Recent weeks have found Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann in a war of words with Minnesota Bound host Ron Schara. The topic of debate revolves around how each one remembers the Minnesota Game Fair of 2008. According to Schara, a Minnesota sportsman of almost legendary fame, Bachmann displayed support for the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment not only in an interview with Schara, but by wearing a pin as well. According to Bachmann, Schara is lying. She never was, and never will be in favor of using sales tax to support environmental causes and wildlife conservation that benefits hunters.
Convincing Michele Bachmann to apologize to Ron Schara is probably a lost cause, but what should really concern Minnesota voters are the issues and principles that lie just below the surface of this verbal jousting.
Here's a little history to get everyone up to speed. The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment was passed by Minnesota voters in 2008 with 56% of voters in support. The amendment proposed a raise in sales tax by 3/8ths of 1 percent in order to:
"...protect our drinking water sources; to protect, enhance, and restore our wetlands, prairies, forests, and fish, game, and wildlife habitat; to preserve our arts and cultural heritage; to support our parks and trails; and to protect, enhance, and restore our lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater..."
Why does anyone care about a minuscule tax increase that went into effect over two years ago and was overwhelming supported and voted on by the Mnnesota public? Well, it's election season, and Michele Bachmann just released a series of new ads like this one:
The assertion is that Bachmann's opponent in this years election, Tarryl Clark, raised taxes on State Fair corn dogs and bacon. And while the gut reaction of several constituents surely was, "OH THE HUMANITY!" - take a second to actually mull through what Bachmann is saying.
Tarryl Clark supported the Legacy Ammendment along with 56% of all Minnesotans, that's where this corn dog tax idea comes from. Bachmann believes that no Minnesotan at the State Fair would ever want to pay 3/8ths of one percent more for a hot dog, even if it meant the preservation of our natural resources and wildlife. Maybe Bachmann has never been to the State Fair. If she had, she might realize that apart from the rides and the candy, it's mostly a showcase for Minnesota's natural beauty - with enormous booths and exhibits sponsored by the DNR and wildlife and conservation groups.
But even more shocking is that Bachmann is under the impression that during a period in our history when huge issues are at stake, Midwesterners are most worried about food on a stick and paying an extra penny for that food on a stick. What about jobs? What about education? What about civil liberties? What about the abnormally high foreclosure rate in Michele Bachmann's own district which has spiraled out of control under her watch?
A quick look at Bachmann's voting record during her tenure in office clears up any doubts on those subjects. Just check out:
"No" to unemployment benefits extensions. "No" to teacher employment aid. "No" to the equal pay bill. Minnesota's State Representative is representing the state by turning down any and all sorts of aid the voting population needs.
Alright, so what kind of bill does she support? Here's one example, a bill that Bachmann in fact co-sponsored:
"Vote to pass a resolution that recognizes the importance of Christmas and of the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world; affirms the role of Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of western civilization; and rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians in the United States and worldwide."
OH THE HUMANITY! With everything going on in our country, Bachmann is co-sponsoring and debating a bill about... Christmas? But beyond just that, why would we only reject bigotry against Christmas and Christianity? Are we supposed to condone bigotry unless it is targeting Santa Claus? Shouldn't we just reject bigotry period? Our country is a literal melting pot of religions, ideas, and cultures - we should be striving to protect all of them, not try to force one up as the penultimate choice. What happened to Minnesota nice?
So while it does seem odd that Michele Bachmann would have even been at a Game Fair in 2008 if she hadn't supported the causes that Minnesota outdoorsmen like Ron Schara do, it is totally believable that she truly did not realize what was going on around her. If her voting record as a Minnesota Representative tells us anything, it's that she has completely lost contact with voters on the issues they care about.
Paying 3/8ths of 1 percent more for a corn dog at a fair to celebrate Minnesota's grandeur and protect our lakes and streams? That's not a tough call for anyone except Michele Bachmann.
Just ask her oponent Tarryl Clark.
