In 1994, Newt “Is My Wife Well Enough To Divorce Yet?” Gingrich came up with some slogans he packaged and sold as “The Contract On With America.” In September 2010, GOPer Minority Leader (thank God!) John Boehner cut and pasted from it and repackaged that same old (stuff) as the “Pledge To America.” Let’s look!

(link to The Daily Show” here)

In California, The “new” GOPer candidate for Governor is saying the exact same (stuff) the old GOPer candidate did. Let’s look!

(Link to YouTube here)

WOW!!! They titled that YouTube “Echoes” for a reason, yes?

And then locally, as described in full detail here, disgraced GOPer Mayor Phil Young’s 2006 campaign website was blatantly cut and pasted to GOPer Endorsed candidate Donna Azarian’s 2010 campaign website.

This is from Phil Young’s 2006 “Values” webpage:

Efficient Government: Eden Prairie is a very-well run city. I want to make it even better….

This is on the GOPer-Endorsed Azarian, 2010 “Issues” webpage:

Fiscal Responsibility — Eden Prairie is a very-well run city. I want to make it even better….

More? But of course!!!

Young, circa 2006:

…While every community should take steps to capture its past, our residents have told us that spending tax dollars on historical preservation is not a priority. The City Council should honor the community opinions which it has solicited.

GOPer Azarian, today:

…While every community should take steps to capture its past, our residents have told us that spending tax dollars on historical preservation is not a priority. The City Council should honor the community opinions which it has solicited.

And there’s more, of course, as described in full detail here – with screenshots, too! Maybe I should make another YouTube….

It’s really rather pathetic. The more things change, the more the CAP (Cut And Paste) GOP doesn’t.

(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)

Well, I’m here to tell you they do NOT believe in competition; far from it. For instance, GOPers cheered while Shearson bought Lehman to acquire Hutton to be sliced and diced and merged into CitiGroup, which – of course – was “too big to fail” and got a TARP bail-out, courtesy o’ that noted “free-marketeer”, George orWell Bush.

And for just but one more example (and there are tons of ‘em), I did’t see any GOPers complaining while Clear Channel locally bought up radio stations across the local dial…

GOPers do NOT believe in “competion” – and Today’s Example Of Republicans Believe In Competition (Except When They Don’t) has to do with a post I posted last week, a post that I almost titled “Puttin’ In The Fix”.

In that post, I said:

Video, and more, later.

Well, today’s later, and I got the video of Eden Prairie Mayor Phil Young and Council Members Jon Dusckstad and Brad Aho tryin’ to do an end around and stick the taxpayers o’ Eden Prairie with what I can only discribe as a D*ck (cheney)in’ Cheney-esque “No-Bid Contract”.

I watched the video a couple o’ times, and The Tragic Trio sickened me. Now, you can be sickened, too! Let’s look!!!

(YouTube link to Part 1 of 2 here)

(YouTube link to Part 2 of 2 here)

Hey, does anyone actually get the impression, after watching the shenanigans Young, Duckstad, and Aho were trying to pull, that there WASN’T a violation of Minnesota’s “Open Meeting Law”?

I’m not suggesting The Tragic Trio “did” violate that law, but hey – those three sure look like they COULD have….

But, hey! You have to remember, one o’ The Tragic Trio is the guy some folk now know as “Phelonius Phil”….

Link to original post, “The question comes up why would he leave for a $1,000 raise?” is here.

(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)

And “The question” – above – is from a story in yesterday’s Eden Prairie News print edition, reinforces that distrust. It’s a story about Eden Prairie City Manager Scott Neal leaving for the same job in Edina. Several reasons are given:

Edina City Council member Scot Housh was “amazed at what we have accomplished.”

He’s coming to Edina for about $1,000 more than what he makes now, Housh noted. The question comes up why would he leave for a $1,000 raise?

“I think Edina’s a community that’s always strived to be the best,” Housh noted.

Though the city is smaller in population, “reality is, in stature, Edina is premier.”

