Southern Minnesotans Getting Their Bang for the Buck in Congress

Despite what some politicians like to tell you, teachers are notoriously overworked and underpaid. And unlike disciples of free-market economist Milton Friedman (God rest his soul), they receive their rewards in forms other than money.

That's why it appears that freshman Congressman Tim Walz is feeling a bit guilty for seeing his salary triple when he left the classroom for the U.S. House floor. He believes, apparently, that his workload should increase accordingly, which must be why he has taken on three major committee assignments, a rare feat for a newcomer.

Here's what he's gotten himself into so far:

House Committee on Agriculture

• Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research
• Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management

House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

• Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
• Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials
• Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management

House Committee on Veterans Affairs

• Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

These are all committees that have a direct relationship to his district and his interests. In comparison, Walz's predecessor, Gil Gutknecht, was a member of the following committees in his last term of office:

House Committee on Agriculture

• Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Dairy, Nutrition, and Forestry
• Subcommittee on Specialty Crops and Foreign Agriculture Programs

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

• Subcommittee on Government Management, Finance, and Accountability
• Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources

House Committee on Science and Technology

• Subcommittee on Research
• Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards

Rep. Gutknecht did a good job on the Agriculture Committee, but over the last six years the latter two committees have been hamstrung by politics, global warming denial and religious belief posing as science. Hence, their performance was lackluster at best, and there's no record of Mr. Gutknecht having distinguished himself on either.

Congressman Walz seems to have jumped into his congressional duties with the same fervor that he showed on the campaign trail. That's good for his constituents. Let's hope that his drive will create positive results in terms of policy changes and legislation. That will be even better for his constituents.