Community Solutions Podcast

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We've doled out $5 trillion over the last three relief bills. $5 billion will make its way to Minnesota governments. St Cloud is getting almost $16 million. Over $1 billion is going to Minnesota's 87 counties. $595 million is earmarked for just metro cities. $420 million is to be divided between Greater MN cities and townships. $420 million has been set aside for state capital projects. $245 million is going directly to Hennepin County. $281 million is going to Minneapolis over and above the amount going to Hennepin County... and we're just getting started. This money seems to be able to go to just about anything, except for reducing taxes, that is. There is so much money being thrown at each of the 50 states. Where are we coming up with this? We're printing all of it!

While we have almost no idea how this money will be spent, we have an idea of who is getting what. Businesses, farmers, and minorities are getting a chunk of this money (outside of the $1,400 stimulus checks). Farmers are getting debt relief... but only minority farmers. Will there be any kind of accountability or will it be hidden in cryptic entries on some balance sheet? It is time to make sure that we keep an eye on what they do before it's come and spent.

Walzy has been doing a bang up job with the whole COVID thing, at least if we listen to Minnesota media. Yet, things seem to be in shambles across the state. Dr. Scott Jensen is the first Republican to jump into the race for the Republicans, and he has been lambasted for his stance on masks, among other things. Once again, the media is carrying the Governor's water and running cover for him. Surprise, surprise, surprise...

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- The League of Minnesota Cities posits itself as an advocate for all of the cities of this state. 850 of 853 Minnesota cities are members. It has a lot of (your) money to not only provide legal help for cities, but to support legislation for bills like House File 600 which supports recreational cannabis. No matter your position, we're not sure what that has to do with cities. They are also advocates for Local Government Aid (LGA), which takes our tax dollars and redistributes them to municipalities across the state. There are bills before the legislature that state that a portion of LGA has to go to the police, a portion has to go to housing (re)development, and that no LGA will go to a city that reduces its police force.

They are a huge advocate of the equity push that we are seeing in cities. Remember that "equity" is not the same as "equality". Equality assures equal treatment and equal opportunities for all, regardless of race. Equity is where some people are treated more equal than others, with preference given to certain races of people over other races, "evening the playing field" in their eyes. It takes away from some and gives to others. They back a move to have residents report potential discrimination on their neighbors.

There is another group exclusively for cities outside of the metro called the Coalition of Greater MN Cities. They back Senate File 1903 which would create a grant program to help cities to pay for housing development. They want state money to do the sewer and water. They want to build more apartments and multi-family housing.

There are so many of these groups (League of MN Cities, Coalition of Greater MN Cities, Association of Metropolitan Municipalities, etc.) that are asking for money to complete projects and/or lobbying for legislation in St Paul. Are these requests really the best thing for these cities? Are they the best thing for Minnesota?

Also, the Minnesota Legislature just passed a COVID relief bill. We also discuss President Joe Biden's lassez-faire approach to being the leader of the free world and the future of Andrew Cuomo as governor of New York.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- What's that, you say? You need more government? ...said no one ever. That's okay, the group you didn't ask for, the Central Mississippi River Regional Planning Partnership, is here to do things that you didn't know you needed. They are devising Framework 2030, which will give all sorts of planning direction for Big Lake, Monticello, Becker (and all of their townships), Silver Creek Township, and both Sherburne and Wright Counties. It is filled with both elected people and hired staff people. It covers housing, transportation, people, streets, parks, and whatever else they can get under their power. They aren't elected to take place in a regional government group, but they plan and push for change in the counties, cities, and townships that they represent.

They are drawing up a plan for land use for these communities. Isn't that the job of the city or township where you live? Why is a regional group deciding that for the people that you elected? They want to connect parks by using new and existing trails. They want to increase variety of housing stock using lifestyle housing to plan starter homes, high density housing, town homes, assisted living, but again... why is regional government needed to plan this? It keeps local governments in line, should they want to divert from the plan and do their own thing. Membership in the group puts pressure on the other members to stay a part of the club in good standing. They are planning what these communities need to look like by 2030, so it's here to stay unless you get involved and speak up now. The meetings are held from 7:30-9:30am on the 4th Thursday of the month. Good thing it's accessible to working people.

It's a budget year at the MN Capitol, so we're going to float... a bonding bill? We have a surplus, so we're going to take out debt. Governor Walz calls it the 2021 Local Jobs and Projects Plan. It calls for $240 million in general obligation bonds, $250 in appropriation bonds, and $28 million to be financed immediately. $43 million of this money is slated to go for security upgrades at the Capitol. That's the emergency in a non-bonding year? Or how about a second Amtrak train between Minneapolis and Chicago? Now how much would you pay? Don't worry, the Republicans are already more-or-less on board.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We are finally turning 200 episodes old! There have been so many great episodes over the last four-plus seasons, and we spend some time telling you about our favorites. For all of you new to the show, we can point you toward some real good ones.

If you've never heard how we got started, it's definitely worth a listen. You should definitely check out Episode 1 (Why We Do It), if you haven't. In Episode 8 (Ring Around Roseau), we picked a Minnesota city out of thin air and proved that comprehensive plans are pretty much the same all over the state. We tackled two super important election issues in Episodes 37 (Ranked Choice Voting) and 38(Why We Hate Odd Year Elections). These issues aren't going away, so they are timeless episodes. In Episode 47 (Do Levy Limits Work?), we break down why they don't and why you should nip it in the bud whenever it comes up. Almost all of Minnesota is under one of 10 Regional Development Organizations (RDO's), under the Minnesota Association of Development Organizations (MADO). We introduce you to them in Episode 67 (Shark-MADO Is Running Loose). In one of our many podcasts on the war on cars, Episode 77 (Vision Zero or Zero Vision?) details how they want to get rid of traffic deaths by bringing a death to traffic. In Episode 102 (Unsportsmanlike Conduct), we detail the history of public financed sports stadiums, and why it's a bad idea. In Episode 112 (Let's Make A Deal), we discuss how we are bypassing officially signing treaties with all of these international agreements, and cities are getting a piece of the action. There is a move in the local offices in the Metro to go from left to further left in Episode 121 (From Bad To Worse). We discuss how cities determine their preliminary levies and dish out the worst offenders in Episode 136 (Hey, Big Spender). We tackle all of the waste that was disbursed from the CARES Act in Episode 172 (We're In The Money).

We cover all of these and so much more! There have been so many great guests and topics that you won't hear on any other podcast. We'd love to hear from you about your favorites!

We also take a little time to discuss the recent hearing. The Senate finally brought in Jan Malcolm to discuss the survey that is being given to senior vaccine recipients, asking about their sexual preference, if they are depressed, and other very intrusive questions. Governor Walz is also teasing us with another possible relaxing of restrictions, but who knows for sure. There's no reason that there aren't at least some fans in the stands. There's no reason that secondary students aren't in school. C'mon, Walz, let's stop this nonsense.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We continue with our discussion on The Great Reset. Last week we taught you what it is, now we tell you how it is going to affect you locally. Huge corporations are joining together with government to form public-private partnerships and decide exactly what rules others will have to play by. These public-private partnerships are creating ESG Goals (Environmental, Social, and Governance), based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Agenda 2030. There are 17 different categories of SDGs that boast to deliver a world where no one is left behind. There will be rules around water, land, air, food, health, inequalities, energy, and more. It will affect how products are shipped, what products you can get, and what kind of price controls are in place. What do any of these globalist corporations know about cities in rural Minnesota? I'd argue they know nothing about the suburbs either.

Banks are starting to write rules around who they will or will not do business with. If your business is not moving towards participating in a net zero economy (averaging no emissions), you will not be able to do business with these banks. Wells Fargo and Bank of America are already headed down this road. Even investment companies like BlackRock could hurt your bottom line. 48 companies are deciding for everyone else what constitutes racial justice in business. 50 global companies with the AARP are writing the rules on age in the workplace. They are also determining how to increase physical and mental health of the cities' populations. 9 cities and 70 organizations will be mandating how cities become more circular and green, leading to a net zero economy.

We have the makings of a treaty, but because its being implemented by corporations, they don't have to sign a treaty or observe constitutional principles. Who represents you in an oligarchy? The answer is no one. These companies don't care about you. They want to play ball with the governments, so that they get to write the regulations that will benefit them. Your opinions are not needed, nor are they wanted.

Also, when will Governor Tim Walz make everyone to go back to school? It's not that we should be in a rush to subject our children to the ever-worsening curriculum and push for equity, but the Teacher's Union keeps pushing to keep teachers out of the classroom, despite the science saying that it's relatively safe for them to return.

We also discuss the recent passing of talk radio icon, Rush Limbaugh, what his show meant to us... and our genre as a whole.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Today we finally get around to discussing The Great Reset... and yes, it's going to make things difficult at the local level. How can we prepare to meet the challenges that it will bring head on? We have to be willing to look at what they are, what they say, and what they do... and not dismiss it. This movement has its roots down in Mussolini's National Corporation Council and (by proxy) FDR's National Recovery Agency. This favors the big corporations as they enter into public private partnerships with national governments. This leaves competitors out in the cold, as some businesses are favored and others are not.

Governments and big business are getting together to set the rules that the rest of us are going to have to play by. It's not a conspiracy theory born in some smoke-filled back room. They are doing it out in the open, because they are not ashamed of it, and are putting the rest of the world on notice that this is the way that things are going to be. The World Economic Forum gives these public-private partnerships a place to come together and create policies on how they are going to work together to make the engine of the world go. The rules will always benefit the people in control.

They see an opportunity to take advantage now of the world's issues: climate change, COVID, racism, sexism, etc., and coming up with plans to implement autocratic rule under the guise of "stakeholder capitalism". What is "stakeholder capitalism"? It's an oligarchy comprised of the heads of nations and the world's most powerful companies, who decide what is the best for everyone else. You don't get a voice, and it is going to worm its way into every sector.

An example of this is how Coca-Cola came away from the Davos meeting with a new policy for the outside law firms that represent it. They must report quarterly on the breakdown of diversity in their firms. If the benchmarks are not achieved, Coke will pay those firms at a decreased rate. These are called ESG Standards (Environmental, Social, and Governance). This is exactly how they will force you into accepting all of the critical theory and Green New Deal policies that they want to implement, no matter how stupid they sound. They want to get rid of private property altogether to serve the common good.

The Minnesota Legislature filed H.R.2 that contains articles of impeachment for Governor Tim Walz. There were five articles listed in the bill: failing to respect the separation of powers, inventing new penalties for executive orders, banning the free exercise of religion, taking private property, and banning nearly all non-emergency medical care. Like any other attempt to get to the bottom of corruption in this state, it probably won't go anywhere.

In other news, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has announced that He is going to run for re-election. The far left will definitely run at least one radical candidate that will want to disband the police. Beware the candidate that all of a sudden rises to the top out of nowhere. On a related note, Governor Walz said that he wasn't sure if he's running for re-election, only to show up at a re-election fundraiser hours later. Anyone want to keep him honest? Didn't think so.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- There are some really dumb laws. No, I mean there are some really stupid laws. It is illegal to frown in Pocatello, Idaho. Ummm... what? Who thinks of this stuff? You can't bite your landlord in Rumford, ME. Can you bite other people? You can't let your chicken cross the road in Quitman, Georgia. Yes, that's actually a law. These ridiculous laws are found in California, New York, and here in Minnesota. We laugh at these things, but it's indicative of a greater problem. Government never rescinds anything. These laws get made for an actual issue in some moment in time, and no one ever visits them again. They should be revisited every decade so that all the junk and be removed. We go through some of the worst ones that we can find to prove our point (and have a good laugh).

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is trying to adopt California environmental standards. In one such move, they are trying to mandate that car dealers have a certain amount of electric vehicles in their inventory. They defend their position by saying that they are not demanding people buy them. They do believe, however, that by having enough supply, it will drive demand. I'm sorry, but economics is not driven by supply, it's driven by demand. There is no scarcity of electric vehicles. In fact, the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association is saying that they don't have a market for them. Yet, the state keeps pushing their broken agenda.

Also, in some accidental journalism, Democrat Dan Feehan (former opponent of Congressman Jim Hagedorn) is getting no bid contracts from his Democrat friends to handle the vaccine in southern Minnesota. Of course no one seems to care enough to report on it.

Lastly, today's Song of the Week results in a great discussion about the music industry, recording, and some great stories.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- The MN Department of Education has decided that it is time to revise the state Social Studies benchmarks that define the standards that students need to graduate. WWI, WWII, the rise and fall of communism/socialism, the holocaust, the Civil War, and the Revolutionary War were all missing from the World/American History benchmarks. They are gutting Minnesota history by silencing how Minnesotans have dealt with some of the various wars we have fought in. They also have cut out the agricultural revolution... which is a strange choice of omissions. The work of Norman Borlaug ended up feeding the world. The claims of overpopulation due to his work are Malthusian attempts at pushing eugenics to reduce the world's population.

There are a number of new benchmarks around teaching students about the systemic racism that makes white children privileged, and other children unprivileged. It requires that teachers instruct about about "Manifest Destiny and its relation to whiteness, Christianity, and capitalism". Another benchmark states that students must learn about how the U.S. stole land from indigenous people and Mexico. It The system that says that white people are racist is trying to push its own brand of racism. White people are the source of all society's ills, and our children are being taught these dangerous ideas are truth, when its a complete distortion. Critical theory is about to become hardwired into our children's Social Studies curriculum for the foreseeable future.

The new standards also require students to learn about activism and how to be an activist. Teachers must teach about gender identity and LGBTQ issues. Subjects like inequity in economics and the perils of climate change are also sprinkled in for good measure. What chance do our children have if they are all going to be inundated with all of this propaganda that is meant to tear down our society, so they can build one of their choosing? In their eyes, an entire of generation our children is an acceptable cost for their delusional dystopian nightmare.

30.6 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been distributed across the country. 11.1 million have been administered. 513,800 doses have been received in Minnesota, but only 179,684 (or 35%)n have been administered. South Dakota has administered 61%. North Dakota has administered 62%. Connecticut, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Hampshire, Texas and others are way ahead of us. Then our Governor has the gall to complain that we don't have enough doses. Are we the only ones tired of the showboating and the dishonesty?

We also discuss the new "America's Rescue Plan". There's money for everybody! Well... not for you, but for adult dependents, mixed immigration households, renters, and homelessness. Good luck to you if you're not one of those.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Light Rail has been DOA for the last number of years in the Twin Cities. The Bottineau and South West lines have received immense pushback against their routes. In fact, Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad has refused to sell the land to Hennepin County. The geniuses at Hennepin County spent $129 million of taxpayer dollars to plan and do environmental studies for a line that they never had a deal to build. Now they have admitted that a deal with BNSF will not be reached.

