Plato described the metaphor of the cave with a campfire casting people’s shadows on it. He said that people watching the shadows from the other side of the fire couldn’t really be sure what the people casting the shadows were doing. So it is with politics. That’s why I wrote my own on-line political diary a few years ago; to move people past the fire and shadows closer to the behind-the-scenes action on the Duluth School Board.
Today’s story in the DNT suggests to me that the DECC’s omission from the Senate bonding bill has Tom Bakk’s fingerprints all over it. Bakk tells us that the 11 percent of bonding that the Senate plan directs to the Arrowhead is such a big deal that losing the DECC expansion isn’t all that important. Duluth’s most important proposal on its bonding wish list, is not that big of a deal! The proposal which has our voter’s seal of approval! Whoa!
Where is Bakk coming from? Well, getting the DECC in the bonding bill could squeeze out funding for other projects on Bakk’s wish list. The last two reaportionments both used Duluth precincts to pad northeastern Minnesota’s legislative districts with their shrinking populations. The vast majority of Bakk’s Senate District 6 lies north of Duluth. He’s in an awkward position to push for the DECC if he doesn’t want to lose these other projects.
It’s also entirely possible that the ambitious Bakk has other objectives which the DECC interferes with. I’m sure he’s paying close attention to the troubles of his caucus leader, Senator Dean Johnson. The Republicans have beaten Johnson up for “sanding over the truth.” (see previous entries) The Republican’s ethic’s investigation could weaken Johnson enough so that the DFL Caucus might consider replacing him. That someone could be Tom Bakk. If so, Bakk doesn’t dare get too greedy in the bonding bill. By doing so he would antagonize his potential supporters. If Duluth’s losing the DECC helped Bakk move into the majority leader’s office, well, it would be a small sacrifice – for Bakk.
This at least is what the shadows on the cave wall suggest to me. But like Plato warned. I could be completely wrong.
