Progressive Calendar 09.09.09 | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: David Shove (shove001![]() |
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Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2009 14:28:40 -0700 (PDT) |
P R O G R E S S I V E C A L E N D A R 09.09.09 1. BET hearing 9.09 4:30pm 2. Energy/register 9.09 5pm deadline 3. Rosemary/Latino 9.09 5pm 4. Amnesty Intl 9.09 7:30pm 5. Health care vigil 9.09 7:30pm 6. KFAI/advise 9.09 7. Tacos/rights 9.10 11am 8. Eagan peace vigil 9.10 4:30pm 9. Northtown vigil 9.10 5pm 10. Free speech buffs 9.10 5pm 11. Palestine/Steichen 9.10 7pm 12. Michelle Gross - Krazy kop kapers 13. Grace Kelly - "Chicken Little" Sheriff Fletcher 14. Bill Kahn - "Chicken Little" Sheriff Fletcher 15. Erik Hare - "Chicken Little" Sheriff Fletcher 16. ed - Our Jimmy and other coprophilia --------1 of 16-------- From: R. Michael Martens <rmmartens [at] cfrmoney.net> Subject: BET hearing 9.09 4:30pm At the Minneapolis Board of Estimate and Taxation hearing on Wed 9/9 4:30 PM Mpls. City Hall. BET will set the property tax levy limit for 2010. The Mayor has requested an 11.3% in the City budget. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for room 225. If you plan to attend, please check the room # either before you leave or when you get to City Hall. The room may change based on the expected attendance. The August meeting was moved from 225 to 317. If you think a 11.3% budget increase is too much, Please 1. call or email your City Council person http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/ 2. call or email the Mayor r.t.rybak [at] ci.minneapolis.mn.us Phone: (612) 673-2100 3. Better yet attend the meeting. :-) If we make enough noise BET will hear us and reduce the mayor's request. 4. Forward this email to people than live in Mpls. or own property in Mpls. Either speak-up now or don't complain about your property taxes for 1 year. ---------2 of 16-------- From: Lydia Howell <lydiahowell [at] visi.com> Subject: Energy/register 9.09 5pm deadline FINAL registration for the CEED Energy Basics Workshop and Climate Justice Retreat closes 5:00pm WEDNESDAY, Sep. 9! Register TODAY to take part in one, two or all of the Climate Justice events presented by the Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy at IATP: · A Pre-Retreat Energy Basics Workshop the afternoon of Friday, September 11, at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and · a full-day Climate Justice Conference Retreat on Saturday, September 12, at the Wilder Forest Retreat Center. Transportation available, contact Eleonore Wesserle at climatejustice [at] iatp.org or 612-870-3425. · Workshop and retreat participants can also choose to receive a discounted ticket to the Ananya Dance Theatre's performance, "Ashesh Barsha" (Unending Monsoon) at the Southern Theater. · Spanish language interpretation available. TO REGISTER: WWW.IATP.ORG/CEED (Look for the blue “Register Now!” button!) Headwaters Foundation Past and Present grantees qualify to attend the Climate Justice Retreat for FREE! Questions? Contact Eleonore Wesserle at climatejustice [at] iatp.org or 612-870-3425. PRE-RETREAT ENERGY BASICS WORKSHOP A fun and informational session on what you can do in your home and in your community to REDUCE pollution, REDUCE your energy bills, and REDUCE the threats of climate change in your community. This is a hands-on, interactive training that you can take back to your communities. Learn about programs that are available to support your energy needs and how Minnesota policies are going to affect you and your family. This enjoyable session includes an energy toolkit developed by the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy for training community members on these important issues. Please join us at this fun workshop and take home an ENERGY SAVINGS WORKBOOK to share with friends, family and fellow colleagues. $10 if registered by September 1, 2009. Workshop Leaders: Amy Roe, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy University of Delaware Manu Mathai, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy University of Delaware DATE: Friday, September 11, 2009 TIME: 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. LOCATION: IATP, Stevens Ave Building (Map) 2104 Stevens Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55404 For online registration: www.iatp.org/ceed --------3 of 16-------- Reply-To: antiwarmn-owner [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: Rosemary/Latino 9.09 5pm Solidarity Rally and Press Conference: Latino Community members speak out against foreclosures and evictions Wednesday September 9, 2009 at 5:00 pm @ Rosemary Williams' house, 3138 Clinton Ave S. Minneapolis The Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Coalition (MIRAc) will hold a rally and press conference on Wednesday September 9, 2009 at 5:00 pm at the home of Rosemary Williams, 3138 Clinton Avenue S., Minneapolis. Members of the Latino community will be showing their support for Rosemary in her fight against GMAC to keep her home and speaking out against the current foreclosure crisis. South Minneapolis, an area with a high Latino population has been affected greatly by this crisis. Just in the Central, Powderhorn and Nokomis neighborhoods there are already almost 400 foreclosed houses this year, according the City of Minneapolis. This show of support for Rosemary is also a call for unity among the many affected communities. Francisco Segovia of MIRAc says, "Foreclosures and evictions have hit the Latino community in