The project should be dead in the water now, but guess what? They are going to start researching the matter all over again in a hope to move the track in a new direction. That's the problem with government. Nothing ever goes away. All of the usual corporate and government suspects are back at the table begging for handouts so they can start the process all over again. It's wasteful. It's being tone deaf. It's prideful. Stop and listen to the people that elected you. An election isn't like winning a shopping spree at the bad policy store. It's okay to check in with all of your constituents and put people before party.

We review the latest blue line survey, where we prove that government surveys are always slanted. They never ask "if" you want their bad ideas... only "how" you'd like them to cram it down your throat.

Also Andrew and Jason take turns ranting. Andrew puts himself on the therapist's couch as he discusses his fascination with Dr. Phil and the "Catch Me Outside" girl. He also is perturbed about the disaster we know as the distribution of the COVID vaccine. Jason's rant is one for the ages... and I think he covered everybody. This show is devolving fast.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Our schools have been shut down for almost a year. We've all got our opinions, but what is the reality? How is this affecting our kids? Are they learning? Are they excelling? Reports would say no. They are missing the structure and boundaries that help them to be successful in learning. They aren't building the social skills that they need in order to take part in a civil society. Our children are losing out big time on vital skills that set them up for life. In fact, in St. Paul Public Schools there's a ton of students getting a "legitimate zero".

Our children are also struggling mentally. Suicide rates are way up among school age kids during the pandemic. Why would a government that doesn't care about killing babies really care if students are dying? This disease has a 99%-plus survival rate, and most of our young don't even get it. Yet, they are getting depressed because they don't have an opportunity to socialize or participate in sports, music, and clubs. The cure is way worse than the disease.

How can we get our kids out of this harmful situation and into something that is helpful for them? We look into some possible solutions to help give kids options. We need to look into wrestling our kids away from the teacher's union and (by proxy) the public schools. The teacher's union, however, will never let our children go that easily. The use of private schools, online learning, homeschool, co-ops, pods, and apprenticeships. There needs to be some destructive innovation, free market choices, and real competition in curriculum. Kids need to have the ability to socialize. Let's hear your ideas!

We also have a little update on the possibility that the Governor will lose his emergency powers when the new Minnesota legislature convenes in January. Some of the DFL'ers that have been voting against renewing his powers have been speaking, but there's still not a definitive word on what will happen. Some of these outstate House members are getting a lot of pressure from their constituents. We can only hope that it is enough to push them over the edge, as the pressure from the Democrat whip is probably pretty heavy too. Time will tell if we will ever be free again. In addition, we take a look at a report that projects which states might lose or add electoral seats after the census data shakes out.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Governor Walz is rolling out some big ideas. These big ideas have sweeping local implications. There is so much failing happening. We are 41st in the nation with residents receiving the COVID vaccine (5.6%). Teachers and child care providers are starting to get the vaccine and there are a whole lot of senior citizens that still aren't vaccinated.

The "good" Governor just released a $52.4 Billion budget, more than doubling the size of the budget from the mid-nineties. He is trying to push this through quickly, without anyone getting to find what's in it. Some early items are $150 million for rebuilding Minneapolis, $2.7 million for the state patrol's plan to keep protests from devolving into riots, $1.5 million will be used to offset 125 DNR officers reassigned to the Chauvin trial, $25 million to provide one-time payments to families already receiving welfare assistance. That is only scraping the scum off the top of the swamp, and there's a whole lot of concern over the direction of his budget.

He is also rolling out what every media outlet coins as "sweeping education reform". Walzy is calling it the "Due North Education Plan". The problem is, there's not much education involved in the plan. It's chock-full of equity and critical theory. They want to get students back to school... unless of course you are in high school. Then you can forget it. They want to expand mental health to students over the summer months. Where was that during the last two school years, when kids were struggling with depression and suicide rates were increasing? Funding for schools in Minnesota is based, in part, on enrollment. They want to provide cash to schools in the place of students that left the district. They want to increase access to out of school opportunities. Then there are all of the ethnic studies and race-fueled programs. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Center and the Minnesota Department of Education to address systemic racism. There is an attempt to classify the Native American as an oppressed group that needs to put the oppressor in his place.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Whelp... the St Paul City Council has unanimously decided to form a Slavery Reparations Commission. They feel that St Paul taxpayers owe something to African Americans because there were slaves held at Fort Snelling (which was federal land), even though no slaves were ever held in St Paul. They also want to give tax money to residents that used to live in the Rondo neighborhood when I-94 came through and changed the neighborhood. It has nothing to do with slavery at all, yet people that have never owned slaves are expected to pay people that never were slaves.

This approach sells minorities short. There are so many smart and talented people that are told that they can't achieve in America, and it's just wrong. Yet, the same party continues to offer the same hopelessness as they offer a pittance in exchange for their votes. They deserve so much more success than this.

There are so many cities that are doing the same exact thing as St.Paul: Chicago, Evanston, Detroit, Asheville, Wilmington, Burlington, and many, many more. What does it mean when multiple cities are doing the same thing? Usually, it means that some group is behind it. When you can't get something passed at the federal level, you go after the city councils across the nation. Enter the U.S. conference of mayors. They had a conference last year that produced a resolution to promote the passage of ordinances that establish the awarding of reparations to black Americans across the nation. This is not an organic movement, and if you don't stand up now, this will be the law of the land in most places.

The vaccine is here! And Governor Walz has messed up the distribution. Surprise, surprise, surprise... Also, This Day In History is back, as Andrew reminds everyone how terrible Jason is with historical dates.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

commsolutionsmn.com- The Federal Government is teetering on the edge of signing a COVID relief bill that will supposedly send checks to American families. All the while, Minnesota passed their own COVID relief bill and no one seems to want to tell us what's in it. The MN Senate passed it 62-4, so it must be good. $88 million will go to bars, restaurants, and bowling alleys... but there are strings. Who knows where all of that will end up going? $14 million will be used for grants to movie theaters. $145 million will got to hotels, museums. arcades, and live theater venues. Counties will get tens of millions to hand out as they see fit. $26 million will go to Hennepin County alone. These programs have tons of stipulations and biases built in. Will the people that really need the money get it?

The Federal COVID relief package is even worse. It's a $2.3 billion boondoggle (not including the National Defense Authorization spending bill). It's 5500 pages, and doles out millions of dollars for Sudan, Cameroon, gender programs in Pakistan... this is COVID relief for our citizens? How does our Senate approve the original bill with a $600 payment for every citizen, and not approve the $2000 payment? They are ok with all of the foreign payments, but not the domestic ones? This is insanity!

Jason flips the script on Andrew, by quizzing him on important historical events on Christmas days of yore. Does Andrew know his history? We also break down the recent article written by Andrew, where he ponders whether the new MN Legislature will strip Governor Walz of his emergency powers in January.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Tax money is flying all around the state. It's going to feed transportation, housing, transit, roads, and more. There are, however, strings that come along with all of it, in order for the state to get things done their way. Rural areas and small towns are getting decimated in the process.

Roads are handled differently depending on what type of road is being fixed. There are a number of different taxes that feed into that. There's the gas tax, the motor vehicle sales tax, and tabs. Then the state breaks that up among state aid roads, state highways, and trunk highways. Is there a better way to fund these projects across the state?

There's way too much reliance on bonding when it comes to funding projects. Cities need to start looking ahead and planning for their future. Saving in advance saves constituents millions of dollars. Hidden taxes like special assessments, franchise fees, and debt service eat up so much money that residents don't even realize they are paying.

We see the same things happening across the state. The problem is that you have regional planning organizations (i.e. Met Council, MADO, counties, etc) driving these changes down to the cities they oversee. If you listened to the last episode, you know that these staff planners are all trained with the same concepts in the universities. What do these rural areas and smaller cities need to do to keep their character intact, yet move into the 21st century?

We also discuss the newest round of Governor Tim Walz's lockdowns, and how they don't seem to based in science. He goes after bars and restaurants because they don't have anyone to stand up for them. It's all meant to use fear to make people feel safe, because he's doing "something". Shouldn't we do the right thing? All of this posturing is meant to cover over that they don't have a plan, besides staying locked down. Where is the voice of the opposition in St. Paul?

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- What does it take to become a City Planner or a City Manager? There is a whole lot of schooling involved, which makes for a growing club of people that are instructed in the same worldview. We take a look at some of the ideologies that are required for a Masters in City and Regional Planning.

Classes like Global Cities, Introduction To Urban and Regional Transportation, Race Place And Equity, Multispecies Cities (yes, you read that right), environmental justice, and green energy indoctrinate students toward urbanizing cities under an international model. They are trying to train the future planners of America how to remake a city with equitable outcomes (equitable housing choices, equitable transportation, community greenspace, etc), and procuring the funding to develop or redevelop these cities into social justice nightmares.

These government entities desire those that have Master's degrees, so that they know that the candidates have been fully indoctrinated. They don't want staff that haven't been trained in the predetermined Marxist ideals. It doesn't seem to matter where you study either. We tear open a couple of different programs, one from a super liberal place and one from a more conservative one. It's all pretty similar.

We also discuss the upcoming special session to (once again) not do anything to curb the emergency powers of King Tim Walz. They are discussing a possible aid package, but refuse to let anybody work. Minneapolis just voted to cut $8 million from their police force. We go over some of the things that they could buy for $8 million.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's been a little while since we've done a Local Lowdown show. It's important that we know what the cities of this state are up to, because it could very well mean that we will begin to see these things pop up in other cities.

Plymouth has proposed a 6.9% property tax increase. What will this tax hike get you? You will be funding six new full time positions, including a "diversity, equity, and inclusion coordinator". You might not be working, but at least someone else is employed and you are footing the bill.

Golden Valley is removing their crime-free housing initiative. According to the MN Crime Prevention Association, the program gives multi-unit housing complexes a certification based on a three-step program that is meant to stop and deter crime on their grounds. Golden Valley has decided that it wants to weaken the participation of multi-unit housing managers and owners, because it's unfair to those that want to break the law and make everyone else feel unsafe.

Hennepin County attorney, Mike Freeman, said that he is not going to request bail for such low level crimes as theft of up to $35,000, property damage, possession of burglary tools, and identity theft. What about repeat offenders? A lot of these crimes were selected to get Minneapolis' rioters off the hook without any kind of accountability for their actions.

New Hope is raising taxes, yet again, and is celebrating that it's only a half-million dollar raise over last year's monumental tax increase... and they couldn't even afford a mobile-friendly website.

We also cover a couple of the outstanding House races in Iowa and New York. In the Empire State, they found 55 ballots, in a race where the Republican was ahead by 12 votes. I'm sure it's all super fair. We follow the discussion right into redistricting and what may happen in Minnesota, as we look forward to shifting our congressional districts around again, so that those that don't stand up for us anyway, can continue to stay in power.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- 

Just when you think that they can't ruin Minneapolis any further, they go and do it. Never underestimate this city council's ability to make the wrong decision every single time. This time along with their little brother, St Paul, they have dropped the speed limit to 20 mph on residential streets. They had recently dropped the speed limits from 30 to 25, and now they reduce it even more.

Thanks to the world-wide special interest group, 20 is Plenty, cities like Seattle, Tacoma, Denver, and Boulder have been busy reducing speed limits around the country. They have progressively criminalized drivers, and dropping the speed limit is just one more way to do it. This is just another nanny state measure to try and protect us from ourselves and get more cars off of the roads by making the act of driving completely untenable.

They try to say that it's a racial issue and that it will help reduce carbon emissions (again, because they think people will get frustrated and stop driving). It has become a new social justice issue. In fact, portions of Washington D.C. will lower portions of the city to 15 mph. When is enough enough? Better yet... how do you keep this out of your city?

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com-  Well, this week our esteemed Governor Walz decided to shut a number of Minnesota businesses down again. We predicted there would be an uptick with accompanied shut downs again, once it got cold. Here we are, yet the state of Minnesota is caught unprepared again.

www.commsolutionsmn.com-  Well, this week our esteemed Governor Walz decided to shut a number of Minnesota businesses down again. We predicted there would be an uptick with accompanied shut downs again, once it got cold. Here we are, yet the state of Minnesota is caught unprepared again.

www.commsolutionsmn.com-  Well, this week our esteemed Governor Walz decided to shut a number of Minnesota businesses down again. We predicted there would be an uptick with accompanied shut downs again, once it got cold. Here we are, yet the state of Minnesota is caught unprepared again.

www.commsolutionsmn.com- A couple of months ago we discussed that the MN Republicans caved and passed a $1.9 Billion dollar bonding bill. Well... we have finally found out what's in it. In keeping with tradition, we decide to go over it and let you know what you are now on the hook for. Remember that bonding is a hidden tax because they tell you what you owe in principal, but always leave out the millions of dollars in interest that you'll pay over the long run.

These bonding bills need 60% approval in each legislative body to pass. The MN House of Representatives passed it 100 to 34 (including all 75 DFLers and 25 of 59 Republicans). The senate passed it 64 to 3. The vast majority of Republicans are absolutely useless in the pursuit of fiscal responsibility.

They try to convince us that it's full of tax cuts. You can't borrow to cut taxes. It gets paid back with our tax money. They gave higher learning $94 million dollars. Minneapolis received $85 million for local projects. St. Paul received $52 million for a bridge. The Metropolitan Council got $55 Million for Bus Rapid Transit. The MN Zoo got $42 Million. It's cities in liberal places, and in conservative places. They are all part the problem. Senators and reps get bought off by the promise of "free money" for their districts. It's just gross, and were in dire need of a culture change.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- This has been the weirdest election cycle that either of us can remember. Never has someone tried as little as Joe Biden, yet done so well in the election. The polls were terrible. The press was in the bag for Biden. His turnout was nil at his events. There are always strange stories, and there's a lot of false stories about fraud... but there are bigger issues here. The president's numbers were shooting up, and then everything closed down. Then when everything opened up again, Biden was ahead in almost all of those places, and he never looked back. There have been software errors, some of which have been caught and fixed, but who knows if they all have been found, as 48 Michigan counties use the same software and over 30 states. States like Nevada stopped counting for the day at 10:45am. Need a siesta? Poll challengers were forced to stand 25 feet away in Philadelphia. Despite an order from Samuel Alito, Philly still has not separated out ballots that came in after the deadline.

If we don't have confidence in our electoral system, it will be our undoing... but that's part of the plan. The radicals want to tear down the country, and the establishment is playing a completely different game in the corner and can't seem to figure out what's going on. All of these strange actions just beg more questions in the honesty of the process. In an interesting move, however, conservatives picked up state house and senate seats across the nation and also U.S. House seats. It's strange that they rode the President's coat tails, but he didn't get across the finish line. We will see what happens by the time this thing gets out of the courts.

