Sometime in November of last year, State Senator Tom Bakk met with Governor Tim Waltz to warn him “something was bubbling up.” suggesting the new look of the vacation rental industry warranted a “fresh look at state tax laws.” Eleven years previous, during the 2008 Minnesota legislative session, a task force actually set about to study the need to create... READ MORE >
It’s becoming increasingly evident in our impulsive culture …nothing. While Valentine’s Day has often been associated with the celebration of romantic love in many regions around the world, today’s ideas about love have changed; as American singer Tina Turner vocalized in her 1984 number one hit song, “What’s love but a sweet old fashioned notion.” Unfortunately there is a growing... READ MORE >
According to the 2019 Minnesota Housing Partnership Biennial Report on the “State of the State’s Housing,” compiled by their research officer Gabriela Norton, our neck-of-the-woods has the third highest rate of owner cost burden in Minnesota, with one in five owner households paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing. From 2000 to 2017 (the period represented in... READ MORE >
It’s a hot topic that’s been smoldering for a number of years and is finally being addressed in cities across the country. It’s one of those things that slowly sneaks up on you until it reaches the point where it demands your attention. One could conclude, as the popularity of online short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO, and HomeAway... READ MORE >
Anyone who has traveled to the Central Pacific Island of Maui has no doubt witnessed the majestic banyan tree growing in the courthouse square in the historic town of Lahaina, once the capital of Hawaii. The remarkable aboreal fig tree–one of sixty fig tree varieties in Hawaii–dominates the square, now appropriately referred to as Banyan Tree Park. This is entirely... READ MORE >
Seven years ago (2012), Lake County Board of Commissioners’ Chair Rich Sve wrote a spirited letter to Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-Arizona) in defense of federal funding for the three Minnesota counties that cradle the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW): Lake, Cook, and St. Louis counties. Grijalva, who has served on the House Natural Resources Committee since arriving in Congress... READ MORE >
Christmas has always been the season for music for our family, as I am certain it has for families around the globe. We were able to attend three Christmas concerts during this reflective interval, beginning with the Borealis Chorale and Orchestra annual concert held at Bethlehem Lutheran Church here in Grand Marais. The following weekend we traveled to the cities... READ MORE >
There’s a saying found in the Old Testament book of Proverbs – known as one of the Wisdom Books – that encourages, “Saying the right thing at the right time is like a golden apple in a silver setting.” Such was the case at last Tuesday’s board meeting when plainspoken, normally subservient Commissioner Bobby Deschampe, quieted the rhetoric related to... READ MORE >
Last week’s column compared Cook County commissioner compensation with six other counties included in the Iron Range Fiscal Disparities program (excluding St. Louis). It was disclosed that Cook County commissioners’ total compensation and benefits came in third highest among these counties; despite the fact that Cook County has the smallest population and smallest annual budget among these counties. It was... READ MORE >
Ever wonder whether your county commissioner is adequately compensated for the time they put in representing your best interest? Well, head scratch no more. We’ve arrived at that time of year when commissioners huddle together to determine how much they think they’re worth. Call it their version of the traditional New Year’s resolution that kicks in after the first of... READ MORE >
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