In Wednesday's New York Times, author Marie Myung-Ok Lee shares her experiences as a student at Hibbing High School 30 years ago. An essay on the often unheralded value of good teachers, this is a loving tribute to two teachers who made an enormous difference in her life. Though I'm separated from her experiences by a few years and attended a different Range school, her words deeply resonated with me as well.

Countless students from Minnesota's Iron Range received truly innovative educations from public school teachers allowed to work freely because, until recently, our immigrant culture valued education above all else. Today's students still receive a good education, but the value that Lee recognized in her time is slipping, gently but more quickly each year.

She writes:

If we want to understand how much teachers are worth, we should remember how much we were formed by our own schooldays. Good teaching helps make productive and fully realized adults — a result that won’t show up in each semester’s test scores and statistics.

 Lee's entire piece is well worth your time this morning.

 (h/t Fred Borgen)

Google has announced that it will build its experimental fiber internet network in Kansas City, Kansas, not in Duluth, Minnesota, or one of the 1,000 other cities that applied for consideration. Duluth, Topeka, Memphis, Grand Rapids, Mich., and a few others made serious bids for the project that included community support projects and publicity stunts.

Duluth Mayor Don Ness, for instance, jumped into a frozen Lake Superior.

Rumors had the project going to Kansas because, among other reasons, the fiber technology performs better on flat land and in more temperate climates.

Hey, tornadoes. You know what to do.

Meantime, local internet providers breath a sigh of relief. Let us hope that the next thing they do is modernize the internet infrastructure of northern Minnesota so that this unique region becomes competitive over the next 20 years. And, of course, if Google's technology works and becomes market viable, we might yet see Google Fiber in Duluth, and everywhere.

This is a disappointing day on one hand, but on the other the quick mobilization of new ideas for the Google Twin Ports project shows that such energy exists and can be harnessed for the future.

Google, we are so going to lose weight and make you jealous.

Hey, Apple. How you doin'?

UPDATE: I just remembered that Duluth lost its minor league baseball Dukes to Kansas City, Kansas, several years ago. What gives?

I've had a lot of demographic, socio-economic, political, cultural babble running through my brain this last week, as my posts have surely shown. Baseball season can't come soon enough. Anyway, another way of looking at the woes of the Iron Range is to look at the troubles facing small towns generally.

This March 23 "Why are small towns dying?" conversation over at the Minnesota 20/20 site was good for a think, as was this Kate Searls pilot study for Minnesota Rural Partners, Inc. ("Estimating Rural and Urban Minnesota's interdependencies.")

If Searls is right, Minnesota small towns and big cities are interdependent to a large degree. Small towns handle industry and functions that cities cannot and produce a unique talent pool that positively affects cities. Cities, of course, provide money, goods and services that small towns can't generate on their own, along with potential future residents (perhaps in the form of jackass sons-in-law, as the trope would have it).

If the comments over at MN2020 are to be believed, small towns need to be more independent and open minded to change their fates. As it stands, small towns are becoming paralyzed by their dwindling residents' fears and inability to escape the past.

What do we do with a problem like this? What do we do when a couple dozen small towns comprise a region like the Iron Range, half of whom are actively bitching about the other half over something from the '70s?

We need to talk. We need to commit to a plan.

The Duluth News Tribune is reporting that Darren Danielson, co-host of public television's Almanac North, will replace northern Minnesota TV news godfather Dennis Anderson at WDIO. Reading the story, it looks like those of us who like a little substance in our local newscast have a lot to like about this.

The Star Tribune ran a compelling and damning Sunday, March 27, news analysis piece on failed job creation policies in Minnesota. One of the projects singled out for particular scrutiny is Excelsior Energy's Mesaba Energy Project, which I've characterized as a political patronage scheme run amok.

(The Strib story by David Shaffer and Glenn Howatt is still listed as premium, subscription-only content, so I'll share a different link if they post it on their main site later. Meantime, I encourage you to pick up a March 27 Strib. UPDATE: The link works now).

I would leave it at that, but this company has fresh sweetheart legislation lined up for this session, laws that would further relax the rules that govern this multi-million giveaway to a group of lawyers and lobbyists. I fear that state GOP lawmakers, despite past misgivings, will pass this legislation for fear of appearing anti-coal or anti-business.

As the Star Tribune story points out, Excelsior has already received two acts of law from the state legislature and another from Congress mandating its consideration in the private marketplace, along with other smaller supporting gestures from various government bodies. The company has spent more than $1.4 million in lobbying the legislature and PUC over the past six years, according to state data. Its executives have given away $134,000 in local campaign contributions to officials and political party units since 2001, according to Shaffer and Howatt. Excelsior executives put just $60,000 of their own money into the company, by all known data, which might clarify where all that lobbying and campaign money came from. Other than the lobbyists and lawyers involved, the project has created no jobs.

After a decade of fruitless arguments about the economics of "clean coal," this company is now asking that it be allowed to build a run-of-the-mill natural gas plant instead, with the hope that it could be converted to clean coal in the future. In other words, they would have the taxpayers and residents of the Iron Range underwrite all the risk and most of the capital for a power plant that Excelsior could sell at a profit, for a technology that Minnesota Power or Xcel would easily have built themselves if the power was actually in demand.

That's if it gets built, which it probably won't.

So yeah, how about a little accountability for our job creation dollars. Losing the money is bad enough, but the reason I get so angry over this little escapade is seeing it waste so much time and hope. Let's hope we get wise. Let's encourage private capital investment in our region and use public money for the public good.

Here are a couple more items to tag onto my list of local news links for the day:

Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) has announced he'll try to block the new ownership deal for Duluth-based Cirrus Aviation, saying that Chinese control of the company is a national security risk. Cirrus officials think that's kind of dumb. Outsourcing our nation's manufacturing capability is also bad, said nobody.

The former home of KDLH, the one-time CBS affiliate in Duluth, will become a Minnesota WorkForce Center, a one-stop site for job training and unemployment services. This is not ironic, because TV is immune from irony. Straight to camera. That just happened. The town's CBS needs are now met by Northland's NewsCenter, which runs KBJR (NBC) as its flagship and also the WB and other things.

The operative lesson here is that if you are ever in a position to govern over some kind of consolidation, be sure to call whatever it you end up with a "Center." If you can combine that word with something else ("RangeBlogCenter") you've really got all of this figured out, champ.

There's a lot of Iron Range news going on these days. I've got more to post, but it's a busy day.

I've already written about the Capitol controversy over the GOP raid of an IRRRB economic development fund last week. This drama will continue all the way to the close of the session. MinnPost had a good story from last Friday's House Jobs and Economic Development Committee. In short, the Iron Rangers have a good argument without the necessary votes. This will require a life line call to the governor.

Environmental groups have dropped a lawsuit against the IRRRB over a loan granted to Polymet. This doesn't get nonferrous mining closer to its permits but shows that the legislative winds are behind mining for the time being.

Speaking of mining, Big Daddy Taconite is doing well. The big city Strib has written up a fine notice. A notable excerpt:

Peter Kakela, an expert on the global iron ore industry at Michigan State University, said companies are selling taconite at four times what it cost to produce, a return on investment unheard of in the past when profits of a few dollars per ton were common.

"For years — decades, even — the price hovered in that $30 to $35-per-ton range. . And now someone is paying $200. They've never seen anything like this before," Kakela said. "There's your incentive for all the expansions people are talking about. That's why everything is running at full capacity."

Like Beanie Babies at their peak. Wowzers.

