The Chaska City Council is Terminally ill that's why their condoning the PD and it's ongoing attack on Chaska's most Vulnerable

It's the Ideal tale for the Holidays, folks. With Chaska's Demodixie-cratic City Council teaching us all the wrong lessons about greed, incompetence, abuse of power, shamelessness and other buffoonery.
and these are the same close-minded people we expect to lead a city that now contains over 25,000 people and is still growing.
You know the ones averting their eyes as a C Minus megalomaniac is going around tackling disabled people, tackling 13-year-olds and strip searching grandpa. 
The ones with nothing to say as their mind-numbingly mediocre mayoral hero out trumps the Donald with  comments  like " I don't know what we need more housing for when we have 640 trailer homes "

I think it needs to be pointed out often and repeated that a City leadership made up of a conniving police chief and a bunch of boot licking sycophants for the express purpose of regressing the City of Chaska cannot simultaneously issue a statement of modernization or reassurance that such regression isn't a regular occurrence.
The fact that the City of Chaska is bothered by me bringing their jihad against the special needs community and the sordid attempt to silence a critic which is reminiscent of the Soviet Stroikas institutionalizing dissent, to the attention of the media is laughable, The City of Chaska owns this debacle and currently, the only elected official with the stones to actively work at addressing the issue is Commissioner Randy Maluchnik
But I must confess it's is entertaining to observe Scott Knight and his flailing functionaries wail about people not trusting them.
This is what happens when unethical bullies make a habit of spinning ridiculous whoppers about what their pretending to do when what their actually doing is blatantly evident to a cabinet member of the Nigerian President, and it's pretty evident around Chaska too.
 Ridiculousness like this makes Chaska's hometown Clique extremely untrustworthy and its exactly this kind of lawless, vigilante my way kind of policing that we should actively resist, not condone. Every year the Chaska City council runs they promise all these wonderful solutions. Where the hell are they? because it would appear that reality on the ground is remarkably different . 

Chaska Ordinance violates U. S constitution

I know the City of Chaska has never really had an affinity for the US Constitution and it's probably too much to expect that it be adhered to do as more than a list of suggestive guidelines, However, I thought it worthwhile to point out that Article 1 section 5 of the Chaska City Ordinances violates the US Constitution. It reads It reads "It shall be unlawful for any person to use any rude, offensive, abusive, obscene language or gesture to any police officer, members of the Fire Department or any other officer or employee of the City while such person is performing in his official capacity as an officer or employee of the City."  'Id just like to remind my friends at the City Hall that they aren't running the Kremlin and although his attempts to institutionalize dissent could justify the thought, Scott Knight isn't the head of the KGB. This isn't the Soviet Union, folks. When a Chaska Officer stops me for no apparent reason and hollers from hundreds of yards away "Hey we wanna talk to you" and I respond "why? because I'm a black guy in America" "What are you gonna do? Shoot me?"They may not like that but it's still federally protected speech.The Supreme court ruled in Cohen V. California that offensive speech, even against agents of the government is protected. Justice Harlan wrote the majority opinion citing Justice Louis Brandeis's opinion in Whitney V. California that "To many, the immediate consequence of this freedom may often appear to be only verbal tumult, discord, and even offensive utterance, These are, however, within established limits, in truth necessary side effects of the broader enduring values which the process of open debate permits us to achieve. That the air may at times seem filled with verbal cacophony is, in this sense not a sign of weakness but of strength." Most people would probably consider adhering to constitutional principles as a more productive show of strength than tackling disabled people and other people's mother laws. but those are stories for another day, In conclusion, I was going to say that I have no intention of going to submit a formal request to the City of Chaska whenever I want to exercise my first amendment rights but then I remembered that Autistic people don't have any rights in Chaska..my bad.

Christmas Carols with Sgt Douche-zan

*To the tune of Grandma got run over by a reindeer*

Grandma got harrassed by Chaska PD
Coming home to our house Christmas Day
The perpetrator wasn't any pervert
It was Lawrenz looking for Latino detainees

Grandma got into her accord
and she didn't have to drive that far
then she saw the lights behind her
And then Joe Kavlie said "Please step out of the car"

Her metal hip set thier wand off
so they had to pat her down
but they patted her so roughly
that her depends underwear fell to the ground

She never felt so violated
and when they finished thier attack
There were glovemarks on her buttocks
and incrimminating latex in her crack

They made her take her wooden leg off
and remove her purple wig
they confisicated all her prune juice
as they rumaged through he car trunk like some pigs

Now grandma's cherub like demenaor
had really turned into a funk
She saw Duzan checking Grandpa's wiener
raised her cane and shouted out Don't touch his junk!

Now Grandma knew we'd start without her
and she was left in her misery
Holding her leg her wig her undergarments
and what was left of her civil liberties

So show Scott Knight your tatas
Let him grope your daughter and your son
If we fall in line and let him strip of us of our freedoms
then we know that the Criminals have won

but this Christmas, if you're looking for some action
Maybe a quick romantic rendezvous
Just stop by Chaska City hall
and ask a Chaska cop if they'll fondle you...

"The Chaska Police beat me up and took my Lunch Money" and other tales of Government sanctioned bullying

