How did today's meeting in Duluth go?

Hi there,
I didn't go to the meeting today. Can anybody tell me how it went? Just comment on this post.
Big thanks, Sandra

another sensible editorial

County Board has the right to remain silent. And should.

Duluth News Tribune
Published Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Probably the most important advice a lawyer can give a client is to remain silent. In criminal cases, any defense lawyer worth anything knows that police and prosecutors mean it when they warn that anything you say can and will be used against you.

The advice is equally invaluable in the civil arena, when a few words uttered by even the most innocent party can end up, rightly or wrongly, being the basis for a large-figure lawsuit. So St. Louis County Attorney Melanie Ford’s caution to County Board members to cease speaking publicly about harassment cases — out of concern that more may be filed — should be accepted as the good counsel it is.

Should County Board members be able to exercise their right of unfettered free speech? Absolutely. But discretion dictates that the gasoline set off by getting a last word in or lobbing even a justified defensive remark shouldn’t be poured on high-flaming emotions, which are running rampant in county government.

The admonition, by the way, shouldn’t be interpreted as directed to one side of the board or any particular member or members. The entire body would be wise to heed the county lawyer’s advice.

St. Louis County attorney to county board: Stop talking about harassment complaints

I'm sure most of you have read the article below, or watched it on our Northern Minnesota news. In case you missed it you can watch it on http://www.northernmnnews.com/. it's the third video clip right after 2 great statements by Kathy and Kevin. Thank you for those by the way.

It was good to see how positive for example Commissioners Kron and Sweeney were. They thanked Melanie Ford for doing her job. Unfortunately Commissioner Nelson's behavior was less than impressive. We will see how it will do this Tuesday, please join us!

Sandra

St. Louis County attorney to county board: Stop talking about harassment complaints

Duluth News Tribune
Published Tuesday, October 02, 2007

To protect the county from more potential sexual harassment complaints, St. Louis County Attorney Melanie Ford today advised the County Board not to talk about complaints filed earlier this year against two commissioners or about the female employees who filed the complaints.“There’s a lot of talk out there that there could be other complaints,” Ford told commissioners at the end of regular board meeting in Duluth. “There’s a lot of people in the county talking about what’s going on, and there’s even talk about them getting together and filing a complaint.”

Earlier this year, sexual harassment complaints were filed against Commissioners Dennis Fink and Steve Raukar.

Following investigations by Duluth attorney Elizabeth Storaasli, both commissioners were found by the county’s personnel officer to have violated a county harassment policy. However, as elected officials, commissioners are not subject to the same policy that covers county employees.

The board, in two separate split votes, didn’t take disciplinary action against either commissioner.

Further public discussion about the issue — either to media or among commissioners — could lead to additional complaints from the complainants or from others, said Ford.

“I am here telling you that it is a possibility, and I am here to suggest there is a way to reduce the risk of a complaint or lawsuit being filed,” said Ford. “I would suggest you not make your feelings public about the harassment complaints.”

Commissioners Peg Sweeney and Bill Kron thanked Ford for her legal advice.

Kron said former county attorney Alan Mitchell offered similar warnings to the board during Mitchell’s tenure.

“You have told us some areas to be careful of and that is your job,” said Kron.

Sweeney said Ford’s job is to “put up red flags,” to the board and “prevent further victimization of the victims.”

However, Commissioner Keith Nelson said Ford was keeping the issue alive by bringing it up at a board meeting.

For more of this story, read tomorrow's Duluth News Tribune and check back to duluthnewstribune.com.

Clean Water Resoration Act

I was surprised to hear a County Commissioner speak in opposition to the bill Representative Oberstar has put forth. Our own County Professional Staff has testified in front of a Congressional Committee in support of the bill. It's a very important piece of legislation intended to restore protections for water in our nation. I cannot imagine anything worse than leaving the decisions about what the regulations for clean water should be to a county in Ohio or Mississippi or Minnesota (our standards are already higher than the federal ones) for that matter. We're all connected and the water from our backyard flows into the creeks, streams, rivers and lakes we all drink from.

http://northernmnnews.com/CleanWater.htm


http://www.cleanwateraction.org/national/

another great letter in the News Tribune

and another great letter was published in the Duluth News Tribune today, keep 'm coming!

