Less Than Common-Duluth

Note This Date...

2007-10-29T10:30:00.001-07:00

It's one week before the mayhem we here in Duluth call an election and the DFL is slathering up their slime buckets and slinging the BS like never before. Fear drives them into this frenzy and will drive the media for the next seven days. The Duluth News Tribune will, no doubt, offer up more of their blithering idiot reporters replete with willful ommissions, spin-doctored opinions and outright lies and misrepresentations. It seems we had it pretty good with Marti Buscaglia, at least she was an admitted liberal spinner. The latest incarnation of Publisher is either grossly out of touch with truth or just another hack wishing to install the latest round of misguided liberal numbskulls into City Hall.

What is interesting about the Tribune is how for off the beaten path of journalism they are willing to stray to promote their transparent agenda. Why they waste so much time with all this ridiculous spin is worthy of study in and of itself. Do they fear detection? Even DFLers admit the spin and slant of the Tribune is as obvious as the noses on their faces. Why all the gyrations, why don't they just come clean and save us all the, playing us for idiots crap, and make the statement, "we are leftist, liberal, spin-job hacks with a paper and we are here to stuff our phony, lie filled, hate driven agenda down your stupid throats!"

Why, instead of trying to appear objective, don't they just say it...We want Donny Ness, Laurie Johnson, Tony Cuneo, Jeff Anderson, Sharla Gardner and Russ Stover to win and if you don't vote for them and we find out, we will find a way to ruin you! The utter lack of integrity by their so-called reporters is as laughable as it is stunning. Just listen to one of these idiots try to defend why their stories are devoid of fact, objectivity, reason or truth, and you will find yourself scratching your head wondering how these idiots ever graduated grade school.

WANTED: Reporter for the Duluth News Tribune;

QUALIFICATIONS: Must have a sub-dull-normal IQ, have no regard for the truth, be a leftist fascist hack and be willing to go down on Robin Washington or any other staffer to replenish their brains on a whim.

Bridging the Gap

2007-08-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

The political posturing has begun and the repugnant glee by Democrats of another opportunity to attempt to justify higher taxes jumps out and slaps us all with a dose of what these thieves truly stand for. A bridge collapses causing death and destruction and potential economic catastrophe for Minneapolis and the Democrats and DFL are busy pointing fingers and fully engaged in the blame game...typical.

What lead to the collapse? The answers will come and possibly sooner than any of us anticipated, but it wasn't George W. Bush and it wasn't Tim Pawlenty; sorry to disappoint you DFLers. The cause is in-fact, the DFL. How can I make such a broad assertion? Here I go. The DFL has dominated Minnesota politics for decades. What do they prefer to spend their money on? They love pork barrel, feel-good projects with high visibility and shiny things. They're like teenagers who, wishing to increase their prestige with their friends, spend their money on the latest styles, toys and electronics.

The DFL has been busy promoting things like building fancy new buildings at the Universities, increasing welfare, increasing the size and cost of government instead of taking care of things that fly under the radar like infrastructure maintenance. Nowhere is there a better example of stupid, feel-good, short sighted, expensive projects at the expense of infrastructure than Duluth, Minnesota. We have a wet-house and tons of "affordable" housing being built. At the same time the infrastructure is crumbling literally under the feet and vehicles of Duluthians and City debt is spiralling out of control. The DFL answer? Build a bigger DECC, spend CITF money on everything but infrastructure and put $250,000,000 toward making our school system smaller!

Am I the only one who see how incredibly irresponsible the DFL has been with our tax dollars? Now they want more so they can continue their utter misuse and waste of our hard earned dollars but then also grandstand on the infrastructure that they themselves have ruined. Where the stupidity and disingenousness of the DFL ends only God knows. But know this, the grandstanding has only begun. The DFL has no shame, no morals, no character, and not an honest member among them. The only fools bigger than the elected DFLers are the idiots who keep voting them in. Yes the bridge will be built, Oberstar will take full credit, while dodging the fact that his committee, for decades has entirely abrogated their responsibilities. It has taken a tragedy like the Minneapolis bridge collapse to get them to lift a finger toward rebuilding the infrastructure. They will now use that tragedy to lie to you about what caused it, tell you that Republicans are responsible for it and leverage the useful idiots loyal to them to give a green light to higher taxes. Then, given the bigger pool of money to be spent irresponsibly, will inevitably create some additional government bureaucracy to determine how to further waste it.

Watch for some memorial highway to be built in the name of some high profile Democrat and a whole host of monuments along the highway to honor their own, built courtesy of taxpayers. The infrastructure will become what it is today, a deteriorating bystander, needing but not getting the money to keep it from completely collapsing. They will pat themselves on the back and shed a little tear for their venerable predecessors that they honor with this waste and hold a press conference. Meanwhile, another bridge in some obscure Republican leaning County will continue to crumble until the voting demographic changes.

Let the Spin Begin

2007-05-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

The DFL dominated legislature, fails. By many accounts, including those of DFLers, the DFL failed to deliver on anything other than rhetoric, blather, veto-bound pork laden bills, and broken promises. The DFL has demonstrated, once again, their utter disconnect from the common man and common sense.

Locally, they failed to deliver the much vaunted DECC expansion, they failed to articulate any strategy for the future of the financially challenged City of Duluth and they failed to capitalize, in any meaningful way, on their majority in the House and Senate.

On the DECC expansion, they had the full support of the Governor, a majority vote, committee controls and every other tool at their disposal, yet they failed to deliver. They failed to deliver increased LGA which will have a huge impact on your local property tax bill and they failed to deliver numerous aspects of their agenda they campaigned on, promised and ultimately failed to deliver.

The DFL is a Party...a drunken party as evidenced by their Senate President, a lost, disorganized, out of touch, foolish party of low functioning Socialists. They cannot get the simplest of objectives through to the Governor without attaching pork that to the most casual observer, appears Mayberryish. They have no rhyme, reason or direction. Why they continue to garner a single vote is nothing less than evidence of dull-normal IQs of the thousands of voters dumbed down by decades of propaganda.

We get what we deserve. 85% of the voting public in this area has no idea who represents them, their individual political beliefs, relative to the votes they cast or the long term ramifications of the decisions of their elected leaders. Duluth will not change until the voting public stops drinking the daily dose of Socialist propaganda doled out by the Duluth News Tribune and it's DFL hack reporters and Publisher. Yes, the DFL FAILED and has failed Duluth for half a century. Grip it, Own it, Recognize it and vote accordingly.

Surreal...but all too Real

2007-05-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Duluth has truly become a dumping ground. We have a shooting in Morgan Park. Morgan Park, the "Model City", a community unlike most in Duluth. It is physically different from any other neighborhood in Duluth. It is physically isolated and the neighbors there know each other...they thought. Morgan Park was a place people who lived there knew was safe. They got up in the morning, left their homes and children and did so knowing, with relative certainty, the neighborhood and the home they left in the morning would be the same they returned to that evening. It was, in many ways, the American Dream.

What has happened to that fair community? Well let's start with the DFL and what they have done to Duluth. First and foremost, US Steel agreed to expand the steel plant, the life blood of the City of Duluth, if the Legislature would do one simple thing; not increase their taxes. The DFL lead local leaders, seeing dollar signs all day long and never understanding the reality of business, called the bluff. Only US Steel was not bluffing. Faced with lean competition in much more favorable markets with less insatiable Unions, US Steel did what they promised and pulled out. This left a huge void in the Duluth job market but an even larger void in the Morgan Park landscape.

USX Cement was soon to follow. Faced with anti-cement dust mentality and an ambivalent attitude about the jobs potentially lost, USX closed and the plant was dismantled. Richie's restaurant closed, the corner malt shop on 88th disappeared, IGA closed, Gambles Hardware went under and Morgan Park, home to two grocery stores, formerly a hospital, a number of local restaurants, and a haven for family life, began it's metamorphosis...ushered in by the guardians of the future, the Democrat, Farmer, Labor Party, the new Communists of America.

They have done Morgan Park a great service, ridding it of the nuclear families of the 60s and 70s and replacing it with the welfare, drug clans and gangs of the 90s and 00s. Duluth is truly on the right path, just ask any DFLer. They have low IQs, a shitty work ethic and not an ounce of economic sense in their heads.

Due to their utter lack of intelligence, they feel the need to control through absolute power. In large part they have succeeded due solely to attrition of those who are more intelligent. Intelligent people leave hopelessness and tyranny, while stupid people embrace it. After-all, what chance do stupid people have, absent tyranny? They lack the intelligence to analyze, are far too insecure to trust, and are far too comfortable in their shit bag, Union, entitlement existence to challenge anything but their right to the TV remote.

Duluth has indeed become Chicago. We have all the crime, the scum, the violence yet none of the vast opportunities. The biggest difference is, in Chicago, there is opportunity for most and in Duluth, the opportunities are limited to those who have a bankroll, connections and DFL power broker/pawns in their back pockets. All others can go outside and play the game of hide and go fuck yourself.

The DFL rules supreme and if you don't like it, they are all too eager to teach you the lesson...don't cross us or we will crush you. Kruschev could not have said it better...wait, the DFL repeats it daily.

Those of you who hold this insane loyalty to the DFL have succumbed to the notion that they are looking out for you. The DFL is your guardian, the DFL is your Party. If you believe this than you have obviously never read a DFL sponsored bill, the DFL Party platform or the DFL Party history as written by objective historians. Your loyalty, as such is based on ignorance. The DFL has capitalized on your ignorance for 100 years. Go along, you will be more comfortable...even if your property is rendered worthless, your business bankrupted by taxes, your bedroom monitored by their social police. Wake up...Hello???

So, the Model City is no longer a Model. The dream has become a nightmare. What should you do about it? Get rid of those who have been in power since before, during and after the decline of Duluth...the DFL. They despise you and your wish for freedom and independence. If you are no longer dependent on them and become an independent, free entreprenuer, you are a threat to them. You have to ask yourself why.

Lost

2007-04-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

"The War in Iraq is lost". The thoughts, words and sentiments of Harry Reid and the scumbag, defeatist, weak, treasonous, fanatical liberals of the DNC. Harry is not the minority of his party, and in-fact, he may actually represent the views of millions of Americans. Herein lies the problem. Harry is a low-life, scumbag traitor who would have been tried, convicted and hung 100 years ago, a time when patriots understood the value and sanctity of this country and had the resolve necessary to fight for and defend it to the last man. Unfortunately, so many weak-spined, misguided, useful idiots have somehow captivated the American landscape, despite the reality that the majority of Americans do not want us to lose or retreat in the Iraq struggle. However, the nature of our challenge and the many successes seem to completely elude those in the news media as well as a huge number of fickle, weak, ADD Americans. The only thing worse than the rush to betray our military, is the fact that it is driven by millions of Americans whose only source of information is the nightly network news. This willful ignorance and a willingness by these millions to be lead around by the nose by a bunch of Manhattan liberal traitors is a sickening phenomenon and it will lead to the destruction of this great country from within.

Our defeat will not come at the hands of our enemies, it will come by way of the media and so many Americans' belief that the media is unbiased or actually reporting the entire truth. Why is it that people value their country and future so little that they are not even willing to put out the effort it takes to get informed? Why do you believe we should leave Iraq or stay in Iraq? What is the right course of action and why?

The pat answers come from both sides but the truth of the matter and the scope of the issues are much more complex than anyone seems to understand. This is the defining conflict of our age and our seeming willingness, at least as portrayed by the media, to abandon it does not bode well for our future. The terrorists in Iraq are following a forty year old play book and we are allowing it to work on our collective consciousness.

During the Vietnam conflict, the enemy knew they did not have to prevail against our troops but only to provide a daily body count to our media and the American public, defined at that time and today as well, by a bunch of feel-good, hippy, peace-niks who have no patience. The Communists played our media against us and they were ultimately successful. The insurgency in Iraq, funded and assisted by Mahmoud Ahmedinijad and his Islamic-Nazis are simply following the same play book. They understand the United States lacks resolve because the same bunch of dope-smoking hippies who succeeded in calling for our defeat in Vietnam, are now in positions of real power. They lack conviction and more importantly, the resolve to see this through to completion. The United States made a commitment to go into this conflict. Our leaders, Democrats and Republicans alike, stood, apparently united, and voted to send our troops into conflict.

The Democrats are made up of the feel-good, hippy, peace-niks and double talking, traitors. The Republicans are made up of a bunch of weak-spined politicians who would rather part ways from the Commander in Chief to preserve their political viability, than stand up to the weak, mislead, fools who are calling for our withdrawal. There is not an intelligent soul on this planet that believes for one second that the US Military cannot defeat the enemy in Iraq. We have the power, the technology and the personnel to wipe the map of the country of Iraq. Most intelligent souls, however, know that by pressuring a weak, American, Prime time TV culture, they will erode the support of Americans to be American. We commit, but seem incapable of maintaining the necessary resolve long enough to finish anything meaningful.

Resolve is the thing that sets us apart from our enemies in Iraq. They have it, our troops have it but the American public and the congressional body politic are as weak-spined and fickle as prime time TV. They want the war completed in the time it takes Jack Bauer to get involved in yet another catch-22. They want a first round knock out and for the opponents to then hug and high five each other. They have no taste for real blood or real conflict or reality for that matter. Popularity is more important than victory. Expedience is more important than honor; and peace, however temporary, is more important than security.

Treasonous Traitors

2007-04-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

What does it mean to be American? What does it mean to be Peruvian, Iraqi, Iranian, Slovakian, Greek? What responsibility does an American have to actually call themselves "American"? At what point does an American relinquish their right to be considered a true American?

If an Iranian openly criticizes their government and renounces their country and citizenship, the likelihood is that they will be hanged, by crane, in a very public place and without mercy or delay. If a Peruvian denounces their citizenship, well, frankly my dear, who gives a damn?! Declaring one's heritage carries with it some responsibility and accepting that responsibility is reciprocal with the declaration. In essence, merely being born here and living here does not make you an American. You may be legally American, have American citizenship and have all the rights of an America but are you an American? Further, you may climb the ranks, sleaze your way into elected political office and still, as one who's birth ensures their rights, you may become a non-American.

For those of us fortunate enough to be born here but too ignorant and stupid to understand the responsibility of our citizenship, you are not true Americans. You are here and American by default, but don't for one second, believe you are deserving of the greatness of this country. You do not wake up as an infant with the right to call yourself American simply because thousands of your brethren died to ensure your future. There is a whole slate of responsibilities that millions of Americans have abrogated to a degree to no longer have the right to call themselves American. When you denounce your military when they are engaged in war, you are no longer an American. When you give aid and comfort to the enemies of our country, by any means, you are no longer an American. When you declare that our military, engaged in war, having not committed but a small portion of our might, is defeated, you are no longer an American. When you decide, it is more expedient to appease weaklings and defeatists, than to embrace and support the most valiant among us, you are no longer an American. When you decide, America is wrong, solely because euro-trash thinks we're wrong, you are no longer an American.

It takes strength, character, commitment, devotion, nationalism (when did that become a bad thing and who made it bad...explore this) and patriotism to preserve the nation. Those who say we are defeated are traitors and they will do whatever it takes to destroy this great nation. They must be defeated. They must be confronted and they must be exposed for what they are, treasonous traitors.

Anyone who says we have lost or that we cannot win, should be jailed and silenced for it is their words and actions that will lead to the demise of this nation. Should this nation be defeated at the hands of those who detract from our resolve, or should we resolve to remove them from this nation? We are at war. We will prevail. Only the treasonous traitors we have placed in high office will stop us. Do you want the United States Of America to lose? If you do, you deserve nothing short of trial, conviction and death. That is the fate deserved by all who call for our retreat from our enemies.

Remember This...

2007-04-19T07:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18143312/
http://judicial-inc.biz/h,holocaust_hero_of_virginia_tech.htm

Context

2007-04-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

The gun mania that puts my boy in danger every time he goes to school
First Virginia Tech victim named
Aspirin could stave off cancer and help victims to survive
More young doctors oppose abortions on ethical grounds
Could a full English cause lung disease?
T-bone or rib-eye? Why millions feel bamboozled at their local butcher's
£8m lottery winner's spending spree
Wolfowitz won't resign as governments show unease
Chimps are actually more evolved that humans
Sickest-of-the-sick child porn sites have quadrupled
Kisses from Richard Gere plunge Shilpa Shetty into India row
MySpace invaders trash second home to tune of £30,000
Madonna arrives in Malawi 'for charity work not adoption'
Coroner attacks US military again for failing to help with an inquest
Britons are the grumpiest in Europe
MORE NEWS

The news and links as posted today. What will the media spin out of this terrible tragedy? The anti-gun lobby will make hay. The mass hysteria of a mass killing will, I hope, cause a lot of soul searching, empathizing, praying and honest reflection. Unfortunately, as evidenced by various headlines and by-lines, the blood-capitalists have already set in motion the propaganda campaign to further whittle away your right to defend yourself. Yes, those of us who are law abiding citizens and value our right to defend ourselves via the Second Amendment will become the enemy of the left once again.

Those of us who, had only one of us been present today, tragedy would have been averted, prefer to be prepared to defend against maniacs than be their victims, will be made into gun toting whack jobs worthy of scorn and derision. Guns are BAD. If I would have been there, as the first rounds were fired, armed and prepared, perhaps thirty people would still be alive. If anyone like me, highly trained and proficient, had been there rather than the hysteria that paralyzed all who died and those who stood by and witnessed the mayhem, maybe we would be having a very different discussion.

God bless and give comfort to those who died and those who mourn them, those who are struggling from their injuries and all impacted by this terrible tragedy. My deepest and heartfelt condolences to those who are suffering as a result of this utterly senseless tragedy.

It's Only Money

2007-04-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

The Great Lakes Aquarium gets another 100Gs and there is notably little outrage. Well, Duluth's apathy factor seems to increase with every hair-brained decision by the Council to throw more money into bottomless pits.

The GLA has a dubious history of disclosure and transparency. They have been close lipped about certain facts and figures such as whose actual decision was it to refuse the $1 Million settlement offered during the lawsuit against the contractors? Will we ever get an answer to that question? If not, why not? Whose facility is this anyway?

The next thing we will see is the implementation of the taxing plan to build the next "public facility", the DECC expansion. Why are we sinking $70 Million into another facility when we are struggling to figure out how to pay for the last one and the one before that and the one before that? The DECC already receives over $1 Million every year in tax subsidies and now they want more to "invest" in a marginally larger hockey rink. The argument is and always has been, if we build it, they will come. That is, we will be able to attract bigger acts, bigger games, have more than one big event at the same time, etc.