 Last July Diane Craglow was babysitting a young man with Autism in a small town in Arizona where they decided to take a walk to one of his s favorite parks .Ms. Craglow was not hesitant to leave the young man alone for a few minutes as he was safe in areas that he was familiar with and it taught him to be self-sufficient.
When Ms. Craglow returned she was shocked by the scene in front of her a police officer had tackled him to the ground and was handcuffing him as multiple cars pulled up and more officers piled out to the scene.
As she figured out what happened Ms. Craglow became aware that the policeman were unaware that the adolescent, Connor ,had autism, and had interpreted his rigid, unfamiliar movements as intoxication, and upon being approached Connor’s ability to communicate had basically shut down, So officers labeled him “Uncooperative” and tackled him to the ground subsequently all hell broke loose.
Images from Officer’s body camera show how the encounter turned into a situation that escalated rapidly to the point, Connor had no ability to make sense of what was happening to him. Officer’s exhibited a blatant lack of understanding and charged Connor with resisting arrest and assault on a police officer, the Courts later threw out the case entirely.
This is basically the worst case scenario for an individual with a developmental disability, now imagine Connor rather than being a thin 180 lb white 14 year old was an adult 250 lb Latino whose built like a football player where an officer responds with a taser.
That’s what happened last year in Miami ., when a young autistic man named Arnaldo Rios momentarily wandered and was playing with toy truck on the street, and a passer-by called the police to report an “armed and suicidal” man sitting in the road.
The police arrived and found Rios and his behavioral therapist Charles Kinnsey in the road. Miami PD Officer Aledda shot at Rios and missed him but struck Mr. Kinsey in the leg. Although Kinnsey survived the trauma of the incident resulted in Arnaldo being unable was unable to eat, suffering from night terrors and sits in his room isolated saying to himself over and over, “I hate the police.” In April, state prosecutors charged Officer Aledda with attempted manslaughter and culpable negligence.
Closer to home for many of us is the story of 17 year old Marcus Abrams of St Paul Minnesota. In September 2016, Metro Transit Police observed Abrams and friends “ruff-housing” by the tracks of the green line light rail tracks. Like Me, Abrams has Asperger’s syndrome, which is considered on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. He also has seizures, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other disabilities. Also similar to me he has sensory issues. After Abrams told him that he didn’t have a state issued ID, They grabbed him by the wrists and he tried to back away. Officers grabbed him by his vest and tackled him to the ground, Officers cited in their reports that Abrams was kicking and hitting at them and that once they got off him he was unconscious, It turns out Abrams had had 2 seizures while officers were administering the restraints, He was admitted to the hospital and officers ended up dropping the charges.
Most people are aware that I also have Autism and that I am very high functioning. However as my parents and others who have known me my entire life would tell you. In situations of crisis my ability to communicate is shut down. Several weeks ago when I had a mental health crisis in Chaska . I was managing the situation fine by myself walking and deescalating and I had done nothing wrong. Chaska Officers showed up and concluded I was intoxicated citing me as “uncooperative” because I wouldn’t talk to them, They tackled me to the ground so forcefully that they knocked out one of my teeth There was no breathalyzer no blood test and no factual basis for that conclusion at all, I spent 4 days in jail because Officers reported a “Bruised knee” and a “reddened knee” and that I screamed threats at them, As many Chaska residents have informed me they wouldn’t respond well to be tackled and punched in the face for being pissed off and walking down the block either. The Chaska Police department like others cites that this was just a “normal police stop”. I have spoken with individuals from NAMI, The Autism society, the MN psychological association, Special educators in our school districts, Officers from the Carver County Sherriff’s department, State Legislators, the Disability law center that took one look at the Police report and concluded that there were significant problems and that Chaska escalated the situation themselves which from reading from above one can conclude is not uncommon practice
There are even a variety of studies show that these kinds of interactions between disabled people and law enforcement are very study from the Ruderman Family Foundation conducted last year reported, “Disabled individuals make up a third to half of all people killed by law enforcement officers.”
Parents filed a complaints about the way their kids are treated by law enforcement all the time and more often the not the results come back not only clearing the officers but citing there’s nothing they can do because it’s too hard to teach Officers to recognize the signs of Autism as differ depending on the individual. In part this is true. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s estimate that one in 68 American schoolchildren has been diagnosed with Autism and that although it is a large demographic, it’s very diverse, but this is also wrong in part, It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize common traits of Autism and to treat them with Human decency.
When it comes to law enforcement and Autism there are more effective ways to handle these situations. It’s like that old saying about bumblebees don’t swat at it and it won’t bother you in the way that if your level headed and don’t go bulldozing in and tackling an individual with Autism the situation probably won’t escalate a whole lot farther. Sirens and flashing lights can also be catastrophic sensory overload for people with autism, while a calm voice and a reassuring demeanor can go a long way toward de-escalating a tense confrontation. Autistic in many cases struggle to read social cues so coming out aggressively will more than likely will lead them to the conclusion that they are being threatened.
Police officers also should not expect autistic people to behave in the ways that non-autistic people do. For example, officers should not regard a refusal to look them in the eyes as a sign of guilt, or an inability to speak or focus as a sign of being ” uncooperative” like officers did me. In fact, many autistic people find it easier to interpret spoken instructions if they’re not compelled to simultaneously look the speaker in the eyes.
There’s a variety of programs are underway in several police departments across the country and around the world, but they are still too few and far between. The scarcity of these programs is a sad legacy of the decades when autism was mistakenly believed to be a rare condition, and many autistic people lived out their lives in state-run institutions.
We all know Autism is common, We all know it exhibits itself in every hues and shades of humanity, isn’t it time that we give law enforcement officers the knowledge that they need to avoid some normal aspect of the job into a complete and utter calamity

Bullies and bullying from the Saturday summit on the bully pulpit.

Scott Knight's sell by date is quickly approaching and  has come and gone and for many to paraphrase Groucho Marx, there's  been  joy unconfined. dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons, and necking in the parlor but while were waiting for the all the nattering nabobs of the world , who much like a dog licking it's own balls write contradictory press releases like this one, https://thevitalsapp.com/vitals/chaska-police-department-launches-vitals-aware-services in an effort  reassure themselves that they're not as grossly incompetent as the rest of the world says they are, to proffer up their long overdue resignations, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss the topic of bullying

     So what is a bully, anyways?

bully

[boo l-ee]

noun, plural bullies

1. a blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people.
2. Archaic. a man hired to do violence.
3. Obsolete. a pimp; procurer.
4. Obsolete. good friend; good fellow.
5. Obsolete. sweetheart; darling.

Definitions vary  Commissioner Maluchnik uses it one way, as does this anonymous correspondence  (above) another and although I'm sure they couldn't spell the word, Mayors Mike Webb of Carver and Jim Sanborn of Waconia probably have their own special way of defining it (perhaps by looking in the mirror in the morning)

The applicability of these many definitions to examples in real-life also is variable. Individuals such as Martin Luther, William Lloyd Garrison, Ayn Rand have spent decades a. Speaking truth to power (a) and/ or (b) spewing  uninhibited  vitriol at what during their time were deemed as orthodox  pillars of our society.
Was Martin Luther a buffoon or a bully?  Is Ayn Rand to be considered as an individual  in love with their vocabulary or a muckraking ray of sunshine? Would William Lloyd Garrison be accused of "cyber-bullying" today, if his columns on behalf of the anti-slavery movement appeared on-line and not on newsprint
We all cross lines some times all cross the lines. However At the same time, this notion of me being a bully is odd, and perhaps is reminiscent of a larger issue that those with power don't like being told the truth about themselves. The powers that be don't know what to do with me, I can't be categorized or shoved into a box  and I like it that way but their lack of ability to frame me a subhuman degenerate, unworthy of life time or attention bothers them.  Defying their pre-set labels bothers them.  They can't tell me what to do  they can't typecast me Furthermore, in the absence of any willingness to conform and shove their faux  pas under the rug  the usual policing lever of tackling of dragging me out  back in the woods and beating me has proven to be less then effective
So what exactly am I ?  Politician? advocate? Drunkard? Vocabulary deviant ? provocateur? Polemicist?
How about Citizen? Because some of us believe it or not still have principles. I show up to these public meetings  even though it's a gigantic waste of time and completely  pointless for me to be there and I reprimand so called newspaper editors who'd rather talk about flora, fauna and  Robin hood and his merry men in Sherwood forest   then point out the lunacy of all these stone carved antebellum fogies who stand in the way of any level of productivity or progress.
I don't hate kittens, I don't eat children for breakfast  but rather I find it mildly therapeutic to offer an alternative viewpoint that differs from many of our public officials who have more money and power then brains and really did learn everything they needed to know about life way back in kindergarten. Quite frankly the kittens and kids would be more worthwhile company.
We can't be perfect. Were always learning. I just try to tell the truth as often and consistently as possible, and let the proverbial chips fall where they may. I hope you like it, and I'm not sorry at all if it bothers you.

