Getting away with murder.... (It's an idiom.)
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Nexus Blinked
I've been meaning to tell you how things turned out...
I won in the Minnesota Court of Appeals in the Nexus lawsuit and the case was sent back to District Court for a do-over. However, judge John Sommerville quit. The case was assigned instead to Joseph Klein. Ironically, I'd been a defendant longer than he'd been a judge. And whereas I should never have become a defendant, he should never have become a judge... But that's neither here nor there. I am no longer a Defendant. No doubt he will have a long and successful career in the Minnesota "Justice" System. What he lacks in knowledge of the Law, he makes up for in knowledge of politics. It helps to know which side of your bread is buttered, and by who.
I ran out of butter a long time ago. Didn't have much to begin with, but in the end I couldn't even afford a lawyer. But I didn't give up. (I never gave up!) Hannabelle became my lawyer. I am confident that at jury trial, she would have prevailed. But that day in court - MY day in court - didn't happen.
My trial was scheduled for September 6, 2011. Approximately one week before my trial, Nexus quit. Nexus moved to dismiss. And indeed, on the day my trial was slated to begin, Klein did what the corporation wanted and dismissed the case. He dismissed it without prejudice. Without prejudice means that Nexus and the court recognized that I was innocent of the charges of defamation. Nexus didn't want to face Hannabelle in front of a jury in court. It was over at last. In the four year "staring contest", Nexus blinked. I won. I beat them. Yay... Bring on the confetti.
It was a hollow victory. It was all such a waste.
Well, almost.
I abandoned my home in Onamia over a year and a half ago. I could not conceive of staying in such a community as this one had become - the one I'd once loved enough to put myself on the line for. Oh, don't get me wrong... There are good people in Mille Lacs County and if I thought real hard, I might even be able to give you a name or two. But for whatever reason - through fear, intimidation, apathy, or ignorance, the "good" people are powerless to stand up to the "bad" people. Mayor Larry Milton once called them "gutless". Maybe so. My guess is that it's just self-preservation. Look what happens when a person tries to express their opinions and do the right thing. Look what happened to me.
Anyway, in July of 2010, I packed up the remnants of my life and left Minnesota for good... well, other than those quick and nasty trips back for Nexus' court hearings... I left voluntarily - with my head held high, proud of what I'd tried to accomplish, still strong in principles and secure in the knowledge of who I am and what I stand for.
After what I experienced in my last years in Onamia, I never thought I could be happy again. But I am. I am still hurt, but the healing has begun. I moved to a very remote wilderness area that is exceptionally beautiful in both scenery and spirit. I already have a network of wonderful friends and neighbors - independent, good-natured folks that just wouldn't allow what happened in Onamia to happen here. For one thing, their sympathies lie with innocent victims, not with those who perpetrate the crimes that create victims. They have been very understanding and supportive of me. Not only have they made me feel welcomed and accepted, they've made me feel safe and protected. After the ostracism and harassment I experienced in Onamia - what I call "the New Minnesota Nice" - it is a little overwhelming to adjust to being treated with kindness and respect. But isn't that how it's supposed to be, after all? People caring for one another? Protecting our rights from corrupt government and greedy corporations? Standing up for each other? I believe that's how it should be. Happy MLK Day.
I won in the Minnesota Court of Appeals in the Nexus lawsuit and the case was sent back to District Court for a do-over. However, judge John Sommerville quit. The case was assigned instead to Joseph Klein. Ironically, I'd been a defendant longer than he'd been a judge. And whereas I should never have become a defendant, he should never have become a judge... But that's neither here nor there. I am no longer a Defendant. No doubt he will have a long and successful career in the Minnesota "Justice" System. What he lacks in knowledge of the Law, he makes up for in knowledge of politics. It helps to know which side of your bread is buttered, and by who.
I ran out of butter a long time ago. Didn't have much to begin with, but in the end I couldn't even afford a lawyer. But I didn't give up. (I never gave up!) Hannabelle became my lawyer. I am confident that at jury trial, she would have prevailed. But that day in court - MY day in court - didn't happen.