Maybe we should take the $1 Million annual subsidy away and say, if you can make it on your own and make this facility a net contributor in tax dollars, you can have this sum to "invest" in what better be another net contributor. We have the GLA and it exists for what reason? What tangible benefit does it provide the community that we sink hundreds of thousands of tax dollars into it every year? How does it benefit the businesses that are collecting and paying the taxes that fund it? Does Grizzlies benefit from it? Does Moldeez benefit from it? They are paying for it among many others.

We are being held hostage to the notion that if we pay more, we get more. Nothing could be farther from the truth. If those businesses currently paying the tourism taxes were allowed to place that three hundred thousand dollars into a loan or grant fund, imagine the good they could achieve. Place that money into an interest bearing account and once a year, open it up for application for loans and grants available only to those businesses who currently collect and pay the tax.

Better yet, instead of increasing the current tax to pay for another misguided venture, require those now receiving the tax dollars to stand on their own. We would have more than enough to cover the new rink. Unfortunately, that flies in the face of socialism and Duluth is a socialist City. Take from the producers and give to the non-productive.

The DFL has never strayed from the policy of spend and tax, then spend more and tax more. The promises to eliminate or reduce taxes once the projects are done are nothing more than lies to get you, the taxpayer, dumbed-down long enough to get their pork then bury it behind the scenes forever. It's just more of the same. It's Only Money.

Popping Early

2007-04-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Don has apparently decided it is time to break out the big guns, or should I say the little placards. As if Duluth doesn't already know who he is and his obvious party affiliation. But do we know what he stands for? You'd think after this amount of time with him serving on the Council, serving as Council President, campaigning for Congressman Oberstar, we would know what Don stands for. Unfortunately, he has spent most of his time paying lip-service to various groups and causes while doing little to define himself.

Now, the unavoidable DFL type campaign replete with fuzzy logic and feel-goodism will once again take Duluth by it's collective apathy. The true frustration for those of us who keep a finger on the pulse of local politics is how to expose the true man behind the phony. How do we expose the meat, or lack thereof, behind the facade? Will Duluthians vote once again for the DFL label, package and marketing machine or will people actually do their civic duty and attempt to determine what the various candidates stand for?

The likelihood is history will simply repeat itself and Don will get the nod. After-all, he is revered by all who love fluff and are wary of substance, truth and maturity. Further, the stodgy old establishment will go with blinders on, dunce caps donned and cast their straight DFL ticket. Those looking for true leadership and seeing the rocks before the ship will vote for the underdog, only to be disappointed when Don and Company pop the corks as the predictable results are posted.

What will you do? Will you get off your sofa, your recliner, your apathy and get out to try to find the best fit for Duluth or, like so many other apathetic, ignorant Duluthians, will you attach your leash to your nose and like the many lemmings, post your straight DFL ticket? For the sake of your children and mine, I pray you get off that soft, cushy couch and learn who it is that seeks to represent you. Understand that Don does not represent Duluth, does not have the maturity or common sense to lead a horse to water, and much less, a City to fiscal solvency. He is a facade, a dog and pony show for the DFL and the young, starry-eyed, liberal, brain-washed University crowd. He will say what he thinks will get him elected. Just remember, it will be a familiar message with no substance, no true commitments to any tangible principles and finally, but perhaps most importantly, the predictable list of endorsements.

He will undoubtedly be endorsed by AFSCME, Progressive Action, the DFL, the Fire-fighters, the Duluth News Tribune, Organized Labor and every other left wing, fringe kook organization just as generations before him. The only variable is whether he will be able hold sway with the Chamber of Commerce. They are perhaps the most fickle, weak-spined organization in Duluth, selling out only to preserve their client base and never truly representing the business community in any substantial manner.

The Don will be elected Mayor and will again, fail to lead the City in a new direction. He will be another mouth-piece for the organizations endorsing him and will utterly fail to represent the general population of Duluth. We will get what we deserve. Another liberal, fuzzy minded, feel-good numb-skull with nothing to offer but lip-service to those who are in control...the liberal establishment of Duluth. This is the reality of Duluth. Despite his actions, his election will be based on how many groups he can bamboozle into believing he actually represents something. He will be elected based not on his ability, history of failure or silly-assed tenure on the Council but on all the "nice" things he will say between now and then and how many will be seduced by his phony message. Let the seduction begin.

Electable

2007-04-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

So we have the first few declared candidates for City Council and Mayor clamoring to make names for themselves and raise funds. Who will win? Well if history is any teacher we will end with a DFL dominated City Council and the DFL endorsed candidate for Mayor doing little or nothing and the non-endorsed challengers spending night and day door knocking, fund-raising, mailing, calling and posting signs anywhere they are allowed. They will spend untold dollars and efforts trying to keep up with the theft of their signs and in the end, they will be disappointed.

All the while, the public employees will be greasing the wheels, wheeling and dealing, working tirelessly to ensure the candidate who will approve the fattest contracts gets elected. AFSCME will spend countless dollars and man hours promoting the DFL candidate. One must ask why, in a non-partisan election, endorsement by political parties is even allowed. It's all OK as long as it is only practiced by the DFL.

Duluth has become a perfect example of how, when one party, one philosophy and one approach is allowed to continue unchecked, they will eventually become a self-fulfilling prophesy. The DFL has ruined the economy in Duluth, stolen the future out from under our children and created a political monopoly. How is it that they have been so successful?

Through four decades of utter domination, they have vilified business and placed the region in an unsustainable cesspool of entitlements for public employees at the expense of all else. They have done this through a relentless campaign of disinformation, misinformation, propaganda and with the help of an ignorant, fickle public. They have co-opted the public employees and their unions into what are often very questionable campaign practices, questionable quid-pro-quo wheel greasing and at times, intimidation and corruption.

Take the example of Mayor Herb Bergson's handling of a draft report from the State Auditor's office. This report was stamped on every page with a warning that disclosure of it's contents was a violation of the law. Yet, with apparent impunity, Mr. Bergson disclosed the contents to the Publisher of the Duluth News Tribune, apparently a clear, flagrant violation of the law and what were the consequences? His political friends benefited, one of his political opponents was effectively neutralized if not ruined personally, he received pages of sympathetic press including four front page stories related to the contents of that report and has faced none of the legal consequences of his actions.

Next, the example of Herb Bergson scamming tickets from various entities for the ostensible, if not dubious, purpose of "donating" them to underprivileged. This act was not only, unethical and immoral, it was a repugnant display of DFL arrogance and Herb's personal arrogance. At worst it is another quid-pro-quo to ensure Herb's political future, though we know not what that will be. It demonstrates the utter disregard for decency by the DFL and their accomplices at the News Tribune and various other media whores. It is a repugnant display of hubris and elitism that is embarrassing to all but the completely brain-washed, which apparently represents at least 60% of Duluthians.

How on Earth does the DFL retain any credibility, the news media any integrity and talk show host Lew Latto, any listeners? These are but a few of the actions of nose-thumbing by Herb and the DFL Party that in any other political arena would have resulted in scandal, resignations, prosecutions and investigations. It is unbelievable to me the general public of Duluth is not enraged that their Mayor is seamingly operating contrary to the laws of this City and State with apparent impunity.

Imagine the fallout if one of the private citizens of Duluth released the contents of a draft report from the State Auditor's Office, the contents of which were critical of Mayor Bergson! The private citizen would have been subjected to immediate prosecution, the maximum penalties applicable and the Duluth News Tribune would undoubtedly have committed front page, after front page to the personal destruction of the individual responsible. The duplicity and hypocrisy with which the DFL operates in this area is absolutely mind boggling and repugnant. Their ability to preserve their own in the midst of such acts demonstrates their utter control of the region.

One has to ask why the City Attorney has taken no action. Don't for one second buy the utter BS that he couldn't do it because he operates at the pleasure of the Mayor. He has a legal, professional and moral obligation to take action yet has has abdicated that responsibility. The County Attorney, lacking jurisdiction must have some avenue of action such as contact with the State Attorney General. It would require something other than apathy and professional dereliction of duty.

This is the Modus Operandi of the DFL and continues to be the playbook from which they handle opposition and take care of their own. God only knows why they have gotten away with this behavior but it is what it is...and it will continue.

Fundamental Lies

2007-03-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

The City of Duluth has become spin central. Nothing is true but what the DFL tells you. Nothing is fact, even that which we know to be, unless the DFL gets it's shot at spinning it. No truth is too big for the DFL to dispel.

The latest DFL windbag lunatic is Garry Krause. Garry, Union Boy, DFL Poster child Krause. Garry, Shutter Bug, Krause. Garry, the embarrassment of the year to the Duluth City Council, bonehead, goofball, Garry, Chauchesku look-alike and mentee, Krause. Yes, the wisdom of this man escapes even the most devout scumbag DFLer lately. He has stepped outside the bounds. Why? He has advocated following a nearly 100 year old law.

The problem? Garry as conveniently failed to absorb the fact that by putting more than half of the most profitable bars and restaurants out of business, or even merely displaying his ability to be remarkably unstable, unpredictable and plainly stupid, he has failed to realize he is cutting his political throat, the throat of all taxpaying citizens of Duluth, the DECC, Spirit Mountain, GLA, Sister Cities Commission, et al, ad nauseum. Maybe he's on to something...a quick death, as that is what will occur if he fails to change his incredibly incompetent mind about his vote on the upcoming proposed change to the Duluth City Charter. The proposed change will eliminate the draconian language that, had anyone been paying attention in this City for the last 70 years, would have precluded the issuance of an enormous amount of existing licences.

Garry's problem is an axe he has been grinding ever since one of those owners caught him red-handed, in his front lawn on a Sunday Morning, while his kids were watching cartoons and eating Cheerios, taking pictures of his property, for God only knows what purpose. This personal vendetta has so clouded Garry's judgement and lead to a grudge so intense and so personal, Garry will do anything to ruin this person, including taking the City finances into the toilet and dozens of businesses and their hundreds of employees on his scorched Earth crusade. The intensity of this vendetta has robbed Mr. Krause of his judgement, and ultimately, his fitness to hold political office. Nobody from his party has spoken publicly about the need for this idiot to step aside and seek help, rather, they simply continue posturing. Why? Garry is on their side and a much needed ally. Bottom Line, they will never sell out one of their own, whether that person is utterly deranged or not, the vote and the power is all that matters.

Bayfront Schmooz

2007-03-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

"Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." Just when Mayor Bergson thought he was could extort more money from the BBF, he gets reeled back in by the Don. Who that may be is debatable. Many in Duluth subscribe to the notion that Jeno is The Man. If that is the case, when you have a Mayor such as Herb who has declared his independence; "I will not run again" conversely, he is apparently beholden to the scumbags still attempting to manipulate the governance of this City from either afar or within. What or maybe more appropriately, whom does he fear? His own shadow perhaps?

Mayor Bergson has an ego so fragile, the slightest affront from any group, pro-gay, anti-gay, pro-business (almost nobody), anti-business (DFL and practically everyone else in Duluth), fishermen, marina owners, developers, pilots, swimmers, people who defecate, urinate or wash dishes, homeowners, landlords, renters, drunks, teetotallers, faithful, atheists, agnostics, law and order types, police, lawbreakers, liars, incompetents, cheeseheads, or practically anyone on the planet depending on the time of day, the cause celeb' and Herb's state of consciousness. How does one plan for the future?

Here's how, grab a square of beach on Park Point and don a blindfold; spin yourself around exactly or not twelve thousand times and then turn the other way exactly or not, approximately, almost or about or maybe a hundred or so times; then, find the water, the grass, the sand, the lunatics who are advocating for compromising the safety of pilots, their families, (remember, if one, just one of those planes impacts one of those trees, they, the trees, will all burn) moving an airport to save a few trees-fly over Duluth sometime to put this into perspective-then call Herb about your latest concern. He will undoubtedly pay you lip-service. Then call Yvonne Putzner Solon...she will express her deep concern, bring it to committee and 124 years later, maybe something will be done but it will resemble nothing you intended and, you will be dead, but hey, you got your bill!

I digress, who runs, owns, controls this putz? Who is the Putz? Will anything ever change? Is Duluth just another example of a City hijacked by a goon squad of liberal scumbags disguised as business people and do-gooders or are we just too stupid to understand macro-economics of the mafia? I'll vote for all of the above as they are all my opinions and few if any of you have as much information about what's going on in Duluth as I do. Why is that? Because, as a Citizen of Duluth, I take responsibility and, unlike you, I choose to do something. I am doing it...are you?

Challenges

2007-03-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

Duluth is facing enormous and unprecedented challenges. How do we, how will we and can we come together to solve these issues? Where is the middle ground and where is the consensus? What do we agree are the biggest obstacles to our future?

The key to all of this is to understand the disparity between Duluth and similar sized cities. Further we need to understand the relationship between government and those who fund it, namely, private citizens and business. To find common ground we need to have a vision for the future.

In Duluth we lack a vision. To find consensus we need leadership behind that vision. Lacking a vision, we have "leaders" who are incapable of leading, after-all, how can they lead if they are leading us nowhere? To find the middle ground we need to agree on the meat of our vision. Lacking a vision, we have no middle ground, just shifting sands of political posturing. Consensus is lacking as we have a divided community, those who follow the winds of popularity and those who seek leadership and true progress.

The final sticking point seems to be the differences in the definition of "progress". "Progressives" have arguably made the word their own however, progressives are universally in favor of regressive policies, practices and politics and "conservation". "Conservatives" on the other hand, seem to be more concerned with true progress, development, growth and technology, which ultimately results in conservation and efficiency than the "progressives". How is it then that the "progressives" who are largely conservative, regressive and anti-technology have successfully hijacked the moniker "progressive"? The explanation lies in an analogy. Today's internet culture has epitomized the notion of first come, first served. In essence, if you get out there first and register a domain name, a marketing approach, a growth strategy, a sales concept, it is, in effect, yours as long as you pay your monthly and annual fees and dues. The same holds true with the "progressives". They have coined and essentially been allowed to monopolize certain terms, concepts and theories and in large degree, their definitions have been accepted as gospel.

Herein lies the problem. Everyday people accept the term "progressive" as meaning one who advocates progress. In Duluth, the progressives have hijacked every politically influential organization and board from the Chamber of Commerce to the comprehensive planning process. This has resulted in cynicism by the conservatives who have been effectively disenfranchised from Duluth politics and influence for decades.

How then do we arrive at a solution to the issues facing Duluth with such a one-sided approach? Those of us with more realistic, conservative, development oriented solutions to the long term problems facing Duluth have to simply wait it out. If we want to avoid personal liability at the hands of the City, we have but one choice and that is to move our families and businesses outside the City limits until the City either collapses or is able to arrive at more realistic contracts with AFSCME, convince the State Legislature to take a bigger bite of our liability or declare bankruptcy. The City does not have the tax base or resources to overcome it's current liabilities without extorting an unsustainable tax burden from the individuals and businesses.

The City should not be let off the hook by the Legislature. This is a situation of our own making and we must bear the brunt of the fallout. Political paralysis has infected the Council and Mayor's office and hope is fading that the Unions will ever come to their collective senses. The current crop on the Council would rather debate the Iraq War on our nickel than solve the issues they were elected to address. Reality is setting in with those of us looking objectively at the situation and the long-term road map being laid by the Council, the progressives and the Mayor. Some things never change and insane people must not be expected to effect positive change without outside intervention. The intervention will not occur as long as Duluthians continue to subscribe to the DFL lines of liberal BS and vote these clowns into the majority.

Lose, Lose

2007-03-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

The Mayor has done it again. How many failures must we watch as this Mayor seems to be on a scorched Earth policy of Political ineptitude. It is unbelievable to many that one of the biggest financially beneficial events to Duluth has been lost because, in the view of the Mayor, the City didn't get a big enough direct benefit from the event. This Mayor obviously has no understanding of business, economics, common sense, or human nature. The City of Duluth is on a slide, the likes of which we have never witnessed. Mayor Herb Bergson owes it to this City to resign immediately and in doing so, ask those he has run out of town to reconsider in his absence.

Now we hear the Kroc Center plan has been scuttled. This, another situation of the Mayor's making with a large portion of the responsibility also shared by the Godless majority on the City Council, fearing that this gift horse might one day mention the word God. These idiots have taken the City on a politically motivated train wreck of epic proportion. There seems to be no bounds to the stupidity and short-sightedness of the Duluth City Council, Mayor Bergson, the DFL Party, and the Unions who all seem bent on destroying what little is left of Duluth. I read a comment today to the effect that we should reverse the course of Grandma's Marathon, thereby eliminating the last big noteworthy event on the Duluth calendar.

What is Duluth coming to and why are we going there? If the Bluesfest was so frigging evil, why was it so successful? Has our illustrious useful idiot Herb considered the long-term ramifications of the outcome of this debacle? The damage to Duluth's reputation will be impacted on a nation-wide level. There are right and wrong ways to re-negotiate with purveyors within the City of Duluth but it seems beyond the comprehension of Herb and his henchmen.

It truly is time for the citizens of this City to decide whether they want to live the draconian existence desired by Herb Bergson, 7 of 9 City Councilors, AFSCME, the DFL and so many backwards thinking, boneheaded, ultra-liberal, knuckle dragging, neanderthals. Duluth needs change. It will not happen until those who desire to stop all change get out of power. The DFL desires no change and in-fact, wants to return to days before we had the hope of the Kroc Center, before the excitement of Bayfront Blues Fest and apparently devoid of any hope for a future for Duluth.

Herb Bergson, my message to you is if you have a decent bone in your body, if you have one ounce of decency, one pebble of integrity, you will resign and apologize for your monumental failures which are far too many and to great to detail here. Everything you have touched has turned to shit and it is time you recognize, acknowledge, apologize for and let Duluth move beyond you and your seeming limitless ability to screw things up. Leave this area and let the memory of your failures fade. You owe this to Duluth.

Defending Your Life

2007-03-14T05:05:00.000-07:00

Well, defending his political life I suppose is what Herb Bergson is doing. This latest scandal being swept under the rug by so many well-meaning, foolish and ignorant Duluthians is just another in a long line of misdeeds by our current and infamously stupid Mayor.

There are some key points people of Duluth must come to grips with. The people Mayor Bergson gave those tickets to have a vote. Political survival for Mr. Bergson, if it is to be had, will require the greasing of many wheels and the burying of numerous skeletons. What better way to do it than with favors? The American Indian tribes in this region wield enormous power and influence and were recipients of his most recent largesse. Hell, he said it himself in that now published e-mail to Ken Beuhler, "relations are strained". So should Ken "suck up" so Herb can suck up? Well, why not if it results in political leverage for Herb?

