Cravaack spending $1,000 per month for car

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Freshman Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack is making a hefty car payment and Politico is scrutinizing this use of tax dollars.

Minnesota Rep. Chip Cravaack, who unseated longtime Iron Range Democratic Rep. Jim Oberstar, spent $1,700 on an automobile lease in March. His office said the price tag is inflated because of initial purchasing costs, but the 2011 Chevrolet Equinox AWD will cost taxpayers "roughly $1,000 [per month] for the remainder of the lease." ... Cravaack's office said he needs the car because of the size and climate of the district, frequent trips home and "an extensive mobile office constituent outreach program."

During recent visits back to the state Cravaack touted the need to cut the budget. He told an audience in Baxter, "It's not that we are taxed too little. It's that Washington spends way too much."

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Republican leaders propose way to prevent shutdown

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Commentary

Jeremy Miller: We deserve more than partisanship

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Debate

The Insight Now debate on whether consensus exists for a new Stillwater bridge moved in a different direction yesterday. Some in the online discussion have said that the middle path approach to finding a solution has been ignored. It's a sentiment also shared by others.

This got the attention of Stillwater Mayor Ken Harycki, one of our two debaters, who wonders what more proponents could do to reach consensus.

As the debate continues, we ask: Has there been enough community input, enough mediation and vetting to allow this Stillwater Bridge proposal to go ahead?

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