Who done it, Minnesota's 1st Judicial district or Taney Court?

"How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law, or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas, an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal and natural law.“ 

These were the words written by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his letters from Birmingham jail. The year was 1963 and Dr King was sitting in a cell for coordinating protests on behalf of the civil rights.  Judge WA Jenkins had issued a blanket injunction the day before prohibiting parading, demonstrating, boycotting, tresspassing and picketing, Dr King marched anyways. He was arrested.

Four days later after reading an article in which local clergyman criticized him for breaking the law Dr King began his famous letter from Birmingham jail, in which he broke down the difference between just laws and injust laws citing St thomas Aquinias and arguing that we as a society to not only a legal but moral obligatio to obey just laws and vice versa a moral obligations to defy unjust laws Four months later Dr King led the march on Washington DC and gave his I have a dream speech pleading for equal rights and opportunities to be made availible for all human beings.

For such notables Dr. King, Nelson Mandela and Susan B Anthony even as far back as Martin Luther at the Diet of worms the biggest hinderence to challenging the injustice of the status quo and restoring what was good and right as far as the government goes was rarely the legislature, it was the Courts. 

This recent incident in Chaska may not be as large scale of a problem as aparthied or woman's sufferage but It's time we call it by what it truly is. Disability Discrimination. The Chaska Police are one step away from having the permission of the County Attorney's office and the Courts to go and set dogs and firehoses on those of us with disabilties who dare to challenge the way we are being treated within the halls of the courthouse, where the lady with the blind fold is blind but is certainly not fair or equitable. 

The Chaska Police overreacted and mishandled  a crisis call...AGAIN..The County Attorney is not standing up for the rights of people with disabilities,
 he's ignoring the protections of Title II of the American with disabilties act and whats worse is the Courts are sanctioning this sort of behavior all over the place. Why do we sit in courtrooms and refer to Janet Barke Cain, Kevin Eide, Eric Braaten, and Michael Wentzell "the Honorable"? What's honorable about giving the green light to  discrimination? Everytime the Courts allow for the misinformed and malicious prosecution of individuals in a mental health crisis, that got worse becasue the Police incited them, bullied them and degraded them, they mine as well hand down another Dredd Scott Decision that establishes that people with disabilties are not entitled to liberty or basic human rights because thier inferior. As I look at the Corruption and moral bankruptcy in Carver County's legal system I begin to wonder if I am looking at the first Judicial district or the Taney Court and I contemplate when Justice will finally stop being bought and sold to the highest bidder  and will MLK's dream ever truly be realized. 

Carver County Attorney's Office, Chaska PD, promote Institutional Able-ism

Most people have probably read the article in the Chaska Herald entitled “Mental health advocate criticizes handling of arrest” and many have heard me mock Chief Knight for his full uniform which has so many bells and whistles that I don’t know if he’s running the Police department or the Confederacy but given the way his officers tackled me and beat me in the woods like I had run away from my plantation I would assume the latter. Others have stated that tackling me was about the worst thing they could've done, why were they so aggressive? to which I responded because Chaska is like 1800s Alabama where I'm 3/5 of a person and they thought 3/5 of a person should be easier to take down then a whole one. I joke, at times probably semi-distastefully but the unfortunate reality of this situation is that our local governing units in Carver County are revealing themselves to have a problem with Institutional able-ism and institutional racism and the 2 go hand in hand

Typically, after police officers discharge their weapons and are, subsequently, bombarded with questions about the motives behind using excessive force against a suspect, the officers in question will make some attempt to rationalize their actions. Most of them you may have heard before: “He resisted arrest.” “I felt like my life was threatened.” “He was reaching for his gun.” “He made a threatening gesture.” something.

However, about 2 weeks after the death of Philando Castille , an incident occurred out of Florida that just may have many a sharp and intelligent person thinking, justifiably, that we’re reaching a point in this centuries-long struggle with police brutality where no explanation at all on the part of officers is needed. That we, as a society, are beyond that now. That we’re but a step away from officers admitting, with all the frankness they can muster, “I shot this person because he was black.”

This time it was a behavioral therapist by the name of Charles Kinsey was shot by police accidentally while trying to protect his autistic client, 21-year-old Arnoldo Rios. When asked about why he shot Kinsey, the police officer in question first said, “I don’t know.

I don't know. wow

”

It was later he mentioned that he was trying to shoot Rios, who had escaped from an assisted living center. Despite the fact that Kinsey wasn’t the actual target, it still did not make it better. Because in the end, rather then reach a conclusion based on communication, the cops just wanted to go out and shoot someone who was marginalized.

This is not the first time that police officers wanted to perpetuate violence against disabled folks. In another case from 2013, a 22-year-old man by the name of Gilberto Powell, , suffered police brutality after officers attacked him for having a “bulge” in his bag — that turned out to be a colostomy bag. This is one of many more incidents where the intersections of anti-blackness and ableism come into play.

2 months ago I had a PTSD episode in Chaska the Chaska PD showed up yelled at me and when I got more agitated they yelled louder and when that didn't work they proceeded to attack me and tackle me to the ground. I was walking down the block to my Dads church of all places. They stopped somebody on their way to church what a public service. You should give them a medal or something maybe a gold star cuz everyone's a winner..everybody except minority communities that is

I was sitting in Court the other day and the County Attorney and my public defender even though they knew the Chaska Police tackled me to the ground and punched me in the face prior to me flipping out, informed me it was unlikely that they would throw out the charges against me entirely because I had the audacity to question the treatment of the mentally ill and Chaska would have to admit fault. Remember when Justice used to be about doing the right thing instead of saving political face? I’ve reached the conclusion that defense Attorney Clarence Darrow wrote that “the problem with law is lawyers” he was right in part. The other piece of the equation is grossly incompetent law enforcement agencies.

