Where’s Erik Paulsen?

Our Representative in Congress held a public town hall September 6, 2011. Since then, there’ve been last minute meetings announced on social media shortly before they happen, tele-town halls where questions can be vetted before being forwarded, appearances at local businesses and school, robocalls that come to you saying he’s sorry you weren’t there to take his invitation to the tele-townhalls — but no traditional town hall until May of 2018.  Then reservations were required and interaction was limited.

Rep. Erik Paulsen held no public town halls for 2,459 days.

Environmental Disaster Coming: The Stream Buffer Zone Rule

The following article was posted on the trumpaccountable.com website February 20, 2017:

Congress and President Trump began unraveling environmental protections put in place by the Obama administration last week. At issue is the Stream Buffer Zone Rule that requires mining companies to create a buffer of at least 100 feet around streams and waters. Since many mining companies practice “mountaintop removal” where they simply remove the top of a mountain to get at the coal beneath, the debris and runoff inevitably fills stream-beds and destroys habitat for fish and other animals.

Trout Unlimited, in a post on their website, outlined the following reason to support the Stream Buffer Zone Rule: Over 2,000 miles of streams have already been destroyed or degraded by coal mining. Over the past ten years Trout Unlimited has only been able to restore 60 miles of damaged streams. Repealing the Stream Buffer Zone Rule means that Trout Unlimited will likely never be able to keep up with the destruction. Continue reading “Environmental Disaster Coming: The Stream Buffer Zone Rule”

These 23 Republicans Passed on a Chance to Get Trump’s Tax Returns

The following article by Conor Friedersdorf was posted on the Atlantic website February 15, 2017:

Congress has a duty to make sure President Trump isn’t selling out the United States. These legislators are in more active dereliction of that duty than most.

More than 800,000 Americans have signed a petition demanding the release of Donald Trump’s tax returns. Polls show that a majority of the country wants to see the documents.

On April 15, tens of thousands plan to take to the streets in protest of the president’s refusal to release his tax returns to the public. Some worry Trump is hiding financial ties to Russia. Others want to understand all the conflicts of interest that flow from his failure to divest from his business interests. Twenty thousand people say they’re going to a Los Angeles protest. Eleven thousand are signed up to attend in New York City. Folks will protest in Boise, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Raleigh, Pittsburgh, Knoxville, Salt Lake City, and other municipalities throughout the U.S. Continue reading “These 23 Republicans Passed on a Chance to Get Trump’s Tax Returns”

Behind the online community organizing protests against Trump

From CBS Evening News:

Response to immigration ban was poorly implemented

The following letter to the Editor was posted on the Edina Sun-Current website February 12, 2017:

To the editor:

U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen says Donald Trump’s immigration ban was “poorly implemented.” But it’s Paulsen’s response to Trump that’s poorly implemented.

Any manager, executive, or hockey mom could tell that Trump’s implementation of the ban was bad. Poor communication, unclear directives and questionable authority turned hard-working officers in airports into Keystone Kops, embarrassing them, the federal government and the country. There’s little dispute there. Continue reading “Response to immigration ban was poorly implemented”