South Minneapolis very hard. But we are not the only ones. For this reason we are standing together with Rosemary Williams in her struggle to stay in her home and stand up against the foreclosure crisis that's devastating our neighborhood. In unity there is strength." Organized by the MN Immigrant Rights Action Coalition --------4 of 16-------- From: Gabe Ormsby <gabeo [at] bitstream.net> Subject: Amnesty Intl 9.09 7:30pm AIUSA Group 640 (Saint Paul) meets Wednesday, September 9th, at 7:30 p.m. Mad Hatter Teahouse, 943 West 7th Street, Saint Paul. --------5 of 16-------- From: Lydia Howell <lydiahowell [at] visi.com> Subject: Health care vigil 9.09 7:30pm Minneapolis can't afford to wait for health care! Join our vigil MoveOn members have organized candlelight vigils for people suffering under our broken health care system. Candelight vigil Host: Rosemary M. and your local MoveOn Council Loring Park (in Minneapolis) Wednesday at 7:30 PM We'll open with moving words from Senator Ted Kennedy, who called this fight "the cause of my life." Then we'll read the names and hear the stories of people struggling with the current health care system. --------6 of 16-------- From: Alan Carlson <discern [at] visi.com> Subject: KFAI/advise 9.09 The first meeting of the KFAI Community Advisory Board will be on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009. If you are interested in being on the Community Advisory Board please contact committee chair, John Slade at jslade [at] labornet.org <http://us.mc575.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=jslade [at] labornet.org> or leave a message at KFAI for John Slade with your name and contact information at 612-341-3144 ext 23. The Community Advisory Board is the KFAI Board of Directors' link to the larger KFAI listening and volunteer communities. If you would like to give vital input and represent your fellow listeners and volunteers in advising the KFAI Board of Directors at a community level, please contact KFAI to find out more at 612.341.3144 ext. 23 or go to www.kfai.org <http://www.kfai.org/about/board>* _/about/board. Alan Carlson KFAI Board and CAB Committee Member --------7 of 16-------- From: Welfare Rights Committee <welfarerightsmn [at] yahoo.com> Subject: Indian tacos/rights 9.10 11am Indian Taco Fundraiser for Welfare Rights Committee Thursday, 09/10/2009 11:00 a.m. - - Until Gone! Walker Community Church 3104 16th Ave South Minneapolis, MN 55419 The Welfare Rights Committee is a low Income organization that fights for the rights of poor and working people. Based in Minneapolis we have been fighting for the right to preserve the social safety net for over 17 years. Come and show your support by buying one of our delicious home made Indian tacos. Funds will be used to send folks to the Oct. 3 - "They Say Cut Back, We Say Fight Back!" conference in Chicago. Come enjoy food, friends, and support our work! If you can't make it but still would like to donate, let us know. Please forward to others... Contact: Angel Buechner: 612-822-8020 Welfare Rights Committee PO Box 7266, Mpls MN 55407 pho: 612-822-8020 main email: welfarerightsmn [at] yahoo.com alt email: welfarerights [at] qwest.net --------8 of 16-------- From: Greg and Sue Skog <family4peace [at] msn.com> Subject: Eagan peace vigil 9.10 4:30pm PEACE VIGIL EVERY THURSDAY from 4:30-5:30pm on the Northwest corner of Pilot Knob Road and Yankee Doodle Road in Eagan. We have signs and candles. Say "NO to war!" The weekly vigil is sponsored by: Friends south of the river speaking out against war. --------9 of 16-------- From: EKalamboki [at] aol.com Subject: Northtown vigil 9.10 5pm NORTHTOWN Peace Vigil every Thursday 5-6pm, at the intersection of Co. Hwy 10 and University Ave NE (SE corner across from Denny's), in Blaine. Communities situated near the Northtown Mall include: Blaine, Mounds View, New Brighton, Roseville, Shoreview, Arden Hills, Spring Lake Park, Fridley, and Coon Rapids. We'll have extra signs. For more information people can contact Evangelos Kalambokidis by phone or email: (763)574-9615, ekalamboki [at] aol.com. --------10 of 16-------- From: marypat.byrn [at] wmitchell.edu Subject: Free speech buffs 9.10 5pm Calling all free speech buffs My name is Mary Pat Bryn and I am a professor at William Mitchell College of Law. I'd like to invite anyone who cares about free speech to the college at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, to hear Mary Beth Tinker talk about free speech and the difference students of all ages can make when they develop an informed opinion, take a stand, and fight to be heard. Mary Beth was the central figure in Tinker vs. Des Moines. She was 13 when she was suspended for wearing a black armband to school in protest of the Vietnam War. She felt her First Amendment rights were violated and ended up taking her case to the U.S. Supreme Court. She won. Today she travels the country encouraging students to get involved, form opinions, and be heard. She's a magnificent speaker and I encourage all of you to attend and bring your children. Regardless of your political affiliation, you will be inspired. You can learn more at www.wmitchell.edu. --------11 of 16-------- From: Women Against Military Madness <wamm [at] mtn.org> Subject: Palestine/Steichen 9.10 7pm "The Rocky Road to Peace: Israel, the Palestinians, the U.S. and the U.N." A Talk by Florence Steichen, CSJ Thursday, September 10, 7:00 p.m. The Parish Community of St. Joseph, 8701 36th Avenue North (at Boone), New Hope. Sister Florence is the President of Middle East Peace