Meantime, Friday brought the Iron Range Solidarity labor rally on the steps of the Hibbing Memorial Building. The Hibbing Daily Tribune produced this video with its Sunday story about the event (subscription only):



All of this points to the central conundrum for the Iron Range. The numbing effect of a good year of taconite mining is settling in. Policy is not moving. So we conduct theater. Don't get me wrong, it's good theater. But these are some of the thoughts I have as I polish my column for next Sunday...

This is my weekly column for the Sunday, March 27, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune.

The numbers don't lie
By Aaron J. Brown

The 2010 U.S. Census released its report for the state of Minnesota earlier this month. The findings were not a surprise. Implications abound for those of us who live in northern Minnesota.

The state's population rose slightly. From 2000 to 2010 Minnesota gained almost 400,000 people for a total of about 5.3 million. The state kept its eight Congressional districts, the only of the Great Lakes states to avoid losing at least one. Minnesota still trails the national average for population growth, but is among the leaders in Rust Belt states -- a factor that could work to our advantage in the next 10 years.

The Eighth Congressional District in east central and northeastern Minnesota more or less held its own. The district is only 2,649 people short of the ideal, less than half a percent, which means there might not be much change after this year's redistricting. U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Lindstrom) might face his first re-election battle in roughly the same competitive district he won in 2010, a strong GOP year.

Duluth showed almost no change. There, Mayor Don Ness has pledged a mission to increase the city's population to 90,000 by 2020. The work ahead in that goal lies piled up like timbers, though the city is making headway in efforts to modernize it's economy, a key step. Range towns should pursue a similar goal of population stability, a prospect that will require planning beyond hope for new, big projects to save us.

The cities of the Iron Range mostly lost population by percentages in the single digits. Hibbing lost 710 residents, about 4 percent. Keewatin and Virginia lost a similar percentage. Chisholm's population didn't change much, while Nashwauk and Taconite showed modest growth.

The townships around Range cities gained population, as they have steadily for more than 30 years. This is one trend worth watching as it will surely affect life in this region. The increase in rural residents changes our sense of community. Many of the new country residents are at or near retirement age, which means the increases don't help local schools. As a rural Itasca County resident I see some of the changes myself. The income disparity and technological infrastructure of these townships must be improved if this growth is to become anything more than retirement-driven. Further, as the cost of gas increases this decade, this rural growth could halt as people strive to live closer to work and school.

Itasca County grew by more than 1,000 people while the much larger St. Louis County shrunk by a couple hundred. Many of the Range towns that did grow were in Itasca County, benefiting from the influx of people in the region's western corners. That only reinforces that the regional growth owes as much to lakes, woods and schools as it does to mines and classic Range cities like Hibbing or Virginia. The next 10 years present a tremendous opportunity for northern Minnesota to stabilize or even grow.

As we hear fervent discussion of the census and what it could mean for parochial concerns like federal funding and legislative redistricting, let us also consider this. Our population numbers present for us a clear picture of the challenges facing leaders and citizens in northern Minnesota.

No wave of a magic wand will increase our region's population or stem the aging of our demographics, which brings with it economic and political pitfalls. The battle for the Iron Range's future will be as much demographic as it is political. Regardless of political label, the true forces at odds will be those who seek a continuation of our mining and natural resource economy to the detriment of all else and those who seek economic and social diversity, a process that could divert political attention away from mining.

This will be a titanic confrontation that will determine much more than the 2020 or 2030 census figures. This demographic duel will determine the relevance of an entire place and its people. That's a lot to read from a few charts from the Census Bureau, but it's there nonetheless. The numbers don't lie.

Aaron J. Brown is a writer and college instructor from the Iron Range. Read more at his blog MinnesotaBrown.com or in his book "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range.

This week on KAXE's "Between You and Me" I chip in an essay joining the Saturday morning show topic of "spring." What spring? And I don't just mean this in a small talk sort of way, like the guy at the gas station. I aim to explore the soul of Minnesotans, without, you know, getting into too much detail about emotions and such. Just enough for the radio, don' cha know. Have a spring thought? A spring story? Join us.

Tune in to "Between You and Me," a weekly talk and music program featuring the voices and attitudes of northern Minnesota's unique and, lately, stir crazy people. The show airs between 10 a.m. and noon on 91.7 FM in the region or streaming live all over the world at www.kaxe.org. My essays and the show itself are syndicated through Public Radio Exchange though state arts and heritage funding.

This is a great story. The Chisholm Bluestreaks won their state boys basketball quarterfinal game yesterday, advancing to the semis this afternoon. Their coach, Bob McDonald, has been doing this 50 years and has more wins than any coach in Minnesota history. Demanding suits, ties, buzz cuts and no lip, McDonald guides a team from the hardscrabble heart of the Iron Range, lead this year by a 6'5" center of Tongan heritage named Sioka Latu.

I think part of the challenge I have in writing my novel is that the nonfiction on the Range is just plain better than the fiction.

Today members of the Iron Range legislative delegation held a press conference to decry the recent proposal to balance the cuts from one part of the state budget on the backs of an Iron Range jobs fund. Complete audio of the press conference is available at Rep. Tom Anzelc's legislative site. Give it a listen. You'll enjoy the voices and experience emotion, probably some variation of anger. The press release is here.

Anzelc, the new chair of the Iron Range delegation, called the proposal "highway robbery" and many theft and raid metaphors would follow from the others. The conference included IRRRB chair Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia), and Reps. Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing) and David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake), both members of the Jobs committee. State Sens. David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm) and Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) also spoke. Sen. Tom Saxhaug (DFL-Grand Rapids) and Rep. Carolyn McElfatrick (R-Deer River) weren't there but were included in the introduction. Today, McElfatrick broke with her party in writing a letter to the committee asking that the fund not be cut.

While partisan, this presser was informative about the nature of taconite taxes and the purpose of the economic development fund in question. This money really is equivalent to local property taxes which aren't under consideration as a fix to the state budget anywhere else. The Republican tax chair who authored the bill later questioned the legality of the move, acting more like he knew this was just a gambit in what will be a long budget battle.

Freshman Rep. McElfatrick broke with her party to request that the provision be removed from the bill. Though she will continue to differ with Range DFLers on taxes this is clearly a case where one region is being singled out in a difficult budget situation. The jobs committee met this afternoon and some symbolic amendments were expected. I just got a press release from Rep. Melin, from which I share this excerpt:

In an afternoon hearing of the House Jobs and Economic Development committee, Melin demonstrated the hypocrisy of taking local property tax money to shore up the state’s general fund. Melin offered amendments to protect the Trust Fund, including an amendment to restore funding to the Trust Fund. She also proposed transferring $60 million in local government aid (LGA) that was scheduled to be paid to communities in Jobs Committee Chairman Bob Gunther’s legislative district. Neither amendment was adopted.

“I am committed to balancing the budget,” said Melin. “That is why I suggested the committee chairman share in the sacrifice and have his communities kick in $60 million to solve the deficit. The fact he wasn’t willing demonstrates the hypocrisy in asking the Iron Range to take this huge hit.”

“Stealing this money from the part of the state which gives so much to the rest of Minnesota is not only immoral but likely illegal,” explained Melin. “Republican members were not concerned that misappropriating our local tax revenue appears to be a direct violation of state statute.”

Melin noted the economic significance of the Trust Fund. “This fund exists to make sure our communities can continue to exist once the iron ore is gone. It is regional money used to pay for regional economic development. Without a strong Range, there is not a strong Minnesota. The Republicans have opened Pandora’s Box and sent a clear message to all Minnesotans: local property tax money is fair game to solve the statewide budget deficit.”