“’It’s a testament to the city of Edina, the people of Edina that we’re able to attract the kind of talent that we got with him,” said Housh.

Here’s Mr. Neal’s reasons, emphasis mine:

In a previous interview, Neal said there were two reasons he applied for the Edina job, one being that it was a comparable community to EP. Secondly, he did not feel secure at his current position given the political issues that have popped up this year when Neal discovered the Mayor had taken reimbursement for meetings he had not attended.

I’m surmising Mr. Neal doesn’t trust Young, Duckstad, or Aho either. But, I don’t know that; I’m just guessing based on what’s been written.

I almost titled this post “Puttin’ In The Fix” – based on last Tuesday’s City Council Meeting in Eden Prairie; Mr. Neal and the City Of Edina hadn’t officially agreed to terms of new employment, nor had Mr. Neal tendered an official resignation to the City of Eden Prairie – yet Young, Duckstad, and Aho were already scheming “planning” on replacing Neal. And while we don’t know that they already have their replacement picked (who knows? Maybe FEC Tony nor MudSlingerMike haven’t signed off on it…yet…), it seems obvious The Tragic Trio had their “recruiter” picked.

I’m hoping to have the exchange regarding “Puttin’ In The Fix” posted on YouTube Monday; it’s roughly the 20:00 minute through 42:00 minute mark in the City’s video of the meeting. For today, just a couple of comments:

At the very beginning of the meeting, after approval of last meeting’s minutes, Council Member Dusckstad wants to amend the Agenda to “add a statement” during the “Council Member’s Reports” period; the Agenda is amended.

And once that point in the meeting is reached, (approx. 21:30 into the City’s video of the meeting) Duckstad gets “right” to the point – he feels there’s an “imminent need” and wants to hire a “recruiter” to find Neal’s replacement “with dispatch.” And – surprise! – he’s got just the guy, to find just the guy, in mind.

Hey – it sure looks clear to me, that if Council Members Nelson and Case hadn’t spoken up as forcefully as they did, The Tragic Trio would have moved forward with their chosen one.

The most ironical comment, again – to me – was from Phelonius Phil. Here’s how my transcription reads:

Young: “The notion we would punt the decision to a future Council, I, ah, I don’t know where that came from, but I have every intention of fulfilling my obligatios to the City until December 31st.”

Say, Phil? You want to “fulfill your obligations” to the City?

RESIGN. Like, yesterday. No one has disgraced the office of Eden Prairie Mayor more than Phil Young. It’s apparent to me, IMNSHO, that if it weren’t for the Hennepin County’s Prosecutorial Discretion, Phil Young would be preparing a defense to felony charges – perjury, to be exact.

Actually, until Phil Young, no one HAD disgraced the office of Eden Prairie Mayor; until Young came around, there had never been talk of “Eden Prairie’s worst mayor.” Of course, until Young came around, I never thought I’d hear “Eden Prairie Mayor”, “felony”, and “perjury” in the same sentence, either.

As I watched, and rewatched, the Council Meeting Video, Council Member Case’s observation that there seemed to be an appearance of an Open Meeting Violation struck me as accurate.

At the last minute, Duckstad adds a request for Council Member Reports” time; and suggests a specific individual/firm be retained. Young and Aho (and Aho admits he’d already talked to the guy) seem to be all over it.

Now, I don’t know this guy (“Greg Albrecht”) and from a quick google search he seems to be a swell guy, but I do know that two years ago, he wrote a letter in the Eden Prairie News supporting Brad Aho’s re-election efforts.

Prior to watching the City Council Meeting, but after reading the story cited above about Neal in the Eden Prairie News, I called Aho. And I asked him if he had any problem voting to hire a guy that had written a letter of support to his re-election efforts. Aho said “no” so I asked him if I could quote him, to which he said “yes.” (Aho then suggested I watch the video of the Council meeting, to “add context.” So, I did.)

The reason I asked Aho that, was the appearance thing: a guy supports your candidacy with a letter to the paper, two years later, it looks like you’re ready to hire the guy on a no-bid contract. Does a belated “quid pro quo” come to mind to anyone but me?