We also discuss the election of Sarah McBride, Delaware's new and the country's first openly transgender senator.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolitionsmn.com- The way we get information has changed so much in the last 20 years. Where can we go and who do we trust? Social media is the number one way to get information out to a large number of people. Big Tech is censoring conservative outlets and values. The New York Post Twitter account was suspended for verified information about Joe and Hunter Biden personally making tens of millions from China, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, etc. No one is even talking about the Great Reset or the Transition Integrity Project. Should the Democrats win the House, Senate, and White House, many believe that there will be an effort to bring back the Fairness Doctrine, but that it will attempt to shut down all conservative media.

The answer, for now, is to start a blog or a podcast. Citizen journalism is the only way that we are going to be able to get the word out, and even then Google may throttle it down. Isn't having a debate healthy? Why are we removing opposing voices? We need to look at where the trends are going in the future and plan for how you are going to stay connected to the information and outlets that you trust.

The Senate Republicans got Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to the Supreme Court in very short order. It they were able to do this so quickly, why didn't they ever get rid of Obamacare? Why was there no plan or political will to get this done? We discuss one of the greatest mysteries of the last four years.

We also discuss Andrew's trip to city hall to early vote. As always, it is quite an experience.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We've spent many years trying to explain the importance of local elections. It can be difficult to be an informed voter in local races, just because they don't get the press of other races, and the media doesn't do their job and dig in past "tell us about yourself" and "name your top three priorities". We show you how we do it as we review the candidates running where we got our start; Crystal, MN. We look at the following races: Jim Adams v. Steve Adams, Eric Wilhelm v. David Cummings, Tony Sumnicht v. John Budziszewski, and Nancy LaRoche v. Jim Martin. The State Labor Federation of the AFL-CIO has a union member candidate program, where the state union is putting money and muscle behind local elections, because they have to own everything. Look out for these union-funded candidates. You will hear all about carbon footprint, light rail, equity, and the rest of the radical union agenda. We also take a moment to discuss the Hunter Biden e-mails, and what they mean for the remainder of the election cycle. One thing is for sure... no matter what, there will be more riots and there may be a push for adding D.C. and Puerto Rico as states, putting term limits on the Supreme Court, getting rid of the electoral college, and other such nonsense. It's all laid out in a document rom the Transition Integrity Project called "Preventing a Disrupted Presidential Election and Transition". We also take a look at what's at stake. You must get informed and get out and vote! Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy! Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Teachers and Students across the state of Minnesota just had their annual MEA (Minnesota Educators Academy) weekend, in which students get vacation and teachers and support staff get to attend a conference held by Education Minnesota. This year was a virtual conference, but boy... was it a doosey.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Bettina L. Love of the Abolitionist Teacher's Network (ATN). The ATN is another Marxist, critical race theorizing, activist group that exists to infiltrate our schools with the message that white people are racist and need to get out of the way. They use words like "activists", "radical", and "agitators".

The agenda was full of special interest topics around race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation, while using topics around retirement to lure in unsuspecting young teachers. This event is a union activism weekend to radicalize our teachers. Do you really want to continue trusting your kids to this kind of teaching? It's time for another solution to our educational woes.

We also share our indignation over the brand new $1.9 Billion Bonding Bill that almost every fiscally conservative Republican voted in favor of. These bonding bills are a waste, because they are filled with loads of pork. Let's hope there are no more downturns in the economy for a long time. Unbelievable. Thanks for selling us down the river again.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Teachers and Students across the state of Minnesota just had their annual MEA (Minnesota Educators Academy) weekend, in which students get vacation and teachers and support staff get to attend a conference held by Education Minnesota. This year was a virtual conference, but boy... was it a doosey.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Bettina L. Love of the Abolitionist Teacher's Network (ATN). The ATN is another Marxist, critical race theorizing, activist group that exists to infiltrate our schools with the message that white people are racist and need to get out of the way. They use words like "activists", "radical", and "agitators".

The agenda was full of special interest topics around race, gender, religion, and sexual orientation, while using topics around retirement to lure in unsuspecting young teachers. This event is a union activism weekend to radicalize our teachers. Do you really want to continue trusting your kids to this kind of teaching? It's time for another solution to our educational woes.

We also share our indignation over the brand new $1.9 Billion Bonding Bill that almost every fiscally conservative Republican voted in favor of. These bonding bills are a waste, because they are filled with loads of pork. Let's hope there are no more downturns in the economy for a long time. Unbelievable. Thanks for selling us down the river again.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Fair and free elections are a bedrock of our constitutional republic. And because of that, there is a contingent of people that must undermine them in order to remake America in their own image. The more confusion they can bring to the process, the more they can manipulate the results. Elections need to have ironclad processes in order to keep fraudulent activities from throwing our peaceful transfer of power into doubt... but that's the point. They try to convince the electorate that national popular vote is a better method of electing a president than the electoral college. They try to sneak people in that are not eligible to vote with tactics such as vouching and same day registration. Ranked Choice Voting, mail-in ballots, and ballot harvesting throw even more chaos into the mix. That brings us to early voting. It is thought that up to 30% of people could vote before election day this year. That may or may not affect federal races a whole lot, but for state races and local races, it matters. People are voting before they have any idea who's running on these down ballot races. There's been little to no literature distributed, no debates, and few doors knocked on. How do you know who to choose? The candidate with the best machinery wins, unfortunately. Early voting is not going away. So what can we do? There must be strict rules. We can't allow for voting to be done haphazardly. We can only be confident in the outcome if there are a set of rules that are never violated. We must protect our electoral system. We must stay vigilant. Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy! Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutions.com- We welcome Nate Truesdell, Champlin City Council (Ward 3), to the show. Nate was elected to his first term four years ago, and is running for re-election. We invite him on to talk about what's going on in the city, what he accomplished in his first term, and what he still wants to accomplish in his next term. He came in with another newly-elected council member, a councilmember-turned-mayor, and two appointees. So, they had their work cutout for them, but they have thrived, with most residents saying they are happy with the direction of the city. Mississippi Point Park has been a prime spot on the Mississippi River that has been in negotiation for twenty years, and Nate has had a big hand in getting it finalized. He discusses his take on law enforcement and how Champlin handled protecting its citizens during the riots. He also explains how important it is to have the right voices on the council to advocate for important services, like the fire department. It's a balance to make sure they have what they need without writing them a blank check. He is a strong advocate for local businesses and has made an effort to make Champlin a business friendly city. We also take a look at the upcoming filling of the Supreme Court vacancy left by Ruth Bader Ginsberg and at the latest in the race to be president. Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy! Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Education MN is the largest teacher's union in the state. They have taken it upon themselves to speak for all teachers on the issue of race. They have an entire page on their website dedicated to Justice for George Floyd. There are links to "Organizations/Funds to Donate to", "Support for Affected Businesses", "Actions to Take", and Anti-racism Resources". The resources are extremely one-sided, linking to places like the ACLU, Citizens United Against Police Brutality, ISAIAH MN, and Reclaim the Block. They try to motivate teachers to sign petitions and make phone calls on behalf of activist organizations. Their anti-racism resources include lesson plans for kids, Ibram Kindi's blog (author of How to be an Anti-Racist), racist blogs (like Teaching While White), Confronting White Nationalism in Schools Toolkit, and much more! Now how much would you pay? But wait... there's more! The Robbinsdale Federation of Teachers is supporting an uprising on their Home page, and in doing so, displays a quote from the Fidel Castro loving, first-degree murder committing, cop killing, armed robbery and assaulting, FBI Most Wanted Terrorist, fugitive from the law, Assata Shakur (and yes, Andrew, she is tied in with Tupac Shakur). Is this ok with any of you? I ask you to call the Robbinsdale Federation of Teachers at 763-546-5244 and demand answers. It matters who we align ourselves with. People don't quote Hitler, because he's bad. People don't quote Charles Manson, because he's bad. Yet here is RFT displaying this loud and proud. There are good teachers in the system, but the system is rotten to the core. It is time to get your kids out if you can. You just can't take the risk anymore. Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy! Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We welcome Crystal Mayor, Jim Adams, back to the program! He has been an influential force in reimagining how we do local government. Most of the old and tired methods of taxing, spending, going into debt, over-regulation, and other city functions have gone by the wayside. Mayor Adams has challenged the status quo and seen even better results than anticipated. We wanted to bring him in, as he's running for a third term and we like him. We think he's got some great ideas for the rest of the state. One of his first victories in local government was paying cash for a public works building that the old council wanted to bond (just like every other city) and saved the taxpayers millions of dollars. Now they are ready to do the same thing with a new police station... all in cash! They have increased property rights for owners. They were the first city in the metro to allow accessory dwelling units. A homeowner can build a mother-in law apartment or a free standing rental structure on their property. He looked to allow these in order to increase property rights and keep the look and feel of the community. It also served to keep high density out where it didn't make sense. Businesses have more freedom in running their businesses in the way they desire, including in-home businesses. They created a City Code Task Force to address the overwhelming and outdated city codes to fit a more streamlined and modern approach. He left the residents in charge, and didn't put city council or staff in charge to lead the citizens around by the nose. He has also made huge strides in transparency and including citizens from all different walks of life. If you are on a city council, running for a seat on a city council, or just looking to get more involved with your city, make sure to listen in and try some of these ideas. If you live in Crystal, listen in to see whether Jim is your man for mayor! Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmnm.com- In a previous episode, we discussed a group called the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE). After their collaborating with GARE, the city of Golden Valley came up with a racial equity plan. This is the trendy thing to do in many cities across the nation, including in Minnesota. Equity is a hot buzzword being pushed by the Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Association of Development Organizations (MADO). It is listed all throughout the Met Council's Thrive MSP 2040 plan and MADO's DevelopMN 2019 plan, and is working its way into local comprehensive plans.

Books like White Fragility have really hurt this nation, because they feed into the false white privilege dogma that finds its origins in cultural Marxism's critical race theory. These people are out to make all white people into one of two kinds of racists: 1) those that admit it, throw themselves on the mercy of the woke, and become virulent antiracists themselves, or 2) Those who refuse or are too daft to acknowledge their racism. This second group needs to made to recognize their racism, according to the first group.

Golden Valley created the Rising Tides Task Force out of their equity plan. Their purpose is to drive equity across the city. They are hiring a racial equity coordinator to a six-figure salary. The want to change city services, staff/elected official/volunteers, events, and opportunities to be more culturally sensitive. It's important to see what Golden Valley is doing here, so that you are prepared to recognize it in your own city.

Also, our favorite ex-mayor is running for school board in District 281. Be afraid... be very afraid.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: Community Solutions Music From the Podcast! You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy! Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- If you're tuning into the media lately (and who is), you're hearing a whole lot of things that just are not true. We're going to attempt to set the record straight for all y'all. Support is dropping like a rock for these protests, thanks to all of the riots, but how did we get here? I mean, blacks were ardent Republicans. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, and the Democrats ruled the south where they had been severely mistreated. Democrat, Nathan Bedford Forrest, started the Ku Klux Klan. How and when did it switch? How did the Democrats steal them away? It's amazing what hardship does. FDR began to offer free things and the vote began to sway.

By the time Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law in 1964, things had tilted in a big way and have stayed there since. We're seeing the pendulum begin to swing back the other way, but what's causing it? What is the real reason that the Republicans have struggled? What impacts has the allegiance of blacks to the Democrats had on them and on our society? They've ruled our cities, and now we watch them burn. As the tide turns away from Democrats, what does that mean for our cities and our schools? We discuss and try to bring some solutions that we believe would float everyone's boat if people would try something different.

Also, Andrew breaks one of our cardinal rules and Jason attempts to talk him off the proverbial ledge.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- In Minnesota, the House voted 82-40 to declare racism a public health crisis. Both Olmstead and Hennepin counties, Minneapolis, and St Paul have all voted to do so as well. This is the new trend across the country, and it's being pushed by special interests.

Hennepin County has aimed to reflect inequity and racism in their budget. Health insurance,  housing, transit... you name it, and more money will be spent on some and not on others. Minneapolis and St Paul have made the racial divisions worse. They have identified white people as the problem. That means that to "balance the scales" they will offer special things that only some people will be able to get.

Salud America is one such group that is trying to organize and coach activists in cities to put pressure on city councils to pass a resolution to declare racism a public health crisis. Another group is APHA. They push these city resolutions across the country, as well,  and keep a laundry list of positions on issues, finding a racist angle on all sorts of things to push their far-left agenda.

We believe that, no matter your race or gender, you are good enough to achieve your dreams. Whatever it is, you can do it. You don't need this government to make excuses for you as to why you can't do it. You just need to put hammer to nail and get to it. We're here for you!

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Minnesota... you've got some money to spend! Where did all this "free money" come from? We all know that there's no such thing. Any money that government doles out always comes with strings. Well, the money that comes as part of the CARES Act is no different. Cities need to figure out how to spend this money by November 15th, or it gets kicked up to the counties. Oh, do they have ideas.

These cities are like kids in a candy store. They are looking to upgrade technology, purchase PPE, business and nonprofit grants, food, shelter, and financial assistance. Moorhead seems to take the cake with cleaning air duct systems, public building improvements, telework equipment, salary  increases, and more wasteful spending. In fact, the Moorehead city council would like to send some of this money over to North Dakota as well. As usual, we have some ideas on how to help the communities without necessarily having to spend all sorts of our money.

We also discuss the death of Kamala... The Ugandan Giant (James Harris), and the resurrection of Kamala the VP candidate. We're not sure how she actually helps the ticket, but we try to figure it out. R.I.P. big guy. You were always the better of the two.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's the weekend before the big primary. Are you planning to vote? I know... it's a primary election, so who does? We ALL should. Are you tired of voting for the lesser of two evils? Then vote in the primary to decide who's on the ballot. Whether this is a good system or not is irrelevant. It's the system we have. If we don't participate, we get what we're handed.

It's important to make sure that you get informed on the candidates before you go to the polls. Don't listen to the commercials. Don't listen to the media (except us, we'll never steer you wrong). Start looking at your races on the Minnesota Secretary of State Candidate Filing website. We go through a few races live on the air to show you how we do our research and get you started, since it would be impossible for us to discuss every race.

We play a little game show called "Who's The Most Radical?". We go through the special election in Minneapolis for Abdi Warsame's seat in Cedar Riverside/Seward neighborhoods, wondering if the riots have changed the attitude in the city. We evaluate the candidates and see if they're bound to get more of the same or if change may be coming.

Also, there's trouble in paradise. Jacob Frey blamed Governor Walz for the delay in the National Guard's arrival during the Minneapolis riots. They both made huge missteps, but the facts seem to show that the Governor received the request from Mayor Frey and waited almost a day and a half to mobilize the Guard. The continued lack of leadership in our state's leaders is frightening. Do they agree with the radicals that started this?