The amendments failed, but this battle clearly isn't over, nor are most of the battles in the legislature for that matter. Watch the news in coming days as these developments transpire.

Census speculation continues, and I'm starting to reach a bold new conclusion about our numeric fate in northern Minnesota. Demography reinforces attitudes. Attitudes can change demography. I've written a column on the region's census numbers that will run this Sunday, but I'm already finding some new content for future writings on the topic.

For instance, check out this interactive map from Forbes magazine. Modern journalism schools shouldn't pass anyone who doesn't know how to make stuff like this, or at least assemble the necessary data for a programmer. In essence you click on a county and it shows how many people left there for which other counties between 2000 and 2010. Some hot nerd action here, folks.

Maps show St. Louis County and Itasca County migration statistics, with some surprising findings. First, St. Louis County's migration trend isn't as awful as you'd think. I'd hazard that most of this large Duluth/Range county's losses came from those who flee this mortal coil, not those who move to White Bear Lake as previously believed. Metro area counties like Hennepin, Ramsey and Anoka are sending more people north to Itasca than Itasca is losing to them, and St. Louis County is only losing a few dozen more than they are gaining from the same counties.

Our region is losing population? Yeah, a little in some places, mostly Range towns. Everywhere else is holding or growing slightly. More importantly, our region is changing. Our residents are older and less connected to the sort of vibrant economic growth seen here after World War II and in the early 1970s. There are probably a lot fewer school-age children. But there are people here, humans capable of thought and action.

Our population is stagnant, not doomed. Our economy and creative production need only be stagnant if we fail to act. A change in attitude could bring life in northern Minnesota back to its 1970s peak by encouraging migration into the region. This new attitude must welcome new people, use more brainpower than brawn, and accept that our role in the changing world is dependent on our ability to change with the world.

All of this presupposes knowledge of an outside world. That's why I'm always talking about schools. Baby steps.

(h/t TYWKIWDBI for the Forbes link)

A public meeting was held Tuesday in Gilbert to discuss options for the Highway 53 relocation near Virginia and Eveleth. There's more of that sort of thing to come, so let's not get crazy yet (even if some of the relocation options are a little crazy). MNDOT has until 2017 to move the highway so United Taconite can keep mining.

I've written on this before, but in essence this is the living drama that follows a region of small towns composing one economy built in a long line over the very iron formation the people aim to mine. Roads, man. Be they paved or rail, follow the roads to anger and resentment, but also votes and leverage. That's why Jim Oberstar enjoyed such a long run here. He was the road whisperer.

Environmental groups have withdrawn their $4 million lawsuit against the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board over what they believed was a premature loan to Polymet, an international company proposing copper/nickel mining on the Iron Range. The Duluth News Tribune has the story.

In essence, HF1 -- the streamlining of the permit process signed into law by the governor -- renders the lawsuit moot. Some have argued that the bill itself was a response to the lawsuit.

I could go on, but you would stop reading. Trust me, I would have made sure of it.

It would appear that the Jobs and Economic Development committee meeting yesterday became a bit heated. Katy Meeks penned a story for the Range dailies (subscription only for full text). GOP leaders introduced their proposal to raid $60 million from an IRRRB economic development fund as part of $87 million in total cuts. I wrote about this Monday, explaining how this money is equivalent to local Iron Range property tax revenue. I hadn't realized that nearly three quarters of the cuts for the whole state in this proposal would come directly from this local Range revenue.

This is outrageous enough, particularly as even Republican committee chair Rep. Bob Gunther (R-Fairmont) described the proposal as unfair, according to Meeks' story. That admission only goes to show that this particular bill is an act of political theater designed to disrupt the DFL base without proposing actual permanent cuts that would anger moderates.

If you have a subscription, read the story. Otherwise wait to see what actually emerges from committee. I have a feeling they're going to send this all the way through simply to force a veto and negotiations with Gov. Dayton. To a degree that's the game every session, no matter who's in the majority. But when the proposals are demonstrably unfair even to majority leadership, wow. This portends a deeply unpleasant April and May in St. Paul, and an anxious one here on the Iron Range.

UPDATE: MPR has a story exploring several GOP budget proposals that includes a section on the $60 million in Range revenue and a quote from Gunther.

You know it's serious when they break out the fist art. Iron Range labor unions and political leaders are holding an "Iron Range Solidarity Rally" this Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Hibbing Memorial Building, depicted in the promotional image at right. The Memorial Building is a big hall, so this is no small feat.

The event seems more than a rah-rah; rather, with setbacks for the labor movement in Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan, local labor leaders are trying to marshal forces.

Labor remains one of the central players in local Range politics, stronger here than in other parts of the state (and a frequent item of discussion in the comments section). Efforts to weaken public sector and other unions in Minnesota would have a huge political impact in the storied and historically significant Iron Range region. Many here seek to stop such a thing from happening, even to reverse the trend if possible.

On a personal note, it was nice to see these posters. My use of fist clip art back in college got me in trouble from time to time. This might even be the same clip art. Nostalgia, man. Powerful stuff.

With the Soudan Underground Mine fire finally stopped, officials are now able to show optimism over the mine's ability to re-open as a state park and advanced physics research facility. A story by Janna Goerdt from today's Duluth News Tribune is a useful look at the fire, how it was put out and what will happen next.

Here are some upcoming events at the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm. I haven't been doing a good job of promoting Acoustic Cafe, but it remains a regular live music event on the "free" night at the Discovery Center, which is, of course, the nonprofit cultural center celebrating the people and history of the Iron Range. And rag rugs, either you're for 'em or you're against 'em. They are happening Saturday.

Acoustic Café is March 24

Mark Henderson and the Mojosaurus Blues Band will perform Thursday, March 24, at Minnesota Discovery Center’s Acoustic Café. The band will play acoustic, original music from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free; food and beverages are available to purchase. Acoustic Café is held the fourth Thursday of each month through May. Please call 800-372-6437 or visit mndiscoverycenter.com for more information.

Rag rug demonstration & discussion March 26

March 26, from 11 a.m. to noon, folk arts demonstrator Barb Leuelling presents “What’s in a Rag Rug?!” Students will learn about when rags were first used and types of fabric, both old and new. Numerous rag rugs created by weavers over the last 25 years will be shown. Students will learn about design and the ethnic heritage of rag rugs, as well as the weavers, looms and loom makers in northeastern Minnesota and northern Michigan. Please call 800-372-6437 or visit mndiscoverycenter.com for more information.

Over the weekend I had a conversation with Rep. Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing) about the predictable biennial attack on Iron Range funds as a short term budget fix. Today, just a few weeks after taking office, she's put out a press release on the latest effort to raid the Johnson Trust Fund. (see below)

It's very easy to look at this trust fund and think of it as an extravagance that other regions don't have, one that should be gobbled up. But for anyone not familiar with the Iron Range mining tax structure, mines don't pay property tax -- haven't in more than half a century. They instead pay production tax which is administered by the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) in lieu of local property taxes. The IRRRB is a state agency, but performs local tasks with local tax revenue. Some time back this trust fund was created to generate an annual pool of funding for economic development projects on the Range.

Now, you can criticize the agency's decisions or those of its governing board (I often do), but this isn't an outrageous use of the money considering the lack of consistency in mining tax revenue. A one-time raid will be a drop in the bucket for the state, but would be a once-in-a-lifetime robbery for the people of the Iron Range.

Taking this money would be like the state placing a tax on any suburban city council's spending for job creation or economic development. Such a tax would be rightfully called crazy anywhere else, but because the Range represents a constant political target, our representatives must do an elaborate bee dance to explain taconite taxation every two years.