Another key exchange came between Council Member Case and Mayor Young, after Young’s “we’re not gonna punt” comment above. Case asked if this current Council, with maybe a month and a half left – perhaps as few as 3 meetings – before the next duly elected Council takes over in January, “would hire a new City Manager?”

Young: “Mr. Case, what I’m suggesting if is there an obligation for this Council to take an action, we’re going to take an action.”

Unreal. Young, who has declined to resign, is taking the position he’s still qualified to help choose a new City Manager that he won’t be around to work with.

Above, I made a snide comment about GOP Chair Tony Sutton and Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb “signing off” on the next City Manager in Eden Prairie.

There’s a reason for it. I firmly believe that were the GOP endorsed candidates for Mayor (Jon Duckstad) and City Council (Donna Azarian) to win in November, and join incumbent GOP endorsed Council Member Brad Aho to maintain GOP-endorsed Council majority, and Sutton and Brodkorb wanted them to pick their guy as the next City Manager, that’s EXACTLY what would happen.

But, hey – why take a chance on an election? Sutton and Brodkorb could do the same thing “right” now, what with GOPers Young, Duckstad, and Aho already currently forming a GOPer Majority….

Elections have consequences. “Selections” do, too.

The best way to ensure “your guy” gets installed? Control the “search” selection – which gets back to why last Tuesday’s appearance of “Puttin’ In The Fix” is so disgusting.

Video, and more, later.

(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)

The local GOPers defending GOPer Young include GOP State Rep Jenifer Loon’s Campaign Manager (Gary Stevens) and a GOP SD42 Vice Chair (Kevin Schultz). Schultz claimed he was speaking only for himself; yeah – “right.”

Yet yesterday, FEC Tony (GOP Chair Tony Sutton) and his side-kick MudSlingerMike (GOP Deputy Chair Michael Brodkorb) took a cheap shot (hey, they’re GOPers; whaddya expect?) at State Auditor Rebecca Otto.

Which, of course, is “Today’s Example Of GOPers Care About Protecting Public Funds (Except When They Don’t)”

So I’ll be talking with Rebecca Otto today on Quick On The Uptake – I’m sitting in for Host Mike McIntee!

Now, State Auditor Otto probably can’t say much; as required by state law her office was notified early on about GOPer Young dippin’ into the ol’ Taxpayer Till. But I’m sure she’ll have plenty to say about the cheap shot the GOPers took at her!

I’ll also be talking with John Van Hecke from MN2020.org about a report from economic policy fellow Lee Egerstrom that looks at how Northern European countries have heavily influenced the Minnesota economy and its social safety net systems; fellow blogger Dave Mindeman, and State Rep Frank Hornstein, who just got back from the Gulf – we’ll talk about how the BP Oil Spill and how it might affect Minnesota’s migratory birds.

The call-in number is 952-946-6205 to join in the conversation!

So tune in your radio today to AM-950 KTNF, or listen live on your computer, here!

(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)

I’ve been following the continuing Eden Prairie GOPer Mayor Phil Young Scandal; Part 5 (which has links to parts 1, 2, 3 and 4) is here.

And I’d like to reiterate what I told the Eden Prairie City Council on June 15th:

THIS MATTER IS ABOUT A MAYOR THAT FALSELY SIGNED DOCUMENTS FOR AT LEAST 26 MEETINGS – THERE MAY BE MORE.

Yesterday, the Strib published an Editorial regarding Mayor Young. On their webpage, they excerpted one question and answer between Detective Hultgren and Mayor Young. I also submitted a Data Practices Act Request with the Plymouth Police Department, and have read the entire investigation that is public information. The final 4 pages are here (page 45) and here (page 46) and here (page 47) and here (page 48). It starts with Detective Hultgren describing how he was assigned to the case, and the facts he found. Make no mistake — Detective Hultgren found perjury, plain and simple. From page 48:

On 6/11/2010 (City Prosecutor) Renz contacted me and asked that I (Det. Hultgren) again send this case to the County Attorney for possible felony perjury charges. Renz believed this was the most obvious charge after he reviewed the facts.
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On 7-12-2010 Renz advised me that his office was declining to charge Mayor Young with a misdemeanor.