Now and is active in the Middle East Committee of WAMM. She lived in Bethlehem between 1987 and 1993 while she served as Registrar of Bethlehem University in Palestine. She has returned five times and in November 2008 participated in the 7th International Sabeel Conference, "Remembering the Nakba," held in Nazareth and Jerusalem. She will summarize some of the significant events, proposals, and agreements and why they have not resulted in a peace accord. There will be time for questions and discussion. All are welcome. Sponsored by: Northwest Neighbors for Peace. Endorsed by: WAMM. FFI: Call Pat Helin, 763-542-1966. --------12 of 16-------- From: Michelle Gross <mgresist [at] visi.com> Subject: Krazy kop kapers Communities United Against Police Brutality EMAIL NEWS September 8, 2009 Folks, it's time for more KRAZY KOP KAPERS! Seems like every time you crack open the paper or flip on the TV news, there's another story about a bone-headed move by our local cops. So many, in fact, that you might be having trouble keeping up. For your edification, here's a rundown over the last few months. Whilst all this is going on, the Strib has run two letters to the editor and one op-ed piece in the last two weeks from Timmy Dolan telling us his kops are "better than ever." Really? It's not like the city council and mayor didn't know. $14.5 mill in settlements and judgements over the last four years might have been a clue. Then, of course, all of us pesky activists have been shouting it from the rafters. But taking action to reign in the cops would have required going up against the federation - an anathema to the local "leadership" especially in an election season. State Pulls Plug on Metro Gang Strike Task Force - The Implosion Begins 5/20 After the state legislative auditor's May 20th report exposed widespread illegal seizures of money and property - and at least 18 vehicles and tens of thousands of dollars missing - the state finally got around to shutting down the task force but not before word spread to the officers and they hightailed it to headquarters to shred documents after disabling the badge access system. Given the predictability of this conduct, why commissioner Michael Campion didn't change the locks and post guards outside headquarters to prevent evidence destruction is anyone's guess. A second report was released 8/20 by former prosecutor Andy Luger (same dude who produced the whitewash on police conduct during the RNC) and retired FBI agent John Egelhof, though they were hamstrung by lack of subpoena power and the lack of documentation after all those records were shredded. Despite this, the report outlines widespread theft of seized property by cops for personal use, seizure of money and property such as cars, TVs and jewelry from people not involved in gang activity, narcotics never entered into evidence, two throw-down guns found in the office, etc. The report can be seen here: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2009/08/20090820_gangstrikeforce.pdf The FBI has announced an investigation of 14 officers - half from the Minneapolis PD and close to half from the St. Paul PD, however the names have not been revealed to the public. At least one person charged by members of the MGSTF has been acquitted after the jury found testimony by the officers not credible. How Dare You Sue the Cops! - Retaliatory Traffic Stop 6/20 Attorney Damon Ward was followed by Minneapolis cops for miles after he deposed two of their "brothers in blue" in a federal police brutality suit. Ward, who is black, was pulled over in his own driveway by two white MPD cops. Concerned for his safety, he called his sister, Cassandra Ward-Brown, who is assistant general council for the Minneapolis School District. The pretext for the stop was an alleged illegal turn. Cop Shawn Kelly arrested Ward for "acting bizarre" after Ward raised the specter that the stop was racial profiling. Ward-Brown was ticketed for obstructing legal process (OLP) by Aaron Morrison, a defendant in the suit. Keep in mind that OLP is the favorite charge leveled by cops who are doing wrong. Ward and Ward-Brown are suing the MPD over this incident. Derryl Jenkins Footage Hits the Airwaves 8/15 Disturbing video of an incident that occurred in February hit the airwaves mid-August. The video shows six Minneapolis police officers punching and kicking Derryl Jenkins after a traffic stop. The MSNBC story and video is here: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOKx97DZMFQ>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOKx97DZMFQ This editor saw Jenkins shortly after the beating and was appalled at his condition. After the severe beating, Jenkins was jailed for four days charged with felony assault and gross misdemeanor refusal to submit to alcohol testing. The charges were later dropped. As is usual in these cases, a supervisor reviewed the video but no cops had been charged or disciplined. Now the MPD is scrambling to cover its tracks. Jenkins is a highly educated professional whose goal in releasing the footage is to promote police accountability. He may get his wish as the FBI is now investigating. So far, he has not sued. Half a Mill for Eldridge Chatman 8/28 The city council agreed to settle with Eldridge Chatman, who was savagely beaten by MPD cop Craig Taylor and required two brain surgeries as a result. Chatman happened upon a raid in progress in his apartment building. Taylor and another cop "moved him out of the way" violently then lied about it in their police reports. If anything, the city got off cheap. Gang