My trial was scheduled for September 6, 2011. Approximately one week before my trial, Nexus quit. Nexus moved to dismiss. And indeed, on the day my trial was slated to begin, Klein did what the corporation wanted and dismissed the case. He dismissed it without prejudice. Without prejudice means that Nexus and the court recognized that I was innocent of the charges of defamation. Nexus didn't want to face Hannabelle in front of a jury in court. It was over at last. In the four year "staring contest", Nexus blinked. I won. I beat them. Yay... Bring on the confetti.
It was a hollow victory. It was all such a waste.
Well, almost.
I abandoned my home in Onamia over a year and a half ago. I could not conceive of staying in such a community as this one had become - the one I'd once loved enough to put myself on the line for. Oh, don't get me wrong... There are good people in Mille Lacs County and if I thought real hard, I might even be able to give you a name or two. But for whatever reason - through fear, intimidation, apathy, or ignorance, the "good" people are powerless to stand up to the "bad" people. Mayor Larry Milton once called them "gutless". Maybe so. My guess is that it's just self-preservation. Look what happens when a person tries to express their opinions and do the right thing. Look what happened to me.
Anyway, in July of 2010, I packed up the remnants of my life and left Minnesota for good... well, other than those quick and nasty trips back for Nexus' court hearings... I left voluntarily - with my head held high, proud of what I'd tried to accomplish, still strong in principles and secure in the knowledge of who I am and what I stand for.
After what I experienced in my last years in Onamia, I never thought I could be happy again. But I am. I am still hurt, but the healing has begun. I moved to a very remote wilderness area that is exceptionally beautiful in both scenery and spirit. I already have a network of wonderful friends and neighbors - independent, good-natured folks that just wouldn't allow what happened in Onamia to happen here. For one thing, their sympathies lie with innocent victims, not with those who perpetrate the crimes that create victims. They have been very understanding and supportive of me. Not only have they made me feel welcomed and accepted, they've made me feel safe and protected. After the ostracism and harassment I experienced in Onamia - what I call "the New Minnesota Nice" - it is a little overwhelming to adjust to being treated with kindness and respect. But isn't that how it's supposed to be, after all? People caring for one another? Protecting our rights from corrupt government and greedy corporations? Standing up for each other? I believe that's how it should be. Happy MLK Day.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor;
it must be demanded by the oppressed."
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies,
but the silence of our friends."
Martin Luther King Jr.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Santorum - On Board for Poor Troubled Boys
From 2007 to 2011, while Rick Santorum served on the board of directors of one residential treatment center for "poor troubled boys", I was totally engaged in a legal battle with another - a very similar institution in Onamia MN - the Mille Lacs Academy, owned by the Nexus Corporation. When I expressed my own concerns about building such an institution in my neighborhood, CEO Jim D'Angelo, board member Peter D. Freeman, and the Nexus Corporatino sued me for alleged "defamation". Of course I didn't defame them. That's ridiculous. But maybe there were reasons to silence me and frighten away any other would-be investigators who might scrutinize their facility and business practices.
Please click the following link to read this interesting article about a lot of alleged abuse, rape, neglect, murder, fraud, lawsuits... and see if you notice any parallels between these two institutions. You might find this article quite enlightening.
Rick Santorum-Linked Universal Health Services Facility: Fraud, Assault And Alleged 'Exorcism'
I'll have some more to say about this, after you've read the article. I welcome your comments.
Please click the following link to read this interesting article about a lot of alleged abuse, rape, neglect, murder, fraud, lawsuits... and see if you notice any parallels between these two institutions. You might find this article quite enlightening.
Rick Santorum-Linked Universal Health Services Facility: Fraud, Assault And Alleged 'Exorcism'
I'll have some more to say about this, after you've read the article. I welcome your comments.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Onamia Zoning Administrator Convicted for Child Porn
Mickey Leroy Carter, who was the Onamia Zoning Administrator that conspired with the Onamia City Council in 2007 to circumvent city ordinances and Minnesota State Law (MN Stat. 462.357) for the purpose of erecting the Mille Lacs Academy 5-building business complex in a R1 Residential neighborhood has been awarded a felony conviction for the possession of child pornography.
According to Brett Larson's article published in the Mille Lacs Messenger, the original sentence of 18 months in state prison has been whittled down to a mere 60 days in jail with 5 years of supervised probation.
