Editorial: Thumbs

To the fair entertainment.

It’s great news that little old Albert Lea will play host to the Gambler himself. Guess the entertainment committee knew when to hold them. (It’s a line in a song. Never mind.) Kenny Rogers is slated to headline the entertainment lineup this year at the Freeborn County Fair. The other performers coming in August are Sawyer Brown, Dustin Lynch and Chris Cagle. Young bucks might know Dustin Lynch and Christ Cagle, but they might not know Sawyer Brown. Trust us, this band is a big deal. They have been around since 1981 and were pioneers of a sound now called country pop.

 

To Congress and President Obama.

The message from voters on Election Day was fairly clear: Politicians from both parties really need to work together and get the nation’s work done. So why is it that Republicans and Democrats in the nation’s capital are fighting it out to such a degree that they are sending the country over the fiscal cliff? Payroll tax cuts are going to expire Dec. 31, causing everybody who earns a living by paycheck to have their payroll taxes go up by 2 percent. Deep cuts will go into effect for many programs, such as Social Security checks. And the “Bush tax cuts” for the wealthy would expire, and many businesses would lose their tax breaks. The implications likely would be a reduction in gross domestic product, and we all know what the means for an economy. Not good.

C’mon, guys. Git ’er done.

 

To the Minnesota Vikings.

No matter whether they make the playoffs with a victory today over rival Green Bay or not, we want to applaud the Purple and Gold for a winning season. It was unexpected after how poorly the team did in 2011 and 2010. Bouncing back to being a team in playoff contention shows a real drive that reflects the winning tradition of the franchise. The Vikings were not going to languish in losing seasons for five or 10 years like some teams end up doing. We feel Leslie Frazier deserves NFL Coach of the Year honors.