The other argument used by the County Attorney’s office is that I put myself in the situation because I walked away and didn’t tell anyone where I was going and if I had stayed with my friend, Corey Magstadt he could have supervised the situation, The fact that Mark Metz thinks we have to supervise our police officers to ensure they act in a reasonable manner is appalling, If you’re having a heart attack do you want to have to sit there and tell them how to perform first aid? No you probably want them to have some form of training to do so. I would pose this question to Assistant Attorney Peter Ivy If a college girl walks into a party wearing a mini skirt and she gets gang raped by the entire football team, is it her fault because she put herself in the situation? do you intend to prosecute her too? Fathers keep an eye out on your daughters because clearly the Carver County Attorney’s office and our friends in the first judicial district are apparently about to enter into the business of defending rape culture.

The truth of the matter is this case isn't about right or wrong, It's really not even about legalities, the case is about politics, someone has to take the blame for the continuance of this statewide problem and it's easier for County Attorney Mark Metz and his office to continue to victimize belittle,degrade and bully members of the disability community then it is to talk about what are we going to do to address the problem. That's not Justice that' s institutional Able-ism meaning the Government is deliberately acting in a prejudiced fashion against an entire demographic of people.

People are told that police officers are here to “protect and serve,”and Prosecutors are here to pursue Justice and defend victims but what they do instead is invoke fear and perpetuate a variety of -isms that result in them using violence and intimidation to assert their power. They are often not equipped to address the issue a disabled person has in crisis mode instead they just go out and shoot them or in Chaska's case they drag them out back in the woods and repeatedly assault them.

So here’s the bottom line: just because an autistic person was the officer’s target and not a black person this does not make it okay. As someone who is autistic and black I'm coming to recognize the fact more and more that I can do everything right and their going to treat me as a second class citizen and slam me around anyways and nobody's going to do anything about it.In my case the Chaska police officer would’ve shot me 5 times and called it an accident like they did on 212 in an effort to silence a prominent and long time critic. Black people and disabled people are the least valued. Intersect the two and then you are are invisible from both communities.

It shouldn't be normal and it shouldn't be ok.

Frank Long will speak for Carver County GOP until they decide he doesn't

For many Republicans, Frank Long's delusional ramblings at the last Carver county full committee meeting were at the least uncomfortable and at most remenscent of a 70s hippie mid bad trip.
Much like toxic sludge bubbling to the surface, Frank got up and read a letter cosigned by CD6 chair Bobby Benson and CD3 chair Patti Meier condemning Denny Lauftenberger for allowing a TIF district to be created in Chanhassen, which really has nothing to do with the BPOU whatsoever and the letter actually wasn't signed on to by either of the other entities. Our duly elected Chair resigned the other day because of the rat pack and thier inglorious  leader Frank Long,
Who is an unreconstructed asshat, a serial bully, and a perennial opportunist,Who has occupied a seat at the table in Carver County politics for well over a decade and during all that time, while amassing a record of non-achievement notable even by the Carver County GOP's subterranean standards, he never once has troubled himself with deep thoughts rather he has engaged in loony toonish antics that accomplish nothing but make everyone want to boink him in the eyes everytime they have the misfortune of running into him at GOP affairs.
Frank reminds me of Jospeh Mccarthy in the way that he quickly found himself the leader of the Neoconservatives in SD47 where he established himself as a "True conservative." and a "beacon of morality " for Carver County Conservatives.
Then along came the moderates asking to be involved, and all of a sudden, Long sprang forward to defend his
dogma from these godless heathens, of whom I surely must be numbered as one, For reason of my centrist tendencies so my testimony is maybe unreliable to some. However, Seeing as Long has a 10 year extensive record of self rightesousness and Lunacy you, you needn’t take my heretical word for it.
Many residents in the past have taken to media outlets asking why Carver County GOP and our incumbent legislators why we continuoulsy cater to Frank Long when runs the party like it's the House un-American Activities commitee and everyone with a contrary opinion is Julius and Ethel Rosenberg? and how come nobody does anything. They don't respond to the question and I'm on a rampage today so Let me tell you why?
You guessed it: Mute Republican impotence also is the norm hereabouts and his peers would rather endure a daily colonoscopy then to tell him to sit down and shut up
Frank is a Republican , and he knows that as a republican in Carver County, he is perfectly free to say and believe and do anything, or nothing, however egregious, nasty and untruthful, because there’ll always be a fellow “Republican” in need of the sin-eating services of a small-pond operative utterly devoid of scruples or ethical sensibility.
I’ve been describing Long's frequent Episodes of diahrea of the mouth for a very long time. His career in playacting at public service has been an embarrassment to his party and the senate district in myriad ways since before I even began getting involved several years ago, but there is something different about his most recent episode of frothing at the mouth.
It was unabashedly public rant. This was not behind the scenes backstabbery this was in front of every member of the full commitee
It’s worth remembering that Joe Stalin attended seminary school before embarking on his stellar career of thuggery and mayhem, and in like fashion, Long's attempts to protray himself as of man of moral turpitide have not been meant to bring him a step closer to a ragpicker’s sainthood.
Rather, it has been a convenient means to an end. It’s been about inciting and assembling an angry mob much like an crowd of angry medeval folks gathered together to watch a witch burn and who can be called back to the podium when needed.
Of course, in this case, it’s been about several years since party leadership changed, with nary a peep from Long. He didn’t care an iota about party procedure it was just another chit to be safegaurded whilst nursing his elderly white man’s panoply of grudges, at least until the right cue came along.
With the election of Denny Lauftenberger to chair the BPOU, Long got his chance to resume his duties as the Party jerk because in Franks mind the moderates had taken over
Speaking of Frank's mind the only person who probably could figure out him and his sordid delusions out is Sigmund Freud, himself but if Freud were reincarnated and ran for a party position. Frank would start prattling on about the Jews taking over. And a majority of his colleagues wouldn’t say a damned single word about it.
That’s because Long is accustomed to saying and doing as he pleases; after all, he’s a Republican in Carver county and generations of party leaders have been republicans , too, and none of them have ever tried very hard to discipline him.
.
The moderates had the chairmanship under our control and we treated the gavel as though it had only recently been dipped in Ebola jam, Long's been bullying his cohorts for years. He knew everyone was going to be there, he knew he could do as he pleased, and he knew he’d not be censured for it.
That’s how enduringly tone-deaf the Republicans in CD6 are becoming
Frank's behavior is routinely despicable, but the GOP persists in enabling him. With people like Sanborn  amongst thier ranks they have very few few ethical principles of their own to promote, local Republicans jokingly handle their “ Frank problem” by siding with Lyndon Baines Johnson’s preferred method of dealing with J. Edgar Hoover:
"Better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than the other way around.”"
What’s more, the Frank Long isue don't just affect the BPOU the entire County pays for it , again and again, in a loss of civic reputation and people seeing us as some obscure regional backwater.
I’m hoping to be proven wrong, but there’s as much chance of  Frank Long being censured for his schoolyard bully tactics as there is of the Waconia Ice arena actually paying for itself.
One person on the BPOU, Denny Lauftenberger had the intestinal fortitude to suggest that Long deserved some form of censure.
and everybody else sat there twiddled their thumbs and stared at the floor, all the while remaining pathetically incapable of grasping why they’re regarded as political laughingstocks by anyone in town who takes the time to observe them in thier bi-monthly repose.
What about CD6 leaderhship and Patti Meier? Frank Long has has been thier loyal, groveling Sancho Panza. Will CD leadership emerge from thier collective bunkers to publicly reassure the general populace that Frank Long wasn't and does not speak for them?
I doubt it. They believes what they read on the Carver County GOP's social media pages , Which basically just tell everyone exactly what they want to hear.there's no mention of a nattering nabob named Frank who undermines everything they do. An animated Disney feature contains more reality than this.
Long's snarling disregard for the rules of simple human civility is a nasty symptom of the rot within, one that is being left to fester by party officials at the local regional and state party levels alike. Long is a jerk, all right, but far more significantly that this, he’s an apt metaphor for the diseased existence of our local Republican party unit which , which seems to operate more and more purely from a principle of machine monetization.
There’s a lot of censure to go around.
None of it will
Think of it as a sorrow for carver county