Melin and Rep. David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake) will have the first crack at this defensive operation in the Jobs and Economic Development Committee tomorrow.

MELIN BLASTS DOUGLAS E. JOHNSON FUND RAID BY GOP

(ST. PAUL) – State Representative Carly Melin (DFL – Hibbing) responded today to a Republican plan that aims to take $60 million from the Douglas J. Johnson Economic Protection Trust Fund at the IRRRB.

“The Douglas J. Johnson Economic Protection Trust Fund is dedicated to local economic development,” explained Melin. “Responsible management and use of the Fund protects the local economy and ensures our region stays strong.”

Revenue for the Fund comes from mining companies on the Iron Range who pay a production tax in lieu of a property tax. The Republican proposal would take $60 million from the Fund. “Jobs and Economic Development Chairman Bob Gunther reassured my Hibbing constituents just two weeks ago that the Fund would remain protected. He recognized that it is essentially local property tax money and that he would not raid it.”

Representative Melin noted that there is a long history of attempts to raid the funds for non-dedicated purposes. “Having spent my entire life on the Range, I have seen repeated attempts to steal our economic development money and use it to plug budget holes that legislators in St. Paul have created,” said Melin. “I won’t stand for it. This proposal continues the Republican agenda of robbing Peter to pay Paul. I guess when Republicans preach shared sacrifice in balancing Minnesota’s budget, what they actually mean is taking $60 million of our regional money to protect tax breaks for Minnesota’s wealthiest 5%.”

Melin noted that IRRRB Commissioner Tony Sertich will testify in the House Jobs and Economic Development committee on Tuesday, March 22 on the proposal. “Legislators need to respect what the Economic Protection Trust Fund means for my region of the state. This is local money that we invest locally.” said Melin. “Every few years when a proposal like this appears, the Range delegation has to do some teaching. I look forward to working with Commissioner Sertich on reeducating my House colleagues.”

U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8) finally announced that he'll open a field office in Duluth, possibly by early April. This was a wise, if overdue, move. Duluth is the largest city and center of Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District. Until now he's operated with a district office in North Branch, near the district's southern corner and not far from Lindstrom, where Cravaack lives. It'd be a reasonable assumption that geographical identity will be the X-factor in the 2012 campaign in this district. Naturally, the DFL being what it is, the opposition might find a way to cede the advantage on this. Ah, but no sense in fussing until the new lines are drawn.

As potential Iron Range economic development projects go, Essar Steel Minnesota is the biggest and most likely to happen. With most permits in place and actual concrete being poured as we speak, the young but rapidly expanding Indian steel giant Essar is on its way to opening up the ore formation near Nashwauk abandoned when Butler Taconite closed in the early 1980s.

The notion of an integrated mining and steel-making operation at this site has existed in some form nearly my whole life. Essar officials say they remain committed to the concept of a mine and steel facility. Up to 2,000 construction jobs and 500 permanent jobs are possible, if all goes to plan.

Recent developments, however, would seem to threaten the rosy relations between Essar and the Iron Range leaders who delivered crucial local and legislative support and more than $70 million in state dollars for site infrastructure. The company has announced that they will be building the plant with steel from India.

Neal St. Anthony pens a column in Sunday's Star Tribune featuring State Rep. Tom Anzelc (DFL-Balsam Township) who offers skepticism over the foreign steel provisions. (NOTE: I am Anzelc's campaign manager, though my thoughts here are my own). Essar officials claim that they couldn't get financing from American banks and that their financing agreements with Indian banks insisted upon Indian steel. That's clear enough, but a far cry from when the company claimed the ability to self-finance as Essar bought the former Minnesota Steel project as it was known five years ago.

In general, Iron Range leaders continue to be nervous over Essar's willingness to deliver an actual steel plant. The company recently purchased steel plants in the United States and Canada. The company also said it will first ship pellets before building the steel production facility, adding a layer of economic uncertainty to that final phase. St. Anthony's column is a good illustration of the potential ups and downs of this project.

The irony abounds in this case. First, I just wrote last week that for the first time Iron Range ore will be shipped to China to make steel. Now Indian steel will be shipped to the Iron Range to build a mine with hopes of building a steel plant. This isn't just globalization, this is showy globalization.

Second, kudos to the Indian banks for protecting their investment in this project by insisting on economic provisions, such as steel contracts. Minnesota and Range leaders put in our money for rail lines and roads that have no purpose other than serving Essar, without any provisions that steel made from Iron Range ore be used in this massive construction project. The impact on Range jobs is difficult to calculate, but sufficed to say a lot of Range kids could have gone to college on what was lost here.

Steel demand is the almighty power in this equation. If steel companies can ship ore to China and steel from India, we're in uncharted territory. Anyone offering supply needs to insist upon getting their share of the spoils. The people of the Iron Range live over one of the world's largest ore bodies, even after 100 years of hard mining. The people of the Iron Range people, by law, sacrifice local property tax revenue to accommodate local mining. Their interests matter, too.

The relationship between Essar and the Iron Range could yet become a strong one, each providing something important to the global steel industry. With $70 million in, and the willing support and labor of the Iron Range at the ready, we're waiting for our end of the deal.

Some good news from the state DNR and others fighting the fire deep in the the Soudan Underground Mine. A crew was sent into the mine today and was able to restore power and confirm that there were no more flames amid the water and fire suppressing foam.

Pumps that had been shut down are running now, alleviating the flood risk to the expensive experimental physics laboratory located below the fire that started Thursday night and burned for two days. The lab seems to have sustained no internal damage. It appears that the fire involved the timbers that supported the elevator system.

From the DNR Sunday:

Soudan Mine Fire 99 Percent Out

Responders to the Soudan Mine Shaft Fire reported Sunday that a fire that began the evening of March 17 appears to be out, but they were not able to determine its exact location.

A three-man team, using the mine’s operational elevator, descended slowly into the shaft on Sunday, dropping to the mine’s 27th level. It was their first descent in the shaft after thousands of gallons of foam and water had been sprayed into the mine during the past 48 hours. The team was only able to descend after determining that carbon monoxide levels were safe and underground communications were established with the surface. Their safety equipment included Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and oxygen masks.

The crew did not find any active fire. They started critical sump pumps on levels 12 and 22 and water is flowing from the sump pumps to the surface. The team descended to the University of Minnesota physic lab on level 27, the mine’s lowest level and where a third pump is located, and encountered large amounts of foam. The crew tested communications from that level, but did not enter the laboratory chamber.

Fire officials will not declare the fire is officially out until its source has been located and any smoldering ashes or embers have been extinguished. Sunday’s inspection did not indicate the location of the fire. The cause has not been determined.

The fire was discovered around 9 p.m. Thursday when smoke alarms were activated. The mine, located within Soudan Underground Mine State Park, is a popular tourist attraction between May and October. Minnesota’s first iron-ore mine, the mine, about a half-mile deep, attracts 37,000 visitors per summer. It is also the location of a University of Minnesota physics lab that has several national partners. The lab equipment is estimated to be worth $50 million to $100 million.

“This incident has made this community teary-eyed,” said Jim Essig, Soudan park manager. “The mine is not just a source of livelihood. It’s a part of our history.”

The response to the incident involved many different agencies. They included the Breitung Township and Tower Volunteer Fire Departments, Inver Grove Heights Fire Department, staff from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), University of Minnesota and the U.S. Department of Energy. The latter supplies funding for the physics experiment.