OK, so why didn’t City Attorney Renz prosecute Mayor Young under misdemeanor perjury? Because he can’t; perjury by definition is a felony. That explains Renz’ cryptic press release: “…though there may be provable charges at levels or in forums over which Mr. Renz does not have jurisdiction.”

After reading through the whole Plymouth Police Investigation, it’s obvious: Young knew when he filled out all those forms that included the phrase “I declare under penalties of perjury…” the information Young filled in was not true.

And Young did it over and Over and OVER. Just one time – just ONE TIME – is perjury; the Plymouth Police Department clearly proved Young did it over and Over and OVER.

One can easily surmise Young would still be doing just that, had he not been caught. It’s a shame he won’t be prosecuted.

Stay tuned!

(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)

I’ve been following the continuing Eden Prairie GOPer Mayor Phil Young Scandal; Part 4 (which has links to parts 1, 2, and 3) is here.

Last Tuesday, as noted here, I addressed the Eden Prairie City Council. One thing I said is this:

THIS MATTER IS ABOUT A MAYOR THAT FALSELY SIGNED DOCUMENTS FOR AT LEAST 26 MEETINGS – THERE MAY BE MORE.

And it sure looks like there are!

The City Of Eden Prairie appoints a Council Representative to a local non-profit, the Eden Prairie Foundation. The current Board make-up of that non-profit is here. On that page, you will see the City Council’s appointed Representative is Kathy Nelson – NOT Mayor Phil Young.

And if you link to the January 8th, 2008 City Council Minutes here, you’ll see on Page 5:

J. APPOINTMENT TO EDEN PRAIRIE FOUNDATION

Neal noted the Eden Prairie Foundation is a local philanthropic organization in the City. He said this appointment is approved on an annual basis, and Council Member Nelson is currently serving on the foundation.

Young recommended Council Member Nelson’s reappointment. (emphasis added)

MOTION: Aho moved, seconded by Butcher, to approve appointment of Council Member Nelson to the Eden Prairie Foundation. Motion carried 5-0.

I you link here to the January 6th, 2009 minutes, you’ll see Council Member Nelson again appointed as City Council Representative to that non-profit – and, again, on a 5-0 vote.

Everybody got that? Council Member Nelson is entitled to receive Meeting Attendance Reimbursement from City taxpayers for attending meetings with this very, Very, VERY worthy non-profit – NOT Mayor Phil Young.

So, what does GOPer Mayor Young do, on February 5th, 2009?

Turn in a handwritten “City Council Meeting Attendance Claim Form” – under the penalty of perjury – for a 27 January 2009 meeting with that non-profit.

And he did it again and Again and AGAIN — claiming reimbursements for allegedly – ALLEGEDLY – attending meetings with that non-profit on 23 February 2009, 20 March 2009, and 29 May 2009.

And I say allegedly, because the meeting room that non-profit almost always meets at (for regular meetings) is located at City Hall, and a Data Practices Request filed with the City reveals the non-profit did NOT meet at the City in their normal room on the dates Young claimed reimbursement for.

Either way, the claims Young filed – and signed under penalty of perjury – appear to be fraudulent. If there actually were meetings with this non-profit that Mayor Young attended, he received compensation he doesn’t appear entitled to because he is NOT the City Council Representative to that non-profit.

Of course, if there weren’t meetings on the dates Young claimed, that just makes Young’s position worse: claiming compensation he wasn’t entitled to, for meetings that didn’t exist.

But, hey! It’s not like Young hasn’t done that before!

E-mails to the non-profit concerning this matter, by people in a position to confirm or deny if there were meetings and if Young attended, have not been returned.

Stay tuned!!!

