Virginia newspaper criticizes Franken, Klobuchar, praises Chip
While the editorial staff at the Mesabi Daily News didn’t specifically criticize Rick Nolan, Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken in this editorial, they certainly implied it.
Something they did was effusively praise Chip Cravaack’s work on economic development issues:
Once again 8th District U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack was on hand to not just voice support, but to show his support and advocacy for copper/nickel/precious metals projects on the Range and all other resource-based economic ventures.
Cravaack’s words of support in these areas have been matched by his actions in Congress. He has had successes in pushing through an amendment attached to a strategic minerals bill that would streamline the permitting process and remove some duplication for nonferrous mining. That bill is currently waiting on Senate action. Whether it will even be brought to the floor by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is highly uncertain.
Cravaack also has gotten a Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness land transfer bill out of committee to the House floor, where it is waiting on a vote. It would then need Senate approval. The measure, which would pave the way for more School Trust Fund dollars to be generated, gives the needed federal blessing to a bill already passed by the state Legislature.
The Mesabi Daily News rightly highlights the fact that Chip Cravaack isn’t just about saying things people want to hear. They highlight the fact that Chip actually tries to solve significant problems.
I wrote here about the median household incomes in St. Louis County vs. the median household incomes in Sherburne County. The median household income in St. Louis County is $44,941 vs. $71,704 in Sherburne County.
Are Sens. Franken and Klobuchar doing anything to make it possible for Iron Range families to make bigger incomes? These are hard-working people. They shouldn’t have to listen to politicians like Rick Nolan, Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken pay lip service to them, then do nothing after they’ve met with these miners.
Chip Cravaack is actually putting in the effort to improve these Rangers’ lives. That can’t be said about Sen. Klobuchar, Rick Nolan or Al Franken. That didn’t go unnoticed by the Mesabi Daily News:
Local officials, represented by mayors, school board members, city councilors and mining and Minnesota Power personnel, say they want a face-to-face meeting with elected officials from Gov. Mark Dayton to U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken on Iron Range economic development issues.
We couldn’t agree more. We are sick and tired of too many comments about support of economic development and jobs for the Range without those words being backed up by true advocacy.
People that work hard and play by the rules should be rewarded. When Sen. Franken and Sen. Klobuchar sit silently while the EPA and the Minnesota Department of Commerce stand in the way of progress, they’re contributing to the problem. They definitely aren’t part of the solution.
Sen. Klobuchar likes to highlight her bipartisan do-nothing bills. Isn’t it time for Sen. Klobuchar to take a leadership role in solving the important problems facing Minnesotans?
People on the Iron Range are hurting financially. They don’t need her to be submitting new do-nothing bills every other week. They need her submitting bills that tells the EPA not to harass companies just because they “have the authority to request information.”
Sen. Klobuchar leads the Senate in doing nothing while real problems fester in Minnesota. It’s time Sen. Klobuchar became a leader on the things that Minnesotans care most about.
Sponsoring legislation that touts tourism won’t drop the price of a gallon of gasoline. Sponsoring legislation that amends “the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999″ doesn’t do a thing to create jobs on the Iron Range.
Compare that with Chip’s record of fighting for important things that his constituents tell him about. Chip’s fought against the EPA when they’ve harassed companies like PolyMet and Mesabi Nugget.
That’s what leadership looks like.
Comments welcome at Let Freedom Ring.