Bonded by Geography, Divided by Politics
Residents in the twin ports of Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis., find their lives diverging, now that Minnesota is governed by Democrats, and Wisconsin by Republicans.
Video at link
Posted on 01/13/2014 9:23:42 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
DULUTH, Minn. — The soaring Blatnik Bridge spans a modest body of water but a political gulf.
Most mornings around 7, Kim and Kyle Smith drive a mile and a half across the bridge from Duluth, where they live, to Superior, Wis., where they teach. On the same bridge most mornings, scores of workers from Superior head the opposite direction, making their way to a foundry that Andy Fulton’s company runs in Duluth.
This is a well-traveled commute between the Minnesota and Wisconsin cities, separated by the St. Louis River. Together, they are known as the Twin Ports for their shared role as a major cargo port, and people on both sides share Scandinavian, German and Irish roots, working-class pasts and a stoic sensibility hardened by a steady chill off Lake Superior.
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But these days, when residents cross the bridge, they enter starkly different political territories. Since Republicans in Wisconsin took control of the State Legislature and governor’s office in 2011, and since Democrats gained full dominance in Minnesota last year, people here have watched essential elements of their daily lives — their savings plans, job expectations, personal relationships and health insurance — veer apart.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Bonded by Geography, Divided by Politics
Residents in the twin ports of Duluth, Minn., and Superior, Wis., find their lives diverging, now that Minnesota is governed by Democrats, and Wisconsin by Republicans.
Video at link
Comparison between life in WI and MN
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.
The Bong bridge.
He’s a hero(not a doobie device)
Sales tax is 10.5% in Duluth (or so says my son who lives there).
I have no earthly idea why anyone would want to willingly subject themselves to that kind of over-taxation...
leftist whine.
My cousin just moved to Minneapolis from San Diego! I have no earthly idea why, except that her daughter lives in MN. She thinks she’s used to MN winters because she’s visited there often. Methinks she was surprised THIS winter. She should travel south to Milwaukee to warm up! We were only -15 degrees last week. It was colder in MN!
Honestly, Duluth is a really cool town...I love spending a few days every summer and fall there. I could sit at the pier with my son and watch the lake freighters come in and out all day.
But, like all of NE MN it’s a blue collar Dem hell hole when it comes to local government.
Yeah, my wife and I always chuckle when we drive on it. “Honey, I’m hitting the Bong right now”.
In Duluth, where Mr. and Ms. Smith live on a quiet cul-de-sac on a hill, there are signs of labor expansion. Minnesota lawmakers last year voted to grant in-home child care workers and personal attendants permission to form unions.
Um... No. They've always HAD the ability to form Unions. What the Unions tried to do was use the State government to FORCE day cares into a Union.
A really, balanced, even-handed article...../NOT!!
There are a million reasons people live where they live. Family, friends, history, roots.
That and out of the five or six people chronicled you had two teacher union toadies, two homosexuals (owning homosexual themed bars) an employee of a non-profit company hip deep in the state and federal insurance swamp and an owner of an Iron forge. While they made sure to point out the human cost for each of the trough pigs losing government freebies in Wisconson, the forge’s problems were stricly business with no real cost to anyone but that rich owner and his executives.
They got in the obligatory message about homosexual marriage. We are supposed to feel sympathetic that 2 men built their dream house on the Wisconsin side of the border, but will now move to Minnesota because Minnesota allows homosexual marriage. They don’t want to live in a state which doesn’t value homosexuality,etc. Okay.............
My favorite restaurant in town is “Tycoons” in the old jail. The basement lounge is basically a cavern.
Duluth is a combination of art galleries, theaters and curling. Some vertical geography as well.
Culturally as usual, the blue MN side is more interesting; the red WI side more productive.
The dumbest part of my family came from Duluth.
The smartest came from Milwaukee, WI.
In all my travels, I’ve never met people more willing to sit and do nothing than those from Duluth.
Consider the source — NY Times. Of course we should be flattered that anybody from NYC even acknowledges that we exist.
Makes it sound like schools are underfunded in Duluth doesn't it? What if I told you they just got done spending over $400,000,000 to rebuild ever school building in the district?
If they spent $50 TRILLION it still wouldn't be enough for the NYT types.
I sincerely hope they don't let the door hit them in the rear...
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