Posts by Paul Demko

State Sen. Dick Cohen has been picked to serve on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. The committee advises the federal government’s three primary cultural agencies: the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The personal is apparently political for Minneapolis City Council president Barb Johnson. City Pages reports that the four-term council member, who is locked in a tough, four-way re-election fight, makes some rather dubious campaign expenditures.
Johnson charged her campaign $1,154 for hairdresser appointments and $986 for dry-cleaning during the current four-year election cycle. No other city [...]

The knives are out in the battle over instant-runoff voting (IRV) in St. Paul. The No Bad Ballots Committee has filed a second complaint, alleging the voting system’s supporters are using “evil” campaign practices worthy of Karl Rove.

DelRay Rokke and Ken Smart didn’t make the cut during last month’s primary election in Maplewood. Smart finished third in a seven-candidate mayoral field, while Rokke took fifth in the contest for two city council posts.
But Smart and Rokke are not accepting defeat. The political allies are now mounting a write-in campaign. And according to [...]

The battle over instant-runoff voting in St. Paul is getting heated. The No Bad Ballots Committee, which is advocating against adopting the new voting system, has filed a grievance with the state’s Office of Administrative Hearings alleging that supporters of the ballot measure are knowingly making false claims in their campaign literature.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is the top choice of roughly one third of Republicans for the presidential nomination in 2012, according to a new CNN poll. Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was the second most popular choice, with support from 25 percent of Republican voters, while former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney drew backing from [...]

Assistant St. Paul Police Chief Matt Bostrom is likely to challenge Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher in 2010. Bostrom filed campaign papers with the Ramsey County Elections office today and will begin raising money for the contest. The challenger already boasts an impressive array of supporters: U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, Ramsey County Commissioners Victoria Reinhardt [...]

Minnesota is among 22 states that have had to borrow money from the federal government to pay unemployment benefits during the ongoing economic crisis. The state’s unemployment insurance system is currently more than $155 million in debt, according to a new report.

Minneapolis is the safest city in America, according to Forbes. The ranking was based on crime rates, traffic deaths, workplace fatalities and risk of natural disasters. The Minneapolis metropolitan area ranked in the top 10 nationwide in each of these categories, including the lowest rate of on-the-job deaths.

Dan Powers will seek the DFL endorsement to take on U.S. Rep John Kline in the Second Congressional District. The construction contractor and Burnsville resident argues that the four-term Republican incumbent is out of touch with his constituents.