A Realistic Invitation
Posted at 5:30 AM on June 24, 2009
by Dale Connelly
(17 Comments)
Congressman Beechly is walking the line, trying to find a middle ground between the excitement of a pitchman and the responsibility of a public servant. I understand some of his political opponents have lashed him for being "too timid" as a promoter of economic activity, while others have ripped him for "failing to challenge" the reckless behavior of powerful Twin Citians who are only interested in fouling the lake environment and then heading back to their suburban enclaves.
This e-mail arrived yesterday.
My dear potential 9th district visitor,As the Congressional representative for all the water surface area in the State of Minnesota, I hope to be among the first to welcome you to our beautiful, glittering 9th district, which is currently arrayed in all its summer splendor.
Entering the busy 4th of July camping and boating season, it's especially exciting to see that the 4th is on a Saturday this year, making both the lead-up week and the week following potential extended getaway times for the several Twin Citians who are still employed and might finally be tired of pinching pennies during this economic downturn.
We would be truly delighted to have you here, in spite of some of the grumbling you might overhear from the locals regarding carless fishing habits, random garbage thrown overboard and "too many people milling around" in town. This sort of murmering is simply part of our warm embrace. My constituents say these very same things about each other when you're not here.
So come to Wet Minnesota. Feel at home! Spend money in our bars, restaurants and resorts as if you were doing an expensive remodeling your own house down in the Cities. Really, no price is too extreme when you consider the long-term benefits, not to mention re-sale value. And by re-sale I mean that if you can support our local economy for a week, we can re-sell those same services to somebody else next month.
Finally, don't be intimidated by loose talk regarding invasive species, swimmer's itch, and harmful algae blooms (HAB).
The swimmer's itch situation can be kept under control if you dry yourself off completely right after you exit the water. I would tell you why that's important, but then I'd have to discuss tiny parasites burrowing into your skin and that's not the welcoming image we want to project. Suffice it to say, just like the human population, some of the microscopic residents of the 9th district don't know how to extend a warm welcome.
The Harmful Algae Bloom is an unfortunate name for an environmental feature which is nothing more than a kind of goo that takes on a lovely shade of green, and may not be all that terribly toxic if you don't ingest it or happen to get any of it on you. It is much less threatening when you call it by it's acronym, "HAB", which is also shorthand for one of the most frequently heard invitations down at the local bowling alley: "Have A Beer."
As for invasive species, there's nothing to be afraid of there. In fact, if there ARE any invasive species in the area, you are probably bringing them in with you. So don't be alarmed. If they didn't kill you on the drive from Burnsville, they're not going to harm you when you get to the lake.
Welcome to your summer vacation! Spend as much money as you can, and then some. Remember, you're already financing some very large bailouts on dry land, while the most productive bailout of all doesn't even begin until you step into a your boat on a lovely Minnesota lake.
Kind regards,
The Honorable Loomis Beechly, Congressman, 9th District.
Anyone planning a lake vacation over the Fourth of July?
Comments (17)
can't get the stream today - could be the satellite or ?? hello everyone! no vacation plans here - just staying away from the traffic. hope it's a good holiday season for everyone concerned.
it's so quiet in here i can't think - need some music!
good morning, All
The live stream is okay here. I hope you get your live streaming back soon, Barb. Maybe we can talk to Congeressman Beechly about this. Is live streaming related the streams and lakes that make up tne congressman's district?
I think Beechly and the other politicians need to start thinking more about serving the public and less about winning the next election. He needs to do what is right and protect the water and stop the pollution and get Barb's stream back in good shape.
We like to head up to Duluth for the fireworks and spend the daylight hours making photos! We haven't made hotel reservations yet, though, so who knows?
Happy Wednesday, all!
We will, I'm sure, enjoy some of the water areas here in Minneapolis over the weekend of the 4th - but will reserve our visit(s) to the 9th District located in outstate MN for later in the summer.