Strike Task Force Member Files Whistleblower Suit 8/31 Sgt. Kelly O'Rourke, no stranger to police thuggery himself, has filed a lawsuit claiming he tried to out the dirty cops on the Metro Gang Strike Task Force back in 2007 but no one would listen and, instead, he was retaliated against. Strange that he never thought about going public with his allegations until he was accused in the media of taking home an ice auger from the MGSTF office that had been stolen from a community member. Drunken Softball Debauchery 8/31 MPD Internal Affairs is being kept pretty busy these days. Now they've got to investigate members of the MPD softball team who showed up after a game rip-roaring drunk to the Double Deuce strip club in Northeast Minneapolis - so drunk the bouncer wouldn't let them in. They started flashing their badges and one cop is caught on film peeing on the building in retaliation. The crew then stumbled down (or drove?) to Mayslak's Bar and picked fights with the patrons, saying that no one could stop them because they are cops. A passerby who tried to break up one of the fights was beaten by the cops. Interestingly, on duty cops arrived at the scene but no police report was ever filed. Nicholas Kastner Footage Hits the Airwaves 9/4 This latest video release shows Kastner, a passenger in a car that was allegedly involved in burglarizing cars in a parking ramp, sprawled on the floor of the ramp, arms spread eagle, when officers Sherry Appeldorn and Joseph Will kicked and stomped him on his back multiple times before tasing him twice. Appeldorn claimed that Kastner refused to get on the ground, though the video clearly proves that's a lie. Kastner is now suing the MPD for an undisclosed amount. Kastner's lawyer, Fred Goetz, told the Star Tribune, "It's not isolated conduct. You have two incidents captured on videotape. How many times is it not captured?" How much does all of this cost, and what can we do about it? Much has been said about the high cost of settlements and judgements faced by taxpayers. However, a little-noticed report released by the MPD to the city council runs down overtime by the top 25 officers. The list is a veritable roster of brutal cops. Apparently if you abuse people, you are rewarded with overtime. The report can be seen at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/2009-meetings/20090828/docs/MPD_OvertimeUpdate_RCA.pdf While the report suggests that the MPD has taken measures to reduce overtime (compared to 2008 with the RNC and 2007 with the bridge collapse), perhaps a greater savings could be realized by simply banning brutal cops from doing overtime and off-duty work - or, better yet - getting them completely off the payroll. Another action item that is gaining some traction is CUAPB's call to require police officers to carry their own professional liability insurance, much as doctors, nurses and others currently do. Insurance companies would soon grow weary of paying the claims and defending brutal cops in court, rendering certain officers uninsurable and removing them from the force. This would also remove the burden from the city's general fund and, thus, from taxpayers. After all, why should we continue to fund our own oppression? Other ideas that have been floated include having community input into the police officer's labor contract, an elected police commission that would oversee both the chief and the CRA, paying settlements and judgements from the police department budget or even out of individual officer's pension funds. At a time in which the city has taken action to lock down access to CRA complaints, we also need much more transparency. Perhaps with elections for the mayor and city council on the horizon, some of these ideas will finally be given serious consideration. If not, there's always the possibility of federal receivership. --- LOOK WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DON'T REIGN IN THE COPS Okay, this may seem extreme but when considered against the long list above as well as incidents such as the beating of a man a few years ago by a drunk off-duty Minneapolis cop who drove the wrong way down a one-way street, just about anything seems possible. Maybe we shouldn't let cops bring guns into court. Fire chief shot by cop in Ark. court over tickets By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press Thu Sep 3, 7:41 pm ET http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090903/ap_on_re_us/us_shot_in_court JERICHO, Ark. - It was just too much, having to return to court twice on the same day to contest yet another traffic ticket, and Fire Chief Don Payne didn't hesitate to tell the judge what he thought of the police and their speed traps. The response from cops? They shot him. Right there in court. Payne ended up in the hospital, but his shooting last week brought to a boil simmering tensions between residents of this tiny former cotton city and their police force. Drivers quickly learn to slow to a crawl along the gravel roads and the two-lane highway that run through Jericho, but they say sometimes that isn't enough to fend off the city ticketing machine. "You can't even get them to answer a call because normally they're writing tickets," said Thomas Martin, chief investigator for the Crittenden County Sheriff's Department. "They're not providing a service to the citizens." Now the police chief has disbanded his force "until things calm down," a judge has voided all outstanding police-issued citations and sheriff's deputies are asking where all the money from the tickets went. With 174 