People must understand that this is not about Herb being charitable, it is about graft and corruption and it runs very deep in Duluth. Herb is just the latest scumbag politician to succumb to the trance-like state those with political ambitions enter upon election to an important office.

How is Herb asking Ken for tickets or asking for tickets to bluesfest any different from him entering a local restaurant and pressuring the owner for some free meals for the homeless or pressuring a bar owner for a bottle of fine scotch for a drunk on First Street who is going through withdrawal? There is no difference, it is using a public position as influence to receive something of value from a constituent. Everyone in public service, from police to plow-drivers know this is a giant no-no and knows that receiving additional favors for any reason due solely to your position is against the law, against every ethical standard of his or her position and grounds for termination.

Why does Herb expect to be held to a lower standard? Because he is the Mayor Dammit! Well, is there a better reason? Charitable or not, as a former cop, if he sees this behavior as appropriate, one wonders what he may have thought was appropriate as a Police Officer. If being called for abusing his position is simply political opportunism by those criticizing his behavior, what then is the appropriate standard? These rules and ethics are in place for a multitude of reasons. Herb, as evidenced by his reaction to the DUI in Wisconsin while on city business, the release of a draft report to the Publisher of the News Tribune while acting in his official capacity as Mayor and now the ticket scandal orchestrated while acting in his official capacity as Mayor and not being the least bit shy about using his elected position for influence, demonstrates a sort of socio-pathic type behavior. In his mind, breaking the rules and laws is OK unless you get caught, then the only bad people in your life are those who caught you.

This latest scandal and Herb's reaction to it is demonstrative of his disdain for rules and ethics, his obvious superiority complex and his delusional, grandiose sense of his own importance. He is not fit to serve in public office and must resign or be removed. On the other hand, it is not characteristic of a narcissist to look inward or do the right thing, only to lay blame, obfuscate the truth and attempt to deflect criticism to others. If you choose to defend Herb or turn a blind eye to his latest repugnant behavior, you promote and condone it. Will we as a community tell Herb it is OK steal from one to give to another? Is it OK for the Mayor to be Robin Hood? The answer lies in the answer to the question I have already posed, is it OK for the Mayor to use his position to further influence and bribe people into political favor? He is buying votes, bottom line, and that my friends is illegal.

More of the Same

2007-03-10T05:30:00.000-08:00

Ticketgate...The Empire Strikes Again...Herb and his DFL lackeys have done it again. They have blown Bluesfest. Why? Socialist Greed is the only answer. They have become another example of greed by those who are not willing to work for their sustenance. They prefer to suck the teat of the public from birth to death. They expect you to work for them. They expect you to love them, revere them, support them, promote them, care for them, smile for them...Kim Jong Il of North Korea has a similar problem.

The DFL of Minnesota is a cancer. They are an illness for which we must find a permanent cure and exorcise permanently. Herb is merely a symptom of a larger disease. He and his policies, practices and means are promoted and supported by his party.

Herb's greed extends from his quid-pro-quo at the Willard Munger Inn to the Ticketgate fiasco. He has certainly received far more tickets than he donated and it is utterly repugnant to see intellectually dishonest Duluthians stepping up to the Council podium to defend this cretin. Anyone defending this blowhard needs to deeply examine their motives and decide, does this creep actually represent you and your best interests, or in other words, you support crime and criminals, or are you merely blindly supportive of the DFL? Either way, you have been misled, are misguided and ignorant of the truth staring you in the face. As such, you are part of the problem, just as much or maybe even more than Herb.

Life is too short. Be honest with yourself and exorcise this man from our leadership. It is time to recognize and realize he is worthy of nothing more than disdain and derision. Do it not and you are lying to yourself.

Illegal Acts

2007-03-08T06:03:00.000-08:00

I read an interesting article http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucac/20070307/cm_ucac/shootingelephantsinabarrel by Ann Coulter this morning and a lot of what she says hit home. What she is getting at is disparate treatment of Republicans in the legal arena. Apply that logic to Duluth. Look at Mayor Herb Bergson's conduct while in the Mayor's office. He wrecked a car while under the influence of alcohol and was charged and plead guilty. He violated the Minnesota Data Privacy Act when he illegally disclosed the contents of a draft report from the State Auditor's office to the Publisher of the Duluth News Tribune, yet has faced zero consequences. This violation carries with it the penalty, if convicted, removal from office.

Why then is it that he has faced no charges? Yep, he's a Democrat. If he had been a Republican, he would have been summarily hanged, drawn and quartered by the local media, he would almost certainly be doing time and would no longer be our Mayor. Yes, it seems the Teflon applies to Democrats here in Duluth as well. What does that do for their credibility and integrity? What does it matter to them? The Democratic Party as a whole has never concerned itself with such trivial matters as honor, integrity or their own duplicitous approach to every meaningful issue. To be a Democrat means to be duplicitous as their position on nearly every issue requires it. Irreconcilable differences of philosophy and ideology need not be considered as long as the constituency believes they are being taken care of, even if that care consists of mere positioning and lip service.

Mayor Bergson has brought dishonor to the Office of Mayor but it matters not as long as he continues to pander to the Unions, say what most DFL Duluthians want to hear, even if he is lying, and even if his words are utterly contradictory to his actions. The DFL has never been concerned with those details. The lipservice paid to the military "support the military by bringing them home" or translated, let's support the military by undermining their current mission. Let's support them by telling their enemies, we don't think they are capable of winning. Yes, the DFL and the DNC are illustrations of hypocrisy, duplicitous hyperbole and dishonor on so many levels, it is hard to comprehend how anyone with an ounce of soul or integrity could subscribe to their dogma. They are now in the majority in the U.S. Congress, the Minnesota Legislature and of course, as always, every conceivable body politic in the the Arrowhead region.

Republicans meanwhile are laying low to avoid all the feel-good DFLer's. Why? So they can avoid having their dogs shot, their homes and businesses vandalized, their reputations besmirched and their livelihoods ruined. Yes, it's all about Minnesota Nice, isn't it?

Global What?

2007-02-15T10:10:00.000-08:00

It seems the whole "Inconvenient Truth" crowd, up in arms and becoming more militant by the minute about the issue of Global Warming have a few sticky issues to deal with of late. Just look at the North American Continent. We are under a sustained deep freeze, the likes of which we haven't seen in my lifetime. States and regions rarely seeing freezing temperatures and snow are buried and crops grown in California and Florida have been hit hard by freezing weather. Areas that haven't seen snow in decades are seeing it, in many cases for the first time the inhabitants of the area have seen in their lives. Lake Superior, is iced over as far as the eye can see.

"Before and after" photos instill panic and the frenzy to convince all the glaciers are shrinking the oceans are inundating everything, everywhere, are deceptive in nature and are often deliberately taken during predictable fluctuations. The Earth is a dynamic planet but by cosmic standards, we are relatively static. Our climate has seen dramatic shifts in a cosmic blink of an eye that have resulted in mass extinction, destruction beyond our comprehension and devastation over vast areas and periods long before humans ever graced the planet. On the other hand, if you consider the range of climactic possibilities on a universal scale, our fluctuations are miniscule.

The reality of humans even being able to measure global climate change is dubious at best. Where and how are these measurements being taken? Well the answer will leave most of us doubting the ability to detect anything on a global scale. We know less about our own planet than we do outer space and surrounding planets. We have vast regions of the oceans that have never been explored, measured, mapped or quantified. The most obvious thing to even the casual observer with a speck of intelligence and knowledge is that the oceans have great affect on our day to day climate, yet they are only one part of the equation. Ocean currents are dynamic and the temperature and circulation of the water in the oceans has a greater affect than humans can even comprehend. The variables are so vast and unexplored it is truly foolhearty and arrogant to think we, mere humans, can begin to understand the complexity and dynamic nature of the global climate.

The Sun, 93 Million miles away goes through fluctuations that directly affect our climate...and we can control that influence how? The orbit of the Moon has a dramatic affect on our climate. The tectonic plates shift contstantly, changing the visible and inaccessible landscape constantly. Following the Earthquake that resulted in the devastating psunamis the Earth actually "wobbled" on it's axis. The long-term affects of that event on our climate may never be understood or quantified. The Earth's magnetic poles are shifting and that will have dramatic long term affects, not understood at all, on our climate. Foliage cover of the Earth changes dramatically with the seasons yet we have not even begun to quantify, on a global scale, the potential effects.

Jet streams shift, Ocean currents change, ocean temperatures shift with changes in cloud cover, current changes and moon cycles, volcanoes erupt, continents shift, forest fires burn, earthquakes occur, psunamis result, ice fields are dynamic and constantly shifting, polar ice caps have changed dramatically, ebb and flow, break and reform, meteor strikes can devastate the entire Earth, wind blows, convection sucks and so does the "science" or lack thereof, surrounding the entire "Global Warming" debate, since it started gaining momentum.

Lump together all other natural factors affecting our global climate and you understand that any politician claiming they will do something about Global Warming, is suffering from delusions of grandeur. I challenge any human to specify how humans would be able to effect change to our climate on a global scale when we have a difficult time figuring out how to keep homes and businesses warm and when we still have few ideas how the Earth has evolved since the Dinosaurs were wiped out, by a still unknown force.

To assert that humans can effect global climate change by an act of Congress or by Presidential decree is beyond ludicrous. There just seem to be far too many delusional politicians with too much time on their hands, promoting an agenda they think will influence a fickle, ignorant public into voting them into office so they can fix the planet. It's like the Duluth City Council attempting to change the course of the Iraq war; it's silly, disingenuous, inane, delusional and deceptive.

Take the bait like all the lemmings on the Global Warming, Man be damned, bandwagon and you, along with Al Gore and his minions will be eating crow by the truckload by the end of the decade. Use your noggin and your common sense and you will quickly dispel the utter myth of Man created Global Climate Change and if global climate change is occuring, that we are in any way, able to change the course of our climate.

Figure this one out and send me the solution: Cork the next major volcano eruption and all the cows asses and you will make a bigger impact on CO2 emissions than if you eliminate every man-made source on the planet. Delude no more and go in Peace!

What to Do?

2007-02-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

It has been some time since anything truly logical took place in the Council Chambers. We hear things like a resolution opposing the Iraq war, past resolutions dealing with a Syrian Prisoner, the CIA, Secret Service, etc. The question to be asked is: how do these ridiculous resolutions promote productive agenda for Duluth?

If a Councilor wants to send a letter to the President to express his or her opinions on the Iraq war, so be it. On the other hand, this assinine resolution does two things, it represents the views of a few of our Councilors, possibly a majority of Duluth and yet, it does not represent the views of many Duluthians. The resolution has about the same weight to the US Government as a grain of sand has on Park Point. It is embarrassing to witness the spectacle of these little goofballs acting like this resolution has any more weight with President Bush, Congress or the US Military than the ink used to write it. Come on people!

Let's get back to the business of Duluth and stop distracting yourselves with these innane, useless and utterly meaningless debates. If you want to express your opinion, do it on your own time. You have been elected to do the City's business, please get on with it.

Some Things...

2007-01-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

I suspect Duluth is on the right track since we continue to do the same things over and over. We seem in a love affair with publicly funded development. I would argue publicly funded development is counter or the antithesis of privately funded development. Privately funded growth results in immediate and long term tax benefit to the City whereas, publicly funded development does not. The term "development" when used in the context of a positive trend in a community, refers to this benefit, that is, the benefit of increased property value and economic activity which results in commerce. Commerce, resulting in tax receipts, is how City functions are funded and until Duluth and Duluthians grasp this concept, we are bound to the same direction and the same pitfalls.

City subsidies to encourage private development are beneficial only when it results in the commerce and tax benefits of similar, non-subsidized developments. Tax increment financing does not meet this threshold of benefit as it does not result in revenue to the City. The way of encouraging "development" in Duluth has accomplished one thing for certain, it has honed the skills of the City's most adept developers as tax recipients. That is, they have become skilled in the art of benefiting from the investment of their own money, getting a return not only from that personal investment but also from the public investment; a sort of private/public double dipping. This is good for the bottom line for the developer but, at least for the short term, it does nothing to benefit the public.

Only when Duluth realizes, removing obstacles to private investment, creating a favorable tax environment and marketing Duluth as a good place to conduct commerce, will we overcome the fiscal woes imposed on us by the current and recent past politicians. The problem however, is similar to the Chicken and the Egg. How do you market Duluth as a good place to do business to those outside the City when the tax picture and City Red-Tape, prove it to be just the opposite?

This is our dilemma and it will take years of undoing decades of misguided law-making by the "leaders" of Duluth. This will likely not occur as those currently skilled at working the system, are the true power-brokers in Duluth and they don't wish for change since the current system of quid-pro-quo works quite well for them, thank you. For change to occur, those in positions of power have to look inward and forward. If they truly wish Duluth to move forward, for Duluth's children to have a chance of staying here and for true economic development, the government must get out of the development business and leave it to the entrepreneurs of the world.

Heads Rolling

2006-09-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

I nicked my neck the other day while shaving. A little shaving cream seeped into the tiny nick and I was surprised by the amount of pain. Imagine the surprise of Nick Berg, hands and feet bound but not blindfolded, when Islamic radicals, following a rambling dissertation, all captured intentionally on video, grabbed him, threw him to the floor and proceeded to cut his head off. Yes, he was fully conscious. Yes, he was fully aware of what was happening to him. Relative to alternative means of killing another human being it was quick. Nick only screamed and struggled in horror and agony for about thirty seconds. That first cut through that sensitive skin on his throat and the subsequent sawing through his esophagus, brachial plexus nerves causing brief but unimaginable pain, through the muscles and tendons in his neck, all the vessels feeding his brain and finally, his last realization that this was, in-fact the end of his life on Earth. All the brief but adrenaline enhanced emotions, thoughts, feelings, excrutiating pain and fear he must have felt haunts me. The life leaves his body and only God knows the extent his brain continues to function beyond until those final moments. This is the fate Islam and Islamic fascists condemned all non-Muslims to upon the first acceptance of it as a religion.

To understand the depravity of people who are capable of and willing to commit such an act against another living, breathing human is to explore the depths of faith, devotion and the reason for our existence. Until such time as we are able to talk to God, we must guess what is behavior that a rational being who would rule all the universe and who, according to innumerable religions, controls our eternity.

Absent such answers from God, we have to decide how we will live together on this planet. After-all, this is the only existence we know, for certain, that involves us and our individual choices. Man, we could get really deep with this and I could get all graphic again, describing the hundreds of people who are routinely dispatched in this manner in the Muslim world. On the other hand, I wish only to point out the battle to which I can only hope we are committed against the people who commit these acts.

We have had a dramatic shift in the political lanscape and if you listen to the pundits, it is all because of the Iraq war. If you listen to the talk show hosts, they will debate the proper designation of the conflict. I consider it a rebuilding effort, and the US role being that of restoring order and security as well as training the Iraqis to defend themselves following what can only be described as a swift and brilliant defeat of the Iraqi Army. That done, we get out. Some are comparing this "war" to WWII if only that it has "lasted longer". Don't we still have troops in Germany? We still have troops in Iraq. WWII was a geo-political war. The war against terror is primarily a propaganda war. The terrorists are winning because that is their strategy. A several thousand year old strategy of breaking your opponent by creating terror and demoralization is working against the most technologically advanced civilization in the history of the Earth, because we lack resolve and patience. Our military is committed and our troops, as evidenced by record re-enlistments in-theater are occuring. Yet our political leaders are divided, the newly elected majority of Democrats appears like a ship without a rudder and all the political divisions have, among the senior Democrats, magically disappeared...on Iraq.

The shifting landscape over the next weeks and months holds something I don't believe anyone has considered. Within the now Democrat dominated Congress, there will be a number of newbies, coming in with a perceived mandate to "get our troops out now". This idealism will collide with the reality of a lack of direction from the Democratic Party for the future, the power of the Comander in Chief and a generally idealistic approach to the conflict vs. the reality of our commitment. The junior members of Congress coming from the Democratic Party, expecting to see their adrenaline enhanced euphoria and fervor to get out, will be disappointed.

Nancy Pelosi has made it clear that dissention in the ranks will not be tolerated and there will be repurcussions for those who engage in it. The stage is set for civil, or not so civil war within the Democratic Party. 2008 will usher in the ultra-important election, as has every other. Yet this one will be different. The Democrats, never able to keep the rabble on a consistent, logical strategy, will be in disarray in short order. By 2008, Americans will be begging for the divisiveness between the two parties over the dissention and disarray of the Democrats. Finally, the average Joe will be dismayed by the fact that he or she, in 2006 voted for a "change of direction in Iraq" and did not get it at the hands of many Democratic majorities both Nationally and among the states.

Ours will be a rapidly changing landscape and by '08, the Democrats will be scratching their collective heads wondering how, in this day and age, the Republicans were able to maintain Unity for six years when theirs unraveled in less than two. They capitalized on portability of information, access to constituents via internet, posting out of context sound-bites while the Republicans relied upon it yet exercising no influence over it. The lesson has been learned and in the immortal words of George W. Bush, fool me, er, uh, yer, um gonna, if you fool me, ah, your, gonna, you won't fool me again...or something like that.

Criminal?

2006-05-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

Marti Bascaglia says it would be a waste of time to investigate and potentially prosecute Mayor Herb Bergson for releasing an auditor's confidential draft report to her. Herb has apologized and many have suggested that should suffice. The resulting fray, a conclusion of three, count them, three front page, headline reports by the "news" paper headed by Marti Bascaglia. Both heads are in the frying pan and it is just a matter of time before they both sizzle under the heat of a policy of nose thumbing at the rules, laws and mores of our community. The combined arrogance of Herb Bergson and Marti Bascaglia are eclipsed only by those of Kim Jong Il of modern day Korea, Hitler and Mussolini of days past.

Fortunately, unlike their mentors, they hold positions of power and influence in a tiny playground of nitwits. That playground, on the other hand has become that of nitwits at their own hands. Herb Bergson lacks the integrity to command any respect, but among a few, wields just enough power to instill fear into enough people to render a community and it's trusted employees completely impotent.

The unmitigated willingness of Marti Bascaglia to engage in ruthless character assassination has more than a few in her tiny peer group shuddering with fear. The rest of us looking in cannot help but wonder what goes on in the mind of a textbook narcissistic personality. That personality in a position of relative power has an enormous amount of ability to do both good and bad. Unfortunately for Duluth, Marti has not the judgement nor the vision to comprehend the damage done to this small community when she embarks on her crusades leaving all that is decent and good about it, in ruins behind her. The wrath of Marti and her editorial board is a force of terrible consequence in the tiny little haven of Duluth but in real world relativism, she and her board are but a pimple on the ass of society. They are worthy of scorn but certainly not enough energy to get through a trivial gossip session over lunch.