(Photo: Minnesota DNR. A test elevator covered in fire suppression foam returns to the surface on Saturday).

This is my weekly column for the Sunday, March 20, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune.

The day Rocky came to breakfast
By Aaron J. Brown

Many different woodland creatures live in northern Minnesota but these creatures are knowable, just as the people of a city can be known to the advantage of the wily city reporter or machine politician. Our family got to know one more creature from the woods this past week.

I just wanted to sleep the morning our 3-year-old son Doug came into the bedroom at 4:30 to tell us he saw a squirrel in the hallway.

“Mrrmphh,” I thought. I said nothing. My wife said, “Mrrmphh. Go back to bed, Doug.” He did. Or maybe not. It was early.

Later, when I was in the shower, Christina called into the bathroom, “Henry says he saw a squirrel in the kitchen, too.”

“Mrrmphh,” I said. I hadn’t had my coffee yet. In fact, the morning had begun so early that my sophisticated coffee brewing timer had not yet engaged. It was then that I heard barking from our terrier Molly. This was about to escalate.

“Molly is barking at something in the closet,” Christina said, her voice rising to “lost child” pitch.

Moments later I heard her exclaim through the walls of the closet and bathroom, “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeek.” I’m not sure how many “e’s” to put on that to make it an accurate quote. It went on for about three seconds. I didn’t know people actually said “eek.”

“There is a squirrel in the closet!” she called through the door. “I’ve closed Molly in with it.”

“Mrrmphh,” I again thought. “I’ll be right out,” I said.

I could hear skittering in the closet through the wall. Bark. Skitter skitter. Bark. I have to admit I wasn’t in a terrible hurry to rush into this situation. Terriers were bred to catch rodents. If I waited long enough this might turn into a “non problem” sort of problem.

It was determined after a brief debate that the best solution to this dilemma would be for me to enter the closet with the barking dog and frightened rodent. I didn’t have a plan, but I was charged with the task of making something happen. This would not end passively! Everyone knows the best way to handle cornered animals is to hover over them, providing both a motivation and foothold to allow them easy access to your face and especially your eyes. That was the strategy that ruled the day this particular morning.

Inside the closet the dog bounced frantically from corner to corner as this unseen creature moved out of sight. As the dog burrowed into a pile of laundry I saw the animal emerge from a different corner. It was not a squirrel, at least, no squirrel I’d ever seen. With a brown back and white belly, it was the size of a large hamster with a long, flat, furry tail.

Fortunately for this little varmint, Molly, age 10 with about as many teeth, forgot what to do with little animals when catching them. She poked it with her nose about a hundred times when I was in the closet. Christina passed a plastic storage container into the closet. When the little guy hopped up on a piece of luggage I trapped him in the box, slid it onto the lid and removed it from the closet. We took a picture through the transparent container and then released the critter into the woods outside.

The days that followed created a CSI exercise in identifying the animal. If it wasn’t a traditional red squirrel, chipmunk, mouse or vole, what was it?

Photo analysis helped my father in law and other wily woodsfolk in our Rolodex identify the animal as a flying squirrel, just like Rocky of Rocky and Bullwinkle fame. People now tell me this sort of thing happens all the time. As much as I’m glad the little guy survived I’m hoping he stays outside, or even considers a move back to Frostbite Falls.

Aaron J. Brown is a writer and community college instructor from the Iron Range. Read more at his blog MinnesotaBrown.com or in his book “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range.”

The DNR reports that fire fighters are making significant progress in its battle against the fire at the Soudan Underground Mine State Park. The advanced physics laboratory at the 27th level, just below the fire at the 23rd-25th levels, is still OK. The fire might still be burning, however, and more work and danger lies ahead.

Have I mentioned that this laboratory studies dark matter and neutrinos, in essence the origins and nature of the universe itself? This is not your average situation. No, sir.

From the DNR Saturday evening:

Foam, Water Helping Suppress Soudan Mine Shaft Fire

Responders are making headway in suppressing a fire inside the mine shaft at Soudan Underground Mine State Park. The incident is now being called the Soudan Mine Shaft Fire.

Tests on Saturday showed decreasing amounts of carbon monoxide (CO) in the shaft, indicating fire activity is decreasing. Carbon monoxide is a by-product of combustion. Responders were also encouraged Saturday after successfully raising and lowering elevator cages used to access the mine shaft at the mine.

Crews will be sending more fire-suppressing foam down the shaft Saturday evening. Foam and water used Friday apparently was succeeding in suppressing the fire. One elevator cage brought to the surface on Saturday was covered in foam, indicating the suppressant used Friday night was penetrating deep into the mine.

On Saturday night, crews are planning to use approximately half the volume of water and foam used Friday night.

Hoist operators carefully raised and lowered the cages on Saturday through the mine shaft without meeting any obstructions. The cages have been undamaged by the fire. The ability to raise and lower the cages allowed the staff to send down monitoring equipment, including a CO monitor, temperature gauges and a camera that provided critical information about the condition of the shaft.

The plan for Sunday is to continue to monitor conditions within the mine and begin the process of planning how mine crews will address restoring communications and power throughout the mine. Conducting this work within the underground mine environment requires extreme attention to safety. All decisions must be made with the crew members’ safety foremost in the planning.

More than 40 personnel are working in various capacities around the clock to subdue the fire, monitor conditions and continue their efforts to control the water that threatens the $50 to $100 million physic lab operated by the University of Minnesota on the mine’s lowest level.

Cooperators involved are from the Department of Natural Resources, the University of Minnesota, the Breitung Township Police Department and Breitung Township Volunteer Fire Department, Tower Volunteer Fire Department, the U.S. Forest Service, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MNPCA), the Minnesota Mine Safety Administration and the Homestake Mine of South Dakota in an advisory capacity.

(Photos: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Top: Smoke emerges from the mouth of the mine. Bottom: The lift emerges from the shaft covered in fire suppression foam.)

The uncontrolled fire deep in the Soudan Underground Mine now threatens the advanced $60 million scientific MINOS laboratory two levels below the fire, reports WDIO. It's not the fire, but the water collecting at the bottom of the mine that poses a risk. Pumps that normally keep the mine dry are without power. In 1-2 days the water could flood the lab.

The Timberjay reports that state officials are still trying to figure out how to fight the tricky subterranean blaze. The mine is a state park.

I'm trying to find details, but the Mesabi Daiy News is reporting a fire between the 23rd and 25th levels of the Soudan Underground Mine burning since yesterday.

UPDATE: A press release from the DNR:

Fire underway in mine shaft at Soudan Underground Mine State Park

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center (MIFC) are responding to a fire that has been detected inside the mine shaft at Soudan Underground Mine State Park near Tower, Minn.

There have been no injuries or loss of life due to the fire. It does not pose a risk to nearby communities or the environment.

DNR officials said they believe the fire is burning inside the shaft between the 23rd and 25th levels of the mine, which is operated as a state park. The mine is also the site of a physics experiment being conducted by the University of Minnesota at the 27th level of the mine shaft.

An incident management team is being sent to the scene by MIFC. No firefighters or DNR personnel are currently fighting the fire because local crews are not trained to fight underground fires. The DNR is seeking additional resources from the mining industry to help put out the fire.

Electric power inside the mine is off.

At approximately 9 p.m. Thursday, March 17, the mine’s smoke-detector system alerted University of Minnesota staff of a possible fire. At the time, no one was inside the mine.

When DNR staff and the Breitung Township Fire Department arrived at the scene, they could see smoke coming from the shaft, and security cameras indicated falling embers. After sending an elevator cage down the shaft with gas and temperature monitors, the on-site crew estimated the fire was burning between the 23rd and 25th levels of the mine.