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- I know, it sounds like a bad 80's movie, but we've finally got a police reform bill passed in Minnesota! All is well!!!  Now, we'd be foolish to say that there was no need for any reform. We want our citizens safe and we want our police safe. There were two bills put forth: one by the Republicans and one by the Democrats. The two sides went into secret negotiations to come out with a big ol' bill that no one read and almost everyone passed in the middle of the night. The good news is that the special session is over.

So what does it all mean? We believe that the police will become more apprehensive because they will have to put their instinct on the shelf in order to critically evaluate intense situations that can go fatal in moments. They are outlawing chokeholds  (good move) and warrior-style training. They are creating another investigative unit, this time over at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. This group is in addition to Internal Affairs, and the case will still have to go to the County Attorney. The Democrats wanted the Attorney General to handle all cases with a murder or alleged sexual assault. They want more de-escalation training, government oversight, and paperwork. They also suggest local programs to give police property tax breaks and fix up loans to live in the same city that they arrest people in. Ummm... that won't end well. The best part? The Republicans and Democrats agree that this is only a first step. Don't close your eyes on this one.

We also discuss the statewide mask mandate... Did you know that local government can write laws that are more strict than the Governor's order? As with all of Caesar Walz's edicts, there is no time frame. All emergencies are perpetual and without limit.

Walzie also finally released his big plan for public schools reopening. The big reveal? "I don't know, figure it out yourself" (paraphrased). Don't confuse this with local control, because there are so many pages of guidelines and regulations, and the schools have less than a month to figure out how to do it all. They have to get their plan together at least a week before they open, giving parents absolutely no time to prepare. Our state government is a dumpster fire, folks.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Well… it’s time for school to start again, or is it? Governor Walz is having a big meeting on July 27th, with a public statement possibly by July 30th. We could have school as normal, distance learning, or a hybrid solution of distance and in-school learning. Do teacher’s really want to go back? Not if you listen to the teachers’ unions. They are making lists of demands. In fact, Los Angeles’ 17 page diatribe is insane, and they are refusing to agree to go back unless their demands are met. They want billions of dollars in funding, Medicare for all, a wealth tax, a separate millionaire’s tax, defund the police, housing security, paid sick leave, put a moratorium on charter schools, and funneling aid to undocumented illegals.

Education MN has their own list of goals. They believe that health needs to come before the economy, casting the welfare of the same families into dire straights. They also want to solve the inequities of the state’s families before they go back. They desire more sick days for teachers and families. They need (again) billions of dollars to make changes like additional hand washing stations and other changes to school facilities. These games are creating an actual education gap. We need to do something different in schooling. Where are the disruptors? It’s time for the next era of education.

We also play a game show around a list of “attributes of whiteness” as released (and then removed after two months and some push back) by the Smithsonian. I think you will be surprised at the attributes they consider as being “white”, and conversely, what attributes then are attributed to non-whites. It’s super racist, and they merely removed the graphic, but there is still this…

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- It’s peak COVID Day!!! Well, at least it was supposed to be, but the experts were once again waaaaaayyy off. They were only off, however by 96% on occupied hospital beds and 99% off in deaths. Yet the emergency continues. Had enough of the scam, Minnesota?

How do you know how dishonest a city or county government is? Look no further than mandatory mask laws. More and more Minnesota entities are falling for this canard. Now, we’re not saying that masks don’t work at all, but when these people that kayak or bicycle by themselves with a mask on and then demand of Governor Walz that every Minnesotan (even those in Lake of the Woods County, which has zero recorded cases) strap these suffocation machines to their face, they actually believe that their voice is more equal than yours. There are times when (even) Andrew and Jason choose to wear them when around more vulnerable people, but  to suggest that we aren’t smart enough to choose as to whether we can social distance on our own, whether we wear a mask or not in each situation, or whether to enter into a certain area, tells us that certain people believe that we’re too stupid to think for ourselves. Our guaranteed freedom leaves the choice with us, not some all-knowing authoritarian.

Governor Walz  is continuing his perpetual state of emergency until August 12th (for now). He wants to be able to have dictatorial powers over whether the schools open or not in the fall. The Senate has voted again to end the “emergency”, but the House has opted to continue. We’re not even following laws anymore. We’re being ruled by executive orders, and it’s not the American way.

A number of Minnesota universities, cities, and counties have passed regulations that require face masks be worn. The list is growing as more places consider it. Don’t be surprised if a statewide mandate comes down the pike at some point. The governor is trying to bribe House Republicans to pass it.

Also, we show you how local governments sell big new projects a la Plymouth’s proposed $52 million Plymouth Creek Center project (plus an additional $9 million in renovations). Beware, so that you can spot their tactics in your city!

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- It’s peak COVID Day!!! Well, at least it was supposed to be, but the experts were once again waaaaaayyy off. They were only off, however by 96% on occupied hospital beds and 99% off in deaths. Yet the emergency continues. Had enough of the scam, Minnesota?

How do you know how dishonest a city or county government is? Look no further than mandatory mask laws. More and more Minnesota entities are falling for this canard. Now, we’re not saying that masks don’t work at all, but when these people that kayak or bicycle by themselves with a mask on and then demand of Governor Walz that every Minnesotan (even those in Lake of the Woods County, which has zero recorded cases) strap these suffocation machines to their face, they actually believe that their voice is more equal than yours. There are times when (even) Andrew and Jason choose to wear them when around more vulnerable people, but  to suggest that we aren’t smart enough to choose as to whether we can social distance on our own, whether we wear a mask or not in each situation, or whether to enter into a certain area, tells us that certain people believe that we’re too stupid to think for ourselves. Our guaranteed freedom leaves the choice with us, not some all-knowing authoritarian.

Governor Walz  is continuing his perpetual state of emergency until August 12th (for now). He wants to be able to have dictatorial powers over whether the schools open or not in the fall. The Senate has voted again to end the “emergency”, but the House has opted to continue. We’re not even following laws anymore. We’re being ruled by executive orders, and it’s not the American way.

A number of Minnesota universities, cities, and counties have passed regulations that require face masks be worn. The list is growing as more places consider it. Don’t be surprised if a statewide mandate comes down the pike at some point. The governor is trying to bribe House Republicans to pass it.

Also, we show you how local governments sell big new projects a la Plymouth’s proposed $52 million Plymouth Creek Center project (plus an additional $9 million in renovations). Beware, so that you can spot their tactics in your city!

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode, Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Back in the 20th century, we had a good idea of what socialism/communism were, and that we wanted no part of it. Within just a few short years, my how things have changed. Why has society seemed to disintegrate overnight? Believe me, this wasn't an accident or a surprise to those that have been pushing things in this direction over the last 100 years. Why are all of these people suddenly in favor of tearing everything down in order to implement something that is not at all American?

Karl Marx and Fredrich Engles wrote the Communist Manifesto, and laid out 10 planks of communism. We have implemented these planks in the United States to differing degrees. Traditionally, socialism has positioned itself as a worker's movement. In America, however, most workers are pretty satisfied. So, the Marxists have had to employ Karl Marx's Critical Theory to pull on issues like racism and homophobia to demonize capitalism and those that support it. These ideas have taken root in the policies of local governments. We see everything from defunding the police, to the dishonest 1619 Project in our schools, the calls for equity, and Marxists roaming our streets and making policy in our city councils. We have to learn how to identify Marxism before it takes hold at the local level and becomes impossible to uproot.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- There’s still a ton of news happening about protesters, tearing down statues, defunding police, autonomous zones headed up by anarchists, etc, etc…. we, however, have made an executive decision to take a week and add our voice to those asking for transformation of our government. Our wish list sounds a little different (ok, radically) from the roving bands of anarchists and socialists, but we’re still lobbying for change.

What would we like to see happen in cities, counties, and school districts? Why? How do we feel about Statutory Cities versus Charter Cities? Are at-large elections better than wards? We discuss how to get the most equal representation. Almost every city in Minnesota has what is called a “weak mayor”. We compare that with the concept of a strong mayor, and how that would work in a smaller city. Do even or odd year elections engage more people? We discuss why special elections are always better than appointments.

The levels of debt that cities are taking on should scare residents. The interest costs you so much more, and when we go into another financial downturn, cities need to be on better financial footing. How do we budget for all of these projects and expenditures ahead of time? Is that even possible?

Minnesota, we have a lot of work to do. The good news is that it’s winnable, but it’s winnable if (and only if) we stand together and actually get some skin in the game. We have to consider voluntarily sacrificing a little of our own freedom and security (by standing for what we believe in, not by giving in to the government) in order to gain freedom and security for our children and grandchildren.

Andrew also tests Jason’s knowledge on electoral history, and we geek out a bit on the Roaring 20’s.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- There’s still a ton of news happening about protesters, tearing down statues, defunding police, autonomous zones headed up by anarchists, etc, etc…. we, however, have made an executive decision to take a week and add our voice to those asking for transformation of our government. Our wish list sounds a little different (ok, radically) from the roving bands of anarchists and socialists, but we’re still lobbying for change.

What would we like to see happen in cities, counties, and school districts? Why? How do we feel about Statutory Cities versus Charter Cities? Are at-large elections better than wards? We discuss how to get the most equal representation. Almost every city in Minnesota has what is called a “weak mayor”. We compare that with the concept of a strong mayor, and how that would work in a smaller city. Do even or odd year elections engage more people? We discuss why special elections are always better than appointments.

The levels of debt that cities are taking on should scare residents. The interest costs you so much more, and when we go into another financial downturn, cities need to be on better financial footing. How do we budget for all of these projects and expenditures ahead of time? Is that even possible?

Minnesota, we have a lot of work to do. The good news is that it’s winnable, but it’s winnable if (and only if) we stand together and actually get some skin in the game. We have to consider voluntarily sacrificing a little of our own freedom and security (by standing for what we believe in, not by giving in to the government) in order to gain freedom and security for our children and grandchildren.

Andrew also tests Jason’s knowledge on electoral history, and we geek out a bit on the Roaring 20’s.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- So Minneapolis wants to get rid of their police department, huh? The call spread like wildfire across the nation to either defund or disband the various police departments altogether. Minneapolis unanimously passed a resolution to start delegating some of the tasks to social workers and other bureaucrats. They are unable to disband the police entirely, due to the provisions set forth in Minneapolis' City Charter (7.3(c)). It says "Funding. The City Council must fund a police force of at least 0.0017 employees per resident, and provide for those employees' compensation, for which purpose it may tax the taxable property in the City up to 0.3 percent of its value annually." They would have to put the matter to a public ballot, and we doubt that they have the public support to pass the measure. We know, however, that we will have to watch how the question is phrased, because they will try to make it as confusing as possible.

The federal, state, and local governments are all scrambling over themselves to do "something". Do they focus on the violence? Do they call out radical groups like Antifa as part of the problem? Of course not! The problem is strictly the police and those individuals who don't subscribe to their "woke" philosophy. Last week the Democrats introduced a list of Police Accountability and Reform Legislative Priorities. It addressed all sorts of great things like: use of force, alternatives to policing, police oversight reform, voting restoration (what?), community healing (again, what?), independent prosecution and investigation reform, training expansion, and warrior training and choke holds prohibited. What are we doing? We're going to run into doing "something" so fast, that we're going to be less safe and less free. This will only empower the radicals.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- When we last left you, Minneapolis was being burned to the ground. Rioters were running rampant through the city. In just a week, the riots spread across the nation, and protests are being heard around the world. We watched our city burn, minority business owners lose their business, and our elected politicians sit on their hands until it was too late. Even now, they continue to pander, even with proof that radical anarchist groups like Antifa are fomenting so much of this violence.

What grand strategy is Minneapolis proposing to fix all of this? To dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department! Are they insane? Don't answer that. Minneapolis is going to lose business, conventions, sports revenue, and more. The council has a veto proof majority to do this, and there is nothing Mayor Jacob Frey will be able to do about it. To top it off, Anoka County Sheriff, James Stuart, has already stated on Twitter that he won't come bail them out if they go forward with this.

If this starts, where does it end? The Mayor of Los Angeles just took $150 Million away from the LAPD. This country is on the quick slide to lawlesness. We are discussing leaving our citizens in our cities defenseless. We will be first in line to condemn police officers that use unnecessary force. That stuff's got to stop. Most officers aren't like that though. There's got to be something we can do, and we need to act quick. We have to organize at the ballot box around our local elections. The time to ignore them is over. We need candidates. Fortunate thing... that's our specialty.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- When we last left you, Minneapolis was being burned to the ground. Rioters were running rampant through the city. In just a week, the riots spread across the nation, and protests are being heard around the world. We watched our city burn, minority business owners lose their business, and our elected politicians sit on their hands until it was too late. Even now, they continue to pander, even with proof that radical anarchist groups like Antifa are fomenting so much of this violence.

What grand strategy is Minneapolis proposing to fix all of this? To dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department! Are they insane? Don't answer that. Minneapolis is going to lose business, conventions, sports revenue, and more. The council has a veto proof majority to do this, and there is nothing Mayor Jacob Frey will be able to do about it. To top it off, Anoka County Sheriff, James Stuart, has already stated on Twitter that he won't come bail them out if they go forward with this.

If this starts, where does it end? The Mayor of Los Angeles just took $150 Million away from the LAPD. This country is on the quick slide to lawlesness. We are discussing leaving our citizens in our cities defenseless. We will be first in line to condemn police officers that use unnecessary force. That stuff's got to stop. Most officers aren't like that though. There's got to be something we can do, and we need to act quick. We have to organize at the ballot box around our local elections. The time to ignore them is over. We need candidates. Fortunate thing... that's our specialty.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- This was a podcast that we weren't very excited to record. There was no avoiding the topic this week as the fires were already raging long before we hit the microphone. In a completely unnecessary and tragic event, the barbaric actions of former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, ended the life of George Floyd. This kind of thing has to stop. The violence has to stop. The rioting has to stop. At the time of recording, we hadn't even seen law enforcement present on the streets, let alone the National Guard. Our "leadership" has been a complete and utter failure. They have been absent. They look stumped for answers when they do come out of hiding. Instead of straight answers, we get partisan rhetoric. It's not helpful and it's part of the problem.

We're still hearing about white supremacists in the area, but not a word about Antifa, despite clear evidence of their presence. Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey, decided to give the 3rd Police Precinct over to the rioters. Small business owners have lost their businesses, life savings, and life's work. Our cities are being boarded up and we're, again, being told to go inside because of the inept leadership of Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey. We can only pray that this ends soon, and life can finally, after long last, go back to normal. We need some real leadership in this state, and I don't know when we'll ever get it.

