"Clue bat" is a phrase an old friend, now living up on the Superior shore, uses to refer to what he thought it would take to get someone to wake up to reality. Apparently, travel soccer did this for St. Cloud Times editorialist Randy Krebs.

But what's really got me mumbling to myself � and now you � is the differences I see in recreational/sports facilities between St. Cloud and the suburban Twin Cities. Not to sound bitter, but holy cow! How did communities seemingly close in size to ours come up with the ca-ching for these digs? At this point, veteran soccer parents � and, I suspect, parents of kids in other sports � are probably saying "No duh!" But honestly, as a first-time family in statewide competitive sports leagues for kids, I had no idea.

...Indeed, in crossing my personal and professional paths for a moment, this summer of "travel soccer" reminds me weekly about one my first visits from a legislative lobbyist when I took this job seven years ago.

The lobbyist, whose name I don't recall, essentially said: "Randy, as you watch the Legislature unfold, you're going to realize legislators aren't in a pitched battle of Republican vs. Democrat or liberal vs. conservative. Rather, it's a battle of the haves vs. the have-nots. And in Minnesota, the suburban Twin Cities is the 'haves' and everyone else is the 'have-nots.'"

Mr. Krebs, meet local government aid, though this time, they got tougher. School district aid also helps (wish I had a better table to show of that as well.)

Labels: Minnesota, politics, St. Cloud