residents, the city can keep seven police officers on its rolls but missed payments on police and fire department vehicles and saw its last business close its doors a few weeks ago. "You can't even buy a loaf of bread, but we've got seven police officers," said former resident Larry Harris, who left town because he said the police harassment became unbearable. Sheriff's deputies patrolled Jericho until the 1990s, when the city received grant money to start its own police force, Martin said. Police often camped out in the department's two cruisers along the highway that runs through town, waiting for drivers who failed to slow down when they reached the 45 mph zone ringing Jericho. Residents say the ticketing got out of hand. "When I first moved out here, they wrote me a ticket for going 58 mph in my driveway," 75-year-old retiree Albert Beebe said. The frequent ticketing apparently led to the vandalization of the cruisers, and the department took to parking the cars overnight at the sheriff's department eight miles away. It was anger over traffic tickets that brought Payne to city hall last week, said his lawyer, Randy Fishman. After Payne failed to get a traffic ticket dismissed on Aug. 27, police gave Payne or his son another ticket that day. Payne, 39, returned to court to vent his anger to Judge Tonya Alexander, Fishman said. It's unclear exactly what happened next, but Martin said an argument between Payne and the seven police officers who attended the hearing apparently escalated to a scuffle, ending when an officer shot Payne from behind. Doctors in Memphis, Tenn., removed a .40-caliber bullet from Payne's hip bone, Martin said. Another officer suffered a grazing wound to his finger from the bullet. Martin declined to name the officer who shot Payne. It's unclear if the officer has been disciplined. Prosecutor Lindsey Fairley said Thursday that he didn't plan to file any felony charges against the officer or Payne. Fairley, reached at his home, said Payne could face a misdemeanor charge stemming from the scuffle, but that would be up to the city's judge. He said he didn't remember the name of the officer who fired the shot. Payne remains in good condition at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis. He referred questions to his lawyer. "I know that he was unarmed and I know he was shot," Fishman said. "None of that sounds too good for the city to me." After the shooting, Martin said police chief Willie Frazier told the sheriff's department he was disbanding the police force "until things calm down." The sheriff's department has been patrolling the town in the meantime. A call to a city hall number listed as Frazier's went to a fax machine. Frazier did not respond to a written request for comment sent to his office. Alexander, the judge, has voided all the tickets written by the department both inside the city and others written outside of its jurisdiction citations that the department apparently had no power to write. Alexander, who works as a lawyer in West Memphis, resigned as Jericho's judge in the aftermath of the shooting, Fairley said. She did not return calls for comment. Meanwhile, sheriff's deputies want to know where the money from the traffic fines went. Martin said that it appeared the $150 tickets weren't enough to protect the city's finances. Sheriff's deputies once had to repossess one of the town's police cruisers for failure to pay on a lease, and the state Forestry Commission recently repossessed one of the city's fire trucks because of nonpayment. City hall has been shuttered since the shooting, and any records of how the money was spent are apparently locked inside. No one answered when a reporter knocked on the door on Tuesday. Mayor Helen Adams declined to speak about the shooting when approached outside her home, saying she had just returned from a doctor's appointment and couldn't talk. "We'll get with you after all this comes through," Adams said Tuesday before shutting the door. A white Ford Crown Victoria sat in her driveway with "public property" license plates. A sales brochure advertising police equipment sat in the back seat of the car. --------13 of 16-------- Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 13:35:26 -0400 (EDT) From: Kelly <saintcurmudgeon [at] EARTHLINK.NET> To: st paul issues forum <stpaul-issues [at] forums.e-democracy.org> Subject: "Chicken Little" Sheriff Fletcher What is amazing about the "Chicken Little" title being assigned to Ramsey County Sheriff Fletcher is that this title is coming from a undercover cop, who should normally be one of the Sheriff's strongest supporters. In "Cop Book" a retired 27-year veteran of the Bloomington Police Department, Richard Greelis writes about a honcho cop he calls "Chicken Little". Ruben Rosario quotes Richard Greelis in his Star Tribune column: "He wanted the credit for saving St. Paul from the sky that was, according to him, falling fast," Greelis writes. "In addition to airing his concerns, he tended not to play well with other cop-types who did not work for him - like our intel unit." According to Greelis, this official was so adamant that his unit remove an informant who infiltrated a reputed anarchist group that he actually followed Greelis from a Minneapolis surveillance spot and pulled him over as if he was executing a routine pull-over traffic stop. (Star Tribune) So do the statements that Sheriff Fletcher has made over the years sound like "The sky is falling". You be the judge! The sky is falling, tire spikes and slingshots could destroy St Paul. The weekend before