You see, to be relevant, you have to present attitudes, opinions and logic that is considered worthy of ponder by the population at large, not just your peers and local community. Duluth is a tiny microcosm of the United States and as a stand alone community is relatively irrelevant. While we machinate over the hate filled and dislexic boys and girls club of the Tribune, the rest of the world simply goes on. We are not noticed. We have no attention paid to our trivial quibbles and comic eye poking and face slapping. Marti is no more important to the world than she makes herself in her own mind. Unfortunately, she gets validation from her many foes within the community including myself. She believes that by being the topic of conversation in Duluth, she is valid and relevant. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We, as a community have strayed so far from the mainstream as to render our entire existence and presence, irrelevant. What we do here, stays here. Nobody cares outside of this area, with a possible tiny handful of exceptions. People born and raised here but forced to move away to find a relevant life occasionally check in, but to their dismay, and likely disappointment, the only thing that has changed is we have become even less relevant.

Still Here

2006-04-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and projects abound. I haven't upddated for some time and will be sparse in new postings but look for me to spice things up a little. Local issues will still be my focus here but the content will be less cumbersome to read and I will be including more links and sourcing.

Free Speech recently got a boost from the FEC as they decided to leave blogs outside the spectrum of their scrutiny. The logical thing for them to do was of course just that. It is going to become more and more impossible and impractical, without gestapo tactics and World Wide Web policing on a frightening scale, to monitor or regulate speech on the internet. This is a good thing.

I won't be shy about taking advantage of my right to free speech. I will continue my figurative in-step stomping on the Tribune and lampooning our overly deserving local politicians. The lunacy continues and seems to have affected more than the usual 6 or 7 Councilors and leftist talking heads around Duluth. Enjoy Spring, the mosquitoes are right around the corner!

Free Speech Survives FEC

2006-03-28T06:10:00.000-08:00

"FEC Won't Regulate Internet Politics". This statement reverberates throughout the internet today. Although in many circles, it will get nary a glance, among bloggers, however, this is an important and significant development. You and I will likely never encounter the likes of FEC enforcement but imagine answering the door and having two federal agents standing there with warrants to seize your laptop. It is at least a little disconcerting. The door remains open to an infinite variety of attacks on free-speech, such as fallacious accusations of libel/slander but those can be avoided by qualifying what you say as opinion and not getting into specific allegations or accusations represented as fact, etc.

Why is this significant? This allows people like you and I to blog about candidates for political office, independent of the majority of constraints without fear of federal prosecution. The local implications are obvious as well. Would a State be willing to bring enforcement action against little ol' me if the FEC has already come out in support of allowing this type of communication? This will likely have implications for States with more restrictive rules as well. The best part is Free Speech has survived another attempted assault.

Dry Reading

2006-03-23T11:37:00.000-08:00

I have a tendency to get too verbose in my postings. I am passionate about Duluth and feel an obligation to do whatever I can to effect change. I will continue to post to this blog but going back over my posts, it is clear, my writing appeals only to me and has no impact relative to a call to action or providing relevant, current information. I have no traffic counters but I suspect if I did, it would click off a visit about three times a month and a few more in-between as I log in to update and check for comments. Is this a worthwhile endeavor? Well, only to me as it relates to pealing back the onion of my brain to occasionally review what I was thinking at any given time.

What to do? Well, it seems it is time to begin posting more relevant, current, appealing and certainly less lengthy posts. In this day and age, nobody has the time to read through an opinion piece of 2000 words, especially when that opinion is about nothing more than Duluth. After-all, there are 86,000 residents in Duluth and we are all struggling for survival, save Marti Buscaglia and all her limosine liberal friends as well as a few over-paid, wacko college professors.

I am going to start taking on less than local issues and do a little more digging, provide better linking, etc. to make this space more useful to the handful of people who accidentally stray to it on occasion. If you have read this page, you will see I have also eliminated the ads placed between the articles as they were distracting and mostly junk. Have a great day and to the few of you who have actually read, thanks!

Nothing to Fear

2006-03-21T08:14:00.000-08:00

So much of what I have written culminates into one general theme. That theme is that Duluth needs a fundamental change of direction, change of leadership and change in general thought and attitudes. The comments by the Publisher of the Duluth News Tribune, typify the attitudes of the stodgy, dusty and out of touch, liberal, DFL establishment in Duluth. This sort of 50s era thinking seems so entrenched, to dislodge it is going to take a powerful voice.

When change is the only direction to progress, the new voice of that progress must not only be powerful, afterall, anyone can stand at a podium and bang their fists, shouting slogans of power to the people, it must be unifying and galvanizing. I cannot remember a voice in my lifetime that I felt compelled to follow on a local level. I cannot remember a voice that truly galvanized people to action and compelled change in Duluth. It has been the same, whether the voice comes from the right or the left. The voices have always stuck to one message or another, pro-business, or pro-labor; pro-development or pro-environment; pro-growth or pro-green. I submit to you that these voices have done damage to their respective sides and viewing the situation Duluth now finds itself in, they have done a disservice to Duluth as a whole, with little exception.

This new voice must be able to articulate that it is possible to be both pro-business and pro-labor and that the two go hand in hand. Labor depends on job creation. The new voice must be able to articulate that it is possible to be pro-development and pro-environment and that, in today's day and age, the two now go hand in hand. Developers are now held to the highest, strictest standards of environmental protection and aesthetic sensitivity. We must realize that leaving land undeveloped or in the public domain, leaves it essentially without stewardship. Todays developers have become excellent stewards and out of necessity, demanded by the marketplace and the political arena, are keenly aware of the sensitivities of their detractors. Good stewardship, depends on those good stewards to take ownership.

Duluthians must be made to understand that by embracing growth, we aren't, at the same time, capitulating to urban sprawl. We must also understand that to embrace growth, maintain a higher standard of living for all and the quality of life we now experience, we can and will do all of it with careful stewardship of and respect for those ideals from all sides of the political spectrum.

For decades, we have been lead to believe that growth and development are mutually exclusive from high quality of life. We have been brainwashed on both sides that to protect green and open spaces, we have to sacrifice economic and population growth. We have been misled to believe that both sides of the arguments require unequivocal compromise and one will cease to exist if the other is allowed to succeed. We have, in a nutshell, lost balance. That loss of balance has come from the paranoia of those on the extremes of both sides, that the other is out to monopolize the public domain, grab up all the land and exclude the other from the process. This paranoia has come from our elected leaders and those campaigning for office who feel using fear is the only way to obtain and retain elected office.

The new leadership of Duluth, if it is ever to move Duluth in a unified manner, and if this new brand of leadership ever arrives on the scene, must be a master of public communication and a non-threatening presence to all. They will have to move us toward solving the issues that affect all and toward creating opportunities across all spectrums for all Duluthians and those not native to the area, who would like to locate here, such as our hundreds of college graduates every year. They will have to put out a message that Duluth is too good to suffer mediocrity and stagnation. Duluth is too valuable and beautiful to think small in regards to the future. We have to think smarter and bigger and we need a leader who will bring this message to all Duluthians, across all political and dogmatic lines. "Enlightened" leaders are not enough. We need enlightened, bold, articulate and unashamed leadership.

The new leadership must be a problem solving, not finger pointing presence. The demons of the past must be exorcised and forgotten. The enemies of the future must be dealt with and convinced, theirs is a message of days gone by. The Party loyalists who capitalize on fear must be marginalized and their message drowned out by one galvanizing the community into hope and progress. A "polarized" community must alienate and ostracize those who capitalize on and propagate the myth of polarization.

The new voice of Duluth has to be able to convince those across all lines that, in the words of FDR, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself". Fear is the most powerful tool in the politicians' arsenal and it has been used far too long, to the detriment of society. It has created a chasm in Duluth, larger than the City itself and that chasm must be filled with a message of unity, cooperation, hope and most of all, galvanized determination to turn the City into what it once was; a place where anyone with an able body, sound mind and the willingness to work hard, could and would succeed.

Denying the Market

2006-03-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

As I read and discuss the most recent development significant to Duluth, the sale and impending re-sale of the Duluth News Tribune, I thought it might be time to reflect on a few things. First and foremost is Duluth's longstanding failure to embrace and recognize the importance of market economics. To put it in a very simplistic way it all boils down to supply and demand. In the case of the Tribune, the supply is ample and the demand dropping. In many senses, the demise of the Tribune has been brought about by their own brand of "journalism".

Any "news" entity that embraces the politics of personal destruction, vindictive targeting of individuals and organizations and a selective approach to subject matter to promote an agenda damages not only their credibility, but those they seek to serve. The consumers of news want balance. People want to make informed decisions and generally, people thirst for accurate and unbiased information. If you are making judgements and decisions based on lies, misconceptions or misinformation, your judgement is ultimately, based on ignorance. When a "news" outlet chooses to promote an agenda, rather than simply and objectively report the news, and subsequently damage their own credibility, the consumers of that "news" will dismiss that "news" more and more and ultimately will turn to other sources of information.

Recently, the bias of the Tribune has been so evident, even the least discriminating reader has begun to turn to other sources to corroborate or verify the content. When that becomes too troublesome, or in the case of the Tribune, preferable to reading the "paper", readership declines. Further, the Tribune has been a willing accomplice to the local labor unions and left of center organizations and agendas. What this has lead to is a general approach to governing Duluth and a philosophy among Duluthians of denying market forces.

This is the greatest damage done by the Tribune. Refusing to recognize that market forces will eventually kick in, thwarting those forces at every opportunty and promoting anti-market practices and policies can only lead to unfavorable long term economic impact. It is worth saying at this point that the Tribune has done so many things to cause long term damage to Duluth, it is hard to quantify it all on one blog entry. It is poetic justice then that they are now suffering the fate of so many years of liberal, anti-market practices and policies. The population of Duluth has declined, the remaining population has become very skeptical about the content of the Tribune and are therefore, dropping their Tribune subscriptions.

Accurate, unbiased sources of information are available with the touch of a button. The Tribune has stubbornly refused to recognize and adjust to the reality that promotion of an agenda will not be tolerated by the news consumer. Does this spell the end of the Tribune? Only if they are purchased by an organization that will tolerate continued blatant promotion of a social agenda that is counterproductive to the community. Unless the new owners of the Tribune do some house-cleaning from the top down, they will be purchasing their own ruin.

The internet is not to blame for the plight of the Tribune. The Tribune must recognize and embrace the notion that mainstream America is not left of center and is in-fact right leaning and leaning farther that way. They must further recognize that the Unions, especially the public employee unions do not have the best interests of the community at heart. Their's is a single-minded, self-promotion at all costs approach, whether or not they have bankrupted the City of Duluth.

Bottom line; Duluth is on the shakiest financial grounds it has ever seen. The Tribune has been a huge contributor through it's denial of the Market and promotion of it's leftist agenda. Duluthians have been making terribly irresponsible decisions for decades due to the spin and misinformation promoted by the Tribune. This poetic justice will be meted out without regard to those who promoted it, fought it, or are currently suffering. This should be a lesson to Duluth and Duluthians. In today's America, the market will adjust and if you don't embrace the market, it will backfire. The backlash is occuring.

Moving Right Along

2006-03-09T06:44:00.000-08:00

Has Duluth ever been this disconnected? There seems to be no cohesion, no momentum in any given direction and the City is as lethargic and detached as I have ever seen it. It's almost as if we're all just standing around waiting for something to happen so we can respond to it. In that sense it seems Duluth has become irrelevant. We're like the slumbering bear waiting for Spring to roll around so we can go out and eat something.

A few days back, I had my kids and we were looking for something to do. It came down to doing something we had done a hundred times or leaving town. Duluth and Duluthians seem content that the City during the Spring is a place where there is almost nothing to do. This time of year, when the banks are still high, the snow too mushy for Winter sports, the ground too wet, mucky or slushy to do much outside, it hits you like a brick; Duluth is a dying community. Sure, this weekend things will come to life for the adults with the DSSO and other weekend fare but for the kids, there is relatively little for them to do. I remember days gone by when me and a few of my buddies would huddle around the pinball machines at the Morgan Park Goodfellowship Club and see who could post the high score. We could go downstairs and bowl a few frames or make a few extra bucks setting pins for the afternoon. We could check out a couple rackets and play racketball or shoot some hoops...all indoors. We could just run around the elevated track and play tag. There was plenty to do and all within walking distance from our front door.

I suppose a lot of those activities are still available to the kids these days but most require mom and dad to drive them somewhere, spend an exhorbitant amount of money and time and the activities are more one dimensional. The reverberating sound in Duluth is one of needing jobs and an economy that isn't almost solely based in tourism. This false economy has dropped the bottom out of the traditional American Dream in Duluth unless you are in the Medical profession or a public employee.

Where are the leaders of this community? What are they doing for Duluth? It seems the lethargy is coming from the top down and despite our best efforts, the best they can come up with is banning pigeon feeding and endlessly discussing the City's bowhunt for deer. The issues of greatest consequence, such as jobs, retiree healthcare, our failing infrastructure and bloated City budget get little more than a sideways glance. Apathy has not only infected the voters, it seems to have crippled our Council and administration. Is there anything we can do to motivate them? It seems not. Status quo is apparently preferable to moving any real agenda forward.

Progressives are in charge and we are waiting anxiously for progress. Will they deliver?

To Caucus or Not

2006-03-07T13:08:00.000-08:00

Tonight marks the true beginning of election season 2006. Caucuses will be held all over the State and attendence will likely be light. On the other hand, those forces commonly in control of the political football, will undoubtedly show. Listening to local talk show host, Lew Latto, you'd thing it was a big waste of time. He states, "the caucuses are only attended by extremists from both parties so I just won't go". Great attitude Lew. You don't like the forum, have your own comfortable little soap box you retreat to each day and are afraid to get out of your comfort zone.

For the rest of us rubes, instead of simply complaining, the other option is to attend and attempt to effect change. I am not happy where the local Republicans are taking the Party. I know where the DFL is taking theirs and it takes decades to climb the agreement ladder within that cronified Party so I definitely won't be going there. If there is a chance to effect change anywhere, it will be at the very scarcely attended Republican caucus. Maybe I am one of those extremists Lew speaks of with such disdain but I want things for this State and this City. I want my children to be able to stay here. I want my business to thrive and not be in survival mode all the time. I want prudent fiscal policy on a State and Local level. I want to see leadership within the Republican Party that adheres more closely to the principles and foundations of conservative and mainstream Republicans such as fiscal conservatism, smaller government, streamlined processes within government, pay and promotion for merit, economic stimulus through decreased taxation and finally, minimally invasive regulation.

Over the last several years, they have not adhered to these principles. While I admire and respect Tim Pawlenty and believe he is the best Governor we have had in decades, he has not reduced the size of government in any meaningful, long-term way. Further, he has transferred the lion's share of the expense of government on to small businesses and individuals through dramatic fee increases as well as extremely punitive penalty programs related to State taxes. While he has erased a large deficit by holding the line on taxes and reducing line items such as Local Government Aid, K-12 and higher education funding, core government agencies have not shrunk by any meaningful degree. Unions still largely control local political landscapes and therefore, local politicians and local elections. On that note, I would like to see some effort, any effort, to bring about right to work legislation. It has had dramatic results everywhere it has been instituted and would forever and positively change the political landscape in Minnesota. In the case of right to work, Unions only need fear the market, for employment, wages, and employee rights are universally enhanced by it. The only thing that tends to suffer is Union clout.

On a State level, our representation up North is almost entirely DFL and we need to take definite, affirmative steps to change that. We need to show up in numbers large enough to convince the Party that we are not happy with the direction. We need to bring in the next generation of politically and civically minded and get the ball rolling in the right direction. We need to caucus. Is it too late to get the word out? Maybe, but there's always the next caucus. Let's get organized and put out the effort toward getting things to swing our way. Go to your caucus and let your voice be heard.

Action Means Action, Dummy

2006-03-03T09:18:00.000-08:00

I hear people around town, on local talk shows, at the City Council, claiming that though the retiree health care issue is spinning out of control, "at least they're doing something about it". My question to those of you who follow this train of thought is: what? What is the Mayor doing about it? What is the Council doing about it? They put together a panel to study, report and suggest remedies. They completed their study, gave a very comprehensive report along with suggested fixes and were thanked and summarily dismissed.

Has the Council or Mayor taken any action on their recommendations? The answer is no. There have been no resolutions other than a token endorsement of the recommendations by the Council. Still though, no tangible action on this critical issue. This debt grows by an estimated $35,000 every day, still no action by the Council to stem the tide. What are we waiting for? I was listening to a local talk show and a woman called in to say, "you all complain that they're not taking action so why don't you offer up a solution?" This is the kind of thinking that is sinking Duluth fast. They have had solutions presented to them and they are the ones who must take the action. We can offer up solutions all day long but if they fail to act, we are powerless and might just as well be mumbling in the corner.

For every two days we wait, this costs us as much as a full time equivalent (FTE) or the equivalent of one City employee. This is the subject nearly everyone who cares is concerned with and talking about. We are all waiting to see what the Mayor and Council do with this. They are doing nothing. It begins to make those of us who are on the more conservative side, disgusted, left feeling powerless and scratching our heads wondering who's running the asylum.

As much as people are demanding action and complaining about this, there is still no action and those seeking to defend the left, the unions, the DFL candidates charged with taking action and not doing it charge that we are attacking them. You're damn right we're attacking them. They have been presented this issue as the number one concern of the City, have been made aware of the dire consequences if it is not addressed and still we wait. All have paid lip-service to this issue but none seem to have the fortitude to take action. Tick, Tick, Tick, TICK... The clock is running and the debt is growing...Anytime guys! This is what electing incompetents to run our City gets us. Enjoy the view.

All Aboard the Tax and Spend Train

2006-03-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

As I posted in my previous article, the increase in the food and beverage tax to fund the new Arena is a bad idea. But, the vote is over and Duluthians, in what is a very pathetic turnout, approved the new tax. I can't help but drop a few more comments on this as it goes South. Of course our local State Legislators will support and likely aggressively lobby for this project. Whether it will survive other skeptics in the Legislature and the Governor's Office remains to be seen.

The thing that gets under my skin is the comments by many of those who supported this project, that Duluth is an anti-business City. To all of you who supported this and bitch about how Duluth is anti-business, you have lost your right to complain. Are higher taxes favorable to business? The answer is an obvious and unequivocal no. How do those who support this and complain about the anti-business environment reconcile these opposing views? Well, it takes understanding the way Duluth and Minnesota do business and approach big projects. We have a long history of pork and taxpayer funded projects. It is viewed as an acceptable approach to funding practically anything. We currently fund various forms of entertainment, the Visit Duluth marketing program, other civic organizations and seed money for Grandma's Marathon and the In-Line Marathon. Are these truly appropriate uses of our tax dollars?