It's time to move forward on proposed mental health facility in Chaska

Ask them their plan. You know those folks who write the letters, spread the rumors and offer the snide comments to, Ask them after they halt the initiative to get the mental health crisis unit how they intend to address the growing need for mental health services in our community. 
Ask them how they intend to expand mental health services for the fastest growing county in the state.
Ask them about their ideas for providing quality healthcare options in Carver County.
Ask them how they intend to address the thousands of phone calls coming into the Carver County sheriff's office
or how they intend to lower the suicide rates in our cities and schools,
Ask them about their commitment to economic competitiveness in an environment where our business owners lose millions dollars to basic diagnoses such as depression
The truth is they don't have a plan.
It certainly isn't to ease burden on the tax payers by reducing the number of inmates in our correctional facilities and connecting them with community based services, because only 25 percent of Chaska Police officers are trained to handle crisis situations and more often end up being a disservice to special needs families. 
It can't be to address the shortage in psychiatric beds, the State legislature cut 600 million dollars to deepen it 
Relocating the facility isnt the answer either. Chaska is the County seat and as such has the best access to County Social services.
Their also not overly concerned with decreasing the amount of Stigma faced by those experiencing mental illness as the Chaska Councillors went on the record citing a mental health facility as a public safety issue as if we were proposing to relocate St Peter State Hospital to their backyard. Think about it folks, if an individual is a threat to the public safety while in a treatment facility, are they less of a threat when not in a treatment in facility, your elected city officials "plan" for public safety is having the mentally ill wandering around town rather then receiving treatment at a licensed facility with specific criteria for admission that are guided by State statutes, and rather then switching up the purpose of an already existing facility placing a park next to a busy county road.That's not a plan, that my friends is a lack of common sense.
The only viable plan is the plan being advanced by the County in partnership with Ridgeview medical center and community advocates. Commissioner Maluchnik and myself have held town halls in the neighborhoods surrounding the proposed location of the crisis facility. They were publicized in the local papers, flyers were handed door to door and put up in public venues around town All those who voiced concerns were invited, emails were sent to the City Council asking for their attendance and none of them bothered to show up for a public dialogue on the issue, the Commissioner and I found overwhelming support for the project,
Randy Maluchnik is 100% correct in his approach to the City of Chaska as there was no dialogue to be had. Opponents didn't want a conversation, if they did they would have bothered to show up and say so. The Crisis unit benefits not just Carver county but it benefits the entire region as it represents a step in the right direction in addressing a statewide concern and establishes Carver County as being able and willing to provide leadership on the hard issues, It's time to end the debates of misinformation and stereotypes and it's time to acknowledge the unfortunate reality that the state can only do so much and recognize that at some time point efforts have to be made at the local level to develop and expand services that address the long term needs of the community.In short, It's time to move forward on the proposed mental health crisis facility.

"Trust Busting" the Pharmaceutical companies

In the early 1900s corporations such as Standard Oil had bought up much of the competition and established business arrangement that essentially limited the possibility of completion. These significant Industrial Monopolies were called "trusts." Although Congress passed had the Sherman Anti-Trust act to provide some federal oversight on Trusts, The Supreme court had largely limited the regulatory aspects of the legislation.Little was done to address the economic and societal concerns of this way conducting business affairs until the Presidency Theodore Roosevelt. TR who like myself "a pick a fight with the biggest guy" in the bar" kind of politician attempted to reign in investment banker JP Morgan. Morgans Business practices included gaining control of a corporation, appointing his own management and reorganizing it to create a more substantial profit. His methods helped stabilize the economy,built monopolies and earned the wrath of the Roosevelt administration. Morgan invested heavily in railroads, and it was these investments that helped bankrupt the Northern Pacific railroad company. With the addition of the Northern Pacific railroad company Morgan and James J Hill created the Northern Securities corporation, which essentially controlled the 3 major intercontinental rail roads.Roosevelt believed it was a monopoly which violated the Sherman Anti-Trust act and ordered the Justice Department to break up the Corporation.The Supreme court upheld this decision 5-4 citing that Morgan's actions restricted free trade. In 1905 the Administration won another landmark court case in Swift and Company vs US which broke up the Beef Trust. Roosevelt's actions gave him the reputation of a Trust Buster. So where in today's society can we find a "modern day Trust"? Pharmaceuticals. Companies like American PHRMA have spent years erecting public policy barriers to effective drug markets while rolling around in piles of public funds and tax subsides for their research and to protect that research in courts via intellectual property suites and making ludicrous decisions such as hiking up prices for medical needs such as insulin to make a quick buck. Although our friends on the far right have forgotten the legacy of President Roosevelt and have created a party that believes in absolute and unrestricted right to individualism when it comes to business, there were those who once believed in the absolute and unrestricted right to slavery so we need not pay them any attention because It's past time to "Trust bust " the Pharmaceutical companies and we can start by allowing drugs from other entities and parts of the world to sell in US Markets

