In the face of tradedy, the area will rebuild
By Ken Tschumper
District 31B Representative

Last Sunday we learned firsthand in Houston and Fillmore counties that life can change dramatically in just one moment.

The flood that ravaged southeastern Minnesota left in its wake a scene of terrible destruction. Thousands of homes, businesses, and farms have been badly damaged or destroyed. Roads have been washed off the map, our infrastructure ripped to shreds, and our way of life stopped in its tracks. Some of us have experienced the loss of friends, loved ones, co-workers, and neighbors. And some of us have literally nothing left.

Now, more than ever, we must come together as a community to help each other in this time of great need. And I know I speak for all of the residents of Houston and Fillmore counties when I say that in the face of this disaster, we can and will rebuild.

But we canít do it alone. The flood has done millions of dollars in damage that will take a significant amount of time and expertise to repair. So, in response to the magnitude of this disaster, the federal government has pledged relief funding and FEMA has arrived on the scene.

This help is greatly needed, and appreciated.

Beyond federal aid, I pledge to do all I can as your state Representative to ensure an adequate and speedy response to this disaster from the state. I have been working closely with county and local officials since the flood hit in the immediate response phases, and I am working with my colleagues in the Legislature to provide long-term plans for assistance to the region in rebuilding efforts.

In order to fully address the recovery needs of our communities following the flood, I am also calling on the Governor to bring the Legislature into special session immediately to provide not only emergency disaster relief consisting of contingency funding, bonding, and infrastructure support, but a long-term recovery plan as well. We must act quickly to provide the residents of Houston and Fillmore counties with not only the necessary assistance to get our lives back on track as soon as possible, but also some hope.

While so many of us are dealing with such great loss, it is important to know that we can and must lean on each other in the days ahead. Iíve lived here all my life, and Iíve come to understand that aside from the rolling hills, bluffs, and streams that make this place so beautiful, the thing that makes me so proud to call southeastern Minnesota home is the strong, compassionate, and loving spirit of the people I share it with. I know if anybody can make it through this disaster, itís the people of Houston and Fillmore counties.

If you have questions about where to go to get help, or have a specific question, concern, or suggestion on any issue, please contact me by phone at (651) 296-9278 or by email at rep.ken.tschumper@house.mn. I look forward to hearing from you.

The inalienable rights of private property
To the Editor:
An overriding respect for the sanctity of the ownership and personal use of private property, free from restrictive and invasive regulatory regulations, is firmly embedded in American colonial law, common law, and constitutional law. For America, our founders wanted and established a government that would carefully safeguard theses freedoms, thereby enabling people to pursue their dreams.

Two of the most-influential political philosophers impacting the formation of American law were Charles Montesquieu who declared: "Let us therefore lay down a certain maxim: that whenever the public good happens to be the matter in question, it is not for the advantage of the public to deprive an individual of his property - or even to retrench the least part of it by a law or a political regulation" and William Blackstone, who declared: "so great moreover is the regard of the law for private property that it will not authorize the least violation of it - no, not even for the general good of the whole community.

The right to hold, possess, and use oneís own private property was also recognized by our Farmers and in our founding government documents as one of the foremost of our inalienable, inviolable, God given rights. John Adams declared that "Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty." The founding documents that govern our country declare that it is the purpose of government to protect and not violate inalienable God-given rights, including the right of owning and using oneís own property. James Madison declared "that alone is a just government which impartially secures to every man whatever is his ownÖThat is not a just government, nor is property secure under it, where arbitrary restrictions [i.e., restrictive zoning requirements], exemptions, and monopolies deny to part of its citizens that free use of their [own] faculties." Arbitrary is exercising power based on oneís preference or whim without external restraint that comes from fixed laws, Constitution, or men ["We the people"].

Do we have our liberties, our inalienable rights of private property? In our county , there are overbearing and arbitrary restrictions on us as property owners. Shouldnít all interpretations and applications of zoning ordinances for Houston County be examined and applied so as to recognize and preserve the inalienable, inviolable principles of private property usage and that such individual rights may be infringed only if it is clearly proven that they directly injure or harm the same rights of another citizen?

The way we use our land and the priorities we set for what happens on our property are as varied as the faces of the people who take care of it. We have had individual libery with responsibility in America. We must not allow overbearing land-use regulations in this county to withhold our rights and liberties from us! Do we have our liberties or do we not have our liberties that are guaranteed by the Constitution?

Landowners Concerned About Property Rights

Robert Ideker
Hokah, Minn.