The mine shaft descends nearly a half-mile underground. Tours of the mine take place May through October. The park has historic buildings and a gift shop. None of the above-ground buildings are threatened by the fire.

Property damage inside the mine is anticipated to be extensive. The DNR is setting up an incident command center on site. For information and updates, call MIFC.

(h/t Lois Garbisch)

Tune in this Saturday morning to "Between You and Me" on 91.7 KAXE as I contribute a piece to the show's rotating topic: restaurants. The show, guest hosted by Julie Crabb, will feature music and listener calls talking about favorite restaurants, recommendations and restaurant stories. My essay will explore the experience of dining out, itself a collection of routines that we generally don't give much thought. This is one of my "wacky" contributions, featuring multi-tracks, characters and dialogue.

You can hear "Between You and Me" from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday on 91.7 FM in northern Minnesota or streaming live all over the world at www.kaxe.org. Shows are archived on the website. Listen and participate to celebrate and learn more about the people of northern Minnesota.

The Census released its 2010 population data for Minnesota Wednesday. Population and demographic trends that were forming in recent years were confirmed. Last year I wrote a piece about how the demographics of the Iron Range region of northern Minnesota were changing. The changes were not just in population. In actuality, northern Minnesota population isn't declining by all that much. The difference is in the kinds of households and families living in the area. More retirees, fewer young families. Taken together, political, cultural and economic trends can be discerned.

WDIO is among many reporting some of the raw data for northern Minnesota towns. Population drops of 2-9 percent are common in nearly all Iron Range towns. The grand exception is Grand Rapids, which according to WDIO jumped 40 percent from 2000 to 2010. I received a skeptical e-mail about this number but if that figure includes the rural areas around Grand Rapids then, yes, I could believe 40 percent. Itasca County as a whole showed modest growth, much of it related to an influx of retirees. Most Range towns that showed any growth were in Itasca County. With more than 1,000 lakes piled into an historic forest and a tight, active network of community organizations, Itasca is the only part of this region built to grow in the short run.

UPDATE: A commenter has pointed out that the annexation of Grand Rapids Township that was completed just before the Census is the leading reason for the size of the Grand Rapids population increase. The Duluth News Tribune has a story today that mentions this. There was probably growth over and above the annexation, but likely much closer to the 2-5 percent seen in neighboring communities. Still this greatly outpaces the decline seen on the eastern Mesabi.

For a personal example, in 2000 my wife and I lived in Hibbing. We've since moved to Itasca County, had three kids and enrolled them in Grand Rapids schools. I could say that I don't just watch trends, I make them happen. In truth, lots of people did this: several hundred, plus several hundred more retirees. More than 1,000 in total.

The westward shift of the Range population center has cultural significance because only some of the people who live in Itasca County self-identify as Iron Rangers. In the west, there are old political resentments about the Range. Freshman House 3B Rep. Carolyn McElfatrick (R-Deer River) is a shining example of someone who does not identify with Range history or culture and was, for the most part, elected by similar people. In Eastern Itasca, where I live, the population is divided. As Itasca grows while "the Range" shrinks internal conflicts within the region's political structure will ensue.

I've seen reports showing significant population shortages in Iron Range legislative districts. I am forming some theories about how redistricting will go for the Range, but don't have the tools I need to show that to you yet. Picture an island with eight cannibals ... it goes on from there. When I get a better look at the data I'll write more on this topic.

The Iron Range of the near future will be slightly smaller, slightly more conservative on average, much more politically polarized, and feature more generational friction than ever as a frustrated older majority dwarfs a frustrated young minority. The region's natural resources and enduring educational and recreational institutions will allow us occasional chances to prosper, chances that will become fewer and farther between if this dynamic continues.

The future can be changed, but the numbers don't lie.

We drove to Grand Rapids this morning to bring our dog to the vet. The whole town and several surrounding towns had lost power after a Minnesota Power transformer blowout at 9:15 a.m. Grand Rapids is still without power here at 12:30 p.m. and could be for several more hours. We've heard from our son's school that they are proceeding with the school day with natural light and no computers. 91.7 KAXE is the only Rapids-based station still on the air and broadcasting news about the outage and its effects. They have a battery pack that will last a few more hours as necessary.

Then we heard of the fireball in Minneapolis, an arcing tower of flames that scorched a city block and shut down I-35W, miraculously without any reported injuries.



Why does the news have to be so apocalyptic these days? I prefer my end times to be subtle and incremental. Maybe that's just a Midwestern thing.

I'll be at this MPR/Northland's NewsCenter "Future of the Region" event on April 5, participating in some yet unknown way. Come on down, if only to see what the Oscar and Felix act of MPR and KBJR collaboration might look like.

"What is this, B-Roll of people jumping in Lake Superior? Get that out of here!"

"Shut up, you. That's what the people like to see, if you knew anything."

Meantime, unrelated and offered without commentary, Cathy Wurzer will co-host with Barbara Reyelts.

MPR News and Northland’s NewsCenter Present
“Prospects for the Arrowhead: What Do You Want For Your Future?”
Tuesday, April 5 at Radisson Harborview
Admission is free and the public is invited to attend

WHAT: MPR News and Northland’s NewsCenter are hosting a community conversation about the economic future of Northeastern Minnesota. An economic evolution is underway in the Arrowhead region. New mining projects, continued development along the North Shore, the growth of health care and increasing numbers of self-employed workers present a fresh generation of choices.

While the economy shows signs of life, the path to prosperity raises tough questions about jobs and quality of life. Host Cathy Wurzer from MPR News and Barbara Reyelts from Northland’s News Center will conduct an invigorating and important discussion.

“Prospects for the Arrowhead” is the third in a series of statewide events to be hosted by MPR News. The events are collaborations between MPR News and greater Minnesota news organizations to explore local issues, and are made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. “Prospects for the Arrowhead” is co-sponsored by Northland’s NewsCenter.

"We are thrilled to work with MPR News to explore the economic options in Northeastern Minnesota,” says Barbara Reyelts, News Manager for Northland’s NewsCenter. “Northeastern Minnesota has unique economic potential and some hard choices to make.”

“Northland’s NewsCenter covers the gamut of economic issues in the Arrowhead,” says Chris Worthington, managing director of MPR News. “We’re looking forward to a lively discussion. We know what happens in the Arrowhead will affect the whole state.”

The media organizations will work together on taped interviews leading up to the event.


WHEN: 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5. Free pre-event reception begins at 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: Radisson Harborview Great Hall, 505 West Superior Street, Duluth. Parking is free.

TICKETS: Admission is free, but RSVP is requested by going to mprnews.org/arrowhead

Moments ago U.S. Census data for Minnesota was released, including specifics related to Congressional and legislative redistricting. Long story short, Minnesota's 8th Congressional District did not change population much. Analysis indicates it only needs 2,649 more people to be balanced properly with state population. That's just one small town annexed from the 6th CD, for instance. The 6th, in south central Minnesota, gained the most in population and will be shedding territory on all sides.

What this means is that whole-scale reorganization of the 8th CD is less likely than before, unless the legislature or state judicial system decide to make an exceptionally bold revision of the state's districts. I'm still digging into the legislative redistricting implications. I expect to see some hungry, hungry districts on the Iron Range.