School Choice creates an Educational System Orwellians can be proud of

Noah

In 2001, Jesse Ventura signed off on legislation that
effectively eliminated the Education Property tax levy, with the stipulation
that the next session of the legislature needed to dedicate A new source of
funding for Minnesota's Public education system. Both decided to  eat their desert for even bothering to look
at their Peas and K-12 educational costs have continued to be an issue many of
which have been spurred by an increase of costs of special education have continued
to take A  significant toll on local
school districts. In 1970s Congress mandated that every student had a right to
a free and appropriate education. Although it is unfortunate that some states chose to promote degradation,
semantics and half assed educational standards, SCOTUS decided Endrew F VS
Douglas county School District which clarifies that quality is to be a factor
in determining what is considered  free
and appropriate  education. According to
the US Dept. of Education 14% of students receive SPED services and 14% of
students are being left out of the dialogue on school choice which in reality
isn't providing all that much of an option. The point of School Choice is to
divert public funds to private schools  which can and will be detrimental to the educational pursuits of students
with disabilities.  School choice
proponents excel at messaging they use glittery hot button words that after one
actually reads accompanying legislation, one quickly realizes are ambiguous
misleading a disservice to both the education and special needs communities.
George Orwell called such methods "Double speak". Public schools that
are free appropriate and open to everyone regardless of race, color or creed
become privatized by merely divesting tax dollars way from the public education
system Into a "nonprofit ".and educational opportunities become accessible
to whoever the highest bidder is. In short I believe our education system
shouldn't reflect the style of the Pigs in Animal Farm where all of us are
equal but some of us are more equal than others.  Public dollars rather than being bent to the
whims of wealthy philanthropists and Political elitists should be used to
better an already existing educational system (which in MN rarely falls under
the top five in the country) and keep educational opportunities open to
everybody..

Answers for healthcare can be found in "Old School" Conservatism

There's an old saying " if you have no idea where your going, any road will get you there " thus the Real question on healthcare reform becomes how do we as the Republican Party create a legitimately "American " Healthcare System Which focuses on our strengths and our values as a country rather then our weaknesses? Remember despite objection the Democrats offered a solution that was hard to understand and easy to manipulate utilizing the Political machine and it's accompanying rhetoric. It did not offer a public option or an all. Inclusive "Medicare - for - all" scenario. The trick is to remember the GOP existed before Reagan and trickle down economics and look to the philosophies of such notables as Dwight Eisenhower Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Nixon.The Republican alternative should strike a balance between public financing and accountability and private finance and accountability. The solution to Healthcare reform had been around for well over 3 decades and was first proposed by Richard Nixon and a bipartisan Congress. Here's how it works:Everyone In MN and potentially surrounding states through earnings, employers, public assistrance, etc have a choice in a major healthcare company (Allina Health, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, CenterCare Health, MayoHealth, United Health, etc) and has an option for 1,2,3 ,5 or Life time membership. Price competition creates an incentive for companies to provide services the elderly and disabled. Effective diagnostics and solutions to our ailments begin to Play a more significant role because it's natural for humanity to place a higher priority on being healthy over being sick. The annual price of a plain becomes more so dependent on the length of time of the plan that you sign up for And at the same eliminates the need for an intermediate insurance company And it allows for claims of 15%-50% of premiums to be put towards at risk, overly -healthy and persistently sick demographics. Which is essentially the way a free market economy should work. In 1994 the GOP opposed Bill Clinton's proposed overhaul of the American Healthcare system and developed the concept of Medical Savings accounts, they came to support the rhetoric driven idea that the Average American recognized the difference between a need, a want and a nice thing to have when it comes to healthcare. Medical professionals came to recognize by our illnesses rather then by our potential towards health . Hence the reason why Orthopedic suregeons have developed their surgery centers along main highways and routes of major public access such as the Vikings Headquarters in Eagan. It also is most likely one of the reasons Minnesota Gastrointestology has maintained such a large monopoly on colonoscopies and gastrointestinal procedures. This is clearly one solutions healthcare reform but the AHCA has the potential to be of significant detriment to American Citizens. It's not transparency, it's largely based on semantics and to be blunt it's just poor public policy, the American electorate deserves policy initiatives that are driven by empirical data. Isn't it time we move on from Unproductive partisan rhetoric and get things done for Minnesotans. I certainly think so.

Huffman a positive choice for Minnesota

    I  have been asked multiple times who I am supporting for Governor and I have been reluctant to offer up my support simply for the reason that  certain members of the  Republican Party attacked me for having  high functioning Autism and have continued to do so and I'm tired of being ostracized and deemed inferior for being different, and I'm tired of being treated as a Sub-human species by Republican BPOU members in Carver county and being blatantly degraded so that aggressors can Push a political agenda. Isnt it time that we move beyond the school yard bully tactics of Special interest groups? doesn't the most conservative county in the State  deserve more then the village idiots and schoolyard bullies in its representation? Let's be pragmatic: confront our Taxes,  our education system, Healthcare and our infrastructure and vote for Data-driven Initiatives that improve and sustain our Communities.

Every year we sit here and vote the same people into office. Every year we grant the same people power to harass anyone who dares to oppose them.  Isn't that what the GOP was built on?  Contrary opinions and If you put in the work it shouldn't matter if your Jewish or Autistic or Black or Asian or Blue or Gay or straight or male or female.If you work, if you dream,  if you push you can get there.  What have we come to that morality is subjective.  We espouse morals values and limited government and we're going the opposite direction.  The last time we voted for a Republican for a Republican we voted for Pawlenty /
Molnau .They promised infrastructure... A bridge collapsed,  our System was left to decay,..they promised tax reform. Our went up,  They promised reform for the metropolitan Council and nothing got done because it wasn't politically convenient. Doesn't the most conservative county in the entire state  deserve better then blowhards and Ignorance? Isn't it time for  Carver county  to settle for something more then the broken promises, faulty rhetoric of the past and situational ethics that we've heard over and over and over.Tonight I'm making my decision and it's a decision I've made to support legitimate solutions for Carver County's infrastructure, our taxes, our business community  our Educational system and I'm supporting Republican Ramsey County Commisioner Blake Huffman for Governor because Im sick Of the lies and the broken promises,  and for the fact that he's not Pseudo -Pro life Blake  recognizes that all people have worth, he supports policies that promote life  and Self Sufficiency. I have full Confidence he will get things done for Minnesota and I hope you will join Blake nd I in supporting legitimate Data driven solutioms for Minnesotans  too.

Unions should support more "Jim Abelers"

  why should a hypothetical union guy,  vote Republican?