"As part of his sentence, Carter is also required to abstain from alcohol and controlled substances, keep the court informed of his current address, and register as a predatory offender. He is not allowed to have unsupervised contact with minors, unless preapproved, or to use the Internet without approval. He cannot possess firearms or dangerous weapons or pornographic materials and must supply a DNA sample and undergo random testing."
Although the Mille Lacs Messenger article reports how the police caught this predatory sex offender and briefly outlines the case against Mr. Carter, a former elementary school teacher, it does not mention Carter's role as city zoning administrator in the implementation of spot-zoning 96 convicted juvenile sex offenders in an unlocked facility built just a four minute stroll from small children at a daycare center.
"They seem to like what I do," said Carter in 2007, referring to the Onamia City Council, when citizens questioned him about his qualifications as zoning administrator. He admitted he had no qualifications or training, but was still given authority to mis-classify the sex offender facility as R2 Residential (instead of commercial or institutional) as well as spot zone the building site as R2 - all with the blessing of Onamia City Council members Mayor Larry Milton, Bob Mickus, Bill Hill, Jerome Kryzer, and Mark Loch. Milton, now deceased, was himself father to Sheldon Myron Milton, also a registered predatory sex offender. (See Predatory offender fails to register, Mille Lacs Messenger, March 8, 2011.)
"They seem to like what I do," said Carter in 2007, referring to the Onamia City Council, when citizens questioned him about his qualifications as zoning administrator. He admitted he had no qualifications or training, but was still given authority to mis-classify the sex offender facility as R2 Residential (instead of commercial or institutional) as well as spot zone the building site as R2 - all with the blessing of Onamia City Council members Mayor Larry Milton, Bob Mickus, Bill Hill, Jerome Kryzer, and Mark Loch. Milton, now deceased, was himself father to Sheldon Myron Milton, also a registered predatory sex offender. (See Predatory offender fails to register, Mille Lacs Messenger, March 8, 2011.)
The Onamia City Council may well have liked what Mickey Carter "did", as certainly did the Nexus Corporation - owner of the Mille Lacs Academy juvenile sex offender facility. They accomplished their goal, overcoming the laws forbidding their dream, as well as squashing the resistance of local citizens whose rights were abolished while the local government served the corporation instead of protecting its citizens. Yes, the Onamia/Nexus coalition got pretty much everything they wanted. Still, Minnesota Statute 462.357 succinctly states that:
"... a residential facility whose primary purpose is to treat juveniles who have violated criminal statutes relating to sex offenses or have been adjudicated delinquent on the basis of conduct in violation of criminal statutes relating to sex offenses shall not be considered a permitted use [in an area zoned residential]."
The Internet can be a wonderful tool... Perhaps things might have been different in Bradbury Township if the Onamia Zoning Administer had elected to use his computer (or his allegedly stolen school computer) to perform his job as a public servant- like researching Minnesota zoning laws for the good of the community .... rather than .... satisfying his personal desires.
Naw. Nothing can stop the inevitable.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Judge not, lest ye be judged
from thinkprogress.org
43 HOUSE MEMBERS SLAM JUSTICES SCALIA, THOMAS, AND ALITO FOR ETHICS SCANDALS | As ThinkProgress previously reported, Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT) circulated a letter calling upon the House Judiciary Committee’s leadership to hold a hearing his bill ending the Supreme Court’s immunity to key judicial ethics laws. Murphy’s bill is inspired by numerous recent ethics scandals involving the Court’s most conservative members:
There have been alarming reports of justices – most notably Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito – attending political events and using their position to fundraise for organizations. These activities would be prohibited if the justices were required to abide by the Judicial Conference Code of Conduct, which currently applies to all other federal judges. [...]
Recent revelations about Justice Thomas accepting tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts from individuals and organizations who often have an interest in matters before the courts calls into question the Court’s impartiality. Canon 4D of the Code of Conduct incorporates regulations providing that “[a] judicial officer or employee shall not accept a gift from anyone who is seeking official action from or doing business with the court.” Yet Justice Thomas received a gift valued at $15,000 from an organization that had a brief pending before his Court at the very moment they gave him the gift. Incidents such as these undermine the integrity of the entire judiciary, and they should not be allowed to continue.
