For years, Winona has been the beneficiary of Rep. Gene Pelowski, a wonderful legislator who practices what he teaches.

In addition to his annual model Legislature for high school students, he himself is a model legislator. He’s not afraid to break ranks with his own party. He was among a handful of representatives who wouldn’t go along with a budget bill he knew the governor wouldn’t sign.

He’s been critical of the expansion of the university system in Rochester at a time when the state can’t properly fund all the campuses it has.

He’s simultaneously fought for good programs and funding at Winona State University, while railing against the excessive bureaucracy that bloats the Minnesota State Colleges and University system at the state level.

He has been a tireless advocate for Minnesota’s transportation, calling attention to the inadequate roads and bridges in southeastern Minnesota, and he is quick to underscore that the economic livelihood of businesses here depends on transportation.

He’s been a lion for open records and government transparency. He’s even carried Pawlenty-administration backed legislation that would open more government meetings to the public. The list continues on and on.

We think St. Paul would be a much better place and life in Minnesota would be better if there were more Pelowskis to safeguard the state’s interest

Full Article link – http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_82cc8c38-e219-11df-a2b9-001cc4c002e0.html

A gubernatorial call has gone out for cleanup volunteers this weekend in flood-stricken southern Minnesota. If Minnesotans are true to long-established form, they will descend on sodden communities like Zumbro Falls and Hammond in big numbers.

Another true-to-form response to the damage done by heavy rainfall on Sept. 22-23 is expected in the next two weeks. Gov. Tim Pawlenty plans to call the Legislature into special session to authorize state spending and borrowing for disaster recovery. Flood relief will be on the docket; it’s possible that assistance for Wadena, socked by a June tornado, could be there too.

A cynic might say that politicians want to get into the relief act now because an election is coming soon. The cynic would have it wrong. State funds must be deployed now because winter is coming soon. Some repairs must be made before frozen ground ends the year’s construction season.

What’s more, Minnesota has learned through hard experience that state government plays a valuable role in helping communities rebound from nature’s worst. It supplements federal disaster money to quickly reopen flooded businesses, assist homeowners in financing repairs, and spare hard-pressed local taxpayers from the cost of rebuilding damaged public facilities.

“I can say without qualification that Rushford would be a ghost town without the help of the state,” said Ted Roberton, Rushford State Bank president and a city council member in the southeastern Minnesota town worst-hit by flooding in August 2007. Because of the forgivable business loans the state provided, the city’s commercial district has fully rebounded, Roberton said.

State government knows its role well. The Pawlenty administration alone has coped with six major floods and several serious tornadoes. Natural disasters occur with such frequency that state government’s flood emergency response team has been operational for decades, said state economic development commissioner Dan McElroy.

The Legislature, too, has its act together. In 2008, at the urging of Winona DFL Rep. Gene Pelowski, it enacted a template for disaster relief bills. It allows a bill to be drafted quickly after damage assessments are known — likely early next week– and assigns responsibilities among various state agencies. That template, prepared in consultation with the Pawlenty administration, is proving “very, very helpful” now as flooded communities scramble to maximize repairs this fall, McElroy said.

It’s worth noting that Pelowski’s bill won House approval on a 126-6 vote, and the six all-GOP dissenters included Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Emmer. The Emmer campaign explained that their candidate considered the template too vague and too sweeping in authorizing school districts to claim lost enrollment and the commissioner of health to remedy public health issues.

Emmer’s spokesman added that the three-term representative from Delano voted in favor of three more-specific disaster relief measures. That’s to his credit. Still, it’s telling that Emmer’s mistrust of the government he wants to head is so great that he would not take the Pawlenty administration’s word for the value of the disaster relief template it helped design.

Pelowski said he prepared the template law so future victims of disaster “can feel reasonably comfortable that the state knows what it’s doing.” It does, and for the thousands of Minnesotans who found themselves awash in water last week, that’s reason for hope.

Link to Article:

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/104108848.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:Ug8P:Pc:UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

Winona Senior High School – February 12, 2003
 
 ”When Stewart Shaw asked me to give the dedication remarks to the Freedom Shrine he wanted me to focus on my role as a state representative. So I want to draw your attention to Article 4, Section 4 of the United States Constitution. In one sentence “The United States shall guarantee to every State in the Union a Republican Form of Government” every state must have a government of elected representatives. As a State Representative, my election to the Minnesota House of Representatives flows from this single sentence because in this context Republican means a government of elected representatives.

The powers entrusted to the Minnesota House of Representatives come from another sentence in the 10th Amendment. “Any powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the people or to the states.” These Reserved Powers are numerous and we are in one of the largest of those powers today, education. But others are marriage, divorce, hunting & fishing licenses, local units of government, gambling and traffic laws to list but a few. All these and more are the result of this simple sentence in the 10th Amendment.

But what authority gives the Federal government its authority? That is established with only three words in the Preamble. These words are written larger than all the rest and can be read across the hall; even if you do not have glasses. “WE THE PEOPLE do ordain and establish this Constitution” Never before in the history of humankind have the People come together to establish a government. It is the People gathered here today to dedicate this Freedom Shrine that are superior to the president, congress, state legislature, school board, superintendent and principal. As long as the People exercise the powers represented in the documents on these walls Abe Lincoln’s words, taken from the Preamble, still ring true, “a government of the People, by the People and for the People”.

Thank you for inviting me to speak today.”

Response from The Shaw Family:

Gene:

 Thanks so much for speaking yesterday morning at the dedication of the Freedom Shrine.  Your remarks were relevant, informative and timely.
They helped your listeners understand the significance of the shrine’s documents for our republic and our nation’s way of governing its citizens. So often patriotic events are little more than demonstrations of homage to the flag.  But the flag is only the symbol of the living reality which embodies the ideas expressed in the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Gettysburg  Address, and other documents in the Freedom Shrine collection.  In the limited time we suggested, you helped us understand that our government derives its authority to govern from the consent of the people, and that all powers of government not specifically mentioned in the constitution are reserved for state and
local governments.

I sincerely appreciate your willingness to take time out of your busy
schedule to highlight some of the most important ideas in the Freedom
Shrine documents.

Stewart

Rep. Gene Pelowski will be speaking at the rededication of the Shrine on Sept. 17th, 2010.