The bottom line to be made is that taxes in any form thwart business growth and contribute to a stagnant economy. In Duluth, however, we seem completely incapable of learning that lesson. On a national scale, a reduction in the capital gains tax resulted in greater activity in the stock market and others affected by the reduction. Reducing the capital gains tax from 20% to 15% resulted in an increase in revenue received by the government. On the other hand, when the capital gains went from 20% to 28%, it resulted in a net decrease in revenue. If Duluth and Duluthians truly want growth, economic vitality, a better job market and opportunities for enterpreneurs, we have to collectively get our heads around this priniciple. Taxes and taxation do not stimulate economic growth and in the long run, result in lower government revenue. Increasing taxes thwarts economic activity. Reducing taxes stimulates economic activity and growth resulting in significant and substantial increases in government revenue as more taxable transactions take place. Oh well, for the next 25 years, we will still not get an opportunity to test this theory in Duluth.

Into the Fray

2006-02-25T16:57:00.000-08:00

The hottest topics are not tackled by the faint of heart. The current topic of the DECC expansion is one of those topics. It seems if you come out publicly in support of this project, you are hailed as a visionary, forward thinking, civically minded, pro-business, happy, fun-loving, intelligent shining star. If you oppose it, you are a nitwitted, negative, pessimistic, inflexible thwarter of all that is good.

As is usually the case in Duluth, the reality is lost in the shuffle of politics and nobody truly wants an objective look at the facts. I'll do my best to do just that but be fore-warned, I am on the side of the naysayers.

Duluth has a long and jaded history of broken promises, propaganda campaigns to promote less than prudent projects, tax increases with sunset provisions that never seem to arrive and fiscal mismanagement on a mind boggling scale for a city this size. The broken promises started way back in the late 60s. A one percent sales tax was proposed and implemented with a sunset of three years. That tax was eventually made permanent and is now used entirely in the general fund, not it's intended purpose. The second one percent tax was also imposed with a very short sunset provision. It has become permanent. The third half percent was imposed in the late 90s to fund the last DECC expansion.

That tax has been further pilfered to help fund the embattled Great Lakes Aquarium. This is a very brief history of local option sales taxes in Duluth. In addition to the local option sales taxes currently "collected" (more on this later) and paid by local businesses, there is between 6.5 and 9 percent State sales tax also imposed.

Proponents of the current increase needed to fund the DECC expansion, minimize it's impact, reducing the obligation to pennies on a hypothetical lunch or dinner bill. The problem with this argument is the increase is quite substantial relative to the current tax burden and will put Duluth bars and restaurants at a greater competitive disadvantage as the tax rates for them become some of the highest in the U.S.

The proponents have made a concerted attempt to separate the DECC expansion and related tax increase from the other financial woes and previous debacles hamstringing Duluth's future. Unfortunately, the money comes from the same pool. Whether it is the "tourism tax", sales tax, property tax from the City, County, State, School District and various taxing authorities or the food and beverage tax, the money comes from us, the taxpayers. Proponents are also using the argument that a large portion of the money will come from tourists, when the reality is, the majority of local receipts come from you and me.

Finally, the argument that carries the most weight among the starry-eyed is that 33+ Million will come from "The State" and that this is money we need to bring back to Duluth, lest we become the red-headed step child of the Bonding Bill. Last time I checked, this money also comes from taxpayers. Regardless of the form, we ultimately pay it back through State and local taxes...with interest.

There are a few very important points to understand before you vote this Tuesday, February 28th. First, the projections provided to Duluth from Dan Russell for the amount of money the tax increase will generate are based on growth in the food and beverage receipts. The fact is, last year, one of the most favorable for weather and events, food and beverage receipts, adjusted for inflation, were down. If this trend continues, the projected revenue will fall short.

What happens if the revenue from the food and beverage tax increase falls short of making the bond payments? We will have to take it from the general fund. Just to refresh your memory, the City Council heard recommendations from a task force formed to address the unfunded retiree health care issue. Included in those recommendations are a 9% per year increase in property taxes for at least four years in a row. Added onto your base tax rate currently, coupled with annual increases in assessments, your house payment stands a 100% chance of going much higher. Couple that with proposed utility increases and your personal bottom line just got substantially smaller.

These taxes will become prohibitive to all but the most affluent and inflation-proof house-holds. More importantly, they will hit employers especially hard. What do employers do when faced with dramatically higher costs? They cut the greatest cost of all, payroll. This translates in to job loss.

Add this all up and you end up with the non-tourist season, or 75% of most years, a very substantially decreased pool of disposable income and a corresponding reduction in food and beverage receipts. What do you cut out when you have less mulah in your wallet? You guessed it, dinner out. Now, if that dinner bill is going up right along with all your other taxes, your willingness to go out and spend your hard earned and increasingly scarce dollars on dinner in Duluth will certainly decrease.

The bottom line here is that Duluth is on a spending spree that is coming to a disastrous end and a few people are all too aware of it. The possibility that our bond ratings will drop is almost a foregone conclusion making those much sought after dollars, extremely difficult to come by. Why now? Why so rushed? Why the hurry to get this done and before the Governor so quickly? If we don't do it now, in all likelihood, it won't happen and should not happen until Duluth gets it's fiscal house in order.

With a positive vote on Tuesday the 28th, this project still has a very long and difficult road.

For the record, I'll be voting no.

Civility vs. Integrity

2006-02-11T17:38:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling uninspired lately. There has been so little news locally lately, I have pondered taking on less than local topics. I am sure with more digging, I could do more justice to local issues. Anyway, bear with me and I'll begin more frequent updates. Thanks for reading and here are my latest ramblings...

Civility vs. Integrity

Individuals within many communities and forums are promoting "civility". Civility projects are all the rage among various groups, parties, politicos and intellectuals. It seems dissention is being viewed more and more as uncivil. The interesting thing to explore is whether the dissention is, in-fact, uncivil or is the dissention, within a given forum merely percieved as uncivil. We see civility "projects" popping up around the country and of course we have our own right here in Duluth. Drawing upon my experiences in Duluth, but perhaps more importantly, decades away from Duluth and then returning, it appears obvious to all but the most disconnected that dissention is the only pre-requisite to being labelled as uncivil.

Dissention is generally based in a differing interpretation of fact, emotion, pre-disposition and social disposition. The current dominating party in Northeastern Minnesota has sensibilities so easily upset, you'd think the apple cart had one very wobbly wheel. Expressing the most insignificant dissention, coupled with a little spirit is viewed as disrespectful and uncivil. Criticizing the promoters of inane, impractical or downright foolish policies is met with vehement indignation by those promoters. One need only call a fool a fool to be attacked for being an uncivil extremist.

What the promoters of this phony civility are asking us to do is part with our convictions and diminish our own integrity. If you or I are angered by the actions of a public official, do we owe it to them to simply stuff it? The reason many people don't attend City Council meetings is because they see it as futile. If you are a dissenter and speak your mind, you are labelled uncivil. If you are frustrated and correspond with the Council to express your frustration, you are dismissed as uncivil. The bottom line is, the way to diminish and marginalize you and dismiss your message these days is to label you uncivil. Labelling somebody uncivil is such a clever way to destroy your message. If they are successful painting you as uncivil, the public sees you as a mindless savage not worthy of consideration.

What people have forgotten with all this phony civility is the integrity of human emotion and conviction is being crushed out. The passion of the messenger is destroyed and lost in the intellectual soup of labels. Civility "projects" are nothing more than organized attempts to quell dissent. Did our forefathers stuff their emotion and convictions? Our leaders take us into war to defend or establish freedom. Those who prefer isolationism and pacifism demand those of us who support the effort to remain silent. How dare we support such a draconian solution as war? In some minds, as long as we are free all others be damned. There is no justification for war in their minds short of defending against homeland attack. Why do we go to war? We go to war to defend and protect our right and the rights of others to express dissent. Those going into battle on America's behalf, engage in the ultimate form of dissent, against those who chose to crush or stifle dissent.

How do we get from here to there? How do we get from being the defender of freedom to becoming the ones who must fight for our own? The answer is, the Civility Project. The Civility Project as we so fondly refer to it, is nothing more than another weapon in the arsenal against free speech. If we as citizens, through threat of intimidation, public humiliation or simply being labelled as ne'r do well, uncivil savages, are not allowed to express spirited dissent, we have taken the first step toward tyranny, if only on a local level.

Don't be fooled by "civility projects", they are nothing more than the first step down the road to quelling freedom of speech. Civility "projects" must be attacked for what they are, nothing more than certain groups whittling away at your freedom. Any attempt to silence the human voice must be attacked for what it is, the first eroding of your freedom. All attempts at stealing freedom, crushing the human spirit or silencing the individual, have ultimately lead to tyranny. Tyranny leads to war. The human spirit is a power far too great to be silenced, stuffed or even rebuffed. If you believe it, speak it. Never allow your elected leaders to silence you. Never allow your elected leaders to marginalize you with speech policing. The inevitable end of this stifling of the human spirit is tyranny. The most uncivil act of the human race is war and the slippery slope of speech police leads to tyranny which has always been resolved through war. The unquenchable human desire to be free simply cannot be suppressed. The freedom to speak one's mind is the most fundamental freedom. When times require it, uncivil discourse is the best way to avoid tyranny.

Capitalizing on Duluth

2006-02-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Duluth was once a burgeoning, empire building, economic center. Growth industries of the day, such as steel production, the railroad and shipping industry, among others provided jobs, unprecedented economic opportunity and growth in practically every measure of economic health.

Things have changed dramatically. We now have a tourism based economy with new focus and growth in the medical industry, higher education and general aviation. The most notable thing about the past heydays of Duluth's economy, was the diversity within that economy. Growth industries provided widespread wealth and generated almost limitless opportunities for the neighborhood entrepreneur. Small businesses such as corner restaurants, neighborhood grocery stores and even small banks were able to open and thrive. Vitality is a function of diversity. Both are inextricably entwined, the yin and yang of economic growth. Also a very important factor and another player in the yin and yang is Government. There has to be a balance of taxation to fund infrastructure and public safety, as well as sound long-term economic policy.

To effectively capitalize on Duluth, we need to fully inventory the assets, both fiscal and physical. Duluth has an International Airport with the longest runway in the State of Minnesota. The Duluth-Superior harbor boasts the world's largest inland port. We have rail infrastructure that has deteriorated but where the most expensive and critical piece of the pie is still in place, the right of ways to construct new rail. We are the terminus of Interstate 35 which goes all the way to the Mexican Border and continues via highway 61 all the way to the Canadian border. Within the City itself we have vast natural resources, albeit most are off limits to all but hikers and naturalists. A high proportion of our population is highly educated and the Minnesota work ethic is well-known. We have a huge amount of land available for development, including areas that have previously been developed, are set aside for development but currently sit vacant.

On the other hand, we must be cognizant of our liabilities. The most significant liability is largely political. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party is extremely dominant in Duluth. Their most important and significant constituent groups are public employees and Unions. State imposed legislation gives Unions and Public Employees an extraordinary amount of power. This has created a disproportionately pro-employee, anti-employer environment. Due to the dominance of the DFL Party, policies typically associated with the Democratic Party have been taken to the extreme, such as very burdensome and sometimes outlandish policies related to environmental protection, preventing or inhibiting most developments. The Duluth City Council has adopted even more extreme policies and has been a difficult hurdle for all but the best connected and completely benign developers.

Taking all these factors into account, how do we capitalize and grow our local economy? Most importantly, how do we grow our City, and successfully navigate the political mine-field? First, with regard to our assets, the large amount of land and previously developed but vacant property needs to be evaluated, quantified and marketed. We need to determine and detail the infrastructure available to those properties and develop contingency plans for how to get infrastructure in place should a developer decide on a given location.

We need to quantify and market those properties that will need little ramp-up such as the Northwest maintenance facility and find other operations that will be a good fit. Most importantly, we need to recognize, quantify and market the unique combination of transportation facilities available. Some possible fits would seem to be no-brainers. With the growth in internet marketing and sales, resulting in a huge increase in drop-shipping, a shipping hub for a UPS or Fed-Ex type of operation seems a natural fit. Duluth is centrally located on the North American Continent, again, with an International Airport and a huge facility, essentially sitting empty.

While the auto-making industry has taken huge hits lately, the best defense is a good offense. A great offense for them would be to take a hint from the Japanese and focus on innovation. Duluth would be a great location with it's proximity to vast natural resources, extremely flexible shipping where cars could literally go from ramp to container, to ship, to anywhere in the world. With our high level of education and innovation, we could build a super high-tech auto factory with the sole aim to produce better, more reliable vehicles than our Japanese competitors.

General Aviation is also a natural fit for Duluth. Again, with a facility at the existing airport sitting essentially empty, there is a huge opportunity knocking. Any of these would create spinoff industries and immediate growth.

Duluth needs to better capitalize on it's location on the largest body of fresh water on the planet. We need to be more welcoming to boaters. With a relatively tiny investment in our existing waterfront, we could be hosting cruise ships, yachts from all over the great lakes, charter boat operations, sailboat races, kayaking, canoeing and myriad other water-related activities.

Finally, with all the great minds currently working on solving this crisis or that issue, or marketing small-town pork projects, we need to get a group together that does nothing but market Duluth. That group would not market Duluth as a tourist destination but as a place to do business and raise a family. We currently have a Mayor who's sole focus seems to be taking care of all those who are disadvantaged, out of work, homeless or drug and alcohol dependent. We need a Mayor who, instead of taxing the producers to pay for the non-productive, will market Duluth to Producers and try to find a way to make the non-productive, productive. Instead of rewarding them for bad behavior, let's encourage them to stop it by putting them to work. We need to make Duluth a place that is unattractive to the unproductive and make it attractive to producers. Bottom line, we need leadership and vision.

Backwards

2006-02-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

I began work on a post a while back and never finished it. It sat in my drafts for so long that when I finally finished it, i posted lower on the page. The article is titled old news and is regarding the Downtown Waterfront Improvement District. So, for my latest post scroll down past the end of my article about the planned Swamp at Slip #2.

Thanks for reading.

Purifying a Billion Gallons of Water

2006-01-25T10:03:00.000-08:00

I have been following the Sweetwater Alliance's bid to get a piece of prime Duluth real estate dedicated for use as a "Living Water Garden". Jill Jacoby of the the Sweetwater Alliance has long promoted this project as a way to purify water before it enters the Lake Superior basin. The problem is, the plan has always been a plan to pump water out of the St. Louis Bay, through the garden, then back into the bay.

The "Living Water Garden" has been touted as an educational project and represented as legitimate science. Any Kindergarten student will tell you, pumping fresh water through a swamp is not going to make it any cleaner. Further, Jill Jacoby makes outrageous claims that this will in-fact, contribute to cleaner water by reducing salinity in St. Louis Bay.

The fact that our City Council has given away a half acre of the most valuable property in Duluth, approved funding for the design of this ridiculous project and discussed it like it is a legitimate use of public funds, time or energy, demonstrates the complete and utter stupidity and flagrant pandering to the leftist, extreme of Duluth. This, along with so many other completely stupid, nutty projects is why Duluth is and will continue to be a laughing stock and the butt of so many jokes State and Nationwide.

This land is DEDA property and it's intended purpose is economic development. Here is the list of economic development proposals approved for that property:

1. Living Water Garden
2. To Be Announced
3. To Be Announced

If this had been property specifically earmarked for environmental protection and development was approved, there would be a firestorm of controversy, front page news articles damning the Council for approving it and the developer building it. The Council would be figuratively hanged, drawn and quartered by the media and the left. The opposite has occurred; economic development property, specifically set aside for development, has instead been stolen from the tax roles and set aside for the construction of a fancy swamp. Where is the outrage?

How utterly ridiculous that we, as a City have been hijacked by a handful of starry-eyed, leftist nuts is an indication of how far out of the mainstream we truly are. In any other City facing the same challenges as Duluth, this project would have been laughed right out of City Hall. In Duluth, we embrace stupidity. We love a good waste of time, resources and public funds. Anybody who defends this project and the totally intellectually bankrupt notion that by pumping water out of the bay, running it through a swamp and pumping it back into the bay somehow contributes to our environment is hopelessly out of touch with the realities of science.

It's like saying, if we purify a bucket of water each day, we could purify the whole lake over time. Let's say this "Living Water Garden" successfully treats 1000 gallons of water each day (they have made no representations regarding how much water will be treated) , it will only take 1,095,890,411 years to run the contents of Lake Superior through it.

If you pull up the Sweetwater Alliance website, you will see pictures and verbiage that represents to the viewer that they will be treating storm water runoff. This is a bald-faced lie. The "Living Water Garden" will treat water that has already run into and mixed with the water from the St. Louis Bay. The St. Louis bay ebbs and flows with Lake Superior, the world's largest fresh water lake by area. Of course, that is irrelevant to Jill Jacoby and our City Council.

The only way the science is legitimate is if salinity equivalent to that which would naturally flow in from the street is present going in. Lacking this, it is nothing more than an expensive lie on prime property, using public funds for Junk Science. Will we ever get this City away from these ridiculous blunders? It is apparent that there is no recognition by our illustrious Council that we can no longer afford these distractions.

"Welcome to the Living Water Garden: This is an experiment in treating storm-water runoff, of course we don't really treat storm-water runoff, but we really needed to prevent development on this site and this is the only thing we could think of that would fit the bill."

Anyone who cannot see this as nothing more than a cynical attempt by a few extremists to grab the most valuable piece of property in Duluth, are blinded by their own loyalty to the fringe kooks running Duluth into oblivion.

Old News

2006-01-24T10:02:00.000-08:00

Duluth's Downtown Waterfront District has been marketed heavily to Duluth and Downtown businesses as a way to clean up and keep safe the Downtown and waterfront area. This district was the brainchild of the Greater Downtown Council and they are now the beneficiaries of the taxes imposed on the various businesses enclosed within it's borders.

A public examination of the process undertaken to impose this district and the related taxes on the businesses included is overdue. A Constitutional review is also in order. The fourteenth amendment to the Contsitution guarantees equal protection. Case law with regard to this and the original intent was to cement the "one man, one vote" concept. This was done to grant equal status to non-property owners, small and large property owners alike.