Civility was lacking atcounty board workshop

Watching the county commissioners discuss issues at a Sept. 18 workshop turned out to be rather interesting. They expressed some informed opinions, listened to each other, and aside from some personal rants (that are a politician’s prerogative) and some nonverbal posturing when colleagues spoke, it wasn’t too bad a morning. The people around the table were quite aware of those of us there to observe how they conducted business.

Then Commissioner Dennis Fink, after orating at length with a degree of irrationality about the notion of prioritizing correct environmental purchases for county departments, seemed to lose control when Commissioner Peg Sweeney challenged (with just a look) his statement that the county holds $4.2 million of inventory at this time. He shouted that it was all in the budget publication, launched that bound book across the table in Sweeney’s direction, with Commissioner Steve O’Neil helping to bring it to a stop. When Sweeney spoke next, she chided Fink telling him that was childish behavior. He shot back, “Well, just throw it back at me.” (“Sweeney claims Fink threw book at her,” Sept. 26, and Our View, “Mommmmmmmmmmyyyyy!” Sept. 27.)

I also was mystified by the repeated references to people needing social services coming to St. Louis County from Chicago always directed toward O’Neil, who patiently maintained a pleasant demeanor in spite of what began to look like badgering. Ann Busche, director of Public Health and Human Services, explained that St. Louis County is bound by exactly the same Minnesota state rules as the other 86 counties and that the county does not hand out services lavishly. That did nothing to stop the lamentations of helping folks from Chicago while looking at O’Neil.

I expected to see respectful interaction (both verbal and nonverbal) between commissioners. And I expect commissioners to listen to their employees.

Phyllis Mead

Duluth

introductions are in order

Dear readers,

I just invited myself to become a blogger on this great new blog, so I figured introductions are in order. I am a 36 year old mother who lives in Duluth. I am sharing the mother bit with you all because it’s is part of the reason I became involved in the “We are watching” campaign. You see, I have a son, and I do not want my son to grow up and behave like some of our County Commissioners, no Fink for a role model please. Also I want my son to be able to stand up for injustices as he sees them. I want County Commissioners to be accountable; they make important decisions that effect all of us. I think that Commissioner O’Neill has been trying to convince the board to hold their meetings in the evening so more citizens could come and listen in, accountability according to this commissioner is a good thing, and maybe this idea should be revisited. Until then I will take time out of my busy day as much as I can and watch our commissioners at work. Do join.

Sandra

Readers' views in Duluth News Tribune on Sept 28

I was happy to see this letter in today's (Sept 28th) Duluth News Tribune. I could not agree more with what Trevor had to say. Except perhaps with his statement that "His (Forsman's) statement would be expected from a hormone-crazed, 14-year-old boy". If I was a 14 year old boy, I'd object, but then again, I've never been one...
Thank you Trevor!

County Board members attempt to play the victim

St. Louis County Commissioner Mike Forsman’s response to the campaign of the We are Watching group would be comical if it wasn’t so indicative of a serious incapacity to recognize the importance of ethical behavior from elected officials (“County will craft code,” Sept. 5). Residents of St. Louis County should be concerned that an individual with such a deficit wields the power that Forsman does.

If Forsman is serious that he is incapable of discerning the difference between looking at a woman and ogling her, he lacks a level of self-awareness and self-control that would be expected in a responsible adult. His statement would be expected from a hormone-crazed, 14-year-old boy, not an elected official. Perhaps Forsman’s constituents should consider whether this level of maturity is adequate to earn their votes when he’s up for re-election.

Forsman’s accusation of white-male hatred is completely without merit. Certainly he noticed that other white male commissioners were not the subjects of the protest group’s action, but only those who made inappropriate advances on female employees of St. Louis County. This issue is not about white men, it is about men in elected office who have sexually harassed women working for the county.

Finally, Forsman’s suggestion that the We are Watching group and its supporters are analogous to the racist mob who lynched three innocent black men in Duluth in 1920 is completely off base and demonstrates a broad-ranging ignorance of the issues at hand. Holding elected officials accountable for their behavior is not the same as murdering three men because they are African American. Forsman clearly feels like a victim, but he isn’t one, and neither are Commissioners Dennis Fink (“Fink faces accusations of improper comments and stares,” Aug. 16) or Steve Raukar (“County inquiry focuses on hotel phone calls,” Aug. 4). Only the privilege white men hold in this society would allow the consequences of unethical behavior to be mistaken for victimization.

Trevor Swoverland

Two Harobrs