Electable

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.