Asian demand for steel has had a large and positive influence on northern Minnesota's Iron Range economy for several years, mostly because of how it affects prices and demand for steel products. Chinese demand, in particular, fueled the historic Range taconite production of 2007 and early 2008. Chinese stagnation spurred the widespread shutdowns in late 2008 and 2009. Indeed, international steel demand seems to be leading indicator on the Range, which is why the Iron Range's recovery is currently outpacing other parts of the Minnesota and the U.S.
 
This week Cliffs Natural Resources announced that it will now literally ship American taconite pellets to China and Japan because of said demand and high steel prices. Business North is among the publications reporting the news after a company statement on Tuesday. Obvious logistical and cost barriers have prevented this in the past, but new efficiencies and higher prices are changing all that. Cliffs is talking about shipping out of Quebec City via big lakers for now, but is considering using rails to take ore west in the future.

Globalization is not an abstract concept on the Iron Range. Some of the kids playing in the hockey tournaments paid for their skates and fees with money acquired because China is buying steel.

I had an opportunity to check in with Craig Walter from the state Department of Employment and Economic Development this week. He was reminding me of the 13th Annual Iron Range Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22 at the Thunderbird Mall in Virginia, Minn. With the Range economy sputtering back to life of late, this fair may actually help connect people to jobs.

Also of note, several seminars will be offered at the job fair. These range from educational opportunities and resume-writing exercises to presentations by IRRRB Commissioner Tony Sertich ("Opportunities on the Iron Range") and possibly another by Iron Range native and DEED commissioner Mark Phillips.


Among other things Walter coordinates veteran job placement in the region. I hadn't realized that there was a full time person traveling around the cities of the Arrowhead region helping the large number of new veterans returning from war go to school and find jobs in the area. This is a growing economic and demographic category in this region and throughout the country. I wrote an essay called "Times of War" that explores the Range's connection with military service in my book "Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range."

Susan Maricle has an interesting personal post from her Poultry and Prose blog featured on MinnPost's "Blog Cabin" today. She writes of her son's 90-minute one-way bus ride to school from her family's central Minnesota farm. The post struck a chord with me because our oldest son has a similar length bus ride to kindergarten from our home in the woods north of the Iron Range. We often remark that our son spends three hours a day trying to be both good and stationary on the bus, which makes it more difficult for him to do those things at home. In a year and a half we send our younger twin sons on the same ride.

I had about an hour on the bus one way as a kid. That's a lot, but manageable. With more school consolidation and difficult financial decisions ahead, the implications of these long bus rides should not be ignored. Right now I'd say this is the exception, but ride lengths will creep upward for everyone. It's also worth noting that population growth in northern Minnesota is occurring in the rural townships, not the towns.

For time being I think our boys will be fine on the long bus ride, but there will be some interesting discussions about our options as they get older with more homework and extracurriculars to consider.

From 1996 to 1998, the years I was in senior high school, I worked weekend overnight shifts as an easy listening DJ at 97.9 WEVE in the iron mining town of Eveleth, Minnesota.

Specifically, I'd come home from school on Friday afternoon, prepare a bowl of Campbell's soup and cheese sandwich, take a sleeping pill while eating the food and fall asleep watching VHS tapes of David Letterman, The X-Files, Conan O'Brien or a movie like Sneakers. I'd wake up with the alarm at 11, drink a pot of coffee, sneak some cigarettes from my dad and go to work at the radio station for the midnight to 6 a.m. air shift. (I'd then change into a suit in the station bathroom, compete in a speech meet on Saturday, take another pill and do the same thing Sunday).

In summary, this period in my life opened up my concept of time to the widest possible definition a teenage mind could handle.

I was reminded of this over the weekend with daylight savings time. Unless you work overnights you never have to contend with the reality of daylight savings time. You change your alarm clock before you go to bed and pretend you went to bed early or late, depending on whether it's fall or spring. You persist in a lifelong delusion.

If you've ever worked in radio you know that the program log is the prime directive, declaring the list of songs to play and when to do news, weather, commercials and antennae readings. You sign your name on the log as "operator," accepting that if anything goes seriously wrong during your time you will be fired. 

Like all young radio people I would get in trouble sometimes for gently pushing the edges of the program log decorum, sneaking a Kenny Rogers song in where one did not belong, saying stupid things after stupid news stories, or being cute with the weather (do not be cute with the weather). But, by and large, I followed the program log until one day in the spring when it was daylight savings time.

It was then I realized that when they say "lose an hour" for daylight savings time, they really mean lose an hour. The vintage programming software that the program director used had generated an hour of programming for the 2 a.m. hour, with songs weather, news and public service announcements. However, that hour did not actually exist. There was no 2-3 a.m. this day, only a 1-2 and a 3-4. I wrote "None" on the ghost page in the log and signed my name.

I didn't give this much thought until the next fall when the opposite problem occurred. Instead of being no 2 a.m. hour there would be two such hours. When the clock struck 2 a.m. it went back to being 1 a.m. again. This time, the program log was missing a page. For one glorious hour fate averted its eyes from free will. There was the assumption of news at the top of the hour and the top of the next, but nothing else was foretold. I wasn't just the operator; I was the controller.

I kept my music within spitting distance of the format. This was a choice. My boss was a night owl, after all. I did play "The Gambler." And I doubled up on CCR, including "Fortunate Son" and "Someday Never Comes," two tracks that normally weren't allowed. I had an excuse ready if he called, which he didn't. I played "American Pie," which was usually only played when an announcer needed a bowel movement or to run out behind the building to whack snow out of the satellite dish with a stick. I played this rock epic on purpose, smoking cigarettes in the cold out on a deck that overlooked a tiny forest between a car dealership and Highway 53.

When 2 a.m. arrived the second time I returned to the log, completing the 12-6 a.m. shift which had been seven hours long. I did something similar the following year, but then I moved up to evening shifts. This means that I got the bonus hour and never had to give it back. Every year since I've returned to the notion that we lose these hours in our sleep. I've learned that we lose all the hours in our sleep.

I'm glad for the one hour I wrung out of the night when I was a younger man who could. I keep this hour today, and forever.

I'll be on the KAXE Morning Show at 7:20 a.m. Monday talking Iron Range issues, with special attention given to my comments in my recent "On mining and the future in northern Minnesota" post from last week. Listen at 91.7 FM within 70 miles of Grand Rapids or streaming live at www.kaxe.org. You can access the archives online if you miss the live broadcast.

This is my weekly column for the Sunday, March 13, 2011 edition of the Hibbing Daily Tribune. 

To those who would divide us, remember the Sneetches
By Aaron J. Brown

People could once disagree about politics and still share a meal without posing an existential threat to each other. Generations of resentful Midwesterners have done just this, and done it quite well.

Today’s disagreements seem to cut deeper grooves in the turf, even TV shows or natural disasters are just scoring opportunities in a political game that has no end and seldom produces a result that lasts more than six weeks. Take the weather. Even the weather starts arguments now, your position within determined by whether you watch Fox News or own a Subaru.

It is thus with a heavy heart that I bring up the word that will send you, whoever you are, into a fit of rage for or against something, or not. That word is “Wisconsin.” In saying Wisconsin, I probably inspire some variation of hot political buzzwords, lighting up your brain’s reptilian lobes like a fish finder. So I’ll start with one you don’t expect: Sneetches.

Dr. Seuss wrote a story called “The Sneetches” in which flightless bird-like creatures learn an important lesson. The star-bellied Sneetches begin the story looking down upon the plain-belly Sneetches. A fast-talking entrepreneur shows up and begins selling cosmetic star-bellies to the plain-bellies, making all Sneetches indistinguishable. At some point the snooty original star-bellies pay him to remove their stars so they can maintain a sense of superiority. Starred plain-bellies follow suit. This goes on until all the Sneetch money is gone, leaving them sprawled out on Sneetch Beach, broke and acutely aware of their folly.