Well, let’s summarize the prevailing wisdom of many Democrat union voters. Union Jack certainly knows why he SHOULDN’T vote Republican. Republicans are union-busting, anti-labor politicians corrupted by enormous amounts of big business money. Plus, his labor uni

on gives a large amount of money to Democratic politicians and spends a lot of resources in getting Democrats elected. As a result, the Democrats are the pro-labor and anti-big business party.There is nothing more Republican or American than men and women working together for the advancement of their country and themselves as individuals.
There is nothing more Republican or American than men and women working together for the advancement of themselves as individuals. First, let’s discuss the union busting. Conservatives have earned a reputation for union busting and it is fairly deserved. Republican politicians have picked a lot of REALLY stupid battles with labor unions historically and now. I personally consider myself a pro-union Republican – not because I always agree with unions, but because I see them as having been responsible for two things. First, and most obviously, the creation of the American middle class. Even though I don’t have a union job, I probably wouldn’t be paid anywhere near where I am now (even if you consider inflation) without unions fighting for better work conditions and higher wages over the last 120 years. Secondly, because the creation of the middle class in the 20th Century prevented the Communist Party of the United States from becoming a serious domestic political force; likely saving our Constitution and economic freedoms or at the very least enabling us to win the Cold War. So I will be the first to admit that many of our Republican leaders are putting ideology before the lessons of history when it comes to labor unions. Many, but not all. Union Jack may be surprised to learn that the great Kevin Tracy is not the only pro-Union Republican. Many Republican officials are just as pro-union as I am. The problem is that the Republican Party’s leaders and candidate platforms aren’t going to adjust while people like Union Jack and his Union brothers and sisters are voting in Democrat primaries. Union Jack actually can have a say in where the Republican candidates stand on unions, but he NEEDS to get involved in the Republican Party. So now that we’ve established that the Republican Party isn’t entirely anti-Union, it makes sense to address the myth that Republicans are anti-Labor (and that Democrats are pro-Labor). At face value, it is very easy to see how Union Jack can perceive Republicans as anti-Labor. We oppose raises in minium wage, we protect business owners from frivolous law suits, and the list goes on. Democrats on the other hand are eager to raise wages, encourage law suits, etc. However, I would implore Union Jack to ask himself, “What does it mean to be pro-labor? The phrase has been overused and abused in recent years, but businesses create jobs and as long as rich people own businesses, rich people will use those businesses to create jobs. Do Republicans bend over backwards to help these businesses with tax breaks and other incentives? Yes. We do that so they can maintain their profit margins and not have to lay off workers. In good economic conditions, this also enables businesses to invest in themselves by creating more jobs and hiring more workers, regardless of whether they are union or non-union employees. If we can sustain a friendly enough business environment, it is possible business owners across the country will create a surplus of jobs. When that happens, wages will go up and upward mobility becomes increasingly possible as companies begin competing for the best workers. I have always been confused by those who call Republicans anti-labor. REPUBLICANS ARE PRO-LABOR because they want you to be able to find a job. Republicans want you to have employment options. The last thing any Republican wants is for Union Jack to collect welfare. It’s a drain on businesses, the economic resources (buying power) of the American taxpayer, and makes it that much more difficult to get government spending under control. Meanwhile, Democrats are undermining the American business owner’s ability to make a profit on his or her investment. Even worse, Democrats are undermining the economic power of the American worker. This will probably come as a surprise for Union Jack. We often hear about Democrats opposing tax hikes on the poor in favor of taxing the wealthy (defined as individuals making $250,000+ per year). At face value, that seems like Democrats are helping the poor at the expense of the wealthy. If we examine this more closely though, we can see that this is actually BAD for every American. Union Jack, like almost every American citizen, is a consumer. His quality of life is determined not by how much money he makes, but the purchasing power of the money he earns. If Democrats tax business owners, the business owners aren’t going to make any less money because they will pass that expense on to the consumer, or Union Jack in this instance. For example, let’s say Union Jack takes home $50,000 a year and is paying $15,000 for his mortgage, $5000 for his car, $20,000 for gas and electricity, and $10,000 on miscellaneous bills and necessities (it equals $50,000). Democrats then give Union Jack a tax cut. As a result, Union Jack is now taking home $55,000 a year. At face value, that seems great. However, Democrats want to make up the revenue by taxing business owners. Businesses then respond by raising their prices to make up for the extra money they have to pay in taxes. As a result, gas and electricity cost more. The price of Union Jack’s energy goes up from $25,000 to $28,000. Those miscellaneous things like cable and food also become more expensive as a result, going from $10,000 to $13,000 (everything now costs $56,000).inflation
Even worse, when Union Jack needs to buy a new car, that new car is going to cost him significantly more than what he was paying before. He can save money by buying used; which is one less car being manufactured. When demand for vehicles falls across the country, auto-workers get laid off. When workers stop getting pay checks, they stop buying things. When people stop buying things, demand for things begins to fail, profits drop and workers making things get laid off. When they get laid off, they stop buying things, too. In time, these people lose their homes and house values plummet. If Union Jack ever needs to sell his home, he’s probably not going to get what he paid for it. In other words, his home is no longer worth the $15,000 a year that he’s paying for it. Of course, this assumes Democrats actually gave Union Jack a tax cut to begin with. That almost never happens. History has proven that Democrats would increase taxes on businesses and leave Union Jack’s middle class tax rate alone. So Union Jack is still making $50,000 a year but his expenses would climb from $50,000 to $56,000. The question needs to be asked: “Why are Democrats considered PRO-LABOR?” They are making workers across the United States increasingly weaker by taking away their purchasing power. So, back to the original question. Why should a union worker vote Republican?
1. The tax policies of the Republican Party economically empower workers.
2. The Republican Party’s “business friendly” tax structure creates an environment where employers are more eager to hire workers and compete with one another for the best workers by offering better wages and higher positions.
3. Republicans never want you to be in a position where you have to be on welfare.
4. The incredibly talented Kevin Tracy is a Republican.
5. Unfair union-busting practices will end if union workers begin voting for pro-union Republicans in Republican Primaries.
6. Democrats love to tax. They want to tax you for every mile you drive on top of the gax tax you already pay. This will lower your buying power even more.

