Talking Points

I had a big, ol' screed rolling around in my head for the last few weeks, about how I was going to tell you all the reasons Morris and Stevens...

Our state government is on the road to a July shutdown because the Legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton can't get together on a budget deal for the next biennium. Minnesota...

The bites the State of Minnesota are taking from local governments' budgets aren't necessarily getting bigger, but each of them tears a little more flesh from the bone. Mayors, city...

It took me until age 51 to come to grips with being in my 50s. It's not like I have some big hang up with age, it's just that when...

A recent conversation turned to the topic of perception and reality, and it brought me back to my sportswriting days. It stuck with me how often people's perceptions of a...

The City of Morris has already budgeted for 2011 based on the assumption it will be facing a decrease in state aid of about $360,000 in both 2011 and 2012...

I've got a cell phone -- sorry, mobile device -- made by a well-known manufacturer. I've had it for a couple of years or so. It flips open, has what...

One evening, as I was getting ready for bed, I was standing in front of the bathroom sink and thinking that I was kind of thirsty and should get some...

The people of Minnesota have spoken -- at least 600 or so -- and they've decided state lawmakers should take a balanced approach to solving the state's budget deficit crisis...

Over the last year, many voters vowed to not get caught up in the political races too early. Candidates seem to start running for their next election almost as soon...

A bunch of media publishers, general managers and editors were sitting in a conference room, listening to somewhat dire news about the state of the industry, when a mobile phone...

So often we like to take in what we perceive to be the general trends unfolding around us and jump to conclusions. Take this, for example: Rural Minnesota -- especially...

As citizens of the U.S. and Minnesota, we've become a tad bit jaded when it comes to budgets. So often we hear big numbers thrown around -- deficits in billions...

Admit it, you've found youself grumbling about how police handle their jobs on the roadways today. In our memories, things were different back in the "good ol' days." So what...

Many Minnesota cities are in big trouble and it could get worse. That's the conclusion of a report, "Minnesota's Most Vulnerable Cities," by the organization, Strong Towns. The state's current...