Free Republic

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said this morning that he does not support a controversial effort to build a $28.5 million levee at the St. Paul Downtown Airport. His decision could potentially kill a nearly 10-year effort by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) to protect the airport from periodic flooding.

The debate about neonatal circumcision is over. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), neonatal circumcision is the result of ignorance, bad medical practice and American social and cultural pressure. Regarding the three most commonly cited justifications for neonatal circumcision (penile cancer, venereal disease and penile hygiene), the AAP now states that the benefits are negligible, which means that the majority of American men are walking around without foreskins for no good reason. Yet, the barbaric practice shows no sign of abating, and for this reason I plan to shed some light on the cultural dark spot of circumcision....

Less than 48 hours after Chris Coleman was swept into office, Progressive Minnesota Executive Director Ryan Greenwood was on the phone, trying to revive efforts to pass a living-wage law in St. Paul. One of Greenwood's main obstacles to the proposal was removed this week with Mayor Randy Kelly's crushing electoral defeat, and Greenwood saw an opportunity. He is not alone. Coleman's victory Tuesday has emboldened a City Council majority and progressive interests that are getting ready to push an aggressive agenda early in the new mayor's term. Proposals that Kelly sidetracked are being given new life, and changes for...

ST PAUL MAYOR Total Number of Precincts 104 Precincts Reporting 69 Total Votes 17902 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BILL DAHN 35 GLEN MANSFIELD 27 RANDY C. KELLY 4816 SHARON ANDERSON 153 CHRIS COLEMAN 9172 NICK TSCHIDA 92 ELIZABETH DICKINSON 3582 JACOB PERASSO 25

"In a time when right wing conservatives of many churches condemn the lifestyle of homosexuality, some excluding gays and lesbians from worship while perpetuating a message of hate, St. Joan's has been steadfast in welcoming their GLBT parishioners. A monthly potluck support group run by Ron Joki and Theresa Healy allows for an outreach of connectiveness. An annual GLBT spiritual retreat explores biblical readings, meditations, rituals, play and musical skits with guest performers and speakers that confront negativity, challenges exclusivity and affirms acceptance and healing. This very website includes a GLBT section devoted to updates of relative news, GLBT families,...