Joe Atkins, Not So Moderate

By Bill Jungbauer

The Pioneer Press recently printed an article About Joe Atkins. The writer tried to make Joe appear to be this great moderate democrat who would consult business groups before voting for a tax increase. It also claimed that Joe is so in touch with mainstream Minnesota and then went so far as to claim that Joe comes from the same suburb as our great Governor, Tim Pawlenty. It made me ill and I decided to crank out a letter to the editor of said newspaper. Here it is as printed on Sunday, April 15th.

Not so moderate?

Your article painting state Rep. Joe Atkins as a moderate is a bit askew ("Atkins' antics build support for a possible U.S. Senate run," April 6). Not only does Atkins have a lifetime rating of only 19 percent from the Taxpayers League, he has voted lockstep with the DFL so far this session, on every tax increase proposed in the House.
His proposed bill that would criminalize leaving your gas pump unattended is not in sync with the pulse of mainstream Minnesota. Also, Atkins is a likeable and friendly person, but he is no Pawlenty.

Bill Jungbauer
West St. Paul

I recently spoke to a person at GOP headquarters, and I was told how Joe has been passed up three times now for a leadership position in the House. She told me "Atkins lacks carisma."

Today's Pioneer Press had a little tidbit of information I found interesting. It states that Betty McCollum has endorsed Mike Ciresi to run against Norm Colman in 2008. Does this mean that Joe is out?