Our Absentee Landlord

10/19/2007

Paul Munnis


Governor Pawlenty could save the taxpayers of Minnesota a lot of money in his trade mission search for new business opportunities for Minnesota. All he needs to do is step outside his door and feel the wind in his hair and enjoy pleasant Minnesota sunshine although lately it’s been interrupted with a lot of rain.

There is a trillion dollar market awaiting Minnesota if our good Gov. cares to harness it.

We speak of course of alternative energy – sun, water, and wind and corn, corn, corn, and oh yes, soybeans too.

Though individual markets for various products may be volatile, like corn due to drought across the USA, the trend is in the right direction and we have to plan for tomorrow. In no uncertain terms there is a huge market for ethanol and bio-diesel for our nation must surely cut our dependency on foreign oil. A little national legislation is needed to keep Brazil from poaching on our natural mid-western market and a huddle with our State / Federal reps is in order to scope out needed legislation.

In Minnesota wind is being harnessed but it needs a legislative push. Solar is ready to take off and blossom on every south facing roof-top in the State and all that it needs is a legislative push and a tax subsidy.

We have water energy potential in our State that needs harnessing once again.

We have nuclear power plants in Minnesota that need upgrade, expansion, and innovative marketing help.

By simply staying at home from India and focusing on draft legislation to empower new business opportunities in wind and solar for Minnesotans then a whole new rasher of business growth and opportunity will be spawned and new markets established, then as a result new tax revenues will pour into our Minnesota treasury.

But the absentee landlord is too busy addressing the folks along the beautiful foliage trails of New Hampshire and packing his bags for a trip to India to run a trade mission. Who knows -- he might find a business opportunity while riding on Mt. Washington’s cog railway or touring the Taj Mahal.

We have a huge idle car plant at Minneapolis just vacated by Ford where they used to build Ford Ranger trucks. Now it’s idle and so are the skilled car builders that know how to create good vehicles. There is an emerging market for a plug-in electric hybrid car awaiting development. What is needed is a little promo from a Governor and a little convincing of the GM Executives to come to Minnesota and to develop a market that GM is desperate to have models entries for. Nope, the Gov. has to go to India to seek a trade opportunity.

Come-on Gov wake up and smell the coffee. Opportunity for trade is right in your own backyard.

Over the last few years I have watched the annual trade junkets to China and elsewhere by the good Gov., ostensibly to raise income for Minnesota, but actually to provide annual vacation opportunities for our Gov. at the expense of the taxpayer. Better that he take a vacation along the North Shore of Lake Superior and come back inspired with a program to develop the economy of that region.

We do need jobs and the U of M economics professors would be glad to lecture him on domestic business development opportunities and even help him layout a roadmap for achievement. He is going to need one come the 2008 Biennium Budget as he tries to come up with something better for our State than his last abortive attempt at legalizing gambling.

By the way – foliage along our Minnesota / Wisconsin border is quite beautiful if you avoid the flood areas. Do you suppose that fixing those flood areas would create jobs for Minnesotans? Probably not – we need to go and check out New Delhi instead.