be doing myself and he does have a point. However, a lot of the "chronic" panhandlers have chronic health issues that I simply am not capable of taking care of, no matter how "caring" or "kindhearted" my intentions.

I understand what Nick is getting at here...the panhandling problem is not the most pressing crime issue in Minneapolis. However, in his usual over-the -top style, Mr. Coleman glosses over the big point. We DO have crime problems in Minneapolis that the Mayor is ignoring. That is an story that is long over-due (for reporting) and one that we will probably never see honestly reported in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Because if the Star Tribune were to report it honestly, they would be forced to admit that a lot of their "pet" projects are a waste of time and need to be scrapped.