The Annals of Muffing It

June 13, 2018

Last Friday, June 8th, Tina Smith pulled the most odious stunt of her admittedly short senatorial career. I am reluctant to call Tina Smith a senator because she never won the job in an election. She is an incumbent in only the most jocular sense. When she was appointed to the job by Governor Dayton, I […]

by Steve Timmer

Trust us; we’re good for it

May 14, 2017

Minnesota’s mining regulators at the Land and Minerals Division of the Department of Natural Resources face a stiff test of fidelity to the citizens of Minnesota as described in an article by Josephine Marcotty in the Strib’s paper edition on May 14th. The issue is: what are the financial reserves that must be set aside […]

by Steve Timmer

Here a VAT, etc., part two

October 2, 2016

Now with an update at the foot of the story. (10/3) And a second update. (10/4) In an earlier story, I wrote about value added taxes everywhere but the US, and how they can disadvantage US business. There is much more to this story, of course. One of the first thing we must realize is what […]

by Steve Timmer

Let the sun shine in

September 8, 2016

There have been multiple calls recently for some sunshine on the PolyMet permitting process before the Department of Natural Resources. Sunshine would take the form of appointing an administrative law judge from the Office of Administrative Hearings who would hold hearings on the permit to mine. A record would be made — a public record — and […]

by Steve Timmer

When a mining company shuffles off its mortal coil

January 21, 2016

Who is left behind to mourn?

by Steve Timmer

If people don’t want to come out to the ballpark

January 11, 2016

How are you going to stop them?

by Steve Timmer

What color is your hat?

December 12, 2015

You only get to wear one color

by Steve Timmer

Marshall Helmberger on Minnesota’s dystopian future

November 20, 2015

Marshall Helmberger is — bar none — the best editorialist on the Range. Marshall is the publisher of the Timberjay newspapers. He is the best example of a courageous small-town newspaperman that I know of. In a piece that was published on November 18th, Helmberger writes: [O]fficials from the Bureau of Land Management received a crash course in two […]

by Steve Timmer

A serious talk about sulfide mining

November 18, 2015

It’s time for a serious talk among environmentalists about sulfide mining in Minnesota. A serious and uncomfortable talk. As readers here know, the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) on the proposed PolyMet open-pit copper was issued on Friday (of course), November 13th. The public has 30 days from that date to comment on the FEIS. […]

by Steve Timmer

The ne’er-do-well brother-in-law

November 14, 2015

The one who keeps moving back in when he hits his latest rough patch

by Steve Timmer

We have good news and bad news

November 6, 2015

Never operated a mine; never earned a dime

by Steve Timmer

How do you drown-proof a mine? Part 3

November 5, 2015

The denouement – and a prediction comes true

by Steve Timmer