A Real American Hero

David "Stormy" Strom has many admirable qualities. There are his intellectual accomplishments and academic credentials--including a teaching stint at Paul Wellstone U (aka Carleton College). Of course, there's his fine radio program, which runs from 9 - 11 AM on 1280 AM, The Patriot and functions as the opening act to the Saturday headliner Northern Alliance Radio. Perhaps most impressive has been his influence over public policy in Minnesota over the past few years. Dave and his organization, The Taxpayer's League, have been dogged advocates for the rights of those paying the bills for Minnesota’s deluxe, super sized, anything goes welfare state.

Most prominently, he convinced Governor Pawlenty and more than half of the House Republican Caucus to sign a "No New Taxes" pledge, which no doubt stiffened the spine of the GOP during the recent wailing and gnashing teeth by the Democrats and media to raise taxes in order to resolve last session's budget deficits. Looking back at how painlessly these deficits were overcome through spending cuts alone, it's clear Dave and the Taxpayer's League deserve much of the credit. His influence is best articulated ... by Dave himself:

"There's been a sea change in the way Minnesotans look at government," said David Strom of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, an anti-tax lobby that helped keep the lid on taxes despite unrelenting pressure for more revenue. "People just don't see their own lives, their fate, being tied to the fate of government."

It's true, it's true. But even this accomplishment pales in contrast to another honor he received on Wednesday. Ladies and gentleman, with green eyes of envy, I'm here to announce that David Strom is the 2004 City Pages Villain of the Year. And all for the exact reasons I listed above, although the coffee house radicals at the CP have a slightly different interpretation:

But something happened with the Republican takeover of the 2002 elections--call it hubris if you must--and suddenly Strom was starting culture wars at every turn. First, Strom was boasting that he had managed to get Pawlenty and a number of legislators to sign a "no new taxes" pledge. Then he was calling for the dismantling of any number of the state's social services. More recently, Strom weighed in on the Metro Transit bus strike, saying that buses weren't really needed after all.

I saw Dave on Wednesday at the Michael Medved speech and, needless to say he, and his charming wife, were glowing with pride. Not only is he making sure our state government holds the line on profligate, wasteful spending, he's also making the 40-year-old teenagers at the City Pages squeal in discomfort. Now that's an accomplishment.

So here's to Dave, the Villain of the Year. Long may he shine. Although he should watch his back, as there's a certain other media celebrity that could be gaining on him. A young, upstart broadcaster from 12-3 PM on the Patriot whose responsible for making "urine-caked drunks" the catch phrase for the new millenium. You people want a villain? This guy is a walking culture war.