The Duluth Waterfront District and the State Statute that was used to create it dismisses this concept entirely. In order for a municipality to create these special taxing districts, they must get a certain percentage of the owners of the "net tax capacity" to vote in favor of the district. What this does is effectively ignore the one man one vote concept. Owners of larger, more valuable properties have a more "valuable" vote.

Perhaps a way to simplify this concept would be to illustrate it on a much smaller scale. Imagine a city block with four properties on it. One of the properties is a high rise apartment building with very upscale apartments with a total taxable value of 10 Million dollars. The other properties are a small, family owned restaurant, a gas station and a small shoe store. If the owner of the apartment building decided he wanted to rid the neighborhood of the other properties, he/she could propose a special taxing district, making a shell organization for the purpose of "sprucing up" the neighborhood the beneficiary of the taxes. The tax could be set at 20 Percent of the taxable value of the property but would be capped at $25,000.00.

The owner of the high-rise would already own a greater share of the propertys' net tax capacity and therefore would be able to vote for it and effectively, make the votes of the other three properties, null.

For the three small businesses, this would be a death blow and would effectively put them out of business. For the high-rise, it would be a drop in the proverbial bucket. With such an incredible tax burden, the smaller properties would effectively lose most, if not all of their market value. The high-rise owner could then scoop up the properties. With the high rise being the only remaining property owner, the taxing district, when brought up for review would be subject only to the vote of the high-rise owner and he/she could vote it down.

This is a little more dramatic than what has happened in Duluth but the process was the same. It only took a handful of the largest property owners to achieve the level of support required by statute. The rest were forced into the taxing district with their votes becoming essentially worthless. If the one man one vote concept had been applied, the district would have failed as a majority, in numbers, of property owners opposed the district. However, the majority had less "net tax capacity" than the minority of larger owners. To add insult to injury, the largest property owners built in a "cap". Not only did their votes count for more, their burden, as a percentage of the "net tax capacity", was far less than that of the smallest properties.

This process was reviewed by the City Attorney's Office a number of times and challenged by a few of the downtown property owners affected. The City Attorney's position was based on the fact that in any review of the Constitutionality of a State Statute, the assumption the appellate courts abide by is that that States generally don't pass unconsitutional laws. While that may be the case, there are certainly exceptions and this particular statute is one glaring example. Taken to the extreme this statute is certainly subject to abuse and could actually result in the sample scenario I used as an illustration. Is this the example we want to set in Minnesota? Big Business vs. Small with the full backing of the force of government is a frightening prospect. Consider also, the use of imminent domain and special taxing districts already within the City of Duluth. The Government has already seized property from a small business for the benefit of a larger one, imposed a tax on smaller businesses for the benefit of larger ones. Does the constitution no longer apply in Duluth?

When Will We Learn?

2006-01-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

This post was cut and pasted from the Duluth Citizen's Blog. While it does speak for itself as the moderator on that site states, it is certainly worthy of further comment. Read and bear with me, it's lengthy and very revealing. Also, as with anything internet, cutting and pasting a number of times results in a degredation of the punctuation and alignment of the original message:

This is of interest:Greetings prog-action.I am the new moderator for Progressive-Action. I have been appointedbythe steering committee to implement certain reforms. ProgressiveActionhas been getting numerous complaints about what has become of ournews-group and they are trying to remedy this situation. The mainpointis that this is NOT a general political discussion group but rather agroup BY and FOR progressives in this area. If you want to hear aboutconservative or reactionary points of view, there are many other groupsyou can join.The main change is that Progressive Action asks our members to agreewith the 10 core positions outlined below. If you have a minordisagreement with the specifics of a given point, that's obviously OK,but if you susbstantially disagree with our core positions then I askthat you leave / not join our group. Don't worry, the 'thought-police'is not breathing down your neck, but this is a list for progressivesand I want to make sure it stays this way.Some of you will disagree with these changes. Some of you will leavethis group. If you cannot live with the new guidelines, I ask you toleave this group and go somewhere else. I also encourage anyone whodisagrees with these reforms to run for election to the steeringcommittee.On a final note. The moderator's identity is not disclosed to ashieldhim/her from personal attacks and b enable multiple people to take onthis resposibility seamlessly. I have been asked however to clarifythat neither Barb Olsen nor Will Rhodes are currently moderators forthis group.So here are the new PROGRESSIVE ACTION NEWS-GROUP PURPOSE, RULES ANDPOLICIES.prog-action purpose.prog-action is a news-group that was set up by progressives in theDuluth / Superior area to further the discussion of progressive ideasand events throughout NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin. This is anews-group created by and for progressives, not a general politicaldiscussion group. While we welcome a variety of viewpoints, we ask thatall members agree with the following core positions. Your continuedmembership on prog-action indicates your agreement with thesepositions. If you choose to unsubscribe from prog-action, simplychoose the unsubscribe option at the bottom of any prog-action email.NOTE: All new applicants for prog-action will be required tospecifically indicate agreement before they will be added to the list.Labor - The right to choose a union and bargain collectively isa fundamental human right. This right must be actively promoted at alllevels of government. Businesses that receive public funds must committo providing living-wage jobs with benefits.Health Care - Health care is a fundamental human right.High-quality health care must be guaranteed to all citizens.Education - All children deserve a first-rate public education.Public funds should not subsidize private or for-profit schools.Fundingbetween affluent and less affluent school districts must be equalized.Human rights - All people are entitled to equal treatmentregardless of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ordisability. Strong legal protections against discrimination must bemaintained.Taxation - Fairness must be returned to our tax system throughprogressive taxation based upon ability to pay.Individual rights - The individual freedoms guaranteed in theBill of Rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, andfreedom from unreasonable search and seizure, must be defended.Trade and Globalization - The rules that govern global trademust be rewritten to provide strong guarantees for labor rights, humanrights, and environmental protection.Planning and Economic Development - Vibrant neighborhoods and ahealthy environment are the backbone of a strong community. Localplanning and development policies must invest in existingneighborhoods,support small neighborhood businesses, promote quality affordablehousing, and be environmentally responsible.War and Peace - Military force should be a tool of last resortand be reserved for cases where the lives and freedoms of Americans aredirectly at risk. Military spending should be reduced with the fundstransferred to meet human needs.Clean Government - Government should be conducted in a mannerthat maximizes openness, accountability, and community participation.Campaigns for state and federal office should be publicly funded toreduce the influence of wealthy interests. Democracy is not limited tothe act of voting democracy is also found in the accurate counting ofevery vote._____prog-action rules and policies.1 To be a user of prog-action you must be in agreement with the corepositions above.2 Absolutely no personal insults or name-calling directed at otherlist-serve members will be tolerated.3 Please try to stick to issues that are relevant to progressives andavoid lengthy off-topic discussions. Occasional postings of jobopportunities, requests for assistance to local families, and so on arefine.4 Please restrict the volume of your weekly postings to a reasonablenumber.5 Please be careful not to send personal messages over thelist-serve.Be aware that when you reply to a prog-action email, it will go toALLmembers!Violation of these rules and policies could result in a warning. Iftheviolation persists you could be suspended from the list for a period oftime and consistent offenders will be permanently banned from the list.Suspension policyIf you receive a suspension, you will be notified of the suspension,thereasons for it and you will be removed temporarily from the list. Afterthe allotted time has passed, you may apply to re-join the list.

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Worthy of comment indeed. The progressives talk about social justice, economic fairness, equality and all kinds of other platitudinous hypocrisy. Their idea of social justice is, if you don't agree with everything we say, we will silence you. Their idea of equality is not bringing the disadvantaged up, but bringing the rest of us down to the lowest common denominator. Their idea of a living wage is, if you make more than your employees, you are evil.

The Cult of Personality has been exposed and they are on the defensive as well as the offensive. If you offend you're not one of us and you're out but we are right so you should just fall in line. How completely intellectually bankrupt of them. Where these ideas come from is right out of Marxism. For this platform to be accepted and promoted is beyond modern belief. This is the stuff of the early 20th century Eastern idealists.

This will serve to galvanize their base but also marginalize it. Anytime you demand total, unbending loyalty to a group lest you risk exile, you will alienate some. On the other hand, you will force those on the fence either closer to you or force them away. Those who stay with you will become your biggest and most adamant defenders...extremists, loyal only to the platform. This is unhealthy in so many ways and progressive it certainly is not. It is a 100+ year old dogma that has only resulted in the death and destruction of millions of people and numerous civilizations.

When will we learn?

Targeted

2006-01-19T11:13:00.000-08:00

The Tribune is on my mind, forgive or indulge. The Tribune has a sad recent history of attacking individuals and groups in the Duluth area. The politics of personal destruction practiced by the Tribune is the height of hypocrisy, considering their frequent, empty pleas for civility in Duluth.

Consider the case of Betty George. Three days of headlines were devoted to what can only be characterized as wholesale character assassination. Her organization was accused of various types of malfeasance and misuse of public funds. Ultimately, following a very complete audit by the State, "irregularities" were the worst of the findings. Consider your own checkbook and unless you are the most meticulous bookkeeper, there will be "irregularities". The only small business that doesn't have irregularities would be one featured in a fiction novel. However, these irregularities justified the unmitigated, shameless assault on Ms. George's character complete with three front page headlines. I can only imagine if the same audit was conducted at the Tribune.

The politics of personal destruction reared it's ugly head again during the most recent City Council election. A "Routine background check" that has never been conducted on a DFL candidate for local office, was selectively performed on one candidate for an at large seat. This not so "routine background check" revealed a speeding ticket and a dismissed assault charge. While having never posted anything about any other candidates' criminal record, they chose to publish this information in another repugnant, selatious display of character assassination. This information had to be reviewed and approved by somebody prior to being published. It is not only repugnant but embarrassing to say the least. How the person responsible for publishing this garbage can look at themselves in the mirror every day is beyond comprehension.

Any hint of dissention has been ruthlessly and relentlessly attacked. Connect Duluth, a small group of thoughtful Duluthians attempting to stem the tide of leftist propaganda and bring the discussion to the Center has been subjected to attack and libel as well. They have never taken a stand on traditional, more controversial subjects such as abortion, national defense, death penalty, union labor, etc. Instead, they have examined and presented facts, figures and extremely well though out, local, issues based opinions and editorials. The opinions and editorials can hardly be characterized as right or left, in-fact, they are very centrist in nature and content.

For this presentation of fact, figures and truths, they have been ruthlessly and relentlessly attacked as a fringe, right-wing organization. Within the group, they agree on some subjects and disagree on some. They are a cross-section of Duluthians made up of small business people, union labor, a banker, a lawyer, a computer consultant, wives, husbands, sons, daughters, young and old. Based on the Tribune articles, you walk away with the impression they are right-wing, crazed, fascist, capitalist pigs. Quite the contrary, they are some of the best and brightest Duluth has to offer. Among them are people who have run for and both prevailed and suffered defeat in bids for public office. They are a passionate bunch with the future of Duluth and it's children their greatest concern.

For this they have been branded right-wing kooks by the Tribune and a small core of the left-wing elite in Duluth. Fortunately, they are undaunted and are forging ahead and growing. The group has touched many nerves for Duluthians City wide as they continue to gain in numbers and influence. Rank and file through upper management, thinking people City wide are seeing the Connect Duluth website for themselves, reading it and seeing that this group, in-fact, represents their views more than, perhaps any other group, anywhere. Regular folks who drive older cars and have only seen the inside of a limosine the day they got married.

On the other hand, a handful of limosine liberals in Duluth, wield their sword of personal attack and truth bending with ruthless precision. They strike fear into the hearts of anyone who disagrees with them, creating a cult of personality right here in little old Duluth. So, take care what you say or you will become their next mark. The sword will almost certainly swing this way if any of the power elite discover the author. Truth and Civility be damned. Until the hypocrisy ends, when those in leadership at the Tribune, other publications and within the institutions typically inhabited by the liberal leadership grow a conscience, we will continue to be subjected to their ruthless, repugnant politics of personal destruction. Until then, people are simply stepping stones, obstacles to be stepped on and crushed out and pawns in their game of power mongering.

The Damage of Bias

2006-01-19T07:29:00.000-08:00

Our local newspaper, the Duluth News Tribune has been accused by many, of being biased and letting that bias drive it's reporting. Any objective reader from the right or center will observe an obvious left bent to the entire management of this paper. It is apparent in editorial comments, article placement, article content and interpretation, it even shows through in their selection of photographs. If the article is about a person from the right, the photos are nearly universally unflattering. If the article is about someone from the left, it is nearly always a favorable, smiling photograph.

How does this result in damage? If they are succeeding in promoting their agenda, it is largely based on a lie. If they intend to present news, it will always be taken with a grain of salt and likely verified through some other source by those on the opposite side of the fence. Obvious, flagrant bias will alienate the lion's share of readers as those in the center or right will dismiss or unsubscribe. This has already borne itself out with Knight Ridder as a corporate interest. Stocks are flat, readership is down and the reputation has been irreversibly damaged.

The Publisher of the Tribune, Marti Buscaglia, claims this bias is necessary to appease the liberal dominated Duluth area. She represents the bias as a necessary business approach to ensure continued sales. So, what she is saying is, we can't handle the real news and we are not intelligent enough to make our own judgements. What's worse, by admitting the bias, one must only infer that the real news, presented in an unbiased manner, would not lead people to support her political agenda and by extension, she admits to publishing propaganda. The counterpoint that the Tribune is losing subscribers and damaging it's reputation is wholly dismissed. The Tribune is supposed to be a "news" paper, when it is, in-fact, selective in it's presentation of news. As consumers, we are not getting news, we are getting bits and pieces of information, carefully screened and edited in a way that promotes a given philosophy. This is ultimately, a disservice to the community and an admitted propaganda campaign.

The fact that Ms. Buscaglia admits and defends the bias should be evidence enough to the citizens of Duluth to wholly dismiss the paper and begin cancelling our subscriptions in earnest. Unfortunately, too many of us still enjoy sitting down to a cup of coffee and reading the "news" paper. Many now access the paper on-line to avoid subscribing but this doesn't fill the morning void of reading a paper. Further, we can't all sit down to our Cheerios with a laptop in front of us. In our home, I read a section, my spouse reads a section, our son, reads a section and our other son reads the comics. It pains me to continue subscribing to a paper that I know is indoctrinating a community but we all still like to sit down with our "paper".

I suppose there will come a time when we will cancel our subscription. After our children are grown and have moved out, there will be no need for a physical version and we will instead go to the cyber copy. The damage of bias is that it has cemented a bias throughout the community, lead to a foundation of ignorance and will ultimately be the undoing of the Publisher and the Company.

Oh, the Beauty of Snow

2006-01-16T15:03:00.000-08:00

Once again, it's snowing. There's value in them there flakes (no, I'm not talking about Donny Ness and Mayor Bergson). Many industries in Duluth depend partly or entirely on the white stuff. Some businesses suffer some when it snows but by and large, the community as a whole benefits from snow.

There are the obvious ones such as the ski areas, both downhill and cross-country, the snowmobile dealers and service people, the sporting goods stores, etc. It is interesting , however, that Duluth is one of those places that spurns the lion's share of potential Weather related Winter Business in that there is no way to traverse the City on an ATV or Snowmobile. In-fact, Duluth has goneone further, banning all use of ATV's except for utilitarian use in and around one's pivate residence. Any hint of advocacy for relaxing our anti-motor laws in Duluth would likely be met with fierce resistance even though, many of Duluth residents enjoy and participate in these activities.

If only we could embrace outdoor, Winter motor sports in Duluth and allow these folks into the interior of the City. There are trails all around and some within the City. There are numerous bars and restaurants who struggle to get through the Winter months yet we keep the huge river of potential revenue at bay. True tourist towns welcome these and other forms of transportation in and around their Cities benefitting from thousands of motor-sports enthusiasts and hundreds of thousands in revenue. Duluth seems to have departed from it's fun side, turning instead, to a paranoid, fearful, anti-future, killjoy, anti-technology, primitive promoting lifestyle.

Progress is bad according to some, but without it, imagine how hard it would be to go back country skiing. You'd have to go back to cutting down all those trees. Restraint of one's own political agenda and recognizing the validity of others, lends credence to your own and strengthens it with a more sound foundation. Pursuing it without restraint is, by definition, what makes one an extremist. Do we want to be extremists or do we truly want to pursue the strengths of all political viewpoints? Examine the weaknesses of your own political convictions and pursue balance.

We have been seduced to a large degree, by some extremists who believe anything motorized is bad. This has cost us potential jobs, tourist revenue and damaged our reputation as a "Tourist Friendly" destination. Tourism comes in all forms, let's try to embrace as many of them as possible. Motorsports and eco-tourists can enjoy the same areas. I look forward to the day when we capitalize, as a City, on all forms of tourism, including Winter motor sports. Enjoy the snow.

How Will You Vote?

2006-01-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

At the end of February, Duluthians will go to the polls for a special referendum. The effect of this vote will be nothing more than a stamp of approval to the City Council for their plan to raise the Food and Beverage tax by .75%. The State Legislature will still have to pass a law to allow Duluth to go ahead with the imposition of this tax. The Governor has stated he wouldn't support this tax unless it went to the voters. He will still have the opportunity to veto it.

That being said, the marketing machine has already been put into motion and the seduction of Duluth appears complete with many supporters claiming this is a "no brainer". If it is such a no brainer, why is it so difficult to impose such a tax? The answer is, if there aren't some hoops to jump through, tax and spend politicians all over the State would be raising local option sales taxes to pay for numerous pet projects.

The thing we all must think about is how we feel about our taxes already. I hear complaints from all political and non-political people of all pursuations about how high our taxes are in Minnesota. We have slipped from the third highest taxed State in the Union to about fifth or sixth. This is still a dubious distinction. The DFLers will use cliches like we have a better State and we're willing to pay for it. Conservatives on the other hand continue to try to hold the line and limit or reduce taxes due to the undeniable fact that taxes impede growth, discourage and reduce private investment into business.

What is interesting about this tax is, conservatives appear to be on board. Why? The Marketing has been very effective. The scare tactic that the UMD Bulldog hockey program would be forced to re-locate to the UMD Campus has been used but is that really true? Well, my question is, if they re-locate to the UMD Campus, how does that: 1. Reduce the cost 2. Increase available funding for the construction of a new hockey stadium? This certainly appears to be a ruse that the whole of Duluth seems to have fallen for.

I feel as though I may be getting redundant but the citizens of Duluth have been sold a bill of goods that may not be what they appear. We will be shoe-horning another huge building into a footprint that is not large enough or accessible enough for the buildings currently situated there.

My final point on this subject that I will likely explore again both pre and post-vote is, if you feel taxes here are too high, yet you vote yes on this referendum, you must count yourself among those who will lose the ability to complain, with any integrity or credibility, about Duluth being anti-business and taxed to heavily.