A question for Congressman Beechly - If we put up an inflatable pool in our yard, does that count as a temporary part of the 9th District? Or does it remain in our traditional congressional district? Just wondering, in case there is any activity in the pool that needs the attention of a congressperson.
Happy midweek to the RH community!
Our 4th of July in Albert Lea includes activities on Fountain Lake. Our local waterski team puts on a show at 2 p.m., including my daughters and me. Our fireworks show, at 10 p.m., is done from the city beach, with people lining the shores and several hundred boats anchored.
Good day to all.
I think Beechly will claim as much area as he can for his district and probably would include Anna's pool.
I don't what Beechly would do with regard to back yard pools. Perhaps he will consider such pools as an important part of the American way of life and declare that he is favor of keeping them unregulated.
the 4th and water is like pease and corn. gotta do it. thanks to congressman beechly for looking after the water surface areas in the state. its what makes the state great. ely is better than aberdeen for renewal.
pink martini was wonderful last night thanks to my prize winning tickets . thanks
Anna, this is a sore point for the Congressman.
He believes ALL water surface area is part of his district when it occurs in Minnesota. That means the district is larger after a heavy rain. And whenever there is a flood in the Red River Valley, Congressman Beechly believes all the federal flood relief money should go to the 9th district as well, since the emergency is most dire while the water covers the land. Of course, terrestrial Congressmen believe the muddy aftermath is when the relief money is REALLY needed. But Mr. Beechly would ask - what is mud anyway? Dirt or water? Without the water, he says, it's not a problem. And so the tug of war continues.
And yes, your kiddie pool is in the 9th district, which might be a relief to you if you are dissatisfied with the quality of your current representation.
We tend to avoid camping during the busy holidays, so no, we won't be visiting Congressman Beechly during July 4th.
We did just return from a week in CO (Denver and Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park), so if you have anything to ease us back into MN, Dale, that would be great. We're missing the mountains this morning. Thanks!
got the stream back - Jim, i think your pleas to Cong. Beechly helped! thanks.
and Anna, i like the idea of an unregulated backyard pool. i have such fond memories of the little red-haired girl next door sitting in her pool and her mommy saying "Hannah, did you peepee in your pool??" "No." "Are you SURE????" :-) wouldn't want to regulate that, would we?
back from milking. those poor critters. we've got ice-buckets in the freezer for this afternoon. they just lick and lick....
We'll be over water on the 4th, on the high bridge for fireworks from Taste of MN if tradition holds. I expect the city will have that empty feel until then that week and the following one too maybe.
We vacated Beechleys district in 2006 when we sold the lake place near Nisswa, but we sure abstrictly miss it, it was no longer the area we so loved that lives so vididly in memories now. We do visit his district as our finances allow since then.
We'll be doing the traditionals this 4th. Some strawberry picking (which then means strawberry jam making), neighborhood parade then maybe the bigger Richfield parade. Maybe fireworks if we can stay up that late! I'm thinking grilling will have to happen. Oh, and the kiddy pool!
I have never had one issue with streaming from work or home. Both places have pretty good pipes as far as bandwidth is concerned.
All this talk of vacations and chickens makes me think about the song "Ain't Nobody Home But Us Chickens".
Poor grammar, certainly.
But it is a fun song. Does Jasper have it in his vast collection?
Good Morning!
No particular plans, 9th district or otherwise. There will be biking and there may be some adult beverages and hopefully some other fun.
Off- topic but it seems the iPhone update has improved the connection but makes it harder to get in the first place. I have been able to listen for my whole ride two days in a row!
Happy Wednesday everyone!
No lakes for us. We're going to the Hinkley area for our son's wedding. Even though I grew up in Minnesota, I grew up in Rock County
where there are no lakes, just gravel pits. Does Congressman Beechly represent those as well?
i'm one of those worker bees who has to punch in on the 4th of July - the store will be very quiet but someone has to be there
and i get paid to show up, so it's not all bad
i recommend, however, the fireworks the night before (july 3) at Normandale Lake - they are always spectacular , and they have fun things going on for kids around the lake earlier in the day
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