It's Only Money

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

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

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.

What to Do?

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.