(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)

In addition to talking about important news – like GOPer Mayor Phil Young – we’ll be talking with Dave Tilsen about Israel’s May 30 attack on the Free Gaza Flotilla; we’ll have a convrsation with DFL candidate for Minnesota State Senate in District 50 Barb Goodwin, and, as usual on Friday’s Edition of Quick On The UpTake, we’ll also be getting a call from Dane Smith from GrowthAndJustice.org.

The call-in number is 952-946-6205 to join in the conversation!

I’d also like to remind everyone about tonight’s Ed Schultz Show 2010 Town Hall – it’s at Pepito’s Parkway Theater, 4814 Chicago Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the door ($20) and includes @WeGotEd‘s new book: “Killer Politics – How Big Money and Bad Politics Are Destroying the Great American Middle Class”

Signed copies of Ed’s book will be available at AM950 KTNF sponsor, Common Good Books!

So, again, tune in your radio today to AM-950 KTNF, or listen live on your computer, here!

(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)

In addition to talking about important news – like GOPer Mayor Phil Young – I’ll be joined in-studio by State Senator Jim Carlson, who will be joining in the conversation with best-selling author and weekly opinion columnist for the Wall Street Journal, Thomas Frank! Thomas Frank’s latest book is The Wrecking Crew – How Conservatives Ruined Government, Enriched Themselves, And Beggared The Nation”.

Thomas Frank and Senator Carlson will be on for a whole half-hour!!!

The call-in number is 952-946-6205 to join in the conversation!

I’ll also be giving away two tickets to this Friday’s Ed Schultz Show 2010 Town Hall. So, call in to the above number, when I announce the giveaway!

If you need a copy of “The Wrecking Crew”, AM950 sponsor CommonGoodBooks.com has it! They also have Frank’s other books, like “What’s The Matter With Kansas?”. Oh – and tell ‘em TwoPutt sent ya, will ya?

So tune in your radio today to AM-950, or listen live on your computer, here!!!

Oh – fellow blogger Spot, from the Cucking Stool will be joining me in-studio for tomorrow’s show! Tonight, you may want to join Spot and the crowd at Drinking Liberally – link here for details!

(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)

Yesterday, the Strib did an update* on Republican Mayor Phil Young’s problems. Most notable was the news that while Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman’s office declined to prosecute for felony charges, Eden Prairie’s Prosecutor sent the case to the Metropolitan Airports Commission’s Prosecuting Attorney due to possible conflict of interest issues. That Prosecutor is considering misdemeanor, or even gross misdemeanor, charges.

Should be a slam-dunker.

As noted in Part 1 and in Part 2 and in Part 3, Eden Prairie Mayor Phil Young is in a whole lotta trouble; trouble of his own making because he filled out meeting reimbursement claim forms – in his own handwriting – for meetings he didn’t attend (26 at the last count, according to the Strib) and then signed them under penalty of perjury. Additionally, “The Mayor Who Would Be Judge” (we’ll get to that in a future post) turned in a mileage claim for attending meetings he never attended — takin’ the ol’ unearned double-dip from the city’s taxpayer-provided coffers. Oh – and again, that double-dip was in his own handwriting, and – again – signed under penalty of perjury.

How’s THAT for a neat little trick by a GOPer with a reputation for watchin’ the Public’s Purse like a hawk?

Phil Young is the perfect example of a GOPer running for office on the platform “You can’t trust gov’t!!!” – and, once in power, proving it.

All the above deals with just the 26 meetings of the Minnesota Regional Council of Mayors GOPer Young claimed he went to, under penalty of perjury, but didn’t. I’ve been taking a closer look at some of the other meetings Young claimed reimbursement for, and today we’ll look at GOPer Young’s claimed meeting with GOPer State Representative Jenifer Loon!

The questions I emailed to Rep. Loon, R = ChamberOfCommerce 42B, are below the fold:

From: TwoPuttTommy (redacted)
Sent: Tue 6/01/10 10:19 AM
To: Rep. Loon (redacted)
Subj: 2nd Request: 22 February 2010 Meeting With Mayor Phil Young

Dear Rep. Loon,

As you know, I am a blogger at www.MnProgressiveProject.com and an occasional Guest Host on AM950 KTNF radio. I am writing about the current scandal involving Mayor Young.