Forty-three Members of Congress have now joined Murphy’s call to end the Supreme Court’s ethics immunity.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Nexus - Leaving No Trees to Hug?
More trouble for (and caused by) Nexus...
From the Mille Lacs Messenger:
Norway Pine lawsuit in Onamia
I can't get enough of these "I told you so" moments, and Nexus keeps providing me with plenty to gab about. Back in 2007, when the OACRG (Onamia Area Citizens for Responsible Growth) was battling the Onamia City Council as they forced the Nexus juvenile sex offender institution into our unwillingly ANNEXED residential neighborhood (MN Stat. 462.357, AND spot zoning, etc.) we ... expressed concerns about several issues.
One of our concerns was about the environmental impact of building the Mille Lacs Academy in the dictated location. We debated at length about the Rum River, Lake Onamia, wetlands and woodlands.... including technical stuff... like alluvial soil... We even wrote and started to distribute a petition for an environmental impact study - but gave up after we found out that it would be the city council who would decide (and they already had decided that such studies such as environmental impact and traffic weren't necessary.... since they also already decided to represent the interests of the corporation and the rest of the world be damned.) But after we were totally ignored by the Onamia City Council (at the time - Mayor Larry Milton, and Councilmen Bob Mickus, Bill Hill, Jerome Kryzer, and Mark Loch), once again Nexus proved us right. Who can forget that big oil spill that cost Nexus some $33,000 of your tax dollars for Minnesota Polution Control Agency fines for violations? [See: Wetland impacts, oil spill at Nexus site and Stormwater violations from Onamia Nexus project reported by the Mille Lacs Messenger].
Of course, the harm to our environment was just one of our concerns. If you recall, we were bothered by several things; for instance - the lack of security and the large number of escaping sex offenders. Well, have you read the sheriff's reports lately? Yep. I told you so. We were very concerned about taxes going up as our property values plummeted (Yep. I told you so.) We were concerned about not being able to sell our homes should we wish to leave a community which robbed us of our constitutional rights - such as the right to vote and/or run for office... which we were denied in the city of Onamia. (Yep. I told you so. My home has been on the market for over three years. Two others that I know of haven't sold either.) The list of Nexus problems goes on and on, folks, including the havoc they have reeked upon my family by suing me twice. Check out the Mille Lacs News for information and links.
Sooooo..... you say..... Just another bunch of tree-huggers whining about "Progress". Well, my friends, in order to be "tree-huggers" one needs trees to hug. And according to reports, Nexus chopped down a bunch of trees belonging to Citizen Bill Konze that it had absolutely no rights to whatsoever. But why doesn't this surprise me? Nexus is what Nexus is... It does whatever it wants - to benefit its own exclusive higher-ups. And nobody dare say no. Or else!
To quote Bill Konze quoting someone else as he summed up the futility of our situation in 2007.... "The Golden Rule: He who has the gold, rules." Nexus certainly has plenty of "gold". Taxpayer gold... Investment gold. Personally, I think they should use all that money to do good things - like help poor troubled boys [Criminal sexual conduct charge for Nexus worker ], perhaps better screening of potential employees?, pay their GOOD workers a decent wage, contribute to the community they have taken over, compensate people they wrong, as well as pay up for their mistakes - instead of using it to pay lawyers to sue outspoken people like me, circumventation.... manipulation... to get out of paying what they owe. Nexus has proven itself to be a big, bad wolf. And who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Why - everyone is.
Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Good Neighbor Bill wins his lawsuit and gets a little of that gold to make up for at least some of the damages caused by the Nexus Corporation*. C'mon.... Certainly Nexus can't win ALL the time. Of course, money can't fix all ailments. It can't cure all the hurt. After the Mille Lacs County tax abatement meeting on December 4, 2007, Nexus CEO Jim D'Angelo scorned Konze with a snide "Game over. You lost." Nice, huh? What a sensitive guy... Well, perhaps the "game" isn't over yet.
Good luck, Bill.
