Katherine Kersten's Korner II

Aren't we lucky? Two kolumns to read today. The second is about how Minnesota is now a "Purple" state, instead of a Democratic "Blue" one. Uh-huh.

True, party self-identification is at parity, and the state is not as Democratic as it used to be. But I hardly doubt a grand Republican revolution is going to occur.

The key lies in this statement from a CAE conservative: "When I speak to Republican groups, I'm always amazed at the number of people who, like me, have come from other states, where -- for example -- taxes are much lower. They say, 'It doesn't have to be like this.' "

Think about that. All these people are coming here from other states to enjoy the things that Minnesota has. A good education system. Parks and natural resources. High employment. Good health care coverage. All of the things that make Minnesota ranked consistently as one of the best places to live. And all things that cost money and take a community to create.

I doubt that most Republicans who move here consciously think about pillaging Minnesota, but this is exactly the kind of thinking that Annette Meeks is demonstrating. The things that make Minnesota great did not spring up out of nowhere. It took the entire community to decide to pay more for the things that really matter, to stick together and try to improve everybody's life. These are the things that don't exist in Mississippi, Texas, or any of the other states that these people are coming here from. They seek to enjoy what they did not have, and yet they also seek to destroy what makes it possible.

After several years of Republican control in the governor's mansion and the legislature, people are beginning to see this. "No new taxes" doesn't mean a better life, it means larger class sizes, more money to go to state parks, and bottlenecks on the freeway.

If the Republicans who come here want to create the Alabama of the north, people aren't going to be fooled.