Dennis Anderson: Plenty to thank, but also more work to be done

Of commodities in short supply these days, cynicism is least among them. Employees are full of it, even more so, voters -- your average stiffs who show up at polling booths wanting to believe the future will somehow be better than, or at least different from, the present.

Yet, and still, doubtful as ever, they cast their ballots with a shrug and shuffle away.

But consider now the recent legislative session, a place of winners and losers, as always, but one also in which good triumphed not once but twice for Minnesota and its residents, seemingly against odds.

In the process, cynicism was beaten back, at least a bit.

At issue fundamentally was the fate of a proposed constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of the state sales tax to intensified conservation.

Following a tortuous, 10-year path, this idea -- sound and necessary -- seemed perpetually snakebit. Most knowledgeable observers agree Minnesota is fast dissolving into itself, maintaining its historic boundaries while vacating its most valued assets-- clean lakes and rivers, wetlands, prairies, forests.

Yet since statehood, the Legislature has failed to defend these resources in meaningful ways.

Which is why, 10 years ago, a concept took shape that this Legislature, in the first days of its recent session, finally approved in the form of a proposed constitutional amendment.

The idea is this: Minnesota voters will have a chance in November to raise the state sales tax three-eighths of 1 percent (costing average Minnesota families about $1 a week) and use the $270 million in annual receipts to restore fish and wildlife habitat, clean up lakes and rivers, expand parks and trails and sustain the state's arts and cultural heritage.

Many legislators and a governor or two have stood in the way of this idea over the years. But during this session, the state's political stars aligned as perfectly as political stars can align, not least those orchestrated by Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, the Senate majority leader, and Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, the House speaker.

In most sessions, gaining placement of the amendment plan on the November ballot would have been victory enough. But hunters and anglers understand too well that the cynicism mentioned earlier festers always among people as if in a Petri dish, ready to infect even the best ideas.

So they insisted a citizens-legislative council be organized to oversee about $90 million in fish- and wildlife-habitat expenditures, should the amendment be approved.

A long-held truism has it that victory has a thousand fathers, while defeat is an orphan. Fair enough. But in this case, success depended on far more than a thousand fathers -- and mothers.

Among legislators who championed the amendment and council ideas in addition to Pogemiller and Kelliher were Sen. Satveer Chaudary, DFL-Fridley; Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake; and in fact all members of the House-Senate conference committee that fashioned, in the session's final hours, the citizens-legislative council.

Republicans were among these heroes, perhaps especially Sen. Dennis Frederickson of New Ulm.

Yet credit should accrue mostly to the countless regular folk who during the past 10 years have given freely of themselves, their time and money in defense of their state.

Space allows only a brief listing. But among these are retired Sen. Bob Lessard of International Falls, an originator of the amendment idea; the late Sen. Dallas Sams, who shouldered the legislation valiantly; John Schroers, Lance Ness, Jim Cox, Kevin Auslund, Don McMillan and Garry Leaf of the Twin Cities; all members of the Nicollet Sportsmen's Club; Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Minnesota Waterfowl Association and Minnesota Deer Hunters Association members statewide, as well as paid staff of these and other conservation and environmental organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Minnesota, the Izaak Walton League and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy; the thousands who attended the two Ducks, Wetlands and Clean Water Rallies on the Capitol Mall; members of the "Orange Hats" brigade; and Dave Zentner of Duluth.

Now these believers and many, many other Minnesotans are working to ensure passage of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment in November.

Here's hoping you join them.

All you have to gain is a better future for yourself, your kids and grandkids.

All you have to lose is your cynicism.