In the name of a little levity, we discuss one of the most entertaining gubernatorial debates in Minnesota history. We also preview a couple of upcoming shows, including the impending bonding bill, extending the executive emergency order, and local emergency orders.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

commsolutionsmn.com- Governor Walz has finally succumb to the pressure and vowed to open things up. Did he really open things up or just give the impression that he was opening them? Churches are allowed to have up to 10 people per service, no matter the size of the sanctuary (or if it's inside or outside). It takes 10 people or more just to run a service! (Note: since the recording of this podcast, the Governor has backed off and allowed 25% attendance). Restaurants and bars are allowed to open with heavy stipulations on June 1st. Hospitality MN was lead to believe that there would be indoor dining available, but now only those with outdoor seating are allowed. These places have already been training staff, preparing their establishment, and ordering inventory. Barbers and salons can operate at 25%. Right now there are more questions than answers. This is either a miserable failure or coordinated confusion to keep things from opening.

How is this considered reopening? How can a business generate enough profit to stay afloat? This is a no plan/plan. This is meant to placate the masses, while local businesses still have to fear closing their doors. Unemployment is at the highest rate in Minnesota since 1983. We must continue to make noise and put pressure on the Governor to get out of the way of business. We have lost many businesses forever already, and there will be more casualties if the government foot isn't taken off their throat. In fact, some fear that up to 50% of Minnesota restaurants could close permanently by the time this is all over. 

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com-  Hallelujah! The lockdown is finally ending! We have been waiting for weeks. First, we needed to flatten the curve and find more hospital beds. We did that, but it didn’t end anything. Then testing was promised and it didn’t happen. Protecting the vulnerable was promised weeks too late, and it still hasn’t happened. We’ve had plenty of quarantining the healthy. We’ve been told no non-essential businesses are to be open. Churches can’t practice their faith per the first amendment. Only essential travel was allowed and people are getting sick and tired of their imprisonment.

All indications were that the governor was going to extend the stay at home order into June. Twenty-four hours later the internet was abuzz with rumors that he was going to lift it. What changed in 24 hours? It sure wasn’t science.Let me tell you folks, it was purely political pressure. People are angry. Entrepreneurs are told that they can’t open their businesses, unless you are the friend of the Governor with a candy store or a big box store. Graduation parties were outlawed. Schools may not reopen in the fall. Camping is not allowed. Churches were restricted from doing most of their work. There is a list of restrictions a mile long and it’s as arbitrary as can be.

There is a growing list of businesses that were ready to open regardless of what the Governor says. The Catholic church was set to start masses again at a 30% capacity. People just started living again. There are lawsuits and protests against Governor Walz. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that it was not constitutional for Governor Evers to continue his lockdown. Police departments, sheriffs, counties, and cities are refusing to enforce the Governor’s orders. The governor had no choice but to back down and change course overnight. The handwriting is on the wall.

Is it really all over? Will he back off and let things happen? Retail stores will be open so long as they have a safety plan in place. Many other businesses (restaurants, bars, salons, etc) will still have to sit on the sidelines and wait for approval to earn a living. Churches can have services of 10 people (which is about the size of the staff needed to run a Sunday). Personal gatherings of 10 or fewer people are allowed. Summer camps, grad parties, sports… it’s still all up in the air. And then there’s always what happens if there is an uptick in cases again. No, we’re not yet out of the woods. Do not go back to sleep!

We also answer a listener question and pull back the curtain a little to explain some of the magic that makes the Community Solutions podcast work. Are we scripted? Do we rehearse? How much research do we actually do? How do we come up with our material for each episode? We spill the beans this week! Keep your questions coming!

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com-  Hallelujah! The lockdown is finally ending! We have been waiting for weeks. First, we needed to flatten the curve and find more hospital beds. We did that, but it didn’t end anything. Then testing was promised and it didn’t happen. Protecting the vulnerable was promised weeks too late, and it still hasn’t happened. We’ve had plenty of quarantining the healthy. We’ve been told no non-essential businesses are to be open. Churches can’t practice their faith per the first amendment. Only essential travel was allowed and people are getting sick and tired of their imprisonment.

All indications were that the governor was going to extend the stay at home order into June. Twenty-four hours later the internet was abuzz with rumors that he was going to lift it. What changed in 24 hours? It sure wasn’t science.Let me tell you folks, it was purely political pressure. People are angry. Entrepreneurs are told that they can’t open their businesses, unless you are the friend of the Governor with a candy store or a big box store. Graduation parties were outlawed. Schools may not reopen in the fall. Camping is not allowed. Churches were restricted from doing most of their work. There is a list of restrictions a mile long and it’s as arbitrary as can be.

There is a growing list of businesses that were ready to open regardless of what the Governor says. The Catholic church was set to start masses again at a 30% capacity. People just started living again. There are lawsuits and protests against Governor Walz. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that it was not constitutional for Governor Evers to continue his lockdown. Police departments, sheriffs, counties, and cities are refusing to enforce the Governor’s orders. The governor had no choice but to back down and change course overnight. The handwriting is on the wall.

Is it really all over? Will he back off and let things happen? Retail stores will be open so long as they have a safety plan in place. Many other businesses (restaurants, bars, salons, etc) will still have to sit on the sidelines and wait for approval to earn a living. Churches can have services of 10 people (which is about the size of the staff needed to run a Sunday). Personal gatherings of 10 or fewer people are allowed. Summer camps, grad parties, sports… it’s still all up in the air. And then there’s always what happens if there is an uptick in cases again. No, we’re not yet out of the woods. Do not go back to sleep!

We also answer a listener question and pull back the curtain a little to explain some of the magic that makes the Community Solutions podcast work. Are we scripted? Do we rehearse? How much research do we actually do? How do we come up with our material for each episode? We spill the beans this week! Keep your questions coming!

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Governor Walz is continuing his ridiculous shutdown order, and fiddling while Rome burns. There appears to be no science to what is locked down and why. You can buy things at multi-billion dollar Target corp, but can't buy those same things at a small business. We are being tracked and traced on our cell phones to see if we're social distancing (we're not). People are not being allowed to have graduation parties at their own homes. 

Did you know that the Minnesota constitution allows for the Governor to run a perpetual state of emergency if the legislature doesn't specifically vote to stop it? Why haven't we fixed this? We are stuck in this lockdown until Walz decides to end it.

The good news is that people (and local governments) are starting to fight back. They are taking their lives back from the stranglehold that is this Stay at Home order. Barber, Milan Dennie, in St. Paul opened up his shop with precautions in place, becaue he couldn't afford to stay closed anymore. He was raided by the local police and could be fined up to $25,000. He's not the only person opening and preparing to open back up. It is time that more people resist. The city of Lakefield, MN passed a resolution to not use any city resources to enforce Governor Walz's executive orders. Roseau passed a resolution to ask the governnor to allow businesses to open. McLeod County also unanimously passed their own resolution to ask for an end to the order. Some Metro churches and small business have also filed a lawsuit to reopen business.

We also give you our analysis on the Joe Biden/Tara Ried situation. The media (as usual) is ignoring anything that goes against their slant and it's destoying the people's faith in being able to find truth anywhere. Big Tech is supressing information they don't like. Where do we go when the fix is in?

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

commsolutionsmn.com- We welcome David Strom, organizer of Essential MN, to the podcast! Essential MN is rapidly growing on both Facebook and Twitter. He has taken Governor Walz to task over his handling of the Coronavirus outbreak. We are facing severe economic consequences because of the length of this lockdown has been based on fear and accumulation of power instead of science.

Farmers are pouring out tons of milk (literally) and putting down a slew of their livestock. This creates shortages in our supply chains. So many small businesses are in danger of not opening again. What are we going to do if things don’t open very soon? How do we recover any kind of an economy?

Instead, you have a governor that has decided to confer with some of the worst governors in the country (Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin) in passing strict restrictions to destroy our liberties, our businesses, and our finances. We have one of the lowest infection rates in the country, yet we continue to crush people unnecessarily. The Governor can’t back up his measures with numbers though, and that’s where David comes in. You don’t want to miss this one.

We also discuss the latest additions to the presidential race.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Andrew is back in the secret bunker this week and we spill the beans on his absence. Pause the podcast and enter your guess before we tell you!

There are going to be a number of impacts the city, county, and school governments because of the downturn in the economy. Tax collections in this state were $62 million short this year. The revenue collected from the state gas tax is going to come in way below normal as well. Government is still having to shell out for salaries, benefits, and pensions. Many non-essential municipal employees aren’t getting furloughed. Schools are shut down for the rest of the year and may not reopen in the fall. That’s a huge impact on parents. How will these entities make up the difference? Cities may turn to hidden taxes like assessments, fees, bonds, and the like to make up the difference. They may beg for Federal help. Are there any solutions? Yes, but it may hurt a little to set us upon good footing and eliminate all of this debt we’ve wracked up. 

We also discuss Governor Walz’s most recent press conference. He’s got great news!!! Is it a reopening of the economy? Are we free to exercise our religion again? No!!! We’ve got a plan to test more people! Now we’re cooking with gas!

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Andrew is back in the secret bunker this week and we spill the beans on his absence. Pause the podcast and enter your guess before we tell you!

There are going to be a number of impacts the city, county, and school governments because of the downturn in the economy. Tax collections in this state were $62 million short this year. The revenue collected from the state gas tax is going to come in way below normal as well. Government is still having to shell out for salaries, benefits, and pensions. Many non-essential municipal employees aren’t getting furloughed. Schools are shut down for the rest of the year and may not reopen in the fall. That’s a huge impact on parents. How will these entities make up the difference? Cities may turn to hidden taxes like assessments, fees, bonds, and the like to make up the difference. They may beg for Federal help. Are there any solutions? Yes, but it may hurt a little to set us upon good footing and eliminate all of this debt we’ve wracked up. 

We also discuss Governor Walz’s most recent press conference. He’s got great news!!! Is it a reopening of the economy? Are we free to exercise our religion again? No!!! We’ve got a plan to test more people! Now we’re cooking with gas!

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com-  Well, we are in the middle of an indefinite lockdown, and I think we are all losing track of time. That’s OK, because according to the federal government and the state of Minnesota, money is flowing like water! It’s true and you are able to get your hands on some of that green yourself... or maybe not.

Business are able to line up for emergency cash to keep their bills and employees paid, but who’s getting it? Big retailers like Sears, JCPenney, and J.Crew are on life-support.

In the recent federal stimulus bill, $300 Million was given to the Social Security Administration to keep the bureau running. $50 Million went to the Institute of Museum and Library services.  $75 Million was earmarked to PBS. How is that essential? $1 Billion was sent to Amtrak. $350 Million was spent in refugee assistance and resettlement. Free video conferencing and phone calls were legislated for inmates. How necessary is all of this?

Minnesota has also passed four of their own bailout bills. They authorized the Met Council to buy protective equipment for Metro Transit employees. They allowed for local governments to get around compliance with open meeting laws. And they spent a ton more.

We also discuss all of the recent authoritarian behavior from local governments and state governments against religion. We have seen too many instances in Michigan, Kentucky, Florida, and other states that have outright forbid people of faith from getting together at all, even with safe social distancing. These stories are a direct infringement upon the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and in some cases state constitutions as well. If we do not have rights now, during this time… Then we really do not have rights at all, for our rights do not protect us when things are going well, but are rather here to protect us when things are falling apart.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Come rain, snow, or CoronaVirus, we here at Community Solutions MN are dedicated to bringing you a fresh, new episode of the podcast. This state is tracking your cell phone data. They set up an East German, Stasi-like tip line on which to report your neighbors for congregating. It's like a race to see who can be the biggest tough guy. Edina's city manager is urging people to call the tip line when they see people who aren't social distancing. How can we have a society where neighbors trust each other, but fear being turned in for something? The mayor of Los Angeles is even going as far as praising and rewarding these little social spies.

Otter Tail County (and other counties) is telling people not to bother coming to their cabins for the summer. This will destroy their economy. Minneapolis has already shut down their public beaches and pools for the summer. Remember a couple of weeks ago when our illustrious Governor said that he doesn't want to arrest people or give fines that aren't at home? Well, we have 10 so far, and cities are starting to threaten to do more of it. In San Diego, people were fined $1,000 for watching the sunset. What? We have to start to speak up, because government is learning from us what we are willing to take. Governments are going around open meeting laws and quorums to make decisions. That's despotic behavior.  They are using the emergency to come against the 1st and second amendments of the constitution. Politicians with an ax to grind are coming against churches that are meeting, even with taking proper social distancing precautions. Bill DeBlasio has threatened to close the doors of churches permanently. The time to stand for our rights is right now. Once they think they can suspend them once, they will do it again.

We also break down the latest press conference from Governor Walz, extending our "Stay at Home" order until May 4th. His numbers don't seem to make sense. His plan seems to be overkill for the results we are seeing. 

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Come rain, snow, or CoronaVirus, we here at Community Solutions MN are dedicated to bringing you a fresh, new episode of the podcast. This state is tracking your cell phone data. They set up an East German, Stasi-like tip line on which to report your neighbors for congregating. It's like a race to see who can be the biggest tough guy. Edina's city manager is urging people to call the tip line when they see people who aren't social distancing. How can we have a society where neighbors trust each other, but fear being turned in for something? The mayor of Los Angeles is even going as far as praising and rewarding these little social spies.

Otter Tail County (and other counties) is telling people not to bother coming to their cabins for the summer. This will destroy their economy. Minneapolis has already shut down their public beaches and pools for the summer. Remember a couple of weeks ago when our illustrious Governor said that he doesn't want to arrest people or give fines that aren't at home? Well, we have 10 so far, and cities are starting to threaten to do more of it. In San Diego, people were fined $1,000 for watching the sunset. What? We have to start to speak up, because government is learning from us what we are willing to take. Governments are going around open meeting laws and quorums to make decisions. That's despotic behavior.  They are using the emergency to come against the 1st and second amendments of the constitution. Politicians with an ax to grind are coming against churches that are meeting, even with taking proper social distancing precautions. Bill DeBlasio has threatened to close the doors of churches permanently. The time to stand for our rights is right now. Once they think they can suspend them once, they will do it again.

We also break down the latest press conference from Governor Walz, extending our "Stay at Home" order until May 4th. His numbers don't seem to make sense. His plan seems to be overkill for the results we are seeing. 

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- It's all coronavirus all the time! Who needs a little break? We do. So what are we going to do about it? We're going to go back in our minds about six weeks and pretend like our country never came to a screeching halt at the mercy of this disease. Don't worry, this will be a short-lived vacation from reality, as we're already swamped with stories about local governments snatching freedom from the hands of its residents... just wait for it.

The government owns a lot of land... I mean, like  of land. They set aside national monuments and thousands upon thousands of acres around them. National forests, state parks, military bases, and government buildings litter the topography of our nation. States, counties, and cities are constantly feuding with the federal government, and local government is also fighting with the state government. The land comes off the tax rolls, and often ends up as recreational or off limits to the public altogether. The Feds own almost 85% of Nevada and almost 65% of Utah. That's insane! The states set aside a ton of land for themselves as well. The state of Minnesota owns 24% of the land! 

