Rice County Republicans

Some recent opinions sent to the Northfield News need our attention …

First, the battle with the collectivists in urban Northfield continues as their arrogant “growth at any cost” assault on surrounding townships grows more pointed.  A letter condemns a proposed change in the annexation rules. (Northfield: city motto: “If the rules keep you from winning, then change the rules“.)

However, on March 2, the city council began amending its zoning ordinance to allow properties to be annexed without asking town boards. Developers merely have to notify townships. If this occurs, it could open up large tracts of land to development.

Waterford has very strict zoning to keep our township rural and agricultural. The agricultural aspects of the surrounding townships are crucial to Northfield’s success. We need to keep every piece available and unpaved, avoiding continuous sprawl from St. Paul to Northfield.

Read more at NorthfieldNews.

Bridgewater Township has similarly attempted to draw a line in the sand (well, actually in the fertile farmland) to slow down the inexorable urbanization of our most valuable asset, farmland. Mike Piper, for an active example,  is one of our strongest protectors of local farmland. You may also want to check out the story … “No laughs for state’s ‘Green Acres’ law” where we see the deleterious effect of hasty legislation … passing of new laws should take years, not minutes.

On another front, Bill Paulsen gives a nice summary of Bly and Dahle’s town meeting.

The state may use federal stimulus dollars to cover part of the budget deficit. The stimulus aid will come with conditions that prevent reforms reducing the expected 20 percent growth in the health and human services budget for the next biennium. This could cost the state more in the long run than the one time stimulus payment. [emphasis added]

Read more at NorthfieldNews.

Bill reminds us of the importance of taking the big view. Being too local-minded may lead us to make self-serving decisions that punish the country for our local gain. The stimulus bill may be a Trojan horse, and we know how well that worked for the people of Troy.