It’s a constant message on Election Day: get out and vote. It’s generally accepted that the more voters, the better. The higher turnout, the better. But what about people who admit they don’t know anything about the issues or the candidates in a given race? Is an uninformed vote better than not voting at all?
A number of people chimed in with thoughtful response and many took the safe road saying they abstain if they are uninformed.
Now it’s honest time, at some point in our voting life we’ve all voted for someone that we didn’t know much about.
Hey, we’re all friends here, I’m not judging.
@howwastheshow ponied up some truth that inspired this post:
@justacoolcat @DeRushaJ’s GQ tonight was awesome. Seriously thought about it today. Was only informed on 50% of ballot, but voted on 75%.
When I was 18 I was known for picking based on a funny name or using the infinite-naughty-possibility-generator the write-in box. ( I know write-in isn’t exactly an uninformed vote, but for all practical purposes it’s a wasteful vote)
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) said today that the violations by Bushmills Ethanol Inc. of Atwater stretched from 2006 to 2009. They included producing ethanol beyond the facility’s permitted capacity, failure to inspect and maintain production and pollution-control equipment, and exceeding allowable wastewater discharge limits.
Because of Bushmill’s violations, the MPCA said in a statement, the cooperative of more than 400 farmers “created a situation where the facility could potentially emit more regulated air pollutants than allowed by its permit.”
I just want to know when we start to get holding the flaks, that push the BS as “green”, responsible for the damage?
This line really strikes me as interesting “could potentially emit more regulated air pollutants than allowed by its permit”
Hmmm, if only Minnesota had a group that was constantly harping about any air pollutants being bad air pollutants.
A group of neo-Nazis plan to protest an anti-racist workshop Saturday at the Midtown YWCA in Minneapolis, sparking plans for counter-protests from community members.
Forty people have registered for the workshop, titled “More Than Skin Deep: Uprooting White Privilege and White Supremacy One Cell at a Time.”
The University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Program in Hennepin County is looking for a few good gardeners! They are looking for Hennepin County residents with a variety of gardening experiences; previous volunteer experience; good communication skills, including public speaking and leadership skills. More information can be found on their website — www.hcmg.umn.edu.
Terry Straub
Program Coordinator
University of Minnesota Extension
Hennepin County Master Gardener Program
479 Prairie Center Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344-5378
P: 612.596.2130
F: 952.828.7280
Preferred E-mail at: strau097@umn.edu
Hennepin County Master Gardener Hotline: 612.596.2118
Become a Master Gardener! Applications are now on-line at www.hcmg.umn.edu.
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” Marcus Tullius Cicero
In health care, we vow to “first do no harm.” If only politicians had to make a similar promise.
As a family physician, I’ve spent a lot of time debunking myths about health care that my patients see on the Internet, late night TV or in the back pages of magazines.
I never dreamed I would have to debunk myths about health care from our elected officials and supposed leaders
…Before such people presume to regulate and reform my profession, they should try holding themselves to its ethical standards
“supposed leaders” Here, Here!
Hear, all ye good people, hear what this brilliant and eloquent speaker has to say!
Please feel free to spread or debunk a myth in the comments.
I know that with all the budget cuts and perceived problems with our Minnesota school system people are getting frustrated and more and more I’m hearing vitriol aimed at our teachers.
The Strib published this excellent letter from Michael Kennedy: Teachers aren’t the problem that articulates some of the obstacles teachers face and addresses the criticisms in a way that should make school administrators and politicians feel like a naughty 5th grader.
To the politicians, commentators, educational consultants and others who feel the entire problem with education is the quality of teachers in certain schools: Back off. Go sit in the corner and put on that dunce cap. We’re the best asset you’ve got, and you are either too blind to see it or too limited in your imagination to grasp the fact that we are the strongest link in the chain. We are not the problem. We are the solution, but we cannot do our work as well as we wish unless you take some responsibility for the following factors in limited public education:
He then goes on to list several factors that make or break a school system, I’ll just show you this one as it rings most true with my beliefs.
1. Stability.
Schools that work in communities with stable populations do far better than schools where the populations are in perpetual turnover. Parents and students need to know what is expected of them from year to year in order to plan for the future. Schools with a stable faculty, a stable curriculum and reasonable expectations over the long run tend to do better. Schools with populations of families that move a lot — or with administrators who shift in the winds of intimidation or indifference — do poorly.
I’m looking at you run-around-Superintendants that start a job with a shell game where one hand shuffles the curriculum to the latest fashionable teaching methods while the other hand is filling out resumes for a higher paying/profile job.
Hey Meria Carstarphen, what lesson are you teaching kids?
My favorite comment addresses Big Pappy Timmy Pass The Taxes On Pawlenty
“First budget kuts fall on the letter “c”.
ST. PAUL, MN – AP – Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s first announsed kut today was to remove the letter “c” from the alphabet. His reasoning is that we kan do just fine with about 95% of the kurrent letters, so losing a konsonant is not as big of a deal instead of a vowel. As well, the letter “c” kan easily be replased by either the letters “k” or “s” and was just another example of government waste.
posted by halfabubble “
During World War II Eleanor Roosevelt encouraged American households to plant their own “Victory Gardens” to supply their own produce. Remember this was a time when ration books were the staple and supplies were scarce. By the end of the war, more than 20 million home gardens were supplying 40 percent of the produce consumed in America.
Previously many people’s only familiarity with backyard gardens came from PBS television show Victory Garden which has highlighted this tradition for decades.
Now when the country is in the midst of an economic crisis and food prices are soaring the “Victory Garden” movement is growing again, this time in the war against financial ruin. There is a a great upcoming seminar in Minneapolis about how to join in the movement and how you can get local government to help support community gardening efforts.
Victory Gardens: Join the Garden Revolution
Tuesday, June 23, 2009at 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Join Rose Hayden-Smith, IATP Food and Society Fellow, national Victory Garden expert from University of California for an in-depth workshop about Victory Gardens and what history can show us in how government can better support community gardening. Rose will review historical case studies and current national policies, and work with participants to articulate public policies for today. The workshop is sponsored by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policyand Gardening Matters.
Where:
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
2104 Stevens Avenue South, Minneapolis
Registration: $10; Scholarships available upon request.Please RSVP by June 18 to Anne Walters at awalters@iatp.org or 612-870-3408.
Empty Bowls, Full Stomachs Moe My wife has volunteered the past 3 years, and I’ve gone the last two. It’s always a lot of fun. A ton...
Censored* Voting kwatt Brash basically just made the case against Voting for Babies, er I mean IRV.
How do you cast an uninformed vote? Donavon There are a lot of races for which there just simply isn’t that much information – judicial races... derushaj I will vote along gender lines if I’m not sure. I often do this in judicial races, because I have this... rfordice Wow, you called me thoughtful…I’m so proud! And humbled.
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