the September convention, he [Sheriff Fletcher] led raids on the homes of anarchists. Then he held press conferences justifying the raids by displaying tire spikes and slingshots that he says would have "destroyed" St. Paul. (MPR) Especially note the alleged spikes were found in the home of guy who recycles metal to earn money.The sky is falling, protesters are criminal! The "Welcoming Committee" is a criminal enterprise made up of 35 self-described anarchists who are intent on committing criminal acts before and during the Republican National Convention. These acts include tactics to blockade and disable delegate buses, breaching venue security and injuring police officers. They have recruited assistance in their criminal conspiracy from other anarchists groups throughout the country. Through their plans and actions they have exhibited a blatant disregard for the law and the safety of others. (MPR) I find it especially amusing that the group is mostly vegetarian! The sky is falling, we need a giant holding pen to hold thousands of RNC people who will be arrested. Unfortunately the original link to the Sheriff's quote is gone, however there are still references to the giant pen. A year and a half before the RNC, Fletcher and Bostrom publicly disagreed over the sheriff's budget request to build a massive holding pen for people who would be arrested during the week. (MPR) The sky is falling, I will finger print these cards to find out who wrote that question! "The lead law enforcer for Ramsey County is confiscating cards and threatening suits and threatening fingerprinting and stuff; this has just gone beyond the pale of what is appropriate for him," contends community activist Pam Ellison, who ran for Congress as an Independence Party candidate, was at the debate. (MPR) At a political debate in 2003, Fletcher confiscated cards with questions from the audience. One of the questioners asked about Fletcher's personal relationship to candidate Kris Reiter, who was running for a St. Paul City Council seat. Reiter lost the election and Fletcher was cleared.Reiter and Fletcher had talked about suing the League of Women Voters for slander and defamation. So far, no lawsuit has not been filed. Fletcher and Reiter are now married. (MPR) The sky is falling, meth is far more dangerous than any other drug. Law enforcement officers who see the growing impact of methamphetamine firsthand say meth is far more dangerous than any other drug they've encountered. Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher says meth is easier to make and more addictive than marijuana, cocaine and crack. (MPR) The sky is falling, Asian Gangs have guns! Fletcher estimates that, since 1989, Southeast Asian gangs have stolen 600 to 700 guns in this way in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. For all the firearms that should be floating around as a result, there have been few reports of violent crimes by gang members. (City Pages) The sky is falling, gangs, gangs, gangs! In 1997 the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill establishing the Minnesota Gang Strike Force. [precursor to Metro Gang Strike Force] O'Hara says that it never would have happened without Fletcher leading the way. (Star Tribune) By the same token, the Sheriff seems to be really good at telling the press and everyone to not look at his own department and responsibilities. The sky is falling elsewhere, don't look at the financial practices of metro gang task force. Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher repeatedly tried to prevent a state investigation into the financial operations of the Metro Gang Strike Force, over which his office has fiscal oversight, according to officials directly involved in the state probe that led to the sudden shutdown last week of the unit's activities. (MPR) The sky is falling elsewhere, really, really,don't look at the financial practices of metro gang task force. Hearing this, members of the Strike Force high-tailed it to their office in New Brighton. There, they allegedly shredded documents, tampered with computer files, and were busy boxing up their belongings when West St. Paul Police Chief Bud Shaver, head of the Strike Force advisory board, showed up and confronted the cops. Shaver, in turn, called Omodt, who arrived shortly thereafter to find the aftermath of what appeared to be a hastily carried out cover-up operation.Fletcher was once again in the headlines. He attributed the unaccounted-for cars and cash to "sloppy bookkeeping," and maintained that the officers were merely "clearing out their desks." (City Pages) The sky is falling elsewhere, don't look at all the Ramsey county court settlements for Fletcher management practices. In July 2001, Moore was summoned by Fletcher. The sheriff told him that he was transferring him to the Apprehension Unit, a lowly destination for a lieutenant. No officer ranked as high as lieutenant had ever served there. Moore remembered he had informed his colleague Dennis Flaherty, a Fletcher supporter, of his intent to run for sheriff just 10 days earlier. Fletcher's parting words confirmed his worst suspicions."By the way," he said. "I spoke to Flaherty." This exchange would come out in a lawsuit Moore filed in 2006. Joining the suit was Sergeant Joyce Shockency, who had campaigned extensively for Moore and found herself similarly transferred. The case never went to trial. The circumstances and evidence were strong enough in the plaintiffs' favor to compel attorneys for Ramsey County and Fletcher to settle. The settlement cost Ramsey County taxpayers $750,000. (City Pages) The sky is falling elsewhere, don't look at the medical care or other care given to prisoners in Sheriff Fletcher's jail. St. Paul, Minn. - Randy Gallmeyer, 46, was arrested Oct. 19 for allegedly riding a motorized bicycle drunk. He was taken to the Ramsey County jail on that Friday night. By the following Sunday morning he was dead.Gallmeyer died of untreated diabetes. But his blood sugar levels had not been tested. Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher said an internal investigation shows that the nurses on staff did try to test Gallmeyer when he was booked... Fletcher has been named in a wrongful-death suit filed by Gallmeyer's family. The family is also suing the city of St. Paul, Ramsey County and the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department. Gallmeyer's mother Nora had dropped off medication for her son while he was in jail. She says, even if the blame is shifted to a jail nurse, she still holds the sheriff responsible for what happens in the county jail. (MPR) Paul, Minn. - Cameron Kennedy, 19, of Mankato, was arrested last Monday, on the first day of the convention, after he and his friends joined a protest in downtown St. Paul. The next night at the Ramsey County detention center, Kennedy says he witnessed a brutal beating of a young man named Elliot Hughes after Hughes and others chanted for food all day. "The guards tackled him, threw him to the ground. I saw him specifically hit his head against the concrete," said Kennedy. "That's when a bunch of guards swarmed him. I didn't see the rest because there were about 13 guards that swarmed him." Kennedy also says many of his friends didn't get immediate medical attention for injuries they sustained during the arrests in downtown St. Paul. He says one friend had an injured wrist, while the other had an injured ankle. Kennedy says he didn't have access to his asthma medicine, even on the day he was released. "That morning I asked for my inhaler. I'm an asthmatic. I have an inhaler, and he said it was going to take him about 15 minutes to get it out of my property. And I never got it," said Kennedy. Not getting medications or medical attention is the biggest complaint that lawyers with the National Lawyers Guild received throughout the week of the RNC. Gena Berglund, Coordinator of the NLG Legal Observer Program, has some examples. The guild listed some of those complaints. There was a hemophiliac who had a wound, and rather than being treated appropriately for that, the person was given a gauze for the wound. There was a woman who was pepper-sprayed, who was not decontaminated in the jail. There was one arrestee that had severe asthma and his medication was denied to him. A man with schizo-affective disorder was not getting his medication. Another person with gastrointestinal problems. There was one other person on psychiatric meds that were denied. (MPR) The sky is falling elsewhere, don't look at two close working buddies in Sheriff Fletcher's jail convicted of theft. Two Ramsey County sheriff's department staffers were convicted of theft. Bob Fletcher buddies Timothy Rehak and Mark Naylon failed an "integrity test"; they kept an FBI-planted $6,000. The men were also convicted of civil-rights deprivation, which apparently happens when you steal stuff, the Strib's Rochelle Olson explains. Each count carries a 10-year sentence; the judge will be tough, an ex-U.S. attorney says. The jury took less than four hours to convict the men, the PiPress' David Hanners notes. (MinnPost) The sky is falling elsewhere, don't look at closely at the way that Sheriff Fletcher hands out gun permits. Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher wants to revoke a gun permit from a Bill Finney supporter. (MPR) Performing the same calculations that were used for the 2007 data, Sheriff Fletcher's actual denial rates for 2005 and 2006 are 20.0% and 25.7%, respectively. These cumulative denial rates are so far outside the norm for any other county as to stretch the limits of believability. The only explanation seems to be that Sheriff Fletcher is denying applicants based on some other standard known only to him, a standard which is apparently much higher than the legislated one that 86 other sheriffs in Minnesota seem to be using with great success. (Muckraker) The sky is falling elsewhere, don't look at the growing budgets of Sheriff Fletcher, when everyone else has to cut back budgets. Since Fletcher took office, his roster of full-time deputies has swelled 31 percent from 311 to 408, and his budget has climbed from $20 million to $43 million, a 51 percent rise after inflation. The rest of the county budget, adjusted for inflation, grew 21.5 percent during the same span. (Star Tribune) These statements are from public sources, widely available. What shocks me is that a public official can do all of this and still be in office. Grace Kelly nicknamed Kelly Curmudgeon from Merriam Park Grace (nicknamed Kelly) Kelly Merriam Park, St Paul --------14 of 16-------- Date: Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:00:51 -0500 From: Bill Kahn <wjkahn [at] mac.com> To: st paul issues forum <stpaul-issues [at] forums.e-democracy.org> Subject: Re: [SPIF] "Chicken Little" Sheriff Fletcher Seems like her post was predominantly a collection of reliable news reports, with a little colorful commentary between them, here and there. I'm afraid when someone is the subject of so many stories about poor judgement and bad management resulting in the loss of several hundreds