*According to the article in the Mille Lacs Messenger, Konze is suing the City of Onamia for damages caused by Nexus while constructing the juvenile sex offender facility. As I understand it, Konze is not suing the Nexus Corporation itself. Which is probably wise.... since Nexus' lawyers are still busy with me....
From the Mille Lacs Messenger:
Norway Pine lawsuit in Onamia
I can't get enough of these "I told you so" moments, and Nexus keeps providing me with plenty to gab about. Back in 2007, when the OACRG (Onamia Area Citizens for Responsible Growth) was battling the Onamia City Council as they forced the Nexus juvenile sex offender institution into our unwillingly ANNEXED residential neighborhood (MN Stat. 462.357, AND spot zoning, etc.) we ... expressed concerns about several issues.
One of our concerns was about the environmental impact of building the Mille Lacs Academy in the dictated location. We debated at length about the Rum River, Lake Onamia, wetlands and woodlands.... including technical stuff... like alluvial soil... We even wrote and started to distribute a petition for an environmental impact study - but gave up after we found out that it would be the city council who would decide (and they already had decided that such studies such as environmental impact and traffic weren't necessary.... since they also already decided to represent the interests of the corporation and the rest of the world be damned.) But after we were totally ignored by the Onamia City Council (at the time - Mayor Larry Milton, and Councilmen Bob Mickus, Bill Hill, Jerome Kryzer, and Mark Loch), once again Nexus proved us right. Who can forget that big oil spill that cost Nexus some $33,000 of your tax dollars for Minnesota Polution Control Agency fines for violations? [See: Wetland impacts, oil spill at Nexus site and Stormwater violations from Onamia Nexus project reported by the Mille Lacs Messenger].
Of course, the harm to our environment was just one of our concerns. If you recall, we were bothered by several things; for instance - the lack of security and the large number of escaping sex offenders. Well, have you read the sheriff's reports lately? Yep. I told you so. We were very concerned about taxes going up as our property values plummeted (Yep. I told you so.) We were concerned about not being able to sell our homes should we wish to leave a community which robbed us of our constitutional rights - such as the right to vote and/or run for office... which we were denied in the city of Onamia. (Yep. I told you so. My home has been on the market for over three years. Two others that I know of haven't sold either.) The list of Nexus problems goes on and on, folks, including the havoc they have reeked upon my family by suing me twice. Check out the Mille Lacs News for information and links.
Sooooo..... you say..... Just another bunch of tree-huggers whining about "Progress". Well, my friends, in order to be "tree-huggers" one needs trees to hug. And according to reports, Nexus chopped down a bunch of trees belonging to Citizen Bill Konze that it had absolutely no rights to whatsoever. But why doesn't this surprise me? Nexus is what Nexus is... It does whatever it wants - to benefit its own exclusive higher-ups. And nobody dare say no. Or else!
To quote Bill Konze quoting someone else as he summed up the futility of our situation in 2007.... "The Golden Rule: He who has the gold, rules." Nexus certainly has plenty of "gold". Taxpayer gold... Investment gold. Personally, I think they should use all that money to do good things - like help poor troubled boys [Criminal sexual conduct charge for Nexus worker ], perhaps better screening of potential employees?, pay their GOOD workers a decent wage, contribute to the community they have taken over, compensate people they wrong, as well as pay up for their mistakes - instead of using it to pay lawyers to sue outspoken people like me, circumventation.... manipulation... to get out of paying what they owe. Nexus has proven itself to be a big, bad wolf. And who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Why - everyone is.
Well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Good Neighbor Bill wins his lawsuit and gets a little of that gold to make up for at least some of the damages caused by the Nexus Corporation*. C'mon.... Certainly Nexus can't win ALL the time. Of course, money can't fix all ailments. It can't cure all the hurt. After the Mille Lacs County tax abatement meeting on December 4, 2007, Nexus CEO Jim D'Angelo scorned Konze with a snide "Game over. You lost." Nice, huh? What a sensitive guy... Well, perhaps the "game" isn't over yet.
Good luck, Bill.
*According to the article in the Mille Lacs Messenger, Konze is suing the City of Onamia for damages caused by Nexus while constructing the juvenile sex offender facility. As I understand it, Konze is not suing the Nexus Corporation itself. Which is probably wise.... since Nexus' lawyers are still busy with me....
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