Comments for Bill Roehl

Comment on Where I’m Told I Don’t Have a Mom?! by sandy

sandy — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:21:21 +0000

My hubby periodically rescued an elderly Vietnamese gentleman for years. He walked everywhere in a hat and wool overcoat, even in hot weather. Sometimes he just went too far and couldn’t make it home. My son and I rescued him once, also, when hubby was out of town – the guy had my husband’s card by this time, and he gave it to people to call when he was stranded. Turned out the old guy was the mayor of Hue before the war.

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Comment on Commuting by Bike to Work in the South Metro by MSPD

MSPD — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:23:19 +0000

Who’s with me?

I’m on vacation but I rode 37 miles.

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Comment on Commuting by Bike to Work in the South Metro by Sui generis

Sui generis — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:16:22 +0000

Hmmm. That got glitchy…

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Comment on Commuting by Bike to Work in the South Metro by Sui generis

Sui generis — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:15:34 +0000

Mikeh- fenders are a cheap add on. (20 or 30 bucks IIRC) Although, if you are going to bike a lot, It would be worth while to put some money down on a higher quality bike. Even if it is used from Craig’s list. Both my wife and I ride a lot more now that we have nicer bikes because the ride is so much smoother and efficient when compared to the big box store bikes we had.

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Comment on Commuting by Bike to Work in the South Metro by Sui generis

Sui generis — Sat, 18 May 2013 02:14:28 +0000

Mikeh- fenders are a cheap add on. Although, if you are going to bike a lot, It would be worth while to put some money down on a higher quality bike. Even if it is used from Craig’s list. Both my wife and I ride a lot more now that we have nicer bikes because the ride is so much smoother and efficient when compared to the big box store bikes we had.

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Comment on Funding Youth Athletics or the Vikings? by Mikeh

Mikeh — Sat, 18 May 2013 01:01:33 +0000

My preference would be an end of school sports and a focus on critical thinking and problem solving and the arts. Exercise the thing that will benefit most from education. Move sports into community sports vs school sponsored so the schools can focus on those things that need focus.

As for facilities for professional sports teams, there is economic reasons to support them. Eventually I’m sure we’ll all get burned. Until then though we’ll keep putting our hands in the fire.

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Comment on Commuting by Bike to Work in the South Metro by Mikeh

Mikeh — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:35:02 +0000

Started biking to work on Tuesday using the $10 bike my wife got from Target on clearance this January. Turns out my office is only 2.x miles away from my front door by bike. Bike paths all the way, takes about 20 minutes considering the 3 controlled intersections I need to cross. It’s criminal that I hadn’t started sooner considering how close I live. To get exercise I have to ride for recreation as my 4 miles a day otherwise won’t be enough.

No fenders, so I have yet to ride it in the rain. If I ride it on decent days for another week, I’ll invest in some rain gear.

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Comment on Funding Youth Athletics or the Vikings? by Nurd52

Nurd52 — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:48:42 +0000

Bill, I agree that raising the tax had a lot to do with that, but at some point you will reach a point of equilibrium where that number will stop declining and become a static number even if you had a $10.00 per pack tax.

Not only that, if the goal by state public health officials is to eliminate smoking then at some time in the future this revenue source will decline to the point that it won’t cover the bonding costs and they will need to find another way to screw us over to make the payments.

But what a hose job the legislature did on us by shoving through a stadium bill with an untested funding mechanism (e-pull tabs) that anybody with an 8th grade education knew wouldn’t bring in the tax revenue needed to cover the bond payments.

Those revenue projections were optimistic at best, and a outright fraud at worst.

I guess I’d like to know who’s on the middle and lower classes’ side then.

It’s certainly not the DFL and any GOP lawmaker that votes for this regressive tax on the poor (another full disclosure: I tend to vote DFL 95% of the time so I’m no Tea Party guy).

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Comment on Funding Youth Athletics or the Vikings? by Bill

Bill — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:32:23 +0000

N52, one of the biggest drivers behind smoking rates declining are the higher taxes we have seen as of late.