Obama declared 5000 square miles in the Atlantic Ocean a national monument. What? No one owns the ocean. They use eminent domain to take whatever they want from landowners. Why is the government in such a heavy acquisition mode? Meeker County had to turn down the DNR, who was trying to acquire land in the county. They said that once sold, the DNR will own it forever. Why is it so hard to hold on to your property when the government wants it? 

We also think it's high time that we give Andrew a little diagnosis for ADD. How did he fare? You'll have to listen to find out! 

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com-  We're in the thick of the Coronavirus outbreak here in the United States, and we're watching government step up and take away our liberties. As I write this, we just entered a state-wide "Stay-At-Home" order. We review the written order and compare it to the Governor's radio address. The two versions aren't exactly the same... and we're not sure why. While he said that he was asking people to stay home, there is a possibility of a misdemeanor, up to 90 days in jail, and up to $1000 fine. We uncover an article that shows that Golden Valley was investigating whether they could issue a shelter-in-place order ahead of Governor Walz's executive order. The mayor of Los Angeles is threatening to shut off the water and power to nonessential businesses that remain open during their shelter-in-place order. In American Fork, Utah, a criminal was let out of jail because of the Coronavirus, broke into a home, and attacked a lady with a knife. In Wake County, North Carolina, all new pistol and conceal carry permits have been halted. 

Also Congress just passed a $2 Trillion relief bill to try and keep America afloat. The Minnesota Legislature is trying to follow in their footsteps by passing a $330 Million spending bill. What's in all of this spending? Time will tell, but I'm sure its all extremely frugal and necessary. 

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We're full on in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the United States and we're on it! The government is poised and ready to amass a ton of power in the name of helping us overcome this pandemic. Never fear, the government is here! Governor Walz has been talking about following California and implement a shelter in place order that would punish those that venture out. He's still on the fence at the time of this writing. This is going to have some huge local impacts and we're here to tell you all about them!  

Our economy is suffering big time as so many people are losing their jobs or being laid off. No one is buying our 30 year Treasury bonds. People are hoarding the supplies that are getting to the stores. It's a jungle out there. Cities and counties are declaring emergencies and doing crazy things. County attorneys are discussing releasing criminals from jail because the outbreak is sweeping through the jails. Mayors in New Orleans and Champagne, IL declare that they can ban the sales of firearms, ammunition, and alcohol. To make the Illinois measure even worse, they reserve the right to close restaurants, shut off access to power and water, take property and the title to said property, and more. It's pretty much the worst we've seen. Back home in Silver Bay, MN, the council voted to give city staff the ability to make decisions in lieu of the city council. We're still early in this thing, so there's a whole lot of bad left to uncover. Stay tuned here, because like we already said... we're on top of it!

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- You can hardly talk about education in this state without bringing up Education MN. They are the major public educator union in the state. They have 80,000 members and use their money to great influence on the political scene. They spent $2 Million on elections in 2018 through their PAC. They also have a robust policy advocacy arm that uses union dues at the legislature for pushing things like: fully funding public schools, attracting and retaining teachers of color, lowering class sizes, hiring more support staff, etc. They are even willing to pay teachers to miss a day of work to go lobby at the capitol. They also keep an "enemies list" on their website. They push hard to make sure the environment is right for local referendums. Nowhere on the list of what they intend to do is increase graduation rates, increase scores in math and reading, or college readiness. Employees need someone to go to bat for them, but these unions shouldn't be messing with what gets taught. We need to start asking questions.

We also take some time to discuss the knowledge level of most Americans regarding George Washington, the Revolutionary War, and other important historic events in honor of President's Day.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Our laws are supposed to provide equal justice for the poor, rich, black, white, tall, short, long haired, or short haired. Have you noticed lately that certain groups of people get away with all sorts of wrong? There is a conscious effort to give a reprieve to certain groups of people when they break the rules. People in power believe that by practicing an unequal enforcement of the law, it will level the playing field for the less fortunate. Many cities are starting not to charge fares on public transit at all, so as to decriminalize those that refuse to pay. California is trying to sue any of its cities that cooperate with ICE. The Dallas County Attorney is not prosecuting theft of items under $750. These kinds of allowances only encourage more crime and the further breakdown of our society. Good people need to finally stand up and get involved in order to reverse harmful trends like this.

We also discuss the results of our predictions on the Iowa caucus and what we think is coming up next among the field of Democratic presidential candidates.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Today, on Episode 150 we welcome the original, the standard bearer, Mayor Mark Korin to the show! Mayor Korin has quite the tale to tell. He never intended to be mayor, but like us, local politics found him. The hubris of local politicians in Oak Grove, MN awakened something in him that compelled him to get involved. (Sound familiar?) He started on an advisory commission, got onto the city council, and eventually became mayor. He took on some city staff that thought that they ran the city instead of the council. He then went on to take on the Met Council, reduce taxes, and make Oak Grove a great place to live. We talk to Mark about his time in office and that there is a different way to run local government than what almost every other city in Minnesota seems to do. We also pry into his future plans. You don't want to miss this episode!

We recorded this episode before the Iowa Caucus... and while we're still not exactly sure who won, we're as close as we're gonna get. At any rate, we gave predictions. Guess how we did? One of us did slightly better than the other. 

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Today, on Episode 150 we welcome the original, the standard bearer, Mayor Mark Korin to the show! Mayor Korin has quite the tale to tell. He never intended to be mayor, but like us, local politics found him. The hubris of local politicians in Oak Grove, MN awakened something in him that compelled him to get involved. (Sound familiar?) He started on an advisory commission, got onto the city council, and eventually became mayor. He took on some city staff that thought that they ran the city instead of the council. He then went on to take on the Met Council, reduce taxes, and make Oak Grove a great place to live. We talk to Mark about his time in office and that there is a different way to run local government than what almost every other city in Minnesota seems to do. We also pry into his future plans. You don't want to miss this episode!

We recorded this episode before the Iowa Caucus... and while we're still not exactly sure who won, we're as close as we're gonna get. At any rate, we gave predictions. Guess how we did? One of us did slightly better than the other. 

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- You've seen them everywhere... those Metro Transit buses. They're passing you on the shoulder, pulling out into traffic without looking... but did you know they are not the only game in town? A handful of other groups in the Twin Cities also run bus lines, moving passengers around town. You have separate lines in Maple Grove, Plymouth, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, and Southwest. Each of these groups belong to the Suburban Transit Association, who help advocate for more dollars for these entities (including pushing for bonding authority). They are buying all of these new electric, green buses in the name of saving the planet, but still using the old buses to run around the suburbs. When is enough transit enough? How are they going to pay for all of this when we all know that fares don't cover the operational cost, let alone maintenance? We need to understand the issue before we can do something about it.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- You've seen them everywhere... those Metro Transit buses. They're passing you on the shoulder, pulling out into traffic without looking... but did you know they are not the only game in town? A handful of other groups in the Twin Cities also run bus lines, moving passengers around town. You have separate lines in Maple Grove, Plymouth, Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, and Southwest. Each of these groups belong to the Suburban Transit Association, who help advocate for more dollars for these entities (including pushing for bonding authority). They are buying all of these new electric, green buses in the name of saving the planet, but still using the old buses to run around the suburbs. When is enough transit enough? How are they going to pay for all of this when we all know that fares don't cover the operational cost, let alone maintenance? We need to understand the issue before we can do something about it.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- St. Louis Park is mulling over whether to implement a local sales tax to redo a number of their streets to make room for more pedestrians and bicyclers. The local sales tax is supposed to be used for projects with regional impacts. You'd be hard pressed to explain the regional importance of any of these projects. What we have here, is the effort of a city to find the justification to collect yet another tax. This is yet another hidden tax that will be hard to quantify, but you will be paying it every time you buy anything in St. Louis Park. They want to create more complete streets so that it is harder for you to drive. This is the new scam across the state to steal more of your hard earned dollars. Make sure you understand it before it comes to your neighborhood.

Also Andrew decides to take a walk down memory lane, waxing poetic about his days in Robbinsdale.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- St. Louis Park is mulling over whether to implement a local sales tax to redo a number of their streets to make room for more pedestrians and bicyclers. The local sales tax is supposed to be used for projects with regional impacts. You'd be hard pressed to explain the regional importance of any of these projects. What we have here, is the effort of a city to find the justification to collect yet another tax. This is yet another hidden tax that will be hard to quantify, but you will be paying it every time you buy anything in St. Louis Park. They want to create more complete streets so that it is harder for you to drive. This is the new scam across the state to steal more of your hard earned dollars. Make sure you understand it before it comes to your neighborhood.

Also Andrew decides to take a walk down memory lane, waxing poetic about his days in Robbinsdale.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We have begun to hear what some of the legislative goals are in St. Paul for 2020. On a good note, the Senate Republicans want to cut taxes on social security for our seniors... but should money taken out in taxes for 40 years be taxed at all? They also want use the "surplus" to hand out tax cuts... but don't address the fact that a surplus only happens when we overpay. Governor Walz wants to spend $2 Billion in a bonding package, the Democrats want more, and the Republicans are prepared to work with the Democrats. Why did we elect you, again? They also want to get tougher on felons who possess firearms. Governor Walz would like to implement red flag laws and universal background checks."The Fonz" (Rep Ryan Winkler) wants to reduce marijuana legislation. The legislature also cites the importance of school choice, but don't really say what they want to do about it. It sounds like another rousing session of accomplishing nothing.

What if we were able to put a Legislative Action Coalition together to lobby the Legislature? What local issues would we tackle? What would we ask for? We have a little fun putting together our 2020 legislative platform.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Public school districts will often have an official group called a Legislative Action Coalition (LAC). They are a lobbying group that is supposed to be made up from people in the community. When you read their platform, however, you begin to question whether that's true.  You'd expect to see planks about graduation rates, student achievement, teacher accountability, etc., but no. It is obviously written by some outside group. They want to get rid of referendums, so that voters don't get to approve their increases. They want a more diverse workforce. They are pushing a for tiered licensing system. None of these things are issues parents worry about. Every school district seems to have most of the same goals, so there's no way it's written locally. We look at Robbinsdale, Hopkins,  Osseo, and Grand Rapids to prove it.

In the Local Lowdown, we follow up on some news from the President's Executive Order that allows for counties to opt out of taking mass refugees.  Beltrami county decided to opt out of having mass refugee settlements. House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (The Fonz) threatened Beltrami County to pull state funding if they don't change their minds. So much for local control.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We are going to jump right on the third rail issue of immigration today. Refugees have been getting placed here into tightly cloistered settlements in cities like St. Cloud and Worthington. We firmly believe that we need an improved immigration process to get more of the best people in here. We also believe that we need an orderly process, and it shouldn't be a free for all. President Trump signed Executive Order 13888 to give counties a choice as to whether they want to be part of the federal program to resettle refugees in their area. These counties are all upset that they are being given a choice instead of being forced by the Federal Government. What?!?!?! A few MN counties (such as Kandiyohi) have already opted in. Only one (Beltrami) has opted out. The problem isn't immigration. It is all of the free stuff given to refugees on the backs of residents. It becomes overwhelming to taxpayers when entire groups move in at once. 

In the Local Lowdown, the City of St. Paul has created a new office that handles Renters Rights, Worker's Co-ops, and children's college savings accounts. While handing out the rental licenses, they complain about the access to affordable housing. They have driven homeowners out of the city, to where there are disproportionately more renters. They have also implemented a policy that gives all children born in St. Paul a whopping $50 for college. Don't spend that all in one semester!

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- While our "leaders" in Washington D.C. are distracting us with this Soviet-like show trial of an impeachment, they all passed a $1.4 trillion spending bill. This bill is full of garbage. Why are we talking about this bill? Because there will be local impacts because of the unconstitutional overreach o both our Democrat-led House of Representatives and our Republican-led Senate. This bill was released and passed in the House under the cover of night and under the cover of impeachment. The Senate passed it a day later without any discussion. All of Washington is out of control.

Tobacco21 was passed as the law of the land in this spending bill. How does that even work? The cities in each state have been fighting this one by one, and now the Federal Government stream rolled all of them. Thousands of Liberians will be given a path to citizenship. Minnesota has one of the largest populations of Liberians in the country. In an even more egregious move, migrant workers can come here to work, have the cartel bring their kids here afterward, and the migrant worker can "sponsor" their own kids and can never be removed from the country. $425 Million was approved for "election security upgrades". Money was given to legitimize "common sense" gun laws and engage in firearm research.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Governor Walz just signed an executive order to recommit Minnesota to tackle the "problem" of climate change. We are not hitting our goals in regulating emissions, so we've got to become even stricter in our regulations. MN has also joined the Under2 Coalition... when all else fails let's join another club. Joining this club guides governance and policy making towards driving the goal of zero emissions. The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board is going after cars to get people to take transit or drive electric vehicles. They will regulate every new development and building project. They even try to give "helpful hints" on how to make your next party or funeral environmentally friendly. They create a crisis and then tell us how to limit our lifestyles in order solve this manufactured problem. Our private property rights are being chipped away at, and sometimes being downright bulldozed over. We have to know what they are trying to do in order make sure we stand against their encroachments.

In the Local Lowdown, St. Cloud State is dropping it's football and golf to comply with Title IX. Apparently there are too many opportunities for men... but hey, at least they are adding soccer.

Under the catagory of worst ideas, the Mayor of Fairfield, Iowa was selected by a "blind drawing" after a tie. Why can't we take our elections seriously?

You also find out quite a bit about our own Andrew Richter in a rousing game of "Would You Rather".

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Have you ever wondered how all of these local politicians can call themselves "fiscal conservatives"? They may hold the line on the annual tax levy, but they are willing to rack up debt for all of these "wonderful" projects. They go into debt, because you won't see all of their spending on your annual property tax statement. You have to go near the end of the lengthy Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) to find where they bury all of this spending. We discuss the difference between a general obligation bond and a lease revenue bond, and how they work. We look into the atrocious debt levels of Maple Grove, Three Rivers Park District, Grand Rapids, Burnsville, and more. We show you how and where to find the tens of millions of dollars that they all seem to be in debt. What if there is an economic downturn? It is time for a culture change in how we approach debt. 

In the Local Lowdown, residents are up in arms because the Rochester City Council wants to give Elton Hills Drive a "road diet" (making a four lane road two lanes with a center turn lane) to make a complete street. It's not just for urban areas anymore.