of thousands of dollars (perhaps millions when the RNC awards and settlements start flowing), it is a public service and not simply partisan to point out their deficiencies. Just wait until the Feds get through with all of this Gang Strike Force stuff. It really goes to show that you've got to size up the folks running the jingoist campaigns, even jingoist administrations very carefully before taking the risk that they are going to be any good at all in the positions they run for. Fletcher fails such examination, and I could think of a few more running in the same fashion for St. Paul offices who should be eschewed by voters; but that's another thread where a few are like to figuratively throw as many presbyters (one, anyway) or others not to their liking to the lions as in Rome of the Caesars. Perhaps in St. Paul this does not play quite as well to the crowd as it did in Rome early in the first millennium of the Common Era. We've got so few lions in St. Paul, perhaps trampling under the Quadriga on the Capitol might be a better analogy. --------15 of 16-------- Date: Tue, 8 Sep 2009 14:53:53 -0700 (PDT) From: Erik Hare <wabbitoid47 [at] yahoo.com> To: stpaul-issues [at] forums.e-democracy.org Subject: Re: [SPIF] "Chicken Little" Sheriff Fletcher We live in a time when an awful lot of the systems and institutions that we have come to rely on are unquestionably screwed up. For example, we fought a war that killed around 200k people for reasons that no one can articulate. We entered the (roughly) 5th Depression in US history and nearly every self-described "expert" claims that no one saw it coming. A bridge collapsed on us despite the fact that the problem was carefully photographed and included in an official report. Our leadership has failed us in ways that are simply astounding. One of the terrible failures of leadership that I see here in Saint Paul is the horrible mismanagement that has been made systematic under the tenure of Bob Fletcher. The largess of his department's budget, documented thuggery and lying during the RNC, and now endemic corruption of the gang task force show that he is, to my mind, grossly incompetent and dangerous. I think that replacing him at the soonest possible opportunity has to be a top priority. However, the political reality is that Sheriff Fletcher has his supporters. They have a power that has kept ranks closed behind him in both political terms and quite literally as I've watched Deputies fill the room behind him. I find this all very scary. With the situation this dire and the political divide so deep that action of any kind is difficult, what should we do? How can those of us who think Bob Fletcher is a serious problem take action? I do not consider this to be a joking matter. In fact, I believe that the vast majority of people in this county who are unfamiliar with the problem need to have it described to them in clear, concise terms. This is what I am doing here. Zingers and cute statements that belittle the problem do not help. In fact, they are likely to inflame the passionate supporters of Sheriff Fletcher into creating a similar response. As the heat turns up on one more political argument in our lives, what are the undecided people supposed to think? The most likely response is that they will tune it all out, as they tune out so much of the terrible noise that has been a diversion away from the real failures of leadership that plague us at all levels. There's already far, far too much noise. If you want something done, you have to get past it. The litany of charges against Sheriff Fletcher is long and largely unanswered. As citizens struggle to take control of the many issues that confront us, clarity is critical. More noise, more fight, and more cuteness isn't going to help. We have to start stating the cases against the supposed "leaders" that are failing us in a way that engages and empowers people to take action. I would hope that the experience of the last decade or so would prove to us that noise is the enemy. If you believe, as I do, that things have only gotten worse as the diversions captured all the attention, it would logically follow that we have to do something a bit different. Let's not feed into the noise, please. I happen to believe that the problem with Sheriff Fletcher is far too serious to be cute about. Thank you. --------16 of 16-------- OUR JIMMY Our Jimmy wants to be a cop. We smile and push salesman or pimp. Our Jimmy wants to be a cop. He gets cats out of trees and clubs them. Our Jimmy wants to be a cop. Do what he says, or he beats us up. Our Jimmy wants to be a cop. He arrested his whole second grade class. Our Jimmy wants to be a cop. He whacks eggs with a league baseball bat. Our Jimmy wants to be a cop. He yells Eat my broccoli - or else! Our Jimmy wants to be a cop. He jackboots parts from small animals. Our Jimmy wants to be a cop. He screams Show me your parent papers! Our Jimmy wants to be a cop. We're moving out of here before then. -- The mafia has goons. The ruling class has cops sheriffs and mayors. -- ----------------------------- Beat all that you can beat. Go cop. ----------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- - David Shove shove001 [at] tc.umn.edu rhymes with clove Progressive Calendar over 2225 subscribers as of 12.19.02 please send all messages in plain text no attachments vote third party for president for congress now and forever Socialism YES Capitalism NO To GO DIRECTLY to an item, eg --------8 of x-------- do a find on --8
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