Arne Carlson, who at 89 sounds considerably sharper and more articulate than the two leading presidential candidates, wrote last week in a letter to the Minneapolis paper of his lament of the current state of Minnesota politics. It warrants some unpacking.

Former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson in 2008. (Jim Mone / AP Photo)

Arne, often wearing his moth-eaten Golden Gophers sweater, was governor from 1991-99, but it doesn’t seem like yesterday, it seems more like a time from a different planet.

Carlson made two welcome points.

“The first,” Arne wrote, “is the total failure of the media and local officials to deal with the findings of the study released by the Hubert Humphrey School of Public Affairs in May 2021 that stated our legislators were granting special favors to wealthy donors including being able to ‘shape’ legislation. This influence peddling is both corrupt and illegal. Where are the news stories and editorials? Where is the attorney general?”

Oh, there’s more.

“The second,” Arne wrote, “is the steady demise of our citizens’ legislature that has evolved during my time from one with a modest staff that was housed in the State Capitol to one that employs more than 530 people and occupies two majestic buildings costing over $800 million.”

He wasn’t done.

“Worse still is that 300 of those employees are partisan staffers hired and managed by party caucuses but paid for by the public. Simply, each party caucus is now a massive political operation with more than 50 people engaged in communications alone.”

His final paragraph must be noted.

“Add automatic raises,” Carlson wrote, “and it looks like a full-time mini-Congress with large partisan armies more dedicated to social interests and incumbent protection than voluntary public service. Is that what we want?”

Joe Soucheray

Like a good Minnesotan at this time of year, Carlson was reached in Florida.

“It looks like the Legislature is a career for activists,” I said.

“I’m afraid you’re right,” Carlson said. “And you can see that in the actions.”

“Would you have spent an almost $18 billion surplus?”

“My gosh, no,” Carlson said.

“Would you build a new State Office Building?”

Carlson laughed, “My gosh, no.”

“Are you fan of Tim Walz?” Carlson was asked.

“I supported him, campaigned for him, and I deeply regret it,” Carlson said. Carlson said he has reached out to Walz on a handful of issues over the last year.

“I’ve been trying to get some answers from him and I can’t,” Carlson said. “I had a phone call scheduled, they then canceled. I have not been able to get any communication from Walz relative to all the commentaries I have written about what’s going on and that includes the Humphrey study.”

An ink-stained wretch expects to be stiffed by Walz. But a former governor who endorsed him as pragmatic and championed him as independent? That’s low.

Carlson said the DFL and GOP caucuses in the House and Senate have snowballed into massive political armies that engage in constant warfare all at our expense, accomplish little, but more than anything else they are paying very little attention to the future.

That old Golden Gophers sweater? It is destined for the Minnesota Historical Society. They should also enshrine one of Arne’s budgets, so we can be reminded of what adult responsibility looks like.

Joe Soucheray can be reached at jsoucheray@pioneerpress.com. Soucheray’s “Garage Logic” podcast can be heard at garagelogic.com.

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