Two for One
Senate District 41’s Elected Representatives Chat On the Special Session while retired Air Force Brigadier General Dennis Schulstad Talks Tough About the Military

Food has always been plentiful at Senate District 41’s Full Committee dinners, but on a Tuesday evening before the Memorial Day weekend, Edina and West Bloomington residents were treated to an extra helping of speakers. Senator Geoff Michel, Rep. Ron Erhardt and Rep. Neil Peterson joined the scheduled speaker to share their thoughts on the recently called special session.

With this year’s special session the third in the last four years, Michel noted that special sessions “don’t seem special” anymore. “Frustrated and disappointed” by the legislature’s inability to resolve the budget impasse, Michel chided the Senate DFL for not negotiating with the House or Governor Tim Pawlenty on the Senate’s bloated $1.3 billion tax increase. Instead of resolving the matter, the legislature (House and Senate) will spend between $15-25,000 a day to convene, although that figure would be reduced if more members, like Michel and others, declined their per diem from the state. The weariness of the session was evident as Michel joked he was “standing here by the power of caffeine.”

That 65% of the state’s bonding bill was dedicated to greater Minnesota was no reason to celebrate for Rep. Erhardt, who said the state’s rural regions are “running away” with the bill’s funding. But Erhardt listed other accomplishments of the House with more favorable outcomes, including a higher education finance bill and a public safety bill which Erhardt summed up as “locking up sex offenders forever, I think.” Although he expressed dissatisfaction with the veto of his transportation spending bill, Erhardt also focused on the special session, saying it would continue to be in limbo until both sides agree to the state’s spending priorities

 Defining himself as he has throughout the session as a “newcomer” to capitol politics, Rep. Neil Peterson observed that the GOP Caucus wanted solutions, not criticism from its members and that this message was delivered by none other than House Speaker Steve Sviggum. The major bills of the session haven’t been heard, Peterson said, such as K-12 funding, in part because “we have a problem making choices---picking winners and losers” in the budget process. Peterson also lauded Erhardt’s leadership during the session, awarding the veteran legislator with a homemade medal labeled “Zeus”, honoring a tradition started among some of Peterson’s Greek friends who would call each other “Zeus” upon demonstrating strong leadership. 

Gen. Dennis Schulstad (ret.) speaks passionately about the reserve soldier's contribution to U.S. security.

But the main event of the evening was Denny Schulstad and his presentation on the state and future of the American military. A retired Air Force Brigadier General and member of the National Advisory Committees for both President Bushs’, one of Schulstad’s many notable accomplishments was serving 22 years on the Minneapolis City Council as a Republican, making him as politically exotic as a caged dodo. The last 15 years on the Council he was the only Republican. Living in Edina, politically speaking has been a far different experience. “Life is good, the sun is out and we have a Republican in the Senate and Republicans in the House…I’m not used to that.”

At one point in his life, Schulstad had contemplated running for mayor of Minneapolis but was then promoted to General. “Which position would you choose,” he asked, “a Republican in Minneapolis or a General on an Air Force base where they salute your car as it goes by?”  As an Air Force General working at Langley, Schulstad was treated to many experiences including showing around a Russian counterpart who couldn’t believe how well American military personnel live and work compared to life in the modern Russian Army. But the Russian General was most interested when he discovered Schulstad was from Minnesota. “Ah, Mall of America,” to which Schulstad starting tell him about the Mall’s many stores. “No, tell me about the rides,” replied the Russian.

The U.S. military of today is a “smaller”, “highly technical military” and unquestionably, the “strongest in the history of the world.” To demonstrate the nature of the changes in the military, especially the Air Force, Schulstad compared bombing runs of World War II with today. Then, the Air Force might send out 17 planes with 10 men per plane to bomb one target. The target might not be found or even hit directly by the bombers while as many as 100 men could lose their lives in the process. Today, the Air Force can send one plane, two men and at most a couple of bombs to accurately hit the target with a minimal risk of American lives. This highly technical military explains why the Air Force had 33,000 bombers in World War II and only 127 today. 

A major part of Schulstad’s current relationship with the military is working with employers for National Guard and Reserve members. Denny was appointed by the Secretary of Defense to be the Minnesota Chair of Employers Support for Guard and Reserve (ESGR) an organization of Minnesota employers who pledge to support their employees and families when on active Duty with the Guard or Reserve. Life can be difficult for both the soldiers and the employers they leave behind and while laws have been put into place to protect Guard and Reserve member’s jobs, Schulstad works to encourage employers to go the extra step in aiding their active duty bound employees. In that vein, Schulstad accompanied Pawlenty last year on his visit to Kosovo, where many Minnesota Guard/ Reservists are stationed.

Schulstad said little about the current operations in Iraq except to define the current situation as more of a “police action” than war. Schulstad, as all officers, always hopes to prevent wars from occurring, but if a fight is necessary he assured those in attendance, the U.S. military’s goal is to win quickly and decisively. “You want to win 99-0, not 51-49 in overtime.