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Comment on Funding Youth Athletics or the Vikings? by Nurd52

Nurd52 — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:04:46 +0000

I am against hiking the tax on cigarettes any further (full disclosure: I used to smoke).

I’m not going to argue that cigarettes are in any way, shape, or form good for you, they’re not.

I’m against this because it places the burden on the people that can least afford them – the middle and lower income earners. The very people that Democrats say they are trying to help.

Statistically, these are the people that make up most of what’s left in a dwindling pool of smokers (and that’s great to see that trend continue to decline).

I don’t think people who will at best, attend a small handful of Vikings games during their lifetimes due to their financial circumstances, should have to pay for the stadium for those people that are well healed enough to afford seat licenses, season tickets, and $15.00 beers.

They should pay for it. Either as a use tax of some kind that skews toward high income people, or as another type of sales tax, rather than this thinly veiled peasants tax.

How much of the cigarette tax revenues does the State of Minnesota spend towards funding smoking cessation classes now? Or towards funding or subsidizing the health care system to offset insurance companies losses?

I’m all for getting kids to not smoke, but I’m tired of this hypocrisy we’re in here. On the one hand you have the government promoting cigarette abstinence and quitting, and on the other you have a product that (last time I checked) is perfectly legal to purchase and consume and contributes to our tax revenue in a substantial way.

But we also pay farmers’ tobacco subsidies (North Carolina alone received over $528,000,000 in USDA subsidies from 1995-2011).

Why single out smokers with excessive taxes that one could argue is excessive taxation which may be unconstitutional?

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Comment on Where I’m Told I Don’t Have a Mom?! by Sui Generis

Sui Generis — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:27:51 +0000

Rapists and muggers don’t phone ahead thus providing traceable contact info…

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Comment on Funding Youth Athletics or the Vikings? by Sui Generis

Sui Generis — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:25:39 +0000

Ben:
My daughter is a dancer. Several nights a week. In grade school, PE was not as well supervised as I would have liked, and after she got hit in the ankle first with a bowling ball and then with a hockey stick, I had spoke to the principal. There was no problem with me pulling her out of Phy ed at that level and having her do a study hall instead while providing proof she was spending at least as much time dancing as she would have in PE. This was 4 or 5 years ago.

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Comment on Funding Youth Athletics or the Vikings? by Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:05:42 +0000

I spend a small fortune on my kids’ sports (hockey, golf, snowboarding, lacrosse, wakeboarding, etc.) and musical endeavors (violin and piano). That is my choice – I well understand. I don’t expect anyone else to pay for it. I do, however, get jazzed up when the school supports band – but not other musical endeavors. Sorry – but you’ll probably play piano for life while few clarinet players continue playing into adulthood. I would LOVE to get credit and have my kid skip band/choir and just have them devote the time to their musical choice – but I’ve asked and the school won’t allow it. Also – my kids are active and I would love to have them skip phy ed at school. It’s a waste of time for them and paying teachers $80,000 plus benefits to time them running the mile (which my daughter runs everyday at home at 6.5 minutes) is ridiculous and a waste of money. Bottom line – the states already subsidizes the “chosen” things and you can’t opt out. Either support all, give a choice, or don’t do any.

As far as the Vikings go – I think it puts people to work and adds to our tax base. While I want to barf for paying for a stadium for people making millions a year – I don’t think we have a choice.

Taxing cigarettes – fine but tax McDonalds and “fat” foods too. I’m willing to bet obesity costs more than smokers – it’s just easier to attack the smokers because it is politically correct these days.

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Comment on Where I’m Told I Don’t Have a Mom?! by Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:42:14 +0000

How did the son know you weren’t a rapist or mugger??

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Comment on Commuting by Bike to Work in the South Metro by ks

ks — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:57:43 +0000

Bumping this bike thread, because isn’t today bike to work day? After filling up my car a few days ago for way too much cash I plan to make it sip the gas as long as possible by continuing to bike as much as I can.