This story is often applied to the concept of prejudice (you know, against it) but I always take it as more of a cautionary tale about the danger of being exploited by arbitrary differences among people. As Seuss’s “Fix-it-Man” says: “Just pay me your money and hop right aboard!”

Indeed, had the Sneetches deduced earlier what they would later conclude, that, “Sneetches are Sneetches and no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches” they’d have had the resources to build just the kind of large, comical machine that the charlatan uses to apply stars while extracting all their money. And, see, that’s a better story, if you’re a Sneetch.

The issue in Wisconsin over whether public workers should be stripped of collective bargaining rights, pay and benefits has many layers. We should talk about it since the fight will affect Minnesota, too. There is a valid argument at the heart of the matter, but we’ve yet to scrape it. So let’s consider the emotions that guide our combatants, seeing we live in the Pathos Age.

First, there’s the changing American economy, the decline of manufacturing, job losses here on the Iron Range and across the Rust Belt. Private sector workers have seen their benefits and pensions stripped, their pay reduced relative to the cost of living. In the old days they could count on making more than public sector workers, who traditionally accepted lower pay in exchange for job security and a solid pension. Now, they feel public sector workers are doing slightly better than many private blue collars (sometimes true), while unemployment remains high. 

Then there is the changing nature of public workers. For instance, teachers now require lifelong education, they’re as much social workers as they are educators. They emerge from 4-6 years of college with more debt and no hope of job security for a decade. Challenges also confront other public sector workers. The argument for cutting their pay seems more related to how bad it is for others.

None of this is fair. This is a no-holds-barred slugfest to the bottom of the economic ladder, a race between private and public workers for who can be the most miserable. It seems as though some “fix it” man somewhere is exploiting the natural fears of Americans, each trying to provide for their families and future. The question shouldn’t be what we should do to push public workers and their families out of the middle class? The question should be what should we do to fix the unemployment and declining wages of all American workers?

With that, a-hem:

What a day it would be if we wondered aloud, how the economic crisis was fueled by that Wall Street crowd. Why is it that the bosses make more, even as Ma and Pop lose the corner store? Teachers and miners do different work, but both are important, don’t be a jerk.

Yes, what a day. “That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars and whether they had one, or not, upon thars.”

Aaron J. Brown is an Iron Range writer and community college instructor. Read more at MinnesotaBrown.com or in his book “Overburden: Modern Life on the Iron Range.”

This week's edition of the Saturday morning talk and music spectacular "Between You and Me" on 91.7 KAXE features another essay by yours truly, this one joining the weekly topic of "furniture." I talk about how furniture tells the story of our lives in unexpected ways. I'd say the essay rolls nicely, like a well-mounted drawer.

You might wonder why on earth people would produce and then others would listen to a program about furniture. If you have to ask the question, you haven't had the "Between You and Me" experience. This show blends listener calls, produced elements and lots of great music to create a truly unique experience celebrating the people and stories of northern Minnesota. The topic is just an excuse to talk about the meaning of life in these north woods.

"Between You and Me," hosted and produced by Heidi Holtan, airs from 10 a.m. to noon on 91.7 FM in northern Minnesota. I'm a contributing producer and essayist. My pieces generally air in the first half hour or so. You can listen live online or access the archives, including my previous essays, at www.kaxe.org.

In the months before Barack Obama won the presidency many wondered if he would consider then U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN8) for Secretary of Transportation. Oberstar wasn't interested. After all, he had much more influence over transportation issues as chair of the House transportation and infrastructure committee, just as his fellow Iron Ranger and mentor Rep. John Blatnik had before him. But, for a moment, northern Minnesota politicos, myself included, pondered the post-Oberstar world in local DFL politics. At the time I wrote a post indicating that the DFL bench, long frozen in place due to Oberstar's electoral longevity, was "deep."

Just two years later, in 2010, Oberstar lost his seat in Congress to the conservative upstart Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN8), the first GOP win in this district since 1944. The deep DFL bench I talked about isn't as deep as once thought. Most of the obvious candidates have removed themselves from consideration because of age, family considerations or the increasing unpleasantness of Congress itself. Notable front runners like IRRRB Commissioner Tony Sertich and Duluth Mayor Don Ness are among those taking a pass. State Rep. Tom Rukavina and Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk also deny interest.

In fact, the only candidate on my original list that's still there today is Duluth City Council President Jeff Anderson. Below you'll see a list of five potential candidates, some very preliminarily considering a run. These are all people who have made appearances or given speeches with the understanding that they're thinking about it. The links lead to candidate profiles or other political coverage.

Jeff Anderson
Duluth City Councilor at large, Council President, Ely native

Daniel Fanning
8th CD representative for U.S. Sen. Al Franken, Iraqi Freedom veteran, Duluth

Tim Faust
Former State Represenative, pro-life minister from Mora

Tarryl Clark* and Ryan Winkler*

* Clark and Winkler do not reside in the current 8th District but may after the new lines are drawn this year. Clark is an experienced Congressional candidate who ran a strong but unsuccessful campaign against Rep. Michelle Bachman in MN-8. She was a well regarded State Senator in St. Cloud. Winkler is considering moving his family back to his hometown of Bemidji, which also may find itself in the new 8th district.

Clark and Winkler would be attempting a difficult political maneuver, particularly if they move after the new lines are drawn. Unlike the legislature which has more specific rules, the only legal residency requirement for Congress is that the candidate live in the state. The political reality is that candidates will need deeper connections to the district than this.

Fanning in particular has probably put out the most vibrations about a potential candidacy and has maintained a high profile in local DFL circles. However Anderson and, to a lesser extent, Faust, Winkler and Clark are also making waves. Anderson's cross-region connections in Ely and Duluth will be huge for him. I've talked to most of these candidates informally and am making plans to meet with them all eventually. When the time is right I'll share formal interviews as part of my ongoing coverage of the MN-8 conventions, primaries and 2012 general election.

Generally, however, it would be fair to say that there is no DFL front runner, nor has the field closed off to potential new candidates. Big constituencies like Labor and the Iron Range are not showing any preferences yet, nor are most 8th CD voters tuned in to the likes of this discussion. There is a lot of potential and talent in this preliminary field, but each candidate has challenges to overcome.

The reality is that Cravaack caught fire at the right time in 2010 and pulled off a huge upset. He will be a formidable opponent for northern Minnesota Democrats, but will no longer have the advantage of surprise. Cravaack's residence at the far southern edge of the 8th District and his decision not to base an office in Duluth or anywhere north represent potential strategic disadvantages. His voting record, save a couple labor votes, has been reliably partisan. This is a pickup opportunity for the DFL if a strong candidate emerges over the next six months to a year. But let no one be fooled. Cravaack could be re-elected.

Redistricting will have an enormous impact on the structure of this race, potentially making the district more conservative or possibly even removing Cravaack from the district. With Michelle Bachmann considering a run for president and the GOP's need for a credible challenger against Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2012, all sorts of additionally amazing things could yet occur -- one of which is an open seat in MN-8.

UPDATE: A commenter rightly pointed out that State Rep. John Ward (DFL-Brainerd) is considering a run for the DFL 8th CD nomination. I have not yet heard from him, but he's kept that seat in a swing district for a few cycles now and is worth consideration. Also in the category of "not in the 8th, yet," State. Rep. John Persell (DFL-Bemidji) is rumored to be considering a run. That's another hypothetical situation scenario. If I missed others, please let me know.