Also, we discuss Michael Bloomberg jumping into the presidential race as Kamala Harris is jumping out. We tell you what we think it all means.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- I know... we're a Minnesota-centric show. We always say, however, that what goes on here is happening everywhere. National special interests pass along their policies through the National League of Cities to the state Leagues to the cities themselves. Can this be true? We take a look at South Bend, Indiana. No one is talking about Mayor Pete Buttigieg's job in the Midwestern town, so we will. It's kind of important to know his mayoral record, since he is running for president. It's also important that we start to connect the dots to show that these cities are all the same. The South Bend website looks like a campaign piece for "Mayor Pete". Is that even legal? All the favorites are here... equity, transit funding, war on cars, affordable housing, climate action plans, biking, complete streets, and more. Between that and the gang violence, the good mayor is doing a smash up job. You will see that South Bend is no different than the average Minnesota city. Now what are you going to do about it?

In the Local Lowdown,some idiot physically assaulted an educational assistant at Robbinsdale Armstrong high school, while some "hero" broadcast it on social media. The kicker? It was his first day back from suspension... for fighting. Real classy. Speaking of which, unruly teens brought about the end of New Hope's Duk Duk Days for good. I guess enforcing the law is just too hard.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- The MN Department of Education recently put out a survey that should make parents very worried. They asked students super personal questions that they had no rights to ask them. They gathered information about gender identity, sexual orientation, after school supervision,  drug and alcohol use, mental health, and plenty more invasive questions... including questions about you (their parents). After reading through this as a parent, how can you not be totally upset that your school district would ask some of these questions of your children? Also, some of these numbers verify that the things that schools have been pushing (gender identity, equity, fewer suspensions, etc) are not an issue for almost every child that took the survey. Then what are we doing spending all this time, money, and resources on something that's not a problem? Why all of the programs? Ok, can we just get back to reading, writing, and 'rithmetic already?

We review what the fine taxpayers of ISD 281 are getting for the money they volunteered to give up to the district in the last referendum. Let's just say they are spending a ton of money on hiring non-educational staff. They've hired a number of Equity Specialists to do "something". Yeah, we're not sure what they do either.

Lastly, we also breakdown the whole impeachment debacle. Was there bribery? Was there quid pro quo? Are the media and the democrats running the biggest scam in history? This thing is rotten to the core and the media isn't giving you the full story. We tell you what we know.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- What if you had to pay a local income tax on top of everything else that is required of you? It's not so far-fetched a question. Counties, cities, and school districts across the nation impose a local income tax. You'd be surprised at the states that do and don't have them. It is not even close to a left-right breakdown. They can be assessed on those that live and work in a given city. They can be charged in addition to property taxes. They could be based on income or on a percentage of state taxes paid. They can be withheld... then again maybe not. There seems to be as many ways to devise these taxes as the human mind can dream up. Listen in and learn what to watch out for. We don't want to ever allow this to take hold in Minnesota.

In the Local Lowdown, everyone's favorite mayor is back in the news, as she is touting the new solar panels on her house. It is a very expensive project, but not for her. The big secret is that you (the taxpayer) paid for 2/3 of it ($18,000). Some things never change...

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We've said it so many times that y'all know exactly how we feel about odd year elections... we hate them. Very few people show up, so a small cabal can sway an entire election, and the rest of the electorate is stuck with whomever is selected. Golden Valley is one of those cities that employs these odd year contests. Andrew recently wrote an article on the subject, but we're going to give you a deeper look into the election. This year's race saw Mayor Shep Harris retain his seat over current City Council Member, Steve Schmidgall, but saw the DFL stalwarts Schmidgall and Joni Clausen being replaced by far left activists Maurice Harris and Kimberly Sanberg. They are looking to change zoning codes to increase density and low income housing, employ radical environmental policies, push social justice causes. Sanberg belongs to radical groups like NOW, Women Winning (abortion rights group), Stonewall DFL, Outfront and Minnesota. They are union-endorsed. They will join current Council Member Gillian Rosenquist to push Golden Valley even further to the left. So long, we hardly knew ye...

The city of Boston is talking about renaming Dudley Square to Nubian Square in a non-binding vote. Why have an election for something, when the vote doesn't result in anything? So, we're going to change the name from a former governor of Massachusetts (that owned slaves) to honor the ancient Egyptians? Hello? Remember the book of Exodus? Don't ask us... we just report the news. We don't get it either.

Also, congratulations to Dan Specht, who was on our podcast (Episode 132), because of a special election he was running in for Ward 3 in Ramsey. He won handily (60%-40%) over Josh Fuhreck.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Educators for Excellence is a national group with local chapters (Minnesota is no exception), that is looking to get teachers elected to state and federal office. Their positions are far left, and they are determined to get them implemented. They are anti-school choice, in favor of equity over equality, and against discipline. They don't believe that grades are fair and we find ourselves removing every form of reward for those students that are driven to achieve. They want to increase diversity in the work force over just hiring good teachers. They are for open borders. Despite being a state-wide group, all of their leadership is straight out of Minneapolis/St. Paul (minus one from Mankato). They are a well-funded group from foundations and large companies. They are moving forward with their goals to elect far-left people, so are we going to put up some opposition? We need your help Minnesota!

We also discuss the recent case in Texas, where a child's mother has been attempting to change her eight year old son's gender against the father's wishes. The judge had originally sided with the mother, but that may be changing. This is child abuse, plain and simple. Someone needs to put their foot down before a generation of kids are so messed up that we never recover.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- It is that time again, where cities have passed their preliminary levies, and are beginning to discuss what the final numbers will be come December. Truth in taxation hearings will be occurring in about a month, but we've got the bad news for you early. The levy can't go past the preliminary amount, but it usually doesn't change either. We take a look at a few cities and counties like Detroit Lakes, Forest Lake, St. Louis County, New Hope, and St. Paul. Some of these preliminary levies are huge. Others may not seem large, until you couple the higher city taxes with the increased county and school levies as well. All levels of government seem to keep asking for more and more money, and we take home less and less. A couple of these places have increased taxes so much (again) that you'd think that people would brandish torches and pitchforks and run for office themselves, but in these cities... You're going to want to hear these so you can be aware of what's coming to your community.

In the Local Lowdown, we discuss the push for walkability in current planning trends. It's the goal to make all development more compact so that people can walk to get groceries, do their laundry, or eat out. They implement SMART Growth policies like mixed use development, Transit Oriented Development, wider sidewalks, parking maximums, etc. They try to encourage walking and discourage driving by building these miniature communities that have everything you need. The war on cars is alive and well!

We also discuss the recent move by the NBA to support the Chinese Government over Hong Kong. Don't worry, they've only killed about 60 million people. Let me know how that works out for ya.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- It is that time again, where cities have passed their preliminary levies, and are beginning to discuss what the final numbers will be come December. Truth in taxation hearings will be occurring in about a month, but we've got the bad news for you early. The levy can't go past the preliminary amount, but it usually doesn't change either. We take a look at a few cities and counties like Detroit Lakes, Forest Lake, St. Louis County, New Hope, and St. Paul. Some of these preliminary levies are huge. Others may not seem large, until you couple the higher city taxes with the increased county and school levies as well. All levels of government seem to keep asking for more and more money, and we take home less and less. A couple of these places have increased taxes so much (again) that you'd think that people would brandish torches and pitchforks and run for office themselves, but in these cities... You're going to want to hear these so you can be aware of what's coming to your community.

In the Local Lowdown, we discuss the push for walkability in current planning trends. It's the goal to make all development more compact so that people can walk to get groceries, do their laundry, or eat out. They implement SMART Growth policies like mixed use development, Transit Oriented Development, wider sidewalks, parking maximums, etc. They try to encourage walking and discourage driving by building these miniature communities that have everything you need. The war on cars is alive and well!

We also discuss the recent move by the NBA to support the Chinese Government over Hong Kong. Don't worry, they've only killed about 60 million people. Let me know how that works out for ya.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Have you ever watched a local level debate for city council? Chances are it was put on by a "nonpartisan" group called The League of Women Voters. They say they are nonpartisan, but their stated agenda is anything but. From counting everyone in the census (regardless of citizenship), to abolishing the electoral college, abortion rights, gun control, and automatic voter registration. They also state in their own documents the believed supremacy of international over U.S. law. How can you even say that you're nonpartisan when all of your positions read like a democrat press release? There is a state-run organization with local chapters that push their policies across the state. Yet, they get to put on these local candidate forums and push their lopsided agenda as we try to learn which candidate aligns most with us.

Also, because of a couple of weeks of interviews, we delayed this coming out a bit, but we recorded it on Constitution Day and take some time to discuss the importance of the constitution, how some of the important history around it has been lost, and the harm caused to today's society because we no longer follow it. Even better, it's National Roundabouts Week! 

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutions.com- We've mentioned county attorneys on the podcast, but haven't really discussed what they do. It is an elected position, but one that we haven't taken seriously (just like any other nonpartisan position in this state). So few of them are contested. They are involved in everything from child and juvenile protection, to enforcing child support, to handling misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor lawsuits, to working on grand jury cases, and much, much more. County attorneys are overstepping the boundaries of their elected position by outright declaring that they will refuse to prosecute certain crimes (Dallas County, Shelby County, ), and lobbying for the creation and rescinding of certain laws. Some just make it up as they go along. Like every other nonpartisan job, political slants have began to make their way in to color how this job is executed. We need to pay more attention to these seats.

In the Local Lowdown, we let you know about Isanti County's recent approval of Tobacco 21. What does it mean when a county enacts a policy like this instead of cities? Sherburne County has already said no, but Wright County decided to green light it. Also Mayor Carter of St. Paul has changed out some of its street sweepers for environmentally friendly vehicles.

I know, I know... it's a little late, but we had a couple of timely interviews come up which delayed this podcast from coming out, but we recorded this right after the annual remembrance of September 11th. We revisit where we were, how it makes us feel today, and what we believe the fallout has been over the last 18 years.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!
Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Public Schools have been beating the drum for a long time, saying that with just a little more money, they can do great things. Leaders in ISD 728 (Zimmerman, Rogers, Elk River) are trying to pass an $110,000,000/10yr operating levy and another referendum to float bonds for a new middle school and other nebulous building projects. Parent-turned-activist, Anne Kostrzewski, has started a Facebook page: Concerned Parents and Taxpayers of ISD 728. She wants to get community members interested and involved in what the school board is trying to fund. The district is pushing a concept called social/emotional learning. They sent out a survey to students earlier in the year that asked about 26 genders, sexuality, drugs, etc... They push equity issues that promote inequality. Yet, the district gets to promote their referendum all over the place without any opposing view points. It's high time parent's ask questions about whether what the school is proposing is really "for the kids" at all.

We also discuss the recent actions of the City of Philadelphia, that chose to fly the communist Chinese flag in front of city hall in the name of diversity. What? So diversity is supporting a communist government over a group of people they are oppressing? A country that has murdered over 60 million of it's own people gets coddled, all because of the almighty dollar? What a strange world we live in.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- If you have listened to the show for any time at all, you know how we feel about appointments to fill vacancies for nonpartisan seats over having a special election. Spoiler alert: We hate them. The idea of having a republic is one where we elect people to represent us in our government. Appointments allow majorities to keep their advantage by appointing like-minded people. Ramsey is one MN city that has special elections over appointments. This November Ramsey will decide who will fill out the rest of a vacant term in Ward 3, which includes Hwy 10 and The Core. We sit down with candidate, Dan Specht, to discuss what's going on in Ramsey and what it's like to run in a special election. We talk taxes, franchise fees, development, water and sewer, business, and Killebrew Root Beer. 

We also discuss how useless and depressing the Sunday political shows are. 

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We welcome Crystal mayor, Jim Adams back to the show and council member, Nancy LaRoche. Crystal is a city on the move. Businesses are moving to Crystal. Parks are being beautified... and city debt is going down? It's all true. There has been one way of governing that gets passes down from groups like the League of MN Cities to every other city in the state, but this city is bucking the trend. This city is finding private solutions to things that have historically been paid for with public money (that means your taxes). They also have found alternatives to hidden taxes like assessments. They are paying for things in cash, instead of taking on new debt, and the home sales market is exploding. There are a lot of things here that other cities could learn from. The level of innovation and new-think have provided an entirely new and refreshing approach to city government... and its long past due.

We also discuss the abysmal drop in school test scores over the last four years across the state of Minnesota. They love to trumpet when things are going well, but when scores are down, they just never talk about it. Surprise, surprise... scores have been down for four years and there's been nary a word. Well, we'll talk about it.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Too many times in our travels, we have come across those over-anxious folks that haven't ever done much of anything in the political world and decide that they want to run for an office that is way out of their league. It almost never ends well unless you capture the nomination in a district that votes heavily in your favor. How do you drastically improve your chances to someday become a state senator or a U.S. Representative? It is by starting your political career at the local level, paying your dues, and building a resume by rolling up your sleeves and learning how to formulate a budget, write legislation, and the like. We look at the political histories of a few people to show you the track that they followed to get to where they did. Among them are Jesse Ventura, Tom Emmer, Sarah Palin, Norm Coleman. Grover Cleveland, and Calvin Coolidge.

In the Local Lowdown, Plymouth, MN wanted to take it's turn at joining the MN Green Step Cities program. This was slated to skate on by in their consent agenda until a whole bunch of residents decided to show up to the city council meeting and share their concerns. This caused the council to table it... for now. Make sure you stay vigilant, Plymouth.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Minnesota has 853 cities, but it has way more townships. Yet, the cities have so much more power over their neighboring townships. One such example is the power of annexation. Annexation is the process by which all, or a portion of, a township is added to the boundaries of an existing city and removed from the township. State Statute 414.033 gives the power to cities for annexation of adjoining townships. Sometimes the township wants to divest a certain portion of land, but usually it's the cities that take it over without any say so of the township. Townships have very little recourse in warding off a hostile annexation from a neighboring city. Groups like the Coalition of Greater MN Cities lobby for greater powers over annexation, groups like the Association of MN Townships are trying to limit them. We bring you stories from places like Princeton, Northfield, St. Joseph, Cambridge, Rice Lake Township, and Proctor.

We also take a little time to discuss the Hong Kong protests... and make reference to Alf?

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- Some business owners in your community come together under the guise of the area chamber of commerce. How much do you know about these groups?  They exist to promote commerce and capitalism, right? Then why do groups like the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce stump for issues like mass transit, multi-modal transportation, opposing initiative and referendum, and equitable elections? They take positions and also assist candidates with endorsements through their PAC. There are locally-based chambers across the state of Minnesota, such as: Edina, Grand Rapids, the Mankato area, New Ulm, and the North Metro. A number of these local chapters don't necessarily list out their positions, but you can find where they have come out in support of issues, such as many across the state who support the building of new rail. Local businesses need a group that will speak up to government on their behalf, but as you will see here, it's so important that business owners know what their chamber of commerce supports, as all of it isn't necessarily in their best interest.

