Copyright Star Tribune
No question the off-year elections were good news for Democrats (with the caveat that results were confined to a small number of small geographic regions that are, let’s just say, not traditional Republican strongholds). So what happens next? My prediction is that over the next two years we’re going to see an intense struggle for control of the Democratic Party. Old-school liberals (they call themselves “moderates” now) will battle it out with the Democratic Socialists of America over platforms and policies. I’ve heard some predict that the two factions will be able to compromise, but frankly, the DSA folks don’t seem to be in a mood for that. So I predict that, when the dust settles, we’ll have a Democratic Party that is either much like the party of old, because they’ll tell the DSA, ”You’re not welcome here; stand or fall on your own" (perhaps that’s what Republicans should have done with the Tea Party?). Or, the Democratic Party will be transformed into what Republicans have been claiming it is for decades — socialist. I hope that with Tuesday’s election, Republican officeholders realize that Trump is dragging them all down. Instead of fearing being primaried from the right, they should be primaried from the center. I suspect that many in red districts cannot conceive of voting for anyone but Republicans, so they need non-MAGA candidates to challenge current Republican officeholders who feel safe and unaccountable to their constituents. I’m no Republican — and I hope that some seats can be flipped — but I also recognize we must have reasonable elected officials from all parties, at all levels. Who take their jobs and the Constitution seriously. Who don’t consider “compromise” a dirty word. Who can honestly work with members of other parties to serve their constituents. Gone or transformed are the bars that embodied a college spirit: Not glamorous, not polished, certainly not hygienic, but undeniably alive. The Library (a fun name) has become Kollege Klub, an acronym dangerously close to something you wouldn’t want on a sweatshirt, and Burrito Loco now stands boarded, depriving generations of the free popcorn that once made up 27% of student caloric intake. Ten years ago, Bloco was the kind of place where the floor stuck to your shoes and your dignity stuck to the door frame. A perfect dive. A touchstone. Now shuttered. Regarding the Minnesota Rusco bankruptcy and the many customers losing their large deposits, we’ve seen this story time and again with contactors taking deposits and not doing the work. I am an attorney and we also get large “deposits” (retainers) in advance of doing any work. We are required to put the deposits we receive into a trust account, and we cannot withdraw any funds from trust until we have earned the fee. The interest on those accounts goes to the state to support legal services for low-income people. Perhaps Minnesota needs to set up a similar program for contractors. The deposits would be paid into a trust account program run by the state. Contractors would be able to withdraw their money as soon as the work is completed. Contractors would be assured of getting paid, and customers would not lose their deposits when a contractor decides to fold up shop before doing the work they were paid for. The interest on the accounts could be used to reimburse victims of unscrupulous contractors. I don’t know much about soccer. I have never even read a sports story about soccer. But the photo and headline on last Sunday’s Star Tribune captured me (“‘We’re brothers. We’re meant to be on this team. Everyone is so connected, because we were all raised in Willmar,’“ Nov. 2). Once I started to read it, I couldn’t stop. The writing is riveting, and the subject matter includes so much more than sports. It is one of the best examples of the ramifications of our current immigration situation. Among the hardships faced by many newcomers to America, this story features a small Minnesota town’s welcoming embrace of new resident families from many different countries. It also lets us meet a great coach with a huge heart. It tells about team family dinners gather together to feast on foods from Somalia, Honduras, Myanmar and other countries.