Who’s with me?

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Comment on Funding Youth Athletics or the Vikings? by ks

ks — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:05:15 +0000

With the state government looking to tax cigarettes further, something which has been proven to aid public health, why would the State not help to fund extracurriculars to help with the health of students in school?
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My 2 cents on this is that simply put, the needs of the city as a whole (meaning more revenue down the road from a new stadium) is being put ahead of the well-being of kids.

That being said, I’ve always believed it’s the role of the parent, rather than government to ensure their kids are healthy and active. Mine have rarely participated in school athletics outside of recess, not due to lack of funding or lack of money on my part, but simply because they’ve gravitated to activities such as church, music and scouts, leaving little time for sports. I refuse to spread them and myself thin by trying to cram more in. They’re happy and active enough, and school has always come first.

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Comment on Funding Youth Athletics or the Vikings? by Sank

Sank — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:25:39 +0000

I don’t think there is a relationship between the two. You could offer every scholastic sport for free and these days you’d still have a bunch of kids sitting on the sofa. Go to Omaha, completely devoid of professional sports, except maybe the semi-pro Cornhuskers and I don’t think you’d find obesity rates different from where they are here.

Given the cost of some high school sports, our family had experience with hockey and lacrosse, they’re the cost is mindboggling, especially hockey where you have ice times at about $150.00 an hour. That’s before the parents shell out a nickel in equipment. As a goalie parent I’m especially sensitive to equipment costs. Is it fair to ask the parents or taxpayer to chip in help defray the cost of my kids participation in a sport that I know is expensive? His equipment costs alone were $3000. I don’t think it is right. We knew what we were getting into.

On the other hand, no kid is every turned down from a sport in high school, if they make the team, for inability to pay. Assuming they can make the team.

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Comment on Funding Youth Athletics or the Vikings? by mulch

mulch — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:21:11 +0000

Interesting post. In Europe there is not really any public school athletics to speak of for kids. There is plenty of athletic opportunity for kids but it is done thru club teams outside of the education system. Financed by the clubs made up of parents and individuals who support that particular sport.

Your question is if the state is going to finance entertainment (sports), shouldnt it focus more properly on financing entertainment (public school sports) where participation is valued?

Maybe the reason we have a “2nd class education system” is because we spend state money on sports rather than education? What does spending for a hockey team have to do with higher ACT scores?

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Comment on Where I’m Told I Don’t Have a Mom?! by Sank

Sank — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:16:45 +0000

I probably wouldn’t have gone as far as to call the number. Old lady comes at me with a card and gestures and I’m more likey to say get lost. Visceral reaction from working downtown where I get these kinds of solicitations daily in the skyway or on the street.

Good for you for trying to the right thing. I’m with everyone one else on this- she’s and her “son” are trolling for marks. Good job calling 911, thinking on your feet there young man. Cops are best able to handle this stuff.
Double good letting the rest of know about this so when we get approached by this broad in the future we’ll knowwhat to do.

My experience with my mom(s) indicates that a polite hello and then get the hell away from me is the correct approach. If you can’t say anything nice…

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Comment on El Parian: Eagan, MN by ks

ks — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:09:00 +0000

I agree, and I’m the kind of person that will forgo HD for the smaller Ace hardware, etc. even though it will cost more cash. I had always viewed Groupon as something businesses voluntarily tried out to bring a little more new business in..people like me who might want to try something like a sequeway trip but might not have the cash to pay full price. I had figured that the business getting, say $50 out of me, granted, not their full price of $100, was still $50 more than they would have had, had I not tried them out.

I have seen Groupon backfire when a place underestimates demand and runs out. Not good. I was also treated very poorly at a salon a few months ago when they found out I had a Groupon, though I had mentioned that when calling to make the appt. To make a long story short, I ended walking out. I didn’t get online and leave a scathing review as many would do (not my style), but I did talk to the manager and gave her my thoughts politely, explaining why I would not be coming again and could not recommend them.

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