If you are a proponent for business and growth but you vote in favor of a tax that will inevitably harm at least a handful of businesses you have to examine your motives. This tax will reduce the amount of money in public circulation by around a million dollars every year or a total potential economic impact of 5-7 million. If we could see fit to reduce taxes, increase business investment and put this project off for five years we could likely allow some of the existing food and beverage taxes to finally sunset. In essence, by waiting, just like a family on a limited budget or a business on a limited budget, with diligence and discipline, we could cover the City match with no net tax increase. If you vote yes, don't dare complain about higher taxes.

It's History

2006-01-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

Well, there it is...the Mayor's state of the City address. All is well and we have lots of progress to report. Lots of development and growth and a beautiful City. Of course all the credit goes to Herb Bergson and all the DFLers in Duluth.

What he didn't tell you is that the retiree health care liability is growing by an estimated $35,000 dollars every day. What he didn't tell you is all of the projects he mentioned were either well under way or actually on the table before he took office. What he didn't tell you is our projected job growth is actually negative, that is, we are projected to lose jobs over the foreseeable future. What he didn't tell you is we are losing jobs and businesses are closing at an astonishing rate. What he didn't tell you is our tax burden is growing, our tax base is shrinking and he wants to spend more money!

He wants to locate police substations on practically every corner in Duluth. He wants to locate another in the Central Hillside area. My question is, Why? The current Police Department is located on the Western end of the Central Hillside. The majority of Police patrols, calls, arrests and responses are in the Central Hillside area. Maybe the next will be located in the Grant School expansion, you know, the school the School Board wanted to close last year and now wants to expand. He could locate one more on the UMD campus and another in Woodland. One more in Lakeside and another in the Congdon area. We shouldn't leave out Park Point, they have a Fire Station, why not a Police substation. There should be a Wethouse on Park Point, one in Morgan Park, one in Piedmont and another in Duluth Heights and don't forget Lakeside. OK, Lakeside is dry but you know the bottles in bags turn up along the railroad tracks all the time. After-all, should we be asking the panhandling drunks by the Miller Mall to hike all the way to downtown after working feaverishly, thieving money all day in the cold?

The question to really be asked here is, what is this Mayor's vision for the City of Duluth? It is obviously one of build, tax and spend. It is one of never leave a drunk unhoused or uncared for. It is one of pandering to AFSCME. It is one of promoting alternative lifestyles. It is one of distracting us from the real issues facing us. It is one of abject incompetence on a scale rarely seen in municipal government.

It is apparent the Mayor of Duluth has learned nothing of the entitlements to retirees. Now he is seeking to extend those same entitlements to the street drunks. After-all, how long will it be before they need medical treatment? How long before we are covering that too? How long before one of them decides we didn't do enough and sues the City? The incredible level of fiscal irresponsibility and ignorance of the potential dangers to the City boggle the mind of anyone with common sense.

It is clear, the mission of Mayor Herb Bergson is one of distracting the public from unprecedented incompetence, ignorance and outright stupidity. The agenda is nothing more than pandering to as many fringe groups to attempt to get their vote. It is so shameless it is nauseating. This man clearly has no conscience and his behavior is utterly repugnant. Where will it end? With the mentality of the voting public in Duluth, the ship runneth aground and we applieth the throttle.

You have to give him credit though. Homosexuals across the country have hailed him as a messiah. He is a masterful distractor and obviously has taken every word of advice from his shell game advisors. Duluthians have to wake to the depths this man will take us before we are all swimming in muck.

Anticipation

2006-01-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

The Mayor will address the citizens of the City of Duluth tonight with the state of the City address. I will probably watch from home as the text and tone of his address is predictable.

What I am really interested in and where the drama will lie tonight will be the City Council's choice for next year's president. Rumor has it there has been some maneuvering to get Reinert into the position. He was appointed, then re-elected and the effort now is to lend credibility to the man. However, this is only a rumor.

Maybe it will be Laurie Johnson. She is obviously grossly incompetent and an embarrassment to the Council and the City. This would be a perfect opportunity for the DFL and the Union to say, "she really is a trainwreck and now that she has shown everybody, we can justify asking her to not run in the next election." Of course they won't do that and will keep her silently nodding and smiling and sending out e-mails that state emphatically, "thank you for your message".

What about Greg Gilbert? He has been on the Council for some time and being an attorney and all, wouldn't he be a good choice? The only drawback might be, anytime he is criticized by anyone, he would make ridiculous accusations against all the speakers at a Monday night meeting. Tuesday morning, when asked why he was so rude to the public the night before, he would blame his conduct on Connect Duluth.

How about Russ Stover? He's knows his way around the chambers and it would be refreshing to have a representative from the West end of Duluth serve as President. Unfortunately, as President, he would still be introducing the resolutions regarding Street Improvements and he still cannot pronounce bituminous.

I assume they will not put Donny Ness back in, for to make us suffer another year of his over-serious frowns, phony, glib giggles and smiles and having to see him quoted and interviewed ad nauseum by local media would be intolerable. Just think of how many people would be forced to stick their fingers in their ears and yell babble for another twelve months to avoid listening to him.

That leaves Garry Krause, Russ Stewart, Tim Little and Jim Stauber. Garry, being totally new to the Council and a total unknown, as he never did give a straight answer during his campaign, he might be too unpredictable. Besides, being the rookie, he would just not be a good choice. Duluth could only be so lucky to have one of the remaining three, Jim, Tim or Russ Stewart elected President. All three are intelligent, well spoken, balanced and lack that phoniness so prevalent in all the other Councilors. Well, that almost certainly eliminates them from contention. Stauber has already done his year as President, Tim is too conservative and Russ Stewart is just too intelligent. He's becoming an independent thinker and likely has the highest IQ on the Council (although Tim would certainly give him a run for his money) making him totally unacceptable as he might make the rest of the Council, with a couple obvious exceptions, look stupid.

Yep, Reinert is the obvious choice. He's safe, DFL, needs to boost his credibility and is popular among Councilors. He's a nice guy too so speaking wouldn't be too intimidating.

However it turns out, Duluth certainly faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities. With any luck, they will search their collective souls (no need to worry Laurie, they'll explain what I mean by this) and challenge the bankrupting, unholy alliance and allegiance to AFSCME (again, Laurie, don't worry, we wouldn't expect that from you). They will have to take one big bull (retiree health care) by the horns and once they have grabbed on, determine how to slay it. Solving this issue or taking the appropriate steps toward bankruptcy will dominate the public discussion. The implications affect us all and it's bound to be an interesting year.

American Nightmare

2006-01-06T06:03:00.000-08:00

What is the American Dream? How do you define the American Dream? I'd like to think of it as being able to take advantage of opportunity. To be your own boss or work for somebody else, make a reasonable living, own your own home and live a reasonably comfortable life. Couple that with the reasonable security of knowing you will eventually have the opportunity to retire and do at least a few of the things you have always wanted to such as travel, pursue your favorite hobby and live relatively free of crime. Safety, security and freedom. All in all, these are pretty humble goals considering the vast wealth of this great Nation. The opportunity to achieve wealth and greatness should not be reserved only for those born into privilege.

So, how does this dream fit into the overall scheme in Duluth? Back in the 1950s and 1960s, it fit quite well. We had jobs available for anyone who wanted to work and opportunities for individuals to go into their own business abounded. However, national and local policies were shifting and would forever change the field of opportunity, especially locally. Government entitlement programs became all the rage as those businesses and business people who were at the top of the biggest corporations were raking in what some saw as obscene profits and personal benefit. Envy got the best of the Nation and Local Government as policies to confiscate some of that wealth and redistribute it to those who aspired to less became the mission of the 1960s and 1970s.

While it is certainly noble and worthy to take care of those unable to care for themselves, these policies began to shift the rights from the entrepreneur, to the employee. The idea people who created the bulk of employment and opportunity were seen as profiteers and a political movement sought to "even" things out. That age old killer of economies, the need to establish social and economic "equality", started driving the shift in the United States from manufacturing to technology. The need to equalize everybody's economic status, in-fact began to eat away at the least capable or qualified to find opportunity. As the shift to penalize employers for success became more evident and prevalent, those employers understood that the greatest expense to them was soon going to become labor costs and the trend to replace employees with machines and technology began in earnest.

This has been the impetus for the new technological age resulting in incredible acceleration of technological advances. This is ultimately a good thing, however, an economy that eliminates entry level, assembly line labor, will ultimately fail to provide jobs for those who simply have never had the opportunity to learn the latest technologies. In the world economy, the labor will be done where it is least expensive. This inevitably creates a growing gap between the haves and have nots and will again drive the equalists with envy driving them to create more economically destructive, anti-wealth and anti-employer legislation.

In Duluth, that movement to punish employers and villify anyone who owns a business, turns a profit or appears to be the least bit successful, is still alive and well and has never taken sabbatical. The local economy has shifted almost completely from manufacturing to health care and technology. Even service level positions such as dishwashing and waiting tables is being affected as these policies are taken to the extreme.

This trend has been shifted in other areas of the United States with dramatic results. The right to unionize in Duluth has become mandatory membership in the Union to simply be eligible to work. In certain trades, it can be nearly impossible to gain membership and therefore employment with the Union. Instead of having the right to work, we instead have an atmosphere of mandatory, lifelong, indentured service to the respective Union for your chosen vocation or the requirement to re-locate to secure employment.

The strongest job growth, wage increases and economic growth are occurring in areas where the right to work has once again been embraced and restored. Employers are not hamstrung by exhorbitant wage and benefit contracts with Unions and instead are able to grow their businesses and in-turn, through market forces instead of mandates, wages and employee opportunities. This is resulting in explosive job growth in those areas. This growth in jobs, creates a demand for employees, placing the employees as individuals, in greater demand and therefore better able to negotiate suitable wage and benefit packages for themselves. This truly empowers the individual employee, freeing them from the need and requirement to Unionize and is precisely why the Unions fear Right to Work and fight it tooth and nail everywhere it has been proposed. Growth in business results in rapid economic growth, increased flow of revenue to Government and overall economic vitality.

In Duluth, on the other hand, we have turned the other way, holding to draconian, socialist redistribution of income, expensive, bloated Government programs and mandatory Union membership. This mandatory union membership has lead to various economic maladies including, negative economic growth, negative projected job growth (i.e. net job loss), Government insolvency and declining population. This trend will ultimately bankrupt the community as employment continues to shrink with employers looking to more vibrant communities and consolidating away from Duluth.

Along the way, those attempting to secure their own American Dream, will instead be treated to sleepless nights worrying about the unpaid bills, making the next payroll, the next house payment, declining health due to stress and eventual bankruptcy themselves. Some will truly live the American Nightmare.

The only long term solution to this problem will be to restore the right to work. The likelihood, however that this will occur anytime soon, is very low. The Unions and their chosen party have a stranglehold on power in Duluth and across Minnesota and appear to be entrenched for the forseeable future. The Unions have a long history in Minnesota and practically anyone with a decent job aside from management is a member. The scare tactics used to dissuade voter support for right to work legislation have been extremely effective in Union strongholds such as Minnesota.

Tribute

2006-01-05T20:25:00.000-08:00

We have been graced with the presence of a handful of truly great people. Today, one of them was laid to rest. Attending the funeral of Dennin Charles Bauers was both a very humbling and inspiring experience. I feel privileged to have become acquainted with Denny over the last eight years and I am very grateful to have known him. His family put it into better words than I could ever hope to; follow this link to read their words:

http://www.legacy.com/duluthsuperior/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=16211728

Denny, you were and are an inspiration. Thank you.

Outside, Looking In

2006-01-04T12:44:00.000-08:00

It is sad to read about another business going under in Duluth. I am in small business and have been doing business in Duluth for 8 years. During that 8 years, I have aged 15, developed various digestive problems, thrown away more money than I care to remember and have wished that I had chosen a different path.

What Duluth and Duluthians seem inextricably doomed to is chasing down the next big Government program or building. These buildings and programs cost money and it is not imaginary money. This is real money that comes from real people who write real checks every month and watch as their livelihoods dwindle away in that chase for the next big Golden Government Goose (GGG). It is truly a thing to behold at times. Watching those who are fiscal conservatives enthusiastically jumping on board for the next GGG. I often feel I am on the outside looking in and this time around, I am obviously part of a tiny minority who feel the City is making a mistake and handing the bill to Mom and Pop for the newest GGG. Even others in the same business are on board.

The thing it seems nobody is talking about is the fact that this GGG will be built entirely with tax dollars. These tax dollars come from somewhere. The thing blurring everbody's eyesight is the fact that half the funds will come from "the State". Great! Well, who is "the State"? Where does "the State" get it's money?

Is anybody considering the fact that if the revenue from the tax increase falls short, we are still, as a community still on the hook for this? Visions of the GLA come to mind. This was touted as such a great idea and that it would bring in massive revenue and would be self-supporting, blah, blah, blah! Well, a few questions are in order for you before you throw caution to the wind and jump on board with the new DECC expansion:

1. We tend to complain about high taxes in Minnesota but seem all too easily seduced by big Shiny Buildings. Will we ever mature beyond the "I see it, I want it now" mentality?
2. Will we ever get the concept that if it's being built with tax dollars, it's going to increase our tax burden?
3. Will the concept that the greater the distance the tax dollars travel, the easier it is to spend them, ever become passe'.
4. How can so many of us be anti-taxes and anti-Big Government but so quickly seduced by another GGG project?
5. How will we ever improve the State and local economy if we are so willing to spend tax dollars?

Taxes are taxes. This burden will be placed on the shoulders of those already subsidizing so many other failed or mismanaged GGGs. Why is it so easy for this community to be on board, taxing those in that industry when they are already experiencing very tough times? How is taxing one segment of our economy to the limit of their ability to pay fair to those businesses? Finally, why is it that we can vote to tax a certain segment of businesses for a project that will ostensibly benefit the entire community? Do the bar and restaurant owners get more benefit? Do the sporting goods stores get less? Those in the restaurant industry, even if universally opposed to this tax, would stand little chance of defeating it. It seems another example of Duluthians being anti-tax, unless somebody else is writing the check.

Radical Solutions

2005-12-26T19:38:00.000-08:00

It has been an interesting turn of events in Duluth since Connect Duluth started driving the point home that we, as a City, are facing what could truly be a devastating unfunded retiree health care benefit liability. Various solutions have been proposed by assorted groups and individuals. Finally, prodded by Connect Duluth, the City Council and Mayor decided it may be time to deal publicly with this issue. The Mayor went on a Friday bus ride for a few weeks, attended numerous conferences, visited a Sister City, went to the GLBTQAI celebration both at Bayfront Park and The Main Bar in Superior, stopped attending City Council Meetings, terminated the employment of perhaps the only individual who could actually get his head around the issue and generally buried his head, eventually resorting to acohol and getting a DUI in Wisconsin.

The Council, lead by Donny Ness took the brave and bold step of appointing a task force to point out to them what some already knew, few understood and all of us will pay for for decades. That realization is that the City of Duluth has been bankrupted by the irresponsible pandering to AFSCME for four decades. Also, the stunning revelation that this is going to cost somebody something.

The final nail in the coffin of Duluth has been the willful back-turning to the issue of outrageous promises made in exchange for pitiful concessions since the lifetime health benefit, with no provision for funding it was made two decades ago. The question nobody seems willing or smart enough to ask is, "if the City had no idea it was going to be such an astronomical windfall for the Union and huge expense for the City, why were the Unions the only ones to figure it out?" My point is, if they were willing to concede wages in exchange for lifetime healthcare, why couldn't our appointed and elected leaders of the time, understand to the degree that the Union did, how much greater benefit there was in the lifetime benefit? Is the seductive allure of something paid for over time or by somebody else so great that responsibility to the voting public becomes secondary to appeasing AFSCME? More importantly, does the total abrogation of responsibility begin to pale if the politician of the day can simply say, "it won't cost us anything more...now"? This is and has been the long standing tradition of Duluth's Politicians. Give now and pay later.

Perhaps the most important questions we must answer at this stage of the debacle created by our appointed and elected leaders is whether any of those responsible for creating this monster are or were:

1. Still in Office?
2. Supported by anyone still in Office?
3. Campaigned for by anyone still in Office?
4. Up for re-election any time soon?

There should be swift and decisive political consequences as well as decisive action to stem the growth of this behemoth. What is not being screamed to the hills is that with every passing day, this debt grows. With every indecisive act of the Council or the Mayor, Duluth's debt grows. It has already grown beyond manageable proportions but the question must be asked, if this has been ignored for so long and is a growing problem, why is there not any action on the table, other than a rhetorical rubber stamp of the task force recommendations? There still has been no action taken. What will it take to get the Mayor or the Council to act? What must be done immediately is to put into motion, a recall of this Mayor. He has grandstanded on various issues including this one, yet has done nothing. Maybe if he sees the natives getting restless enough, he will take some kind of action.

If somebody did something and it was challenged by the Union, at very least, there would be action. While the Mayor stands scratching his head and Donny Ness attacks everyone who disagrees with him or his party, this debt grows. It is time for the collective bunch to say, "this is our solution" and take steps to actually implement it, or step aside and let somebody who can, lead. This is not a time for positioning or rhetoric, it is a time for definitive and decisive action. It is time for bold leadership. It is time for the current leaders to lead, follow or get out of the way.

Happy New Year to all. My best wishes to everyone.

Headliner

2005-12-21T06:17:00.000-08:00

In most legitimate "news" papers, the the front page headline is usually reserved for something of international, national or regional significance. Like today, for example, a number of possible headlines could have been, Saddam Hussein's trial resumes with graphic torture testimony, or President Bush Has Authority to Eavesdrop, with a followup explaining that the New York Times propaganda machine has been misleading Americans into believing President Bush is doing something that has never been done before. Instead, it's an unflattering photo of Governor Pawlenty and an article about the $.75 per pack fee he imposed on cigarettes.

This $.75 fee per pack is bad idea and I believe Pawlenty exercised poor judgement when he imposed it. You cannot legislate morality or manipulate it through taxation. But I digress.

The Duluth News Tribune has spent more headlines on dubious issues than any "news" paper I have ever had the pleasure, or in this case, great displeasure to read. Three days of headlines were devoted to a shameless, selatious attempt at character assassination of Betty George, who, in my opinion, was ultimately vindicated of the wrongdoing alleged by the Tribune.