We also need to clear the air regarding the recent dust up with the nemesis of our origin story. Like the Green Goblin continues to pop up for Spider Man or Lex Luther for Superman, the former mayor of Crystal pops up in ours. Now, we don't want to give her any unnecessary press, but we need to remind you who she is once in a while. It accomplishes two things: that she doesn't ever get elected to anything ever again, and so that you know how to handle a politician that tries to silence you through name calling and intimidation. Come hear the tale about how we allegedly rule the city of Crystal as a big, scary hate group. Muahahahahaha...

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- This week we have a big Local Lowdown episode. This is not a ""fast-forward" episode if you don't live in the cities we discuss. As we have always said, the same issues find their way into cities and towns across the state and, really, the nation. Studying how these issues are handled from city to city not only helps you (as an informed resident) to understand the issues, but also to see how they spread, how to fight them, and why it is important for you to be on point in your community.

First, we discuss some local odd-year elections. After the debacle with the pledge in St. Louis Park, every single race is contested. In Golden Valley, council member Steve Schmidgall is going after Mayor Shep Harris, despite the fact that they seem to agree on most left-of center positions. We will have to see how these races shake out, but we also discuss our frustration with odd-year elections, and low voter turnout.

Brooklyn Center is imposing a one-year moratorium on a designated 81 acre opportunity zone. The city already owns 35 acres, and may soon own another 9 on the site of the former Target store. The moratorium was placed because the master plan for the area is not yet completed and they wanted to stall development until they could control all of it. The moratorium expires right after the master plan is due to be completed. Move along... nothing to see here.

Sherburne County has been discussing implementing Tobacco21 at a county-wide level. They don't seem to have the votes, but look for the special interest group to go to the cities (they already are). This is a ridiculous policy, as it doesn't accomplish anything but to hurt local businesses. It has spread from city to city, like a bad disease.

Minneapolis has officially outlawed all new drive-thrus from being built. They site concerns over greenhouse gas emissions and danger to pedestrians. Don't you think for a second that this won't affect any existing building that has a drive-thru and wants to remodel. 

Lastly, ISD #281 (Robbinsdale Public Schools) issued a summary of Superintendent Carleton Jenkins recent evaluation. They accentuated all of the positives and downplayed all of the ways he has missed the mark. He did a great job in "Central Office Capacity" (what?), but stunk in "Kindergarten Readiness" and "3rd Grade Proficiency", but hey... he's doing an exemplary job!

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We have mentioned Watershed Districts in the past, but have never really laid them out for you to understand exactly what they are and what they do. The Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts (MAWD) say that there are 42 Watershed Districts across the state of MN. They define a watershed district as such, "Watershed districts are local, special-purpose units of government that work to solve and prevent water-related problems. The boundaries of each district follow those of a natural watershed and consist of land in which all water flows to one outlet." They manage water quality, ground water levels, draining systems, regulate and control the use of water, provide recreational opportunities, flood protection, and more. MAWD has a whole legislative agenda that they lobby for in St. Paul, and it's your tax money on the line. They each have a board of appointed people that has an administrative staff, and engages in projects that take your tax money. You can find out if you are near one and how to research their website on the MAWD website. It is yet another place for you to get involved and watch what your government is doing.

In the Local Lowdown, we discuss why more starter homes aren't being built around the Twin Cities. There is an apparent shortage of these type of homes. The average home in the Twin Cities costs $294,000. That's a lot of money! There is really only one reason for that... you guessed it, and the government is to blame! Regulation, permit costs, inspections all drive up the cost of homes but that's not the whole picture. Cities are tearing down a lot of starter homes to build larger homes, luxury apartment buildings and town homes. City policies have reduced the stock of starter homes available. 

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We here at Community Solutions MN are huge environmentalists. We love to fish and hunt. We believe that we should be good stewards of what we have been given; that we should take care of our natural resources and re-use things when possible. We do not, however, go off the rails with the crazy contingent that wants to use environmental regulation to restrict and control our behaviors in parks, in our businesses, and in our homes. There is a new practice to create energy benchmarking to track and limit the amount of emissions we produce through meter readings and building conditions. MN cities have been early adopters of this practice. Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Edina may be leading the way, but it's also being implemented through level 4 and 5 of the MN Green Step Cities program. It's going to affect public and private buildings, including single-family homes. It's time to stop this practice now, before it becomes next to impossible to have a building in compliance without super costly upgrades.

We also discuss the move in Golden Valley to take up Tobacco21. This is a nationwide push to restrict people from buying tobacco products if they are under 21... even though they can still possess it and smoke it. What a ridiculous policy that only serves to hurt your businesses as those between ages 18-20 will just go to the next city to buy it. Golden Valley put out a survey in advance of an upcoming public forum on Monday, August 5th.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- There are few things as hard to understand as state school funding. It's not just $xx.xx per student. Is that pupil in special education? Is he or she on free and reduced lunch? Enrollment as a whole needs to be considered. There are a whole number of other factors that weigh into that cost. It's as complicated to figure out as the year is long. We try to explain how schools get their funding and where it goes. It's a shame that our schools use fuzzy math in showing where all the money goes. This is what allows them to come back to the table and and pass a new levy every few years. After all is said and done, you will see that there is no easy way to determine education funding.

We also discuss the July 8th city Council meeting in St. Cloud. A group called #UniteCloud has organized with the explicit intention of disrupting city council meetings and grandstanding for the camera during citizen input time. #UniteCloud is rallying around the removal of Council Members Paul Brandmire and Mike Conway, citing racism regarding a disagreement with the controversial state refugee resettlement program. This program has seen the numbers of Somali refugees in St Cloud mushroom in recent years. We cover the dust up and show you how easily a group of crazies can step into the limelight and cause chaos.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutions.com- Week in and week out, we advocate for people to stand up and get involved in their communities. We give you story after story about the trends and harmful policies that affect all of your communities. Garrett Christianson noticed that something wasn't right in Elk River, MN. The city wanted build a new ice arena and redevelop the area around Lake Orono. A local option sales tax was going to be on the November ballot to pay for this project. That's good, right? The people were going to decide... well, not really. If the measure wasn't approved, the council was going to raise property taxes to cover it anyway. Wow. So, the people really didn't have a choice "if" they were going to pay, just "how" they were going to pay. Garrett knew that he had to do something, so he decided to run for city council, and he won. Now with the ability to directly make a difference on the city that he calls home, he has had the opportunity to make his voice heard, and to affect change for the better. Here's the moral of this story... it doesn't matter where you live, you can make a difference. You can get involved and begin to see things change. You can begin to call attention to the things that are threatening to change your community from a city with its own character to an urban center. It's time to get up and do something! Listen to Garrett tell his story on this week's podcast.

We also review the most recent "Plymouth Financial Times", which is a full color, glossy, tax payer-funded, propaganda piece that tells residents how amazing everything is in the city.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify!

www.commsolutions.com- City government is where our elected leaders are supposed to be closest to the people, yet sometimes they act as far away as those in St. Paul or Washington. They act completely removed from the people and act according to their own misguided intentions with no regard as to the wishes of those that put them there.

Case study one brings us to Big Lake, MN, where after the mayor (Reanne Danielowski) was elected to be Sherburne County Commissioner, the lame duck council decided to promote from within the current council to make council member Mike Wallin the new Mayor. Of course that left a vacancy where Mike Wallin sat, and so Rose Johnson (the third highest vote-getter in the election) was appointed in a very closed and non-transparent process. Not too much time has passed, and council member Dick Backlund has resigned. This leaves a third vacancy on this council. That's three out of five. They would never try to appoint a majority of council members to their positions... would they? Wrong! In a three-to-one vote (Knier dissenting), they chose to appoint yet again. This is a bad idea. MN statutes allow it, but that doesn't make it the right choice for your community.

Case study two centers around St. Louis Park, MN, where they just voted to stop saying the Pledge of Allegiance at their council meetings, citing diversity and saving time (a whopping 13 seconds). These are ridiculous assumptions. This proposal was floated by council member Anne Mavity, but mayor Jake Spano wasn't even there to vote on it. It's one thing if you don't want to say the pledge. It's another when you need to have so much control that you don't allow others to say it. It's also saying quite a lot if you want to be elected to be a representative of the people in the system of government for the United States, but you refuse to pledge allegiance to it. 

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify, or go out to the PodBabble Podcast Network!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- In the last election, Hennepin County decided that it wasn't radical enough. It elected four new county commissioners, all worse than the terrible ones they replaced: Irene Fernando, Marion Green, Angela Conley, and Debbie Goettel. They were endorsed by radical special interests and unions. They also received partisan endorsements for nonpartisan races. They are pushers of equity in transit, housing, and social programs. We find out, however, that while they support transit for others, they prefer to drive. We find out which one of the new commissioners started out on welfare and became commissioner, which would be a great success story, had she not worked for the government the entire 20 years in between. With these guys it's always about sustainability, the war on cars, mass transit, social justice etc., etc... It's more of the same, except that the players are more extreme. While it may not be happening to these degrees, we see similar trends in counties across Minnesota. It's time we start paying attention to county races across the state and get involved.

We also discuss a couple of documentaries that Andrew watched about the conspiracy theories around the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy. While we believe the official version of the events, we have fun to talking about the other stories that are out there, and ask whether we can trust our eyes and ears anymore with the technology that is around the corner.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify, or go out to the PodBabble Podcast Network!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We have done development the same way for a long, long time. Since the beginning of the development of zoning laws, conventional zoning has separated development types by usage (Residential low-density, Residential high-density, Commercial, Industrial, and Agricultural). It is the reason your house isn't next door to a restaurant on one side, a warehouse on the other, and across the street from a ___. Good or bad, this has been the way things have been. That is all beginning to change. Enter Form-Based Codes... for a long time, we have been talking about mixed use development and placemaking (creating little cloisters from which we don't need to venture out very far or very often). These are concepts that are driven by Form-Based Codes. Form based codes do not separate development by uses, but rather bring a mix of uses into a single place and controlling the look and feel of that place. Whereas conventional zoning supplies recommendations (maximum size of a business sign or maximum height of a garage), Form-Based Codes make rigid regulations, and plan out every little detail of what is acceptable (and unacceptable) in the place they are creating. This new method of development is being pushed upon large and small communities alike. They say that this type of development promotes equity, but it really promotes government control of every aspect of your life.

We also discuss the movement by some Minnesota counties to remove more driving lanes, in favor of creating new bike lanes. Hennipen and Ramsey counties are leading the way, but they are not alone in ruining Minnesota's roads.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify, or go out to the PodBabble Podcast Network!

www.commsolutionsmn,com- We've been telling you for a while that mass transit ridership has been declining. All the while, government and transit advocacy groups have been pushing for more public transportation. Why would they want to spend money to build something that fewer and fewer people use? That is exactly the opposite of market-driven politics. Mass transit has proven to be inefficient and unreliable, not to mention that it doesn't get most people to where they are going. So in the names of equity and environmentalism, they push for additional lines and routes, an increased focus on moving employment to downtown centers, and the building of Transportation-Oriented Development (TOD) centers that serve dense populations of people. This effort is meant to ratchet up the war on cars and control the movement of people across a region. The Metropolitan Council has finally opened up a bit, saying that the numbers for ridership aren't meeting projections, but they also say that the problem isn't the government solution (it never is), or the increase in companies like Uber or Lyft, it's the sales pitch. Yes, they actually admitted that. Here's the kicker, this isn't just a Minnesota thing, ridership is dropping EVERYWHERE, even in the most liberal of cities. So what does this mean? I wish it meant the end of subsidizing this loser of an idea, but unfortunately it never will. We need to keep our eyes open and watch for the change in messaging. Some things never change... and bad ideas from the government are many of them.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify, or go out to the PodBabble Podcast Network!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- We hear The MN Department of Education and our school districts talking about the looming "education gap" between the advantaged and the disadvantaged. Minorities, the poor, and those with tough family situations can never achieve the same kinds of success as their counterparts that seem to "have it all". Really? Isn't American history rife with stories of people that overcame all the odds to achieve more than they had ever dreamed possible? Of course it is. Instead of studying those people and trying to find the secret to their success, the MN Department of Education just wants to throw $600 Million at the problem. Oh, we've tried this before, but have not seen any measurable improvement. Why not try it again? That's because they don't have any answers, save that the government is our answer. The only thing progressives understand is taking more of our money and throwing it at a problem with no plan and no accountability for improvement. We argue that they could throw $600 quadrillion at the "education gap" and never see the results they desire. We have some ideas... or rather some solutions. We'd love to hear what you think!

We also check back in on the evolving saga that is the Lakeland City Council. If you remember a few episodes ago, we told you all about council member, Jim Stanton, who resigned... then tried to un-resign... then resigned again, because there was a disagreement about his being elected to the city council while holding two part-time staff positions with the city. Mayor, Richard Glasgow, supported Stanton staying in place, and after the departed city councilman left, unilaterally selected and appointed Stanton's replacement, Doug Sand. This has resulted in the creation of a concerned citizen's group, the cancelling of the meeting to swear in Sand, and the involvement of the Washington County Sherrif's office. Ruh roh...

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify, or go out to the PodBabble Podcast Network!

www.commsolutionsmn.com- The Minnesota legislature had all session to take care of business, so what better way to be respon sible with taxpayer money than to force 14 bills into a 21 hour special session, of which 13 bills passed, costing us a total of $48.3 billion to fulfill the newly minted budget. These bills were passed by a majority of Democrats and Republicans. Bills were passed to dole out tax dollars to everyone that had a hand out: agriculture, education, housing, environment, health and human services, economic development, public safety, pensions, taxes, and transportation. These bills are not just to help out state-wide programs. Our taxes are also being doled out to school districts. Cities get theirs in Local Government Aid (LGA), hospitality taxes, food and beverage taxes, grants, and increases in Tax Increment Financing. There was more given to counties and cities with the local option sales tax. At the end of the day, our Democrats and Republicans have come together to spend billions of our dollars and passed all kinds of new regulations. Thanks a lot for protecting us. 

Also, we found a troubling precedent sent by Dallas County Attorney, John Creuzot, who has declared that he is not going to prosecute what he terms "low level" crimes... like skipping out on community service or theft of items less than $750. What is this world coming to? This is all based on the equity doctrine, and it could catch on anywhere.

Have you checked out our Spotify playlist? At the beginning of each episode Jason quotes some song lyrics that have to do with the subject matter of the podcast. Andrew never knows what they are, but now he can… and so can you! We’ve launched the Spotify playlist: “Community Solutions Music From the Podcast!” You can listen to Roundabout from Yes after listing to Episode 30 on Roundabouts… or kick back and enjoy a rocking playlist just for the thrill of it. We add a new song every week. Subscribe and enjoy!

Don’t forget that you can also subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify, or go out to the PodBabble Podcast Network!