Senator Jim Abeler

It's time to Say "NO" to drugs

 

The untimely demises of such notables as Micheal Jackson and Prince Rogers Jackson,  has sparked a national conversation on the drug Fentanyl.Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has come to be a significant threat to Public health. Fentanyl is also a key ingredient in Oxycontin And has played a significant role in the rise in mortality rates due to opioid abuse as it hinders respiration and causes death quicker then other opioids.From 2012-2014 the number of Fentanyl related deaths doubled from 2628 to 5544. These recent statistics have placed Fentanyl at the center of the opioid crisis. Government agencies are struggling as to how to address the issue as well as the increased fatalities. To truly address this issue, policymakers need to differentiate between use reduction and harm reduction. Use reduction is about reducing consumption, Harm reduction is about reducing the negative consequences of usage. In regards to a harm reduction approach, many addicts who overdose on fentanyl aren't aware their using it As dealers often cut it with heroin. Recent drug busts in Canada revealed that 89% of seized synthetic Oxycontin tablets contained  Fentanyl. In the United States it was also found in dosages of Norco and Xanax. Although producing Fentanyl requires specialized knowledge and equipment, fentanyl use is on the rise most likely due to cheaper production costs, and potency.Heroin costs about $65,000 per kilogram, Fentanyl costs about $3,500  thus the dealers have incentives to utilize it to offset pricing. Inexperienced dealers pose an even greater risk to public health. Policies need to be put in place that eliminate incentives to utilize fentanyl in concocting Their synthetic products.
Traditional drug  enforcement emphasizes on use reduction which includes deterring distribution, harsher prosecution of addicts and cracking down on illegal laboratories.  Cracking down on illegal labortories often disrupts the  market for the substance, the issue with user reduction approaches is they can make the problems worse.  Concepts such as prosecuting those possessing paraphanelia increases needle sharing which in turns opens doors to spread HIV.  As a result many law enforcement agencies have created initiatives that coincide with public health interests, thus the goal becomes not suppressing but channel in a different direction. Another solution that has proved effective is to hold individuals and organizations that deal illegal substances accountable with harsher prosecution and sentencing that is more severe in nature.Imposing the same in cases where Fentanyl is being distributed Would also prove to be effective. Healthcare also has a large role in this issue in addressing mortality rates and responding to overdoses Via opioid antagonizers such as Naloxone. Naloxone has been proven effective but needs to be applied in the right dosage and in an immediate fashion. Naloxone kits need to be made available in higher dosages and be readily available to first responders. The kits should also be made available to users with a training provided regarding what to do in the event of an overdose. In many states this will take revisions to regulations on pharmacies. Expanding  access to chemical dependency  treatment has been a long time concern as well but it has been addressed to a certain extent by the 21st century cures act. Medical professionals also need to recognize that medication - assisted treatment is also not without risk. By reducing tolerance into those who continue to use or have been in an environment that temporarily prohibits substance abuse such as an inmate that is related from jail. The rise of Fentanyl, it's affordability and it's potency pose a significant threat to public health which requires a timely response and effective policies that combines prevention, treatment and harm-reduction approaches into solutions that promote safety health and positive choices for individuals and for our communities

Projection:Blong Yang wins Ward 5 Council seat by small margin

 

   I picked up records for previous Elections for the MN Ward 5 Council from Minneapolis City Hall. Yes,  Blong lost the endorsement but Blong's never won the DFL endorsement. Blong has never come in above 3rd at a DFL endorsing Convention, this year he came in 2nd. Although the Name "Ellison" is a big name in Minneapolis, If used correctly by opponents that will most likely be his downfall.  Norm Coleman's son Jake is one of my closest political allies and he has pulled me out of the fire on multiple occasions.  Coleman is a big name and he broke records on fundraising but when going up against someone who has been an extremely  visible presence in the community he lost the race.Kieth is in Congress,  Kim is on the school board  Adding  a 3rd Ellison looks like Dynasty Building, also the motto a northsider for the north side sounds Nativist and it appears that the intent is to make a black issue on everyone else issue which is going to isolate a lot of the electorate . Looking at Numbers and patterns. I predict Blong Yang wins re-election to the Ward 5 council seat by a moderately smaller margin then last time.

Dumb and Dumber

I recently wrote a letter to the Editor calling out the Mayor Jim Sanborn's trolling on Twitter as Bullying. Mayor Sanborn has been blocked on Twitter by State Auditor Rebecca Otto, Mayor Sanborn has also utilized Social media forums to attack officials in Minneapolis including Ward 5 Councilman Blong Yang. Mayor Sanborn openly cites himself as the Mayor of Waconia during the exchanges.The following week Mayor Mike Webb of the neighboring City of  Carver  and Jeff Thompson, a GOP activist from Cologne. I responded to Jeff Thompsons letter the following week, I was recently asked why I did not respond to Mayor Webb's letter and most people in Waconia's response to that letter was "whose Mike Webb?" and for those that do know who Mike is they think he's a bully too and it's only natural for the bully to defend the bully. One of the things that struck my attention in Webb's letter was his quote "I believe in the right to discourse – I also believe the right to earning your way to the table as to not just toss barbs blindly. " Mayor Webb has had an exceptionally long feud with Commissioner Randy Maluchnik, labeling him "Ma-Douche-nik" and "Union Randy" Sometimes the best advice we can take is our own Mike. Although I do find the bro-mance between Mayor Webb and Mayor Sanborn to be adorable, One has to ask whose the top and whose the bottom?

Jennifer Carnahan is "A New Hope" for the MNGOP

Going up against a plethora of more experienced candidates such as National Committeeman Rick Rice and Deputy Chairman Chris Fields  Jennifer Carnahan as State Chair of the Minnesota Republican to most seemed at mo
st a bit far fetched, but not to me. Several month before I had sat down for Lunch at Cy's in Chaska and I had predicted that Jennifer Carnahan would emerge as the next Chair of the MN Republican party.
As a Candidate for SD59 Jennifer was told she had no chance of winning and statistically she didn't but a long with Margaret Martin and Jessica Newville Jennifer ran as if she could. She gave it her utmost best, Jennifer broke fundraising records and performed better then most of the previous candidates for the district emerging with 22.1 percent of the vote in one of the safest DFL districts in the state.
During the Course of her campaign for State Chair came face to face with the good old boy system of the Republican and she faced it with exemplary courage. Jennifer asked me after a particularly night during the campaign about facing adversity in the GOP. How Do I continue to fight without being worn down when people lie about me and call me names and  told her "Its not about what they call you it's about what you answer to." I've always identified with Jennifer because  we've fought a lot of the same battles to prove ourselves repeatedly to a system that is historically resistant to change. Many saw Jennifer as an opportunity to take the racist card out of the DFL's deck of cards, but  there was a  lot more then race involved in the selection process. What should intimidate the opposition is her drive. When Jennifer puts her mind to something she gets it done.

the other key aspect is Jennifer's story Carnahan of being born in rural South Korea, abandoned at a local hospital and adopted and rising to the top of fortune 500 companies is about hard work and determination, It is the epitome of the Republican philosophy of it doesn't matter where you come from "if you work hard enough you can get there." A philosophy that we have strayed from for too long to the point we'd become elitist, disillusioned and complacent. Jennifer's election challenged the status quo, defied the practice of picking of winners and losers and opened doors for a more inclusive more upbeat more positive Republican party.
I have the utmost confidence in Jennifer's leadership and know she will lead the party with dignity with equity and with decency, She represents the American dream, a fresh vision and a new hope for the Republican party.