You have to be completely blinded by political fervor to not see the shameless and transparent, in your face, bias of the Tribune and it's Publisher, Marti Buscaglia. If there is an opportunity to make conservatives or Republicans look bad, it's front page, bold and fraught with unflattering photos. If it's a leftist or Democrat who has stepped in the proverbial excrement, the photos are usually the best they have ever taken and the miss-step is minimized and the wrongdoing diminished.

It is evident that decades of this type of journalistic malpractice has yielded positive results for the Publisher. The evidence is the Letters to the Editor. One need only read them day after day to realize, there are people out there who's sole source of information is the Tribune. They sit with their coffee, digest the contents of the paper and their Crunch Berries and go off to school and work, knowing full-well that they have all the news of current events that they need. Of course, those of us who have written repeatedly and never successfully to the Editor, letters sent but never published, know the indoctrination is not complete.

Blogs are popping up all over the place with similar themes of frustration, political savvy, conservative views, counterpoints to the blather and competing with the cult of personality of Northeastern Minnesota. The tide may not yet be turning but the wave of discontent is building and gaining momentum. Groups such as Connect Duluth are gaining influence and notariety. Of course some of that notariety is at the hands of the libelous, muck slinging "Journalists" at the Tribune.

Every dog has his day and today, Marti is having hers. In time, she will simply get the doghouse. Until then, we must remain calm, upbeat, optimistic and steadfast. At some point, the hypocrisy, phony altruism, outright lies and misrepresentations of the Tribune will be the dog with the teeth and will ultimately bite the hand that feeds it. The truth always prevails and history, while some try to rewrite it, cannot be changed. The future is ours, America and patriotic Americans will rise up and take back our nation and our region. The pendulum always swings back.

Xing on Xmas

2005-12-20T12:54:00.000-08:00

I attended my son's school "Winter Celebration" concert yesterday. I read the program with great interest, and a little trepidation. You know, when you take a part of the afternoon off to watch your child perform, show up at the announced time, only to find your child is last or next to last. It is, perhaps Murphy's Law of school concerts. Well, as Murphy would have it, my son's group was, in-fact, second to last. Oh well, watching the children perform is always entertaining, amusing and usually heartwarming so I decided to just stick around for the whole show.

Here, in order, were the performances as listed in the program:

We Wish You a Swingin' Holiday
Hanukkah festival
Penguin Polka
Snow is falling Today-Spanish/English
Polar Puppy
The Little Snowflake
Bubble Wrap
Winter Waltz
Chicken Soup
Blitzen Boogie
Celebrate Kwanzaa
Keep the Candles Glowing
Everlasting Fruitcake (no, this was not about Herb Bergson)
Masters in This Hall
Believe (theme from Polar Express)

Notice anything about this program? It is scheduled the Monday and Tuesday before Christmas and Christmas break, in a time frame traditionally set aside for Christmas programs and Christmas is notably absent from the program. Actually, they went one step further and edited certain songs to take the references to Christmas out of them. OK, no big deal right? I have no right to be indignant or question why my son's school is actively taking Christmas out of the traditionally Christmas season...or do I?

"So what?" you ask. Well, they also went out of their way to recognize Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Why is it that now only Christ is persona-non-grata? I'm not sitting here pulling my hair out with anger or disgust, just a little frustrated for the vast majority of the students performing in this concert, that the Holiday they will recognize at home, has essentially been banned from their school concert. Drive around Duluth right now and you tell me how many Hanukkah Menorahs, or Kwanzaa candelabras you see in windows vs. how many Christmas trees and Christmas related decorations.

It seems, once again, our sensitivities to the minority are overwhelming our common sense and the rights of the majority. When did Christmas become offensive? When did Christians become deserving of revile by academia? This is a millenia old tradition, celebrated by people in all cultures. In Duluth, instead of what would Jesus do, it's what would Wellstone do?

Well, I'd tell you what Wellstone would do but I'm not going to disparage a dead man. However, I'll tell you what his loyal followers are doing, they're pandering to the left fringe PC crowd and making Christmas a bad word. They are attempting to thwart the free exercise of religion. They are creating their own context within which society is actually beginning to make decisions. This context of "Separation of Church and State" is nothing more than leftist context drummed out of vague references made in a letter written hundreds of years ago. This context and language does not appear in our Constitution, it does not appear anywhere in law and is a fallacy propagated very successfully by the anti-Christian left. Now they're teaching and enforcing it in our schools. The phrase "separation of Church and State" is so routinely used across all lines in this Country, people have actually come to believe there is something in our Constitution that requires it. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Our forefathers are rolling in their graves everytime some leftist media "correspondent" plays loose with history and facts and uses that statement to manufacture the context of why we cannot allow any reference to Christianity in our schools or anywhere else for that matter.

Finally, if the Church must be separated from the State, and we all know it doesn't, why then is the reference to a Jewish celebration still PC? I have no problem with the celebration giving equal billing to competing traditions but to eliminate Christmas from current "Holiday" celebrations, is an omission of a particularly aggregious sort. The Constitution guarantees the right to the free exercise of religion and denies the Government the right to establish an official State religion. The leftists are already thwarting our right to the free exercise of religion. Why? Because it fits their overall political strategy. Liberals tend to be liberal with not only our money, but their own approach to life in general, typically lacking moral courage and core convictions. Since Christians are typically conservative, and athiests, agnostics and acedemia tend to be liberal, if they simply crush out any reference to God, Christ, Christmas and the Bible, they feel they can turn the tide in the US from that of embracing conservative principles to one of liberal power-brokering. The problem with their theory it is transparent, contrary to the Constitution and terribly cynical. Even my kids are catching on. On the trip home from school I asked my son why he thought there was no reference to Christmas in the school's program. I kid you not, without prompting or hesitation, my ten year old replied, "it is a conspiracy by a bunch of dimwitted liberals." I couldn't have said it better and my first thought was "there is a God!"

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Influential?

2005-12-15T07:43:00.000-08:00

It seems certain people and entities have done all they can to dismiss the importance of a new local Political Action Committee (PAC). The Connect Duluth PAC has been maligned by so many people you'd think they are the enemy of the State. They have been branded right wing extremists, bigots, racist, homophobes, hate mongerers, etc. The Tribune has gone so far out of their way to malign this group, they have spent more time investigating them and a related blog than they have on Herb Bergson's recent "accident" or on the looming unfunded health care liability the City of Duluth faces.

So why all the hubub about a group of Duluthians? If you read their website at connectduluth.com, you won't find anything inflammatory, hateful or distasteful. You will find quite the opposite. They have numerous articles featuring research and statistics that likely make the Tribune reporters blush with humility. The facts and figures presented on this site are impressive in scope and depth.

There is a "Links" section featuring links to sites all across the political spectrum. Also linked there is the Duluth Citizens Blog, a blog originally operated by Connect Duluth but ultimately spun off due to concerns that it might cause them to run afoul of PAC laws. It is now found at duluthcitizensblog.com. This is another forum that has stirred controversy and has also been branded with similar unflattering labels and smeared aggressively by the Tribune. However, if you read it, you will see that it is merely an open discussion among Duluthians and some former or non-Duluthians.

It is a moderated discussion to some degree and there are screeners who filter out the garbage and comment at times about the subject matter being discussed. While people speak freely and at times passionately, the discussion is intelligent and civil. Isn't this precisely what so many in our community have been calling for? Open, intelligent, thoughtful discussion from all sides is what is truly needed to solve the City's biggest problems. However, again, the Tribune and specifically, reporter Scott Thistle have gone to great lengths to smear, demean and silence this important forum.

Several others, who I care not mention have also gone out of their way to smear, demean, silence and predict the demise of the Duluth Citizen's Blog. Despite their efforts, it is the single most popular, heavily visited discussion forum in the City of Duluth. Why is it so popular? People are allowed to post under anonymous pseudonyms. The cloak of anonymity without the fear of reprisal for speaking one's mind keeps this forum alive and vibrant.

Why would one want to silence such an important and constructive forum? Maybe, it is becoming too influential. The efforts of the Tribune and their reporters have been to claim this forum is bad for Duluth and promotes hate speech and hateful rhetoric. Go there and read it yourself. You will see, nothing could be farther from the truth. If anything, the Moderators have gone overboard in their efforts to keep the forum civil. The fact remains that this is the most heavily participated and viewed forum in the City of Duluth.

The Tribune has had a monopoly on public opinion and influence for so long, and recently purchased all but the smallest independent local papers, further cementing their monopoly. Knight Ridder has gone to great lengths and great expense and risk to "buy" this monopoly. It does stand to reason that they see any challenge to this monopoly as a threat and will do anything in their power, including slanderous accusations, libelous reporting and outright intimidation to silence this voice of reason in Duluth. Unfortunately for the Tribune, recent court decisions have upheld a person's right to anonymityon the internet. Courts have been reluctant to get sucked into cyber-suits involving discussions on the internet as to do so would be in direct conflict with the right to free speech.

So the next time you read an article in the Tribune dismissing or demeaning a local internet forum, go to the forum and read it yourself. You will see what the Tribune is afraid of. Radical views are not the norm as they are propagated by the Tribune. More moderate, thoughtful and generally better informed views are presented and real solutions are being discussed. The real fear of the Tribune...Competition. Just like respect, influence is earned, not purchased, a lesson long ago forgotten by the Publisher of the Duluth News Tribune.

Whiff of Reality

2005-12-13T08:16:00.000-08:00

It seems the Tribune finally caved, well somewhat. While not coming right out and apologizing for the Mayor, they did all they could to diminish the seriousness of his actions and excuse his behavior. As we have all heard over and over, we cannot help but wonder how the character of the reporting would be different had this been a politico from the right. First of all, it would not have taken two days post incident for the pictures and truth to come out. It would not have taken all the public pressure the city could muster to get them to report.

No, things would and will be quite different if the next DUI is tagged on a Republican. Regardless of their dubious justifications for the bias, they owe it to themselves, their parent company and most importantly, the readers to be truthful, balanced and report instead of editorialize. The facts don't need to be qualified, explained or justified, just reported.

The notion of fact gathering and reporting is a concept that long ago became foriegn to the reporters and most of all the Publisher of the Tribune. It is important to remember, it is available free on the internet. Why spend the money and support this beast?

Decidedly Civil

2005-12-12T06:49:00.000-08:00

It is interesting at times, to note what is not in the Tribune. While local media is still doing followup on the Herb Bergson DUI and wreck, the Tribune was noticeably absent from the followup scene. It seems the Tribune finds it more important to assassinate the character of those who question them vs. reporting the truth about those who don't.

While a DUI has typically not been a career ender for many a politician, this is not an isolated blunder. Mayor Bergson has embarrassed this City of Duluth with his antics on a number of occasions. This is merely the most recent blunder.

Apparently the Tribune is promoting some sort of new-found civility and dispensing with it's reprehensible record of mud slinging. The most interesting thing is what is missing from the Tribune today. No pictures of the car, no mugshot of the Mayor, no followup showing the police report, no conversations with the Mayor himself...nothing. This new tack on civility is indeed very interesting and curious.

Why is this curious? Well, not so long ago, a certain candidate for City Council had an old speeding ticket that the Tribune found newsworthy. He had another dismissed charge against him and the Tribune found that newsworthy. The Tribune made three, yes, count them, three front page headlines about a local individual who was allegedly not performing to the level deemed appropriate by the Publisher. Fortunately for that individual, no real wrongdoing was ever uncovered, despite the audits, "investigative reporting" by the Tribune and numerous others. The three days of headlines must have been nothing more than conjecture and, let's not forget the unmitigated character assassination attempted by the Tribune.

This kind of duplicitous approach by the Tribune shows either a change of heart or a total lack of character and integrity by it's Publisher. Never mind that this is one of the most powerful forms of media in the City as it is delivered to thousands daily and accepted as Gospel by many. Of course they understand that this is a powerful sword and they wield it with characteristic malice, unless one of their own gets out of line. Then the approach is remarkably forgiving. Let's all just forgive and forget, he's only human.

Sleeping is never a problem for the narcissist as they have little regard for others. It is self-promotion and preservation above all else, including integrity and decency. Civility be damned for it does not serve any purpose except as a club to beat over the heads of others. Fortunately for the Mayor, the Tribune is being decidedly civil...this time.

His Honor?

2005-12-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

The standard means of addressing a Mayor; Your Honor. Curious term for a man who has brought nothing but dishonor to this City and the Office. The firing of Mark Winson, the renaming of Columbus Day and refusing to recognize it, cozying up to the Public Employee Unions, collusion with candidate/Councilor Gilbert in an attempt to influence the Police to secure an endorsement, grandstanding on a consession regarding the health care crisis that would have been a drop in the bucket, parading around a bar in Superior showing his "titties", proudly making a formal recognition of the GLBTQAI weekend, spending tax dollars like a drunken Sailor, promotion of the Wethouse, spending Community Investment Trust Fund dollars earmarked for street improvements instead on a housing proposal with a dubious mission, numerous mis-steps on practically every issue before the City and now an alcohol related car accident and his subsequent arrest for DUI. Wow, this is quite a list of accomplishments for a three term Mayor. Problem is, he is only half way through his first.

It is time for those loyal to Herb Bergson to begin to at least re-evaluate that loyalty. Blind political allegiance has no place here or elsewhere. Whether you are DFL, Independent or leaning to the right, any objective analysis of the performance of His Honor leads one to question his effectiveness and competence as Mayor of any City. Questioning his judgement is certainly valid. We have the State Auditor, in no uncertain terms, telling us we are headed for bankruptcy, facing the greatest, single unfunded obligation of any City in the State and the potential dire consequences, yet Herb is on a bender driving to Chicago for another conference. This man has done more traveling than all previous Mayors and he is not even through his first term. Is all of this time away from the City productive or is it merely another way for him to avoid tackling the real issues head on?

It begins to beg the question, how much is enough? What will it take for Duluth and Duluthians to wise up? What will it take for those who still support this Mayor to question their loyalty?

Perhaps the most important issue to ponder is the fact that Mayor Bergson is merely a symptom of a bigger malady. That illness is political myopathy and blind loyalty.

Following the Mayor's arrest, the local "newspaper" writes an article that is more an appeal for public mercy than a factual report. The story is almost wholly ignored and dismissed on a local level.

We quite obviously cannot rely on local "news" sources for accuracy or objectivity. We cannot depend on fairness, equity or balance from any of our local "news" sources. How, with this kind of media bias, can Duluthians make objective, informed decisions at election time?

The local media choose to print selatious rumor and innuendo against their political opponents while completely ignoring true violations of the law and public trust by their chosen few and propagate this ongoing dumbing down of the public. How do we as citizens overcome this tide of misinformation?

Cancelling subscriptions to the paper is one small way. Confronting those responsible for the propaganda campaign is another. However, possibly the single most effective way to combat them is to continue blogging, talking with friends and neighbors, write letters to the Editor. Whether they get printed or not, they see them. Get the word out and and point out the inconsistencies.

This is a long road and we must travel it together and remain steadfast in our resolve. This battle will not be won overnight. With liberal dominance in our educational institutions, media, public employees and many other corners of our community, the trip to common sense and balance will be a long one.

Friendly or Not

2005-11-16T19:34:00.000-08:00

So, what constitutes business friendly? As written by Andy Peterson of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, Business friendly is anything better than Baghdad or Paris. I beg to differ. To put Duluth on the same plane as Iraq or France is like comparing competition between two 8th grade football teams with one from the NFL. We are part of North America and better yet, the United States of America. We are part of the single most competitive, successful, capitalistic, free, prosperous and thriving society the world has ever known. With that comes advantages but also huge competitive challenges. If we are better than other parts of the world, well, good for us, but if we are at a competitive disadvantage with practically every metro area within a 300 mile radius, then the reputation of a tough place to do business is well deserved and has become our achilles heel.

Simplistic and Euro-Centric Intellectualism serves no purpose in our struggle to understand why we are less competitive than our Northern peers. Duluth is an incredible City with enormous natural assets, several exquisite man-made beauties and a small population characterized by views as divergent as the climates on Venus and Pluto. To compare Duluth in it's current state of affairs and competitiveness to a City outside of a 300 mile radius is comparing Duluth to, well, a place that has absolutely no bearing, impact or relevance to our reality.

Duluth is centrally located on the North American Continent, is the world's largest inland port, has access to rail, interstate, an international air terminal and intellectual assets that boggle the mind. As a City we seem all too willing to dismiss the exodus of the thousands of UMD graduates every year, too willing to embrace our shrinking population and tax base. We turn a deaf ear to the plight of struggling small businesses and focus our attention instead to the influx of homeless and criminally inclined. We build massive and expensive public entertainment facilities that have never been self-sustaining and should be privatized yet end up subsidizing them with millions of tax dollars each year. We promise our public employees wage, benefit and pension packages completely out of reach to those in the private sector.

So, dispensing with platitudes and getting to nuts and bolts, how does Duluth turn the corner and become a haven for successful business? Should we as a City be refusing business when few want to locate here or should we turn our focus to attracting so many who want to locate here that we have the luxury to pick and choose? I choose the latter. How do we get from here to there?

This is the question I pose for all of Duluth. How do we get from here to there? How do we stop the brain drain, the slumping economy, the exodus of families, decreasing tax base and increasing tax burden? How do we get businesses to be climbing over one another to locate some aspect of their business here? What will make us the single most attractive place to conduct commerce in this geographic area?

The answers to these questions along with pragmatic, palatable solutions will put Duluth on the fast track to economic vitality and fiscal strength. This should be the underlying mission of our Chamber of Commerce.

Introduction

2005-09-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

I've come to think a blog is a bit of a shameless, plug for your own ego. However, I have decided to jump head-first into the blogosphere. You'll have to endure, or not, this self-indulgent bent. I will explore subjects of my choosing and I may share personal details from time to time but only as it adds meaningful context to the subject matter.

You see, everything is relative. I may experience something in tandem with you, at the same time, witnessing all you do, yet our relative experiences up to and after that event will largely determine how we interpret and react to it. We are all individuals with different backgrounds and different points of view.

From time to time I will share with you why my context leads me to the interpretation of an event in a particular way. I will make no bones about trying to get people to agree with and interpret events similarly as I do in an attempt to effect change. I hold to my convictions and beliefs passionately and fervently. I will take issue with people and their actions. I may do this in a way you totally disagree with and may even find objectionable in one way or another. I don't wake up in the morning with my mission being to offend but sometimes it just comes naturally.

I hope you will read, absorb and comment about what I say. Not everyone wants to change the world but, I see certain corners of it that I feel need change. To that end, I will write and comment about our world, focusing primarily on local issues because that is what I know best day to day. Come along for the ride and if you agree with me, follow my lead. If you take issue with what I say, by all means, write me or contact me. I love a good debate, or should I say, I love to win a good debate!