According to Mayor Young’s 15 March 2010 City Council Meeting Attendance Claim Form, Mayor Young attended a meeting with you – which he was reimbursed for. Presumably, as the Mayor Young was reimbursed, the meeting had to deal with official governmental business. Accordingly, can you tell me where the meeting was held, and how long the meeting lasted?

Where there any others in attendance during this meeting? What official governmental issues were discussed? Did you keep any notes of this meeting?

Did you claim any monetary reimbursement for attending this meeting?

Your prompt response is appreciated.

Tommy Johnson

I originally sent that email on May 24th; followed up with the above on June 1st, and left a voicemail for Rep. Loon on the same day.

Yesterday, I called her office to follow up; the friendly person answering the phone suggested I call Rep. Loon at home – and even provided the number!

So, I did.

I told Rep. Loon why I was calling; she told me she couldn’t comment as the case was still under investigation. I asked her if she had gotten my emails and voice mail; she said she had. I asked her if her position was still “no comment” – she affirmed.

Two points: 1 – the case isn’t “still under investigation” – the Plymouth Police completed the investigation and forwarded the results to the Hennepin County Attorney for possible felony – FELONY - prosecution (as noted above, the case is now under review for possible misdemeanor prosecution); and 2 – Rep. Loon would not - NOT – even confirm nor deny that a meeting between an elected Mayor and an elected State Representative took place??!?

WOW!!!

That “no comment” raises more questions – a LOT more questions – stay tuned!!!

* And For The Record – in yesterday’s Strib story, it was reported:

The matter is expected to come up at the Eden Prairie City Council meeting June 15, Eden Prairie City Manager Scott Neal said. Two people have asked to speak at the open forum, to ask for Young’s resignation.

One of those two, is me.

(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)

As noted in Part 1, the Strib broke the initial story, about Eden Prairie’s GOPer Mayor billing the taxpayers for meetings he didn’t attend. A whole bunch of meetings; 14 – FOURTEEN! – that I could find, as pointed out in Part 2.

Well, guess what? The Strib reporter, Laurie Blake, didn’t stop with the first one; she kept digging into a very sordid story. It’s on-line here. And here’s what the intrepid Strib Reporter found:

Eden Prairie mayor reimbursed for 26 no-shows
Eden Prairie mayor claimed expenses for 26 meetings he didn’t go to. Some had been canceled.

By LAURIE BLAKE, Star Tribune
Last update: May 26, 2010 – 10:06 PM

Eden Prairie Mayor Phil Young filed expense claims totaling nearly $1,000 for 26 meetings that he did not attend, including six that did not take place, City Hall records show.

The information, obtained from the city of Eden Prairie, adds more precise detail to the investigation into Young’s expense claims.

City Hall records show that for 2008, 2009 and the first three months of this year, Young claimed $35 per diem amounting to $980 for 28 meetings of the Minnesota Regional Council of Mayors, which meets under the auspices of the Urban Land Institute in downtown Minneapolis.
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Young also claimed $99 for mileage reimbursement in 2009 for driving 180 miles to five of the same mayors’ council meetings that he did not attend, including two of the meetings that did not take place. (more, here)

Kudos for Laurie for digging deep!!!

Both Star Tribune stories, and the local Eden Prairie paper, had Young’s attorney saying, in essence, that Young could have submitted other reimbursements, so this is no big deal.

Bullsh*t.

Young filed bogus claims, under penalty of perjury – which IS a big deal.

If there were claims he could have filed, but didn’t file, those would be mitigating issues for a Judge to consider before applying sentencing for what Young did – which, in essence, was stealing and fraud.

Republicans run on the platform “Gov’t doesn’t work!”

When in office, they prove it.

And GOPer Phil Young – once again – is today’s example of Greed Over Principles.

(cross posted from MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)